Chapter 26 : Tsunade's Disciple!!

"It hurts so much."

Tsunade rubbed her temples, feeling them throbbing and swollen. As she slowly opened her eyes, her whole body felt like it had been through a harsh battle, with aches all over. 

Looking around, she saw an unfamiliar hotel room and felt a wave of confusion. "What am I doing here? I remember... Ow, my head hurts so much, I can't remember anything."

Just as she was trying to piece together what had happened, the door burst open with a loud crash.

"You got here at just the right time. I was looking for you— Wait, who's this?" 

Uchiha Sogetsu entered, and as Tsunade was about to question him, she noticed a young girl behind him, probably around twelve or thirteen. The girl had long black hair tied into a high ponytail, was dressed in black, and had a very composed demeanor.

"Hey, Tsunade-sama, you're finally awake," Uchiha Sogetsu said with a smirk, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If you didn't wake up soon, I would have thought you were dead."

"Um..." Tsunade, catching the sarcasm, felt a twinge of guilt as she rubbed her nose. She asked tentatively, "Did I drink?"

"What do you think?" Uchiha Sogetsu curled his lips. "You can't smell the alcohol stench in the room?"

Tsunade coughed twice, feeling even weaker, and mumbled, "I can't smell it... Am I still drunk?"

But as she said that, something felt off. She glanced at the young girl again, puzzled, and asked, "Wait, weren't we in the forest? Why did I end up drinking? What happened in between? I don't remember a thing."

"Tsunade-sama, try thinking a bit harder," Uchiha Sogetsu replied, raising his eyebrows. "After we repaired the seal in the forest, you dragged me out to celebrate, and then got absolutely smashed."

Tsunade strained to remember, and sure enough, the memories slowly came back. After they repaired the seal, she felt a bit down and impulsively grabbed Sogetsu, saying she needed to let off some steam.

From there, they went to a nearby entertainment district and hit up a pub, getting wildly drunk. They even caused quite a ruckus, smashing the place to pieces.

Tsunade realized she had messed up and apologized without hesitation: "I swear, I won't drink again next time. Now, let's focus on this mission."

"Oh, I really hope that's true," Uchiha Sogetsu replied skeptically.

"Ahem, kid, don't get caught up in the small stuff. Girls don't like that~"

Tsunade quickly changed the subject and looked at the quiet girl standing nearby. She seemed oddly familiar: "By the way, who is she?"

"Oh, her name is 'Hikari', the new disciple you took in after you got drunk last night." Uchiha Sogetsu paused, and with Tsunade's surprised expression, he pulled down his shirt to reveal some bruises: "Yes, and you punched me hard enough to send me flying several meters."

"I'm not that violent, right?"

Tsunade saw the clear bruises on the boy's chest and felt uneasy. Even if she couldn't remember much from the previous night, the evidence was damning.

"Yeah, not too violent, just a couple of blocks away," Uchiha Sogetsu said, smirking as he adjusted his glasses. "If I hadn't been lucky last night, you'd be holding a funeral for me today."

"How far did I send you?"

Tsunade's eyes widened, and her lips parted in shock. 

"Haha, not too far, just three blocks." Uchiha Sogetsu chuckled. "Also, it's only three million ryo in damages. I've already sent the bill to the Hokage, including my medical expenses."

He then added, almost as an afterthought, "By the way, I got a glimpse of your Yin Seal, Princess Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin. Quite impressive!"

"Ahhh!" Tsunade was beyond arguing at this point. She sat down formally and said, "Sogetsu-kun, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

She felt a pang of guilt, realizing she might have released some chakra from her Yin Seal in her drunken state.

"Don't worry about it, I'm okay," Uchiha Sogetsu sighed, ready to let it go. "But what are you going to do about 'Hikari'? You were pretty drunk when you made her your disciple. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"

"Hmm..."

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. What a day.

How did things end up this way? It wasn't enough that she destroyed three streets in a drunken rampage and almost beat Uchiha Sogetsu to death. Now, she has taken on a disciple. Why did she ever agree to this?

"Tsunade-sama, you don't have to feel bad," a soft voice spoke.

Uchiha Hikari, who had been quiet this whole time, now bit her lip, her little hands twisting together. She looked up at her with tearful eyes, trying to suppress her emotions, but the tears welled up regardless. With a choked whisper, she said, "I'm the one who caused you trouble. I'll leave right away."

Her voice cracked as she sobbed quietly, her tiny face streaked with tears. The pitiful sight melted Tsunade's heart. She'd felt guilty from the start, but now, seeing Hikari's sorrowful expression, her resolve softened. She gritted her teeth and slapped her knee. "No, you're not causing any trouble. It's nothing like that! I, Tsunade, keep my word. From today on, you're my disciple!"

"Really?" Hikari gasped, her eyes wide with surprise. "Are you really taking me in as your disciple?"

"Of course, it's true!" Tsunade thumped her chest with a smile. "From today on, you're my first disciple!"

Hikari threw himself at Tsunade, sobbing, "Sensei! Thank you, Sensei!" She was overjoyed, her tears flowing freely. "I have a Sensei now. This is amazing!"

"Silly girl, why are you crying?" Tsunade ruffled her hair, pulling her into a warm embrace, her eyes softening with motherly care. "You're not alone anymore. With a Sensei like me, no one will dare bully you again."

It was a heartwarming scene.

Uchiha Sogetsu, the orchestrator of this whole situation, stood back, watching the events unfold with admiration. Hikari was indeed a natural "Spectator". 

Her expressions, her movements, even the precise intonation of each word—she had meticulously planned everything to tug at Tsunade's heartstrings, expertly exploiting her empathy and remorse. A flawless execution.

By using the pupil technique, Uchiha Hikari manipulated Tsunade's memory with the Shin'en no Shoumei. In this way, she created a new identity for herself.

Uchiha Hikari became the first disciple of Tsunade Hime, the legendary Sannin, the princess of the Senju clan,, the heir to the founder of the medical ninjutsu system, the legendary "big fat sheep"—and more. She collected a series of prestigious titles that made her virtually untouchable in Konoha, with only a few brave souls daring to challenge her status.

However, Uchiha Sogetsu suddenly realized a potential issue that could prove problematic for both Tsunade and himself.

Logically speaking, if Uchiha Hikari was already around when Tsunade was born, and even the First Hokage was still a child, then by this logic, wouldn't Tsunade have to call her apprentice "grandma"? 

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