Chapter 24

"It's fine," Tsunade said, putting away the little book and waving to Kushina. "Go to your room and rest. Your brother Nawaki made a small mistake, and I'm handling it."

Kushina, still young and innocent, shouldn't be exposed to such things. Otherwise, Nawaki would get into even more trouble, and Tsunade herself would face consequences.

"Oh." Kushina cast Nawaki a sympathetic glance but didn't dare to ask for leniency. She obediently returned to her room.

Once Kushina left, Uzumaki Mito's voice came from the living room: "When a child misbehaves, it's usually because they need a good beating."

A bit of mischief wasn't a big problem; even the Third Hokage had his vices, yet that hadn't stopped him from being Hokage and a hero in the ninja world. However, showing such tendencies at a young age was a different matter.

It needed to be corrected.

*Grandma?!* Nawaki's eyes widened in disbelief. *It's bad enough you won't save me, but why make it worse? I'm doomed now!*

Tsunade smirked, encouraged by Mito's words. She tore the book into pieces, rubbed her wrist, and walked toward Nawaki.

"Sister, no! I'm sorry, I won't do it again..."

Nawaki's cries echoed throughout the house as Kushina, hiding in her room, winced. She could only mourn for him for a few seconds as the punishment unfolded.

With Mito's backing and Tsunade's resolve, not even the legendary Senju brothers, Hashirama and Tobirama, could save Nawaki.

---

While Nawaki was suffering, Shinki busied himself processing materials and working on his puppet project. The animal bodies required specific handling, including the removal of unnecessary parts like internal organs. Orochimaru, who had provided the materials, hadn't bothered with this cleanup, so Shinki had to do it himself.

The sheer amount of work kept him up most of the night. By the time he reported for duty the next morning, he was exhausted and looked half-asleep.

Today, an important surgery was scheduled, and Tsunade had come to the hospital rather than the medical department. She sipped her tea, legs crossed, as she watched Shinki yawn repeatedly.

"What's with you? Were you up all night reading the book Nawaki bought?" Tsunade teased, eyeing him skeptically.

"???"

Shinki paused mid-stretch, looking baffled. "Wait, you found out about Nawaki's book? I was actually wondering if I should tell you. Kids shouldn't be reading that stuff."

"I caught him myself and gave him a good beating," Tsunade replied, irritation clear in her voice. Nawaki had hobbled to school today, still sore from the lesson. Tsunade hadn't even healed him, determined to let the punishment sink in.

"It was the right call. If he'd just stumbled upon it, that'd be one thing, but reading it on purpose..."

Shinki shook his head, struggling to put into words how wrong it felt. *He's only eight years old! What eight-year-old does this?*

"I'll make sure to keep Jiraiya away from him from now on," Tsunade said, her expression darkening.

Jiraiya's carefree attitude was bad enough; the last thing she wanted was for him to influence Nawaki any further. "He's even suggested taking Nawaki as his student. I can't imagine what would happen if that ever became reality."

With Nawaki nearing graduation from the Academy, Tsunade had started thinking about finding him a proper mentor. Jiraiya had been keen on the idea, but she'd ignored him so far.

"Jiraiya as Nawaki's teacher?" Shinki mused as he poured himself a glass of water. Despite Jiraiya's flaws, his skill as a teacher was unmatched. Orochimaru, while brilliant, was a different story altogether. He was far too extreme, a potential ticking time bomb.

"I think it could work."

Tsunade folded her arms and leaned back. "So you're saying Jiraiya would be a better teacher than Orochimaru?"

Shinki nodded seriously. "Yes. Orochimaru's presence feels like being watched by a hidden snake, ready to strike. It's unsettling."

"Still, Nawaki admires Orochimaru, and I was thinking of making him Orochimaru's direct student. It would be more stable than joining a typical team."

"I understand that, but Jiraiya has a way of guiding his students in a positive, bright direction. With Orochimaru...it's more complicated."

Tsunade fell silent, contemplating his words. Many who had spent time around Orochimaru had described a similar feeling of unease.

---

"Aha..." Tsunade watched Shinki yawn again. "Did you steal time from your sleep last night?"

"No," Shinki said, shaking his head. "Orochimaru gave me the first batch of materials for my project, so I spent the night processing them. By the time I finished, it was already late."

"You're sure it won't affect today's operation?" she asked, frowning.

"It won't. I promise."

Satisfied, Tsunade let the matter drop.

Taking advantage of a slow morning, Shinki squeezed in a short nap, recharging his energy. For ninjas, staying up all night was normal, but processing materials had drained his focus.

That afternoon, Shinki assisted Tsunade in surgery. The operation went smoothly, and when she walked out of the operating room, the subtle upward curve of her lips was hard to suppress.

In Shinki's words, Tsunade now had a paycheck in hand, ready to splurge.

How long the money would last was another story entirely—only fate knew that answer.

"Let's go to your house for dinner later. I'll stop by the market for ingredients and check out your puppets while I'm at it," Tsunade said, feeling generous.

"Alright," Shinki agreed.

It was perfect timing. If Tsunade could spread the word about his puppet project, all the better. One meal was a small price to pay.