Chapter 108: Following Tsunade [620]
Chapter 108: Following Tsunade [620]
"Very well."
A slight smile appeared on Tsunade's face.
She certainly didn't want to hear anything about Feng Ye returning to Konoha and then asking her to go back with him. She had no desire to return to the village at the moment.
"Then you can stay with me at the camp for now. Once we've sent off all the injured, we'll leave together," Tsunade said, taking a sip of water and addressing Feng Ye.
"Yes, Teacher Tsunade," Feng Ye replied with a smile.
Tsunade's mood had noticeably improved over the past few days, partly due to her fear of blood being cured and partly because the war had finally come to an end.
At this point, she had grown to detest war. If it weren't for her sense of responsibility, she wouldn't have agreed to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya's repeated invitations to join them on the battlefield.
Tsunade stopped paying attention to Feng Ye and became lost in thought.
"I've accumulated quite a bit of debt lately. It might not be safe to go back to the Fire Country... Hmm, maybe I should try my luck in the Rain Country, but if I run into that Hanzo, it'll be troublesome."
Feng Ye: "..."
Shizune: "..."
Hearing Tsunade's muttering, the two exchanged a glance, each seeing the helplessness in the other's eyes.
Anyone who wasn't running the gambling den would likely be ruined by Tsunade's gambling skills. Feng Ye couldn't help but wonder if the legendary "cash cow" would soon become famous in the Rain Country as well.
...
Feng Ye's decision to become Tsunade's disciple left the Konoha higher-ups somewhat bewildered.
Danzo frowned at this development.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also wore a bitter smile, unsure how Feng Ye had managed to get involved with Tsunade again. Compared to Orochimaru, he was actually more at ease with Tsunade because she had no ambitions.
However, the problem now was that Tsunade must have known that Feng Ye was Orochimaru's disciple. The fact that she was still willing to take him on as her student meant that she didn't mind this connection and might even side with Orochimaru at a critical moment.
The decision about the Fourth Hokage needed to be made soon.
Minato Namikaze had proven his capabilities in the recent battles and had gained sufficient qualifications to become the Fourth Hokage. He had the support of Jiraiya and the civilian population of Konoha, and the major clans did not strongly oppose him.
As for Orochimaru, he had long been qualified, and the civilian population didn't object. However, some of the major clans, including Mito Kokaku and Mito Izumo, were against the idea.
It was indeed a troublesome issue.
Moreover, as the Hokage, Sarutobi could sense the undercurrents beneath the calm surface of the ninja world.
The ninja world might be facing even greater changes, and the decision about the Fourth Hokage could perhaps be delayed until the world was truly at peace.
...
Two days later, Rin bid farewell to Feng Ye and returned to Konoha under the leadership of Minato, along with Kakashi and Obito Uchiha.
Two more days passed.
Kurenai Yuhi also said goodbye to Feng Ye as part of the fourth group of ninjas escorting the injured back to Konoha.
As most of the familiar faces had left, Tsunade finally made up her mind. She took Feng Ye and Shizune back to the Fire Country, teaching them medical ninjutsu while continuing her extravagant gambling lifestyle.
Feng Ye also had the fortune, or perhaps misfortune, of witnessing Tsunade's 'Six Paths-level' gambling luck. Whenever she got a good hand, her opponents would have an even better one, and when she had a bad hand, her opponents' hands would be equally poor, making it pointless to raise the stakes.
...
In a certain gambling den,
Tsunade stood there, her forehead dripping with cold sweat, her hands bracing the table as she stared at her 'Four Kings' and her opponent's 'Straight Flush'. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably.
At the same time, outside the casino, Feng Ye and Shizune were crouching in a corner.
Feng Ye held up his hand, a faint green light flickering in his palm before dissipating after a moment.
It had been a week since he started learning medical ninjutsu from Tsunade, and during this time, he had learned about her development of the Hundred Seals Technique and gained a deeper understanding of its intricacies.
For example, the Hundred Seals Technique was a self-sustaining medical ninjutsu, akin to programming chakra with intricate instructions. To achieve this, one needed extremely precise control over their chakra.
Feng Ye's control was not yet up to par, so he diligently practiced the most basic medical ninjutsu to refine his chakra control.
Of course, while training in medical ninjutsu, Feng Ye had not neglected his cultivation of the Eight Inner Gates. He continued to wear the highest-level weights, pushing his body to its limits.
The weight was so immense that without using chakra to distribute the pressure on the ground, he would sink into softer surfaces.
Such high-level weights made even walking a form of intense training.
Tsunade was well aware of his efforts, but she did not stop him, commenting instead that he was—'overly zealous in his training, to the point of neglecting to find enjoyment in other pursuits.'
"You can already maintain it for over a minute?" Shizune crouched beside him, watching his training with a mixture of shock and awe.
Feng Ye was practicing the Palm Mystical Technique, an extremely advanced ability in medical ninjutsu that few medical ninjas could master. Most ninjas wouldn't attempt to learn this technique directly due to its difficulty.
Even Shizune, who had been studying medical ninjutsu under Tsunade for a year, had only started training in the Palm Mystical Technique recently and had been at it for nearly a month without making much progress.
In just over a week, Feng Ye had surpassed what she had achieved in two or three months, giving her a deeper understanding of what it meant to be a genius.
A genius was someone who could effortlessly surpass what others had labored long and hard to achieve, leaving them in awe and questioning their life choices.
Shizune had never doubted Feng Ye's talent, but she considered herself to have a fair amount of talent in medical ninjutsu as well, learning quickly and even earning some recognition from Tsunade. Yet, in this aspect too, she had been surpassed by Feng Ye in a very short time.
"How long do you think it'll be before Lady Tsunade makes her escape?" Feng Ye asked, maintaining his Palm Mystical Technique while glancing at the casino in the distance with a smile.
Shizune snapped out of her daze and replied, "It depends on how much debt she's accumulated, but based on the time, she should be about ready."
Boom!!
Just as Shizune finished speaking, a loud crash echoed from within the casino.
Tsunade came rushing out, waving at them as she called out, "Shizune! Feng Ye! Let's get out of here!!"
"Your prediction was right on the mark," Feng Ye said, ceasing his Palm Mystical Technique practice.
He and Shizune shared a glance, their eyes reflecting a mutual sense of helplessness, before they both smiled wryly and rose to join Tsunade, quickly catching up to her and fleeing into the distance.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
