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Chapter 289: Tsunade: Teach Me Again!
Chapter 289: Tsunade: Teach Me Again!
"Why aren't they here yet? Are they still asleep?" Tsunade glanced at the clock; the minute hand had already passed the halfway mark past twelve.
As Mu Yue had arrived at this time the past two days, Tsunade assumed today wouldn't be much different.
"I don't think Teacher Mu Yue is the type to sleep in until noon," Shizune remarked.
"What's wrong with sleeping in? We don't have anything urgent to do anyway. Sleeping in till noon or getting up early makes no difference," Tsunade retorted, reaching out to pinch Shizune's cheeks playfully.
"Umm..." Shizune wanted to point out that sleeping in till noon meant losing a quarter of the day, but Tsunade's affectionate assault on her cheeks made her words come out garbled.
When Tsunade still didn't see any sign of Mu Yue by one o'clock, she decided to start the lesson with Shizune.
"He's probably still teaching you the Palm Mystical Jutsu, right?" Tsunade asked Shizune.
"Yes," Shizune nodded.
It was only at half-past two that Mu Yue finally entered Tsunade's courtyard, a small box in his hand.
"Lady Tsunade," Mu Yue greeted Tsunade with a smile and placed the box next to Tsunade and Shizune.
Tsunade, who had just finished a lecture and was taking a break, nodded in acknowledgment and immediately opened the gift box.
Shizune, sitting beside her, lit up at the sight of the delicate pastries within the box.
Tsunade casually picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth, then nodded in approval. She had to admit that Mu Yue had a talent for culinary delights. Even she, who wasn't particularly fond of sweets, found the pastries delectable.
"Go on, eat. I brought these for you," Mu Yue said warmly to Shizune.
Shizune, grateful for the treat, looked at Mu Yue with appreciative eyes and began to indulge.
In truth, Shizune wanted to save some for later that evening or even the next day. However, Tsunade's relentless snacking extinguished that idea; there would be none left, and if she didn't eat them, Tsunade surely would.
"Lady Tsunade, today's lesson will be four hours long. Thank you for your time," Mu Yue said after Tsunade finished eating, handing over the payment of four hundred thousand ryo.
"Let's begin, then," Tsunade said, taking the money without so much as a glance and passing it off to Shizune.
She didn't question why today's lesson was shorter; after all, Mu Yue might not have as much free time as she did, and it was understandable if other matters kept him occupied.
For the next four hours, the courtyard was filled with the sounds of teaching and the occasional question. Although the knowledge Tsunade imparted was far beyond Shizune's current level, the young ninja pretended to follow along diligently, making notes of the concepts she didn't understand.
After the lesson, as usual, Mu Yue prepared dinner for Tsunade and Shizune and gave them a preview of the next day's menu.
"Aside from Beggar's Chicken, I know another way to cook chicken that's absolutely delicious, although it's a little spicy," Mu Yue said after they finished eating.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade silently swallowed the words she had been about to say.
The Beggar's Chicken that Mu Yue had made was the best chicken dish Tsunade had ever tasted. In fact, earlier that day, she and Shizune had attempted to recreate it, but their replication fell flat in comparison. While it was edible, it was nothing like Mu Yue's masterpiece, lacking that feeling of spiritual and physical satisfaction that Mu Yue's cooking evoked.
"After tomorrow's chicken dish, I must make sure he doesn't come back!" Tsunade thought resolutely.
There was no doubt that Mu Yue's presence was severely hindering her plans to slack off.
Teaching Shizune, a ninja of her caliber, was easy for Tsunade. She could answer Shizune's questions without much thought, and most of the time, she let Shizune practice on her own.
But Mu Yue was a different story. Sometimes, his questions required her to think carefully before answering.
As Mu Yue left, Shizune waved goodbye with a reluctant expression, clearly not wanting him to go.
"Goodbye, Teacher Mu Yue," she called out.
To Shizune, Mu Yue was wonderful. Not only did he bring her sweets, but he also cooked delicious meals for them without asking for anything in return.
Mu Yue offered a gentle smile in response and walked away from the courtyard under their watchful gazes.
Seeing her disciple continue to stare at Mu Yue's retreating figure, Tsunade tapped Shizune's head with the back of her hand and crossed her arms. "Stop staring. He's already gone. A few meals are all it takes for you to like him so much?"
"It's not just the cooking," Shizune said, her face reddening as she rubbed her head. "Teacher Mu Yue is a genuinely good person."
"It's not just me who likes him. Everyone in the fourth grade adores Teacher Mu Yue," Shizune added.
The next day, Tsunade woke up a little earlier, at ten o'clock. She hadn't indulged in any alcohol the night before, which contributed to her earlier awakening.
However, getting up early didn't benefit Tsunade; if anything, it had a negative impact because it meant she had to wait longer to taste Mu Yue's culinary creations.
Shizune, on the other hand, was delighted by Tsunade's improved sleeping habits and hoped that her teacher would continue on this healthier path of waking up at eight in the morning.
"I should've slept until 6:30 p.m.," Tsunade remarked, glancing at the clock and noting that Mu Yue was running late.
"If you had slept that late, you probably wouldn't have gotten to eat Teacher Mu Yue's cooking. He would have seen you sleeping and left disappointed, without making us any food," Shizune pointed out, disapproving of Tsunade's line of thought.
Mu Yue arrived even later than the day before, not showing up until four in the afternoon.
"You lazy bum, you're so late today! I absolutely won't teach you tonight," Tsunade said irritably.
"Sorry, Lady Tsunade. Today, I only need two hours of your time for the lesson," Mu Yue apologized, handing over 200,000 ryo.
Mu Yue's strength was enough for him to take on high-level missions and earn a substantial sum, but he wouldn't waste time for money, especially with the Ninja Academy about to start its term. Thus, he didn't have much money left.
Of course, this was all part of Mu Yue's plan.
"Oh, is that so?" Tsunade paused, the annoyance she felt for his lateness dissipating.
If Mu Yue only intended to study for two hours today, then arriving at four o'clock, or even half-past, was not unreasonable.
After three consecutive days of four to six hours of lessons, today's two-hour session felt like it flew by, and Tsunade didn't feel tired at all.
Tsunade didn't give up on her plan to learn from Mu Yue by observing, and she and Shizune watched intently as he cooked.
Tsunade suspected that today's chicken dish would be even more flavorful, as she watched Mu Yue marinate, deep-fry, and stir-fry the meat, a seemingly complex process.
In fact, by the time Mu Yue finished frying, Tsunade was already salivating, and by the time he was done stir-frying, she was practically drooling.
"This dish is called Spicy Chicken," Mu Yue introduced as he placed the dish on the table. "For those who enjoy spicy food, it may be even more delicious than the Beggar's Chicken."
Tsunade ignored his comment; of course, she would know how good it tasted after she ate it.
However, looking at the pile of red chili peppers, she thought the name "Spicy Chicken" was quite fitting.
Driven by the tantalizing aroma, Tsunade picked up a piece of chicken and popped it into her mouth. In that moment, she felt as if her entire body had been immersed in a warm spring, an incredibly soothing sensation.
"Mu Yue, with your superb culinary skills, you could definitely make a fortune by opening a restaurant. You'd probably earn more than being a ninja," Tsunade said, trying to persuade Mu Yue to open a restaurant so that she could easily enjoy his cooking whenever she wanted.
"Cooking is just a hobby for me. I don't want to make it my job," Mu Yue directly but politely refused, making it clear that this was out of the question.
Tsunade struggled with her inner conflict for a long time, but she couldn't bring herself to say, "Mu Yue, don't come back anymore." After all, she still wanted to eat his Beggar's Chicken and Spicy Chicken.
"Fine, I'll teach him one last time tomorrow, and that will definitely be the last time!" Tsunade thought to herself.
Tsunade didn't ask Mu Yue not to come back, but he spoke up, "Lady Tsunade, I have something to take care of tomorrow, so I probably won't have time to come and learn from you. You don't need to wait for me in the afternoon."
"Who do you think I am? I'm Tsunade, one of the Three Ninjas! Me waiting for you in the afternoon has nothing to do with your lessons. I would be home anyway to teach Shizune," Tsunade retorted, slightly annoyed.
"Thank you for your teachings today, Lady Tsunade," Mu Yue said, not taking her words to heart. With a gentle smile, he bid them farewell.
As they watched him leave, Shizune expressed her regret, "It's a shame we won't get to eat Teacher Mu Yue's cooking tomorrow."
"What's so regrettable about that? Tomorrow, I'll take you to an upscale restaurant for a meal, and we'll use his money to pay for it," Tsunade said nonchalantly.
True to her word, the next day, Tsunade took Shizune to an upscale restaurant in Konoha for lunch.
"I can't believe they dare to charge such high prices for food that's not even as good as an amateur's cooking," Tsunade complained as she looked at the table full of dishes.
She tried to order the most expensive items on the menu, but none of the dishes could compare to Mu Yue's cooking. In fact, she thought they weren't even a fifth as tasty.
"Maybe Teacher Mu Yue's cooking is just too good," Shizune suggested, thinking that perhaps it wasn't the restaurant's fault, but rather, Mu Yue's exceptional skill.
She felt that the restaurant's food tasted better than her own cooking.
In the afternoon, Tsunade still held on to a glimmer of hope that Mu Yue might finish his business early and come for a lesson.
After all, from her observations over the past few days, she knew that Mu Yue was diligent in his training and the type to make the most of his time to improve himself.
But as the clock struck seven, with no sign of Mu Yue, Tsunade's hopes faded.
"The work ethic of the younger generation of ninjas these days is really concerning. They can't even seize the opportunity to improve themselves," Tsunade commented, feeling worried about the future of Konoha's youth.
"Teacher Mu Yue just has something to take care of. It doesn't reflect on all the young ninjas in the village," Shizune weakly defended Mu Yue.
Tsunade glared at Shizune, thinking that she shouldn't just say whatever came to mind.
At that moment, Tsunade felt time passing by incredibly slowly, and she eagerly anticipated the arrival of the next day.
(End of Chapter)
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