Chapter 368: Road Trip

Chapter 368: Chapter 368: Road Trip

Tsunade, to my surprise, was remarkably punctual. I guessed that was mostly Shizune’s doing, as the younger woman was busy encouraging the reluctant Sannin to hurry. "Please, Lady Tsunade, we have a long way ahead! Do not worry, I will make sure all your needs are met during the trip, and you will want for nothing." Tsunade merely muttered a complaint toward her eager student before noticing me standing nearby.

Once she closed the distance, Shizune extended a polite hand. "I am Shizune, Lady Tsunade’s student. I will be accompanying you on this journey, and we will be in your care." She bowed slightly, a gentle, reassuring look softening her features.

My immediate internal thought was a desperate wish that all medical shinobi could be as gentle as her. I mentally shed a single tear, recalling how violent Ayaka and Tsunade could be, especially since the latter’s short temper made for a dangerous mix. Still, I figured that tending to frontline warriors probably required a certain level of sternness to keep them in line. I cleared the stray thoughts from my head and grasped her hand. "I am pleased to meet you, and I look forward to our journey together."

Tsunade tilted her head to the side with a scoff. "As if we need the protection of a brat like this. He is just a glorified babysitter."

Shizune waved her hands frantically. "I am sure she doesn’t mean that!"

I chuckled in response. In no time at all, we set off toward our destination. To my genuine surprise, Shizune was able to keep pace with my relatively fast running speed. Her chakra control and stamina were astonishing as we leaped from tree to tree and scaled rolling hills.

After a long, unbroken stretch of travel, we decided to make camp for the evening. Tsunade broke the quiet, her tone inquisitive. "Shizune, have you noticed the increasing number of merchants and caravans we encountered on the road?"

Shizune nodded. "I did, Lady Tsunade. Konoha’s trade routes are booming. That must explain the state we found the village in, with so many new things, and people buying exotic goods. The village has really come a long way since we last saw it."

It was clear the young apprentice was trying to warm her master to their home’s recent progress. Tsunade, however, just sneered. "I am sure they will ruin it one way or another. Power and wealth always draw greed, and if I had to guess, war will soon destroy this prosperity."

Shizune looked saddened by her mentor’s dark outlook. Knowing Tsunade’s troubled past, she could not exactly refute the grim prediction, so she decided to shift gears and lighten the mood in a more practical way. "I will cook some food for us."

Before she could unpack, I raised my hand with a grin. "There is no need. I already prepared for the trip and stored everything."

With a pulse of chakra, a lavish and varied feast materialized on the grassy ground. Tsunade and Shizune stared down at the spread in astonishment.

Tsunade raised an impressed eyebrow. "Not bad, kid. You have some redeeming qualities after all," she declared, immediately diving into the food like a pirate pillaging a port.

Shizune bowed gratefully. "Thank you for the meal," she said, before handing me a bowl of ramen. I smiled and accepted the kind gesture as she turned to assist Tsunade, whose eyes widened mid-bite.

"This is incredible!" Tsunade mumbled around a mouthful of food. "How did you get so good at cooking at such a young age?"

"I have a natural talent for it," I replied, "plus I use shadow clones to refine my recipes and techniques."

Shizune paused, offering a cautious look. "You should be careful with that. Lady Tsunade warned me before that overusing shadow clones can cause irreversible mental damage and constant strain."

I nodded in understanding. "Do not worry. I never use them to learn anything deeply complicated from scratch. I only use them to drill movements, techniques, and routines I have already mastered so I can polish them further. That way, the knowledge acquisition is kept to a minimum, and the mental kickback is mild."

Shizune smiled approvingly. "You are very smart for your age."

I laughed like an idiot, grinning widely at the praise. "You flatter me too much."

Tsunade did not say another word. She chose instead to watch me closely out of the corner of her eye while continuing to relentlessly stuff her face.

Once the feast was completely annihilated, a true testament to my culinary skills, I brought out some sweets and tea from the storage seal. That single act caused Shizune’s eyes to shine so brightly it almost lit the night sky. Even Tsunade was in high spirits as she enjoyed the cold evening air alongside the freshly baked treats and hot tea.

After dinner, I decided to refresh my skills by practicing the Senju taijutsu style. Lightning rumbled over my body as I drove a heavy punch forward, the sheer speed creating a sharp whoosh of displaced air. Using the momentum, I flowed seamlessly into a sweeping kick, stepped aggressively into close quarters to deliver a crushing elbow strike, and finished the fluid combination with a brutal headbutt. The Senju style heavily encouraged closing the distance to an opponent and keeping them cornered within immediate reach, all while relying on superior physical strength and endurance to outlast the enemy.

Tsunade looked on from the side as Shizune tended to her every need before finally speaking up. "Did Takemura teach you that style?"

My eyes widened as I realized my mistake. Beads of cold sweat ran down my back as my heart dropped. I could not lie to her because she would find out eventually, so I let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, Lady Tsunade, but please do not punish him. I already promised not to teach it to anyone else. If you decide to lay down a penalty, I will take whatever punishment you issue."

Tsunade grunted and looked away. "He is the head of the Senju clan, so he can do what he wants. It is none of my business. I merely stated what I saw. Not to mention he must have seen something in you to basically treat you as a Senju, with all the heavy burdens that entails."

She spoke that last part with a potent mix of dejection and deep sorrow that almost broke my heart. She had endured a genuinely tragic life, and although it was painful to witness, I completely understood exactly where that heavy sentiment came from.

I lowered my head sympathetically before a determined look settled on my features. I had already resolved myself to do whatever was needed to the best of my ability to fight the grim possibility of that happening to me. Pushing the thought aside, I continued my routine, augmenting my form, muscles, and nerves with more and more lightning until my speed became a blur. Shizune’s eyes widened in disbelief, a blue-hued light washing over her face as she strained to keep track of my movements, while Tsunade’s expression grew grim at the display.

I exhaled slowly as I wrapped up the exercise, performing a few light stretches before settling into a meditative state. Tsunade’s voice cut through the quiet, pulling me out of my focus.

"Your form is not half bad. You just need more experience to iron out the rough edges." She spoke reluctantly, almost as if the words were dragged out of her, before continuing. "Here is a small shortcut. I am telling you this because I do not want our guard to die, as it would be a major inconvenience. Stop overextending. Fine-tune your physical strength and chakra augmentation to strictly flare just before you connect. That way, you preserve stamina and heavily empower those hits."

I replied, deeply grateful for the priceless hint that had most likely been born from years of conflict and paid for in blood and tears. "Thank you for the advice, Lady Tsunade."

She grunted in response, then motioned Shizune close to start teaching her some advanced medical ninjutsu. Apparently, she was fired up by my strength display and felt eager to show off the progress of her own student.

I continued my meditation as the lesson extended into the night. Eventually, I heard Tsunade call out. "Kid, come here. I want to show Shizune something."

Suspicious of her true intent, I nevertheless complied and sat down in front of her. She raised her hands as green chakra concentrated heavily on her palms, pressing them firmly against my chest to inject a massive wave of healing energy. I fought the initial instinct to naturally cleanse my system, consciously shutting down my lightning chakra circulation as her foreign energy invaded every nook and cranny of my body.

While she explained the mechanics of the procedure to Shizune, I concentrated entirely on keeping my own chakra suppressed. It had become purely instinctual to run lightning through my veins by this point, making it difficult to turn off. After a very long interval, the healing energy gradually dispersed from my system, and Tsunade pulled her hands away.

Turning my head away quickly, I opened my mouth and coughed violently. I saw dark blood splatter onto the grass and panicked, but Tsunade’s strained voice cut through my alarm.

"I fixed some lingering issues from whatever reckless stunts you have been pulling with your chakra network, along with a lot of recent internal damage," she snapped. She had already jerked her gaze away, her entire body shaking violently at the sight of the blood while Shizune patted her shoulder reassuringly. "How foolish of you to risk permanent injury for strength that would have come naturally with time."

I could not reply, entirely occupied with clearing my lungs. Considering the sheer amount of blood coming up, I genuinely thought I might cough them out entirely. Once the fit finally subsided, I took a deep breath and froze in astonishment. My breathing felt impossibly light. It felt as though I were suddenly drawing in massive quantities of air, filling my cells with a vibrant, refreshing energy. The sensation was akin to moving from a thin-aired mountain peak down to sea level, where every single breath was crisp and deeply oxygenated.

As my lightning chakra circulation automatically kicked back in, I noticed my internal energy flowing smoother than ever before. The sheer efficiency felt so effortless that it left me completely overwhelmed. I bowed forward until my forehead nearly touched the grass. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I can never repay this favor, so I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

She let out a dismissive grunt, rigidly keeping her eyes averted from the blood on the grass. "I did not do it for you. I was simply using you as a practical test to show my student how to execute a complex and demanding healing jutsu."

With that, she turned her nose up and walked off toward her tent, physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion clearly weighing down her movements. Shizune offered an apologetic, knowing smile at her master’s typical posturing before bowing to me and hurrying along to catch up and support the Sannin’s shaking steps.