Aoi returned from Ryu's workshop to her home with Tsunade, Shizune, and Ryu's secretary. Aoi was covered in faint burn marks that came with laser tattoo removal all over her entire face and body. But her tone lightened, and her overall complexion was better than before.
Ikkyu was happy to see her not blue. He was very worried for her. She lost many friends due to her condition. She also lost her self-confidence and really closed herself up.
"I cannot thank you enough," Ikkyu said to Ryu.
Ryu replied, "You call me defined and still thank me for helping her."
Ryu continued, "I am an apprentice medic and on my way to becoming a doctor. I didn't treat her because she is your sister. Helping people is in the job description."
Ikkyu said, "Yes, but who treated her was not medical apprentice Ryu but the inventor Ryu. This is the reason why I want to support your company."
Yuki suggests, "You should stay here and have it looked at again in a couple of days."
Ryu added, "Yes, if this process needs to be done again, we can only do this procedure again after some time."
Yuki then prescribed her some medicine, and Ryu added some healthy diet to revitalise her skin.
This entire time, Tsunade was silent. Ryu had already refused her offer, but she had not yet accepted his refusal. She had seen his take firsthand, and his sharp mind was proof enough of how capable Ryu was.
And with his healing hand, jutsu at such an age also prompted Tsunade to consider him as her successor. Shizune was very talented, but even she could not learn Tsunade's rebirth jutsu or her monstrous strength.
Tsunade thought, 'What to do? This boy is not ready to leave the village, and I do not want to live here. Maybe I could teach him something and hope he would change his mind later.'
She then said, "Kid, You have impressed me. I am willing to teach you the Senju clan's signature taijutsu. Be ready; I will come tomorrow morning."
'I will also break a few bones to adjust his attitude,' thinking that Tsunade left Ryu's home.
Ryu thought, 'That is good. I earned recognition from two strong individuals. Ikkyu has political power behind him, which would be very beneficial for the company and for him, and Tsunade also holds a very high rank, and as a future Hokage, her recognition is also very good for me and will keep Danzo off even if a little after the Third's demise in the future.'
Tsunade, Instead of returning to her ancestral home, she was drinking very heavily in a pub.
Shizune tried to stop her, "Tsunade-sama, please, you already had much to drink. Let's go back to the inn."
Tsunade ignored her and poured herself a new glass. After another bottoms up. She was completely wasted.
Shizune thought, 'Must be because of the boy. He must remind her of her brother she lost.'
She then supported her and exited the bar. She was leaving for her hotel room. In the middle of her way to the inn, an ANBU Ninja appeared.
Shizune was startled but understood in a second who must have sent this ANBU Ninja.
The ANBU Ninja said, "Lord Hokage had requested a meeting."
Shizune replied, "She is under no condition to meet him right now."
The ANBU Ninja replied, "When Lady Tsunade wakes up, please inform her to meet the Hokage."
Shizune replied, "Okay, I will tell her when she wakes up."
"No need," Tsunade said as she opened her eyes and stood herself up.
She stumbled a few steps, then stood, glaring at the ANBU as if to strike him before slamming her fist into the ground, causing it to shake and crack.
She said, "Shizune, I have sobered up; let's go."
After some time, Tsunade could be seen sitting in the Hokage's office. In front of her was Hiruzen smoking his pipe.
Tsunade was the first to break this awkward silence. She said, "If you have called me to throw your responsibilities my way, don't. I have no interest in your seat."
Hiruzen knew she was going to say that, so he did not even bother to ask her.
Hiruzen thought to himself, 'Why are all my students like this?'
He then asked Tsunade, "Did you meet the boy today?"
She was startled to hear about him from Hokage.
Hiruzen continued, "You two have much in common."
"Don't," Tsunade said, warning him not to bring her past into the discussion.
Hiruzen then said, "I heard you offered to take him under your wing."
Tsunade replied, "I offered him to become my student to save him from this vicious cycle and hardship that comes with being a ninja. He could become a really good medical ninja."
Hiruzen replied, "Unlike you, he is not someone to run away."
Tsunade replied to Hiruzen, "You sound like you know him very well."
Hiruzen then said, "You know he is Ryu Senju's grandchild?"
"Yes, Yuki-sensei told me," Tsunade replied.
Hiruzen sighed and said, "Then you also know he had caught the attention of Danzo."
Tsunade tensed up hearing his name, gripping her fist hard, which caught Hiruzen's attention.
Hiruzen thought, 'She has met him today for the first time, and she is already this protective. He must remind him of Nawaki.'
Hiruzen said, "Do not worry. I have assigned ninjas to protect him."
Tsunade asked, "Why are you interested in that boy?"
Hiruzen sighed and spoke, "What I am about to tell you is a secret."
This caught the attention of both Tsunade and Shizune, who were present. Hiruzen proceeded to tell her everything, from his dying days, inventing new experimental treatment to save himself, to his admission to the academy, his special memory, and his Uzumaki and Senju lineage, similar to Tsunade. His company, Hamura Industries, and his future plans about the company.
When Hiruzen laid out every secret about him in front of Tsunade, she was sceptical about what to believe and what not. She was already impressed by him, but now she was even more impressed.
Tsunade said, "No way, a grandmaster at this age. That's not possible. You should know that being a grandmaster is much more difficult than being a medical ninja."
Hiruzen replied, "Even if he is not a grandmaster, he is no less. He had given more new seals to the village in the last year than all the grandmasters combined in the last decade."
He added, "Even I found it hard to believe, but that's the truth. I had a good talk with Yuki. She told me that Ryu has a really good memory. And it seems it is really advantageous when it comes to fuinjutsu. He is also very good at Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. And he also has a very good business sense and the knowledge to support it. He might even surpass you as a ninja and as a medic."
Tsunade replied, "Maybe. I saw inventions he made at his workshop. He is also a very good inventor. He will make good money with that. The way he came up with a machine to treat Daimyo's daughter on the spot speaks volumes of his intuitive mind."
Hiruzen added, "Yes, my ANBU told me. He is already in contact with the future Daimyo of the Fire Nation. It's good for him from a business point of view. I am already looking forward to the launch of his communication network. I have also thought of how I am going to best utilise that system for my ninjas."
Hiruzen then said, "I have called you here to take him under your wing, but I guess you have already asked him that."
Tsunade replied, "And he had already refused me."
Hiruzen was surprised. He did not expect anyone to turn Tsunade down. He asked, "Did he tell you why?"
Tsunade said, "He said he is not ready to leave the village yet."
Hiruzen asked, "So why don't you stay in the village? That solves the problem."
Tsunade replied, "No chance. I only came to see Yuki-sensei and ask her about the new seal that had been the talk of the town, this new [Healing Seal]. I would have left today, but the boy impressed me, so I am going to teach him a few things, and then I would leave."
Tsunade closed her eyes and remembered Dan Kato.
Tsunade said, "I did not imagine that the seal was the work of a boy who is not even out of the academy yet."
Hiruzen replied, "This boy is special. Reminds me of the Fourth."
"Yes, it reminds me of Fourth," Tsunade said, thinking of her brother Nawaki and her boyfriend Dan Kato.
Hiruzen looked at her and thought, 'Tsunade, you are so easy to read when you are sad. You must be thinking of your brother Nawaki.'
Tsunade stood up and said, "I will be testing the boy tomorrow in the Senju clan's training ground. You said he is the best in the academy as well. I am going to punch some tough love into him tomorrow. I am also planning to teach him Senju-style taijutsu."
With that, Tsunade and Shizune left the Hokage office, but somewhere else the news of her coming back to the village reached what can be called the darkness of the village.
##PoWeR StOnEs##
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