Haruki had assumed that Minato would accept his offer without hesitation, given his reputation. However, to his surprise, Minato seemed uncertain.
Kushina, standing beside him, was equally puzzled. In her eyes, Haruki was an incredibly skilled ninja.
Being his student should have been an amazing opportunity. She couldn't understand why Minato was hesitating.
"Are you worried that because I specialize in medical ninjutsu, I won't be able to teach you other ninjutsus?" Haruki asked with a knowing smile, instantly seeing through Minato's thoughts.
Minato looked a little embarrassed at being exposed so easily. He quickly scrambled for an excuse. "No, Haruki-sama, it's not that....I just don't think I have any talent for medical ninjutsu."
Haruki chuckled, shaking his head. 'At his age, he's already this smooth with words.....No wonder he became the Fourth Hokage.'
"It's fine," Haruki said in a relaxed tone. "There's plenty of time. You might change your mind one day."
He reached out and ruffled Minato's hair, much to the younger boy's surprise.
'A future where I'm Minato's teacher....' The thought amused Haruki, but he quickly pushed it aside.
"Alright, go on to class. We'll talk again soon."
After parting ways with Minato and Kushina, Haruki made his way to the person in charge of the Academy.
Despite being the Hokage, Hiruzen was mostly a figurehead when it came to the Academy's operations. The real authority lay with Takahiro. At first glance, Haruki found him to be a competent man.
No flashy clothes, no unnecessary arrogance, just professionalism.
Since Takahiro had attended the earlier meeting, there was no need for Haruki to repeat everything.
"Takahiro, I need your help with a few things," Haruki began "First, adjust the class schedule to add two more lessons. "
"Second, I'll be training some instructors, but that will take some time. And third, we need a dedicated research building for the new institute."
Takahiro took a moment to process the requests before nodding. "Understood. I'll make the necessary arrangements."
With that settled, Haruki went over a few smaller details with him, including assigning himself as the teacher for Grade 6, Class A.
________
By the time Haruki got home, the sun was already setting.
"Wow, what's the occasion?" he asked, surprised to see the table filled with a feast. He glanced at Tsunade. "Or did you just want an excuse to drink?"
Tsunade crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Seriously? What do you think? This is obviously to celebrate you becoming the Academy's vice-principal."
Haruki wasn't fooled. He knew she hadn't been able to drink during the war, and now that she was back in the village, she probably just wanted to make up for lost time. But instead of calling her out on it, he simply poured them both a drink.
"Cheers."
Tsunade's lips curled into a satisfied smile as she clinked her glass against his and downed the whole thing in one go.
Half an hour later, Haruki was struggling to pry the glass from her hand.
"Gimme... gimme that! I... I want more!" Tsunade mumbled, her face flushed and her eyes unfocused. She reached for the glass but kept missing.
"That's enough for tonight. You've already had plenty," Haruki said gently, steadying her as she swayed.
"Nooo~ I want more...." she whined, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face close, inhaling deeply with her eyes closed.
Then, without warning, she grabbed his face, kissed him and licked across his mouth like a playful cat.
Haruki sighed, shaking his head at her antics.
Picking up the wine bottle, he took a sip but didn't swallow. Instead, he kissed her again, letting the wine flow from his mouth into hers.
[First time sharing wine with your girlfriend using your mouth! reward: Flying Thunder God Technique]
Haruki's expression darkened. 'Is this damn system serious?'
Sighing, he carried Tsunade to her room, tucked her in, and then took another cold shower to clear his head.
Once he was settled in the study, he picked up a book. He had been thinking about the Academy's textbooks for a while now. The real challenge wasn't just writing them.
It was how to subtly weave in the ideas he wanted to introduce.
The history books mostly focused on the lives of the three Hokages, with a small section dedicated to the major clans of Konoha. Instead of making direct changes, Haruki decided on a more careful approach. He would use the words of the three Hokages themselves and then reinterpret them with his own explanations.
Some of his ideas were too bold to express outright, so he wrote them in a way that would only become obvious to those who looked deeper. If he wanted to push for real change, he'd have to wait until Tsunade became the Fourth Hokage.
Haruki knew he had a long road ahead.
The ninja world was built on bloodline advantages. Clans with powerful Kekkei Genkai, Dojutsu, and inherited chakra abilities dominated the shinobi ranks, making it nearly impossible for those without special lineage to rise to the top.
But he believed it wasn't just about bloodlines. With the right resources and training, even civilian-born ninjas could become strong. Minato was proof of that. He had risen to greatness purely through talent and hard work.
This tied into a bigger issue. In this world, chakra was the primary source of productivity, yet most of it was wasted on endless wars. Instead of constant conflict, what if chakra could be used for more constructive purposes?
Technology was another area full of untapped potential.
The traditional ninja world largely ignored it, but there were clear examples of its effectiveness, like Orochimaru's Curse Mark.
If perfected, enhancements like that could help civilian-born shinobi bridge the gap between themselves and those with natural bloodline advantages.
The Naruto movies had also shown the power of advanced weaponry, like the Sky Fortress of the Sky Ninja or the Super-Dimensional Chakra Cannon from the Hidden Cloud Village. Yet despite their potential, the shinobi world still clung stubbornly to traditional jutsu.
But Haruki had other plans. He wanted to develop not just new chakra-based techniques, but also technology that could strengthen Konoha. With the right advancements, even those without special bloodlines could become forces to be reckoned with.
Haruki turned off the lights and headed to Tsunade's room, only to find her fast asleep with half her body naked. Shaking his head, he walked over quietly and pulled the blanket over her.
The flush from the alcohol had mostly faded from her face. Unlike her usual lively and energetic self, she looked surprisingly peaceful in her sleep.
Haruki stood there for a moment, watching her quietly before leaving the room.
------
The next morning, Tsunade walked out of her room, rubbing her temples, dressed in a white T-shirt and shorts. These were clothes Haruki had gotten for her after noticing she kept wearing the same outfits over and over again.
She plopped down at the dining table, still massaging her forehead. "Ugh, my head's killing me....."
Haruki smirked as he untied his apron and stepped out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl in his hands. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have gone overboard with the drinking last night."
Tsunade barely paid attention to his teasing. "What's for breakfast?" she asked, eyes lighting up with anticipation.
"Lean meat porridge."
"Meat!" Tsunade completely ignored the "porridge" part, only focusing on the good stuff.
Haruki chuckled as he placed the bowl in front of her. "Take it easy. Eat too fast, and you'll choke."
Tsunade wasted no time, grabbing a spoon and taking a bite. The moment the warm, savory flavors hit her tongue, she let out a satisfied hum, her eyes half-closing in delight.
Haruki couldn't help but smile. She looked just like a content cat, her long hair catching the morning light as she swayed slightly.
"When are you going to tell me where you learned to cook like this?" she asked between bites.
Haruki scratched his head, avoiding her gaze. "Uh.. I forgot."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I feel like you're always hiding something from me. I've never even heard of half the dishes you've made for me."
"How could I possibly keep secrets from you?" Haruki countered smoothly. "Besides, what's left for me to hide? It's not like we haven't already seen each other naked before."
Tsunade froze mid-bite, her face instantly turning red.
Haruki smirked, watching her reaction closely.
"You—! Why are you teasing me first thing in the morning?" she huffed, trying to sound annoyed, but the redness creeping up her ears gave her away.
She remembered the moment when she had seen his....thing.
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she quickly looked away, pretending to focus on her food.
They continued their breakfast, chatting casually, and after they finished, they washed the dishes together.
As he slipped on his sandals, Haruki called out, "Tsuna, I'm heading to the Academy."
Hearing him, Tsunade put down her pen and stepped out of the study.
Haruki stood by the door, watching her approach with a mischievous glint in his eye. He tapped his cheek. "A goodbye kiss?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes but leaned in anyway. Just as she was about to give him a quick peck on the cheek, Haruki suddenly turned his head, kissing her lips instead.
The brief kiss turned into something deeper, stretching on for several moments before he finally pulled away.
Tsunade's face was completely flushed as she smacked his chest lightly. "You....! Can't you behave yourself for once?"
"Nope." Haruki just laughed, slipping out the door before she could hit him again.
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