NARUTO- CH-116. Memories of past

The frustration from losing earlier in the morning had faded.

"Tsunade." Shizune said, holding out her hand, "Give me the scroll."

"What scroll?" Tsunade asked, feigning ignorance.

"The money." Shizune replied curtly.

"You don't have to worry about it." Tsunade said, shaking her head, "I'll keep it safe."

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune countered firmly, "I performed the surgery. The money belongs to me!"

Tsunade's expression froze. If she thought about it, Shizune was right.

Reluctantly, she pulled the scroll from her pocket, but then paused, an idea forming.

"Wait." Tsunade said quickly, "This money can't just go to you. Shiki also contributed."

Shiki, who had been watching the exchange silently, blinked in surprise, 'Why am I being dragged into this?'

"I'll give half to Shiki." Shizune said without hesitation.

Tsunade's lips curved into a sly smile. While she wouldn't keep the money herself, she figured it would be easier to wrest it from Shiki later than from Shizune.

"I'm hungry. Let's eat." Tsunade said, handing the scroll to Shizune, "You order the food."

Shizune gave her a skeptical look, clearly seeing through her ploy. Before leaving, she shot Shiki a warning glance, as if to say, "Don't let her manipulate you too easily."

Shiki gave a small nod, 'I'll try.' He thought, though he wasn't optimistic.

After Shizune left, Tsunade's demeanor shifted, her expression growing more serious.

"You know about my hemophobia?" She asked.

"The Slug told me," Shiki answered, deflecting the responsibility onto the slug.

Tsunade's face softened slightly, "I thought as much."

She crossed her arms and rested her chin on her hand. It wasn't surprising. Even if the slug hadn't told Shiki, he would have figured it out eventually, just as Shizune had after being around her for so long.

"Don't tell anyone else." Tsunade said firmly.

"I won't." Shiki assured her. Hemophobia was a serious vulnerability. If the wrong people learned about it, it could spell trouble.

"Can it be cured?" Shiki asked after a moment.

Tsunade was silent for a few seconds, "I don't know." She admitted.

She was the greatest medical ninja in the world, yet she knew all too well the difficulty of curing a psychological affliction like hemophobia. It was a heart disease, and heart diseases couldn't be treated through conventional means.

Unless she could overcome the trauma, she would remain trapped.

"Master..." Shiki began, but Tsunade raised her hand, her fingers lightly touching his lips to silence him.

He looked into her amber eyes and thought he caught a fleeting glimpse of vulnerability, a quiet plea.

Shiki decided to drop the subject.

"Thank you for today, kid." Tsunade said after a moment, flicking his forehead lightly with her finger.

"You're my teacher." Shiki said, shaking his head, "It's my duty."

"So..." Tsunade leaned in slightly, a mischievous glint in her eye, "How much of that money are you planning to give your teacher?"

Shiki stared at her in disbelief.

"Fine, fine." Tsunade said, raising her hands in mock surrender, "At least let me borrow some. I'll pay you back later."

After thinking about it, Shiki realized lending money was better than simply giving it away. At least she'd owe him.

"Alright." He agreed reluctantly.

"Good student." Tsunade said with a grin, patting his head, "But don't think your million doesn't count. That's your tuition."

Shiki sighed, wondering if Kakuzu would have been easier to deal with when it came to money.

Just then, Shizune returned, opening the door, "The food will be here soon." She announced.

Shiki poured her a glass of water, "Here."

"Thank you." Shizune said, her tone warm. Compared to Tsunade, Shiki was infinitely more agreeable.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, noticing the interaction, "No wonder you were so popular in school." She muttered.

"For the next month, we'll keep moving north." Tsunade said, steering the conversation to logistics, "It'll take that long to get back to Konoha."

"Understood." Shiki replied.

"Shizune." Tsunade continued, "Make time to teach Shiki more about outdoor survival skills."

"And what will you be doing, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked, her tone pointed.

"I have my own arrangements." Tsunade said evasively, coughing lightly.

Before Shizune could press further, a knock came at the door.

The delivery woman entered, setting down their food, "Here's your order. Enjoy your meal." She said before leaving.

"It's alright." Tsunade said after a bite, "But not as good as what you two make."

"Of course not." Shizune said smugly, her earlier irritation seemingly forgotten.

Shiki smiled faintly. The scene felt oddly domestic, like a family sharing a meal.

He raised his glass and said, "Cheers!"

Of course, what he drank was not wine but juice.

"Cheers!" Tsunade and Shizune echoed, raising their glasses.

The three clinked their glasses and drank together.

"Ah!" Tsunade sighed contentedly, a dazed smile on her face. "This is really good."

It had been a long time since she had felt this happy.

Time passed quickly, and their month-long vacation was over in the blink of an eye.

Konoha Village Training Ground No. 1

"Sasuke, take a break," Kakashi called from where he was lounging under a tree.

Hearing this, Sasuke dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from his face, soaking his clothes, but he didn't seem to care.

The intensity of Kakashi's training was far more grueling than he had anticipated. Apart from eating and sleeping, his time was consumed entirely by practice.

Sasuke glanced at the massive tree in front of him, its bark scorched and scarred with burn marks. Despite the destruction, he couldn't help but smirk.

These were the results of his Lightning Release training. He was proud of his progress.

Kakashi, meanwhile, sat under the tree with his nose buried in his Icha Icha Paradise novel, occasionally glancing at Sasuke.

He hadn't expected Sasuke to endure the training for so long. The boy's determination was impressive. The only regret Kakashi felt was that Sasuke had not yet activated the Sharingan.

His hand brushed over his own left eye, the precious gift left to him by Obito.

A sudden crack of thunder pulled Kakashi's attention back to the training field. Sasuke had resumed his practice.

"You're really dedicated," Kakashi murmured, watching him.

He understood Sasuke's drive. They had met for the first time only a month ago. As was customary, Kakashi had asked Sasuke to introduce himself. When Sasuke spoke of his dream, he had mentioned one goal: defeating Shiki.

"Having a strong rival can be motivating," Kakashi mused, glancing around warily. A small sigh of relief escaped him when he didn't spot a certain green blur nearby.

"Kakashi, are you looking for me?"

A familiar, boisterous voice called from above. Kakashi's head snapped up in alarm.

And there he was—Might Guy, perched on a branch.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. What was inevitable had arrived.

"Kakashi!" Guy exclaimed, jumping down to stand before him. He gave a dramatic thumbs-up. "Let's have a youth battle!"

"Not interested," Kakashi replied flatly.

"Afraid, my eternal rival?" Guy teased, his grin gleaming in the sunlight.

"I'm busy," Kakashi said, closing his book. "I'm training my student."

"When you see how hard-working they are, doesn't it ignite your youthful spirit?" Guy declared passionately. "Look at this youthful energy! The clash of bodies, the fiery resolve!"

"My youth died long ago, Guy," Kakashi replied dryly.

"Battle me, and I'll bring it back to life!" Guy declared, his smile even wider.

Kakashi sighed, resigned. "…"

Before the conversation could continue, Naruto's voice called out, growing louder as he approached.

"Uncle Guy!" Naruto shouted, waving as he ran closer.

"Here!" Guy waved back enthusiastically.

"Eh? Sasuke!" Naruto's voice rose when he noticed his teammate. Sasuke cast a glance in Naruto's direction, then promptly ignored him and continued practicing.

Naruto, unfazed by Sasuke's indifference, grinned and turned his attention to Kakashi. "Kakashi sensei!"

Kakashi looked up, his gaze softening. "Hello, Naruto."

Naruto's voice stirred old memories in Kakashi's mind. He could still hear Minato's words from years ago:

"Kakashi, Kushina and I are having a child."

"Congratulations, Sensei."

"I'd like you to be Kushina's bodyguard. What do you think?"

"Why me?"

"Don't you want to witness my child's birth?"

The memories faded as Kakashi discreetly tucked his book away. The last thing he needed was Naruto catching him reading something inappropriate.

"Since you're guiding Naruto, I'll save our battle for another day," Kakashisaid, his tone surprisingly understanding.

"Really?" Guy's excitement lit up his face. "I knew my eternal rival wouldn't avoid me forever!"

Naruto joined Guy in laughing.

"Naruto!" Guy suddenly called, his voice booming. "Run 300 more laps today!"

"Yes, Sensei!" Naruto answered with enthusiasm, racing after Guy as they ran off.

Silence returned to the training ground. Kakashi gazed at the sky, lost in thought.

A flock of crows flew overhead, and one of them descended. As it landed, it transformed into Itachi.

"Kakashi-senpai," Itachi greeted.

"What brings you here?" Kakashi asked, glancing at him.

"I'm here to see Sasuke," Itachi replied.

"Then go ahead," Kakashi said, standing. "Training is done for today."

Memories of Naruto had left Kakashi introspective. He wasn't in the mood for teaching anymore. Perhaps it was time to visit the memorial.

As Kakashi walked off, Sasuke stopped his practice and hurried over to his brother.

"Great job, Sasuke," Itachi said, glancing at the scorched tree. "You've improved."

"Not nearly enough," Sasuke said, smiling faintly.

"When I returned, I saw Tsunade and Shiki," Itachi said casually, ruffling Sasuke's hair. "Want to go see him?"

"Why would I? He's not my friend!" Sasuke snapped, crossing his arms.

__________

A huge thanks to William Reid, Luck George, Osman Gomez, David Aderoju, Wesely_Teixeira, reso60 gomes, Kieron Haydon, thunderwalker123, Romel Rivera, Cesar Montemayor , Victor Perez, Devor, Imen, LazyAsh, Joe Thigpen, Ding dong, Mightyowl1767, Emilio Gonzalez, Nathan Hill, Alexis vasquez, Luca, tsuko leelane, Osiel, Matt, A, ParallaxDawn, Marick Mendoza , Philippe Techer, Chelsea2valve, Onemanarmy, Reed Pace, id wyrm, Rafael Borges, RealReader743, Thomas Desrosiers, Ryan, Chaos420, matt griffin, isaiah ramirez, bikash gurung, Joseph Bishop, arthur Jones, Raiden Allen, Noname09, Gabe Smith, Rome, Benoit Valtin, Ichdaboom, Whitewolf, EmptyBeing, Smithy Boy 420, Atticus Chea Jamaal King, multiverse right, Colin Hilterhaus, nick reisch, Aryan Singh, PhantomNite, Jessie, Chaos, Kds89, BR, Wes Ferrell, Eugene sivila, M.C, Random, Ownin Tarabi Yare, The Meta, Car Crash, Maybay, Gary, Gregg, Velzura, Carlos, greenDUECES, TheEntityAbove, Skulllnight43, Cristher Medina, Adrian, WyrmDragon, kl, Tanner Johnson, Andres Saavedra, john lowry-davis, WMAF Enjoyer, Cade Atkinson, Darius Collins, Josh, Kenechukwu Nkem-ossai, JackM, Scarlet Mars, Justin Barnes, Umbra Paco, Tariel Khalvashi Mr.goldenweek, John, Brennan Tubbs, Sung Jin woo, mike panos, Kobin Philip, brian price, wolfram, Wilnet Duverne, Joe Thingpen, eduardo tellez, Panera employee, Mandy G, Shadow King, Caio Lacerda, abs, Ecokane 0, Auzzo, Taz_231, solo _le, Velzura, Alexander Martinez, Marvin Lynn, OMG X WAFF3LZ, Denacious, idk5231, Drake, Georg Tasche, Maurice, MM, Luis, Alireza Akram, Chamar Ellis, Daniel Thomsen, Kiddeath1998, Jonay, Doomsdaylover321, pop_tarts, Niklas, Red Dragon, Tanner Johnson, Jesus, AIM ABLE, Paul Auke, Stephen, Placid, Origin, Lunar, Tarabi Yare, Sebastian, Lith Vehen, Josh, James Brown, Cranky Chart, semir adam, YoungPhxntom, BOBADAY, Jaz, Lachlan and Trippy, Jose Espinoza, Arctic961, cade hue, KingDre_22, Austin, Danny C, Lord of Mysteries, Chamar Ellis, Piet, Robert Hernandezand, Jason, Altayeb, Damaryae Barnes and Everett JankowskiJr for supporting me.