Chapter 135

Chapter 135

Chapter 135: Uchiha Shisui, Pleased to Meet You!

Senju Compound.

At the dining table, Uzumaki Kushina was unusually quiet, her head bowed as she focused on eating, shoveling food into her mouth obediently.

Tsunade, having already finished her meal, sat with her arms crossed, watching Kushina with a teasing smile.

It wasn’t until Kushina awkwardly cleaned every plate and even emptied the rice cooker that she hesitantly looked up at Tsunade.

“Tsunade-sis, do you need something?”

Seeing Kushina’s guilty expression, Tsunade smiled knowingly. It was obvious what was on her mind, and Tsunade understood.

“Kushina, Jiraiya and Minato came to see me yesterday. That blond kid really does have remarkable talent in the Flying Thunder God Technique. He’s already progressed to…”

Tsunade trailed off, tossing the scroll of training notes left by Minato onto the table.

But as soon as Kushina heard Minato’s name, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction, and she pouted. “Tsunade-sis, how can that girly guy compare to Yosuke?!”

To her, Uchiha Yosuke was the best. No one could measure up to her Yosuke.

“Kushina, don’t let yourself be blinded. It’s not hard to admit someone else’s strengths. The difficult part is recognizing your own shortcomings. That’s how you get stronger.”

Shaking her head, Tsunade gestured toward the scroll. “This is what Jiraiya’s student left behind. When it comes to the Flying Thunder God Technique, both Yosuke and Minato have their own strengths. One has an exceptional spatial affinity, while the other excels in stability and mastery of technique thanks to someone's expertise.”

Tsunade’s analysis was impartial. She wasn’t biased toward either of them as she explained their progress.

“If the strengths of these two were combined, the Flying Thunder God Technique would surely make waves in the ninja world again. But unfortunately, Yosuke’s lack of spatial affinity requires more time to train, or external assistance to push the technique forward.

Likewise, Minato’s relative lack of mastery in sealing techniques also requires a lot of study and external support to improve, which also takes time.”

Kushina puffed up her cheeks, clearly unhappy, but she couldn’t deny it. She knew that most of the breakthroughs in the Flying Thunder God’s formula had been her work. After all, the Uzumaki Clan’s expertise in sealing techniques was unmatched.

Kushina, as the inheritor of the Uzumaki legacy, had incredible talent in sealing techniques. At her age, fueled by the power of love, her abilities had grown exponentially.

“I believe in Yosuke!”

Kushina muttered, pouting as her eyes darted toward the scroll Tsunade had tossed her way. She seemed to realize something, quickly picking it up.

“Hmph, all I know is that there are plenty of jonin in Konoha who’ve completed multiple A-rank missions, but very few get special treatment like Minato. Yosuke? He’s the one getting unfairly treated!”

Her pointed comment was clear—she saw Minato as benefiting from favoritism, while Yosuke had to rely on their help due to the village’s bias.

Seeing Kushina take the scroll, Tsunade chuckled. Raising an eyebrow, she teased, “Kushina, just copy the notes and return the scroll later. Don’t go handing it over directly.”

Kushina’s face turned bright red at having her intentions exposed.

“Tsunade-sis, you’re just making fun of me. I’m not stupid. Besides, you gave it to me for this purpose, didn’t you?”

Watching Kushina’s teenage antics, Tsunade laughed softly and shook her head before continuing, “Kushina, take the next couple of days to prepare yourself.”

Though she didn’t spell it out, Kushina’s heart sank. She forced a smile and replied lightly, “Tsunade-sis, don’t worry. It’s just a stinky fox. I’m strong enough now!”

Though she had long prepared herself for becoming the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki, now that the moment was approaching, her feelings were complicated.

Once she became a true monster, would Yosuke still look at her the same way?

For some reason, this thought flashed through Kushina’s mind.

“Kushina!”

Suddenly, Tsunade pulled her into a gentle hug, causing Kushina to blush furiously. Wide-eyed, she quickly squirmed free.

“Tsunade-sis, I’m not a child anymore!”

“Aw, so Kushina’s grown up now, huh?”

Tsunade teased with a smile, and Kushina proudly huffed. “Don’t underestimate me, Tsunade-sis. Grandma Mito said that with my current sealing skills and awakened Adamantine Chains, that stinky fox is no match for me.

And with Mikoto and Yosuke’s Sharingan on top of that, if the fox causes trouble, I’ll lock it up in a black box!”

The power of love was both blind and inspiring. It fueled Kushina’s determination to suppress the Nine-Tails as soon as possible, just to prove to Yosuke that she could conquer the monster within her.

The term “monster” was like a thorn embedded in Kushina’s heart—a thorn that both Tsunade and Yosuke were well aware of.

However, neither of them had ever spoken about it, knowing that this pressure would drive Kushina to grow stronger.

“Kushina, the Nine-Tails is an incredible source of power. You don’t have to reject it outright. Besides, from what I’ve seen in that boy’s eyes, he doesn’t seem to care about that kind of power. In fact, maybe…”

Tsunade trailed off, a teasing glint in her eye as she leaned close and whispered, “The First Hokage’s wife was the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki, and that boy’s dream is to become Hokage. Maybe, Kushina…”

Before Tsunade could finish, Kushina’s eyes widened, her thoughts racing.

If a jinchūriki could be a Hokage’s wife, wasn’t Grandma Mito living proof of that? Suddenly, it all made sense.

If Grandma Mito could do it, then Uzumaki Kushina definitely could too!

“Hokage!”

Tsunade’s meaningful smile lingered, though her eyes grew more complex. She remembered a boy’s raspy voice speaking of his dream to become Hokage, long ago amidst blood and chaos.

While Kushina’s innocent, love-struck thoughts brought Tsunade some amusement, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The path to Hokage might be difficult for Uchiha Yosuke.

Even if White Fang was only in his early thirties, the village elders could stay in power for twenty more years. By then, how old would Yosuke be? And what about the next generation of young talent?

Still, seeing Kushina’s determined expression, Tsunade smiled. At least this gave the girl hope, which was better than rejecting her own power.

“I understand, Tsunade-sis!”

Kushina nodded firmly, as if something had clicked in her mind.

“What did you figure out?” Tsunade teased.

This time, Kushina wasn’t shy. She straightened up with resolve and declared, “I’m going to ask Grandma Mito to give me more of the Nine-Tails’ power during the sealing. I want to become the strongest jinchūriki!”

Tsunade blinked in surprise. While she had known Kushina’s mind worked in unexpected ways, this was beyond her expectations.

Kushina’s determined gaze was fixed on the future. She wanted to use her strength to help Yosuke achieve his dream of becoming Hokage.

“Alright, I believe you’ll be the strongest. But before that…” Tsunade leaned in close, her voice soft and teasing.

“Kushina, I’m a woman too. If you ever need advice, I can teach you... And since you showed restraint and didn’t let that boy take too much advantage of you, I’ll keep your little secret safe.”

Her playful tone left Kushina red-faced and flustered. “Tsunade-sis… What are you talking about? I don’t understand! Don’t say such nonsense! I’m going to rest now!”

Flustered like a startled kitten, Kushina darted back to her room, her mind swirling with the bold memories of the previous night.

The thrill of her first forbidden experience left her both shy and exhilarated. Quietly, she was thankful for her quick thinking, healing herself completely to avoid leaving any traces.

Back in the living room, Tsunade chuckled as she watched Kushina retreat. Teasing the girl was one of the few moments of warmth Tsunade enjoyed.

…

Hatake Compound.

Once a noble clan of Konoha, the Hatake family had dwindled to just a few members, nearly forgotten by most of the village.

In the wide backyard, Uchiha Yosuke smiled as he addressed a silver-haired boy wearing a mask.

“Kakashi, let me introduce you to our clan’s rising star. This is Uchiha Shisui, a true prodigy. Don’t underestimate him.”

Behind Uchiha Yosuke, a short-haired five-year-old boy stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“Pleased to meet you, Kakashi-senpai. Please guide me.”

On the other side, the masked silver-haired Hatake Kakashi glanced at the younger boy in front of him. Although his eye twitched slightly at the thought of being called “senpai” by someone so much younger, he maintained proper etiquette and responded, “Pleased to meet you as well.”

Watching the meeting between Kakashi and Shisui, Uchiha Yosuke smiled.

“Kakashi, Shisui is my newly accepted disciple. His talent is no less than yours, especially when it comes to speed.”

Shisui, hearing his mentor’s praise, smiled bashfully. His demeanor was humble and polite, a sharp contrast to the prideful attitude typical of many Uchiha.

Uchiha Yosuke, still smiling, looked at the two young boys standing before him. His heart swelled with pride and satisfaction. Knowing Shisui’s potential, how could he not take him under his wing? With his current position in the Uchiha clan, recruiting a disciple like Shisui had been a straightforward task.

“Konan, you’ll oversee their training,” Yosuke said, turning toward a young girl nearby.

“Yes, Lord Yosuke,” Konan replied softly, her voice calm and gentle.

Over the past two years, Konan had blossomed from a reserved girl into a young woman with great potential. Though still retaining a hint of youthful innocence, her demeanor had grown poised and compos

ed, carrying the quiet beauty of someone destined for greatness.

Yosuke nodded with satisfaction as Konan prepared to take charge of the training.