Chapter 36: Chapter 36
"Did he now? Don't worry; I will make sure to punish him on your behalf. Now, go along and play tag, and make sure to take that silver-haired guy with you." Tsunade casually assigned Kakashi the task of looking after the kids and sat down on the cushion. Shizune dutifully poured a cup of tea for their master.
"Ah, such a tiring day. Who knew that being the clan head was so much work?" Tsunade lamented tiredly. After finding remnants of the Senju main line, Tsunade decided to rebuild the Senju clan from the ground up. Among the survivors, most were only civilians, and only two were old Shinobi. However, she was happy that she was not the last remaining Senju anymore. With the little kids now joining the academy, the Senju clan might flourish again, but to do so, she needed manpower and people she could trust, willing to integrate into the Senju clan. She couldn't ask everyone for help. She had already obtained the consent of the Kato clan patriarch to add Shizune to the Senju clan registry, and Shizune happily agreed. Although Tsunade wanted to add Naruto too, she decided to wait until he grows up and makes his own decision.
"The Senju clan now consists of a total of twenty-three individuals, including myself and Shizune here. I just have to assign someone among these to an elder position to maintain the clan on my behalf. It's such a headache when none of them are strong Shinobi because they will have to represent the Senju clan in the future," Tsunade shared her recent concerns with her students.
"Hmm, Sensei, why not ask Jiraiya-sama to take on the role of a guest elder within the clan? With him being a civilian ninja and having no allegiance to any other clan, I am sure you will have no problem. And if you really ask him, I am sure he would even be willing to add his name to the Senju registry," Kazuki suggested, offering a solution to Tsunade's dilemma. Shizune, who heard her junior's words, couldn't help but smile at Kazuki's subtle hint.
"Kid, are you looking to die? Why would I agree to add the pervert's name to the Senju registry? But the role of a guest elder seems feasible. I can throw all the work over to him while I relax. I heard from Sensei that he has sent a message to Jiraiya to return to the village, as there is no point in pursuing that slimy snake, and with a war looming over us, it would be better if he returned to the village," Tsunade shared her thoughts about Kazuki's suggestion.
"Oh yes, you could also ask Kinoe to join the Senju clan. Him being an orphan and with a Mokuton user by your side, the Senju clan will gain a lot of prestige again," Kazuki suddenly remembered Kinoe, who had been rescued from Root and was currently under the direct supervision of the Sandaime himself, acting as his subordinate.
"Kid, you really have a bright mind; you know that. Why didn't I think of such a thing before? It would have saved me so much headache." Tsunade gave out an evil laugh, as if she had won a gambling bet.
"Well, that aside, did you have anything important to speak about? Didn't you just return from a big mission? I thought you would be resting." Tsunade understood that her little prodigy wanted something from her; otherwise, the cunning kid would not be waiting for her in the morning.
"Yes, Sensei, recently I chanced upon some special materials and some chakra metal, so I was thinking of forging a blade for myself and, if possible, requesting additional services. Uncle Shikaku told me that the Senju clan might have a few secluded masters under their affiliated clans. I am looking for a veteran master craftsman, and I surely wouldn't complain if you could help me find a grandmaster." Kazuki shared his thoughts about finding a craftsman with Tsunade in an innocent and casual manner, as if he were looking for a shop to buy groceries.
"Kid, you are a greedy one, aren't you? Asking about master and grandmaster-class artisans as if they were next-door neighbours. But luckily for you, your master happens to know a few veteran master blacksmiths who have retired and are currently living peacefully in Konoha. "Perhaps if I personally make a request, they might be willing to reignite their forge," Tsunade proudly shared about the connections of the Senju clan. The veterans Tsunade was talking about were people who had reached the master stage during the reign of Hashirama, and the current stage of these old experts was something even Tsunade did not have a clear estimate of.
"Sensei, in that case, why don't you introduce me to the best craftsmen among them? I also have a few designs that might interest you. I know you like using your fists, so I am sure you will like them," Kazuki cheekily shared, saying that he would help Tsunade design a personal weapon to align with her fighting style. Everyone who was acquainted with Kazuki knew how novel the kid's ideas were, and anything he designed would blow one's mind.
"Kid, now you are simply bribing me, aren't you? Well, if you are looking for the best, then I do indeed know someone. He used to personally forge my grandpa's ninja tools back then. Well, why don't we go and have a look to see if that old man is willing to forge again?" Tsunade also wanted to meet the old man she hadn't seen for a long time, and with her rebuilding the Senju clan, these kinds of connections would also help her clan down the line.
"Shizune, stay with the kids. I will take this kid away for some time. And would you like a set of weapons? I am sure little Kazuki here wouldn't mind designing a set of weapons for his senior sister too." Tsunade always held a soft spot for Shizune, and now that Kazuki proposed to offer her a design for a new weapon, she couldn't forget her first apprentice.
"Sensei, I wouldn't mind getting a new set of senbons, and I also use a tanto blade."
Shizune, who was now familiar with Kazuki, did not hold back and declared the weapons that she wanted. Kazuki simply nodded with a smile because, most of the time, Shizune never asked for anything, even from Tsunade. Even during the time when they were wandering outside the leaf, Shizune never bothered the Sannin with any requests.
Tsunade and Kazuki were walking along Konoha Street towards the village outskirts.
"Sensei, I have already checked all the barriers and defences. I have to say Mito-sama's knowledge of Fuinjutsu surely surpasses my current knowledge. Even after so many years, the formations and barriers that she laid are functioning perfectly. I have just added a few more upgrades and add-ons without altering the original defences.
From my knowledge, the Senju clan compound's defences should currently be as good as the Nara clan, if not a bit better," Kazuki shared his insights. Tsunade had made a personal request to her student to look into the Senju clan's defences because they had been unattended for a long time, and with new residents, she wanted to ensure security because even now in the Shinobi world, the Senju bloodline was coveted, so she did not want to take any chances.
"Good, kid. Now I can rest assured about those defences. So, how goes the design of the village defences? Have you made any progress?" Tsunade, now assured about her clan's defences, inquired about the huge project that Kazuki was working on.
"Ah, the old man asked me to do my best, so I am putting my all into the project. I have come across a significant problem while designing the defences. Most of the Kekkai don't stop space-time ninjutsu, and even our current village cannot detect it when space-time ninjutsu is used. If it was a small area like a clan compound, I wouldn't have any issue, but incorporating such a space-sealing barrier over the entirety of the village seems to be an issue," Kazuki shared the progress of the project that he was working on. He was taking into consideration future plots while designing the new Konoha defences.
"Kid, you are quite an ambitious one, aren't you? As far as I know, there are no large-scale barriers that can detect or restrict space-time techniques. And by the way you speak, one would think that the new Senju defences can stop space-time techniques, haha." Tsunade couldn't help but laugh out loud at how ambitious her little prodigy was trying to be. But when she looked at Kazuki's wide smile, she couldn't help but freeze her step.
"Kid, don't tell me that you incorporated such a barrier over the Senju compound." Tsunade knew the significance of such a kekkai. Why was Minato feared by the whole Shinobi world? Because his Hiraishin had no counters, the respective kage of most major villages declared their Shinobis to run away when they met the famed Yellow Flash on the battlefield. The kid here was casually stating that he had built a barrier to counter such a technique.
Although one simply referred to the area as the Senju compound, Tsunade knew how large the area was. If the other clans knew that Kazuki could achieve this, then they would literally beg in front of the Nara clan without any care about their faces.
"Ahem, it's not a big deal, Sensei. I am just being cautious, and with you taking Naruto to live with you back at the Senju compound, I have also ensured that the barrier is sturdy enough to take quite a beating. I am sure that even if a meteor lands, the barrier around the Senju and Nara clans should hold," Kazuki shared a few pieces of information about the extent of defences that he had applied around the two clans and the extent he was planning for the village defences.
"Kid, no wonder you asked me to acquire such rare items. Be honest, kid, is it really necessary to go to such an extent? The last space-time ninjutsu user that I know of was Minato. What are you not telling me, kid?" Although Tsunade was always a jolly character, she had keen instincts. When she heard of Kazuki's plans for the village defences and the precautions that he was taking, it hinted that the kid knew more than he was sharing.
After a brief silence, Kazuki spoke.
"Tell me, Sensei, how much do you know about the day of the Nine-Tails attack? Well, though the village has now cleared the suspicion on the Uchiha clan, everyone seems to have forgotten to ask the most important question." Tsunade, still walking, pondered for a second about what she knew about the day of the attack. That's when she realised.
"No one truly knows who caused the disaster, and Minato, who engaged the enemy directly, did not share any details before sacrificing himself. So you mean..." She wanted to probe how much her student truly knew and from what source he was able to discern such information that she was sure no one in the leaf was aware of.
"You never know, Sensei. The Shinobi world is vast, and I am not even sure if anyone has entirely explored the world to its full extent. And maybe I am being simply overly cautious, but it's never a disadvantage to be overly prepared." Kazuki didn't directly share the information that he had from his past life because he didn't want to rely on his knowledge and jump to conclusions. But he wouldn't neglect the advantage of the information that he had, so he was simply preparing beforehand.
After catching up, Tsunade chose to disclose the matter she was there to discuss.
"Old man, I am rebuilding the Senju clan. I am sure you must have heard about it. And as the current Senju clan head, I would like to personally extend an invite to your clan to reintegrate back into the Senju lineage, just like the old times," Tsunade sincerely shared her reason for her visit to the old man's clan to join the Senju.
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