Chapter 25: 25
It's been a month since Tsunade returned to the village. Her return has had a positive impact, and her presence has changed a lot of things. Mito has become more energetic with her around, as the two argue most of the time and neither is willing to give in. The dynamic between them has been very interesting, or at least Haru finds it to be so.
The argument between them stemmed from their strong natures and characters. Both of them were very strong women with clear principles and ways of thinking, so most of the time they wouldn't listen to each other. Tsunade was very young and talented, already knowing what she wanted and how she would get it. Mito, on the other hand, had all that Tsunade had, in addition to her age, wisdom, and experience as the clan head for many years. Her thinking usually focused on the bigger picture, so she would advise her granddaughter on what might come ahead.
Haru could understand both parties. Tsunade wanted to have her own experience and life, even if that meant she would take a few detours. She wanted to live freely in her own way, which wasn't possible as Mito would try to advise her, even if Mito was correct.
Mito, on the other hand, had already lived the life of Tsunade. She was also a very talented ninja when she was young. From her own point of view, she wanted Tsunade to walk on a very smooth road, different from her own.
Haru, as a bystander, saw clearly that both of them had valid points of view. It was just a clash of personalities. If someone just gave in, it would be far easier, but based on what he saw, neither would do it. Even the wise Mito would change when she was around Tsunade. She wasn't her calm self, and her temper would flare a lot more.
Haru didn't try to meddle in their business. It was clear that this was the way the duo communicated and another way for them to show love to each other, so he left them alone and enjoyed seeing a different side of Mito that he hadn't seen in those past years. At least, it was far more amusing to him, which was like seeing one person argue with their older self, bringing a lot of fun to Haru.
Other than Tsunade's return, nothing changed in Haru's life. He is still following his usual routine of training and studying whatever he can. His practice with Masayuki is progressing in the right direction, and as their training advances, Haru has been able to locate two other Tansuke points. This has been great progress, and he is now confident that he will find the others in a much shorter time. Additionally, this practice has been of great benefit to his medical studies, specifically in the anatomy of the body. Combining the two topics is like hitting two targets with one shot, achieving twice the results with the same effort.
Now that he has succeeded in finding those two points, the rest will just take time. The difficulty lies in finding the way. However, Haru has become familiar with the sensation of the Tenketsu points. With the results of his own research and his knowledge of medical ninjutsu and anatomy, he has already created a rough map of all the Tenketsu in his own body. Although it is not entirely accurate, it will still be much faster than attempting to find them individually.
With those results, he can now continue with his usual practice with his teacher and does not need to put more energy into this topic. He can just go with the flow currently until more progress is made. With that, he can refocus some of his attention on his medical studies and creating his own Taijutsu techniques.
Today, after Haru finished his sealing class with Mito, he noticed Nawaki and Tsunade both waiting outside the classroom. He smiled and waved at Nawaki, but before he could say anything, Tsunade ambushed him with a bear hug, putting both Haru and Nawaki under her arms.
"Hey there, little bro!" Tsunade exclaimed, giving Haru a playful squeeze. "I heard you've been working hard in class. How about we celebrate with a nice dinner out? Elder sister is paying today, so you can have whatever you want."
Nawaki was the first to celebrate. Even though the food in the clan was very good, sometimes people just want a different taste than the usual. Seeing Haru's still calm face, Tsunade pouted and put him in a headlock, messing up his hair and said, "Why are you always putting on that annoying expression? You are just a kid. You should be joyful when you are invited out."
When Haru was released from her grip, he couldn't help but take a deep breath. Tsunade was really strong, and she had almost taken all the air out of his lungs. Seeing her expression, he knew that if his answer didn't satisfy her, the consequences would be dire. So, he put on the most excited face he had and said, "Thank you, sister Tsunade, for your treat. Let's go. I know a very good restaurant where I think you would like the food. I've heard that the boss likes beautiful ladies and gives discounts. With sister Tsunade, I'm sure he will give the biggest discount in the store's history." His flattery worked more than his acting, and Tsunade became very interested in the restaurant, forgetting the previous topic and urging Haru to show her the way.
Haru sighed. With his current strength, he anticipated that the coming years would be very hard with this princess, but at least she put some fun in his boring life.
Their dinner with both Tsunade and Nawaki was filled with energy and laughter all the way. Haru had a very nice dinner despite Dua's constant attempts to tease him. But Haru shrugged most of them off, giving in sometimes under the violent threat of a beating from Tsunade.
After that, they took a stroll around the village. Due to the status of both Tsunade and Nawaki in the village, they received a lot of snacks for free. Haru didn't forget to bring some of Mito's favorites to drink with tea. He knew that even if she didn't show it, Mito liked a lively atmosphere. Growing up in the Uzumaki clan and then being with the First Hokage, she was accustomed to liveliness and energy. So, he took some snacks to share with her later since they had let her have dinner alone.
So, he took them on a longer walk. Once they were at the clan, both Tsunade and Nawaki were slightly hungry again. Haru then took them to enjoy some snacks with Mito.
After a long day, Nawaki and Haru went back to their rooms while Mito and Tsunade stayed behind. Seeing this, Mito asked, "What do you think of Haru?"
Tsunade replied, "What do you mean? I already said he is part of our family."
Mito nodded and then said, "I knew that. In the past, you just took my and Nawaki's attitude toward him. Now that you have spent time with him, what do you think of him?"
Tsunade became serious and tough for a while before replying, "From what I have seen, he is a very intelligent child, very careful, and very calm. He doesn't show his attitude or his views often. He likes to stay back and observe most of the time. So far, I like him quite a bit."
Despite Tsunade's love for her brother Nawaki, he can still be quite a handful at times due to his impulsive and short-tempered nature, his idealistic views, and his innocent demeanor. In Tsunade's opinion, having one Nawaki is already enough. Although she may find Haru a bit boring, she appreciates his calm and steady character, which makes him someone who can be trusted to handle things on his own. Even though she didn't explicitly mention it, having two brothers like Nawaki would have been too much for Tsunade as an older sister, as she would have been overwhelmed with worry for both of them.
Hearing Tsunade's answer, Mito replied, "Well, he is unlike both of you and Nawaki. He is more like Tobirama. This is what drew both me and Nawaki to him. The more you get to know him, the more you will appreciate the way he is."
Listening to her grandmother, Tsunade nodded her head in agreement. Mito continued, "But that isn't the only thing that is similar between them. Haru is also very creative and has his own ideas. Even at such a young age, he is trying to research in ninjutsu."
Then Mito talked to Tsunade about Haru's discovery of the shadow clone jutsu and some of his other research. Tsunade sighed and said, "Well, it seems you've found yourself a genius, Grandma."
Mito nodded, then said, "Well, that's why I want your help with something." Seeing Tsunade's confused look, Mito continued, "Even though Haru is my disciple, I don't want to confine him to just seals. He has already shown a lot of interest in other subjects, one of them being medical ninjutsu. I don't know how much talent he has in this area, but from the chakra control he has shown so far, it shouldn't be low. I hope you can help him get started, and having at least some foundation in medicine would be a great help to his research."
Upon hearing Mito's request, Tsunade thought about it for a while before agreeing. Currently, she still had some spare time, and helping Haru wouldn't be that hard. From what she had seen, he wasn't a troublemaker, so teaching him should be easy.
Upon hearing Tsunade's answer, Mito was happy. Before she left, she said, "Tsunade, I don't know if you will listen this time, but I still want to say it. I think you should decrease the number of missions you take on. If you want to improve your medical ninjutsu, the best place is the hospital. There, you will find a lot of cases that will help in your growth. A lot of people are dying, and having one more excellent doctor could make a big difference. Don't be impulsive and refuse. Take this time when you are teaching Haru and visit the hospital, then decide for yourself. This isn't just for you; it's my wish for many ninjas to have new hope with you."
After hearing the last sentence, Tsunade's words were stuck in her throat. Hearing Mito's great expectations for her for the first time made her stop and try to think. This time, she didn't argue with her and decided to take her advice and take her time to figure out an answer, not only for her own future but also for Mito's heavy expectations of her.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
stone