The name "Senju clan" had become rarely spoken—it felt like a clan from ancient history now.
All past glories shared one truth: they were no longer glorious.
The First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and the Senju clan had once been the pillars of Konoha. But with both Kage gone and the Senju fading into obscurity over the years, their influence over the Hidden Leaf Village had dwindled to little more than background presence.
As a result, Tsunade's long-standing radiance as the "Senju princess" had also begun to fade. In recent years, her status had shifted from being the most prestigious descendant of the Senju to becoming more like an ordinary girl.
After all, the current ruler of Konoha was the Third Hokage. As the Third's student, Tsunade wasn't insignificant—more like Jiraiya and Orochimaru in terms of standing.
Though this still ranked far above regular ninja, compared to how things were during the time of the First and Second Hokage… back then she had stood high in the clouds, while now she had come down to earth.
Perhaps, as time passed, Tsunade's unmatched medical ninjutsu would make her indispensable again in Konoha.
From childhood to the present, her reputation had followed a "U"-shaped path—both peaks were high, but their foundations were completely different.
The first peak came from the Senju clan; the second was entirely earned by Tsunade herself.
Nowadays, Tsunade no longer enjoyed the same universal admiration as before, and her life had become more like that of a regular ninja—training, doing medical research, and going on missions.
But to Haseo, things weren't necessarily worse off.
Or to put it bluntly, he actually thought it was great—probably because no one would try to use her heritage against her ever again.
Thinking about how Tsunade had changed, Haseo couldn't help turning his gaze toward her beside him.
"What are you staring at?"
Possibly sensing that Haseo had been watching her intently for too long, Tsunade spoke up, interrupting his thoughts.
Who just stared at someone like that?
Under the night sky, Tsunade slightly lowered her head and reached out to brush at her golden hair near the temples.
"At you..." Haseo caught himself before saying what he almost blurted out—"checking how much you've grown."
"Cough, we're almost at Konoha Hospital. Let's hurry up a bit."
It was a stiff, abrupt change of subject.
With Shikou on his back and walking beside Tsunade, Haseo soon arrived at Konoha Hospital.
Shikou was immediately admitted—registration, diagnosis, check-in, IV drip—all done smoothly and quickly... That's just how things go for someone with powerful connections.
Actually, Shikou's condition wasn't complicated at all. Simply put, it was nothing more than exhaustion, so the best course of treatment was simple—let her rest and recover for a while.
After making the necessary arrangements for Shikou, Tsunade, who had long served as Haseo's primary physician, returned from her mission and proceeded to conduct a routine physical examination on him, just as she always did.
"Judging by the signs of corruption on you, Haseo, your condition hasn't worsened over this period. I'd say that's definitely a good sign."
Tsunade focused mainly on the prominent black mark-like corruption scar on Haseo's shoulder—fortunately, it hadn't spread further, which was reassuring.
"That goes without saying—I know full well how bad things are. So I've been following your medical advice for years now—not a single forbidden technique, not once." Haseo said seriously while pulling his shirt back on.
But that was complete nonsense—he was clearly lying. Not long ago, he had indeed used his forbidden techniques, more than once.
"Good to hear, although I still haven't found a fundamental solution for your condition yet, so you'll have to endure a bit longer."
Upon hearing that, Haseo almost mentioned that he had already begun preparations for a certain [Self-Sealing], but after thinking it through, he held himself back.
There was no need to explain in advance. Once the sealing formula was truly completed, Tsunade would naturally understand without any verbal explanation—much clearer than words could ever convey.
"What were you going to say?"
Tsunade noticed Haseo seemed somewhat hesitant.
"I was just thinking—if the issue of corruption could be completely resolved, wouldn't that make me invincible?… But this is definitely a serious matter, so you don't have to rush. Take your time." Haseo replied.
Well, the first part did sound like a bit of self-flattery, but overall, it wasn't really wrong. After all, these days, there were only a few big names left in the entire Ninjutsu World, and for someone like Haseo, who could already harness the Nine-Tails' chakra, self-preservation was rarely an issue.
"You're being far too optimistic. A ninja must never forget caution under any circumstances…" It was rare, but Tsunade took this opportunity to scold Haseo.
"By the way, Shikou is only suffering from extreme fatigue. As the one who originally burdened her so heavily, during the period of her hospitalization, try not to come around here too often… In some sense, even your face might leave a psychological burden on her."
Young Tsunade still seemed slightly cautious, so she fired back with a tactical strike of her own.
If Haseo didn't visit the patient anymore, wouldn't that mean he couldn't even see the doctor?
Haseo: "…."
He felt somewhat baffled. Was anyone supposed to talk like that? He thought to himself—my face looks perfectly normal; how could it cause someone psychological distress?
"Is this another piece of medical advice? It sounds kinda unreliable. Shouldn't I actually show more concern for my subordinate who suffered exhaustion during the mission?"
Indeed, what Haseo said was both reasonable and justified.
But Tsunade was the doctor here.
"In that case, just come less often… It's already pretty late. If you've got nothing else to say, you should get going."
Haseo blinked. What was this—shooing him away? What was going on?
Could someone have actually ninja-killed the objective right under his nose?
That seemed unlikely.
Or… Was this what people called that legendary "Does love only live in constant company?" kind of unspoken understanding?
But no, that was just being too full of himself.
It couldn't be denied—Haseo's thoughts swung wildly between two extremes. As he silently pondered Tsunade's deeper psychology, he unconsciously left Konoha Hospital behind.
But truthfully, what was there to even think about? It was already late, and they were still at Konoha Hospital. Tsunade still had Shikou's treatment to handle. So why weren't those hanging around just leaving already? Did they think they could actually help or something?
Or… Could it be that I'm the one who wanted to stay longer in the hospital?
A jolt shot up Haseo's spine.
No, no, no! He shook his head rapidly.
Hmm, Haseo Yu had always seen himself as an upright man long above vulgar tastes. How could such a thought come from his subconscious?
Wouldn't that make him a total creep?
She's still just a damn kid!
...
Meanwhile, Tsunade stood by the window watching Haseo leave until his back had completely disappeared before finally turning her head.
At that moment, she clenched her fists so hard her nails bit into her palms.
In reality, the corruption affecting Haseo was still worsening, albeit slightly slower than before. But to keep Haseo at ease, Tsunade hadn't revealed the real situation.
Even more crucially, she still hadn't found a solution yet.
Her own powerlessness made Tsunade feel restless. She even feared losing control of her emotions, which was precisely why she had asked Haseo to leave first.
So here, Haseo was being pretty naive—why didn't he tell Tsunade about the seal earlier? When someone truly cares about your well-being, shouldn't you stop worrying about "playing it safe" and just be honest?
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>