Chapter 83: Tsunade's Influence
It was a cool, comfortable morning in April.
But Kurenai Yūhi was a little moody. Just a moment ago, Hoshikawa had told her he was taking a trip to the Land of Fire's capital city today.
"When are you coming back?" Kurenai asked, kicking a pebble on the road.
"Soon." Hoshikawa walked up, taking her small hand in his. "Two days at the most."
"Really?" Kurenai instantly perked up. "What kind of mission is so quick?"
"It's not a mission," Hoshikawa said with a smile. "I'm just going to see the Daimyō with my master."
"The Daimyō?" Kurenai's eyes widened. "I heard the Daimyō is the most powerful person, managing the entire Land of Fire and Konoha!"
"You wouldn't be wrong to say that." Hoshikawa pondered for a moment. "Theoretically, yes."
"Can I come?" Kurenai's face was filled with anticipation.
"Not this time, we have business to attend to." Hoshikawa paused, then promised, "When school is out, we'll ask Uncle Shinku to take us to the Land of Fire capital to play."
"Okay!" Kurenai giggled. "I'll tell my dad after school, and I know he'll agree."
"Mhm." Hoshikawa nodded slightly, then his gaze sharpened.
Three familiar figures appeared ahead of them: Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha. It was natural to run into them, as this was the mandatory route to the Academy.
Hoshikawa and Tsunade were heading to the capital today, but since it was a sudden trip, he hadn't asked Eīchiro for leave. Thus, he made a special effort to come and walk Kurenai to school.
"Rin! Guess what? Kakashi lost to Shisui!" Obito Uchiha announced excitedly.
"How could that be?" Rin Nohara looked at Kakashi Hatake in surprise. In her memory, while the two often sparred, Shisui usually lost. He was younger, and in terms of pure sword skill, he lagged behind Kakashi considerably.
"I lost once," Kakashi replied after two seconds of silence. The main reason was that he was careless and didn't dodge, but a loss was a loss, and he wouldn't make excuses.
"See? I told you!" Obito Uchiha was even more thrilled, seeing Kakashi cooperate.
"Why?" Rin Nohara asked, utterly curious.
"Because—" Obito was just about to reveal the reason when he was interrupted.
"Shisui awakened the Sharingan," Kakashi Hatake said in a calm tone. It was the first time he had sparred with an awakened Uchiha, which was why he lost by a narrow margin. But now that he was familiar with it, he was confident he could win next time.
"You jerk!" Obito Uchiha's face stiffened, and he asked grumpily, "Why did you steal my lines?"
"Is the Sharingan really that amazing?" Rin Nohara was quite shocked. She had heard Obito talk about how great it would be when he awakened it, but she hadn't realized it was actually true. It was the first time she had been stunned by the power of a cheat ability like the Sharingan. No wonder the Uchiha Clan is Konoha's strongest clan.
"Of course!" Obito Uchiha cheered up. "I bet even Hoshikawa is no match for Shisui!" He was already fantasizing about the moment he would awaken his Sharingan, beat Kakashi and Hoshikawa, marry Rin Nohara, and reach the pinnacle of life.
"Shisui told me he sparred with Hoshikawa once after awakening his Sharingan, and he lost," Kakashi Hatake immediately shattered his fantasy.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Obito Uchiha rejected the idea immediately. "The Sharingan is the best in the world!"
"Well, it's certainly possible!" Kurenai Yūhi couldn't help but interject when she heard this.
"Kurenai?" Rin Nohara turned around, her face lighting up with surprise. "Hoshikawa!"
Kakashi Hatake followed the voice, and his expression subtly changed when he noticed Hoshikawa. Sakumo Hatake had told him yesterday about Hoshikawa and Tsunade's assistance, and he had been planning to find him to express his gratitude.
Obito Uchiha was furious. Every time Hoshikawa appeared, he completely stole his thunder. It was simply infuriating!
"Good morning, the three of you," Hoshikawa greeted them with a smile.
Rin Nohara suddenly saw him and Kurenai holding hands, and she subconsciously pursed her lips.
"Did you really defeat Shisui after he awakened the Sharingan?" Obito Uchiha couldn't hold back his curiosity and quickly asked.
"By chance," Hoshikawa replied modestly.
Obito Uchiha was struck as if by lightning. His biggest obsession had always been to defeat Kakashi Hatake and Hoshikawa after awakening his Sharingan. Now, being told that he couldn't even win after awakening it, he was instantly depressed.
"I knew it!" Kurenai Yūhi said happily.
"That is truly amazing!" Rin Nohara praised, recovering her composure.
"He—? He just awakened it; he hasn't adjusted yet!" Obito Uchiha insisted stubbornly. "Besides, every Uchiha awakens it differently; I'll definitely be stronger than him!"
"Let's walk and talk," Hoshikawa said, glancing at the sky.
"Hoshikawa," Kakashi Hatake caught up to him. "Thank you for your help with my father's matter."
"That was my master's credit," Hoshikawa shook his head.
"I understand." Kakashi Hatake knew Hoshikawa was being humble, so he didn't dwell on it. Due to his personality, he wasn't good at expressing himself, but he always repaid favors and would surely return this one in the future.
Hoshikawa blinked. What exactly do you understand? But since Kakashi didn't elaborate, he didn't ask.
They reached the school, and Hoshikawa parted ways with them, heading to Eīchiro's office.
"Hoshikawa is taking leave again?" Rin Nohara asked in confusion.
"I know why!" Kurenai Yūhi smiled triumphantly.
"I don't want to hear it!" Obito Uchiha, depressed from the whole walk, turned to leave.
"Kurenai, tell me about it," Rin Nohara was quite interested.
Kakashi Hatake was also slightly curious.
"It's like this," Kurenai Yūhi began, beaming as she told them.
Hoshikawa smoothly obtained his leave. Eīchiro asked for the reason—going to see the Daimyō with Tsunade—and was so terrified that he immediately agreed. As a mere Chūnin, he dared not delay such an important matter.
At the entrance to Konoha Village.
Tsunade was already waiting. Upon seeing Hoshikawa, she waved her hand and declared, "Let's go!"
The Land of Fire capital was closer than the Land of Water. By the afternoon, they had reached their destination.
"Are we going straight to see the Daimyō?" Hoshikawa looked around, taking in the Land of Fire capital. How to describe it? It was indeed more prosperous than Konoha. People came and went on the streets, traffic flowed, and shops lined both sides, many of which were from countries outside the Land of Fire. For example, nearby was a Land of Wind specialty shop selling a snack called Sabimochi (Sand Rice Cake).
"No." Tsunade chuckled. "We'll go see the Daimyō's wife first to feel out the situation."
The Daimyō's wife? Hoshikawa recalled that in the original story, Naruto Uzumaki and his team once searched for a cat for the Daimyō's wife. However, this was much earlier in the timeline, so it shouldn't be the same person.
"Follow me." Tsunade, with familiar ease, quickly arrived at the Daimyō's estate. She was stopped at the entrance.
"I am Tsunade, here to see the Daimyō's wife." Tsunade casually pulled out a token.
"Princess Tsunade, please enter!" The guards at the gate immediately made way.
Hoshikawa remembered how many people in his previous life speculated that Tsunade had relatives in the Daimyō's court. Although he didn't know if that was true, Tsunade was certainly treated with great deference. Regardless of that, as the most powerful Medical-nin, such treatment was normal.
One could compare it to Hua Tuo in Romance of the Three Kingdoms; if he hadn't encountered the suspicious Cao Cao, he would have lived a very comfortable life.
Perhaps there was another reason: Hashirama Senju. If the First Hokage hadn't established the one-country-one-village system, there would be no current Daimyō of the Land of Fire.
"Well?" Tsunade winked at Hoshikawa.
"Master is amazing!" Hoshikawa immediately praised her.
"Of course!" Tsunade's lips curled up with a hint of pride. "The Daimyō's wife once wanted to address me as a sister, but I refused."
"Why?" Hoshikawa asked, a little confused.
"No reason," Tsunade said carelessly. "I just don't want to get involved in too many relationships, so she doesn't bother me all the time."
"As expected of Master!" Hoshikawa genuinely complimented her.
"You still have much to learn," Tsunade reached out and ruffled his hair.
Just talk, don't mess up my hair! Hoshikawa made another note in his mental notebook.
"Tsunade!" Just then, a beautiful woman in a lavish kimono walked out. Eight palace maids respectfully followed behind her, giving the scene quite a grand presence.
"Lady Daimyō," Tsunade withdrew her hand and stepped forward.
"It's been a long time, and you are still as beautiful," the Daimyō's wife said with emotion, holding Tsunade's hand.
"Lady Daimyō also retains her stunning presence," Tsunade responded. She then pointed to Hoshikawa and introduced him, "This is my student, Hoshikawa."
"My, what a handsome young man, quite adorable," the Daimyō's wife said with a smile, appraising Hoshikawa.
"Lady Daimyō," Hoshikawa greeted her stiffly. He felt that the beautiful woman's eyes were a little unclean, and instantly, he recalled various scandalous palace rumors.
"Have food prepared, the highest standard," the Daimyō's wife instructed a nearby palace maid. She then told Tsunade, "Tsunade, let's go inside and talk."
Tsunade followed her into the palace.
Hoshikawa sighed in relief, convincing himself that his previous thought had to be his own delusion. He sat beside Tsunade, quietly listening to their conversation. Since they were mostly reminiscing about the past, he couldn't insert a word and could only serve as a silent prop.
Soon, the food arrived. Hoshikawa picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
"Lady Daimyō," Tsunade said, seeing that they had talked enough, and brought up the main topic.
"Such a small matter, and you bothered to come all this way." The Daimyō's wife smiled carelessly. "Someone, go invite the Daimyō over."
"Tsunade is here? Why didn't you inform me?" A middle-aged man walked into the palace a moment later.
"Daimyō," Tsunade stood up and greeted him politely. "Konoha has made a mistake, so I dared not show my face."
"Tsunade, you are too formal," the middle-aged man shook his head. "If you hadn't intervened earlier, my son, En'ichi-shū, might have lost his life."
Hoshikawa's heart stirred. En'ichi-shū. He was mentioned in the original story as the Daimyō of the Land of Fire during the time Naruto became Hokage. It seems things are stable. Hoshikawa was once again witnessing Tsunade's influence as a Medical-nin.
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