Chapter 123: An Invitation from the Uchiha Clan
Two days passed in a flash.
Hoshikawa didn't follow Tsunade to the casino. Instead, he spent the time training with Kurenai on his Water Release. He now possessed the "Five-Element Chūnin" title and wanted to master each element to upgrade to the "Special Jōnin" title. He was already at 80% with his "Lightning Release Special Jōnin" title, his fastest-growing element, as it was his main focus.
Besides Lightning, Water and Earth were his top priorities since they were necessary to synthesize Wood Release—even if it was just Yamato's version of it. It was still Wood Release.
The next morning, Hoshikawa and Kurenai headed to Tsunade's house together. Rin was already there, waiting. After breakfast, the four of them went to the clearing outside.
"Kurenai, Rin, you two practice on your own. Ask me if you have any questions," Tsunade said. Then, she turned to Hoshikawa with a grin. "Hoshikawa , you come with me."
"Yes, Sensei," Kurenai and Rin replied in unison, their hearts a little curious about what was going on between them.
Hoshikawa knew exactly what was about to happen: he was going to get beaten up. He was about to pay tribute to the legendary "Anti-Pressure King."
"Ready?" Tsunade asked, standing across from him. "Let's begin."
"Yes, Sensei," Hoshikawa said, taking a deep breath.
Body Flicker Jutsu!
He didn't hold back. He immediately moved at full speed. An afterimage blurred past, and in an instant, Hoshikawa was in front of Tsunade.
Chakra Enhanced Strength!
He clenched his fist and launched a direct punch.
"Not bad," Tsunade said, unhurriedly stepping back. She raised her leg and delivered a casual kick. Hoshikawa couldn't even see her movements. He felt his body lift lightly before he was sent flying backward. He quickly recovered in mid-air, using a burst of chakra from his legs to land steadily.
Amazing, he thought. If Tsunade hadn't held back, that kick would have killed him. Although his Body Flicker, combined with his speed bonus, made him one of the fastest chūnin around, he still wasn't fast enough to face a jōnin.
"Come here," Tsunade said, beckoning him with a finger.
Hoshikawa charged forward again.
Painful Sky Kick!
He stomped the ground, and a spiderweb of cracks erupted from the impact. Tsunade easily dodged and playfully flicked his forehead. A tremendous force hit him, sending him stumbling back two steps. He felt a throbbing sensation in his head.
So she's been holding back all this time, Hoshikawa realized. He shook his head to clear it, and the training continued.
Tsunade took a step forward, delivering a simple straight punch toward his face.
Konoha Strong Whirlwind!
Hoshikawa twisted his body, performing a reverse roundhouse kick. Fist and leg collided, and both of them took half a step back.
"Who taught you that?" Tsunade asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"It was Might Duy, Might Guy's father," Hoshikawa replied.
"He's a jōnin?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow. She had seen Guy a few times at the academy because of Hoshikawa , but she had no impression of his father, Duy, since he was just a genin. While Kosuke Maruboshi was also a genin, he was famous. Duy, on the other hand, was an unknown who had done only one great thing in his life: fighting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist alone. That hadn't happened yet.
"He's a genin, but he's very strong," Hoshikawa explained.
"Is he?" Tsunade smiled. "That taijutsu is decent, but it's not 'very strong.'"
"He can use the Eight Gates," Hoshikawa said, dodging another one of her attacks.
"The Eight Gates?" Tsunade's expression became surprised. "Someone can actually master that harsh taijutsu?"
"Yeah," Hoshikawa said, taking a moment to catch his breath and dodging her deadly kick.
"That's weird," Tsunade said, throwing a punch. "Are you lying to me? How can a ninja who mastered the Eight Gates be completely unknown?"
Bam!
Hoshikawa didn't dodge in time and took a solid punch. He grimaced and said, "Because no one would ever be on a team with him, so he couldn't take on missions."
"That's a thing?" Tsunade stopped, not pursuing him further.
"Yeah." Hoshikawa rubbed his sore shoulder and smiled. "When you become Hokage, you should give him a chance. He won't disappoint you."
"Why do you keep bringing up me becoming Hokage?" Tsunade said, clenching her fist with a cold smile. "Looks like I have to beat you up some more!" She instantly appeared in front of Hoshikawa , and a new round of fighting began.
Kurenai and Rin watched with wide eyes.
"Did he make Tsunade-sensei angry?" Rin asked, swallowing. The two of them were fighting so intensely that it looked like a real brawl, which made her worry about Hoshikawa .
"He's fine," Kurenai said after watching for a moment. "Tsunade-sensei is obviously holding back."
"You're right," Rin agreed. She remembered the scene of Tsunade killing the Kusagakure jōnin with one punch. There was no way Hoshikawa could have fought her head-on and survived. It had to be a training exercise, but such intense training would definitely cause injuries. Rin secretly vowed to heal Hoshikawa later. She realized that in the three months since they formed their team, she had never once had to use her medical ninjutsu on her teammates.
"That's enough for today," Tsunade said, in a much better mood.
"Yes, ma'am," Hoshikawa said. In contrast to Tsunade's carefree attitude, he was a complete mess. His whole body was aching, and he felt like he was about to fall apart.
"Hoshikawa !" Rin rushed over. "Let me heal you."
This brat is so popular, Tsunade thought to herself. She had wanted to heal Hoshikawa herself, but Rin had beaten her to it. But that's good, too, she decided. Rin could get some practice with Hoshikawa .
"Thanks," Hoshikawa said, seeing the look of anticipation on Rin's face. He couldn't refuse.
"Where does it hurt?" Rin asked, her voice a little excited. She was finally useful!
"My arm," Hoshikawa said, rolling up his sleeve to show her the faint bruising.
"Okay!" Rin raised her hands and used the Healing Jutsu. The warm chakra soothed Hoshikawa 's skin, making him feel a little ticklish but mostly comfortable.
Should I learn medical ninjutsu too? Kurenai, who was watching from afar, fell into deep thought. She quickly gave up, however. She had the desire but not the energy; learning both genjutsu and water ninjutsu already took up all her focus.
"Hoshikawa is such a freak," Kurenai said with a small sigh. She could barely handle learning two types of jutsu, so what else could you call him for learning so many? Kurenai returned her attention to practicing her Water Release.
"That's enough, thank you." Hoshikawa stopped Rin.
"You don't have to be so formal... oh, sorry." Rin suddenly realized what she had said and her face turned crimson. She quickly ran away.
Hoshikawa 's mouth twitched. He felt like Rin had misunderstood something. Girls in the ninja world matured too quickly. The reason Hoshikawa stopped her was that his injuries were mostly gone. He had the "Unsealed Healing" B-rank title, which increased his body's healing by 150%. Only his arms, which had frequently clashed with Tsunade's fists, had any lingering bruises.
In the afternoon, Hoshikawa continued to be Tsunade's punching bag. But it wasn't without its rewards. In addition to gaining combat experience, his taijutsu proficiency was increasing. He felt like with Tsunade's help, he could achieve the "Taijutsu Special Jōnin" title much sooner.
"Terrifying," Shisui Uchiha said when he arrived, just in time to see Hoshikawa and Tsunade's fight. Although his kenjutsu had improved rapidly under Kakashi Hatake's guidance, he was still a step below Hoshikawa . He watched for a while and thought that he wouldn't have been able to last that long, even with his Sharingan active.
Tsunade's speed was simply too fast for a one-tomoe Sharingan to be of any use. I have to train harder, he thought, his spirit renewed. Shisui had been on a high lately. Fugaku Uchiha had great expectations for him, as did Kakashi Hatake, and he felt like he could solve the Uchiha clan's current issues.
Half an hour later, Hoshikawa and Tsunade stopped.
"Tsunade-sama," Shisui said, walking over quickly and handing her an invitation. His tone was respectful. "The clan leader asked me to deliver this to you."
"Mikoto's child is named Itachi?" Tsunade said, opening the invitation and scanning it. "Tell Fugaku I'll be there on time."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Shisui said, nodding quickly.
"What is it?" Hoshikawa asked, curious.
"Hoshikawa -senpai, this is for you," Shisui said, taking out another invitation.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow and took the invitation she had just received back. By all accounts, a person of Hoshikawa 's age should not receive an invitation from the Uchiha clan. The most likely reason was that they were trying to show goodwill to her.
Hoshikawa was stunned for a moment before he took the invitation. The content was simple: an invitation to Itachi Uchiha's 100th-day celebration. In the ninja world, there were no full-month celebrations, only 100th-day celebrations. It was an important day for a newborn, and celebrations were usually held. Hoshikawa 's expression was strange. He had no relationship with the Uchiha clan. Giving him an invitation was purely for show, a way to impress Tsunade and the Hokage's faction.
Itachi Uchiha had just been born, so the celebration was still three months away. Hoshikawa put away the invitation. "I'll go with my sensei," he said.
"Great." Shisui smiled. "I'll go back and inform the clan leader." With that, he turned and left.
"You're a clever brat," Tsunade said, looking at Hoshikawa .
"I learned from Sensei," Hoshikawa said, blinking.
"Even if you flatter me, the special training won't stop," Tsunade said with a smile. "Let's continue."
"Yes," Hoshikawa sighed.
July passed, and August arrived. Hoshikawa turned twelve, but his birthday celebration was uneventful. Many of his friends were on missions, so not many people came.
After August, September arrived. The Uchiha clan's district was bustling with activity. Unlike in the past, many non-clan ninjas were invited to the celebration. The reason was a shift in attitude from the Konoha higher-ups, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, especially with the favorable treatment given to Shisui and Obito Uchiha.
......
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