Chapter 291: Tsunade's Decision
The two hours of teaching passed quickly, and by the time Tsunade finished, the rain had stopped and the sky was beginning to clear.
Mugetsu quietly went out to buy ingredients and started cooking in the kitchen, while Tsunade sat in the living room, lost in thought.
"How can I make Mugetsu rich?"
She pondered the question very seriously. If Mugetsu had money, he could come to her for lessons every day.
Tsunade thought that if Mugetsu opened a restaurant selling high priced dishes, he would definitely make money quickly. But he had already rejected that idea himself, so it was clearly not feasible.
She came up with several other ideas in a row, only to reject each one as soon as it formed, either because it would require Mugetsu to change careers or because even she felt they were unreliable.
"Shizune, what do you think? How can we make Mugetsu rich? You do not want him to only come once a month in the future, right?" Tsunade finally turned to the girl beside her.
Shizune was still young, but in Tsunade's eyes she was reliable in almost every way.
"Why does Teacher Mugetsu need to be rich?" Shizune asked, confused.
"Think about it. If he has no money, he cannot afford to come learn from me. And while I would be perfectly happy for him to come here just to cook, he definitely would not agree to that. If it is not for training, he will not come," Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair.
"In that case, why does Lady Tsunade not simply stop charging him?" Shizune tilted her head. "Teacher Mugetsu cooks for us and never charges anything."
Tsunade scratched her head. She had thought about that, but every time she did, she felt like she was losing out.
She was Tsunade, one of the Three Sannin, known as the Medical Saint of the Ninja World. People who wanted her to treat them could line up from Konoha Hospital all the way past the Main District. If she started teaching someone just in exchange for food, did that not make her look like a complete glutton?
"Lady Tsunade, you did not charge me when you taught me, and you can also ask for other kinds of compensation," Shizune added softly.
Tsunade gave her a thumbs up, then immediately grabbed Shizune's cheeks and rubbed them hard.
If Mugetsu were her own disciple, then of course money would not matter. And exchanging lessons for other compensation was a very good idea. It completely solved the problem of money.
Tsunade decided to choose that path. After all, she still did not fully understand Mugetsu and did not want to rashly take him as a disciple.
During dinner, they sat facing yet another unfamiliar chicken dish. Tsunade wondered how many different ways Mugetsu could cook chicken.
"What is this one called?" Tsunade asked curiously.
"Saliva Chicken," Mugetsu replied with a smile.
"What a strange name," Tsunade muttered, but still picked up a piece of chicken glistening with red chili oil and put it into her mouth.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
She had gone five whole meals without Mugetsu's cooking, and the moment the chicken hit her tongue, Tsunade felt it clearly. That feeling was back.
In that moment, Tsunade truly admired him. Using the same chicken, he had already made three completely different dishes, all equally delicious.
If she had reached the peak of Medical Ninjutsu, then in her mind, Mugetsu had absolutely reached the pinnacle of cooking.
She could not stop herself, eating piece after piece until the meal was nearly over. Only then did she remember she had not yet discussed his future lessons.
"Ahem, Mugetsu, do not rush to leave today," Tsunade quickly said, stopping him before he could stand.
"Lady Tsunade, is there something you need?" Mugetsu put down his chopsticks, looking slightly puzzled.
"The compensation we agreed on cannot be changed lightly," Tsunade began, adopting a serious tone, "but I see how enthusiastic you are about learning, and Shizune is quite fond of you as well. So I will grant you special permission. From now on, you may exchange the original one hundred thousand ryo an hour for another form of compensation."
She looked at him with an appreciative gaze, as if she had been moved simply by his dedication.
"Lady Tsunade, is that really alright?" Mugetsu asked, his face showing surprise and gratitude.
He already understood the true reason behind her decision, but of course he could not expose it. He had to follow her lead and act accordingly.
Tsunade nodded.
"In that case, could I offer tutoring for Shizune as compensation?" Mugetsu asked after several moments of deliberate, thoughtful silence.
In truth, this was what he had planned from the very beginning. The reason he pretended to think so seriously was because answers that come too quickly can seem cheap.
He could not openly put "cooking" on the table as payment, even though he knew Tsunade was really after the food. That would make it a purely transactional relationship.
What he wanted was to turn that transaction into something that involved feelings and trust.
His talent for Medical Ninjutsu was only average, nothing like his talent for Sealing Technique. If he wanted to complete his "power bank plan" faster, he needed Tsunade to get more involved, and that meant raising her affection for him.
"Tutoring Shizune?" Tsunade blinked.
Her compensation for teaching Mugetsu would be Mugetsu teaching Shizune. It felt a little roundabout.
Although she had said he could ask for anything, part of her still felt that putting his guidance on the same level as a Sannin's teaching was a bit too bold.
"Lady Tsunade, please do not underestimate Teacher Mugetsu," Shizune said softly from the side. "He is very good at teaching. He is the best teacher at the Ninja School and manages to teach more than three hundred students very well."
Hearing that, and remembering how serious Mugetsu had looked while "thinking," Tsunade felt he might not be arrogant at all. Instead, he had simply offered the skill he was most confident in.
Over the past few days, Mugetsu had been humble in every other area, so it was hard to imagine him suddenly turning full of himself.
Of course, Tsunade still reserved judgment on his ability. Training ninja after graduation was very different from teaching at the Ninja School.
"Then it is decided," Tsunade said in the end, setting the matter.
She would watch how he taught Shizune. As long as there were no major problems, the compensation would stay as it was, especially since Shizune herself said she liked him very much.
Mugetsu thanked her with a smile, and they discussed his future study schedule.
Everything went even smoother than he had expected. He had prepared several backup plans for unexpected problems, but he did not need any of them.
The Sealing Technique power bank project was now on track. From here on, Mugetsu only needed to continue acting as he always had.
With Tsunade's matter settled, the Ninja School welcomed a brand new academic year.
…
In Classroom 2-1, students who had been apart for two weeks were animatedly sharing their holiday stories.
"Kotetsu, did you get a chance to deal with your cousin over the break?" Izumo asked with interest.
Before the holiday, Kotetsu had sworn he would challenge his cousin, who was one year older, and crush him with strength.
As his best friend, Izumo was deathly afraid Kotetsu had gotten himself beaten up. That cousin really was a scheming snake, and not even a handful of clever plans had been enough to beat him last time.
"Do not bring it up. That despicable guy knew I was stronger, so he refused to fight for real. He insisted on deciding the winner through games. I spent the whole break either reading or training. When would I have time to play games? I lost in the end," Kotetsu sighed.
"He refused your spar, so you could have refused his game," Izumo said, baffled.
"Because he said if I won, he would help me pursue Miho," Kotetsu answered, face full of regret.
"Haha, that is exactly like you, Kotetsu," Izumo laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. That was indeed an irresistible condition.
"Shouldn't the point be that this guy spent his entire holiday reading and training?" Anko cut in, unable to hold back.
She still remembered Kotetsu claiming that vacation time was precious and should be enjoyed, only to find out this was how he "enjoyed" it.
"In the end, we are still students, right? Studying is only natural," Kotetsu replied righteously.
"That may be true, but you give off the feeling that you want everyone else to stand still while you secretly work hard and surpass them. How despicable. Treating school like a battlefield and your classmates like enemies," Izumo said, clutching his chest as if deeply wounded.
"Exactly, exactly!" Anko nodded quickly. Izumo had voiced her own thoughts perfectly.
"But I saw you training too, Izumo," Kotetsu said with a smirk.
Anko was not surprised at all. She had seen this exact pattern play out countless times. That was why she deliberately sat between them, so it would be easier to hit both if necessary.
"Actually, it was only that one time. You just happened to see it," Izumo tried to defend himself weakly.
Anko ignored his excuse, cracked her knuckles, and prepared to act. Believing anything that came out of these two mouths would be strange.
But just as she was about to move, the classroom door slid open, and her hands froze mid motion.
The teacher had arrived.
Mugetsu stepped into the classroom, looking over the students with his familiar gentle smile.
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