Ninja School.
Tsunade, who was organizing lesson plans in her office, heard footsteps nearby and didn't need to guess who was coming.
"Kid, you're a bit late today... What's with your complexion? Why do you look so pale?"
Tsunade turned her head and saw Hakushi's pale face, his whole demeanor incredibly weak, which startled her, and she quickly asked what had happened.
"I ate something bad yesterday, got an upset stomach."
Without even blinking, Hakushi came up with this excuse.
"An upset stomach doesn't give you that kind of complexion." Tsunade sighed, walked over, patted Hakushi's shoulder, and earnestly said, "I can understand young men and women living under one roof and things getting out of hand; after all, you're both grown-ups. But you are a Medical Ninja, you should know that a ninja's body also has its limits, so you should take it easy."
"..."
"By the way, did you take safety precautions? Don't get the young lady pregnant before you even get married."
Tsunade leaned in close to Hakushi's ear, whispering as if afraid someone nearby might overhear.
But Hakushi could clearly see the mischief in Tsunade's eyes.
"Don't worry, Tsunade-sensei, my health is always excellent."
"So, you still did it, right?"
"... I'll report you to the Hokage for spreading rumors."
"You really have no sense of humor, kid."
"I really don't understand humor, but this isn't about humor, is it?"
Seeing Hakushi's weak and exhausted look, Tsunade suddenly felt it was no longer amusing.
"But are you really okay in this state? Do you want to rest here for a bit?"
Honestly, Hakushi's current state was quite concerning; she worried he might suddenly collapse while working.
"Thanks for your concern, but it's not a big problem. I'll head to the classroom in a bit."
Hakushi thought for a moment and felt that Tsunade's concern was indeed necessary. The Sharingan he encountered after using the Spirit Transformation Jutsu yesterday still sent chills down his spine, and the aftereffects of the Illusion Technique had left him feeling weak since this morning.
"Then rest well here, and don't push yourself."
Tsunade didn't ask what Hakushi did yesterday to get into this state; everyone has secrets they don't want to share, including herself.
After seeing Tsunade off, only he remained in the office.
Due to his lethargy, Hakushi lay back in his chair, closed his eyes, and cleared his mind.
About half an hour later, feeling much better than when he first arrived, he slowly stood up from his seat and headed towards the training class for Medical Ninjas.
——After class, Hakushi greeted Tsunade and then walked outside the Ninja School, only to see Ruri waiting at the school gate.
Wearing a black skintight ninja outfit that highlighted her attractive figure, she stood there pleasantly, and Hakushi recognized her immediately.
"Ruri, what brings you here?"
Hakushi walked over, asking with some confusion.
"Just passing by to check on you."
Ruri glanced at Hakushi's slightly pale face, her tone not showing much emotion.
"That's quite a detour, isn't it? But are you off work so early today?"
"I had someone cover for me."
As she spoke, Ruri took out a thermos and tossed it to Hakushi.
Hakushi caught the thermos, opened the lid, and as expected, found clean, drinkable hot water inside.
"Thanks, I was just feeling a bit thirsty."
"Don't overthink it, I just accidentally brought it from the Security Team."
Hearing Ruri's explanation, Hakushi just smiled understandingly.
After taking a sip of hot water, he asked Ruri:
"Shall we head back now?"
He knew Ruri was waiting at the Ninja School gate out of concern for his safety, and it filled his heart with a warm feeling.
However, asking Ruri to directly express her care for him might be a bit difficult.
Sometimes, she wasn't very straightforward.
If it were Ayane, she might seriously and innocently say something unexpectedly teasing.
"Mm."
Ruri didn't object.
She was indeed worried about Hakushi's safety because his mental state wasn't good either.
Even in the village, it's not always completely safe.
Two hours ago, when Hakushi arrived at the Ninja School for work, she had already been waiting there.
While walking alongside Hakushi, Ruri remembered something and softly said:
"By the way, I checked at the Security Team earlier today. I went through all the clan members' records again, but I couldn't find anyone like you described, who possesses Sharingan powers stronger than mine."
This wasn't Ruri being arrogant; her understanding of the Sharingan indeed exceeded most Uchiha clan members.
Even setting aside the Sharingan, her Taijutsu, Ninja Techniques, and Illusion Techniques were top-notch, especially Taijutsu and Ninja Techniques, while her Illusion Techniques were slightly less so.
Trying to find a Sharingan holder far superior to her, even after thoroughly investigating the Security Team's personnel records, left Ruri with no clues.
"If you can't find anything, don't force it. I think the mastermind behind this may not necessarily be hiding within the village."
Hakushi shared his view.
"Not in the village?"
Ruri didn't quite understand what Hakushi meant by this.
"What do you think of Sakumo-sensei's strength?"