"Don't be like that! You were touched by his words too, weren't you? You actually agreed with what he said, didn't you?"
The Sandaime chuckled and shook his head. Then his expression suddenly turned serious.
"Tsunade, I hope you'll take him as your student. Teach him well. Guide him down the right path, and help him become a true heir to the Will of Fire—maybe even the protector of Konoha in the future."
"This child has excellent talent and a remarkable personality."
"I hope that one day, he can become a bridge between the village and the Uchiha, helping the clan truly integrate into Konoha and remove the hidden dangers once and for all."
"Please… help me with this, would you?"
"You know, this old man doesn't ask you for favors very often."
The Sandaime knew exactly how to handle Tsunade.
Being forceful never worked with her. And most other tactics weren't particularly effective either.
But playing the emotional card? That always did the trick.
He knew that, deep down, Tsunade was a gentle, loyal woman who cherished her bonds.
"You really know how to dump responsibilities on me, huh? Don't you know how busy I am these days?"
Sure enough, while her words were still prickly, Tsunade's expression softened. She looked back at the image of Riku in the crystal ball, recalling his recent reputation as a genius in medical ninjutsu.
After a short pause, she finally nodded.
"Fine. I'll do it."
"I'll take him as my student and teach him medical ninjutsu and such."
"But don't expect me to talk him into helping you deal with the Uchiha. Hmph."
Being a bridge between the village and the Uchiha...
She scoffed inwardly. What a load of nonsense.
She wasn't ignorant of how her teacher—and Danzō especially—viewed the Uchiha clan.
She knew perfectly well what kind of schemes and hostility those old men harbored.
Having her take Riku in as a student was clearly more about trying to win over this Uchiha genius.
That way, it would be easier to influence and brainwash him later, to mold him into a tool for the Sandaime's faction to suppress the Uchiha.
But Tsunade had already made a silent vow in her heart:
If I've decided to take you in as a student… then I won't let the old man brainwash you and turn you into a weapon against your own clan.
She didn't want such a kind-hearted kid to be manipulated by her teacher and end up with a tragic fate.
That's what a real teacher should do.
"Good! Good! Then it's settled—go ahead and take him in as soon as you can."
"And be careful of Danzō. That guy's been eyeing Riku like a hawk. Don't give him an opening."
The Sandaime nodded with satisfaction and gave a few parting words of caution.
He did sense something off in Tsunade's expression, but he didn't think too deeply on it. He assumed she was simply annoyed about being pressured into taking a student.
"Danzō, huh? Hmph. That filthy sewer rat is always such a pain."
"I know. If that's all, I'm leaving."
Upon hearing that name, Tsunade narrowed her eyes, a glint of frost flashing in them as she turned and walked away without hiding her disgust.
As she stepped out the door, she paused for a moment, then turned her head slightly to add,
"Oh, and old man—try not to use that crystal ball of yours for… inappropriate things, will you?"
"Really devalues the dignity of the Hokage title."
"Wha—?!"
The Sandaime instantly jumped up, his face flushed red as he shouted in protest,
"Tsunade! Don't say nonsense like that! It's not true—I didn't—I don't—!"
"Heh."
Tsunade cast a glance over her shoulder, sneering,
"You think I'd believe that? Jiraiya let it slip once when he was drunk. And I don't think he lies when he's had a few drinks."
With that, she walked away without a second glance.
She'd done it on purpose.
Since the old man dared to give her more work, then she wasn't about to let him get away without a little payback.
Of course, it wasn't just that.
Tsunade had long been disgusted with the Sandaime's crystal ball peeping at the women's baths.
The opportunity today was just too perfect to pass up—time to put him on blast.
As for whether this would throw Jiraiya under the bus?
Serves him right.
"No! Tsunade! Wait! Let me explain! It's not like that! Jiraiya slandered me—he slandered me!!"
The Sandaime raised his hands dramatically, shouting at the top of his lungs.
But Tsunade was already long gone.
Sigh…
In the end, he slumped powerlessly into his office chair, regretting that he hadn't dismissed the surrounding Anbu before this whole exchange.
His reputation was sure to take a small hit now.
"That damned Jiraiya… How could he tell Tsunade something like that?! Outrageous!"
"You promised you wouldn't say a word!"
His thoughts immediately turned to the true culprit, Jiraiya, his face full of rage.
He made up his mind then and there: Jiraiya needed a proper punishment.
It just so happened that the two of them had never sparred seriously before—this might be the perfect time.
Yes, just to help him grow!
And maybe throw in a few extra exhausting, troublesome missions.
That'll teach him to run his mouth. Hmph!
...
Meanwhile, Riku had no idea that the Sandaime and Tsunade had already decided who his future teacher would be.
If he knew, he'd probably be over the moon.
"So… what does any of that have to do with teaching Minato the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?"
Shikaku suddenly redirected the conversation, clearly still curious.
"Yeah, I'd like to know too!"
Inoichi, Chōza, and even Minato all nodded and turned toward Riku.
"Heh…"
Riku saw their curiosity and couldn't help but feel inspired.
He leaned closer and lowered his voice, lacing it with a tempting tone.
"I'm sure you've all been feeling it lately too—how boring school's gotten. We've learned pretty much everything there is. Not much left to gain, right?"
"Mmhm!"
Shikaku, Inoichi, and Minato all nodded immediately.
Even Chōza nodded at first—then quickly shook his head and backtracked.
"Wait, no! There's still some stuff to learn!"
Everyone looked at him.
Chōza instantly froze and covered his mouth, quickly correcting himself.
"My bad! I was wrong! Riku, please continue!"
"Ahem!"
Riku cleared his throat and continued in a low, persuasive voice.
"Since we all think school's kind of a drag, and we want to keep improving… why don't we use Kage Bunshin to attend classes in our place?"
"Our real selves can go train together instead."
"That way, we can spar, push each other, and grow stronger as a group. Sounds good, right?"
Yes—he no longer wanted just Minato as a partner for ditching class with shadow clones. Why not rope in the entire Ino–Shika–Chō trio too?
After all, he needed to build strong ties with Shikaku and the others for his future plan to create an alliance in support of the Uchiha.
And what better way to forge deep bonds than by skipping school and training together?
"Eh?"
The three were stunned, staring at Riku in disbelief.
"So that's why you taught Minato the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?"
To ditch class?
"Using clones to attend school in our place… You're a genius. I can't believe you came up with this!"
Inoichi gave him a deadpan look.
"Aw, come on!"
Riku chuckled, waving a hand.
"It's not like I came up with it myself. A few seniors have done this before. I'm just borrowing a clever trick."
"So, what do you guys think?"
As his gaze swept across them, Minato was the first to nod.
"I'm in! Sounds like a good idea. But… are you sure the teachers won't find out?"
If they got caught, it'd be bad news.
...
(End of Chapter)
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