Chapter 72: Chapter 72: The Changing Teacher-Student Relationship, Tsunade, He’s Your Clan Member
"Yes, Kurenai-sensei," Yagyu introduced Karin to her. "This is Karin, and she's been taking care of you these past few days."
"Thank you for looking after me, Karin," Kurenai said with a smile as she greeted Karin and tried to sit up.
"Kurenai-sensei, wait…" Karin hurriedly tried to warn her, but it was too late.
The blanket that had only covered Kurenai's head and hands slid off as she sat up, revealing her bare body underneath.
Yagyu's eyes widened in shock, contributing an "eyes wide open" meme-like expression.
"Ah!" Kurenai screamed, her voice shattering the silence like glass. She quickly covered herself with her arms, her face turning crimson as she glared at Yagyu in shame and frustration. "Why are you still standing here?! Get out!" she yelled.
"Oh, oh…" Yagyu snapped out of his daze and hurriedly left the room.
"Sensei, I'm sorry! It's all my fault!" Yagyu could hear Karin repeatedly apologizing from behind the door, likely bowing to Kurenai nonstop.
Yagyu rubbed his nose awkwardly, feeling a bit flustered. Being a teenager, having witnessed such a scene so up close nearly made his nose bleed.
Because of the boundaries between men and women, Yagyu had left Karin in charge of taking care of Kurenai these past few days and hadn't entered the room. He never imagined that Karin would be taking care of Kurenai without dressing her properly.
Oh wait, now that he thought about it, Kurenai's clothes were probably too damaged to wear.
When using his Red Eye ability, which functions similarly to the Byakugan, Yagyu could only see the chakra flow and not the physical body beneath. So, he hadn't realized that Kurenai was completely undressed under the blanket.
Having just woken up, and likely not fully alert, Kurenai herself hadn't noticed the situation.
In the end, both of them were unaware—one inadvertently offering a view, and the other unintentionally receiving it.
Still… She really had an impressive figure, Yagyu thought briefly before quickly shaking his head to clear away the improper thoughts.
Pop!
Suddenly, Yagyu heard a sound from inside the room, similar to the noise made when using the Substitution Jutsu or Shadow Clone Jutsu. It could also have been the sound of a storage scroll being opened.
Creak!
Soon after, the sound of the door opening reached his ears.
Kurenai, now fully dressed, stepped out of the room with a downcast Karin following closely behind.
"Sensei…" Yagyu began, but before he could finish, Kurenai's arm wrapped around his neck in a headlock.
"You better forget everything you just saw!" Kurenai growled fiercely.
"Sensei… you're making it impossible for me to forget!" Yagyu mumbled, his face pressed against the very "assets" he had just seen, making his words come out muffled.
Kurenai's face flushed an even deeper shade of red, and her hold on Yagyu's neck turned into a choking grip as she shook him. "Forget it all! You hear me?!" she demanded.
"I… I heard you…" Yagyu gasped, feigning discomfort as he nodded, despite Kurenai not using much force.
"Humph!" Kurenai finally let go, huffing in frustration and turning her head to the side.
It was clear that Kurenai would be unable to face Yagyu properly for a while after this incident. Her image as a teacher had been utterly shattered.
Sensing her discomfort, Yagyu tried to reassure her, "It's okay, Kurenai-sensei. Just like you said the other day, I'm still just a kid drinking milk, right?"
"You're still bringing that up?" Kurenai glared at him, her eyes practically shooting fire.
Didn't he realize that she had been joking before? There was no way a nearly 5'7" kid could still be called a child!
Knowing that Kurenai was still upset, Yagyu raised his hands in mock surrender, deciding to stay quiet.
"Let's go get something to eat; I'm starving," Kurenai said abruptly, trying to ease the tension.
Yagyu and Karin quickly followed her out of the room.
Standing next to Yagyu, Karin whispered apologetically, "Yagyu-kun, I'm so sorry. This was all my fault."
Yagyu glanced at Kurenai ahead of them and said in a slightly exaggerated tone, "Don't worry about it. Kurenai-sensei is the kindest and most gentle beauty in the entire shinobi world. She won't hold it against you."
"Pfft…" Kurenai couldn't help but stifle a laugh, her earlier frustration melting away. She turned around and scolded them playfully, "Why are you two walking so far behind? I'm starving here. Come on, you two know this place better than I do, so lead the way to the best restaurant."
"Yes, right away!" Yagyu responded, quickly catching up to her with Karin by his side as they led her to one of the best restaurants in Tanzaku Town.
In truth, Kurenai wasn't actually all that hungry. While she had been unconscious, Yagyu had made sure that Karin fed her three soldier pills every day. Each pill was enough to provide the energy of one full meal, so she hadn't gone without nourishment.
But this was Kurenai's way of moving past the earlier embarrassment. With their cooperation, the atmosphere quickly returned to normal.
However, despite their best efforts, the dynamics between teacher and student had shifted. Once a boundary is crossed, things can never fully return to their original state.
Meanwhile, over at the casino, Tsunade's mood was far from good. She stared at the pile of cash she had just won and at the devastated gamblers around her, but felt no joy from the victory.
She had won.
Tsunade couldn't even remember the last time she'd won a game of chance, but she knew from experience that every time she won, something bad was bound to happen.
Without another word, she lost all interest in gambling and prepared to leave Tanzaku Town with Shizune.
"Tsunade, it's been a while," a familiar voice called out as she turned a corner.
Tsunade's face grew complicated as she saw the person standing before her. "Orochimaru," she muttered.
At the same time, Yagyu, who was having a meal with Kurenai and Karin, raised his eyebrows slightly.
His sensory abilities had detected two powerful chakra signatures meeting. It seemed that Orochimaru had found Tsunade, which meant that Jiraiya and Naruto weren't far behind.
After finishing their meal, Yagyu and Karin accompanied Kurenai as they strolled around the bustling streets of Tanzaku Town.
Compared to the nearby smaller villages, Tanzaku Town was one of Konoha's commercial hubs, filled with shops selling goods that couldn't be found in the village, and at cheaper prices too.
Kurenai dragged Yagyu and Karin from store to store, shopping for clothes, and nearly wore the two of them out—despite their special physiques.
The problem was that Kurenai spent most of her time browsing without buying anything, and even when she found something she liked, she agonized over whether or not to buy it, repeatedly asking Yagyu and Karin for their opinions before finally deciding not to purchase it due to the price.
Though physically unfazed, both Yagyu and Karin were mentally exhausted by the end.
Yagyu couldn't say for sure how strong Itachi's Tsukuyomi was, but at this point, he would've preferred enduring it over accompanying Kurenai on another shopping spree.
Still, as the saying goes, "You owe a debt for every favor received." After receiving such a "benefit" from Kurenai earlier, Yagyu had no choice but to endure.
Karin felt the same.
By the time they were done shopping, it was already late afternoon, and Kurenai had bought only five items—two of which were for Yagyu and Karin, which deeply moved Karin to tears.
Not only had Kurenai vouched for her and forgiven her mistake, but she had also bought her clothes. What a kind and wonderful teacher Yagyu-kun had!
After shopping, it was time for dinner, and Kurenai took them to another restaurant.
By the time they finished their meal, night had fallen.
After their long day, Kurenai finally suggested they head back to rest.
On the way back, they passed by a tavern, and Kurenai's gaze lingered on a sign advertising a new type of drink.
Since her defeat by Raiga Kurosuki, Kurenai had avoided alcohol, but now her resolve wavered.
The memory of being easily defeated by Itachi, combined with the realization that Yagyu had managed to fend off two S-rank rogue ninjas and rescue her, struck her deeply. The gap in their strength weighed on her.
Additionally, the earlier incident had left her with no authority or dignity as Yagyu's teacher.
So, with a determined look, Kurenai bit her lip and said, "You two wait here for a moment. I'm going inside to buy something."
With that, she headed into the tavern.
She had decided to give up. If her student was already so much stronger than her, and she had lost all sense of authority, why bother trying to maintain her strict discipline?
Yes, it was all Yagyu's fault.
Satisfied with her justification, Kurenai almost skipped into the tavern.
Seeing her sudden change in mood, Yagyu smirked slightly and turned to Karin. "Let's go in as well."
"Alright," Karin nodded obediently.
As soon as they entered the tavern, they heard Kurenai's surprised voice exclaiming, "Lady Tsunade! Lord Jiraiya!"
Following the direction of her voice, Yagyu spotted Tsunade and Jiraiya sitting at the bar, drinking. Next to them were Naruto, eating his meal, and Shizune, holding her little pet pig.
These four were unmistakably Tsunade, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune.
"You are…" Tsunade, slightly tipsy, squinted at Kurenai, trying to remember her. "Aren't you that girl from the Yuhi clan?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Kurenai nodded enthusiastically, starstruck by meeting her idol.
"Well, well, you've grown up," Tsunade said, swirling her drink. "Do you drink? Want to have a glass with me?"
"Of course!" Kurenai immediately accepted, excited for the rare opportunity to drink with her idol.
"Yagyu, is that you?" Naruto's voice suddenly cut in.
Naruto's shout drew everyone's attention to Yagyu, causing Kurenai to slap her forehead in slight embarrassment. She had nearly forgotten about her student.
"Huh, that hair color…" Both Tsunade and Jiraiya, despite their tipsy states, suddenly focused on Karin beside Yagyu, their eyes sharpening.
Sensing their attention, Karin instinctively shrank back, hiding behind Yagyu as much as possible. As she peeked at the legendary duo, her heart raced with fear.
Their chakra… It's so powerful!
"Naruto?" Yagyu asked, feigning surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I came with Pervy Sage to find this old lady," Naruto replied, gesturing toward Tsunade with his chopsticks, completely unaware of the impending danger.
Crack!
Tsunade's sake cup shattered in her hand, her face darkening ominously.
Naruto's body shivered involuntarily, a chill running down his spine.
"He's just a kid, Tsunade. No need to get upset. Let's just enjoy our drinks," Jiraiya quickly intervened, attempting to smooth things over. He grabbed a new cup and refilled Tsunade's sake.
"Hmph!" Tsunade huffed, but didn't explode in anger.
After learning who Naruto was, she couldn't help but see a reflection of Kushina Uzumaki in him. His personality was just like hers—fiery, but not the sharpest.
As she downed her drink, Tsunade continued to study Karin, her eyes gleaming with interest.
This girl… her chakra is brimming with vitality. And her red hair… Could it be?
Could she really be a descendant of that clan after all these years?
Seeing Tsunade's keen interest, Jiraiya was about to bring up a topic to ease the tension, when something clicked in his mind. His eyes lit up as he said, "Oh, Tsunade! I should introduce you to someone."
He turned toward Yagyu and gestured for him to come over. "Hey, kid, come here for a second."
"Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade," Yagyu greeted them respectfully as he walked over, bowing slightly.
His polite demeanor, in stark contrast to Naruto's lack of manners, left a positive impression on both Tsunade and Shizune.
"So, Yagyu, you know the pervy sage and old hag?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Naruto, seriously?" Yagyu sighed. "You don't remember the lesson in second grade about famous historical figures? Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade are legendary shinobi, known as the Sannin, and are written about in textbooks."
"Oh, right!" Naruto smacked his palm with his fist as if the information had just clicked.
"Ha ha ha! You're a sharp one, kid. No wonder you're the top student," Jiraiya chuckled, clearly enjoying the flattery.
Tsunade and Shizune also looked at Yagyu with approval. Compared to Naruto's brashness, Yagyu's polished manners made him stand out even more.
Just as Tsunade was about to start a conversation with Yagyu, Jiraiya suddenly chimed in, "Tsunade, this young man is named Yagyu. He's one of your clansmen!"
Pfft—cough cough!
Tsunade spat out her drink, choking as her face turned bright red.
Already tipsy, she clenched her shattered cup again, glaring at Jiraiya with a steely gaze. "Jiraiya, are you serious?"
---
Read 40+ Chapters ahead of WN:
Patréon.com/RoseWhisky