Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san

"Man, this big hat you've put on me makes me feel like if I don't become Hokage, I'll have committed a great sin."

Elder Itachi firmly asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"

All the good words were said by you... Tōshirō thought to himself, then hesitated and said, "As for the Kusanagi Sword..."

Elder Itachi responded coldly, "We will see how you perform in the future..."

A smile of satisfaction appeared on Tōshirō's face. He hadn't expected the Uchiha clan to actually have such a legendary weapon, but it wasn't surprising for a clan with the prestige of possessing the Kusanagi swords.

"So... Elder Itachi, should we continue training?"

Elder Itachi narrowed his eyes and said, "Do you wish to continue dancing?"

Hmm...

Tōshirō thought to himself: This old man never disappoints. He's the same person who once guided Uchiha Madara, and even his words are similar.

So Tōshirō replied, "Every day we don't spend dancing is a day we betray life."

Elder Itachi chuckled and said, "Hmm, that phrase isn't bad." He then glanced sideways with a smile and said, "Let's begin."

Tōshirō charged with all his strength, releasing all his energy into the fight.

He thought that after years of developing his skills, he would be able to match this old man who had half of his body buried in the ground.

Later, he realized how naive that thought was.

Well...

Elder Itachi was like eight ounces of gold, while he was just half a kilogram of scrap metal.

As evening came and the sun set behind the horizon, the sky turned red, as if soaked in blood.

Elder Itachi said coldly, "That's enough for today."

Tōshirō was bruised and exhausted, but he quickly agreed. He was eager to go home and lie down in bed. But before he could leave, Elder Itachi showed no intention of letting him go immediately. He pulled out two scrolls from his sleeve and said coolly:

"These are two scrolls containing A-rank Ice Techniques. Study them well."

When Tōshirō heard that they were A-rank techniques, his eyes lit up with joy. Finally, he would start dealing with techniques at this level. With great care, he placed the scrolls in his pocket, treating them like treasure.

But his joy didn't last long, as Elder Itachi announced some astonishing numbers, making him feel deflated. Tōshirō could no longer keep track of how much money he owed this old man.

But he ignored it, thinking, after all, he had no plans to pay it back.

He thought to himself: "Since Elder Itachi has reached this age, he may not be around for much longer in this world."

Elder Itachi had no heirs, so no one would inherit his wealth.

At worst, Tōshirō would take care of the Uchiha clan in the future as a gesture of gratitude for the training he received.

Tōshirō asked, "Are we continuing the training tomorrow, Elder Itachi?"

Despite the beatings he had received, Tōshirō had gained a lot from this experience. Each time, he learned new things and realized new concepts.

At this age, Tōshirō had attained the power of a Jonin, and it was all thanks to Elder Itachi's harsh training.

But Elder Itachi shook his head calmly and said, "From now on, I will reduce the training I give you."

Tōshirō was surprised and asked, "Why?"

Elder Itachi replied coldly, "A teacher can show you the way, but the training depends on the individual."

Tōshirō fell silent for a moment. He thought to himself: "Searching for new ways to train might be slow, but getting quick answers is best."

But Elder Itachi, as if reading his thoughts, began to guide him: "I know what you're thinking, but in training, you will face many problems. Searching for answers to solve those problems isn't wrong, but it means you're letting someone else make decisions for you."

Tōshirō asked, "What's wrong with that?"

Elder Itachi responded, "It means you're giving up your right to make decisions for yourself."

"Giving up the right to choose?"

"Yes, when you seek out answers to speed up training, you're putting yourself under the constraints of your teacher's vision. You may avoid the traps they encountered in training, but in doing so, you won't discover your own path."

Tōshirō pondered deeply and said, "So I won't be able to forge my own path."

That's right, thanks to Elder Itachi's guidance, Tōshirō had progressed rapidly, surpassing most of his peers. But at the same time, it had weakened his ability to think deeply about his own training.

Training is a marathon, and if you start too fast at the beginning, you're likely to run out of steam and stop progressing.

Sometimes, pausing for a moment isn't necessarily a bad thing.

When Tōshirō realized this truth, Elder Itachi felt satisfied, watching him leave. In his red eyes, a glimmer of malice flickered and quickly vanished.

Half of his words were true, the other half false.

It was true that he wanted to help Tōshirō develop his ability for self-training, but at the same time, he aimed to slow down his rapid growth in power.

Had he trained him without restraint, Tōshirō would have been much stronger by now. But in that case, Elder Itachi might have lost control over him.

....

It took Tōshirō about a month to master the A-rank Ninjutsu that Elder Itachi had given him, after studying it by himself.

One day, Tōshirō was carrying out a D-rank mission, which was to capture lost pets.

With his current strength, capturing runaway pets was an easy task for him. In no time, he had caught a stray weasel and returned it to a wealthy merchant.

The merchant smiled gleefully when he received the animal. The deal was set to exchange the pet for money, and the transaction was completed.

Tōshirō felt delighted as he counted the cash, inhaling its scent, thinking how wonderful it was to be rich.

Noticing the merchant still standing nearby after the deal was done, Tōshirō asked cautiously, "Why are you still standing here?"

Tōshirō didn't like having anyone near him while counting money, just like he didn't like being watched when relieving himself.

The plump merchant smiled and said, "Would you like to earn more money? I have another task for you."

Due to his efficiency in catching pets, Tōshirō had become known among pet owners.

Still counting his money, Tōshirō replied, "Oh, you have a task? You can submit it to the mission office, and I'll check the available missions and pick one."

Tōshirō later discovered that some missions reached 'Konoha' through methods similar to those used by businessmen in his previous world.

The merchant said, "No, that requires paying intermediary fees. I want to deal with you directly."

Tōshirō was a bit surprised, "What do you mean?"

The merchant explained his plan: he wanted Tōshirō to perform a C-rank mission disguised as a D-rank mission, thus saving the merchant from paying intermediary fees to 'Konoha,' while Tōshirō would also earn more money.

This way, both parties won, and the only loser was 'Konoha.'

Tōshirō hesitated, saying, "Isn't that kind of shady?" especially since C-rank missions could involve some risks.

The merchant smiled and said, "I'll increase the amount."

Without hesitation, Tōshirō accepted, saying, "No problem."

In reality, the mission wasn't very dangerous. All he had to do was capture a large pet and deliver it to the merchant.

The merchant was thrilled, as he would save the money allocated for intermediary fees paid to 'Konoha.'

Tōshirō wondered, "I don't quite get it, don't you have enough money, sir?"

The merchant smiled, replying, "Saving is key, and I see talent in you, which is why I'm telling you this."

Tōshirō laughed, "You truly have a sharp eye, sir."

The two agreed, and Tōshirō completed the necessary procedures, signing out from the village. He then left Konoha with his bag and removed his ninja headband, putting it in the bag.

Tōshirō thought, "No need to wear the ninja headband outside. It bears the symbol of Konoha. I don't want to invite trouble, right?"

Shortly after Tōshirō left Konoha, a beautiful blonde girl, accompanied by a group of people, set off in the same direction.

(End of Chapter)

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