Konoha and Kumo had finally achieved the anticipated peace, although judging from the current situation in the ninja world, a complete end to war was still far off. Yet there was no doubt that this peace with Kumo was very good news for Konoha. Because of this news, though the morale of the frontline ninjas wasn't exactly high, at least it lifted the gloom cast by the death of the Second Hokage.
With the threat from Kumo resolved, Konoha began shifting its strategic focus toward Sunagakure.
Internally, the successful completion of the alliance mission also elevated Acting Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's prestige. By now, he had completed the initial consolidation of Konoha, forming a structure where Acting Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi oversaw overall affairs; Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane managed logistics; Danzo Shimura handled internal affairs and intelligence; while Kagami Uchiha and Akimichi Takeo supervised battlefield operations.
Under the premise that the Senju clan chose not to lead directly but instead supported from behind while preparing to withdraw, the political legacy of the Second Hokage was completely inherited by his disciples.
Of course, such matters of high-level shifts, power struggles, and strategic decisions no longer involved Haseo, who had returned to Konoha. For him personally, the most valuable gain from this mission was establishing contact with Sakumo Hatake—in the future, if an opportunity arose, they could exchange taijutsu techniques and train together for mutual improvement… In a way, Sakumo's ability was exactly what every ninja longed for most.
As for other matters, Haseo absolutely did not want to get involved or offer any suggestions anytime soon. His time in Kumo had already taught him the consequences of careless remarks… Although due to his advice, Konoha reaped rich rewards during the alliance mission, he himself suffered significant losses.
Being flagged by other hidden villages was definitely not something desirable.
Thinking carefully, Haseo had only been in Konoha for a few days, yet he seemed to have been involved in all the major domestic and foreign events occurring within those few days. For a newcomer with little strength and no background, such "visibility" was clearly excessive.
Wouldn't it be smarter for Haseo to keep his head down and diligently learn skills from Teacher Sansho? And so, he began his "quiet life" at Konoha's Relief Infirmary (essentially a village-run rehabilitation center).
However, with Konoha going through major upheavals, many affairs still needed addressing and countless decisions awaited consideration. Therefore, it wasn't until three days later that Haseo saw his teacher again.
In Sansho's office, she gave a brief explanation: "Earlier, I was caught up dealing with clan affairs and hadn't had time for you. But now that matter has been resolved…"
She paused, then looked out the window. "You may have already noticed—I'm the type of ninja who cannot fight… More precisely, I am entirely incapable of combat."
Even though I've got knowledge about ninja and ninjutsu that most people can't even imagine, the irony is my body's just too weak to turn all that into real fighting power—I was born fragile, so much so that I couldn't even control chakra properly.
Some congenital defects cannot be corrected by any postnatal methods. I've tried hard, but eventually had to accept the conclusion that medical ninjutsu isn't omnipotent... Of course, I'm not someone incapable of accepting reality.
Sansho spoke in a calm tone, but her words carried a deep sadness. If Sansho really was an important figure in the Senju clan, she should've had access to far better resources than most ninja. Given the full backing of the Senju and their careful guidance, she should've grown into an elite ninja—even a pillar of Konoha.
However, because of her frail physique, all these "natural expectations" existed only in illusions.
Was that why she wanted to find a disciple who could bring her hidden knowledge to life and carry her legacy onto the battlefield?
Seeing the look on Haseo's face, Sansho understood his unspoken thoughts and shook her head again. "Don't think too much into it. I'll teach you everything I know without attaching any strings. As for what you'll do with the power you gain, or which path you wish to walk as a ninja, those decisions belong solely to you."
Haseo is clearly a person with strong personal convictions, something Sansho had already determined, so she didn't intend to impose anything upon him.
Yet this attitude puzzled Haseo. Just like he had never figured out why the Second Hokage had trusted him—a complete stranger—at that time, now he also couldn't understand why Sansho would take such a permissive approach toward him. What if, after mastering many ninjutsu techniques, Haseo turned against Konoha in the future? That possibility wasn't nonexistent.
"Alright, enough about that," Sansho abruptly ended her explanation about herself, despite clearly having more to say. She shifted back to discussing Haseo's training: "By our standards, you're quite late in becoming a ninja. From the perspective of a mentor, I hope we can make up for the lost time."
"Make up for it?" Haseo understood what Sansho meant by "late." Normally, ninja training begins before the age of six, yet Haseo's physical body was already over thirteen years old. By that age, one should've already graduated from the ninja academy. He had completely missed the prime stage for laying a ninja's foundation... But how exactly did Sansho plan to make up for it? Was such a delay even recoverable?
Looking at Haseo with obvious confusion, Sansho pointed toward a large glass jar beside her desk. Through its transparent walls, one could see it was filled with black pills the size of longan fruits. Instantly, enlightenment struck Haseo. Oh, so the 'pills' mentioned in the title were literal medicinal pills. It goes without saying that some folks love flashy titles that don't match the story at all—it's practically a given.
"Senju clan's secret medicine... Secret medicine, you know? From the beginning of a ninja's training, they must rely on secret medicine to boost their growth—whether for physical strength, chakra development, or other enhancements. Among all the secret medicines produced by various ninja factions, the Senju's is the most valuable and effective. For a long time, the Forest Senju have remained unshakable and supreme in the Ninjutsu World largely due to this kind of secret medicine." As she mentioned the Senju, Sansho lowered her head deliberately, hiding her expression.
"And what I'm giving you now is like an upgraded, enhanced version of that Senju secret medicine. Even if you got a late start, this'll make sure you catch right up with the rest... What you see before you is one week's worth."
"Teacher Sansho, are you sure this much is just one week's portion?" Haseo looked somewhat incredulous at the glass jar, which was unusually large in size. The contents weren't too little but rather too much—he could probably live off them for a whole week, even as his main meal.
No matter how good Senju's secret medicine might be, in Haseo's opinion, it likely had toxic side effects. Taking too many pills could really do serious harm.
"Of course. Though if you happen to enjoy the taste, you can finish it ahead of schedule," Sansho said with a smile.
At her words, Haseo thought to himself, "Maybe this actually tastes good," and popped a pill into his mouth. As soon as it touched his tongue, he felt an indescribable flavor immediately rush into his nose, throat, and straight to his forehead.
Wow! This really lives up to the Senju name! The moment it touched his lips, his entire mouth went completely numb. Nevertheless, he still had to give a thumbs-up compliment:
"Truly worthy of the Senju name! Its name alone sounds luxurious, and the taste just proves it's top-tier... Hmm, small pill, big mastery—that's some expert-level craft!"
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