"Lady Tsunade, what do you think?" Kiyono turned to her, seeking her judgment.
"Don't worry. The child's no longer in danger." Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, though her eyes skipped past the blood-stained ground and settled sharply on Fenghuo. "But him—being able to use medical ninjutsu at such a young age? He's worth watching."
Fenghuo scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, my surname's Uchiha, by the way."
Thwack!
Tsunade's fist met his head in an instant, sending Fenghuo rolling sideways like a tumbleweed. "Brat! If you're an Uchiha, stick to playing with fire and leave the healing to others!"
Fenghuo tumbled across the dirt, coming to a stop with a puff of dust. His eyes teared up from the blow.
"Tsunade, are you my second uncle or my executioner?! One day, I swear I'll get you back…"
"Teacher Kiyono, you're finally back!" a student rushed up, eyes blazing. "Mizuki was terrible earlier! He stopped Fenghuo from helping Inoshita, and even said it was on your orders!"
"Yeah! It was Mizuki's distraction that injured Inoshita in the first place. Then he turned around and blamed her for not paying attention. He stopped Fenghuo just to cover his own tracks. If Asuma hadn't stepped in, she might've died!"
"Mr. Kiyono! Mizuki's not fit to be our classmate! He's the worst!"
Their classmates had finally recovered from the chaos, and now all chimed in to accuse Mizuki.
"No—I didn't—I just…" Mizuki stammered, panic setting in. "Kiyono-sensei said not to let anyone near Inoshita! I was just following orders!" Tears welled in his eyes. His voice broke into a pitiful wail.
But the class wasn't having it.
"Shameless!"
"Stop lying!"
"We'll see what Inoshita says when she wakes up!"
"Expel him from the Academy!"
Kiyono Makoto frowned. This was spiraling.
"Enough, students! Calm down." His voice was firm. "I will look into this myself. Asuma, take the others to do basic drills. We'll handle things here."
"Yes, Sensei." Asuma Sarutobi gave a crisp nod. The son of the Third Hokage didn't need to raise his voice—his calm authority gathered the students instantly as he led them away.
Left behind were Tsunade, Kiyono, Inoshita, Mizuki, and Fenghuo.
Fenghuo tried to slip away, but a strange sensation froze him in place. It was like being pinned under a mountain—not painful, but impossible to resist.
Definitely Tsunade.
He shivered. "Being shamed as a kid is one thing. But if I'm still around when she's old and grumpy? I'm doomed!"
Tsunade's pressure didn't let up.
Just then, a blur of motion signaled the arrival of a new figure. A Konoha medical-nin knelt before Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade!"
"She's the one. Get to work." Tsunade nodded toward Inoshita.
"Yes, ma'am."
The medic-nin crouched beside the girl and activated the Mystical Palm Technique. Warm green chakra bathed her chest. The bleeding stopped immediately, and the wound sealed shut before their eyes.
But Fenghuo wasn't watching the miracle.
Whoa… she's really… well-endowed…
He silently thanked his six-year-old body for not betraying him.
If I were even twelve right now, I'd be a dead man. Uchiha bloodline or not, Tsunade would end me on the spot!
After a moment, the medic-nin rose. "She's stable now." With a flicker, he vanished.
Tsunade turned to Inoshita, giving her a not-so-gentle kick. "Stop playing dead and get up!"
"Y-Yes!" Inoshita sat up with a jolt. "Wow! I really am okay… I thought I was dying!" Tears of relief spilled down her cheeks.
"That medic-nin stimulated your hematopoietic cells with senjutsu-enhanced chakra to replenish your blood volume." Tsunade's voice was clinical. "You're still weak. Eat properly and rest."
She didn't meet the girl's eyes. At this time in her life, Tsunade still suffered from severe hemophobia—rooted in the loss of both her brother Nawaki and her lover Dan Katō. She hadn't yet fully returned to the frontlines, and mostly supervised from behind the scenes.
"Yes, ma'am! Thank you!"
After bowing, Inoshita turned on Mizuki with burning eyes.
"Teacher Kiyono, I heard everything." Her voice quivered with anger. "Mizuki was spacing out during training and stabbed me. Then he blamed me, and when Fenghuo tried to help, he stopped him! I—I almost died!"
Inoshita burst into tears again.
Mizuki was in full panic mode. He clutched at Kiyono's sleeve, crying louder than before. "I didn't—I didn't—I swear I didn't!"
"You did! You totally did!"
"I just didn't! You're lying!" Mizuki wept so hard, it looked like he was auditioning for a Qiong Yao soap opera.
Fenghuo's eye twitched. Are we in a ninja drama or a melodrama?
Before he could comment, the weight on his body vanished—and suddenly, he was airborne.
"Makoto Kiyono, I'm taking this kid with me for now. I'll return him in one piece." Tsunade grabbed Fenghuo by the collar like a handbag and vanished in a blur.
Fenghuo's expression was like a thundercloud.
They were on top of the Hokage Monument—specifically, the head of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Of all the places…
Tsunade stood near the edge, arms folded, her outline framed by the sky.
"Uchiha brat, what's your name?" she asked without turning.
Fenghuo stared at the village below and said solemnly, "Uchiha Fenghuo."
"Fenghuo, huh?" She finally turned, sharp eyes locking with his. "Do you know what the 'fire' in your name means?"
Fenghuo shrank back slightly. This was dangerous territory.
"It's just fire, right? My parents picked the name."
Play dumb. Play innocent. You're six. Look harmless. Don't provoke the Sannin.
"Hmph… kids before puberty sure have it easy," Tsunade muttered, her voice unexpectedly soft. She chuckled bitterly, covering her forehead with one hand.
Fenghuo blinked. Why's she like this all of a sudden…?
She was Konoha's famous slug princess—hero of the Second Shinobi War, medical genius, and feared gambler. What could make someone like her sigh with such helplessness?
Then it hit him.
Senju Nawaki. Dan Katō. The collapse of the Senju clan after the war…
Tsunade wasn't just a Sannin. She was the last proud heir of a fading legacy. In contrast, the Uchiha were growing in power, rising in both status and suspicion.
And he… was an Uchiha child showing promise in a field Tsunade once owned.
Fenghuo looked down at the village, and for the first time that day, he didn't feel like laughing.
Compared to this... even Inoshita had it easy. I'm the tragic lead in a ninja soap opera.