Takashi ignored Tsunade, cut himself a piece of meat, and sat beside Kushina to eat together.
Besides meat, he had prepared a fruit salad and some juice.
He even brought vegetables to cut through the richness.
Though he'd been dragged out early in the morning to buy groceries, sitting around a fire with a group of friends, enjoying fragrant roasted meat, was a cozy experience in this weather.
To prevent a certain "bandit," who demanded triple servings each time, from going hungry, Takashi had made sure to buy extra meat.
After eating a plate of meat and some fruit salad, Takashi felt pleasantly full.
Kushina seemed about done as well, but Nawaki and Tsunade were still going strong, devouring meat without a care.
Watching these two siblings go at it, Takashi could only think: Yep, they really are family.
"Kushina, have you made any new friends at school lately?"
"Nope, only half of one."
Since her first day of school, when she knocked out a classmate's tooth, Kushina had become the class bully, and no one dared mess with her.
As a result, most of her classmates were too scared to approach her.
"Half a friend? How can someone be half a friend?"
Takashi was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh. Kids can have the strangest ideas—half a friend?
"Yeah, just half." Kushina crossed her arms, huffing. "His name's Minato Namikaze, the yellow-haired kid I mentioned before. He's the only one in class willing to be friends with me. He's not scared of me at all."
"Ah."
What else could he say? The guy's got guts.
Takashi asked, "Do you like Minato as a friend?"
"Nope." Kushina pouted. "He's only half a friend, plus he just acts all silly, always smiling like an idiot, just like Nawaki."
"Cough, cough!"
Nawaki nearly choked on his food.
"Kushina, who are you calling an idiot? Am I that dumb?"
"Hmph! Even Mikoto-sis says you're silly!"
With a decisive counterattack, Kushina dealt Nawaki a super-crit.
In an instant, Nawaki found his roasted meat a lot less appetizing.
Given the age difference, Nawaki mostly looked after Kushina rather than playing with her. He found her childish, while she found him dumb.
A classic sibling love-hate dynamic.
Takashi laughed so hard his stomach hurt, and Tsunade found it equally amusing.
Silly little brother, Tsunade thought. Now you see how everyone else sees you—even Kushina thinks you're a bit foolish.
Mikoto Uchiha was widely recognized as a school talent, her beauty and gentle nature making her the dream girl for many boys.
Though Nawaki didn't hold Mikoto as some unattainable figure, he couldn't deny a bit of fondness.
That's why Kushina teasing him stung so much—Nawaki just found it annoying, but if Mikoto herself said it, he'd be crushed.
When a girl you like calls you silly, it's hard to smile it off.
"Better move on early," Takashi patted Nawaki's shoulder, chuckling. "You're young; there's plenty of time and plenty of girls out there."
"Why?" Nawaki wasn't convinced. Why could others like Mikoto, but not him?
Out of ideas, Takashi glanced over at Tsunade, giving her a look. Are you sure you won't lecture your brother?
Tsunade pretended not to notice.
"Takashi, can I bring my friend over as a guest?" Kushina clung to Takashi's hand, shaking it and looking at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
"Sure, sure. Kushina's friend is my friend. If you want to bring them over, go ahead."
Takashi felt a bit helpless. When this feisty little firecracker started acting cute, it was impossible to refuse.
"Only after my mission's finished, though."
"Yay! Takashi, you're the best! I like you the most! Deal?"
Kushina jumped up, thrilled.
Tsunade couldn't resist teasing her:
"Kushina, do you even know what 'liking' someone means?"
"Of course I do—liking is just… liking."
Kids in the ninja world grow up fast, emotionally too, though sometimes it's hard to express.
Kushina stammered, trying to explain, but couldn't quite articulate her feelings.
Tsunade struggled to stifle a laugh.
Trying hard to explain but unable to, Kushina grew anxious: "It's just like how Brother Nawaki likes Sister Mikoto!"
"Pfft~~~"
Nawaki spat his meat out quite far.
"Don't listen to her. As for liking someone, you'll understand it naturally when you grow up. Your sister Tsunade doesn't really get it herself yet." Takashi patted Kushina's little head.
And you said I enjoy teasing kids too much. Look at yourself.
You've gone and teased the kid so much that Nawaki got dragged into it.
"Why?" Kushina asked with a confused look.
Nawaki finally saw an opportunity and quickly jumped in: "Because my sister hasn't found anyone she likes yet, and no one dares like her, right, Takashi?"
Oh, wow.
What a genius thing to say.
One look at Tsunade's face, no longer amused, and Takashi decided to keep his distance, scooping up Kushina and retreating indoors.
As for Nawaki, all Takashi could say was, Good luck, buddy.
"Sis, I was wrong—I really was! Ow! It hurts!"
Nawaki's cries echoed from outside while Takashi and Kushina sat on the couch. Kushina peeked outside cautiously.
Poor guy.
"Takashi, does no one really like Tsunade-sis?" Kushina whispered.
Takashi blinked, then answered softly, "Not at all. It's just that even if someone did like her, they'd be too scared to say it."
Ah, now I get it.
Kushina nodded with an enlightened look. "So, does Tsunade-sis like anyone?"
…
Where were all these questions coming from?
"Takashi, do you like Tsunade-sis? If you do, are you also too scared to say it?"
…
After they were all full, Tsunade soon took Kushina and a bruised Nawaki away, and Takashi finally got some time to himself.In a small tavern beside the Shimura clan's grounds, the Third Hokage sat across from Danzo Shimura, having come at his invitation.
The Third picked up the cup on the table and took a light sip of the liquor inside.
"I need you to do something for me."
Hearing this, the Third Hokage frowned and refused, "Sorry, I promised Lady Mito—your position—"
"I don't need it."
Danzo gripped his cup tightly, gritting his teeth. "I want Hyuga Takashi sent away. As for the position of Hokage's advisor, I'll get it back sooner or later."
What's this guy plotting now?
---
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"Danzo, Hyuga Takashi is someone both Lady Mito and Tsunade approve of."
The Third Hokage had no idea what Shimura Danzo was planning, but he wanted to give a warning first. Any funny business would spell trouble for everyone.
"And you want me to sacrifice my interests for a kid with a degenerative Byakugan disorder?"
Shimura Danzo slammed the table in anger. "I just don't want to see him in the village. As long as he leaves, I won't continue to target him."
The Third Hokage did not believe a single word Danzo said. If Danzo was so intent on forcing Takashi out of the village, it was definitely for something underhanded.
The Third Hokage frowned, remaining silent.
Danzo pressed further. "Sarutobi, don't forget, he's ultimately a member of the Hyuga clan. He has the Caged Bird Seal on him. As long as the Hyuga clan exists, there will always be a sword hanging over his head."
"Can you guarantee that if Hyuga Takashi ever became as powerful as Tsunade, the Hyuga clan wouldn't turn their backs on us?"
Half a person will always be half a person. As long as the Caged Bird Seal remained, the branch family would always be under the control of the main family.
Danzo stared at the Third Hokage, waiting for his answer after speaking his piece.
The Third Hokage sat there, quietly sipping sake. He didn't speak for a long time.
In the small tavern, the only sounds were the clinking of sake bottles and quiet sipping.
After what seemed like an eternity, he downed the last of his sake and stood up, his face flushed from the alcohol. He began walking toward the door.
"The new year is approaching, and the border outpost needs personnel rotation. The Elder Council should lead this matter."
The Third Hokage was only willing to let things take their natural course, but for Danzo, it was exactly what he needed.
That same evening, Danzo paid a visit to Koharu Utatane's residence.
The next day, a border rotation document was placed on the Hokage's desk. The next steps involved selecting a group of shinobi to head to the border and bring back those who had completed their tours.
Among them were also medical-nin.
This is how Takashi's name ended up on the list.
Takashi was completely unaware until someone from the Hokage's office came to inform him to prepare for departure.
"So, you're saying there's a group of shinobi stationed at the border whose time is up, and the village is picking replacements? And I'm on that list?"
Someone is targeting me, or did I actually get randomly selected?
"I really don't know about that," replied the staffer from the Hokage's office. "Please be ready in three days for departure."
They were only in charge of delivering the notice, nothing more.
After the staffer left, Takashi made his way to the lounge.
A fire was burning in the lounge, warming the small space. On such a cold day, the warmth made it quite cozy and, frankly, made people sleepy.
Sure enough, Tsunade was dozing off, her head resting on the table.
"Wake up, help me take a look at this."
Takashi nudged her gently.
Tsunade woke up groggily, instinctively wiped the corner of her mouth to check for drool, and then picked up the notification on the table.
"Border rotation?"
Still a little out of it, Tsunade stared at the paper for a while before showing a frustrated expression. She ruffled her hair in annoyance.
"How the heck did this fall on me? Dammit, I thought I could enjoy a peaceful new year."
Clearly annoyed, Tsunade cursed, only to notice a moment later that her name wasn't even on it.
"Wait, you got picked?"
What else? Takashi responded wryly, "I always thought people with fixed roles in the village weren't included in these drafts."
"No way."
Tsunade put the notice down, raised both arms, and stretched. "Any shinobi in the village is eligible. After all, no one wants to be stationed at the border, dealing with monotonous tasks every day and not even being able to go home."
"Back when our squad disbanded a couple of years ago, Jiraiya was unlucky enough to get picked."
Thinking of this, Tsunade couldn't help but laugh maliciously.
So, this wasn't someone purposely targeting me?
"Just go without worries. Medical-nin have a lot of freedom. You don't have to do any of the usual patrol tasks—just treat the wounded whenever they appear. The rest of the time, you're basically free, and you still get your salary."
"So being stationed at the border isn't that bad after all?"
In the hospital, he had to deal with patients daily, but at the border, unless there was fighting, a medical-nin could basically relax.
Tsunade shrugged. "As long as you don't find the boredom unbearable, then yeah, it's not bad at all—you get paid to sit around."
"Is it the same for other shinobi?" Takashi was curious.
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Do you think that's possible? If everyone had those benefits, the village would be bankrupt by now. Only shinobi with special skills get those perks—medical-nin, sealing-nin."
Medical-nin and sealing-nin were both specialized and rare, so they enjoyed better treatment and benefits.
Ordinary shinobi weren't so lucky.
"I guess I'd better go pack then, to make sure I have what I need when I get there."
Most things could be done without, but spices were a must. During free time, he could cook something tasty for himself. As for ingredients, they could be gathered on site.
As long as they were within the Land of Fire, there were forests and plenty of game to be hunted.
That was the benefit of living in a resource-rich area. If it were the Land of Wind, good luck—you'd be more likely catching lizards in the desert.
Takashi didn't tell Kushina about going to the border—she'd be upset if she knew.
Three days passed quickly, and Takashi, fully prepared, arrived at the training grounds to assemble with the others.
The shinobi heading to the border would gather at the training grounds before departing as a group.
The border outpost wasn't big. Its purpose was to guard against surprise enemy attacks. The moment something happened at the border, the outpost could send a warning to the village, giving them time to prepare.
Thus, the number of shinobi stationed there was never large.
An outpost typically housed only a few dozen people.
Takashi was the only medical-nin in this group.
A few shinobi who knew each other gathered to chat.
"I promised my wife we'd spend a warm and festive new year together, but my luck sucks, and now I've got border duty."
"Don't even mention it—I was about to propose to my girlfriend when the notice came."
"Hahaha, I hope she's still your girlfriend when you get back."
"Shut up!!"
"By the way, who's the medical-nin for our outpost? We should get to know them. It'll be good to know who to ask for help if we get hurt."
Whether in the village or at an outpost, medical-nin were always the ones you wanted to treat well.
Especially at the border—getting injured without treatment could easily be fatal.
There had even been cases where a shinobi offended the medical-nin, and when that shinobi got injured, the medical-nin delayed treatment just long enough for him to die.
---
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