บท 106: Chapter 106: Life as a Body Pillow
Shinho woke up to the sound of steady breathing and the faint patter of rain outside.
Looking ahead, he was greeted by an unfamiliar sight of soft, white peaks, leaving him momentarily confused.
A few seconds later, he remembered that the previous night he had been helping Tsunade with her treatment, but accidentally fell asleep.
It wasn't entirely his fault. The bed had been so warm and soft, almost like being wrapped in a cozy, marshmallow-- the sensation was too calming.
Shinho glanced upwards, his eyes landing on Tsunade's serene, sleeping face.
"Teacher," he whispered softly.
Tsunade's eyelashes twitched slightly, but she didn't wake up. Half-asleep, she mumbled, "Stop bothering me... let me sleep... if you're hungry, go find Shizune."
She shifted her position, draping her leg over him and pulling him closer.
Shinho's breath hitched as he felt the weight pressing against him.
He tried to open his eyes wider, but all he could see was a sea of white.
"..."
Shinho's lips twitched in a half-smile. "Go find Shizune if you're hungry?" He wasn't going to starve even if ther was no one to take care of him, but the situation was... awkward.
Finally, Tsunade started to stir. She must have felt his breath against her skin, waking from her slumber.
"Why are you here?" she muttered groggily.
Shinho, still stuck under her, could only reply with a silent look as Tsunade realized the situation.
"Get up," she said, quickly releasing him.
The change in her tone was almost comical. Shinho got out of bed, fully clothed since the events of the night were unplanned. As he stepped out of the room, he bumped into Shizune.
They locked eyes.
Shizune's eyes widened in surprise as she looked from Shinho to Tsunade, who was still on the bed, looking somewhat flustered.
If Shinho wasn't so young, Shizune might have assumed something inappropriate had happened.
"Good morning, Sister Shizune," Shinho greeted her calmly, showing no signs of discomfort.
"Good... morning," Shizune responded, still taken aback. She then added, "Breakfast is ready."
She had originally come to wake Tsunade, but it seemed unnecessary now. The scene before her had already achieved that goal.
A slight feeling of envy washed over Shizune, but not towards Shinho—more towards Tsunade. Having a human pillow to sleep with seemed quite pleasant.
Shinho quickly escaped to the bathroom to avoid any more awkwardness. Shizune's expressions were getting scarier by the minute.
Meanwhile, Tsunade sat up in bed, running a hand through her golden hair, recalling the events of the previous night. After seeing Shinho fall asleep beside her, she had let go and, unintentionally, drifted off herself.
Luckily, it had only been an innocent situation.
Tsunade got out of bed, stretching. The treatment for her hemophobia had been going on for about two weeks now, and though she hated to admit it, there were signs of improvement.
When her episodes occurred, she no longer fixated on the bloody images that once haunted her, and she could recover more quickly—about a third faster than before.
Stretching her arms, she had to admit that hugging the little brat while sleeping wasn't so bad. He slept quietly and didn't fidget, making him a good body pillow.
"Teacher," Shinho called as he finished washing up and met Tsunade in the hallway.
Tsunade gave him a nod, ruffling his hair as she passed him by.
"..."
Shinho gave her an annoyed glare, to which Tsunade responded with a light, bell-like giggling laugh. She was in a good mood.
Heading into the bathroom, Tsunade found that Shinho had already prepared her toothbrush and filled the cup with warm water.
"This kid sure knows how to behave," she muttered with a grin as she brushed her teeth.
A few minutes later, the three of them gathered at the breakfast table.
"I need to go out today," Tsunade said through a mouthful of rice ball.
"Off to the gambling? Again?" Shizune's face darkened as she asked the question.
"No," Tsunade shot back, rolling her eyes. "Do you really think all I do is gamble?"
"Well, yes," Shizune replied honestly.
"..."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes at Shizune, clearly irritated.
This apprentice was getting a little too cheeky for her liking. Maybe it was time for a lesson.
"I can confirm that Teacher isn't going to gamble today," Shinho chimed in with a smile.
"...?"
Shizune blinked, confused. What was going on? Were they both keeping secrets from her now?
"Alright, let's just eat," Shinho said, laughing to himself. Watching Tsunade and Shizune's back-and-forth was always amusing.
"Then what are you up to today?" Shizune asked, her gaze shifting to Shinho. "You tell me."
"If I told you, it wouldn't be as fun. You'll find out in due time," Shinho replied with a cryptic smile.
Shizune felt even more puzzled. Whatever they were planning, they clearly weren't going to let her in on it.
The mystery was already eating at her, and she knew it would keep her up at night wondering.
After breakfast, Shizune took the dishes to the kitchen.
"Teacher, who are you planning to visit today?" Shinho asked as he slung his schoolbag over his shoulder.
"The Hyuga and Nara clans," Tsunade replied. "If I can get their support, I'll have most of what I need."
The Hyuga were one of the most prominent clans after the Uchiha, and the Nara led the Ino-Shika-Cho trio of clans. Securing their backing would mean an almost guaranteed victory.
As for the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, they were obviously out. The Uchiha were in no position to give support either. The smaller clans like the Aburame and Inuzuka didn't hold as much sway.
Luckily, with Shinho's influence, the Aburame clan would be an easy win without Tsunade even needing to visit them.
"Good luck, Teacher," Shinho waved and headed off to the academy.
Though he would've liked to assist in negotiating support, Tsunade's personal appearance would make a much stronger impression.
The situation was already heavily in Tsunade's favor, and Shinho wasn't too worried. The only unpredictable factor left was Uchiha Obito.
In the original timeline, the Uchiha massacre was a result of collaboration between Itachi, Obito, and Danzo's Root forces. It was a well-planned trap.
Of course, with Shisui's Sharingan no longer in play for Danzo, things were different now.
As Shinho walked to school, his thoughts raced. If the timeline had shifted, would Obito still show up? White Zetsu, after all, was likely keeping an eye on things near the village.
Zetsu was a creation of the God Tree, remnants of the people trapped in the ancient Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Though weak in combat, the Zetsu were numerous, skilled in stealth and transformation.
Still, Shinho wasn't too concerned. Obito's manipulative nature wouldn't work on someone like Itachi.
Without Kamui, Obito probably wouldn't even be alive, given the number of times he'd nearly been killed. Even Itachi had left Amaterasu as a trap for him on Sasuke, which only Obito's Kamui could have saved him from.
As long as everything stayed on course, there wasn't much to worry about.
...
At the Hyuga Clan compound:
"Tsunade-sama!"
Two Hyuga guards at the entrance quickly bowed in respect. In their eyes, one of the Legendary Sannin was akin to a god.
"Is your clan leader here?" Tsunade asked casually, waving them off.
"Yes, he is," said the younger one on the left, his voice filled with excitement. "I'll take you to him."
If Shinho Aburame had been there, he would have made a snarky remark about not needing any formal announcement. It seemed clear he was still considered an outsider by comparison.
Tsunade nodded slightly and followed the young man into the courtyard.
"Clan leader," the young man knocked on a door, "Tsunade-sama is here to see you."
The door immediately slid open.
"Tsunade-sama," greeted Hyuga Hiashi with a hint of nostalgia, "it's been years, and you haven't changed a bit."
Thanks to the Yin Seal, Tsunade looked much younger than Hiashi, even though she was technically a generation older than him.
The young guard bowed and excused himself.
"Please, come in," Hiashi said, stepping aside.
Tsunade sat down at the tea table, watching as Hiashi carefully prepared the tea. The Hyuga clan had a traditional, aristocratic way of living, and the tea-making process was painstakingly meticulous, and elegant.
[Tl/n: Please take a moment to google, Chinese tea ceremony, it's quite fun to watch.]
"Please, have some tea," Hiashi finally offered, setting a cup in front of her ten minutes later.
"Thanks."
Tsunade downed it in one gulp and commented, "Good tea."
In reality, much like Shinho, Tsunade didn't care for tea at all. But she had to play along.
Normally, she wouldn't have waited even a minute for tea, much less ten. Her straightforward personality clashed with the overly formal customs of the Hyuga.
Hiashi's lips twitched ever so slightly as he thought, Like teacher like student.
"Tsunade-sama," Hiashi slowly sipped his tea before asking, "what brings you here today?"
"I want your support to become Hokage," Tsunade said bluntly, cutting straight to the point.
Hiashi, mid-sip, choked on his tea, coughing in surprise. He looked at her, utterly shocked.
Her candidacy for Hokage wasn't the issue—it was the approach. Normally, the current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would nominate a successor and inform the clans. But Hiashi had heard of no such news.
This meant Tsunade wasn't just seeking to become Hokage; she was planning to force the matter—essentially, a political coup.
Hiashi clearly remembered when Tsunade first returned to the village, she had politely declined his offers. Now, only three months later, she seemed far more aggressive.
"Does Lord Hokage know about this?" Hiashi hesitated, asking after a few seconds of thought.
"No," Tsunade shook her head.
Hiashi froze.
She's serious.
Doubt filled Hiashi's mind. Sarutobi had built immense respect and influence over the years. If he didn't step down willingly, there was little Tsunade could do.
Furthermore, siding with Tsunade carried risks—if she failed, the Hyuga would face severe consequences. Tsunade could survive such a political gamble; but his clan might not.
"I'm not asking you to decide now," Tsunade said, reading his hesitation. "I only need your support when the time is right."
"When will that be?" Hiashi asked, still cautious.
"A month from now," Tsunade replied confidently.
Hiashi's thoughts raced. A month? Other than the ongoing situation with the Uchiha, things had been relatively calm.
Could Tsunade be working with the Uchiha? That seemed unlikely, given their clashing personalities and agendas.
"I have one condition," Hiashi said after a pause.
"What is it?" Tsunade wasn't surprised.
"As per our clan's tradition, non-main branch members are marked with the Caged Bird seal by the age of three. I want my daughter Hanabi exempt from it."
"Hanabi?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "So, you've chosen Hinata as the heir?"
Hiashi nodded solemnly. Despite his initial doubts about Hinata, her recent growth—both in confidence and strength—had surpassed even Hanabi. But he didn't want Hanabi to suffer the same fate as his brother Hizashi.
"Alright," Tsunade agreed.
The Hyuga clan's internal traditions weren't her concern. As Hokage, she could easily prevent any elders from opposing her.
"Thank you," Hiashi said, visibly relieved.
"That's settled, then." Tsunade rose from her seat, making her way to her next destination: the Nara Clan.
Nara Shikaku, the father of Nara Shikamaru, was the current head of the clan. The Nara were known less for their secret jutsu and more for their intelligence, often acting as the brains behind the village's decisions.
Additionally, they controlled key resources like medicinal herbs, especially deer antlers used in various treatments.
During her time setting up the medical ninja system, Tsunade had worked closely with Shikaku, and he was far quicker to give his support than Hiashi had been.
Later that day:
Shinho and his classmates gathered to share their lunch as usual. Well, everyone except Uchiha Sasuke, who remained his usual aloof self.
But today, something was different. Sasuke seemed hesitant. After some inner debate, he finally walked over to Shinho, carrying his lunchbox.
"This is for you," Sasuke said in his usual indifferent tone. "My mom made it."
Shinho, a bit puzzled, opened the lunchbox. Inside were dishes like beef, tuna, abalone, and scallops—all top-quality ingredients.
Sasuke blinked in surprise.
Wait, why does it look better than what I usually get?
That morning, his mother, Mikoto Uchiha, had handed him the box, specifically telling him to give it to Shinho. He hadn't checked what was inside until now.
"Sasuke, your mom is amazing!" Naruto exclaimed, peeking over and ogling at the luxurious meal.
"Of course she is," Sasuke replied, his pride showing.
Is this a bribe? Shinho wondered.
It didn't seem likely that Itachi had told her anything. More likely, Mikoto was simply looking for a way to help Sasuke find his own way.
"Let's eat together," Shinho offered with a smile.
"This is delicious!" Ino Yamanaka chimed in as she grabbed a slice of beef. "Your mom is the best!"
Sasuke's chin tilted upwards, a faint smile of satisfaction forming.
Shinho glanced at Ino, and a peculiar thought crossed his mind.
Her comment triggered memories from his previous life, where he had studied far too many unnecessary... materials.
Really? I need to stop letting my imagination run wild, Shinho thought to himself.
[Tl/n: SUS!]
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