In the spacious room, soft sunlight gently streamed in through the window, filling every corner with its warmth.
The curtains, as light as white clouds, danced with the breeze, rising and falling gracefully. The fresh, pleasant scent in the air mingled with the dry crispness of autumn.
Kikuchi Satsuki's fingers twitched slightly, and then she slowly opened her eyes.
The familiar ceiling—her own room.
"You're awake."
A voice, both familiar and unfamiliar, sounded. Kikuchi Satsuki instinctively turned her head to look.
It was a young girl dressed in a pink and white kimono, her golden hair tied into a simple side ponytail with a black hairband, exposing her delicate neck. Her soft face looked even more refined under the faint sunlight, with a smile so gentle that it could touch one's heart. Tsunade-hime, the precious daughter of the Senju clan, Kikuchi Satsuki remembered that name.
At this moment, she was carefully peeling an apple with her slender fingers, shaping it into the form of a rabbit, neatly placing the pieces on a fruit plate.
Seeing Kikuchi Satsuki awake, Tsunade put down the fruit knife and the unfinished apple, picking up a glass of water from the side and handing it to Kikuchi Satsuki. "You've been unconscious for so long. You must be thirsty."
"Uh, yeah, thank you."
Kikuchi Satsuki struggled to sit up and took the glass of water Tsunade offered.
Only when she held the glass did Kikuchi Satsuki realize how dry her mouth was. Without further hesitation, she drank the entire glass in one go.
"Sorry, I grabbed the wrong cup. This one is mine."
"Spit!!"
Kikuchi Satsuki immediately spat out the water.
Tsunade laughed, her laugh as sweet as a silver bell, like an ethereal spirit that softly struck her heart. The sunlight touched her cheeks, causing her fair face to blush. "I was just kidding. This glass is mine."
Hearing this, Kikuchi Satsuki showed a helpless expression. Was Tsunade really like this?
However, Kikuchi Satsuki, being Kikuchi Satsuki, never focused on trivial matters like this. The next moment, she suddenly realized the reason for her unconsciousness. Although she couldn't quite remember all the details, Kikuchi Satsuki recalled that she must have passed out while challenging the examiner. But she couldn't remember exactly how.
"So... what happened in the second exam?" Kikuchi Satsuki immediately asked, having realized the problem.
Tsunade's expression froze, then slowly darkened.
"You lost."
"Is that so."
Hearing the result, Kikuchi Satsuki felt both unwilling and disappointed, but more than anything, a sense of relief washed over her. "Finally, I lost," she thought.
Sometimes, Kikuchi Satsuki would suddenly wonder if she was meant to keep "winning" forever. Now that she had "lost," it felt strangely light, as though it wasn't such a bad thing. She hadn't thought she cared much about this Chuunin exam after all.
"I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
Kikuchi Satsuki looked at Tsunade, who suddenly apologized, in confusion.
Tsunade parted her lips slightly, as if hesitant to speak. It took her a while before she mustered the courage to say, "It's my fault... I got caught in that Uchiha genjutsu. If not for that, you wouldn't have lost."
Upon hearing this, Kikuchi Satsuki felt a sudden clarity, like a fog lifting. It made sense now. No wonder she remembered fainting right after attacking the examiner, but couldn't understand why. It was because of Tsunade, someone she hadn't been paying attention to!
Even Kikuchi Satsuki knew that Tsunade was strong in ninjutsu and taijutsu, but her greatest weakness was genjutsu. So, it was possible that she had been caught by the Uchiha genjutsu due to carelessness. In fact, Kikuchi Satsuki had never been satisfied with the rules of the second exam because they were too vague. Not only did it turn into a battle between the villages, but in the end, even the examiner counted as one of the participants!
What was the point of this?
Kikuchi Satsuki couldn't understand what the second exam was actually testing. Wasn't it supposed to be a test of teamwork?
But since it had already happened, there was no point in saying more. Kikuchi Satsuki didn't feel too upset about it, especially when she saw Tsunade looking so guilty. Her heart softened, and she said, "It was certainly your carelessness, but I was too careless as well. Now that it has happened, there's no need to dwell on it."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade looked directly at Kikuchi Satsuki, her eyes filled with affection, almost as if she was about to say, "Satsuki-kun," but the next moment, her gaze became firm. With an unshakable tone, she said, "No. This was my mistake, and I take full responsibility for it!"
"You really don't need to do this. I didn't mind..."
"No!" Tsunade firmly interrupted Kikuchi Satsuki, speaking with a resolute voice, "The honor of the Kikuchi clan cannot be tarnished because of me!"
"…"
Kikuchi Satsuki slightly parted her lips but faltered under Tsunade's unwavering gaze. Without realizing it, she clenched her fist.
After a moment of silence, Kikuchi Satsuki loosened his fist and said, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Please, teach me kenjutsu!" Tsunade kneeled on the floor, bowing deeply with her forehead touching the ground, her hands supporting her body, as if she was about to strip off her clothes. She earnestly pleaded, "I want to use the kenjutsu of the Konoha White Fang to defeat all the participants in the third round of the finals!"
Feeling Tsunade's sincerity, Kikuchi Satsuki was moved. But in the end, he shook his head and refused.
"I can't."
But Tsunade didn't move, still keeping her forehead on the floor.
Seeing this, Kikuchi Satsuki sighed gently.
"It's not that I don't want to teach you, but kenjutsu isn't something that can be learned in a short time. The third round of the finals is only a month away, right?"
To be honest, Kikuchi Satsuki had been moved by Tsunade, but the truth was the truth. Learning kenjutsu was a lifelong endeavor. A year, a month, a day, or even an hour was not enough. Even if he taught her with all his heart and Tsunade worked hard to learn, she wouldn't necessarily master kenjutsu, and even if she did, it wouldn't guarantee victory.
In this situation, why would she abandon her proficiency in ninjutsu and taijutsu to focus on kenjutsu?
Thus, Kikuchi Satsuki's refusal was, to a large extent, due to this consideration.
However, Tsunade still didn't move.
"Fine. I'll teach you. Get up."
From Kikuchi Satsuki's view, Tsunade's lips curled into a triumphant smile before she quickly hid it and sat upright.
At this moment, Kikuchi Satsuki suddenly said, "You should head back today. Come to my place tomorrow at seven... my house first."
Originally, Kikuchi Satsuki had intended to say the training grounds where he usually practiced, but upon realizing that Tsunade didn't know the location, he changed his mind. The reason he wanted Tsunade to leave was that he needed some time to think about what would be most suitable for her. Since he had already promised, he wanted to make sure he did his best.
"Then, I'll leave for now."
Since her goal had been achieved, Tsunade didn't want to stay any longer. After all, she couldn't keep feeding Kikuchi Satsuki apples, could she? Now that Kikuchi Satsuki had spoken, it was the best outcome.
Tsunade bade Kikuchi Satsuki farewell and left the room.
"Aunt, I'm going back now."
"Don't you want to stay a bit longer?"
"No, Satsuki-kun just woke up and needs rest."
"Well, make sure to visit more often. That child Satsuki is always so solitary, with no friends."
"Alright..."
The faint conversation ended, and as the footsteps faded away, Kikuchi Satsuki's mother walked into the room with a smile on her face. "Satsuki, Tsunade is a rare and good girl. You must cherish her."
"…"
Kikuchi Satsuki suddenly felt as if his mother had sold him out.
On the other side, just as Tsunade left Kikuchi Satsuki's home, Katou Dan approached her.
"Big brother."
"Hm. Have the details been sealed?" Tsunade asked softly.
"Only a few people knew, and the news has been completely sealed. At least before the Chuunin exam is over, Kikuchi Satsuki probably won't know the truth." Katou Dan replied. He and Kikuchi Satsuki were merely strangers who happened to be assigned to the same team for the Chuunin exam. Now, he had to handle this matter for his elder brother.
"Mm, you've done well."
Tsunade could already imagine herself winning the Chuunin exam with her beautiful kenjutsu. Moreover, eliminating the strongest Kikuchi Satsuki in the second round was undoubtedly the wisest choice.
Honestly, Tsunade wasn't confident about defeating Kikuchi Satsuki, especially since her opponent was an agile type. The task required a graceful victory, and if she couldn't win, then no amount of elegance would matter.
(End of chapter)
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