Chapter 41: The Offer and the Choice
In truth, Jiraiya's initial plan had been to block the punch with pure physical strength. After all, this was just a kid, not even a genin yet. How much force could he possibly muster?
The moment contact was made, however, that assumption shattered. Jiraiya realized, with a jolt of alarm, that the power behind Shinra's fist was anything but simple. It carried a dense, vibrating, crushing weight that threatened to bypass muscle and shatter bone. He'd been forced to flare his chakra at the last possible instant, using a solid forty percent of his strength in that defensive palm to neutralize the blow.
Even so, he'd been pushed back half a step, and a dull numbness lingered in his forearm.
Looking at Shinra's composed, unstrained expression, Jiraiya knew with absolute certainty: the kid had been holding back.
Which meant this academy student's raw offensive power had already reached the realm of a jounin.
The realization hit Jiraiya like a wave. He looked at Shinra with newfound shock, all traces of不服气 (fúqì - unwillingness to accept) vanishing. Minato had lost to a monster. It made perfect sense now.
The other three, aside from Hiruzen who had some prior insight, wore similar expressions of stunned assessment. Shinra's single, testing punch had completely rewritten their understanding of his capabilities.
"Alright, alright," Hiruzen said, clapping his hands together lightly. He seemed utterly unbothered by the cracked windows. "You three have just returned from a mission. The reason I called you here, aside from a debrief, is that one of you is going to take on an apprentice."
He smiled, his eyes crinkling. "This one."
Jiraiya recovered his trademark grin, scratching the back of his head. "An apprentice, huh? The kid's got serious chops, I'll give him that. But I've already got my hands full with Minato…"
He let his sentence trail off, feigning nonchalance.
Shinra responded with a soft, audible snort of disdain. The sheer, undisguised contempt in the sound was palpable to everyone in the room.
"Hey! You brat! You looking for a round two?!" Jiraiya barked, his pride prickled, acting every bit the hot-headed elder brother.
WHAM!
Before Shinra could retort, Tsunade's fist descended from above, planting Jiraiya face-first into the Hokage's floorboards with a resonant thud.
"So noisy," she said, shaking her hand. "If you don't want him, fine. He doesn't seem to want you either." She turned, and a sweet, suddenly charming smile bloomed on her exquisite face as she looked at Shinra. "What about me? I'd make a good teacher, you know?"
Shinra blinked, momentarily thrown by the abrupt shift. The other three men—Hiruzen, a groaning Jiraiya, and a silently observant Orochimaru—were equally stunned.
Seeing Shinra's hesitation, Tsunade leaned in close, her presence suddenly overwhelming. A hint of a seductive smirk played on her lips. "If I'm not mistaken, your style is heavily physical, correct? Body-centric."
She held up a finger. "True physical mastery requires a deep understanding of the human body. Nutritional science. Structured, progressive training regimens." Another finger. "It also benefits immensely from specialized secret techniques and medical knowledge to push past limits and recover from damage." A third finger. "And I have all of that."
She leaned even closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Furthermore… the unique 'Strength of a Hundred' secrets of my Senju clan…"
She let the sentence hang, her eyes locking onto his with a look that said you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Shinra was acutely aware of her proximity, the faint, clean scent of her, the sheer gravitational pull of her presence.
A profound sense of righteousness rose in his heart.
Come now, he told himself. I, Shinra, am not some weak-willed fool who crumples at the sight of a beautiful woman! I am a man of principle! I walk the straight and narrow!
His face became a mask of solemn judgment. He weighed the options with the gravity of a sage.
And reached his conclusion with lightning speed.
"Hokage-sama," Shinra declared, his voice firm and clear. "I have decided. I wish to become Tsunade-senpai's apprentice."
"Hah! Excellent!" Tsunade exclaimed, not waiting for anyone else to speak. In a burst of gleeful energy, she threw an arm around Shinra's neck, pulled him in, and planted a loud, smacking kiss on his cheek. "What a good student you are! Don't you worry, your big sister is definitely going to teach you everything you need to know!"
She released him, patting her chest with confident pride.
The four men in the room—Hiruzen, Jiraiya (now extricating himself from the floor), and Orochimaru—exchanged a series of complicated, vaguely embarrassed glances. The sheer Tsunade-ness of the recruitment had been overwhelming.
Shinra, for his part, wore a dazed, supremely contented smile. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
My dear heavens… as expected of the Number One Natural Hazard in the Ninja World. Truly… an unstoppable force.
(End of Chapter)
✨Enjoying the story? You can support me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/MizuSan
✨ Patreon members get early chapter access, bonus content! 🥰
🎉 Plus, I'll release 1 extra chapter for every 5 reviews!💎 Or grab 1 bonus chapter for every 50 Power Stones you send my way! 🥳
🌊 Let's reach 20 Patreon members to unlock 5 extra chapters togethe