Chapter 11 – Drunken Tsunade
"Among A-rank Medical Ninjutsu, the Mystical Palm Technique is probably the hardest—look how much time it's cost me."
It had been three days since Aomizu obtained the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
During this period he'd trained the Mystical Palm Technique entirely with Shadow Clones.
Only after work hours, of course.
He dared not use them on shift; if a clone dispelled while he was treating a patient, things could go south fast.
At his current Chakra level the clones couldn't stay active for long anyway.
And don't forget—before he ever got the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Aomizu had already started practicing the Mystical Palm Technique.
Counting from the day he first acquired it, four days had now passed.
By contrast, the Chakra Scalpel—also A-rank—had taken him only two full days to master.
"Right, tomorrow I'll focus on the Konoha Style Willow; it's S-rank, who knows how long that'll take."
Thanks to the system pushing his Medical Ninjutsu talent to the peak, even an A-rank technique required only a few days.
But Konoha Style Willow blended kenjutsu with genjutsu—fields in which his aptitude was mediocre at best.
The sun rose on a new day.
After his morning workout, Aomizu arrived on time at Konoha Hospital.
"Big brother!"
A clear, delighted cry rang out. Aomizu turned to see Kurenai Yuhi.
She let go of her father Shinku Yuhi's hand and trotted toward him.
Afraid she might trip, Aomizu instinctively knelt and caught her in a hug.
"Shouldn't you be in class? Skipping school?"
"Of course not, it's the weekend—no classes!"
Red hastily explained.
"And Dad's getting discharged today; I'm here to take him home."
Seeing her eager face, Aomizu obliged with praise.
Shinku Yuhi walked over.
"Sorry, Mr. Hirakawa—Red's troubling you."
"Not at all; she's adorable and well-behaved."
Red beamed at the compliment.
"By the way, big brother, I'm Kurenai—what's your name?"
"Hirakawa Aomizu."
"Brother Aomizu!"
"All right, Kurenai, we should go—Brother Aomizu has work."
At Shinku's words the girl obediently slipped from Aomizu's arms and retook her father's hand.
"Bye, Brother Aomizu!"
With that Aomizu threw himself into the day's tasks.
Around eleven o'clock the chronically erratic Tsunade finally appeared at Konoha Hospital.
"Lady Tsunade, thanks to your guidance these past days, I've mastered the Mystical Palm Technique."
To Tsunade this was stupendous news.
She'd promised to teach him the technique, which had forced her to show up daily.
She wasn't one to break her word.
Thankfully, from today she was free again.
"These days have been a huge bother, Lady Tsunade; I don't know how to thank you."
Although she'd come because of Kushina, Aomizu knew he and Tsunade weren't family—he couldn't take the favor for granted.
The Ninja World runs on social currency, not just combat.
But given Tsunade's status, she lacked for nothing.
Even gambling debts were trivial to her; earning money was child's play.
So Aomizu was stumped on how to show gratitude.
"If you want to thank me, buy me dinner."
With that Tsunade strode out of Konoha Hospital, heading for the casino.
Typical.
Exactly fits my stereotype of you, he thought.
He returned to work.
After clocking out he sought her, only to find her still gambling—likely all day.
"I bet big!"
"Small, small, small!"
"Hurry, everyone on small—everything!"
When the patrons saw Tsunade bet big, they all piled onto small.
After a year her nickname "The Big Cash-Cow" had spread through every casino in Konoha.
Predictably, big lost; Tsunade's chips vanished again.
By day's end every ryō was gone.
Watching, Aomizu shook his head—so wasteful; who could afford her?
"Lend me another hundred thousand—my comeback starts now!"
As she reached for fresh debt, Aomizu dragged her out of the den.
On the verge of snapping, Tsunade swallowed her temper when she saw it was him.
"Oh, it's late; I'm hungry—let's quit."
They headed to the famous Yakiniku Q, a perpetually packed barbecue house.
Rumor said the Akimichi clan ran it; Aomizu couldn't confirm.
"I want sake!"
The moment they sat in the private room she shouted.
Any admirer seeing her would have dropped their jaw.
With memories of his past life, Aomizu wasn't surprised.
Among the Three Ninja Prohibitions, drinking was banned; even adults drank sparingly.
Ninja life was no picnic.
But Tsunade was in full slacker mode—rules be damned.
Slacking felt great; perpetual slacking felt perpetually great.
He sighed and complied—after all, bigger was law.
"You drink with me."
When the sake arrived she made the unreasonable demand.
Aomizu refused.
"Lady Tsunade, I'm on shift tomorrow."
Seeing his dilemma, she pouted but didn't press.
Even alone she got drunk fast, then grilled him on everything.
"A genius like you—ever wanna be Hokage?"
Looking at the tipsy sannin, Aomizu didn't know whether to laugh or cry—how did they jump to that?
"C'mon, do you or don't you?"
"Becoming Hokage is every Konoha Ninja's dream."
He gave the safe answer.
Yet Tsunade scowled, displeased.
"What's so great about Hokage? Only idiots want that job."
Aomizu dared not reply.
He wasn't Tsunade; bad-mouthing the Hokage could land him in Anbu custody for 'insufficient Will of Fire'.
Worse, Root might drag him in, brainwash him into Danzo's starved… hound, to die anonymously on some mission.
That would be the most hopeless death imaginable.