"Tsunade, huh?"
Would it really be that easy to become her student? Even as Sarutobi's disciple, Suzuki wasn't entirely sure how she would react to him suddenly showing up and asking for her mentorship.
Still, if he succeeded, the payoff would be massive.
What Suzuki truly valued about being Sarutobi's student wasn't just the jutsu he taught. It was how the Hokage opened his eyes to paths he had previously been blind to, giving him the precise guidance needed to utilize his "Manager" ability to its absolute limit.
The Manager was somewhat similar to Rimuru's Great Sage—it helped him identify the most suitable paths for growth and figure out how to overcome his physical limitations. However, it functioned a lot like an AI prompt: if the user couldn't provide the right instructions, the output would be underwhelming. The better the instructions Suzuki gave, the more the Manager developed.
How did he give better instructions? By learning.
Learning bred doubt, and doubt fueled the drive to uncover new knowledge. He sought out obscure methods of growing stronger—paths that were often ignored or entirely overshadowed by those who relied on overpowered bloodlines like the Uchiha, Uzumaki, Hyuga, or Otsutsuki.
If Suzuki had been born into one of those clans, his training would be vastly different. He would have focused entirely on maximizing those cheat-like abilities; ignoring such immense potential would be a waste.
But Suzuki had no such bloodline. He was just slightly above average. In a typical story, a character of his strength wouldn't even get an on-screen death—just a passing mention in a single manga panel during a casual conversation.
Oddly enough, that was his greatest strength. Being thoroughly average meant he was easily ignored, making it much easier for him to grow in the shadows. For example, when he had stood next to the Hokage earlier, Danzo hadn't even spared him a glance. Unless you were an Uchiha or a Senju, Danzo simply didn't care.
Still, fulfilling Sarutobi's task meant leaving the village, which made Suzuki sigh.
I need to start preparing.
He wasn't entirely sure what kind of person Tsunade was. He knew her reputation in Konoha: the revered founder of the medical ninja system. Her initiatives generated massive income for the village, shutting up the warmongers who had initially called it a waste of resources. Nobody dared talk back to her, especially since she was the First Hokage's granddaughter.
For all intents and purposes, she was the Princess of Konoha.
But since Suzuki had never actually met her, his only image of Tsunade came from the memories of his past life: a beautiful, youthful-looking woman with incredibly massive—
"Suzuki-kun!"
"Hinata." Suzuki quickly hit the brakes on his train of thought, greeting her with a gentle smile.
"Have you finished your practice?" she asked curiously, stepping so close to his side that their hands almost brushed.
"Yes." Knowing she wanted to hold hands, Suzuki gently took hers, holding it with the casual affection of an older brother leading his younger sister. "My training is done, so I can finally relax."
"Yeah..." Hinata murmured, her shy expression melting into a soft, happy smile.
"How is your training going?"
"It's going well. I've mastered most of my family's basic jutsu."
"That's great."
Their conversation settled into a comfortable, mundane rhythm as they headed out to grab a bite to eat. Cooking was too much of a hassle after a grueling training session, and since he was leaving soon, he wanted to treat her.
"Ah, you're leaving the village?" Hinata asked in surprise over their meal.
"Yeah," Suzuki nodded. "Sarutobi-sensei told me to track down Tsunade and learn medical ninjutsu from her."
Suzuki didn't mind the assignment. He already had a solid medical foundation and could even perform standard surgeries—a feat that would leave modern-world doctors speechless given his age, but his skills were the real deal.
"You're going to learn under Tsunade-sama?!" Hinata looked completely dumbfounded.
Suzuki tilted his head. "Do you have to react so strongly?"
Hinata stared at him in disbelief. "I think you're the one who doesn't realize what an incredible opportunity you've been given, Suzuki-kun." She looked like she wanted to roll her eyes, but restrained herself, knowing it wouldn't suit a proper Hyuga lady. "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"...Have you packed yet?"
"Not really. I figure a few changes of clothes will be enough. I can just buy whatever else I need on the road."
"What are you doing? Let's go!" Hinata stood up abruptly. "We're going to your house to get your things ready!"
"Do you really need to panic?"
"Come on, Suzuki-kun. We don't have much time."
"What about Kurenai-sensei and Shino?"
"I'll let them know."
"And what about you?" Suzuki asked, stopping her in her tracks.
"Eh?" Hinata blinked in confusion.
"Aren't you going to miss me?" After all, he would be gone for quite a while. Wouldn't she be lonely?
"Of course I will," Hinata admitted softly, her eyes lowering. "But this is a huge chance for you to grow stronger, and then..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I will also do my best too."
Suzuki's heart warmed. If there was any reason to climb the ranks and raise his standing in this village, it was for the girl standing in front of him. They were young now, but as they grew older, he needed to become someone the Hyuga clan couldn't ignore—someone who could stand firm against any obstacle in their path.
"Yeah." Suzuki squeezed her hand gently. Hinata's eyes reddened slightly as she held on tightly.
They wanted to linger in that moment, but time was short. Hinata had a strict curfew, and Suzuki genuinely needed to prepare for the journey. The world outside the village was dangerous; if he ran into someone deadly on the road, he needed to be ready.
Fortunately, his teacher wasn't entirely ruthless. Sarutobi cared for his students and had assigned an Anbu operative to escort Suzuki on his trip.
The next morning, his escort arrived.
"Suzuki-kun, please take care of me on this trip."
Long, silky purple hair swayed gently in the breeze, perfectly framing a strikingly beautiful face.
Suzuki blinked in surprise. Of all the people Sarutobi could have sent, he never expected her to be the one accompanying him.
---
It's been a while.
Yes, it is the world of Naruto. Frankly, it has been a while and hopefully, I wrote well, but then again, it isn't that long since in the beginning, I had no desire to write this arc, so there are only ten or so chapters, if I am not wrong, but don't worry, after the world of Maken-Ki, then Solo Leveling, my spirit returned, so I continued to write the world of Naruto again, after those two worlds first.
I will write Naruto till the Chuunin arc finishes, so be prepared for it!