Having established a chakra flow between the soles of his sandals and his foot, Haruto placed his foot on the tree trunk once again and found it sticking to the bark much better.
Once Haruto became confident that his foot wouldn't slide under his body weight, he carefully and slowly took a step forward, walking sort of horizontally on the trunk for the first time in his life.
With one step and him standing partially in the air, Haruto steadily placed his second foot on the tree trunk, only as soon as he did so he became confused.
'Now how do I walk up the tree?'
'Do I just stick my second foot and detach my first foot? And keep repeating that again and again alternatively?'
With a plan in mind, Haruto attached his left foot onto the tree trunk with the same chakra circulation technique and then became stuck as a practical fear gripped him while he was standing horizontally against the tree trunk.
"Damn… my chakra control is not good enough yet…"
As soon as Haruto was attempting to disable the chakra circulation on his right foot, he invariably began to stop the chakra circulation on his left foot too.
Eventually after closing his eyes in a quick squint, Haruto forcibly stopped his chakra control in his right leg.
THUD!
He crashed down onto the floor with a thud as roots of the tree stabbed him in the back, as if angry at him for stepping on its beautiful trunk.
"Ouch ouch ouch… that hurts…"
Haruto clenched his back and stood up softly before looking at the tree with an aggrieved expression.
"Learning this is going to give me bruises isn't it?"
Sigh… "Whatever, let's get this done… if I don't do this I'll never be able to break out of genin level…"
'...should I just focus on the missions and skip all this training?'
'...no, simply becoming a chakra control genius one day after waking up would make me too valuable to Danzo… he might put me on a grill and truly indict me into ROOT and not just use me to control Naruto in that case.'
'But who should I even make into my apprentice on the path of explosion magic?'
'And how do I figure out what Danzo's planning?'
'Is there a way I can spy on Danzo?'
'I'd probably get caught very soon… and rather easily with my skill set.'
'For now all I can do is Megumin's mission…'
'Should I turn Naruto into an explosion magic fanatic?'
'Hmm…'
***
Tsunade sat down in front of the low table after scratching her chest.
"Shizune!!! Bring me another bottle to drink!!"
"Tsunade-sama! It's not good to drink so much!!! It'll affect your body!"
"Huh!!?? Me!!? Don't you know I'm the greatest medic in the entire world!!! Bring it to me!!! Let me see which bottle has the strength to hurt me!!!!"
Subjected to her master's shouting that was attracting rebounding shouts from the neighbours for them to keep quiet, Shizune thought it best to bring her master another bottle of sake.
Shizune carefully purchased another bottle of sake from the izakaya underneath the inn they were staying at with their dwindling funds and placed it in front of Tsunade with fear.
Tsunade grabbed the bottle rashly and downed the sake in one go, without taking a breather.
"Aggghhh!!! That hits the spot!!! Shizune!!!"
"Haii!!!!!" Shizune responded with quick attention.
"Are the gambling dens open now!?"
Shizune gave Tsunade a pitiful glance before looking at the last bits of cash they'd saved up from her healing nobles in recent months and spoke in an almost crying tone, "Yes… Tsunade-sama… but gambling is ba-"
"COME ON THEN!!! LET'S GOOO!!!!" Tsunade exclaimed loudly and happily, earning the ire of many of their neighbours.
She stood up and brashly exited the inn they were staying in, with Shizune following her with the expression like someone had kicked a puppy in front of her while holding a small piglet wearing a pearl necklace, Tonton their pet pig.
Tsunade was about to enter a gambling den when a rather frail looking old man stopped her in her way by standing in front of her.
"Tsunade…"
"Hmmm?" Tsunade looked at the old man with a weary glare. Few people in the world could address the princess of Konoha without adding a respectful word or two after her name. And such people always meant trouble.
"Who're you?" Tsunade asked in her semi drunken state before her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she tried recalling someone looking like the old man before her.
"You really don't remember me?" The frail old man said with a sigh, "What a drag…"
"Those words! That tone! You're Shikamori!! Just how old and frail have you become to look like this!!!!" Tsunade instantly sobered up after she recognised a dear comrade in arms she fought with in the second and third great shinobi world wars.
But then Tsunade suddenly froze and started to back away!
'Trouble!!'
'This is definitely trouble!!!'
Tsunade was panicking but she was calm at the same time since if there was one thing she knew best, it was to escape from such troublesome situations.
"Tsunade… I can't chase you down anymore…" Shikamori started, causing Tsunade to put her hands over her ears to block out whatever psychological manipulation he'd planned to do to her.
But Shikamori's next words still travelled through and pierced straight through her heart, "Kids like Nawaki need your help in the village Tsunade…"
Shizune froze in her spot as Tsunade's eyes turned red, her face flushed as her tone dropped dangerously low. Gone was the playful panic from her face as she looked at Shikamori with a sharp glare.
"You're stepping out of the line, Shikamori."
But Shikamori didn't argue with Tsunade, he knew he was poking the hornet's nest with his words but he didn't have any other choice. After several calculations in his mind, this was the most direct way Shikamori felt he could speak with Tsunade.
"Danzo applied the cursed tongue eradication seal to a bunch of hyuga kids… and he put the Jubakuchu into all major clan children."
Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise as did Shizune's. Both of them knew about the Jubakuchu and the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal and had come in contact with it before, however briefly.
Tsunade's hands trembled slightly as several thoughts went through her mind in a matter of seconds.
"I can lend Shizune to you." Tsunade said calmly.
But Shikamori shook his head gently, "Shikaku already figured out you can't perform surgeries anymore Tsunade… that's not why he sent me here… he sent me here for this." Shikamori said, tossing a scroll towards Tsunade.
Tsunade caught the scroll in the middle of the street and opened it slightly.
As soon as her eyes fell on its contents she froze.
"Is this the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal?"
Shikamori nodded silently.
Tsunade's eyes widened once again, her hands trembled as she quickly realised the plan that Shikaku had come up with.
"He wants me to save the Hyuga and then he wants them to save everyone else?" Tsunade asked her question openly.
Shikamori sighed and nodded, "It's true. Everyone in the village is quite worried if you'll be able to crack the seal…"
"And face Danzo's full wrath?" Tsunade rhetorically asked but Shikamori still replied seriously. "Danzo isn't as smart as he used to be anymore… he failed to plant any spies around you to catch us even after knowing what Shikaku's goal was."
Tsunade breathed out a deep sigh and then spoke calmly, "This will take time you know…"
"I can give you half a month… Danzo would've already caught up with the other shinobi Shikaku sent out to disguise me… Shikaku can hold on for half a month at most before he'll probably be put on the execution block."
"Give me a month." Tsunade directly counterstated without leaving any room for an argument.
***
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