On the empty lot, the sunlight had turned everything warm and golden.
Tsunade set the basket of fish on the ground and looked down at the ones still flicking their tails inside.
"This'll do."
She lightly stamped the ground with her foot.
There was a dull thud.
The ground seemed to tremble a little.
The water in the fish basket rippled, and the lively fish all flipped belly-up at once. Their mouths opened and closed, their tails stopped moving, and only their gills still twitched faintly.
Rin, Shizune, and Kurenai all froze.
"Lady Tsunade," Rin asked softly, "did they die?"
"They're not dead." Tsunade crouched down, picked up one of the fish, and shoved it into Rin's hands. "They've still got one breath left. Your job is to save them before that last breath is gone."
Rin fumbled as she caught the fish. It was slick and slippery, and she almost dropped it. She had to cup it in both hands and had no idea where to even start.
"Chakra," Tsunade said. "The foundation of medical ninjutsu is chakra control. Send your chakra into the fish's body and stimulate its life force. If you can do that, it means you have the potential to become a medical ninja."
Shizune and Kurenai exchanged glances, then each picked up a fish, closed their eyes, and began trying in earnest.
The empty lot fell quiet.
Tsunade stood off to the side with her arms folded, watching the three girls nervously struggle with their fish.
Rin's face had gone red with concentration. Shizune had her lips pressed tightly together and said nothing. Kurenai was frowning at the fish in her hands as if staring at it hard enough would somehow make it come back to life on its own.
Tsunade watched for a while, and the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. This wasn't the kind of thing a bunch of five-year-olds could pull off. Once this little farce ended, she still had a casino to go clean out.
"Big Sister Tsunade."
The slight curve at Tsunade's lips vanished. She looked down and saw the little figure in red had somehow wandered over beside her again, staring up with bright, sparkling eyes.
"Big Sister Tsunade, those fish look so pitiful."
Tsunade ignored him.
Shin-chan didn't seem to mind and kept talking. "Are they going to die?"
"Yes."
"Then what happens if they die?"
"We eat them." Tsunade shot him a glance. "Aren't you supposed to be training?"
Shin-chan shook his head. "I don't want to be a medical ninja anyway."
Tsunade looked away again and stopped paying attention to him.
Maybe ten seconds of silence passed.
"Big Sister Tsunade."
A vein twitched at Tsunade's temple.
"That mark on your forehead is really pretty. Can you draw one on me too?"
Tsunade took a deep breath.
"Your chakra is amazing too. You stomp once and the fish all flip over. Can you teach me that?"
Now both temples were starting to pound.
"What do you usually like to eat? I know a dumpling shop that's really good. Next time I can take you there—"
"Kid." Tsunade lowered her head and looked at him with a dangerous expression.
"Hm?" Shin-chan blinked.
Tsunade grabbed him by the back of the collar and lifted him up.
His feet dangled in the air. "Wah, here we go again. Put me down."
Tsunade carried him over to the fish basket and dropped him onto the ground.
"Train."
Shin-chan sat there and looked up at her. "But I don't know how."
"Then learn."
Shin-chan scratched his head and looked at the belly-up fish, then at Tsunade, clearly reluctant.
"You'll teach me?"
Tsunade crouched down, picked up a fish from the basket, and shoved it into his hands.
"You know what chakra is, right?"
"Yeah." Shin-chan held the fish carefully.
"Send it into your hands, then into the fish's body." Tsunade said. "Imagine your chakra is water. The fish is short on water, so you're replenishing it. That's all."
Shin-chan looked down at the fish in his hands, then back up at Tsunade, and nodded.
"I didn't understand any of that."
A cross-shaped vein popped on Tsunade's forehead.
"What part didn't you understand?"
"All of it," Shin-chan said matter-of-factly. "What do you mean water? Fish are already in water."
Tsunade took a deep breath.
She was starting to feel like she should have checked the calendar before leaving the house today.
Off to the side, Rin risked a glance over, then quickly looked back down and focused on her own fish again.
Shin-chan lowered his gaze to the fish in his hands. Its eyes were rolled back white, its mouth opening and closing, its tail twitching once in a while.
He poked its belly.
No reaction.
He poked it again.
Still nothing.
He lifted it closer to eye level and stared at it for a while.
"Big Sister Tsunade."
Tsunade ignored him.
"Big Sister Tsunade!"
"What now?"
Shin-chan held the fish up a little higher, looking perfectly serious.
"If I save it, is there a reward?"
Tsunade froze.
"A reward?"
"Yeah." Shin-chan nodded. "Without a reward, there's not much motivation."
Tsunade stared at him, the corner of her mouth twitching.
This brat...
She glanced at the three girls still miserably struggling with their fish, then back at the little brat in front of her shamelessly asking for a reward.
"Fine." Tsunade folded her arms. "If any one of you four manages to save a fish, I'll treat you all to a big meal today."
The moment the words left her mouth, the empty lot went still for a second.
Rin's hand shook.
Shizune's head snapped up, eyes shining.
Kurenai's mouth fell open, her whole face saying, Wait, seriously?
"A big meal?" Shin-chan asked for confirmation.
Tsunade nodded. "A big meal."
"What kind of big meal?"
"Whatever you want."
"Barbecue?"
"Yes."
"Dumplings?"
"Yes."
"Chocolate sticks?"
Another vein twitched at Tsunade's temple. "Those too."
Shin-chan sprang to his feet, clutching the fish in both hands, his expression more serious than it had ever been.
"Big Sister Tsunade."
"What now?"
"Can you say it one more time?"
"Say what?"
"The part about whoever saves a fish gets a big meal." Shin-chan's face was full of hope. "I want to hear it again. It'll motivate me more."
Tsunade was silent for three whole seconds.
"Whoever saves a fish gets a big meal." Her voice was flat, but every word came out crystal clear. "Barbecue, dumplings, chocolate sticks, whatever you want."
Shin-chan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he were absorbing every ounce of power from that promise.
Then he opened his eyes and looked down at the fish in his hands.
"Did you hear that?" he asked the fish. "There's a big meal waiting."
The fish, belly-up, didn't move.
Shin-chan nodded seriously. "Hang in there. I'm going to save you right now."
Tsunade stood there watching this little brat talk to a nearly dead fish and felt her temples start throbbing again.
She turned away and walked off a few steps, deciding not to look at him anymore.
Behind her, she could still hear Shin-chan muttering.
"Chakra... into the hands... into the fish..."
Then silence.
Tsunade couldn't help glancing back.
Shin-chan was crouched there, holding the fish, eyes squeezed shut, looking completely serious. His red shirt stood out sharply in the sunlight.
Tsunade sighed.
That little brat.
Then she turned toward Rin and the others.
"You three too. Keep practicing. Don't just stand there watching."
"Yes," all three of them answered quickly, lowering their heads and returning to their desperate battle with the fish.
In the basket, the fish lay belly-up, twitching once in a while.
Shin-chan crouched beside them, one hand pressed to a fish, still muttering under his breath.
Watching him, Tsunade suddenly felt like laughing.