"Hey, hey, hey!! Akari! Reina!
You guys are too disloyal, we agreed to go in together!"
Senju Mebuki shouted anxiously, only to be met with the helpless expressions of Senju Akari and Yamanaka Reina.
"We never agreed to go in with you. We just said we'd pose with you, Mebuki."
"Wow! Mebuki, you're way too reckless! How could you just rush in like that? No matter what, you can't be this disrespectful to the Hokage."
Senju Akari quickly distanced herself from the situation, acting as if she had nothing to do with it.
Yamanaka Reina, on the other hand, elegantly adjusted her posture and flashed an innocent smile at Uchiha Shin.
" Shin Sensei, I was merely practicing my flexibility for our taijutsu training."
Hearing the two of them throw her under the bus, Senju Mebuki's big, watery eyes widened in outrage.
"Wow! Akari, Reina! You can't just abandon me like this!"
Before she could argue further, Uchiha Shin grabbed Mebuki with ease, lifting her off the ground effortlessly. With one hand supporting her small frame, he calmly stated:
"If you did something wrong, you should take responsibility."
Pa! Pa! Pa!
A few well-placed smacks later, Senju Mebuki surrendered completely, her face flushed in embarrassment.
Still holding her, Uchiha Shin glanced at Akari and Reina, rubbing his temples in exasperation.
These three were more troublesome than Kurenai Yuhi and needed serious discipline.
What was supposed to be a simple substitute teaching lesson had somehow devolved into "the terrifying demon instructor playing with his female students."
Three days later, even while lounging in his office, Uchiha Shin was still being ridiculed by Tsunade.
"Our beloved Hokage, famous for flirting with his female students, why do you look so drained lately?"
"Don't add so many damn prefixes to my title, or I'll make sure you're taking care of a baby in two months."
Uchiha Shin shot a glare at Tsunade's curvaceous figure, causing her to take a cautious step back.
After careful consideration, Tsunade still wasn't ready for a child. She weighed all the factors carefully, but her primary concern was her body.
Uchiha Shin had a particular appreciation for her exceptional, perfectly proportioned figure, and Tsunade wasn't sure she wanted to risk that. Maintaining her current form was already a challenge—if she got any bigger after childbirth, she feared it would ruin the appeal.
Uchiha Shin, of course, didn't push the matter. He liked her just the way she was. A little more wouldn't hurt, but too much would be excessive.
Tsunade saw that Uchiha Shin had no real intention of pushing her, so she wisely stopped teasing him. Instead, she returned to the matter at hand.
"I called you here to discuss something important. We've finally got some concrete intelligence from our investigations in the Land of Bears."
Hearing that, Uchiha Shin's expression became serious. The Land of Bears was a tricky region. With its dense forests and the infamous Valley of Hell, filled with toxic gas, it was naturally fortified against invasion.
The entire border was surrounded by canyons that emitted poisonous fumes, making it nearly impossible for an army to march through.
As a result, conquering the Land of Bears had always been considered more trouble than it was worth.
The Anbu squad Tsunade had dispatched had already suffered significant casualties just from the scouting mission alone.
However, their sacrifices had finally paid off.
"The Anbu have successfully mapped out the outer perimeter of the Land of Bears. In the heart of this region lies Hoshigakure, the Hidden Star Village. Their shinobi are surprisingly strong."
Tsunade's expression was a mix of intrigue and concern.
Unlike the Five Great Shinobi Villages, smaller villages usually didn't have a deep pool of powerful ninja. Their strongest shinobi typically maxed out at the Chunin or low Jonin level.
But despite its tiny size—barely the equivalent of a mountain settlement—Hoshigakure boasted multiple Jonin-level fighters.
One of her Anbu operatives had even died in a skirmish with them.
Turning to Uchiha Shin, she narrowed her eyes. "You specifically asked me to investigate Hoshigakure. That means you already knew something, right?"
Uchiha Shin smirked. "You've got good instincts, Tsunade. To be precise, I have no interest in the Land of Bears itself. It's a wasteland. My real target is Hoshigakure and the treasure hidden within it."
Reaching over, he wrapped an arm around Tsunade's waist and pulled her closer.
"A hundred years ago, a meteorite fell in Hoshigakure. That's why the village is named the Hidden Star Village. That meteorite is a rare artifact—one that enhances a shinobi's chakra reserves and control."
Tsunade's interest was piqued. "You want to take it back for the shinobi of the village to use?"
Uchiha Shin immediately shook his head.
"Of course not. That meteorite is radioactive and has severe negative effects on the human body."
He left out the crucial detail—that the meteorite contained traces of the Ten-Tails' chakra. There was no need to reveal that just yet.
"Radioactive…" Tsunade muttered, a rare flicker of unease crossing her features.
Years ago, she wouldn't have even known what that meant. But with the advancements in scientific research within the Fire Country, she had come to understand the true horrors of radiation.
Its effects on the human body were devastating, often leading to irreversible damage and death. Only those with extreme regenerative abilities—like herself, Uchiha Shin, or individuals with Hashirama's cells—could possibly withstand prolonged exposure.
"In that case, do you want to deploy forces to seize Hoshigakure?"
Tsunade asked, already thinking of potential battle strategies.
But Uchiha Shin shook his head. "There's no need to occupy Hoshigakure. And I have zero interest in the Land of Bears. It's an inhospitable wasteland. Apart from that meteorite, there's nothing there worth our time or resources."
His crimson Sharingan flickered as he smirked. "I'll be handling this one personally."
Tsunade frowned slightly. She wasn't entirely comfortable with that, but she also knew there was no stopping him when he had his mind set on something.
She sighed. "Fine. Just be careful."
Uchiha Shin chuckled. "Come on, Tsunade. When have I ever been reckless?"
Tsunade gave him an exasperated look. "Are you serious right now? You just spanked a Senju brat in front of an entire class three days ago."
He smirked. "She deserved it."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Just don't make things messier than they need to be. The last thing we need is another war with some random minor village."
Uchiha Shin simply laughed, already thinking about his next move.
Hoshigakure's so-called "Star Training" had always intrigued him. But this time, he wasn't after power.
He was after something far more dangerous—something tied to the very roots of chakra itself.
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