Konoha: Offer your heart to the Hokage!

Chapter 18 Children should be nurtured starting with their mothers.

'Teacher Shen... he's so gentle.'

It took Matsumoto Waka a while to come to her senses before she softly replied, "Yes, teacher, its name is Shiro."

Shen Er smiled slightly, "All things in the world eventually tend towards the balance of Yin and Yang. Snakes are cold-blooded animals, yet they like to attach themselves to you, which means... He Xiang, you have warm blood flowing through your veins, and you are a very warm person."

He played with the white snake for a while longer before handing it back to Matsumoto Waka: "That's why I chose you as class monitor. A warm-hearted person can't be a bad person."

"My students may not have ninja skills, but they must be good people."

“Senji-sensei…” Matsumoto Waka’s eyes reddened slightly.

This is the first time in my life that someone has praised her so generously.

Others, seeing only her company with snakes, whispered among themselves, calling her cold and ominous, a freak. Never before had anyone told her, with such gentle yet firm words, that she was warm.

Respect, and an almost devout longing, quietly took root in her heart.

At this moment, she wanted to be a warm person like Shen'er.

Shen Er didn't say anything more, and instead looked down at the collected homework page by page.

What profound insights can a child around ten years old write about the three principles of medical practice?

He didn't actually care about these things.

He was merely using this as an excuse to act as a mentor who would praise his students, and to create more natural interactions with Matsumoto Waka. Her future child was a rare genius in the ninja world…

And for children, it's important to start with the mother.

"Well written, Kaoru." Shen closed the notebook. "I wasn't wrong about you. You have your own unique understanding of the rules. Your admission file says that your ninja skills are average, but you have a strong desire to explore the science of ninjutsu."

Kaori slightly concealed the moisture in her eyes, regaining her usual aloof demeanor, and lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly: "Yes, I'm not very good at ninjutsu..."

"No, I don't care whether my students have ninjutsu talent or not."

Shen Er said seriously, "Everyone has their own area of ​​expertise, where they shine. What I want to ask is, why are you fascinated by the science of ninjutsu?"

"Because... simply because I like you?" Matsumoto Waka answered somewhat uncertainly.

"My ninjutsu talent isn't good, so I want to develop ninjutsu that I can learn myself. Also, because of Shiro, I used to be bullied by older kids a lot, so I want to learn medical ninjutsu so that I can heal myself quickly even if I can't win."

"..."

Shen Er listened, but his heart remained unmoved.

I think that one of the reasons Orochimaru launched the Konoha Crush might be related to his mother's experience of being bullied since childhood.

The ninja world is a place rife with bullying.

Konoha also has its own troublemakers.

From commoner children to ninja princesses, almost everyone has had a similar experience. The people here assume that only the strong deserve respect and follow the law of the jungle.

That's precisely why his "gentleness" is so precious.

The extent of Matsumoto Waka's "scientific" talent remains uncertain. However, her initial motivation to "explore science" is somewhat less profound than Orochimaru's obsessive pursuit of truth.

"I see, I understand now."

Even though his expression was gentle, his tone was unusually serious: "Matsumoto Kazuka, I do not pity you. Pity is an insult to the strong. But in you, I see the qualities that make one strong."

"I specialize in medical ninjutsu, but I also have some insights into the development of ninjutsu. Kaori, would you be willing to become my disciple?"

"I have always been the teacher's student..."

"I'm not just referring to students in the medical program. I mean that after graduation, you will still be assigned to my team and participate in my research projects."

"Of course, this might not be fair to you. You're still a long way from graduation, and in the meantime, you might encounter ninjas who are better than me. I'm not particularly skilled in ninjutsu either. You can go back and think about it for a while before making a choice."

"No!"

Matsumoto Kazuka firmly replied, "I am willing to become your disciple. In my heart, there is no teacher better than Master Shinji."

Shen Er smiled gently and raised his hand to take off his non-prescription glasses.

Under Matsumoto Kazuka's stunned gaze, he gently placed his glasses on her nose.

"This is the first gift I'm giving you. Wear it, and those who used to bully you will never dare to look down on you again."

Matsumoto Kazuka ran her fingertips over the still-warm temples of her glasses, her voice trembling slightly: "Thank you, Mr. Shinji."

"I don't like to be too sentimental. Between teachers and students, we should prove our significance to each other through actions."

Shen Er stood up and took a notebook from the bookshelf behind him: "I will hold my disciples to the strictest standards. This applies to the medical team and to the science of ninjutsu."

"This contains one of my core research findings. From today onward, you will study and contemplate it every day. I will regularly assess you until you are qualified to formally participate in the research with me."

Sheldon paused, his tone filled with a strange sense of emotion:

"The subject of this research is the curse seal."

...

Cursed seals have a very long history in the ninja world.

However, the species are extremely rare, and basically only the great ninja clans have related research, with the results regarded as "secrets not to be passed on".

Curses can be broadly divided into two categories: binding curses and immortal transformation curses.

Regardless of the specific method, it was Orochimaru who truly popularized and perfected it.

Even the research on the incantation seal has progressed very slowly, and the results achieved are limited.

This thing is probably just like math; if you don't know it, you just don't know it; if you don't have the talent, you just can't do it; even if you accumulate time through a long lifespan, you may not necessarily achieve results.

Taking Matsumoto Waka as his apprentice was not only to show the Senju brothers his bond with the village, but also largely out of a "happy accident".

After all, she is Orochimaru's future mother.

What if she is the source of Orochimaru's talent for developing the Cursed Seal?

It is shameful for a mentor to plagiarize a student's work, but a student who admires their mentor will most likely be willing to offer up their research results in order to gain recognition.

And he simply watched all of this happen with a smile.

The Binding Seal allows him to experiment freely on Uchiha Yan; the Sage Transformation Seal can significantly increase his power.

Either one is fine.

On the way back to the Ninja Academy from the Gospel Hospital, many "acquaintances" who had bullied Matsumoto Waka in the past walked towards them. Some were about to go up and cause trouble, but their companions stopped them and whispered a reminder: "Look, her glasses."

A pair of non-prescription glasses reflected a faint glow in the evening light, and the expressions of the group of people changed instantly, and they began to whisper among themselves.

Why is she wearing Lord Shen's glasses?

One of them panicked a little: "How about... we buy her some gifts to apologize?"

"Tch, what are you afraid of? Does she dare to retaliate against us?"

"What if she speaks ill of us to Lord Shen'er, and the hospital refuses to treat our injuries later?"

Doctors are people you absolutely cannot afford to offend.

If you don't want to be left with no way out when you get hurt.

"Lord Shen'er doesn't discriminate against patients. But I heard she's already in the medical class, what if she becomes a doctor someday..."

"Yes, yes, yes! Lord Shinji definitely won't do anything to us. But that cold-blooded freak Matsumoto Kazuka will definitely take revenge on us in the hospital."

"Stop talking, let's go apologize to her."

Chapter 19 Five Elements Seal

This week's special instruction for the medical class even included training the students' chakra manipulation abilities.

The most classic methods are climbing trees and wading through water.

They trained until everyone was covered in dust and grime.

Senju Takayuki got up from the ground and dusted himself off. He had thought that medical ninjas could just practice medicine elegantly in the hospital, but he never expected that training would be so messy.

When get out of class ended, he approached Shen Er: "Teacher Shen Er, my father would like you to come to his house after class."

Shen Er nodded slightly: "I understand, I'll be right there."

"Wako, I'm leaving this to you. Supervise everyone's continued training. Starting today, everyone will practice for an extra hour after school. I'll be checking next week."

...

Hashirama is still working at the Hokage Building, while Tobirama is on a mission in the Land of Lightning.

The two acquaintances were not there, so Shen'er was greeted by Qian Shou Tao Xiang.

After walking through the long corridor, he met Mito Uzumaki.

Upon seeing the red-haired woman before him, he even recalled information about the Uzumaki clan.

The Uzumaki clan is born with enormous chakra and is proficient in various powerful sealing techniques. The village of Uzumaki, which they founded, formed an alliance with Konoha. The mark on the back of the Konoha Chunin vest symbolizes the enduring friendship between the Uzumaki and Konoha clans.

When he was still in Takigakure, he accepted a commission to hunt down Uzumaki clan ninjas.

In the end, he dealt with his employer, causing the mission to be canceled, thus avoiding a direct confrontation with the Vortex Clan.

Shen Er has always been cautious in his actions.

He wouldn't gamble with himself, wondering if his target would use the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique.

"Mito-sama."

Even so, the manners remained impeccable.

At this time, Mito Uzumaki had not yet become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and did not yet possess the ability to sense malice, which saved her a lot of trouble.

The ability to sense malice is too idealistic, and he cannot guarantee that his thoughts will remain completely undetected.

"Shen'er, you've come."

Mito smiled and nodded in acknowledgment: "Hashirama told me everything. You want to learn sealing techniques for medical purposes."

"Yes, Lady Mito."

“In principle, sealing techniques are a closely guarded secret of my Uzumaki clan. If they are leaked, they will cause unimaginable harm to the ninja world. But I have seen all the good things you have done in Konoha, and I believe you will make good use of sealing techniques.”

"I will dedicate myself to using sealing techniques for medical purposes."