"Sorry, Shin. I didn't control my strength back there. Here, let me heal you."
Tsunade approached Shin, a green glow of Chakra forming in her hand. She was about to use Medical Ninjutsu.
Shin didn't feel a thing. He wasn't injured; there was nothing to heal.
Even if he had been injured, with his Perfect Sage Body, he would have recovered in moments.
Tsunade's expression shifted from concern to anger.
She threw a punch. Shin dodged just in time.
"Busted," Shin mumbled, rubbing his nose sheepishly. Tsunade was the best Medical Ninja in Konoha; fooling her was a long shot.
"Ahem, Lady Tsunade, as you can see, I'm not that strong. How about we call it a draw?"
Tsunade looked at him, then nodded.
She felt she had a decent grasp of his abilities. He was strong and fast, likely at Elite Chunin level, maybe even higher.
He had used the Perfect Sage Body proficiently, but hadn't displayed any other Jutsu.
It was hard to gauge his combat experience from just a few exchanges, especially since she hadn't gained the upper hand.
She watched Shin chatting with Kushina, seemingly unharmed, then flexed her slightly numb arm. 'Monster,' she thought.
No wonder he wanted to hide his strength. If it were exposed, it would only cause him trouble.
If only she knew he hadn't even used his full power...
"Umm, Lady Tsunade, about that A-rank Jutsu..."
Shin looked at her expectantly.
"I keep my promises. What's your Chakra Nature?" Tsunade asked.
"No need to ask, Lady Tsunade. I want to learn the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Shin had already decided. The Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu would be incredibly useful to him.
"The Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
Tsunade frowned. "You should choose another Jutsu. The Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu is dangerous. It's forbidden."
The Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu could be fatal if not used carefully. Tsunade was hesitant to teach it to Shin.
"Lady Tsunade, I understand the risks. I'm an Uzumaki, remember?"
Shin smiled. The Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu would accelerate his training significantly.
He already had the Shadow Clone Jutsu, but creating clones one by one was inefficient.
"Fine. I don't know why you want to learn this Jutsu, but I'll teach you. Just promise me you'll be careful."
Seeing his insistence, Tsunade agreed, but she stressed the dangers of the Jutsu.
Even for an Uzumaki with large Chakra reserves, it was a Jutsu to be treated with caution.
"I haven't learned the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu myself, but I have a scroll with the training method. Here you go."
Tsunade pulled out a small scroll and handed it to Shin.
"Uh, you're just going to give me the scroll and let me figure it out myself? Aren't you worried I won't be able to learn it?"
"You have the scroll; it's up to you to learn it. Honestly, I'd prefer it if you didn't," Tsunade said bluntly.
Shin shrugged. Not learning the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu wasn't an option. It wasn't that difficult for him.
It only required a single hand seal. For ninjas with limited Chakra, it might be challenging, but Shin had Chakra to spare.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
Tsunade smacked her forehead. "You two need to come meet my grandmother."
Shin's heart skipped a beat. Tsunade's grandmother was Uzumaki Mito, the wife of Hashirama Senju and a former princess of the Uzumaki Clan.
Mito knew all the Uzumaki Sealing Jutsu and was the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. She must be powerful.
Shin guessed her strength might even surpass the Sandaime's. Of course, this was just speculation. Perhaps she wasn't a combat specialist.
Tsunade called the other three Uzumaki survivors. They were all going to meet Mito.
They followed Tsunade deep into the Senju compound, arriving at a small, Elegant Courtyard.
There, they met Uzumaki Mito. She looked quite old, which made sense, considering she had lived through the Warring States Period.
But Shin was confused. Didn't Mito have the Strength of a Hundred Seal? Why did she look so old?
The Strength of a Hundred Seal was an S-rank Jutsu that allowed the user to store Chakra in their forehead, marked by a diamond-shaped seal.
When needed, the stored Chakra could be released by using the Release technique.
And it had another benefit that women would kill for: eternal youth.
Mito knew the Strength of a Hundred Seal. Why didn't she use it to maintain her youth? Perhaps she no longer cared about her appearance.
After all, she was nearing the end of her life. Why bother with such superficial things?
"Grandmother, I'm sorry. The Uzumaki Clan... Only these few remain." Tsunade hung her head, unable to meet Mito's eyes.
Mito sighed. She hadn't expected the Uzumaki Clan, with its thousand-year history, to meet such a tragic end.
Her gaze swept over Shin, Kushina, and the others, finally settling on Shin.
Shin felt a strange sensation as Mito's eyes locked onto him. It was as if she could see right through him, even more so than the Sandaime.
Mito gave Shin a kind smile. "What's your name, young man?"
Shin met her gaze. He could sense no hostility from her.
"Shin, I can sense an Extraordinary Power within you. I hope you use it wisely," Mito said, her voice solemn.
"Extraordinary Power?" Tsunade looked at Shin, surprised.
Shin's heart pounded. Was she referring to his Perfect Sage Body? Had she seen through him?
Then he remembered Hashirama Senju, who also possessed a Perfect Sage Body. And Mito was his wife. It wasn't that strange for her to be able to sense something like that.
In truth, Mito didn't know about the Perfect Sage Body. She simply sensed a life force within Shin that was similar to Hashirama's, vast and vibrant.
~ If you like the story, please leave a review.