Chapter 193 - 191: Pratical

"It seems you've enjoyed your day," Tsunade said, lying on the bed, looking up at Azula, who'd come back smiling wider than when she left.

Azula thought of Danzo's face and nodded.

"It was definitely good." Her eyes caught the manga in Tsunade's hands, the last page of one she hadn't even started before Azula left. "But you, you stayed home the whole time and you're talking about me enjoying myself?"

"Bah," Tsunade made an annoyed noise. "Who said I'm enjoying myself, I'm just blocked on my project."

"Oh, which part?" Right, the Strength of Hundred Seal.

Its one real flaw: healing by forcing her own cells to divide faster, again and again, burning through their lifespan every time. Tsunade wanted to skip the burning part entirely, generate fresh, undifferentiated flesh with Yang Release instead of overworking what she already had.

Fresh cells, fresh lifespan. Every time she healed, she'd be resetting the clock instead of burning down what was left of it. Biological immortality, in every way that mattered.

Tsunade didn't reply. She just reached lazily for a stack of files by the bedside and held them out.

Azula took the stack and set it down on the bed, beside Tsunade.

She went up to change into something more casual, then lay back down, using Tsunade as her pillow. Tsunade, already back into her manga, didn't so much as raise an eyebrow.

Azula was no stranger to the human body. Medical ninjutsu had always come easily to her, one more thing she happened to be good at.

[Problems: Create Younger Version of One's Own Cell]

Azula raised her eyebrows. She read through the files one by one, while Tsunade shot her the occasional side-eye, trying to gauge which page she'd reached.

By the time Azula had finished, Tsunade had gotten through an entire manga and started a second, already halfway through it.

"What do you think about the idea of cloning?" Azula sat up, pulling herself off Tsunade's lap to face her properly.

"Clone?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Should I truly introduce her to the concept of biological clones? Azula rubbed her face. Stories about clones rarely ended well.

Tsunade's eyes went teary, her expression turning pitiful. "Are you hiding something from your cute girlfriend? I thought we would trust each other for everything."

Seriously? Azula raised her eyebrows at Tsunade, her eyes saying keep going well enough on their own.

"Tsk." Tsunade dropped the act, seeing it wasn't working. "Come on, I really need your help. Don't you want to help me solve this? If we did, Uncle Tajima and Aunt Asami wouldn't have to go through what Grandma's going through."

Azula's smirk faded. Mito was going to leave the Ninja World soon, she was certain of it, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She hated that.

"Your problem is this: Yang Release copies your own cells to make new ones. Which means whatever age you are, that's the age the new cells come out at too. You're thirty-five? The new cells are thirty-five. Nothing's actually solved."

Tsunade nodded. "Yeah."

"And if you used a younger person's cells instead, they wouldn't be compatible with your body." Azula set the files down. It wasn't a question.

"Then why don't you try to create a biological clone?" Seeing Tsunade still didn't understand face, Azula explained.

"Think of your cell like a page from a manga," she pointed at the Manga in Tsunade's hand. "Yang Release is like photocopying that page. Whatever's already written on it, the coffee stains, the wrinkles, the fading ink, all of that gets copied too. You end up with a second copy, but it's still an old, worn page."

"A clone doesn't copy the page," she continued. "It goes back to the original manuscript, before anyone spilled coffee on it, before the ink faded, and prints a brand new page from scratch. Same words, same story, but none of the damage."

"So my cells..." Tsunade started.

"Your DNA is the manuscript. It doesn't age, it's just instructions. What ages is everything printed on top of it over the years. A clone starts from the manuscript, not from a photocopy of the damaged page."

"I think I understood what you mean." Tsunade rested her chin on her hand. "But the problem is, how does one create a clone?"

"You have many options." Azula tapped Tsunade's forehead with two fingers. "Use that brain of yours and think."

"Here's one that's guaranteed to work, though it won't be easy." Azula projected the illusion: a man clapping his hands together, trees erupting wildly from the earth around him.

"Grandpa!" Tsunade's posture went rigid.

Azula nodded. "Yes, your grandpa. Didn't you ever ask yourself what exactly makes his Wood Release so special, compared to other bloodline limits?"

"Who didn't?" Tsunade thought of the future Azula had told her, the one where her grandfather's body was experimented on by Danzō and Hiruzen.

"One explanation I've thought of is Yin and Yang." Azula let the illusion disperse. "Yang gives vitality, physical energy, growth. Yin gives form and shape, structure to imagination. That's why it's the foundation of genjutsu. Separately, that's all anyone's ever used them for, illusions with Yin, healing with Yang."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly, the way they did when she was actually paying attention instead of humoring someone.

"But combine them," Azula continued, "and you're not just healing or imagining something anymore. You're defining a shape with Yin, and giving that shape life with Yang. That's creation."

"...Creation," Tsunade repeated slowly.

"In a sense, Wood Release is also a form of Yin-Yang technique. Your grandpa didn't just grow trees, he grew forests that acted alive, responded, and defended themselves like a living person would."

"So this is what you always meant, that Yin-Yang is the power of creation?" Tsunade didn't notice the manga sliding off her lap. "I get it now. With real mastery of Yin-Yang release, a clone should be possible. Just not easy."

Tsunade stood up suddenly. "This method's beyond me for now, but I think I have a solution."

Azula didn't stop her. 'It's good to have inspiration.'

•••

•••

•••

(Two Weeks Later)

God, please let nothing go wrong, Tatshiro sighed internally, hearing footsteps trailing behind him. Maybe if this doesn't work out, I should just retire. Travel the world as a merchant instead.

Time felt like it was slipping by too fast. He reached his destination all too soon, a door loud enough that the noise leaked through from the other side.

He wanted to take a deep breath. He didn't, it would've undermined his authority in front of the newly transferred students. That's it. You survived two Jōnin-level missing-nin. A few brats who can't wipe their own noses shouldn't be the thing that breaks you.

He pushed the door open and walked crisply to the blackboard. All the noise stopped. He didn't need to look up to know exactly where every set of eyes in the room had landed: the two red-haired transfer students behind him.

Please don't bully them, they're the Hokage's relatives. If you do, my teaching career is over. Those were the words he actually wanted to say. Dignity kept them in his head instead.

"These two will be your new classmates," he said, shoulders already dropping in resignation. "Please take care of them, help them settle into the village."

"Hello, my name is Asuka Uzumaki." Asuka didn't wait for the teacher to prompt her. "I'm from Uzushiogakure. My goal is to become a strong medical-nin one day, like Tsunade-nee and Azula-nee."

This is how I'm supposed to introduce myself, right, Father? She thought of the poem she'd wanted to recite instead, the one he'd forbidden, replaced with this rehearsed line.

Kushina, a step behind her, finally spoke up. "I'm Kushina Uzumaki. My dream is to become Hokage one day, like Azula-nee."

One. Two. Three. Fou—

Tatshiro, still at his desk, counted off on his fingers behind his back, just to see how long this would drag on.

"Wow! Look at their hair, it's as red as tomatoes."

"Can it be eaten?"

"Look, their faces are turning red too. So ugly."

"Enough," Tatshiro shouted. "Fushiro, Hayashi, move to different seats."

"Kushina, Asuka, you'll sit where they were."

"What?" Fushiro stood up. "Why should I give up my spot for them? I've been sitting there since day one."

"Because I told you so." Tatshiro threw a piece of chalk at him. "Who told you two to keep bullying your classmates?"

"Let me tell you something. The Hokage's added a new rule. Any student reported to her for misconduct three times gets expelled. And you've already been reported once, yesterday, for bullying."

Fushiro's angry, downturned mouth went flat. His eyes went wide, the pain in his forehead forgotten entirely. "The teachers want to expel me?"

Tatshiro watched with quiet interest, the boy who'd always thought himself untouchable, finally panicking.

"Yeah, and Hokage-sama already knows about you shaking down the orphans for money." Tatshiro lied without blinking. "If not for me, your great teacher who pleaded on your behalf, you'd already be expelled."

Asuka watched him, eyes narrowed. If Azula-nee knew someone was extorting orphans, she'd have punished him already.

She didn't say anything. She figured he was just trying to protect them.

"Teacher..." Tears were already streaming down his face. Fushiro looked at Tatshiro. "Please, I promise I'll never do it again."

"Do what?" Tatshiro asked, feigning confusion.

"I'll never beat anyone. I'll always be quiet, and... and never bother you again."

Hmph. I've faced Kumo-nin. Dealing with you brats is nothing in comparison. All his panic from before entering the room was long gone now.

He turned to Hayashi. "And you? Still planning on continuing?"

Hayashi shook his head frantically. "No, Tatshiro-sensei. It was Fushiro, he always forces me. I don't want to bother anyone."

Tatshiro rolled his eyes but didn't call it out. "Good. I hope all your teachers and I will see the change, if so, they may withdraw their complaints against you."

"Yes, sensei!" The two shouted in unison, already scanning the back rows for seats.

Fushiro sat down. There were more than four empty tables further back. Wherever he sat, Hayashi followed, then Fushiro would stand and move again. Watching the pattern repeat, a vein bulged on Tatshiro's forehead. "Didn't you two just say you'd be quiet?"

"Sensei, it's Hayashi. I don't want to sit at the same table as him."

"But... I'm your friend."

"Hmph! I don't want to talk to you."

"Alright." Tatshiro intervened. "Hayashi, go sit at another table."

By the time the two finished arguing, Kushina and Asuka had already settled in.

"Hi." The boy sharing their table scratched the back of his head and grinned at Kushina. "I'm Minato Namikaze. I want to be Hokage too. Want to be friends?"

"You want to be Hokage?" Kushina made no move to shake his hand. "And you want to be my friend? Hmph!"

Kushina! Asuka, older and clearly used to this, slapped her forehead. Who told you everyone with your same goal is your enemy?

Minato could only withdraw his hand, awkward and confused by the sudden hostility.

(END OF THE CHAPTER)

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