Konoha: Gu Master

"Thanks for covering the afternoon, Shizune-nee."

Shinho set down a stack of documents and looked toward Shizune, who was organizing files across the room.

"Sure."

Shizune wasn't surprised; Shinho had mentioned his plans earlier that morning.

"Thanks again," Shinho said with a smile, waving as he left the Hokage office.

Shizune watched him go, a flicker of curiosity in her gaze.

What's he taking the afternoon off for?

…

The answer was… a trip to the hot springs.

A week ago, after sealing Moryo, Shinho had promised Karin that he would take her to a hot spring.

Today, with Konoha calm and no urgent matters pressing, he decided it was time to fulfill that promise.

"Yugao-nee," Shinho called out casually as he walked through the village streets.

"Lord Hokage," Uzuki Yugao responded instantly, appearing behind him.

"Do me a favor," Shinho instructed, "Reserve the Konoha Hot Springs exclusively for this afternoon."

"Understood."

With that, Yugao vanished to carry out his request.

..,

Shinho soon arrived at the Senju estate.

Just as he reached for the door, it swung open.

"Shinho-nii!" Karin threw herself into his arms, her excitement barely contained. "Are we leaving now?"

She had been waiting all morning and was practically vibrating with anticipation.

"No need to rush, Karin," came a soft voice.

Chisori, Karin's mother, appeared behind her, her demeanor as gentle as ever. "Shinho, why don't you join us for lunch first?"

Shinho nodded in agreement. He hadn't eaten yet, and it would be a good chance to relax.

At the table, Karin ate like she had been starving for days, devouring her food at a speed that left Chisori smiling helplessly.

"Aunt Chisori," Shinho thought of something and called out to Chisori withou hesitation, "Would you like to join us at the hot spring?"

Karin froze mid-bite, glancing up at him with wide eyes.

"I won't, so as to not disturb you two's plans." Chisori shook her head with a gentle smile. 

"Do not misuanderstand, it's not a mixed bath!" Shinho said after a moment, he had a strong feeling that Chisori had misunderstood him.

Chisori's eyes widened ever so slightly, and her gaze shifted to Karin for a moment. There was a strong reluctance in Karin's eyes.

"Oh I see;" Chisori thought for a moment, and said, "But mixed bath isn't sucha big deal though."

"...?"

Shinho froze, his mind scrambling for an appropriate response.

"Exactly!" Karin chimed in, a mysterious glint in her eye.

Chisori blushed under Shinho's incredulous stare, clearing her throat. "It was just a suggestion. I'll leave it up to you two."

…

After lunch, Shinho and Karin made their way to the hot springs.

Chisori didn't go with them.

As expected, Uzuki Yugao had secured the entire facility. The owner handed them each a key upon arrival.

"You take the one next door," Shinho told Karin, ignoring her pouty expression as he entered his designated area.

The steamy hot air greeted him as he stepped into the private indoor hot spring.

Stripping down to a towel, Shinho sank into the warm water, a contented sigh escaping his lips.

The heat eased the tension in his muscles, and as he relaxed, his focus naturally turned inward.

The Primeval Essence within him stirred, surging through his apertures.

For the past few days, Shinho had been cultivating whenever he had free time, he had a strong feeling that a breakthrough was imminent.

Time slipped by unnoticed until suddenly, his body trembled.

The color of his Primeval Essence shifted, becoming a faint crystalline lavender.

He had done it—he had ascended to Rank 5 Gu Master, the pinnacle of mortal cultivation.

...

[Achievement unlocked: "Mortal Pinnacle." Reward: Human Power Triumphs Heaven Gu.]

[Human Power Triumphs Heaven Gu: A Rank 5 Gu with the power to defy fate, allowing individuals without natural cultivation aptitude to open their apertures and cultivate.]

[tl/n: I couldn't find the exact gu in wiki, please leave a comment if you know the gu mentioned here]

..

In the world of Gu, Rank 5 represented the zenith of mortal cultivation. Beyond that lay Rank 6, the realm of Gu Immortals, where one transcended mortality entirely.

While the leap from Rank 4 to Rank 5 brought significant improvements to a gu master's cultivation, such as higher-quality Primeval Essence and the ability to control more powerful Gu, the difference between Rank 5 and Rank 6 was immeasurable.

Gu Immortals had infinite Primeval Essence and could create personal miniature worlds within their apertures.

The Human Power Triumphs Heaven Gu had little use for Shinho himself since he already had an aperture. 

But then came the question; Who should he give it to?

Shinho had a lot of candidates in his mind, but in the end, he preferred Tsunade.

If she had her apertures opened, she would be able to better absorb natural energy and would be able to use her Gu insects more effectively, and more importanty, she was already quite strong, and herstrength would only improve in quality.

Shinho Stretched his body as he got up.

After getting dressed, he exited the hot spring to wait for Karin.

It wasn't long before the door opened, and she emerged looking visibly displeased.

The hot spring had been enjoyable, but being alone had left her bored.

Shinho, preoccupied with his breakthrough, had locked his door, foiling any plans she might have had to sneak in.

"Are you not satisfied?" Shinho teased, amused by her sulky expression.

"No," Karin huffed, crossing her arms.

"You're getting more and more disobedient," Shinho said, scooping her up effortlessly.

Karin yelped in surprise, finding herself draped across his lap.

Before she could react, Shinho raised his hand and brought it down with a light but firm smack.

Karin froze, a faint numbing feeling spreading from her buttocks.

Did i just get smacked?

Karinw as utterly confused.

"Did you learn your lesson?" Shinho asked, delivering another swat.

"I…" Karin's body trembled. She opened her mouth to admit fault but found herself defiant instead. "What did I even do wrong?"

The sound of another smack echoed through the room.

Karin let out a small yelp, her face turning bright red.

"You still won't admit to your wrongdoings?" Shinho asked, delivering three more quick swats.

"I-I was wrong! I was in wrong!" Karin stammered, her voice shaky as unfamiliar sensations coursed through her.

"...?"

Shinho released her, watching as she stood with her head bowed, her face flushed and her posture stiff. 

She didn't look at him, and occasionally, her body twitched.

What's wrong with her? Shinho wondered, baffled by her reaction.

"Let's go," he said, brushing off his confusion.

Karin quickly followed, not daring to look him in the eye.

…

After dropping Karin off at home, Shinho returned to the Hokage office.

"You're back already?" Shizune asked, surprised.

Shinho had requested a half-day leave but was back in less than two hours.

"Shizune-nee, please inform Guy-sensei to meet me at the village gate tomorrow at 8 a.m," Shinho said, picking up a water cup from the desk and taking a sip.

Shizune hesitated for a moment. That was her cup, but given their relationship, it hardly mattered.

"You're heading to Otogakure tomorrow?" she asked, catching on.

"Mm," Shinho confirmed with a smile. "It's about time."

Shizune blinked, noting the confidence in his tone.

"I'll notify him right away," she said with a nod.

"Wait," Shinho added, "also, let Kakashi-sensei know to leave with Sasuke ahead of us."

"Understood."

With that, Shizune turned and left.

Shinho glanced at the documents on the desk, then leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a brief moment of rest.

After he finished stabilizing his body and cultivation, the workday was winding to a close.

…

In the evening;

After dinner, Tsunade was sprawled out on the couch once again.

Shinho watched as Shizune cleared the table and carried the dishes into the kitchen. He then moved to the couch, sitting on the right side near Tsunade.

With no proper footrest available, Tsunade casually placed her legs across his lap.

At some point, their interactions had grown increasingly more intimate, and it was a change Shinho gladly accepted.

He reached out, lightly massaging the top of her foot.

Her skin was smooth yet supple, and his gaze naturally drifted upward, over her toned legs, before settling on her face.

"Something on your mind?" Tsunade asked, her cheeks faintly flushed from the wine she had with dinner.

"We heading to Otogakure tomorrow" Shinho replied, his hands continuing their rhythmic work on her feet, particularly the arches, which had a pleasing firmness.

"Who else is coming with us?" Tsunade asked, her toes curling involuntarily under his touch.

"Guy-sensei," Shinho said with a small smile.

"Hmm, Guy's r-reliable," Tsunade said with a nod, though her voice faltered slightly as his fingers pressed a sensitive spot. 

She shifted her position, her toes flexing and relaxing.

"And Sasuke will be the bait," Shinho added.

Otogakure wasn't big but it wasn't that small either.

Orochimaru, like Danzo liked to dig bases underground and hide in his little hole.

Under normal circumstances it would be difficult find him in time without alerting him even with proficient sensory ninjas with large scale perception techniques.

So, it was best lure the snake out of it's hole, instead of going searching for it.

Although there wasn't any reports of Orochimaru going out of his way to maketrouble in the recent years, he had certainly never given up on his objective to capture Sasuke Alive.

"Sasuke?" Tsunade straightened up slightly, her brows knitting. "Isn't that too dangerous?"

"It won't be," Shinho reassured her.

Sasuke had awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, making him quite the powerful opponent, especially against Orochimaru. 

Even in the worst-case scenario where Orochimaru managed to capture him, the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu required significant preparation time, leaving Sasuke in no immediate danger.

Besides, Shinho had lent Sasuke the Golden Silk Armour Gu. 

If Orochimaru tried to devour him, he'd find Sasuke impossible to digest and would have no choice but to spit him back out.

"Are you sure Orochimaru will fall for this?" Tsunade asked, tilting her head in skepticism.

During the Chunin exam she had understood that Orochimaru was targeting Shinho and Sasuke, but what she didn't know about was the living corpe reincarnation jutsu.

She was still thinking he was just collecting geniuses, so in her opinion, Orochimaru was smart enough to easily spot the trap.

"He will," Shinho said confidently.

"It seems you have your own ideas; I'll trust your judgment," Tsunade said, leaning back again. She was too lazy to think hard on this subject and wasn't in the mood to hear a detailed explanation.

"Um," Shinho nodded.

Luring Orochimaru with Sasuke didn't require that much strict arrangements.

Orochimaru's obsession with the Sharingan was well-documented, as was his overconfidence in his ability to escape any situation.

Even if he knew it was a trap, Orochimaru will bite it without hesitation.

Shinho's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching.

Tsunade quickly swung her legs off Shinho's lap and sat upright.

"What are you two talking about?" Shizune asked, removing her apron as she entered the room.

"Otogakure," Shinho replied casually.

"Can I come along?" Shizune asked after a brief hesitation.

"No," Shinho said firmly. "You need to stay and handle things here."

Shizune sighed softly, having expected this response.

…

Meanwhile, in the Forest of Death

Sasuke Uchiha glanced toward Kakashi Hatake, who was in conversation with an ANBU operative wearing a mask.

Though Sasuke couldn't hear the details, he understood the mission: Orochimaru.

The memory of his encounter with Orochimaru during the Chūnin Exams remained vivid. 

He hadn't performed poorly, but neither had he shone. Ultimately, it was Shinho who had driven Orochimaru away.

But things had changed since then. Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Previously, he had considered challenging Shinho to a spar, but after witnessing Shinho's battle against Moryo, he had decided against it.

Now, he had his sights set on Orochimaru.

Defeating someone of Orochimaru's caliber would be proof enough of his strength.

"Sasuke."

Kakashi finished his conversation and approached.

Sasuke looked up at his mentor silently.

"We'll need to stage a show," Kakashi said, his tone tinged with resignation.

Though Kakashi had completed countless missions in his life, this one was certainly unique.

To seduce one of the the legendary sannins.

"Show?" Sasuke murmured, immediately thinking of Shinho. 

Only Shinho could come up with such an unconventional approach.

"Let's talk on the move," Kakashi said, leaping into the trees.

Their plan was to reach the Land of Rice Fields ahead of the others, subtly leaking their whereabouts along the way, ensuring that Otogakure would take notice.

…

Morning

As the sun's first rays broke over Konoha, Shinho stirred awake at the sound of his bedroom door opening.

He opened his eyes to see Shizune standing hesitantly in the doorway.

He thought for a moment and quickly realised.

Is she worried about me?

"It's a little early for you to be up, Shizune-nee," Shinho said, lifting the blanket slightly. "Want to rest a bit longer?"

Shizune glanced at him, noting that he was wearing pajamas. After a brief moment of deliberation, she walked over and slipped under the covers.

The familiar scent of Shinho's left her feeling nervous but also comforted.

To her surprise, Shinho merely wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes, making no further moves.

Shizune blinked, her heart calming.

Has he changed? she wondered. She was even prepared…

Leaning against his chest, she felt herself relax and eventually drift back to sleep.

When she woke, she felt refreshed, her body light and relaxed.

Glancing at the still-sleeping Shinho, she leaned over and kissed his forehead lightly before quietly leaving the room.

A few minutes later, Shinho sat up, yawning as he stretched.

Sleeping with Shizune wasn't bad at all. She smells great, he thought, chalking it up to either her natural scent as a ninja or the effects of the Yin Seal.

…

"Good morning, sensei," Shinho said as he entered the bathroom.

Tsunade was already there, brushing her teeth. She leaned forward slightly, her posture accentuating her figure.

"Stop staring!" Tsunade said, putting down her toothbrush and abruptly stepping on his foot.

She huffed and walked off, her hips swaying provocatively.

"..."

Shinho shrugged. 

Their exchanges often felt more like playful banter than actual scolding.

…

After breakfast—tonkotsu ramen prepared by Shizune—Shinho and Tsunade headed to the village gates.

"Lord Hokage! Lady Tsunade!"

A green blur zipped into view, stopping dramatically before them.

"I will give this mission my all! Witness my youthful passion!" Might Guy proclaimed, flashing his trademark grin and giving a thumbs-up.

Shinho and Tsunade exchanged glances, helpless.

There was no doubting Guy's will of fire, though his enthusiasm could be a bit much at times.

"Let's move out," Shinho said with a nod.

"Understood!" Guy shouted, his energy palpable.