Chapter 289 Tsunade: Teach me again!

“Why isn’t he here yet? Is he still not awake?” Tsunade glanced at the clock; the hour hand pointed to twelve and the minute hand had already passed halfway.

Since Muzuki had arrived around this time for the past two days, Tsunade assumed he would come at a similar time today.

“Teacher Muzuki shouldn’t be someone who wakes up at noon, right?” Shizune thought Muzuki was definitely different from Tsunade.

“What’s wrong with waking up at noon? There’s nothing to do anyway, so what’s the difference what time you wake up?” Tsunade felt Shizune’s words had a hidden meaning, so she extended her wicked hands towards Shizune’s cheeks.

“Mmph…” Shizune wanted to say that waking up at noon meant losing a third of the day, but Tsunade’s kneading attack made her words unintelligible.

Tsunade didn’t see any sign of Muzuki until one o’clock, so she simply began teaching Shizune.

“You’re still teaching her Mystical Palm Technique, right?” Tsunade asked Shizune.

“Mm.” Shizune nodded.

At two-thirty, Muzuki entered Tsunade’s courtyard, carrying a small box.

“Lady Tsunade,” Muzuki greeted Tsunade with a smile and placed the box beside Tsunade and Shizune.

At this time, Tsunade had just finished lecturing for a while and was resting. She nodded in acknowledgment, then directly opened the gift box.

Shizune, standing nearby, saw the pastries in the gift box and her eyes instantly lit up.

Tsunade casually picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, then nodded. She had to admit that Muzuki was truly skilled when it came to food; even someone like her, who didn’t particularly like sweets, found the taste good.

“Eat it, I brought it for you anyway,” Muzuki said to Shizune with a smile.

Receiving confirmation, Shizune looked at Muzuki with grateful eyes, then also began to eat.

Shizune actually wanted to save some for the evening or tomorrow, but Tsunade’s continuous actions extinguished that idea. There was no way to save any; if she didn’t eat it, Tsunade would.

“Lady Tsunade, we’ll be studying for four hours today. I apologize for the trouble,” Muzuki said after Tsunade finished eating, handing her 400,000 ryo.

“Then let’s begin.” After taking the money, Tsunade threw it to Shizune without even looking at it.

She didn’t ask Muzuki why he only needed four hours today. After all, Muzuki might not be as free as she was, and it was normal for him to be delayed by something.

For the next four hours, the small courtyard was filled only with the sound of lecturing and questioning. Although the knowledge Tsunade was imparting was too advanced for Shizune at the moment, Shizune still pretended to listen attentively so as not to disrupt the atmosphere, taking notes on the parts she didn’t understand.

After the lecture, Muzuki, as usual, cooked dinner for Tsunade and Shizune and left a preview for the next day.

“Besides Beggar’s Chicken, I actually know another way to make chicken that’s very delicious, though it’s a little spicy,” Muzuki said after dinner.

After hearing Muzuki’s words, Tsunade silently swallowed the words she had been about to say.

The Beggar’s Chicken Muzuki made was the best chicken Tsunade had ever eaten. In fact, Tsunade and Shizune had even tried to replicate it together this afternoon. Although it tasted decent, it was completely different from what Muzuki made; it didn’t give that feeling of the entire person, from spirit to body, feeling relaxed.

“After eating tomorrow’s chicken dish, I’ll definitely tell him not to come anymore!” Tsunade thought with great determination.

Undoubtedly, Muzuki’s presence severely affected her ability to slack off.

Teaching a Ninja of Shizune’s level was easy for Tsunade because she could answer without thinking, and most of the time, she could just let Shizune practice on her own.

But Muzuki was different; sometimes, the questions he asked required her to think carefully.

As Muzuki left, Shizune waved goodbye to him, her face full of reluctance: “Teacher Muzuki, goodbye.”

For Shizune, Muzuki was simply too good. Not only did he give her desserts, but he also cooked delicious meals for them for free.

Muzuki responded with a gentle smile and left the courtyard under their gaze.

Watching her disciple continue to stare at Muzuki’s retreating back, Tsunade chopped Shizune’s head with her hand and said, arms crossed:

“Still looking? He’s already gone. A few meals and you like him that much?”

“It’s not because of the cooking, it’s because Teacher Muzuki is a very good person,” Shizune explained, covering her head with both hands, her face slightly flushed.

“Not just me, everyone in Fourth Grade likes Teacher Muzuki very much.”

The next day, not having a hangover, Tsunade woke up a little earlier than usual, at ten o’clock.

However, waking up early was meaningless for Tsunade, even a negative impact, because it meant she had to wait longer to eat Muzuki’s cooking.

Shizune, on the other hand, was very happy, thinking that Tsunade might be able to resume a healthy routine of waking up at eight in the morning.

“I should have just slept until six-thirty in the afternoon,” Tsunade said, glancing at the clock. It was one o’clock, and Muzuki still hadn’t arrived.

“If you really slept that late, you definitely wouldn’t get to eat Teacher Muzuki’s cooking, right? He’d see you sleeping and leave disappointed, and he wouldn’t stay to cook,” Shizune thought Tsunade’s idea was not good.

She believed that Muzuki stayed to cook as a reward for Tsunade’s lecturing. If Tsunade didn’t lecture but still wanted to eat Muzuki’s cooking, wouldn’t that be unearned gain?

Tsunade thought about it and indeed, if she didn’t teach, how could Muzuki possibly stay?

Today, Muzuki arrived even later than yesterday. It wasn’t until four o’clock in the afternoon that Muzuki came to Tsunade’s courtyard.

“You slacker, you’re so late today! I will absolutely not use my evening time to teach you,” Tsunade said, looking displeased.

“I apologize, Lady Tsunade, only two hours of teaching time will be enough today,” Muzuki said apologetically, then handed Tsunade 200,000 ryo.

Muzuki’s strength was enough to support him in completing high-level missions to earn commission, but Muzuki certainly wouldn’t waste time for money, and Ninja Academy was about to start, so Muzuki didn’t have much money left.

Of course, this was also part of Muzuki’s plan.

“Oh, I see.” Tsunade was slightly taken aback, and the inexplicable anger that had risen in her heart subsided.

If Muzuki only planned to study for two hours today, then arriving at four o’clock was indeed not a problem; even four-thirty wouldn’t be too late.

Having taught for four to six hours for three consecutive days, only teaching for two hours today felt like the time passed quickly, and she wasn’t tired either.

Tsunade did not give up the idea of secretly learning, and she brought Shizune along to watch Muzuki cook.

Tsunade felt that today’s chicken might have a richer flavor, as she saw Muzuki marinating, frying, and stir-frying, which looked a bit complicated.

In fact, Tsunade was already very hungry after it was fried, and she was even more impatient after Muzuki finished stir-frying.

“This dish is called Spicy Chicken. For those who like spicy food, it might be even more delicious than Beggar’s Chicken,” Muzuki simply introduced after placing it on the dining table.

Tsunade ignored Muzuki’s words. Wouldn’t she know if it was delicious after eating it?

However, looking at the pile of red chili peppers, Tsunade felt that the name Spicy Chicken was very fitting.

Driven by the aroma, Tsunade picked up a piece of chicken, put it in her mouth, and chewed. In a trance, she felt as if her entire body was immersed in a warm hot spring, feeling incredibly comfortable.

“Muzuki, with such good cooking skills, if you opened a restaurant, you would definitely make a lot of money, more than being a Ninja.” Tsunade tried to persuade Muzuki to open a restaurant so it would be easier for her to eat his cooking.

“Cooking is just a small hobby of mine. I don’t want it to become my job,” Muzuki told Tsunade directly that it was impossible.

Tsunade struggled internally for a long time but still couldn’t bring herself to say, “Muzuki, don’t come anymore,” because she still wanted to eat the Beggar’s Chicken and Spicy Chicken that Muzuki made.

“Fine, I’ll teach him one last day tomorrow, absolutely the last time!” Tsunade thought silently to herself.

Tsunade didn’t tell Muzuki not to come, but Muzuki spoke instead:

“Lady Tsunade, I have something to do tomorrow, so I probably won’t have time to come and study with you. You don’t have to wait in the afternoon.”

“Who do you think I am? I am Tsunade, one of the Sannin. How could I be waiting for you to study at home in the afternoon? I’m only here to teach Shizune,” Tsunade said, looking displeased.

“Mm, thank you for your teaching today, Lady Tsunade.” Muzuki didn’t mind Tsunade’s words, smiled gently, and bid them farewell.

Watching Muzuki leave, Shizune said with some regret, “It’s a pity, we won’t get to eat Teacher Muzuki’s cooking tomorrow.”

“What’s there to regret? Tomorrow I’ll take you to a high-class restaurant to eat, using his money,” Tsunade said with an indifferent expression.

Tsunade did not break her promise. The next day, she woke up at noon and took Shizune to a high-class restaurant in Konoha.

“I really don’t know how they dare to price it so high; it’s not even as good as what an amateur cooks,” Tsunade complained, looking at the table full of dishes.

She tried to order the most expensive items, but none of the dishes gave her the same feeling as Muzuki’s cooking. Tsunade even felt that these dishes were not even one-fifth as delicious as Muzuki’s.

“Perhaps Teacher Muzuki’s cooking is just too delicious.” Shizune believed it wasn’t that the restaurant was bad, but that Muzuki’s was too strong.

She felt the restaurant’s food tasted much better than what she cooked.

In the afternoon, Tsunade still held a glimmer of hope, thinking that Muzuki might finish his business early and come to study.

After all, according to her observations over the past few days, Muzuki was very diligent in his training and seemed to be the type who would seize every opportunity to improve himself.

But Tsunade watched the hour hand turn to seven, and Muzuki was still nowhere to be seen.

“The attitude of young Ninja nowadays is truly poor. They can’t even grasp opportunities to improve themselves.” Tsunade believed the younger generation of Ninja in Konoha was somewhat worrying.

“Lady Tsunade, Teacher Muzuki just had something to do; it doesn’t necessarily involve all the young Ninja in the Village,” Shizune weakly spoke up for Muzuki.

Tsunade glared at Shizune. Were inner thoughts something to be casually spoken aloud?

At this moment, Tsunade suddenly felt time passing slowly, and she eagerly wished for tomorrow to arrive.