I, Konoha’s Sage of Life-Chapter 402: Not Taking Your Little Disciple With You?

Chapter 402: Chapter 402: Not Taking Your Little Disciple With You?
Every field has its specialist.
Kyoichi knew he wasn’t cut out for certain things. He could handle them for a short while, but over time, others would inevitably do better. So instead of forcing himself, he might as well step aside and let someone more suited take the position.
When he returned home—
Shizune and Oriri were already helping pack.
They knew Tsunade and Kyoichi might leave Konoha soon, so preparing in advance would prevent panic later.
"Shizune, thank you. You two should rest early."
"Tsunade-hime..."
Shizune’s eyes were brimming with tears, her expression full of grievance. She wiped her face before finally asking:
"Tsunade-hime, why aren’t you taking me with you this time? Is it because..."
"Don’t talk nonsense."
Tsunade cut her off—firm and righteous.
"I’m not taking you because what you need now is not running all over the world with me, but staying in Konoha to study properly and strengthen yourself. If I drag you around for my convenience, that would only harm your growth."
Tsunade’s tone was serious.
Shizune’s foundations were solid... but not solid enough.
Her medical knowledge was good, but without systematic study and hospital experience, she had plenty of gaps—especially in practical ninjutsu.
Tsunade wasn’t great at teaching.
When wandering outside, she never focused on that side of training—leaving everything to Shizune’s self-study. Looking back, Shizune’s development almost solidified prematurely into a rigid path.
Fortunately, they came back to Konoha early enough to avoid that.
"I..."
"Shizune, the shinobi world may be peaceful, but it’s not truly peaceful. The Ōtsutsuki on the moon are stirring. We know nothing about the Chibaku Sphere’s origins. We don’t know how long the Heavenly Star seal will last."
She sighed deeply.
"Our responsibilities are heavy, and our road is long."
Leaving Konoha wasn’t just for relaxation—
though that was certainly part of it.
But more importantly, she and Kyoichi needed to find answers.
Especially about the moon.
With current ninjutsu, landing on the moon was nearly impossible.
But... with Flying Thunder God, if they could somehow place a formula up there, reaching it would no longer be a dream.
That was a problem urgently needing a solution.
But in the shinobi world, no answer existed yet.
"I see... I thought you were just going to..."
"Ugh..."
Tsunade covered her face, unsure how to respond.
After a long moment, she sighed.
"My fault. When I first took you in, I wasn’t in a good place. I didn’t do anything proper—just gambling and drinking. Of course your impression of me is terrible."
"No, no! That’s not what I meant."
Shizune’s face flushed red.
Although...
She had suspected Tsunade simply wanted to go gambling and drinking again.
"Kyoichi’s coming too, so don’t worry. You know what he’s like."
"...Yes."
Shizune gave up resisting.
If she pushed further, Tsunade’s fist would come next.
Her patience had limits.
---
In another room—
Kyoichi walked in and found Oriri had already packed everything neatly.
"Kyoichi-sama."
"Konoha will be in your hands. With Minato and Kushina around, no one will bully you. If you can’t manage here, go find Kurenai—have her contact me."
He patted Oriri’s head.
If it were anyone else touching her hair, she’d be furious.
But now—she simply nodded.
Several seconds passed before she whispered:
"Kyoichi-sama... thank you."
"And if you ever want to visit Uzushio, just go. If you want to rebuild a village there, talk to Minato. It’s not a big issue."
Kyoichi sighed quietly.
The destruction of the Uzumaki clan—Konoha bore some responsibility.
Uzushiogakure was gone, and the surviving Uzumaki were scattered.
Very few descendants remained.
Supporting a rebuild wouldn’t change that.
Oriri thought for a while and shook her head.
"Kushina and I aren’t suited for that. And Nagato... he’s capable, but he’s not that kind of leader. Besides, there’s no real purpose."
The Uzumaki’s greatest strengths were sealing and chakra chains.
Without the clan, Uzushio held no strategic meaning.
And now—
Konoha was strong enough to cover most territories, including the Land of Whirlpools. Creating a new village would only paint a target for enemies.
Kyoichi didn’t press further. He simply patted her shoulder.
"Work hard. Your potential is far greater than what you’re showing now. When Tsunade and I return, I expect to see a stronger, more complete you."
"You’ll... come back?"
Oriri froze, disbelief and joy flickering across her face.
Kyoichi stared at her for a beat, then sighed.
"Obviously. Why would I move out permanently?"
"No, I didn’t mean that—"
"Alright, go on. If you miss us, tell Kurenai to send word the way I explained earlier."
He smiled.
Tomorrow, he would leave Konoha.
From there, they’d travel west—through Amegakure toward the Land of Snow and beyond—to see the world. Once they’d seen enough, they’d return.
It wasn’t like they’d vanish forever.
Hearing this, Oriri brightened instantly.
She had thought Kyoichi and Tsunade were going off for a lifelong two-person journey. Now she realized she’d simply overthought it.
Well...
Some of that might still be true, but—
Kyoichi-sama would return.
That was enough.
She bowed deeply and withdrew.
Kyoichi shook his head, sighed, and sealed away all their belongings.
Ninja storage techniques were convenient—
There was nothing a sealing scroll couldn’t fix.
And if something couldn’t be sealed?
Just use two.
---
The next morning, Tsunade and Kyoichi left their house early.
Standing on the rooftop, they looked back at their home.
"It’s been a while since I looked at it like this. Only when leaving do I realize—we actually kept this place pretty nice. Well, except that vine. That thing is hideous."
"...Uh."
Kyoichi went speechless.
That vine was the result of his wood-release training. He’d once accelerated its growth, then left it alone to observe its vitality.
And now it had overtaken the entire yard.
Not only that—
It was slowly creeping onto the roof, forcing them to trim it regularly so it wouldn’t crush the house.
Wooden homes could only take so much abuse.
Kyoichi stared at it a few times and finally muttered:
"Honestly, it’s not that bad. Wild but orderly. And it improves greenery—very eco-friendly."
"I totally believe you," Tsunade deadpanned.
She rolled her eyes, then smiled slyly at him.
"You really not considering bringing along your little disciple? She’s hardworking, pretty, gentle... a good catch."
"Cough—cough! I don’t have such intentions!"
Kyoichi nearly choked.
Tsunade, this woman...
Forget it.
Kurenai was way too obvious; even without anyone tattling, Tsunade would notice eventually.
After all, in a sense, Tsunade was half her teacher.
Many of Kurenai’s later medical techniques came from Tsunade’s personal guidance.
Kurenai didn’t hide her emotions.
Anyone who saw the two interact could tell.
And honestly...
It was giving Kyoichi a massive headache.