Chapter 141: The Star of Death is Flickering

"Kurenai?", Tsunade was a bit surprised, "Aren't you afraid Yugao will have opinions?"

Aoba rolled his eyes, "With my current strength, I don't even need a jonin instructor. Having Sister Yugao as my instructor would be too much of a waste."

"So what you mean is that Kurenai is the weakest among all jonin instructors?", Tsunade teased with a mocking expression.

Aoba straightened his face, "I never said that. You said it!"

"Hmph!", Tsunade chuckled lightly but didn't press the matter, because it was true.

"In that case, you'll be in a team with Hinata and Yakumo, led by Kurenai."

Yuhi Kurenai was Kurama Yakumo's teacher, and also the only genjutsu user among all the jonin instructors.

So Kurama Yakumo was definitely going to be in the same team as Yuhi Kurenai.

"Alright," Aoba nodded. The reasoning was solid, and there wouldn't be much problem explaining it.

Tsunade continued, "Then there's Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino as a team, led by Sarutobi Asuma."

Aoba paused mid-bite, "Sarutobi Asuma?"

He didn't expect that it would still be Sarutobi Asuma leading the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

"Is there a problem?", Tsunade looked at Aoba.

Aoba naturally wouldn't speak his mind, or else it would seem like he bore deep resentment against the Sarutobi clan. So he asked instead, "Didn't you say you were going to break up the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?"

"If you really want to form a seven-man team, I'll give you Ino. How about that?", Tsunade shot back grumpily.

"Forget it then," Aoba decisively refused.

Tsunade snorted lightly, then asked, "Do you know about the 'Earring Oath'?"

"Earring Oath? Never heard of it," Aoba shook his head in confusion. It was his first time hearing that term.

Tsunade began to explain, "Because the secret techniques of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans complement each other, the relationship among their families is very special and can be traced back to before Konoha's founding. So in almost every generation, the clan heads or successors are placed into a team together after graduation."

"And to reinforce that special bond, the three families have passed down an ancient ritual called the [Earring Oath]."

[T/N: It is true. You can search "Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi Clan Memorial" to know more about it]

"Whenever the heirs of the three clans form a team, the Sarutobi clan acts as witnesses and gives them the earrings."

"This is an old tradition passed down from before Konoha's founding."

Aoba was a bit surprised, "The Ino-Shika-Cho trio actually has such a deep connection with the Sarutobi clan?"

He truly hadn't noticed this bit of history before.

"So that means Ino has officially been confirmed as the next head of the Yamanaka clan?"

Tsunade nodded, "That's right. And Asuma has just finished his Guardian Ninja mission, so I assigned him to lead them."

"I see," Aoba nodded and resumed eating his breakfast.

Tsunade continued thinking about the genin team arrangements, with Aoba giving her a few suggestions from the side.

Breakfast ended.

Once he was fully dressed and ready to leave—

"Wait a second," Tsunade suddenly called out.

Aoba looked back in confusion, "What is it?"

Tsunade looked at him, her expression slightly complicated.

'This brat likes to talk back a lot, but overall, he feels pretty alright.'

She didn't say anything, just reached behind her neck and unfastened the necklace she'd worn for who knows how many years.

She pulled out the bluish-green pendant from the canyon of her snow peaks.

This wasn't an ordinary pendant, it was a chakra crystal that only reacted to the First Hokage's chakra.

It was a relic left by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.

Besides holding great symbolic meaning, it also had a very practical effect. Aside from Tsunade, anyone else who wore it would die.

Even Naruto, the Child of Destiny, nearly died from it, and only survived by crushing it after going berserk with the tailed beast.

Sometimes Aoba had even wondered, 'If Hidan wears this necklace, what would happen?'

Tsunade held the necklace out to Aoba, "I said before, if one day you surpass me, I'll give you this necklace."

"Now, you've already learned all my skills and have all those strange kekkei genkai. Even though we haven't fought seriously, I can already tell I'm no longer your match."

"So, I'm giving you this necklace as your graduation gift from me, your teacher."

"This…", Aoba hesitated, "Didn't you say this was a relic from the First Hokage? It must hold deep meaning for you, right?"

To be honest, Aoba was still a bit uneasy. After all, normal people really couldn't wear this thing.

Besides, even though he had surpassed Tsunade now, they hadn't actually fought yet.

"Hmph! You think your teacher is someone who goes back on her word? I said I'd give it to you, so I'll give it to you," Tsunade put on a stern face and said, "Stretch out your neck! I'll put it on for you!"

Aoba sighed inwardly but didn't refuse again. It was just a necklace after all.

With his system, his luck was even more heaven-defying than the Child of Destiny's.

He bent down slightly, leaning toward Tsunade, his face directly facing Tsunade's grandness.

Tsunade unhooked both ends of the necklace and fastened it around Aoba's neck.

"Congratulations on graduating."

She also leaned forward and gave Aoba a light kiss on the forehead.

Aoba instantly felt a soft and warm sensation on his forehead.

His heart skipped a beat.

'Crap, I am fully buffed now!'

Tsunade's kiss lingered for a moment before she withdrew and said, "Hurry up and go. Don't be late for today's exam!"

Aoba didn't move, instead, he looked up, lips pursed, and stared at Tsunade, "Sensei, this isn't fair!"

"Not fair?", Tsunade blinked in confusion, "What's not fair?"

Aoba didn't answer. He stood on his tiptoes and kissed Tsunade on the cheek.

Tsunade was instantly stunned.

But before she could react, Aoba had already turned and ran out, "Sensei, I'm off to the exam!"

In the blink of an eye, he had grabbed Karin, who was waiting outside in shock, and disappeared.

A few seconds later, Tsunade finally came back to her senses, feeling a strange yet subtle emotion rise in her heart.

She touched her cheek, it was a little wet. [T/N: —_—, did he lick it?]

"Hmph, that brat. He got his drool on my face," Tsunade snorted lightly, but wasn't angry.

She turned back into the house and looked at the resentful Shizune, feeling even better.

With just a small move, she had already pushed Shizune to her limit.

———

"Aoba-nii, why did you kiss Lady Tsunade just now?"

"Because she kissed me first."

"Then if I kiss you, will you kiss me too?"

"No way!"

"Why not?"

"No reason!"

[A/N: To avoid censorship, the lewd plot afterward will revolve around adults, untill others grow up. The rest will stay normal daily life content.]

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