Strictly speaking, the more accurate term would be her nipple.
Of course, this was something Tsunade could never say out loud—she simply remained silent.
...
"You little brat, this time you've truly managed to anger me."
Having his clan's supreme jutsu belittled, Mashiro glared with fury. He raised a hand, forming a seal, channeling chakra from within.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
A massive wooden dragon burst forth from beneath the ice.
Mashiro leapt high and landed on its head, looking down at Tōshirō from above, speaking proudly: "This is the Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique. Back in the day, Lord Hashirama used this very jutsu to subdue the mighty Nine-Tails. Now, let's see how you fare in the same position."
Uh…
Tōshirō tilted his head back to gaze up at the wooden dragon, thinking: Well, you're not wrong, but honestly, that dragon's kind of underwhelming… It's way too small.
But it made sense—this was, after all, a synthetic Wood Release created through experimentation. Who knew what problems it carried. Naturally, it couldn't be compared to the genuine Wood Release.
Thinking this, Tōshirō smiled.
Since the opponent used the Wood Dragon Technique, he might as well return the favor in kind.
Tōshirō quickly formed hand seals, circulating his chakra, molding and extending the surrounding ice.
Ice Release: Crystal Ice Dragon Descent Technique.
An ice dragon just as large as the opponent's wood dragon formed, coiling on the ground.
With one hand forming a seal, Tōshirō summoned the dragon with his chakra. The ice dragon stirred, spiraling upward, then lowered its proud head to allow the young man to step onto it. Afterward, it slowly raised its head again.
In that moment, the two dragons stood opposed—ice and wood face to face.
"Is that... an Ice Release jutsu?!"
The members of the Senju clan stared in shock at this ice technique.
They had encountered Ice Release users before, but never one like Tōshirō. This technique mirrored the might of the Wood Dragon.
Standing atop the ice dragon, Tōshirō looked across at the wood dragon and raised an eyebrow. "I've heard stories about the First Hokage's powerful Wood Dragon Technique, so I specially developed a similar jutsu to compare whose dragon is stronger."
"Unfortunately, I never had the chance to test it out—until now. Let's see if this legendary Wood Dragon is as impressive as they say. I hope I'm not disappointed."
Mashiro welcomed the challenge and commanded his wood dragon to charge.
On the other side, Tōshirō directed his ice dragon to twist its body and launch forward.
The two dragons clashed—and the difference was immediately obvious.
Upon impact, the ice dragon couldn't quite match the wooden one. Its head cracked under the force.
Seeing things go south, Tōshirō quickly leapt away from the ice dragon. It was clear that his Crystal Ice Dragon Descent technique, while flashy, was ultimately just an imitation when compared to the real Wood Dragon Technique.
Mashiro allowed himself a rare smirk. Until now, he had been on the back foot against Tōshirō, but at last he'd gained the upper hand—however briefly.
Just as he was considering how to follow up and seize victory, his body suddenly spasmed with pain. The discomfort quickly intensified, spreading rapidly through every fiber of his being.
Overwhelmed, he lost the ability to control the Wood Dragon Technique, which collapsed to the ground. Without chakra to sustain it, the wood dragon became lifeless.
Tōshirō's face showed surprise. He didn't understand what was happening—Is this a feint?
But when he saw Mashiro's sweat-drenched, pale face, he realized something was wrong and quickly shouted, "Tsunade! Get down here—something's off with this guy!"
Tsunade was a medical ninja—she was the right person to call.
Spectators in the stands were still trying to process Mashiro's sudden failure. But upon hearing Tōshirō's shout, they quickly responded, sending nearby medical-nin to assist Tsunade in checking on Mashiro's condition.
Tōshirō stepped back, careful not to interfere.
At that moment, a member of the Uchiha clan approached him and asked, "Tōshirō, what's happening to that guy?"
Tōshirō shook his head—he didn't know yet.
Just as he was trying to figure it out, a scream rang out. He turned toward the sound and saw strange sprout-like growths emerging from Mashiro's face.
"…That's…"
Tōshirō suddenly understood.
In the original story, the Wood Release experiments ultimately ended in failure. Without his intervention, the results for those who awakened Wood Release through artificial means were never good.
Still, he hadn't expected things to escalate this fast.
Maybe using two powerful Wood Release techniques in battle had triggered an early breakdown.
That guy's finished…
Tōshirō gave him a final, pitying glance. What a shame.
The guy was actually quite strong.
Despite appearing to struggle throughout the fight, the real reason he kept losing ground was his unfamiliarity with Tōshirō's abilities and fighting style—he had no intel to work with.
By contrast, Tōshirō often sparred with Tsunade and had a deep understanding of Senju clan techniques. That advantage is what led to the one-sided fight just now.
If the battle had continued, defeating Mashiro would've been no easy task.
Next was the medical ninja's responsibility—Tōshirō had no use staying there, and the battle clearly couldn't continue, so he simply left.
A few hours later, Tsunade found Tōshirō with a face full of sorrow and told him that Asakura had died—he had turned into a plant.
Thinking about how another life had been lost due to the Wood Release experiment, Tsunade's eyes welled with tears, and her voice was tinged with sobs: "Can I lean on your shoulder for a bit?"
Tōshirō silently nodded.
A week later, through Tsunade, Tōshirō learned that the remaining ninja who had awakened the Wood Release also began to have issues, one after another. None survived. As a result, the Wood Release experiment was officially listed as a forbidden jutsu and sealed away, no longer researched.
As for the attitude of the Senju clan toward Tōshirō and Tsunade, it remained mostly disapproving, but they no longer had the power to oppose them, so the matter quietly faded away.
Land of Waterfalls, in a dense forest.
"Hmph, is that all?"
Kakuzu grabbed a middle-aged man by the throat, lifting him into the air. His whites of the eyes were red, and his pupils green—inhuman eyes that exuded cruelty and coldness.
"Ugh… ugh…" The man, whose windpipe was being crushed, could only let out muffled sobs. If he could speak, he'd likely be begging for his life.
"Hmph. Boring…"
Kakuzu snapped the man's neck, brutally taking his life.
The man had been a high-bounty criminal.
Kakuzu had long achieved financial freedom. After years as a bounty hunter, killing people for money was no longer just a profession—it had become a form of entertainment.
Whenever he felt bored, he would hunt down a few bounty targets and kill them.
He effortlessly slung the corpse over his back and walked on, thinking to himself: That Uchiha brat has been missing for three years now.
Is he dead?
Even though he found Tōshirō rather agreeable, Kakuzu wasn't the type to worry or go around asking for intel just to put his mind at ease.
And considering he hadn't heard Tōshirō's name in all this time, he just naturally assumed the boy had probably died on some mission.
"What a pity. Working with that kid was actually quite pleasant…"
Kakuzu muttered to himself.
To be honest, he had considered teaming up with Tōshirō to stir up some trouble—like becoming the leader of the Hidden Waterfall Village. He thought it would've been fun.
But all those plans had been put on hold and eventually shelved permanently when Tōshirō never came to find him again.
As he walked along a narrow path lined with trees on both sides, the sudden appearance of a person ahead caught his attention immediately.
The figure was around 180 cm tall, wearing a black robe and a one-eyed mask that revealed only a single eye. From the first glance, it was obvious this person wasn't normal—no ordinary person dressed like that.
Plus, appearing in such a remote area and standing directly in his path—it was hard not to be suspicious.
Who is this guy?What's he hiding with that mask?Trying not to be recognized?
Just like me…?
Years of experience as a ninja allowed Kakuzu to instantly determine that this masked man was most likely here for him.
From the aura he gave off, it was obvious—he was a powerful fighter.
As a bounty hunter who had killed many people over the years for "work," Kakuzu had made a lot of enemies.
The people he hunted were usually dangerous figures, and those people often had dangerous allies.
It was not unusual for them to come seeking revenge.
Besides that possibility, Kakuzu also considered another one:
Given his years of being on the run, could the Hidden Waterfall Village have finally sent someone to hunt him down?
But even that theory had problems. The village knew his strength well. Sending just one man wouldn't be enough.
And considering how much the village had declined in recent years, it was already lucky Kakuzu hadn't caused them trouble himself. Would they really dare provoke him?
Trying to further weaken themselves?
"You—who are you?"
Kakuzu asked casually, not expecting a real answer.
But to his surprise, the masked man actually told him—and what he said made Kakuzu think he had misheard: "What… what did you just say?"
Judging by the voice, the man was male and quite old—probably close to Kakuzu's age.
If that man were still alive, the age would check out.
But the problem was—that man was dead. The whole world knew that.
So when this man declared his identity, Kakuzu didn't even need to doubt—he immediately assumed this guy was just bluffing.
As Kakuzu's bloodshot eyes stared him down in warning, the masked man slowly spoke again, his voice slightly hoarse: "I don't repeat myself."
Kakuzu's voice grew low and disdainful: "Daring to claim you're that man—at least pick a lie that's harder to see through. Do I look like someone so easily fooled?"
The masked man's voice carried a hint of intrigue: "Whether I'm bluffing or not… why don't you find out?"
"Hmph, I was planning to anyway."
Kakuzu casually tossed the corpse aside and entered battle stance: "I fought the First Hokage once. Now I want to see for myself what kind of power his equal once wielded."
The mysterious man chuckled, clearly amused.
"If you die accidentally, don't say I didn't warn you."
The black-robed man's voice turned delighted: "Heh heh… interesting. You should feel honored."
"Big talk. You'd better have the strength to match the name you're pretending to be—Uchiha Madara."
(End of Chapter)
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