Tsunade held the necklace in her hand, her entire being drifting into a daze.
Minato Namikaze and Kushina had also heard the rumors about her—or rather, they weren't rumors at all, but things that had actually happened.
"Tsunade-senpai, don't listen to Kazuyama Gekkō! Ignore him!"
"Hey, will you cut it out? You just love rubbing salt in people's wounds, don't you!"
Seeing Tsunade's expression, Kushina couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. Even Minato Namikaze's gaze toward Kazuyama Gekkō was filled with reproach. After all, bringing up old wounds in front of someone like that was indeed rather inappropriate.
Tsunade, however, smiled softly upon seeing the couple's reaction.
"It's fine. It's okay."
"It was painful back then, but thanks to this little rascal, I've moved past it."
"The cure for my hemophobia? He played a part in that too."
With Tsunade's clarification, Minato Namikaze and Kushina finally felt a twinge of embarrassment. They were also somewhat surprised. After all, could Kazuyama Gekkō really heal people? Especially such difficult-to-treat psychological conditions?
Was that even possible?
Kazuyama Gekkō: Hmph! Absolutely true! I'm the best at healing, specializing in all kinds of difficult cases!
"But, Kazuyama Gekkō, tell us—what's the real reason you wanted that necklace?"
"I don't think this pendant would be of any help."
Tsunade had received this pendant when she was very young, a gift from her grandfather, Hashirama Senju. Yet all this time, she'd never sensed anything unusual about it.
If even the necklace's owner was unaware, let alone Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki...
Now all three stared at Kazuyama Gekkō with puzzled expressions, waiting for him to explain.
"I must say, among the Sannin, my former teacher was the most erudite."
"As for the other two... well, they had the strength, but their knowledge? Let's just say it was lacking."
Tsunade: .....I'm f***ed
Minato Namikaze and Kushina: .....Jiraiya-sensei, it's a good thing you're not here.
Kazuyama Gekkō watched Tsunade's face darken and nearly laughed out loud. After all, mocking someone like this right to their face was rather amusing.
"Damn it, Kazuyama..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, calm down. Now comes what I really need to say."
Kazuyama Gekkō casually pulled a chair from the side and poured himself a glass of water. This nonchalant display drove the three of them nearly mad. Even the veins on Tsunade's hand bulged.
"Tsunade, what I'm about to say might make you uncomfortable, but I believe it's the truth."
"This pendant—you took it from the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, didn't you? He didn't give it to you."
"Which is why you never truly understood what this pendant represents."
Kazuyama Gekkō's words made Tsunade's eyes widen. Not because he was wrong, but because he was right.
This necklace was indeed a relic of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. She had specifically retrieved it to give to her younger brother, Nawaki, on his birthday.
But how could Kazuyama Gekkō know?
"This pendant belongs to the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. His chakra is sealed within the crystal."
"In other words, this necklace will only accept someone possessing chakra similar to the First Hokage's."
"And now, there is indeed someone in the entire ninja world who can use this pendant."
"After all, the Wood Release kekkei genkai—besides Senju Hashirama—is possessed by one other person. Even if his current strength is nowhere near comparable to the First Hokage's."
All three were dumbfounded. Could a single pendant hold so much history?
But Tsunade understood—Kazuyama Gekkō's words might hold truth.
Why? Because as the princess of the Senju clan, Tsunade's chakra and mastery of techniques far surpassed ordinary ninja. That was how she became Princess Tsunade.
"Kazuyama, are you suggesting this pendant, when combined with the Wood Release kekkei genkai, could unleash unimaginable power?"
"Seriously? It's just a pendant."
Minato Namikaze felt his mind was struggling to process it all. He wasn't unfamiliar with ninja tools, but if Kazuyama Gekkō's theory held true, the power contained within this pendant was beyond estimation.
"Don't judge those legendary figures by ordinary standards."
"Whether it's Senju Hashirama, Madara Uchiha, or Tobirama Senju, the energy they possessed wasn't something you could grasp at a glance."
"The first two were individuals who could single-handedly take on Tailed Beasts. Especially Hashirama Senju—he treated Tailed Beasts like toys, casually smashing them. Could any of us present back then even compare?"
"His pendant, nourished by his chakra for years, is already a formidable treasure."
"Based on my teacher's research and my own analysis, the chakra within this pendant—belonging to Hashirama Senju—could play a significant role."
Kazuyama Gekkō gazed at the emerald pendant, a hint of awe flashing in his eyes.
Even he had to acknowledge Hashirama Senju's brilliance—sealing his chakra within the emerald to transform an ordinary crystal pendant into a treasure.
If only this God of Shinobi weren't so scatterbrained, this skill alone could have made him the wealthiest man in the ninja world!
Who wouldn't want a treasure with such miraculous properties?
"So how do we use it?"
"You can't just wear the necklace around your neck and try it out, can you?"
Minato Namikaze had intended to say that this necklace absolutely must not be worn, given its rather unfortunate history. He dared not let Kushina take that gamble—what if something went wrong?
"What are you thinking?"
"Couldn't you just set up a sealing array and place this pendant as the array's focal point?"
"Do you take the Hokage for a fool?"
Kazuyama Gekkō scolded Minato impatiently, mainly because his brain wasn't firing on all cylinders.
Meanwhile, Tsunade watched them with a puzzled expression, completely baffled by their plan.
"Stop staring. We're discussing how to exert some control over the Nine-Tails' power."
"Since this pendant holds the power of the First Hokage, its presence should effectively help suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra."
Hearing Kazuyama Gekkō's idea, Tsunade reacted just like Minato and his wife earlier—she pushed the table aside and stood up, her eyes filled with utter disbelief.
"Are you out of your minds? That's the Nine-Tails we're talking about."
"Don't you understand the consequences of doing this?"