Chapter 215: Tsunade: Hey Kid, Want to Take Me as Your Master?
A reddish glow rose from the horizon, and its gentle light gradually dispelled the darkness of the night.
Only the black forest outside of Konoha remained, its deathly silence seeming to have swallowed all light.
Compared to the "Forest of Death" left behind by the First Hokage, this newly appeared "Black Forest" was the one that truly deserved the name "death."
Many shinobi entered this "Black Forest," carefully treating their injured comrades and trying every possible method to cut down these black trees that symbolized death.
As more villagers awoke from their sleep, they quickly learned of the previous night's events through conversations with their neighbors.
Some even ran to the edge of the village to observe.
Looking at the area covered by the black forest, and at the bodies impaled on the trees, they couldn't help but feel their hearts pound with fear.
"Takamimusubi no Mikoto"—this codename was destined to be remembered by all.
On his very first appearance, he brought pain and death to Konoha, using a terrifying power capable of inflicting heavy damage on the village.
However, such a powerful enemy was not repelled by Lord Hokage.
"I heard the enemy was dealt with by… 'that one'…"
"…Shh, what 'that one'? It was clearly Lord Fourth's child, Uzumaki Naruto!"
"As expected of the hero's son! My own son told me that if it weren't for Naruto-kun stepping forward last night, I'm afraid my son would have already…唉!"
"Uzumaki Naruto must be the hope Lord Fourth left for us. When he grows up, he'll become a great man just like Lord Fourth."
Many villagers had looks of lingering fear on their faces, but most still held hope in their eyes.
Konoha's losses last night were indeed not small, but they weren't unacceptable.
The fact that there were no civilian casualties was a blessing in this misfortune.
Thanks to Lord Hokage and Uzumaki Naruto holding back the enemy with all their might, the two of Konoha's Sannin who arrived later were able to drive the enemy away.
The Wood Golem that "Takamimusubi no Mikoto" had embodied was seen by countless people, even in the dead of night.
And that golden figure who stepped forward, radiating light, was like the sun, shattering the shadow of death that had loomed over Konoha.
In just a single night, the name "Konoha's Demon Fox" completely vanished, leaving only the "Son of the Hero," beloved by the villagers.
Only after personally experiencing the fear and threat of death could people see what they had deliberately ignored in the past.
It was believed that before long, the entire Shinobi World would know.
The "Wood Release" that had once pacified a chaotic world had reappeared in the hands of "Takamimusubi no Mikoto," a member of the "Crimson Moon."
And the "Son of the Fourth Hokage," Uzumaki Naruto, had also become the perfect Jinchūriki of the strongest Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Tower, the atmosphere was somber.
Konoha's upper echelon and all those who had experienced the incident were gathered here.
"Hah… cough, cough!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe, standing by the window and gazing into the distance, his old face filled with sorrow.
Tsunade leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, looking idly at Naruto and Jiraiya, who were whispering to each other.
Only Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura wore expressions of shock and suspicion.
"Hiruzen, what's the deal with that black forest outside?"
"When did Tsunade and Jiraiya get back?"
"And Uzumaki Naruto…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen silently put down his pipe and tossed a scroll detailing the events to the three of them.
Danzō subconsciously glanced at Naruto.
But seeing that the boy wasn't looking at him, he couldn't help but frown and lowered his head to look at the scroll.
The masked man who intercepted Hatake Kakashi claims to be Uchiha Madara?
He knew about this; they had cooperated in the past.
Danzō's face turned ashen as he continued reading.
As the scroll was gradually unfurled, his hands began to tremble.
"Crimson Moon," "Takamimusubi no Mikoto," "Wood Release," "Konoha," "Uzumaki Naruto," "Perfect Jinchūriki."
Each of these was an explosive term.
How did it feel like the whole world had changed after just one night's sleep?
"Wait a minute!"
Shimura Danzō's eyes suddenly widened. "Takamimusubi no Mikoto is suspected to be… Hashirama Senju?! Hiruzen, are you joking?"
Was this "Hashirama Senju" the same Hashirama Senju he knew?
The First Hokage attacking Konoha?
What kind of morbid joke was this?!
"What are you making a fuss about?" Hiruzen chided in a low voice. "Isn't it written right there? It's a suspicion, not yet confirmed!"
With that, ignoring Danzō's ugly expression, the irritated Hiruzen turned his head directly to Kakashi, who was standing in the corner trying to minimize his presence.
"You've finished reading what I gave you, haven't you? Have you come to any reliable conclusions?"
Kakashi hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, "We have gone through all the files of the Senju and Uchiha clansmen. There are no records of any Uchiha clan member defecting, nor have we found any traces of a clansman faking their death."
Hiruzen's tone was melancholic. "I just need a definite answer. No matter how absurd the guess is, state your suspected target now."
Hearing this, Kakashi's expression was odd, but he nodded. "After discussion within the Anbu, we have unanimously concluded that the masked man is, in all likelihood, Uchiha Madara."
To be honest, he had another, impossible candidate in his heart.
But that was just his baseless speculation, without a shred of evidence to prove it.
So, for reasons he couldn't quite pinpoint, Kakashi swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
Hiruzen didn't overthink it, merely sighing as he pressed on, "And the identity of Takamimusubi no Mikoto? Is it confirmed?"
"Some of the Senju clan's files are missing, so the possibility of the bloodline having spread outside cannot be ruled out. The identity of Takamimusubi no Mikoto cannot be confirmed."
Hiruzen instinctively looked toward Danzō.
Clearly, he suspected Danzō had been up to his old tricks behind his back again.
"Hm? What do you mean by looking at me like that?"
Danzō was stunned for a moment, then became indignant. "Wasn't the secret experiment to transplant the First Hokage's cells already forbidden by you? And you were the one who personally…"
"Cough, cough, cough! I know, you don't have to say it!" Hiruzen cut him off with a light cough and retracted his gaze.
From the side, Tsunade's faint, cold laughter could be heard.
The atmosphere fell silent once more, the minds of those present filled with different thoughts.
"Sigh! The most troublesome thing now is that we don't even know who the enemy is."
Finally, it was Hiruzen who broke the strange silence. After taking a long drag from his pipe, he said, "It's basically confirmed that the masked man is Uchiha Madara. Besides him, no one else should be capable of those things."
"But that's not the most terrifying part. If Takamimusubi no Mikoto is truly him…"
BOOM!!
Before Hiruzen could finish, Tsunade could no longer bear it and slammed her fist violently against the wall.
Her terrifying monstrous strength erupted, blasting a hole in the wall with a single punch.
"I think you've gone senile! How could Grandpa possibly attack the village he personally founded and protected his entire life?!" Tsunade scolded, panting heavily, her chest heaving with rage.
During the Nine-Tails' rampage, she hadn't even bothered to return to Konoha.
If Jiraiya hadn't beaten his chest and promised her that true Wood Release had appeared in Konoha again, she wouldn't have come back even if the old man died.
And now, not only were they discussing the Senju clan in front of her, but they also brought up the Hashirama cell transplant experiments from the past, and even suggested "Takamimusubi no Mikoto" was her grandfather, Hashirama Senju…
"How ridiculous!"
Tsunade gritted her teeth, her tone filled with fury. "Grandpa died long ago! Even if he were still alive, he would never collude with outsiders, let alone launch an attack on Konoha!"
With that, she whipped her head around to look at Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya, say something!"
"Eh? Ahahaha."
Glancing at the large hole in the wall, Jiraiya broke out in a cold sweat and said, bracing himself, "Actually, I also think the possibility is low, but aren't we just discussing it? Tsunade, you…"
Hearing this, a vein popped on Tsunade's forehead, and her fists began to twitch.
Just as she was about to teach these unreasonable fools a lesson…
"Grandpa Third."
Naruto suddenly stepped forward, his expression serious. "I also believe that Takamimusubi no Mikoto is not Lord First."
Everyone's gaze immediately focused on him.
Tsunade frowned slightly, looking Naruto up and down, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"So you're Kushina and Minato's child, the new Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"
If she remembered correctly, he should only be about ten years old.
To become a perfect Jinchūriki at such a young age?
One must know, not even Grandma Mito had managed to do that.
And from the terrifying aftershocks of the recent battle, the strength of this new Jinchūriki was plain to see.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
Naruto bowed slightly, neither humble nor arrogant. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am very sorry that I let him escape."
Seeing the crisis averted by Naruto, Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief internally.
"That's right. Naruto faced Takamimusubi no Mikoto directly. You have the most right to speak."
He straightened his face and asked in a serious tone, "So, what are your reasons for believing that Takamimusubi no Mikoto is not Lord First?"
"I believe everyone here is well aware that each person's chakra is actually different. This is because chakra is refined from a mixture of spiritual and physical energy. The spiritual energy influences their chakra, resulting in different chakra characteristics."
Naruto explained, "Takamimusubi no Mikoto's Wood Release is just like his personality, making no attempt to hide the terrifying killing intent deep within his heart. Every move carries a taste of bone-chilling cold and deathly silence, making one feel fear from the bottom of their heart."
"Conversely, based on the Forest of Death left behind by Lord First's jutsu many years ago, his Wood Release should have the characteristic of being extremely full of life force, with its killing intent deeply hidden within."
"And this also matches the records about Lord First: gentle and kind, yearning for peace, and hating killing, but still able to protect Konoha with his life."
Hearing this, the people present thought for a moment, and their furrowed brows suddenly relaxed.
Thinking about it carefully, it was indeed true.
"Takamimusubi no Mikoto's" black Wood Release was very bizarre and vastly different from Lord First's Wood Release.
Since "Lava Release" manifested with different characteristics in different people, then perhaps the Wood Release characteristics of "Takamimusubi no Mikoto" and the First Hokage were also different.
Their personalities and the characteristics also seemed to match up.
Thinking of this, everyone looked at the composed Naruto with some surprise.
Tsunade asked directly, "Chakra characteristics. Did you think of this yourself?"
"Yes, it's just a summary of patterns."
Although Naruto's tone was very modest, Tsunade's gaze held a new hint of admiration.
She herself was a knowledgeable medical-nin.
She naturally understood that "chakra characteristics" was not a "pattern" that could be derived simply by summarizing.
Naruto was delving into the very essence of chakra and had even obtained some research results.
And he was only about ten years old right now.
Other ten-year-olds were still learning the Three Basic Academy Jutsu!
And Naruto already possessed this level of knowledge?
After a moment of thought, Tsunade turned to look at Hiruzen.
"Old man, if there's nothing else, I'm leaving. I'm very busy."
Busy?
Busy going to gamble?
The corner of Hiruzen's eye twitched, and he quickly said, "Tsunade, you've finally come back after so long. Don't you want to stay in Konoha for a while?"
"No, I'm long sick of the sight of it."
"How about making you the Fifth Hokage?"
"Hokage? Whoever wants the job can have it. I'm not interested," Tsunade scoffed, then turned to leave without looking back.
"What if… the First Hokage's Wood Release could be recreated?"
With that, Hiruzen tossed her a file.
"Hm?" Tsunade stopped in her tracks, taking the file with a frown.
It was a file on the "Wood Release" transplant experiment.
It recorded that there were 60 children with either water or earth chakra nature who had been implanted with the First Hokage's genes.
Ordinarily, this was nothing. Back then, many Senju volunteers were sent to the operating table, transplanted with the First's cells, only to suffer a backlash and die a miserable death.
But…
"There was actually a successful case?!"
Tsunade's heart jumped in shock.
However, in the next moment, she saw the latest physical examination report for Yamato below.
— Wood Release awakened. Cells are running rampant.
Tsunade's fist tightened, and she looked at Hiruzen with a displeased face. "You didn't just make up a lie to get me to save him, did you?"
"How could I? These old bones of mine can't take a beating from you."
Hiruzen chuckled, then tentatively persuaded, "He has Lord First's Wood Release cells in him. Although we can't be sure how much he has inherited, if he can successfully awaken Wood Release…"
Tsunade frowned and turned away again.
"I will naturally find an opportunity to examine him and see if he has truly awakened Wood Release, but he will have nothing to do with you lot from now on."
"As for the position of Hokage, heh, you four can fight over it yourselves."
With that, ignoring the ugly expressions of the others, she walked out of the office without a backward glance.
"Sigh!"
Hiruzen rubbed his head and turned to Naruto. "Naruto, you should head back for now, too. I'll call for you again if something comes up."
"Okay, Grandpa Third."
Naruto smiled and nodded, then also headed for the door.
His steps faltered for an almost imperceptible moment, but they quickly returned to normal.
He slowly reached the corner of the hallway.
BOOM!!
A few centimeters from the left side of his face, Tsunade's fist smashed directly into the wall.
Naruto stood his ground, his face calm.
"Lady Tsunade, I know you're feeling an inexpressible frustration right now, and I completely understand. If you want to take it out on me, I am ready whenever you are."
CRACKLE!
"…Tsk, what a seamless fellow. Nothing like your parents."
Stone debris flew past his face as Tsunade withdrew her fist, annoyed.
Immediately, she looked at the equally expressionless Naruto, her tone profound. "Hey kid, I heard you refused to take Jiraiya as your master?"
"So, how about becoming my disciple?"
(End of Chapter)
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