A few seconds later, the explosion subsided.
The lake water, however, continued to surge wildly.
Tsunade clutched Minato to her chest as she stood atop a tree, her eyes wide with astonishment.
This power was far stronger than any ninjutsu she had ever witnessed!
Minato, on the other hand, remained relatively calm. This level of power was roughly equivalent to Kizaru's kick that shattered the Red Tree when he first arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago.
The difference lay in the fact that Minato needed time to gather his strength, while Kizaru's kick had been casually delivered.
Minato wasn't sure if he could inherit the monstrous physique of the Pirate World from his Kizaru figure, but given that he had inherited Hashirama's constitution, it seemed likely.
Rustle, rustle, rustle...
Figures moved swiftly through the forest.
Soon, groups of people appeared near the pair.
The newcomers split into two factions. One group wore gray armor, unmistakably the Anbu stationed nearby.
The other group was dressed in Chūnin uniforms, resembling the common ninja of the village, except their uniforms bore a distinctive cue-shaped emblem.
It was the emblem of the Uchiha Clan. The newcomers were members of the Uchiha Police Force.
"Lady Tsunade," the Anbu team leader said, landing on a nearby tree and nodding slightly toward Tsunade. "What happened here?"
"Nothing much. We were just practicing some ninjutsu, and it got a bit out of hand. Just report the truth to the Third Hokage."
Tsunade turned to the Uchiha guards. "My apologies for causing you trouble."
"You're too kind," replied the team leader, a youth of about fourteen or fifteen. Though he looked rather fierce, his voice was remarkably humble. "Then we won't keep you any longer."
Soon, both groups dispersed.
Sarutobi Hiruzen also received the Anbu report. In fact, he had even felt the earlier explosion from the Hokage Building.
"Aiya... so she actually blew up the entire lake?"
According to the Anbu, Tsunade had been with Minato at the time.
He knew Tsunade's capabilities well; they were far too limited to cause such destruction. That meant it could only have been Minato.
The characteristics of the explosion described by the Anbu matched perfectly with the laser blasts he had witnessed before.
It seemed this Light Release Bloodline Limit was far more powerful than he'd imagined!
Such immense power, surpassing even many S-rank ninjutsu, was now in the hands of a five-year-old child.
"Children these days... they really give you a headache," Hiruzen muttered, taking a puff from his pipe.
"When you arrived, was the Police Force already there?"
"Yes," the Anbu squad leader nodded. "They were led by the current young clan heir, Uchiha Fugaku. We arrived simultaneously."
"How did he react?"
"It's hard to say," the Anbu hesitated. "He didn't look particularly pleased, but his tone was very courteous."
"..."
Hiruzen nodded knowingly, pipe in hand. "That child doesn't seem particularly amiable."
It seemed the Uchiha Clan would likely blame Tsunade for the recent explosion.
The advantage of this was that such a powerful technique would inevitably intimidate the Uchiha Clan, keeping them in check for a while.
The disadvantage was that Minato's Light Release was too conspicuous. The Uchiha would eventually discover who was responsible, and radical elements might then view Minato as a threat.
But this was the only suitable place in the village for Minato to cultivate. Hiruzen couldn't possibly prevent him from training over such a trivial matter.
He couldn't bring himself to let Minato leave the village to train either, not even in the surrounding areas. After all, Konoha only had one Wood Release user!
Who knew if a black-skinned Raikage might randomly spawn the moment Minato stepped outside and abduct him?
"Sparrow, I have a mission for you," Hiruzen said, glancing at his Anbu subordinate. After a moment's thought, he continued, "You've already seen the child with Tsunade today. His name is Namikaze Minato, and he's Tsunade's disciple."
"That boy possesses two bloodlines, one of which is the Wood Release shared by the First Hokage."
Hiruzen's voice turned solemn. "You understand the significance of this, don't you?"
Sparrow nodded. Having previously served as a Jinchūriki guardian, he fully grasped the importance of the Wood Release to the village.
"For the next period of time, I need you to provide protection for that child," Hiruzen said. He paused before adding, "You may reveal your Anbu identity if necessary, but do not interfere with his daily life or social interactions. Your sole duty is to ensure his safety. You may consult with Tsunade about this."
"Understood, sir!"
Sparrow's heart tightened. A protection mission like this might require him to sacrifice his life to shield his target.
"Hmm, go ahead," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, waving him off and turning to other matters.
Ten minutes later, someone knocked on the door again.
Sparrow, who had been sent on the mission, returned. "Lord Hokage, Lady Tsunade told me to get lost."
"...In that case, return to your post."
Hiruzen rubbed his temples, secretly relieved. Tsunade's dismissal of the Anbu meant Minato was likely capable of defending himself now. Good, Hiruzen thought. No need for me to worry.
Meanwhile, at the Uchiha Police Force...
Uchiha Ken listened to Fugaku's report, his brow furrowing slightly.
"You're saying Tsunade caused that commotion earlier?"
"Only Tsunade-senpai and a child of about five or six years old were present."
Fugaku couldn't confirm who had caused the disturbance, but Tsunade was clearly more likely than a five-year-old.
"What were the child's features?"
Fugaku tried to recall Minato's appearance. "Blonde hair, very cute."
"A girl?"
"A boy."
"Oh... I remember now."
Uchiha Ken nodded knowingly. "I heard Tsunade took on a disciple. That must be the child—Namikaze Minato. He beat up the Third Hokage's son during the entrance exam. A promising prodigy."
He paused briefly. "Speaking of which, does our clan have any children starting school this year?"
"No," Fugaku replied, shaking his head. "Does Father want the clan's children to challenge him?"
"It's about maintaining good relations and performing our duties properly. This is the Police Force, not our family home."
Uchiha Ken shook his head.
As the clan head, he couldn't afford to be as extreme as the younger generation.
While he resented the Hokage lineage's wariness towards the Uchiha, he understood it stemmed from the clan's own rebellion. It was natural for them to harbor lingering resentment.
Moreover, his position afforded him a clearer view of the power gap between them. For the Uchiha, rebellion could only lead to annihilation.
Since the Third Hokage's succession, Ken had been deliberately working to improve relations between the clan and the village, though progress had been minimal.
Part of the problem lay with the clan's overly proud young members, while the other stemmed from a lack of suitable opportunities to bridge the divide.
The Hokage lineage remained deeply suspicious of the Uchiha, making genuine dialogue difficult.
Yet, if they placed their hopes on the younger generation, perhaps progress could be made.
And then there was...
He couldn't believe Tsunade was this powerful.
A single ninjutsu could shake the Uchiha Police Headquarters from a kilometer away...
What kind of joke is this? Does she truly possess such power?
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