I Have Wood Release, so I Can Speak Loudly

Tamaki left the space in high spirits.

He had gained a great deal this time. First and foremost was Wood Release: with the help of the light screen, he had adapted Brother Bonsai's power to his own world.

At present, he had yet to master Fire Style's shape transformation and nature transformation, so he couldn't use the Fire Spirit Tree's version of Wood Release.

But he could already use Wood Release formed by combining Earth, Water, and Yang.

Nor had the light screen deduced it directly. Rather, it had worked it out using the world rules carried by both Brother Bonsai and himself.

The light screen couldn't directly deduce cultivation methods and powers from one's own world, especially in an Eternal world like Shrouding the Heavens, where the world's development followed set rules.

For example, if Wang Chuan of Shrouding the Heavens wanted to directly deduce the original text of an emperor scripture he knew about, even one of which he had an incomplete copy with many missing sections, it would inevitably shake the world's rules.

Because that simply wasn't something he was supposed to fully master, problems would arise on the level of cause and effect,

And those problems might draw His enemies. For now, they needed to keep a low profile.

There was no such problem when adapting another world's power to one's own. They themselves could serve as the source of that power, resolving the issue of cause and effect at its root.

Of course, it wasn't entirely impossible to deduce such things, but that would require the light screen to go to great lengths to conceal the cause and effect. It wouldn't do so unless necessary.

As things stood, he had Wood Release and a method for fusing the Fire Spirit Tree version of Wood Release in the future.

Now all he needed was a quiet place to turn the method into reality, and that place was obvious.

"Shikkotsu Forest, the air really is fresh."

"Little Tamaki, what brings you here? I was getting my beauty sleep."

"Sister Katsuyu, I'm going to try combining Wood Release."

Katsuyu woke up in an instant. Or rather, her beauty sleep was just a way to pass the time when she was bored.

"Are you confident?"

"Yes, but sorry to trouble you, Sister Katsuyu. Could you keep an eye on me?"

"No problem."

"Then I'll start."

"Go ahead. I'd like to see Hashirama's Wood Release again too."

With that, Tamaki found a spot and sat down cross-legged.

Katsuyu watched him intently, ready in case anything went wrong. Of the three great summons, she cared most about her contract holders.

Tamaki began.

Inside his body, Earth Release and Water Release chakra began to converge, providing the foundation life needed to survive.

But no matter how much earth and water there was, they couldn't truly create life. So Yang Release joined them, bringing the beginning of life.

The three kinds of chakra gathered and steadily fused in a fixed ratio.

After a period that seemed long and, in fact, wasn't all that short, a small green sapling grew from beneath Tamaki's feet.

Then he opened his eyes, and the surrounding vegetation began to grow wildly.

"I did it."

"Sister Katsuyu, I did it!"

At that moment, Tamaki was wild with joy. Though he had relied on the light screen, a bloodline had truly been born at his own hands, and the sense of accomplishment was unparalleled.

"You really did it, Tamaki. You're a great ninja now."

"You praise me too much, Sister Katsuyu. I still have a long way to go. Chakra, Natural Energy, Sage Mode... there's a long road ahead of me."

"You're too modest, but it's good that you think that way. Once you're familiar with Wood Release, come find me and I'll teach you Sage Mode."

"Thank you, Sister Katsuyu. I'll head back now."

With a pop, Tamaki summoned himself back to his home in Konoha.

It was already early morning at home, and Ichite Ki happened to see him return.

"Tamaki, did you go see Katsuyu?"

"Yeah, I went to try combining a bloodline."

"Did you... succeed?"

"I did."

"You... you succeeded?!"

Tamaki held out his hand, and a small wooden sapling slowly grew from his palm.

"You really did it!"

"Go see the Hokage. He'll want to hear this."

"All right, let's go right now."

Ichite Ki went to get ready, his face full of joy.

Tamaki, meanwhile, went to the shrine of Nishu Hayashi, the father he'd gained without earning, and lit a stick of incense.

His mother, Futate Shizuka, was very happy. She didn't understand what a bloodline was, but she could see that both Tamaki and his uncle were delighted, so it had to be good news.

The two then went to the Hokage Building, where they had themselves announced and waited.

Inside the Hokage's office, Shimura Danzō stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk, confronting him. The atmosphere between them was tense.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

"Lord Hokage, Ichite Ki and Nishu Tamagawa request an audience."

"Send them in."

"Yes, sir."

Danzo hadn't interrupted Hiruzen Sarutobi's conversation. Hearing Hiruzen summon someone else, he understood that today's discussion would once again end on bad terms.

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this."

"I'm the Hokage, Danzo!"

Upon entering, Tamaki saw no familiar Anbu, but instead witnessed this scene. He was genuinely a little surprised; after all, it was a classic scene.

But just before Danzo left, he glanced at Tamaki, setting alarm bells ringing in Tamaki's head.

Fortunately, Danzo made no further moves.

After Danzo left, the two gave a brief bow and began explaining why they had come.

In truth, Tamaki hadn't wanted to tell the Third about Wood Release so soon, but he was also desperate to keep growing stronger, and for that he needed the Third.

"Lord Hokage, Tamaki has successfully developed a bloodline."

"The Uzumaki bloodline? Good news."

"No, it's Wood Release!"

"Wood Release?!"

Clatter.

The Third Hokage fell off his chair.

This time there was no Anbu to help him with the chair, so Ichite Ki had to do it.

"Is it true?"

Without another word, Tamaki held out his hand and activated Wood Release. A small wooden sapling grew from it.

"It really is Wood Release!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the youngster before him, who was the same age as his own boy, and was shaken beyond measure.

He possessed both the Uzumaki and Senju bloodlines!

He had even developed the Senju bloodline himself!

And he had a forbidden Medical Ninjutsu technique too!

Such genius, such talent.

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly became wary. This boy's Jonin instructor was Hatake Sakumo, not Minato Namikaze.

Although Hatake Sakumo had clearly grown closer to the Hokage's faction after the mission two months ago, he had not come from that faction.

And judging by Tamaki's talent, even Minato Namikaze fell a little short.

He ought to become a disciple of the Sannin!

"Tamaki, good, very good indeed. Wood Release... you truly are a genius."

"You praise me too much, Lord Hokage. Lord Jiraiya was an excellent teacher too. I asked him many questions about chakra's shape transformation and nature transformation."

"Jiraiya, is it? Would you be interested in becoming his disciple?"

"Lord Jiraiya is wonderful and knowledgeable, but I'd rather become Lady Tsunade's disciple and perfect my Life Return."

"Tsunade? She wanders from place to place and is rather hard to find. With Jiraiya in the village, it would be more convenient for you to seek his guidance."

"As for the village, what happened a while ago was dangerous. I'd like to follow Lady Tsunade for now."

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent for a moment. Even his own son had been caught up in it, so it was no wonder Tamaki—or rather, Ichite Ki and the old Senju fellows behind him—felt uneasy.

Seen that way, Tsunade was actually a good choice.

Though he would have preferred Tamaki to become Jiraiya's disciple, Jiraiya wasn't as dark as Orochimaru, nor as headstrong as Tsunade.

He also had his own methods for training disciples, and Minato had turned out exceptionally well under his guidance.

Still, though he was reluctant to see Wood Release become Tsunade's disciple again, Tamaki now had both the standing and the reason to be headstrong.

His talent warranted it!

Besides, there was nothing wrong with following Tsunade. A First Hokage who excelled at keeping himself alive would be enough to ensure the prosperity of all Konoha for fifty years!

And as far as Tamaki was concerned, the village was no good place to be, especially when he possessed Wood Release but couldn't yet take on an entire village alone.

He could use the light screen to perfect Life Return; leaving the village was his main goal.

First, he could get away from all the messy business in the village.

Second, he needed freedom of movement to better complete the task of making his presence felt.

For example, he could go looking for Karin and her mother, visit the Land of the Sky to look for information on the Zero-Tails, check the Land of Whirlpools for any Sealing Jutsu that had been overlooked, or even, if the Bloody Mist period was still going on, go to the Land of Water to collect bloodlines, and so on.

Third, he wanted the Strength of a Hundred Technique and the Yin Seal.