Senju Clan

"Clan leader, another visitor has arrived; it's from the Senju Clan."

The members of the Uzumaki Clan rushed over.

Three days have passed since they entered the village, and now Katsuki's small courtyard has become the core of the Uzumaki Clan. Countless guests have come over in the past three days, and the threshold is almost worn down. They are all clan leaders from various parts of the village who come to make friends. Although the Uzumaki Clan only has a few dozen people in total, they cannot withstand the notorious fear of their clan leader.

No one wants to offend a top expert for no reason. Even if it's difficult to build a close relationship, it's best to avoid conflict as much as possible.

As a result, the Uzumaki Clan has been very busy lately.

After a busy morning, seeing off three groups of guests, Katsuki finally had time to sit in the courtyard and enjoy a moment of peace, but this peace was clearly short-lived.

"Senju... please come quickly, escort the guest to the living room and treat him well. I'll be right there."

Katsuki pulled aside this clansman, who was supposed to be his cousin, and gave him a few words of advice.

After the clansmen left, Katsuki turned and went into the house, where he changed into clean clothes. His clothes had been wrinkled from lying in the rocking chair.

After changing my clothes, I headed towards the living room.

"Great Elder Tsuchiya, please have a seat."

"No need for that. You know exactly why I'm here, don't beat around the bush. Tell me, when are you going to keep your promise?"

The Great Elder of the Senju Clan stared intently at Katsuki.

"...Alright!" Katsuki scratched her head. "We can do it now."

This time, it was Senju Tsuchiya who was stunned, his old face full of astonishment.

"Now? Are you sure you can do it now... um..."

The old man spoke too quickly and bit his tongue, groaning in pain as he covered his mouth, but he still stared intently at Katsuki.

"Don't worry, I'm right here. I can't run away. We can sit down and talk this over..."

Before Katsuki could finish speaking, Senju Tsuchiya grabbed him and pulled him outside. Since it was possible now, he had no patience to ramble on about pointless nonsense. His heart was pounding like oil, and he couldn't calm down at all.

"I'm going out for a bit! Go tell Third Uncle that if any guests come, I'll say I'm visiting the Senju Clan..."

The lingering sound echoed in the courtyard, but the figure had vanished without a trace.

Despite his advanced age, Senju Tsuchiya maintained remarkably good physical fitness, dragging Katsuki along effortlessly. Although the Senju Clan could not awaken the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, which had become extinct since the First Hokage, the clan's powerful physique had not diminished.

"Take your time, there's no need to rush."

Katsuki didn't dare to struggle too much, afraid of accidentally knocking the old man over, so she could only repeatedly persuade him.

"... Katsuki, do you really have a way to recreate the power of Wood Release?" Senju Tsuchiya also came to his senses, released Katsuki's arm, and in a short while, he ran more than two kilometers and emerged from the forest. The two were on the rooftop of a house in a residential area.

"We haven't even arrived yet. Tell me honestly, kid, do you really have a solution? If not, say so now, so you don't embarrass yourself later..."

Senju Tsuchiya couldn't help but doubt the truthfulness of Katsuki's words, even after Katsuki repeatedly assured him.

The fact that none of the younger generation of the clan had awakened Wood Release had troubled the clan for many years. Tobirama Senju developed so many Forbidden Jutsu and Secret Technique, a large part of which were byproducts of his research into Wood Release. Unfortunately, even with the wisdom of the Second Hokage, he could not overcome this obstacle until his death. The Wood Release Kekkei Genkai remained dormant in the bloodline of the Senju Clan.

Therefore, Senju Tsuchiya desperately wanted to believe that Katsuki could truly resolve the nightmare that had plagued the Senju Clan for many years, but reason told him that it was almost impossible; high combat strength did not necessarily mean the ability to solve such a problem.

"It's normal to have doubts. No matter how much I say, it's not as good as seeing it for yourself later."

"I can speak calmly, "Katsuki said.

"As for whether I should step down or not... Great Elder Tsuchiya, I appreciate your consideration, but... I still have some confidence in myself. If I fail, I will honestly apologize and will never try to evade responsibility."

On the rooftop, white sheets fluttered in the wind.

Many passersby noticed the old man and the young man standing on the rooftop, but no one questioned it. Ninjas were used to flying around on rooftops; it was a common feature of the ninja village, and they could be seen playing hopscotch every day.

However, soon, passersby noticed something amiss: only white sheets were fluttering in the wind on the roof.

Senju Clan.

The clan elders gathered together, some sitting, some standing, their wrinkled faces displaying a mixture of hope and worry, a somber atmosphere permeating every corner.

"They've arrived."

An elderly man sitting upright on the tatami mat opened his tightly closed eyes.

As soon as he finished speaking, Senju Tsuchiya and Katsuki appeared at the doorway.

"... It's obvious that no one has time to chat, let's get started."

Faced with a room full of sharp gazes, Katsuki smiled and tactfully raised her hand.

"What do you need? Just say it," Senju Tsuchiya asked directly.

"One recipient... around fifteen or sixteen years old is best. Too young and the effects won't be visible, too old and it takes more time... In addition, we need an empty room, please prepare an operating table inside." Katsuki made a V-sign.

"Don't you need anything else? Like medicine or equipment?"

"No need." Katsuki shook his head, and seeing the disappointment flash in Senju Tsuchiya's eyes, he added, "I forgot to mention, you can watch from the sidelines. We'll know the outcome soon."

The things that Katsuki requested were quickly prepared, and a sixteen-year-old boy from the Senju Clan was brought to an empty room.

"Senju Zen... What a beautiful name, so evocative." Katsuki looked at the form in her hand that recorded her physical information and compared it with the boy in front of her.

"Thank you for your praise, Lord Natural Disaster."

Senju Zen's face turned red, and he bowed deeply to Katsuki in gratitude.

"Ah! There's no need to be so serious... By the way, do you know me?" Katsuki waved her hand.

"Oh, the infamous Calamity, there are hardly any people in the village who don't know about it now. The news that you killed the Third Mizukage is still spreading everywhere, especially in the tavern. Basically, everyone is talking about it, and you can't even have a peaceful drink there." A blonde woman with a voluptuous figure walked in with a clatter in her high heels.

"Tsunade- nee... Tsunade, you've arrived!"

Katsuki smiled and nodded at Tsunade, secretly relieved as she saw the killing intent in Tsunade's eyes dissipate.