So Wood Release Really Can Awaken Naturally...!

The atmosphere at the Teshima family dinner table was warm and relaxed.

The dishes were simple but thoughtfully prepared, carrying the comforting aroma of home cooking.

Mori Chie carefully placed a piece of tender stewed meat into her son's bowl, her gaze gentle.

Teshima Kazuto happily took out a small flask, poured himself a cup, and wore a rosy, contented expression.

"Hehe, just thinking about Shinichi graduating tomorrow as the Top Student makes me happy!" He took a sip of wine, his tone certain. "There's no suspense at all! With my son stepping up, which of those brats could possibly be his match?"

Hearing that, Mori Chie gently set down her chopsticks, sounding somewhat helpless. "Kazuto, don't get carried away. A ninja must remain vigilant at all times. The graduation exam is no child's play either."

"Oh, Chie, you're being too cautious!" Teshima Kazuto waved dismissively. "You've seen Shinichi's strength yourself. He's long past the level of an ordinary Genin! Forget Genin—even ordinary Chunin..."

His words abruptly stopped, as if he had suddenly choked. The smug expression on his face froze for a moment, as though he had recalled some unpleasant memories—such as being buried underground by his own son's Earth Release and struggling for ages before crawling back out in utter embarrassment.

Teshima Kazuto hurriedly took another sip of wine and cleared his throat to cover it up before speaking in an even more certain tone:

"Anyway! I'm completely confident in Shinichi! Top Student, no problem at all! Maybe before long, he'll even surpass his old man!"

As he spoke, Teshima Kazuto smiled at Tejima Shinichi, his eyes full of emotion.

"But when you think about it, Shinichi's talent and Chakra reserves must take after you. If he took after me and was only an ordinary Medical Chunin, that would've been troublesome."

A gentle light flickered through Mori Chie's eyes.

"Of course." She lifted her chin slightly, her tone carrying faint pride. "Back then, I was only one step away from becoming a Jonin."

Teshima Kazuto immediately chimed in.

"Yes, yes, my Lady Mori Chie." Smiling, he placed some food in his wife's bowl. "If you hadn't retired, you might already be part of the Jonin Squad."

Then Teshima Kazuto turned and winked at Tejima Shinichi. "So, boy, that Chakra of yours was inherited from your mother's excellent bloodline."

Mori Chie gently shook her head, her tone softening. "That's all in the past. Things are... pretty good as they are now."

Tejima Shinichi quietly ate his meal, listening to the two of them talk about the past, a faint smile on his lips.

Tejima Shinichi's family was not particularly complicated.

His mother, Mori Chie, had once been an outstanding Special Jonin of Konoha.

With her immense Chakra and solid Taijutsu, she had repeatedly distinguished herself on missions and had been only a step away from officially advancing to Jonin.

However, one mission had completely changed her fate.

Her squad encountered a powerful enemy. Though they ultimately completed their mission, she suffered severe injuries, and the meridians in her body were badly damaged. She could no longer endure the demanding work of a ninja.

She spent a long period recovering in Konoha Hospital. At her lowest point, she met Teshima Kazuto, who had still been an ordinary Medical Chunin at the time.

This young man, whose personality seemed somewhat at odds with his steady profession, gradually dispelled the gloom in her heart with his unique optimism and tireless care.

From meeting, to getting to know each other, to falling in love, they eventually built a family and had Tejima Shinichi.

Watching his parents' warm interactions, Tejima Shinichi felt deeply content to be living in such a family.

Then, as if he had thought of something, Tejima Shinichi took a bite of rice and spoke casually.

"By the way, Mom, my Chakra is because of the Senju Bloodline, right?"

"Yes." Mori Chie smiled and added a piece of fish to his bowl. "The bloodline your grandmother left behind gave me a pretty good foundation. Back when I went on missions, I got through many difficult situations by relying on my Chakra reserves and recovery ability."

Tejima Shinichi took another bite of rice, his chewing never stopping, the faint smile from earlier still lingering on his face.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Thanks to the bloodline Grandma left behind, I have such enormous Chakra reserves that I've left everyone my age far behind."

Yet beneath Tejima Shinichi's calm exterior, a storm was raging in his mind.

The Senju Bloodline—there was no doubt that it was the source of his massive Chakra reserves.

Mori Chie had once been a Special Jonin, and her Chakra reserves had already been among the best of her rank. That much could be seen from her past accomplishments and Teshima Kazuto's remarks.

But...

The fingers holding Tejima Shinichi's chopsticks tightened almost imperceptibly.

The problem was that his Chakra reserves seemed... a little too vast.

Tejima Shinichi raised his eyes slightly and swiftly glanced at Mori Chie, who was smiling gently across from him.

Based on what he sensed and compared during his usual training, the Chakra contained within his body was far more than simple inheritance or surpassing his mother.

It was an absolute gap in magnitude. By rough estimate, it was likely dozens of times greater than Mori Chie's at her peak...

Dozens of times!!!

That number landed heavily in his heart.

For a Genin who had yet to graduate from the Ninja Academy, even if he were exceptionally talented, it was understandable for him to possess Chakra reserves comparable to or even greater than an ordinary Chunin. But dozens of times greater than a Special Jonin... and one with the Senju Bloodline at that...!

If measured in "Kakashis"... just how many would that be?

This had completely exceeded what an "excellent bloodline" could explain.

Not only would his mother find such a result unbelievable—even Tejima Shinichi himself had been secretly shocked for a long time when he first vaguely sensed the true scale of his Chakra.

Of course, people like that did exist. Kakashi Hatake had once said that if Naruto did not have to suppress the Nine-Tails' Chakra, he would have a hundred Kakashis' worth... and that was Uzumaki Naruto right after graduation!

But he was Asura, after all... It was perfectly normal for him to have that much...!

If Tejima Shinichi did not clearly know that Uzumaki Naruto, the true reincarnation of Asura, was still bouncing around right beside him, he would almost suspect that he himself was the one carrying the power of destiny.

And more importantly, he even had...!

"It's really fortunate to have such a bloodline."

Tejima Shinichi went along with her, his eyes faintly gleaming with curiosity as he continued asking without showing anything on his face.

"I heard that the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, relied on the Senju Clan's bloodline to master that legendary Wood Release and pacify the chaotic era. Is that why the world revered him as the 'God of Shinobi'?"

Hearing this, Mori Chie's face also showed a trace of pride as she nodded firmly. "Of course. The First Hokage's power was recognized across the entire Ninja World as the pinnacle. Our Konoha was founded by his own hands."

Tejima Shinichi pressed on naturally, his tone probing. "Then... how did Wood Release awaken? How did the First Hokage master that power?"

Mori Chie gently shook her head. "That isn't something we can know. The conditions for awakening such legendary power must have been extremely harsh."

"Then does that mean that, in the entire Senju Clan, no one besides the First Hokage ever awakened Wood Release? Even long ago?"

This question seemed to catch Mori Chie somewhat off guard. After thinking carefully for a moment, she shook her head again.

"Not exactly. I heard my grandmother mention that, in the clan's earlier history, there seemed to have been a few scattered clan members with the power of Wood Release. But... none of them were anywhere near as powerful or brilliant as the First Hokage."

"So there were people in the past too..."

Tejima Shinichi murmured softly.

So Wood Release awakening did not have much to do with Asura's power!?

Still confused, Tejima Shinichi raised his head and looked at Mori Chie with bright eyes.

"Then do you really not know at all how Wood Release awakens? Could it be that a genius like the First Hokage simply awakened it naturally as a child, without any special conditions? Like the Hyuga's Byakugan—awakening innately?"

"How could that be?" Mori Chie laughed, dismissing his guess. "As far as I know, the First Hokage gradually mastered and displayed the power of Wood Release as he grew up. He wasn't born with it. How could such a powerful Kekkei Genkai awaken naturally like the Byakugan?"

Tejima Shinichi silently nodded, but his eyes grew deep as he quietly repeated:

"Oh... so there's no such thing as awakening it naturally, is there!?"

Listening to the conversation between mother and son, Teshima Kazuto interjected at the right moment, his tone gentle.

"Shinichi, honestly, your mother and I think you're already doing very well as you are."

He set down his wine cup, his expression unusually serious. "As your parents, we don't expect you to become incredibly powerful. As long as you grow up safe and happy, we'll be satisfied."

Mori Chie also nodded gently, looking warmly at her son. "Your father is right. Graduating as the Top Student at your age already makes you far better than I was back then."

Looking at his parents' concerned expressions, Tejima Shinichi softly hummed in response.

He lowered his head and continued eating, asking no more questions.

The atmosphere at the dinner table relaxed once more, as if the earlier discussion about Wood Release had merely been casual dinner conversation.

After night fell, Tejima Shinichi lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with his eyes open.

The night grew deeper, but he felt no hint of sleepiness.

The conversation about Wood Release at dinner kept echoing through his mind.

Then, on a sudden impulse, Tejima Shinichi sat up, got out of bed, walked to the window, gently shut it, and drew the curtains tight.

The room immediately sank into isolated darkness and silence.

He sat back down beside the bed and spread open his palm.

A faint strand of Chakra carrying a peculiar vitality quietly flowed through his palm.

Gradually, a touch of green pierced the darkness!

A tender sapling slowly emerged and stood upright in his palm.

It was only the size of a finger, yet within the absolute darkness, it gave off an almost imperceptible vitality.

Tejima Shinichi stared silently in the darkness at that emerald green, which defied common sense and everything he knew.

There had been no special conditions.

No acquired training.

It had simply... awakened naturally.

The shock of it was no less than when he had first arrived in this world!

He recalled Mori Chie's certain tone—

"How could it awaken naturally like the Byakugan?"

Tejima Shinichi frowned. The faint sensation of leaves against his fingertips made it impossible for his heart to settle.

"It's not impossible..." he murmured, then gave a soft laugh. "...Wood Release can awaken naturally too!"

This was not Genjutsu, nor was it any known form of Release.

This was Wood Release.

True Wood Release.

He slowly closed his hand, and the tender sapling sank back into his palm.

Tejima Shinichi rose to his feet, pulled open the curtains, and looked toward the distant sleeping Konoha. His gaze deepened.

Now that he possessed this power... this world was starting to seem interesting.

Staring into the night beyond the window, a thought clearly surfaced in Tejima Shinichi's mind—

"If that's the case..." Tejima Shinichi murmured, the corner of his mouth curling upward. "From now on, if I say I'm not eating beef..."

He paused, his voice carrying a wild arrogance.

"...then no one can force me to eat beef!!"

Once his words fell, he drew the curtains shut again and lay back down on the bed.

In the darkness, a low laugh suddenly rang out.

"Hehe... hehehe..."

The laughter gradually shifted from restrained to uninhibited, echoing through the silent room.

"Hahahaha—"

At last, he no longer held himself back, allowing the laughter to shake in his chest.

He had waited too long... far too long for this moment!