Let Me See Your Wood Release

Tsunade was confused, and as she questioned, Qingguang harbored the same doubts in his heart.

Momoka closed her eyes. "If you hadn't walked this path, then there's Nawaki."

"He was the alternative plan Tobirama left behind. While that child's talent in ninjutsu isn't as great as yours, with the Senju Clan's support, the plan could still be carried out."

"It would just be more difficult."

The moment these words left Momoka's mouth, Tsunade felt a tightness in her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Everything, all of it, had been planned out over thirty years ago?

She felt like a pawn, manipulated by an unseen hand, her life meticulously crafted into what they wanted, what they expected.

A nameless rage filled her chest, but it was suppressed by the two words "Konoha," leaving her unable to let go.

Even her beloved brother was just another potential piece on the board.

"So... you didn't care about my feelings at all and recklessly, like a puppet, controlled the direction and trajectory of my life?"

Her crimson nails dug into her palm, blood dripping onto the tatami, staining the woven grass red and blooming into a withered flower.

"No, this required your own choice. If neither you nor Nawaki had the ambition to become Hokage, then with your status, you could have lived the life you desired."

"However, in that case, we wouldn't know if the village's future could withstand the covetous eyes of the other great nations."

"At worst, it would simply be a return to the Warring States period."

To Tsunade, this answer was tantamount to a sham. As Hashirama's granddaughter, how could she stand by and watch the village her ancestors had painstakingly built crumble to dust?

It seemed like a choice, but in reality, there was no choice at all.

With that thought, Tsunade didn't press further. She simply got up and left.

She just wanted to calm down for now.

Watching Tsunade leave, Qingguang felt a bit lost. The host and guest who brought him here had both departed, so did he... still need to stay?

"Senior Momoka, should I call Big Sister back?" Qingguang asked.

"Let her have her peace. This girl needs some time alone right now."

"It's not convenient for her to hear the rest," Senju Momoka opened her eyes and looked at Qingguang.

This left Qingguang a little flustered, and he pointed to himself.

"Me? Do you have something to tell me, Senior Momoka?"

This was unexpected for Qingguang. Was she going to tell him to assist Tsunade well in the future?

That was a given. Hiruzen Sarutobi treated him like a loyal dog, Danzo saw him as a tool, and Orochimaru even tried to recruit him. Who knew who else might covet him in the future.

Only Tsunade was the most suitable, trustworthy, and supportive person, without any ulterior motives towards him.

"Let me see your Wood Release."

Momoka's sudden words made Qingguang realize that his initial feeling about her gaze wasn't a misperception.

"Wood Release? What are you talking about, Senior Momoka?"

"That's a Kekkei Genkai mastered only by Lord First. Even Big Sister and Nawaki couldn't inherit it. How could I, an Uchiha, possibly have Wood Release?" Qingguang lowered his head slightly and chuckled helplessly.

"You don't need to lie to this old woman. I am a trustworthy person."

"Besides, I haven't only seen you. You're not the only ninja besides Hashirama who mastered Wood Release."

"That experiment, I personally assisted Tobirama in conducting it. It was a forbidden experiment."

Those three sentences left Qingguang's mind blank.

Yet, upon hearing this, Qingguang couldn't find any logical inconsistencies.

Momoka, as a confidante of Hashirama and Tobirama, and the person they trusted the most, even Tobirama had shared his future plans for rebuilding the Senju with Momoka. It was natural that the matter of Wood Release wouldn't be kept from her.

"Senior Momoka, can you tell me why you were so certain that I would have Wood Release?"

He raised his hand, and several thick finger-like vines emerged from his sleeve, pouring a cup of clear water and handing it to Momoka.

Not a single drop spilled.

"Good. It seems you've mastered Wood Release for some time now."

"Your talent in Wood Release is even greater than your father's."

"My father, he also had Wood Release?"

Qingguang felt that everything was becoming increasingly mysterious. He vaguely sensed something.

So, he too was a crucial piece, a part of the plan.

"That's right. Your personality is very much like Kagami's, but with a slight difference. You're more like a combination of Tobirama and Kagami. This is something I didn't expect."

"I believe Kagami's soul can rest in peace in the Pure Land."

After drinking the water, Momoka put down the teacup and began to recount those secrets to Qingguang.

After the Senju Clan disbanded and Hashirama died, Tobirama and she began planning how to ensure Konoha wouldn't stray from the right path in the future.

While he was in power, he could still govern the entire village with the lingering prestige of the Senju Clan and his strong leadership. But if he died, how would the Third Hokage manage the village?

There was only one way: to exploit humanity's innate instinct, the yearning for profit.

Beneath this pursuit of profit, naturally, many unseen corruptions would arise, giving birth to disciples like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo.

Kagami Uchiha, however, served two crucial purposes. Firstly, he was the bridge between the village and the Uchiha. Secondly, he represented the possibility of Wood Release's revival.

Through the research of Tobirama and Momoka, it was found that while Wood Release was a Kekkei Genkai, its most vital component originated from Hashirama's abnormally vast Yang-natured chakra.

Only the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan could balance this power; only through the combination of Yin and Yang could this power be controlled and mastered.

This was also why Kagami had stayed behind to cover Tobirama's retreat back then.

With the power of Wood Release, they still had a chance to survive. If they died, Qingguang would become the next candidate to inherit the Wood Release surgery.

Both Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi would show special care towards Qingguang, both publicly and privately.

Even after Tobirama's death, when Konoha was no longer what it used to be, the restarting of the Wood Release project by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo was part of Tobirama's plan.

After all, these things were in the village archives; they couldn't possibly not know. It was merely a matter of time. Even using the Uchiha as experimental subjects was subtly recorded and guided in the documents.

Not only Tsunade, but Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and Kagami were all part of their arrangements and plans.

"Child, Lord Hashirama's power could suppress the entire ninja world, but he has fallen into madness. Only by mastering such power again, coupled with the correct ideology, can the village possibly return to its former prosperity and even achieve peace in the ninja world."

"I don't know how to tell Tsunade about these matters. That girl would absolutely not accept it if she knew her grandfather's body was used for human experimentation."

"This difficult task can only be entrusted to you. All Tobirama and I can do is this."

"Please forgive everything that Tobirama and I have done. For the sake of the village, we had no other choice."