As Long As I Want To Leave...

As Tsunade said this, Uchiha Gen turned his head to look at her. She just... said she was using Nawaki's money, right?

"What's with that look? My money is useful, alright? You shouldn't be unhappy that I'm treating you to a meal."

After saying this, Tsunade punched Uchiha Gen on the head, though it was just an ordinary, light-hearted blow.

"...Can't beat her, I'll endure it."

"Come to think of it, that chakra mode you used earlier is actually perfect for a technique I'm currently refining and strengthening. Igniting chakra to reinforce one's body is dangerous, yes. But the reason it's dangerous is because it rapidly drains the body to condense chakra in a short amount of time. If the ignited chakra is pre-stored, then naturally, there wouldn't be any danger at all."

As she spoke, Tsunade removed her forehead protector, revealing a faint diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.

"Yin Seal?"

Looking at the mark on Tsunade's forehead, Uchiha Gen couldn't help but be stunned.

That's right, although chakra cannot be stored in the body like Qi, the ninja world does have methods for storing it, and right before his eyes, there was exactly one.

"You even know about this? The Yin Seal was originally created by Grandma to deal with the Nine-Tails' massive chakra, but its effects far exceeded expectations. By incorporating some clever ideas—Grandma integrated some simple sealing formulas into the Yin Seal—it also gained the effect of eternal youth. Heh heh, brat, do you know what eternal youth means? It means that in a few decades, you'll have turned into a little old man, while I will still be beautiful and moving. Wahahaha!"

For a moment, Tsunade, feeling pleased with herself, couldn't help but put her hands on her hips and laugh.

This woman... is there something wrong with her brain?

Watching Tsunade suddenly laughing with her hands on her hips, Uchiha Gen was slightly speechless.

At this time, Tsunade had not yet experienced the successive deaths of her loved ones, and like Nawaki, she was full of vitality.

"Brat, I feel like you're thinking of something very rude. Alright, try to see if you can move now."

Tsunade squinted at Uchiha Gen. Although he remained expressionless, a woman's intuition told her that the spiky-haired brat in front of her was bad-mouthing her in his heart.

"Barely."

Lifting his hand to gently clench his fist, Uchiha Gen spoke softly.

"Tsk, 'barely'? If anyone else tried to play around with what you just did, they'd probably be lying in a hospital bed for two days. By the way, didn't we make a bit too much of a scene? How about you explain yourself?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes, then looked at the drastically altered banks of the Naka River and the pairs of red eyes standing not far away, squinting as she spoke to Uchiha Gen.

Uchiha Clan Compound.

At the home of Setsuna Uchiha.

"You were too reckless, Gen. Although Mito Uzumaki won't make a move against you because of the First Hokage, that Senju girl is a different story. Given her strength, if she had any malicious intent during close-quarters combat, even Ganghuo would find it difficult to save you."

Setsuna Uchiha looked at Uchiha Gen and spoke in a deep voice.

As someone who had emerged from the Warring States period, he knew Mito Uzumaki's character, but that did not mean he trusted those associated with her.

From beginning to end, the Uchiha of their generation only acknowledged Hashirama Senju, and they acknowledged Mito Uzumaki as his wife.

As for the others, including that evil fellow Tobirama Senju, they would never acknowledge them!

"I have my own judgment, and... if I want to leave, she cannot stop me."

Uchiha Gen's expression remained unchanged. This was not arrogance, but confidence.

"I know you have your trump cards, but more often than not, you need to think things through. Her identity is, after all, special. Besides being the First Hokage's granddaughter, she is also Hiruzen Sarutobi's student. As a young man, you have your own ideas, and we old folks won't interfere, but we must ensure your absolute safety."

Setsuna Uchiha spoke solemnly.

"I understand."

"Good. In that case, go back and rest early. Also, the medicinal herbs for your medicinal bath for the next year have been collected. The clan doesn't have a medical ninja with the appropriate level of skill, so we can only increase the dosage of certain herbs based on your body's strength. We old folks don't know your limits, but since you have chosen to make contact with the Senju, you can try to utilize that Senju descendant named Tsunade. Her medical skills should be the highest in Konoha at this stage."

Setsuna Uchiha raised a hand, and an Uchiha ninja immediately walked behind Uchiha Gen carrying a bundle of large scrolls. Looking at the scrolls, Setsuna Uchiha spoke softly.

Medicinal baths were an extremely expensive method of honing physical strength. However, because the herbs were scarce and the Uchiha's main business was various "munitions," the Uchiha mostly had to exchange for herbs with other ninja clans.

In the past, the Uchiha wouldn't have bothered with this, but now, because Setsuna Uchiha wanted to lay a better foundation for Uchiha Gen, his medicinal baths had been arranged.

The largest source of these herbs was the Nara clan, or rather, the commercial firms secretly run by the Nara.

"Thank you for the trouble, Elder."

"It is no trouble at all. Besides, I am only doing this for the future of the Uchiha. I am already old, and it is quite good for an old man to still be able to play a part."

Watching Uchiha Gen leave, Setsuna Uchiha's expression was calm.

As for what the golden light was that appeared on Uchiha Gen's body during the fight with Tsunade, he did not ask, nor would he. This child's secrets were not something an old man nearing the grave needed to know.

Under the moonlight, Uchiha Gen walked through the clan grounds on his way home.

"What I currently excel at is using my own speed and the physical strength honed through my cultivation to face enemies. The clansmen I usually spar with are only Chunin, so whether it's the swordsmanship of Thunder Breathing or my ninjutsu, I can resolve those encounters quickly."

"However, the moment I encounter an enemy with greater strength and speed than my own, all the abilities I currently possess lose their effectiveness, leaving me with nothing but the Golden Light Spell to withstand their attacks."

"While not everyone is Tsunade, by the same token, not everyone will hold back against me. Swordsmanship pushed to its peak can cut through anything, but honing such skill takes time."

"And right now, time is both what I have the most of and what I lack the most. To deal with these situations, those two techniques should be put on the agenda."

Under the moonlight, Uchiha Gen reviewed his spar with Tsunade; though calling it a spar would be more accurate to call it Tsunade's one-sided teasing.

If you cannot break through an opponent's defense, no amount of tricks will be of any use.

Although there are very few in this ninja world with strong defenses, "very few" does not mean "none."

He needed to prepare early.