Obtain the Sword of the Thunder God!

"Strength is strength; there is no such thing as luck or lack thereof."

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand dismissively, then turned to face Tsunade.

"Are you here to collect that item?"

"Obviously."

Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest, looking entirely justified.

"You promised, so it's time to deliver, isn't it?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed helplessly and gestured to the Anbu ninja waiting outside the door.

Before long, the Anbu ninja entered carrying a long wooden box, placed it carefully on the desk, and retreated from the room.

Sarutobi Hiruzen opened the box.

Inside lay a sword.

Or, to be precise, a sword hilt.

The dark gray metal grip was wrapped in non-slip cord, and the guard was a simple, circular metal plate.

In the center, there appeared to be a unique crystal embedded within.

Qingyu guessed that this sword was likely crafted from some sort of special material.

The ninja world was full of strange and exotic materials: the red stones capable of channeling a shrine maiden's power, the Gelel Stone from the ancient civilizations seen in the films, and the chakra-conducting metals of the ninja world, among others.

Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword, which could change length at will and cut through anything, was also forged from such a special material.

Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up the hilt and handed it to Qingyu.

"The Sword of the Thunder God is an experimental ninja tool forged by the Second Hokage—my teacher—during his youth."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke slowly, his tone tinged with nostalgia.

"This sword has no physical blade; it is formed entirely from the user's chakra. The stronger the chakra, the sharper the blade."

Qingyu took the hilt with both hands.

It felt heavy in his grip, weightier than he had expected.

Following Sarutobi Hiruzen's instructions, he slowly channeled his chakra into the hilt.

Hum...

A low, resonant hum echoed through the room.

In an instant, a blade of lightning-charged chakra extended from the hilt, emitting a faint crackling sound as it bit into the air.

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the blade, a flash of approval in his eyes.

To activate the blade on the first attempt—this child was truly suited for the path of swordsmanship.

However, he did not forget to offer a warning:

"The strength of this sword varies from person to person. If your chakra intensity is insufficient, its power might not even match that of a traditional iron sword."

Qingyu understood this logic perfectly.

In the original story, that rookie Aoi Rokushō had produced a pathetic performance with it.

But that was a failure of the user, not the sword.

A ninja tool forged by the hands of Senju Tobirama could never be trash.

Qingyu increased his chakra output.

Hum!

The blade suddenly thickened, and the entire office was illuminated by its brilliant glow.

Qingyu couldn't help but feel like he was holding a lightsaber from Star Wars.

Tsunade leaned against the wall, watching the lightning-wreathed sword in Qingyu's hand, her gaze drifting into a daze.

The scene reminded her of the Second Hokage she had seen when she was a child.

That silver-haired man, always stern and unsmiling, seemed to overlap faintly with the black-haired youth before her.

"Not bad."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.

Qingyu's chakra reserves were already quite outstanding for his age; such talent was worth the village's investment.

"Old man, Qingyu also mentioned that if he can maintain the top spot long-term, you'd have additional rewards for him."

Tsunade spoke up.

Hearing this, Qingyu retracted his chakra, causing the blade to dissipate, and tucked the hilt into the ninja tool pouch at his waist.

"I did indeed say that."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Tsunade, who was clearly fishing for more benefits, and didn't know what to say.

He could only conclude that Tsunade was truly looking out for Qingyu.

"Old man, going back on your word isn't like you."

Tsunade twisted the knife further.

"Of course, but that will require time to prove."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke.

For an outstanding talent like Qingyu, he didn't mind investing more in his cultivation; he naturally wouldn't be stingy.

That night, the bathroom in Tsunade's home was permeated with a thick scent of medicinal herbs.

Tsunade filled the tub with hot water, then poured several types of green herbal powders from a pile of bottles and jars, dumping them all in at once.

The surface of the water bubbled intensely, and the color shifted into an indescribable dark green.

"Take off your clothes."

Tsunade pointed at the tub.

Qingyu looked at the strange, bubbling liquid and his expression turned somewhat subtle.

"Sister Tsunade, what is this?"

"A secret medicinal bath formula passed down through the Senju clan."

Tsunade brushed back her golden twin-tails and explained with rare seriousness.

"My grandfather and grand-uncle both used this when they were children. It solidifies one's foundation and strengthens the physique. Since you're still young and your bones and meridians are still developing, the effects are best now."

Qingyu knew of Tsunade's attainments in medical ninjutsu, so he figured there shouldn't be any issues with the bath. He took off his clothes and prepared to step in.

However, he soon noticed that Tsunade was standing right there, showing no intention of leaving. Qingyu turned his head to look at her.

"Sister Tsunade, you should head out first. I can handle it myself."

"Oh?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile appearing on her face.

"You've grown up, haven't you, little brat? You even know how to be shy now?"

Qingyu remained expressionless as he said:

"It's not shyness. It's just that your presence here will affect the efficacy of the medicinal bath."

"...What kind of twisted logic is that?"

Tsunade was choked up by his nonsensical reasoning, but she still turned and walked toward the door.

As she reached the doorway, she turned back to add:

"Soak for at least an hour. Not a minute less."

"Understood."

The door closed, and Qingyu was left alone in the bathroom.

He took a deep breath and stepped into the tub.

The water temperature was on the high side, and the herbs mixed with the hot water enveloped his entire body.

Almost immediately, Qingyu felt a gentle, warm current seeping through his pores and flowing slowly along his meridians.

A comfortable, tingling sensation spread throughout his limbs and bones.

The Senju clan's medicinal bath was truly worthy of its reputation.

Qingyu closed his eyes, leaned against the edge of the tub, and tried his best to relax his body.

According to Tsunade, this bath was the formula used by Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju during their childhood, with its greatest benefit being the establishment of a solid foundation for the body during its developmental phase.

However, Qingyu suspected that Hashirama Senju's immense strength was purely because he was a freak of nature, and it had nothing to do with this bath—at most, it was just the icing on the cake.

An hour later, Qingyu climbed out of the tub, his fingers wrinkled from the soak.

Qingyu dried himself off and changed into clean pajamas.

When he walked out of the bathroom, he felt as though his body had become much lighter.

He then discovered that Tsunade was still in the living room, not yet having gone to sleep.

She sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, a half-finished bottle of sake resting on the coffee table in front of her.

Hearing his footsteps, she looked up.

"How is it? Do you feel any changes?"

Tsunade didn't use her usual lazy tone, but instead asked with rare seriousness.

"I feel like my body is much lighter, and my muscles aren't sore anymore."

Qingyu answered truthfully.

"That's good. Continue soaking tomorrow. Keep it up for half a year, and the effects will be even more obvious."

Tsunade nodded in satisfaction, then, as if remembering something, she beckoned him over.

"Right, there's something I need to tell you."

Qingyu sat down across from her.

"In a while, I plan to take you to Shikkotsu Forest to sign a summoning contract."

Tsunade said.