Tsunade ate even faster than Genma—or maybe she was making it a competition.
In the end, they finished their food at almost exactly the same time.
They drank the last of the wine, too. Tsunade let out a long breath, feeling thoroughly satisfied.
It had been a long time since she'd enjoyed a meal so much.
After a sip of tea, Genma wiped his lips and invited her, "Lady Tsunade, how about we go for a walk?"
Tsunade wiped her mouth and rose. "Let's go!"
They paid and left.
The streets outside were still brightly lit, though there weren't as many people around as before.
The two strolled along, slowly making their way toward Tsunade's home.
The crowds gradually thinned until only the two of them remained on the road, beneath the streetlamps' gentle glow.
After a long silence, Genma suddenly spoke. "Lady Tsunade, do you think the legends about the Sage of Six Paths are true?"
Tsunade gave Genma a curious look. "Perhaps they're true, but it's more likely they've been exaggerated."
Genma rubbed his chin. "How much do you know about Yin-Yang Release, Lady Tsunade?"
"Yin Release creates form, while Yang Release breathes life into it. If both are powerful enough, could Yin-Yang Release really create life—or even bring someone who has already died back to life?"
Tsunade furrowed her brow. "In theory, of course it's possible."
"But the training required to master Yang Release's nature transformation shows that chakra volume alone is a huge obstacle."
Genma smiled. "If there's an obstacle, we can overcome it."
"Lady Tsunade, why don't we work together to research this kind of Yin-Yang Release?"
"Think about it. If we really succeeded and brought the First and the Second Hokage back to life, it would be an absolutely astonishing sight!"
Tsunade's heart jolted at his words, but she quickly recovered. "Don't get carried away, brat!"
"Some problems can be solved, but others can't."
"Take chakra volume, for example. I'm already training in the Yin Seal so I can accumulate chakra, but at most, I might manage to match my grandfather's ability to heal without hand seals. Even then, I may need to use a specific technique alongside it."
"Bringing the dead back to life..."
Tsunade's expression darkened. Then she raised her voice a little, masking her feelings. "According to legend, the souls of the dead enter the Pure Land. To bring someone back to life, wouldn't we first have to find their soul in the Pure Land?"
Genma immediately gave her a thumbs-up. "As expected of Lady Tsunade—you've hit the nail on the head."
Tsunade remained expressionless, unmoved by the flattery.
Genma pondered. "Let's assume the souls of the dead really are in the Pure Land. Summoning a soul from the Pure Land to the living world wouldn't be impossible."
"The Summoning Technique can bring a summoned beast across space and time. Naturally, it could also summon a soul from the Pure Land."
Tsunade stopped and looked at Genma with a frown. "Are you serious?"
Genma met her gaze without flinching. "How could I joke about something like this?"
"Researching Yin-Yang Release is a personal interest of mine."
"However, I'm not as talented in Yang Release as I am in Yin Release, and you're Konoha's strongest medical ninja."
Tsunade scoffed. "Shizune told me your Yang Release nature transformation has already surpassed mine."
Genma shook his head. "I just have more chakra than you, Lady Tsunade."
"Besides, that's not important."
"What matters is that we'll gain a great deal along the way as we pursue our goal of bringing the dead back to life and creating life."
"For example, we could master powerful Medical Ninjutsu capable of regenerating severed limbs and organs."
Finally, Genma tried to provoke her. "Lady Tsunade, you're not scared, are you?"
"What would I be scared of?" Tsunade shot back instinctively.
Then she realized what he was doing. "Hmph. Let's talk after you've solved the chakra problem!"
Genma nodded and asked, "Lady Tsunade, you know why my chakra has grown so quickly, right?"
Tsunade nodded. "Based on your theory, that growth can't continue forever. Once you truly master Wood Release, it'll definitely stop."
Genma agreed with her assessment. He rubbed his chin, thinking. "If I can refine the energy in plant cells, could I also refine other forms of energy and turn them into chakra?"
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat. She immediately thought of Sage Mode.
Could it work?
Perhaps it could!
But Natural Energy was even more dangerous.
Tsunade hesitated, but didn't tell him about Sage Mode.
She decided to wait a little longer.
"Perhaps it's possible."
After giving him a noncommittal answer, Tsunade changed the subject. "Master Wood Release completely first!"
Genma seized on her words. "It sounds like you've agreed to work with me to overcome the challenges of Yin-Yang Release. Believe me, it's a wise choice."
"Who knows? Someday, our names might become legendary among ninja, just like the Sage of Six Paths."
Tsunade's face filled with question marks. When did I agree to that?
Before she could object, Genma continued. "Lady Tsunade, once you've developed that Medical Ninjutsu, remember to teach it to me."
"With my Yang Release nature transformation and my chakra reserves, I might be able to try regenerating severed limbs."
Tsunade seemed distracted. "Got it!"
Genma reached out and tugged at Tsunade's hand. When she looked at him in confusion, he smiled. "You have to believe in me. I'm a genius!"
Then he silently added, I may not be a genius, but my character setting puts me above one!
He let go and used the Body Flicker Technique, appearing atop a streetlamp. "A ninja's job is to turn the impossible into the possible. That's my ninja way!"
"Good night, Lady Tsunade!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he disappeared, leaving Tsunade standing there in a daze.
After a long while, Tsunade came back to herself, grinding her teeth. "That brat's so infuriating and full of himself!"
But she had to admit, she was tempted. It seemed the passion inside her had been rekindled, too.
That night, Genma slept soundly.
That night, Tsunade tossed and turned, only managing to drift off near dawn.
Then she dreamed of her younger brother, Nawaki. A handsome young man stood beside him.
Wait, why did that person look so much like that brat, Kazekaze Genma?
Tsunade woke with a start. When she got up, she discovered it was already past ten. Shizune had gone to Konoha Hospital, and she'd left a note on the table saying breakfast was being kept warm in the kitchen.
After washing up, Tsunade ate breakfast while looking through the documents.
Many had been left behind by her second grandfather, Senju Tobirama. They concerned her grandfather, Senju Hashirama, and his main achievement was a forbidden technique called Immortal Regeneration.
It was considered a forbidden technique because without an enormous amount of chakra, even someone capable of regenerating severed limbs and organs would die as soon as their chakra ran out.
Now Tsunade was using it as a foundation to develop a regenerative medical secret technique that could be used in conjunction with the Yin Seal.
She was one of the Sannin, after all. How could she let that brat outdo her?
Before you continue