Chiba's Ambition!

Land of Fire.

The days passed one by one.

Chiba's life repeated itself every day.

Casinos.

Losing money.

Being chased down for debts.

Sleeping out in the wilderness.

At his most exhausted and hungry, Tsunade would teach Chiba some extremely basic medical theory.

Then she would loudly berate him for his "stupidity."

Chiba, meanwhile, perfectly played the part of an average, timid Chunin.

Only when he was alone late at night.

Only then would Chiba silently circulate his Wood Style Chakra and consolidate what he had learned during the day.

His strength was quietly transforming at a terrifying pace.

In the blink of an eye.

A month had passed.

The border of the Land of Fire.

Within a dense primeval forest.

Chiba followed behind Tsunade.

He sensed that something about today's atmosphere was very wrong.

It was too quiet.

Even Tonton, who usually loved to snort and grunt, had buried her head in Shizune's arms and was trembling.

Tsunade slowed her steps.

Her hands remained in her pockets, seemingly casual.

But with the keen perception of his Primary Sage Body.

Chiba could clearly sense that the Chakra within Tsunade's body was gathering wildly at an alarming rate.

Like an active volcano on the verge of eruption!

The pressure had reached its limit!

Suddenly.

Tsunade stopped.

She tilted her head slightly upward, looking at the canopy that blotted out the sky.

"You've been following us for a month."

"Did you really think I was blind?"

Tsunade's voice was icy.

So cold it seemed capable of freezing the air around them.

Without any warning.

Tsunade suddenly turned, her right leg whipping like a golden steel lash into a towering tree that took three people to encircle!

Boom!

Terrifying Strength of a Hundred erupted instantly!

The massive trunk exploded from the middle as though it were made of paper!

A violent shockwave swept outward, forcibly clearing an open space in the dense forest!

"Ah!"

Shizune cried out and was forced back again and again by the blast.

Chiba crossed his arms before his chest, Chakra surging beneath his feet as he firmly rooted himself to the ground, barely avoiding being blown away.

The next moment.

Amid the dust kicked up by the collapsing tree.

Two black figures were forced to leap from their hiding place.

They spun through the air several times before landing steadily on a tree trunk more than ten meters away.

They were Root ninjas wearing masks—Kinoe and Kinoto.

Both of their hearts pounded wildly.

If that kick had struck them, they would have been reduced to pulp on the spot.

"You came out pretty fast, sewer rats."

Tsunade slowly withdrew her right leg.

She rolled her neck, her bones cracking with a sound that made their teeth ache.

Yet her cold gaze remained fixed on the two men in the tree.

Kinoe and Kinoto exchanged a glance.

They forcibly suppressed the fear in their hearts.

"Lady Tsunade."

"We are only acting under orders."

"Lord Hokage and Lord Danzo are both concerned for your safety."

Kinoe spoke despite himself.

"Concerned?"

Tsunade let out a cold laugh.

Her laughter was filled with endless mockery and fury.

"You sent two dogs to show concern for me?"

"Go back and tell Danzo!"

"Even though I've left the village, it's not yet that cripple who hides in the shadows' place to monitor me!"

"If you dare follow me again."

"I'll twist off your heads and personally send them back to Root!"

"Get lost!"

The single word "lost" boomed like muffled thunder.

Violent killing intent pressed down on the two men from all directions.

Cold sweat instantly covered the foreheads beneath Kinoe and Kinoto's masks.

This woman truly intended to kill them!

"Since Lady Tsunade does not welcome us."

"We shall take our leave."

Kinoe gave a slight bow.

He made a hand signal.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The two instantly turned into white smoke and vanished from where they stood.

The forest returned to dead silence.

"That scared me to death."

"So they were people from the village."

Shizune let out a long breath and patted her chest.

But Chiba said nothing.

He closed his eyes, his powerful senses spreading through the surroundings.

One second.

Two seconds.

Chiba's brows furrowed slightly.

They hadn't left.

Those two hadn't left at all!

They had merely retreated behind an earthen slope five hundred meters away, using Earth Style to conceal their presence.

Just as expected.

Root's people obeyed only Danzo's orders.

Even when facing a death threat from one of the Sannin, they would not retreat easily.

Five hundred meters away.

Kinoe and Kinoto, hidden two meters underground, held their breaths and focused.

"That was close."

"That crazy woman almost attacked just now."

Kinoe cursed under his breath.

"We're so far away that she definitely can't detect us."

"Keep watching her, as long as we don't get too close..."

Kinoto replied.

Rumble!

However.

Before Kinoto could finish speaking.

The earth above their heads suddenly let out a pained groan.

The hard rock layer shattered in an instant.

Soil mixed with violent Chakra poured down like a waterfall!

"What?"

The two were horrified.

They had no time to form hand seals.

A fist wrapped in Chakra had already blasted through the earth.

Carrying a terrifying force that could crush anything in its path, it smashed straight toward Kinoe's chest!

"No!"

Kinoe frantically mobilized all the Chakra in his body, trying to form an Earth Style defense before him.

But before Strength of a Hundred.

Every defense was as laughable as thin paper.

Crack!

The crisp sound of breaking bones echoed dully underground.

Kinoe's chest instantly caved inward in a horrifying curve.

Dozens of ribs broke at once!

Like a torn sack, his entire body was blasted straight out of the ground by the terrifying force of the punch!

Kinoto was scared out of his wits.

His entire body went cold, his mind blank.

Run!

He had to run!

This woman truly dared to kill Konoha's ninjas!

Earth Style: Earth Dragon Concealment Technique!

Kinoto bit through his tongue without hesitation.

Using the clarity brought by the searing pain, he formed hand seals frantically.

He could no longer spare a thought for whether Kinoe lived or died.

Like a mad dog, he fled wildly underground, vanishing at top speed.

Bang!

Above ground.

Tsunade leaped out of the earthen pit.

She dusted the dirt off her hands and glanced at Kinoe, lying in the distance like a dead dog.

She did not pursue Kinoto.

Leaving one survivor alive to report back was the outcome she wanted.

Not long after.

Chiba and Shizune arrived.

Looking at the Root ninja who was barely alive.

Chiba said nothing.

But he understood completely.

The past month had all been an act Tsunade put on for the Root ninjas!

To lull Danzo into complacency.

To make everyone believe that Chiba was merely an insignificant civilian failure!

And now.

The performance was over.

Tsunade had used the most violent method possible to draw a bloody conclusion to this act.

"Do you understand now, brat?"

Tsunade turned around and looked at Chiba.

There was none of her earlier flippancy left in her voice.

In its place was a deep weariness and resolve.

"Understood."

"You've worked hard this past month, Lady Tsunade."

At that.

Chiba nodded seriously.

"Konoha now..."

"...is no longer the Konoha my grandfather founded."

Tsunade let out a cold laugh and leaned against a tree.

Her gaze was fixed on the direction of Konoha, filled with mockery.

"The higher-ups are corrupt, and they form factions to attack dissenters."

"For power, there's nothing they won't do."

"How did White Fang die?"

"Why are the Uchiha ostracized?"

"They even dared to send Root's rats to monitor me, the First Hokage's granddaughter!"

At this point.

Tsunade suddenly clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white.

"However."

"After what happened today."

"Those two old men should restrain themselves quite a bit."

"Danzo is suspicious by nature."

"But as long as he confirms that you aren't a threat, he won't keep paying attention to an ordinary Chunin."

A moment later.

Tsunade turned her head and stared intensely at Chiba.

"Starting tomorrow."

"The good days are over."

"I'll use the harshest methods to squeeze out every bit of your potential."

"You must master your Wood Style as quickly as possible!"

"..."

Facing Tsunade's gaze.

Chiba showed no sign of backing down.

Because he knew his situation very well.

Once his Wood Style was exposed.

Danzo would spare no cost to capture him and drag him into Root to be dissected for research.

Sarutobi Hiruzen would also completely control him in the name of "for Konoha."

This was Konoha now.

Hypocritical!

Filthy!

At the thought of it.

An extremely strong disgust rose within Chiba.

But immediately after.

That disgust transformed into a wild ambition.

Though he had been an orphan in his previous life.

In this life, the blood of Senju of the Forest flowed through his veins.

Who built Konoha?

The Senju and the Uchiha!

The Senju had even held the position of Hokage for two consecutive generations!

To a certain extent.

Konoha was the Senju Clan's property!

Now.

These thieves had seized his family's property and wanted to treat him as cannon fodder and a lab rat?

Dream on!

As long as he became powerful enough.

What Third Hokage?

What Danzo the Ninja Shadow?

They would all pay the price!

He would personally take back what belonged to the Senju Clan!

He would make this rotten village operate according to his will once more!

"Lady Tsunade!"

"I've been ready for a long time!"