"Ahhhhhh!!! I don't want to!!!"
Liuxia opened his eyes once again, and saw that all-too-familiar ceiling. At the same time, he felt a heavy weight pressing down on his arm. He didn't even have to think about it. He turned his head and, sure enough, Kushina Uzumaki was asleep beside his bed, pinning his arm down.
"Seriously?! Did I get reincarnated again? Could that hateful old Slug Sage have killed me?!"
Liuxia was furious. He even blurted out a string of heartfelt Huaxia curses, something he rarely did. He cursed that detestable, thousand-year-old spinster under his breath. It was bad enough that she couldn't leave Shikkotsu Forest, but couldn't she be more like the toads or snakes and raise a whole clan or something?
She just had to have all her fun by herself. Fine, she could play make-believe on her own, but he wasn't her toy! What gave her the right to put him through all that? Just look at the state she'd left him in!
Just then, Liuxia heard a gentle voice calling to him. "Big brother Liuxia, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Liuxia excitedly grabbed Kushina by the arm and asked urgently, "Kushina! Tell me, what day of the week is it today?"
"It's Sunday, Big Brother Liuxia. What's wrong? Yesterday, you suddenly disappeared, then that nice-voiced big sister Slug brought you back unconscious that evening! You scared all of us half to death. Thank goodness Big Sister Tsunade was here. She examined you and said you'd just passed out. What happened?"
Kushina Uzumaki blinked her beautiful, wide eyes and gazed at Liuxia with concern.
Liuxia cursed that hateful old woman under his breath, but smiled gently and reassured Kushina, "Oh, it's nothing, nothing. I had a little accident while practicing a special jutsu. Don't worry."
After exchanging a few words with Nawaki and the others, Liuxia went to Mito Uzumaki's room. He gently knocked on the door, making a soft "knock, knock, knock."
"Liuxia, come in," Mito Uzumaki called warmly from inside.
"Grandma Mito's perception is as sharp as ever. You knew it was me right away." Liuxia pushed open the door and walked in with a smile.
Grandma Mito sat by the window, sunlight spilling over her and lending her an especially kind air. She smiled at Liuxia, a trace of fondness in her eyes. "Little Liuxia, what brings you to see Grandma?"
Ever since Mito saw a glimpse of her beloved Senju Hashirama in Liuxia during his last match against Tsunade, she had grown even more affectionate toward him. It wasn't only because Liuxia resembled Hashirama. She also felt a sense of familiarity in him.
To this old woman, who had witnessed the glorious history of Konoha, Liuxia seemed like a bridge between past and present, bringing back memories of those wonderful days.
"Well... Grandma Mito, lately I've suddenly felt a strange new power in my body." Liuxia held out his hand. A seed rested in his palm. While Mito Uzumaki was still puzzling over it, something astonishing happened.
The seed began to tremble slightly, as though it were alive. Then its shell split, and a tender green shoot emerged.
The shoot grew rapidly into a slender stem, and several emerald leaves unfurled from it. The whole process happened so fast it was dazzling. Mito Uzumaki stared in astonishment, her mouth hanging open.
"This... This is!" She widened her eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing. The seed that had been resting in Liuxia's palm had taken root and sprouted before her very eyes, growing into a tiny plant!
"It's the power of Wood Release! That's right, it's Wood Release! There's no mistake—this is Hashirama's power!" Mito Uzumaki exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. She knew how powerful Wood Release was. This miraculous ability had once belonged to her husband, Senju Hashirama.
"Liuxia, tell Grandma when you first realized you had the power of Wood Release!" Mito Uzumaki asked urgently.
Liuxia hesitated. He couldn't very well tell Grandma Mito that he'd gained Wood Release through a mysterious system. So he told a harmless lie. "I noticed it after I went to Shikkotsu Forest yesterday and came back."
He felt a little guilty toward Grandma Mito, but thought it was better not to tell anyone about this secret for now. The mysterious system was too bizarre, and he had no idea what risks or secrets it might hold.
Mito spoke to Liuxia with a grave expression, making sure he understood. She knew all too well that the Konoha of today was no longer the village that Hashirama and Tobirama had ruled.
The likes of Monkey had long since grown up, no longer the young men they once were. Danzo in particular had shown her his malice several times, right to her face. Yet Danzo had no idea that the Nine-Tails inside her had the incredible ability to sense good and evil!
She herself had never imagined that power could change those who had once been young men devoted to the Will of Fire so completely.
"Little Liuxia, listen to Grandma. Until you become Hokage, unless you have absolutely no other choice, never—absolutely never—use Wood Release in front of anyone! If someone does see it, kill them! Do you understand?"
Though she looked kind, this old woman had lived through countless wars and upheavals. She was, after all, a powerful member of the Uzumaki Clan!
"I promise, Grandma Mito!" Liuxia shouted without hesitation. Mito Uzumaki's face immediately lit up with a satisfied, kindly smile.
"Good boy! Come with me." Mito Uzumaki slowly rose and held out a warm, strong hand, firmly clasping Liuxia's still somewhat tender one. She led him toward the Senju Clan's secret chamber.
When they entered the chamber, Liuxia was stunned by the wealth of precious records and secret techniques laid out before him. There were not only the First Hashirama's incomparably powerful Wood Release techniques, but also the various jutsu invented by the Second Hokage Tobirama, along with the invaluable experience and wisdom left behind by countless predecessors.
"These are the treasures our Senju Clan has collected over the years..." Mito Uzumaki said softly, her eyes shining with pride and nostalgia. She gently stroked the ancient scrolls and books, as if touching the history and glory of the Senju Clan.
"From today onward, this place is open to you. You may come here to read and study whenever you like. I hope you'll draw strength from what you find here, become an excellent ninja, and grow strong. In the end, become Hokage and uphold the true Will of Fire!" Mito Uzumaki gazed at Liuxia, her eyes filled with earnest hope.
Liuxia's eyes welled with tears of excitement. He knew what these treasures meant to a ninja. He silently vowed to train hard and live up to Mito's expectations!
Before you continue