28
The excitement over the Handsome Men Ranking had yet to fade, and the rewards continued to be distributed.
As time passed, the rankings were revealed one by one.
Until the very last place.
Asuma Sarutobi's name appeared.
Hashirama Senju and Asuma exchanged a glance, then tacitly traded their reward entitlements.
Asuma took out the Tree of Life Heart and solemnly handed it to Tsunade.
Hashirama accepted Asuma's reward and headed toward the Auction Area.
He was not the only one.
Many ninja had little interest in their own rewards and followed his example.
They consigned their prizes for auction.
The auction house buzzed with voices, bustling with activity.
In Konoha.
Tsunade tightly gripped the Tree of Life Heart, which radiated a soft, gentle glow.
Her fingertips trembled slightly.
Her eyes brimmed with anticipation.
"If I can use this to dramatically improve my strength..."
She murmured, hope surging through her heart.
What Tsunade longed for was not simply greater resilience.
She could extend her life with "Creation Rebirth," but the thing was a bottomless pit, consuming enormous amounts of chakra.
Using it frequently meant draining her own life force.
Her grandfather-that formidable man, Tobirama Senju-had been brought down by that very flaw.
To stay alive, she had been forced to modify the secret technique years ago, barely prolonging her life to this day.
But today was different.
With the Tree of Life Heart in hand, she had an inexhaustible source of life.
Once she fused with it, it could completely replace that blasted regeneration technique.
From then on, an undying body would be her normal state. She would no longer have to worry about dying from exhaustion.
That was true invincibility.
With Wood Release added to the mix, a massive surge in strength was only a matter of time. Transcendent