Territory Construction Begins: The Rise of the Senju Divine Palace

In the dim bedroom, no candles had been lit. The thin moonlight filtering through the window barely illuminated Sosuke's refined yet slightly pale profile.

Tsunade's arms were tightly wrapped around Sosuke's waist, her cheek pressed against his broad back. The scent of disinfectant mingled with the faint fragrance of licorice from her body, accompanied by her warm breath, poured freely into the hollow of his neck.

"You really caused a huge commotion tonight..." Tsunade's voice carried a hint of languidness, but more than that, it held lingering fear and heartache she could not conceal.

She knew all too well the methods of those old foxes in Hidden Leaf's upper ranks. Sosuke had fought his way through the Hokage Building alone tonight, and while it had been satisfying, it also meant he had completely pushed the Senju Clan to the edge of the cliff.

Feeling the softness against his back, Sosuke discreetly brought his left hand before him. His wide sleeve hung down, concealing the wooden patterns on the back of his hand, which throbbed violently and faintly glimmered with a dark brown sheen. The perfected Sage Body granted him unparalleled recovery ability, but suppressing the Nine-Tails in succession, instantly killing Root's elites, and overworking his Yang Release chakra had once again exposed the savage fangs of the divine corruption buried deep within his bloodline.

He forcibly suppressed the dull pain in his meridians, as though countless steel needles were piercing through them at once, and curled his lips into a composed smile.

"Do you think I was reckless, Sister?" Sosuke turned around, wrapped an arm around Tsunade's slender waist, and pulled her into his embrace.

Tsunade raised her head. Waves rippled in her beautiful amber eyes, and she bit her red lips without speaking.

Sosuke chuckled. With his right hand, he pulled out the scroll stained with traces of blood from his sleeve and casually tossed it onto the wooden table beside them. The scroll rolled open across the tabletop, revealing the vivid, eye-catching Hokage seal at its end.

"Take a look at this."

Tsunade swept it a puzzled glance, but when her eyes landed on phrases such as "eastern Hidden Leaf," "absolute autonomy," and "exclusive to the Senju," her pupils abruptly contracted. She suddenly sat upright, grabbed the scroll with both hands, and read it word by word. Her breathing grew increasingly hurried, and even her ample chest heaved violently.

"This... Hiruzen personally signed this? He actually agreed to cede one-fifth of Hidden Leaf's territory to the Senju Clan?" Tsunade's voice trembled. It was simply absurd! Since Hidden Leaf had been founded decades ago, no clan had ever possessed a lawless territory independent of the Hokage's decrees.

"He had no choice." Sosuke pinched Tsunade's smooth chin, his thumb gently stroking her delicate skin. His eyes held a domineering arrogance that looked down upon the world. "I told you, I would personally reclaim the glory of the Senju Clan. This territory is the new home I'm giving you, Sister."

Tsunade stared fixedly at the man before her, who was several years younger than she was. Once, he had been a frail young boy who needed her protection beneath her wings; now, he had grown into an ancient beast capable of tearing apart Hidden Leaf's entire power structure. That intense contrast, along with the overwhelming sense of security he gave her, caused the final line of defense in Tsunade's heart to collapse.

"Sosuke..." Tsunade clasped his hand in return, fiery emotions churning in her eyes.

"Rest well tonight. There'll be another big show tomorrow morning." Sosuke patted the back of her hand and unobtrusively withdrew his left hand, which had begun to stiffen.

The next morning, an autumn wind swept along the banks of the Naka River, stirring up yellow fallen leaves that filled the sky.

This vast expanse in eastern Hidden Leaf had originally been home to several abandoned old logging camps and scattered civilian residences. But today, it was completely packed with people.

On the outskirts were tens of thousands of Hidden Leaf civilians who had caught wind of the news. They stood on tiptoe, craning their necks to look inside. Mixed among the crowd were several dozen ANBU wearing animal masks. They occupied the high ground, their gazes locked firmly on the center of the site.

In the inner circle, fifty Senju Shadow Guards clad in black cloaks and armed with blades at their waists stood straight as spears, exuding a grim, iron-blooded aura. Beside them, Uchiha Fugaku stood with more than a hundred Uchiha elites, waiting in formation with remarkable obedience. This once unyielding Uchiha clan head now kept his eyes lowered, his hands folded before him, his posture as respectful as a vassal awaiting inspection by his lord.

Everyone was waiting. Waiting for the man who had become a legend in a single battle last night and forced the Hokage to cede land.

Tap, tap.

The crisp sound of wooden clogs rang across the empty grounds. Sosuke wore a pure white haori, its hem snapping in the wind. He brought no guards with him. He simply strolled out through the passage the crowd had parted for him and stopped at the highest point of this barren land.

Tsunade and Mikoto stood several steps behind him on either side, their eyes filled with reverence.

"This land is too barren." Sosuke surveyed the surroundings, his gentle voice carried by chakra clearly into every person's ears.

Hearing this, Fugaku immediately stepped forward and dropped to one knee. "Lord Sosuke, the Uchiha clan is willing to provide the funds and gather the finest craftsmen to build the most luxurious residence for you on this land within half a month."

The moment those words left his mouth, the civilians on the outskirts erupted in an uproar. The dignified head of the Uchiha clan was actually kneeling before the Senju Clan's sole heir in public, offering to be a contractor?

Sosuke glanced down at Fugaku, mockery curling at the corner of his mouth. "Half a month? The Uchiha's efficiency is too slow. The Senju's rules have never needed outsiders to establish them."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sosuke slowly closed his eyes.

The next second, he abruptly brought his hands together before his chest. Clap!

The sharp sound of palms striking together was like a bolt of thunder splitting down from the ninth heavens, exploding within everyone's soul.

Rumble—!

The ground across eastern Hidden Leaf began to quake violently without warning. The waters of the Naka River churned backward, throwing up white waves several meters high. Yang Release chakra so violent it was suffocating transformed into an emerald pillar of light that shot into the sky, enveloping Sosuke's entire body.

"Fall back! Everyone, fall back!" Fugaku's face went pale as he roared himself hoarse, scrambling away with the Uchiha clansmen.

The moment they retreated, the earth split apart.

Countless massive trees, each so thick that ten men would be needed to encircle them, roared from the ground like furious dragons that had slumbered beneath the earth for ten thousand years. Yet these giant trees did not grow wildly and strangle one another like ordinary Wood Release. Under Sosuke's terrifyingly precise control, they displayed the ultimate miracle of creation.

Crack, crack, crack! The explosive sounds of timber compressing and interlocking echoed through the heavens.

Thick trunks automatically divided and reshaped themselves, becoming indestructible foundations and load-bearing pillars; dense branches and vines intertwined and wove together, forming smooth wooden floors and solid walls; broad leaves rapidly dehydrated and hardened, becoming like bronze tiles that neatly covered the domed roofs.

One building, two buildings, ten buildings...

In no more than a dozen breaths, a vast and continuous complex of magnificent carved beams and painted rafters forcibly "grew" from beneath the earth.

At the very center, nine colossal pillars more than ten meters in diameter rose from the ground, supporting a nine-story main tower over a hundred meters tall with layered eaves. Dark golden wooden patterns flowed across the tower's surface. Lifelike Wood Dragons were carved upon its upturned eaves, and above the main gate, a massive Senju clan crest shone brilliantly beneath the sunlight.

An intense aura of life and the fragrance of fresh timber instantly spread across the entire Hidden Leaf village.

[Wood Release: Multi-Pillar House Technique: Modified—Senju Divine Palace]!

The wind stopped, and the water fell still.

Tens of thousands of people stood frozen. Whether civilians, Uchiha elites, or the Hokage's direct ANBU hidden in the shadows, all of them stared blankly at the magnificent giant city that had risen from the earth like a divine miracle, as though their souls had been drained away.

No one knew who started it, but the civilians at the edge of the crowd went weak in the knees and dropped to the ground with a thud. Then, like dominoes, swath after swath of people knelt down, burying their heads deeply in the dirt.

"A divine miracle... The Sage of Six Paths has manifested!"

"Long live Lord Senju!"

Frenzied cries swept over the area like a tsunami. At this moment, no decree or lofty justification could have been more persuasive than the sheer physical shock of reshaping the land and creating a city from nothing. The unshakable absolute supremacy of the Senju Clan was deeply branded into the bones of every Hidden Leaf resident the instant this divine palace was completed.

Fugaku knelt beneath the jade steps of the divine palace, drenched in cold sweat. Looking up at the white-clad youth standing at the highest point, the last traces of unwillingness and ambition in his heart were utterly ground into dust. Opposing a god who held the power of creation in his hands—his Uchiha clan was not even qualified to serve as cannon fodder.

Sosuke stood before the main hall of the divine palace, looking down upon the masses worshipping below.

Sunlight fell over him, coating his figure in a dazzling golden radiance. Yet beneath the broad sleeve of his robe, the left half of his body was undergoing inhuman torment.

To construct this divine palace capable of intimidating the entire shinobi world, he had nearly drained every drop of Yang Release chakra within him. Without Yang Release to suppress it, the divine corruption originating from higher-dimensional plant life surged back like a flood bursting through a dam.

The skin of his left arm had completely hardened into rough bark; dark brown wooden patterns climbed madly up his neck, and a tender emerald leaf had even sprouted beside his left ear. The intense sensation of being stripped apart tore at his soul, as though it intended to erase his consciousness entirely and turn him into an emotionless tree.

"Sosuke, you..." Tsunade sensed the weakness in his aura and hurried forward.

"Inform the Shadow Guards. Seal off everything within ten li of the divine palace. Anyone who approaches is to be killed without mercy." Sosuke did not turn back, his tone still cold and domineering. After saying that, he abruptly turned around and strode into the main hall deep within the divine palace.

The heavy carved wooden doors slammed shut behind him, cutting off every gaze from the outside world.

Night fell, and the Senju Divine Palace was brightly lit.

In the bedroom deep within the main hall, Sosuke collapsed onto a broad cushioned couch, gasping heavily. His white clothing was soaked through with cold sweat. The left half of his body had completely stiffened, and even turning his neck produced an agonizing sound of wood scraping together.

"Damn it... I overdrawn myself too badly this time..." Sosuke gritted his teeth and clutched his left shoulder tightly with his right hand, trying to use his remaining chakra to stop the woodification from spreading toward his heart. But that divine force was too tyrannical. It greedily devoured Sosuke's vitality, determined to assimilate its host completely.

Just as Sosuke's consciousness began to blur and his vision was gradually overtaken by a bleak green glow—

Creak—

The heavy wooden bedroom door was gently pushed open by a pair of fair hands.

Sosuke struggled to raise his head. His bloodshot right eye abruptly narrowed.

Outside the door stood no longer the decisive, domineering Princess Tsunade from the daytime.

Tsunade had removed her signature green outer coat, and beneath it, she wore neither armor nor shinobi attire. She was clad only in a nearly transparent pure white silk nightgown. The soft fabric clung to her incomparably proud curves like rippling water. The deep valley at her chest appeared and disappeared beneath the candlelight, while her long, straight legs alternately stepped through the slit in her skirt.

She had not tied up her twin ponytails. Her golden hair cascaded down over her rounded, fragrant shoulders like a waterfall. All disguise, pride, and the reserved dignity of an elder sister had faded from her beautiful face, leaving only the resolve of a moth rushing into flame and a bottomless, boundless tenderness.

Tsunade closed the door behind her and dropped the bolt.

Barefoot, she stepped across the warm wooden floor and approached Sosuke's couch one step at a time. Seeing that half of his body had already completely turned to wood, her eyes instantly reddened. A crystalline tear slid down her cheek and fell onto the back of Sosuke's stiff hand.

"You madman... For the Senju Clan, would you throw away even your life?"

Tsunade's voice trembled, thick with tears. She did not use any medical ninjutsu, because she knew it would be useless.

She slowly bent down, cupped Sosuke's face—half warm refinement, half withered wood—in both hands, and pressed her scorching red lips against his without hesitation.