Second Stage of Treatment

Night fell, moonlight flowed like water, and a faint floral fragrance permeated the tranquil valley. Neji, Tsunade, Shizune, and Xiao Xi sat around the campfire, its flames flickering in the darkness and illuminating their faces.

"Lady Tsunade, the first stage of treatment has begun to show results. At least now, when you speak of the past, you no longer fall into the nightmare of your memories. But there is still quite a distance to full recovery. Moreover, this hypnotic therapy is only effective the first time; its effects will grow weaker afterward. Lady Tsunade is powerful, and the instant I hypnotize you, you develop a strong defensive mindset."

Neji brought up the progress of Tsunade's treatment, and Tsunade and Shizune turned to look at him.

"Whatever. I've lived like this for so many years. At least you're the first person who's made me feel there might be hope. I have plenty of time." Tsunade looked unconcerned, but the gloom that often surfaced in her eyes remained a place no sunlight could reach.

"You have a way, don't you, Junior Brother? Lady Tsunade has at least been able to sleep a little better lately. You have to help her!" Shizune said anxiously.

"Of course I do. People instinctively guard against the words of others, but they firmly believe in what they come up with themselves. The second stage of treatment I know comes down to one word: enlightenment."

"Enlightenment?" Everyone spoke in puzzled voices at once, clearly unable to guess what Neji was planning.

Neji had expected their reaction. In the Ninja World, where everyone relentlessly pursued greater strength, cultivation of the mind was practically nonexistent. As a result, most ninja became tools, those in power had their wisdom blinded by authority, and the strong were wholly ruled by power.

Most laughably, the Sage of Six Paths had clearly founded the Ninja Sect and set out on the right path of teaching, yet he had gone astray in his ideals. Cultivating the mind was always mixed with one's personal understanding. It was not as though linking everyone together with chakra would make people understand one another. That was why he failed.

And the enlightenment Neji spoke of was precisely the realization of one's own philosophy of life through the classics and writings of those who came before.

"I found a scroll called <The Constant Clarity Scripture Spoken by Supreme Lord Lao> in the Hyuga Ancestral Shrine. If you recite it often, Lady Tsunade, you will surely gain something from it." Neji casually made up an excuse, preparing to pass on to them the scripture he had often recited in his previous life. Extraordinary power naturally required extraordinary solutions. Neji believed Tsunade would surely gain something from it. The voice of the Great Dao should strike like enlightenment itself.

Neji's voice suddenly became low and calm as he slowly recited the scripture of <The Constant Clarity Scripture Spoken by Supreme Lord Lao>. Every word flowed into their ears like a clear spring.

"Supreme Lord said: The Great Dao has no form, yet gives birth to Heaven and Earth; the Great Dao has no emotion, yet moves the sun and moon; the Great Dao has no name, yet nourishes all things. I know not its name, so I force a name upon it: the Dao..."

"The human spirit delights in clarity, yet the mind disturbs it..." Neji's voice echoed through the night, as though carrying a power that pierced the soul.

Tsunade sat beside the fire, her eyes filled with confusion and exhaustion. All her life, she had pursued power. From the pinnacle of ninjutsu to becoming a highly respected "medical ninja," few could match her strength. Yet her heart had never found peace.

Deep within, she had always been trapped by the wounds and confusion of the past. She did not know what her existence was truly for, nor where her power ought to be used.

"Once the three are understood, only emptiness remains; observe emptiness as empty, and there is no emptiness left to empty..." Neji's voice continued to echo, each word striking Tsunade's heart like a heavy hammer.

Shizune and Xiao Xi sat nearby, their faces carrying confusion and reverence.

They could not understand the scripture Neji recited. They only felt that its words were profound and unfathomable, as though they contained some mysterious power. Yet to Tsunade, those passages were like a lamp, illuminating the darkness that had long filled her heart.

"The reason sentient beings cannot attain the true Dao is because they possess deluded minds. With deluded minds, their spirits are startled..." Neji's voice gradually became distant, as though it had merged into the night.

An unprecedented tranquility suddenly rose within Tsunade. She closed her eyes and quietly listened to Neji's recitation, feeling every word of the scripture. It was as though her soul had been cleansed. The old wounds and confusion that had once plagued her began to fade beneath the scripture's power.

"Neji, what do these words mean? I can't really understand them," Shizune could not help asking, curiosity in her voice.

"This is the complete text of <The Constant Clarity Scripture Spoken by Supreme Lord Lao>." Neji stopped reciting and smiled faintly. "It is an ancient wisdom that teaches people how to return their hearts to tranquility, and how to find their own direction in a troubled world."

"My words are not enough to explain the meaning of this scripture. If you are interested, recite it often. One day, you will come to understand." Neji said mysteriously.

Shizune and Xiao Xi exchanged a glance. Though they could not understand the scripture's meaning, they could feel the power within it. Tsunade, meanwhile, remained silent, a long-lost calm appearing on her face.

"Lady Tsunade, what do you think?" Neji asked softly, a hint of inquiry in his gaze. In truth, he was a little nervous as well, uncertain whether this would help Tsunade.

Tsunade opened her eyes, and a glimmer of light shone within them. She smiled faintly, her voice carrying a sense of release. "Neji, these scriptures have given me a peace I have never felt before. I finally understand. Strength is not everything. Peace of mind is true strength."

Tsunade rose to her feet, her figure seeming especially tall beneath the moonlight. She took a deep breath and felt the cool night breeze brush her cheeks. At that moment, her soul seemed completely liberated. Her old wounds and confusion quietly healed beneath the understanding the scripture had brought her.

Shizune and Xiao Xi watched Tsunade's transformation, surprise filling their eyes. They had never seen Tsunade so calm, so resolute. At that moment, it was as though they had seen an entirely new Tsunade.

Tsunade smiled faintly, her gaze settling on Neji. "Neji, thank you. You've shown me a new realm, a world I never imagined."

Neji smiled slightly, warmth in his eyes. "Lady Tsunade, this is only the beginning. I believe you will find a path that belongs to you."

The night grew deeper, and the campfire's glow gradually dimmed in the darkness. Neji, Shizune, and Xiao Xi drifted into sleep one after another, but Tsunade remained beside the fire, tranquility and ease in her eyes. She closed her eyes and silently recited the scripture, feeling the peace in her heart.

At that moment, she found a new way to interpret her life. Being trapped by the past, indifferent to the present, and lost in the future—none of these should be shackles.

She was Princess Tsunade, one of Konoha's Three Ninja. Her ninja way was to keep walking through life, one step at a time.

Her mind was no longer confined to Konoha, nor to the world of ninja. She saw a new direction, a new world. The family bonds and love she had once clung to now seemed somewhat small beneath Heaven and Earth.

"When people can remain ever clear and tranquil, Heaven and Earth will all return..." The corners of Tsunade's lips rose slightly. Her voice echoed through the night, as though merging with the entire world.