Chapter 37

Ren shook his hand and said, "It's nothing. Just give the Qilin Resin back to me."

Ren was still thinking about the Qilin Resin. Although its effects after consumption were far inferior to Tsunade's explosive state, it was still a perfect healing medicine.

Tsunade continued smiling. "What Qilin Resin? I didn't take anything."

She spoke such shameless words while maintaining that smile. Ren did not know how to describe Tsunade, but in the next moment, his eyes widened in disbelief.

He saw Tsunade slowly bend down and gently kiss him on the cheek.

Ren felt the warmth on his cheek and was somewhat stunned. However, Tsunade leaned close to his ear and said, "Ren... thank you. Maybe Big Sister Tsunade will truly owe you for the rest of her life. You saved my life and Nawaki's life. That really is a debt that will take a lifetime to repay!"

Ren was still dazed, but he felt that warmth on his cheek again, then saw Tsunade's gentle smile.

Good grief, the scene before him was simply indescribable.

Jiraiya was already excited, and his expression was quite amusing.

Orochimaru licked his lips and said, "Uh... this really is a rare sight. I never expected Tsunade to show such a gentle side."

Nawaki also said blankly, "Is this really my sister? Such a violent person can actually be this gentle."

The moment those words came out, Tsunade threw a punch. "What... you think your sister isn't gentle enough?"

Her huge fist came down, and Nawaki turned pale with fear, instantly changing his tune. "Um... absolutely not!"

Ren came back to his senses as well. "All right... it's also my first time seeing such a gentle Big Sister Tsunade."

At that point, Ren understood that this was Tsunade's way of thanking him.

Although Ren had not gotten the Qilin Resin back, Tsunade's words were no ordinary matter. Two lives truly were a debt that took a lifetime to repay. Of course, that lifetime of repayment did not carry any special meaning. It was simply gratitude.

At that moment, Ren noticed a pair of eyes watching him. What kind of gaze was that? It always carried a trace of anticipation, excitement, and even longing.

Ren felt a chill run down his spine, then looked at Orochimaru, who was smiling at him.

Tsunade's Taijutsu

Konoha, Training Ground One.

Ren wore a bitter smile as he said, "Um... Senior Orochimaru's gaze really is sharp!"

He gave an awkward laugh, feeling guilty for some reason.

That was right, guilty.

But faced with the situation before him, anyone would feel guilty. Orochimaru looked at him with interest, sticking out his tongue with that especially eager expression. Ren practically wanted to run away.

Even though Orochimaru had not yet developed the madness he would have in the future, Ren still felt uneasy.

"Hehe... truly perfect. This physique is extraordinary!" Orochimaru said. Although he tried to keep his tone encouraging, it still sounded somewhat sinister.

Jiraiya walked over, looking at Ren with satisfaction. "Orochimaru... Ren can be considered a disciple I helped raise. So? Impressive, isn't he?"

"Hehe..." Orochimaru chuckled mockingly, then withdrew his gaze from Ren. "Mount Myoboku's medicinal bath formula is quite good, but without Toad Oil, it would be impossible to cultivate such a perfect physique. Speed, strength, explosive power... all of them are first-rate. Even Nawaki can't compare!"

His sharp gaze swept over Ren before falling on Nawaki.

Ren was already regretting letting Nawaki drag him here. If it had only been Tsunade, it would have been manageable. But with Orochimaru here as well, Ren truly could not handle it.

However, Orochimaru was right. Ren's physique had indeed surpassed Nawaki's. Especially after being tempered by the Foundation-Building Spirit Liquid, his body was already comparable to Kushina Uzumaki's.

Speaking of Kushina, she was standing right in front of him.

Unlike Ren, who felt uneasy, Kushina was actually able to chat with Orochimaru without finding anything strange about it.

Well, all he could say was that Kushina was confident enough.

At that moment, Tsunade walked over and tossed a scroll toward him!

Ren stared at the scroll, then looked at Tsunade in surprise. "What is this?"

Tsunade smiled lightly. "Take it. It's a gift for you. This trip to the Land of Earth nearly became one I wouldn't return from. If not for that medicinal ingredient, I probably would have died in the Land of Earth."

Tsunade spoke with emotion, while Ren slowly looked down at the scroll.

Since it was a gift from Tsunade, Ren naturally accepted it. Still, he did not think much of it. After all, he had no need for ninjutsu right now, nor did he need Tsunade's guidance. His grandfather had been a sensory ninja since the Warring States Era. Even if he could not compare to dedicated combatants, the experience he had accumulated was not something Tsunade could rival now.

Therefore, Ren naturally did not care much about the scroll Tsunade had given him. If it recorded some kind of ninjutsu, he would care even less. Ren did not lack ninjutsu to train in. Not to mention that he was currently training the Rasengan, intending to unveil that ninjutsu, which would shine brilliantly in the future, ahead of time. He also had the scrolls left behind by Madara Uchiha, the scrolls his grandfather had left him, and the ninjutsu taught by his maternal grandfather.

All of that was more than enough for Ren to train.

That said, he could not exactly refuse her kindness. As he slowly examined the scroll, surprise flashed in his eyes. "Taijutsu! It's actually taijutsu?"

Ren had not expected Tsunade to give him taijutsu. It contained various techniques for applying strength, especially Tsunade's signature Chakra Enhanced Strength.

Tsunade smiled lightly. "What else could it be besides taijutsu? You're still young, and your Chakra is not enough to support major ninjutsu battles. Besides, you have no combat experience at all. Even if you learned ninjutsu, you wouldn't know when to use it and would only waste Chakra. Taijutsu is exactly what suits you. And this taijutsu is no ordinary thing. It was created by my great-grandfather, refined by my grandfather, and eventually passed down to me. I made some further changes to make it more suitable for the battlefield."

Upon hearing this, Ren instantly understood the value of the scroll before him. Speaking of which, what Ren lacked most right now was taijutsu. He did not lack ninjutsu; in fact, he had piles of it that he simply could not train yet.

Compared to those, taijutsu was far more suitable for Ren. Especially since his physique was strong and could continue growing stronger. Furthermore, this taijutsu had originated from the First Hokage, been refined by the Second Hokage, and then modified by Tsunade. Among Konoha's taijutsu, it was certainly top-tier. Especially at a time when the Eight Gates had not yet appeared.

Ren had originally thought the Eight Gates already existed, but Madara Uchiha's scrolls contained no record of it. Thinking back to the original story, when Madara Uchiha faced Guy's attack, he had merely praised it as powerful taijutsu without knowing its name. Clearly, Madara Uchiha did not know about the Eight Gates.

Therefore, Ren knew that the Eight Gates had not yet been created. Even if it had been created, it was likely still with Might Duy and had not yet been perfected.

It could be said that before the Eight Gates appeared, the strongest taijutsu user in Konoha was Tsunade, followed by the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist.

Ren stared at the scroll before him. "Thank you!"

What Ren truly lacked right now was a taijutsu style. The inheritance scrolls left by Madara Uchiha contained no taijutsu, perhaps because Madara had disdained recording it. The scrolls left behind by Ren's grandfather did not contain taijutsu either. His maternal grandfather was the same, possessing no systematic taijutsu.

As for Ren's only understanding of taijutsu, it came from the selected Jeet Kune Do material in The Legend of Bruce Lee.

Unfortunately, that Jeet Kune Do text merely explained some fighting concepts. It did not really explain how to exert force or how to fight.

Therefore, taijutsu was Ren's weakness. Now that he had obtained Tsunade's taijutsu, he was naturally delighted.

Ren stared at the scroll, then placed it into his tool pouch. "Thank you!"

"No need to thank me. After all, having this thing has something to do with you as well," Tsunade said indifferently.

Ren was somewhat puzzled. What did this have to do with him?

Jiraiya said, "Tsunade developed and created this taijutsu amid her repeated outbursts after taking that medicinal ingredient. You deserve some credit for it too!"

At that, Ren nodded silently. He knew a little about Tsunade's experience in the Land of Earth this time. After all, Tsunade had a younger brother like Nawaki, so it was difficult for Ren not to know.