The Path of Cultivation

"Konoha has been good to me, and I will naturally repay Konoha after I become strong in the future. However, I don't want to die meaninglessly on the battlefields of these shinobi wars," Oguri Hayashi's words made Tsunade furious. Although Tsunade had lost two of her closest loved ones, she still loved Konoha deeply. If all the ninja of Konoha were like Oguri Hayashi, talking about repaying Konoha after becoming strong in the future, then Konoha would not be able to sustain itself.

In her eyes, this was simply Oguri Hayashi's excuse to avoid the battlefield.

With her two most beloved people recently dead on the ninja battlefield, a tremendous amount of chakra erupted from her body. The Senju and Uzumaki clans were both famous for their vast chakra reserves. Tsunade's chakra was already immense among High Ninja, and it was not much inferior to Kage-level. In her rage, her chakra almost formed a visible manifestation, like the Tailed Beast Cloak released by a Jinchuriki in manga.

In other words, Tsunade's chakra had reached a visible level.

This was undoubtedly a great waste for a ninja. While the Third Hokage could probably do this, it was of no use. Besides wasting chakra, one still needed to form hand seals and release ninjutsu.

However, Tsunade's Super Strength Technique was a Nintaijutsu, a ninjutsu that did not require hand seals. It could unleash immense destructive power through muscle and chakra bursts. For her, this might not be considered a waste after all.

But facing Tsunade's furious expression, Oguri Hayashi simply finished eating the meat on another skewer, casually cut his palm, and blood immediately gushed out.

He flicked his hand lightly, and a few drops of blood fell in front of Tsunade.

Tsunade's pupils contracted slightly, her imposing aura instantly faltered, and she looked as if she had seen something terrifying, taking half a step back, her body trembling slightly.

"Is your hemophobia really that severe?" Oguri Hayashi said softly.

In later generations, when Orochimaru and Kabuto found her, a mere few drops of blood were enough to cripple her combat ability. This was more than a decade after the Third Shinobi World War. It was impossible to say that Tsunade had not undergone any psychological training to overcome her fear of blood. Yet, even after more than a decade of training, Tsunade was still so terrified by a few drops of blood that she couldn't move. This showed the severity of her hemophobia, which was immense.

Tsunade in this state was practically a lamb to the slaughter. Any ninja could easily kill her with a kunai or shuriken. One of the Sannin, Tsunade of Konoha.

What an unsightly sight.

Watching Tsunade curl up in a corner, hugging her arms like a little girl and genuinely trembling, even Oguri Hayashi couldn't help but sigh.

That heroic and valiant Princess Tsunade had died on the battlefield along with the two others.

From a ninja's perspective, Oguri Hayashi was angry at her for not living up to her potential.

But from a man's perspective towards a woman, Oguri Hayashi pitied her misfortune.

There were many things Tsunade didn't need to bear, but unfortunately...

"I'm very interested in your Yin Seal, Lady Tsunade. How about this: you give me the Yin Seal, and I'll help you overcome your hemophobia during this time?" He silently bandaged the wound on his hand and asked.

Tsunade looked up, glared at him, but said nothing. With this psychological illness, let alone fighting, she couldn't even escape. If Oguri Hayashi draped a blood-soaked cloak over her, she would be completely helpless.

In a sense, it was a very worthwhile deal for Tsunade to hand over the Yin Seal to Oguri Hayashi if it meant getting rid of her hemophobia. However, Tsunade said nothing and handed over nothing.

This might have been her intention to refuse the deal, but Oguri Hayashi didn't mind. He cleaned up the leftover pork with Earth Release and entered his meditation state.

His My Style Secret Technique was progressing well, especially after he simulated the Ki of motion with Lightning Release chakra and carried the Ki of stillness in his body, achieving a unique Unity of Motion and Stillness. It was as if a window had opened for him, allowing him to see the bright world outside.

The name of that world was Martial Arts.

Oguri Hayashi headed east with Tsunade, not neglecting his training along the way.

Tsunade could swear she had never seen anyone so diligent. The Heavier Rock Technique, an A-rank ninjutsu that could crush others, was used by Oguri Hayashi as a weight for his daily practice. Tsunade believed that once the Heavier Rock Technique was released from his small frame, immense power would erupt.

As a Taijutsu ninja herself, she knew better than anyone the power contained within Oguri Hayashi's body. With Might Duy not yet famous in the shinobi world, Oguri Hayashi could be considered the number one Taijutsu ninja in the shinobi world!

Compared to the Third Raikage, Oguri Hayashi's training with the Heavier Rock Technique, combined with the stimulation of his body by the Lightning Release: Lightning Armor, made surpassing the Third Raikage almost a certainty.

What was even more terrifying was that this guy was independent of the various ninja villages, not needing to participate in the shinobi wars and able to focus on more specialized training.

The period between the ages of twelve and twenty was when ninja's strength improved the fastest. In fact, if Oguri Hayashi had avoided this shinobi war and focused on cultivation, he would have surpassed the Third Raikage within five years.

If he was previously just a potential quasi-Kage-level powerhouse, then the current Oguri Hayashi deserved her to treat him with the same attitude she would a Kage-level expert.

The two walked eastward, gradually leaving Konoha's territory.

This road... leads to the Land of Waterfalls?

Ordinary people didn't even know which road led out of the village, but for the higher-ups of ninja villages, the shinobi world map was their most basic compulsory subject.

Tsunade even knew a secret passage that led directly to Takigakure.

It was precisely because of this secret passage that Takigakure was able to obtain the relatively strong Seven-Tails Chōmei during the distribution of Tailed Beasts.

Could Oguri Hayashi's target be a Tailed Beast?

Tsunade was shocked.

His Nintaijutsu had already reached a certain level. If he were to capture a Tailed Beast to fill his last shortcoming, then...

The thought sent shivers down her spine.

What was more difficult to deal with than a Tailed Beast was a Jinchuriki whose Taijutsu had reached its extreme!

With such Taijutsu combined with the Tailed Beast's immeasurable chakra, Oguri Hayashi would likely be unstoppable then!