"With your miraculous recovery speed, I suspect it might have something to do with Grandpa's necklace!"
"If Grandpa could project the future for you, then you must be the person he chose!"
"Grandpa wanted to convey some things to us through you, so naturally, he had to cure your condition. There's nothing wrong with understanding it that way."
Tsunade spoke in a low voice, sentence by sentence. She did not know what changes that green light had just brought about in Araki, but a brief examination of his body had revealed that he was extremely healthy.
His powerful vitality, in particular, was practically comparable to that of their Senju Clan.
"Araki, I've decided to run a few tests and study Grandpa's necklace carefully. I hope you'll cooperate." Tsunade immediately voiced her idea. After speaking, she thought for a moment, then added, "Don't mention anything that happened today to anyone besides us."
"Yes."
Araki nodded in acknowledgment. He looked like a participant, but in reality, he was the one directing things. Beneath his serious expression, his heart had already begun to laugh. It seemed he had won this gamble.
Actually, his willingness to take such a huge gamble did not mean he lacked caution or prudence...
The person he was gambling against simply had too powerful an aura!
This was Tsunade, who lost every bet she made!
Chapter 49: I didn't see anything!
Araki's face was expressionless, but inside, he was already laughing.
Without him having to say anything, Tsunade had taken the initiative to warn him not to tell anyone what had happened today.
What a joke...
Why would he ever tell anyone!
Araki could not hide it fast enough. He had been certain that, with something involving the First Hokage's Necklace and Nawaki's future, the siblings Tsunade and Nawaki would not spread word of it.
And sure enough!
Only three people currently knew about this. If none of those three said anything, no one in the village would know.
By taking a step back to advance and handing the initiative to Tsunade, letting her judge these matters, Araki had actually made things more convenient for himself.
Especially now that Tsunade had attributed his recovery of normal speech to the First Hokage's Necklace, perfectly resolving his worries about future trouble.
Nawaki stood to one side, silently following Tsunade and Araki's conversation, his feelings extremely complicated.
On the surface, the two were discussing the First Hokage's Necklace, but in reality, they were discussing news of his death.
It was a very strange feeling.
He had learned of his own death.
And it was his death in the future, at that.
Nawaki felt like an ordinary person who had suddenly received a critical condition notice telling him he did not have much time left. His head was swimming.
He could not put any questions into words. His mind was such a mess that he could only listen silently, paying close attention to what happened here.
Tsunade stared at Araki with a grim expression, her heart indescribably heavy. After all, this involved both her grandfather and her younger brother. She had to get to the bottom of it.
"Araki, my mind is a little jumbled right now, and I can't organize my thoughts clearly. I'll be saying a lot of things as they come to me. You must follow my warnings and instructions strictly, without any mistakes!"
Tsunade stressed this with the utmost seriousness. She did not know exactly what was going on, either, but she understood that something this bizarre might involve the secrets of their Senju Clan. The fewer people who knew, the better.
Ninjas in the ninja world had a particular sensitivity toward secrets. They knew full well that some information had to be protected even at the cost of their lives.
Since this involved the First Hokage's Necklace, to Tsunade, its importance was no less than that of the Uchiha Clan's stone tablet. It was not something outsiders could be allowed to learn about easily.
"Yes."
Araki nodded in acknowledgment. He could now speak normally without stammering like that, and this had given him a relatively reasonable opportunity.
With a medical-nin as powerful as Tsunade covering for him.
Who would dare question it!
Questioning him would mean questioning Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu!
"Let's start with your speech. It's something obvious. If anyone asks, don't say it had anything to do with the necklace. Just say I cured you," Tsunade instructed first.
"Yes."
Araki nodded again. Just as he had expected, Tsunade had indeed taken responsibility for this.
Although Tsunade was deeply unsettled, her thinking was still relatively clear. She understood that Araki could already speak normally, so there was no need for him to deliberately pretend to be as he had been before.
This was the best solution!
Tsunade did not believe that someone Araki's age could put on a flawless act. If he accidentally gave himself away, it would only complicate matters.
She herself was a medical-nin.
There was absolutely no need to make a healthy person pretend to be sick.
This was the first thing that came to her mind. She had to come up with a reason for Araki's change before they could keep the secret between the three of them.
Of course.
This was also exactly what Araki wanted most.
As long as the three of them shared a secret, they would form an unbreakable bond, becoming bound by a common fate.
"Now, let's try again..."
As Tsunade spoke, she removed the necklace from Nawaki's neck and held it in her palm for a moment.
The Chakra crystal on the First Hokage's Necklace showed no change.
Tsunade then placed the First Hokage's Necklace in Nawaki's hand and had him grip the Chakra crystal.
Still, nothing changed.
Then.
Tsunade fixed her gaze on Araki.
She could now confirm that the necklace remained as quiet as ever in either of their hands, without the slightest abnormality.
"Araki, hold this."
Tsunade motioned for Araki to hold out his hand, then passed him the First Hokage's Necklace, placing it in his palm.
Hum!
The instant the First Hokage's Necklace landed in Araki's hand, its Chakra crystal seemed to come alive, glowing green in a distinct rhythm, accompanied by heartbeat-like vibrations.
Hum! Hum! Hum!
The Chakra crystal seemed to have come to life.
At the same time.
Araki once again felt waves of refreshing power spreading into his body, cleansing the Chakra pathways throughout it.
The sensation was extremely strange, yet so comfortable.
Araki instantly felt himself sinking into it. He felt that if he could completely absorb the Chakra crystal, his body would surely undergo a special change.
This feeling was incredibly strong.
However...
Just as Araki was enjoying the process.
Tsunade picked up the First Hokage's Necklace again. The moment the Chakra crystal left Araki's palm, it dimmed and returned to its original state.
"Just as I thought!"
After the first round of testing, Tsunade could already confirm that the Chakra crystal on the First Hokage's Necklace only changed when it was in contact with Araki.
"Araki, what did you see just now?"
Intense anticipation immediately shone in Tsunade's beautiful eyes. The contact had lasted quite a while this time. Perhaps he had seen more images.
At the same time.
She was also silently pondering something.
Did this phenomenon mean that Araki was the person best suited to the First Hokage's Necklace?
If that were the case...
Would it be more appropriate to give this necklace to Araki?
She was undecided. After all, she had already given it to her beloved younger brother. Surely she could not ask for it back.
"Hmm..."
Araki had been watching Tsunade the whole time, taking in every change in her expression. He could roughly guess what she was thinking.
This necklace really was good!
But it was too conspicuous!
It was not at all suitable to wear!
Besides, most importantly, even if Nawaki had it, that would not prevent him from using it.
Once the siblings Tsunade and Nawaki accepted the premise that he could see the future, wouldn't he have the right to use the necklace firmly in his grasp from then on?
"I didn't see anything!"
Araki shook his head outright and said something that greatly surprised both Tsunade and Nawaki. Both widened their eyes, incomprehension showing in their gazes.
"How is that possible?"
"Why didn't you see anything?"
"Does Grandpa not want to say anything anymore?"
Tsunade frowned and muttered to herself. She had thought Araki would see many images, only to discover that the actual situation was completely different from what she had expected.
"Where exactly did things go wrong?"
Tsunade began thinking rapidly. She felt as though her brain could not quite keep up. One possibility kept circling in her mind: the First Hokage's Necklace had stopped working.
Chapter 50: What did you see?