Wood Release? A Stunned Tsunade

Konoha had suffered devastating losses and, with no one at its head, had fallen into chaos for a time.

The other powers in the Shinobi World were watching hungrily, ready to make their move. The situation was perilous.

War could break out at any moment.

He took the opportunity to return to power and once again assumed the Hokage Position.

But power was like a poppy: once someone tasted it, they became addicted.

Back when the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was in office, the Third Hokage, who had already stepped down to take responsibility, had not fully relinquished the powers a Hokage should wield.

As a result, Konoha had effectively been governed by two "jewels" during that period.

That had also left the young Fourth Hokage constrained at every turn, unable to act freely.

Now-

This "strongest Hokage in history," who had once been highly respected and beloved by countless people throughout Konoha, was even less willing to let go of power so easily.

Over the years, his three disciples, known as the Sannin, had left or defected.

The sudden return of the "Slug Princess," Tsunade,

made Hiruzen Sarutobi happy. Yet as he had grown old and been further corrupted by power, he had completely lost the boldness he once possessed as the "Shinobi Hero," gradually becoming a ruthless politician.

At the same time, he instinctively felt somewhat suspicious and uncertain.

After all, this disciple of his was different from the other Sannin.

Not only was she the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, but she was also the "Princess of Konoha," a title bestowed upon her by the daimyo of the Land of Fire himself.

She had distinguished herself in successive battles and rendered tremendous service, earning outstanding military merits and immense prestige in the village.

Her Medical Ninjutsu was so extraordinarily skilled that it could be called unique. Many ninja in the village, even the heads of ninja clans large and small, had benefited from her help to one degree or another.

She might well be able to rally countless people with a single call.

The Third Hokage had to consider carefully

what purpose she had in suddenly returning this time.

Chapter 14: Wood Release? A Stunned Tsunade

At that moment-

At the entrance to the Chiya household.

Chiya Nao, whose health had been deteriorating day by day, stood there unsteadily, leaning on a cane.

As she looked at her visitor, her lips trembled with excitement.

An abnormal flush appeared on her wrinkled, sallow, emaciated face.

She struggled to bow. "Lady Tsunade..."

"Nao, you've grown old too..."

Looking at the old woman before her, whose life was nearly spent, Tsunade's eyes were full of regret.

She stepped forward and supported her. "Enough," she said gravely. "The Senju Clan is no more. There's no need for such formalities!"

Chiya Nao was no stranger to her.

When Tsunade was a child, before Nao had married, she had been a maid assigned specifically to care for her and stay by her side.

And Chiya Nao's mother had been no ordinary woman. Her name was Senju Toka, and she had been a trusted aide of Tsunade's grandfather, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

She had been one of the most powerful female ninja in the Senju Clan and had specialized in Genjutsu.

Even ninja from other countries had known of her strength.

Unfortunately, times had changed.

The once glorious and flourishing Senju Clan had vanished.

Its powerful ninja had died one after another in the brutal wars of the past.

Fortunately, in the early years, many clan members had changed their names under the arrangements of the First and Second Hokage and married into other ninja clans or civilian families, allowing the Senju bloodline to become part of Konoha.

It was precisely because of that

that Tsunade, who knew all too well about Konoha's darkness, deeply despised its leadership, and had no desire to return,

had been willing to put aside her grievances and come back after receiving the letter Chiya Nao had sent through someone else.

She had come to see her one last time.

"Courtesy must be observed... cough, cough. Please, come in!"

Stubborn as ever, Chiya Nao insisted on finishing her bow.

In her heart, although she had taken her husband's surname, she would always be a member of the Senju Clan.

She looked at the beautiful, voluptuous woman before her, who seemed impossibly young, as though she really were only in her twenties.

Leaning on her cane, Chiya Nao could not help marveling.

Lady Tsunade truly deserved her reputation as a master healer.

She knew how to preserve her youthful looks.

She was clearly in her forties,

yet she looked like a young girl.

"Cough, cough, and who is this?" Chiya Nao's clouded old eyes turned in surprise to the slender, short-haired young woman following Tsunade. She looked capable and was holding a little pink pig.

Tsunade said, "She's my disciple, Shizune!"

"Hello, Granny Nao!"

The somewhat shy Shizune smiled politely.

Then she held up the pig in her arms. "This is Tonton!"

"Oink~~ oink~~"

The adorable little pig obligingly greeted her.

"I see... Lady Tsunade, Shizune, don't stand out here. Please come in!"

Chiya Nao spoke.

Tsunade nodded without further ceremony.

She helped Nao, who had difficulty moving, into the living room.

She did not rush to ask why Nao had suddenly sent word, insisting that she come back to see her.

Instead, she immediately examined Chiya Nao.

But soon, her expression turned grave, and her brows knitted tightly.

She looked at Chiya Nao, who seemed to have expected it.

Nao's body was nearly spent.

In fact, it was practically a miracle that she had held on until now.

Clearly, a highly skilled medical-nin had been tending to her every day, sparing no Chakra to maintain her health.

That medical-nin was no ordinary healer.

"Your condition..."

"Cough, cough, don't worry, Lady Tsunade..."

Chiya Nao kept coughing. "I know my own body."

"Cough, cough. If my grandson Rikuto hadn't kept using Chakra to nourish and maintain my body, this old woman would have been in the ground long ago! Cough, cough..."

Tsunade was taken aback. "Your grandson? The son of Chiya Kawasuke, that Jonin from the medical team?"

She remembered that when she had left Konoha,

Chiya Kawasuke had only just married and had not yet had any children.

In that case, his child could hardly be more than ten or so, even counting every possible year.

And she had heard Kawasuke had died in the Nine-Tails' Attack several years ago.

"Yes. Rikuto is only eight, cough, cough, but his talent far surpasses his father's..."

Thinking of her gifted grandson,

Chiya Nao could not help feeling proud. "Cough, cough. Using the Ninjutsu scrolls and notes Kawasuke left behind, that child worked things out and trained on his own. He mastered an A-rank Ninjutsu like the Mystical Palm Technique a long time ago!"

"He's been the one tending to my health all along!"

"What!?"

"He mastered the Mystical Palm Technique at eight?"

It was not just Shizune.

Even Tsunade's pupils contracted sharply.

She stared at Chiya Nao in astonishment,

unable to believe it.

The Mystical Palm Technique was unlike other Ninjutsu.

Its difficulty truly was A-rank, and Medical Ninjutsu was far harder to master than ordinary Ninjutsu.

And that was only the beginning.

Strictly speaking, the Mystical Palm Technique was easy to learn but difficult to perfect.

Once someone learned it, whether they could use it effectively was the most important thing.

Having just examined Chiya Nao,

she knew exactly how difficult it was to maintain her health this way.

Unless she was mistaken, his Mystical Palm Technique had already reached the height of mastery.

"Cough, cough, it's absolutely true. When Rikuto gets back, Lady Tsunade, you can test him yourself!" Chiya Nao said with a smile.

She knew her own body well.

And seeing the outstanding talent Rikuto had displayed

had strengthened her resolve to do everything she could to pave the way for his future before she closed her eyes.

So, after seeing Rikuto awaken the First Hokage's Wood Release,

when Shikaku Nara had come to visit half a month ago, she had specifically asked him to send a letter to the legendary Sannin, the Senju Clan's former little princess-Princess Tsunade.

She had hoped to see her once before she died.

But Tsunade's whereabouts were unpredictable.

Even the Nara Clan had gone to considerable trouble to get the letter into her hands.

"You specifically asked someone from the Nara Clan to deliver a letter and bring me back here for his sake, didn't you?"

Tsunade understood.

But her expression also grew serious.

She frowned slightly, looked at Chiya Nao, and gave a soft sigh.

If Nao was telling the truth, she could well imagine how astonishing Chiya Rikuto's talent was.

That talent undoubtedly far surpassed Shizune's. He was a true genius.

Tsunade had a rough idea of what Nao wanted.

She wanted Tsunade to take her grandson as a disciple and teach him.

If he really was that talented, it was not out of the question.

In recent years, she had discovered to her dismay that, despite her own unstinting instruction,