Adopted by Tsunade [265-266] (Patreon)

Chapter 265: Sasuke's Susanoo

Sasuke had never seen Earth Grudge Fear.

But Kakuzu's performance earlier had already won his respect.

Even though they were enemies, he still had to praise him.

Under normal circumstances, an Uchiha with the three-tomoe Sharingan could match a jōnin.

Yet after Sasuke obtained the Mangekyō Sharingan, he was actually at a disadvantage against Kakuzu.

That alone was enough to prove Kakuzu's strength.

Now that Kakuzu had produced a new form, Sasuke naturally wouldn't be as arrogant as before.

Kakuzu looked at him without speaking.

But the aura around him already stated his attitude.

Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!

Sasuke met his gaze; the Mangekyō Sharingan trembled slightly.

The innate genjutsu spread outward.

"It's useless."

Kakuzu ignored it outright. He snorted coldly and said, "You don't understand my existence at all."

He had five hearts.

In other words, five different chakra natures.

Genjutsu was naturally ineffective.

Sasuke tugged at the corner of his mouth when he heard that.

It had been the same when dealing with the Third Raikage.

He was starting to realize genjutsu's limitations.

Lightning Release: False Darkness!

Kakuzu stopped wasting words.

Since he'd revealed Earth Grudge Fear, he planned to end this quickly.

After all, his other teammate had already finished and was watching him now.

He didn't want to screw up here.

At his command, the Lightning Release mask opened its mouth, and a dazzling arc of lightning bloomed—

Condensing into a spear of lightning in the air.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Kakuzu had been using Earth Release the whole time before.

Now he'd switched to Lightning Release.

Sasuke glanced at the remaining three masks, and a bad suspicion formed.

His thoughts flashed—and his body vanished from where it stood, trailing a chain of lightning.

Kakuzu's lightning spear was fast, but it still couldn't escape the range of Sasuke's Mangekyō.

Sasuke appeared beneath the spear, Chidori aimed at the middle, and cut it in two.

Then, with lightning still surging in his right hand, he launched straight at Kakuzu.

Compound Ninjutsu: Flame Wind Chaotic Waves!

Kakuzu retreated.

The Wind Release mask and Fire Release mask rose at the same time.

A fierce sense of danger swept in.

Sasuke halted.

The next instant, a sea of fire descended.

Wind carried the flames and detonated them outward, forming a scorching gale.

Sasuke had nowhere to dodge.

Everywhere he looked was fire—completely encircling him.

He took a deep breath.

At this point, if he didn't use dōjutsu, he couldn't seize victory again.

Though he wanted to further hone his taijutsu, Kakuzu wasn't giving him the chance.

Takemikazuchi-no-Kami!

Sasuke's left eye quivered.

Kakuzu suddenly froze.

The surrounding air twisted and deformed.

His rich experience told him something was wrong.

"What is this?!"

Kakuzu tried to use Body Flicker, only to find the space already locked down.

He couldn't escape.

The expression of certainty on his face turned into surprise.

In that instant of distraction—

The entire space shattered like a mirror, and invisible ripples turned into tangible blades and swords.

Centered on Kakuzu, they covered everything from all directions.

A lethal moment.

Kakuzu's experience saved him.

All five hearts flashed at once.

Massive chakra erupted.

Earth Release: Earth Spear!

Kakuzu's body instantly turned black and hardened—compared to before, swelling a full circle, turning him into a musclebound brute.

The other four masks arrayed themselves around him, taking the forms of lightning, fire, wind, and water.

In a blink, chaotic currents filled the entire space.

Natsume clapped his hands together.

A wall formed of water flow rose in front of them.

He didn't care, but the unconscious Chiriku did.

Sasuke panted.

At his current age, the Mangekyō's dōjutsu were actually a heavy burden.

But it had to be said—Takemikazuchi-no-Kami was indeed a good dōjutsu.

Kakuzu's speed was still within normal limits.

Once space was locked down, he could only take it head-on.

As for that, Natsume only wanted to say: no matter how experienced you are, it's still useless against a cheat character.

But Kakuzu didn't die.

The chakra turbulence subsided.

Sasuke's pupils shrank as he looked at Kakuzu, wrapped in black threads.

Earth Grudge Fear had saved him.

Those black threads could attack—and they could also save lives.

They could stitch bodies together.

Kakuzu had used them to stitch Hidan's body before.

But in fact, he could stitch himself too.

Under the clash of five techniques, Sasuke's dōjutsu's power was greatly reduced; by the time it reached Kakuzu, it was bearable.

At the very least, while being shredded, Kakuzu could use Earth Grudge Fear to repair himself.

It was just extremely painful.

After all, it was destruction on one side and stitching on the other.

Even someone as iron-willed as Kakuzu couldn't help it.

At that moment, he glared at Sasuke with a ferocious expression.

"I'm going to kill you!"

"You've already lost three masks," Sasuke said without fear. "How are you going to kill me now?"

Kakuzu's expression stiffened.

Takemikazuchi-no-Kami—

After experiencing it once, he already had a way to respond.

That was: the moment it activated, quickly get far away.

But he had lost the Lightning Release and Wind Release hearts.

His speed wasn't enough anymore.

"Takashi."

Kakuzu decisively called for backup.

He knew Natsume's strength.

Back during the Three-Tails scramble, they'd fought—Kakuzu had been beaten without the ability to fight back.

Now that they were teammates, he naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony.

Natsume smiled.

He walked between them.

Sasuke could defeat Kakuzu mainly because of his dōjutsu.

Now Sasuke had basically exposed all his strength; if he ran into Kakuzu at full power again, it'd be hard to say who would win.

But that was for later.

"Do you know Susanoo?" Natsume asked calmly. "I've seen your brother Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo. If this is all you've got, you probably won't escape death today."

Sasuke's face tightened.

Mikoto had told him about Susanoo.

After awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, he'd tried to grasp it too—but to this day he had no clue.

"Hmph. I won't die here."

As his words fell, Sasuke used his dōjutsu again without hesitation.

Takemikazuchi-no-Kami!

Kakuzu watched like a tiger stalking prey.

And Natsume's strength was unknown.

In this situation, using dōjutsu to decide it in one strike was undoubtedly best.

"Get out of its range!" Kakuzu shouted a reminder as he saw the familiar spatial distortion.

But Natsume still stood in place.

The surrounding space turned into blades and swords, raining down in unison.

At the instant they were about to hit—

A giant tree burst from Natsume's right arm and wrapped around him.

The spatial shredding fell; the outermost leaves and branches were pulverized, but when it reached the trunk, it deadlocked.

"Wood Release?!" Sasuke's face changed, shock in his heart.

Wood Release—the signature kekkei genkai of his teacher, Natsume.

He hadn't expected it to reappear in the hands of a stranger.

But he didn't suspect this ninja named Takashi's identity.

Because in his view, it was impossible for him to be connected to the Hokage.

At this moment, Sasuke's thought was that this mysterious organization was simply too powerful.

He had to leave alive and go back to report.

That's right—he no longer had any thought of capturing Kakuzu alive.

When he saw Natsume withstand Takemikazuchi-no-Kami without a scratch, he knew something was seriously wrong.

He was in trouble.

But Sasuke had no intention of surrendering.

He slammed a hand onto the ground.

Summoning Technique!

A colossal purple venomous snake appeared—

Manda.

Natsume narrowed his eyes and gave it no chance to move.

Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!

A seed dropped and rapidly grew.

Manda had barely seen Natsume before it was wrapped by the Wood Dragon and couldn't move.

Its huge snake eyes showed panic.

Although the White Snake Sage had warned it to try to preserve Leaf Village ninja, in this situation it could barely save itself.

Feeling the restraints tightening, Manda didn't hesitate at all and fled immediately.

Sasuke was dumbfounded.

He'd thought Manda could buy him at least a little time.

If nothing else, a few seconds, right?

But it was only one second.

Now he had no chance to run.

Sasuke's face sank. This was bad.

With its target gone, the Wood Dragon coiled through the air and charged straight at him.

Before such a massive body, Sasuke was like an ant.

He formed seals and spat out three fire dragons.

But when they struck the Wood Dragon, they only sparked faintly.

Lightning flared around Sasuke; he dodged at top speed without hesitation.

The Mangekyō Sharingan helped again.

But this couldn't go on.

The Wood Dragon seemed to have endless stamina, chasing him relentlessly.

Sasuke leapt again—dodging an attack—and looked toward Natsume.

Takemikazuchi-no-Kami!

Magatsuhi no Kami!

Both dōjutsu were used at the same time.

The space around Natsume was immediately locked down.

Just as he was thinking of repeating the same trick, he suddenly felt his chakra circulation go wrong.

That was the negative effect brought by Magatsuhi no Kami.

Interesting.

His body was shredded to pieces within the spatial grinding.

"Did it work?" Sasuke muttered involuntarily.

The next instant, wooden vines burst from the ground and wrapped around Sasuke's body.

"How is that possible?!" Sasuke stared at Natsume in front of him, unable to believe it.

Two dōjutsu—and neither had killed him.

Not far away, Kakuzu's heart jolted too.

He hadn't expected Sasuke to still be hiding something.

If Magatsuhi no Kami had been added earlier, maybe Kakuzu would've suffered even more.

But even so, Natsume was uninjured.

Kakuzu felt even more fear of him.

"Is that all you've got?" Natsume raised his hand and asked. "How many more times can you still use dōjutsu now?"

The wood tightened again.

Pain twisted Sasuke's face.

He clenched his teeth; the Mangekyō Sharingan spun violently.

Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!

The genjutsu activated—Natsume didn't move an inch.

Takemikazuchi-no-Kami!

Sasuke's face twisted like the space itself.

Bloody tears overflowed from his left eye.

That was the sign of overusing ocular power.

If this continued, he would definitely die!

Sasuke looked at Natsume, who once again casually evaded his dōjutsu, and despair rose in his heart.

"As expected, you're no match for Uchiha Itachi," Natsume chuckled softly. "With skills like this, you still want revenge? You'll have to wait for your next life."

"AAAHHH!" Sasuke's eyes turned bloodshot.

The aura around him surged unpredictably.

"Don't worry," Natsume said, continuing to push him hard. "After you die, I'll take a trip to Konoha and kill off the remaining Uchiha too—so they can keep you company."

"How dare you?!" Sasuke looked like a demon.

Natsume's words were stomping on his absolute taboo.

Ocular power spilled outward like a gale.

In an instant, centered on Sasuke, a purple skeletal half-body shot into the sky.

Susanoo!

But it was only the first form—still very far from complete.

Even so, for Sasuke's age, it was undeniably an outrageous cheat.

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

Within his perception, the Satori sealed inside Sasuke had completely vanished at that moment.

Clearly, that was the price paid to force it open.

But it was worth it.

"What is that?" Kakuzu was already stunned.

Sasuke had exceeded his expectations again and again.

"Die!" Sasuke had already broken free of the wood's bindings.

He raised his hand.

Behind him, the giant fist of the half-skeleton slammed down.

Natsume retreated, appearing near Kakuzu.

"Konoha ninja have arrived."

"You want to leave?" Kakuzu caught the meaning and said dissatisfiedly. "With your strength, do you need to fear Konoha?"

"I don't. But you do," Natsume said casually. "If you get captured by them, it'll delay the organization's plan."

"Sasuke!"

Just as the two were talking, a deep voice rang out.

Might Guy entered.

He looked at Sasuke, and his eyes widened.

Could that absurd pressure really be produced by an eleven-year-old genin?

Besides Might Guy, there were also Hatake Kakashi and Gaara.

Kakuzu instantly sobered up.

He knew the three to some extent—especially Gaara.

A One-Tail jinchūriki.

In his current state, he couldn't win.

Without waiting for Kakuzu's answer, Natsume grabbed Fūka and vanished.

As for Chiriku, he left him for them to handle.

Anyway, his only value was Gift of the Hermit Group.

…

After leaving the Fire Temple, the two met again.

"Mission failed—no big deal," Natsume said, releasing Fūka and smiling. "Thirty million ryō—I can give it to you."

Kakuzu tugged at the corner of his mouth.

What happened today counted as him owing Natsume a favor.

As for money, he naturally didn't want it.

His urgent task was to make up the three hearts he'd lost.

"I'll explain the mission to the organization," Kakuzu let out a breath and said. "So long."

He ran off decisively.

[Because of your actions, the fates of Uchiha Sasuke, Kakuzu, Chiriku, Sora, and Fūka have changed. You have gained a total of 470 Fate Points.]

The prompt from the Ring of Fate sounded.

Natsume nodded in satisfaction.

…

Konoha's experimental building.

"What is it?" Kabuto sensed a distinctive spatial fluctuation and asked without lifting his head.

"I brought you back something interesting," Natsume said, gesturing to Fūka behind him.

"What's special about her?" Kabuto sized her up, his eyes like knives, as if slicing her layer by layer.

"Her true body is hair," Natsume explained.

Kabuto's eyes lit up.

Interesting.

"Help me research her," Natsume said.

He didn't stay—Fūka was just an accidental gain.

Flying Thunder God activated.

He appeared in the Hokage's office.

"Natsume, you're back?"

Kurenai seemed to have been waiting. Upon seeing him, she immediately handed him a document.

It was the intel Uchiha Sasuke had sent back via a summon.

Because Natsume wasn't in Konoha, Kurenai had sent Might Guy and Hatake Kakashi to support at the Fire Temple.

Since it involved the Nine-Tails' chakra and Sasuke, she believed it was serious.

…

Chapter 266: Tsunade's Wood Release

"Kurenai, you did well," Natsume said, putting down the document.

Kurenai immediately relaxed.

At the time, Natsume wasn't around. As his secretary, she discussed it with the Hokage advisor Hizashi, and they dispatched Might Guy and Hatake Kakashi.

Because it involved Nine-Tails chakra and Sasuke, she felt it was serious.

"Kurenai, feels like in two more years, you could get promoted," Natsume said with some emotion.

Promoted?

Kurenai paused.

At that moment, what she thought of was a "promotion" in relationship status—

Like becoming the Hokage's wife.

But quickly she realized Natsume probably meant becoming a Hokage advisor.

Normally, she wasn't qualified.

But after serving in the Hokage's guard unit and then as the Hokage's secretary, she had accumulated enough experience.

"I still have a long road to go," Kurenai smiled, quite self-aware.

"You'll get there," Natsume said, staring into her beautiful red eyes.

"Thanks for the good word," Kurenai said, his gaze making her heart beat faster.

Natsume was the Hokage.

What he said was essentially a guarantee of the future.

"Anything else you need me to do?" Kurenai leaned forward slightly, carrying a rose-like fragrance.

As she gathered the papers on the desk, Natsume caught a glimpse of white.

He rubbed his chin. "Send a letter to Kakashi."

Kurenai immediately took out paper and pen. "What should it say?"

"Have Chiriku hand over the training method for Gift of the Hermit Group," Natsume chuckled. "He sided with Sora on that matter and already offended our Konoha—this is his apology."

Kurenai looked at him, a little tempted.

The Fire Temple was a major power in the Land of Fire.

And Gift of the Hermit Group was its secret art.

Yet Natsume spoke as if demanding it were nothing.

That was power.

Kurenai was already imagining how wonderful her future would be if she truly married Natsume.

"Did you write it?" Natsume asked when she stopped moving, and casually brushed a hand along her thigh.

Mm—nice stocking texture.

Worthy of the high-end pair he'd bought.

Kurenai snapped back, cheeks reddening.

Partly because she'd been caught daydreaming—and partly because she'd been caught physically.

"It's written," Kurenai said, body tensing as she restored her secretary's sternness. "Should we inform the daimyō?"

"Why inform the daimyō?" Natsume blinked, asking.

"Chiriku used to be a Guardian Ninja," Kurenai explained.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

He understood her thinking.

But the Fire Daimyō was nothing more than his puppet.

Speaking of which, perhaps it was time to tidy up his own power base a little.

Having Kazahana Koyuki take over would be much more interesting.

"Don't worry—go do it. The daimyō won't object," Natsume added when he saw her confusion.

In the minds of ordinary ninja, the daimyō held quite a high status.

All he could say was: this world was a bit deformed.

"Yes," Kurenai replied.

Compared to the daimyō, she naturally obeyed the Hokage more.

After she left, Natsume clocked out at lightning speed.

…

Back home, Tsunade was watching TV.

Their daughter, Natsuko, was in her arms, eyes closed, sleeping.

After the previous drama ended, Natsume had the Land of Snow crew film a second season.

He thought it was so-so, but Tsunade watched with relish.

"That's going too far, Sis," Natsume said, seeing how glued she was. "I'm back and you're not even acknowledging me?"

"We see each other every day. What's there to acknowledge?" Tsunade said, setting Natsuko in a cradle and beckoning him over.

Natsume leaned in, and she hugged him.

"Alright, satisfied? Why are you like a kid?" Tsunade said, laughing.

Natsume paused slightly.

He felt Tsunade had become a lot gentler.

Sure enough—being a mother really was different.

Natsume sat beside her, lay down, and rested his head on her thigh.

Tsunade reached out and massaged his head.

"Sis, do you remember that Wood Release awakening experiment you had Orochimaru do a long time ago?" Natsume asked, enjoying the massage, his eyes trying to see her face past the huge obstruction—

But it was futile.

"I remember," Tsunade's expression tightened as she looked down at him. "There's progress?"

Her tone carried anticipation.

If the experiment could awaken Wood Release, it meant the Senju clan could reappear in her hands.

At the same time, for Konoha, it was undoubtedly good.

Wood Release's strength was obvious to all.

Even a Hashirama-cell transplant was stronger than an average jōnin.

Of course, Tsunade didn't want to see that method.

After Natsume became Hokage, he had completely halted it.

Those few Sarutobi-clan Wood Release ninja were the final leftover glow.

"Yeah," Natsume nodded. "Not long ago Orochimaru told me he's got results."

"Really?" Joy appeared on Tsunade's face.

She didn't doubt it—so it was pure happiness.

"Next Monday, go to Konoha Hospital," Natsume arranged directly. "Orochimaru will do the surgery."

"Okay," Tsunade smiled right away. "Never thought there'd be a day I could use Wood Release."

"Wood Release isn't as strong as you imagine," Natsume thought for a moment. "Its power depends on chakra."

Tsunade had the Strength of a Hundred Seal; she had accumulated plenty of chakra.

But it recovered slowly.

She couldn't use Wood Release as recklessly as Natsume.

Let alone manifesting True Several Thousand Hands or Veritable 1000-Armed Kannon—

Those required senjutsu chakra.

"It's fine," Tsunade had anticipated that long ago.

If Wood Release were truly that overpowered, the Sarutobi clan, with several Wood Release ninja, wouldn't have fallen to its current state.

After a while, Natsuko woke up.

Tsunade immediately pushed Natsume away and picked up their daughter.

"…" Natsume sighed.

"My status just dropped sharply."

"Daughter, look at your dad—don't learn from him in the future," Tsunade teased Natsuko, rolling her eyes at him.

"Don't slander me in front of our daughter," Natsume leaned in. "Natsuko, your mom's talking nonsense—don't believe it."

He needed to build a good image for his daughter.

"What did you say?!" Tsunade pouted and punched Natsume on the head.

Natsuko stared at them with wide eyes, smiling happily.

"You're the one teaching the kid bad things," Natsume said, catching her hand.

"Hmph, it's all your fault," Tsunade glared at him, realizing her earlier action wasn't appropriate.

"My fault," Natsume admitted readily.

Seeing that, Tsunade let him off.

"Where's Shizune?" Natsume looked for a topic and asked.

"Why?" Tsunade gave him a dangerous look and stared. "You miss her?"

"No," Natsume smelled vinegar—jealousy. He quickly shook his head. "I'm just asking when she'll be back. If it's late, I'll cook."

"Shizune is still young. You should pay attention to her health," Tsunade suddenly thought of something. "When Natsuko grows a bit, get her a little brother or sister."

What she meant was Shizune getting pregnant—not herself having a second child.

Natsume let out a breath.

He hadn't really thought about it.

Shizune didn't have that idea either.

Speaking of pregnancy, he thought of Mikoto.

In two more months, he'd have to send her out on assignment.

If she stayed in Konoha and ran into Tsunade, that would be… very entertaining.

Mikoto wouldn't betray him, but she could only falsely accuse herself.

Natsume wouldn't be that heartless.

As Hokage, he could easily find an excuse to send Mikoto out.

He could send her to the Land of Snow.

"I'll cook," Natsume checked the time, stood up, kissed Tsunade on the face, and left.

Not long after, Shizune opened the door.

Since Natsuko was born, she stayed at home less.

Because Tsunade didn't need her care anymore.

Besides, it was a waste.

Shizune was young and still ambitious.

Unlike Tsunade, who had completely gone lazy.

Now she only cared about Natsume and their daughter.

She stopped caring about everything else.

"Lady Tsunade," Shizune took off her shoes and ran over to Natsuko.

Having a child in the home was truly a treasure.

It wasn't until Natsume served the meal that the two of them reluctantly stopped fussing over Natsuko.

…

Night.

Although Tsunade acknowledged Shizune, they almost never slept together.

Natsume could only split it into the first half of the night and the second half.

A new day.

Hokage's office.

Sasuke had already returned.

After reading his mission report, Natsume couldn't help nodding.

It was very clear.

Including all kinds of analysis on Kakuzu and Takashi.

In short, he could be considered a qualified ninja.

Sasuke now felt closer to Itachi.

Though sometimes he still couldn't help wanting to show off.

"Well done," Natsume said, setting down the report. "Especially since you awakened Susanoo this time—your strength has advanced another step."

"It's all thanks to Sensei's guidance," Sasuke said, rare humility.

But it was true.

He could awaken Susanoo this time indeed because of Natsume—

Whether it was the stimulation from "Takashi," or the last remaining effect of "Satori."

"Sensei," Sasuke asked impatiently, "about that mysterious organization—I want to keep investigating."

"We'll investigate, but not you," Natsume shook his head. "Your top priority is consolidating your strength."

Sasuke wanted to argue but ultimately agreed.

He was in such a hurry mainly because of Uchiha Itachi.

Not because he truly wanted to pick a fight with the mysterious organization.

"Besides that, you can try training Gift of the Hermit Group," Natsume said, taking out a scroll. "Maybe your strength can advance again."

In the original story, Sasuke had a special Susanoo state—

Curse Mark plus Susanoo.

If it really came to it, then he could just let Sasuke accept the Curse Mark.

"Thank you, Sensei," Sasuke said, taking the scroll and leaving the Hokage's office.

But he didn't rush to train—he went home.

As soon as he reached Konoha, he'd gone straight to the Hokage Tower.

Mikoto didn't know he'd already finished the mission.

"Mom," Sasuke called as he opened the door.

"So happy?" Mikoto was sweeping.

Hearing him, she looked up—and immediately noticed his smile.

Earlier, Natsume had told her he would help Sasuke.

Now that Sasuke had gone out and returned, there was clearly progress.

"I awakened Susanoo," Sasuke lifted his chin, a bit proud.

Susanoo?

Mikoto froze for a moment.

But soon she smiled. "You worked hard."

"It wasn't hard," Sasuke shook his head.

"Did you tell your Sensei?" Mikoto stood up, set the mop aside, and asked.

"I already met with Sensei," Sasuke said, then rubbed his belly a little embarrassed. "Mom, I want to eat something."

"Rest for a bit," Mikoto said, walking to the kitchen.

Since it wasn't noon yet, she simply made a bowl of ramen.

Sasuke didn't mind at all; he ate happily.

Just then, Mikoto suddenly covered her mouth and dry-heaved a few times.

"Mom?" Sasuke immediately tensed. "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"It's nothing," Mikoto said casually. "Probably just tired from cleaning too long."

"Should we go to the hospital?" Sasuke still wasn't reassured.

After losing his father and brother, Mikoto was the most important person in his life.

So he was a bit overly worried.

"Why make it so troublesome?" Mikoto couldn't help laughing. "Konoha Hospital is busy every day—don't bother them over a small thing."

"Okay," Sasuke said.

He shoveled down two mouthfuls and asked again, "Then… should I call Sakura over?"

"Sakura?" Mikoto's eyes brightened. "Your classmate?"

"Yeah. Haruno Sakura. She's Director Nonou's apprentice," Sasuke said, clearly not noticing his mom's gossiping look.

If he knew, he would absolutely regret bringing up Sakura.

Mikoto looked thoughtful.

It was rare for her son to mention another girl—progress.

"When there's time, you can invite your classmate over for dinner," Mikoto said.

Sasuke responded, not thinking much of it.

…

A week passed quickly.

Konoha Hospital.

At this time, an operating room had already been cleared out.

To avoid Tsunade noticing anything, they gave her anesthesia.

She didn't suspect anything either; she thought awakening Wood Release was very complicated.

After the other medic-nin left, Orochimaru took out that pill.

He'd researched it for a week and had no clue.

It hit him hard.

But his curiosity only grew stronger.

Orochimaru looked at the pill, then raised his head and couldn't help asking, "What exactly is this?"

Good question. I don't know either.

Natsume tugged at the corner of his mouth. "What it is has nothing to do with you."

He took the pill and stuffed it into Tsunade's mouth.

Orochimaru fell silent.

But he couldn't beat Natsume, so there was no choice.

If you're going to put on a show, go all the way.

Orochimaru also made some marks on Tsunade's arm.

In reality, he just injected something like a stimulant.

An hour later, Tsunade woke up.

She looked at her arm and felt the cells all over her body extremely active.

She even felt younger.

Wood Release represented vitality.

What she used was a talent exchanged from the Ring of Fate.

Theoretically, it did indeed have some effect of improving physique.

"The surgery was a success," Orochimaru said, turning and leaving.

There was no point in staying.

"How is it?" Natsume asked with a smile.

"Very good," Tsunade said, spinning once in front of him. "I feel like my whole body is filled with power."