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Shigenari Shuuzawa wasn't particularly concerned about what Uchiha Shisui was thinking.
As for whether Shisui would turn around and expose him, like casually chatting about it with the Third Hokage, that was something he worried about even less.
Uchiha Shisui hadn't said a word about it himself. It was Shuuzawa who had covered for him, which already proved that Shisui had his suspicions.
If he ran off to report it now, the one in trouble wouldn't be Shuuzawa—it would be Shisui himself!
"At the very least, I am a true Konoha shinobi. With both Wood Release and the Flying Thunder God Technique, how could an Uchiha ever compare to me?"
Sometimes, the so-called 'true Konoha lineage' did have its advantages—at least in name, it made him more well-received.
Meanwhile, Danzo had subtly manipulated and 'corrupted' Uchiha, the 'children of traitors'.
There was no need to guess who would suffer the consequences. "I just wonder how well Danzo is handling my little tricks." Shuuzawa thought to himself.
He had always been dedicated to finding ways to 'entertain' Danzo, ensuring his superior could 'enjoy his retirement' in peace.
The days that followed were rather uneventful for Shuuzawa. Each day was either spent pretending to study diligently or teasing Yuugao until she was red in the face.
Overall, he had settled down quite well. After all, this time, the improvement in his physical abilities was significant, and he needed to adapt to his body properly.
Aside from that, he also had to carefully study and analyze the remaining Dragon Vein chakra sealed within him.
"Even though it's sealed, this power is truly bizarre. It can actually regenerate on its own… it's almost like a Tailed Beast."
The nature of the Dragon Vein's chakra left Shuuzawa somewhat astonished. In his memory, only the Tailed Beasts possessed a self-regenerating power like this.
Take the Nine-Tails, for example. Its chakra was absurdly powerful, and even after being split in half, it retained its consciousness.
What's more, if collected, even a single strand of its chakra could regenerate and potentially create a new Tailed Beast!
Of course, such a creation would likely be nothing more than an empty shell, as the true consciousness remained within the Fourth Hokage and Naruto Uzumaki.
But that fact alone was terrifying. If the consciousness of the Nine-Tails within Naruto or Minato were to dissipate, wouldn't it naturally transfer into this empty shell?
"Luckily, the Dragon Vein has no consciousness—only raw, untamed energy. That makes it more convenient for me to store and use at will. Still, I should find a way to deplete some of it first."
Shuuzawa's proficiency in sealing techniques was still at Level 5. Ever since he had broken Danzo's cursed seal, he hadn't bothered to improve it, figuring it was sufficient.
However, dealing with something like the Dragon Vein was proving to be a headache—if such a massive amount of chakra were to break free, it would be a disaster.
Therefore, periodically consuming some of it or enhancing his sealing techniques became necessary.
"For me, as long as my level is high enough, learning new jutsu is practically effortless."
So, time passed bit by bit, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Early one morning, just as Shuuzawa was about to find Yuugao again, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly called for him and brought him to a training ground.
"Shuuzawa-kun, how have you been these past few weeks?" The moment they met, Hiruzen Sarutobi's wrinkled face showed a slight smile.
However, anyone could see that his smile seemed somewhat forced.
"Not bad. I've been studying diligently, and with Kakashi, Shisui, and Yuugao as my seniors, my time has been quite fulfilling." Shuuzawa nodded.
It had been a little boring without any missions, but having Yuugao around wasn't so bad.
"Is that so?" Hiruzen pursed his lips. So, in the end, Yuugao is what matters most to you, huh?
He hadn't been to the Anbu headquarters much lately, but that didn't mean he was unaware of what was happening there.
Anbu was his domain, after all. He knew exactly what kind of life Shuuzawa had been leading.
He didn't oppose such romantic entanglements—even at a young age, it wasn't a problem.
During the Warring States Period, even younger children were already experiencing these things. The real issue was that Shuuzawa seemed oblivious to his importance.
This boy had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique and had naturally awakened Wood Release!
If that wasn't enough to give Hiruzen a headache, then there was also the matter of the Uchiha.
Uchiha Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and voluntarily chosen to remain in Anbu, which had infuriated the Uchiha clan.
They had been relentless in their complaints, making Hiruzen's days unbearably frustrating. Not only that, but there were also signs of unrest within the Uchiha.
It was clear that both Obito Uchiha and Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan had ignited something within the clan—something that should have never been awakened.
Then there was his old classmate, Danzo, who had begun stirring up trouble again.
"I came here today with some good news for you." Sighing, Hiruzen shook his head, pushing aside these concerns as he focused on Shuuzawa.
"But before I tell you, I'd like to test you—to see if you've been diligent in your training. I hope you understand that you are Konoha's future."
"Both the Flying Thunder God Technique and Wood Release are invaluable assets."
"Uh…" Shuuzawa scratched his head, then nodded. "Understood, Lord Hokage. What kind of test do you have in mind today?"
"Follow me." Hiruzen gestured ahead.
"I want to evaluate your Wood Release abilities. It may seem a bit harsh, considering you've only been practicing for a month."
"But Wood Release is extremely important to us—I need you to put in more effort, Shuuzawa-kun." Shuuzawa blinked in response.
He had thought Hiruzen was going to personally spar with him. So this was all it was?
Of course, he understood the underlying message—Hiruzen had likely noticed his slacking off and wanted to nudge him back on track.
Perhaps this was his subtly warning Shuuzawa not to take things too lightly. "Tell you what, if you perform well, I might grant you one reasonable request."
Seeing that Shuuzawa wasn't moving yet, Hiruzen took the initiative to offer an incentive. "Thank you, Lord Hokage. But, before we start, could you tell me what this good news is?"
Shuuzawa nodded as he formed hand seals, albeit a bit clumsily, while asking. Watching him struggle with the seals, Hiruzen's mouth twitched slightly.
How lazy have you been lately that you can't even form hand seals properly? But in the end, he chose not to comment. Instead, he decided to give Shuuzawa a little motivation.
"We've received news of Tsunade. I had considered sending you to try and bring her back. But if you haven't met the requirements, it may be too difficult for you."
Tsunade? Shuuzawa's eyes lit up. Now that was interesting!
Before Hiruzen could even finish speaking, Shuuzawa suddenly clapped his hands together, releasing a surge of chakra from within.
"Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees!"
The training ground's grassy terrain trembled. Thick roots burst forth from the earth, rapidly growing into towering trees, their vines intertwining.
In mere moments, a lush forest had taken shape before them.
"This…" Hiruzen's eyes widened in disbelief. What was going on? Hadn't this kid been slacking off? Was this a joke?!
"Lord Hokage," Shuuzawa turned to Hiruzen with a sincere expression. "I believe I've met the requirements now, haven't I?"
For a moment, Hiruzen truly wanted to slap himself. For a moment, he felt like he had been deceived. According to the reports, hadn't this brat been slacking off?
Yet looking at the dense forest before him, feeling the chakra and vibrant life force emanating from it, he couldn't help but wonder—was there a traitor within Anbu feeding him false reports? Had this kid been slacking off?
"You…" Hiruzen was silent for a long time before finally squeezing out a single sentence. "You've already mastered it?"
"Honestly, it wasn't that hard." Shuuzawa blinked. To him, it wasn't difficult. After all, at Level 6, his proficiency was already at a jōnin's level.
At this stage, learning many jutsu wasn't as challenging as one might think. Of course, bringing out their full potential still depended on his overall abilities and the jutsu level.
Simply put, an initial LV6 level guarantees the performance of a Jōnin. By infusing a large amount of chakra, the power of this technique can be further enhanced.
Shuuzawa was quite satisfied with this—after all, the human body functions.
There's no such thing as one ability being exceptionally strong while all the related ones are weak.
Even someone like Kisame, who specializes solely in Water Release, wouldn't be able to wield it with such mastery if he didn't have chakra reserves on par with a Tailed Beast.
"That's not difficult....." Sarutobi Hiruzen's lips twitched again as he glanced again at the towering trees. For a moment, he was left speechless.
He hadn't forgotten what he had just said and found it hard to contradict himself by claiming, "That's still not enough."
However, he truly didn't want Shuuzawa to leave. This kid's talent was so astonishing that even he found it difficult to believe.
"Hokage-sama, does this mean I can go see Lady Tsunade now?" Just as Sarutobi was still lost in thought, Shuuzawa suddenly asked curiously.
"Well…" Sarutobi hesitated for a moment before finally nodding helplessly. "Fine, I'll entrust this mission to you."
No matter how reluctant he was, he had no better solution. Besides, when he thought about it carefully, sending Shuuzawa wasn't a bad choice.
His Wood Release had already reached such an impressive level.
Moreover, considering that Uchiha Obito, that troublesome individual, also possessed Wood Release, the chances of persuading Tsunade would increase.
"This time, take your own team. With Yuugao there, you won't be too reckless, and it'll also give Shisui a chance to clear his mind."
"Understood, Hokage-sama." Shuuzawa nodded immediately. He was already familiar with this team, making them a great fit for this mission.
Shisui needed to clear his mind, and Shuuzawa didn't even need to ask to understand. The Uchiha must be on the verge of losing their minds.
A pair of Mangekyō Sharingan remaining in the ANBU? Those Uchiha were probably going crazy.
"I never expected that the person we'd be sent to find would be Lady Tsunade."
In the Land of Fire forests, three figures swiftly leapt from branch to branch, heading toward the Sugi Village.
Along the way, Yuugao couldn't help but sigh. As someone with some medical ninjutsu training, she had immense respect for Tsunade.
There wasn't a single medical-nin in Konoha who could overlook Tsunade's significance.
However, Yuugao still glanced at Shuuzawa, fully aware that the real reason for bringing Tsunade back was most likely him.
"Bringing her back isn't really that surprising. After all, Uchiha Obito also possesses Wood Release, doesn't he?" Shuuzawa shrugged and picked up the pace.
At the same time, he glanced at Shisui, who had been unusually silent. "What's wrong? You seem down. Didn't you learn anything in the ANBU?"
"That's not it. There's a lot to learn in the ANBU." Shisui snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head with a smile. He didn't regret staying in the ANBU.
Being there helped him avoid many unnecessary conflicts, while also giving him time to think.
He had to admit that his mindset had often been overly naive. He simply couldn't comprehend, many thingslike the story Shuuzawa had told him a little over a month ago.
He had been tempted to ask the Third Hokage about it directly, but he didn't want to betray Shuuzawa's trust.
However, after calming down and thinking it over, he realized that it wouldn't have changed anything even if he had asked.
Shuuzawa had merely shared an insightful story—he hadn't named anyone or slandered Danzō in any way.
Shisui interpreted it as entirely his responsibility. Even if Shuuzawa might face some repercussions, he would be the one most affected.
After coming to terms with this, Shisui couldn't help but feel a bit defeated. Looking back on everything in Sunagakure, he realized that Shuuzawa wasn't just powerful.
He was also highly skilled in strategy. He had analyzed Sunagakure's situation, captured Pakura, and forced the village into obediently acting as Konoha's "ally."
He had studied Uchiha Obito's condition using the Sharingan, leading to the man's repeated defeats. Now, with just a single story, he had made Shisui aware of many things.
This kind of ability left Shisui deeply impressed. "Danzō… my clan… I have to do something."
Shisui muttered to himself. However, he hadn't yet figured out what exactly to do. He had only made a decision—a firm resolve to act.
As for how he still needed to think it through, or perhaps, ask for advice. "Why do you look so deep in thought?" Shuuzawa asked, puzzled.
Shisui smiled. "You probably haven't noticed, but something happened in the Sugi Village recently. Their secret technique scroll has gone missing."
"Oh?" Shuuzawa and Yuugao looked at Shisui in surprise, and he continued,
"Based on intelligence reports, it seems Kumogakure is behind it again. However, the Sugi Village has already hired the 'Shinobi Hunters' to retrieve it.
Still, I'm concerned that Lady Tsunade is also there." Kumogakure was practically a bandit village, constantly stealing and looting secret techniques.
Because of its military strength, small nations, minor shinobi villages, and even some clans could only retaliate in secret or lodge futile complaints.
After all, if Kumogakure launched a full-scale attack, the result would be total annihilation.
Shuuzawa never liked the shinobi from Kumogakure, whether it was their methods or anything else. However, it wasn't his problem to deal with.
For now, they had their mission to complete. Picking up speed, they finally reached the Land of Sugi.
A day later, they arrived where Tsunade was reportedly staying.
However, the moment they pushed open the doors of a gambling den and stepped inside, they were dumbfounded. "Lady Tsunade, please stop!"
Shizune, clutching a pink pig in her arms, desperately tried to persuade her, but Tsunade was too absorbed in her gambling frenzy.
"Don't bother me! Just one more round!"
"Place your bets!" The dealer, visibly nervous, watched Tsunade anxiously as she slammed her remaining chips onto the table, loudly chanting, "Big, big, big!"
Seeing this, Shuuzawa silently walked over and placed his money on "Small."
Internally, he couldn't help but sigh. "It's definitely going to be big…"
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