Chapter 79: Awakening Mokuton! Tsunade

Returning from the Genjutsu space, Tsunade regarded Luo Fu with a complex expression, remaining silent for a long time.

Given Tsunade’s strength, and the fact that within the Genjutsu space, Luo Fu had no intention of harming her with illusions.

Logically, Tsunade should not have been so deeply affected, lingering so long in shock.

What truly caused Tsunade’s reaction was the seemingly self-consistent words Luo Fu spoke within the illusion.

Especially when, at last, Luo Fu confidently claimed he could produce evidence to convince her.

This made Tsunade hesitate even more.

Luo Fu did not rush her; instead, he kindly picked up the wine flask and refilled the empty cup before Tsunade.

As he poured, Luo Fu said: “Tsunade Senju, I do possess evidence to prove everything—but Tsunade, are Itachi certain Itachi can accept the truth and reality?”

Regaining her composure, Tsunade let out a bitter laugh, lifted her cup, and drained it in one gulp.

“I don’t need Itachi to remind me. Besides, what haven’t I seen? Come on—what evidence are Itachi going to show me to make me believe your nonsense?”

To Tsunade’s surprise, Luo Fu extended both hands, one gripping a sharp kunai; in Tsunade’s stunned gaze, the kunai instantly sliced his fingertip.

A few drops of blood immediately trickled down his fingers.

Tsunade stared at him with a strange expression. “Itachi don’t actually believe I have a fear of blood, do Itachi? Itachi’re trying to scare me with blood?”

“How could someone who ushered in a new era of medical ninjutsu have such a ridiculous fear of blood?” Luo Fu shook his head with a smile, holding the drops before her. “Do Itachi know that your grandfather, Hashirama Senju, possessed an extraordinarily strong constitution—even his cells had unparalleled invasive properties?”

Tsunade’s expression darkened. “Are Itachi saying Itachi desecrated my grandfather’s corpse, like that old monkey and Orochimaru?”

“Of course not. I merely heard rumors.” Luo Fu shook his head. “I am not like Hashirama Senju. My blood and his cells share a similar effect. Drink my blood, and Itachi’ll realize the things I told Itachi—seemingly absurd—are the truth.”

Tsunade frowned, staring at Luo Fu as if confirming whether he was joking or serious. “Itachi want me to drink your blood?”

Luo Fu nodded firmly. “Exactly. Itachi wanted proof, didn’t Itachi? No proof compares to swallowing a few drops and experiencing it yourself.”

Tsunade took a deep breath, hesitated a moment, then reached out and took the drops from Luo Fu’s hand.

Wrapped in chakra, the blood, though liquid, resembled dark red gemstones.

After one last glance at Luo Fu, Tsunade made up her mind, brought the blood to her lips, drew it in with a soft inhale, and swallowed it with a gulp.

“I’ve already—”

Her voice cut off abruptly. Tsunade stared at Luo Fu in horror; as the blood entered her stomach, she felt her chakra surge uncontrollably.

For ordinary ninja, chakra instability might cause unease—but for Tsunade, it was different.

As a medical ninja, chakra control was fundamental.

Even her Yin Seal Technique, Super Strength, and Sky Piercing Kick—all appearing crude and simple—relied on an almost monstrously precise manipulation of chakra.

The foundation of mastery was minute control over every speck of chakra.

Yet Luo Fu, with merely a few drops of blood, had caused her chakra to spiral completely out of control.

Before Tsunade could regain command of her chakra, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed face-first onto the table, entering transformation.

To date, Luo Fu had given his blood to three people in the ninja world, transforming them into members of his system.

Ye Cang had been near death from grievous wounds and knew nothing of medical ninjutsu; Luo Fu had treated her as a last resort—and by sheer accident, completed her transformation.

Konan, after drinking Luo Fu’s blood, uttered only a single syllable before collapsing into unconsciousness, initiating her life’s transformation.

Only Tsunade—whether due to her immense chakra control or because she was the last living heir of the Senju bloodline—

had spoken several full words before slipping into unconsciousness.

Tsunade’s sudden collapse startled Kato Shizune, who had been standing at the tavern’s entrance, barring others from entering and explaining Tsunade’s earlier outburst.

In her urgency, Shizune immediately activated the Body Flicker Technique and appeared before Tsunade.

Before Shizune could examine Tsunade, Luo Fu stepped forward and blocked her. “Don’t move. Don’t worry—Tsunade is fine. She’s merely undergoing a life transformation. She’ll awaken soon. Don’t forget, though I’m an Uchiha, the feud between our clan and the Senju is decades old. As fellow Konoha ninja, I have no reason to harm Tsunade, do I?”

Shizune’s face twisted in conflict. She glanced at Luo Fu. “Luo Fu-senpai, I cannot let Tsunade-sama risk anything! I’m sorry, but please step aside.”

“Sigh! Itachi’re stubborn. Then I’ll have to make Itachi wait!”

Instantly, the swirling pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan appeared in Luo Fu’s eyes.

Kato Shizune was immediately trapped in a Genjutsu.

It was not a Mangekyo technique—merely a Genjutsu cast with the Sharingan alone.

The Sharingan inherently amplified Genjutsu power; even a three-tomoe state could easily ensnare a Jonin.

Especially now, with Luo Fu’s Mangekyo active.

Shizune offered no resistance—she froze instantly.

Compared to Konan’s transformation, Tsunade’s process took far longer, though not as prolonged as Ye Cang’s near-death state.

By the time Tsunade completed her transformation, it was already the next day.

The moment her consciousness cleared, Tsunade jolted upright, instinctively scanning her surroundings.

At that moment, she was stunned to discover her chakra reserves had multiplied several times over.

Tsunade’s case was unlike ordinary ninja—her forehead bore the Yin Seal, which preserved her youth.

Ordinary ninja extracted and used chakra on the spot; Tsunade’s Yin Seal allowed her to store any chakra she generated directly in her forehead, retrieving it at will.

Under these conditions, her chakra multiplying several times meant she now possessed the equivalent of ten to dozens of times the chakra of a normal ninja.

Even more astonishing, her chakra had become fluid, as if an extension of her will—responsive to her thoughts, obedient as an arm.

Whether delicate or violent, her control now achieved an ineffable, effortless mastery.

What truly shocked Tsunade was the sudden emergence of a new, mysterious Yang chakra vitality within her.

She had felt this sensation only once before—on her grandfather Hashirama Senju’s cells.

As if guided by instinct, Tsunade extended her hand; in her palm, a tender green sapling appeared out of nowhere, slowly and gracefully unfurling its leaves.

“Mokuton… Mokuton!!” Tsunade blurted.

In the ninja world, the most powerful jutsu universally acknowledged was Hashirama Senju’s Mokuton.

After all, it was the jutsu that ended the Warring States era.

Though merely a Kekkei Genkai, even Kekkei Tota paled in comparison to Mokuton.

The horrific cost Konoha paid to recreate Mokuton revealed how deeply its power was etched into the hearts of Konoha ninja—and indeed, all ninja in the world.

As a Senju, after Hashirama and Senju Itachi, no one had ever awakened Mokuton—Tsunade included.

Yet Tsunade never dreamed that the Mokuton she had longed for since childhood would awaken in her now.

Overwhelmed by joy, Tsunade unconsciously ignored her surroundings.

Eagerly, she sat up and strode to an open space, mentally recalling the hand seals for Mokuton.

Just as she prepared to test her awakened Mokuton, an inexplicable premonition surged within her—so strong she could hardly believe it.

It seemed her Mokuton, like her uncle Tobirama Senju had described his brother’s,

required no hand seals—Hashirama could simply clap his hands and effortlessly summon any Mokuton.

Of course, Tsunade knew this was merely Tobirama Senju’s jealous exaggeration of his brother’s incomprehensible talent.

In truth, Mokuton required hand seals—even Hashirama habitually formed the Snake seal when using it.

Driven by an inexplicable impulse in her mind,

Tsunade instinctively brought her hands together before her, forming the Snake seal.

“Mokuton! Kongo Jōmoku!”

As she spoke, a massive, sturdy tree erupted instantly from the ground.

“It’s… it’s real?” Tsunade stared wide-eyed at the Mokuton she had summoned herself, murmuring in disbelief.

“Tsunade-sama!!”

As Tsunade marveled, a familiar voice called from nearby.

Turning, she saw Kato Shizune rushing toward her at high speed.

“Shizune!” Tsunade, bursting with excitement, blurted: “Did Itachi see? Did Itachi see? I awakened Mokuton—I awakened the same Mokuton as my great-grandfather and Itachi!”

Though stunned by Tsunade’s Mokuton, Shizune was far more concerned with Tsunade’s physical state.

Earlier, at the tavern, Tsunade had suddenly collapsed, and Shizune had been ensnared in Luo Fu’s Genjutsu.

When she awoke, she found herself in a forest far from the village.

Seeing Tsunade beside her, seemingly undergoing a Kekkei Genkai awakening, Shizune had dared not disturb her—though deeply worried.

In the ninja world, certain Kekkei Genkai awakenings resembled Tsunade’s condition, and some Kekkei Genkai forbade any interference during awakening—mistakes could cause irreversible damage.

But normally, Kekkei Genkai awakenings never occurred in someone as old as Tsunade Senju.

Now that she saw Tsunade unharmed—and had miraculously awakened Mokuton—Shizune knew without doubt that Luo Fu’s words were true.

Thank heaven she hadn’t interrupted—otherwise, Tsunade-sama might have carried lifelong regret.

“Congratulations, Tsunade-sama! Itachi’ve awakened Mokuton, just like the First Hokage!” Shizune beamed, even more excited than Tsunade herself.

Calming herself, Tsunade finally remembered the source of her awakening—Uchiha Luo Fu.

Tsunade had not forgotten Luo Fu.

After all, he had approached Kato Dan just before Tsunade and Dan grew close.

While with Dan, Tsunade had never heard him lament Luo Fu’s dedication to and regret over the Spirit Transformation Technique.

Unfortunately, Konoha had been newly founded, and Tsunade had been steeped in the Senju elders’ teachings—she instinctively resisted and distrusted the Uchiha.

“Where is he?” Tsunade asked Shizune urgently. “I mean—that Uchiha boy?”

Having passed through the shock of awakening Mokuton, Tsunade now felt unprecedented dread and unease.

If Luo Fu could awaken her Mokuton with mere drops of blood, then were his words in the Genjutsu space also true?

The Sage of Six Paths, the Sage’s younger brother, that terrifying goddess whose shadow seemed to cover the entire world…

Merely recalling what she had seen in the Genjutsu space sent waves of fear and unease through Tsunade.

“Tsunade-sama, don’t worry—he’s gone to the neighboring village. He’ll be back soon…”

Before Katō Shizune could finish speaking, a spatial vortex instantly materialized not far from the two of them.

Luo Fu appeared before them, clad in a form-fitting outfit that made him look nothing like a ninja—more like a nobleman.

Upon seeing Luo Fu, Tsunade rushed forward without hesitation, grabbed his collar, and dragged him toward the depths of the forest.

From afar, Tsunade’s voice called out to Katō Shizune.

“Shizune, don’t follow. Wait here for me.”

Watching the retreating backs of Luo Fu and Tsunade, Katō Shizune’s expression grew unexpectedly complex.

Since the end of the Second Shinobi World War, Katō Shizune had been taken out of the village by Tsunade before even graduating from the Ninja Academy.

Over these many years, though now it was Katō Shizune who cared for Tsunade, in the beginning, when Shizune was merely a little girl, it was Tsunade’s care that allowed her to grow up safely.

Having followed Tsunade for so long, Katō Shizune had, through subtle influence, come to understand why Tsunade left Konoha.

Naturally, she felt deep gratitude toward Tsunade.

Never forget: Katō Dan’s death was shrouded in suspicion—perhaps even directly orchestrated by Konoha’s high command.

Of the entire Katō clan, only she herself, taken from Konoha by Tsunade, remained.

On the surface, the Katō clan had indeed suffered heavy losses in the war.

Yet this clan, which had endured for centuries during the Warring States era, had been reduced to just Katō Shizune alone within decades of Konoha’s founding.

Unless she was utterly foolish beyond redemption, Katō Shizune could not have failed to notice Konoha’s darkness.

Precisely because of this, Katō Shizune had grown ever more admiring of Tsunade, even feeling a quiet sense of kinship with her.

For all these years, Katō Shizune had clearly seen how Tsunade could not escape the grief of her brother Hashirama Senju’s death and her uncle Katō Dan’s.

Now, in Katō Shizune’s eyes, Tsunade seemed to have found her happiness—even if this man was a much younger Uchiha, and once nearly became her uncle’s disciple.

Gazing at the direction where Luo Fu and Tsunade had vanished into the forest’s depths, Katō Shizune murmured: “Lady Tsunade.”

Deep within the forest.

After reaching a sufficiently secluded spot,

Tsunade released Luo Fu, then used her ninjutsu to sense her surroundings, confirming absolute safety before speaking in a low voice: “Tell me—what exactly is going on?”

“Do Itachi know about cattle and sheep kept in pens?” Luo Fu said with deep meaning. “I assumed that Itachi, having developed the Yin Seal Technique, would have sensed the peculiar nature of chakra. But the truth proves I overestimated Itachi. Though your medical ninjutsu talent is indeed beyond imagination, that talent is confined solely to medical ninjutsu—Itachi seem to have deliberately ignored the fundamental nature of chakra.”

“Don’t beat around the bush,” Tsunade frowned irritably. “Just tell me what Itachi discovered. And are Itachi using one of your strange techniques to manipulate my emotions again?”

Earlier in the tavern, Luo Fu had manipulated her emotions and ignited her rage.

But now, Tsunade was startled to realize that since Luo Fu’s appearance, an inexplicable fondness and goodwill toward him had quietly taken root within her.

This feeling wasn’t born of her own will—it felt more like… like every cell in her body instinctively yearned to draw near Luo Fu, causing her to waver.

Luo Fu chuckled softly and shook his head. “Actually, I didn’t.”

“Impossible,” Tsunade declared firmly. “If Itachi didn’t manipulate my emotions, then why do I feel this inexplicable fondness toward Itachi?”

“Why do Itachi assume this is something Itachi did,” Luo Fu asked curiously, “rather than your own instinct?”

“What do Itachi mean?”

“I mean exactly what I say,” Luo Fu explained. “Life’s instinct seeks evolution. Just as someone beautiful, healthy, and radiant naturally inspires goodwill at first glance, while someone aged or ugly evokes discomfort—this is life’s instinct. Your inexplicable fondness for me now is simply because, at the level of biological essence, I attract Itachi.”

Stunned, Tsunade pondered his words, then said uncertainly: “I’m a Senju. Itachi’re an Uchiha. Our ancestors both came from the Sage of Six Paths. When power increases—or life evolves—driven by bloodline instinct, I might feel attraction toward Itachi, just like… like my great-grandfather and Madara Uchiha.”

Her eyes brightened; she felt increasingly certain her guess was right.

After all, the inexplicable bond between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had always seemed unreasonable to many elderly Senju.

After all, the Senju and Uchiha had slaughtered each other for a thousand years—even their own blood relatives had died at each other’s hands.

Yet Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, who should have been mortal enemies, became incomprehensible close friends—and together, they transformed the chaotic Warring States era into the current ninja village system.

If this was due to both reaching a certain level of bloodline development, triggering biological instinctual attraction, then everything suddenly made sense.

My grandfather, having pushed the Senju bloodline to its extreme, felt an inexplicable bond with Madara Uchiha, who had pushed the Uchiha bloodline to its extreme.

But Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were both men, while I and Luo Fu are man and woman—this mutual attraction has produced an even more inexplicable change.

Still, even after understanding this, Tsunade Senju couldn’t accept it. Her face flushed crimson as she snapped: “I don’t care about any of this. Just don’t make me feel this way toward Itachi.”

Luo Fu gave her a look of disbelief. “I think the real issue we should be discussing is what I told Itachi in the genjutsu space earlier. And also—”

He paused slightly, his tone turning grave: “The nature of chakra.”

At this, Tsunade forgot her cellular, even genetic and bloodline-level attraction toward Luo Fu.

“Itachi said that someone who developed the Yin Seal Technique should sense the nature of chakra. What did Itachi mean?”

“Since the Sage of Six Paths first appeared, chakra has existed in this world for millennia. Yet no one has ever wondered: where do the chakra particles go after they’re extracted but never fully utilized—why do they vanish mysteriously?”

“Itachi…” Tsunade suddenly felt a chill crawl up her spine. Deep inside, a dawning realization struck her: what Luo Fu was about to say would shatter her worldview—and strike at the very foundation of the ninja world’s origin.

“It seems Itachi’ve figured it out,” Luo Fu smiled faintly, his Mangekyō Sharingan activating once more, instantly dragging the unresisting Tsunade back into the Tsukuyomi genjutsu space.

Luo Fu didn’t know the extent to which the legendary Sage of Six Paths monitored the ninja world.

But one thing he was certain of: his own chakra existed independently of the entire ninja world.

When discussing topics too dangerous to be overheard, the safest method was to enter the Kamui space—or directly communicate within the Tsukuyomi genjutsu space.

Any other form of communication, in Luo Fu’s view, was unsafe.

Within the genjutsu space.

For an instant upon being pulled in, Tsunade felt tension—but quickly regained her composure.

Tsunade looked at Luo Fu and asked: “Itachi said that over a thousand years, where did the chakra extracted by ninja go? When a person dies, their soul departs to the Pure Land—shouldn’t their chakra simply dissipate into the world?”

Luo Fu sneered. “Dissipate? Do Itachi know your second grandfather, the Second Hokage Hashirama Senju, created a ninjutsu that interferes with life and death: Edo Tensei? It uses sacrificial material and the corpse’s tissue to summon the dead from the Pure Land, granting them infinite chakra. Where does that chakra come from?”

“Itachi even know about Edo Tensei?” Tsunade was genuinely surprised. “So your Uchiha clan has been plotting for a long time!”

Luo Fu’s lip twitched. “The Uchiha don’t have that kind of brain.”

Tsunade burst out laughing. “Itachi’re an Uchiha too. Do Itachi think Itachi don’t have that kind of brain?”

“Itachi’ve already sensed my uniqueness—surely Itachi don’t still think I’m just an ordinary Uchiha?” Luo Fu chuckled, shaking his head. “Itachi know how special Edo Tensei is. Have Itachi—or your grandfather, the Second Hokage—ever wondered where the infinite chakra of the summoned dead comes from?”

Tsunade frowned, thought for a moment, then said: “I’ve seen this question in my second grandfather’s notes. He speculated that the infinite chakra of Edo Tensei comes from the Pure Land.”

“The Pure Land?” Luo Fu sneered. “I can tell Itachi with certainty: before the Sage of Six Paths’ mother, there was no chakra in this world.”

“That’s impossible!” Though she’d witnessed Luo Fu’s wonders, Tsunade no longer dismissed his words lightly—but this outright denial of chakra’s existence still made her instinctively recoil.

In shock, she blurted: “If there was no chakra before the Sage of Six Paths’ mother, then where did chakra come from? Did the Sage of Six Paths truly discover its secret?”

Over a thousand years, the myth of the Sage of Six Paths had become utterly distorted.

Now, in the ninja world, many regarded him as nothing more than a purely fictional deity.

In myth, the Sage of Six Paths was a god who created heaven and earth—a primordial creator.

Not fully aware of the truth, Tsunade could only guess chakra’s origin based on these myths.

But Luo Fu quickly shattered her assumptions: “The Sage of Six Paths’ chakra came from his mother. And her chakra came from beyond this world.”

Though the ninja world now had the concept of a planet, most still clung to the archaic term “world” to describe the planet beneath their feet.

Since Tsunade was already aboard his ship, Luo Fu no longer held back—he began recounting from ancient times: the arrival of Kaguya Otsutsuki and Ōtsutsuki Ichibi, the Shinju tree, Kaguya’s betrayal, her creation of White Zetsu, the Sage of Six Paths, and her younger son Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo to resist the Ōtsutsuki clan, and the brothers’ rebellion against their mother…

Under Luo Fu’s narration, the mythic ancient past unveiled its veil before Tsunade.

“Gah!!” Tsunade rubbed her throbbing temples. “Are Itachi sure all this is true? My grandfather and Madara Uchiha are reincarnations of Asura and Indra’s chakra? The goddess of the moon, before being sealed, gave birth to a third son? Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan—and was tricked?”

After a long moment, she finally accepted reality—and suddenly remembered Luo Fu’s initial question.

A chill ran through her. “Itachi… Itachi’re not trying to tell me that for a thousand years, every ninja who ever extracted chakra had their power harvested by the Sage of Six Paths?”

“That’s likely the truth,” Luo Fu murmured. “Before Kaguya Otsutsuki, there was no chakra. Chakra was born when the Shinju devoured the world’s natural energy. But when the dead are summoned by Edo Tensei, they possess infinite chakra. Where does that chakra come from?”

“It’s the accumulated chakra of all those who lived over a thousand years… so that’s why Edo Tensei users have infinite chakra.” At that moment, Tsunade understood: the so-called “infinite chakra” had always been a lie.

To the ninja world, the chakra of Edo Tensei users might seem infinite—after all, it was the sum total of all chakra ever extracted over millennia.

But this infinity was relative, not absolute. For a single ninja, Edo Tensei granted infinite chakra. But for the entire world, Edo Tensei’s chakra had a limit.

Once Tsunade accepted this, Luo Fu continued: “If the Sage of Six Paths could live forever, why did he die? Even Kaguya Otsutsuki, sealed on the moon by him and his brother, still lives. Why did the Sage of Six Paths pretend to die, hide in the Pure Land, and harvest the souls of the dead? What was his goal?”

“No,” Tsunade suddenly brightened. “Perhaps Kaguya Otsutsuki is immortal. But the Sage of Six Paths could die?”

Luo Fu watched her silently, waiting for her to explain her reasoning.

“I remember Itachi said: if Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo died, why do Itachi assume the Sage of Six Paths wouldn’t?”

I remember Itachi said that if as brothers, Ōtsutsuki Hagané would die, then why do Itachi think the Sage of Six Paths wouldn’t?

(End of Chapter)