A towering pile of scrolls and ancient texts filled nearly half the study, creating an awe-inspiring sight at a glance.
The Water Release scrolls Tsunade brought back this time didn't just contain the techniques created by Senju Tobirama.
There were also numerous early Water Release training manuals passed down through the Senju clan, along with countless records of past insights, notes on jutsu development, and even some spontaneous ideas jotted down by predecessors.
All of it had been meticulously reorganized and annotated by Tobirama himself.
To any shinobi specializing in Water Release, these materials were priceless treasures.
And yet, Tsunade treated them as if they were nothing more than a pile of junk, casually tossing them into the room before dusting off her hands and heading back to work on her own jutsu.
"You're incredible! Just let me know what you want to eat from now on!"
Yamanaka Shinno didn't hold back on the flattery.
Resources like these were more than just valuable—they formed the very foundation of a clan's legacy. Money couldn't compare to this kind of wealth.
As long as such knowledge existed, even if future generations were untalented or weak, the clan could still rise again whenever someone with even moderate aptitude emerged.
This gift from Tsunade was so overwhelming that if Shinno had any less dignity, he might have thrown himself at her feet and started singing.
Of course, if he actually did that, he wasn't sure if Kushina would explode in laughter or rage—but he was absolutely certain Tsunade would react with violence.
She had never been known for her patience, and she had a well-refined method for dealing with pervy opportunists—one that was both thorough and highly effective.
Pushing aside his wild thoughts, Shinno resisted the urge to dive headfirst into the study and start reading until he dropped. Instead, he focused on carefully recreating various dishes.
He had just returned from a mission yesterday. Unless a critical emergency arose that only he could handle, given Konoha's current mission load and the Third Hokage's cautious approach, he estimated he had at least ten days before he'd be assigned another task.
That gave him plenty of time to absorb the knowledge left behind by the predecessors.
"By the way, Kushina, how's the Nine-Tails doing today?"
Recalling how he'd messed with Kurama yesterday, nearly pushing the beast into a rampage, Shinno figured it was worth checking in.
"No worries, no worries~ I gave him a good calming session today, and he's smiling ear to ear—gehehehe~"
Kushina let out a laugh that sounded suspiciously like a goose honking.
From the looks of it, the Nine-Tails wasn't nearly as troublesome for her now. With her growing strength and various sealing techniques in play, the fox wasn't able to stir up much trouble.
"Stop bullying the Nine-Tails. That old fox has it rough, too."
"Weren't you the one who started it? Now he's learning how to swear from your genjutsu!"
"...I seem to recall a sealing technique called 'Mute Seal.'"
"Yeah, but it's kinda low-level. The Nine-Tails can break out of it with just a bit of effort."
"Honoka is coming over tomorrow. You two can work on an upgraded version together."
"Eh? Eh?! Eh!!! She's really coming?!"
"Relax. She's going through an interrogation hypnosis session with the ANBU today. Once that's done, no one will have any objections."
"Honoka is the best~!"
As Shinno and Kushina chatted away, their hands worked in perfect sync, preparing ingredients as if they'd done it a thousand times before.
The three little ones watching from the side were stunned, sensing that the kitchen around them suddenly felt much smaller than before.
...
Konoha Hospital
Orochimaru shoved open the door to Danzo's hospital room.
As he did, the doorframe rattled dangerously. If he let go, the door might just fall off entirely.
His eye twitched.
Who the hell installs a door like this—just swinging straight forward without even a single screw in place?
Glancing at the slightly deformed frame and the door covered in dents, Orochimaru immediately understood what had happened.
Today was the day Tsunade had examined Danzo.
With a sigh, he picked up the broken door and walked into the room. Several large, patterned snakes slithered from his sleeve, carefully resetting the door back into place before retreating.
"Looks like you had an eventful day, Danzo-sama."
His lips curled slightly, his usual eerie aura taking on an almost amused air.
It was obvious that even Tsunade had failed to fully resolve Danzo's issues. But she must have given him some ideas, or else he wouldn't have summoned Orochimaru so urgently.
"I need a way to completely resist or neutralize these attacks."
Danzo had no patience for Orochimaru's taunts. He just wanted results—fast.
Hiruzen was too indecisive, lacking the necessary resolve of a true Hokage.
With the current instability in the ninja world, if Danzo himself faltered, Hiruzen wouldn't be able to handle the situation.
"Body modifications. Kekkei Genkai."
A glint flashed through Orochimaru's golden eyes. His long tongue flicked over his lips as he immediately grasped Danzo's intent.
"Magnet Release, Shikotsumyaku, and the Hozuki clan's Hydrification—what are the success rates?"
Danzo's sharp gaze locked onto Orochimaru, waiting for his answer.
"Magnet Release is uncertain—we don't have any suitable test subjects. The Kaguya and Hozuki bloodlines currently have about a thirty percent success rate."
"Too low."
"I need more test subjects. More Kekkei Genkai samples."
Orochimaru suppressed his inner excitement, keeping his outward expression calm and composed.
He knew his experiments depended on Danzo's support.
And now, he had Danzo exactly where he wanted him—desperate and willing to invest more than ever before.
This would bring him one step closer to his ultimate goal.
Immortality.
A truly intoxicating pursuit...
"My patience is limited."
"Once I have the necessary subjects, give me a month—no more than that. I can raise the success rate above eighty percent."
"You better deliver."
Danzo tapped his index finger lightly against his hand, his words laced with unmistakable threat.
But Orochimaru wasn't the least bit flustered.
After all, he had lied.
The success rate for Magnet Release was indeed uncertain—there wasn't enough data. Shikotsumyaku from the Kaguya clan was difficult to integrate, with past trials hovering around thirty percent success.
But the Hozuki clan's Hydrification technique? That wasn't a true Kekkei Genkai. As long as the subject gained the potential to learn it, he was already over eighty percent confident in success.
His old friend Hiruko had been far more obsessed with Kekkei Genkai than even he was. Years of experimentation had led to mature transplantation techniques and a solid theoretical foundation.
Chimera Technique...
What an interesting jutsu.
If Hiruko hadn't been so greedy—trying to fuse multiple Kekkei Genkai at once to surpass both standard and advanced bloodline limits—he might have already reached power beyond imagination.
Such a greedy man.
Just like me.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."
Orochimaru cast one last glance at the broken door, then decisively chose to exit through the window instead.
He wasn't about to deal with that mess.
Whoever wanted to use that door could do it themselves.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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