Near noon.
In a forest on the border of the Land of Fire, sunlight filtered through the canopy and spilled onto a clearing.
A massive wild boar was roasting whole over a bonfire.
Chiba held a jar of seasoning in one hand as he skillfully turned the meat.
Not far away, Shizune held her pet pig, Tonton, while drooling with hunger.
Meanwhile, Tsunade held a cup of sake and watched Chiba with a complicated look in her eyes.
It had been over a year since she had taken this young man in, yet Tsunade had never seen him look so relaxed.
In the past, Chiba had been nothing more than a tireless training machine.
To save time, he usually lived on military ration pills.
Even when he occasionally ate a proper meal, he would simply hunt a few wild rabbits, start a fire, roast them, and make do.
But today, Chiba had actually prepared an incredibly lavish lunch.
Whenever something was out of the ordinary, there had to be a reason.
Tsunade’s fingers tightened slightly around her sake cup.
She knew this troublesome disciple of hers very well.
There was no way he had gone to all this trouble just to give them a better meal.
“Let’s eat.”
Chiba carved a leg from the roasted boar, placed it on a wooden plate, and handed it to Tsunade.
“Mmm…
It’s delicious!”
“Big Bro Chiba, your cooking is amazing!”
Shizune cheered and immediately dug in, mumbling incoherently as she stuffed roasted meat into her mouth.
Chiba chuckled, picked up a piece of meat, and began eating at an unhurried pace.
Only Tsunade hesitated, staring at the boar leg on the plate in front of her without taking a bite.
The atmosphere gradually grew awkward.
“When are you planning to leave?”
After a long silence, Tsunade drained her cup of sake.
She looked at the young man in front of her and asked the question in a casual tone.
Shizune abruptly stopped chewing and stared at the two of them in confusion.
“As soon as I finish eating.”
Chiba swallowed the food in his mouth.
His voice was calm, as though he were discussing something trivial.
“The Senju Clan’s prestige has lain dormant in that village for far too long.”
“So long that some people seem to have forgotten who actually founded Konoha.”
As he spoke, Chiba slowly raised his head.
His gaze crossed the bonfire and met Tsunade’s eyes.
There was no concealment or pretense in them—only naked ambition and supreme arrogance.
Tsunade fell silent.
In truth, she had known for a long time that this day would come.
More than half a year ago, Chiba’s overall combat strength had already surpassed hers in every respect.
Whether it was his enormous reserves of chakra, his pure and overwhelming physical strength, or his miraculous Wood Release ninjutsu, this kid was practically a copy of the First Hokage—perhaps even more terrifying in certain ways.
Most importantly, Chiba had never hidden his disgust with Konoha’s current state. This story is hosted at g.com.
He wanted to change Konoha.
One could even say…
he wanted to seize control of it.
“I’m going back with you.”
Tsunade took a deep breath and abruptly rose to her feet.
Her beautiful eyes held an unyielding determination.
“You’re underestimating Konoha’s politics.”
“The village leadership definitely has trump cards that aren’t visible on the surface!”
In Tsunade’s eyes, although Chiba possessed power comparable to her grandfather’s, he was still a novice when it came to political struggle.
The Konoha leadership’s methods were filthier than anyone could imagine.
She absolutely could not stand by and watch the Senju Clan’s last hope fall victim to their dirty schemes.
“There’s no need.”
“Teacher, you seem to have misunderstood something.”
“I’m not going back to Konoha to play their games of political balance.”
“Nor do I intend to sit in a conference room and reason with them.”
Chiba shook his head and refused outright.
His tone was supremely arrogant.
He was returning to Konoha for one reason: to clear out the trash.
If Tsunade went back with him, Sarutobi Hiruzen would certainly appeal to her emotions and use the so-called Will of Fire to pressure them morally.
When that happened, Tsunade would only be caught in a difficult position between the two sides.
“Are you crazy?”
“Even if your Wood Release is powerful, you can’t fight the entire village alone!”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Konoha is the strongest military fortress among the Five Great Nations!”
Tsunade grew anxious.
She stared intently at Chiba, hoping he would change his mind.
But he disappointed her.
Not only did Chiba refuse to back down, he even chuckled.
“Fight the entire village?”
“No.”
“I’ll make sure they can’t even muster the courage to resist.”
The moment he finished speaking, a terrifying aura erupted from Chiba.
Invisible natural energy surged wildly into his body like a raging tsunami.
The bonfire, which had been blazing only moments ago, was instantly extinguished by the invisible pressure.
“This chakra…”
Tsunade’s pupils abruptly contracted, and she involuntarily took half a step back.
So heavy!
The pressure was simply too overwhelming! You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Even with her Kage-level strength, she found it difficult to breathe.
Beside her, Shizune’s legs gave way.
She collapsed to the ground, clutching Tonton as she trembled.
This was no ordinary eruption of chakra.
It was absolute suppression on the level of life itself!
Deep red markings appeared around the corners of Chiba’s eyes.
At the very center of his forehead, a diamond-shaped mark emerged, radiating a pulse that made the heart tremble.
Perfect Sage Mode!
“Impossible!” Tsunade exclaimed in shock.
This was Sage Mode!
To give Chiba another trump card, she had indeed arranged for him to sign a summoning contract with Shikkotsu Forest.
But according to her plans, Sage Mode training was extremely dangerous.
The slightest mistake could turn him into a stone statue.
She had intended to wait another two or three years before taking Chiba to Shikkotsu Forest to seek Katsuyu’s guidance.
But Chiba had never even been to Shikkotsu Forest!
He had actually mastered Sage Mode on his own!
“You…”
“How did you do it?”
Tsunade’s throat felt dry.
Even after seeing it with her own eyes, she still found it hard to believe.
“Teacher.”
“Nothing in this world is impossible.”
Chiba withdrew the natural energy from his body.
The suffocating pressure vanished in an instant.
“With my current strength, if I unleash the full power of Wood Release…”
“Do you think anyone in Konoha can stop me, Teacher?”
Tsunade fell silent as she looked at Chiba’s young face.
Wood Release combined with Sage Mode.
This was no longer a realm that Kage-level powerhouses could contend with.
This was an absolute domain belonging solely to the God of Shinobi!
In the face of such overwhelming power, even if every powerhouse in Konoha attacked together, they still could not possibly defeat Chiba.
“I understand.”
Tsunade let out a long breath.
She looked at Chiba, an incredibly complex mix of emotions flashing through her eyes.
There was relief and shock, but above all, an indescribable fervor.
The Senju Clan was about to welcome a true god.
“Go.”
“Since you have this power, go and turn that rotten village completely upside down!”
“And remember—don’t you dare embarrass me!”
“…”