Near noon.
A forest at the border of the Land of Fire.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy, spilling onto a clearing in the woods.
Over a roaring campfire, a whole massive wild boar was set on a spit.
Holding a seasoning jar, Chiba skillfully flipped the roasting meat.
Not far away, Shizune held her pet pig Tonton, long since swallowing her saliva in intense craving.
Tsunade, holding a sake cup, looked at Chiba with complex eyes.
For a whole year and more…
ever since taking in this boy, Tsunade had never seen him so relaxed.
In the past, Chiba had been a tireless training machine.
To save time, his usual food consisted almost entirely of Military Rations Pills.
Even on the rare occasion he ate meat, he would merely catch a few wild rabbits, roast them over an open fire, and call it a day.
But today, Chiba had actually prepared an extraordinarily lavish lunch.
There was always a trick when things went weirdly off-routine!
Tsunade’s fingers holding the sake cup tightened slightly.
She knew the personality of this disciple of hers all too well.
For him to suddenly pull off such a grand display was definitely not just to improve his diet.
“Let’s eat,” Chiba said, carving off a roasted boar leg and handing it to Tsunade on a wooden plate.
“Mmm… so delicious!”
“Chiba-aniki, your culinary skills are amazing!”
Shizune cheered and immediately dug in.
She stuffed roast meat into her mouth while mumbling unclearly.
Chiba gave a light chuckle, picked up a piece of roast meat himself, and began eating unhurriedly.
Tsunade alone stared at the boar leg on the plate before her, making no move to eat.
The atmosphere gradually turned subtle.
“When do you plan to leave?”
After a long moment, Tsunade drained the sake in her cup.
She looked at the boy before her and asked in a casual tone.
Shizune abruptly stopped chewing, looking at the two in utter confusion.
“Right after we finish eating,” Chiba swallowed the food in his mouth.
His voice was calm, as though stating a trivial matter.
“The glory of the Senju clan has been dormant in that village for far too long.”
“So long that certain people seem to have forgotten who actually founded Konoha.”
Saying this, Chiba slowly raised his head.
His gaze crossed the campfire, meeting Tsunade’s eyes.
No disguise, no pretension.
It was unreserved ambition and ultimate arrogance.
Tsunade fell silent.
In truth, she had long anticipated this day.
Because as early as over half a year ago, Chiba’s overall combat capability had comprehensively surpassed her own!
Whether it was his vast chakra capacity, his monstrous strength taijutsu pushed to the absolute extreme, or his divine Mokuton ninjutsu—this kid was practically a replica of the First Hokage, and in certain aspects, even more terrifying!
Most crucial of all, Chiba had never hidden his disgust for Konoha’s current state.
He wanted to change Konoha.
Or rather…
he wanted to seize control of Konoha.
“I’m going back with you.”
Tsunade took a deep breath and stood up abruptly.
In those beautiful eyes shone an unyielding resolve.
“You think Konoha politics are far too simple.”
“The trump cards held by the Konoha Leadership are by no means limited to what you see on the surface!”
In Tsunade’s eyes, although Chiba possessed martial prowess comparable to her grandfather, he was still a greenhorn when it came to political struggles.
The methods of the Konoha Leadership were dirtier than anyone could imagine.
She could never stand by and watch the last hope of the Senju clan fall victim to those filthy schemes.
“No need,” Chiba shook his head, rejecting her directly.
“Teacher, you seem to have misunderstood one thing!”
“My return to Konoha isn’t to play games of political balance with them.”
“Nor do I intend to sit in a conference room and slowly reason with them.”
His tone was extremely arrogant.
His return to Konoha this time was strictly to sweep away the garbage.
If Tsunade came along, Hiruzen Sarutobi would undoubtedly play the emotional card, using the so-called Will of Fire for moral blackmail.
When that time came, Tsunade, caught in the middle, would only be placed in an impossible situation.
“Have you gone mad?”
“Even if your Mokuton is powerful, you can’t possibly face the entire power of a village on your own!”
“Where do you think that is?”
“That’s the strongest military fortress among the Five Great Nations!”
Tsunade grew anxious.
She stared intently at Chiba, hoping he would change his mind.
However, Tsunade was disappointed.
Not only did Chiba not shrink back, he chuckled softly instead.
“Face the entire village?”
“No.”
“It’s to make them lose even the courage to face me.”
The instant his words fell, a terrifying aura exploded violently with Chiba at its center!
Invisible natural energy, like a raging tsunami, surged frantically into Chiba’s body.
The campfire that had been burning fiercely just moments ago was instantly extinguished under this invisible pressure!
“This chakra…”
Seeing this, Tsunade’s pupils shrank violently, her whole body recoiling half a step uncontrollably.
So heavy!
This pressure was ridiculously heavy!
Even with her Kage-level strength, she actually felt difficulty breathing at this moment.
Beside her, Shizune’s legs went soft; she slumped straight onto the ground, hugging Tonton and trembling uncontrollably.
This wasn’t a mere surge of ordinary chakra at all.
This was absolute suppression on the level of existence itself!
Around the corners of Chiba’s eyes, deep red markings emerged.
And dead center on his forehead, a diamond-shaped mark appeared, radiating pulses that sent chills through the heart.
Perfect Sage Mode!
“Impossible!” Tsunade blurted out in shock.
This was Sage Mode!
To give Chiba an extra trump card, she had indeed facilitated Chiba signing a summoning contract with Shikkotsu Woods.
However, in her plans, Sage Mode training was exceedingly treacherous; the slightest mishap would turn one into stone.
She had intended to wait another two or three years before bringing Chiba to Shikkotsu Woods to seek guidance from the Slug Sage.
Yet now, Chiba had never even stepped foot into Shikkotsu Woods!
This guy had actually comprehended Sage Mode all on his own!
“You…”
“How did you do this?”
Tsunade’s throat felt dry.
Even seeing it with her own eyes, she still found it hard to believe!
“Teacher.”
“In this world, nothing is impossible.”
Chiba reined in the natural energy around his body.
That suffocating pressure vanished in an instant.
“If I unleash Mokuton with all my power right now…”
“…do you think anyone in Konoha can block me?”
Tsunade fell silent.
She looked at Chiba’s young face.
Mokuton plus Sage Mode.
This was no longer a realm that Kage-level powerhouses could contend with.
This was an absolute domain belonging exclusively to the “God of Shinobi”!
Before this absolute strength, even if all the powerhouses of Konoha joined forces, they would be no match for Chiba!
“I understand.” Tsunade exhaled a long breath.
She looked at Chiba, her eyes flickering with complex emotions—relief, shock, but above all, an indescribable fervor.
The Senju clan was about to welcome a true deity.
“Go then.”
“Since you have this power…”
“…go turn that rotten village upside down!”
“Just remember: don’t you dare embarrass me!”