The outskirts of Tanzaku Street.
Hearing Chiba’s words, Tsunade’s fists clenched tightly.
Her slender fingernails dug deep into her palms, piercing the skin.
A single drop of blood dripped from between her fingers, splashing onto the cracked stone floor.
Yet she felt no pain at all, her gaze locked dead onto the youth before her.
Sixteen years old, ordinary-looking, with a Konoha forehead protector loosely tied around his brow.
Who could have imagined that an obscure kid like this actually carried such pure Senju blood within his veins?
“You said just now…” Tsunade spoke after a long pause, her voice dry and raspy.
“…your name is Senju Chiba?”
Chiba nodded calmly.
He didn’t retreat in the slightest, directly meeting the legendary kunoichi’s gaze.
If he wanted to survive, he had to borrow strength.
Only by securing Tsunade’s protection could he truly stay alive—and grow powerful fast.
“Good. Very good!”
Suddenly, Tsunade burst into laughter.
Her laughter grew louder and louder, echoing through the alley and causing the puddle water to ripple violently.
Standing to the side, Shizune was completely dumbfounded.
She had never seen Tsunade display such an expression before—a mixture of wild joy, deep sadness, and endless mockery directed at Konoha’s high command.
“Protect you? Sure!”
In the next instant, Tsunade appeared directly in front of Chiba, extending her right hand palm-up.
“Hand over all the money you won earlier!”
“Huh?” Chiba blinked, caught off guard.
What’s with this sudden change in vibe?
“What are you ‘huh’-ing about?!” Tsunade grabbed Chiba by the collar, leaning in fiercely.
“To protect you, I’m taking the risk of turning against all of Konoha! What’s wrong with collecting a little protection fee? Be quick about it—ten million ryo, not a single coin less!”
“Tsunade-sama, that’s way too impolite!” Shizune’s face flushed red, wishing she could dig a hole to hide in.
“Shut up!” Tsunade roared back over her shoulder.
Sigh…
Looking at Tsunade close up, Chiba let out a helpless sigh.
This senior’s reputation for greed and gambling was indeed well-deserved.
He reached into his robes and pulled out a sealing scroll.
This was the cash he had just exchanged from the casino that afternoon, before it had even warmed up in his hands.
“It’s all here,” Chiba said, handing the scroll over.
Tsunade snatched it with lightning speed.
The fierce scowl on her face melted into a brilliant, radiant smile in a fraction of a second.
“Smart kid. From today on, you follow me.”
With that, Tsunade turned around and strode out of the alley.
“Shizune, let’s go! Tonight, I’m drinking the finest sake!”
Shizune shot Chiba an apologetic glance before quickly picking up the pet pig, Tonton, and trotting after her.
Standing in place, Chiba watched Tsunade’s departing back.
The heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled down completely.
His life was saved.
As for the money?
It could be earned back once gone, but he only had one life.
Up ahead, Tsunade walked with long strides down the street.
The streetlights cast shadows across her face, and the mercenary, money-grubbing facade she wore a moment ago vanished completely.
Taking its place was an unprecedented gravity.
Her eyes were as deep and cold as a frozen pond.
The Senju clan has not ended.
Not only was it not extinct, but a spark capable of wielding Wood Release had actually emerged.
No matter what price she had to pay—even if she had to risk her own life—she would absolutely never allow those vampires in Konoha to destroy this young sapling!
The next day.
A barren mountain area.
Surrounded by bare, jagged rocks, the region was completely devoid of human life.
Tsunade stood atop a massive boulder, looking down at Chiba from high above.
Shizune retreated hundreds of meters away, acting as a temporary lookout.
“Kid,” Tsunade called out, cracking her knuckles with sounds like popping corn.
“Wood Release is indeed powerful, but it still depends on who is using it. Today, let me see how much skill you actually have!”
The next moment, she leaped down from the boulder.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently upon her landing, her impact cratering the solid stone floor two meters deep.
Chiba’s eyes narrowed slightly, his nerves instantly tightening.
What terrifying, monstrous strength!
“Attack me with everything you’ve got. Don’t hold back,” Tsunade warned coolly.
“If you die, it only proves the bloodline of the Senju clan was nothing special after all!”
Before her voice had fully faded, Tsunade turned into an afterimage, vanishing from the spot.
So fast!
Chiba’s pupils contracted violently.
Having refined his bloodline, his physical capabilities had already reached the level of an Elite Jonin, vastly enhancing his dynamic vision.
Even so, he could barely track Tsunade’s trajectory.
To the left!
Chiba spun abruptly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
BAM!
A fair, delicate fist slammed heavily into Chiba’s arms.
A gigantic force exploded like a tsunami.
Chiba felt as if his arms had been struck by a battering ram, launching his entire body backward like a cannonball.
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
After smashing through three stone pillars in succession, Chiba barely managed to stabilize his footing.
“Hiss…” Chiba shook his numb arms.
It hurt—but it was bearable!
The passive recovery of his Beginner Sage Body demonstrated its value in full at this moment.
Damaged muscle tissues repaired themselves at an astounding speed, reducing the sharp pain in his arms by half within seconds.
“Oh?” Tsunade stood in place, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Though she had pulled her punch just now, it was still enough to flatten an ordinary Jonin.
This kid’s physical durability was far more terrifying than she had anticipated!
“Again!”
Chiba let out a low bark, initiating an attack on his own initiative.
He kicked off the ground with tremendous force, shattering the stone beneath his feet as he lunged at Tsunade like a hunting leopard.
No flashy movements—just the simplest, most direct strike.
“Speed and power are decent,” Tsunade appraised coolly as she dodged effortlessly.
“But your force delivery is way too crude! You’re relying entirely on brute strength!”
Tsunade sidestepped slightly, casually avoiding Chiba’s heavy punch.
Then, she raised her palm and pressed it lightly against his chest.
Chakra exploded in an instant!
BOOM!
Chiba was sent flying once more, crashing hard into the cliff face.
Loose rocks tumbled down in a shower, burying half his body.
“Your taijutsu is a complete mess,” Tsunade said, stopping her attack and crossing her arms.
“Is this how your former squad leader taught you to fight? It’s full of openings!”
A moment later, Chiba crawled out from the pile of rubble, brushing off the dust on his clothes.
He didn’t argue, because Tsunade was speaking the truth.
During his years in Konoha, he had mostly laid low and slacked off, never acquiring any high-level taijutsu techniques.
Surviving until now relied purely on instincts and luck.
“If taijutsu won’t work…” Chiba raised his hands, weaving seals rapidly, “…then let’s try ninjutsu!”
Rat – Tiger – Dog – Ox – Hare – Tiger!
Enhanced by his God-level Comprehension, his understanding of ninjutsu had long transcended standard boundaries.
Even the most basic technique could unleash unbelievable power in his hands.
“Suiton: Mizurappa!” (Water Release: Wild Water Wave!)
Chiba took a deep breath and spewed forth a massive deluge of water.
This was originally a simple C-rank Suiton technique; used by an ordinary ninja, it was at most a powerful water jet.
But driven by Chiba’s Kage-level chakra pool and fused with the insights from his God-level Comprehension, the nature of the technique transformed completely!
The instant he expelled the torrent, Chiba compressed the water’s form to its absolute limit.
What should have been a thick column of water was instantly compressed into a paper-thin, high-pressure water blade emitting a piercing shriek!
Slicing through the air, the water blade hurtled toward Tsunade at a terrifying speed!