章 142: Chapter 142 : Nightingale and Tsunade
"Orochimaru, why are you here? You're not—" Tsunade knew that Takeshi had joined ANBU, so she didn't say it outright.
"Well, I came here with Master Tsushima, but I didn't expect you to be here too?" Takeshi was thoughtful when he saw Tsunade wearing a white coat and treating several patients who were constantly moaning.
The Sannin during the First Ninja War were still young and in the learning stage. As the princess of the Senju Clan, Tsunade was engaged in relatively safe medical work. Jiraiya often trained on Mt. Myoboku or received guidance from Sarutobi.
As the least blessed among the three, Orochimaru was the one who, through his own talent and hard work, gradually became the leader of the three ninjas in the chaotic era of Second Ninja War.
Due to Takeshi's rapid growth, Tsunade and Jiraiya had to grow as well. They became Chunin earlier and assumed their roles sooner.
"Aunt Koharu is here too. As her best student, I also want to contribute to Konoha!"
Tsunade raised her small fist, a mixture of dust and sweat making her golden hair a bit sticky, but her bright smile and unwavering determination still made her look vibrant, as if radiating light.
Takeshi looked at the bloodstains on her body and her dusty appearance. It was clear that Tsunade had been here for a while, giving her all to help.
"It seems that Tsunade doesn't have her fear of blood at this time. It's all psychological issues stemming from Kato Dan and Nawaki's deaths."
Just as Takeshi was about to stop talking, Nightingale behind him couldn't help but interject, "Well, isn't this my dear sister, Princess Tsunade? Why are you hiding in the medical corps and playing nurse during this war?"
Nightingale's words were clearly quite mean, and Takeshi felt that they were rather harsh.
Tsunade was furious: "Tsukimi, what do you mean by that? Isn't treating the injured important? Or are you trying to pick a fight?"
It seemed that there was indeed a strained relationship between the two women. Tsunade even rolled up her sleeves and shot a dissatisfied glance at Takeshi.
"She's my team member," Takeshi said helplessly, looking at Nightingale at the same time. "Don't stir up trouble here."
Nightingale's full name was Senju Tsukimi, but due to certain nuances, her code name was Nightingale, and those familiar with her usually called her that.
"I..."
Nightingale also realized that her words were inappropriate in this context, and she had indeed gone a bit too far. Tsunade's role was undoubtedly important, and medical ninjutsu was not something she could easily comment on. After all, the leader himself had also learned medical ninjutsu, and even Tsunade's mentor was also here.
"Tsk!"
Seeing Nightingale fall silent, Tsunade wasn't one to hold a grudge, so she redirected her attention back to the patient she was tending to.
Falcon and Tiger, who were standing behind, exchanged glances and remained silent.
Tsunade was serious about her treatments. As the princess of the Senju Clan, she was dedicated to providing the best care for these ordinary ninja. Her attention to detail was truly impressive. In the original storyline, there was even an account of her passing out due to excessive chakra consumption, highlighting her strong sense of responsibility in the field of medicine.
The green glow of the "Mystical Palm Technique" covered the wounds, and the injuries of the patients were visibly healing before their eyes, their expressions relaxing.
After rebandaging, Tsunade wiped off the sweat and moved on to the next patient.
Takeshi felt a bit embarrassed. He had been somewhat excited to meet Tsunade again, wanting to reminisce, but he hadn't anticipated Tsunade's intense focus that made her ignore all four of them.
Despite Tsunade's boisterous and brash demeanour, she truly carried a compassionate heart that sought to save all. Takeshi couldn't help but sigh.
Nightingale's delicate face seemed a little gloomy. Standing there with Takeshi, watching Tsunade's dedicated work, she felt that her comment had been off-base. She hadn't expected Tsunade to be this serious and focused.
In her memory, Tsunade had always come across as aloof, quite arrogant, and she had a notorious gambling habit—typical of a rich young lady.
Nightingale clenched her fists. She used to have a good relationship with Tsunade, but as they grew older, she discovered the disparity in their status.
Tsunade's talent might not have been extraordinary, but she was favoured with all the resources of the clan. Tsunade had a plethora of advantages, but she wasn't able to truly enjoy them. This naturally bred jealousy and distance between them, eroding their once strong friendship.
Originally, this would have been a stereotypical story with no plot twists. However, Nightingale's accidental awakening of the Wood Release changed everything, altering her position dramatically.
Tobirama had recruited her into ANBU and nurtured her carefully, while the clan had placed high expectations on her. Suddenly, she had become the highly anticipated figure.
Yet, Nightingale's control over her Wood Release was feeble, falling short of expectations. Those who had seen the power of Hashirama's Wood Release were naturally disappointed. Even though Wood Release held immense potential, Nightingale wasn't able to maintain her position.
How could she prove herself again? Because of the ambition associated with Wood Release, Nightingale simply wanted to be an "important person" within the clan as she was supported by the Senju clan's resources.
She began to train her weak Wood Release intensively, even creating new techniques.
To be honest, compared to her peers, Nightingale's strength was unmatched. However her Wood Release was immediately overshadowed by Hashirama's overwhelming display of this bloodline limit.
Nightingale felt powerless and unsatisfied. Even though her talent exceeded Tsunade's, she still couldn't change much, and their relationship only grew worse.
Tsunade was still immersed in her treatments, and this time, the patient seemed to have been poisoned.
Tsunade first administered some medicine, then fetched a basin of water. She enveloped a water sphere with chakra in both hands and pressed it against the patient's wound.
With precise control, she extracted the toxins and contaminants from the patient's body, the water sphere quickly darkening. Tsunade discarded it and conjured a clean one, repeating the process.
"Let's go," Takeshi whispered to the group of four, not wanting to disturb Tsunade's hard work.
"Orochimaru, you mentioned you could help me enhance my strength."
As they walked along the path, Nightingale sidled up to Takeshi, avoiding Falcon and Tiger.
"You said, if I use my clan's resources to sincerely assist you, fulfill your requests, and carry out tasks for you, you'll grant me more power."
Nightingale looked at Takeshi with a fiery gaze. In truth, she didn't know why she believed in the person before her. Even if he was a genius at less than ten years old, how could he truly help the Senju Clan?
However, Takeshi's strength was undeniable. After completing several missions alongside him, she had come to realize that he possessed capabilities far beyond his age. A year ago, he could hold his own against an Elite Jonin.
This placed immense pressure on the older Nightingale. Takeshi might have been Tobirama's student's student, but he surpassed the Senju Clan ninjas of the same generation, which was abundant in resources. It was hard to believe.
Since he claimed to have a solution, why not give it a shot? There was no harm in assisting him anyway... right?
Nightingale, who had witnessed Tsunade's dedicated rescue efforts, suddenly found herself less hostile towards her. Ultimately, it was all about becoming stronger.
"Have you really thought this through?"
Takeshi smiled knowingly. He had planted the seeds of ambition in her earlier, intending for her to become his accomplice in obtaining Senju clan's Resources. Now, because of a trivial matter, he was reaping the rewards.
"Of course. Didn't you say you could enhance my Wood Release? Or was that all just boasting?" Nightingale observed Takeshi intently.
"Indeed, I'm not speaking without basis. After all, you're also my team member. As long as you're willing to cooperate, I'll astonish you."
Takeshi's smile was light.
"Cooperate? Heh..." Nightingale found his words amusing, though she didn't show it.
"Originally, I intended to enhance your abilities through other means, but my confidence in that was limited. However, I recently acquired some interesting items that could be beneficial for you."
"Hmph, tell me, what should I do?" Nightingale's patience was wavering.
Takeshi handed her a small lead box. "Find a secluded location and absorb its power."
"What? Are you joking? What is this?" Nightingale was initially taken aback. Why was her Wood Release weak? Takeshi skillfully sidestepped the question and continued explaining.
"Firstly, your awakening was quite serendipitous. The Wood Release energy within you is actually quite feeble. Normally, it remains latent and awakening is a matter of chance. Unfortunately, the quality of your Wood Release is subpar and far from perfect."
In the history of the Senju Clan, Hashirama's Wood Release was renowned. While a few lucky individuals might have awakened it, they likely weren't much stronger than regular people.
Over time, Wood Release abilities had sunk into the depths of the bloodline, like still water in a pond. It was probably Asura's chakra that awakened Wood Release in the first place.
Nightingale remained silent, allowing Takeshi to delve deeper into the topic. "Secondly, Wood Release is like Water Release in the sense that quantity can bring about quality. Have you heard of Lord Hashirama's True Several Thousand Hands? Consider how immense a chakra reserve that jutsu requires. Ordinary individuals simply can't achieve it.
Quantity can lead to a qualitative shift. Lord Hashirama likely had other, more potent techniques that consumed greater amounts of chakra. But he possessed the Sage Mode, which continuously supplied chakra, making it a non-issue."
Hashirama's strength was no secret in this era, and people still recalled it vividly.
"But you? Your Chunin-level chakra—can even a potent Wood Release technique make a difference?" Takeshi inquired.
"I..." Nightingale fell silent. Takeshi's words had hit the nail on the head.
She glanced at the lead box in her hand, her anticipation of Takeshi's solution growing.
"Is this meant to strengthen my Wood Release or my physical strength?"
"Exactly. Don't reveal this to anyone, or I might not have sufficient resources left to fully enhance you."
Takeshi's narrow eyes held a hint of mischief, causing Nightingale to shiver slightly as she clutched the lead box tightly.
Who would hesitate when it came to pursuing one's own interests?
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 30 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット