บท 73: Chapter 73: The Ultimate Deception, Tsunade's Gift, and Yagyu's Great Gains
"Gulp…"
Watching Tsunade's fists, which could shatter the earth and had once nearly killed him, Jiraiya instinctively swallowed and quickly said, "I'm not joking. This is what Teacher Sarutobi said: Yagyu's physique seems to be like the First and Second Hokage's. Plus, he can use the Second Hokage's Hard Whirlpool Water Blade."
"Hard Whirlpool Water Blade?"
Hearing the name of the jutsu, Tsunade's eyes lit up. She then looked at Yagyu and asked, "Kid, did you develop this Water Release technique yourself, or was it passed down in your family?"
Without blinking, Yagyu lied, "It was passed down in my family. I found a scroll while cleaning the house when I was a kid."
"Besides the Hard Whirlpool Water Blade, do you know any other Water Release techniques?"
"Yes."
"How about Water Release: Severing Wave or Water Release: Water Dragon Bite?"
"I know both."
Yagyu nodded, and Tsunade's face broke into a genuine smile.
Before she could verify it, Kurenai Yuhi spoke up, "I can vouch for Yagyu on this. On our way here, we encountered Uchiha Itachi, an S-rank rogue ninja, and Kisame Hoshigaki, the 'Monster of the Hidden Mist,' also an S-rank rogue ninja. Yagyu used many powerful Water Release techniques."
Jiraiya was shocked as he looked at Kurenai Yuhi. "You ran into them too?"
"Uchiha Itachi…"
Naruto looked worried, recalling how Uchiha Sasuke was easily defeated by Itachi. He couldn't help but wonder how Sasuke was doing now.
"Silver hair and red eyes, he really does resemble the Second Hokage when he was young..."
The more Tsunade looked at Yagyu, the more she liked him. She waved her hand, saying, "Yagyu, come closer so I can have a good look at you."
Yagyu obediently approached.
When Yagyu stood in front of her, Tsunade suddenly grabbed his wrist and, by checking his pulse, sent her chakra into his body.
In the next moment, Tsunade's tipsy eyes suddenly became clear.
"This chakra…"
Tsunade stared blankly at Yagyu for a moment before pulling him into a hug, wrapping her arm around his neck, and laughing heartily. "Haha... so strong! With chakra like this and such a powerful life force, you really are a descendant of the Senju of the Forest!"
"Damn it, I'm so jealous…"
Jiraiya looked enviously at Yagyu, nearly crushing the cup he was holding.
Yagyu, now with his face pressed against Tsunade's chest, appeared uncomfortable and even resistant.
"You don't want this? Let me take your place!" Jiraiya thought to himself, clearly frustrated.
"Tsunade-sama, congratulations on finding a member of your clan," Shizune smiled as she congratulated her master, who hadn't laughed this freely in a long time.
Kurenai Yuhi was also happy for Yagyu.
Before, everyone had speculated that Yagyu was a descendant of the Senju clan, and most of them were 99% convinced. However, without any solid proof or official confirmation, Yagyu was still considered an orphan and a civilian.
Now, with Tsunade—who, as the granddaughter of both the First and Second Hokage, was the head of one of Konoha's most prestigious families—confirming his identity, it was as if Yagyu's name had been written into the Senju clan's records.
Once this news spread to Konoha, Yagyu would no longer be an orphan. Instead, he would be recognized as a descendant of the Senju, one of the most powerful clans in Konoha's history!
His status as a commoner orphan would transform into that of an elite from a noble family.
From then on, if Yagyu pursued relationships with people like Hinata or Ino, there would be no barriers of status or rank.
No one would accuse him of trying to "climb the social ladder."
In fact, he would be the ladder! That's the power and prestige that comes with being a member of the Senju, Konoha's first family, the most elite clan in the ninja world!
"Besides the Second Hokage's Water Release, do you know any other techniques?" Tsunade finally let go of Yagyu after laughing for a while and pressed him into a chair Shizune had thoughtfully vacated. "Do you know how to use Chakra Enhancement, like... the monster-strength technique?"
"No."
Yagyu shook his head and, in a tone full of hidden meaning, said, "Besides Water Release, I know some other techniques, but they're not convenient to show."
"You're smart. That's the right decision," Tsunade praised him, thinking he was referring to some of the Second Hokage's forbidden techniques. She patted him on the shoulder. "Do you have a summoning beast?"
"Not yet."
Hearing this, Tsunade immediately said to Shizune, "Once we finish drinking, help Yagyu sign a contract with the Shikkotsu Forest."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Shizune replied.
"Tsunade-sama, isn't this a bit too much?" Yagyu tried to modestly refuse, but Tsunade pulled him into another hug, saying, "Just take it—it's a gift from your elder."
"...Alright," Yagyu finally agreed, but inside, he was ecstatic.
He never imagined that mastering the hardest part of Sage Mode would be this easy!
Though Yagyu wasn't sure if Hashirama's Sage Mode came naturally from developing his Sage Body or from learning it from the Shikkotsu Forest, he was certain that the forest had its own unique Sage Mode.
After all, the Shikkotsu Forest was on par with Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave, and the three were known as the Three Great Sage Regions.
The rulers of these lands were all Sages.
If he learned Sage Mode, Yagyu's Wood Release would become even more powerful.
"Good boy. Can you drink?" Tsunade asked, liking him more and more.
"Tsunade-sama, Yagyu is only twelve. He can't drink yet," Kurenai Yuhi quickly said.
"Ninja rules are such a hassle," Tsunade grumbled. "Then you drink with me," she said to Kurenai.
"Sure!" Kurenai's eyes sparkled, eager for the challenge.
Yagyu stood up, saying, "Teacher Kurenai, I'll take Karin home now."
"Wait…" Tsunade waved Karin over. "Come here, too."
"Yes."
Learning that Tsunade was Yagyu's elder, Karin obediently complied.
Just like with Yagyu, Tsunade grabbed Karin's wrist and sent her chakra into the girl's body.
Soon, Tsunade smiled again and asked, "Karin, do you have a surname?"
"No, but..." Karin shook her head, then added, "Yagyu-kun says I'm a descendant of the Uzumaki clan."
Tsunade turned to Yagyu and asked, "How do you know she's from the Uzumaki clan?"
"Because she awakened the Uzumaki clan's unique abilities, including physical healing and the Mind's Eye of the Kagura," Yagyu explained calmly, as he had to Kurenai before.
"I met Karin during the Chunin Exams. I accidentally saved her and noticed several bite marks on her arms of different shapes and sizes. After learning that this was a unique healing technique, I deduced that she was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan.
Later, she awakened a special sensory ability with an incredibly wide range, which further confirmed my theory."
Slap!
Before Tsunade could speak, Jiraiya smacked Naruto on the head and scolded, "See the benefits of studying hard? Look at how much knowledge this top student has! And you, a dead-last, still haven't mastered the Rasengan."
"Ow! That hurts, pervy sage!"
"That's what happens when you don't study! You can't even understand shape transformation, so how could you expect to learn the Rasengan?"
"Who says? I'm almost there! I'll be able to do it soon!"
"Yeah, right. You're only halfway there. Come back when you can do it with one hand!"
"Just wait! I'll prove you wrong! By the way, what's the Uzumaki clan? Why do they have the same surname as me? Am I related to them?"
"No, you're not. They have special abilities. Do you have any?"
"Uh... no, I don't think so."
"..."
Ignoring their bickering, Tsunade nodded and said, "Those two abilities are indeed unique to the Uzumaki clan. Karin is definitely a descendant."
"You came here to bring Karin back to Konoha, right?" Tsunade accurately deduced.
"Yes," Yagyu repeated what he had told Kurenai earlier. "Karin was a ninja from the Grass Village and was used as a medical tool. When I saved her, her chakra was nowhere near what it should be for an Uzumaki. If she kept using it like that, she would have died from overexertion."
"I felt a sense of familiarity with her, so after learning her background, I took it upon myself to help her leave the Grass Village and stay here. I waited until after the Chunin Exams to ask Teacher Kurenai to come with me to vouch for her so she could join Konoha."
"Yagyu-kun…" Karin's eyes filled with tears, moved by his kindness.
Even Shizune was deeply impressed by Yagyu.
This relative of Tsunade's is so... exceptional!
From the moment Yagyu arrived, the knowledge he had displayed, along with his calm and rational actions, left Shizune in awe.
No wonder she had never been able to compete with geniuses like him when she was younger.
True geniuses are on a whole different level!
Tsunade, feeling a bit emotional, patted Yagyu's head and said, "It seems you know a lot. Hiding so much at such a young age must've been tough for you."
Yagyu just smiled, which Tsunade interpreted as confirmation.
So, she softly said, "Don't rush back to Konoha just yet. You can return with Jiraiya. Let him be Karin's official sponsor."
"Tsunade, you should come back with us too," Jiraiya seized the opportunity to persuade her again. "There's no one more qualified to sponsor Karin, and no one more suited to become the Fifth Hokage. Now that you've found your people, along with Lady Mito's clan members, don't you want to protect them as they grow?"
"…Let's just drink."
This time, Tsunade didn't respond with her usual "Only an idiot would want to be Hokage" but instead fell silent, choosing to change the subject.
The atmosphere shifted.
Kurenai Yuhi quickly raised her cup to Tsunade, smiling, "Tsunade-sama, I toast to you."
"Let's drink!" Tsunade clinked glasses with Kurenai, and the two women began a drinking contest.
Seeing this, Yagyu stopped talking about leaving and instead stood with Shizune, watching the two compete.
It was clear that one of them wouldn't be leaving upright tonight.
Yagyu and Shizune decided to stay and make sure nothing went wrong.
As expected, the drinking continued late into the night, ending only when the bar closed.
Jiraiya, who hadn't seen Tsunade in a long time, soon joined in as well.
The three adults drank themselves into oblivion.
Fortunately, they were drinking sake with a low alcohol content; otherwise, they would've passed out long ago.
Even so, after drinking for hours, all three eventually slumped over the bar.
As the drinking session finally ended, Yagyu, Shizune, and Naruto helped carry Tsunade and the others out.
On the way, Shizune asked, "Yagyu-kun, are you staying at an inn?"
"No, we're staying at Karin's place. She rented a house here in Tanzaku Town."
"Then tomorrow at noon, come to the Yoshii Inn, and I'll help you sign the contract with the Shikkotsu Forest."
"Okay, thank you, Shizune-nee-san."
"Mm, see you tomorrow."
Soon, the group parted ways at a crossroads.
Yagyu carried Kurenai on his back and, along with Karin, returned to their lodging, where Karin took care of the drunken Kurenai while Yagyu went to take a bath.
Standing under the shower, Yagyu let the warm water hit his face as a satisfied smile crept onto his lips.
Everything had gone perfectly!
Ever since he graduated, Yagyu realized that everything was going his way.
No matter what plans he made, they all seemed to work out just as he hoped.
At that moment, Yagyu truly understood just how big an advantage it was to know the future storyline.
Tomorrow, he would finalize everything, tying up all the loose ends of his plans.
His bold strategies had allowed him to gain the Wood Release bloodline, the Second Hokage's Water Release techniques, the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques and the Death God mask, along with the Senju legacy, summoning techniques, and Sage Mode, which were still within reach.
Besides becoming more powerful, Yagyu had also gained Karin as a loyal ally, the identity of a Senju descendant, and, upon his return to the village, the title of… Konoha's Crown Prince!
Although Yagyu hadn't participated in the Konoha Crush plan, the aftermath of the event had allowed him to grow immensely in strength!
Thinking of this, Yagyu couldn't wait for tomorrow to arrive.
Neither Shizune, Karin, Naruto, Jiraiya, nor Kurenai noticed that during their drinking contest, Tsunade had secretly slipped something into Jiraiya's drink.
But Yagyu did!
This meant that tomorrow would be a reunion of the legendary Sannin after many years.
And there would be no better place than that for Yagyu to showcase the power of his Wood Release for the first time!
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