"Fragmented Power of Asura?"
Natsuhiko couldn't help but freeze when he saw the name.
It carried far too many implications.
But there was one thing he could now confirm without a doubt—
The piece of flesh he had found did belong to Hashirama Senju.
At the same time, however, a wave of questions surfaced in his mind.
This was the first time he had obtained something that wasn't a "seed."
And beyond that, he couldn't help but wonder—
Was his method actually viable? Could he mass-produce the seeds he wanted this way?
The thought barely lasted a few seconds before it collapsed entirely.
Because from the tree he had infused with Earth-attribute chakra, he hadn't been able to extract anything at all.
No seeds.
Nothing.
Even after using the Senju clan's secret techniques, all he could draw out was raw life force—nothing more.
"Looks like… either there's some randomness to it, or it simply isn't possible at all."
Natsuhiko rubbed his chin. Those were the only explanations he could come up with.
But whether they were correct or not didn't matter right now.
He had something far more important to deal with.
A faint tremor ran through his chakra.
Natsuhiko placed his hand on the tree.
In an instant, a deep emerald glow bloomed from his palm.
Then—
He felt it.
A strange power surged wildly into his body.
It was completely different from anything he had encountered before.
It wasn't quite chakra… yet it wasn't something entirely separate either.
And within it—
He could feel an overwhelming vitality.
As the power poured into him, his body reacted instantly.
His muscles.
His chakra.
Everything began to shift in ways he could barely comprehend.
"Argh!"
Natsuhiko's expression twisted violently.
The more of that power entered his body, the more intense the changes became.
And with those changes—
Came pain.
At first, it was faint.
Barely noticeable.
But soon, it began to escalate—growing exponentially with every passing second.
It felt as though the pain was tearing through his very soul.
Even as an ANBU, someone trained to endure torture without breaking, Natsuhiko found it unbearable.
This was the first time he had ever experienced something like this.
For a moment, he even felt like he might lose consciousness.
But he clenched his teeth and held on.
He refused to pass out.
Because beneath that overwhelming agony…
He could feel it.
His body was changing.
Becoming stronger.
The deeper the pain carved into him, the more clearly he could sense his own growth.
"What the hell is this…? Even if it's Asura's fragmented power, enhancing my body shouldn't be this extreme…"
Natsuhiko gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure.
But his mind was anything but calm.
He had never considered his physical condition lacking.
Since childhood, he had cultivated countless seeds to strengthen his foundation.
On top of that, he was a member of the Senju clan.
His physique had always been exceptional.
At times, he even believed that while he might not reach the monstrous level of Hashirama Senju…
He wouldn't fall too far behind either.
But now—
He realized something terrifying.
If just a fragment of Asura's power could produce such an overwhelming effect…
Then what kind of monster was Hashirama, who possessed it in its entirety?
Or more accurately—
What kind of existence was Asura himself, the progenitor of the Senju clan?
Clenching his teeth, Natsuhiko silently endured it all.
Fortunately, the pain didn't last very long.
In less than five minutes, that power had completely fused with his body—and in that very instant, the pain came to a halt.
"…Is it finally over?"
Natsuhiko panted heavily as he slowly pushed himself upright. The pain hadn't fully disappeared; that soul-deep ache still lingered faintly within him.
But at the very least, he had regained some control over his body.
And more importantly—
His recovery was far better than he had expected.
He raised his hand, staring at his pale, unblemished arm. There was no sign of the so-called black sludge or any grotesque mutation.
That alone eased his mind considerably.
"…But my chakra… it feels like there's more of it now. And it's stronger too?"
Carefully sensing his condition, Natsuhiko couldn't help but feel a bit stunned.
Even in his weakened state, the changes within him were unmistakable.
The chakra that had always felt insufficient before…
Now felt overwhelmingly abundant.
Not only that—
His physical attributes had improved across the board.
Strength.
Speed.
Coordination.
Reaction time.
Everything had risen to an entirely new level.
The sheer extent of the transformation left him momentarily speechless.
After a brief pause, he decisively opened his system panel.
If there were answers, they would be here.
...
Name: Senju Natsuhiko
Gender: Male
Birthday: March 24, Year 34 (Konoha Calendar)
Level: Elite Jonin (System evaluation without using any abilities) (Kage-level chakra reserves)
Bloodline Development: Intermediate (Senju Secret Techniques, Basic Yang Release Techniques)
Seeds: None
Fruits: Advanced Chakra Fruit, Advanced Earth Release Fruit, Advanced Water Release Fruit,
Basic Wood Release Fruit (requires mastery of Advanced Water & Earth Release, as well as Yang Release to activate)
Mission: Become the true final boss of the shinobi world (Unique) (Progress: 11%)
...
Natsuhiko blinked.
For a moment, he thought he had misread it.
But when he looked again—
He fell completely silent.
…What the hell was this?
His system evaluation had reached Elite Jonin?
And that was without factoring in Sage Mode, Flying Thunder God, or any of his techniques?
More importantly—
His chakra reserves had been evaluated as Kage-level?
And beyond that…
All of his fruits had matured?
Naturally, their full maturation wasn't unexpected. He had cultivated them for a long time, and their growth had already surpassed ninety-five percent.
A complete harvest was only to be expected.
But for everything to reach completion all at once—
Even Natsuhiko felt like he was dreaming.
Of course, that wasn't even the most shocking part.
The real surprise was—
There was now an additional fruit listed.
Wood Release.
"And my bloodline development… it jumped straight to intermediate in one go. This…"
Natsuhiko stared at the panel for a long while, his expression unreadable.
Then suddenly—
He clenched his fist.
If he wasn't mistaken, this sudden leap in power…
Had everything to do with that piece of flesh from Hashirama Senju.
And who was Hashirama Senju?
…The answer didn't even need to be said.
That was the chakra of Asura's reincarnation.
And what Natsuhiko had obtained this time… was only a fragment of that power.
After all, Hashirama Senju had been dead for many years. Most of his strength had likely long since dissipated. The fact that even a trace remained was already remarkable.
And yet—
Just that tiny fragment had brought about a transformation beyond anything Natsuhiko could have imagined.
"…So in the end, this really is a world ruled by bloodlines."
Natsuhiko let out a long breath. It took him a while before the tension in his clenched fist finally loosened, and he dropped back onto the ground.
There was no point getting worked up over it.
The fact that he had even obtained Hashirama's flesh in the first place was nothing short of coincidence.
If not for everything he had done before—planting seeds, steadily building his strength—he would never have gotten his hands on Lizardmaru, nor would he have had the chance to kill Kusunoki.
And without that…
He wouldn't even be qualified to think about obtaining Hashirama's remains.
Shaking his head, Natsuhiko forced those thoughts aside.
There were more important things to consider.
At its core, the world of shinobi was undeniably one that valued bloodlines above all else.
Only those with powerful bloodlines could truly keep advancing.
Yes, this world still offered ordinary people a chance to reach the very peak.
But on that path…
No matter how hard they struggled, it was nearly impossible to surpass those born with inherited power.
"…Still, this gives me an idea."
Natsuhiko sat up again.
Raising his hand, he began gathering chakra.
As it condensed, something resembling a fruit slowly formed in his palm.
"Bloodlines are crucial. And right now, they're the fastest way for me to grow stronger.
With this experience… can I assume that I could use the reincarnations of Asura to further enhance my bloodline development?
And if that's the case… then Indra's power isn't out of reach either.
If I can obtain both… then maybe I can go even further."
He stared at the fruit in his hand, a faint glint appearing in his eyes.
If his theory was correct—
Then, to a certain extent, he could push his own bloodline back toward the level of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki.
After all, the Sage of Six Paths' power was essentially the fusion of Indra and Asura.
Of course…
Actually achieving that would be incredibly difficult.
More than difficulty, it was a matter of time.
To wait for the next generation of "chosen ones" to awaken their power—
He would likely need to wait at least sixteen years.
And during those sixteen years, he would also need to build a good relationship with them.
Otherwise, even obtaining a fragment of their power wouldn't be easy.
"Besides that… I still need to keep improving my chakra reserves."
Natsuhiko's thoughts remained clear and composed.
Even after such a massive leap in strength, he didn't let himself get carried away.
"Even though my chakra has been partially freed due to the lack of new seeds…
It's still not enough.
I need more.
Fire Release, Lightning Release, Wind Release…
All of them consume enormous amounts of chakra."
Calmly, methodically, Natsuhiko continued planning his next steps—his mind sharper than ever.
Even so, Natsuhiko couldn't deny the excitement surging within him.
After all—
He had just obtained Wood Release… and even Yang Release.
But excitement aside, he remained clear-headed.
Having knowledge of what kind of monsters existed in the future, he knew better than to overestimate himself. This level of strength… was far from enough.
And he wasn't even sure whether there were higher tiers beyond advanced seeds.
Not to mention—
His Sage Mode hadn't reached an advanced level.
His Wood Release and Yang Release were both still in their infancy.
The road ahead was still long.
With that thought in mind, Natsuhiko glanced at the fruit in his hand—
And without hesitation, he stuffed it into his mouth.
A bitter taste instantly spread across his tongue.
Yet this time, he smiled.
...
Two days later.
In an oasis a few kilometers outside Rōran, Natsuhiko stood with both hands glowing in a soft green light, steadily channeling chakra into Sara's body.
Sara had her eyes closed.
As the green light flowed into her, her complexion gradually improved.
More than that—
Under Natsuhiko's sensory perception, he could clearly observe the changes within her body.
Her previously deteriorating condition was being repaired by that overwhelming life force.
Completely restored.
In just two days, Natsuhiko had undergone a transformation that could only be described as drastic.
Two days ago, he couldn't even control the life force extracted from trees.
But after unexpectedly obtaining that fragment of Asura's power…
Everything had changed.
The so-called basic Yang Release techniques—to be honest, Natsuhiko hadn't fully understood them at first.
But through practice, he gradually grasped their essence.
Trees indeed contained immense life force.
That much was undeniable.
And this life force could essentially be seen as a manifestation of Yang Release.
The problem was—
It was too complex.
Some components were beneficial to living beings.
Others were extremely harmful.
Back when his bloodline development was still at a basic level, Natsuhiko had no way to separate these components.
Even when he sensed the difference, he could only inject everything indiscriminately into a target.
That was why those animals had ended up the way they did—
The harmful elements grew uncontrollably inside them, devouring their flesh and ultimately turning them into plant-like husks.
But now…
Things were different.
With access to basic Yang Release techniques, Natsuhiko could precisely distinguish between those components.
He could filter them.
Control them.
Even recombine them into a truly harmless form.
Of course, this was still just a rudimentary application—something he had only recently begun to figure out.
But it was more than enough to solve his current problem.
And more importantly—
The potential of this ability was enormous.
His journey was far from over.
"It's done, Your Majesty."
As the green chakra slowly faded from his hands, Natsuhiko spoke gently.
"I believe you can feel the difference yourself, correct?"
"Thank you for your treatment," Sara replied with a smile after sensing her condition. "I truly feel much better."
And she wasn't exaggerating.
For the first time in a long while, her body felt light.
The lingering pain of her illness had vanished, as if it had never existed.
The relief was indescribable.
"I'm glad to hear that," Natsuhiko said with a small smile. "During the time I'm away, I'll have to rely on you to continue assisting me."
"After all… the Ryūmyaku is still very important to me."
"I understand," Sara nodded seriously. "As long as you uphold your promise, I will uphold mine."
Then, as if realizing something, she paused slightly.
"…Are you planning to leave?"
"Yeah." Natsuhiko smiled faintly, his gaze drifting toward the distant horizon. "I've been away for quite a while now."
"It's about time I head back."