Life after returning to Konoha had become… unexpectedly comfortable for Natsuhiko—especially now that he was on leave.
He no longer had to stay on edge, wondering if Sunagakure shinobi had caught wind of his trail. There was no need to worry about whether the Ryūmyaku's chakra might interfere with his Flying Thunder God seals and tip Minato off.
No early mornings rushing to report to ANBU.
No endless mission briefings or assignment lists weighing on his mind.
For once, he could simply stay at home in peace—or go out within the village and do as he pleased, so long as he stayed within the rules.
"…This isn't bad at all. Almost feels like early retirement."
Of course, that was just a passing thought.
Back in his previous life, he'd dreamed of retirement from the very first day he started working—but things were different now.
Seated in his home, flipping through a stack of documents, Natsuhiko occasionally furrowed his brow.
The material wasn't easy.
But no matter how difficult it was, he had to study it carefully—analyze it, understand it.
Because these documents…
Were records and insights left behind by Senju Hashirama himself, detailing the nature of Wood Release.
Getting his hands on them from Senju Shōma hadn't been easy.
But for Natsuhiko, it hadn't been particularly difficult either.
The moment he deliberately revealed a trace of his Wood Release ability, the elder's eyes had nearly bulged out of their sockets—so much so that he had questioned whether he was seeing things.
But after repeated confirmation…
There was no doubt.
That vitality-filled chakra—so distinct, so unmistakable—
Natsuhiko had truly awakened Wood Release.
"…How did you do it?" Senju Shōma had asked.
"I'm not entirely sure," Natsuhiko had replied casually. "During a mission in Sunagakure, something just… awakened. After that, I found I could manifest Wood Release—though only at the level of seeds for now."
"…I see. I'll provide you with the relevant materials."
"Thank you, Elder."
Faced with such a vague explanation, Senju Shōma had little choice but to accept it.
After all, he had seen the proof with his own eyes—a seed of Wood Release, summoned by Natsuhiko himself.
That alone was undeniable.
Even if the truth left him shocked… even confused.
Still, one fact remained clear—
Natsuhiko was a member of the Senju clan.
Family.
And now, within their bloodline, Wood Release had appeared once more.
The significance of that… was beyond measure.
It could very well signal the rise of the Senju once again.
Shōma was ecstatic—despite the lingering unease and guilt he felt toward Natsuhiko.
After all, he hadn't forgotten the look on Natsuhiko's face when he was first assigned to ANBU—
That clear reluctance.
And afterward, though Natsuhiko remained outwardly respectful, there was always a faint but unmistakable distance in his attitude.
Even so, Shōma handed over all the records without hesitation.
Not only that, he repeatedly warned him:
"If it's not absolutely necessary, don't reveal your Wood Release lightly."
"And even if it is necessary—wait until it's strong enough."
"I understand, Elder."
Natsuhiko naturally agreed with Senju Shōma's advice.
Even if the elder hadn't said anything, he would have made the same choice.
Power needed restraint. Without a solid foundation, recklessly flaunting it would only lead to one outcome—
Becoming a research subject.
He didn't want to think of Konoha in such a dark light, but some things had to be considered realistically.
After all…
His own transformation had come from a laboratory within Konoha.
"…Still, these notes are ridiculously dense. Then again, this is Wood Release."
After staring at the documents for quite some time, Natsuhiko rubbed his temples, a faint headache creeping in.
The material was… difficult.
Even though Senju Hashirama had written everything in remarkable detail—and Senju Tobirama had even left annotations—the problem wasn't understanding the words.
It was truly grasping them.
Every Wood Release technique described within was highly refined, but at its core, everything revolved around chakra composition.
A delicate fusion process.
Yang Release was essential.
And beyond that, Water Release and Earth Release had to intertwine perfectly.
Just reading about it was enough to make his head spin.
"…Forget it. Trying to figure this out the normal way is a bit too much."
With a quiet sigh, Natsuhiko finally set the documents aside.
In truth, reading them was more for appearances than necessity.
Just like with his other elemental techniques—once he learned something, he could fully master it.
But Wood Release was different.
Much like when he learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, even if he grasped it instantly, he still needed to leave room—time to make it look natural.
No technique could appear as if he mastered it in a single glance.
After all, a genius who learns everything effortlessly…
Was far less relatable than one who achieved greatness through visible effort.
And relatability mattered.
Natsuhiko admitted it himself—his actions could be overly pragmatic at times.
But he had no backing, no powerful faction supporting him.
Everything had to be carefully managed.
Rising to his feet, he raised his hand.
His fingers moved through a sequence of hand seals—slightly unrefined, almost deliberate in their slowness.
Inside him, chakra began to surge.
Perhaps because it was his first attempt, his movements were cautious.
But his chakra…
Was perfectly stable.
Not a hint of disorder.
"…That should be enough. Honestly, that seed is incredible—merging Water, Earth, and Yang Release so seamlessly."
He paused, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
"…Does this count as a form of Kekkei Tōta?"
Kekkei Tōta—an advanced fusion of three chakra natures—was known for its overwhelming power.
Wood Release shared a similar structure.
The only difference…
Was that one of its components was far more special—and far harder to control.
"I wonder how far I can push this as a beginner… Though I should keep it light inside the house."
Experimenting with such techniques outside was out of the question. If anyone noticed, it would only invite trouble.
But even at home, he couldn't go overboard.
Destroying his own house would be… a different kind of problem.
As he completed the final seal, the chakra within him surged to its peak.
Then—
He suppressed it.
Condensed it.
And suddenly slammed his hand onto the ground.
"Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"
In an instant—
Countless sharp wooden spikes burst violently from the ground.
And before Natsuhiko could even react, they began to spread wildly, growing out of control right before his stunned eyes.
He quickly realized something was very, very wrong.
He could use the technique—
But he had absolutely no control over the chakra output driving it.
"W-What the hell is this?!"
He tried to suppress his chakra, forcing it down with everything he had.
But it was useless.
Within moments, his entire house was filled with piercing branches. Furniture, belongings—everything was skewered through and through.
Worse still, the spikes kept growing.
Longer.
Thicker.
They even began pushing against the structure itself, threatening to tear straight through the house—
—
"…I didn't expect you to grasp it this quickly."
Standing at the entrance, Senju Shōma spoke with a solemn expression.
From the outside, Natsuhiko's house still looked intact.
But inside?
It was a complete disaster.
Branches crisscrossed in every direction, leaving only a narrow space barely wide enough for a person to move through. Every piece of furniture had been destroyed.
The place was no longer livable.
Shōma had already gone in to inspect it—and even he had been shocked.
How long had it been?
Seriously—how long?
At most, a week since Natsuhiko returned to Konoha.
And the time he'd actually spent studying those materials?
Less than five days.
And yet—
He had already reached this level?
Just how terrifying was this kid's talent?
Those razor-sharp branches… one could easily imagine the devastation if they pierced a human body. A direct hit to a vital point would mean instant death.
"Cutting Technique…"
Shōma had already identified the jutsu.
But to push it to this extent?
That was anything but simple.
Even now, his heart was still shaken.
This level of talent… was almost unimaginable.
"…If I had truly mastered it, things wouldn't have turned out like this."
Natsuhiko let out a faint sigh. "At the very least, my house wouldn't look like a war zone."
He was genuinely a bit frustrated.
This outcome was far from ideal.
Wood Release was far trickier than he had anticipated. Even with the "seed" acting as a foundation, problems had still surfaced.
And this one?
Completely unexpected.
It was the first time he'd ever encountered a situation where using a "seed" to cast a jutsu resulted in total loss of control.
In the past—whether it was the basic Water Release seed or Earth Release seed—he had always maintained perfect control.
The only limitations had been in form, transformation, or raw power.
But his chakra output?
Flawless.
Yet this time, when he used Wood Release—
His chakra had gone berserk.
And the result?
His house was basically gone.
At this point, there wasn't much he could do except accept it.
Still, his frustration wasn't really about losing his home.
The reward from his last mission was more than enough to cover it.
Even if he didn't spend a single coin, the mere fact that he had awakened Wood Release would earn him significant benefits within the clan.
A brand-new residence?
That was the bare minimum.
He could probably even secure something larger, more comfortable, without any issue.
Besides—
There was nothing truly important inside the house to begin with.
Losing it… didn't matter much at all.
What truly bothered him wasn't the house.
It was the fact that he had originally planned to keep his Wood Release hidden a while longer—to make it look like something he had gradually mastered, naturally and without suspicion.
But after today…
He knew that plan was no longer viable.
Even if his control was still lacking, the way he had unleashed it was far too conspicuous—completely different from what he had intended.
Fortunately, only a handful of people knew about it so far. And luckily, the technique he used wasn't particularly high-level.
More importantly—
Through this accident, he had discovered several underlying issues.
All things considered, the outcome wasn't entirely bad. Flawed as it was, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
If not for this mishap, he wouldn't have understood the state of his Wood Release so quickly.
"…Even so, you've already done exceptionally well." Senju Shōma let out a soft sigh. "Have you considered leaving ANBU? Your importance now is immeasurable. You are the Senju clan's only hope…"
"The only hope?"
Natsuhiko cut him off with a faint smile.
"I think, Elder, your focus shouldn't be limited to Wood Release… nor should it have been centered on ANBU from the start."
He paused briefly, his gaze settling on Shōma.
After a long moment, he shook his head lightly.
"In truth, neither decision was wrong. Entering ANBU wasn't wrong. Valuing Wood Release isn't wrong either."
"But I have a question."
His voice grew quieter, but sharper. "What is your actual goal?"
What was the goal?
Shōma frowned.
The answer should have been obvious.
To restore the Senju clan to its former glory.
That was what he wanted to say.
But as the words reached his lips, another image surfaced in his mind—
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The man he despised to his core. The one he longed to see fall.
Reviving the Senju… and bringing down Hiruzen…
Those goals didn't conflict.
And yet—
Somehow, he knew that wasn't what Natsuhiko meant.
At some point, this boy had begun to feel… unfamiliar.
Especially after becoming an ANBU division commander, that sense had only grown stronger.
Behind that youthful appearance…
Was a mind far more mature than it had any right to be.
And now, Shōma found himself wanting to hear it—
To understand what this lone wielder of Wood Release within their clan truly thought.
"…For the clan, Elder, you've never had a clear goal."
Seeing Shōma remain silent, Natsuhiko sighed softly.
"On the surface, it all sounds the same—hatred for Hiruzen, or the revival of the Senju."
"But in reality?"
"They're vague. Directionless. Without substance."
"You have no concrete plan. No defined path. No guiding principles for action."
"You're simply acting on impulse—grabbing at whatever seems beneficial in the moment and making decisions as you go."
His gaze sharpened.
"Elder… if that's the case—"
"Then I'm not the Senju's 'only hope.'"
A brief pause.
Then, quietly—
"A clan like this… doesn't have much hope to begin with."
...
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