Chapter 91: The Old Foxes' Gambit, Tsunade Returns to the Village

Chapter 91: The Old Foxes' Gambit, Tsunade Returns to the Village

"Ding! You've obtained the Talent Trait [Bloodline Limit]. Fusion or Dissolve?"

"Fusion."

Though the system's voice held no emotion, to Izayoi it sounded like celestial music at this moment.

Without hesitation, he fused the newly acquired trait.

The next moment, a new entry appeared in Izayoi's trait list: [Bloodline Limit].

Behind [Wood Release], a parenthesis with a "+" symbol indicated it could be upgraded.

Izayoi's Points had already surpassed 100,000, enough to upgrade ten Purple-ranked traits to Gold-ranked, or a single Gold-ranked trait to a Red Inherited Trait.

While upgrading Wood Release only required 9,999 Points, Izayoi chose not to. It would be a waste of Points.

Danzō Shimura, Obito Uchiha, Tenzō, and White Zetsu had already proven the truth—what truly mattered wasn't Wood Release itself, but the man who wielded it: Hashirama Senju, whose chakra could rival half of the Nine-Tails combined with Naruto Uzumaki's.

Hashirama, who had perfected the Sage's Body, could make any Ninjutsu or Bloodline Limit shine. If he mastered Dust Release, it would become an unrivaled Kekkē Tōta, surpassing even Bloodline Limits. Without the Yang Release chakra of Sage's Body, Wood Release was merely a strong Bloodline Limit—capable of producing an ace like Tenzō, but nothing more.

With the Rinnegan, Izayoi didn't truly need Wood Release.

However, to accelerate Sasuke Uchiha's growth and counter White Zetsu's Mayfly Technique, Izayoi needed this ability. Now that he'd finally acquired it, he could eliminate those pesky clones and finally bring peace to Hidden Leaf Village.

Wearing his colored contacts, Izayoi activated his Rinnegan and shifted his perspective to a villa on Cherry Blossom Street. He manipulated a human puppet to open a safe, retrieving a red scroll.

As Izayoi unfurled the scroll, various Wood Release techniques immediately came into view.

This was the same scroll Danzō Shimura had given Tenzō in the original story—a prized treasure of his collection.

However, this scroll didn't contain Hashirama's three signature Wood Release techniques—no Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, nor the ultimate Sage Technique: True Several Thousand Hands.

Izayoi didn't mind. He glanced at the Three Body Techniques of Wood Release.

If White Zetsu's Mimicry Technique, Mayfly Technique, and Spore Technique were ultimate evolutions of the Five Basic Techniques (Body Flicker, Invisibility, etc.), then Wood Release's Three Body Techniques were the pinnacle of their kind.

While inferior to White Zetsu's three divine techniques, they easily outclassed the basic Three Body Techniques and Shadow Clone.

Izayoi mastered the three foundational Wood Release techniques with a mere glance. He learned two more practical ones before closing the scroll.

Taking a fishing rod to the garden, he approached Sasuke Uchiha, who was meditating on the porch with a book.

"Sasuke Uchiha, want to go fishing?"

"Pass. Go find Hinata Hyuga and Hanabi Hyuga to bother."

Sasuke Uchiha didn't look up from his book. "I have a feeling the C-rank and above mission system will restart soon. We might have to go on missions soon. I want to study while I still have time."

Suddenly, Sasuke lifted his head, waving the book. "By the way, the S-rank secret technique you mentioned—is it medical?"

"It's somewhere between Medical Ninjutsu and Sealing Technique", Izayoi replied, waving his hand with a grin. "You'll definitely like it. Keep at it."

Using Body Flicker to leave Sasuke's home, Izayoi didn't seek out Hinata or Hanabi. Instead, he headed alone to the Naka River.

Unsealing a beach chair from his scroll, he baited his hook and cast his line with a practiced flick. The afternoon of a seasoned angler had begun.

After several minutes of no bites, Izayoi scattered some bait into the water. Using a float, he tried to lure fish closer.

A true professional.

But no one noticed a single white seed hidden among the bait, carried downstream by the current.

A drenched figure emerged from the riverbank downstream—it was Izayoi's Wood Clone.

The moment the clone reached land, it vanished with Body Flicker.

Reappearing atop the cliffs of the Naka River, it hid inside a tree hollow. Pressing its hand to the ground, it channeled Wood Release chakra underground. Instead of sprouting branches, the chakra spread through the roots and connected with the plant roots and underground water within a one-kilometer radius.

Without needing Kagura Shingan or Rinnegan, the clone's Wood Release detected a unique chakra beneath the earth. This chakra had fused with a tree root, undetectable even by advanced sensory techniques. Even earth-piercing vision would only reveal the root itself.

But no Ninjutsu was perfect.

Just as elemental affinities had counters, every technique had its weakness.

Wood Release, a fusion of Water and Earth Nature Transformation, could counter the Mayfly Technique, which relied on merging with the earth and using plant roots or underground water for high-speed movement.

Once the clone located White Zetsu's doppelgänger, it didn't need sealing techniques. It simply whispered, "Wood Release!"

Instantly, the root beneath White Zetsu's clone came alive.

The roots grew rapidly, wrapping around the chakra like a dumpling. A terrifying suction force devoured the chakra, leaving no chance for escape. Simultaneously, black tadpole-like seals emerged on the root, sealing White Zetsu's consciousness.

"Damn it! I've been found!"

The moment the clone was sealed, a white thread seemed to snap in the minds of White Zetsu's doppelgängers scattered across Hidden Leaf Village and the Ninja World. They immediately knew which clone had been compromised.

The next second, every White Zetsu clone hidden in Hidden Leaf Village fled without hesitation.

White Zetsu, his head suddenly erupting from the ground while in the midst of his Mayfly Technique reconnaissance across the Ninja World, wore an uncharacteristically grim expression. "The Mayfly Technique has been compromised", he reported somberly. "A White Zetsu clone sent to the Hidden Leaf Village was discovered and captured."

Black Zetsu, psychically linked to his counterpart, received the news simultaneously. His already dark visage seemed to deepen to pitch. "The Mayfly Technique allows seamless fusion with earth and vegetation", he mused, his voice heavy with concern. "Even the most advanced Sensory Techniques should be blind to it. Barriers pose no obstacle, and Earth Release jutsu would shatter against its speed. To capture a clone so completely... this wasn't conventional ninjutsu. Bloodline Limit? Secret Technique?"

White Zetsu shook his head. "The clone was sealed instantly - no time to transmit information. Should we deploy more clones?"

Black Zetsu fell silent, his calculating gaze distant. After a pause, a slow smirk twisted his lips. "No need. This might be fortunate." At White Zetsu's puzzled look, he elaborated, "We overlooked something crucial. While Kaguya's descendant took one branch of the clan to the Moon, another branch remained in the Ninja World. Over a thousand years, they abandoned their ancestral name..."

"Wait - you mean the Hyūga?!" White Zetsu's eyes widened.

"Precisely", Black Zetsu confirmed. "Few possess the chakra reserves required to counter Mayfly. But if the Hyūga have awakened their atavistic Byakugan... or if someone like Kakashi Hatake -"

"Kakashi's chakra reserves are exceptional, but he's not the one", Black Zetsu interrupted. "True descendants of Kaguya wouldn't suffer Sharingan's side effects. Focus on those with abnormal chakra signatures."

White Zetsu nodded. "Still, without Mayfly, how do we infiltrate Hidden Leaf?"

"Mimicry Technique", Black Zetsu suggested coldly. "Impersonate Leaf ninjas. Even if exposed, we only lose a clone."

As White Zetsu sprang into action, Izayoi remained blissfully unaware. Had he known, he'd have chuckled at the ancient conspirators' machinations - though confident his own plans ran deeper. After all, who would suspect an outsider could replicate Kaguya's bloodline without the signature white hair?

Meanwhile, the Wood Clone that had captured the Zetsu replica activated its Wood Release, surfacing the cocooned prisoner. Izayoi, now disguised as a middle-aged civilian, approached the unconscious clone. His attempt to probe its mind proved fruitless - the empty cerebral void confirmed these clones held no valuable secrets.

Shrugging, he sealed the prisoner within a cave. Later, he'd return with Sasuke Uchiha to show off his catch - fresh river fish grilled over an open flame. Ninja life had its simple pleasures.

Two weeks after Hidden Leaf's crisis began, the village remained paralyzed. Missions had been restricted to menial D-ranks and Orochimaru surveillance. Then came the rumor that changed everything - Tsunade, granddaughter of the First and Second Hokage, had returned to claim the village's highest office.

Morale soared instantly.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end