Chapter 127 – The Uchiha Are Born Evil? You've Chosen the Path to Death!
"Shikaku, you two leave first. I'll handle this. I'll find you later once it's settled."
After saying that, Renji nodded toward Shikaku and Hyūga Hiashi. He still had some secrets he didn't want exposed.
Shikaku and Hiashi exchanged a glance, then nodded in agreement. Without lingering, they quickly retreated.
Those two looked like they were about to explode—it was better not to get involved.
"You bastard! Go to hell!!"
Tsunade roared, then raised her fist and charged straight at Renji.
That's right—
It seemed her hemophobia really was gone. She had just tested herself, and the instant shame had somehow completely overcome her fear of blood.
She herself was surprised that she had been cured this way. Perhaps it was also because of what Renji had said earlier.
Though she didn't want to admit it, Tsunade had to admit his words made sense. If she could kill others, why shouldn't others be able to kill those around her?
In the end, this world was sick—and she had been trapped by this knot in her heart for years. Now she'd stepped out from it, and realized she shouldn't keep living in the past.
Wasn't the ninja world built on kill or be killed?
Among the people she killed, many had family and friends. Others grieved too. Maybe the deep helplessness she felt came from being a medical ninja who still couldn't save the ones closest to her.
Still, even so—she wasn't going to let Renji off. His humiliation of her wasn't something that a simple cure could repay.
"You've got a temper, huh? So I cure your hemophobia and this is how you repay me—by attacking your own ally?"
Renji clapped his hands together, and the floor suddenly sprouted numerous vines, which shot out and tightly bound Tsunade's arms and legs.
"What is this?!"
Tsunade's furious expression froze in shock. Was she seeing things?
Wood Release?
Her anger surged higher.
This bastard had said Danzō stole her grandfather's bloodline limit, but wasn't he the same? Just another greedy man chasing after Wood Release.
"First of all, my Wood Release has nothing to do with your grandfather. I didn't use his cells. I awakened it all on my own!"
Renji clearly understood her gaze. But the power had come from a system lottery, so of course it had nothing to do with Senju Hashirama.
"Take off your shirt!!"
Textbook reaction.
Tsunade understood. When Renji returned to the village, he had handed over Danzō's research to her. The records stated clearly: anyone who had transplanted Hashirama's cells would exhibit physical characteristics unique to him, due to how domineering those cells were.
If Renji didn't have those traits, that would confirm it.
And upon seeing Renji's body lacked any such traits, she thought of another possibility: Yamato. That test subject could also use Wood Release.
"Let go and come with me."
Tsunade gave Renji a deep look. If he could use those secret techniques, she'd believe him.
"Alright."
Renji had a hunch—Tsunade was about to give him a gift.
Following her to the Senju clan's ancestral residence, she stopped before a sealed area. Tsunade slit her palm and used her blood to release the seal, then retrieved a large scroll.
"This contains my grandfather's Wood Release secret techniques. If you can use them, it means you didn't get your power from implants."
According to Danzō's old research, artificial Wood Release users could never fully replicate its power.
What they didn't realize was that Wood Release wasn't powerful on its own. Its strength came from the Sage Body and being the reincarnation of Asura.
Even without Asura's chakra, Renji had the Sage Body, which meant he could still unleash the full power of Wood Release.
Taking the scroll from Tsunade, he opened it and his eyes instantly lit up.
Wood Release: Nativity of a Sea of Trees, Flower Tree World, Wood Dragon Technique, Wood Golem Technique—and even True Several Thousand Hands were all recorded within.
Using his Sharingan, Renji copied everything. Then he tossed the scroll back to Tsunade and began testing the first jutsu—
Nativity of a Sea of Trees!
Before Tsunade's shocked eyes, a massive forest burst forth from the ground. Then came Flower Tree World, followed by the Wood Dragon Technique.
If the Senju residence weren't located on the outskirts of Konoha, Renji's greenery would've already destroyed the place.
"Are you... of the Senju clan?"
Tsunade murmured, stunned as she stared at Renji. She'd once thought Wood Release was extinct. And since the Senju had long integrated into Konoha, who even knew how many true Senju still remained?
But now, a member of the Uchiha clan had awakened Wood Release.
Two once-opposing forces now merged in one body.
No wonder he dared to declare war on the other ninja villages outright.
Tsunade's gaze grew sharp. She stared at Renji and asked, "You knew you had Wood Release from the start, didn't you?"
There was no other explanation.
"That's right. Tsunade—let's make the Senju clan great again."
"…"
Seriously?!
Hearing that from an Uchiha, Tsunade didn't know whether to laugh or punch him in the face.
"So, what—you plan to rename yourself Senju Renji now?"
She eyed him with amusement. Though she still wanted to beat him, Tsunade was realistic about her abilities.
Even without hemophobia, she wasn't his match anymore.
"No. A surname is just a name. What truly matters is will. I want to carry the will of both Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara—to save this ninja world. This world is sick. Like I said before: your loved ones were killed, and so were theirs. Everyone's killing each other. Have you ever wondered why?"
Renji's words were persuasive. Even Tsunade had to admit it. She knew this brat was about to start rambling again, but still found herself willing to listen.
"Go on."
Tsunade genuinely wanted to know.
Back then, they had started killing from the moment they became genin. During their time as chunin, they'd taken countless lives. By the time they were known as the Sannin, they had slaughtered untold numbers in the Land of Rain.
At that time, Tsunade hadn't thought much of it. But as her loved ones and comrades died one after another, she had begun to question it all.
What were they even fighting for?
Watching her friends and family die before her eyes while she stood powerless—she chose to walk away and quit being a ninja.
"Because of systemic imbalance. Ninjas possess immense power, but they're still under the control of daimyō. And the daimyō don't want to see ninja grow too strong—so weakening the Hidden Villages becomes necessary. Every time, it's us major villages that fight, while smaller villages get crushed. When it's over, most of our ninjas are dead, while the daimyō pay a few resources and enjoy peace.
If we can unite the ninja world and eliminate all the daimyō, the world will be changed. Ninjas aren't tools for slaughter. We're people too. Tsunade—saving this world requires strength from everyone. Uchiha, Senju, Hyūga—it doesn't matter who. As long as we can fix this broken world, I don't care about bloodlines."
The ninja world's wars always erupted over resources. All it took was for a daimyō to say, "We don't have resources for now," and even before anything else was said, the Hidden Villages would be unable to hold out and war would begin.
Wasn't that exactly the daimyō's game?
"You're bolder than I thought."
Tsunade had assumed Renji intended to destroy the four other Hidden Villages, following the path of Uchiha Madara.
But what she hadn't expected was that Renji's plans went even further than Madara's.
Back then, Madara had only conceived the idea of a unified ninja village. He never considered eliminating the daimyō.
"Change is a good thing, isn't it? Madara lost to Hashirama, which meant his plan failed. Hashirama created the Hidden Villages, but the wars that followed were even more brutal than the previous era of clan warfare. That was also a failure. What we need now is a new path. So, Tsunade, there shouldn't be any problem with you taking over the operation against Sunagakure, right?"
So that was the point all along—sending her into the fight.
Tsunade couldn't help but grumble inwardly. She looked at Renji with narrowed eyes. "So you lied to me back then?"
Did he even remember the conditions he gave her for staying in Konoha?
He had promised she only needed to teach medical ninjutsu, and now he wanted her on the battlefield?
If he dared send her to war this time, wouldn't he dare tell her to bear children next?
"Once the ninja world is unified, you can gamble wherever you like. I'll reimburse all of it."
"Deal!"
Tsunade licked the corner of her lips, her eyes flashing with excitement—only to immediately feel something off. Why did it feel like she was being strung along again?
When she returned to Konoha, Renji had said she could gamble anywhere in the Land of Fire and he'd cover it.
Now he was saying she could gamble anywhere in the world—as long as she helped unify the ninja world.
Kirigakure.
After Genji returned with Renji's message, Terumī Mei frowned deeply, fury rising in her heart.
They had been used by that bastard Renji.
Now she finally understood why he had been willing to provide such cheap goods.
He had wanted to bind Kirigakure to Konoha's war effort.
At this point, there was no realistic way for Kirigakure to leave. If they tried, the village would inevitably go through a painful period of instability. Rebuilding would be difficult, and they would have offended all four other villages in one stroke.
Now they were faced with only two choices.
First, side with the other three villages and try to loot Konoha—but at great cost.
Second, side with Konoha against the other three. If they won, there would be no loss, and they'd receive Konoha's full support. They only needed to contain Sunagakure. Victory would bring glory to Kirigakure. But if they lost, they'd gain nothing.
That bastard really knew how to trap people.
"Genji, what do you think?"
Terumī Mei rubbed her forehead and looked at Genji, clearly troubled.
She really felt like either option was bad.
"We have no choice but to go with Konoha. We've already been bound to them. Renji likely calculated all this when he first came to Kirigakure. If we side with the other three now, it's only going to go badly for us."
On the way back, Genji had been analyzing Renji's intentions. The deeper he thought, the more he realized they'd been completely manipulated.
There was no choice left but to board Renji's pirate ship.
"I'm sorry... if it weren't for me—"
Yagura's face showed guilt. If he hadn't been controlled, Kirigakure wouldn't be in this mess.
"We'll talk about that later. Since we've chosen Konoha, let's depart for the village. I need to have a proper conversation with that guy. And since we're helping, he better help us find out which Uchiha was behind controlling you!"
Terumī Mei forced down her anger. She had considered that maybe they never really had a choice at all.
She just couldn't swallow her pride that easily.
Fine, then.
They had all been completely calculated into this.
Once they reached Konoha, she was going to have a very direct talk with Renji about this.
"Lady Mizukage, you're terrifying..."
"Hmm? Chōjūrō, are you saying I'll never get married?"
"I didn't say that! Genji, help me!"
Chōjūrō looked at Terumī Mei's smiling face and felt a chill run down his spine. Was she really going to kill him?
"Then we fight! We go to war with Konoha!"
"Heh... war with three villages? Let's see what Konoha can do."
"Konoha, you've chosen the path to destruction."
A, Ōnoki, and Rasa began their preparations after receiving word that Konoha intended to go to war. Since Konoha refused to compromise, there was no reason to hesitate. That had always been the plan from the beginning.
If Konoha backed down, they'd demand compensation. If Konoha stood firm, they'd fight until Konoha surrendered.
"Bastard!! Who gave that guy permission to start a war on his own?!"
The daimyō of the Land of Fire roared, his voice shaking the palace.
He wished Renji were standing in front of him right now—he'd slap him across the face.
That bastard had declared war without his approval?
Who gave him the nerve?
"Hmph, if he dares start a war, we'll cut off all material support to Konoha!"
"That's right. Make him come here and apologize. He needs to hold talks with the other Kage. No matter what, we must stop this war!"
The court ministers erupted in debate, but they all had the same stance—Renji must stop the war and apologize. Every single one condemned Renji.
They claimed that he was a worse Hokage than Hiruzen Sarutobi had ever been. That an Uchiha should never have become Hokage.
"Send a message to that Renji. If he doesn't halt the war, I'll cut off all funding to Konoha!"
The daimyō spoke with arrogance. In his mind, funding Konoha was an act of generosity. Meanwhile, Asuma, listening nearby, gave a cold smile.
He was curious to see how Renji would solve this problem.
(End of Chapter)
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