"A village dominated by a single ninja clan can hardly survive, even for us." Tsunade's voice broke the silence, carrying flatness. She looked at Shuji. "With Granny Momoka in the village before and you in the future, they won't be bullied, so..."
Shuji roughly understood Tsunade's reason for specifically bringing him to Uzushiogakure.
But he remained expressionless, only looking at these ruins.
Seeing Shuji like this, the Senju Princess also lost interest in continuing the conversation, leaning wearily against a broken section of wall and closing her eyes.
Opening the Yin Seal meant consuming her long-accumulated chakra. Even with Shuji's replenishment, it was still a mentally exhausting matter.
"Whatever, it's none of my business anyway."
Shuji adjusted his tone. Neither the previous coldness with traces of barbs, nor the earlier docility that seemed somewhat oily. It became clear and steady.
"Though you constantly emphasize this point, from your behavior, you don't actually believe it."
Tsunade lifted her eyelids, glancing at him with some surprise. "You can speak normally again."
"Since I saw you again, I've been this rude. Yet you could tolerate it and still willingly help me train Sage Arts. You keep saying you've let go of everything." Shuji met those bright brown eyes. "Yet the one who ultimately cannot let go is you, Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade clenched her fists, lowered her head, and avoided eye contact.
Mental exhaustion from massive chakra consumption quietly spread, making her vision blur momentarily, almost making that childish yet lifeless face appear before her.
Nawaki...
"You... what nonsense are you spouting..."
"Have you ever been curious? Curious why I've been so impolite?"
She pulled at her mouth corners, showing an expression that couldn't be called a smile.
This kind of thing needed no thought. This child Granny Momoka kept close, she'd heard of long ago. Someone who gave everything to prove Senju glory—what good expression could he have toward someone like her who fled the village to escape, indulging in alcohol and gambling, a coward?
Especially now possessing grandfather's cells and learning Sage Arts, what he would do next was all predictable.
"Empty words cannot make you understand." Shuji extended his hand. His palm glowed with blue light. "I heard that initially, people used chakra to understand each other."
Tsunade's eyes moved slightly. Her arm lifted somewhat. Fingertips imperceptibly probed forward, yet at the instant before touching, she violently swatted away, slapping apart that docile chakra ball.
"Enough!" She suddenly stood, tone stiff. "I'm not interested!"
Seeing Tsunade leave as if fleeing, Shuji withdrew his hand.
Tsunade's hemophobia had war PTSD reasons. But from later seeing Naruto desperately fighting and being able to overcome it herself, this symptom itself had other causes.
For example, Senju Hashirama's dream—achieving peace through creating the village.
Everyone she loved and cherished struggled for this, then died. Yet peace remained distant.
From original experience, making Tsunade overcome hemophobia was actually two points: 1. Let her see Senju Hashirama's dream still had hope; 2. Urgent situation giving her sufficient motivation to immediately break through fear brought by blood.
Uzumaki Naruto proved the first point and prompted the second condition's establishment.
The trouble was he wasn't a hot-blooded man. He lacked that infectious power to easily influence others.
If so, solving this matter would be much simpler.
If truly unable to solve Tsunade's hemophobia, successfully training Sage Arts made this vacation not wasted.
The second day, Tsunade showed no abnormality, as if last night's conversation didn't exist. She continued helping Shuji conduct Sage Arts training.
With the previous day's experience, today Shuji handled natural energy less awkwardly.
Though occasionally some woody characteristics still appeared on his body, overall it remained within control range.
Breaking through the first barrier of absorbing natural energy, Shikkotsu Forest's training method also showed benefits different from Mount Myōboku's training method.
When Katsuyu diverted excessive natural energy, it was gentle and continuous. Unlike Mount Myōboku directly dispelling it, training wouldn't be interrupted, making it easier to grasp the balance during training.
After training ended, Tsunade didn't walk away this time. After twice having chakra consumption replenished, she had also figured out experience and methods. As long as she timely intercepted and fused that life-filled chakra Shuji fed back, she could offset the Yin Seal's drain on her body. She wouldn't become old again.
This time, Shuji actively sought Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama."
"What?"
"Yesterday, there was one thing I forgot to tell you."
Tsunade had an indifferent attitude. "Oh, what big matter?"
"You may have misunderstood again. I have no thoughts of rebuilding the clan." Shuji looked at the sea. "I understand your concerns. In fact, since Hashirama and Tobirama-sama, the Senju clan indeed hasn't produced any notable figures."
The woman's smooth forehead immediately showed bulging veins. Listening to the first half, she was somewhat relieved, also somewhat regretful.
Hearing the latter part, anger "whooshed" up again, feeling this brat still couldn't speak as usual.
"I! Am also one of the Sannin! Brat!" Tsunade almost squeezed this sentence through her teeth. A fist thrust out directly, but Shuji dodged sideways.
Another punch. Judging Tsunade wasn't truly exerting force, Shuji raised his hand to catch it.
"Apologies, I forgot to mention you separately."
"My meaning is, I indeed intend to organize current clansmen within the village, but not forming a clan, only hoping to borrow their power to voice concerns about the current situation."
Hearing this, Tsunade's angry expression slightly eased, then furrowed her brows again. "That's also... wait, if so, what dissatisfaction do you have with me, you brat!"
Not an extreme Senju supremacist, then what did that previous sarcastic attitude mean?
Deliberately trying to annoy me? You bastard!
Originally loosened hand strength, as Tsunade's anger erupted, increased again.
Shuji's body also erupted with powerful chakra, steadily contending.
"What I'm about to explain now is precisely this matter..."
He sank consciousness into the depths, eliminating that otherworld soul's miscellaneous memories, solely isolating everything accumulated from this body's original owner's fourteen-year life, transmitting it along their opposing hands.
Tsunade was about to break free yet hesitated momentarily. Everything of a youth who lived fourteen years, along the chakra connection, entered her mind.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild