Outside the Senju ancestral residence.
"It's all been repaired, Lady Tsunade."
"Good work."
"And… about the payment—"
"Relax. I'm in Konoha. You'll get your money. Tomorrow I'll have this brat deliver it to you!"
Standing outside the ancestral estate, Tsunade's face was pitch-black as she stared at the workers—especially when she noticed the doubt in their eyes.
What, do they really think I'll skip out on my debts?
Has my reputation fallen this far in Konoha already?!
But that wasn't the real issue.
The real issue was the person who caused all of this.
"You bastard! Do you have any idea how much money you made me lose?!"
The moment the workers finally left—still half-skeptical—Tsunade completely snapped. She grabbed Ren by the collar and roared at him.
"And they didn't even trust me! Damn it—am I really that unreliable?!"
"Lady Tsunade…"
Shizune tried to smooth things over, her expression awkward.
Truthfully, she felt this was… understandable.
But that was a thought she absolutely didn't dare voice. She still valued having a roof over her head.
"Ren isn't fully recovered yet," Shizune said carefully. "Maybe don't be too hard on him."
"I think he looks very comfortable," Tsunade snorted.
She shot Ren a fierce glare.
"You don't even have to work. Shizune looks after you during the day, Yūgao at night, and people keep visiting you. And you call that 'unwell'?"
I never said I was uncomfortable…
Ren complained silently, but still forced a strained smile.
"Sensei, I really didn't expect my body to react like this either."
The moment he pushed his Physical Attributes to Lv.11, things truly went off the rails.
Until then, Ren had been curious about what would happen next.
Now he knew.
The system's prompt had already made it clear—
Bloodline mutation.
"By fusing chakra to form kekkei genkai or kekkei tōta, bloodlines can undergo mutation, allowing power to imprint upon the lineage and be inherited.
This power also acts directly on the body.
Continuous improvement of overall physical quality is not just bodily evolution—but a special form of bloodline evolution."
The consequences of physical growth were far-reaching.
Normally, a powerful body paired with stable mental strength already produced vast chakra reserves.
But could it truly alter bloodlines?
Ren wasn't certain.
After all, he was different.
He wasn't progressing naturally—he was advancing through a system.
If that produced greater changes… maybe it was only natural.
"Or maybe," Ren mused,
"hardly anyone has ever truly exceeded the overall limit like this?"
People who trained their bodies existed—Might Guy, for example.
Ren hadn't interacted much with Guy, but he knew his legend well.
Guy's physique was monstrous, and that foundation allowed him—after opening the Eight Gates—to kick Uchiha Madara to the brink of death.
By comparison, Guy's father using the Eight Gates couldn't even be mentioned in the same breath, despite defeating the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
The difference lay in focus.
Guy refined strength, resilience, coordination.
Ren enhanced everything, evenly and without blind spots.
So there was no real reference point.
Was this result caused by the system?
Or by perfectly balanced physical evolution?
"…Either way," Ren concluded,
"this is my biggest gain this time."
He was pleased.
The other technique upgrades were nice—but none compared to this.
Sometimes he even wondered—
If everyone were measured by the system, what level would they be?
But the question had no answer.
The system valued comprehensiveness.
Real people always had flaws—or extreme strengths.
"So yeah," Ren thought smugly,
"I really am a one-of-a-kind stat monster."
Tsunade suddenly released his collar.
"…Your body's absurdly strong, yet you're genuinely weak right now," she muttered.
She quickly reached the same conclusion:
Ren's bloodline had evolved faster than his body could adapt.
Her expression turned serious.
"From now on, pay close attention to bodily changes and chakra reactions. If anything feels off, report it immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, Sensei."
The power felt amazing—but the aftereffects were dangerous.
Right now, Ren felt like he was suffering from severe qi depletion.
Thankfully, rest and nutrition would fix it.
Once recovered, he'd adapt to his new body.
Still…
How strong am I now?
Could I compare to Senju Hashirama?
Sadly, Ren had never seen Hashirama in person.
White Zetsu bodies were the closest benchmark.
Tsunade sighed again.
"Do you know how much it cost to replace all the windows and glass you shattered?"
She glared at him.
"From now on, your ANBU stipend is mine. Compensation."
"…Huh?"
Ren panicked internally.
Handing over his wallet was unacceptable.
Then—an idea struck.
"Sensei… I need to talk to you privately."
"Oh?"
Tsunade hooked an arm around his neck and dragged him away.
"Shizune, clean up here. I'll be back soon."
"Yes."
Shizune nodded, already planning to pick Karin up from the Academy later.
She was still a child—socializing mattered.
Danzo's Office – Konoha
"You haven't visited me in a while, Ren."
Danzo Shimura's voice was cold.
"Lord Danzo," Ren replied calmly, bowing slightly.
"I've been on continuous missions, and I was injured recently."
Truthfully, Ren didn't want to see this man's face.
But he needed him.
Danzo studied him quietly.
In just two years after leaving Root, Ren had:
Awakened Wood Release
Exposed Uchiha Obito
Captured the Fourth Raikage
Captured the Third Tsuchikage's son
His growth far exceeded expectations.
Even with the curse mark.
Even with Nono Yakushi as leverage.
Danzo was uneasy.
Still—
"You haven't forgotten who nurtured you," Danzo said slowly.
"As long as you remember your identity, your future will be limitless."
Yeah right, Ren thought.
Following you leads nowhere.
Outwardly, he nodded obediently.
Danzo soon shifted topics.
"Your idea—using Sunagakure to pressure Iwagakure—was sound. But Ōnoki agreed to negotiate sooner than expected."
"A pity," Danzo sneered.
"It's a good thing," Ren replied softly. "It avoids war."
Then, carefully:
"But Lord Danzo could still act. This situation benefits you."
Danzo's eyes lit up.
"Continue."
"Negotiations without pressure yield little," Ren said quietly.
"What isn't taken on the battlefield won't appear at the table."
Danzo laughed coldly.
He understood.
Influence.
Achievements.
Momentum.
"These events must be known," Danzo decided.
"I will contact Sunagakure."
Ren smiled.
"Congratulations, Lord Danzo. Your name will echo across the shinobi world."
"I don't care for fame," Danzo corrected flatly.
"I seek only to become Hokage—and lead Konoha down the correct path."
"Yes," Ren agreed.
"The correct path."
Then he added—
"One more thing. We're short on manpower while pursuing Uchiha Obito. I'd like to develop external intelligence assets."
"Necessary," Danzo nodded. "Why bring this to me?"
"Because your order was to retrieve Obito's Sharingan."
A separate intelligence line.
One that reported only to Danzo.
Danzo understood immediately.
"You already have a candidate?"
"Yes. Someone inside Akatsuki. Not core, but active with Sasori and Kakuzu."
"Price?"
"Eighty thousand ryō per month."
Ren lied without blinking.
Danzo pondered briefly.
"I'll give you one hundred thousand. Handle it."
Ren almost froze.
…I should've asked for more.
Still, he bowed deeply.
"I won't disappoint you, Lord Danzo."
Danzo moved fast.
With Hiruzen meeting Ōnoki in Grass Country, Danzo enjoyed unprecedented freedom.
He dispatched Aburame Ryūma to Sunagakure with his personal letter.
Funds were released immediately.
One million ryō per month.
And in Sunagakure—
Ebizō scowled at the letter.
"That bastard Danzo again…"
Chiyo sighed.
"He wants us to move."
Money.
Information.
Pressure.
Sunagakure was being used—but refusing wasn't an option.
Meanwhile—
In Grass Country, Hiruzen frowned at the report.
"Why would Danzo act now?"
Nara Shikaku replied carefully:
"He may be trying to strengthen our negotiating position."
Hiruzen sighed.
Danzo had helped Konoha.
And put him in an impossible position.
Far away, Ōnoki read Akatsuki's scroll.
Uchiha Shisui — Mangekyō
Ren — Wood Release — Danzo's man
Ōnoki chuckled.
"Danzo Shimura…"
"You're more interesting than I thought."
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