The fact that Hashirama Senju had taken in a group of disciples wasn't exactly a secret, but the specific roster of names had never been publicly circulated.
Because of this, the rest of the clan was only just now finding out that Chu Yang was the Clan Head's personal student.
"Until now, I hadn't heard of a single person successfully learning Wood Release. Yang is the very first!"
"And not only that, but his Wood Release is already incredibly powerful! A whole squad of elite Uchiha shinobi just suffered a devastating loss at his hands."
"Yang is a bona fide genius! He's absolutely capable of carrying on the Clan Head's legacy!"
Following the strike team's return to the compound, the news of Chu Yang's squad being ambushed—and his subsequent, single-handed slaughter of the enemy—instantly swept through the entire Senju Clan.
However, what truly shocked the clan wasn't how many Uchiha he had killed, but the fact that he had mastered Wood Release.
No one understood the terrifying might of Wood Release better than the Senju. As the second person in history to wield this legendary Kekkei Genkai, Chu Yang was destined to command the absolute attention of the entire clan.
It didn't take long for the news to reach the top. Shortly after returning, Chu Yang received a direct summons from Hashirama Senju.
Led by the elite guards, he made his way to the Clan Head's sprawling estate.
Always straightforward and heartily enthusiastic, Hashirama didn't keep Chu Yang waiting. He quickly appeared before the boy, accompanied—as always—by his younger brother, Tobirama Senju.
The future Second Hokage.
Smiling warmly, Hashirama led Chu Yang out into the estate's private courtyard. "Show me your Wood Release."
Chu Yang obeyed, smoothly executing a few of the most foundational jutsu Hashirama had previously taught the disciples.
Watching Chu Yang manipulate the timber with such freedom, flexibility, and zero hesitation, Hashirama's eyes filled with deep admiration.
Even from this small glimpse, Chu Yang's monstrous, innate talent for Wood Release was undeniable.
A Kekkei Genkai was fundamentally different from ordinary ninjutsu; the difficulty and physical risks involved in learning one were extraordinarily high. If a shinobi failed, the violent clash of forcibly merging two different chakra natures would leave indelible, permanent trauma at the bloodline level.
Only those with closely related genetics could minimize this horrific backlash.
Originally, Hashirama hadn't held much hope of actually finding a successor. The overbearing, domineering nature of Wood Release was simply beyond comparison to most other Kekkei Genkai, and failure was practically guaranteed.
Failing to master Wood Release severely drained the practitioner's life force. Even with their Senju bloodline granting them a degree of immunity to the backlash, the vast majority of the youths Hashirama had selected as disciples were currently lying bedridden in the hospital.
This stark reality only highlighted exactly how precious Chu Yang was.
Deep down, Hashirama could faintly sense that the clan would likely never produce a second person capable of inheriting his Wood Release.
From the moment he stepped into the courtyard, Tobirama had been silently scrutinizing Chu Yang. Unlike Hashirama's warm, welcoming aura, Tobirama's gaze was highly aggressive and piercing.
Tobirama knew exactly how difficult it was to learn Wood Release, let alone reach this level of mastery in such a terrifyingly short amount of time.
Like a cold, calculating machine, he practically scanned Chu Yang from head to toe.
Chu Yang absolutely hated that feeling. Without missing a beat, he viciously glared right back!
Tobirama froze.
Someone actually dared to glare at him? And it was a kid from the clan?!
"Hahaha!" Seeing his strict younger brother get completely stonewalled, Hashirama erupted into a fit of hearty laughter. "Tobirama, you're being far too rude! He's just a child."
"Brother, he might be a child, but he is far from ordinary." Tobirama finally retracted his piercing gaze, his voice low and serious. "To develop his Wood Release to the point of using an ultimate-tier jutsu in such a short amount of time... his learning speed is even faster than yours was back in the day."
Hashirama nodded in agreement. As the creator of Wood Release, he obviously understood the profound weight behind Tobirama's words.
This boy was an unprecedented prodigy. He needed to be meticulously guided and taught; given enough time, he would be capable of shouldering the future of the Senju.
But Hashirama knew he was a terrible teacher. When it came to systematically educating the younger generation, his brother Tobirama was infinitely more suited for the job.
And history would prove this true. As the future founder of the Ninja Academy, Tobirama Senju's contributions to the educational infrastructure of the Hidden Leaf were monumental.
Smiling, Hashirama affectionately patted Chu Yang's shoulder. "From today onward, you will study ninjutsu theory and build a solid foundation under Tobirama's guidance. As a shinobi, relying solely on Wood Release is not enough."
On the surface, Chu Yang looked perfectly calm, but internally, he was doing backflips of joy.
Who was Tobirama Senju?! He was one of the greatest inventors in the history of the ninja world! The number of S-Rank jutsu and Forbidden Jutsu he created was practically countless. Orochimaru couldn't even hold a candle to this man's innovative genius. Being able to learn ninjutsu directly from Tobirama would undoubtedly skyrocket his power!
"We will perfect your Taijutsu first," Tobirama said flatly, staring blankly at Chu Yang. His tone hovered somewhere between a lecture and a strict warning. "People always talk about Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu in the same breath. But the truth is, Taijutsu is the most critical foundation of any shinobi's survival."
"No matter how monstrous your talent for Ninjutsu is, if your Taijutsu is garbage, you will die on the battlefield much faster than anyone else."
Tobirama's rigid expression softened just a fraction. "I originally planned to test your Taijutsu proficiency today, but considering you just returned from a bloody mission, go get some rest. Come find me first thing tomorrow morning."
This time, Chu Yang nodded obediently.
After Chu Yang left, the two brothers stayed up late into the night, deeply discussing exactly how to cultivate the boy's terrifying potential.
Early the next morning, Chu Yang arrived at Tobirama's doorstep, conveniently mooching a free breakfast off the Clan Head's estate.
Much like his One Piece counterpart, the Naruto Chu Yang was an orphan with no living relatives. Because of this, he usually either ate out at food stalls or shamelessly freeloaded meals at other people's houses—mostly the latter.
Being an orphan was actually one of the core criteria Hashirama had used when selecting his disciples. If one of them could use Wood Release to completely alter their tragic destiny, it was something Hashirama deeply wanted to see.
And Chu Yang was exactly that.
After finishing breakfast, Tobirama led Chu Yang to a private training ground he frequently used—the very same clearing in the woods where he had practiced as a child.
The training ground wasn't massive, but it was fully equipped with target posts, training dummies, and heavily scarred trees bearing the marks of decades of relentless practice.
"Let me see your Taijutsu."
Without another word, Tobirama formed a one-handed seal. Poof! He summoned a Shadow Clone, intending to use the duplicate to personally test the boy's exact physical limits.
Chu Yang didn't dare drop his guard just because it was a clone. A Shadow Clone created by a Kage-level powerhouse was still infinitely more lethal than an ordinary Jonin.
Before his trip to the soul palace, Taijutsu truly was Chu Yang's biggest weakness, simply because he had poured 100% of his time and energy into studying Wood Release.
However... after returning from the soul palace, that was a completely different story.
The Shadow Clone closed the distance with terrifying speed. Standing a short distance away, the real Tobirama frowned slightly as he observed Chu Yang's movements. Is the boy's reaction time really this sluggish? Just as Tobirama mentally prepared to give Chu Yang a flat zero in Taijutsu... the boy suddenly moved.
Dropping his center of gravity, Chu Yang planted his feet into a wide, impossibly rooted horse stance. He pulled his right fist tight against his waist like a heavily coiled spring. Exhaling a short, sharp breath, he violently threw the punch forward!
The very instant Chu Yang's fist snapped out, the real Tobirama, standing dozens of feet away, physically felt the violent displacement of the air. His eyes snapped wide open in shock!
[Fish-Man Karate: Two Thousand Tile True Punch]
This single punch carried the raw, devastating power to shatter mountains!
Carrying a majestic, crushing momentum, the shockwave completely engulfed the Shadow Clone before it even had a chance to counterattack.
BANG! The Shadow Clone was instantly blown apart by the sheer kinetic force of the punch!