Chapter 227. Here’s a Rose for You

The biggest difference between Yamato’s Wood Release and Hashirama Senju’s Wood Release lies in the amount of chakra. In the original story, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Hashirama Senju commented that Naruto Uzumaki’s chakra was on par with his own. However, at that time, Naruto was in his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, meaning Hashirama’s chakra was equivalent to Naruto’s plus half of the Nine-Tails’ chakra. With such a terrifying amount of chakra, not only Wood Release but even ordinary Water Release or Fire Release techniques would make one invincible in the ninja world. Not to mention, Hashirama also had Sage Mode. As for his Sage Body, it was the source of his immense chakra reserves. Hanekawa stroked his chin. The S-rank title "Hashirama Senju’s Wood Release" provided by the Title System clearly did not include Sage Mode. However, Sage Mode was something he could learn. Even so, the synthesis conditions for it were already troublesome. The easiest to achieve was the A-rank title "Medical Jōnin." Hanekawa was just short of the final proficiency needed to reach 100% progress. He had to thank Danzō Shimura for assigning him many healing missions. Next was the more challenging A-rank title "Sealing Jōnin." Hanekawa had only learned a few sealing techniques and was still at the D-rank title "Sealing Genin." Sealing techniques were among the hardest to master. Hanekawa had no idea when he would be able to obtain the A-rank title "Sealing Jōnin." It would just take time. The most difficult was the S-rank title "Chakra Ton." The Title System always provided the trigger conditions for titles, and its trigger condition was simple. That is, to possess a tailed beast-level amount of chakra, and not be a jinchūriki. Hanekawa really wanted to complain about how absurdly difficult this was. But when he thought about Hashirama’s chakra, which was equivalent to Naruto’s plus half of the Nine-Tails, it made sense. Without that much chakra, it would be impossible to achieve the same level of power in Wood Release. Hanekawa couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. The only title he currently had that increased his chakra was the A-rank "All-Round Jōnin," which increased his chakra limit by 300%. Without a doubt, its upgraded title, the S-rank "Invincible Shadow," would also increase his chakra limit. But no matter how much it increased, it probably wouldn’t reach tailed beast levels. The best option would undoubtedly be to become a jinchūriki, but that had already been vetoed by the Title System. Now, Hanekawa was left with only two paths. The first was to try to trigger a new title, which might be related to chakra limits or the Sage Body. The second was to find something in the ninja world that could increase his chakra. Hanekawa did think of one thing: the Hero’s Water. The Hero’s Water, originating from Takigakure, could increase one’s chakra when consumed, but at the cost of reducing one’s lifespan. In gaming terms, it was trading HP for MP. In the original story, Shibuki, the leader of Takigakure, had once drunk the Hero’s Water. It was worth mentioning that Kakuzu was also from Takigakure. He had once been a hero of Takigakure for attempting to assassinate Hashirama Senju. Perhaps he had also drunk the Hero’s Water. Aside from the Hero’s Water, Hanekawa couldn’t think of anything else that could directly increase chakra. There were some indirectly related items, such as the Dragon Vein, the Gelel Stone, and the Box of Ultimate Bliss. "Hanekawa, what are you thinking about?" Standing in front of the warehouse, Kurenai Yūhi walked up and waved her hand in front of his eyes. Hanekawa snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail at the back. A few strands of hair fell onto her delicate face, swaying slightly with her movements. In the original story, she had shoulder-length hair, but now, due to his influence, she had a single ponytail. "Uncle Hizashi just mentioned he has a son named Neji Hyūga." Hanekawa took her soft hand and said. "I see." After saying this, Kurenai suddenly blushed. Could it be that Hanekawa was thinking about how to have children? Wasn’t that a bit too early? "Why are you blushing?" Hanekawa blinked, looking puzzled. "N-nothing!" Kurenai quickly shook her head. "Really?" Hanekawa leaned forward slightly, bending down to get closer to her. A faint fragrance wafted over. His gaze fell on her charming face. Kurenai’s heart skipped a beat. The distance was so close that she could even hear Hanekawa’s breathing. She subconsciously swallowed, her heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably. Hanekawa watched as Kurenai’s fair face turned visibly red. The blush spread along her delicate facial lines, reaching her dainty ears, which turned transparent and crimson. "So cute." Hanekawa smiled. "Time to do the mission!" Kurenai pushed him away, her face red, and said, "Go move the supplies!" "Okay." Hanekawa didn’t tease her further. He reached out, pinched her cheek, then turned and waved. Chakra surged out, lifting the supplies and moving them into the warehouse. Kurenai secretly sighed in relief. She touched her face, still warm. It was all Hanekawa’s fault! Kurenai instinctively glanced over and was somewhat surprised. His relaxed demeanor was truly something she couldn’t match. She could also control chakra like that, but not as effortlessly. "Why didn’t Rin come?" Hanekawa suddenly thought of Rin Nohara and asked. "She’s monitoring the Root ninjas." Kurenai snapped out of her thoughts and replied. "Any findings?" Hanekawa asked again. "Not for now." Kurenai shook her head. "Danzō is being quite patient this time." Hanekawa chuckled. "I think it’s because he can’t do anything to us!" Kurenai put her hands on her hips, looking proud. "If he had a way, he wouldn’t have waited this long!" Hanekawa turned to look at her proud expression and couldn’t help but reach out to pat her head. "Did I say something wrong?" Kurenai was momentarily stunned, looking confused. "No." Hanekawa smiled. "I just wanted to touch you." Kurenai pursed her lips. She stepped forward and hugged his arm. "Then... go ahead." Kurenai suppressed her shyness, her face red as she spoke. "Don’t distract me from the mission." Hanekawa reached out with both hands and gently squeezed her cheeks. Kurenai, having used up all her courage, didn’t dare to look at him and softly hummed in acknowledgment. Hanekawa turned his attention to the supplies and continued moving them with chakra. A few minutes later, all the supplies were stored in the warehouse. "I’ll go report the mission to Sensei." Hanekawa dispersed his chakra and said. Of course, the main reason was to discuss Wood Release with her. Although he had already grasped Wood Release, he still needed to learn Wood Release techniques, and he could only ask Tsunade for help. "Okay." Kurenai nodded. "Are you hungry?" Hanekawa reached out and cupped her chin. "A little." Kurenai looked at him, her face turning red again. "After I finish talking with Sensei, we’ll have lunch." Hanekawa gently stroked her cheek, then turned and headed toward Tsunade’s tent. As he entered the tent, he found Tsunade lounging lazily. She lay on the carpet with her eyes closed, legs propped up, looking bored and idle. Her body swayed slightly, causing her ample chest to teeter precariously, and her perky buttocks to deform under the pressure. "Sensei." Hanekawa walked over and casually patted her raised knee. "What is it?" Tsunade lifted her leg and kicked at him. "Sensei, do you remember the bet we made earlier?" Hanekawa casually caught her foot but quickly let go as she pulled it away. "What bet?" Tsunade sat up, looking confused. "I don’t remember." She wasn’t actually forgetting, just subconsciously ignoring it. She didn’t think Hanekawa could learn Wood Release in such a short time. Moreover, they had agreed on three years, and only one had passed. "Wood Release." Hanekawa reminded her. "Oh, that." Tsunade reacted and smiled. "What? Are you backing out?" "No." Hanekawa shook his head, sat down in front of her, and extended his hand. Although he didn’t know any Wood Release techniques, manipulating Wood Release chakra wasn’t a problem. "What are you doing?" Tsunade was momentarily stunned but then placed her hand in his. Hanekawa was slightly taken aback. Wasn’t this supposed to be his move? When did Tsunade learn to do this? Hanekawa didn’t hold back, gently stroking her slender fingers and soft hand, earning a glare from Tsunade. He smiled in response, then let go of her hand and placed a withered rose branch in his palm. "Sensei, look, this is a withered rose branch." Hanekawa explained with a smile. "And?" Tsunade was curious. "Now, it’s time to witness a miracle." Hanekawa’s chakra flowed into the branch. A surge of vitality spread, and the branch began to fill out. Tsunade’s eyes widened. She understood something but couldn’t believe it. This was a rare reaction for Tsunade. Finally, under the influence of Wood Release chakra, the branch grew into a beautiful, vibrant red rose. "You... you learned Wood Release?" Tsunade’s voice trembled slightly. "Yes." Hanekawa smiled. "Sensei, this flower is for you." "You..." Tsunade instinctively took the rose, wanting to say something but not knowing what. In her heart, she was filled with shock and confusion. This was the first time she had seen someone learn Wood Release. The previous Wood Release user had been confirmed to be related to Wood Release experiments, essentially an artificial Wood Release. That hadn’t surprised her; it had angered her. But Hanekawa couldn’t have undergone Wood Release experiments. After all, he had spent most of his time with her. The only explanation was that he had learned it on his own. "Sensei." Hanekawa poked her cheek with his finger. "What? No respect for your elders!" Tsunade snapped out of her thoughts and glared at him. "You were the one spacing out." Hanekawa retracted his hand and smiled. "I’m just surprised you learned Wood Release so quickly." Tsunade paused, deep in thought. "So Wood Release really is a combination of Earth and Water chakra natures." "You didn’t know before?" Hanekawa blinked. "I knew, but no one had succeeded, so it wasn’t certain." Tsunade looked at the rose in her hand and suddenly remembered the symbolic meaning of roses. Her heart trembled slightly. "I see." Hanekawa nodded. "With my example, perhaps there will be a second Wood Release user in the future." Although he relied on the Title System, since Wood Release was synthesized from Earth and Water natures, it proved the method was correct. "It’s not that easy." Tsunade flicked his forehead. "In all these years in Konoha, there haven’t been more than three ninjas with your talent." The other two she referred to were Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju. But even Tobirama had struggled and failed to develop Wood Release. Hanekawa didn’t argue. The truth was, without cheats, synthesizing Earth and Water natures was as difficult as reaching the heavens. "Maybe you have some Senju blood in you." Tsunade suddenly laughed. Hanekawa was a war orphan, his parents long gone, making it hard to trace his origins. The Senju clan was now scattered across Konoha and even the Land of Fire, so there was a slight chance Hanekawa had Senju blood. "Maybe." Hanekawa smiled. From the original story’s perspective, all ninjas were part of the same family, descended from the Ōtsutsuki clan, differing only in the amount of bloodline they inherited. Those with strong bloodlines, like the Uchiha, Senju, and Kaguya clans, could possess powerful kekkei genkai. Those with diluted bloodlines became ordinary ninjas. "Sensei, I want to learn Wood Release techniques." Hanekawa reached out and asked directly, "Are the First Hokage’s Wood Release techniques stored in Konoha?" "No, I’ve always had them with me." Tsunade took out a scroll and sighed. "But I never thought they’d actually be used." "Thank you, Sensei." Hanekawa took the scroll and opened it. It contained many Wood Release techniques. However, the most powerful ones, like True Several Thousand Hands and Top Transformation, were missing. But that didn’t matter, as he couldn’t learn them yet anyway. Hanekawa quickly decided on his first Wood Release technique. It was Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees. This technique was the signature of Wood Release, creating a forest and controlling it for offense and defense. The size of the forest depended on the user’s chakra. In the original story, when Yamato used Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees, it created a small forest, like a grove. When Hashirama used it, it was a primeval forest, like the Forest of Death outside Konoha. Hanekawa believed he had more chakra than Yamato, so perhaps his version would create a medium-sized forest. But the actual effect would have to be seen. "Don’t mention it." Tsunade shook her head. "You should thank Konoha for being able to learn it." "I’ll work hard." Hanekawa smiled. "Mm." Tsunade looked at him, her thoughts drifting. Wood Release, huh? She instinctively reached out and patted Hanekawa’s head, her heart filled with mixed emotions. "I’ll go cook, Sensei." Hanekawa stood up, paused at the door, and said, "If that rose withers, let me know." Tsunade looked at the rose in her hand. With Hanekawa’s Wood Release, this rose would, in a sense, never wither and would bloom forever. "You learned Wood Release, so you won the bet. What do you want me to do for you?" Tsunade suddenly remembered the wager and asked. "A request? I don’t have any. Well, if I had to say, there’s one thing: don’t leave me, Sensei." Hanekawa thought for a moment and smiled. Tsunade was stunned, her heart skipping a beat. ___ Patreon.com/rashta