For as long as the Ninja World has existed, there has been a single, irrefutable truth: only Senju Hashirama could command the legendary Wood Release. Even his descendants, no matter how promising, failed to awaken that power. Tsunade—granddaughter of the First Hokage himself—had never inherited even a trace of that ability, despite possessing monstrous talent in every other aspect of ninjutsu.
Which was why the discovery before her felt so deeply unsettling.
Floating within the containment tank, the pale, plant-like humanoid—what Orochimaru's stolen notes had labeled "White Zetsu"—contained biological traces unmistakably linked to Hashirama's unique cells.
Tsunade's normally calm expression hardened.
"…There's no way this happened naturally."
The conclusion crept in like cold poison.
Someone in Konoha had leaked Hashirama cells.
Only two names came to mind. Two people who had both the influence and the moral flexibility to attempt such a thing:
Danzo Shimura.
Orochimaru.
Tsunade pressed two fingers to her temple. If her suspicion was correct, it meant someone outside Konoha had gained access to one of the most dangerous biological resources in history — and, worse, they had found a way to stabilize its near-lethal rejection effect.
Otherwise, they would never have been able to engineer a creature resembling a human, yet not human at all.
But suspicion was not evidence, and the matter was far too volatile to bring to Hiruzen without proof. Hashirama cells were practically a forbidden phrase in the village. Their existence alone was tied to countless tragedies and classified experiments.
If she handled this poorly, it could shatter Konoha's political balance.
Despite her outwardly casual attitude, Tsunade cared deeply for the village built by her grandfather. It was the legacy of her lineage — and the remaining foundation that tethered her to her painful past.
Her thoughts were abruptly broken—
BOOM!
The earth shook violently beneath her feet.
Tsunade's instincts sharpened instantly. That was no natural tremor — it was the shockwave of ninjutsu colliding. And not a simple skirmish either; the intensity suggested high-level combat.
"Near the research base…! Who is fighting this close to Konoha?"
Her eyes narrowed.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Without hesitation, she slammed her palm into the console, triggering the protective seals encasing the entire laboratory. Then, with a burst of chakra, she flickered out of sight.
---
Meanwhile…
Kushina Uzumaki's chakra flared wildly as yet another Shadow Clone burst into existence beside her.
Motoi and Shiko stumbled back, drenched in sweat.
"…Does she even have a limit?" Shiko whispered hoarsely.
Neither had ever fought someone capable of spamming clones with such reckless abundance. Even Killer Bee, who had been full of bravado earlier, was now gasping for breath. His Lightning Release swords crackled weakly before dissipating entirely.
He stiffened. Without the support of the Eight-Tails — which he had yet to fully inherit — he couldn't match an Uzumaki's monstrous chakra reserves, especially Kushina's.
With relentless clones and unpredictable movements, Kushina had the upper hand. But she was still inexperienced in combat, relying on raw chakra and emotion more than refined taijutsu.
Even so, she was formidable.
"We don't need to beat her," Killer Bee said through clenched teeth. "Just stall her. Once Big Brother finishes that guy off, she'll be harmless to carry away!"
Motoi and Shiko nodded grimly.
---
On the other side of the battlefield…
Fourth Raikage A was a storm of fury.
Troy lay dead. His subordinate, his comrade, killed by the masked boy—Aomizu.
"Bastard! I won't let you walk away alive!"
His Lightning Release Chakra Mode roared to life. Blue sparks twisted around his body, boosting his already terrifying speed.
Aomizu reacted instantly. He dropped Troy's corpse, closed his Asura Path, and activated a different power — the one he had spent months training with brutal discipline.
The Eight Gates.
Three months prior, he could barely open the First Gate. Now he forced the Third Gate open — the Gate of Life.
His skin flushed red, chakra roaring through his muscles. Green energy spiraled upward as his strength surged.
He could finally resist Raikage A — at least for a short time.
Raikage A's fist collided with Aomizu's.
BANG!
A shockwave exploded outward. Aomizu skidded back a dozen steps, digging trenches in the ground. The Raikage only staggered a few paces.
Still, the difference was noticeable. Aomizu was no longer a helpless target relying on Shinra Tensei's cooldown.
"Heh." A snarl spread across the Raikage's face. "You're using a forbidden taijutsu technique. Let's see how long you can hold it!"
He charged again — and again — each strike producing thunderous impacts. Dodai's intermittent Lava Release attacks forced Aomizu into constant motion to avoid being trapped.
Despite the strength granted by the Eight Gates, he remained at a disadvantage. The Raikage's overwhelming speed made it difficult for Aomizu to mount a consistent counterattack.
Moreover, the Gate of Life consumed stamina rapidly. He could not maintain it long.
Aomizu gritted his teeth.
I need a way to break the deadlock…
But Raikage A gave him no time to think.
"Haaaah!"
The Raikage lunged at him — only for a new presence to appear directly in front of Aomizu.
A blur of blonde hair. A ripple of killing intent.
Tsunade.
Her fist swung at Raikage A before he could even brace.
BOOOOOOOM!
The Raikage was launched like a missile, smashing through tree after tree, debris flying in every direction until his body finally crashed into a mountain-sized boulder. The impact shattered the stone and expelled the Lightning Release Chakra Mode from his body.
Blood dripped down his forehead.
"Tsu… Tsunade…!"
Dodai froze.
Even the Raikage, fierce as he was, didn't immediately stand.
Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, was not someone they could simply confront head-on. Her monstrous strength was infamous — and Dodai had no intention of testing how many bones he could afford to lose.
Aomizu allowed the Eight Gates to close. His muscles screamed in protest, and fatigue slammed into him like a tidal wave.
He staggered slightly.
The cost of the Eight Gates was harsh — but he had kept the activation short enough to avoid complete immobility.
Tsunade's eyes flicked toward him.
"What happened here?"
Aomizu quickly summarized.
"A monster attacked Konoha during the Chunin Exams. Grass Ninja infiltrated the village. Amid the chaos, Cloud Ninja kidnapped Kushina. I followed them, stopped them, and killed one."
The moment she heard "Kushina," Tsunade's expression darkened with a depth of anger that made even Aomizu shiver.
Kushina and Uzumaki Mito were the only blood-related family she had left. Anyone daring to harm Kushina was an enemy deserving nothing less than annihilation.
Tsunade shot forward, targeting Dodai.
Dodai's instincts screamed at him.
He slammed his hands together.
"Lava Release: Rubber Ball Defense!"
A massive rubber dome enveloped him. Tsunade's punch crashed into it — and to her irritation, failed to break through.
The defense absorbed the impact like a sponge.
Dodai swallowed hard.
Tsunade was stronger than the rumors claimed.
But he had no intention of testing her second punch.
With his hands forming another seal, he tossed a smoke bomb from inside the dome. Thick white smoke burst outward, obscuring everything.
Aomizu instantly responded with Wind Release, clearing the smoke in seconds.
But Dodai was gone.
Raikage A — vanished.
Killer Bee — disappeared.
They had escaped into the forest.
"They ran fast," Tsunade muttered.
Aomizu exhaled deeply.
The danger had passed — for now.
He walked toward Troy's corpse to secure it, but before he touched it, he subtly positioned himself between the body and Tsunade's line of sight.
She stiffened when she glimpsed even a smear of blood, and he immediately blocked her vision.
Her hemophobia was no joke.
Aomizu carefully sealed Troy's body without letting her see the worst parts.
Tsunade regained her composure quickly, though her jaw remained tight with suppressed anger.
"Before anything else," she said, voice low, "we are getting Kushina back to safety. Then we will take this matter to Hiruzen. This attack… this isn't something Konoha can ignore."
Aomizu nodded.
He could feel the battle still ongoing in the distance — where Kushina fought desperately.
"Let's go," Tsunade said.
With that, they raced toward Kushina's location.
What awaited them would determine much more than the outcome of an attempted kidnapping.
It would signal the beginning of a shift in the balance of power across the entire Ninja World.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)