Chapter 82: Chakra Mode! Living Together?
Hiruzen Sarutobi truly felt like the sky was falling.
The Fourth Raikage—captured and brought back?
What the hell was going on?!
He rushed out of his office, eyes bloodshot. The Hidden Cloud was not an enemy to take lightly.
Now that the Fourth Raikage had been captured, there was no telling what would happen!
But just as he stormed out, his sharp eyes caught sight of someone—Danzo had arrived as well.
"Hiruzen, have you received the intel?"
Danzo wasted no time and immediately approached.
"The Fourth Raikage has been brought back—he's currently at one of Root's bases outside Konoha!"
"..."
Hiruzen rubbed his temples, too tired to even argue over Danzo's refusal to call him Hokage.
But he did catch an important piece of information—Root's base.
"You're saying… the Fourth Raikage is in your territory?"
"Yes. According to reports, Tsunade is there as well."
Danzo nodded. In truth, when he first received the news, his instinct was to go there immediately.
Ever since Haruta awakened Wood Release, he hadn't met with the boy for some time. He had been eager to assess his potential.
However, the severity of this situation exceeded his expectations. More importantly, Tsunade was also present, which meant he wouldn't gain anything by going alone.
That woman wouldn't show him any respect.
So, instead of making a wasted trip, he decided to bring Hiruzen along.
"Lead the way. We need to get there immediately."
Hiruzen nodded and swiftly left the office.
As he moved, the surrounding ANBU agents also mobilized—the Hokage himself was heading out, and they had to follow.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the base.
Upon seeing the Fourth Raikage standing there with his massive, muscular frame and an ice-cold expression, Hiruzen felt his heartbeat slow for a moment.
It's really him.
Damn it, you should've just killed him and destroyed the evidence—it would've caused less trouble!
At this moment, Hiruzen felt like he had aged a few more years. But forcing himself to stay composed, he stepped forward.
"Lord Fourth Raikage, what an unexpected honor. I never imagined you would visit Konoha as a guest."
"Guest, huh? Yeah, a guest—one that was dragged here by force."
The Fourth Raikage's face was full of resentment. He glared at Hiruzen before casting a glance at Danzo, who remained silent.
"You Konoha folks sure are hospitable—more than I expected."
"Hokage-sama, Lord Danzo, you've arrived."
At that moment, Haruta walked out from behind them, nodding slightly in respect before turning to the Fourth Raikage with a playful smirk.
"Sigh, weren't you the one who willingly came along? So we could treat your subordinates, right?"
"Hmph!"
The Fourth Raikage refused to respond, instead glaring at Haruta.
"What's going on inside? How are they?"
"Well, I just stepped out. Why don't you go ask Lady Tsunade yourself?"
Haruta spread his hands.
"Sorry, I don't know medical ninjutsu. If you have any concerns, go see for yourself."
The Fourth Raikage clenched his fists but, considering his situation, decided not to argue. Instead, he turned and walked inside.
Watching his retreating figure, Hiruzen massaged his temples before calling Shisui and Yugao over.
"Explain. What happened? And how exactly did you capture the Fourth Raikage?"
His head was filled with confusion. He needed to understand how things had escalated to this point.
"Hokage-sama, here's what happened…"
Shisui glanced around and noticed Haruta had taken a step back, leaving him in the spotlight. Yugao followed Haruta's lead, subtly 'pushing' Shisui forward.
He felt a bit helpless and amused—these two only remembered he was the captain when it was time to report?
Resigned, he began detailing everything that had transpired.
As he spoke, Hiruzen and Danzo's eyes gradually widened.
By the time they heard that the Fourth Raikage had sought out Tsunade to save his men, they cursed their luck—Why did they have to get caught up in something like this?
And when they heard how Haruta had used the Wood Dragon in combination with Flying Thunder God to launch relentless attacks, their expressions grew even more astonished.
Haruta could already use the Wood Dragon?!
That was a jutsu second only to Wood Golem and Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!
And this kid had only just received the Wood Release scroll…?
At that moment, they realized—Haruta's talent was monstrous.
When they heard how the three of them had worked together to capture the Fourth Raikage and devised a plan that left him speechless while keeping the Hidden Cloud from acting rashly, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Especially Hiruzen—his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled.
Indeed, given the way Haruta handled things, the likelihood of the Fourth Raikage or the Hidden Cloud making a move was very low.
"You little rascal…"
Hiruzen rubbed his chest, feeling a mix of emotions.
Haruta's talent and strength brought him joy—such a genius would undoubtedly lead Konoha to greater heights.
And it wasn't just his combat ability—his strategic thinking and methods were equally impressive!
But the only thing that left Hiruzen feeling somewhat helpless was…
"Haruta, from now on, could your primary mission focus be capturing Uchiha Obito? How about that?"
Hiruzen sighed with a weary smile.
This squad always brought surprises, and every member was exceptional.
Even Yugao, though not a frontline fighter, was registered with the Medical Corps and had strong support abilities.
But if they kept running wild like this, Hiruzen feared that one day they would bring him a shock so big that it would give him a heart attack.
Like today.
"Uh… understood."
Haruta glanced at Shisui in confusion, wondering why the old man wasn't directing this at their captain.
Still, he nodded obediently—agreeing first was always the safe bet.
And once they were out on a mission, well… orders from afar don't always have to be followed, right?
"Alright, you're dismissed. Go rest."
Hiruzen rubbed his temples and sighed.
"You performed well on this mission—exceptionally well. I'll make sure you're rewarded when you return."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Haruta, Shisui, and Yugao nodded.
As they left, Hiruzen turned to Danzo, who looked eager to speak.
"Danzo, let's go meet with the Fourth Raikage. There are things we need to discuss with him."
"Hmph, I understand."
Danzo's expression stiffened.
He had wanted to talk to Haruta, but now he had no chance. That irritated him.
But in the end, he nodded without protest. Meeting the Fourth Raikage wasn't a bad idea.
At the very least, it would serve as groundwork for his future ambitions to become Hokage.
"Finally, it's over…"
As Yugao watched the Third Hokage and Danzo leave, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
This mission might not have been as thrilling as the one in Sunagakure, but it was exciting enough.
"Hmm."
Shisui nodded in agreement, rubbing his chin.
"I wonder what the reward will be. Though honestly, I don't think I need much at this point."
"A reward is a good thing, who cares what it is? The village has plenty of valuable stuff."
Haruta chuckled from the side, his gaze once again shifting to his system panel.
For him, the village's rewards didn't hold much significance—at most, they could expand his jutsu repertoire.
But aside from Konoha's rewards, there was also the system's reward, and that was what truly mattered!
[Side Mission Completed: Find Tsunade]
[Mission Rating: SS]
[Rewards: 10 Free Points]
[Due to far exceeding expectations and capturing the Fourth Raikage, additional special reward obtained]
[Reward: Lightning Release Chakra Mode—Experience & Insight]
Seeing those 10 free points, Haruta instantly felt a wave of satisfaction. Free points were his favorite!
Only with enough free points could he become a "superhuman" and continue advancing toward his goal of surpassing Asura.
As for the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Haruta found himself scratching his head.
It wasn't that he didn't appreciate it—he knew very well how powerful this technique was.
"But why is it just an 'experience and insight' reward?"
Lightning Release Chakra Mode's strength was heavily tied to the user's physical condition.
The stronger the body, the more intense the activation of cells through lightning chakra, resulting in greater power and effectiveness.
As someone who was a "stats monster" and had already maxed his Physical Strength to LV10, Haruta was certain he could handle even more power.
Yet instead of granting him the technique outright, the system only gave him insight—and his Lightning Release affinity wasn't even developed yet.
That made things a bit awkward.
If he had received the actual technique, he could have both acquired Lightning Release and used its power right away. Wouldn't that have been much better?
"But… maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all?"
Haruta blinked, suddenly realizing something.
Even if he had obtained the technique, he would have started at LV1 and needed to invest points to level it up, which was both time-consuming and costly.
Now that he had the formula for this technique, could he perhaps use it as a reference to develop a similar mode using other chakra natures?
Chakra Modes were undoubtedly among the most powerful abilities in the ninja world, second only to special dojutsu.
Sage Mode, for example, could be considered a "Natural Chakra Mode."
Then there was the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Yang Release Chakra Mode, and—
"Tenseigan Chakra Mode!"
Yang Release Chakra Mode was essentially Naruto's Six Paths Sage Mode, but since Naruto didn't actually possess the Six Paths power—lacking Yin Release, which had been given to Sasuke—Haruta preferred to call it Yang Release Chakra Mode.
Coincidentally, Haruta also had Yang Release, which he could control.
"The mode Naruto used was a fusion of Nine-Tails Chakra, Yang Release, and Sage Chakra. I don't have the Nine-Tails, but I do have Dragon Vein energy, Yang Release, and the Cursed Seal…"
Haruta's eyes gleamed.
He had been wondering how to make better use of the Dragon Vein's power, and now, he suddenly realized he had a perfect solution!
Whether or not he could fully "DIY" a new chakra mode was uncertain, but with a formula as a reference, he could at least attempt to develop his own variation.
"Besides, I also have Yin Release and the Yin-Yang Release formula from Obito. Maybe in the future, I can try even more combinations…"
Accumulating experience was essential.
With that in mind, Haruta immediately knew what to do next.
"System, increase Cursed Seal and Yin Release levels."
[Cursed Seal upgraded to LV6]
[Yin Release upgraded to LV5]
[Remaining Free Points: 1]
With both Cursed Seal and Yang Release at LV6, their synergy was stable, so there was no risk of complications. Upgrading Yin Release also enhanced his jutsu power and prepared him for future advancements.
Feeling the changes within himself, Haruta nodded in satisfaction.
Truthfully, he had considered putting points into his Physical Strength, but since he had just reached LV10, he hadn't fully adapted yet.
For now, strengthening his offensive abilities was a more practical choice.
Satisfied, he thought about setting aside some time to properly experience Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"Haruta, what's up?"
As he was lost in thought, Yugao curiously leaned in.
"You seem really happy about something."
"Of course I'm happy. We're finally heading back to Konoha."
Haruta blinked and smiled.
But then, a thought crossed his mind.
Now that Tsunade was back, he would likely be spending a lot of time training under her.
At the same time, he was still curious whether a certain Uchiha was buried beneath Konoha.
That meant he would often be near Tsunade—learning from her while also keeping an eye on a certain bouncing, swaying white figure.
And Yugao was already registered with the Medical Corps.
As a medical ninja, who better to learn from than Tsunade herself?
"Wait… this is actually a great idea!"
No medical ninja could resist the temptation of learning from Tsunade.
With that in mind, Haruta suddenly smiled and asked—
"Hey, would you be interested in studying under Lady Tsunade?"
"Huh?"
Yugao was caught off guard.
She hadn't expected to hear something like this.
After a brief hesitation, she asked curiously—
"Would that… really be possible?"
"You won't know unless you try."
Haruta gently held her hand and whispered.
At the same time, he thought to himself—What if Tsunade refuses?
After some consideration, he figured he could convert his mission rewards into cash.
After all, Tsunade had a ridiculous amount of debt…
---
"Tsunade, how's he doing?"
Meanwhile, as Haruta was contemplating how to bribe Tsunade, she had finished tending to the injured.
But Hiruzen couldn't help but ask.
This entire ordeal had given him a massive headache.
"It's complicated. I need more supplies. I'll give you a list—only then can I completely fix him up."
For once, Tsunade wasn't slacking—she was taking this case seriously.
"'Ninja Hunter' Group are hunter-nin. Their techniques aren't weak, and some injuries are indeed tricky to handle."
"As long as he recovers, that's all that matters. Let's get them out of here as soon as possible."
Hiruzen nodded. He was getting anxious.
This situation was already messy enough—if he didn't handle it carefully, it could spiral out of control.
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something."
Tsunade glanced at her teacher, then at the Fourth Raikage, who was checking on his men in the distance.
Lowering her voice, she asked—
"Haruta… that kid—what's his deal?"
"I knew you'd ask that."
Hiruzen wasn't surprised at all.
As a member of the Senju Clan, Tsunade had to be curious about Haruta.
Especially since he had awakened Wood Release.
It was only natural that he drew attention.
"I've looked through the records carefully. Haruta is an orphan—his parents were Konoha ninjas who died in the war. He grew up in the orphanage."
"An orphan?"
Tsunade frowned.
"What about details on his parents?"
"Unfortunately, we couldn't find much."
Hiruzen sighed.
"Danzo and I searched the archives, but… after the First Hokage passed away, the ninja world was engulfed in war.
Back then, our focus was on battle, so…"
"I get it."
Tsunade nodded.
It was unfortunate, but she had lived through that era—she knew her teacher wasn't lying.
Many records were incomplete or lost.
But at least one thing was certain—Haruta was a true child of Konoha.
"But what about after that? I remember my grandfather conducted some experiments."
"Haruta is not an experiment."
This time, it was Danzo who spoke, his face as cold as ever.
"I was involved in that experiment. Only one subject survived—every other test subject died.
Haruta was someone I personally selected from the orphanage. Before joining Root, he wasn't even a ninja."
"Hmph. No wonder that kid has some extremely ruthless ideas—it's because of you."
Tsunade snorted coldly.
She hadn't forgotten how Haruta had casually suggested trapping an entire town with Wood Release and having Shisui burn it to the ground.
That kind of thinking was exactly the sort of thing Danzo would instill in someone.
But at the same time, she couldn't completely blame him.
If Danzo hadn't taken Haruta out of the orphanage, the Senju's Wood Release might have been lost forever.
Even if… her grandfather had been the only Senju to ever awaken it.
Now, however, she was certain—Haruta had awakened Wood Release naturally and was a true child of Konoha.
During the battle with the Fourth Raikage, she had sensed it—his Wood Release carried the aura of life.
It was unmistakably similar to her grandfather's.
She wouldn't be wrong about something like that.
"But Tsunade, aside from Haruta, there's another problem you should know about."
Hiruzen spoke up, trying to shift the conversation before Tsunade and Danzo clashed again.
"There's another enemy… someone else who possesses Wood Release.
And it was because of him that Haruta awakened his own Wood Release."
"Oh?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
Then, as if remembering something, her expression changed.
"Don't tell me… it's Uchiha Obito.
I recall his bounty being extremely high. You even updated his wanted poster, didn't you?"
At first, Uchiha Obito's wanted poster had been based on an aged-up version of his childhood face since they had no recent photos of him.
Just slapping a mask and black cloak on a generic figure wouldn't have worked—anyone could have falsely claimed the bounty.
Back then, they had no idea what his adult face looked like, so they had to make an educated guess.
But now, they had seen him in person.
His current appearance wasn't too far from the original prediction—only his half-scarred face needed to be updated.
So Konoha had immediately released a new wanted poster and even increased the bounty.
Tsunade had noticed.
Aside from the fact that Obito was a major threat to Konoha…
The bounty was very attractive.
"That's right. It's him."
Hiruzen nodded, his expression darkening.
"He was the one responsible for the death of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.
The mastermind behind the Nine-Tails attack.
And on top of that… he possesses both the Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release."
He briefly summarized Obito's situation before continuing.
"When he tried to attack Uchiha Shisui again, Haruta sensed it. Since Haruta had control over the Flying Thunder God mark on him, he was able to track him down.
That's when he used Wood Release. At that time, Haruta had been feeling something strange with his chakra for a while, and that battle ended up triggering his own Wood Release awakening!"
"Wood Release… and the Mangekyō Sharingan…"
Tsunade's face darkened at the implications. A clear-cut Uchiha wielding Wood Release—there was no need to guess how that had happened.
"I see. So where is Haruta staying now?"
"He has his own residence, but currently, he's training in the ANBU."
Hiruzen thought for a moment before answering, but Tsunade didn't look pleased.
"The Senju Clan doesn't have houses anymore? Just let him live in the clan's estate. And what's he even learning in the ANBU?"
…
Hiruzen felt a headache coming on. Didn't the kid awaken Wood Release while training in the ANBU?
But before he could respond, Tsunade waved her hand dismissively.
"Old man, you just focus on preparing the medical supplies. That guy won't die.
As for Haruta, I'm taking him with me.
He'll learn far more in the Senju Clan's ancestral home."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving behind a helpless Hiruzen and an annoyed Danzo.
Not that she cared.
When she stepped outside, she spotted Haruta holding Yugao's hand, chatting casually with Shisui.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"I'm in there working my ass off, and you guys are out here having a good time?"
Annoyed, she marched over and grabbed Haruta by the back of his collar, then looked at Yugao and Shisui.
"You three, come with me."
"Huh?"
Haruta looked completely lost, while Shisui and Yugao were just as confused.
"I'm moving back in, and the house needs cleaning. You're going to help."
Tsunade's tone left no room for argument. Then, her eyes fell on Haruta.
"And you—get your things together. You're moving in with me."
"???"
Haruta was completely baffled.
Wait… what?!
Sure, he had some thoughts, but moving in together?
Isn't this happening a bit too fast?!
** From a few chapters more every chapter is 5-6K words long. Currently this fic has upto 127 chapter.
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[email protected]/NahinS77***