Hiruzen, who had been watching from the side, suddenly widened his eyes. He patted Tsunade's shoulder excitedly and said:
"Quick, look at Nawaki's shoulder!"
Tsunade, who cared more about her brother's condition than anyone, had already noticed. Her eyes locked on the change:
The small sapling that had sprouted from Nawaki's shoulder was slowly shrinking, and finally retracted completely back into his body, vanishing without a trace.
The shoulder, which had been a bloody mess from the sapling breaking through the skin, was now healing at a visible rate.
Tsunade's breathing quickened. This… this means… the fusion succeeded!
Hiruzen, witnessing this medical miracle, was struck dumb. Nawaki's body had been breaking down moments ago, yet now, under the infusion of Yin chakra, he was actually recovering.
As Hoshiyomi pulled out Mikazuki Munechika, exhaustion written across his face, Tsunade could no longer contain her joy. She leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly, tears of relief streaming down her face.
Hoshiyomi, drained from pouring out so much chakra, had been feeling weak and weary. But with a warm, fragrant Tsunade pressing against him, all that fatigue was instantly swept away.
Worth it~
Meanwhile, Nawaki, still unconscious, felt as though he were trapped in an endless dream.
At first, he was running—fleeing from a terrifying monster. No matter how far he ran, it caught up with him. Just as he thought he was doomed, a towering figure appeared and saved him.
He couldn't see the man's face clearly. Maybe it was his grandfather, whom he had never met… maybe it was his brother-like Hoshiyomi. He couldn't be sure. All he knew was that once rescued, he felt as though he had become light itself, his entire body basked in warmth—comfort like a cat dozing lazily in the sun.
Until a familiar voice rang in his ears:
"Hey, hey—wake up already, you're about to drool."
Nawaki blinked his eyes open, groggy, and saw his big sister and Brother Hoshiyomi gazing down at him. Relief and excitement washed over him. He pushed himself up:
"Brother Hoshiyomi! Sis! You're back! Huh—old man, you're here too?"
Hoshiyomi, still savoring Nawaki's earlier "half-asleep silly face," couldn't help thinking regretfully that it was a shame cameras didn't exist yet. If they did, he'd have snapped a hundred shots on the spot.
He even thought up the title already: "Super Spray Blood: The Senju Clan Heir's Top Secret Moment."
If that didn't go viral, he swore he'd eat the camera whole.
Then Nawaki suddenly remembered what had happened in Root's base. His face darkened as he shouted:
"Right! Old man, Brother Hoshiyomi—I have something really important to report!
Danzō—that bastard—he secretly stole Grandfather's cells for experiments!
He wanted to create Wood Release shinobi by implanting them!"
Nawaki's voice shook with fury, his teeth clenched. His chakra flared uncontrollably.
As it burst forth, his hands suddenly changed—turning into vines that lashed against the ground, gouging a deep crack in the floor.
"Eh?"
Nawaki froze. He looked up at Hoshiyomi and the others, hoping they would confirm whether or not he had just hallucinated.
But Tsunade and Hiruzen were staring at him, wide-eyed in utter shock. Only Hoshiyomi wore a half-smile, half-smirk expression.
Nawaki's voice trembled as he asked hesitantly:
"Brother Hoshiyomi… I didn't imagine that, did I? That was just now… Wood Release?"
Before Hoshiyomi could answer, Hiruzen, brimming with excitement, spoke up:
"No mistake—absolutely no mistake! This is Wood Release. I once saw Lord First use it with my own eyes. It looks a little different, but there's no doubt about it—this is genuine Wood Release!"
Nawaki stared dumbfounded at his own hands, trying hard to piece together what he had gone through:
"But… wait, I remember that young guy caught me and injected me with Grandfather's cells, and then… did I actually succeed?"
Tsunade pulled him closer, tending to the wounds on his hands while explaining everything that had happened.
When he heard about Tsunade and Hoshiyomi's actions, Nawaki couldn't hide his excitement. He asked eagerly:
"So, Brother Hoshiyomi… what about that old bastard Danzō? Did you kill him?"
At those words, the smile on Hiruzen's face slowly faded, and his gaze shifted toward Hoshiyomi.
Hoshiyomi didn't intend to hide anything from him. He said directly:
"We chased each other all the way to the village gates. In the end, Danzō overused his chakra, which caused the Hashirama cells to run wild. He turned into a crooked-neck tree at the entrance of the village."
Nawaki and Hiruzen reacted in completely opposite ways. Nawaki was so thrilled he jumped around, while Hiruzen furrowed his brows deeply.
Although he had declared earlier that his bond with Danzō was cut off, over forty years of brotherhood was not something that could truly be cut off with just a few words. Deep down, he knew the wrongs Danzō had committed made it impossible for Konoha to tolerate him any longer, and he had guessed his old friend might already be dead.
But hearing the truth spoken aloud still filled his heart with sorrow. His gaze grew distant, as if he were reliving those youthful days when he and Danzō stood atop the Hokage Rock, overlooking Konoha with unshakable resolve.
Yet Nawaki's harsh words—wishing for Danzō's death—pulled him back to reality. Hiruzen's frown deepened, and after a long silence, he let out a heavy sigh:
"In the end, it's my fault. If I hadn't given him so much power, maybe he would have remained that man who lived in the shadows yet still longed for the light.
I failed in my duty as an old friend. I only saw him as someone who could solve my troubles, and I ignored the fact that he was being consumed by darkness."
Hoshiyomi and Tsunade both felt disdain at his words, but neither of them wanted to rub salt in the wounds of an old man who had always treated them well. Instead, they comforted him:
"Old man, you don't have to blame yourself. In the end, it was Danzō's own weakness of will that led him down that path. His mistakes aren't yours to bear."
"And it's good that the truth came to light early. If Danzō had continued hiding in such a high position, Konoha would have suffered far worse. Better to mend the pen after the sheep are lost—it's not too late."
Hearing their words, Hiruzen sat in silence for a while, wiping away the corner of his eyes before forcing a faint smile:
"Let's not dwell on him any longer. Nawaki, though you were forcibly injected with the First Hokage's cells, in a way it was a blessing in disguise—you've awakened Wood Release.
It's late now, and everyone's been busy all day without rest. Go home and get some proper sleep. Over the next few days, keep an eye on Nawaki's condition, see if the cells cause any backlash. Once his body stabilizes, come to the Hokage's office.
There are matters that need to be settled in advance."