Tsunade took the scroll from Uchiha Hikaru, her brow lifting slightly as a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes.
She gently unrolled the scroll, revealing line upon line of densely packed text.
Looking up at Uchiha Hikaru, she asked with curiosity flickering in her gaze:
"This is…? It looks really high-level."
Her eyes sparkled with interest, clearly intrigued by the mysterious scroll.
This was, after all, the very first gift Uchiha Hikaru had officially given her—it must be something special.
She couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness, like opening a treasure chest without knowing what's inside.
Uchiha Hikaru noticed her expression and couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
The corner of his lips lifted into a mysterious smile.
"It's a training scroll for Wood Style. Well? Satisfied?"
There was a glint of anticipation in his eyes, as if he were eagerly awaiting her reaction.
Upon hearing that it was a Wood Style training scroll, Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief. She stared at him as if he'd just said something outrageous.
Her reaction made Uchiha Hikaru nod in satisfaction—this was exactly the kind of face he wanted to see.
Of course, he completely understood why she was reacting so strongly.
In the shinobi world, it was widely believed that Wood Style was a Kekkei Genkai—a bloodline limit.
This kind of unique ability was usually passed down genetically.
To most people, mastering Wood Style was nothing more than a distant dream.
But this scroll—this scroll challenged that belief.
It carried with it a possibility: that even those without the bloodline might be able to wield Wood Style.
No wonder Tsunade looked so stunned. It was as if someone had thrown open the gates to a whole new world.
Without warning, Tsunade grabbed Uchiha Hikaru's hand and took off running toward the Senju compound.
Her heart pounded with anticipation and excitement.
She might not be able to understand everything on the scroll just yet, but she knew that once she got home and showed it to Mito Uzumaki, the answers would come.
Tsunade's grip was tight—so tight it felt like she might crush his hand.
Nonō Yakushi stood behind them, watching the pair run off hand-in-hand, a faint trace of envy blooming in her heart.
She, too, wanted a gift from Uchiha Hikaru.
But after hesitating for a long time, she still couldn't bring herself to ask.
She was an orphan, still living under someone else's roof.
Even though Mito Uzumaki and everyone in the household treated her warmly, her past as an orphan had made her too mature, too restrained.
And so, she quietly tucked the thought away.
Before long, Tsunade had dragged him all the way to their destination—straight to Mito Uzumaki.
At that moment, Mito Uzumaki was lying lazily on a long bench, basking in the warm sunlight.
A satisfied, peaceful expression rested on her face, as if all the world's troubles had melted away.
The one who used to always be by her side before she became Hokage—Chinatsu—wasn't there this time.
No doubt she'd gone off to help with official business again.
Tsunade tugged Hikaru forward quickly, her voice eager:
"Grandma Mito, look! This is a gift from Uchiha Hikaru!"
There was excitement and hope in her voice, enough to make Mito Uzumaki open her eyes with interest.
"It's a Wood Style training scroll!"
As soon as Tsunade said that, Mito Uzumaki sat upright.
She took the scroll from her and began examining it carefully.
Uchiha Hikaru stood quietly off to the side, not interrupting.
He understood the scroll's value. He also knew what it symbolized.
While the scroll did provide a method for training in Wood Style, its principles weren't all that different from other elemental techniques.
The power of any jutsu depended entirely on the person using it.
After all, Senju Hashirama used Wood Style to bring peace to a warring world—while Yamato mostly used it for building infrastructure.
The difference wasn't the jutsu. It was the shinobi.
Tsunade, as the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, carried the blood of both the Senju and Uzumaki clans. Her natural talent was undeniable.
One day, she would reach the level of Kage—that alone said enough about her potential.
With this Wood Style scroll… and the Bloodline Pill Hikaru had prepared, perhaps Tsunade really could bring back the glory of Hashirama Senju.
But other people? Without those natural advantages, they'd be lucky to reach Yamato's level.
And even Yamato's situation had been unique—he'd been injected with Hashirama's cells and had somehow survived.
That alone set him apart from the rest.
Only those born with three chakra natures had any real shot at using the scroll.
Everyone else would first need to train three separate elemental affinities—an endeavor that could take years.
In the end, they'd find that effort might be better spent mastering just one nature.
Even most Jōnin didn't unlock their second nature until after years of training.
For those without talent, trying to walk this path might mean never learning anything before they die.
Uchiha Hikaru was sure Mito Uzumaki would understand that much.
Sure enough, after reading the scroll, she furrowed her brows, lost in thought.
Then she gave Hikaru a strange look.
To write such a detailed guide on Wood Style training… the author must have already mastered it.
And Hikaru had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Until now, she'd assumed that Hikaru might one day rival Madara Uchiha at best—but now both Wood Style and the Mangekyō Sharingan were concentrated in a single person.
A vivid image flashed in Mito Uzumaki's mind, and her expression grew even weirder.
In her mind, she saw a Susanoo-wrapped True Several Thousand Hands technique, with Uchiha Hikaru standing on top of a massive Buddha's head, laughing maniacally as he tore through the battlefield.
Uchiha Hikaru, of course, had no idea what she was imagining.
He just thought her stare was getting a little too strange for comfort.
Feeling like Mito Uzumaki might be thinking of something she probably shouldn't, he decided to speak up and snap her out of it.
With a smile, he said:
"Grandma Mito, that scroll is Tsunade's New Year gift from me. What do you think? Not bad, right?"
His voice was full of confidence and pride, clearly satisfied with his present.
And it worked—Mito Uzumaki's mental image of Hikaru laughing like a madman started to fade.
But seeing his face in real life just made her want to laugh again.
The version of him cackling in her mind had been a little too unhinged.
Still, as a woman, the moment she heard the word "gift," her brain kicked into overdrive—+100 IQ instantly.
Seeing the gleam in her eyes, Hikaru suddenly felt a sense of impending doom.
Before he could say anything else, Mito Uzumaki spoke up:
"Little Hikaru, so… where's my gift?"