The atmosphere at the Tajima Family's dining table was warm and relaxed.
The dishes were simple yet prepared with care, giving off a homey aroma.
Mori Chie carefully placed a piece of tenderly stewed meat into her son's bowl, her eyes filled with tenderness.
Tejima Kazuto happily took out a small sake flask and poured himself a small cup, his face glowing with a red hue, looking quite leisurely.
"Hehe, just thinking about Shinichi graduating as the Top Student tomorrow makes my heart swell with joy!" He took a sip of wine, his tone certain. "There's absolutely no suspense! With my son on the move, which of those brats could be his match?"
Hearing this, Mori Chie gently set down her chopsticks, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness: "Kazuto, don't get too carried away. A Ninja should remain vigilant at all times; the graduation exam is no joking matter."
"Oh, Chie, you're being too cautious!" Tejima Kazuto waved his hand dismissively. "You've seen our Shinichi's strength with your own eyes; he's long since surpassed the level of an ordinary Genin! Never mind a Genin, even an average Chunin..."
His words came to an abrupt halt, as if he had suddenly choked. The smug expression on his face froze for a moment, seemingly recalling some unpleasant memories—like the embarrassing scene where he was buried in the dirt by his own son's Earth Release and had to struggle for a long time to crawl out.
Tejima Kazuto quickly took another sip of wine, cleared his throat to cover up, and then said in an even more certain tone:
"In short! I have a hundred percent confidence in Shinichi! Top Student, no problem at all! In the future, he might even surpass his old man very soon!"
As he spoke, Tejima Kazuto looked at Tejima Shinichi again with a smile, his eyes filled with emotion;
"But speaking of which, Shinichi's talent and Chakra capacity must definitely take after you. If he were like me, just an ordinary Medical Chunin, then it would be quite a problem."
Mori Chie's eyes flashed with a soft light upon hearing this.
"That's for sure." She lifted her chin slightly, a faint pride in her voice. "Back then, I was only one step away from becoming a Jonin."
Tejima Kazuto immediately chimed in:
"Yes, yes, yes, my Lady Mori Chie." He smiled and placed a piece of food in his wife's bowl. "If you hadn't retired, you might already be a member of the Jonin Division by now."
With that, Tejima Kazuto turned and winked at Tejima Shinichi: "So, kid, that Chakra of yours is inherited from your mother's excellent Bloodline!"
Mori Chie shook her head gently, her tone softening: "That's all in the past. It's... quite good as it is now."
Tejima Shinichi ate quietly, listening to the two of them chat about the past, a trace of a smile on his lips.
Tejima Shinichi's Family background was not complicated!
His mother, Mori Chie, was once an outstanding Special Jonin of Konoha.
Relying on her massive Chakra and solid Taijutsu, she had performed many meritorious deeds in missions and was only one step away from being officially promoted to Jonin.
However, one mission completely changed her fate.
Her squad encountered a powerful enemy. Although the mission was ultimately completed, she was heavily injured, and the meridians in her body were severely damaged, making her no longer able to withstand the high-intensity work of a Ninja.
She spent a long recovery period in the Konoha Hospital. When her spirits were low, she met Tejima Kazuto, who was just an ordinary Medical Chunin at the time.
This young man, whose personality was slightly at odds with his steady profession, used his unique optimism and persistent care to gradually dispel the gloom in her heart.
From meeting, to knowing, to falling in love, they eventually formed a Family and gave birth to Tejima Shinichi!
Watching his parents' warm interaction, Tejima Shinichi felt very satisfied living in such a Family.
Then, as if thinking of something, Tejima Shinichi took a mouthful of rice and spoke as if casually:
"By the way, Mom, this Chakra of mine is because of the Senju Bloodline, right?"
"Yes," Mori Chie smiled and added a piece of fish to his bowl: "The Bloodline left by your grandmother gave me a good foundation. When I was on missions back then, many times I pulled through by relying on my Chakra capacity and recovery power."
Tejima Shinichi took another mouthful of rice, his chewing motion not stopping, and the faint smile from before still lingered on his face.
"Yeah," he agreed, "thanks to the Bloodline Grandma left behind, I can have such a massive amount of Chakra, so much so that I've left my peers far behind."
However, beneath Tejima Shinichi's calm exterior, a storm was brewing in his mind.
The Senju Bloodline —this was indeed the source of his massive Chakra, there was no doubt about that.
As a former Special Jonin, Mori Chie's Chakra capacity was already among the best in her rank, which could be seen from her past achievements and Tejima Kazuto's admiration.
But... the tips of Tejima Shinichi's fingers holding the chopsticks tightened imperceptibly for a moment.
The problem was that his Chakra capacity seemed... a bit excessively massive.
Tejima Shinichi looked up slightly, his gaze quickly sweeping over Mori Chie, who was smiling tenderly opposite him.
Based on his perceptions and comparisons during his daily Cultivate sessions, the Chakra contained within his body was by no means as simple as just "inheritance" or "the student surpassing the master."
It was an absolute gap in magnitude. By a rough estimate, it was probably... dozens of times that of his mother, Mori Chie, in her prime.
Dozens of times!!!
This number weighed heavily in his heart.
A Genin who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy, even if exceptionally gifted, could be understood to have Chakra comparable to or even exceeding an average Chunin. But dozens of times that of a Special Jonin... and a Special Jonin with the Senju Bloodline at that...!
If converted into "Ka"... just how much would that be!
This had completely exceeded the scope of what an "excellent Bloodline" could explain.
Such a result was not only unbelievable to his mother, but even Tejima Shinichi himself had been secretly shocked for a long while when he first vaguely sensed the true scale of his own Chakra.
Of course, such figures were not non-existent. Kakashi Hatake once said that if Naruto's Chakra wasn't suppressing the Nine-Tailed's Chakra, he would have a hundred Ka... and that was Uzumaki Naruto just after graduation!
But after all, that guy is Ashura... it's normal for him to have that much...!
If Tejima Shinichi didn't clearly know that the real Ashura Reincarnation, Uzumaki Naruto, was still alive and well right beside him, he would almost suspect that he himself was the existence carrying the power of destiny.
And more importantly, he actually...!
"It really is lucky to have such a Bloodline."
Tejima Shinichi agreed, his eyes shining slightly with curiosity as he calmly continued to probe:
"I heard that the First Hokage Hashirama Senju-sama mastered that legendary Wood Release by relying on the Senju Clan's Bloodline, bringing peace to the chaotic world. Is that why he's revered by the world as the 'God of Shinobi'?"
Hearing this, a look of shared pride appeared on Mori Chie's face, and she nodded in affirmation: "That's for sure. The First Hokage-sama's power is the acknowledged pinnacle of the entire Ninja World. Our Konoha Village was established by his own hands."
Tejima Shinichi followed up with a question, his tone inquisitive: "Then... how is Wood Release awakened? How did the First Hokage-sama master that kind of power?"
Mori Chie shook her head gently: "That's not something we can know. The conditions for Awakening such legendary power must be extremely harsh."
"Then, is it true that in the entire Senju Clan, besides the First Hokage, no one else has ever awakened Wood Release? What about a long time ago?"
This question seemed somewhat unexpected to Mori Chie. She thought back carefully and shook her head again:
"That's not quite right either. I heard my grandmother mention that in the clan's earlier history, there seemed to have been sporadic members who possessed the power of Wood Release, it's just... they were nowhere near as powerful and dazzling as the First Hokage-sama."
"So there were others before..."
Tejima Shinichi muttered to himself.
In that case, the Awakening of Wood Release doesn't have much to do with Ashura's power!?
With confusion, Tejima Shinichi then looked up and stared at Mori Chie with bright eyes:
"Then do you really not know at all how Wood Release is awakened? Could it be that a Genius like the First Hokage awakened it naturally since childhood, without needing any specific conditions? Just like the Hyuga's Byakugan, awakened at birth?"
"How could that be possible!" Mori Chie laughed and dismissed the guess. "As far as I know, the First Hokage-sama also gradually mastered and displayed the power of Wood Release during his growth; it wasn't from birth. How could such a powerful Bloodline Limit be awakened naturally like the Byakugan?"
Tejima Shinichi nodded silently, but his gaze became profound as he repeated in a low voice:
"Oh... so there's no such thing as being born with it, is there!?"
Tejima Kazuto, listening to the conversation between mother and son, chimed in at the right moment with a gentle tone:
"Shinichi, actually, in your mother's and my eyes, you're fine just as you are now."
He set down his wine cup, his expression unusually serious: "As parents, we don't expect you to become how powerful. If you can grow up safe and happy, we'll be very satisfied."
Mori Chie also nodded gently, looking at her son with a tender gaze: "Your father is right. Being able to graduate as the Top Student at your age is already much more excellent than I was back then."
Tejima Shinichi looked at his parents' concerned expressions and gave a soft "Mm" in response.
He lowered his head and continued eating, asking no more.
The atmosphere at the table became relaxed again, as if the discussion about Wood Release just now was merely casual dinner talk... Late at night, Tejima Shinichi lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with his eyes open.
The night grew deeper, but he had no desire to sleep.
The conversation about Wood Release during dinner echoed repeatedly in his mind.
At this moment, on a whim, Tejima Shinichi suddenly sat up, got out of bed, walked to the window, gently closed it, and pulled the curtains tight.
The room instantly fell into isolated darkness and silence.
He sat back down on the edge of the bed and spread his palm.
A faint trace of Chakra, carrying a peculiar vitality, quietly circulated in his palm.
Gradually, a speck of green pierced the darkness!
A delicate sapling slowly emerged, standing upright in his palm.
It was only the size of a finger, yet in this absolute darkness, it emitted an imperceptible vitality.
Tejima Shinichi silently stared at this emerald green in the darkness, which defied logic and common knowledge!
No specific conditions.
No Acquired Cultivate.
Just like that... it awakened naturally.
The terrifying degree of this was no less than when he first arrived in this world!
Recalling Mori Chie's certain tone—
"How could it be awakened naturally like the Byakugan?"
Tejima Shinichi's brow furrowed, the slight sensation of the leaf against his fingertip making it hard for his heart to settle!
"It's not impossible..." he muttered to himself, then let out a light laugh: "...Wood Release can also be awakened naturally!"
This wasn't Genjutsu, nor was it any known release.
This was Wood Release.
True Wood Release.
He slowly closed his palm, and the young sprout vanished into it.
Tejima Shinichi stood up, pulled back the curtain, and looked out at the sleeping Konoha Village in the distance, his gaze deepening.
Since I possess this power... this world seems to be getting interesting.
Staring at the night scene outside the window, a thought clearly surfaced in Tejima Shinichi's mind—
"In that case..." Tejima Shinichi spoke softly to himself, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth: "From now on, if I say I don't eat beef..."
He paused, his voice carrying a hint of arrogance:
"...no one can force me to eat beef!!"
As the words fell, he pulled the curtains closed again and lay back on the bed.
In the darkness, a burst of low laughter suddenly rang out.
"Hehe... hehehe..."
The laughter went from suppressed to unrestrained, echoing in the silent room.
"Hahahaha—"
He finally stopped holding back, letting the laughter vibrate in his chest.
This moment, he had waited for too long... far too long!