Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou [126]

When Tsunade led Shirou, Mikoto, and Kushina into the Senju Clan's private research chamber—her laboratory—both Mikoto and Kushina were visibly shocked.

Before them was an array of shelves filled with countless bottles and jars, as well as numerous intricate instruments they had never seen before.

Although Kushina lived within the Senju Clan, she hadn't studied medical ninjutsu and had no habit of conducting research, so this was her first time entering such a place.

Shirou, however, was different. Due to his past struggles with the Kekkei Genkai disease, he was already a frequent visitor to this laboratory. But this time, upon arrival, he was surprised to see a variety of new research instruments that hadn't been there before.

"Mikoto, lie down. Let me examine your eyes thoroughly."

"Yes!"

Mikoto nodded respectfully and lay down. Under the intense lighting, and following Tsunade's instructions, she activated her Sharingan.

When her Sharingan evolved from the three-tomoe form into the dazzling Mangekyō Sharingan, even though it wasn't Tsunade's first time seeing it, she couldn't help but marvel at its beauty.

As for Kushina, she was even more stunned, her wide eyes glued to the spectacle before her.

Only Shirou remained composed, though he quietly observed everything. The Mangekyō Sharingan's existence had been kept a secret from almost everyone, even from Uzumaki Mito.

But Kushina hadn't been excluded from the loop. Upon entering the laboratory, Tsunade didn't mention the Mangekyō, leaving the decision to Mikoto herself.

Ultimately, Mikoto chose to reveal her Mangekyō Sharingan in front of Kushina. This decision reflected trust—not only in Kushina but also in Tsunade. After all, since Kushina was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, her powers could be countered by the Mangekyō Sharingan. By revealing this to Kushina in advance, it symbolized mutual trust.

"Hmm, this kind of power needs to be used sparingly, especially right after awakening. Special chakra surges in the brain during activation will transform into power, but these secretions require a stabilization period.

At the very least, you must refrain from using this power for six months. Only then will it stabilize. To put it another way, your ocular power needs to settle before you can use it for an extended period…"

As Tsunade provided her professional analysis, Shirou silently nodded in agreement. No wonder, he thought, that in the original series, Sasuke's eyes deteriorated so quickly.

While overuse and excessive strain were contributing factors, the main issue was that Sasuke had immediately begun to rely on his Mangekyō Sharingan after awakening it, recklessly roaming around. In contrast, others with the Mangekyō could use it for a decade or more because they allowed the special energy to solidify, stabilizing their ocular powers. Sasuke had lacked this patience.

"This is a specialized solution I've prepared. It can alleviate the strain caused by the Mangekyō, reducing the toll it takes on your body and minimizing pain. However, as for restoring ocular power… I'm sorry, but this energy is too unique, and further research is needed."

Tsunade gazed at the Mangekyō Sharingan, tempted to delve deeper into its mysteries. However, she had more pressing matters to attend to, so she set aside her curiosity for now.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Mikoto was deeply grateful for Tsunade's help.

After the examination, Tsunade lazily got up and retrieved a massive scroll from the laboratory. With a casual toss, she handed it over.

"Those old fogeys keep saying this is dangerous, that's forbidden… always coming up with excuses. But we, the Senju Clan, don't care about such things. This scroll contains various forbidden techniques. Your abilities are strong enough now, so maybe you can learn something from it."

As the Scroll of Seals unfurled, revealing the names and descriptions of numerous forbidden techniques, the methods to unlock them were hidden behind special seals. Tsunade intended for them to each choose one technique to learn.

"Sister Tsunade, you're the best!" Kushina was the first to shout excitedly. Meanwhile, Mikoto glanced at Shirou, and after receiving his silent approval, she also expressed her gratitude with a smile.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Unlike the others, Shirou remained unusually calm in the face of the tempting forbidden techniques. He understood that forbidden techniques were not just immensely powerful—they were also incredibly difficult to learn and carried significant risks.

Tsunade, noticing his calm demeanor, smirked playfully and teased him. "What's the matter? Not interested? Or do you want to learn Wood Release instead?"

However, when Shirou heard the words "Wood Release," his expression flickered with a momentary hint of panic before he quickly masked it with a smile and waved his hand dismissively.

"Sister Tsunade, don't tease me like that."

But Tsunade caught his fleeting reaction. Her suspicions deepened, and a faint smirk appeared on her lips as she clenched her fist internally.

Good, very good! Uchiha Shirou, you've got some nerve keeping secrets from me!

Suppressing her growing anger, Tsunade maintained a calm and breezy expression. She turned to Kushina and Mikoto and said, "You two take the scroll outside and analyze it carefully. Forbidden techniques involve significant dangers and challenges, so choose wisely. Shirou, stay here. I'll conduct a physical examination on you."

"Yay! Mikoto, let's go! Let's pick a super-powerful combination jutsu so we can be unbeatable together!" Kushina, already entranced by the Scroll of Seals, dragged Mikoto outside excitedly.

For once, Mikoto showed a rare glimmer of ambition. After nearly dying in a previous encounter, she realized she wasn't strong enough—not strong enough to protect Shirou or prevent such tragedies from happening again.

She needed to become the strongest in the ninja world. Only then could she protect him. Only then could she ensure that what happened before would never happen again.

As the two exited, Shirou opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but before he could, a slender leg suddenly pressed against his chest, forcing him back onto the examination chair.

Caught off guard, Shirou found himself in an awkward position. The delicate, fair foot adorned with red nail polish rested near his face, and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Sister Tsunade, what are you doing…?"

"What am I doing…?" Tsunade's face flushed slightly as she smirked mischievously. Still holding her position, she leaned in closer, their faces drawing nearer until he could feel her warm breath against his skin. Her teasing smile deepened as she murmured, "Shirou, it seems you've grown up… keeping secrets from your big sister now, huh?"

Her sultry tone sent Shirou into a panic. "Sister Tsunade, this is a misunderstanding! You've got it all wro—mmph!"

Before he could finish, his eyes widened in shock as Tsunade suddenly moved in, leaving him utterly stunned. The faint scent of her lipstick lingered in the air, and Shirou's mind went completely blank.

But just as his thoughts began to spiral, Tsunade abruptly pulled away, leaving him dazed and yearning for more. However, her next words snapped him back to reality, sending a chill down his spine.

"Shirou, you knew about the Wood Release cells all along, didn't you?"

Her sudden question made Shirou break out in a cold sweat. His Sharingan instinctively activated, the three tomoe spinning rapidly as he realized his body felt strange.

"Sister Tsunade, you… you drugged me!" Shirou's eyes widened in disbelief as his chakra became unresponsive, and even the tomoe in his Sharingan slowly faded.

Tsunade leaned closer, her lips curling into a cold smile as she licked them provocatively.

"Did you think taking my first kiss would come so easily?"

The faint powder on her lips had been laced with a hallucinogenic drug. From her sudden ambush to the drug's effect, it was all part of her plan to catch him off guard during his moment of vulnerability.

And Shirou's physical reaction had already confirmed her suspicions.

As Shirou tried to speak, he realized his body was growing weaker, his chakra completely suppressed. His eyes met Tsunade's, and a sense of dread settled in as he realized he was completely at her mercy.

"Sister Tsunade, you—!"

However, after gently licking the lingering sweetness at the corner of her lips, Tsunade slowly got off him.

"Don't waste your energy. This is a neurotoxin I extracted from Hanzō's poisons and mixed with some of my concoctions. Forget about you—even a summoned beast would collapse after ingesting it."

"Now, are you going to let me properly examine your body, or are you going to obediently confess everything?"

Caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, Shirou broke into a cold sweat. "Sister Tsunade, what is it you want me to confess? I haven't been hiding anything…"

"Wood Release! Or anything you know related to it. Don't even try to deny it. Earlier, when I mentioned the words 'Wood Release' while you were distracted, I saw the panic in your eyes. That confirmed for me that you're still hiding something!"

Tsunade's previous subtle probing, followed by her seductive tactics and drugging, left Shirou speechless and unsure how to explain himself.

At this moment, Shirou's mind was racing. Just as he was about to come up with an excuse to pin the blame on someone else—wait, no, it wasn't even his fault to begin with! He didn't conduct any research! He was just about to explain his findings when Tsunade's expression suddenly became complex. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a test tube.

"This was something I discovered in the Land of Rain. Although no traces were left behind, they underestimated my sensitivity as a medical ninja. More importantly, when I activated the curse mark, I felt something unusual about this substance."

"This white residual blood, even after being washed away by the rain, was something I managed to collect a drop or two of. Upon analysis, I found that while it contains an unknown medium, it contains the Wood Release cells of my grandfather, the First Hokage!"

As she spoke, Tsunade straddled him.

Looking down at him with her bright brown pupils, Tsunade's gaze carried a mix of emotions. As she looked at the silent and burdened Shirou, her heart felt a surge of conflicting feelings.

"Shirou… I'm sorry."

Suddenly, a soft apology echoed through the room. A cool sensation touched his forehead, and Shirou's eyes widened in shock, his mind utterly blank.

What's going on? I just came up with an excuse, and now Tsunade is explaining everything to me.

And those cells… they're clearly from White Zetsu!

As his mind raced, Shirou seemed to grasp something.

The windmill Uchiha Madara wanted to set in motion wasn't something he could do alone. Tsunade was involved too!

Considering Madara's feelings for Hashirama, and the subtle relationship between him and Tsunade, that old schemer behind the scenes, Madara, had set another target.

Good grief! That sly old schemer left clues on purpose!

Staring wide-eyed, Shirou felt as though fate had dropped fortune into his lap. The old saying was right—having an elder at home is like having a treasure.

"Shirou, you don't have to bear everything alone. You have me!"

Hearing Tsunade's apologetic voice, Shirou snapped back to reality, his eyes widening further.

"Sister Tsunade..."

Under the bright white light of the operating room, her golden hair seemed to shimmer as it swayed. Tsunade ran her hands through her long hair, her radiant and dazzling appearance shocking him so much that his face turned pale.

"Shirou, I believe you will one day become the first Uchiha Hokage."

A forehead kiss, a hug, a necklace gift, and the blessing of becoming Hokage—Tsunade had stacked all the buffs on him!

"Sister Tsunade, this necklace belonged to the First Hokage. It's far too precious…"

Seeing the gift, Shirou's face turned pale, and he quickly tried to decline. While he didn't believe in the curse of the necklace, its reputation was undeniably ominous.

Aside from Naruto's protagonist aura, no one had ever escaped unscathed from this buff-laden item.

"What? Are you rejecting a gift I'm giving you?"

Tsunade suddenly shifted from her earlier seductive demeanor, glaring at him. But seeing his pale and sincere expression as he tried to refuse only made her feel more heartache.

It seemed he had grown used to this kind of selfless giving, accustomed to quietly carrying burdens without expecting anything in return.

"No! No…"

In the end, under Shirou's forced smile, the necklace symbolizing Tsunade's buff was placed around his neck.

Although the forehead kiss had turned into a lingering kiss, and the hug had felt a bit… unconventional, he silently vowed that once the war ended in the next two years, he would focus on training in the village.

Even if he couldn't reach the strength to crush everything, he'd at least reach a level where he could threaten Kage-level opponents and retreat safely from their attacks.

"You've grown up, huh?"

Feeling something hard beneath her, Tsunade's eyes flashed with momentary embarrassment. She quickly disguised it with her usual arrogant demeanor, extending her long legs and stepping off of Shirou.

Meanwhile, Shirou, clearly annoyed, said, "Sister Tsunade, how is this my fault? You drugged me and then…"

His exasperated expression only made Tsunade scoff dismissively, but she couldn't ignore the sound of her racing heartbeat.

The two of them had been through so much, but the deep history between the Senju and Uchiha clans, as well as Shirou's current relationship with Mikoto, kept Tsunade from taking another step forward.

She was the princess of the Land of Fire—how could she settle for being someone's second choice?

 If she were to be with someone, it wouldn't involve sharing!

That was her pride.

However, seeing Tsunade's conflicted expression, Shirou grumbled internally. Oh, so you can flirt and not take responsibility, Sister Tsunade? Just wait. You'll take responsibility for this.

No one understands a woman's heart better than me.

"Now, tell me what you know."

Tsunade sat down on a nearby chair, crossing her long legs and casually swinging them.

As Shirou massaged his sore and numb muscles, he instinctively licked the corner of his mouth. Seeing this, Tsunade's face flushed slightly. It seemed she had acted on impulse.

Shirou was the one taking advantage of me!