Chapter 201: Time to Start Cooperating with Senshi...

After Tsunade asked for an update, Shizune reported everything honestly:

"Lady Tsunade, Akimichi Ryuka and the others are awake, and they're recovering insanely fast. They'll be discharged pretty soon."

"As for news about Lord Senshi, I looked into that, too. It turns out he's had an even bigger impact on Konoha than we first thought."

"Oh? Really?" Tsunade perked up. She was getting more curious about this Senshi character.

She poured herself some sake, then gave Shizune a look, signaling her to continue.

Shizune, not missing a beat, went on, "Lord Senshi's influence on Konoha shows up in all sorts of ways. For instance, he granted Sarutobi Konohamaru the ability to use Wood Release."

"What?! (O_O)???"

Tsunade nearly dropped her cup in shock. Wood Release wasn't something you could just give to someone on a whim. Back in the day, the Konoha leadership had tried every possible way to revive her grandfather's Wood Release, at a massive cost. Even then, the results were pretty dismal.

But according to Shizune, Senshi just handed over the Wood Release to Konohamaru as if it were nothing. Naturally, Tsunade was floored.

She quickly asked, "So how good is Konohamaru at using Wood Release now?"

Shizune sounded pretty impressed. "People in the village say that Konohamaru is starting to give off vibes similar to the First Hokage. I even ran into him on a mission the other day, and his Wood Release looks seriously top-tier."

After pausing for a second, Shizune added, "Even that alone is already unbelievable. Lord Senshi's power seems almost impossible."

Tsunade nodded. "He's obviously on another level. Besides granting Konohamaru Wood Release, what else has he done that's made a big splash in Konoha?"

Shizune thought for a moment. "Lord Senshi also gave Guy's team of four—and some other Konoha shinobi—permission to join his mercenary corps. Anyone who signs up gets something called a 'Scratch Card.'"

"A Scratch Card? What's that?"

Tsunade felt like the village had changed drastically behind her back. Plenty of new things had popped up—like these so-called magical Scratch Cards—that she had never even heard of.

Shizune patiently explained what she had learned.

By the time she was done, Tsunade was at a loss for words.

What—instant mastery of a ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu? An immediate boost in total chakra reserves? Was she imagining things?

Right now, with her current chakra levels, Tsunade could only summon at most a tenth of the real Slug Sage. If she had more chakra, she could summon way more. Plus, with bigger reserves, her medical ninjutsu and overall fighting power would jump up noticeably.

But seriously, chakra capacity isn't something you can just crank up overnight. For her, any increase came painfully slow.

Seeing how wild all of this sounded, Shizune added, "It's all true, Lady Tsunade. I actually got it confirmed by Lord Hokage."

Tsunade felt her mind going blank. If Senshi could grant both these abilities, then he was unlike anyone else in the entire shinobi world.

After pausing briefly, Tsunade asked, "So, has Senshi done anything else with major repercussions for Konoha?"

Shizune nodded and gave Tsunade a full rundown of every impressive thing Senshi had done in the village: giving Kakashi new Sharingan eyes, resolving the conflict between Konoha and Orochimaru, rescuing the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki who'd recently been kidnapped—plus an ongoing collaboration with Orochimaru, which explained how Orochimaru's own projects were thriving.

Once Tsunade digested all this, it was obvious that Orochimaru's success was largely because of Senshi's backing. Orochimaru was definitely brilliant, but he wouldn't be this unstoppable without Senshi's help.

After thinking it through for a minute or two, Tsunade decided to do something she figured her ancestors would disapprove of: she was going to sell the Senju clan's ancestral estate and family holdings for cash—she had some serious plans in mind.

Tsunade took a drink from her sake cup, then turned to Shizune and said, "Shizune, help me get ready. I'm putting up the entire Senju estate and ancestral property for sale."

Shizune: (O_O)???

She was stunned. Normally people come back to the village bringing things home, but nope—Lady Tsunade was about to sell the house itself.

Looking distressed, Shizune asked hesitantly, "Lady Tsunade, are you sure? Where will you live once you sell off everything?"

Tsunade grinned confidently. "Don't worry. It's all part of the plan. Once I sell the family estate, I'll have enough to hire Senshi to help cure my fear of blood. Then I can take over as head of Konoha's medical division, get ready to replace the Old Man as Hokage, and also charge Orochimaru taxes!"

"Meanwhile, I'll basically copy Orochimaru's strategy: collaborate with Senshi on medical research, build up funds, and go from there."

Shizune had assumed Tsunade would just head off to gamble everything away, so she was totally shocked that Tsunade was finally channeling her smarts into something productive.

And Tsunade's plan seemed totally workable, based on what Shizune had heard about Senshi. As long as there was enough money, he could accomplish just about anything.

Nodding firmly, Shizune said, "Lady Tsunade, I'm all in. I'll do my best to help you make this happen!"

Tsunade smiled warmly. "Great! I want to get serious, use my skills for the good of the village, and make sure my grandfather can be proud."

…..

Over at the Hokage's Office in the Hokage Building…

Tsunade went straight to Hiruzen Sarutobi and told him she planned to sell off the Senju clan's ancestral property.

In the past, if Tsunade mentioned this, Hiruzen would've been pretty uneasy. Sure, the property belonged to Tsunade, and she could do whatever she liked, but wiping out what little remained of the Senju legacy in Konoha? That was painful, especially for him, as the Second Hokage's student.

Now, though, his plate was overflowing with urgent problems, and Tsunade wasn't doing this to fund a gambling spree. She wanted to fix her fear of blood and step up for Konoha—and possibly succeed him as Hokage.

Hiruzen took a few draws on his pipe, then made his call:

"All right, Tsunade. Here's my suggestion: treat the Senju estate and holdings as collateral, and the Sarutobi clan will give you a mortgage loan."

"If you agree, I can authorize three hundred million ryō."

Tsunade: (O_O)???

She was a bit thrown. "Lord Sarutobi, that's it? The entire Senju estate is only worth three hundred million to you? Don't we have anything closer than plastic ties?"

Sure, three hundred million was a hefty sum, but considering how much you might need to work with someone like Senshi, it felt too small.

Hiruzen coughed. "Tsunade, I've got my own issues. The Sarutobi clan's finances are no joke either. This is all we can spare at the moment."

He didn't say out loud that even a clan as influential as the Sarutobi had limited funds; they, too, planned to keep some money to collaborate with Senshi.

On her end, Tsunade realized she wasn't that disappointed. After all, if she literally sold off the entire place, she might have to buy it back later. A mortgage was actually more sensible.

So she nodded. "That's fine, Lord Sarutobi. When do we sign?"

Hiruzen thought for a second. "Come by the Sarutobi compound tomorrow afternoon, and we'll handle the paperwork."

Tsunade nodded. With that lined up, she'd have her starting capital by the next day.

…

Meanwhile, at Konoha Hospital…

Yamanaka Irei, Nara Shikame, and Akimichi Ryuka were all awake—and recovering impressively fast. Opposite them were three other shinobi: Konoha's strategist Nara Shikaku, the head of the Torture and Interrogation Unit Morino Ibiki, and Mitarashi Anko.

They weren't there to hassle the trio but to ensure they stayed safe and to gather intel.

Shikaku turned to the bedridden trio. "The shinobi who attacked you—were they black-market mercenaries, or ninja from other major villages?"

The young Yamanaka Hailei shook his head. "Hard to say. They had a lot of people and were all really strong."

Shikaku then glanced at the chubby Akimichi Ryuka, who was busy snacking away in an attempt to comfort himself after a near-death experience. Noticing Shikaku's questioning look, he just shrugged: "Shikaku-sama, I honestly don't know. They were too strong for us."

Their answers made Shikaku sigh a bit, so he turned to his own clanswomen, Nara Shikame, who was known to be brighter.

She didn't disappoint. Keeping her cool, she said, "The people who attacked us were basically split into two categories. One group was standard black-market mercenaries—nothing too special. But there was another, much smaller group that was highly skilled, the kind you'd mistake for elite shinobi from the major villages."

"But from my observations, they weren't actually from any of the big hidden villages. They probably belong to some other organization in the shinobi world. As for more details, that's all I have."

That was valuable intel. Shikaku, Ibiki, and Anko all looked thoughtful. The shinobi world is huge, and it's not only the major hidden villages that produce top-tier ninjas. Just look at Amegakure these days, with both the Akatsuki and Senshi's mercenaries. Plus there's that big black-market underworld lurking in the background.

So it wasn't impossible that the trio had encountered some other powerful faction. Unfortunately, they didn't have much to go on, so they'd need further investigation.

After jotting down the details, Shikaku asked, "How are you three feeling now?"

Yamanaka Irei spoke up, voice still heavy with disbelief, "I really didn't think we'd survive. Our injuries were so bad that normal healing jutsu shouldn't have worked. But at this point, I'm feeling almost fully recovered. The only thing is, I'm weirdly terrified of sunlight now."

Akimichi Ryuka nodded. "Me too. I caught a bit of light through the curtain, and it freaked me out."

Hearing this, Anko immediately stepped over to the window and pulled the curtains completely closed. Though Orochimaru had said short exposures wouldn't be lethal, it could still hurt them.

Compared to her two companions, Nara Shikame was thinking more critically. She turned to Shikaku and asked, "Clan Leader, I'm guessing our recovery wasn't accomplished by normal means, right?"

Shikaku met her eyes, looking serious. "Yeah, you three were in critical condition—so bad that not even Lady Tsunade could have saved you, even if she'd been here. In the end, the village had to rely on a technique Lord Orochimaru developed to keep you alive."

"That technique is called 'Blacklight Life Restart.' It gives you enormous benefits—but it also comes with big drawbacks."

Irei and Ryuka had never been the smartest or most observant, so they were only now realizing how complicated their rescue was. Shikame, on the other hand, was quicker on the uptake.

She took a moment to focus on how her body felt, then said, "I can tell my body's changed a lot. So I guess that's where the pros and cons come in, right?"

"Exactly." Shikaku nodded. "Lord Orochimaru says that this technique forced a massive cellular transformation. You can't be exposed to sunlight for long or your cells get damaged. Prolonged exposure could literally kill you."

Shikame and the others understood why their hospital room was basically a dark cave. They were lucky to be alive, but at a steep cost.

Yamanaka Irei's face turned complicated. With such a crippling weakness, his days as an active shinobi might be over. Akimichi Ryuka, meanwhile, just kept eating. As long as he could snack, he felt it couldn't be that bad.

But Shikame was more rational. "Clan Leader, you mentioned we also gained huge benefits. That's what makes it a trade-off, right?"

"Correct." Shikaku answered. "From Orochimaru's research, your entire body is now more capable. Your taijutsu could be as much as four times stronger. You also have an insanely fast healing factor—the same reason you survived. And most importantly, this technique theoretically gives you the potential to reach elite jōnin level."

After he finished speaking, Shikame tested it by using a kunai on her own arm. She and the other two watched in amazement as the wound healed itself within seconds.

Seeing that kind of regeneration, they started feeling a bit more optimistic. If sacrificing daytime mobility meant getting all these advantages, maybe it wasn't so terrible.

Once Shikame finished experimenting, Shikaku handed each of them a technical manual on the Blacklight Life Restart. "This is from Lord Orochimaru. Read up on it to fully understand your new bodies. For the rest of today and tomorrow morning, just rest. Tomorrow night, Lord Hokage and the village higher-ups will run full tests and evaluations on you."

All three nodded, although Iriei and Ryuka weren't too sure why the Hokage wanted that kind of detailed assessment. Kayu, however, immediately grasped the bigger picture: this new technology could save even more lives and create a stronger fighting force for the village. Sure, there was a glaring sunlight weakness now, but if Orochimaru and Kabuto kept researching, they might fix that one day.

…

Time flew by. The day came and went. By the following evening, Tsunade and Shizune had already visited the Sarutobi estate, signed the paperwork, and walked off with the mortgage money.

Then Konoha's "F3" (the Third Hokage plus the two senior advisors) and Tsunade headed to the venue used for the Chūnin Exams, where a bunch of other clan heads—like the Hyūga—also gathered.

Now the sky was growing dark, which meant Shikame and her two teammates could move around without trouble. The Third Hokage showed up, and the three bowed respectfully. "Good evening, Lord Hokage!"

Hiruzen asked, "Are you three ready for a little sparring session with the Anbu? We want to test out your new abilities."

They all agreed without hesitation.

After that, Hiruzen glanced over at Orochimaru, who was standing nearby. "So we're good to just have the Anbu fight them for the test? You're sure this is safe?"

Orochimaru said firmly, "Relax, Sensei. Kabuto and I conducted extensive animal trials first. There won't be any issues."

That settled it. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Anbu sparred with Shikame's team to gauge their power.

Orochimaru and Kabuto stood calmly, watching the fights unfold. They already knew the potential of the Blacklight Life Restart. Besides, they currently had a White Zetsu locked up in the lab, under Senshi's supervision—if it tried anything, it'd just end up dissected.

Meanwhile, the Third Hokage, Tsunade, and the other important figures were in a collective state of "wow."

Even though their condition was limited during daylight, Shikame's team was crazy powerful at night. Sarutobi Hiruzen personally witnessed Akimichi Ryuka break his arm in the middle of a clash with an Anbu, only to have it heal back almost instantly—way faster than normal medical ninjutsu could manage.

And Shikame, who was both intelligent and quick to adapt, was actually dominating the Anbu member she faced. The Nara clan's biggest assets have always been their brains and their shadow-based ninjutsu, but they never had any advantage in raw taijutsu or healing—until now. Shikame had basically leveled up across the board.

Once Orochimaru's tests ended, every high-ranking person in Konoha realized just how much value there was in Blacklight Life Restart. Sure, that sunlight handicap was massive, but if it could be patched up, Konoha's forces would get a serious power boost.

Standing in the crowd, Hyūga Hiashi was feeling pretty conflicted. Orochimaru's constant breakthroughs were chipping away at the long-standing advantages of clans with hereditary abilities like Byakugan.

He eyed Orochimaru, then glanced quietly at his daughter, thinking, During my time as clan head, Orochimaru's research has already put on this much pressure. By the time Hinata's running things, the Hyūga's kekkei genkai might not matter as much.

He paused, then made a mental note: It looks like I need to team up more with Lord Senshi, too.

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— This Fanfic is Completed in Patreon!