Chapter 181: Strong Trunk, Weak Branches

Hearing Tsunade's words, Mizuki immediately sensed something bad was coming. His injuries hadn't even healed yet, and she was already eyeing him for more work. After running missions nonstop, culminating in a heroic injury, he hadn't even been given a proper break. It was more than a little frustrating.

"Umm..." Mizuki said with a long face. "I'd like to request some time off..."

"No," Tsunade interrupted before he could finish.

"Wait, let me explain. I have a reason."

"I don't care what the reason is. Look at the other ninja—aren't they all working hard too?"

"I'm getting married. Doesn't that count?" Mizuki said, flashing an awkward smile in the face of Tsunade's iron will.

"Huh?" Tsunade blinked, taken aback. "Getting married?"

She rubbed her forehead, sighing. "It's not really a good time for a vacation, especially for a jōnin... but I'm not heartless. Something festive like this might lift the gloomy mood hanging over the village. Fine, how long do you want?"

"A month... would that be okay?" Mizuki asked cautiously.

"No way. Don't even dream about it," Tsunade immediately shut that down.

"Half a month then? That's the bare minimum."

"Still too long. One week, max." She slashed his request in half without hesitation.

"One week is too short! At least ten days?"

"Nope. One week. Take it or leave it."

Still trying to bargain, Mizuki watched as Tsunade shot down all his hopes without mercy.

"Fine... one week it is. I guess I'll make it work."

"Then come see me right after. I've got plenty of messes that need your skills."

"Wait, shouldn't my recovery count as part of it? I'm injured. Shouldn't my leave start after I'm fully healed?"

"Why bring it up now, then? If you're still recovering, that'll take three or four days. Basically, you want ten days off."

Tsunade rubbed her temples, clearly exasperated.

"Isn't that a valid reason? You can't send an injured man on missions, right?"

"Fine. Ten days, but that's it," she relented. "And no excuses after that."

"Deal. I'm known for keeping my word," Mizuki said confidently, patting his chest.

"Then it's settled."

Tsunade handed him a scroll, her expression serious. "This is the Uzumaki Clan legacy I mentioned. Study it carefully."

Mizuki took the scroll, brushing his hand over the unknown material of its cover before opening it. When he saw the name on the first page, even though he'd mentally prepared himself, his heart still skipped a beat.

He closed it, took a deep breath, and said, "This is... far too precious."

Tsunade shook her head. "It's been sitting in the village for years. Since Kushina Uzumaki's death, no one's been able to understand it."

She sighed, her expression distant as if remembering something painful.

After a moment of silence, she continued, "The only surviving Uzumaki we know of—Naruto—clearly isn't the type to understand any of this. Most of the sealing techniques used in the village have been passed down from long ago. Since the Fourth Hokage died, no one has really developed them further. You're the first in over a decade to make significant progress. So yes, it's appropriate to give it to you."

"Alright. Then I'll accept it," Mizuki nodded. Clearly, Tsunade had thought this through. Besides, he needed this legacy to expand his knowledge. Relying only on his own research was too slow.

"Good. Study it well—it might help with your condition."

"I'll try. From what I've seen so far, though, it seems a bit... off track from solving my life force problem."

"That's exactly why I said you're not a proper medical ninja. Even a rookie who doesn't know how to use a chakra scalpel might have more imagination than you."

Tsunade's disapproval was clear.

Though slightly annoyed, Mizuki had to admit she wasn't wrong. He may have looked down on most medical-nin for their lack of power or skill, but the truth was, he himself was still an outsider in the field.

Seeing his silence, Tsunade added, "This jutsu in the scroll—you might not have seen it before, but you've probably heard of it."

"I have," Mizuki nodded. "For someone interested in sealing techniques, especially ones powerful enough to restrain a Tailed Beast, I've long wanted to study it firsthand."

"Adamantine Sealing Chains. It has a bit of fame, sure. But after the Uzumaki clan was wiped out, it stopped circulating."

"I figured. But techniques like this, based on the Uzumaki clan's massive life force and unique constitution, aren't something an ordinary person can handle, right?"

"You haven't even studied it yet and you're already drawing sharp conclusions. That's why I said you're the right person to inherit it."

Tsunade praised, then elaborated, "You're right. The Adamantine Sealing Chains use burst chakra to generate sealing chains that bind enemies—even Tailed Beasts. Most powerful seals require multiple users and have a lot of restrictions. This one can be used solo—very rare."

"That sounds too good to be true."

"Of course there's a price. A human's chakra alone can't restrain something with chakra that's both greater in quality and quantity, like a Tailed Beast. It sounds impossible, right?"

"When you put it that way, yes."

"I don't know the exact mechanics, but as a clan-specific secret art, it's almost certainly built around the Uzumaki's insane life force."

Mizuki nodded—he agreed completely. Just like how the Hyuga Clan's techniques all revolved around the Byakugan, the Adamantine Chains were born from the Uzumaki bloodline.

Now he understood: the technique wasn't something he could copy wholesale. Without the right body, it would only harm him. But within it lay valuable insights—nuggets of truth he could extract and repurpose.

That would be the key.

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