Second Talent.(EDITED)

This morning felt different.

After I got up, freshened up, and had breakfast, I found Tsunade already waiting for me at the training ground.

As soon as I arrived, she said,

"Warm up first. We'll begin after that."

I nodded and started my usual stretches, then dived into push-ups, squats, and running laps around the compound. After the physical routine, I paused to do something she couldn't see—

I absorbed a tiny trace of natural energy into my body.

Just enough to nourish my muscles, cool my body, and sharpen my senses.

Tsunade, of course, had no idea.

After I finished, she began teaching me the basics of chakra control—starting with the classic leaf concentration exercise. The goal was simple: keep a leaf stuck to my forehead by channeling a steady stream of chakra.

To her surprise, I managed to do it after just a few tries.

Her eyes widened slightly. She tested me again. Still, I succeeded without effort.

"...You're really something else, Ren."

Without wasting time, she moved to the second exercise—tree-walking, where I had to run up a tree by controlling chakra at the soles of my feet. I stumbled after a few steps at first, but by evening, I had it down.

Tsunade looked genuinely astonished.

But she was also proud.

As she sat silently watching me train, her expression turned distant.

I knew she was remembering the Second Great Ninja War…

Remembering Dan, the man she loved and lost.

And Nawaki, her little brother, whose only dream was to become Hokage… only to die under Orochimaru's command—caught in an ambush of paper explosives.

She had once considered leaving the village forever.

Cutting ties.

Fading into solitude.

But then… there was me.

Somehow, I had brought light back into her life.

And I knew it.

As she sat there in silence, I walked over and gently tugged on her sleeve.

"Tsuna, let's go back. We're done for today, right?"

She blinked out of her thoughts and smiled.

"Yeah, let's go. You've earned it."

After a quick shower and dinner, we both went to our rooms.

By now, my body was fully accustomed to absorbing nature energy in tiny amounts. So tonight, just like every night, I drew in a thread of it—letting it flow through me slowly as I fell asleep.

The Next Day

Tsunade taught me the next level of chakra control—water walking.

After the explanation, she left me to train alone. I didn't mind.

This time, she looked more tired than usual.

Despite her youthful appearance, I knew the truth.

She was over fifty years old.

During the war, she had used Creation Rebirth over and over again to heal herself and her teammates, The other two Sannin.

That technique cost her life force every time she used it. And while she looked like she was in her prime, her body was aging beneath the surface.

I knew.

I could feel it.

She thought I was still just a child, but I understood more than she realized.

As for water walking? I succeeded by the end of the day. There were some stumbles, but my progress was swift. That was thanks to one of the two talents I had selected when making my wishes:

[Perfect Nature Attunement]

[Perfect Chakra Control]

Both had the word "perfect," and I knew from the moment I saw them—they'd be essential to my path.

(Author's Note: Don't worry—he'll get Wood Release soon.)

From that day onward, my routine was clear:

Wake up

Physical training

Absorb small amounts of nature energy

Chakra control practice

Sleep with one more gentle intake of natural energy

Time Skip: Eight Months Later

I was now three years old.

My mastery over the chakra control exercises was complete. Tree-walking, water walking, even balancing chakra mid-movement—I had it all nailed down.

Tsunade still visited me at random times to check on my progress. But something had changed. I noticed it. She was slower, more distracted. Her eyes didn't shine the same.

And then… I knew.

She was feeling weak.

Not emotionally—but physically.

She tried to hide it. But with my growing sensitivity to chakra and nature energy, I could sense it. Her life force… it was flickering, just a little.

And I couldn't sit still anymore.

So, one day during our training, when she arrived to observe me as usual, I ran up to her with excitement written all over my face.

"Tsuna! I want to tell you something!"

"Hm? What is it?"

I looked around, pretending to be innocent, then pointed toward the sky.

"I can… feel something all around us. Some kind of energy."

Her brow furrowed.

"Energy? You mean chakra?"

I shook my head.

"No… it's different. It's… natural. Like it's part of everything."

She tilted her head in confusion.

So, without warning, I gently reached out with my chakra—and threaded a tiny sliver of nature energy into her body, guiding it carefully through her chakra veins.

Her eyes widened in shock.

She went completely silent.

For a whole minute… not a word.

[To Be Continued…]