Chapter 125

Chapter 125

Chapter 125 - Tsunade's Gradual Descent into Darkness

Inside the sealed chamber.

"Tsunade, even Tobirama acknowledged your talent, but you wasted so much time on gambling and drinking in the past. Still, it’s not too late now. Your recent idea is very promising," Uzumaki Mito said, a rare expression of relief appearing on her face after listening to Tsunade's explanation about the derivation of the Yin Seal.

At least this proved that her granddaughter wasn’t just coming up with excuses to distract herself but was sincerely focused on research.

What made Mito even more reassured was Tsunade's research direction. She had always feared that Tsunade might stray into darkness, especially given how many forbidden and sinister techniques were hidden within the secret scrolls left by Tobirama.

Thankfully, Tsunade had begun pursuing power, but she hadn’t fallen for the allure of cruel and dark forbidden techniques.

"Grandmother, you were also a genius back in your day, even praised by Second Uncle as a legendary kunoichi whose talent and strength rivaled his," Tsunade said, her face full of a flattering smile as she first praised her grandmother. Then, switching to a coquettish tone, she added, "Grandmother, I've been so busy lately. There’s so much to deal with in the Medical Division. Could you help me research this forbidden jutsu?"

Seeing her granddaughter acting cute, Uzumaki Mito smiled gently. Tsunade not walking the dark path was her greatest comfort.

"Very well. I have time to help you refine this forbidden jutsu," Mito said with a determined glint in her eyes. If this forbidden jutsu idea of Tsunade’s could truly be perfected, it could serve as an additional layer of protection for Tsunade in the future. She had to do everything she could to help.

"Thank you, Grandmother! But you must also take care of yourself. I’ll have Kushina make sure you rest properly," Tsunade said with a playful laugh as she escorted Mito out.

As soon as the door closed, the smile on Tsunade's face stiffened, replaced by a chilling gleam in her eyes.

Inside the silent chamber, she stared at the forbidden scrolls scattered across the table, a cold smile curling her lips.

"Perhaps I finally understand what needs to be sacrificed. To ensure the survival of the Senju Clan, some people simply aren't worth preserving," she murmured.

The Tsunade who had experienced so much was no longer the carefree woman who lived on impulse. She had grown into someone capable of bearing the heavy burden of her clan.

She sought a unified, tightly controlled family, not a fragmented Senju Clan with individuals who might betray her at critical moments.

Opening one of the scrolls, she saw records of human experiments conducted by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Her gaze grew heavy as she read.

"After Grandfather's death, Second Uncle attempted to develop a forbidden technique to resurrect him. When that failed amidst the chaos of the ninja world, he shifted his focus to researching the power of Wood Release, hoping to awaken it widely within the Senju Clan."

The records detailed how Wood Release, unlike other kekkei genkai, was unique in the Senju Clan's history. Tobirama theorized that its emergence in Hashirama might have been a mutation, as Hashirama's chakra contained a mysterious energy.

Tsunade's brows furrowed deeply as she read further. The scroll mentioned how this mysterious energy resembled the special chakra generated in the Uchiha brain upon awakening the Sharingan, though the two were fundamentally different, akin to Yin and Yang.

When fused with ninja chakra, both types could produce immense power.

But as she reached the end of the scroll, her frown deepened.

"Why does it stop here? It doesn’t make sense! If Second Uncle conducted this research, why didn’t he complete the records?"

Just as she felt frustration welling up, her eyes caught a timestamp at the bottom of the scroll, and her irritation faded instantly.

"So, this research was conducted during the period when Second Uncle went to the Land of Lightning for peace talks," she murmured, realization dawning.

"This means the research wasn’t abandoned due to failure but remained incomplete due to his untimely death."

She stared at the final notes, pondering the mysterious "special cells" tied to Wood Release.

As her thoughts connected the dots, a picture formed in her mind. After Tobirama’s death, Hiruzen Sarutobi succeeded him as the Third Hokage, supported by a group of elders who formed the Council and the Root Division to solidify his regime.

"Could it be that this research didn’t stop but continued in secret, with the elders steering it in a new direction? Now they suddenly propose this 'Wood Release plan'…"

A mocking smile spread across Tsunade's face.

"Even though I imagined them at their worst, it turns out they are far worse than I thought—rotten to the core!"

Her voice was calm yet chillingly cold.

At this moment, Tsunade's eyes gleamed with relentless resolve. No matter how sinister and depraved she imagined them to be, reality always seemed to exceed her expectations.

'What in this world could possibly be more corrupt than humans themselves?'

This thought surfaced in her mind, catching her off guard. She realized she had never encountered anything more malevolent than humanity.

...

### Konoha's Transformation

The village of Konoha, hailed as the strongest in the ninja world, had grown to house five departments: the ANBU, Root, Intelligence, Barrier, and Police Divisions. While Root was nominally part of ANBU, it had long functioned as an independent body, specializing in espionage and counterintelligence.

Now, with the creation of the Medical Division, Konoha boasted six departments, each with unique responsibilities. Among them, the Barrier and Medical Divisions lacked enforcement powers.

The newly constructed Medical Division headquarters was situated behind the hospital, with Tsunade serving as its head.

"The Medical Division is now recruiting skilled medical ninjas. Though the village's budget is tight, we cannot afford to lack medical personnel capable of supporting ninja corps on missions," announced Uchiha Yosuke, the Deputy Head of the Medical Division.

His tone was stern as he addressed the

group of medical ninjas gathered in the office, most of whom were women.

...