Summer dusks are often laced with a bit of dryness. Making it hard for people to calm down.
But today's dusk was extremely stuffy.
Making people feel a bit heavy, uncomfortable, and oppressed.
At this moment, Aoba was in a forest on the outskirts of the village, developing his Kekkei Genkai.
Tsunade was by his side, giving him guidance.
In a card draw a few months ago, Aoba finally had a lucky pull, drawing a top-tier T1 bloodline from the SSR rewards.
—Wood Release!
Of course, it was the "three-bedroom-two-living-room" version of Yamato.
However, right now, Aoba couldn't even manage a "three-bedroom-two-living-room" effect.
And to reach the level of Senju Hashirama, he'd at least have to draw the Sage Body from the UR pool.
It's not just a matter of chakra amount; he also needed powerful Yang Release chakra to pull it off.
After the draw, Aoba didn't hide the fact that he awakened Wood Release from Tsunade. In the entire Konoha, she was the only one he dared to tell.
Because he knew, though Tsunade often acted stubborn and tsundere, she would never harm him.
But if others found out, and it reached Danzo's ears, he'd probably end up secretly taken for dissection research.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone!", Aoba quickly formed hand seals.
Immediately, many wooden tendrils suddenly sprouted from his body, then gathered, condensed, and transformed at his side.
Eventually, it turned into a mini Aoba.
The big and small Aoba looked at each other and blinked.
Which made him feel a headache.
'Why's it so small this time?'
"Not bad, the quality of this wood clone is very high. No flaws on the outside. If I didn't check carefully, I wouldn't know it's a clone."
"As for why it's so small, it might be because you've used up too much chakra," Tsunade nodded in satisfaction, and at the same time couldn't help but show a trace of a smile on her face.
She walked up to Aoba, patted his head, and her eyes carried encouragement, "It's okay, little brat. Small… is cute too."
'F#CK!!', Aoba blushed. He felt like he was being ridiculed and had no way to argue back.
Although he knew Tsunade was talking about the wood clone, he couldn't help but feel looked down upon.
Tsunade saw Aoba's blushing face, and her smile became harder and harder to suppress.
A few months ago, when he suddenly told her he awakened Wood Release, she was so shocked she thought the brat had dreamed it and tricked himself.
Until she saw the wooden tendrils stretching from his hands, then she believed it.
She even thoroughly investigated Aoba's family background, and found that Hayame and Aoba's father, those two brothers, were just ordinary civilian orphans.
At first, their strength wasn't outstanding. Only after Hayame mastered the Vacuum Sword and the Leaf Body Flicker did he gradually reach jounin-level power.
'But this brat's mother did have a trace of Senju bloodline.'
Though it was a very distant relation, traceable all the way back before Konoha's founding.
That made Tsunade feel somewhat defeated.
'Even such distant Senju blood can awaken Wood Release. Why can't I, a direct relative?'
"Teacher, are we going back?", Aoba glanced at the sky. The sun was almost down.
Tsunade also nodded, "Let's end practice here for today. You've already mastered Transformation Jutsu, Wood Substitution, and Wood Clone. Next time, I'll teach you some other basic Wood Release jutsu."
Aoba didn't get much time to train Wood Release because he had to avoid exposure.
Wood Release meant a lot to Konoha. She was a bit concerned about the old geezers in the village, but mainly she wanted to guard against that old coin Shimura Danzo.
Who knew what horrifying things that guy might do to Aoba while she wasn't around?
So whenever Aoba needed to train Wood Release, she'd take him into the forest and set up a chakra-sensing barrier.
She knew that perverted old man had a disgusting jutsu called "Telescope Technique."
According to Jiraiya, that guy specifically developed it to peep at women's bathhouses.
She also planned to report Aoba's Wood Release to Sarutobi Hiruzen only after the kid had the ability to protect himself.
And once he mastered all the things she taught, that'd be enough to keep him safe.
'It won't take long.'
Tsunade walked up to Aoba, then crouched down, looking at him.
"Can you still walk?", Her voice this time was less tsundere and more caring.
"A bit difficult," Aoba helplessly shook his head, glanced at Tsunade, then couldn't help but look away.
A bit dazzling.
Tsunade's crouching pose made her already exceptional figure even more curvy.
"Hehe, shy now?", Tsunade ruffled his hair again, smiling brightly.
After ruffling to her heart's content, she turned around, back facing Aoba, and said, "Hop on. I'll carry you back."
Aoba looked at the giant millstones in front of him, didn't hesitate, and directly leaned on.
He was already used to it. Practicing Wood Release consumed a lot of chakra.
Every time he was drained, legs went soft and powerless, Tsunade always carried him back.
Compared to others his age, he was already pretty durable.
"Once you learn the Yin Seal and accumulate enough chakra, you'll be able to avoid this," Tsunade said with a smile.
"Yin Seal's that amazing?", Aoba eagerly asked.
Tsunade couldn't help but raise her chin, face full of pride.
"With the Yin Seal, not only can you stay youthful and enhance physical performance, but your body functions can also stay at their peak at any time and place."
Aoba blinked, then suddenly asked, "Any time and place?"
"Yes, any time and place!"
"Any moment?"
"That's right, any moment!"
"..."
A not-so-healthy thought suddenly popped into his mind.
BOOM!
Just as the two were chatting, a loud explosion suddenly echoed.
They both turned toward the source of the sound, only to see a flock of crows flying up from that direction.
'That commotion… someone's fighting in the village?', Tsunade's expression turned serious. Besides the explosion, she also sensed a sudden surge of terrifying chakra.
"Teacher, should we go take a look?", Aoba asked.
Tsunade hesitated, then quickly made a decision, "Aoba, if fighting breaks out later, make sure to hold onto me tightly."
After all, it's her village.
"Okay!", Aoba wrapped his arms even tighter around Tsunade's neck.
Tsunade immediately changed direction and charged toward the source of the explosion at full speed.
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