Chapter 74: The Beginning of War
After returning victorious from the Land of Rain, Konoha had settled into a rare period of calm.
Kawakaze and Tsunade frequently engaged in "deep discussions about the sparsely populated Hatake Clan".
This issue weighed heavily on Tsunade, and the two of them maintained a disciplined routine, resting at sunset and rising with the sun.
The well-rested Tsunade made remarkable progress in her research, largely because Kawakaze was no longer allowed unrestricted access to her lab. Once Hashirama's Cells were successfully cultivated, Tsunade set aside time to extract Kawakaze's blood and begin a cell fusion experiment.
Kawakaze was thrilled at the prospect, as if Wood Release were within his grasp. However, progress was slow, as evidenced by Tsunade's daily frustration. Kawakaze began to fear that gaining Wood Release might not happen anytime soon.
He turned his attention to Orochimaru, believing that the combination of Orochimaru's brilliance and Tsunade's expertise could yield extraordinary results. Unfortunately, Orochimaru had already left for Ryūchi Cave to undergo the Senjutsu test.
Meanwhile, the three children under Nagato's care were making remarkable progress, already capable of basic Ninjutsu. Kawakaze encouraged Konan to focus on her origami techniques, providing her with numerous Ninjutsu scrolls for inspiration. Konan, proving her title as Akatsuki's Angel, had already developed the Paper Shuriken and Paper Clone Techniques.
Kawakaze felt ashamed of his own talent, while Minato wondered if something was wrong with him since he still couldn't grasp the Ninjutsu techniques his Sensei had mentioned to him.
Meanwhile, Nawaki, brimming with energy, cheered enthusiastically from the sidelines, focusing solely on how awesome Konan was.
Yahiko, having quickly mastered Water Release, was now learning Kenjutsu under Minato's guidance.
Nagato, the most talented among them, had advanced to using basic Ninjutsu of all five elements and developed a keen interest in Medical Ninjutsu. Tsunade had taken a liking to the shy boy and occasionally brought him along to the hospital. She even considered training him as her assistant.