Naruto: Starting by Teaching Tsunade Modernization

[Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands]

This was the most powerful Wood Release technique in the original story, mastered only by Hashirama Senju—who summoned an image of the Senju Kannon with a thousand arms.

Its size rivaled that of the Ten-Tails, and with just one hand, it could grasp the Nine-Tails, possessing unimaginable offensive and defensive power.

Hashirama Senju once used this technique during the battle at the Valley of the End to counter Madara Uchiha's Majestic Attire: Susanoo.

No other ninja were deemed worthy of such a technique from Hashirama Senju.

Onoki, Bee, and A had naturally never seen anything like it before.

And honestly, they wished they hadn't.

Grandiose. Massive. Invincible.

Even Onoki, with his decades of experience, felt stunned and dazed facing such a jutsu.

Could this really be a technique humans were capable of using?

He immediately activated his Dust Release, unleashing a transparent cubic barrier that expanded rapidly to its maximum size.

But compared to the towering Senju Kannon, which stood over a kilometer tall, it was no bigger than a fly—barely even noticeable.

Never mind reducing it to atoms; it couldn't even scratch the surface.

Then came the Tailed Beast Ball right behind it, but before it could make contact, a single giant arm crushed it effortlessly.

Just like a balloon.

The scattered gas burst outward in all directions.

Besides creating a gust of wind, it caused absolutely no damage.

It was like scraping dead skin.

"I'm out!" roared Onoki, clenching both fists.

He turned to A, whose flickering lightning aura revealed his stunned state.

"Raikage."

His voice trembled slightly, yet remained clear, "Our only hope now is the Eight-Tails. Let him distract that Kannon statue while we close in on Haruki and take him down."

A snapped out of his thoughts and nodded fiercely.

He had no choice.

Even if they escaped, what would be the point?

Who would respect a Raikage whose entire village had been destroyed?

Better to die here.

"Bee," A took a deep breath, "this time things don't look good for us."

Bee threw back his head and roared.

His massive body swelled, eight tails spreading wildly in all directions, exuding terrifying killing intent.

Yet before the Senju Kannon, he still looked like a small kitten.

Bee and the Eight-Tails suddenly leaped forward at speeds fast enough to break the sound barrier.

At the same time, A's entire body was enveloped in crackling lightning armor, his eyes locked on Haruki atop the statue as he shot toward him like a bolt of lightning.

Onoki glanced at the two, formed a series of hand seals, and vanished from the spot without looking back—he was running for his life.

Haruki couldn't help but smile faintly.

The charging Eight-Tails and Raikage were caught midair and completely immobilized.

He jumped down from the Kannon statue, spread out his sensory perception, and showed a slight expression of surprise.

Onoki was gone.

He really was fast.

But it didn't matter.

The Land of Earth and Iwagakure would be dealt with eventually anyway.

Sooner or later made no difference.

One more Onoki or one fewer made absolutely no difference to Haruki.

He raised two fingers, and...

The arms grasping Bee and A began tightening their grip.

Blood sprayed everywhere.

The AB Combo, who had not yet become legendary, perished forever in the Otagata Mountains.

Haruki had no intention of holding back, because hatred couldn't be resolved through mercy.

Simply having killed the Third Raikage made it impossible to persuade Bee and A to surrender.

If that was the case, then he had no choice but to kill them.

It was indeed a pity, but reality wasn't some comic book fantasy.

Compassion might ultimately endanger himself and those close to him.

After Bee's death, Gyuki, the Eight-Tails, unleashed its true form.

"Kill me!"

Gyuki's face contorted in pain, but its murderous intent remained unwavering.

Bee being the jinchuriki was true, but he was also one of the few who had truly bonded with Gyuki.

Now that he was dead, there was no way Gyuki would harbor any goodwill toward Haruki.

Haruki ignored its outbursts.

Still, the tailed beasts were quite useful.

Besides, even if he killed Gyuki now, it would eventually regenerate after some time.

You trying to mess with me by faking your death?

Escaping through death? Impossible.

Frowning slightly, Haruki raised his finger as Gyuki continued to scream wildly.

The noise abruptly stopped.

Being hit by Senju Kannon's fist was no pleasant experience.

If it weren't a tailed beast, it would have died outright.

Haruki directed the Kannon Statue to place Gyuki on the ground.

Then he withdrew his chakra.

Like wind sweeping across a desert, the colossal form of Senju Kannon slowly crumbled away.

Blocks of wooden matter formed from chakra peeled away forcefully.

A few seconds later, they crashed onto the ground, raising thick clouds of dust.

At last, the shadow disappeared, and the Konoha shinobi hiding in the mountain fortress saw daylight again.

They'd seen everything, feeling as though they'd just awakened from an utterly surreal nightmare.

But dreams end, while reality does not.

"H-Haruki…"

Sakumo Hatake swallowed hard. Though he'd heard of the legendary power of Wood Release, what he'd just seen defied his understanding completely.

Could a Bloodline Limit really reach this level?

He strongly doubted whether the common knowledge stored in his mind was still valid.

Was this really a Bloodline Limit?!

Onoki's Dust Release, supposedly a higher-tier technique, felt like child's play compared to Wood Release.

Sakumo fell silent as he cautiously approached Haruki, glancing at the surrounding environment, unable to stop the twitching at the corner of his mouth.

The mountains had literally been turned into a forest.

Such incredible power was something he had only read about in books related to Hashirama Senju.

"Haruki."

Sakumo called softly once more.

His expression was respectful, as if afraid of awakening a deity.

Behind him, Hiashi Hyuga, Fugaku Uchiha, and others carefully approached as well.

Haruki turned around.

He glanced at the unconscious Cloud and Stone ninjas and frowned slightly.

There were too many of them; for a moment, he didn't know what to do.

"Sakumo, what should we do with these people?"

…

Sakumo Hatake gave a bitter smile and shook his head. When had he ever faced a battle this overwhelming before?

This was the first time he had captured so many enemy shinobi, and he had no idea what to do next.

By the old rules, it was usually interrogation, then imprisonment, followed by execution—strictly in order.

But on this scale, even ten prisons wouldn't be enough.

"We can't execute all of them."

Seeing that he received no response, Haruki mused aloud, "If we kill them all, it'll mean every Cloud ninja will fight us to the death—and peace will become impossible."

Our goal isn't to destroy Kumogakure, but to make it into another Konoha.

Sakumo Hatake nodded slowly, though his mood was heavy.

He naturally agreed with Haruki's reasoning.

But getting over twenty thousand Cloud ninja to submit to Konoha seemed harder than scaling the heavens themselves.

"Although the ninja of Kumogakure are united, not everyone will choose to die for it."

Haruki also understood exactly what Sakumo worried about. Still, he wasn't a ruthless butcher like Bai Qi, who executed captives en masse without hesitation.

After a moment of thought—considering how prisoners were treated in ancient times compared to modern standards—he raised three fingers and spoke:

"First, have Anbu investigate every single ninja. The Uchiha Clan can assist by using genjutsu interrogations. Those with wicked personalities or blood on their hands should be executed without hesitation—we don't need trash like that.

Second, important figures in Kumogakure—especially powerful Jonin who remained fiercely loyal—should be imprisoned. Other ninja would undergo ideological reeducation and retraining. After passing an exam, they may serve Konoha as shinobi.

Third, ordinary ninja should be given a choice. If they wish to stay, integrate them into our army by scattering them across various units and granting them Konoha shinobi treatment.

If they don't want to stay, let them return home and life can go on as usual—but they will no longer be ninja of Kumogakure. They must live according to the new policies. Of course, I guarantee their life will definitely be better than under Kumogakure."

After listening, Sakumo and others wore expressions of surprise.

Earlier, when Haruki posed the question, all of them had already been racking their brains over what to do with these troublesome captives.

Yet no matter how they considered it, they couldn't find any solution.

Without killing them all, there was no way to ensure remaining Cloud ninja wouldn't plot rebellion.

Haruki's three methods weren't perfect, but they sounded practical and surprisingly effective.

"I'll leave this matter to you all."

Before Sakumo could speak, Haruki reminded them, "They've been affected by pollen. Without external stimuli, they won't awaken any time soon. You have plenty of time."

"Understood."

Sakumo nodded. Hearing Haruki's unspoken meaning behind 'not staying,' he asked, "Then where are you going?"

"I'll take the Eight-Tails back to Konoha."

Haruki cast a glance toward the unconscious Eight-Tails lying in the distance. "The war in the Land of Lightning won't conclude anytime soon. Bringing the Eight-Tails along would be too inconvenient."

"Minato is responsible for the Land of Lightning, but what about Kumogakure? Won't we pursue our advantage and take them down?"

"No rush."

Haruki shook his head and smiled. "Kumogakure is already cornered prey—it has nowhere left to run. Besides, their entire main force is right here. Once you subdue them, Kumogakure will naturally belong to us."

"That's true."

Sakumo had considerable understanding of Kumogakure.

Twenty thousand ninja made up nearly all their able-bodied youth. All that remained were children or ordinary civilians with no chakra.

No threat worth mentioning.

Sakumo was even confident he could take Kumogakure alone.

"What about these Iwagakure ninjas? Should we handle them the same way you suggested?"

"I don't think so. Iwagakure still exists, so their attachment to their village and families will be stronger."

Haruki stroked his chin thoughtfully before replying. "Alright then, I'll take them back to Konoha temporarily. We can detain them and discuss compensation terms with Onoki later."

With that said, he stretched out his hand, and a surge of chakra burst forth, generating air currents that lifted the Iwagakure ninjas.

Originally there had been five thousand of them, but nearly a thousand had died during the battle.

Still, those remaining four thousand ninjas would provide enough leverage for him to negotiate heavily with Onoki.

[ Flying Thunder God Technique ]!

Accompanied by an unimaginably massive loss of chakra, he reappeared in the Forest of Death just outside Konoha.

Haruki exhaled deeply, feeling something extremely rare—actual chakra depletion.

Since obtaining the Sage Body, this was the first time he'd used such a huge amount of chakra.

The distance was great, plus he transported numerous people.

If it were Minato Namikaze instead, he probably would've turned into a desiccated husk instantly.

Suddenly, Yin Kurama lifted its head—it detected familiar chakra fluctuations.

Yang Kurama within Kushina Uzumaki's arms mirrored its movement simultaneously.

"Yugito, have some watermelon."

Kushina handed Yugito a slice of watermelon before taking another bite from her own.

"Did you know? This is a sand field watermelon from Sunagakure. It's much sweeter than regular ones."

"Thank you."

Yugito glanced at the girl's bright smile and silently chewed her watermelon.

Honestly, since arriving at Konoha, aside from limited freedom, everything else had been amazing.

She had even gained a little weight without realizing it.

At this rate, in a few years she might end up turning into a round little dumpling of a girl.

Watching dramas, playing games online, eating delicious meals whenever she wanted.

She felt herself gradually getting spoiled by Konoha's lifestyle.

Kumo emphasized martial prowess, lagging far behind Konoha in other aspects.

Not to mention beautiful jewelry, dazzling clothing, or elaborate cosmetics.

Although respected in Kumo, as a jinchuriki, she'd never truly had friends.

Yet Kushina shared the exact same status as a tailed beast container, yet possessed many more friends.

Especially having a boyfriend—Minato Namikaze.

The more she learned, the more Konoha seemed like a dreamlike paradise.

Yugito gazed blankly at the deep red slice of watermelon.

She wondered how the war between Konoha and Kumo was going?

And where exactly did her future lie?

"Looks like another old friend has arrived."

Yang Kurama leapt from Kushina's arms. It already sensed Gyūki's chakra signature.

Moreover, just like Yin Kurama, this one also appeared untamed.

It wasn't jealousy, but simply because Gyūki's jinchuriki was dead.

Putting this together with its appearance in Kumogakure made things clear enough.

That's right.

Against someone as powerful as Haruki, Kumo didn't stand a chance.

"Kurama, what is it?"

Hearing this, Kushina couldn't help but ask, "Who's this old friend?"

However, both Nine-Tails instinctively turned their gaze toward her.

Noticing that, both Yin Kurama and Yang Kurama let out soft scoffs at the same time.

"Oh right—I almost forgot! There are *two* Kuramas!"

Kushina stuck her tongue out with a grin. "C'mon, Little Yang, spill it."

"...Don't call me 'Little Yang'!"

The Yang Nine-Tailed Fox scowled with obvious irritation.

Who names someone "Little Yang" anyway?!

Kushina raised her fist threateningly. "If you don't like it, take it up with Teacher yourself!"

The Yang Nine-Tailed Fox immediately drooped its head, sulking.

"What did you say?"

A sudden voice startled Kushina, and she turned around in pleasant surprise.

"Teacher, how come you're back already? Did the war end? Where's Minato?"

"You've really grown up—already taking others' sides now."

Haruki couldn't help but chuckle. "Minato will need more time. I came back on urgent business."

"Oh."

Kushina clearly lost enthusiasm. That's when she noticed the massive figure behind Haruki. "Eight-Tails?"

"Mm."

Haruki cast a glance toward the two Nine-Tailed Foxes. "I'll leave them with you for a while."

After a few more words with Kushina, he made his way toward Konoha's Hokage Building.

As for Yugito, he hadn't acknowledged her at all from beginning to end.

For now, he'd treat her like another tailed beast. Whether she submitted or not was up to her choice.

After all, Kumogakure wouldn't exist anymore in the future.

"Hey Orochimaru, working hard as usual?"

Orochimaru, buried in paperwork, lifted his head upon hearing a familiar yet unpleasant voice, giving Haruki a cold stare.

"Back already?"

"Not quite. But I brought back over four thousand ninja from Iwagakure—you can handle them. They're lying in the eastern part of the Forest of Death."

"Iwagakure? Weren't you fighting against Kumogakure?"

"It's complicated. Wait for the intelligence report."

Orochimaru watched Haruki vanish again, the corner of his mouth twitching involuntarily.