NOVEL WEB Chapter 21: Hashirama cells.
I returned to the Senju compound just before sunset.
As expected, when I scanned the area with my chakra senses, I didn't detect a single Root spy left. Either Danzo recalled them… or they were already dead.
Either way, the compound was finally quiet.
Later that evening, as I was finishing my daily training, I spotted Tsunade sitting at the dinner table. She looked thoughtful—perhaps even a bit worn down.
She noticed me and smiled faintly. I walked over, grabbed a plate, and sat across from her.
"So… what did the Hokage say?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
She let out a sigh and scowled. "He said he'll handle it. The spies should be gone by now. I don't trust him, but he looked shaken enough to mean it."
I studied her face quietly. Even when she's frustrated, Tsunade carries herself with pride. But I could feel it—there was a heaviness in her, a pressure that wouldn't go away.
"Tsuna," I said softly, "I think… it's time you got stronger."
She blinked, caught off-guard.
"The village isn't safe. Not for you. Not anymore. If Danzo could even think about harming you once, there's no guarantee he won't try again."
Her eyes softened.
She must've thought I was just a scared kid trying to protect his only family. But deep inside, she also knew I wasn't wrong. I wasn't scared—I was preparing.
She reached across the table and placed her hand over mine.
"Don't worry, Ren. I'll always be by your side."
That one sentence… it meant everything to me.
After dinner, we moved to our usual routine. I channeled nature energy through my palms and into her tenketsu, nourishing her body gradually. Then into myself.
By my calculations, I needed five more years to achieve a perfect Sage Body—like Hashirama's. When that happens, regeneration, vitality, chakra capacity… all of it will surpass normal limits. I'll be able to regrow entire limbs without medical help, even survive fatal wounds.
As for Tsunade, she was changing fast. Her life force, previously depleted by her forbidden jutsu, was now recovering steadily. With enough time and energy circulation, in just two years, she'd fully restore her vitality—and surpass her current self by miles.
That night, after we both went to bed, I stayed up for a while, thinking.
Meanwhile, Tsunade— Within her room lying on the bed—had her own thoughts.
She'd noticed it. Her energy. Her endurance. Her healing. Everything was improving.
Could I modify the Creation Rebirth technique?
Could I remove the drawback—the loss of life force?
She was conflicted. To experiment with such a thing… she'd need access to Hashirama cells and test subjects.
Tsunade wasn't the kind of person to experiment on people. But if it meant protecting me—her only remaining family—she might cross that line.
I didn't know what she was thinking exactly, but I had a guess. And so, the next morning, I brought it up.
We sat together during breakfast.
"Tsuna… I think I know how you can get stronger," I said, setting down my spoon. "You need access to Grandfather's cells."
She froze.
Eyes wide.
"Wait… you mean Hashirama cells?"
I nodded. "You need them. With your bloodline and medical ninjutsu talent, you're the only one who could possibly make safe use of them. The village has used his legacy long enough—it's time his descendants took it back."
Tsunade was stunned. Not because I said something crazy—but because…
"Last night… I had the exact same thought."
I smiled. "Then it's decided."
I laid out a plan.
Right now, the only people with access to Hashirama's cells were:
Madara, who likely took some after the Final Valley of End battle;but at that time black zetsu latched onto his body and later betrayed him.
And the Hokage, who kept samples sealed within the Hokage building for research and experiments.
Later, Orochimaru would dig up Hashirama's buried corpse and distribute the cells to monsters like Danzo and Kabuto. That couldn't happen.
I wanted to intercept this future.
Tsunade would retrieve the remaining cells from the Hokage—all of them. Every vial, every strand, every scrap. The village had no right to use them after what it did to the Senju Clan. And if anyone had the right to control that legacy—it was us.
She agreed.
Tsunade left immediately for the Hokage Tower.
I stayed behind, thinking deeper.
Madara was alive somewhere—underground, recovering, evolving. He used Izanagi to survive the final battle as side effect to it he lost his vision and would awaken his Rinnegan years from now. He would also use hashirama cells to create white zetsu, it was the reason that zetsu got the ability to use mayfly.
I couldn't reach him yet.
But the buried bodies of both Hashirama and Tobirama were still untouched. I would retrieve them… and bring them back to the Senju compound, where they belonged.
I'd handle it after graduation.
That evening, Tsunade returned.
I met her at the compound gates.
Her expression was unreadable—but I noticed the sealed scroll in her hands.
"You got them?"
She nodded.
"All of them. Every last sample the village had. I told Sensei… if he refused, I would leave Konoha without looking back. He didn't even try to stop me. He knew. He knew the village had failed us."
I didn't say anything.
This… is just the beginning.
Author's Note:
Ren and Tsunade reclaim what's rightfully theirs. The Hashirama cells—once abused by others—will now be used by his own descendants. With Tsunade on the path to greater strength and Ren thinking ahead, the Senju legacy is no longer fading. It's preparing to rise. And with a plan to recover the First and Second Hokage's remains… the next chapters promise a deeper dive into power, secrets, and war.