Tsunade asked in confusion, "Why?"
Tōshirō replied, puzzled, "Didn't your family tell you about this?"
Tsunade asked, "About what?"
Tōshirō said, "Kekkei Genkai isn't just inherited; it can also be obtained through chakra nature fusion. Didn't you know that?"
Tsunade shook her head, unaware of what he meant.
Although she had heard of Kekkei Genkai, her knowledge was superficial, believing it could only be inherited.
Most likely, her family had high hopes that she would inherit the "Mokuton" techniques of the First Hokage, so they didn't bother explaining it to her.
Tōshirō thought for a moment, as if starting to understand something.
Typically, ninjas with hereditary abilities talk about them being passed down through family lines, never mentioning the possibility of acquiring them through fusion.
Unless someone specializes in this field, it's likely that not many know about this.
Tōshirō wondered if the reason behind keeping this information hidden was that families wanted to maintain their superiority, perhaps even convincing those without hereditary abilities that they were naturally inferior, making them easier to control.
If everyone knew that hereditary abilities could be acquired, they might think they could achieve the same success through effort, which would strengthen ninjas overall—a prospect that might not suit those who want to control them.
Thus, families with Kekkei Genkai understood this well and only shared such knowledge when absolutely necessary.
Tsunade asked, "Where did you hear this?"
Tōshirō replied, "From one of the wise elders in my family. Recently, he's been helping me train with my Kekkei Genkai, so he explained a few things."
Tsunade recalled what Tōshirō had demonstrated before and asked, "Ice Release?"
"Something like that."
The two casually dropped a surprising fact, leaving both Orochimaru and Jiraiya stunned: "Wait, how can you have Ice Release if you're from the Uchiha clan?"
They asked the same question Tsunade had before, and Tōshirō gave them a brief explanation.
Orochimaru wasn't too bothered, but Jiraiya complained bitterly: "This isn't fair! I look incredibly handsome, but I don't have any Kekkei Genkai, while Tōshirō has two! This is unfair from the heavens."
Tōshirō quickly responded, "I don't have two, don't exaggerate."
Jiraiya mocked, "That's like a rich man claiming he's never touched money."
He added, "Can I hit you?"
Orochimaru smiled, saying, "You're really something, Tōshirō. If people knew, they'd be amazed."
Tōshirō tried to play it down, "Don't say anything, people only know about my Ice Release."
Orochimaru tilted his head in curiosity.
Tōshirō then explained how he had fought with Fugaku, and how they had discovered through the Sharingan that his chakra was unusual, forcing him to confess.
After Tōshirō finished the story, the three of them understood: "Now we get it, that's why you were using your abilities without hesitation."
Tōshirō pleaded with them, "So please keep my abilities a secret, only Ice Release is known. If the clan finds out I have another ability, they'll push me into the war to prove Uchiha's strength, and I don't like fighting. I just want to live a peaceful life."
Jiraiya asked, "If you're afraid your secret will be exposed, why tell us?"
Tōshirō laughed, "Because keeping secrets for too long can cause mental problems, so I told you because I trust you."
Jiraiya grumbled, "Great, now you're relieved, and I have to bear the burden of this secret."
Tōshirō smiled, saying, "That means I trust you." He patted Jiraiya on the shoulder and laughed.
Jiraiya responded in frustration, "If you ever spill my secret one day, don't blame me."
Tōshirō reassured him, "Don't worry, I've taken that into account."
Jiraiya finally fell silent.
Orochimaru asked, "Tōshirō, can I see your Kekkei Genkai?"
Ice Release was something Orochimaru had heard of before, but never seen in person, and he was a bit curious.
"No problem," Tōshirō replied cheerfully, performing several hand seals and creating a crude ice sculpture out of thin air. It was a bit ugly, but resembled a snake somewhat.
Shaping ice requires altering the chakra's nature, and luckily for him, the sculpture was of a snake, a creature with simple features. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to form it.
"I offer this to you, though it may be a bit ugly."
"No problem, I like it." Orochimaru held the icy snake in his palm, looking at it calmly, his eyes filled with tenderness.
Tsunade asked curiously, "You mentioned that Kekkei Genkai comes from fusing chakra natures. What makes up your Ice Release?"
"Wind and water," Tōshirō encouraged, "You have earth and water chakra, so you can combine them to develop Wood Release."
If I'm not mistaken, the Second Hokage was skilled in Water Release, and maybe I can trick Tsunade into developing Wood Release. In the meantime, I can get some information from her about training methods for Water Release.
Although Itachi taught me Water Release, it can't compare to the expertise of the Second Hokage.
If I combine the Uchiha's expertise in Fire Release with the Second Hokage's mastery of Water Release, my chances of developing Boil Release in the future will be much higher.
After listening, Orochimaru showed a keen interest in Kekkei Genkai and asked, "It seems that combining two different chakra natures can create a new release. Tōshirō, do you know what Wind and Lightning would create?"
"Wind and lightning?"
"Yes, those are my chakra natures."
Tōshirō nodded in understanding, smiling, "I'm sorry, I don't know, but I can ask someone during my next training session."
Unlike Orochimaru's intense interest, Tsunade seemed indifferent, clearly just waiting for her Kekkei Genkai to awaken without much effort.
Tōshirō tried to persuade her again: "Tsunade, you may not like this, but perhaps you won't be able to awaken your grandfather's Kekkei Genkai... Wait, don't hit me, let me explain."
Tsunade raised her fist angrily, "How dare you underestimate me! What are you trying to say?"
"Umm... It's not because of a lack of talent, but your grandfather's Wood Release might not be like other inherited Kekkei Genkai."
Tsunade: "???"
Tōshirō clarified, "I asked the elders in my clan, and it seems your grandfather was a unique case in the long history of the ninja world. I know your grandfather was incredibly strong, but Wood Release is simply a combination of Earth and Water Release. Though rare, it should have appeared in ninja history before, like my Ice Release, which has been seen before. Do you understand now?"
Tsunade remained silent for a moment.
Having grown up hearing stories about her grandfather, she knew more than anyone how unique he was. According to what her grandmother Mito told her, her grandfather's chakra alone was larger than the combined chakra of the entire Senju clan, which was certainly not normal...
Moreover, her father didn't awaken Wood Release either. Tsunade began to doubt, could she really not awaken Wood Release?
"What should I do?"
Tsunade felt anxious, while Tōshirō smiled, knowing that selling worry always worked.
"It's simple. You need to study Earth and Water Release thoroughly and stop relying solely on your physical strength. Even though one of your punches may be as strong as ninjutsu, it has obvious weaknesses that can easily be exploited."
"To become an excellent ninja, you must first be invincible, then wait for the right opportunity to defeat your enemy. Only then can you... umm, stand in a position of power."
"I know you're always striving to be like your grandfather, and that's why you should learn Earth and Water Release properly, combine them to develop Wood Release, and follow the same path he did. Don't just wait for your Kekkei Genkai to awaken on its own."
After hearing that, Tsunade felt as if she had woken up from a daze. She looked deeply at Tōshirō and said, "I didn't know you were good at motivating people."
Tōshirō, who had inherited his Kekkei Genkai directly, smiled broadly and said, "That's no big deal. Actually, it's easy to talk when you're not the one in the tough spot."
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"Power stones if you like them"
"If you want an early access join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"