Chapter 6: Senjutsu Mastery

"Boom—"

In just a moment.

Without any surprises.

A vast surge of energy erupted from Kiyoshi's wooden clone.

The quality was light-years apart from the chakra he had produced in the past.

Without a doubt, this was Senjutsu Chakra.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

The room wasn't particularly spacious.

It was a dedicated training room used by Kiyoshi.

Green sprouts appeared out of thin air, growing from the ground at a visible speed.

In the blink of an eye, the entire room was engulfed in numerous vines and green trees, with flowers blooming all around...

What was astonishing was that the wooden clone's hair began to grow wildly.

It transformed into a brilliant green, shining with a radiant glow.

Moreover, two green shadows appeared around his eyes.

He seemed to have completely merged with nature, exuding an incredible vitality.

The Senjutsu chakra within him was remarkably stable.

There was no hint of the anticipated turbulence.

It felt astonishingly docile, as if it had been a part of him from birth.

He could control it at will, without any stiffness or difficulty.

"It is a success..."

Kiyoshi smiled.

As expected, just as he had initially predicted.

As a user of a nature type fruit—specifically, the Wood-Wood Fruit—he was different from others.

He didn't merely possess the Wood Release; he was an embodiment of the forest itself, a manifestation of nature, equivalent to the source of life.

How could natural energy possibly reject itself?

Soon—

His wooden clone continuously absorbed the natural energy floating in the atmosphere, transforming it into a massive amount of Senjutsu Chakra.

Until the chakra within him, not particularly abundant, fully integrated with the natural energy, transforming into Senjutsu chakra, unable to absorb any more.

In a precautionary measure, Kiyoshi had only allocated one-tenth of his chakra for this.

Finally, as the wooden clone automatically dispelled.

"Bang..." Smoke filled the air.

In an instant.

Changes subtly occurred on Kiyoshi's body.

He seemed to merge seamlessly with nature.

"Whoosh..." His black hair transformed into a brilliant green, vibrant with life.

It grew at a visible rate, cascading down his back.

Soft and flowing, it moved as if there were no wind.

His eyes, too, glimmered with a faint radiance.

In the room, now transformed into a flower garden, blossoms continuously grew and bloomed...

It was almost unbelievable.

At that moment, the incredible sensation of being able to command the forces of nature, the essence of all things, immersed Kiyoshi.

"It's so powerful... Is this Sage Mode?" he murmured.

In that moment, he felt as if he were an omnipotent god.

The entire Konoha Village, even the broader world, could not escape his innate, overwhelming perception that became even more exaggerated in Sage Mode.

Countless chakra signatures and any subtle life fluctuations could not escape his notice.

He comprehended them all clearly.

"Ahem..."

Outside the door.

A fierce coughing sound.

Kiyoshi couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.

After hiding for so long, could he really not keep it secret any longer?

"Whoosh..."

With a mere thought, he naturally exited Sage Mode.

His green hair, now cascading to his shoulders, began to visibly shorten, returning to its original state.

The green shadows around his eyes vanished as well.

He opened the door, squinting slightly.

Outside, the corridor was overrun with flowers and green leaves.

Standing in the hall, his grandmother Azumi looked shocked. He wasn't sure what to say: "Grandma, you..."

"Wood Release, I never expected to see its manifestation again before I'm laid to rest. Ahem..."

Azumi gazed incredulously at the flowers and plants covering the ground, then stared blankly at her grandson.

Her wrinkled face was filled with excitement and complexity.

Her lips trembled as she coughed, saying, "I should have realized it sooner. Ahem, Kiyoshi, you've awakened Lord Hashirama's Wood Release…"

"Ahem, you were born with an enormous chakra pool, and your sensory abilities surpass your father. You also mastered the healing jutsu perfectly before you turned eight."

Using her cane for support, Azumi leaned on Kiyoshi.

Looking at this somewhat unfamiliar yet incredibly exciting grandson, she couldn't help but feel an overwhelming nostalgia.

 "That powerful life-giving chakra has been sustaining this old body of mine!"

Although her strength was not formidable.

She was not an ordinary person; at her peak, she had been an elite Chunin.

Every time her grandson checked and treated her, how could she not sense the slightest anomaly?

In these past three years, if it weren't for his daily infusion of chakra nurturing her almost depleted body, she feared she would have long passed away.

"Grandma, aren't you curious at all?"

Kiyoshi was utterly astonished.

He looked at his grandmother, Azumi, in confusion.

Although she seemed shocked and excited at discovering he had most likely awakened Wood Release.

She appeared to accept it rather quickly, lacking the profound curiosity he had imagined.

If it were someone else, they would probably be filled with disbelief and confusion, right?

"Ahem, you don't need to be surprised."

Azumi coughed as she watched the puzzled Kiyoshi.

She smiled gently and said softly, "Your aunt, and I were both members of the Senju clan. We just followed the clan's arrangements and married civilian ninjas in the village!"

"What?"

Kiyoshi's eyes widened in shock.