Konoha Village, Training Ground No. 1.
Ruofeng forced a bitter smile. "That… Senior Orochimaru's gaze is really sharp."
He let out an awkward laugh, but deep down, he felt uneasy—no, guilty.
Anyone would feel nervous in this situation. Orochimaru was staring at him with intense interest, his long tongue flicking out, desire gleaming in his eyes. It made Ruofeng want to turn and run.
Even though Orochimaru hadn't yet descended into the madness of his later years, the pressure he gave off was still unsettling.
"Heh heh… truly perfect. This kind of physique is extraordinary," Orochimaru said. Though he tried to keep a tone of praise, his voice still sounded eerie.
Jiraiya walked over, looking at Ruofeng with satisfaction. "Orochimaru, Ruofeng can be considered my student. Well? Impressive, isn't he?"
"Heh…" Orochimaru gave a mocking chuckle, withdrawing his gaze from Ruofeng. "The medicinal bath formula from Mount Myōboku is quite good. But without toad oil, it's impossible to nurture such a flawless body. Speed, strength, explosive power… all top-tier. Even Nawaki can't compare."
His sharp eyes swept back to Ruofeng, then shifted to Nawaki.
Ruofeng silently regretted being dragged here by Nawaki. If it were only Tsunade, it would have been fine. But with Orochimaru present, the pressure was overwhelming.
Yet Orochimaru wasn't wrong. Ruofeng's physique now surpassed Nawaki's, especially after being tempered by the Foundation Elixir. His body had already reached a level comparable to Kushina Uzumaki.
And speaking of Kushina—she was standing right there.
Unlike Ruofeng's unease, Kushina chatted casually with Orochimaru, completely unfazed. It could only be said that her confidence was truly something else.
At that moment, Tsunade walked over and tossed a scroll toward Ruofeng.
He caught it, studying it in surprise. "What is this?"
Tsunade smiled lightly. "Take it. Consider it a gift. This trip to the Land of Earth… I almost didn't make it back. If it weren't for that medicinal ingredient, I'd probably be dead by now."
Her tone carried lingering emotion. Ruofeng lowered his gaze to the scroll.
Since it was from Tsunade, he naturally accepted it. Still, he hadn't expected much. At his current stage, he didn't urgently need ninjutsu or guidance from her. His grandfather had lived through the Warring States Period as a sensory ninja—while not a frontline combatant, the experience he accumulated far exceeded Tsunade's.
So Ruofeng didn't think highly of the scroll. If it contained ninjutsu, he needed it even less. He was already training in the Rasengan, preparing to unveil this legendary technique ahead of time. Not to mention the scrolls left behind by Madara Uchiha, his grandfather, and the techniques taught by his maternal grandfather.
With so many resources, he had more than enough to practice.
Still, out of courtesy, he opened the scroll—and froze.
"Taijutsu? It's actually taijutsu?"
What he found inside were refined methods of using strength, precise force control, and explosive techniques—among them, Tsunade's signature monstrous strength.
Tsunade chuckled. "What else would it be but taijutsu? You're still young. Your chakra reserves aren't enough for prolonged ninjutsu battles, and you lack real combat experience. Even if you learn powerful jutsu, you won't know the right moment to use them, wasting chakra. Taijutsu suits you best. And this isn't ordinary taijutsu—it was created by my granduncle, refined by my granduncle Tobirama, and finally passed down to me. I modified it further to make it more suitable for the battlefield."
Hearing this, Ruofeng immediately realized the value of the scroll.
What he truly lacked was taijutsu.
He had no shortage of ninjutsu, yet so many that he couldn't possibly master them all. By contrast, taijutsu suited him far better—especially with his powerful physique, which could still grow stronger.
This style originated from Hashirama Senju, was perfected by Tobirama Senju, and further refined by Tsunade. Even within Konoha, it stood at the very top—particularly in an era when the Eight Gates Technique had yet to appear.
Ruofeng had once assumed that the Eight Gates already existed. But none of Madara Uchiha's scrolls mentioned it. Moreover, in the original history, when Madara faced Might Guy's attacks, he only marveled at the power of the taijutsu, unaware of its name. That clearly meant Madara had never known of the Eight Gates.
So Ruofeng understood: at this point in time, the Eight Gates had not yet been created—or at least had not been perfected, remaining only in Might Duy's early research.
Before the rise of the Eight Gates, the strongest taijutsu user in Konoha was undoubtedly Tsunade, followed by the Hyūga Clan's Gentle Fist.
Ruofeng looked at the scroll seriously. "Thank you."
In truth, taijutsu was his biggest weakness. Madara's scrolls had no taijutsu records—perhaps Madara simply disdained to record them. His grandfather's and maternal grandfather's teachings were the same, lacking any complete taijutsu system. His only exposure came from fragments of Jeet Kune Do philosophy, which focused more on combat concepts than actual methods of exerting force.
So receiving Tsunade's taijutsu filled a crucial gap.
He carefully stored the scroll in his ninja pouch. "Thank you."
"No need," Tsunade replied casually. "After all, this also has something to do with you."
Ruofeng was puzzled. How did it involve him?
Jiraiya explained, "After Tsunade took that medicinal ingredient, her power surged again and again. In those repeated bursts, she refined and completed this taijutsu. So you deserve part of the credit."
Ruofeng nodded quietly. He already knew about Tsunade's experience in the Land of Earth. With Nawaki as her younger brother, it was impossible not to hear about it.
Especially lately, to boost morale, the story had spread throughout Konoha: Tsunade had erupted in battle, slaughtered countless Iwagakure shinobi, and even injured the Tsuchikage.
Her strength was awe-inspiring.
But as soon as Jiraiya finished speaking, Orochimaru's gaze returned—and Ruofeng instantly felt uneasy again.
Just then, a masked shinobi appeared and knelt on one knee.
"Tsunade-sama, Orochimaru-sama, Jiraiya-sama. The Hokage has issued a general summons. All resting shinobi are to assemble immediately."
The moment those words fell, the once-relaxed atmosphere vanished.
The three Sannin fell silent, their expressions turning cold and solemn.
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