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Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Welcome To…

Given Tsunade's usual decisive and swift style, she would have typically departed immediately, ready to set off within fifteen minutes. However, her status was different now; the safety of an entire village rested on her shoulders. Under these circumstances, even she had to make some compromises.

More importantly, she needed to give her subordinates a chance to prove themselves. This would foster mutual understanding and trust. Although Tsunade and Konoha were once intimately familiar with each other, she had essentially been offline for many years. A process of "re-familiarization" was necessary now, no matter what.

Besides, a good leader allows their subordinates to feel valued and present. From this perspective, Tsunade needed to adhere to the security plan formulated by the ANBU, even if she personally felt much of it was unnecessary. It was the emotionally intelligent thing to do.

This was different from impatiently dealing with superiors; as a superior herself, Tsunade had to adapt and accommodate her subordinates.

Consequently, it was two days later by the time Tsunade finally set out. She had to deal with various matters, large and small, in Konoha before she could leave. Furthermore, the scale of her travelling party had grown considerably. Besides Shizune, who conventionally remained by her side, there was one ANBU squad openly tasked with protection, two squads concealed in the shadows, and another squad scouting ahead… totaling sixteen ANBU shinobi alone.

It was somewhat excessive. Even for a Hokage's excursion, especially since the destination was very close to Konoha, one ANBU squad for protection would normally suffice.

Initially, Tsunade had even considered experiencing the "fast travel" option – Daigo had reset a "TP" coordinate in Konoha – but the ANBU had vetoed this as well. On this point, the ANBU were correct. Unless the situation was critical, it was best not to stuff the village leader into a spatial teleportation array.

Most leaders of major villages traveled on foot, which, in a sense, was also a security consideration.

To avoid stirring up any unnecessary speculation, the Fifth Hokage slipped away from Konoha quietly. This method of sneaking off was something Tsunade was intimately familiar with—a feeling honed through countless experiences dodging debt collectors, an intuition that could only be understood, not explained.

Not long after leaving Konoha, Tsunade was already nearing her destination. At this point, a member of the ANBU scouting team returned to her side. "Lady Tsunade, it's just ahead."

"Alright, continue leading the way," Tsunade replied, nodding as she gazed at the undulating ridgeline that had come into view.

From here, they could actually already see the two giant trees.

Seeing firsthand how close this stronghold was built to Konoha, Tsunade felt a sense of relief internally. Such proximity signified an attitude of being separate yet connected; it wasn't within Konoha, yet it was still of Konoha. This was a positive sign.

After walking for another fifteen minutes, the Fifth Hokage and her entourage ventured deeper into the forest. Lifting their gazes slightly, peering through the layers of foliage, they finally caught sight of the bustling "construction site."

Tsunade observed the row of tall buildings erected against the incredibly smooth, sheer rock face, the larger circular structure built around the two massive trees, and some residential buildings under construction below the platform. The speed of construction here seemed almost unbelievably fast.

Only a few days had passed since the end of the turmoil and Habara's departure from Konoha, yet the scale of construction was already so significant. Tsunade then recalled the shinobi named Tenzo. She now understood his situation; previously, she had found it hard to believe that any shinobi today could wield even a fraction of the power that once belonged to her grandfather. Even mastering the basics seemed incredible. Yet, the scene before her confirmed that the records regarding Tenzo were likely true.

However, the concept of using Wood Release for construction was somewhat outside Tsunade's paradigm. In her mind, it was a devastatingly destructive power, an all-consuming tide of green capable of terrifying even allied shinobi.

To see Wood Release employed in such a benign and harmless manner now was quite interesting.

As Tsunade surveyed the area, someone approached to greet her. She gave a slight nod, and the ANBU shinobi surrounding her melted away into the shadows, leaving only Shizune at her side.

"Lady Tsunade, welcome to the Shadow Leaf Stronghold," The one greeting the Hokage was Daigo's "human user interface." They had already received notification of the Hokage's impending arrival.

Tsunade had encountered Daigo in Konoha before, but back then, it was through a very ordinary puppet. Now, she knew she was likely seeing Daigo as she appeared "in life."

She looked barely older than ten – a stark reminder of the vast numbers of shinobi who perished on the battlefield at such a young age.

Tsunade's gaze shifted from Daigo towards some busy individuals who were clearly civilians. "Who are these people?" she asked.

"They are refugees from the former Land of Rouran. They relocated to Konoha after Rouran fell. Habara became acquainted with them and received their help previously, so when construction began here, he invited them over," Daigo explained. "They receive the protection of shinobi, and the shinobi, in turn, benefit from their productivity."

There was no need to conceal such information from Tsunade; it could be easily verified with minimal investigation.

Indeed, Tsunade had already noticed vendors providing food to Konoha shinobi, so she understood what Daigo meant. The situation here mirrored Konoha: a ninja village inhabited by both shinobi and civilians.

It seems the builders don't intend for this to be purely a military outpost, Tsunade quickly deduced.

Careful not to disturb the working shinobi and civilians, she began walking upwards, asking, "Where is Jonin Habara?"

"He is currently out on a mission, Lady Tsunade. However, I am unaware of the specific details," Daigo replied.

Tsunade frowned. This was clearly another instance of him acting without authorization; she knew perfectly well that Konoha hadn't assigned Habara any missions. But with Habara absent, there was nothing she could say at the moment. It would have to wait until his return.

The three arrived on the platform and reached the entrance of the circular building. Tsunade noticed the sign by the door: 10 Shadow Leaf Street.

"May I take a look inside?" Tsunade asked.

"Of course, but it's not fully completed yet. The interior renovations are still ongoing."

With a gesture of invitation, Daigo stepped inside the circular building first.

Tsunade was about to step forward, but Shizune moved ahead of her, entering first. This made Tsunade pause momentarily. Only after Shizune spoke did she proceed… Since becoming Hokage, the circumstances surrounding her had indeed changed significantly, and she was doing her best to adapt.

"Is this area intended for offices?" Shizune asked.

It was an obvious question, but what Shizune said wasn't important. What mattered was that she spoke calmly and normally, effectively performing the role of "scouting ahead and reporting back."

"Yes, both of these buildings are designated as office buildings," Daigo confirmed.

"Let's head up," Tsunade said, gesturing towards the stairs.

"The outer sections of this building are all office spaces," Daigo explained simply. "The inner core contains hidden spaces, suitable for concealing troops, deploying hidden mechanisms, or storing confidential archives."

The center of the building was the massive tree trunk, now encased in panels, giving it a neat appearance. A circular corridor wrapped around the trunk. On the outer side of the corridor were the rooms constructed by the "human-shaped automatic construction machine," which could be divided into numerous offices with different functions. Given the stronghold's current needs, there was far more space than necessary.

The inner side of the corridor, however, wasn't the solid tree trunk it appeared to be. Hidden doors were concealed within the paneling—the tree's interior had been hollowed out, creating concealed spaces for more secretive purposes.

As they walked, Tsunade noticed several puppets stacked near the entrance of one room. "And what are these?"

"The smaller ones are surveillance puppets, the larger ones are combat puppets. In the future, if any emergencies arise within the stronghold, deploying these puppets with sufficient density will allow me to detect the situation and provide support immediately," Daigo explained. "The combat puppets are relatively straightforward. However, the surveillance puppets require eyes, so they currently utilize semi-biological structures, modified from animal bodies. Creating fully functional eyes and visual systems using only puppetry techniques isn't entirely impossible, but it seems beyond the precision achievable with Konoha's current technology."

Daigo gestured, and a fox-like puppet trotted over to her feet.

Daigo's unique life form—requiring no food, drink, or sleep—made her the perfect all-weather surveillance system. This new stronghold could potentially have thousands of puppets hidden in every corner, and she could simultaneously control several hundred of them. Habara and the others' control over this stronghold would be absolute.

Such a setup would be impossible in Konoha. Daigo simply didn't have the authority there. Could she decide for herself what she should and shouldn't see? Consequently, in Konoha, she was confined to the small earthen tower. Here, in the Shadow Leaf Stronghold, she could do as she pleased, completely unrestricted.

The only minor drawback was that requiring animal bodies for numerous puppets would certainly provoke the ire of any animal protection organizations, but fortunately, no such groups existed in the shinobi world... Although Daigo possessed powerful chakra-sensing abilities, visual systems remained indispensable aids for surveillance.

Tsunade briefly imagined the scene—"cameras" everywhere. It certainly seemed effective. For a ruler, such a system undoubtedly offered far more advantages than disadvantages… Big Brother is watching you.

Street photography… Relentless street photography.

Continuing their conversation, they reached the circular platform on the rooftop. Upon arrival, Tsunade immediately sensed people concealed within the tree canopy… No, not concealed, merely present. Their movements were quite audible; they were clearly engaged in construction work.

"The shinobi are installing my main and backup antennas," Daigo explained. "With these components, I can more effectively transmit and relay chakra, enabling various functions."

Each of the two large trees would house a set of antennas—one operational, one backup. Once installed, Daigo's main body, her puppets, and the shinobi logged into the system could form a more effective network.

"Oh…"

Tsunade found it rather high-tech, yet simultaneously felt this level of technology wasn't very… ninja. Fortunately, no matter how complex, the implementation was still based on fundamental chakra principles, so it wasn't entirely beyond her comprehension.

Tsunade walked to the edge of the rooftop platform, resting her hand on the railing as she gazed into the distance. From here, it seemed she could see nothing but wild, untamed greenery.

No, there was more to it than that.

Even after just a short while here, Tsunade sensed a different spirit, a distinct atmosphere among the shinobi here compared to those in Konoha. She couldn't quite pinpoint the feeling at first, but now, she thought she understood… It was like new buds sprouting on an old tree.

After gazing out from the railing for a while, lost in thought, Tsunade suddenly turned to Daigo. "Can I see your main body?"

Daigo hesitated for a moment, considered it, then nodded. "Of course. Please follow me."

Leading the way, Daigo returned to the first floor of the circular building. Opening a hidden door, she stepped into the space within the tree trunk.

Being hollowed out from top to bottom, the space spanned six floors and was quite spacious overall.

Daigo then opened a second door, and the trio entered a dark passage. They walked downhill, then uphill. When they saw natural light again, they found themselves in a room on the third floor of the row of buildings built into the cliff face.

Once inside, Daigo closed the door behind them, then opened another door in the adjacent room.

This time, they began moving through the mountain itself.

As they walked on and on, Tsunade sensed passing through more than one barrier. Anyone entering here without authorization would undoubtedly be detected and attacked immediately.

When they emerged from the tunnel, there were no man-made structures in sight. Tsunade narrowed her eyes; she knew they had entered the so-called "secret realm."

Then, led by Daigo's puppet, she finally saw Daigo's main body.

It was an enormous sphere of pure chakra, making it difficult to believe this was a unique form of life.

Feeling the immense pressure, comparable to that of a Tailed Beast, Tsunade asked Daigo, "Can my medical chakra also be redistributed through your system?"

"Certainly," Daigo replied. "As long as I preserve the nature of Lady Tsunade's chakra without assimilating it, storing it exactly as received, it can perform its original function when distributed."

Tsunade nodded. She herself could distribute chakra over a wide area, but only by utilizing her summoning, Katsuyu. Compared to Daigo's method, that approach had the disadvantage of not allowing for advance preparation and being difficult to use preventatively. It was primarily a remedial measure employed after a disaster occurred, lacking immediate effectiveness.

Moreover, expending such a massive amount of chakra at once was extremely taxing. Tsunade detested doing it. Although she wouldn't shrivel into an old woman like before, she still preferred her younger appearance.

So, saving up small amounts for a large withdrawal was indeed a smart approach.

Just then, Daigo continued, "Actually, we are currently researching a 'Chakra Encapsulation' technology. Remote medical treatment is one of the options being explored."

"How does that work?" Tsunade asked, intrigued.

"It involves pre-sealing highly versatile techniques into portable forms. Shinobi on missions can carry these, releasing the sealed technique when necessary to achieve a critical effect."

"For example, a 'Clarity Jutsu' for more efficient chakra recovery, or a 'Healing Jutsu' utilizing medical chakra for treatment. A 'Purification Jutsu' that automatically activates upon falling under genjutsu control. A 'Barrier Jutsu' to resist direct attacks. Or even a 'Swift Run Jutsu' that uses Raiton stimulation to accelerate the shinobi's body for rapid pursuit or escape…"

Tsunade: "..."

"However," Daigo added, "given that these are all currently in the theoretical and experimental stages, and different techniques might interfere with each other when used, a shinobi can carry a maximum of two encapsulated techniques when deployed for now." This limitation also served to conserve Daigo's own chakra.

Alright, Tsunade had certainly never heard of such things before, but someone might find these concepts just a little bit familiar.

 

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