Nawaki's concerns quickly became a reality.
The next day, when Tsunade returned from the front lines and saw him stretching at the window, her delicate brows furrowed. She rushed forward and twisted his ear.
"I told you yesterday to rest properly in bed! Don't move around! And what do you do the moment I leave? Sneak out and run around?! What now? You're so grown up you don't even listen to your sister anymore?!"
"Ah! Sis—ow, ow, let go! That hurts!"
Barely escaping from Tsunade's grasp, Nawaki leaned against the windowsill, rubbing his now bright red ear with a helpless expression.
Having a sexy but hot-tempered sister… was that a blessing or a curse?
"Look at me, Sis. Do I look like someone seriously injured?"
Tsunade finally gave him a closer look—and couldn't help clicking her tongue in amazement.
She had clearly been over-worried. Nawaki didn't look injured at all. He wasn't even bandaged anymore.
"Nawaki, what's going on? When I left yesterday, most of your injuries hadn't even healed yet."
"Come here, Sis. I've got a secret to tell you."
Grinning, Nawaki pulled her close and whispered near her ear.
For a moment, he froze. Tsunade had a pleasant scent—light and fragrant.
"What is it? Hurry up and tell me."
Tsunade's cheeks flushed. Her heart unexpectedly began to race.
Not because she had any feelings toward Nawaki—please, she was twenty-two, a full-grown beauty, and this was her twelve-year-old little brother. She wasn't that kind of person.
What she was worried about… was something else entirely. Could Nawaki have… become like her?
Snapping out of it, Nawaki smirked slightly and whispered softly:
"Sis, I… awakened a kekkei genkai."
"Whew."
Tsunade visibly relaxed.
So he hadn't become a Reincarnator like her. Good. Though being a Reincarnator came with immense benefits, it also carried tremendous unknown risks. Failure meant erasure. That Lord God thing never felt like a benevolent force.
…Wait.
She suddenly realized what Nawaki had just said.
A kekkei genkai?
The Senju clan had only one famous kekkei genkai—Wood Release.
Wood Release was the mysterious bloodline of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama—the legendary God of Shinobi. But ever since Hashirama's generation, no Senju had ever awakened it again. It was considered a miracle lost to time.
And now, her younger brother, the direct grandson of Hashirama, just said he awakened a kekkei genkai…
It had to be Wood Release!
"You're sure?" Tsunade held her breath, gripping Nawaki's shoulders tightly, her eyes sparkling.
With that expression, Nawaki felt like even lying would be a crime.
He didn't say a word. Instead, he gently tapped a nearby flowerpot and activated his vibrant green Wood Release chakra.
An astonishing sight followed: the just-sprouting flower bud in the pot suddenly grew at high speed, bursting into full bloom—radiant and vivid.
Only the chakra known as the "source of life," Wood Release, could create such miracles. With that, Nawaki gave her the answer without words.
Overjoyed, Tsunade grabbed Nawaki, spun in place, and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"That's amazing, Nawaki! You've finally awakened the same Wood Release as Grandpa Hashirama!"
Nawaki was completely stunned.
Where was he? Who was he? What just happened?
Hold up—did his sister just kiss him? And spin him around like a rag doll?! This was a blow to his dignity!
"Sis, put me down! Let me go!"
But what chance did he have against Tsunade's strength? She was beyond thrilled, her glowing face flushed with excitement and joy.
"It's been nearly twenty years… and now our Senju clan has another Wood Release prodigy! If the elders hear about this, they'll rejoice!"
Then her mood dimmed. "It's just a shame… Father, Mother, Grandpa Hashirama, Uncle Tobirama, and Grandma Mito—they won't be able to witness it…"
"Don't worry, Sis. If Grandpa Hashirama and the others are watching from the heaven, they'd definitely be proud."
Seeing her eyes dim, Nawaki gently pinched her soft cheek.
"Mhm! You're right—they'd be proud!"
Tsunade nodded. Then, noticing his fingers still on her face, she raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
Nawaki awkwardly withdrew his hand. "Heh, couldn't help myself…"
Tsunade let it slide. She set him down and pulled a blue-and-gold enamel sheath from her belt—the legendary Avalon—and placed it in his hands.
"Take this. It's a ninja tool that can heal your wounds and protect you when enemies strike—it'll shatter into fragments to shield you. I was originally saving it as a birthday gift, but now that you've awakened Wood Release, I'm giving it to you early to celebrate."
Nawaki froze.
He suddenly recalled that gentle look in Tsunade's eyes when she redeemed Avalon.
So… she hadn't gotten it for herself at all. She had been thinking about her little brother—about his safety on the battlefield. This wasn't some vanity item; it was armor. Something that could keep him alive.
And come to think of it, for Tsunade—someone already at the Kage level—what good was a defensive tool that could only block attacks below Kage level?
If it weren't for that encounter with Chiyo, reinforcing her monstrous strength would've been a better investment.
But when given a wish by the Lord God, the first thing she seriously exchanged—was for her only remaining family.
"…Sis."
This was why Nawaki was such a sister-con.
Because beneath Tsunade's fierce and dominant exterior, there were these rare but deeply touching moments of softness—moments that carved themselves so deeply into Nawaki's heart that even death couldn't erase them. This bond had always meant more than his dream of becoming Hokage.
"Sis… where did you get something this miraculous?"
Feeling moved, Nawaki tried to play it off with a curious expression.
"What're you asking so much for?"
Tsunade flicked him on the forehead. She obviously couldn't tell him she redeemed it from the Lord God—the system forbade such disclosures.
So she deflected. "The war in the Land of Rain is just about wrapped up. Since you've awakened your bloodline now, let's head back to the village and share the good news with the clan elders."
"The war's over?"
Nawaki smoothly shifted with her lead, putting on the perfect surprised expression.