Chapter Fifty-Five: The Root That Could Not Be Restrained

“Wood Release: Bramble Killing Technique!”

Nawaki’s hands moved swiftly in a series of seals before pressing one palm to the ground. Instantly, ten meters away, Tsunade felt vines and leafy roots burst from the earth beneath her feet, entangling and binding her in place.

Watching from the sidelines, Karn’s eyes lit up at the scene. This unconventional binding method truly was especially effective against Tsunade.

Just then, Tsunade caught Karn’s gaze. She had intended to have Nawaki demonstrate the power of Wood Release to pique Karn’s interest, but her foolish little brother had managed to bungle the show.

“Idiot Nawaki!”

Tsunade seethed inwardly and, with a surge of strength, tore herself free from Nawaki’s sole Wood Release technique. In a blur, she appeared behind him and brought her fist crashing down on his head, making him clutch his skull and cry out in pain.

“Big sister, you hit too hard! Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to test my jutsu?” Nawaki protested, rubbing the large swelling on his head, aggrieved. Was this just an excuse to beat him up?

“Ahem, that was to warn you not to be so careless in the future. Last time you were lucky—there won’t always be a miraculous serum to save you, you blockhead!”

Tsunade coughed lightly, seizing the opportunity to lecture Nawaki severely.

Nawaki had gradually gained control over his Wood Release bloodline. Under Tsunade’s strict training, in just four days he had mastered a Wood Release technique of considerable power—if it weren’t for Tsunade’s monstrous strength, most ninja would find it nearly impossible to escape.

Tests showed that Nawaki’s strength, speed, physical constitution, and chakra reserves had all improved drastically. In terms of chakra alone, he was approaching jonin level. Not to mention his terrifying regenerative ability—the new version of the Doomsday Virus, fused with Hashirama cells, granted a horrifying rate of recovery. The Hashirama cells seemed to compensate for the virus’s original weakness—the heart. In Orochimaru’s experiments with previous test subjects, even if a gaping hole was carved through the chest, recovery would still ensue, albeit slowly.

Only total decapitation or utter destruction of the body could kill such a subject.

Of course, Karn now possessed this frightening regenerative power as well. If Konoha discovered what the Doomsday Virus serum could really do, they would never let him go. For now, it was unclear if things would reach open hostility—Karn’s relationship with Tsunade was still amicable, he had hired dozens of Senju clan members, and continued to supply Konoha with pharmaceuticals.

Beneath the surface, Karn was certain Konoha would keep probing for weaknesses, but for now, they were powerless against him. Orochimaru had tried genjutsu on Nawaki, but the moment the illusion struck, Nawaki’s eyes flashed red and the jutsu failed instantly—lasting less than a second. The Doomsday Virus would automatically correct any abnormality within a host’s body, including neurons in the brain. This was a crucial effect of the virus.

Still, Nawaki’s case alone wasn’t enough—Karn planned to have Kakuzu try genjutsu on him personally, to experience it for himself.

Aside from Nawaki, Karn’s own changes were immense. He could now easily lift over two thousand kilograms with one hand; with both hands at full strength, he could raise seven tons. His speed had reached one hundred meters in six seconds, and his senses—sight, hearing, and more—had all sharpened dramatically.

All these tests were done without using chakra. Should he refine and channel chakra through his limbs, those numbers would easily double or triple.

In the Marvel universe, he would be classed as a superhuman—one among the world’s elite. While such power meant little in the world of ninja, Marvel was his world to survive in. Karn had no intention of fighting to the death in the Shinobi World; if trouble arose, he could simply hire ninja to deal with it. With enough money, perhaps one day he could even hire someone with the Rinnegan.

After spending some time at the research base, Tsunade, Nawaki, Orochimaru, and the others prepared to return to Konoha. Their work on the Doomsday Virus serum had delayed other matters, and upon returning, they would likely be assigned missions to make up for lost time.

Konoha’s ANBU had already been spotted nearby. It was upon noticing their presence that Tsunade and Orochimaru decided to return to the village.

Orochimaru had obtained what he wanted: the serum. Though he hadn’t used it immediately, Karn had gifted Orochimaru the entire research base, equipment and all. Karn had nothing pressing for Orochimaru to investigate at the moment, and the equipment was worth only a few million dollars—not a steep price. Giving it away was a gesture of goodwill, making future negotiations smoother if he ever needed Orochimaru’s help.

After they departed, Karn too prepared to return to the Marvel universe for a while. His golden finger seemed on the verge of unlocking the next world. He had already made arrangements regarding Shinobi World affairs—Natsukawa should be able to handle most issues, including those concerning the Land of Waves.

As for trade with Kirigakure, Karn would still handle that himself, but with no war at present, shipments occurred only every two or three months, so there was little risk of urgent demands.

When bidding farewell to Tsunade, Karn asked her to deliver a copy of an IOU to Kushina. With Kushina’s mathematical skills, she would know exactly how much she owed him. At this rate of compound interest, even if she became Hokage and sold the entire village, she’d be hard-pressed to pay off her debt in three years.

There was also the matter of the terminal illness remedy—now that Nawaki’s situation was resolved, Tsunade would give that her full attention.

“Karn, would you like me to see you off? I don’t mind being a little late returning,” Orochimaru said with a smile. Having received such a fine gift, he naturally wished to reciprocate. With his special sensory jutsu and the perception of his snakes, he could detect anyone lurking nearby.

“Thank you, Orochimaru, but I have my own way back,” Karn replied, intending to use his golden finger to return to the Marvel universe.

Shortly after Tsunade and the others left, two squads of masked Konoha Root operatives suddenly appeared around Karn, some with hands already on the hilts of their short swords.

“Merchant Karn, please come with us—” The lead Root ninja didn’t get to finish his sentence before Karn vanished before his eyes.

“Crow, scan the area,” the captain commanded. One of the Root ninja immediately formed a rapid sequence of seals and closed his eyes, using a chakra sensory technique. But after several dozen seconds, he still sensed nothing.

“Nothing, Captain. No unfamiliar presences nearby…”

Even against two of the Legendary Sannin, they had waited until those two were gone before appearing before Merchant Karn.

“He just vanished…”

The Root captain pondered in silence. He dismissed the possibilities of genjutsu, body flicker, or regular escape techniques—only a space-time jutsu could have allowed someone to evade Root’s sensory perimeter so swiftly.

“Return and report this to Lord Danzo!”