Naruto: Heaven Rewards Diligence

In recent days, Tsunade had been completely absorbed in the book Umbrella Ideology—so much so that she had even stopped gambling.

This shocked Shizune to no end.

Lady Tsunade, who couldn't last a day without feeling restless unless she gambled, was now spending entire days buried in a book?

And not just any book—it was the very manual they had received when they joined the Umbrella Organization.

No way…

Shizune herself had joined only because Tsunade dragged her in, and she had barely skimmed that book. Could it be that this organization had already brainwashed Tsunade?

She had heard rumors of cults that brainwashed people. Could the so-called Umbrella Organization really be something that dangerous?

Her worry grew the more she watched. Tsunade's behavior was far too abnormal.

"Lady Tsunade… are you alright?"

Shizune carefully approached. At a tidy table, Tsunade sat propping her head up, her golden eyes fixed on the text. Her beauty was as striking as ever, but to Shizune, her expression felt foreign.

Tsunade's fingertips brushed the paper, turning a page with deliberate calm. She had already read this book multiple times in just a few days, and each time she seemed to draw new meaning from it.

Shizune hesitated, then spoke again, softer this time as she leaned in closer:

"Lady Tsunade? Are you really alright?"

At such a distance, even a blind person would notice her presence. Tsunade blinked, suddenly raising her head.

"Oh, Shizune? What is it?"

Pointing at the book, Shizune frowned.

"Lady Tsunade, you've been reading this over and over for days… I feel like this organization might be a little… strange."

Tsunade froze, then studied Shizune's expression. In an instant, she understood what her assistant was thinking.

"You little girl," Tsunade said with a feigned glare, "you don't actually think I've been brainwashed, do you?"

"N-no! Of course not!" Shizune waved her hands frantically, but her guilty look betrayed her.

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Shizune, just read it yourself. You'll understand. I feel this is the path my grandfather always sought."

Her lips curved in a rare, thoughtful smile.

"Things are getting more and more interesting. I can't wait to meet the person who could come up with such a world-shaking theory. This is true pacifism."

With her perspective broadened, Tsunade could feel how the ideas in the book could captivate anyone who longed for peace—perhaps even drive them to dedicate their entire life to it.

Some of the theories were revolutionary.

Especially the idea: If there is no value, then create value.

Resources did not only need to be extracted from nature—they could be generated. Proper allocation of resources could bind people together, creating unity far stronger than coercion.

The text explained, in detail, how value was created and why it mattered. Everyone had their own value, and the degree of it depended on themselves.

Tsunade thought of the battlefield. A single Medical Ninja could save dozens of lives. That was why she had once fought to include Medical Ninja in every squad.

But the book elaborated on such concepts far beyond anything she had imagined.

It also argued that resources were often monopolized by a select few. Only by opening access could true value be unlocked—yet such freedom was always obstructed.

Simple problems, but profound. Enough to leave an ordinary person pondering for days.

Tsunade closed the book with quiet respect.

Umbrella Ideology truly was remarkable.

"Is it really that amazing?" Shizune finally asked, unable to hide her disbelief.

"It is," Tsunade said firmly. "This may be the peace policy my grandfather—the First Hokage—always sought."

To Shizune, such praise was staggering. For Tsunade to endorse anything so highly was nearly unthinkable.

Maybe… I should read it too, she thought reluctantly.

...

Meanwhile, in Konoha…

Naruto had no idea that Tsunade had already been drawn into the Umbrella Organization and now praised it so deeply. If he knew, he would've been delighted. After all, Tsunade was a top-tier asset—both a Kage-level master and someone with enormous influence in the Land of Fire.

She wasn't called Tsunade-hime for nothing.

Time passed, and Hinata's strength continued to grow.

Naruto didn't need her to be overwhelmingly powerful, but he wanted to ensure she wouldn't suffer in the Hyūga clan.

At the very least, she had to surpass Hanabi. That way, the Main House elders would stop harping on Hinata's "weakness."

Right now, she was sparring with Neji.

But the Hinata standing before him was no longer the timid girl of before. Her defense flowed with precision and structure. She had begun to incorporate the principles of Tai Chi into her Gentle Fist, weaving a new style uniquely her own.

Neji's strength had also advanced considerably. Having grasped part of the true essence of Tai Chi, every movement he made now carried the balance of hardness and softness, clearly defined and precise.

When a Hyūga first learns Gentle Fist, it's easy to become too rigid, causing their strikes to break under pressure. Only after reaching a certain level of mastery can one truly embody Gentle Fist's harmony of softness and hardness—where every strike can be released or retracted freely.

Neji had already approached that realm, achieving results that most Hyūga would need decades to touch.

Of course, much of this was thanks to Naruto's guidance, though Neji's own genius couldn't be ignored.

Even now, his strength far surpassed Hinata's. Yet, for the sake of her training, Neji deliberately suppressed himself. Even so, Hinata's defense left him astonished.

She could already withstand opponents of her level with ease—perhaps even rivaling the defense of Kaiten itself. And this was without her fully stepping into the deeper realm of Tai Chi.

If Hinata could one day reach the same level of insight Naruto had into Tai Chi's profound principles, then her defense would become nearly unbreakable. Only overwhelming brute force, or wearing down her chakra and stamina, would allow an opponent to breach it head-on.

This style was one Naruto had designed specifically for Hinata, blending Tai Chi's flowing defense with her Gentle Fist techniques to create a method perfectly suited to her.

After only a short spar, Hinata was already gasping for breath, her chakra nearly depleted. Neji, meanwhile, remained composed, still holding plenty of strength in reserve.

From then on, Hinata would often train under Naruto's guidance, occasionally sparring with Neji to sharpen her skills.

Neji's current power was already comparable to that of an ordinary Jōnin. All he lacked was the battlefield experience that only life-and-death struggles could forge.

And he was only eleven years old.

Not much different from how Shisui had been at that age.

Thinking of Shisui, Naruto felt more and more that saving him back then had been the right choice. Shisui had simply been too easily swayed. It didn't matter who—he lacked the grounding to resist.

But Shisui was no fool. He had simply overlooked certain truths, held a few blind spots. Now, those weaknesses were fading. His strength had grown enormously, and his grasp of politics and the broader picture had deepened as well.

...

TN:

⚒️ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin