The Hokage Building had never changed in appearance. Tsunade still remembered the first time she stood before this building. At the time, she had no idea what kind of impact the title of Hokage would have on her life.
Aside from Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, everyone she was close to was either a Hokage or aspired to be one, and they all left her, most meeting tragic ends.
Oh, and there was one exception, someone who never wanted to be Hokage and was often beaten up by the Hokage. Thinking of that person, she couldn't help but show a brief smile, which quickly disappeared.
Jiraiya caught that fleeting expression and thought she had come to terms with things.
"That's more like it. If you didn't come to this place, it'd really be no fun," Jiraiya said cheerfully, stepping forward and waving as he walked. "Come on, come on, haven't seen Sensei in a while. Perfect time to talk to him."
"…"
Forget it, she really couldn't out-stubborn this guy. Jiraiya was truly good at breaking down her defenses when it counted. Even when she was in this state, would it kill him to offer a bit of genuine comfort?
Back when she was younger, she would've punched him straight away. Later, she got used to him. If she didn't think of him as a romantic partner, dealing with an idiot like him was actually rather comfortable.
He said he liked her, yet went peeping. When she needed support, he was always a step too late. If she ever agreed to be with him, that'd be the real miracle.
She looked again at the door. Jiraiya was standing at the entrance.
This man, usually carefree and unserious, was someone who would put his life on the line when it mattered, possessed strength beyond the reach of ordinary people, yet lived more like a lost soul than anyone else.
Praised by the ninjas of this era as unrivaled in medical ninjutsu, it was unfortunate that she no longer had the ability to perform surgeries. If she had learned any skills over the years, it was probably how to dodge debt collectors.
When the clashing of blades faded, and the war cries ceased, vivid faces would always resurface before her eyes... Hashirama, Tobirama, Nawaki, Dan… All of these loved ones had been taken away by the passage of time.
Orochimaru had gone rogue, Jiraiya drifted through life much like her, and Hiruzen… She didn't even know how to feel about her old teacher anymore.
She was grateful for the care and teachings he gave her in her youth. But she also resented his indecisiveness and his soft spot for Danzō, which led to a string of irreversible consequences.
She took a step forward.
She thought about what she had seen and heard since returning to the village. Though she couldn't go to the front lines anymore, with Jiraiya's help, she was still able to contribute a bit from the rear.
She couldn't handle blood, but her knowledge and experience remained intact. Even after so many years without wielding a scalpel, much of it was muscle memory.
She walked into the Hokage Building. She didn't consider this a true return to Konoha, just passing through. And while passing through, she might as well check if her teacher was dead yet.
Once she confirmed that, she would leave.
Climbing the stairs, they ascended together. Beside her, Jiraiya kept trying to make conversation, chattering non-stop.
"Shut up. You're so noisy," Tsunade said. Though her words were harsh, deep down, she didn't actually find it annoying.
Even though she constantly reminisced and spoke of her deceased brother and ex-lover, she knew well that the dead couldn't return. While her grief for Nawaki remained, Dan's image had gradually begun to fade with time. But that didn't stop her from fearing blood.
Dan wasn't the sole cause of her hemophobia, he was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
"Alright, I'll be quiet," Jiraiya quickly said, not wanting to upset her again.
Soon, the two reached the top floor.
The guards and ninjas moving about there all looked at them with clear admiration.
Orochimaru's departure hadn't diminished the status of the Sannin in Konoha. In fact, with him gone, Jiraiya and Tsunade garnered even more respect. After all, what was once divided among three was now shared by just two.
"Where's the Hiruzen-sensei?" Jiraiya asked a ninja. "Is he in the Hokage office?"
"Jiraiya-sama," the ninja quickly replied, "The Third and Fourth Hokage are both in the conference room. Fugaku-sama is there too. Also…"
"What about Masashi? Has he arrived?" Jiraiya interrupted.
Tsunade, who had been working from behind the scenes away from the bloodshed, checking and designing medical plans, still didn't know about the Edo Tensei First and Second Hokage.
Once she did, it wouldn't exactly be a pleasant surprise.
"Masashi-sama hasn't arrived," the ninja replied smoothly, picking up where Jiraiya left off. "I heard the Uchiha district suffered significant damage."
"Jiraiya, what are you rambling about?" Tsunade frowned. "Stop bothering people at work."
"Hey hey, I was just asking," Jiraiya grinned. "Come on, let's go!"
When they reached the conference room door, he rubbed his hands excitedly, then used his wide frame to block Tsunade's view as he pushed the door open.
"I'm here! Guess who came back!"
Everyone in the room turned toward the loud, boisterous Jiraiya at the doorway. And even though he had mentally prepared himself, his body still froze when he saw the figures sitting at the conference table.
As Hiruzen's student, he had seen two of them in person when he was a child.
In the state of Edo Tensei, they looked almost exactly as they had in life. The third, though he'd never met him, was immediately recognizable.
In Konoha, anyone who had lived through that era couldn't stay calm upon seeing those three again.
Muzo, who had just been yanked by Tobirama for being too hyper, looked at the loud, boisterous man who suddenly went silent. Although he didn't care much for that weathered face, the man's overall look gave him a hunch.
To be fair, in the manga, most ninjas wore the same outfit year-round.
In reality, this was a common trend too. Ninjas didn't care much for fashion, once they found a style they liked, they stuck with it.
Despite Jiraiya's broad figure, Muzo still noticed the person standing behind him.
"This one of your three disciples?" Muzo asked Hiruzen. "Is this the cocky brat?"
He had seen Jiraiya as a child, boy was that kid a handful.
"Yes," Hiruzen answered with a wry smile. He also saw the person standing behind Jiraiya.
It was Tsunade. And behind Jiraiya, hearing those familiar voices, she froze like she had been struck by lightning.
Suddenly, she shoved him aside.
The three people seated at the table came into view.
She stood there in a daze, still in the motion of pushing Jiraiya aside.
What did she see?
Hashirama! Tobirama! And Muzo!
"Eh? She looks familiar," Hashirama said in surprise.
Tobirama muttered, "This child is clearly Tsunade. She looks way too much like her mother."
Muzo added, "Yeah, I think so too. You really are her actual grandfather, yet you can't recognize your own granddaughter?"
The three of them spoke one after another, and Tsunade finally snapped out of her daze.
"Ojisan…" she murmured softly.
"Aiya, it really is Tsunade!" Hashirama exclaimed joyfully as he stood up. "You've grown so much!"
"Mm. You've become a fine young lady," said the usually cold-faced Tobirama, even showing a rare trace of sentimentality.
As for Muzo...
"Why'd you only greet Hashirama?" Seizing the moment while Tobirama was distracted with emotion, Muzo broke free from the grip on his collar and shouted, "Back then, you said I was your favorite! You've changed not just once but eighty-one times!"
BANG!
Even though Edo Tensei bodies didn't feel pain, they did still have ears.
Muzo turned to find Tobirama glaring at him furiously.
"Can't you act like a proper adult once?"
"Nope! And you're just jealous because she likes me more!"
Tobirama gritted his teeth. Whatever momentary soft-heartedness he had was now long gone.
After decades without discipline, this guy had completely lost his mind!
"Why…" Tsunade stood there, staring blankly at them she had long thought gone. "Why are you all… here…?"
"Did you forget what i used to do?" Muzo instantly appeared before her and struck a bicep-flexing pose. Unfortunately, he was still wearing armor, so it didn't have the effect he intended.
"Edo Tensei…" Tsunade murmured as she looked at him up close, still acting goofy just like she remembered.
She wasn't stupid, this had to be it. Besides, their physical features made it obvious they had been resurrected using Edo Tensei.
She sharply turned to Hiruzen.
Seeing the look in his student's eyes, he was stunned for a moment. But then he realized she had misunderstood, and immediately broke into a cold sweat.
Was this child crazy? Like he'd actually do something like that?!
"Tsunade, Muzo-sensei and Madara really were resurrected by Orochimaru," he explained quickly. "But as for the First and Second Hokage being here, that's because of the enemy."
Even as the Third Hokage, he would never summon the earlier Hokage just because the village was under attack.
Edo Tensei had a different name: Impure World Reincarnation.
Life was precious precisely because it only happened once. Despite the word "reincarnation" being in its name, it wasn't that at all.
The revived were not truly alive, they are weapons, nothing more. That was why the technique was considered a forbidden jutsu that violated humanity. Among all the forbidden techniques created by Tobirama, this one was the most inhumane.
Hiruzen had used it only once in his life, and that was to give his former team members closure. But to use it during a village crisis to summon past Hokage for help?
He might as well commit seppuku.
Even someone like Muzo, who had the fewest qualms about using this technique, would never summon dead clan members in front of other allied ninjas from Konoha. Not anymore, not after the village was established.
"Who… did this!?" Tsunade's eyes reddened. She wasn't someone completely indifferent, after all. Despite her usual tough-girl demeanor, she was actually very sensitive when it came to emotions.
Jiraiya once believed she was just a brash tomboy. Though he had deep feelings for her, and she didn't completely reject him, he still managed to repeatedly say the wrong things, killing any chance they had of becoming a couple.
Dan, on the other hand, had seen her as a woman from the very start, and thus won her heart.
"Ahhh, what's the big deal?" Muzo waved his hand nonchalantly. "Relax. I already beat that guy to death."
BANG! BANG!
Tobirama used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind him and slammed him hard.
"Watch your mouth in front of the kid!"
"Have you ever considered that if you keep hitting me in front of her, she'll become violent and learn bad habits…"
Tobirama looked at Tsunade, and for once, the usually stone-faced man hesitated. As someone extremely perceptive, who had once manipulated the Uchiha clan without flaw, he could tell at a glance that she wasn't doing well.
Or more precisely, she was doing terribly.
A young girl who suddenly lost her loved ones... of course life would be hard.
He trusted Hiruzen to take care of her, but the truth was, Hiruzen's care always had a certain distance. It wasn't the same.
Muzo, on the other hand, though a constant jokester, had been deeply close to Tsunade growing up. Even though he wasn't a direct relative, their relationship was as good as one.
She must've suffered a lot…
That was what Tobirama believed. But while he was capable of everything else, he had no idea how to comfort people, especially not girls.
Yes, she was his grandniece. But now, she was a grown woman. She wasn't the little girl from back then anymore.
Muzo, meanwhile, shot a look of pure disdain at Tobirama. He broke free again and rushed back to Tsunade, ready to unleash the full extent of his charms to make her smile.
In the next instant, Tsunade suddenly rushed forward, and threw her arms around him.
In the eyes of Hiruzen and the others, she had always been a particularly strong-willed girl.
Even after losing the people closest to her, she stayed resilient.
As a kunoichi, she had talent and perseverance.
As an older sister, she also played her role well.
Over time, everyone simply assumed that she didn't possess the usual fragility of an ordinary girl.
At this moment, watching Tsunade clutching Muzo tightly, Hiruzen and the others fell silent.
Hashirama and Tobirama looked her with faces full of heartache and guilt.
Muzo, who had originally intended to lighten the mood, fell silent too. He sighed quietly and gently patted her back with one hand while the other stroked her head.
"Don't be afraid… I am here…" His voice was soft, his tone just like it had been when she was a little girl.
Hearing those familiar words and feeling those familiar actions, she only hugged him tighter. Years of pain and grief threatened to burst from within her.
All three had loved her, but each had expressed that love differently.
Hashirama and Tobirama were both Hokage. They didn't have much time to spend with her.
In terms of family relation, Muzo's mother was the elder sister of Butsuma. But the way he cared for her was exactly what she imagined the perfect grandfather-figure should be.
He would play with her, carry her on his shoulders running over hills and through forests, and whenever she was bullied, he would stick up for her.
To her, this was her grandfather, her real one.
The body reanimated by Edo Tensei was cold, this coldness constantly reminded her that the beloved Muzo in front of her was nothing more than a puppet shackled by dust.
Even though she knew that no one could control him through Edo Tensei, her heart still ached like a knife stabbing through. Her chest felt tight, her breathing labored.
For the living, Edo Tensei was the cruelest kind of illusion, it was real. The more vivid the dream, the more painful the awakening.
She closed her eyes and buried her head in Muzo's chest, listening to the same warm voice from her memories, feeling the bittersweet warmth this dream brought her, and trying with all her might to use her own body heat to warm his cold chest.
She would remember all of this, forever.
Muzo, for his part, was extremely patient, gently patting the Tsunade in his arms. As a transmigrator, he knew how hard her life had been. That was why he had always treated her with special care since she was a child.
Truthfully, the two Senju brothers weren't the type to be good grandfather-figures. They loved her, yes, but the role of Hokage always took precedence, even in their personal lives.
To a child, that kind of love could feel lacking.
Adults could rationalize, but you couldn't expect a child of only a few years old to have that level of understanding.
For example, when Tsunade got into fights, they would comfort her, but then tell her to go apologize and make up with the other kids.
But clearly, that wasn't what Tsunade wanted. Her thoughts were much simpler and more straightforward, she just wanted her powerful grandpa to stand up for her.
Of course, Muzo wouldn't openly go against the two brothers. After all, from a principled standpoint, their actions were in line with what being a Hokage required.
But…
Hashirama and Tobirama being Hokage, what the hell did that have to do with him?
Everyone in the village already called him the "Hollow." If he showed favoritism toward his own family, what of it?
When it came to secretly getting back at people, he proudly claimed first place, no one in the entire Konoha could top him.
Not even Tobirama.
Because his way of "getting back" at people wasn't the same as Tobirama's. Tobirama was skilled at scheming in the political realm; Muzo, on the other hand, was simply good at messing with people.
Hurting kids? No, he'd never.
But if the kid was being a brat and the parents were too? Well, that was another story.
Please call him "Friend of Irresponsible Parents."
He believed he had made his own small yet meaningful contribution to improving the moral environment of Konoha and reducing misunderstandings between people. And take another example, whether it was Hashirama or Tobirama, neither of them really had much time to play with Tsunade.
No matter how much Hashirama slacked off, he was still Hokage, and he had plenty of responsibilities. As for Tobirama, that was even more out of the question, he didn't slack off at all, and even went out of his way to give himself extra tasks.
Count on those two to play with Tsunade? Yeah, right.
So, her joyful childhood? It relied entirely on Muzo.
He had more games than he could even copy. After all, his workload wasn't heavy. As long as he didn't have to go out on extermina, ahem, diplomatic missions, he had all the free time in the world.
Besides, when it came to those old killjoys, he much preferred spending time with his adorable clan kids. And facts proved he was right, everyone loved Tsunade.
And despite being showered with affection from a horde of elders, she didn't grow up into a self-centered child. She was actually very sensible, so sensible it made your heart ache. But being sensible didn't mean she didn't deserve a joyful childhood.
In Muzo's arms, Tsunade was already sobbing uncontrollably.
Jiraiya and Minato were stunned.
Jiraiya thought to himself that he'd only ever seen Tsunade cry a few times in his life. But now, not only was she crying, she was crying like a little kid. This was the first time ever.
Minato, as a Hokage and someone from the next generation of the Sannin's disciples, had never seen it happen at all.
Hiruzen silently smoked his pipe. To be honest, although he had always positioned himself as a family figure to Tsunade, he knew deep down he hadn't fulfilled that role very well.
He had been stricter with Orochimaru and Jiraiya. With Tsunade, he took on more of a protective approach, trying to shield her from the darker sides of the world. But ultimately, he was the Hokage. His primary responsibility was always to balance the complex web of interests within the village.
And her personality? She was never the type who could tolerate the entire Tobirama faction.
This, in turn, only deepened her sense of loss over her departed loved ones.
Through all of this, both Orochimaru and Jiraiya showed that they were truly hopeless at comforting others. One simply didn't comfort people at all, and the other was worse at it than even Hiruzen.
But Muzo was clearly leagues above them. With his incredible patience and gentle voice, he kept softly patting Tsunade as her shoulders trembled up and down.
This woman who appeared strong but was inwardly fragile finally, completely released all the years of pent-up sorrow and pain she had kept locked inside.
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80 Advance Chapters!
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