Land of Fire.
Somewhere in a small town.
Inside a local tavern, Tsunade was slumped on a sofa. The table in front of her was littered with empty sake bottles, and she was holding the last one in her hand.
"Bring me five more... no, make it ten..."
Tsunade took a long swig and shouted toward the counter.
Watching this scene, Shizune began to sweat nervously and couldn't help but say,
"Lady Tsunade, that's enough! You can't keep drinking like this!"
"Get lost."
Tsunade shot her a glance, then said, slightly slurring, "You should drink a little too, Shizune. Come, have a drink with me."
Shizune puffed up her cheeks angrily and scolded, "Lady Tsunade! You're encouraging a minor to drink! That's illegal! And besides, we're almost out of money!"
"Ughhh…"
The mention of money hit Tsunade like a nerve. She downed the rest of her drink in one go and groaned,
"Lost it all again today. My luck at gambling is as rotten as ever… Same with my luck in life…"
She slumped forward on the table and glanced at Shizune, then suddenly sighed.
"Shizune… go back to Konoha. You shouldn't follow me anymore."
"Huh?!"
Shizune was startled. "L-Lady Tsunade… did I do something wrong? But you really can't keep drinking like this, it's bad for your health…"
Tsunade shook her head.
"No, it's not that… It's just… anyone close to me never ends up with good luck. My grandfather… my brother… even Kaede… If you keep following me, misfortune might fall on you too…"
Shizune lowered her head. She was silent for a few seconds, then clenched her fists and stood up.
"Lady Tsunade! Please don't say things like that! None of that was your fault! No matter what, I'm not leaving you!"
"You…"
Tsunade sighed. "Then at least come drink a glass with me."
Faced with Tsunade's drunken expression, Shizune didn't know how to respond. And just then, a voice suddenly rang out beside them.
"She looks like she's only twelve. Encouraging a minor to drink is a crime, you know. You could go to jail for that."
"Shut up…"
Tsunade's mood was already terrible. She sat up straight and snapped without turning around,
"If you think you can, then come arrest me!!"
But right after shouting that, her expression froze.
There was something about that voice… it sounded strangely familiar.
And then, she saw it.
Sitting in front of her, Shizune had a blank, wide-eyed expression. Her gaze was fixed on something behind Tsunade, as if she was witnessing something unbelievable.
A thought surfaced in Tsunade's mind, one that she didn't dare believe. She stiffly turned her neck, slowly glancing behind her.
Before she could fully turn,
A hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. A calm voice followed.
"Then please come with me, Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade's wrist trembled. With her strength, she could've easily broken free, but she didn't. Her eyes followed the hand up… and saw a face she knew all too well.
Her heart surged with disbelief.
But the feeling of the touch, the chakra within that hand, it was unmistakably familiar. There was no doubt. It was him.
"K-Kaede…"
Shizune looked at Kaede, her voice trembling. Her eyes welled up with a mix of emotions: joy, shock, disbelief, all at once.
Tsunade's body trembled slightly. Then, without a word, she stood up, reached out, grabbed Kaede by the collar, and with a sudden burst of strength, hurled him straight out the window.
"You bastard, Kaede!!"
CRASH!!
Kaede didn't resist. He flew out the window, but in a flash, reappeared silently in the same spot.
He looked at Tsunade and said helplessly,
"That really was an accident this time…"
Tsunade didn't give him a chance to say more. This time, she didn't throw him, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, almost knocking him over.
Kaede opened his mouth slightly.
He paused for a few seconds, then softly said,
"…Sorry. I made you worry."
….
Half a day later.
Inside a small inn.
A dim light flickered in a room, casting faint shadows. Kaede sat at one end of the table, across from Tsunade. Shizune sat quietly to the side.
"A lot's happened over these past two years."
Kaede sighed after hearing Tsunade recount everything that had gone on. Though his sigh wasn't entirely heartfelt.
Because most of it followed the course he already knew.
The Third Great Ninja War had ended.
Or more accurately, the main conflict was over. What remained were a few scattered skirmishes, too small to be called a war. Even during peacetime, these were not uncommon.
Namikaze Minato hadn't officially become the Fourth Hokage yet, but by now, he was already the clear favorite in Konoha. Orochimaru, on the other hand, had gone quiet after the war.
"You were too reckless."
Tsunade had learned from Kaede what had really happened during his two-year disappearance. He hadn't been hiding, he had jumped through time due to the effects of the Ryūmyaku.
Kaede smiled. "Yeah, it was reckless… but it was worth it. Now I've obtained the power I was looking for."
"Time-space ninjutsu… No, time-based ninjutsu, huh…"
Tsunade sighed. "I never expected you to gain something like that… I can't even guess how strong you've become anymore. You took down the entire Sunagakure on your own…"
Kaede chuckled. "I remembered how much pain you suffered at the hands of the Sand, and since they basically handed themselves over to me… I thought I'd use them to test my new power."
Tsunade's eyes drifted toward the corner of the table. A look of nostalgia surfaced in her gaze. After a moment, she came back to herself and looked at Kaede.
"What are you planning next? Are you going back to Konoha?"
"Yeah."
Kaede nodded. "There are still some things I need to take care of."
Tsunade shook her head. "If you're talking about helping Orochimaru fight for the Hokage seat, forget it. He's already given up."
"Given up?"
Kaede was surprised.
Tsunade replied slowly, "I saw him before I left the village. I could tell… he's completely lost interest in that position."
"…I see."
Kaede went silent for a moment, then said, "Even so, I still have to go back."
The end of the Third Great Ninja War meant the Kannabi Bridge mission had already passed. Even though Kakashi was far stronger than in the original timeline, that battle had Uchiha Madara pulling strings behind the scenes. It likely wouldn't change much. Which meant Kakashi and Rin were still in danger.
Minato would arrive late, he always did. But maybe this time, he'd arrive even later.
In any case, Kaede had to make sure it didn't go wrong.
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