My spiritual clone arrived in Konoha at the first light of morning. The journey was swift—one of the many advantages of spiritual clones. I never thought I'd see Konoha again with my own eyes, and doing so stirred memories of the day I left with Team 8—Kurenai, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru.
At the gates, the guards let me through without incident, thanks to the notice I'd sent to Kurenai via Yumegakure. One of them even offered to escort me personally to the Sarutobi clan compound.
When I arrived, I saw Kurenai stepping outside with little Hiruzen nestled securely in her arms. The baby, nearly a year old now, looked around with sleepy curiosity, his head resting lightly against her shoulder.
"Hinata!" Kurenai's eyes sparkled with emotion as she hurried over, embracing me tightly. Her gaze drifted to my face—and I saw her breath catch. She reached out, gently cupping my cheek, her fingertips brushing the smooth skin of my forehead where the Hyūga seal once was. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Seeing you like this… in person… It brings such peace. I was there when you broke the seal, I know. But seeing it here, with these eyes—it feels like closure."
I returned her embrace, smiling. "Thank you, Kurenai-sensei. That means a lot."
Kurenai happily tells him... "Honestly, I would like to share this with Asuma in the real world, not just in Yumegakure."
"You will," I said gently. "That's part of why I'm here. Before I leave again, I'll make sure he remembers everything. Yumegakure isn't just a dream—it's part of our history now."
Kurenai chuckled warmly. "That's a real relief, With that you will take a great weight off my shoulders."
I smiled softly, tilting my head. "Sorry for taking so long. The new light within you… it shines bright."
Beside her, just in time to hear my last words, having clearly just returned from a morning training session, was Asuma.
Asuma, suddenly alert, looked between us. "New light?"
Kurenai froze.
I blinked, surprised. There I could see it clear as day, she knew, he didn't... until now. I opened my mouth to say something but I couldn't... I just looked into Kurenai's eyes in apology.
She just smiled fully, while with her arm she held the little Hiruzen with care, with her other hand she had it lightly on her stomach, while she turned to see Asuma's surprised face... "Surprise! I was hoping to tell you when I was more sure, but this confirms it... it seems that the Saratubi family continues to grow."
Asuma let out a stunned laugh, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Well then… looks like we just got some incredible news."
Kurenai just looked back at Hinata, and said in a jovial tone "Don't worry, you don't have to apologize, after all, this is news to be celebrated"
His words demolished the anxiety in my chest, but also urged me to warn Asuna.
"You're having another child at a time when the world's in flux," I said, turning to Asuma. My tone grew serious. "Be careful. There are storm clouds gathering. There'll be choices ahead that could cost everything. Watch your steps—and trust your instincts."
Asuma nodded, a rare moment of solemnity crossing his face. He gave a quick glance to little Hiruzen in the arms of his beloved Kurenai. "Understood. I've got more to protect now."
Kurenai reached for my hand. "We'll support you however we can. This village owes you more than it knows."
I smiled again, grateful. "And I'll do my part. While I'm here, let's make the most of it."
Hiruzen, he just pointed at me with his finger, with an adorable face and said "ba".
My heart melted a little. Yes… I would make the most of every moment here.
<<<< o >>>>
The morning sun filtered through the Hokage Tower's tall windows as Hinata Gin stepped quietly into the office of Tsunade Senju, Fifth Hokage of Konoha. Clad in a simple traveling kimono, Hinata carried herself with composed intensity. Tsunade looked up from a thick report, eyebrow raised.
"Hinata Gin," Tsunade said cautiously. "To what do I owe the honor? I wasn't informed you'd returned to Konoha."
"I came quietly, Hokage-sama," Hinata responded with a slight bow. "And only temporarily. I wouldn't have asked for your time if it weren't for three very specific reasons."
Tsunade closed her report and leaned back with a sigh. "This already sounds like trouble. Sit. Speak."
Hinata did. "The first concerns a patient. A man whose life is hanging by a thread, but whose survival could change the course of several key threads in the future of many. He's critically injured, and I will bring him here if you're willing to treat him in secret."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "You expect me to treat a mystery patient in secret? Who is it?"
"Uchiha Itachi."
Silence fell like a blade. Tsunade sat up straight, her eyes sharp. "What did you just say?"
"Itachi Uchiha. Konoha's agent within Akatsuki. He's dying. But perhaps not beyond your help."
Tsunade stood, fists clenched at her sides. "You're telling me that Danzo and the elders sent a spy into Akatsuki and never informed the current Hokage?"
Hinata met her gaze. "Yes. And more importantly, I believe that if he dies now, all we'll inherit is the aftermath. I ask you to keep his treatment off the books. Somewhere secure—where you can visit and supervise."
Tsunade exhaled heavily, pacing. "...Fine. We'll use the Senju Compound. It's large, secure, and mostly empty these days. I can supervise there without raising suspicion. But this level of deceit runs deep, Hinata. And speaking of deceit—what the hell happened in Yumegakure? That quake… people felt it in every corner of the continent. And there are whispers that the war involved the dead. Our dead. Our ancestors."
Hinata closed her eyes for a moment. "I can't deny that. The Pure Lands were compromised. The war ended, but it left rifts. That's why I want to propose something else."
Tsunade folded her arms. "Go on."
"Help me arrange a meeting between the Silver Lady and the Sages of the Great Lands. There's confusion, fear, and imbalance. The war twisted more than the terrain—it twisted memory, essence, legacy. I believe we can set things right. But we can't do that if the great powers remain divided by misinformation and pain."
Tsunade looked long at her. "You're speaking like a diplomat now."
Hinata smiled faintly. "I've had to become many things."
Then her tone shifted. "There's one more thing. Someone wishes to speak with you. He is not from this world, but in person nonetheless."
She performed a hand seal. And a Spiritual Clone manifested beside her, and from it emerged a soul tether. With a whisper of her chakra, it snapped into shape, forming a lifelike projection.
A man stepped forward from the clone's form—strong, weathered, bearing the proud features of the Senju. "My name is Kyo Senju. You remember me, don't you, Lady Tsunade? From the war."
Tsunade gasped, the color draining from her face. "Kyo…? You—no, this can't be—"
Hinata nodded and stepped away. "He asked for this meeting. I'll let you two speak alone. Please remember… maintaining this form is difficult. The technique won't last forever."
With that, she stepped silently to the side, her presence retreating into stillness, allowing two legends—one living, one long-gone—to finally speak across the veil.
<<<< o >>>>
The room had gone quiet, silver light from the spiritual projection gently reflecting off Tsunade's desk. Kyo Senju stood firm in the center of her office, his voice low but resolute.
"I've heard... about the catastrophe that befell the Senju Clan," he said solemnly. "That only one remains. That our clan—once the very foundation of Konohagakure—stands on the verge of extinction."
Tsunade's fingers curled slightly on the edge of the desk. Her expression hardened, though not out of pride—out of pain.
"It's true," she admitted after a moment. "There was someone… someone I imagined building a life with. But he died. Just like my father. My mother. My uncles. And Nawaki…"
She exhaled. The memory still weighed heavy.
"When my brother died, something broke inside me. I walked away—from the village, from the future I once wanted. I only returned recently… but the time to be a mother has passed."
Kyo stepped forward, his spiritual presence unwavering. There was urgency in his eyes now, ancient and burning.
"Then find another way," he insisted. "You've mastered healing techniques beyond anything even I could have imagined. There must be a method. The Senju should not vanish—not merely in legend, but in blood. In truth."
"Kyo…" she began, but he pressed on.
"Even if a Senju descendant survives somewhere, if they grow without knowing who they are—then they may as well be lost. We both know that legacy is more than bloodline. It's memory. Identity. Intention. And you're the last one who can keep that alive."
Tsunade leaned back slowly, her golden eyes shadowed by thought.
"There are techniques. Nothing easy. Not without risk or cost. But it may be… possible."
Kyo's voice lowered, now more hopeful than before.
"If the issue is funding, I know where to find it. There are sunken fleets resting at the ocean's floor—ships filled with gold and gems, untouched by time. I sent some of them there myself."
That caught Tsunade off guard.
"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You sank treasure ships?"
He smiled faintly. The kind of smile only a man who lived centuries could wear.
"Let's just say I had a disagreement with a few infamous warlords close to lands of the uzumaki… and I wasn't fond of their routes near Senju territories. Their ships, unfortunately, did not reach port."
A beat of silence. And then, against all odds, Tsunade laughed softly—dry and hoarse, but genuine.
"You ghosts certainly know how to keep things interesting…"
Their eyes met—hers lined with age and loss, his glowing with eternal duty.
Two ends of the same legacy. Talking about a future neither thought they'd live to protect.