Before long, Kazahana Koyuki's retainers and Kakashi's group arrived at the scene. From a good distance away, they spotted Kazahana Koyuki and Uchiha Sasuke "nestled" together.
"Unhand the princess!!"
Hearing the shouts from behind, Sasuke turned to see Kakashi and some unfamiliar Snow Ninja rapidly approaching. As if caught doing something he shouldn't, he hastily pushed Kazahana Koyuki away.
"Ah!" Koyuki pitched forward, face-first into the snow. When she lifted her head, her face was covered in frost.
"Ahem, truly Sasuke! Never dallying for a woman! This is the essence of his youth!" Guy declared, his voice burning with passion. They could all see the signs of a fierce battle in the area. It wasn't hard to guess that Sasuke had defeated a powerful opponent here.
"Hey, where's that traitor?" one of Koyuki's attendants asked, looking around for Kazahana Doto.
Koyuki spoke up, "He was captured."
Under the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Koyuki recounted everything she had witnessed. When they learned that Kazahana Doto had been taken away by mysterious ninja, Kakashi immediately fell into deep thought.
Could they be ninja from another village? Why did they only take Kazahana Doto? What is their objective?
The truth was shrouded in a layer of mist, perplexing everyone.
"We need to report this to the—" Kakashi paused, suddenly remembering that the position of Hokage in Konoha was currently vacant. He wondered if Sakura's mission was going smoothly.
"Lady Fifth Hokage."
"Don't! Don't you dare call me Hokage! I can't bear that title."
In a certain town, Sakura and Jiraiya, having finally met up with Tsunade, were in the midst of their persuasion efforts. After Jiraiya had laid out the facts, Tsunade now understood the severe consequences of the Konoha Crush plan.
"The Third lost an arm and took all the responsibility himself. Konoha now needs a new Hokage with sufficient prestige to lead, and that person can only be you." Seeing Tsunade, the object of his long-held affection, Jiraiya concealed his longing and painstakingly tried to persuade her.
"Need me? Hmph." Tsunade, dressed in a revealing kimono that did little to hide her… grand ambitions, propped one foot on a stool and snorted disdainfully. Her fair, shapely thighs were eye-catching, causing Jiraiya's gaze to momentarily escape the control of his brain.
"Ahem, you… you… your figure is still as amazing as ever," he whispered lecherously, his eyes glued to Tsunade's ample, half-concealed assets.
Pow!
The next moment, Jiraiya shot off like a cannonball, disappearing over the horizon.
"That damned pervert," Tsunade said, her face impassive as she retracted her still-smoking fist.
"Let's go, Shizune," she declared, waving her hand dismissively and turning with a flourish to a woman in black beside her, who was holding a small pig.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shizune replied respectfully. Shizune's uncle, Kato Dan, had been Tsunade's former lover. During Tsunade's time away from Konoha, Shizune had always been by her side and was also Tsunade's sole apprentice, a Jonin-level medical ninja with considerable skill.
"Wait, Lady Tsunade!" Sakura called out, stopping her.
"What else do you want to say, brat?" Tsunade glanced back carelessly, sizing Sakura up. Striking pink hair, determined eyes, a flat chest… she somewhat resembled her younger self.
"Lady Tsunade! Please come back to Konoha with us!! Konoha needs you! Everyone needs you!!" Sakura's voice was firm and resolute.
Looking at Sakura's determined face, Tsunade, for some reason, thought of her deceased younger brother, Nawaki. If he were still alive, he would surely be just as insistent that she return to Konoha and take up the mantle of Hokage. After all, it had been his dream to become Hokage.
But… Hokage.
That position reeked of corruption.
During the Third's tenure, Tsunade had watched helplessly as the Senju clan declined and the Uchiha clan was suppressed. Sitting in the Hokage's seat, the Third had visibly transformed into a pure politician. She didn't know when, but his initial noble intentions had vanished, replaced only by the desire to cling to that seat.
Hokage. Heh. Not even a dog would want the job.
"I've been away from Konoha for so many years. The village will be the same with or without me," Tsunade's voice was filled with utter disillusionment.
"It's not the same," Jiraiya's voice interjected. His face swollen, he leaped in through the window, his usual boisterous demeanor replaced by a grave expression. "Konoha is currently facing a huge crisis."
"During the Konoha Crush, not only did the village suffer great losses, but we also discovered a new species."
"A new species?" Tsunade frowned at Jiraiya. "Summoning animals?"
Jiraiya shook his head, his voice heavy. "They are entirely black, about two meters tall, incredibly durable, and can spew attacks from their mouths similar to Tailed Beast Balls."
"Tailed Beast Balls?!" Tsunade exclaimed in shock. In their minds, Tailed Beasts were terrifying entities capable of shaking an entire village.
"Miniature Tailed Beast Balls, perhaps. But there are many of them, their strength is comparable to a Jonin's, they have no fear of death or pain, and they only fight harder the longer the battle goes on." A deep apprehension flickered in Jiraiya's eyes as he recounted his previous battle experiences with a Hollow.
From his description, a vivid image of a Hollow formed in Tsunade's mind.
"Such monsters… they can't be naturally occurring, can they?" Tsunade said, her face darkening as if a thought had struck her.
"That's what I think. These are likely monsters created through human experimentation," Jiraiya nodded. "I suspect… it might be Orochimaru."
"Knowing Orochimaru, he isn't the type to destroy Konoha, unless it was for something related to his research that attracted him."
"You mean, Orochimaru is the mastermind behind those monsters?"
"Indeed. Turning Konoha into an experimental ground for monsters… that sounds very much like Orochimaru's style." A hint of sadness, yet also a flicker of resolve, appeared in Tsunade's eyes. The quiet but surprisingly reliable teammate from her memories had completely walked the path of enmity against Konoha. From now on, they would be enemies.
"I think you also know about Danzo's ambition for the Hokage seat," Jiraiya sighed. "After the Old Man stepped down this time, Danzo's ambition has only inflated. Moreover, I suspect Danzo might have a hand in these monsters as well."
"Danzo… that corrupt old fossil," Tsunade sneered, her eyes glinting with cold light. She had never had any fondness for Danzo. He was a root hidden in the darkness, constantly leeching off the village. It was undeniable that Root's existence, through many shadowy and underhanded methods, had indeed helped Konoha. But at the same time, it was constantly assimilating and corrupting the village from within. Root was one of the reasons Tsunade had left Konoha in the first place.
"That's why we need you," Jiraiya pressed, his voice impassioned. "Under Danzo's pressure this time, we were forced to let Naruto join Root. If you don't take office, Danzo will become completely lawless. I know you harbor resentment towards Konoha's upper echelons, but I believe you wouldn't want to see Konoha fall into Danzo's hands either. After all, it's our home."
Moved by Jiraiya's earnest and emotional plea, Tsunade wavered.
"This is so… damn annoying. The Hokage seat… why do so many people want it?" Tsunade sighed, her eyes filled with helplessness. "Fine. I'll go back with you for now."