Tsunade and her two companions arrived in Roran early in the morning, immediately noticing a group of powerful ninja camped outside the city.
Among them, they spotted Kakuzu and Kinkaku, figures who should have, by all rights, been locked away in Hozuki Castle's prison.
The sight of these two at large, and accompanied by an elite force of ninja, was nothing short of alarming.
At this strange and sensitive juncture, their appearance in Roran was highly suspicious.
Orochimaru suggested that the three of them stay hidden for now and observe the situation before making any moves.
Around noon, a flock of giant, bird-like puppets flew in from the distance.
At that moment, the group of enemy ninja stirred, it was clear they were preparing to intercept the newcomers aboard the flying puppets.
Tsunade and her companions quickly spotted Arima, among the arrivals, accompanied by the three-man Dodai team. The trio immediately made their way toward the impending clash.
As they rushed forward, Orochimaru's expression grew solemn. "Looks like Kinkaku and the others are here to assassinate the Third and his team. Did you notice?
That's one of his wood clones. And there are injured passengers on the puppet birds."
Jiraiya wore a puzzled look. "What's even stranger is… I saw a girl who looks just like Tsunade.
She's wearing the Senju clan's clothes too! See? The one waving at us over there! And did you hear what she shouted? 'Mother'? What's going on?!"
Tsunade had already seen the girl.
The moment her eyes landed on her, Tsunade felt an overwhelming wave of familiarity and affection.
Same hair color. Same diamond-shaped mark on her forehead. Same Senju robes. Even the bold, carefree demeanor, just like her own in her early days, five or six years ago.
And when the girl shouted "Mother" toward her, Tsunade almost instinctively responded.
Everything about this was just too bizarre, too fantastical!
She didn't respond to Jiraiya's question. Tsunade herself had no idea who this girl was, someone so familiar, yet so utterly foreign, and her heart was in utter turmoil.
'Who is that girl? There's no way she's my child! How could I possibly have a child? I'm Tsunade of the Hidden Leaf.
I'm seventeen! Right, seventeen! I don't have kids! Could she be Arima's daughter with someone else? But why does she look so much like me?!'
Orochimaru, too, felt increasingly disturbed. He noticed even more oddities.
Beside the girl stood a boy, clearly of the Senju clan, with facial features that strongly resembled their sensei, the Third Hokage.
And on one of the puppet birds was a golden-haired Jonin Orochimaru had never seen before.
Stranger still, he could sense chakra from the Two-Tails and Nine-Tails among the group.
Despite their confusion, the three remained silent, focusing on keeping their cool. Answers would come soon enough, once they joined up with the Third.
Meanwhile, Kinkaku noticed the three Leaf ninja approaching from behind. A cruel grin crept onto his face.
"Three more lambs to the slaughter. Finally, I get to vent some frustration."
Kakuzu muttered darkly, "If we pull this off, there's a nice bounty waiting. Those three have hefty price tags."
Hanzo, speaking through his respirator in a slow, echoing tone, said, "Do what you will. I'm only here to block Arima's wood clone and the three Kage. Just don't get in my way."
Kinkaku sneered. "Planning to exact some petty revenge while the Kage are injured?
Typical of Amegakure's dirty tricks. Watch yourself, or you'll be the one to fall."
Hanzo shot him a sideways glance. "For the sake of the alliance, I'll let that go. But remember, the leader gathered us here for a reason. Don't forget what's truly important."
Kakuzu shivered slightly, saying no more.
Kinkaku's expression shifted, serious now, no longer sneering.
Never before had he encountered someone like Jigen who made him feel fear in his very bones. Even Arima couldn't compare.
In the blink of an eye, Tsunade and her group reached the others. Strangely, Kinkaku and his allies made no attempt to stop them.
As soon as Tsunade arrived, the girl she had noticed earlier hurriedly brought her bird down and leapt off.
She launched herself at Tsunade, shouting.
"Ninja Art: Yuna Shuriken Technique!"
At first, Tsunade felt a jolt of familiarity at the name, something from long ago. Then it clicked: it was a move she used to make up while play-fighting with Arima as a child.
That could only mean this girl knew Arima very well. And she was clearly fond of Tsunade.
The girl crashed into Tsunade's arms, hugging her tightly around the waist, beaming with joy.
"Mother! You're finally here! Father's been waiting ages!"
Tsunade didn't know why she instinctively caught the girl. But before she could speak, the girl's words hit her like a thunderclap.
Her mind went blank. Her whole body felt weightless. She stared down in disbelief and asked slowly, "Who… is your father?"
The girl, seeing Tsunade's stunned expression, burst into giggles.
"That's not quite how I pictured your reaction. You don't seem very smart when you're young. A little silly even. And you're the one who lectures me all the time."
Before Tsunade could retort, Yuna continued, "Mother, I'm Yuna, from Konoha Year 49! Your adorable daughter with the Third Hokage!"
She then turned and pointed to the boy standing on the puppet bird.
"That's my brother, your son, Arata. He's quiet and reserved, kind of like our great-grandfather.
Tsunade stopped hearing the rest. She turned toward the boy named Arata.
He jumped down from the bird and landed beside her, wrapping her in a tight hug.
"Hello, Mother."
Tsunade instinctively embraced him, whispering, "Arata… Arata… So that's what it means..'"
Then she looked at Arima's wood clone. He smiled gently and nodded. "It's true, Tsunade. Everything she said."
Tsunade's heart trembled as she carefully stroked the backs of the two children in her arms.
"They're… they're our children. Mine and Arima's."
She bent down, closely studying the two faces of her future children. A warm, tender smile spread across her face.
"Arata's face shape is just like your father's, but his eyes and mouth are more like mine.
And Yuna… looks so much like me. Even her personality is just like mine, no, even more mischievous. How dare you say your mother's silly."
Yuna grinned. "Mother, you're the head of the family. How could I tease you in the future? I have to sneak it in now while you're still young and clueless."
Tsunade tapped her lightly on the forehead and scolded playfully.
"You little brat. I don't believe a word of it. Your brother is much more steady. Good thing he's the older one, he'll be able to keep you out of trouble.
And don't even try to tell me I'll be the one in charge at home. Knowing your father? Hmph! Once you're born, I'll make sure to raise you right!"
Yuna pouted and hugged her tighter. "Yes, Mother! You're the best person in the whole world! Better than Father, even!"
Looking at her sweet, obedient daughter, Tsunade felt a deep warmth spread through her chest.
Though Arata didn't say much, his calm, steady nature and quiet affection touched her just as deeply.
She imagined the life she and Arima would one day have, raising their children together, and for the first time, a gentle smile blossomed on her face.
Seeing her mother smile, Yuna finally relaxed.
She sighed in relief and thought to herself, 'Whew! That almost turned into a disaster. No wonder Mother was always so strict with me. Turns out… I brought this chaos on myself.'
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