Seeing the situation escalate to the point of a fight, Koharu Utatane stepped between them and tried to mediate. "Lady Tsunade," she began, "after the Third Battle you left Konoha, so there are many things you're unaware of—especially regarding the Uchiha Clan. The truth is, it was us who destroyed them."
Homura Mitokado nodded. "That's right. Back then, the Nine-Tails' rampage shook the village greatly. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, even lost his life because of it. All signs pointed to the Uchiha releasing the Nine-Tails in an attempt to overthrow Konoha. Later, this was confirmed when the Uchiha planned a political coup. Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi repeatedly yielded to them, their behavior only worsened. This kind of situation was actually foreseen by the Second Hokage long ago. Ever since Madara Uchiha's time, the Uchiha Clan has been a destabilizing factor for the village."
"I see," Tsunade said with a cold smirk. "So that means you're planning to target Anya Uchiha next?"
"No," Koharu shook her head. "That's not our intention at all. We've already conducted a thorough investigation on him, and he's never been involved in any of the Uchiha Clan's plots. Besides, considering your current relationship with him, we would never even consider touching him."
Now calmer, Tsunade asked indifferently, "Back to the earlier topic—who exactly is the Cloud ninja we detained, and what's the real purpose behind it?"
The three exchanged glances. After a brief silence, Koharu sighed and finally spoke up. "The leadership from Kumogakure is interested in forming an alliance with Konoha—a mutual partnership where both villages support each other and avoid war. However, some kind of bond will be needed between our two nations."
"You mean her?" Tsunade frowned slightly.
"Not exactly," Danzo interrupted. "If we're talking about a true bond, then naturally it must involve shared bloodlines from both villages. That Cloud ninja was placed into the Uchiha Clan specifically for this reason. Once she bears a child with the clan's bloodline, she will return to Kumogakure—this child will become the true link between our villages."
The anger Tsunade had barely managed to suppress flared up again. "Do you even realize what you're doing? If you just stopped and thought for a second, you'd know how ridiculous this sounds! Do you really think Anya Uchiha is stupid enough to fall for this or that he would ever allow his own bloodline to leave the village?"
"Why wouldn't he?" Danzo replied coldly. "In the past, Hinata Hyuga was once kidnapped by a Cloud ninja, yet under Hiruzen's orders, the Hyuga Clan still sacrificed one of their own for the sake of peace between our villages and stability across the Ninja World (Shinobi World). As the most powerful clan in Konoha, they were willing to give everything up for the good of the village. So why shouldn't the Uchiha do the same? Are you suggesting their bloodline is more important than the safety of Konoha?"
His words cut deep, and Tsunade suddenly realized something—the three of them likely had already made their plans well in advance, coming prepared with these arguments.
Still, they completely misunderstood Anya. With his personality, if he ever found out about this scheme, there would surely be chaos beyond imagination.
At this point, Tsunade felt somewhat relieved that Anya hadn't returned with Haku and the others.
Thinking about the events about to unfold, Tsunade felt drained and powerless. She weakly waved her hand, saying, "I have nothing else to say to you people. Leave now."
Just after the three of them left, Jiraiya arrived outside Tsunade's window riding atop a giant toad. Cracking a joke, he said, "No wonder things feel different this time returning to Konoha. There are so many beautiful ladies here now. Never thought Anya would do something like this. To be honest, are you feeling jealous?"
Tsunade had no mood for jokes. Instead, she asked with visible gloominess, "What are your thoughts about the Uchiha Clan?"
"The Uchiha Clan," Jiraiya replied, his gaze drifting into the distance with a faintly distant tone, "They're always producing troublesome individuals."
"I actually felt Sarutobi-sensei made a mistake back then," Tsunade confessed. "You know what? I'm beginning to regret leaving the village during the Third Battle. If I had stayed, your student Minato definitely wouldn't have died. And if he hadn't died, Konoha wouldn't be in its current state. Just now, I nearly lost all hope for this village completely."
Seeing Tsunade in such a state was unusual enough that Jiraiya couldn't help but almost reveal the news of Minato's survival. However, thinking about the masked man Minato had once mentioned, Jiraiya forced himself to hold back. The fewer people who knew Minato was still alive, the safer he would be. After all, he wasn't at his full strength anymore.
After pondering briefly, Jiraiya said, "Actually, there's no need for you to worry so much. Let whoever created these troubles deal with them instead."
Upon hearing Jiraiya's words, Tsunade suddenly felt enlightened and nodded in agreement, "You're right. Why should I bother myself over someone else's problems? Let him enjoy his fun elsewhere."
By the end, Tsunade's tone carried subtle resentment.
Jiraiya laughed heartily and said, "Now that you've seen things clearly, let me tell you something."
"Go ahead."
Jiraiya turned serious: "This time I'm returning, I plan to take Naruto out for some training. Based on information from Orochimaru and my recent investigations, I've gained a general understanding of the Akatsuki Organization. They truly are an extremely terrifying force. In the future, if their target really is the Tailed Beasts, Naruto will definitely be an indispensable piece they won't give up pursuing. I must make him stronger as soon as possible. Originally, Anya was also quite a good candidate, unfortunately, he's currently caught in a vortex and probably doesn't have spare hands available."
Tsunade replied earnestly, "Then I'll leave him in your hands. I hope you can train someone as extraordinary as Minato was—another Fourth Hokage."
"Haha," Jiraiya laughed freely, waving farewell, "In my mind, I'm actually planning to train him to surpass Minato. Well then, I'm off."
Watching Jiraiya's receding figure, Tsunade murmured softly, "I really hope you can."
On a large ship, Xiao Xue and Anya sat at the bow leisurely drinking afternoon tea while appreciating the ocean scenery.
Halfway through their tea, Xiao Xue curiously asked, "Why haven't we seen our Land of Snow's goddess yet?"
Anya rolled his eyes and snapped, "How many times do I have to say it? She's *my* companion, not your Land of Snow's goddess. She's asleep right now—probably because it's her first time on a boat. She's been seasick and throwing up like crazy."
Xiao Xue stuck out her tongue and said, "Same as me! My first time on a boat was just like this. You'll get used to it eventually."
Anya asked offhandedly, "Filming in the Land of Snow is done—where're you thinking of going next?"
"Not sure yet. Maybe the Desert—want to see new places and shoot some fresh storylines."
As one of the most popular young actresses in the industry, Xiao Xue was constantly flooded with new scripts.
A sudden idea sparked in Anya's mind. He tentatively asked, "Have you ever acted in a stage play?"
Xiao Xue tilted her head and asked curiously, "A stage play? What's that?"
With a mischievous grin, Anya said, "Come with me to Konoha—I'll show you the ropes."
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