Chapter 19: Tsunade Returns
After the disastrous retreat from the Land of Rain, the Legendary Sannin regrouped. Tsunade managed to rally a portion of the scattered troops and linked up with the Ino–Shika–Chō formation. Nara Konma had sensed the danger early and withdrew before the Rain Ninja's ambush. While some lower-ranking shinobi were hunted down, he had successfully preserved much of their fighting strength.
After regrouping, Tsunade received an official order from Konoha to withdraw. Along with it came a veiled message from Hiruzen Sarutobi himself: "Nawaki's squad is currently missing in action." At that time, Mizudori had just returned to the village, and all the reports came solely from his mouth.
For a while, the Sannin were uncharacteristically silent. They all knew what "missing in action" truly meant on the battlefield—it was a softer way of saying dead.
Tsunade was devastated. Her younger brother Nawaki had vanished without a trace. Though she maintained a strong front, inside, she was crumbling.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, turned his attention toward the meaning of life. He had killed too many. Watched too many die. One by one, his disciples, his comrades, and his friends were falling in war. It seemed like nothing in this world could last forever.
Jiraiya, with his empathetic nature, could feel both of his comrades' pain—but he didn't know how to help them.
Perhaps time would be the only salve for wounds this deep.
The remnants of the defeated force resupplied for several days within the Fire Country, then began their formal retreat. It took them half a month to return to Konoha—by which time, Minamoto Ren had already been working in the ANBU for three or four days.
Upon returning, Sarutobi ordered an immediate disbandment of the expeditionary forces and instructed everyone to return to their original units. As for the Sannin, they were summoned to report in at the Hokage's Tower.
Tsunade wandered through the streets of Konoha with Orochimaru and Jiraiya trailing behind. She felt lost, almost paralyzed by dread. She didn't want to face Hiruzen. Didn't want to hear the words "Nawaki is dead." The mere possibility made her nauseous. Even the sunlight felt cold and biting.
She passed the ramen shop—Ichiraku. Nawaki used to love it there. He'd always beg her to bring some home.
She passed the ninja tools shop. Nawaki had once said he wanted a Second Hokage limited-edition kunai, but Tsunade had lost a bet that day and didn't have the money to buy it.
Then the dango shop. Nawaki loved dango. Every day, he'd buy a skewer of the five-colored variety.
Tsunade's heart clenched as she looked at the line forming in front of the dango shop.
She wanted to believe… She needed to believe…
Wait!
She froze.
Then rubbed her eyes.
There—in the line—was someone with dark brown hair and a headband she knew better than anyone.
It was Nawaki.
He was alive!
"Dango hits just right after a battle! And don't get me started on my brother—one man, three Rain ninja, all down!" Nawaki, completely unaware of the emotional storm brewing nearby, was loudly bragging to his companions as he chomped down on dango.
At first, his tale was about teaming up with Minamoto Ren to fight some Rain ninja jōnin. But now the story had grown into an exaggerated version of Ren and Nawaki versus Hanzō himself. The embellishments were getting ridiculous.
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him from behind.
Nawaki flinched, almost snapping, but then felt the trembling of the person holding him.
He didn't move. Just sniffled once, holding back his own emotions.
They were siblings. Of course he worried about Tsunade just as much as she worried about him.
And there was only one person in this world who hugged him like this.
"Sis…" he murmured, eyes welling up.
"Nawaki…" Tsunade finally broke down, sobbing.
Nawaki turned and hugged her back, tears and snot everywhere. Though he usually acted all carefree and boastful, deep inside, he had been terrified.
He had nearly died out there. If it weren't for Minamoto Ren, his decision to double back and rescue Hyūga Haining would've been suicide.
Orochimaru watched them quietly. A sliver of the darkness in his heart melted away. The corner of his mouth twitched into a faint smile.
Jiraiya, on the verge of tears himself, thought, If only every ending in this world were like this...
War... peace... how far apart they truly are.
The two siblings cried for a good while. A crowd had gathered around them before Tsunade finally composed herself and picked Nawaki up, carrying him toward the Hokage's office.
Though... she was hugging him a bit too tightly. With her generous build, Nawaki was getting a little short of breath.
The Sannin didn't need any formal announcement when visiting the Hokage. If they wanted to, they could jump in through the windows. But unlike Naruto, they had a bit more self-restraint.
"You're back," Hiruzen Sarutobi said in his usual old-man tone, sipping strong tea as though trying to wake himself up.
"We're back, old man! Miss us?" Jiraiya grinned. His mood was always tied to those around him—if Tsunade and Orochimaru were happy, he was too.
Tsunade and Orochimaru sat down. Tsunade refused to let go of Nawaki, as if terrified that the moment she did, he'd vanish into thin air.
"Easy there, Tsunade. Nawaki's about to pass out," Hiruzen chuckled. Seeing his three most prized disciples all together again brought him great joy. They weren't perfect—but they were exceptional.
"Sensei," Orochimaru's voice turned cold, "What happened to Mizudori?"
Hiruzen's smile faded. He nodded solemnly.
"Arrested in the morning. Interrogated by noon. Executed by nightfall."
Orochimaru seemed satisfied and didn't say another word.
Jiraiya took the opportunity to update Hiruzen Sarutobi on the situation at the front—Hanzo's sudden assault, the implications of that surprise attack, and issues with reorganizing their forces.
Meanwhile, Tsunade sat to the side, chatting quietly with her younger brother, Nawaki. Orochimaru, though silent, was listening closely.
"Nawaki," Tsunade asked gently, "tell me what happened. When the Rain Ninja launched their surprise attack, how did you make it out alive?"
"It was big bro Ren who saved me!" Nawaki said excitedly. "Sis, you don't know this, but if it weren't for him, both me and Hyūga Haining would've lost our heads!"
He was still fired up from the whole "great escape." From his perspective, whether Ren was the MVP or not didn't matter—he, Haining, and Ren had escaped together, and that meant they all shared the credit. In his heart, they were a team.
Once again, it was Minamoto Ren. Tsunade had already heard this name countless times from her brother over the past few days, but she had never actually met the person.
Thinking of that, Tsunade suddenly interrupted Hiruzen and Jiraiya's discussion.
"Old man," she said bluntly, "where did you assign this Ren guy? I want to meet him."
Hiruzen wasn't bothered by the casual tone. He knew that true respect wasn't always shown through words—what mattered was whether it existed in the heart.
He nodded slightly and said to a nearby ANBU operative, "Go fetch Ren and bring him here."
The ANBU gave a silent nod and disappeared.
Barely five minutes later, a faint scent of blood entered the room as a tall figure wearing a demonic Hannya mask knocked and stepped into the Hokage's office.
"Lord Hokage." Ren knelt slightly in greeting.
"Take off the mask," Hiruzen said casually with a wave of his hand.
"Yes, sir."
Tsunade had been watching him intently since the moment he entered. She was determined to see for herself what kind of man could turn her younger brother into such a starry-eyed admirer.
Ren removed the mask.
His face was revealed—sharp, calm, and handsome.
Tsunade stared at him for a solid two seconds, then subconsciously nodded to herself.
No wonder Nawaki was so enamored.
Minamoto Ren knew how to make an impression. Even in the rough conditions of the battlefield, he cared about appearance and personal style. Now that he was back in Konoha, he was dressed even more sharply.
Today, he wore a black high-collared ninja shirt, overlaid with a gray ANBU vest. His pants were ash-gray and straight-cut, a standard ANBU issue, and strapped to his back was his chakra blade, Jūan. His features were striking, and he was tall and lean—he could easily be the poster model for next year's ANBU recruitment campaign.
While most shinobi weren't especially ugly, someone this good-looking was definitely a rarity.