"I'm back, finally back!"
The tall, white-haired youth stretched, casually saying to the effeminate-looking young man beside him, "Sorry, Orochimaru, I'll leave the mission report to you. The client for this mission was really troublesome; even though the matter was resolved, they still kept us there. I really want to go home and get some sleep first."
"You big idiot, I never expected you to do it anyway," a woman's voice, clear and cold, cut in. Her blonde hair was tied into a neat high ponytail, and beneath her fair, delicate face, a simple Jonin vest couldn't hide her striking curves.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Orochimaru, I also want to go see Nawaki first," Tsunade said, clasping her hands and giving a cheerful, apologetic smile.
"Oh, speaking of which, I haven't seen Nawaki in a while either. Why don't we go see him together?" Jiraiya's lips curved into a smile, then his tone became flippant. "How about we go see him together? After seeing Nawaki, we can just go on a date..."
"You bastard..." A vein throbbed on Tsunade's forehead.
A Machamp punch sent Jiraiya flying.
"Those two..." A playful smile flickered in Orochimaru's golden eyes. "They're always so noisy."
Remembering his disciple whom he hadn't seen in a long time, Orochimaru paused slightly, a hint of softness in his eyes: "Tsunade, please say hello to Nawaki for me. If I have time, I'll teach him new Ninjutsu."
Tsunade snorted, wiping her fist with a slightly disgusted look, and replied, "Got it. Besides me, his older sister, Nawaki likes you the most. He'll be very happy if he knows we're back."
The two parted ways, leaving Jiraiya buried in the dirt, four limbs splayed. Only his occasional twitching feet indicated that Jiraiya was, for the most part, still alive.
"I wonder how my little brother is doing now," Tsunade thought, Nawaki's smiling face appearing in her mind. Her steps became lighter. "Nawaki, I'm home."
"Hmm?"
Unexpectedly, Nawaki didn't run out to greet her as he usually would upon hearing her voice. Instead, there was no response at all.
"That's strange," Tsunade muttered to herself. "He should be home."
Nawaki's usual shoes were still at the entrance. Tsunade frowned and knocked on Nawaki's bedroom door.
"Nawaki, I'm coming in."
What met her eyes was Nawaki lying on the bed. The boy stared blankly at the ceiling, completely unresponsive to his older sister's return, a white bandage taped to his right cheek.
"Nawaki, what happened to you?" Tsunade pulled Nawaki up from the bed, seething with anger. "Who did this to you?"
She dragged Nawaki and rushed towards the Hokage's office.
She had just left for a mission, and upon returning, she found her younger brother bullied to this extent.
In the Hokage's office, Orochimaru had just finished submitting his mission report.
"Sensei, are you saying that Uchiha Hayato can summon things from another world?" Orochimaru's tone carried a hint of doubt, but the person before him was his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had no reason to lie to him.
He hadn't expected such a big surprise upon returning to the Village this time.
Hayato-kun? How interesting.
Orochimaru, who was about to ask a question, suddenly sensed a massive Chakra approaching. Without thinking much, he quickly dodged.
The door was violently kicked open by the newcomer, followed by the shattering of the Hokage's desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face showed some indignation: "Tsunade! What are you doing?"
"Old man, how dare you ask me that?" Tsunade pointed angrily at the bandage on Nawaki's face. "Nawaki was bullied. Am I supposed to pretend nothing happened?"
"Hmph—" Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. "So it's about that."
"Let him tell it himself. For him, this might actually be a good thing," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, looking at the withdrawn Nawaki.
Tsunade froze for a moment, her anger slightly subsiding. Looking at the silent Nawaki, her heart ached: "Nawaki, what exactly happened? If someone bullied you, you must tell me."
Orochimaru also looked at the boy with curiosity. Nawaki had learned many Ninjutsu from him and shouldn't be bullied. Many people in the Village knew Nawaki's identity; generally, no one would dare to do such a thing.
Nawaki shook his head, pulling his thoughts out of his memories: "It was Dekai... the Ninjutsu Uchiha Hayato taught him."
"Sister, do I not have the talent to become Hokage?" Nawaki forced out a bitter smile. "I actually fell without even seeing Dekai's movements."
Tsunade was a bit confused. Dekai, Uchiha Hayato, who were these people? She had checked her brother's class and found no mention of the two people he spoke of.
"Let me explain, Tsunade," Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, instinctively wanting to lean his hand on the desk, then suddenly remembered that the desk had been shattered by Tsunade. He then stroked his beard instead.
He recounted the changes in the Village recently and everything related to Uchiha Hayato.
"Sensei, are you saying that they developed the Lightning Release Chakra Mode on their own?" Orochimaru's words carried a hint of excitement.
If that was the case, he definitely had to meet Uchiha Hayato. His own goal would also have to change, from learning all Ninjutsu to learning all Ninjutsu, including those from other worlds.
"Nawaki, if it's the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, then they are both even more powerful geniuses than you. There's nothing shameful about losing," Orochimaru stated his conclusion.
People are born with different talents and aptitudes. It's a perfectly normal thing for a genius to lose to an even greater genius.
"Sensei." Nawaki's head drooped, not daring to look at Orochimaru anymore. "I've disappointed you."
Tsk.
Orochimaru didn't speak. He had always been one of those exceptionally talented people. Among his peers, apart from Jiraiya, the dead last who had caught up, no one else had made him feel pressured. Thinking about it, he didn't seem to have any words to comfort him.
"Snap out of it! Can you even call yourself the First Hokage's grandson like this?" Seeing Nawaki's dejected state, Tsunade flared up, grabbing his collar. "Were all those things you said about becoming Hokage just a joke?"
His Outrage was triggered, and the dejected Nawaki even retorted to his older sister.
"How could it be a joke? I want to become Hokage more than anyone, to inherit my grandfather's glory, and no longer be known as Senju Hashirama's grandson, but as the Hokage of Konoha."
"If that's the case, then what if you lost once? Just win it back later," Tsunade encouraged, seeing her brother finally regain his spirit. "Those who give up easily can't become Hokage."
"But I can help you a bit. I'll get to know them and steal information about their secret Ninjutsu, so you'll have a greater chance of winning."
Nawaki's eyes lit up, then he firmly shook his head.
"No need, Sister. I want to defeat them with my own strength. You don't need to gather information for me."
Is that so? Tsunade thought. Even so, she still wanted to meet Uchiha Hayato.