Chapter 2: Tsunade's Return
"Tsunade? What are you doing back here?"
"Lady Tsunade."
The two men in the same office had completely different reactions.
After the end of the Second Great Shinobi World War, Tsunade had vanished from Konoha.
If it weren't for the occasional letter she sent back to the village, it would have been easy to assume she'd been captured or worse.
Tsunade stood in the office doorway, her beige boots making a soft sound on the floor. She raised a hand to brush back a stray lock of golden hair, the ends still dusty from travel.
She looked up and met two pairs of eyes: Sarutobi Hiruzen, whose hand was frozen in mid-air holding his pipe, and a stunned-looking Kakashi.
"Old Man, after all these years, you haven't changed a bit." She strode to the desk, her fingertips tapping the surface. "Stop staring at me like you've seen a ghost. I'm not so short-lived that I'd just die out there."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took the pipe from his lips, the embers in the bowl glowing faintly. "You've returned so suddenly. You didn't even send a letter ahead..."
"Kakashi, go get Tsunade a cup of tea." He instructed Kakashi while explaining to Tsunade, "This is Kakashi, Sakumo Hatake's son. You probably saw him when he was born."
"Of course I've met him. We're well acquainted. Right, Kakashi?"
Tsunade placed her luggage heavily on the desk, brazenly surveying the office.
"Hm, not bad. You've taken good care of this place, Old Man."
"However, the furnishings are too outdated. I don't like it."
She ran her hand over the office decor as she gave orders. "Shizune, take this down. This cabinet has to go..."
Shizune quickly fumbled for a pen and paper, the nib scratching as she wrote.
She looked at the redwood bookshelf Tsunade's finger had just grazed—it was an antique passed down from the time of the First Hokage, the Konoha emblem still carved on its doors. But Tsunade was now dismissing its "carvings as too old-fashioned."
"And that aloe on the windowsill." Tsunade casually flicked a leaf, its spines catching her sleeve. "This half-dead thing looks depressing. Replace it with sunflowers. Something with life."
Sarutobi puffed furiously on his pipe, watching Tsunade turn his office upside down.
He saw her frown at the portrait of the First Hokage on the wall and quickly tried to smooth things over. "These decorations are a bit old, but they are all..."
"They're all antiques, I know." Tsunade spun around and leaned against the edge of the desk, her finger tracing the wood grain. "New leader, new look. If I don't like it, it all goes."
"What do you think, Kakashi?" She stared him right in the eyes.
Kakashi lowered his head, understanding dawning. "I understand, Lord Fifth Hokage."
"Good." Tsunade nodded, satisfied. "Shizune, give the report we just wrote to the current 'Lord Hokage'."
Sarutobi was so stunned by this exchange that he didn't even notice the ash from his pipe fall onto his robes.
"Lord Fifth Hokage? What are you talking about?"
Tsunade took the report from Shizune, glanced at it, and slapped it on the desk. "You'll know once you read it, Old Man."
Then she pulled over a chair and sat down, spreading her legs commandingly.
"Kakashi, let's hear it. What exactly happened?"
Kakashi glanced first at the deeply frowning Sarutobi before speaking slowly.
"The battle was still raging. Suddenly, a blinding white light tore across the sky, aimed straight at the battlefield... and I lost consciousness."
"When I opened my eyes again, I was in my home in Konoha. But that house had already been destroyed during Pain's assault."
"After that, I realized... I had returned to the past. To now."
"Hm, good. It was the same for me and Shizune." Tsunade nodded. "So, who else knows about this?"
"I haven't had time to investigate, but I have a small theory," Kakashi said, clearing his throat.
"Speak."
"I suspect that only those who were alive on the battlefield at that time retained their memories. The civilians in Konoha don't seem to remember, and... Lord Third, you were an Edo Tensei at the time, which is why you don't have this memory," Kakashi reasoned.
"Good. A rational analysis. That's our Kakashi. Able to deduce so much from so little information."
The two went back and forth, their rapport so practiced it was as if they had done this countless times.
"Next step: we need to find out how far that white light reached. Did the shinobi protecting the Daimyo get affected? And, was it only our Konoha shinobi, or did all the shinobi on the battlefield regain their memories?"
Tsunade's fingers tapped lightly on the desk. "Alright, we'll start the investigation in Konoha."
"What about the other villages? Should we have the ANBU move covertly? The current situation is still unstable. If we reveal our anomaly, it could cause a panic," Kakashi mused.
"No need. If they have their memories, they're the ones who should be worried. After all, the 'Child of Prophecy' is on our side."
Tsunade looked completely confident, as if she had the entire situation perfectly under control.
"Alright, I understand."
"If you understand, then get it done."
Tap, tap, tap. Sarutobi rapped his pipe on the desk, displeased. "I'm still here, you know."
"Oh? And do you disagree, Old Man?"
"Even if what you're saying is true, and this report is accurate... I am still the Hokage."
Sarutobi was annoyed, watching the two of them act in perfect concert.
Tsunade walked over to Sarutobi, leaned down, and patiently brushed the ash off his robes. She then gave his slumped collar a firm tug.
She looked at him as one would a child. "Sarutobi-sensei, even I'm almost fifty. Sometimes, you just have to admit you're old, don't you?"
Sarutobi opened his mouth to retort, but Tsunade turned away, not giving him the chance.
"Shizune, write a letter to Jiraiya in my name. Tell him to find Orochimaru. You should know where Orochimaru is right now, correct?"
"Oh, right. Only 'Lord Hokage' knows Jiraiya's current contact info. Sarutobi-sensei, you wouldn't hide that from me, would you?"
Hearing the name of his former favorite student, Orochimaru, Sarutobi's eyes went wide with disbelief.
"Orochimaru? Tsunade, what are you planning?"
"What am I planning? What needs to be done."
As she spoke, she lifted Sarutobi's Hokage hat off the desk and hung it on a hook on the wall.
In her plan, Orochimaru was an indispensable piece.
...
The Ninja Academy.
The bell had rung long ago.
Naruto finally arrived, one hand on the doorframe, panting heavily.
"S...Sorry... I'm late..."