The blazing sunlight cast the shadow of Konoha's gate onto the ground, slicing the world into light and dark.
Tsunade stood right on that boundary, squinting as she studied the hometown that felt both familiar and strangely foreign. At one point, she had truly believed she would never return here again.
The streets were wider and more bustling than she remembered. Shops lined both sides, voices rising in a noisy swell. Children ran past her laughing, their faces bright with carefree smiles. They looked at her with the simple curiosity reserved for strangers. But older villagers—once they recognized her face—couldn't help showing shock, quickly stepping aside with respectful deference.
"Tsunade-sama…"
A tide of whispers rose behind her. Tsunade didn't react. Her gaze passed over the crowd and landed on the distant mountain carved with the faces of the Hokage.
Grandpa… Second Grandpa…
Ever since that day, her luck at the gambling tables had flipped completely. Bet big, and it hit big. Bet small, and it hit small. Even on slot machines, she only had to pull the lever a couple of times to get three matching icons.
The more she won—piling up money until it overflowed—the more her heart raced with dread. And with the drifting bottle never appearing again, she simply couldn't keep numbing herself with gambling and alcohol.
She had to come back and see with her own eyes.
"Shizune, you go home first and tidy the place up. I'm going to see the old man," Tsunade ordered without looking back.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
Shizune answered. With Konoha changed this much, she'd probably have to ask around the whole way just to find where everything was.
After sending Shizune away, Tsunade headed alone toward the Hokage Tower. Lost in her thoughts, she found herself at the Hokage's office before she even realized it.
She didn't knock. Like she was walking into her own house, she simply pushed the door open.
Creeeak—
The smell of tobacco mixed with ink and paper rushed to greet her. The office hadn't changed much—except the piles of documents were higher, and the old man himself had gotten even older.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood by the window, hands behind his back, looking out at the village. Hearing the door, he turned slowly. The moment he saw Tsunade, a genuine spark of happiness rose in his clouded eyes.
"You finally decided to come back, Tsunade."
Tsunade walked up and, without ceremony, pulled out a chair and sat down. "Don't get the wrong idea, old man. I'm heading to Tanzaku Town. I just passed by Konoha, so I figured I'd check whether you were dead yet."
Hiruzen gave a helpless chuckle. "Is that so? Then why do the Anbu reports say Shizune is already buying supplies for a big cleaning?"
A flicker of awkwardness crossed Tsunade's face, but she quickly covered it up. "My luck's been great lately. I've been winning big at the casino. I'm in a good mood, so I came back to rest for a couple days—give them time to scrape together more money for me to win."
Then she abruptly shifted topics, stiffly—but also to confirm what she wanted to know.
"By the way, I just saw a strange trio: two Uchiha brats and a Hyuga brat coming out of the Forest of Death together. That's… interesting."
"You mean them…" Hiruzen lit his pipe, took a deep draw, and began slowly.
"Uchiha Itachi—the Uchiha clan head's eldest son. A once-in-a-century genius. More than that, even as a child, he already thinks from the Hokage's vantage point. What he worries about isn't clan glory or personal gain—it's the village's future, the peace of the ninja world."
When he said Itachi's name, Hiruzen's admiration was unmistakable.
"The one beside him is his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke. Living under his brother's dazzling shadow, always striving desperately to catch up—a child whose persistence rivals anyone's."
"And as for Hyuga Kiyonari…"
Hiruzen paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "He's an interesting child. His way of thinking is… unusual. Unusual enough that Danzo came to me himself, insisting I intervene."
"The way he looks at the world is different from every other Hyuga. I think… if it were you, you might actually like that kind of rule-breaking spirit—like you used to have back then."
Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the ashtray, then lifted his gaze to Tsunade. "These children are Konoha's future. With them, Konoha still has hope."
Hearing that, Tsunade suddenly closed her eyes. If she could, she would've covered her ears.
The moment she saw Hiruzen, she regretted coming back.
"But, Tsunade… the shade grows thickest under the biggest trees. The conflict between the Uchiha and the village's leadership is only sharpening, and within the Hyuga, the divide between main and branch families has developed an unprecedented crack because of disagreement surrounding those brothers… all kinds of undercurrents are moving beneath the surface."
He let out a long sigh, heavy with exhaustion and helplessness.
"I'm old now—even Danzo says so. I don't have the energy or the decisiveness I used to. There are many things I can see clearly, yet I often feel powerless…"
Tsunade clicked her tongue. She knew it. The old man had taken a huge detour, but this was where it was always going to end.
"Konoha needs a new pillar," Hiruzen said earnestly, his voice full of pleading. "Someone who can hold those greedy elders in check. Someone who can mediate the conflicts between clans. Someone who can truly pass on the Will of Fire to the next generation."
"Tsunade… other than you, I can't think of anyone more suitable. You're the First Hokage's granddaughter. You inherit their bloodline—your strength, your achievements… all of it is unquestionable. Tsunade, take the burden from my shoulders and become the Fifth Hokage!"
The words "Hokage" struck Tsunade like a branding iron heated red-hot, burning straight into her heart.
Two smiling faces flashed through her mind. One was her little brother Nawaki, full of dreams, saying he would become Hokage and protect everyone. The other was her lover Dan, who had carried that same Hokage dream.
And in the end, they had both become cold gravestones.
They—both of them—gave their lives for the village. Throwing your life away so easily… only an idiot would do that!
"Don't joke with me!"
Tsunade slammed her palm on the desk and shot to her feet.
The force made the entire desk jump. Papers scattered everywhere with a loud rustle. Her chest heaved, and in her eyes burned anger and pain she couldn't contain.
"Old man, you know perfectly well—I hate this place."
"Hokage! Hokage! Bullshit Hokage! Anyone who wants to be Hokage is a hopeless, terminal idiot!"
She didn't hide her hatred at all—toward this place, toward her hometown, and… toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Tsunade stared him down, speaking each word clearly. "Whoever wants that seat can have it. But I, Tsunade, will never become the Fifth Hokage!"
With that, she didn't look at the regret and guilt on Hiruzen's face. She turned and strode toward the door.