Just as Hinata was preparing to meditate for a while, Shiro, who had been sleeping quietly, moved slightly and lifted its snake head.
"Hmm?" Hinata's heart stirred. She gently touched Shiro's head with her fingertip, and a stream of information instantly flowed into her consciousness.
The message was simple, consisting of only a few words: "Tsunade has agreed."
A flash of sharp light gleamed in Hinata's eyes. It was finally time!
She immediately stood up, first checked on Hanabi's condition, and only felt relieved after confirming that she was fine.
"Oh? Is the main body going grave robbing?" The Clone saw the main body's actions and jumped out to speak.
"The main body isn't going grave robbing, but to play 'Galle-Grave'. First, shout 'Uncover the Stele~', then the main body will shout 'Ciallo~ (∠・ω＜)⌒☆'"
"...The graveyard is damp. If she digs it too wet, does she also have to say 'Oh, mud!'?"
"Right, right. When lifting the coffin, you have to shout 'Lift hard!' When you see a skull, shout 'A skull, a skull'. Later, when the grave collapses, everyone wails together: 'It's collapsing~'"
"In that case, I suggest Konoha implements cremation from now on, because then you'd have 'refined and transformed a thousand times'."
Hinata's temples throbbed.
[System: Fun fact, your Clone is a human.]
"...Hard to say."
"I really need to control both of you."
Hinata's figure appeared directly at the entrance of Orochimaru's laboratory.
Orochimaru seemed to have anticipated this, waiting for her while leaning against the door with arms crossed.
"Tsunade is in the inner room. Her emotions are relatively stable."
Hinata nodded and pushed the door open to enter the small room next door. Tsunade was sitting there, an empty sake bottle placed in front of her.
Hearing the door open, she looked up.
This legendary Sannin looked a bit haggard, with bloodshot eyes, appearing as if she hadn't slept at all.
"Hinata." Tsunade's voice was somewhat hoarse, "You're here."
"Lady Tsunade." Hinata walked over and sat opposite her. Without exchanging pleasantries, she went straight to the point, "Have you decided?"
"Yes." Tsunade took a deep breath, her hands clenching involuntarily.
"I've thought about it for a long time. Reason tells me this is crazy, disrespectful, and perhaps even futile. But as long as there is a glimmer of possibility, even if it's only one in ten thousand, I have to try. I can't just sit around doing nothing anymore."
Her gaze looked into the Void Realm, as if piercing through the walls to see those two cold tombstones in the Konoha Cemetery. "Nawaki... Dan..."
"It won't be futile. Let's go." Hinata replied confidently.
Tsunade took a deep breath and finally spat out a sentence.
"...I will do it. I will do the work myself."
"Of course." Hinata nodded, "We will assist from the side to ensure the process goes smoothly. However, it's best to go in the middle of the night, as it's easy to run into Kakashi during the day, so we must act now."
Tsunade tugged at the corner of her mouth, revealing a faint smile: "You really are... thoughtful, having even figured out how to avoid acquaintances."
Tsunade stood up and flexed her somewhat stiff fingers. The last trace of hesitation in her eyes was suppressed, "Then let's do as you say."
Orochimaru stood at the laboratory entrance, nodding slightly to the two who were about to leave. A backpack was placed against the wall, containing tools and items for carrying the remains.
"Do you need me to have Kabuto accompany you? He can be responsible for digging, moving the remains, and such."
Hinata looked at Tsunade, and seeing her silent, answered for her: "It's fine, no need."
"Heh heh, alright, I will wait here for your return."
Hinata walked to Tsunade's side and extended her hand: "Lady Tsunade, grab my arm. This is my first time taking someone with me, so I don't know what it will feel like, but it will only take a moment."
Tsunade did not hesitate and grabbed Hinata's arm.
"Let's go."
A faint light flashed in Hinata's eyes. Both their figures suddenly blurred, turned ethereal, and then completely vanished from where they stood.
Konoha Cemetery. The cemetery in the middle of the night was silent, with only the rustling sound of the wind blowing past the tombstones and the surrounding pine and cypress trees.
The moonlight was blocked by clouds, making the light dim. In a secluded corner, space twisted slightly, and the figures of Hinata and Tsunade quietly appeared.
Tsunade let go of Hinata's arm and stared blankly at the tombstones in front of her.
On the left was the "Tomb of Senju Nawaki", and on the right was the "Tomb of Kato Dan".
The tombstones appeared cold and silent in the night, but the engraved names were like red-hot branding irons, searing her heart.
She stood there, motionless, as if she had turned into a stone statue.
Only her slightly trembling shoulders and her gradually heavier breathing betrayed the stormy waves her heart was currently experiencing.
Hinata stood quietly half a step behind her, not urging her, just waiting silently.
Even with mental preparation, if you really make her stand in front of the tombstone, she will still hesitate.
This is a hurdle that Tsunade must overcome on her own.
Who knows how much time passed—perhaps only a few minutes, or perhaps as long as a century.
Tsunade finally took a slow, deep breath, and exhaled heavily. She bent down, placed the tool bag she had been carrying on the ground, and opened it.
She didn't look at Hinata, her voice low.
"...Let's begin."
She first walked toward her younger brother Nawaki's tombstone. She bent down and used her hands to brush away the dust and fallen leaves on the stone slab in front of the tombstone, bit by bit.
Then, she picked up an ordinary shovel and aimed it at the mound of dirt raised behind the tombstone.
The shovel was thrust deep into the soil.
Tsunade's arms were steady, but Hinata could feel that the muscles all over her body were taut, and Chakra was surging violently within her, only to be tightly suppressed by her.
She gritted her teeth, digging silently, one shovel after another.
The soil was overturned, carrying a damp scent and the smell of severed plant roots; the chill of the night seemed to grow heavier.
Hinata watched quietly from the side.
The digging continued, with only the sound of the shovel rubbing against the soil and the earth being tossed aside echoing monotonously within the silent barrier.
Finally, the shovel touched hard wood.
Tsunade's movements came to a sudden halt. She threw aside the shovel, slowly knelt down, and with trembling hands, began to carefully clear the dirt from the coffin.
Hinata stepped forward at the right moment and handed over the bag for the remains.
Tsunade took it, her knuckles turning white from the force. She looked at the partially exposed, somewhat decayed coffin in front of her. Her eyes were empty for a moment, then immediately reignited with intense obsession.
"Nawaki... I... have come to pick you up."
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