The next day.
Early in the morning, Tsunade, glowing with happiness, headed to the Hokage office.
Marriage had changed her aura entirely.
As she walked, Tsunade greeted everyone with a smile. The shadows of the past seemed to have faded away, replaced by the joy of a new beginning.
Upon entering the office, she was surprised to see her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, and her great-uncle, Tobirama Senju, already there. In a corner stood Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, why are you still here? Don't tell me you're planning to steal Natsuhane from me. Just so you know, he promised to stay with me for the next few days!" Tsunade exclaimed, surprised at Orochimaru's presence in Konoha.
"Heh... Who would want to steal that guy from you?" Orochimaru replied, a bit helplessly. "I wanted to leave, but these two insisted I stay for another day." She gestured towards Hashirama and Tobirama sitting on the sofa.
Tobirama cleared his throat. "Ahem! Tsunade, take a seat. Your grandfather and I have something to tell you. And by the way, could you refrain from speaking so bluntly in front of us?"
"Uh... I got a bit excited. Grandpa, Great-Uncle, just pretend you didn't hear that, hehe..." Tsunade laughed awkwardly and sat down obediently in the Hokage's chair. "What is it? I'll listen to whatever you say."
"Hmm, we're here to say goodbye," Hashirama began.
"Goodbye?" Tsunade stood up abruptly, shocked. "You're leaving?"
Tobirama nodded. "Yes, we planned to leave after the wedding yesterday. But you and Natsuhane disappeared after only five minutes on stage and spent the entire day in the bridal chamber. We had to wait until now to properly say our farewells."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly, "I bet the two elders that you wouldn't come to work today, considering that middle-aged people can be quite... enthusiastic. Heh, seems you're not as wild as I thought."
"Enough! I said no more of this talk in front of me," Hashirama said irritably, waving his hand. "Orochimaru, send us back. It's time to leave this world."
"Grandpa, please don't go. Can't you stay and witness Natsuhane and me revive the Senju and Uchiha clans?" Tsunade pleaded, full of reluctance.
Hashirama walked over to Tsunade, smiling as he ruffled her hair. "Silly granddaughter, we don't belong in this era. If we stayed in the world of the living as Edo Tensei, it would set a bad precedent. If everyone did this, the world would descend into chaos..."
"You and Natsuhane don't need us to witness your future. I believe in you two. You are the hope of the Senju and Uchiha clans."
"We're leaving, Tsunade. Remember, don't come to find us too soon. If you do, we'll be really upset," Hashirama said, turning to Orochimaru. "Do it now, it's time."
"Understood," Orochimaru replied, forming a seal with her hands. Hashirama and Tobirama's bodies began to disintegrate into countless specks of dust, slowly dissipating.
The souls of the two ancestors returned to the Pure Land.
The Hokage's office now had two unknown, dirt-covered corpses. Judging by their appearance and clothing, they were likely failed experimental subjects of Orochimaru's cursed seal.
As the ritual ended, Orochimaru turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Tsunade called out as she reached the door.
Orochimaru glanced back. "What? Haven't we said enough goodbyes? I'm leaving now. This village isn't a place I want to stay."
"Hmph..." Tsunade replied, her tone commanding. "You can go, no one's stopping you. But take these two corpses with you."
"Sorry, I don't have the habit of cleaning up garbage."
"I didn't ask you to clean! Don't you have trusted subordinates?" Tsunade said, opening the window. "Come in. Hiding outside all this time, aren't you tired?"
"Heh... As expected of the legendary Tsunade. Nothing escapes your notice," came Kabuto's voice from outside.
In a flash, Kabuto appeared before Orochimaru, respectfully awaiting orders.
"Orochimaru-sama, with Hiruzen Sarutobi dead, there's no need for me to stay undercover in this village anymore. The plan is ahead of schedule," Kabuto reported.
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "No, this turn of events wasn't my doing. The plan hasn't ended early. My story isn't over yet. One day, I will become the wind that blows this world's windmill."
"Kabuto, take the corpses. We're leaving..."
Kabuto and Orochimaru left...
Tsunade exhaled deeply, looking at the pile of files on the desk, her brows furrowing.
"Shizune! Shizune? Where are you?"
She called out for a while, but there was no response.
"Strange, where did that girl go? Haven't seen her since yesterday..."
Meanwhile, Natsuhane had just woken up.
The moment he opened his eyes, he realized...
The bed was broken...
They hadn't noticed last night.
"Tsk tsk, being with someone strong is really different..."
The wild night and day had indeed taken a toll on Natsuhane.
Despite having the "Everlasting Endurance Technique," he still felt an inexplicable exhaustion.
Every part of his body, except the crucial areas, was sore, bruised, and covered with fresh bite marks and hickeys...
Perhaps this was the primal wildness...
Natsuhane dressed, dragging his weary body out of Tsunade's house and headed towards the Uchiha compound.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi dead and his misdeeds exposed, Natsuhane had achieved his first goal.
It was time to focus entirely on his ultimate objective.
Recently, Natsuhane's new offspring had been born daily.
They were all children of ordinary women, with most ratings being B or C grades. The system's rewards were mostly chakra boosts and basic jutsus.
The "quantity" was nearly saturated.
At this point, it was evident that "quality" outweighed "quantity."
To be precise, both the "quantity" and "quality" in Konoha were sufficient.
One cannot keep exploiting a single place forever.
Living off the locals alone wouldn't get him far.
If things continued this way, many years later, most people in Konoha would carry his bloodline. Unless his descendants voluntarily left and spread out across the ninja world, the outcome... was predictable.
Close kinship would lead to a doomed clan.
"Sigh..."
"The ninja world is vast. I need to spread the Uchiha bloodline far and wide, ensuring its longevity..."
"The task of spreading seeds should not fall to future generations. They lack the system's support. This burden is mine alone to bear..."
"It's time to venture out..."
PS (Translator): I'll add an extra chapter for every 25 power stones or new Patreon member. Additionally, I've written up to Chapter 150 on patreon.com/Betek if you're interested.