Meanwhile, the evening glow bathed Konoha as lights began to twinkle around the village, bringing a gentle quiet after a bustling day. Inside a dimly lit tavern, Tsunade was drinking alone, a quiet sorrow in her expression.
Shizune, carrying her pet Tonton, tried to dissuade her, "Lady Tsunade, please, you shouldn't drink so much…"
"Enough, Shizune…" Tsunade waved her off, her cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol. "If you're not going to drink with me, then just go back and get some rest."
"Even though we're back in Konoha, I know you're probably feeling a bit down…" Shizune's face showed genuine concern as she continued.
"But you now have a very talented student, and I have an adorable teammate to look after. Isn't that something to be happy about?"
"Yes, I know…" Tsunade's expression turned melancholic.
She continued drinking, glass after glass, her gaze distant.
"That brat, Kiyoshi, was a pleasant surprise and made the trip back worthwhile. But he's got nothing to do with this. It's... different…"
Though taking on a talented disciple was reason enough for some joy, her return to Konoha brought back old memories—ones she had tried hard to bury, particularly of her younger brother who had died so young.
And as for Dan Kato?
Others might not know, but Tsunade was painfully aware.
Strictly speaking, they hadn't reached that level in their relationship, she had thought of him merely as a dear friend. Yet his death, like her brother's, struck her deeply.
Her resilience was only a mask.
Losing her brother Nawaki had left a scar that had never healed, and Dan's death had only intensified her pain.
It shattered the heart of a woman who was once a master healer, accustomed to seeing blood and death. The trauma eventually led her to develop a severe hemophobia—fear of blood.
Now, just the sight of blood would send her into uncontrollable shivers, sometimes rendering her completely paralyzed, unable to even move—a condition she was helpless to cure on her own.
Since leaving Konoha, Tsunade had often drowned herself in alcohol, hoping to numb the pain. Shizune had followed, always worried yet unable to change her master's mind.
"Just let me have a few drinks, to really lose myself this time…" Tsunade sighed, her eyes half-closed as the alcohol took effect.
"I won't drink tomorrow, I promise!"
"If you don't mind, how about letting an old man join you for a few drinks?" A man wearing a conical hat and a long cloak entered the tavern, his voice warm and familiar.
"Huh? Lord Third." Shizune gasped as she turned, recognizing the newcomer instantly despite the years. Bowing deeply, she showed her utmost respect.
"Old man, shouldn't you be fulfilling your duties as Hokage? Why come here to meddle in my business?" Tsunade gave him a sidelong glance, showing no particular reaction.
Or perhaps—
After all she had been through, seeing so much darkness in Konoha, Tsunade had lost all faith in Hiruzen.
The Konoha council members, who spoke of carrying forward the legacy of her grandfather, the First Hokage, and her granduncle, the Second Hokage, had fallen prey to corruption.
The ideals of those before them had been sacrificed to power.
Her feelings had moved past simple disappointment, it was utter disillusionment.
It was this hopelessness that drove her away, avoiding Konoha to spare herself the sight of its politics. She wanted no part in the affairs of her village anymore.
"Even after coming back, you couldn't bring yourself to see me but chose instead to drink alone," Hiruzen said, taking off his Hokage hat and sitting beside her.
The wrinkles on his face softened as he smiled gently, signaling to the anxious tavern owner to bring them more drinks.
"You really are a failure…" Tsunade muttered, showing no mercy in her words. Her voice was cold, her eyes narrowed.
"Is that so?" Hiruzen could only manage a helpless smile.
"So then, why did you return this time?" He looked at Tsunade and asked calmly, "I'd have thought you wouldn't want to see me, let alone come back on your own."
"What's the matter?" Tsunade downed another glass, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips.
"Couldn't wait to question me, afraid I'll threaten your position?"
"Lady Tsunade…" Shizune paled, sweat beading on her forehead.
She hadn't expected Tsunade to be so blunt and disrespectful to the Hokage, and she quickly bowed in apology.
"Lord Third, please don't take it to heart. Lady Tsunade's had too much to drink."
"Haha, don't worry. I understand my students well." Hiruzen waved her off, accepting a glass from the tavern owner and pouring himself a drink.
His years of experience had taught him composure, and he wasn't the least bit offended.
Instead, he turned to Shizune with a kind smile. "You must be Shizune? It's been so long since I last saw you—you've grown up."
Taking a puff from his pipe, he turned back to Tsunade. "If you're willing to come back, then I, as your teacher, would be glad to welcome you."
"Don't be so fake, it's disgusting." Tsunade interrupted him without hesitation, pouring herself more wine.
"I have no interest in being Hokage—only fools would take that position…"
She glanced at the aging Hiruzen, now only a shadow of his former self, and added mockingly, "Besides, you're halfway to the grave. Careful not to die in the Hokage's chair."
"You're over fifty now, and you're still as sharp-tongued as ever," Hiruzen sighed.
"I know you don't want to see me, but the village has been facing some complex issues lately…" He let out a soft sigh and admitted.
"The Uchiha clan has been showing some… unrest."
"What?" Shizune's eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding. Unrest in the Uchiha clan?
"You don't need to tell me about that. Those matters are for you and the council to handle," Tsunade snapped, pounding her fist on the table.
She had no interest in Konoha's affairs, her return was purely personal.
She had sensed the tension in the air upon arriving in the village, yet she chose to ignore it, too weary to care.
"This is how it is, Lord Third…" Seeing Tsunade's cold attitude and the Hokage's pensive expression, Shizune gathered her thoughts and explained.
"It's because Lady Azumi of the Ishikawa clan isn't well and feels she doesn't have much time left. She sent word to Lady Tsunade, requesting to see her.
That's why we returned. Lady Azumi even asked Lady Tsunade to take on her grandson, Kiyoshi, as a disciple."
"Kiyoshi?" Hiruzen's eyes showed a flash of surprise.
Knowing Tsunade's temper, he hadn't dared to send Anbu after her upon her return.
He only knew she had gone to visit the Ishikawa family but hadn't realized she'd taken Kiyoshi as her student.
"That child not only has remarkable chakra control but also possesses an unusually large chakra reserve for his age…" Hiruzen nodded, his voice thoughtful.
"Truly, a promising talent."
The Ishikawa family wasn't unfamiliar to him.
Lady Azumi, once a member of the Senju clan and the daughter of the famed Genjutsu master Senju Toka, was respected, despite her own moderate talent.
She had married a civilian ninja from the village, and Kiyoshi had evidently inherited Senju blood, as his chakra reserves far surpassed the norm.
Years of intermarriages promoted by the First Hokage had gradually woven Senju blood into Konoha. From time to time, gifted civilian ninjas with noteworthy abilities emerged.
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