Chapter 6
**Chapter 6: Such a Coincidence?**
Konoha.
In the scorching August heat, the Great Ninja War may have started, but it was largely isolated to small skirmishes. At this moment, Konoha Village was still enjoying a short period of peace.
On a rooftop, leaning against a railing.
Tsunade, who had just returned to the village, had her hair tied up in a ponytail and was dressed in a short-sleeved top that revealed her midriff, with a mesh shirt underneath.
"Nawaki, happy twelfth birthday."
Standing on the rooftop, Tsunade smiled as she congratulated him, holding a gift in her hand. Across from her stood Nawaki, proudly wearing his Konoha forehead protector.
Seeing his sister congratulating him on his birthday and presenting him with a gift, Nawaki tried to put on a smug expression.
"I'm not a little kid anymore; you don't need to give me a birthday present."
Though he said that, he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes and quickly took the gift.
This sight made Tsunade chuckle, and she teased him with a smile, "Go on, open it up. It might be something you like."
With a playful smile, Tsunade leaned casually on the railing, lovingly watching Nawaki open the gift. But there was a hint of seriousness hidden in her gaze.
Inside the beautifully wrapped metal box, Nawaki's face lit up with shock as he saw the gift.
"Sister, is this…?"
A look of astonishment spread across his face as he recognized the item inside.
With a gentle smile, Tsunade said, "Yes, this is that necklace, the one that belonged to our grandfather, the First Hokage."
Hearing this confirmation, Nawaki's face filled with excitement.
"I love it, sister."
Seeing Nawaki's happy expression, Tsunade casually asked, "Nawaki, it's your birthday today, and I heard you're going on a mission tomorrow?"
In her casual tone, Nawaki was too delighted to notice his sister's probing question and eagerly nodded, explaining everything without hesitation.
"Yes, sister. We took on the mission yesterday, and we're heading out tomorrow. I'll be going with Lord Orochimaru himself."
He raised his head with a sincere smile, as if to reassure his sister.
Watching Nawaki's excited expression, Tsunade's smile remained, though a shadow of worry lingered in her eyes.
'Could Orochimaru be involved in this?'
She didn't dare to speculate, but this was her younger brother, the future of the Senju clan.
As Nawaki's laughter echoed, Tsunade casually teased, "Alright then. I heard that kid from the Uchiha clan has been besting you, taking the top spot. Otherwise, you would have already joined my team."
Nawaki smiled at this.
"Don't worry, sister. Even if I did become top, I'd still choose Lord Orochimaru. But I imagine that Uchiha Yosuke would definitely be a headache for you."
Talking about Uchiha Yosuke, Nawaki couldn't hide a grin.
The two siblings spent the rest of the day laughing and celebrating Nawaki's twelfth birthday.
Yesterday, the sun had been blazing, but by the next day, the sky was overcast.
It was as if something ominous was looming.
At Konoha's gate, Orochimaru led Nawaki's squad as they swiftly departed on their mission.
Once they had left, Tsunade quietly emerged from the shadows of a large tree just outside the village.
Standing in the shade, she held a scroll in her hand, her face serious.
"A simple C-rank mission—there's a group of wandering samurai nearby. During a time of war, such intel should be highly scrutinized. There's no way such a minor error should have been overlooked!"
"Especially so close to Konoha!"
Looking at the information in her hands, Tsunade couldn't detect any unusual signs in the mission, no matter how she analyzed it.
She would never have believed otherwise, had someone not informed her.
The mission should only take a day to complete, allowing them to return to the village. The proximity alone…
What kind of ninja would be so bold? And even if they were, how could they slip past the layers of Fire Country patrols?
After all, this was during wartime!
But because it involved her younger brother, Tsunade disappeared into the shadows, opting not to follow Nawaki's squad.
With Orochimaru there, any attempt to follow would likely be discovered.
Instead, she chose to head straight to the destination, figuring that with Orochimaru's squad moving at a slower pace, she'd definitely arrive first.
…
Half a day later.
Within a dark forest, several shadows moved swiftly.
A cry of pain rang out as a figure's eyes dimmed. His neck was twisted by a large snake.
Several snakes retracted back into Orochimaru's sleeve as he chuckled wickedly.
Suddenly, behind him, Nawaki and his two teammates appeared, full of excitement.
With a pleased smile, Orochimaru murmured, "Nawaki, you've shown great strength. It won't be long until you're accustomed to the battlefield."
Nawaki, as expected of the Senju clan, possessed both the quality and quantity of chakra that far surpassed typical genin. Once he adapted, he'd undoubtedly reach the strength of an elite chunin.
But just as Orochimaru smiled with satisfaction at his student's progress, an explosion sounded, and a towering flame illuminated his pale face.
Orochimaru's golden, snake-like eyes narrowed in shock as he stared at the distant flames in disbelief.
"How is this possible?"
The two genin were stunned. They had experienced life-or-death situations before, but this was different!
The blaze illuminated their faces.
Amid the flames, Tsunade's eyes burned with anger.
"Why are there so many explosive tags here?"
She had arrived an hour before Orochimaru, observing the group from hiding and detecting nothing amiss with the wandering samurai.
Yet now she witnessed the ambush with her own eyes! The explosive trap had lured Nawaki in.
The only explanation was that the trap had been set long in advance!
Could this really be a coincidence?
"Nawaki!"
A panicked shout from his teammates echoed, but in the firelight, Tsunade restrained her fury, quickly throwing a prepared body double into the explosion's path.
She also tossed the necklace she'd given Nawaki the previous day onto the scene.
She hadn't expected to need it, but now…
With a swish, Tsunade took Nawaki and vanished into the night, leaving behind the raging firelight.
At this point, the Three Sannin were not yet legendary.
Among them, Tsunade was the strongest, with Orochimaru next, and Jiraiya last.
After all, ninja growth requires resources. Orochimaru hadn't yet delved into forbidden jutsu or developed his nearly indestructible physique. (He was almost killed by explosive tags when he defected.)
Jiraiya hadn't yet mastered Sage Mode.
As the princess of the Senju clan, Tsunade had access to resources beyond the imagination of most shinobi.
***
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