The next day, Tanzaku Town.
Tsunade saw the gates from afar, a faint look of nostalgia and memory flashing through her eyes.
"The old Thunder Guard…"
"Went out on a mission and died. Now guarding the gates are Haneda and Tsuchihara, two newly-promoted chunin."
"Newly promoted? No wonder I don't recognize them."
After over a year away, Konoha was still the same Konoha, unchanged in any significant way, but the people at the gate had changed.
She sighed, her previously hopeful expression clouded with a touch of loneliness, her enthusiasm waning.
Yet.
As they approached the village entrance—
"Lady Tsunade? Lady Tsunade has returned!"
"What?"
The two gatekeepers gasped in surprise.
Soon enough.
At the gates, every passing ninja and villager stopped in their tracks, rushing over.
"Lady Tsunade!"
"Lady Tsunade, you're back!"
"Where is she? I want to see her, I want to see…"
Among the loud voices, parents' gentle encouragements could be heard, and one by one, children were lifted up to get a glimpse of the entrance.
Most of these children had grown up in the past year or two and didn't recognize Tsunade anymore.
But clearly.
Under the influence of their parents, they still knew her name and deeply admired her.
In just a blink, the once spacious village entrance was now overflowing with a crowd of people.
Tsunade was taken aback.
A flood of indescribable emotions stirred within her, words catching in her throat, unable to be expressed.
"Don't crowd, make way!"
Haneda gestured for space.
The crowd at the entrance parted, creating a path.
Jiraiya walked behind Tsunade, leading the group into the village.
Even the usually composed Kakashi showed a hint of excitement, his face slightly flushed under his mask.
Kurenai was equally…
But.
Amid such a scene, few could remain composed at the center of attention.
Many people of this generation had once been protected or healed by Tsunade; even in Naruto's later era, many continued to admire her.
Walking through the village.
As they neared the Hokage Tower, the crowd finally dispersed under the coordination of the other ninjas.
Inside the building, Tsunade leaned against a wall and looked at Jiraiya.
"You go make your report. I won't be joining you."
"Alright."
Jiraiya didn't insist.
"Since it's just a C-rank mission, no need for a joint report. Kakashi, Kurenai, you can also go and rest up. Training resumes tomorrow."
"I'll rest as well."
Tsunade yawned.
Kyohiko quickly asked, "Lady Tsunade, does your offer from earlier still stand?"
"What?"
Tsunade blinked, recalling for a moment, then understanding with a smile, "You really want to get hit?"
"Being trained by a ninja like you—what genin wouldn't jump at the chance?"
Kyohiko's straightforward reply was impressive.
Shizune couldn't help but admire his bravery.
If she hadn't seen Tsunade's power firsthand, she might have thought Kyohiko was just reckless.
However.
He had witnessed Tsunade's strength and knew the gap between them, yet still dared to bring it up…
That took real courage!
Tsunade chuckled, "You've got guts, kid."
She glanced over at Kakashi and Kurenai.
"And what about you two?"
"We'd also like to learn from you!"
Kakashi and Kurenai quickly replied.
Tsunade put her hands on her hips, "Alright, I've got some time to kill. Tomorrow morning at seven, meet me at the Forest of Death. Don't chicken out!"
"We'll be there!"
They shouted in unison.
Shizune felt a pang of envy but didn't ask to join.
Following Tsunade in her travels, she'd already been halfway trained by her and received plenty of guidance. There was no need to get involved this time.
Hokage's Office.
Jiraiya filled in the Third Hokage on the situation from their journey, also releasing the seal to reveal one of the corpses.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face grew serious.
"In your judgment, how likely is it they were targeting Tsunade?"
"It's hard to say."
Jiraiya shook his head.
At the time, he hadn't been on the front lines, and much of the information was incomplete.
However.
"One thing is certain: they seemed to want her alive. The target could be Tsunade, Shizune, or even Kyohiko and Kakashi, as there was no poison in the initial attack, so assassination seems unlikely."
"Is that so?"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
Then he looked at Jiraiya. "What are your next steps?"
"I promised Koji Matsuyama that I'd go to the Land of Waves, so I'll investigate there. But I hope you can look into things on your end, too."
Jiraiya said.
Hiruzen nodded.
"I'll arrange for it."
"Then, I'll be off!"
"If Tsunade's back, be careful not to stir up any trouble," Hiruzen added.
Jiraiya's face stiffened, and with a cough, he waved and leaped out the window.
The next day, Training Ground Ten of the Forest of Death.
This time, there was no setup for an exam. And it wasn't three-on-one but—
One-on-one!
Tsunade stood there casually.
"Are you coming at me one by one, or all at once?"
She pointed at the three of them.
Kakashi and Kurenai exchanged hesitant looks.
A group battle would test teamwork, while one-on-one would be a test of individual skill…
"Can we do both?"
Kyohiko whispered.
Though still a child, as a mature spirit—
I want it all!
Tsunade laughed, shaking her head, "You greedy little brat, careful you don't get beaten so bad you can't stand tomorrow."
"Not scared!"
Kyohiko took a deep breath.
Of course, he was scared.
But.
Having a Kage-level ninja as a sparring partner, free of charge, would make anyone a fool to back down out of fear.
A ninja is fearless!
Kakashi and Kurenai nodded in agreement, supporting Kyohiko's answer.
"You're not scared, huh? I don't feel like overexerting myself, so let's go one by one. Who's first?"
Tsunade agreed easily.
They were here already.
Whether it was one beating or three didn't make a difference, but a three-on-one might be a bit much.
"I'll go first!"
Kakashi quickly stepped forward.
Kyohiko withdrew his foot in disappointment.
It seems—
Kakashi's reflexes were still superior to his own.
He thought to himself.
"Very well."
Tsunade drew a small circle with her left foot. "I'm not interested in moving too much, so I'll use one hand only. If you can force me out of this circle, you win."
Kakashi's eyes focused on the circle, analyzing the battleground.
The circle was small, with hardly any room to move.
In this limited space…
"Can we use explosive tags?"
"Of course, ninja tools are part of a ninja's strength."
Tsunade smirked.
Kakashi nodded, "I'm ready."
"Then let's begin."
As soon as she spoke—
Tsunade's eyes fixed on Kakashi, her stance completely relaxed. But—
Kakashi's forehead beaded with sweat.
His lips trembled, his hands shook, frozen in place.
Kurenai looked baffled.
"Is this genjutsu? But I don't feel any chakra disturbance!"
"It's not genjutsu; it's pure killing intent."
Kyohiko's face was solemn.
In the anime, Kakashi had twice been paralyzed by Orochimaru's killing intent.
At that time, he was already a jonin.
Now—
Kakashi was only a chunin, facing the pressure of Tsunade, a Kage-level ninja. The weight of it was unimaginable.
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