The Highest Peak in Hokage!

Chapter Sixty-Nine: The First Peak of Hokage (Seeking Recommendations and Favorites)

"Sigh, Shizune, why don't you go and say hello to your companions?" Tsunade said helplessly.

"Lady Tsunade, I..." Shizune gritted her teeth, looking hesitant. She thought to herself that she hadn't told her companions when she was leaving, and now she was suddenly running over to them to tell them she was leaving. It really didn't make sense.

However, just as Shizune was caught in a dilemma, she suddenly heard Hong's voice.

"Jing~yin~"

"Red?!" Shizune was pleasantly surprised, then subconsciously turned her head to look. "Hmm?"

There's nothing there. Could it just be an illusion?

"..." Tsunade, with her keen senses, noticed the sound of wind being cut in the distance. She looked up, then paused, stunned, and murmured, "What?"

In the sky, Shunren, carrying Hong in his arms, was flying rapidly toward them.

"Is this the secret technique of the Two Scales Stone Ninja? No..." The sharp-eyed Tsunade noticed a small propeller above Shunren's head and exclaimed in astonishment, "What kind of ninja tool is this? It can actually support a person's flight?!"

"Ahhh!" At this moment, Shizune finally noticed the strange thing. She raised her head, her mouth wide open, and couldn't help but rub her eyes. She stammered, "Shunren? Red? Flying in the sky?"

For ninjas, the ability to Ninjutsu is extremely rare. It is usually achieved by using certain flying creatures or by the secret Earth Release techniques passed down through generations of Stone Ninja Tsuchikage. Therefore, given Shizune's limited knowledge, seeing flight gave her an almost dreamlike feeling.

"Buzz~"

Shunren and Hong landed safely, and the Bamboo-Copter above their heads reached the limit that Yin Release could maintain, turning into smoke and dissipating.

"Shizune!" Red immediately rushed forward and hugged Shizune, crying out, "You bastard! You're leaving without even saying goodbye! Don't you consider us your comrades at all?!"

Upon hearing Shizune, Shizune's eyes welled up with tears, and she murmured softly, "I'm sorry, Red..."

Shunren watched the two saddened by their parting from the sidelines. Although he felt reluctant, he was, after all, a grown man and knew that for Shizune, leaving with Tsunade was the best choice.

As one of the Tsunade Sannin, Tsunade would teach Shizune top-notch Medical Ninjutsu, a rare opportunity in her life. Furthermore, the Third Shinobi World War was about to break out, and Shizune's departure from Konoha at this time would at least allow her to avoid being drawn into the war.

Meanwhile, the reason Tsunade returned to Konoha at this time was not only because the Konoha High Command requested treatment for Inoichi Yamanaka, but also because of Shizune. Shizune is the niece of Tsunade's ex-boyfriend, Dan Katō, Tsunade felt obligated to take good care of Shizune. In addition, having been away from home for many years, she couldn't possibly have been unaware of the undercurrents in the Shinobi World. Therefore, she thought of taking Shizune away from Konoha. With her abilities, protecting Shizune was not a problem at all.

"Kid, you're the Shunren that Shizune always talks about, right? Uchiha Shunren." Tsunade stared at him intently, emphasizing "Uchiha" in her final words.

Tsunade is a member of the Senju Clan, the granddaughter of First Hokage Hashirama Senju Konoha Senju and Uchiha is well-established, and given that her teacher was Hiruzen Sarutobi, she was truly a member of the Konoha Hokage faction. However, excluding the Uchiha was a core principle of Konoha High Command. It's understandable that Tsunade harbored resentment towards the Uchiha.

Tsunade looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze, and Shunren did the same, his mature mind able to read the unfriendly look in her eyes. He said calmly, "Yes."

"Oh?" Tsunade, having been out in the world for many years, could naturally see that Shunren's eyes were quite different from those of his peers.

The way the other person looked at her showed absolutely no reverence for an elder; their calm gaze made it seem as if they regarded her as an equal. And, that gaze seemed to have moved downwards, hmm? "..." Tsunade followed the other person's gaze downwards and instantly understood.

"Uh..." Shunren an awkward smile.

Well, that's it... After all, he's a normal man. Seeing something so huge, the legendary first peak of Hokage, it's hard not to feel curious, and you might even be tempted to reach out and climb it.

Tsunade's eyes immediately turned deadpan, and she coldly said, "Hmph! You're all smiles on the surface, but you've got a lewd heart!"

"My apologies," Shunren apologized sincerely.

This rapid change of expression surprised Tsunade. She was used to men's gazes, but being looked at like that by a boy not even ten years old was a first for Tsunade, leaving her feeling somewhat amused and exasperated.

Tsunade was immediately relieved, thinking to herself, "So he's just a brat after all? This kid's the Jiraiya."

Seeing these three children reminded Tsunade of her once close companions Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Jiraiya, weary of Konoha's inner darkness, had been away from the Konoha for years under the guise of travel. As for Orochimaru, his personality had become almost unrecognizable. She rarely returned to Konoha, and he never came out to catch up. It was said that since the last war, Orochimaru had become obsessed with all sorts of strange research, spending his days in a dark underground research facility. No one knew what he was doing!

After a reluctant farewell chat with Hong Yiyi, Shizune's eyes welled up with tears. She then turned to Shunren and whispered, "Shunren, I..."

"Have a safe journey." Shunren's expression was calm, without the slightest hint of repression or sadness. He smiled gently. "Team 8 Konoha will always welcome you back."

Seeing Shunren's gentle smile, Shizune finally couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She rushed forward and buried her face in Tianya's arms, crying like a child—no, she was, after all, a child...

"Gulp~" Hong choked back tears. The strong-willed girl didn't want anyone to see her cry, so she turned her face away. However, you could still see the glistening tears dripping from her chin.

In the bright morning sunlight, a gentle breeze blew, and the two girls cried as the boy watched tenderly.