Hyuga Ningyuan Discusses Tall People

"Wah, wah, wah..." Not comforting her was one thing, but the moment he tried, Tsunade completely broke down. She reached out and pulled Hyuga Ningyuan into her arms, sobbing loudly.

Her younger brother had died first, then her lover had perished. If not for the village still being her anchor, she would have collapsed long ago!

Even so, her heart was already riddled with scars!

But she was a Sannin, she was Tsunade—countless eyes were on her, countless people looked up to her as their idol.

She had to be strong. How could she ever cry?

Until today, Tsunade realized that maybe she once had a chance to turn things around?

That it was just one step away—a missing process to seal the wound?

So, all this suffering and despair... was it entirely because of my own incompetence?

Patting Tsunade's shoulder gently, Ningyuan let out a sigh.

History has no happy endings. Behind countless regrets lie countless "what ifs."

Stirrups and saddles—such simple things. Any blacksmith could make them at a glance, yet they weren't invented until the Eastern Han Dynasty.

If the Great Qin had these, its territory could have expanded even further!

Liu Bei was on the verge of reviving the Han dynasty three times and restoring China's glory, but then Lü Meng crossed the river in white robes, Mi Fang stood by and did nothing, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da killed Zhang Fei, and a great fire raged at Yiling.

The Yuan Dynasty attacked Japan several times, only to be thwarted by divine winds, leading the Great Ming to learn from Yuan's experience and list Japan as a nation not to be conquered.

But it was just a matter of the wrong season! If they had taken Japan, the Iwami Silver Mine alone could have extended the Great Ming's lifespan by a hundred years. Then there would have been no "Three Days in Yangzhou," no "Ten Massacres of Jiading," and no century of humiliation after that.

"Do you think all of this is your fault? That such a simple technique, if you had discovered it earlier, could have saved many people, maybe many wouldn't have died, and things would be completely different now?" Hyuga Ningyuan said softly.

"Huh?" Tsunade, still crying, froze.

"But how could it be your fault? You didn't start the war, you didn't kill anyone. You've been desperately trying to save everyone, haven't you? With your mind full of endless suffering and wounded people day after day, where was there room to think?"

"What do you know!" Tsunade snapped, annoyed. "Now you're lecturing me!"

She stopped crying, but she didn't push Hyuga Ningyuan away. Earlier, she thought it was an illusion, but after hugging him again, she realized it wasn't.

This kid had a very pleasant scent about him, along with a calming aura that made people unconsciously let down their guard, instantly feeling lighter.

[Autumn Water Bright Eyes]

[Mirror Water]

[Wings of Truth]

[Healer's Heart]

These traits not only provided buffs but also enhanced his presence.

Especially [Healer's Heart]: +30% affinity with patients and their families.

As luck would have it, Tsunade suffered from hemophobia—she was a patient too.

Tsunade calmed her emotions and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Then she remembered her current situation and suddenly felt awkward.

Does he think I'm fragile? A crybaby?

If so, how could I ever hold my head up in front of him again?

I need to talk to him, tell him about my achievements, let him know how impressive I am!

"I've heard of you. 'Marry Yūhi Kurenai, be a ninja like the Second Hokage'?"

Hyuga Ningyuan nodded. It wasn't surprising that Tsunade knew about this. Modern society had countless examples proving that saying something catchy was the easiest way to make people remember you.

Like: Giao.

Like: Here comes the little flying stick.

Like: Damn!

Like: Reforge LCK's glory—our duty is unshirkable.

Many people stream for ten years and get nowhere, while one catchy phrase does the trick.

"Marry Yūhi Kurenai, be a ninja like the Second Hokage" was one such phrase, proven by history.

Many people didn't know Liu Xiu or the Great Archmage, but they knew the line "marry Yin Lihua"—they definitely knew that.

"You admire the Second Hokage a lot?" Tsunade asked again.

The Second Hokage was a good entry point. If he was Ningyuan's idol, then all I'd need to do is reveal my identity, and he'd instantly prostrate himself in awe, right?

"No," Hyuga Ningyuan shook his head without hesitation. "It's just that there aren't many choices. Picking the tallest among the short."

"Hmm, well, you really—" Tsunade was about to reveal her identity when she suddenly sensed something off. "Wait, what do you mean by 'picking the tallest among the short'? Are you calling the Third Hokage short? Or the First Hokage short?"

As she spoke, Tsunade raised her fist. "I'd advise you to watch your words, or I'll have to beat you up!"

Hyuga Ningyuan nodded and said, "I'm not targeting anyone in particular."

"Uh-huh!"

"I just think that all the village heads—the Five Great Ninja Villages, plus Amegakure, Kusagakure, and Soragakure—"

"Mm-hmm!"

"All shorties!"

"Huh?" Tsunade's eyes went wide. "Hey, you little brat!"

Calling three people in Konoha short was one thing, but now you're mocking every village leader in the ninja world?

Who do you think you are!

She was so mad she laughed, and the fist she'd raised instead froze in place.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Tsunade nodded. "So you're saying all village leaders are shorties, huh? Then tell me, who isn't a shorty?"

As if a thought struck her, she asked, "Don't tell me you mean some old ancestor of your Hyuga Clan, or Uchiha Madara?"

The only non-leader who was still a big shot was probably Uchiha Madara.

"The Hyuga ancestors? Just bones in their graves. Uchiha Madara? His ambition outpaces his fate, but at least he's a man with ideals and drive, so he's a step above the shorties..." Hyuga Ningyuan shrugged.

"Uchiha Madara's ambition outpaces his fate?" Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle. If Madara ever heard someone say that about him, she wondered if he'd still be laughing.

"So, in your eyes, who's the tall one?" Tsunade asked.

"The Second Hokage counts as half, Orochimaru counts as one. As for the rest..." Hyuga Ningyuan waved a hand. Not worth mentioning.

Actually, Yahiko and Nagato were also figures worth noting, but he had no reason to know them yet, or they'd have gotten a mention too!

"I can sort of accept the Second Hokage counting as half, but what makes Orochimaru count as one?" Tsunade laughed. "In your eyes, the Second Hokage is inferior to Orochimaru?"

The moment he said that, she understood—this kid had no idea how great the Second Hokage was. Instead, he'd picked up some stories about Orochimaru from somewhere and made him an idol.

But who was stronger, the Second Hokage or Orochimaru? Didn't she, Tsunade, know that well enough?

"The Second Hokage really is inferior to Orochimaru!" Hyuga Ningyuan nodded seriously. "In terms of talent for researching jutsu alone, the Second Hokage might be stronger. But in every other aspect—scientific philosophy, village governance, or breadth of vision—Orochimaru far surpasses him!"

"Haha." Tsunade was now fully convinced Hyuga Ningyuan was joking.

What village governance did Orochimaru have?

Watching Tsunade laugh like an idiot, Hyuga Ningyuan sighed. Such was the tragedy of a time traveler.

Standing on the timeline and seeing the whole picture, he naturally understood Orochimaru's greatness.

Orochimaru pursued research for immortality; the Second Hokage pursued research to counter the Uchiha Clan.

That mindset was instantly lesser.

And even after becoming Hokage, the Second Hokage never let go of his prejudice against the Uchiha. Orochimaru not only let go of his hatred for the Uchiha but even shed his gender bias.

Who wouldn't call that impressive?

As for village management, that was clear from the later Chunin Exams.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, day after day, suppressed clan ninja and promoted civilian ninja. The suppression was real, but the promotion was just lip service.

Or maybe, after civilians produced freaks like Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Minato, he got too scared to keep promoting them.

In the end, the Chunin Exams still relied on clan ninja to carry the day. Of the Konoha 12, ten were clan ninja.

And what about Orochimaru's students in Otogakure?

Aside from Kimimaro, every single one was a civilian!

Remember, Konoha was a village founded sixty years ago, with a deep foundation, and its talent pool had withered to this extent.

Otogakure had been around for less than ten years!

Patting Tsunade's thigh, Hyuga Ningyuan spoke with an old-timer's tone: "You might not get it now, but time will prove everything!"

"Hey, you little punk! You got lucky finding one medical technique, and now you're acting all high and mighty!" Tsunade grabbed Hyuga Ningyuan and laid him across her lap. "If you've got the guts, invent another medical technique for me to see!"