Tsunade and Jiraiya

The person Jiraiya had mentioned was undoubtedly Tsunade, reeking of alcohol deep inside the casino.

Kakashi had not expected that a single trip outside for a mission would bring him face-to-face with two of the Three Sannin...

Ever since her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Dan Katō had died in battle one after the other, Tsunade had developed a severe fear of blood. She had left the life of a shinobi behind and drifted from place to place, spending her days in casinos and taverns.

Kakashi stood quietly behind a wooden pillar outside the casino, his gaze passing through the gap in the paper door as he watched Jiraiya push it open and enter.

Though he said nothing on the surface, he did not object to Jiraiya's proposal to bring Tsunade back.

Tsunade was one of the Three Sannin.

She was one of Konoha's symbols of military strength. Now, storm clouds were gathering over the Shinobi World, and undercurrents surged beneath the surface.

Having one more Kage Level fighter return to the fold was hope for Konoha's survival, not a burden.

Besides, Tsunade was also a top-tier medical ninja...

Kakashi silently watched the commotion inside the casino.

The moment Jiraiya sat down, before he could even say much, a thunderous fist blasted him flying. He crashed through a wall and slammed heavily into the ground, kicking up dust everywhere.

Boom!

A wine cup rolled away, and one corner of the casino instantly fell silent.

Tsunade stood where she was. The drunkenness had not left her face, yet an overwhelming pressure still radiated from her body.

"What does the destruction of the Shinobi World have to do with me?"

Her voice was hoarse, carrying the reckless arrogance of intoxication.

"Hokage and all that... it's the most boring thing there is."

Those words instantly made Kakashi somewhat displeased...

Jiraiya had surely mentioned the position of Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi's age, and the matter of the Fifth Hokage.

But Tsunade... had refused.

She had refused fiercely, in an exceedingly direct manner that seemed almost intent on tearing apart the past.

Kakashi could not help turning his head to look at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya was climbing to his feet, dusting himself off with a helpless expression.

He had clearly long grown accustomed to this former companion's violent temper and her way of keeping everyone at arm's length.

Then Tsunade suddenly turned her gaze toward Kakashi.

"Kakashi, you seem... very dissatisfied with me?"

Her tone was subtle. Though the drunkenness had yet to fade, her voice had softened.

Kakashi's expression remained as calm as still water. "No. Lord Hokage merely ordered me to escort Jiraiya back to the village."

Not once did he mention her.

Tsunade raised a brow and looked at Jiraiya with a faint, mocking smile. "Jiraiya, did you hear that? He said he's only here to take you back."

Jiraiya hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, that's not it. If the old man knew, he'd definitely want you to return too."

Tsunade snorted coldly. "Hmph... wanting it is one thing. I think you're just feeling guilty."

Could they not have a proper conversation?

Kakashi turned to leave this chaotic scene, only for Tsunade's muttering voice to come from behind him. "Look, he doesn't seem to agree with you, Jiraiya."

There was a faint click of her tongue in her tone, along with regret and mockery, but also a loneliness buried very deeply beneath them.

Kakashi stopped. He looked at Jiraiya, then at Tsunade, and in the end said nothing.

This woman was no longer the bold and high-spirited Princess of Konoha.

Trapped by the past and imprisoned by pain, her self-abandonment was really nothing more than locking herself inside a cage she could not escape.

But precisely because of that... it showed that she still cared about Konoha.

Otherwise, she would not deny it so fiercely.

Silence spread through the air for a long while, broken only by the creaking of shattered tiles and broken walls in the wind.

Kakashi finally came back to himself and turned toward the woman seated beside a broken table, still drunk.

"Lady Tsunade..."

He loathed her deeply inside, but Kakashi's outward tone remained exceptionally calm.

"Konoha is your hometown, and Lord Hokage is your teacher."

"And you are the finest medical ninja in the Shinobi World."

"If a great disaster comes in the future, someone with your abilities could accomplish far more than most combat-oriented ninjas."

Tsunade raised a brow and replied flatly, "Heh... here come the lofty speeches again?"

It was impossible to tell whether her tone was mocking or merely indifferent, but a faint ripple had appeared in her eyes.

Seeing that Tsunade had reacted...

Kakashi, inwardly somewhat sarcastic, lowered his voice even further. "Hokage..."

He took a soft breath, as if murmuring to himself. "There used to be someone who talked every day about becoming Hokage."

"He always laughed without a care in the world, and he was more impulsive than anyone when it came to action... but once he made up his mind, he was the kind of person who would give everything to see it through."

He raised his head and looked into Tsunade's eyes. "So the thing you find boring may perhaps... be someone else's most precious dream."

He paused, his gaze drifting to the casino's ruined ceiling.

"I once thought that one day... if I could, I would like to become Hokage too."

The moment those words left his mouth, both Tsunade and Jiraiya were stunned.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, her tone strange. "You?"

Jiraiya, who had remained silent at the side, abruptly turned his head as well, his eyes full of shock.

"Kakashi... you actually have thoughts like that too?"

"I didn't expect to say it out loud either."

Kakashi covered his eye patch...

At that moment, his Sharingan began to throb with intense pain...

"But... maybe it's because of that guy's influence. I used to think he was too noisy, too foolish, too unreliable, but now..."

An image flashed through his mind: a Hokage declaration written in a boy's clumsy handwriting, yet burning with emotion.

Those were Uchiha Yuan's words, a short piece written for the future, for Konoha, and for hope.

He could not even understand why he remembered it so clearly.

That composition was like a seed, quietly taking root and sprouting deep within his mind...

Making him say something like wanting to become Hokage too...

Words that would never have left his lips before.

Tsunade tilted her head slightly as she watched him. The alcohol made her appear languid, yet a complex emotion faintly surfaced in her eyes.

"You've changed, Kakashi. I always thought you were like some emotionless... thing. But it seems even you can have a day when your blood runs hot."

Kakashi did not answer. He merely looked toward the sky beyond the broken wall, which was gradually darkening...

"Hokage is not power, nor is it fame. It is responsibility."

"To protect every single person. Even if only one person remains alive, you cannot let him walk on alone."

Those words left Tsunade stunned.

It was as if they had struck some memory, bringing it back to the surface of her mind.

She said nothing. She merely lowered her head and continued drinking the cup of sake in her hand, which had already turned bitter.

"Let's go..."

Jiraiya burst into laughter at those words...

"That's more like you, Kakashi."

Though the atmosphere had grown increasingly relaxed, Kakashi had not noticed at all that the power of his closed Sharingan had received a tremendous increase...

But...

So I wanted to become Hokage too...

Some parts of his past memories gradually blurred, while others slowly became clearer.

Truth and falsehood... he could no longer tell them apart.