A Girl's Tears

Dusk

Tsunade walked dejectedly through Konoha's streets, with two boys following behind her.

The girl's usually sleek, glossy high ponytail was now somewhat messy and dull. Tears glimmered in her eyes, and the occasional sob showed just how awful Konoha's little princess felt.

Jiraiya hung his head. Seeing the girl he loved so heartbroken, he did not dare approach her and could only silently follow behind Tsunade to show his support.

Orochimaru's face was even paler than usual. He understood Tsunade's feelings well; his parents had also died in that brutal war.

More sensitive than most, Orochimaru understood that Tsunade needed not only comfort now, but companionship. Yet the comforting words he knew amounted to only a few meager phrases, nowhere near as eloquent as Jiraiya.

Unfortunately, Jiraiya was acting like a coward. When it was time to step up, he had become a turtle hiding in its shell. So Orochimaru would be the same as Jiraiya and simply follow Tsunade.

As her companion, he was always there.

As Orochimaru thought this, Tsunade suddenly turned around. She forced out a difficult smile, tears on the verge of spilling from her eyes, and the way she struggled to hold back her grief was heartbreaking.

Seeing Tsunade's smile, uglier than crying, Jiraiya finally could not help stepping forward to comfort her.

"Tsunade, you know the villagers have always liked talking nonsense. Lord Hokage is so powerful; he definitely won't d—"

Before Jiraiya could say the word "die," Tsunade interrupted him. Right now, she was terrified of hearing that word.

"Second Grandpa is the Hokage. Even Grandpa is usually afraid of him. He's so strong, so he'll definitely be fine."

"He knows so many Forbidden Jutsu—Water Release, Fire Release..."

"..."

Tsunade sobbed as she said many things, as though trying to prove something. But she soon could no longer hold herself together. Her tears burst forth like a collapsing dam. She hurriedly said goodbye until tomorrow, then ran home without looking back.

The girl's pride forced her not to show her weak side in front of her companions any longer. She was the Hokage's granddaughter.

Before long, Tsunade had vanished from Jiraiya and Orochimaru's sight.

"Jiraiya, why didn't you say anything earlier?"

Orochimaru looked at the dazed Jiraiya, unable to stop himself from feeling frustrated at his failure to live up to expectations. Jiraiya, who had once begged him to play the villain so he could save the beauty like a hero, had acted like a block of wood at such a critical moment.

"I... I..."

Jiraiya could not speak. Just now, he had desperately wanted to say something, to do something, but for some reason, he had been like a man who had lost his soul.

"Tch!"

Useless trash!

Orochimaru sneered and cursed inwardly. Then he turned around, ignored Jiraiya, and headed toward his own home.

Only Jiraiya remained on the street. In the afterglow of the setting sun, his shadow stretched long. He stood there blankly for a while before finally recovering from his earlier failure.

Jiraiya returned home alone. His mind was a tangled mess along the way, and all kinds of comforting words surfaced one after another.

Unfortunately, they were useless now.

Senju Clan Compound

Sobbing, Tsunade darted through the gates of the Senju Clan Compound, desperate to run to her grandmother, Mito Uzumaki.

Grandma Mito Uzumaki definitely knew what had happened to Second Grandpa.

The moment Tsunade entered, she saw that familiar flash of red. Mito sat before a table piled with food.

"Grandma... Grandma..."

"People in the village are saying that Second Grandpa..."

Tears streamed freely down Tsunade's face as she threw herself into Mito Uzumaki's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Mito Uzumaki held Tsunade and gently patted her back. A wave of sorrow rose in her heart, tears shimmering in her eyes as several thoughts flashed through her mind.

The news of Tobirama's Death had leaked so quickly?

Who was it?

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, Kagami Uchiha?

Their faces flashed through Mito Uzumaki's mind.

But above all else, she thought, My granddaughter is truly pitiful.

"Is Second Grandpa really dead?"

Tsunade raised her small tear-streaked face, searching Mito Uzumaki for an answer.

Looking at Tsunade's tearful eyes, Mito Uzumaki dearly wished she could tell her that Tobirama Senju was fine, that it was all just rumor.

Unfortunately, she could not. The truth was a fire, while lies were paper. How could paper possibly wrap up flames? A lie could not be kept from Tsunade. Deceiving her now would only cause greater harm in the future.

Better short pain than long pain!

Mito Uzumaki looked at her granddaughter with heartache. Countless words flashed through her mind before she finally spoke slowly.

"Tsunade, you are the Hokage's granddaughter. Do you remember what Grandpa and Second Grandpa used to tell you?"

"Be strong no matter what happens!"

"Grandma will always be with you."

After Mito Uzumaki finished speaking, Tsunade's eyes widened. The hope in her heart finally died. A louder wail escaped her lips, and her tears flowed without end.

Mito Uzumaki had no choice but to keep softly comforting Tsunade.

The sun set, and the moon appeared above Konoha. Bright moonlight spilled across Konoha's streets, yet it illuminated few figures. Streets that had usually remained lively until late at night had only a sparse handful of people today.

In merely one afternoon, thanks to the diligent efforts of the Uchiha, news of Tobirama Senju's death had spread through all of Konoha like a virus at unprecedented speed.

Konoha's shadow had died. The man who had led them to victory in the First Shinobi World War had fallen during border negotiations on the eve of the peaceful life they were about to gain.

How could they possibly be in the mood for entertainment?

Would Konoha's Future still be as peaceful and prosperous as it had been in the past?

Grief-stricken and uncertain about the future, the villagers closed their doors early.

Inside the room

Time passed bit by bit. Tsunade's voice grew softer and softer. Her long crying fit had finally exhausted her, and she drifted into sleep with sorrow in her heart. The tear tracks left behind ensured that her dreams would not be happy.

Mito Uzumaki carefully carried Tsunade to the bed and covered her with a blanket, moving with the utmost caution for fear of waking her.

Mito Uzumaki looked at Tsunade in her sleep and sighed. As a ninja, life and death, meetings and partings were already commonplace. But life would still go on, just as the sun rose every day.

"Tsunade, you must become even stronger."

Mito Uzumaki murmured softly. Then she left the room, found a basin of water, and washed her face. She had cried for a long time as well.

Now, she had something more important to do than cry.

Konoha's Future now rested on her shoulders.

"Senju Momoki!"

At Mito Uzumaki's command, Senju Momoki appeared, his expression as still as an ancient well.

Senju Momoki had already been waiting nearby for Mito Uzumaki's orders. The crying in the house had gone on all evening, and he did not dare fail her at a time like this.

"Go call those little brats over!"

"Yes!"