Konoha was brightly lit beneath the night sky, clearly displaying the prosperity of the Shinobi World's largest village. The only blemish was a handful of circular patches of darkness near the center, which would have bothered anyone with a compulsive need for order.
Thin wisps of smoke drifted before Hiruzen Sarutobi. Tired after a day of paperwork, he had come up to the Hokage Tower's rooftop to think about the recent situation in the Shinobi World.
The Fourth Hokage's death would surely give the other villages ideas. Sunagakure had been badly weakened in the Third Shinobi War and was no threat. Kirigakure was isolated overseas and plagued by internal strife. Ōnoki of Iwagakure was an old fox who wouldn't make the first move. Besides, Hiruzen had already ordered Danzo to keep a constant watch on Iwagakure. That left only Kumogakure, a village full of hotheads.
Thinking of the Fourth Raikage, Hiruzen couldn't help furrowing his brow. That hothead was a formidable fighter, skilled in both offense and defense, and Hiruzen wasn't sure he could beat him now. That was also why he wanted Jiraiya to stay in the village. At present, only Jiraiya was suited to lead the shinobi forces against the Fourth Raikage.
Moreover, with his keen eye, Hiruzen had a vague sense that among the Konoha Sannin, Jiraiya was probably the strongest in a head-on fight.
But thinking of Jiraiya going off to find the Child of Prophecy made Hiruzen want to shove his pipe into the man's mouth. Of all times, he was still clinging to that prophecy! But Jiraiya had made up his mind and would leave Konoha in a few days.
The one thing that comforted Hiruzen was that Jiraiya had agreed to spend the next couple of years roaming the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, guarding against a surprise attack by Kumogakure.
After thinking it over, Hiruzen realized there was only one person who could handle this assignment. But he really didn't want to use him, even if he was his student.
"Lord Hokage, we've just received word that Lord Tsunade has left the village with the Genin Kato Shizune. Because of her special status, the guards didn't dare stop her."
The Anbu who had come to deliver the report received no response. But he didn't curiously look up; though he hadn't been in Anbu long, he strictly followed its rules.
A few minutes later, Hiruzen's weary voice carried on the evening breeze. "Understood. Thanks for the effort, Shisui. I'll have to trouble you to summon Orochimaru as well."
"Yes, sir."
In the dim laboratory, broken test tubes lay scattered across the floor. Their green liquid spread color over the surrounding area as it trickled along the cracks.
"Had I been too naive after all?" Orochimaru murmured from his chair, gazing up at the pristine ceiling. "That's right. After the Senju Clan disbanded, their bloodline had long since become diluted. Over the years, only Tsunade and... Nawaki met the requirements."
At that, a flicker of pain crossed Orochimaru's slit-pupiled eyes. His emotions had been fading, and this was one of the few pains he still felt. It had taught him how fragile life was. So what if they were the grandsons of two Hokage? They had still died young.
"Lord Orochimaru, Lord Hokage has ordered you to see him immediately."
The sudden voice interrupted Orochimaru's reminiscence. His killing intent swept toward the newcomer like a venomous snake. Even though this was his public laboratory, he hated being disturbed.
What Orochimaru hadn't expected was that the young-sounding Anbu would instantly break free of the pressure of his killing intent and glare at him with red eyes.
"Sharingan? How interesting." Seeing the Three Tomoe eyes behind the mask, Orochimaru licked his lips. "A Uchiha Clan prodigy, Uchiha Shisui, right? How interesting."
His frustration over the Senju bloodline forgotten, Orochimaru seemed to have found a new prey. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Ignoring the wary Uchiha Shisui, he left on his own.
"Huh? Lord Tsunade left last night? In such a hurry?"
In the morning, Senba stood with his bundle in hand, looking at the drowsy Grandma Momoka in confusion. What a shame. He'd been hoping to pick up some Medical Ninjutsu, but it seemed he'd have to wait until they met again.
"You'll only bite off more than you can chew. If you master what's in that bundle, I can't say you'll be an Elite Jonin, but you'll be among the best Special Jonin."
As if she'd guessed what Senba was thinking, Grandma Momoka took a small sip of tea and spoke slowly.
You've got it wrong, Grandma. There's already a Chunin in Konoha who can kick an Elite Jonin to pieces. Thinking of that green whirlwind, Senba sighed inwardly.
Just as Senba's mind began to wander, Grandma Momoka tossed him a small scroll.
"Jiraiya visited me yesterday. This is compensation for Orochimaru's offense against the Senju Clan. It contains a B-rank Ninjutsu. It's not bad, so keep it."
"It's also a chance to build goodwill. Someday, when you leave the village on a mission, you might run into him while he's traveling. That could come in handy."
"Your grandfather's already been taken to the clan to recuperate, so you won't have to worry about him. Little Senba, there's one last thing I want you to remember: keep a low profile. Don't show off before you become a Jonin."
After speaking at such length, the old woman seemed to have exhausted her strength. She paid no mind to Senba's respectful bow, merely waving for him to leave.
This was also a test from Grandma Momoka. If Senba couldn't resist showing off after he left and drew unwanted attention, then his life or death would be up to fate. It wouldn't be much of a loss for the Senju Clan.
At most, they would have someone look after his grandfather until he passed away.
If things went the other way, all the better. The Senju Clan would have hope for the future, rather than ending up as nothing but cold words in Konoha's history books.
A clan leader couldn't let personal feelings cloud his judgment. For an example of what happened otherwise, one need only look to Uchiha Fugaku in the original story. What a piece of work.
Senba had just left the rear residence and reached the front courtyard when he stopped in surprise. So many clan members had stayed overnight—and many of the boys had bundles on their backs just like his, filled with gifts from the ancestral home.
Seeing how happy everyone looked, Senba's worries eased a little. Grandma Momoka must have realized that he'd stand out if he left alone with a bundle, so she'd arranged things this way.
Senba naturally joined the group of his peers and listened as they bragged about the gifts they'd received. It all seemed perfectly ordinary.
Morning was usually the most refreshing time of day, but looking at the student before him, Hiruzen felt his mood grow heavy. The wrinkles across his forehead deepened.
"Tsunade left last night, and now you're leaving today, Jiraiya. Is there nothing in Konoha you care about? Naruto's still young, and you're his grandmaster."
Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe, then exhaled a cloud of smoke through his nostrils. It showed just how frustrated he was. Not one of his three students was easy to deal with.
Sometimes Hiruzen even wished he could go back in time. He would never have taken only three students—now, not one of them was around to help shoulder the burden.
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