The Butterfly Effect

"Teacher Genma, see you tomorrow. Bye-bye."

Chiba waved goodbye to Genma Shiranui, with Tsuki and Iruka beside him. Then the three of them turned and crunched away through the snow.

After the three had left, Genma stretched and gazed up at the bright moon. A wave of sleepiness washed over him, and he figured he might as well use the buzz from the alcohol to get a good night's sleep.

"Well, if it isn't Genma! What a coincidence. Come on, I'm buying today. Let's all have a good time together."

"Raidō, I just ate."

"That's the same excuse every time. We haven't seen you in days, Genma. Are you trying to distance yourself from us?"

"No, I..."

"Good, then! Come on, let's go in and have another round. I heard your students did a great job on their mission this time. Tell us about it!"

And so, belching with a full stomach, Genma was hauled back to the izakaya by Namiashi Raidō and Tatami Iwashi, each with an arm slung over his shoulder. With nothing better to do, they could only pass the time this way.

While Genma told the two of them about his students and how they had performed in the Land of Grass, another force had also sent a scouting team to investigate what had happened there.

Mei Terumi, dressed in a loose kimono, walked through a city somewhere in the Land of Water. Her reddish-brown hair fell straight to her shoulders, and bangs covered her right eye, which was a vivid green.

After word spread that Kusagakure had apparently been attacked by Kirigakure, even the tightly sealed Blood Mist had to send someone to investigate.

Mei Terumi belonged to Genji's faction, and because she was at odds with the Fourth Mizukage's faction, she had been sent off to carry out this largely pointless mission.

To avoid being discovered by Konoha and Iwagakure, she and her subordinates had hidden themselves among a merchant caravan and left the Land of Water to travel across the continent.

They were due to leave the Land of Water tomorrow. Worry for her village kept her awake, so, bored and unable to sleep, she had taken two subordinates out for a walk in the snow under the cover of night.

Before she knew it, she had reached an arched bridge. Her keen senses picked up on something, and she looked into the distance.

Haku felt that he was about to die. After his mother's death, his birth father had hunted him down, and he no longer had any desire to keep living. Perhaps dying here in the snow was simply his fate.

In his final moments, an ice senbon appeared in his hand. This power had brought ruin to his family, yet now it was all he had to keep him company.

"You're from the Mizunashi Clan, aren't you? What are you doing here?"

At the sound of the gentle voice, Haku was lifted tenderly into someone's arms, and a thick coat was wrapped around his purplish-blue body. Through his haze, he saw a kind face looking down at him.

In that moment, Haku saw a glimmer of hope in the darkness. His cracked lips moved a few times, but in the end, he passed out.

Mei Terumi looked at Haku, held in the arms of one of her guards. Her eyes held both pity and barely suppressed fury. The Fourth Mizukage had gone mad.

The Mizunashi Clan was not the only family to have been wiped out. Recently, even the lunatics of the Taketori Clan had caught wind of what was happening and were gathering their clan's strength.

The Fourth Mizukage had to die. Otherwise, Kirigakure would eventually be destroyed from within—a fate even more ridiculous than the Konoha White Fang's suicide.

"Boil Release: Art of the Acid Mist!"

The next second, Mei Terumi swiftly formed Hand Seals, parted her red lips, and exhaled a cloud of acidic, high-temperature mist. It spread toward the bridgehead, which had inexplicably become shrouded in fog.

"This power... Mei Terumi?" Momochi Zabuza, wielding an unnamed greatsword, dodged the incoming acid mist. He recognized her—not as some sheltered rich girl, but as the former prodigy who had once been his colleague.

"Mei Terumi, I found that child first. Just hand him over to me, and I'll leave immediately. How about it?"

Zabuza had actually been following Haku for some time. Today, when the boy was at his most desperate, Zabuza had planned to bring him over to his side—but now someone had beaten him to it.

"So it's you, Zabuza." Mei Terumi lightly wiped the acid from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes glinted with interest as she looked at him. "What a wonderful day. I've not only found the last survivor of the Mizunashi Clan, but I've also got a chance to bring back a missing-nin's head."

As soon as Mei Terumi finished speaking, several figures appeared behind her, all glaring menacingly at Zabuza.

Not only had someone taken what belonged to him, but they were now eyeing his life. Even the meek had their limits, let alone Momochi Zabuza.

A moment later, the thunderous clash of powerful ninjutsu rang out, and the once-sturdy arched bridge collapsed with a roar.

Chiba, who had no idea that the flapping of his butterfly wings had already changed someone's fate far away, now sat beside Grandma Momoka, wearing a bashful smile.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Chiba, his eyes full of warmth. At least for now, he seemed willing to support Chiba's existence.

"Lady Momoka, because of what happened back then, Tsunade developed a condition. On top of that, my student also developed a gambling addiction."

As he said this, Hiruzen couldn't help thinking of the First's own habits. His expression turned rueful. Tsunade really had learned everything—the bad along with the good.

"I used to worry that this bad habit of hers would drag the Senju Clan down. But now that we have a good child like Chiba, I can rest easy."

Hearing Hiruzen's words, Senju Momoka seemed faint and weary with age. She struggled to open her cloudy eyes, then replied with a slight delay.

"I've given up on little Tsunade. As long as she's happy out there, that's all that matters. She's just a Senju clan leader in name." As she spoke, Senju Momoka reached out and stroked Chiba's forehead with her aged hand.

"Hiruzen, I'm already at the end of my life. All I ask is that after I'm gone, you look after little Chiba, so the Senju name won't disappear from Konoha completely in another ten years or so."

Seeing Grandma Momoka look so frail, Chiba remembered how lively she had seemed that morning, eating two bowls of white rice. His eyes reddened. He covered his face and sobbed softly.

Watching such a moving scene, Hiruzen couldn't help thinking of all the Senju Clan had done for Konoha. A wave of guilt rose in his heart.

After the Senju Clan had disbanded and joined Konoha, they had spent decades bolstering its ranks with countless ordinary Ninja. And how many Senju had taken part in Danzo's experiments, only to end up as cold wooden statues?

Yes, in Hiruzen's mind, all those experiments had been carried out by Shimura Danzo.

The thought made Hiruzen increasingly uneasy. He reached for his pipe, hoping a little tobacco might clear his head, but remembered where he was and forced himself to stop.

In the end, Hiruzen silently nodded. He also made it clear, if only indirectly, that the Senju Clan had contributed more than enough to Konoha, and there was no need for the Senju name to disappear entirely.

It would be enough if, like the Tsuki and Hatake clans, the Senju had only a few central members in each generation.

Seeing this, Senju Momoka knew she had successfully secured Chiba time to grow. She also knew that she had accomplished what she had set out to do today.

Never underestimate a leader who has held the Hokage position for more than twenty years. He was deeply suspicious; otherwise, he wouldn't have come here today.