The Three Sannin Gather

"Have you decided on a name?"

Kinoe looked at the smiling "superior" beside him, who had asked him about it. She said she wanted him to enroll in the Ninja Academy, but also said that "Kinoe" was not a proper name. She hoped he would choose a proper name so he could be registered for enrollment.

Attend the Ninja Academy?

Kinoe had never considered it. He had told her, "I am already a qualified ninja. Attending the Ninja Academy has no meaning for me."

The woman named Yakushi Nonō smiled and stroked his head without explaining anything.

But it was clear that she was firmly determined to have Kinoe attend the Ninja Academy.

Of course, Kinoe had also sought Lord Third's opinion. At the time, Lord Third had said, "As a child, it is indeed better to have a complete childhood. Kinoe, I agree with Tenshin. You should study too, and come to truly understand what it feels like to be alive."

Truly understand what it felt like to be alive?

Kinoe did not quite understand why Lord Third had said that to him, but since Lord Third agreed, he accepted it as a mission.

So now, the only difficulty was what kind of name he should have.

Troubled by the question, Kinoe raised his head and looked up at the figure standing atop the Hokage Building, wearing the Hokage Hat.

At that moment, all eyes were on him. Not only Kinoe, but countless people around him were looking up at the newly appointed Hokage—the Fifth Hokage, Orochimaru, who had left a deep shadow in Kinoe's heart.

"Tsunade, it's over there."

Tsunade released the Anbu ninja she had caught nearby and looked in Kinoe's direction in surprise. She had never expected the village to let such an important Wood Release Ninja show himself so openly.

No, the fact that she had learned about the Wood Release Ninja in the first place was suspicious, as though someone had deliberately used it to lure her back.

Coupled with how readily this Anbu had told her where the Wood Release Ninja was...

Tsunade clenched her teeth and raised her head toward Orochimaru atop the Hokage Building. Just then, she saw Orochimaru looking at her, a meaningful yet, in her eyes, thoroughly sinister smile curling his lips.

That damned snake!

"You can go."

"Yes, yes!" The Anbu ninja answered repeatedly, thinking that he had completed the task assigned by the Fifth Hokage.

He quickly vanished.

Tsunade gave a cold laugh and headed straight toward Kinoe.

Jiraiya eagerly followed after her, secretly giving the figure atop the Hokage Building a thumbs-up.

Seeing this, Orochimaru pursed his lips speechlessly. He was not helping Jiraiya make a move. Besides, even if he were, could Jiraiya handle it?

Orochimaru understood his old friend Jiraiya well. Though he was glib with words, he was actually a coward when it came to love. Expecting him to win over Tsunade was less realistic than expecting his disciple Anko to stop eating Dango.

"Tsunade." Yakushi Nonō was a very perceptive person and immediately noticed Tsunade's approach. Of course, Tsunade had not tried to hide herself.

At Nonō's respectful greeting, the somewhat distracted Kinoe came back to his senses.

He immediately greeted her respectfully as well. "Tsunade."

The famed Konoha Sannin, an important figure on par with the Fifth Hokage Orochimaru, and Konoha's true princess—the granddaughter of the First Hokage who had founded the village—she was unquestionably among Konohagakure's direct upper echelon.

Even Danzo, whom Kinoe feared and respected, would not dare slight her in the slightest. Even the Hokage had to take her opinions into consideration.

It could be said that her position in the village was exceptionally exalted.

Naturally, Kinoe did not dare be careless around her.

"Jiraiya-sama." Yakushi Nonō greeted Jiraiya, who had followed close behind.

Kinoe hurriedly greeted him as well. "Jiraiya-sama."

Together with the Fifth Hokage Orochimaru, who was receiving the ceremony atop the Hokage Building...

The Konoha Sannin had gathered!

"It's you, Nonō." Tsunade looked at Nonō. Naturally, she knew this outstanding junior among the Medical Ninja, the future head of her Medical Team.

"Tsunade, I'm very happy to see you again."

Tsunade nodded with a faint smile on her face. She had always appreciated Nonō and knew of this current head of Konoha Hospital's contributions to Konoha's medical system. It gave her great comfort.

Behind her, Jiraiya looked at Yakushi Nonō with a somewhat strange expression.

He had returned earlier than Tsunade, so he had heard some of the village gossip. Among it was the rumor that the old man still had plenty of vigor despite his age. After his old wife had died, he had found himself another beautiful young woman.

And according to the rumors, that beautiful young woman was Yakushi Nonō.

He had to admit, she did look quite nice.

She looked like the very picture of a good wife and mother. Had the old man suffered too much psychological trauma from the Nine-Tails' Rampage, so he had found such a maternal woman to soothe his wounded heart?

As these wild thoughts ran through his mind, Jiraiya quickly imagined a hundred-thousand-word plot. As a novelist aspiring to make it in the literary world, a rich imagination was only natural. He even subconsciously thought of the improper things that might have happened between the old Third and Nonō...

Thud!

Tsunade drove an elbow into Jiraiya's side. As Jiraiya bent over with a groan, clutching his waist, she shot the hopeless idiot an annoyed glare.

Why was he looking at her with such a weird expression? Couldn't he see that he was making her uncomfortable?

"Behave yourself!"

After reprimanding him, Tsunade looked at Kinoe.

"Who is he?"

"He is Kinoe."

"He has the scent of Root." After examining Kinoe carefully, Tsunade noticed something. "So Danzo was the one who created this Wood Release Ninja, wasn't he?"

Yakushi Nonō merely smiled and did not answer.

Tsunade nodded in understanding.

Then she asked Kinoe, "Do you know the significance of Wood Release?"

"...It is Lord First's technique," Kinoe answered.

"Yes. Grandfather dominated the ninja world with Wood Release ninjutsu, and then he died."

Her tone carried an undisguised trace of resentment.

"Kid."

Tsunade grabbed Kinoe by the head.

"I don't like your eyes very much. Those eyes that seem ready to throw away your life at any time without hesitation. Even Grandfather was only willing to give his life to protect the village. But you regard your own life as something even more worthless. Honestly, I hate that."

"...Tsunade?"

"You've left Danzo now, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. Live properly. Maybe one day, you'll do something foolish like Grandfather did. But even if you do, that kind of foolishness would still be ten thousand times better than how you are now."

"Hehe." Jiraiya could not help covering his mouth as he laughed behind them.

He knew it. Tsunade was always so incapable of saying what she really meant.