Tsunade and Shizune

Night hung low, ink-black darkness surging through the forest like a raging tide.

In the dead of night, a faint patter of footsteps quietly broke the stillness.

Then, two figures slowly emerged from around a bend in the winding path deep within the forest.

Under the moonlight, one could see that one of them was a girl of about six. She wore a simple blue-black robe that reached her ankles. Her neat short hair made her look clean and capable, and though her features were still childish, her fair face gave off a remarkably gentle impression.

At that moment, however, the girl held a cute pink ninja pig in her arms as she looked at the mature woman beside her.

The woman's face was softly oval, and the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead shimmered with a cold, glasslike radiance.

Her long golden hair gleamed brilliantly beneath the moonlight.

Her features were exquisitely beautiful, her skin porcelain-white and fairer than frost and snow. Under the cool moonlight, she possessed an even more captivating luster.

She wore a loose tea-green robe, yet the astonishingly full peaks at her chest stretched the garment high.

Her slender waist, narrow enough to encircle with one hand, swayed like a willow branch in the wind. It stood in stark contrast to her ample chest, yet complemented it perfectly, outlining a voluptuous curve that stirred the heart.

At the moment, her steps were slightly unsteady from her drunkenness. The girl beside her quickly caught and steadied her.

Coming back to herself, she rubbed the back of her head and spoke apologetically.

"Haha, sorry, little Shizune. I only wanted a drink to satisfy my craving while we traveled, but once I started, I couldn't stop. Now I even need you to take care of me."

Hearing that, Shizune's lips twitched slightly. She really wanted to say that it was not only when Tsunade was drunk; even when she was sober, Shizune was the one taking care of her.

But Shizune did not dare say it so bluntly. Still, seeing that Tsunade was somewhat drunk, she could not help voicing the doubt in her heart.

"Lady Tsunade, are we really leaving Konoha just like this?"

Tsunade froze at those words. Memories surged through her mind, and pain and numbness flashed through her hazy eyes.

Why would she want to leave the place where she had lived for nearly twenty-three years, from childhood to adulthood?

But what reason did she have to stay?

The Second Ninja World War had only just ended, and her younger brother had died on the eve of the war.

Her clansmen—the true core of the Senju clan, the clansmen who still bore the Senju surname—had all died in the war.

And the lover who had confessed his feelings to her before the war, the first person to stir her heart even slightly, had also died in the war.

What had she gained from that war? An illusory title of "Sannin," bestowed upon her by the enemy?

For that, she had lost almost everything, leaving behind only an empty, desolate Senju estate.

So she did not know what reason she had to remain in that village, a place full of memories that also carried all her sorrow.

She had left Konoha, trying to numb herself through drinking and gambling, trying to forget those painful memories.

But she would not tell Shizune any of this.

"Haha, what is it? Is traveling through other countries with your master such a bad thing? Or are you homesick, little Shizune?"

Tsunade quickly gathered herself. With the same carefree smile as always, she ruffled Shizune's hair.

"N-No, it's just that I'm afraid the people in the village might be dissatisfied with Lady Tsunade..."

"Oh? So little Shizune was worried about me? How adorable!"

As she spoke, Tsunade pulled Shizune entirely into her embrace.

"All right, let's hurry. We'll reach the border soon. When we get there, I'm going to sweep through every casino in the Land of Rice Fields and slaughter the gamblers there until nothing remains!"

"Yes..."

Shizune answered helplessly, rubbing her forehead.

Tsunade and Shizune continued along the path. Moonlight flowed like water over their shoulders, while the night wind rustled through the grass by the roadside.

They had not gone far when Tsunade suddenly stopped. The wine flask she had just raised was lowered, and her delicate brows drew together slightly.

"Traces of chakra..."

Tsunade muttered to herself. She had not intended to pay them any mind, but after taking only two more steps, she spotted the traces Yasuke and the others had left behind when they captured the young Konoha ninjas.

Tsunade unconsciously came to a stop. Looking at the scorch marks on the ground and trees, her expression gradually turned grave.

"Great Fireball Technique. Konoha ninjas..."

"Are ninjas from the village carrying out a mission here?"

Shizune asked curiously.

However, Tsunade shook her head.

"No. This chakra is very weak. They were probably newly graduated students."

"What!"

Shizune covered her mouth in shock.

"How could students be carrying out a mission so far from the village? And where is their jonin instructor?"

Tsunade shook her head again, her gaze fixed on the tracks on the ground.

"And judging by the looks of it, these students have already met with misfortune. Shizune, let's go take a look."

Though she had become disappointed in Konoha, that disappointment was directed at its higher-ups. If children from Konoha were in danger, Tsunade could not simply stand by.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

Shizune nodded, one hand unconsciously moving to the ninja pouch at her lower back.

"Nara Kazuma?"

"Yuhi Kurenai?"

Dongfang Mao looked at the three children before him with interest. He had not expected such an unexpected gain. Yuhi Kurenai was quite a familiar figure, and she seemed to possess exceptional talent in genjutsu.

But compared with Yuhi Kurenai, Nara Kazuma interested him more.

The Nara clan of Konoha. It was said that every member of that clan possessed extraordinary intelligence and had the potential to become a Hokage's advisor and govern an entire region.

But shouldn't that clan have been tied to two other clans? Why had Nara Kazuma run off to mingle with ninjas from other clans?

Though he had some doubts, Dongfang Mao had no mind to investigate them now. He merely looked at the three with a sinister smile and spoke in a faintly threatening tone.

"Write down every ninjutsu you know. Can you do that?"

They had already been scared out of their wits. How could they dare refuse? They agreed in a rush, even seeming eager to write down every bit of ninjutsu knowledge they possessed.

Seeing their reaction, Dongfang Mao's heart filled with anticipation. Now that he understood where he was, how could he possibly not be interested in ninjutsu?

Over the past few years, he had sought information everywhere and had indeed found some at the Underground Exchange near the Fire Temple.

But the prices were far too outrageous. Even the basic chakra extraction technique, utterly useless to ordinary ninjas, cost a full one million ryo.

Meanwhile, some fairly powerful ninjutsu were actually somewhat cheaper.

Clearly, someone was deliberately raising the threshold for becoming a ninja.

Dongfang Mao could afford the money, but he still had several hundred people under his care.

Those people were the foundation of his foothold in this world. Naturally, he could not bankrupt himself to buy the most basic introductory ninjutsu.

He had planned to save for a few more years, but unexpectedly, misfortune had turned into a blessing, and he had captured these three young Konoha ninjas.

Konoha's ninjutsu was far more advanced than the techniques circulating outside.

Forcefully suppressing the excitement in his heart, Dongfang Mao gave Yasuke another order.

"Have a few men watch these three brats, then tell the other brothers to get some rest. We must leave the Land of Fire first thing tomorrow morning. We can't stay here any longer."

"Yes, Boss..."

Yasuke had just begun to respond when someone suddenly ran in from the cave entrance and reported.

"Lord Mao, two women have arrived at the foot of the mountain. They say they want to see you!"