"Tsunade-sama, my life is so bitter!"

"That's right. At the time, the Second Hokage used his authority to forcefully suppress all dissenting voices, and those around your father were thoroughly scattered."

"So my father was purged and exiled from Konoha?"

Dongfang Mao looked up into Tsunade's eyes.

"No."

Tsunade shook her head.

"The commotion at the time was significant, and the Second Hokage only wanted to quell the unrest as quickly as possible. He also understood your father's perspective, so he merely had him placed under temporary surveillance. However, Kumogakure suddenly launched an assault on Konoha, and the Second Hokage led his troops to the front lines. That was when the First Shinobi World War broke out. At that time, Konoha's defenses were thin. Your father seized the opportunity, took out his guards, and defected from Konoha..."

At this point, Tsunade paused, her expression hesitant, but she continued nonetheless.

"After your father defected, he was filled with resentment—not just toward the Second Hokage, but toward all of Konoha. He likely felt that if not for Konoha, the Senju Clan would still be the number one clan in the ninja world, rather than being torn apart and scattered as they were within the village. Because of this, he began frantically attacking merchants traveling to and from Konoha. Some of these caravans were carrying supplies destined for the front lines, which placed an immense strain on Konoha's logistics at the time."

Dongfang Mao listened, a strange look appearing on his face.

"The old man was that formidable? You people in Konoha couldn't do anything about him?"

This time, it was Tsunade's turn to look surprised.

Although she could understand Senju Yusuke's state of mind back then, she certainly did not condone the actions he took against Konoha afterward. As she spoke, her tone was involuntarily tinged with resentment. Dongfang Mao, however, had almost no reaction; his questioning tone was merely laced with curiosity, as if he were listening to a story that had nothing to do with him.

"You brat, he's your father! How can you be so indifferent? Don't you care at all?"

Tsunade felt a bit stifled.

"I buried him with my own hands years ago, so what is there to worry about? Besides, judging by your words, the old man might have hated Konoha, but it doesn't sound like he suffered any losses, right?"

Dongfang Mao shrugged.

True, he hadn't suffered any major losses, but Konoha had certainly suffered back then.

Tsunade's mouth twitched, but knowing that Dongfang Mao didn't care about Konoha Village at all, she couldn't be bothered to dwell on the issue and continued.

"Your father was a pillar of the Senju Clan, far stronger than the elite jonin recognized by the village today. He even studied the Flying Thunder God technique created by the Second Hokage in his early years. Although he didn't master it completely, he used its principles to create a space-time ninjutsu of his own, which was incredibly powerful. The ninjas left behind to guard Konoha were completely helpless against Yusuke. It wasn't until the First Shinobi World War ended and the elite ninjas returned from the front lines that Yusuke finally vanished without a trace. As for what happened after that, you're likely the only one who knows."

As she spoke, Tsunade glanced at Dongfang Mao.

Dongfang Mao listened and nodded unconsciously. He finally understood why the old man had acted like he was suffering from clinical depression all those years. He clearly didn't have the temperament of an ordinary person without a surname, but whenever he was asked about it, the old man would react as if triggered, shouting that his ancestors were farmers for eighteen generations and telling him to focus on farming instead of thinking about nonsense. It turned out there was such a history, though it seemed the old man truly hated the Senju Clan of the Konoha era so much that he would rather claim to be a farmer than admit his own heritage.

However, Dongfang Mao suddenly thought of something and looked at Tsunade, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Lady Tsunade, logically speaking, the old man was just a rogue ninja. After all these years, how were you able to recognize me so quickly?"

At this, a half-smile appeared on Tsunade's face.

"If, when you were a child, your grandfather was a rigid and mean-spirited guy whom everyone around him feared, and suddenly someone dared to point at his nose and curse him for forgetting his roots and acting against the natural order, wouldn't you have a deep impression of him?"

"Not to mention the massive commotion he caused in Konoha later on, and the fact that you look quite similar to him—naturally, I recognized you at a glance."

Dongfang Mao nodded in deep agreement, much like how he felt about that weirdo he met just after leaving the village who promised to show him a "big goldfish." Even though Dongfang Mao had smashed that man's head like a bursting watermelon, leaving blood splattered everywhere, he still occasionally recalled the incident and felt it wasn't enough—he wanted to dig up the man's grave and whip his corpse hundreds of times. People always have vivid memories of things that left a deep impression during their childhood.

"But, since your father was such a powerful ninja, why didn't you learn any ninjutsu at all?"

As Tsunade spoke, she seemed to think of something, and her tone shifted, her eyes filled with bewilderment as she looked at Dongfang Mao.

Dongfang Mao's mouth twitched; this was a question that hit home. This old man—hating Konoha was one thing, hating the Senju name was another, and he could have just dropped the surname. The name he had come up with while pointing at the house on the east side of the village was working out just fine, wasn't it? But not passing down his bread-and-butter skills was truly going too far. Was the old man so intent on cutting ties with his past that he really started believing he was just a farmer? If he hadn't been clever and naturally gifted, he really would have been screwed over by that unreliable father of his.

However, Tsunade's words served as a reminder to Dongfang Mao. If he remembered correctly, after the Second Shinobi World War ended, Tsunade should have been the only one left on her family register. And even if he was the orphan of a Senju rogue ninja, wouldn't that make him Tsunade's last remaining kin?

Dongfang Mao's eyes darted around for a split second before he slipped into character, his face twisting into a mask of sorrow with tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

He plopped straight onto the ground, wrapped his arms tightly around Tsunade's shapely, slender legs, and began to wail, leaving both Tsunade and Shizune staring in stunned silence.

"Lady Tsunade, my life is so bitter! That irresponsible father of mine left without saying a word, abandoning me to face this world all alone. I was even nearly kidnapped by a creepy old man!

I finally managed to head up the mountain to scrape together a living, only to be chased around like a dog by those government officials. You simply must help me; I want to learn ninjutsu so badly! If I can just learn ninjutsu, they won't be able to bully me anymore!"

Tsunade felt a mix of irritation and amusement at his words. This little brat was the leader of over a hundred bandits, had even managed to capture Konoha ninja, and had dared to threaten her before they had acknowledged their relationship. She had never seen anyone so audacious—and he claimed to be the one being bullied?

"Kid, get off me right now. Don't you feel any shame saying things like that?"