Lover and Younger Brother

A few days ago, inside the Konoha prison.

A disheveled man with a severed arm sat in the corner of his cell.

This man was none other than the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, the only traitor in this great war.

With his village's forces decimated, Gaara turned by Feng Yao, and himself captured alive by Konoha, he had once considered ending his own life, but his subordinates had talked him out of it.

An elderly figure walked slowly toward the cell door, sighing as he looked at the wretched state of Rasa inside.

"Kazekage-sama, our two nations were allies. Why did you suddenly choose to tear up the treaty?"

Rasa looked at the Third Hokage before him and let out a cold laugh.

"An alliance is nothing more than a piece of paper. Your Konoha's strength far exceeds my Sunagakure, and Danzo is a man of boundless ambition. If I hadn't struck first, I fear we would have already been wiped out by you."

The Third fell silent. He knew that Danzo had indeed harbored thoughts of invading Sunagakure from the start; once the seeds of suspicion take root, they are difficult to erase.

"Kazekage-sama, Danzo is no longer here. Konoha will have a new leader. I hope our two nations can set aside our prejudices and become allies once again."

Hearing this, Rasa understood the other party's objective. To be honest, standing where he was, he truly had no choice.

After this ordeal, Sunagakure had become the weakest of the five great villages. If they did not find an ally or end the war, the final result would only be extinction.

Rasa raised his head and mocked himself.

"Third Hokage-sama, you are the victors of this war, so naturally, you call the shots. What room for choice does a defeated general like me have?"

"You are wrong." The Third suddenly refuted Rasa, "There are no victors in war, only the defeated."

The Third Hokage's words carried a double meaning. Rasa did not speak, but silently lowered his head.

After the Third emerged from the prison, he happened to run into Naruto, who was bickering with Jiraiya by the roadside.

Naruto and Sasuke had been personally rescued by Jiraiya after the war ended. After all, these were the children of his disciples and the village's jinchuriki; Jiraiya had every reason to be concerned.

Naruto was being held in mid-air by one of Jiraiya's hands, struggling incessantly.

"You pervy sage! Let me go! I'm going to find Old Man Third!"

Seeing the Third walking toward them, Naruto hurriedly called for help.

"Old Man Third, come quick! This pervy sage is so annoying! He actually claims to be the acting Hokage—what a joke, he's the worst adult ever!"

After saying this, he even kicked Jiraiya.

"Ouch! You little brat, do I really look so little like a Hokage?" Jiraiya said, glaring with wide eyes.

"Hahaha, alright Naruto, Jiraiya has indeed been the acting Hokage during this time, so stop making a scene."

Seeing Naruto so full of energy, the Third laughed heartily, as if his bad mood had been swept away.

"Um, Old Man Third, there's one more thing I want to ask you." At this point, the light in Naruto's eyes suddenly dimmed, "It's about Feng Yao. Did he really... kill the Fifth Hokage and participate in this attack on Konoha?"

Naruto felt as though he had never truly seen his childhood friend clearly; he hadn't even recognized him during their few encounters.

The Third was silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

Naruto clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms. He finally seemed to understand the meaning behind what Feng Yao had said back then.

"If that's really the case, I will definitely catch him! I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget and drag him back to the village to apologize to everyone he hurt!"

Watching the growling Naruto, Jiraiya sighed. The gap between the two was simply too vast right now; with Naruto's current strength, it was impossible.

"Since that's the case, Naruto, how about you train with me? That friend of yours ran away the moment he saw me."

"Really?" Naruto seemed to be injected with vitality again. He hugged Jiraiya's waist, "Then you have to teach me the most powerful ninjutsu, pervy sage!"

"Ouch! How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not a pervy sage! Anyway, pack your things and come with me. We still need to find someone."

"Find someone? Who?"

"The Sixth Hokage."

The scene shifts back to the present, on Asakusa Street.

Tsunade covered her mouth in disbelief, tears streaming down from between her fingers.

Inside the coffins were her lover, Dan Katō, and her younger brother, Nawaki.

Even Shizune could not stop trembling.

"Is it you, Uncle...?"

Dan Katō was not only Tsunade's lover but also Shizune's uncle. Feng Yao and Orochimaru had visited the battlefields of the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars countless times, not knowing how many attempts it took before they finally located the remains of the two and successfully summoned them.

Feng Yao had not bound their personalities. As the two looked at Tsunade, their dust-covered faces broke into gentle smiles.

Dan Katō looked at Tsunade and said tenderly.

"Tsunade, it has been a long time. I was just wondering why these people would summon me."

Nawaki was also surprised to see his sister. He looked around.

"Sis... Sister? Didn't I die? And Master is here too."

Tsunade had dreamed of seeing them countless times, even if it were just to speak with them. She rushed forward, embraced them both, and wept aloud.

Shizune felt a sense of unease, Lady Tsunade's attachment to them is far too deep. If she truly agrees... No, I must stop them.

Having reached a decision, Shizune resolved to strike first.

High-Speed Mouth Needle.

Shizune stepped directly past Tsunade, spitting out a barrage of poison needles. Judging by the pungent stench emanating from them, anyone struck would likely lose their life instantly.

This hidden weapon required no hand seals and moved with incredible speed; she intended to catch Feng Yao, Orochimaru, and the others off guard to kill them.

Feng Yao saw Shizune's move and shoved Orochimaru and Kabuto aside, activating Intangibility to shift his body into another dimension. The poison needles passed straight through him, leaving several black spots on the stone wall behind.

"I missed?" Shizune realized instantly. "Ninja Art: Poison Mist." Shizune puffed out her cheeks, preparing to release the toxic cloud.

She had used this technique on Kabuto in the original timeline, spewing a massive amount of poisonous gas from her mouth; inhaling even a tiny amount would result in immediate death. The line between a healer and a poisoner was but a single thought.

However, Orochimaru made his move, instantly flickering to appear right in front of Shizune.

"Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."

Orochimaru's right arm transformed into black pythons, binding Shizune's body and covering her mouth and nose.

Tossing Shizune aside, Orochimaru spoke in a sinister, soft voice.

"Interrupting a reunion is not a good habit, Tsunade. How have you considered my proposal? I believe you have already felt our sincerity. Join us!"