Hokage! Hokage! Dog-Leg Hokage!

The scorching sun cast the shadows of the Konoha gates onto the ground, carving the world into distinct realms of light and dark.

Tsunade stood right on that boundary of light and shadow, squinting as she sized up this hometown that felt both familiar and alien; she had once believed she would never return here again.

The streets were wider and more bustling than in her memories, lined with shops and filled with the roar of voices. Children ran past her, giggling with carefree smiles, their eyes filled with the curiosity of strangers looking at her. But the older villagers, the moment they caught sight of her face, all wore expressions of astonishment and respectfully cleared a path.

"Lady Tsunade..."

A tide of whispers rose behind her, but Tsunade ignored them, her gaze drifting past the crowd to the mountain in the distance, carved with the faces of the past Hokage.

Grandfather, Second Grandfather...

Ever since that day, her luck at the gambling tables had undergone a sudden reversal; she would bet big and win big, bet small and win small. Even when playing the slot machines, she only had to pull the lever twice to see three identical symbols line up.

The more she won, the more her heart palpitated, and with the Drift Bottle still nowhere to be found, she simply could not continue to numb herself with gambling and alcohol.

She had to come back and see for herself.

"Shizune, you go back first and tidy up the house; I'm going to see the old man." Tsunade instructed her disciple behind her without looking back.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Shizune acknowledged the order, though with how much Konoha had changed, she would likely have to ask for directions all the way there.

Dismissing Shizune, Tsunade walked toward the Hokage Building alone, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts until the Hokage Office was finally before her.

She did not knock; as if returning to her own home, she reached out and pushed the door open.

"Creak—"

The scent of tobacco mixed with the smell of paper and ink rushed out to meet her. The office had barely changed, save for the files being stacked higher and the old man himself having grown even older.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood by the window, hands behind his back, watching the village outside. Hearing the door open, he turned slowly, and the moment he saw Tsunade, a genuine joy instantly welled up in his cloudy eyes.

"You finally decided to come back, Tsunade."

Tsunade walked to the opposite side of him and pulled out a chair to sit down without ceremony: "Don't misunderstand, old man. I'm heading to Tanzaku Town; I'm just passing through Konoha and thought I'd stop by to see if you were dead yet."

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled with a touch of helplessness: "Is that so? Then why does the report the Anbu handed me say that Shizune is already out buying cleaning supplies?"

A flicker of awkwardness crossed Tsunade's face, but she quickly masked it: "My luck has been great lately, winning big at the casinos. I'm just in a good mood, back to rest for a couple of days while I give them time to prepare more gambling funds."

"Speaking of which, I just saw a strange combination—two Uchiha brats and a Hyuga brat coming out of the Forest of Death together. It was quite interesting."

She changed the subject abruptly, though at the same time, she wanted to use this to confirm the current situation of the Uchiha and the Hyuga.

"You mean them, I assume..." Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his pipe, lit it, and took a deep drag before speaking slowly.

"Itachi Uchiha, the eldest son of the Uchiha clan head; he is a genius seen once in a century. Not only that, but at only a dozen years old, he already possesses the mindset of a Hokage. He does not think of the glory of his clan, nor of personal gain or loss, but of the future of the village and the peace of the ninja world."

When mentioning that name, Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone carried undisguised admiration.

"The one beside him is his younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha. He lives under the shadow of his brother's brilliant halo, struggling desperately to catch up; he is a child whose persistence is second to none."

"As for Hyuga Kiyonari..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, seemingly weighing his words: "That is an interesting child. His way of thinking is so unique that even Danzo came to me, demanding that I intervene."

"The way he views all things in this world is different from every other member of the Hyuga clan. I think... if it were you, you might appreciate that spirit of his that breaks convention, just as you did back in the day."

Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the ashtray and lifted his gaze to look at Tsunade: "These children are the future of Konoha; with them, Konoha has hope."

Hearing this, Tsunade suddenly closed her eyes; if she could, she would have covered her ears.

The moment she saw Sarutobi Hiruzen, she regretted coming back.

"However, Tsunade... the shadows are most likely to breed beneath the lush branches of a great tree. The conflict between the Uchiha and the village leadership is becoming increasingly acute, and the rift between the Hyuga main house and the branch family has reached unprecedented levels due to the disagreement between those two brothers... all sorts of undercurrents are surging beneath the surface."

He let out a long sigh, the sound filled with exhaustion and powerlessness.

"I am old now, even Danzo says as much; my energy and my resolve are not what they once were. There are many things I see, yet I often feel unable to do anything about them..."

Tsunade couldn't help but click her tongue; she knew it—the old man had gone through such a long-winded circle, and this was his ultimate goal.

"Konoha needs a new pillar," Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was filled with earnestness, "someone who can suppress those elders driven by greed, someone who can reconcile the conflicts between clans, and someone who can truly pass the Will of Fire on to the next generation."

"Tsunade, I can think of no one more suitable than you. You are the granddaughter of the First Hokage, you carry their bloodline, your strength, your achievements... all of this is beyond doubt. Tsunade, take up the burden from my shoulders and become the Fifth Hokage!"

The words "Hokage" felt like a red-hot branding iron, searing fiercely into Tsunade's heart.

Two smiling faces flashed through her mind. One was her younger brother Nawaki, full of dreams and declaring he would become Hokage to protect everyone; the other was her lover Dan Katō, who had held the same dream of becoming Hokage.

Yet, they had both ended up as cold tombstones.

He—they had all sacrificed their lives for the village; the act of throwing one's life away so easily was something only a fool would do!

"Don't joke around!"

Tsunade slammed her hand onto the desk and rose abruptly.

The immense force caused the entire desk to jolt, sending files scattering across the floor in a flurry. Her chest heaved violently, and her eyes burned with uncontrollable rage and pain.

"Old man, you know full well that I hate this place."

"Hokage! Hokage! To hell with being Hokage! Anyone who wants to become Hokage is a hopeless, complete idiot!"

She made no effort to hide her hatred for this place, for her hometown, and... for Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Tsunade stared daggers at Sarutobi Hiruzen, saying every word with icy precision: "As for this position, let whoever wants it take it. But I, Tsunade, will never become the Fifth Hokage!"

With that, she stopped looking at the regret and guilt on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face, turned around, and strode toward the door.