Hokage! Hokage! What a load of crap!

The blazing sunlight cast the shadow of Konoha's gates across the ground, dividing it into two worlds of light and darkness.

Tsunade stood right on the boundary between them, squinting as she looked over the hometown that was both familiar and strange. She had once thought she would never return here.

The streets were broader and busier than she remembered, lined with shops and bustling with people. Children ran past her, laughing, their faces bright with carefree smiles. They looked at her with the curiosity they reserved for strangers. But the older villagers, the moment they recognized her, all wore astonished expressions and respectfully stepped aside.

"Lady Tsunade..."

A tide of whispers rose behind her. Tsunade ignored them, her gaze passing over the crowd to the distant mountain rock carved with the faces of the Hokage through the generations.

Great-Grandfather, Second-Grandfather...

Ever since that day, her luck at the gambling tables had turned around. Bet big, win big; bet small, win small. Even at the slot machines, all it took was a couple of spins to land three matching symbols.

The more she won, the more uneasy she felt. And with the Drift Bottle still nowhere to be seen, she could no longer numb herself with gambling and alcohol.

She had to come back and see for herself.

"Shizune, go on ahead and get the house cleaned up. I'm going to see the old man." Tsunade gave the order to her apprentice without turning around.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Shizune answered. Konoha had changed so much that she would probably have to ask around all the way to find the place.

After sending Shizune off, Tsunade headed alone for the Hokage Building. Lost in thought, she soon found herself right outside the Hokage Office.

She didn't knock. As if she were back in her own home, she simply reached out and pushed the door open.

Creak—

The smell of tobacco mingled with ink and paper as it hit her. The office had hardly changed, except that the piles of documents were taller and the old man had gotten older.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood by the window, his hands behind his back as he watched the village outside. At the sound of the door opening, he slowly turned around. The moment he saw Tsunade, a genuine trace of joy appeared in his cloudy eyes.

"You finally decided to come back, Tsunade."

Tsunade walked over, pulled out a chair without ceremony, and sat down. "Don't get the wrong idea, old man. I'm on my way to Tanzaku Town. I just happened to be passing through Konoha, so I thought I'd stop by and see if you were still alive."

Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a helpless smile. "Is that so? Then why does the report from Anbu say Shizune is already buying supplies for a thorough housecleaning?"

A trace of awkwardness crossed Tsunade's face, but she quickly concealed it. "I've been lucky lately. I've been winning big at the casinos, so I came back in a good mood to rest for a couple of days. Just giving them time to prepare my gambling funds."

"Speaking of which, I just saw a strange group. Two Uchiha brats and a Hyuga brat came out of the Forest of Death together. Quite interesting."

She changed the subject stiffly, but at the same time, she wanted to find out what was going on with the Uchiha and Hyuga these days.

"You mean them..." Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his pipe and lit it. After taking a long draw, he began to speak slowly.

"Uchiha Itachi, the eldest son of the Uchiha Clan Head. A genius you see once in a century. And that's not all. Though he's only in his teens, he already thinks like a Hokage. He doesn't think about his clan's glory or his own gains and losses, but about the village's future and peace in the shinobi world."

At the mention of that name, Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice held undisguised admiration.

"The one beside him is his younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha. He lives beneath his brother's dazzling shadow and works desperately to catch up. He's a child whose determination is second to none."

"As for Hyuga Kiyonari..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "He's an interesting child. His way of thinking is quite unique—even enough to make Danzo come to me and demand that I intervene."

"He sees the world differently from every other member of the Hyuga clan. I think... you might like his unconventional spirit, if anyone could. It's just like what you did back then."

Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the ashtray, then looked up at Tsunade. "These children are Konoha's future. With them, the village has hope."

At that, Tsunade suddenly closed her eyes. If she could, she would have covered her ears as well.

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

"But, Tsunade... A thriving tree is also where shadows grow most easily. Tensions between the Uchiha and the village leadership are growing sharper by the day. And the Hyuga Main Family and the branch family have developed an unprecedented rift over the disagreement between those brothers... All sorts of undercurrents are stirring beneath the surface."

He let out a long sigh, full of weariness and helplessness.

"I'm old now. Even Danzo says so. I'm nowhere near what I used to be, in either energy or resolve. I see so many things happening, but often feel powerless to do anything about them..."

Tsunade couldn't help clicking her tongue. She knew it. After going around in circles, the old man was still after the same thing.

"Konoha needs a new pillar," Sarutobi Hiruzen said earnestly. "Someone who can keep those old men with their growing ambitions in check, mediate the conflicts between the clans, and pass the Will of Fire on to the next generation."

"Tsunade, I can't think of anyone more suitable than you. You're the granddaughter of the First. You carry their bloodline, and your strength, your achievements... there's no question about any of it. Tsunade, take this burden off my shoulders and become the Fifth Hokage!"

The words "Hokage" burned into Tsunade's heart like a red-hot brand.

Two smiling faces flashed through her mind. One belonged to her younger brother, Nawaki, who had been full of dreams and said he wanted to become Hokage to protect everyone. The other belonged to her lover, Dan Katō, who had shared the same dream of becoming Hokage.

But in the end, both of them had become cold tombstones.

They had both given their lives for the village. Throwing away your life so easily was something only a fool would do!

"Don't joke with me!"

Tsunade slammed her hand on the desk and shot to her feet.

The force made the entire desk jolt. Documents scattered across the floor with a rustle. Her chest heaved, and her eyes blazed with restrained rage and pain.

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

"Hokage! Hokage! What a load of crap! Anyone who wants to become Hokage is a hopeless idiot!"

She made no attempt to hide her hatred for this place, for her hometown, or... for Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Tsunade glared at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said, word by word, "Whoever wants this position can take it. As for me, Tsunade, I will never become the Fifth Hokage!"

With that, she didn't spare another glance at the regret and guilt on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face. She turned and strode toward the door.