Tsunade Returns 2

"That woman is actually willing to come back?"

Inuzuka Tsume was walking her dog in the courtyard when she stopped in her tracks upon hearing the news. She stroked the ninja hound's head, a hint of surprise coloring her voice.

The ninja hound let out a "woof" and wagged its tail.

"What are you happy about? You don't even know her." Inuzuka Tsume crouched down and rubbed the hound's ears. "But it's good that she's back. Someone has to clean up the mess Konoha is in right now, and the Third..."

She stood up and looked toward the direction of the Senju Compound. It was quiet over there, devoid of any sound, but she knew that behind those tightly shut gates, something was happening that would alter the landscape of Konoha.

The civilian district was far livelier than the ninja clan quarters! When the news of Princess Tsunade returning to the village reached the streets, the first to discuss it weren't the ninjas, but the ordinary folk—the shopkeepers, vegetable vendors, and craftsmen.

To them, the name "Tsunade" was somewhat unfamiliar, whereas "Senju" was well-known. It was unfamiliar because she had been gone for too long, and familiar because her grandfather, Senju Hashirama, was the founder of Konoha—a story even children knew.

In the Konoha vegetable market, a few young people were buying groceries. They wore simple tunics with kunai tucked into their waistbands, clearly genin or children who had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy.

"Did you hear? Someone named Senju Tsunade has returned to the village," a brown-haired boy said while picking out radishes.

"Senju Tsunade? Who's that?" A girl with a ponytail beside him tilted her head, looking blank. "Never heard that name."

"Me neither," another tall, thin boy shrugged. "Probably just a retired ninja from some minor clan."

Their conversation was overheard by an old man selling vegetables nearby. He set down his scale, looked up, and fixed them with a look that said, You youngsters don't know anything.

"You don't know Lady Tsunade?"

The three youths exchanged glances and shook their heads.

The old man sighed, set the scale aside, and stepped out from behind his stall. He was quite elderly, with graying hair and wrinkles etched into his face like knife marks, but he still possessed a spirited air.

"Lady Tsunade is the granddaughter of Lord Senju Hashirama and one of the Legendary Sannin." The old man counted off on his fingers. "You know who Senju Hashirama is, right?"

"We do!" The brown-haired boy immediately raised his hand. "The God of Shinobi! The founder of Konoha! We learned about him in our textbooks!"

"That is Lady Tsunade's grandfather," the old man said.

The eyes of the three youths widened instantly.

"Senju Hashirama's granddaughter?" The ponytail girl gasped. "Then how strong must she be?"

"Strong?" The old man chuckled. "Not just 'strong.' Back when I was young, just after the Second Shinobi World War ended, Lady Tsunade's fame had already spread across the Five Great Nations!"

The old man grew more animated as he spoke; after all, he considered himself someone who had watched Tsunade grow up. "She was the strongest among medical ninjas, and her taijutsu was in the top tier as well. On the battlefield, she could hold her own against an entire medical team while simultaneously charging in to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. Have you heard of the title 'Legendary Sannin'?"

"I have!" the tall, thin boy raised his hand. "Lord Jiraiya, the rogue ninja Orochimaru, and..."

"And the other one is Lady Tsunade," the old man said with a look of pride. "Princess Tsunade of the Sannin—the entire ninja world knows her name."

The three youths listened, completely stunned.

"Then why hasn't she been in the village all these years?" the brown-haired boy couldn't help but ask. "I've never heard anyone mention her."

At these words, the old man's expression shifted. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back. He turned around, walked back behind his stall, and picked up the scale again.

"Old man, you didn't answer—why wasn't she in the village?" the ponytail girl pressed.

The old man looked up and gently tapped the girl on the head.

"Don't ask so many questions, child."

"Ouch—" The girl rubbed her head and pouted. "I'm just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat." The old man kept a straight face, though a hint of a smile lingered in his eyes. "You'll know when you're supposed to know. As for what you shouldn't know, asking is useless."

The tall, thin boy wanted to ask more, but the brown-haired boy tugged on his sleeve. "Forget it, let's go."

The three youths paid and left, clutching their vegetables.

The old man watched their retreating backs and shook his head with a smile. He lowered his head to continue organizing the produce, but his hands paused for a moment. He recalled things from many years ago—

Back then, he was young and ran a small eatery on the streets of Konoha. Tsunade was still a little girl with a ponytail, following behind her grandfather, holding a rice ball larger than her own face and nibbling on it as she walked. Senju Hashirama would walk ahead of her, look back, and smile until his eyes crinkled into slits.

Those were such good times!

The old man blinked, glanced toward the direction of Uchiha Lake, pushed those images out of his mind, and lowered his head to get back to work.

In an alley not far from the vegetable market, in front of a general store, several middle-aged men sat on the steps soaking up the sun.

They were all retired ninjas; some still bore old wounds, while others were simply too old to keep working. They usually spent their time sitting in front of the store owned by a former comrade-in-arms, chatting, playing chess, dozing off, and killing time.

Today, their topic was unanimous—Lady Tsunade had returned.

"That girl is back," a man missing half an ear leaned against the wall, squinting. "Must have been quite a few years since I last saw her."

"You're telling me," a limping man beside him chimed in. "The last time I saw her was at the Fourth Hokage's funeral. She vanished again after that."

"I heard she's been wallowing in self-pity all these years, gambling and drinking abroad, and is buried in debt," another bald man curled his lip.

"So what if she gambles? So what if she's in debt?" The man with the missing ear glared at him. "She is the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama and one of the Sannin. Even if she's gambling and in debt, she is still Lady Tsunade. What are you, that you're fit to talk about her?"

The bald man shrank back, not daring to speak. The man with the missing ear was not only his former captain, but he had also saved his life on the battlefield multiple times, so he was accustomed to being disciplined by him. Even though they were both getting on in years, he couldn't break the habit.

The limping man chuckled, pulled a pouch of tobacco from his pocket, rolled a cigarette, and lit it.

"I saw her on the battlefield back in the day." He took a drag and slowly exhaled the smoke. "I still remember that scene. Our squad was surrounded by Iwagakure forces, and it looked like we weren't going to hold out. Lady Tsunade led a medical team in from the rear, beat back three of their jonin single-handedly, and even treated us wounded soldiers while she was at it. She was fighting and saving lives at the same time; the male ninjas who came with her weren't as effective as she was alone."

"Now that you mention it, I think I have an impression of that too," the man with the missing ear touched his half-ear. "I lost this ear in that very battle. When Lady Tsunade was bandaging me, she asked, 'Can you still hear?' and when I said 'Yes,' she smiled."

"You must have been seeing things from the pain, right? Lady Tsunade would smile at you?"

"How could I not be? I was young back then, and I looked quite spirited."

"Stop being so shameless."

A few of them burst into laughter.

The laughter slowly died down, and the alley fell quiet for a moment.

"What do you think Lady Tsunade is back for this time? Do you think she wants to..." the bald man asked in a low voice.

"Who knows." The man with the limp crushed his cigarette butt. "Whatever it is, it's not a bad thing. It's better than wandering outside. She's not much better off than us, really; of such a massive clan, she's the only one left."

"Yeah, I still remember how she looked after seeing her younger brother pass away at the front... sigh..."

"But she shouldn't just give up on herself. She is the granddaughter of Lord Hashirama, she..." The bald man felt great pity for Tsunade's plight, but he had always believed that Tsunade was not just a ninja, but the granddaughter of the God of Shinobi. She should have become the Fourth Hokage and led Konoha toward a better future.

The man with the missing ear stood up, patted the dust off his trousers, and glanced toward the Senju Compound.

"She's still just a child. When Lord Hashirama built this village, I moved in with my family. I was just a kid then, having come from the countryside with my parents. Lord Senju Hashirama stood on the Hokage Rock and said to everyone—from this day on, this place is your home."

He paused.

"I've remembered those words my whole life. Now that Lord Senju Hashirama's granddaughter has returned, no matter why she's back, I support her."

The man with the limp also stood up and patted his shoulder.

"Let's go, time to go home and eat. The wife will start nagging."

"When does your wife not nag you?"

The two of them laughed and walked away, limping as they went.

The bald man sat on the steps, scratched his head, and looked toward the Senju Compound, his eyes full of anticipation. Then, fueled by that hope, he picked up the soy sauce he had bought and headed home.

Not far from the Senju Compound, a few young Anbu stood on a rooftop, watching the front with boredom.

They were responsible for the outer perimeter, and being low-ranking, they didn't know much. They only knew their mission for the day was to keep an eye on the Senju Compound.

"Why do you think Lady Tsunade didn't go see the Third Hokage first?" an Anbu wearing a cat mask asked.

"Don't know." His companion, wearing a dog mask, shook his head. "Don't ask about the business of the higher-ups."

"I'm not asking, I'm just curious."

"Curious about what?"

"Aren't Lady Tsunade and the Hokage master and student? Shouldn't a student visit their teacher first upon returning to the village?"

The Anbu with the dog mask was silent for a moment, then proactively found a reason for Tsunade's behavior: "Perhaps Lady Tsunade just returned from outside, and no one knows how long she's been traveling. She might be tired and just wanted to go home and get a good rest first."

The Anbu with the cat mask said "Oh" and didn't ask again.

They were all young and hadn't experienced the previous Great Shinobi Wars, nor had they ever met Tsunade.

They had only heard the name from files and their seniors—Senju Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, the pinnacle of medical ninjutsu, and the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama.

Such a prominent figure, yet upon returning to the village, she didn't go to see the Hokage, but instead returned to the Senju Compound, which had been abandoned for over a decade, and even closed the doors to meet with people from minor clans.

What did this actually mean?

They didn't know. But they knew that after today, the situation in Konoha would surely change.

The sun slowly sank into the west, the clouds on the horizon dyed orange-red. The lights of the Senju Compound, which hadn't shone for a long time, flickered on one by one, crossing over a decade of silence.

It was the first time in over ten years that the Senju Compound had light. The scattered glow, like a prairie fire, actually caused the air of a Konoha that had been dormant for over a decade to begin filling with a scent called "hope."

Tsunade sat in the main seat where Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito once sat, looking at the former Senju clansmen—now Konoha villagers—sitting below, her heart filled with countless emotions. However, this was not the time for her to dwell on them—

Tsunade straightened her clothes and began to deliver her final closing remarks: "Tomorrow, hand the compiled lists to Shizune. As long as you pass Shizune's test, I will not turn anyone away."

"Furthermore, I will also reorganize the Senju legacy later. You all carry the blood of the Senju; it was my oversight in the past, and I will provide you with compensation in this regard." Having said this, Tsunade performed a formal bow to everyone.

Upon hearing this and witnessing Tsunade's gesture, the people below hurriedly returned the deep bow, expressing their trepidation and acceptance of Tsunade's apology.

"It is already an immense honor that Lady Tsunade would accept some of our clansmen to return to the Senju clan as your guards. Lady Tsunade need not do this."

Tsunade looked at the sincere expressions in their eyes, and her sense of apology deepened, but she knew that some things needed to be done step by step and could not be rushed. "Please rest assured, in my heart, you are all Senju clansmen. It is just that your current families have already seen some growth; if I were to have everyone return at once, the older generation might be fine, but the younger ones might have some thoughts. So, we need to take it slowly."

"We will strictly follow the orders of Clan Head Tsunade." The group performed a unified salute once more.

"Alright, it is getting late, everyone go back and make arrangements." Seeing that everything that needed to be said had been said, Tsunade didn't keep them any longer; after all, from her return in the morning until now, quite some time had passed. "The Senju Compound is currently short-handed, so I won't keep you all for a meal. When the day of the Senju ancestral rites arrives, we shall celebrate properly."

"Yes." Following Tsunade's instructions, the group performed one final salute, then, led by Clan Head Kazamatsuri Saemon, they stood up one after another, bowed slightly, and left the hall.

By evening, the smoke from the dinner fires of the Konoha villagers rose everywhere, and the gates of the Senju Compound finally opened.

The Anbu and Root members who had been lurking in the distance all day immediately perked up, casting their gazes toward the gate.

Kazamatsuri Saemon walked out in the lead. On their faces, there was no longer the nervousness and restraint they had shown in the morning, but a joy that came from the heart.

Some had red-rimmed eyes, clearly having cried; some had their mouths stretched wide, unable to stop smiling; others walked while looking back, as if saying goodbye to someone.

Saemon walked at the very front, his spine straight, his steps so light he didn't look like a man in his forties.

Tsunade's tall, upright figure stood at the gate of the Senju clan, watching them leave, with Shizune accompanying her, never leaving her side.

"Clan Head, is what Lady Tsunade said true?" a young clansman asked in a low voice, his tone filled with irrepressible excitement.

Saemon didn't answer directly, but nodded firmly and patted the young man on the shoulder.

"Go back and prepare well." His voice was not loud, but it was firm. "Do not embarrass me tomorrow in front of Lady Shizune!"

The group chatted as they gradually walked away.

The news of the Senju Branch Family leaving during dinner spread throughout all of Konoha as if it had grown wings.

Tsunade gathered the members of the Senju Branch Family and spoke with them at the Senju Compound for an entire day; when they emerged, everyone wore a look of joy. No one knew what had been discussed, but everyone was speculating.

Some said Tsunade intended to rebuild the Senju Clan and that gathering the descendants of the branch family was to consolidate their power; others said Tsunade had obtained something incredible and was going to lead the Senju to rise again; still others said that Tsunade had returned specifically to rival Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the Senju Compound was her new stronghold.

There were many kinds of guesses, but no one knew the truth.

The only thing certain was that the situation in Konoha had begun to change from the very moment Tsunade returned to the Senju Compound.

The night breeze blew through Konoha.

The lights in the Senju Compound remained lit, looking from afar in the night like a star that had just been ignited.

The lights in the Hokage Building were also on; Sarutobi Hiruzen was still sitting behind his desk, not a single document in front of him having been processed.

Jiraiya stood by the window in the corridor, watching the lights in the direction of the Senju Compound, remaining motionless for a long time.

There were almost no people left on the streets, save for an occasional Anbu patrol sweeping across the rooftops, silent and soundless.

The night sky over Konoha was exceptionally clear, with stars densely paved overhead.

At the entrance of an alley in the commercial district, the owner of a grocery store was closing up. He was quite old, his hair graying, and his movements were slow.

"Grandpa, who is Lady Tsunade?" A little boy poked his head through the gap in the door, looking up at him.

The old man looked down at his grandson and reached out to ruffle his hair.

"A very, very formidable person," he said. "She fought in the wars alongside your great-grandfather back in the day."

"Is she stronger, or are you stronger, Grandpa?"

The old man laughed, his laughter echoing in the alley.

"Lady Tsunade is stronger, of course. Grandpa is just someone who sells things, but Lady Tsunade is a big shot who can both fight and save lives."

"Then now that she's back, there won't be any more wars in the village, right?"

The old man's hand paused. He looked into his grandson's bright, sparkling eyes, wanting to say something, but in the end, he only smiled.

"Perhaps," he said. "Go inside and eat; your grandma made Chiaotzu."

"Yay!" The little boy hopped and skipped into the house.

The shopkeeper stood at the doorway, taking one more look at the lights of the Senju Compound in the distance, as if he were looking at the Senju of the past...