Tsunade's Return 2

" that woman actually agreed to come back?"

Inuzuka Tsume was walking her dog in the yard. When she heard the news, she stopped, patted the Ninja Dog's head, and spoke with a hint of surprise.

The Ninja Dog barked, its tail wagging.

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

She stood and looked toward the Senju Compound. It was quiet over there, without a sound, but she knew that behind those tightly shut gates, things were happening that would change the balance of power in Konoha.

The civilian district was far livelier than the shinobi district! When news of Tsunade's return reached the streets, the first to start talking weren't shinobi, but ordinary people who ran shops, sold vegetables, and practiced trades.

To them, the name "Tsunade" was unfamiliar, while "Senju" rang a bell. The name was unfamiliar because she had been gone for so long; "Senju" was familiar because her grandfather, Senju Hashirama, had founded Konoha. Even children knew that story.

Several young people were buying vegetables at Konoha's market. They wore ordinary short jackets and had kunai tucked into their belts. At a glance, they looked like Genin or kids who had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy.

"Have you heard? Someone named Senju Tsunade has returned to the village," said a brown-haired boy as he picked out a daikon.

"Senju Tsunade? Who's that?" A girl with a ponytail tilted her head, looking bewildered. "I've never heard that name."

"Me neither." Another, tall and thin, shrugged. "Maybe she's a retired shinobi from some small clan."

An old man selling vegetables nearby overheard them. He set down his scale and raised his head, looking at them as if to say, "You young people don't know anything."

"You don't know Lady Tsunade?"

The three young people looked at one another and shook their heads.

The old man sighed, set the scale aside, and came out from behind his stall. He was elderly, with graying hair and a face lined as if carved by a knife, but he still had plenty of energy.

"Lady Tsunade, Lord Senju Hashirama's granddaughter, one of the Konoha Sannin." The old man counted them off on his fingers. "You know who Senju Hashirama was, right?"

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

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

The three young people's eyes widened.

"Senju Hashirama's granddaughter?" The ponytailed girl drew in a sharp breath. "Then she must be incredibly strong!"

"Strong?" The old man smiled. "She was more than just strong. When I was young, right after the Second Shinobi World War ended, Lady Tsunade's fame had already spread throughout the Five Great Nations!"

The old man grew more animated as he spoke. After all, he had watched Tsunade grow up. "She was the strongest Medical Ninjutsu user, and her Taijutsu was among the very best. On the battlefield, she could do the work of an entire medical team by herself, then charge in and fight the enemy hand to hand. Have you heard the title 'Konoha Sannin'?"

"I have!" The tall, thin boy raised his hand. "Lord Jiraiya, the missing-nin Orochimaru, and..."

"And Lady Tsunade," the old man said proudly. "Princess Tsunade, one of the Sannin. Her name was known throughout the entire Ninja World."

The three young people listened, stunned.

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

At that, the old man's expression shifted. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed his words. Turning away, he went back behind his stall and picked up the scale again.

"Grandpa, you still haven't answered. Why wasn't she in the village?" the ponytailed girl pressed.

The old man raised his head and gently tapped the girl on hers.

"Children shouldn't ask so many questions."

"Ow—" The girl covered her head and pouted. "I was just curious!"

"Curiosity killed the cat." The old man put on a stern face, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You'll know when it's time. There's no point asking about things you shouldn't know."

The tall, thin boy was about to ask something else, but the brown-haired boy tugged at his sleeve. "Come on, let's go."

The three young people paid and left with their vegetables.

The old man watched them go and shook his head with a smile. He lowered his gaze and continued arranging the vegetables on his stall, but his hands paused. He remembered what had happened many years ago—

Back then, he had been young and had run a little restaurant on a street in Konoha. Tsunade had still been a ponytailed little girl, walking behind her grandfather with a rice ball bigger than her face in her hands, munching as she went. Senju Hashirama walked ahead of her and looked back, smiling so broadly that his eyes narrowed to slits.

Those were good times!

The old man blinked, glanced toward Uchiha Lake, and banished the memories from his mind before bending back to his work.

In an alley not far from the market, several middle-aged men sat on the steps outside a general store, basking in the sun.

They were all retired shinobi. Some still bore old wounds; others had simply grown too old to work. Most days, they could only sit outside the general store run by an old comrade, chatting, playing shogi, dozing, and passing the time.

Today, they were all talking about the same thing—Lady Tsunade's return.

"That girl's back." A man missing half an ear leaned against the wall, eyes narrowed. "It's been years since I last saw her."

"Tell me about it." A man with a limp chimed in. "The last time I saw her was at the Fourth Hokage's funeral. Then she disappeared again."

"I heard she's been throwing her life away all these years, gambling and drinking out in the world, and piling up debts." A balding man curled his lip.

"What's wrong with gambling? What's wrong with owing money?" The man with the missing ear glared at him. "She's Lord Senju Hashirama's granddaughter, one of the Sannin. Even if she gambles and runs up debts, she's still Lady Tsunade. Who are you to talk about her?"

The balding man shrank back and fell silent. The one with the missing ear had not only been his former squad leader, but had also saved his life on the battlefield several times. He had always been used to taking orders from his captain, and even though they were both getting on in years, he still couldn't break the habit.

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

"I saw her on the battlefield once." He took a drag and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke. "I still remember it like it was yesterday. Our squad had been surrounded by Iwagakure shinobi, and we were about to fall. Lady Tsunade charged in from behind with a medical team, drove off three enemy Jonin all by herself, and treated a few of us wounded men as well. She fought and healed at the same time. Those men who came with her weren't half as useful as she was alone."

"Now that you mention it, I think I remember too." The man with the missing ear touched the remaining half. "I lost this ear in that battle. When Lady Tsunade bandaged it, she asked, 'Can you still hear?' I said, 'Yes,' and she smiled."

"Maybe you were seeing things because the pain made you delirious. Why would Lady Tsunade smile at you?"

"Why wouldn't she? I was young back then, and a fine-looking fellow, too."

"Don't flatter yourself."

They all laughed.

The laughter gradually faded, and the alley fell quiet for a while.

"What do you think Lady Tsunade came back for this time? Is she planning to..." the balding man asked quietly.

"Who knows?" The man with the limp put out his cigarette. "At any rate, it's no bad thing. Better than wandering around outside. She's not much better off than we are. An entire clan, and she's all that's left."

"Yeah. I still remember what she looked like after her younger brother died. I saw her in the rear... Sigh..."

"But that's no excuse to throw her life away. She's Lord Hashirama's granddaughter. She..." The balding man felt sorry for what Tsunade had gone through, but he had always thought that she was more than just a shinobi—she was the granddaughter of the God of Shinobi. She should have become the Fourth Hokage and led Konoha toward a brighter future.

The man with the missing ear stood up, brushed the dust from his trousers, and looked toward the Senju Compound.

"She was still just a child. When Lord Hashirama built this village, I moved here with my family. I was just a kid then, coming from the countryside with my parents. Senju Hashirama stood atop Kage Rock and told everyone, 'From today on, this is your home.'"

He paused.

"I've remembered those words my whole life. Now Lord Senju Hashirama's granddaughter is back. Whatever she's come back to do, I support her."

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

"Come on, let's head home for dinner. My wife will be nagging me."

"When does your wife ever not nag you?"

The two men laughed and walked away, limping.

The balding man stayed seated on the steps, scratching his head as he gazed toward the Senju Compound, his eyes full of hope. Then, carrying the soy sauce he had bought, he went home.

Not far from the Senju Compound, several young Anbu stood on a rooftop, bored as they watched the area ahead.

They were assigned to perimeter duty. They weren't high-ranking and didn't know much. All they knew was that today's mission was to keep an eye on the Senju Compound.

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

"I don't know." His companion, who wore a dog mask, shook his head. "Don't ask about the affairs of your superiors."

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

"Curious about what?"

"Lady Tsunade and Lord Hokage are teacher and student, aren't they? When a student returns to the village, shouldn't she go see her teacher first?"

The Anbu with the dog mask fell silent for a while, then volunteered an excuse for Tsunade's behavior. "Maybe Lady Tsunade's just gotten back from outside. No one knows how long she's been traveling. She might be tired and want to go home and get some proper rest first."

The Anbu with the cat mask murmured, "Oh," and asked no more.

They were young and hadn't experienced the earlier Shinobi World Wars. They had never seen Tsunade, either.

They had only heard the name from records and their seniors: Senju Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, the pinnacle of Medical Ninjutsu, and Senju Hashirama's granddaughter.

Such a great figure had returned to the village, but instead of going to see the Hokage, she had gone back to the Senju Compound, which had been abandoned for over a decade, and shut herself away to meet people from small clans.

What did it all mean?

They didn't know. But they did know that after today, the balance of power in Konoha would surely change.

The sun slowly sank in the west, painting the clouds on the horizon orange-red. Lights began to glow in the Senju Compound, where none had shone for so long. After more than a decade, one lamp after another came alight.

For the first time in over a decade, the Senju Compound was lit. Its scattered lights were like a fire spreading across a plain, and once again, they filled Konoha's air, long still for more than a decade, with something called "hope."

Tsunade sat in the seat of honor once occupied by Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito. She looked at the people below her—once members of the Senju, now residents of Konoha—and felt a multitude of emotions. But now was no time to dwell on them—

Tsunade straightened her clothes and began her closing remarks. "Tomorrow, hand the lists you've compiled to Shizune. Anyone who passes Shizune's test will be accepted by me."

"Also, I'll put together a new collection of the Senju's teachings. You all have Senju blood in your veins. I didn't consider this properly before, so I'll make it up to you in this regard." As she spoke, Tsunade bowed deeply to everyone.

When the people below heard what Tsunade had said and saw her bow, they hurried to bow deeply in return, flustered but accepting her apology.

"Lady Tsunade, we're already deeply honored that you've agreed to let some of our people return to the Senju Clan as your guards. There's no need for you to do this."

Tsunade saw the sincerity in their eyes, and her guilt only deepened. But she knew some things needed to be done gradually; she couldn't rush them. "Please rest assured. In my heart, you are all members of the Senju Clan. But your own clans have already grown considerably. If I asked all of you to return, the older generation would be fine, but the younger ones might have some reservations. So we'll take things slowly."

"We will obey your orders, Clan Head Tsunade." They all bowed in unison again.

"All right, it's getting late. You should all head back and make your arrangements." Tsunade had finished explaining what needed to be explained, so she didn't keep them any longer. After all, it had been quite a while since she returned to the village that morning, and it was already evening. "The Senju Compound is short-staffed at the moment, so I won't keep you for a meal. We'll celebrate in grand style on the day of the Senju ancestral rites."

"Yes." They followed Tsunade's instructions and bowed one last time. Then, led by Clan Head Kazamatsuri, they rose, turned, bowed slightly, and left the hall.

At dusk, smoke from the evening meals rose across Konoha. At last, the Senju Compound's gates opened.

The Anbu and Root operatives who had been keeping watch from afar all day immediately perked up and turned their attention toward the gates.

Kazamatsuri Saemon led the way out. The people's faces no longer wore the unease and stiffness they had shown when they arrived that morning. Instead, they were filled with genuine joy.

Some had red-rimmed eyes, clearly having cried; some grinned from ear to ear; and others kept glancing back as they walked, as if saying goodbye to someone.

Saemon walked at the front, his back straight and his steps so light that he didn't seem like a man in his forties.

Tsunade stood tall at the entrance to the Senju Compound, watching them leave, with Shizune faithfully at her side.

"Clan Head, is what Lady Tsunade said true?" a young clan member asked quietly, barely able to contain his excitement.

Saemon didn't answer directly. He simply nodded firmly, then patted the young man's shoulder.

"Go back and get everything ready." His voice wasn't loud, but it was resolute. "Don't let me down in front of Lady Shizune tomorrow!"

They talked as they walked, gradually disappearing into the distance.

News that the Senju Branch Family had left around dinnertime spread throughout Konoha as if on wings.

Tsunade had summoned the members of the Senju Branch Family and spent the day talking with them at the Senju Compound. When they came out, every one of them wore a happy expression. No one knew what they had discussed, but everyone had a theory.

Some said Tsunade planned to rebuild the Senju Clan, and had summoned the Branch Family's descendants to consolidate their strength. Others said she had obtained something extraordinary and intended to lead the Senju back to prominence. Still others said that Tsunade had returned to challenge Sarutobi Hiruzen, and that the Senju Compound would become her new base of operations.

There were many theories, but no one knew the truth.

The only certainty was that the balance of power in Konoha had already begun to change the moment Tsunade returned to the Senju Compound.

The night wind swept through Konoha.

The lights in the Senju Compound were still glowing. Seen from afar in the darkness, they looked like a star that had just begun to shine.

The lights in the Hokage Building were on too. Sarutobi Hiruzen was still sitting behind his desk, and he hadn't approved a single document in front of him.

Jiraiya stood by the hallway window, gazing toward the lights of the Senju Compound. He remained there without moving for a long time.

There was hardly anyone left on the streets. Every so often, an Anbu patrol glided silently across the rooftops.

The night sky over Konoha was exceptionally clear, its countless stars scattered overhead..

At the entrance to an alley on Commercial Street, the owner of a general store was closing up. He was elderly, with graying hair, and his hands moved slowly.

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

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

"She's a very, very powerful person," he said. "She fought alongside your great-grandpa back in the day."

"Is she stronger than you, Grandpa?"

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

"Of course Lady Tsunade is stronger. I'm just a shopkeeper. Lady Tsunade is a great figure who can fight and save lives."

"Now that she's back, does that mean there won't be any more wars in the village?"

The old man's hand paused. He looked at his grandson's bright, shining eyes and wanted to say something, but in the end, he only smiled.

"Maybe," he said. "Go inside and eat. Your grandma made dumplings."

"Okay!" The little boy bounced into the house.

Standing in the doorway, the shopkeeper looked once more at the lights in the distant Senju Compound, as if gazing at the Senju of old...