Drunkard

The Daimyo left under the escort of several Anbu Ninja.

Everything in the village remained as usual. Aside from the rumors about Hatake Sakumo dying down, few people knew that a new face had appeared in the Senju Clan Grounds.

Playing with a toy?

Playing with the Forehead Protector in his hand, Ye Ning strolled through the sparsely populated Senju Clan Grounds and couldn't help clicking his tongue twice.

He had made his request that morning, and by the afternoon, the Forehead Protector was already in his hands. His file and ninja registration number were all in order, and there hadn't been any tests or obstacles along the way.

Was this what it meant to be specially approved?

The efficiency made Ye Ning, who was used to delays, want to give a big thumbs-up.

Come to think of it, it was a little strange. When he was young in his previous life, watching the Naruto anime had always made him imagine becoming a ninja himself, wearing a Konoha Forehead Protector and performing all kinds of cool jutsu. But now that he actually held one in his hand, Ye Ning found it rather underwhelming.

That's it?

It was heavy and cumbersome to carry, and he thought it looked a little ugly when worn.

If he remembered correctly, the ninjas in the original story wore their Forehead Protectors in all sorts of weird ways. Besides wearing them properly on their foreheads, some used them as belts, wore them on their arms or chests, or used them to cover their eyes...

Hinata had to be the most outrageous.

She wore her Forehead Protector like a necklace...

Didn't that feel weird?

Ye Ning thought it over and over, but couldn't figure out where to wear the Forehead Protector, so he tossed it into his ninja tool pouch.

Hm?

Why hadn't he seen a single Senju Clan member after walking for so long?

After wandering aimlessly for a while, Ye Ning finally realized something was wrong.

He had been walking through the vast Senju Clan Grounds for ages and hadn't seen a soul.

The Second Shinobi World War had only just ended. Had the Senju Clan vanished already?

That couldn't be right... Even if there weren't many of them left, surely he should have seen someone by now?

Ye Ning hesitantly looked around at the doors and windows, all shut tight.

Why the Senju Clan had disappeared was one of the biggest unanswered mysteries in the original story, and there were all kinds of theories about it.

Back in the day, Ye Ning had spent plenty of time discussing it online with Naruto fans, and the arguments often got heated. Among the theories, a few seemed more plausible than the rest.

The first theory was that the Senju Clan had suffered heavy casualties during the First Shinobi World War and the Second Shinobi World War. Nawaki's death on the battlefield during the Second Shinobi World War was a good example. The clan had lost many members, and those who remained had few talented successors, so they gradually withdrew from Konoha's stage.

But Ye Ning didn't believe this theory.

An ancient clan that had emerged from the Warring States period had been wiped out and left without talented successors because of two Shinobi World Wars?

The Senju and Uchiha Clans had fought for hundreds of years during the Warring States period, yet neither clan had dwindled or fallen into decline!

There were conspiracy theories mixed in with this first explanation, too. Some claimed that the Third Hokage and Danzo had deliberately sent the Senju Clan to the front lines to wear down their strength as much as possible.

Ye Ning didn't believe that theory either.

After all, during the First Shinobi World War and the early years of the Second Shinobi World War, Mito was still alive.

The First's wife lived in the Senju Clan Grounds. She was also a pillar of support for Konoha, much like an anchor holding the village steady.

Though Ye Ning despised the Third Hokage and Danzo for all sorts of things, he didn't think those two would dare to pull anything while Mito was still alive.

The second theory was a little more plausible than the first.

After the Second and First passed away one after another, the Senju name disappeared from Konoha. Instead, the clan members changed their Senju surnames to other names and completely assimilated into Konoha.

This theory had even spawned all kinds of rumors. For example, some claimed that the Senju Clan's original name was the Senju of the Forest, so Mori no Ibiki from the Intelligence Division in the original story was a Senju who had changed his name. Other fans swore that Sakura's father, and even Minato Namikaze, were descendants of the Senju Clan...

But in Ye Ning's view, this theory didn't hold up either.

Konoha was actually one of the places most concerned with bloodlines, and its people cared about family names to an extent most people couldn't imagine. No matter how respected the First and Second were, it would have been hard for them to order the entire clan to change its surname, wouldn't it?

Ye Ning thoughtfully looked away.

Perhaps he could solve this mystery himself.

Then the first step... was to find Tsunade's home!

Ye Ning looked around, feeling a little frustrated.

He should've asked the Third Hokage before coming... With this many houses, how long would it take him to find the right one?

Ye Ning walked through more than half of the clan grounds before finally spotting a Senju Clan member about to leave, on a spacious street.

When he saw the Konoha Forehead Protector on the man's head, Ye Ning's eyes lit up.

What a rare sight!

A living Senju Clan member!

The Senju Ninja who saw Ye Ning was just as taken aback.

Ever since Mito's death and the Senju Clan's gradual decline, hardly anyone had come to the Senju Clan Grounds. It was certainly unusual to see an unfamiliar face there.

After his brief surprise, the Senju Ninja quickly came to his senses. He immediately grew wary, his body tensing as if he might attack at any moment.

"Who are you?"

Ordinary ninjas and villagers couldn't get near the Senju Clan Grounds. Aside from a spy, he couldn't imagine any other explanation.

Besides, Ye Ning wasn't wearing a Forehead Protector, which made him look even more suspicious.

Ye Ning froze. Realizing that he'd given the Senju Ninja the wrong impression, he hurriedly explained, "I'm the Daimyo's only son. I came to find Tsunade."

"The Daimyo's only son... looking for Tsunade?"

"That's right. She's my older sister."

The Senju Ninja looked visibly confused, as if he had no idea why the Daimyo's son would be related to Tsunade.

His reaction made Ye Ning hesitate.

That response... wasn't normal!

Even the Third Hokage and Danzo knew about the family relationship between the Daimyo and Tsunade. How could a Senju Clan member not know?

Or was this ninja too young to know about the older generation?

"Could you tell me where Tsunade lives?"

The Senju Ninja opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but after hesitating, he didn't. He pointed Ye Ning toward a house not far away, then hurried off with a troubled look.

Watching the Senju Ninja's retreating figure, Ye Ning felt even more puzzled.

Perhaps all the answers would come once he saw Tsunade.

Ye Ning took a deep breath, went to the house the Senju Ninja had pointed out, and knocked hard on the door.

But there was no sound from inside.

Ye Ning knocked several more times. When no one answered, he hesitated for a moment, then suddenly kicked off with both legs, easily vaulted over the eaves, and landed in the courtyard.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, a pungent smell rushed toward him, overwhelming his senses. The stench was so strong that it made his handsome face scrunch up.

That smell...

Was it alcohol?

Ye Ning's mouth twitched. If he remembered correctly, the alcohol in Naruto wasn't all that strong, was it? Surely it didn't taste this harsh...

For the smell to be this strong... just how much had Tsunade drunk?

No wonder she hadn't opened the door, even after he knocked so hard.

It would've been strange if she'd been able to answer!

Oh, crap!

Had she drunk herself to death?

Following the smell of alcohol, Ye Ning searched the house and finally found Tsunade sleeping off a hangover in a Japanese-style room.

Ye Ning's pupils contracted. He stood at the doorway and couldn't help taking two steps back.

It was no wonder. The sight before him was simply too much for him to take in.

Inside the Japanese-style room, a blond-haired beauty lay sprawled over a wooden table, her head resting on her right arm. Her clothes had clearly been altered to be form-fitting, cinched tightly at the waist, while the neckline was cut low and stretched over an exaggerated curve, like two plump little watermelons.

Empty bottles were scattered across the floor. A few hadn't been completely drained, and alcohol was now spilling out of them in a thin stream. The pungent smell filled the entire room.

Ye Ning counted roughly. There were more than thirty bottles on the floor, including the unopened ones on the table. Even if the alcohol in Naruto wasn't very strong, drinking that much was bound to make her pass out!

Ye Ning rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

This woman wasn't just hungover. She was close to drinking herself to death!

Ye Ning suddenly felt a little sorry for her.

Thinking about it, most people in Naruto had pretty tragic lives.

Tsunade had first watched her grandfather and Second Granduncle pass away one after another when she was young. Then she lost her beloved younger brother, and after that, her lover. A medical ninja, she developed hemophobia and could only wander from place to place, spending her days drinking and gambling to numb herself.

Just when she'd finally met a boy who reminded her of her younger brother, she worked through her grief with his help, only to lose another longtime friend after becoming Hokage.

Her clan was gone, and her parents had never been mentioned in the original story, so they had probably passed away early, too.

After decades, she was left all alone.

Only Shizune, who had stayed quietly by her side all this time, could offer her a little comfort.

Thinking about it, if it was a contest over who had the most tragic life, Tsunade was hard to beat.

Ye Ning had no doubt this was Tsunade.

After all, those two iconic melons made it obvious.

Ye Ning sighed softly. He didn't disturb Tsunade's sweet dreams, and quietly picked up the bottles scattered across the floor.

Otherwise, he wouldn't even have anywhere to step.

The noise from the bottles seemed to disturb the sleeping Tsunade. At last, after who knew how long, she stirred.

"Ah..."

Tsunade opened her eyes groggily, and her face first contorted in pain.

A hangover was no fun. Even a ninja's body, far stronger than an ordinary person's, couldn't withstand drinking this much. Her head was splitting, and her stomach was churning.

But only like this could she forget everything and weave herself a beautiful dream.

Tsunade patted her forehead and finally came around a little, though her eyes were still bleary.

There seemed to be someone in front of her.

She tried to open her eyes wider, but still couldn't make out the person's face. Irritation immediately welled up in Tsunade.

"Jiraiya, get lost. Don't bother me while I'm sleeping!"

Her throat was burning, and her voice came out hoarse.

Her words were rude, and she'd mistaken him for Jiraiya, that prematurely aged fool, but Ye Ning wasn't about to take offense at a drunk. In a gentle voice, he said, "Tsunade, it hasn't even been a few years, and you've already become a drunk."

Tsunade, who had been planning to doze off again, struggled to hold her head up instead of letting it sink back onto the table. She blinked at him.

"W... who are you?"

"What if I call you something else? Older sister. Does that ring a bell?"

Older... sister?

"Nawaki?"

Tsunade's bleary eyes suddenly brightened. The flush of alcohol quickly faded from her cheeks, and she snapped fully awake, sitting bolt upright.

Her wrinkled clothes rippled dramatically.

But Tsunade didn't notice. She tilted her head slightly, a string of question marks appearing above it.

After looking him over again and realizing that the kid in front of her wasn't the cheerful boy in her memories, Tsunade's expression instantly darkened. A dangerous aura radiated from her.

"Kid, do you want to die?"

Were you making fun of me by bringing up Nawaki, who's already dead?

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and stared at Ye Ning menacingly. Her fists clenched without her realizing it, as if she might punch him the next second. Still, she retained enough reason to give Ye Ning a chance to explain himself.

"Tsunade, come on. You're going to hurt my feelings. Nawaki isn't your only younger brother."

Ye Ning wasn't afraid at all. Instead, he plopped down, seemingly certain Tsunade wouldn't attack him.

Not her only younger brother?

Tsunade tilted her head, looking a little confused.

The mention of her older sister had roused her somewhat, but her head still hurt, and she couldn't think of how many younger brothers she had. In the end, she simply gave up and leaned against the table.

Ye Ning sighed deeply.

"It's me, Ye Ning. I told you that you couldn't hold your liquor, so why did you drink so much? You're so drunk you can barely think straight."

Ye Ning?

Tsunade tried to think back. It seemed that she really did have another younger brother with that name. She relaxed considerably.

"Ye Ning... why aren't you out on a mission? What are you doing here?"

"..."

Damn it!!!

So you still hadn't remembered who I was?

I, the Daimyo's only son, was supposed to be out on a mission?

Ye Ning scowled as he went into the washroom. When he came back out, he was holding a glass of cold water.

"Drink this to soothe your throat and clear your head. Let the cold water jolt that brain of yours, which is practically rotting away, and think carefully about who I am!"