The Drunkard

The Daimyo left under the escort of several Anbu ninjas.

The village remained as usual, and aside from the gossip surrounding Hatake Sakumo dying down, few people knew that a new, unfamiliar face had appeared within the Senju Clan grounds.

Fiddling with the ninja headband in his hand, Ye Ning strolled through the sparsely populated Senju Clan grounds, unable to stop himself from clicking his tongue twice.

He had submitted his request in the morning, and by the afternoon, the headband was already in his hands, complete with his file and ninja registration number. There had been no assessment, nor had he encountered any obstruction.

Should he call this the benefit of special approval?

This level of efficiency made Ye Ning, who was accustomed to bureaucratic dragging, want to give a thumbs-up.

It was strange to think about; when he was a child in his previous life watching the Naruto anime, he would always fantasize about becoming a ninja himself, imagining how cool he would look wearing a Konoha headband and performing various ninjutsu. Yet, now that he actually held the headband in his hand, Ye Ning found it rather dull.

Is this it?

Wearing it felt like a heavy burden, and having it on his person felt a bit ugly.

If he remembered correctly, the ways characters in the original work wore their headbands were bizarre. Aside from wearing them properly on their foreheads, some used them as belts, wore them on their arms, on their chests, or even to cover their eyes...

The most ridiculous one had to be Hinata.

Wearing a ninja headband like an accessory around her neck...

Doesn't that feel strange?

After much deliberation, Ye Ning couldn't think of a single place to wear the headband, so he simply tossed it into his ninja tool pouch.

Hm?

Why had he been walking for so long without seeing a single member of the Senju Clan?

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

In the vast Senju Clan grounds, he had walked for such a long time and hadn't seen a single soul.

Had the Senju Clan already vanished just after the Second Shinobi World War?

That shouldn't be the case... even if the population was sparse, it shouldn't be so empty that he hadn't seen anyone for this long, right?

Ye Ning hesitantly surveyed the tightly shut doors and windows around him.

The reason for the disappearance of the Senju Clan was a major mystery never explained in the original work, and speculations regarding the matter were endless.

In the past, Ye Ning had often visited forums to debate with other fans, frequently getting into heated arguments. Among them, there were a few relatively credible theories.

The first theory suggested that the Senju Clan suffered heavy casualties during the First and Second Shinobi World Wars, with Nawaki dying on the battlefield of the Second War being a prime example. With the clan members decimated and the remaining ones lacking talent, they slowly faded from the stage of Konoha.

However, Ye Ning did not believe this theory.

A powerful clan with a long history, having emerged from the Warring States period—would they really be wiped out and left talentless just because of two world wars?

During the Warring States period, the Senju and Uchiha fought for hundreds of years, and he never saw those two clans dwindle or decline!

This first theory was also mixed with some conspiracy theories, claiming that the Third Hokage and Danzo intentionally sent the Senju Clan to the front lines to exhaust their strength as much as possible.

Ye Ning didn't believe this theory either.

One had to remember that during the First Shinobi World War and the early stages of the Second, Mito was still alive.

As the wife of the First Hokage, she lived within the Senju Clan grounds and served as the anchor of Konoha.

Even though Ye Ning despised the various actions of the Third Hokage and Danzo from the bottom of his heart, he didn't believe those two would dare to pull any strings while Mito was still alive.

As for the second theory, it was slightly more plausible than the first.

After the Second Hokage and First Hokage passed away one after another, the name of the Senju Clan ceased to appear in Konoha, as they had all changed their surnames to others, completely integrating into the village.

This theory even spawned various rumors; for instance, some claimed the original name was "Senju of the Forest," so Mori no Ibiki from the Intelligence Division was actually a Senju who had changed his name. Other netizens swore that Sakura's father, or even Minato Namikaze, were descendants of the Senju...

But in reality, Ye Ning felt this theory didn't hold water either.

The world of Naruto was, in fact, a place that valued bloodlines above all else, and the importance placed on family names was beyond what ordinary people could imagine. Even with the immense prestige of the First and Second Hokage, it would be difficult to order the entire clan to change their family surname, right?

Ye Ning withdrew his gaze, lost in thought.

Perhaps he could solve this mystery with his own hands.

So, the first step... find Tsunade's residence!

Ye Ning looked around, feeling a bit annoyed.

If he had known, he should have asked the Third Hokage before coming... with so many houses, how long would it take him to find it!

Ye Ning walked through more than half of the clan grounds and finally found a Senju clansman preparing to head out on a spacious street.

Seeing the Konoha headband worn on the man's head, Ye Ning's eyes lit up.

What a rare sight!

To actually see a living member of the Senju Clan!

The Senju ninja who saw Ye Ning was also stunned.

Ever since Mito passed away and the Senju Clan gradually declined, no one had visited the grounds for a long time. Seeing an unfamiliar face in the clan territory was indeed a rare occurrence.

After a brief moment of shock, the Senju ninja reacted quickly, instantly adopting a guarded expression. His body tensed, ready to strike at any moment.

"Who are you?"

Ordinary ninjas and villagers could never approach the Senju compound. Aside from a spy, he could not imagine any other possibility.

Furthermore, Ye Ning was not wearing a forehead protector, making him appear even more suspicious.

Ye Ning paused, realizing he had caused a misunderstanding, and hurriedly explained:

"I am the Daimyo's only son. I came here to find Tsunade."

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

"Yes, she is my older sister."

A look of obvious confusion appeared on the Senju ninja's face; he did not seem to understand why there would be any connection between the Daimyo's son and Tsunade.

This reaction made Ye Ning hesitate.

This reaction... it wasn't normal!

Even the Third Hokage and Danzo were aware of the kinship between the Daimyo and Tsunade, so how could a member of the Senju clan be unaware?

Or was it that... this ninja was too young and didn't know about the affairs of the older generation?

"Could you tell me where Tsunade lives?"

The Senju ninja opened his mouth as if to say something, but after hesitating, he kept it to himself. He pointed toward a nearby house and left in a hurry.

Watching the Senju ninja's retreating back, Ye Ning's inner doubts grew stronger.

Perhaps all the answers would be revealed once he met Tsunade?

Ye Ning took a deep breath, arrived at the door of the house the Senju ninja had pointed out, and knocked firmly.

But from inside the house, not a sound came out.

After knocking heavily several times and finding that no one was coming to open the Space Gate, Ye Ning hesitated for a moment. He exerted force into his legs and easily vaulted over the eaves, landing in the courtyard.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, a pungent odor rushed toward him, overwhelming all of Ye Ning's senses. The intensity of the smell even caused Ye Ning's handsome face to contort.

This smell...

Is it alcohol?

Ye Ning's mouth twitched. If he remembered correctly, the alcohol in the world of Naruto shouldn't have a very high proof, right? The smell shouldn't be this sharp and pungent...

With such a strong scent... just how much had Tsunade drunk!?

Drinking this much, it was no wonder she didn't come to open the door no matter how hard he knocked.

It would be a miracle if she could!

Damn it!

She didn't drink herself to death, did she?

Ye Ning followed the trail of the alcohol scent and finally discovered a hungover Tsunade in a Japanese-style room.

Ye Ning's pupils constricted. Standing at the entrance of the room, he couldn't help but step back twice.

There was no other reason; the impact of the scene before him was simply too great.

In the room, the blonde girl was slumped over a wooden table, her head pillowed on her right arm. Her attire had clearly been slightly modified; it was very form-fitting, cinched tightly at the waist, while the neckline was quite wide, supporting an exaggerated curve that bulged like two small watermelons.

The floor was littered with empty bottles, tossed about carelessly. Some of them were not even finished, with a trickle of alcohol flowing out, filling the entire room with a pungent stench.

Ye Ning did a rough count; between the bottles on the floor and the unopened ones on the table, there were over thirty. Even if the alcohol in Naruto wasn't high-proof, drinking this much would definitely lead to alcohol poisoning!

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

This person wasn't just hungover; she was on the verge of dropping dead from alcohol poisoning!

Ye Ning suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for her.

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

Tsunade had witnessed the passing of her grandfather and grand-uncle in her youth, then lost her beloved younger brother, and later, her lover had also departed. As a medical ninja, she had since developed hemophobia and could only wander about, spending her days with alcohol and gambling to numb herself.

After finally meeting a boy who resembled her younger brother and resolving her inner trauma under his guidance, she lost a lifelong friend shortly after inheriting the title of Hokage.

Her clan no longer existed, and her parents were never mentioned in the original work, likely having passed away early on.

After decades of time, she ended up all alone.

Only Shizune, who had been silently by her side all along, could offer her a small amount of comfort.

Thinking about it this way, if it came to comparing tragedies, Tsunade didn't seem to lose to anyone, did she?

As for whether this person was Tsunade, Ye Ning had no doubts at all.

After all, those iconic two watermelons explained everything.

Ye Ning sighed softly. Not wanting to disturb Tsunade's beautiful dream, he silently began to clean up the bottles scattered across the floor.

Otherwise, he wouldn't even have a place to stand.

The sound of tidying up the bottles seemed to disturb Tsunade from her deep slumber; after who knows how long she had been asleep, she finally showed some signs of life.

"Hah..."

Opening her eyes in a daze, a look of pain first appeared on Tsunade's face.

The taste of a hangover was far from pleasant. Even though a ninja's physical constitution far exceeded that of an ordinary person, drinking like this was still unbearable. It wasn't just the splitting headache; her stomach was churning violently as well.

Yet, only in this state could she forget everything and weave together a beautiful dream.

Tsunade patted her forehead, finally becoming a bit more clear-headed, though her eyes remained hazy.

Before her, was there a figure?

Struggling to open her eyes wide, yet still unable to make out the face of the person in front of her, Tsunade's temper flared up instantly:

"Jiraiya, get lost! Don't disturb my sleep!"

Her throat burned with pain, and her voice sounded somewhat hoarse.

Although the words were very rude, and she had mistaken him for that prematurely aged guy Jiraiya, Ye Ning clearly wasn't going to lower himself to the level of a drunkard, saying in a gentle voice: "Tsunade, it's been a few years, and you've actually become a drunkard."

Tsunade, who had intended to doze off again, struggled to prop up her head, trying hard not to sink back onto the table, and blinked her eyes:

"You... who are you?"

"Then let me change how I address you: Sister. Does that help you remember?"

Sis...ter?

"Nawaki?"

Tsunade's originally hazy eyes suddenly brightened, the flush of alcohol on her cheeks rapidly fading, and she instantly sobered up from her drunken state, sitting bolt upright.

Her wrinkled clothes heaved with a surging swell.

However, Tsunade didn't pay it any mind; she tilted her head slightly, a string of question marks appearing over her brow.

After identifying him repeatedly and discovering that the brat in front of her was not the sunny, smiling face in her memories, Tsunade's expression instantly darkened, and she radiated a dangerous aura from the inside out.

"Brat, do you want to die?"

Using the deceased Nawaki to toy with me?

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, staring at Ye Ning with a malicious look, her fists clenching unconsciously as if she might smash them down the next second, yet she still retained a shred of reason, giving Ye Ning a chance to explain.

"I say, Tsunade, you'll hurt my feelings like this. It's not like you only have Nawaki as a younger brother."

Ye Ning didn't show the slightest fear; instead, he plopped down into a seat, seemingly certain that Tsunade wouldn't lay a hand on him.

Not only one younger brother?

Tsunade tilted her head, a hint of confusion appearing in her eyes.

Although she had regained some clarity under the stimulation of the title "Sister," Tsunade's brain was still aching, and she couldn't figure out how many younger brothers she actually had, so she simply gave up and leaned lazily against the wooden table.

Ye Ning let out a deep sigh.

"It's me, Ye Ning. I told you not to drink, so why did you drink so much? You've drunk yourself into a stupor."

Ye Ning?

Tsunade tried hard to recall, discovering that she did indeed seem to have another younger brother by that name, and her entire demeanor relaxed significantly:

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

"..."

Bastard!!!

So you still haven't remembered who I am, have you?

I, the dignified only son of the Daimyo, what kind of missions would I be doing?

Ye Ning walked into the washroom with a dark face, and when he came back out, he had a glass of cold water in his hand.

"Moisten your throat and sober up. Use this cold water to stimulate that brain of yours that's about to rot, and think carefully about who I am!"