The Death of Nawaki

Land of Rain.

Deep within the great forest of Amegakure.

Orochimaru led Nawaki Senju in a silent infiltration. Their mission was to neutralize a supply depot secretly established by Amegakure, as reported by Jiraiya; Orochimaru's task was to destroy it.

"Nawaki, be careful," Orochimaru said, weaving through the trees.

"Understood, Teacher!" Nawaki Senju nodded. His face was serious and tinged with nervousness; after all, this was an opportunity he had worked hard to earn—to carry out a mission alongside Teacher Orochimaru.

Nawaki Senju was a member of the new generation of ninja from Konoha in the Land of Fire. He was the grandson of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the younger brother of Tsunade. He was kind-hearted, and both his personality and image were similar to Naruto Uzumaki, sharing the same dream: to become Hokage.

Suddenly.

An ominous premonition washed over Orochimaru. He scanned his surroundings; the lush green forest provided ample cover for an ambush.

Orochimaru stopped first, assuming a defensive stance. Nawaki clenched his fists, ready to face any enemies that might appear.

Just then, several ninja burst from the nearby thickets and attacked without a word.

"Water Style: Water Bullet Technique!"

Spheres of water, radiating chakra, flashed with light as they surged from the brush, flying toward Orochimaru and Nawaki Senju.

"Nawaki, watch out for the attacks. Stay behind me," Orochimaru's raspy voice commanded.

Following that, Orochimaru's lips curled into a cold sneer. His figure flickered as he met the assault head-on, the kunai in his hand glinting coldly in the moonlight as he instantly engaged the enemies.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Countless brown pythons emerged from Orochimaru's sleeves, their dark eyes gleaming. The moment the water spheres neared him, the snakes lunged, their jaws clamping down hard on the projectiles!

"Perfect, consider this a warm-up," Orochimaru reached into his ninja tool pouch with his right hand, and an Explosive Tag Kunai instantly flew from his palm!

The next second!

BOOM!!!!

"Kill him! He's a Konoha commander!"

"Quick, kill him!"

Several Rain Ninja flew from the bushes, short blades in hand, attempting to finish off Orochimaru with a rapid assault. Orochimaru spoke indifferently: "I've truly been underestimated... Honestly, it's quite annoying."

RUMBLE!!!!!

Countless giant pythons erupted from the ground, forming a serpentine formation that tore the nearby Rain Ninja into shreds. Flesh and blood flew everywhere, and the surrounding rainwater was stained a deep crimson!

"Teacher is amazing!" Nawaki Senju exclaimed in awe.

"Don't worry, Nawaki. One day you will be stronger than me. After all, you are the one who will become Hokage, aren't you?" Orochimaru smiled. He looked around, sensing the warehouse nearby. There were no other chakra signatures in the vicinity; the area was likely deserted because Hanzo the Salamander had gathered his troops elsewhere.

"Don't worry, Teacher! One day I will become a Hokage even greater than Grandfather," Nawaki Senju laughed, giving a thumbs-up.

"Hmph, then you'll have to make your sister acknowledge you first," Orochimaru stood under a tree, looking into the distance, his gaze fixed on the nearby warehouse.

Over there.

There shouldn't be any danger left.

"Teacher, I want to go check ahead. It seems there are no chakra signatures up there," Nawaki Senju stepped out from behind Orochimaru, smiling as he spoke.

As for Tsunade's younger brother and his own first disciple, it would be a lie to say Orochimaru didn't care for him.

"Go ahead, but be careful," Orochimaru said, crossing his arms.

Nawaki Senju ran off happily.

Watching Nawaki's retreating back.

Orochimaru smiled.

"Nawaki, you are gradually developing a real presence..."

RUMBLE!!!!!

A pillar of fire shot into the sky!

"What!" Orochimaru's pale face was filled with disbelief!

Who would set an explosive tag trap inside their own warehouse?!

THUD!!!!

A necklace fell from the sky.

It landed at Orochimaru's feet.

"Nawaki..." Orochimaru's pupils constricted.

The next day.

Inside the Konoha encampment.

The entire camp was permeated with a sense of sorrow. Everyone knew that the grandson of the God of Shinobi, the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, was dead. This meant that, aside from Tsunade, there would be no more of Hashirama's bloodline to carry on his legacy.

It must be known that after the death of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, the Senju Clan had been suppressed by a mysterious force and had gradually faded away, nearly to the point of extinction. The clan that had once stood as a hegemon alongside the Uchiha Clan during the Warring States period was reduced to fewer than a hundred people, and not even Hashirama Senju's Wood Style had anyone left to inherit it.

"Tsunade... I am very sorry," Orochimaru's raspy voice rang out as he looked at the woman before him.

Tsunade knelt before Nawaki's charred corpse. Her face was flushed crimson, and tears stained her cheeks, soaking into her shattered heart. Her most beloved younger brother, Senju Nawaki, was dead.

If only she had stopped Nawaki from going on that mission...

If only she had been able to go along with him...

If only she had asked Orochimaru to transfer him to the logistics unit...

If only...

But there were no "ifs," no "supposes"...

"It's not your fault, Orochimaru. It's okay, it's really okay," Tsunade wiped the tears from her face, her voice trembling.

"Tsunade..." Jiraiya stood to the side, his heart breaking. Seeing the woman he loved covered in tears while he could do nothing to help felt worse than death itself.

Jiraiya turned away, his heart pounding with guilt. He could not believe that the intelligence he had spent days gathering had turned out to be false... If only he had stayed to scout for a little longer, perhaps this situation would never have occurred.

"This is the only thing Nawaki left behind," Orochimaru said, pulling the blue necklace from his pocket and handing it to Tsunade.

"Nawaki..." Tsunade picked up the necklace, and tears flowed once more. This was the lucky charm she had personally given to Nawaki, yet it seemed it hadn't been very lucky after all.

A long while passed.

She slowly raised her head.

"Tell them all to leave. I want to be alone with Nawaki for a while. Oh, and Orochimaru... I have a question for you," Tsunade turned her back to them, her expression hidden from view.

Orochimaru nodded, signaling for her to ask.

"Will you withdraw the troops from this war?" Tsunade asked suddenly, out of the blue.

Before Tsunade could even struggle with her own thoughts for a moment, Orochimaru replied, "No. I know what you want to ask, Tsunade. Whether for our teacher or for Nawaki, I will continue to fight. There is no such thing as mercy in war; life and death are unavoidable. Since I am the commander, I must be responsible for the ninjas of Konoha." Orochimaru walked out of the tent, his pale face devoid of any sorrow.

"Thank you... Jiraiya, what about you?" After hearing the sound of Orochimaru lifting the tent flap and stepping outside, Tsunade spoke again.

"You know the answer... the three of us will always stand together," Jiraiya smiled and retreated from the tent as well.

Outside the tent, Orochimaru stood beneath a tree.

The rain fell in a steady drizzle.

The downpour soaked his clothes.

"Orochimaru, are you crying?" Jiraiya asked, coming to stand beside him.

"No, it is merely the rain."