Shinichi and Tsunade walked side by side, walking straight towards Hokage Building.
Shinichi had already changed into a low-key dark kimono, wearing a slightly old samurai robe, and a wooden sword on his waist. At first glance, he looked like a wandering samurai with a calm and mysterious temperament.
And Tsunade--she doesn't need to disguise herself at all.
After all, her very existence is one of Konoha's most iconic symbols.
The two shuttled through the crowd, and soon noticed that the attitudes of the surrounding Konoha people towards Tsunade were completely polarized.
--When some people saw her, they immediately showed expressions of admiration and joy, and greeted her with a smile, "Lady Tsunade, you are still so young today!", "Lady Tsunade, are you finally willing to appear in the village?" There were even a few older villagers, clasping their hands together, with emotion on their faces. "This is really a rare sight..."
But at the same time, other people's reactions were completely different -
"Hey, hey, hey! Keep your voice down! Have you forgotten her habits?" A man in merchant clothes quickly covered his companion's mouth and lowered his voice to warn.
"What habit?" His companion looked confused.
"What else could it be? Lady Tsunade probably used Transformation Technique to shrink again. It must be to escape gambling debts!" Another old man said mysteriously, "I bet she must have lost a lot in the casino just now, so she came to the street pretending to be an 'innocent passer-by'."
"Hey - that makes sense! Look at her face... is she a little guilty?"
"Stop talking, if she punches us, we will all end up in the hospital!"
Tsunade: "..."
The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, veins popped up on her face, and she couldn't help but clenched her fists hard.
"These bastards, how could I be such a person!!!"
She gritted her teeth and her face became more and more gloomy, but she quickly took a deep breath and suppressed her anger to prevent herself from getting violent in this "strange future".
Shinichi on the side looked gloating, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and joked leisurely in a low voice:
"Hey, I didn't expect little Tsunade to be so proud! No one stopped and questioned us two ninjas of unknown origin?"
Tsunade turned his head sharply and gave Shinichi a hard look. "Who do you think is a ninja of unknown origin?! I am a serious Princess of Konoha Tsunade!"
Shinichi shrugged, looking helpless. "Oh~ Of course, Princess, you are right."
Tsunade snorted coldly, ignored him and walked straight towards Hokage Building.
The journey was smooth and the two of them soon arrived at the gate of Hokage Office.
Tsunade raised his hand without hesitation and pushed the door open with a bang.
Then, her whole person--
Completely! Stunned! Stopped!
Hokage Office is spacious and bright, Setting Sun light pours in through the huge windows, and behind the desk that symbolizes Konoha's highest power, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure is sitting lazily.
She was a blonde woman with an extremely hot figure, even more exaggerated than Tsunade herself.
She put her legs directly on the desk, flipping through the documents in her hand casually with one hand, and holding a glass of Sake in the other hand, with a lazy and casual smile on her lips, exuding a strong "big sister" aura.
Her face is mature and charming, and her facial features are almost the same as Tsunade. The corners of her eyes are slightly raised, with a trace of calmness and domineering accumulated over the years--
There is no doubt that this is the Tsunade of the future!
Tsunade: This figure is so good!!!
"This... this..." Tsunade was petrified, his mouth opened slightly, and he even forgot to speak.
She had no idea that her future would be like this!
No, the point is--
Her figure is so good!!!
Tsunade looked down at his own figure, then at his future self, and couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
"Hey... wait, will I really become like this in the future?" She whispered, her eyes full of shock.
"..." Shinichi blinked, a little surprised.
The future Tsunade is more mature and steady than what he remembered, but she has not lost her original heroic spirit at all, but has gained a powerful and charming charm.
He was just thinking about how to speak, but at this time, the future Tsunade finally raised his head, narrowed his sharp amber pupils, and carefully looked at the two people standing at the door.
Her eyes narrowed slightly at first, and then a playful smile appeared on her face.
"Oh? Interesting." She put down her wine glass lazily, with a deep meaning in her eyes, "I thought it was some naughty kid using Transformation Technique to cause trouble... I didn't expect to see myself here."
She stood up slowly and walked towards the two of them with steady steps and a strong aura.
"So, who are you?" She smiled slightly and locked her eyes on Shinichi, "And you, a complete stranger, can actually appear here with the 'younger version of me'..."
She crossed her arms across her chest, showing a thoughtful expression.
"I don't remember ever having a partner like you."
Shinichi raised his eyebrows, with a faint smile on his lips.
"It seems that our arrival... has been noticed."
Future Tsunade chuckled, with a deep meaning in his eyes, as if he was thinking about something.
Tsunade himself was still in shock and did not recover for a long time.
--After all, she really didn't expect that her figure in the future would be so outrageous!!!
Within Hokage Office, the air seemed to be stagnant for a moment.
The afterglow of Setting Sun fell through the window into the spacious room. The breeze blew gently, picking up a few thin official documents on the table and slowly falling to the ground.
Shinichi and Tsunade stood at the door, looking at the future Hokage Tsunade in front of them - a woman who was more mature and more aura than the Tsunade they knew.
She stood casually in front of the desk, folding her arms in front of her chest, with a relaxed and lazy smile on her lips, and glanced at the two people with burning eyes.
At this moment, Shinichi's gaze shifted slightly.
To be precise, his eyes fell uncontrollably on the exaggerated figure of the future Tsunade.
This... is even more... "pretty" than the original Tsunade, right? Shinichi sighed silently in his heart. Although he tried to maintain a correct attitude, his eyes couldn't help but peek at the proud pair from time to time.
"Ahem." Tsunade was keenly aware of Shinichi's gaze, frowned slightly, and stepped on his foot hard.
"Tsk--" Shinichi endured the pain, took a breath, quickly looked away, and adjusted his condition.
He cleared his throat, a decent smile appeared on his face, and said in a respectful tone:
"Dear Lord Hokage, we were involved in the turbulence of time and space because of the riot of Dragon Vein Chakra, and we happened to come to this era."
Hearing this, the future Tsunade narrowed his amber eyes and stared at Shinichi with interest, and the smile at the corner of his mouth became deeper.
"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows slightly, showing a meaningful expression, and her voice was a bit joking, "So, you mean, you are from the past?"
"That's right." Shinichi nodded slightly, with a serious expression, "We were originally in the Dragon Vein temple of Rōran, and were trying to study the structure of Chakra. As a result, the space-time rift suddenly rioted, and we were involved in it... When we woke up, we had already arrived in this era."
Future Tsunade slowly took two steps closer, taking light but oppressive steps, and finally stopped less than an arm's length away from Shinichi.
Her eyes were as sharp as a blade, and she looked at Shinichi's face carefully.
Shinichi was a little uncomfortable being stared at, but he still smiled and acted with ease.
However, Tsunade noticed that his peripheral vision was still sneaking towards a certain position on his chest.
Future Tsunade's eyes twitched slightly, and the corners of his mouth raised a dangerous arc.
"It seems that you are not very interested in my topic?" She suddenly spoke, her tone was unhurried, but with a hint of coldness.
"Ah?" Shinichi was stunned.
"Otherwise... can you explain where you have been staring at?" Future Tsunade put one hand on his hip and raised the other hand to his chest, shaking slightly, causing a slight ripple.
"..." Shinichi's eyes froze, and alarm bells suddenly sounded in his heart.
Now, he really couldn't argue.
Tsunade, who was standing aside, suddenly twitched the corner of his mouth crazily and stared at Shinichi, as if if he dared to say one more word, she would immediately punch him into the wall.
"Ahem..." Shinichi laughed dryly, looked away quickly, and put on a serious look, "Ahem... that... Lord Hokage you misunderstood, I was just... uh... just a little surprised."
"Accident?" Future Tsunade raised his eyebrows slightly, the smile on his face not diminishing, but his eyes were extremely sharp.
"Yes... unexpected!" Shinichi quickly explained in a serious tone, "After all, Lady Tsunade, you are more mature, more... uh, more majestic than I remember."
"Really?" Future Tsunade narrowed his eyes slightly, with a dangerous smile on his lips.
"Of course." Shinichi quickly added, "I thought that after a few decades, you might have retired, but I didn't expect... that you are still sitting in Hokage's position. This is really surprising."
Hearing these words, the future Tsunade was silent for a moment, then smiled softly and shook his head.
"Alas... who made it possible that there are fewer and fewer people in this village who can be Hokage?" Her tone was a little helpless, but she quickly regained her confident smile, "However, compared to this... Since you have traveled from the past, what are your plans?"
Shinichi and Tsunade looked at each other, and Tsunade was the first to speak, "Of course I want to find a way to go back."
Future Tsunade nodded slightly, crossed his arms, thought for a moment, and then smiled softly, "Then do you know how to go back?"
Inside Hokage Office, the air seemed to freeze for an instant.
The future Tsunade is sitting behind the desk, gently shaking a cup of Sake in his hand, looking sharply at Shinichi and his young self standing in front of him.
The afterglow of Setting Sun reflected on her golden hair, creating a solemn yet lazy halo.
Faced with her inquiry, Shinichi spoke without hesitation:
"Of course we are going to Dragon Vein again!" He said firmly without any hesitation.
The goal of him and Tsunade is very clear - to return to their era. Since they were involved in the cracks in time and space due to the Chakra riot of Dragon Vein, the key to going back is most likely still in Dragon Vein.
However, the future Tsunade just smiled slightly, put down the wine glass, and slowly shook his head, with a hint of meaningful helplessness in his tone:
"If only it were that simple."
Future Tsunade is sitting behind the desk, gently shaking a cup of Sake in his hand. The liquid in the cup slowly ripples, giving off a pale golden luster under the afterglow of Setting Sun.
Her amber pupils were as deep as the sea, and she glanced sharply at the two people standing in front of her - her young self, and the strange but familiar man.
Shinichi's expression remained calm as usual, while young Tsunade frowned slightly, with a bit of impatience and doubt in his expression.
Facing the two people's reactions, the corners of Future Tsunade's mouth slightly raised, with a meaningful smile, he slowly raised his head and looked out the window at the sky that was gradually dyed with the afterglow of Setting Sun.
Her voice was soft and low, as if it contained some kind of distant sigh:
"The Country of Roran of this era... has long since died."
"!!!"
Tsunade's pupils suddenly shrank, and his face instantly became solemn.
"What?" She frowned slightly, with a look of disbelief in her eyes.
Although her understanding of Country of Roran is not too deep, she knows that that mysterious ancient country once relied on Dragon Vein's huge Chakra for its survival and had energy technology and a unique civilization that transcended the times.
However, now, her future self tells her personally - Rōran has died?
Tsunade felt an inexplicable heaviness in their hearts, as if the wheels of history had crushed something that should not have disappeared before they knew it.
However, compared to Tsunade's surprise, Shinichi's expression always remained calm, and there was even a hint of expected indifference in his eyes.
He was not surprised.
As a time traveler, he naturally already knew the fate of Rōran.
That glorious and mysterious ancient country was destined to end from the very beginning of its birth. Even if it left a brief and dazzling light in the history of Shinobi World, it could not change its fate of being swallowed by the wind and sand.
Shinichi looked out the window silently, with the original historical fragments emerging in his mind--
He knew that Rōran eventually declined in history due to the depletion of Dragon Vein Chakra, until it was completely buried by wind and sand and became a lifeless ruin. And the future Minato Namikaze also tried to change the fate of Rōran in some time and space in the past, but ultimately failed to reverse the inevitable fate.
Today, the era they live in is already a world after the complete demise of Rōran.
Shinichi slowly recovered his thoughts, sighed softly, and spoke in a calm tone:
"Sure enough, it's just as I thought."
Tsunade turned his head suddenly and looked at him in surprise. "Shinichi, you already knew?"
Shinichi nodded, his amber pupils reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun outside the window, his voice low and steady. "Dragon Vein's Chakra is not endless, it will eventually dry up... When the energy is completely exhausted, Rōran will lose the foundation for survival. This result is already destined."
Tsunade heard a burst of complicated emotions in his heart.
She never thought that she would actually hear the destruction of a country with her own eyes, and have her future self say it in such a calm tone.
The future Tsunade withdrew his gaze, picked up the Sake on the table, took a sip, and then said in a calm tone:
"More than twenty years ago, Dragon Vein's energy began to weaken, and Country of Roran's ruling system gradually collapsed. Although Konoha tried to intervene, it could not prevent all this from happening."
She paused, and a deep light flashed in her amber pupils.
"In the end, Rōran completely disappeared into the desert. And Dragon Vein... was also annihilated."
There was a brief silence in the office.
Tsunade lowered his head slightly, with a complicated expression, while Shinichi remained calm, with his arms folded, seeming to be thinking about something.
"But -" the future Tsunade suddenly changed the topic, raising the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a mysterious smile, "Although Rōran has died,... there may still be something left in the remains of Dragon Vein."
Shinichi's pupils shrank slightly. "Relics?"
"That's right." Future Tsunade said slowly, folding his hands on the table and tapping it lightly, "Although Dragon Vein is exhausted, the traces it left have not completely disappeared. For decades, Konoha has been investigating the ruins of Rōran, trying to find clues about time and space Chakra."
Shinichi nodded thoughtfully. "So, you mean, we can go look for the Dragon Vein ruins?"
Future Tsunade smiled slightly, "Theoretically it is feasible, but--"
She paused, looked at the two of them sharply, and said in a low voice, "The ruins of Rōran have now been completely buried by wind and sand. It is not easy to find it."
Shinichi thought for a moment, his eyes flickering slightly.
If Dragon Vein still has residual traces of Chakra, maybe they can still use it to travel through time and space and return to their own era.
However, this also means that they must go deep into the ruins of Rōran and face unknown dangers.
"Then go find it." Shinichi said without hesitation, with a firm tone, "No matter what, we have to give it a try."
When the future Tsunade heard this, he chuckled lightly, with a meaningful smile on his lips.
"Haha... As expected of you." She smiled softly, then stood up, walked to the window, looked at the shining lights of Konoha, and said slowly:
"However, before you go to Rōran Ruins, you should stay here for a while."
Shinichi was slightly startled. "What do you mean?"
Future Tsunade turned around, with a hint of meaning in his purple pupils, and said slowly:
"This is not only to protect you from being noticed by the outside world, but more importantly... you need time to adapt to this era."
She smiled softly, her eyes fell on Shinichi, and asked sharply:
"And... who the hell are you?"
Her voice was low and sharp, like a sharp blade, pointing directly into Shinichi's heart:
"Why... you have never existed in my memory?"