Tsunade sighed deeply, exhaustion and relief mingling in her eyes as she slowly spoke her mind.
"I'm tired."
"When I took over Konoha, the village had been ravaged by war. With troubles within and threats without, it was on the verge of collapse."
"I cleaned up the mess bit by bit and did everything I could to salvage the situation. It took so much effort to get Konoha back on track and thriving again."
"But over these years, I've also lost far too much."
"Asuma died because of my carelessness."
"Jiraiya died gathering intelligence, too."
"I also fought in the Fourth Shinobi World War, faced Madara Uchiha head-on, and went through life-and-death battles."
"Now the chaos is over and things have settled down. I'd say I've done my part."
Kakashi nodded solemnly. "Lady Tsunade, you've done an outstanding job. Everyone in the village recognizes your accomplishments."
"So it's time I had a proper rest." Tsunade's expression softened, full of longing. "I want to set down all these burdens and travel around the shinobi world, see its mountains and rivers, and make the most of the years I have left."
Kakashi fell silent for a moment, then nodded earnestly.
"If you've made up your mind, I'll serve as the Sixth Hokage for a few years to bridge the gap."
"Once Naruto has truly outgrown his childishness, matured, and become capable of standing on his own, I'll hand the Hokage position over to him right away."
"That boy has passion and ideals. He's the best person to guide Konoha's future."
Tsunade smiled brightly, finally letting go of all her worries.
"All right. I'll leave everything that comes afterward entirely to you. You can decide when to hand things over."
"But make it soon."
At that moment, Konoha's leadership passed smoothly from one