Fox stepped forward and bowed respectfully:
"Lady Tsunade, ANBU Squad B-5 reporting as ordered. We are responsible for guarding you and the base."
Tsunade turned and glanced over Lin Ze and the other three. Her gaze lingered briefly on Fox's missing arm and Gray Wolf's somewhat weakened frame, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"That old man's really wasting his time."
There was a hint of impatience in Tsunade's voice. "It's perfectly safe here. I don't need any special guards."
Despite her words, she did not refuse outright, evidently understanding Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions.
Her gaze then settled on Lin Ze, who stood toward the back of the group. He seemed somewhat familiar, especially that head of white hair. After a moment's thought, she remembered:
"Oh? It's you, brat?"
Tsunade folded her arms, supporting her ample bust, and walked toward Lin Ze with interest:
"You've grown quite a bit in the past few years. What, did the old man throw you into ANBU after you graduated?"
Lin Ze had never met Tsunade face-to-face. After a moment's thought, he understood what had happened. She had evidently noticed him during the Ninja Academy assessment.
In particular, like Tsunade, he had some Uzumaki Clan blood, which gave them a small connection now that the Land of Whirlpools had been destroyed.
It was not much of a connection, though. After all, while the Land of Whirlpools had been destroyed, there were still quite a few members of the Uzumaki Clan throughout the Shinobi World. Lin Ze alone knew of Nagato and Karin's mother, and Konoha also had Kushina, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
After quickly running through this in his mind, Lin Ze removed his Monkey Mask and replied calmly:
"Yes, Lady Tsunade. It's been a long time."
Tsunade looked Lin Ze over a few times and