Main World.
Year 24 of Konoha, autumn.
British Continent, New Capital.
Imperial Palace, garden.
Autumn sunlight spilled over the garden, bathing everything in gold. Tsunade sat in the pavilion, cradling the recently born Toyotomi Senrin. The little one was asleep, her tiny hands curled into fists beside her mouth, occasionally smacking her lips. The usual hardness had left Tsunade's face, replaced by something hard to describe-not tenderness, but serenity. Toyotomi Yinglang sat across from her, holding a cup of hot tea, a faint smile on his lips.
"Yinglang, what is a chess player?" Tsunade's voice was soft, for fear of waking the child in her arms.
"Me, the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki." Toyotomi Yinglang set down his teacup. "We're all chess players. We all have formidable strength and trump cards."
Tsunade's brows furrowed slightly.
"Then why are you all so restrained? Why not fight each other?"
"If you risk your life when you're weak, then still risk your life once you're strong, haven't you gotten stronger for nothing?" Toyotomi Yinglang's voice was calm. "The lives of the strong aren't as cheap as shinobi lives."
Tsunade fell silent.
"Chess players are all trying every possible way to 'stay invisible,'" Toyotomi Yinglang continued. "So, without consulting one another, we all subjected the Shinobi World to a 'policy of keeping the people ignorant.' As a result, not a single Six Paths level fighter has appeared, and shinobi throughout the Shinobi World think Super Kage level is the pinnacle for shinobi. Shinobi think they can change this world, but in reality, they aren't worth a damn."
Tsunade looked at him for a long time.
"Then are you happy?"
Toyotomi Yinglang did not answer. He lifted his teacup, took a sip, then set it down.
"Big Tsunade, are your parents still alive?"
Tsunade's