Konoha was, after all, the Senju Clan's greatest legacy. This was where the Senju's roots lay.
Her grandfather and great-uncle had both paid for it with their lives!
If she sought revenge without regard for anything else, what would happen to Konoha?
Konoha...
"Lady Tsunade? Are you all right?" Shizune gently pushed the door open and entered. Glancing at the broken sake flask in the corner, she asked cautiously.
She had rushed over upon noticing that Tsunade had returned to her room, but she had heard the sharp sound of a sake flask shattering while still at the door.
The moment she entered, she noticed something was wrong with Tsunade. She had followed Tsunade for so long.
Yet this was the first time she had seen Tsunade so furious and emotionally stifled!
"Oh, Shizune? I'm fine. Did you need something?" Tsunade took a deep breath, calming the agitation inside her, and spoke flatly.
There really was no need to think about these things anymore. Konoha was what mattered most.
In the end, she could only let down those departed Senju souls...
"When I went out earlier, I heard some news. Konoha has issued new S-rank bounties-two of them, actually. But there's something strange about them."
Seeing this, Shizune pressed her lips together and buried her questions deep down, obediently sharing the news she had happened to hear earlier.
Though she did not understand why Tsunade had suddenly become so irritable, having followed her for so long, she knew very well.
There were times to ask questions and times not to.
She knew Tsunade too well. This woman, so boisterous and quick-tempered on the outside, was actually very sensitive inside. She understood many things more thoroughly than anyone.
"Konoha... Never mind that. I've told you many times, Shizune, you don't need to report news about Konoha to me... Wait, did you just say new S-rank bounties from Konoha? Two of them? Who are they for?"
Tsunade waved her hand irritably at those words, her brows deeply furrowed. Just hearing the name Konoha annoyed her immensely right now.
But halfway through speaking, she noticed something. Turning toward Shizune, she frowned even more deeply and questioned her.
Two new S-rank bounties, and there had been two of them as well. Was it a coincidence?
Tsunade pondered, thinking of the two children from earlier.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade. But this time, Konoha has placed bounties on two children. One is called Otsutsuki Toneri! The other is called Otsutsuki Quxian!"
Shizune answered obediently, somewhat puzzled by Tsunade's strong reaction.
Still, she was curious too. They were only two children, yet Konoha had issued S-rank bounties?
"So it really is him... Shizune, did you find out why Konoha placed bounties on them?" Tsunade murmured softly, then raised her head and asked Shizune.
Recalling what Otsutsuki Toneri had said to her earlier, Tsunade began to entertain possibilities.
Is destroying Konoha so difficult?
If you wish to reclaim Konoha for the Senju of the Forest, you can come to me anytime!
Those two remarks from Otsutsuki Toneri kept echoing through her mind!
Everything about this boy exuded mystery and danger. If it really were possible...
No, no, no. That would be bargaining with a tiger, inviting a wolf into the house!
Tsunade hurriedly shook the thought from her mind. That would be far too dangerous!
"I think it's because they caused some sort of damage to Konoha? I heard people saying there seemed to have been a major battle in Konoha this morning, and quite a few people died."
Shizune thought back before answering uncertainly. She herself had only heard these things secondhand.
(Please support me however you can, sweethearts~)
Chapter 47: Are You... a Demon? Second update!
Meanwhile, in another room, Otsutsuki Toneri and Otsutsuki Quxian had already begun sleeping in each other's arms.
Otsutsuki Toneri did not know what Tsunade was thinking at that moment, nor did he care. To be honest, the reason he had tried to drive a wedge between Tsunade and Konoha...
Was purely a whim. Princess Tsunade, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin and the Senju Clan's sole surviving descendant-wouldn't it be interesting if she turned to darkness?
Or rather, if she could be brought to stand against Konoha, wouldn't that be even more interesting?
But the chances were truly slim. Otsutsuki Toneri was merely giving it a try.
Humans were human because they were full of desires!
But Tsunade truly did not desire much, and the weakness in her relationship with Konoha stemmed solely from those departed souls of the Senju Clan.
If she had no sense of responsibility as the Senju Clan's princess, then she could never turn her back on Konoha!
Still, Otsutsuki Toneri's words had planted a seed in Tsunade's heart. Who knew whether it would sprout in the future?
The night passed in the blink of an eye. When Otsutsuki Toneri and Otsutsuki Quxian woke and left their room, they happened to run into Tsunade and Shizune.
Otsutsuki Toneri examined Tsunade with his Rinnegan and saw that her complexion was rather poor. She even seemed somewhat listless.
Her blond hair looked dull and lifeless as well. Clearly, she had slept poorly last night.
"What a coincidence, Lady Tsunade. It seems you didn't have a very pleasant night?" Otsutsuki Toneri's lips curved into a smile as he asked with seemingly thoughtful concern.
Sure enough, no matter what, Tsunade was still a member of the Senju Clan. Otsutsuki Toneri's words had affected her greatly after all.
"Hmph. Shizune, let's go." Tsunade snorted at his words. After staring coldly at Otsutsuki Toneri for a moment, she spoke flatly to Shizune.
She really had slept terribly last night. Or rather, she had not slept at all!
Whenever she began to dream, it was as though the resentful whispers of the Senju Clan's dead rang in her ears.
They questioned her. Why wouldn't she help avenge them? Why wouldn't she kill the culprits who had pushed the Senju Clan into the abyss?
But...
It shouldn't be like this! None of this should have been like this!
Tsunade struggled constantly inside. The Senju could be called Konoha's royal family, so sacrificing themselves for Konoha was only natural...
So the Senju were honored?
No, the Senju were Konoha's true rulers! Those bastards usurped their place! And they pitted their enemies against one another!
They used war to push the Senju to the brink of extinction!
This thought kept taking root in Tsunade's heart. Yet the current Third Hokage was her respected teacher!
But...
"Are you... a demon?" Her expression cold, Tsunade suddenly stopped as she passed Otsutsuki Toneri. The words slipped softly from her lips, tinged with weariness and complexity.
Yes, was he a demon?
Everything had already been forgotten. Everything had already passed. She had deliberately sealed away everything, absolutely everything, about the Senju.
She could have lived without carrying these burdens, but this boy had drawn out all her memories again. He had even planted a seed, watered it, and added fertilizer!
Now she truly could not escape it~
"No, no, no. You should thank me! It was me! I brought back the once-supreme Senju Clan, crowned with unsurpassed glory, didn't I? This continent should not be without the Senju name!"
A gentle smile rested on Otsutsuki Toneri's delicate, adorable face as he spoke softly. Every word of his gentle, childish voice reached Tsunade's ears.
"Yes. Supreme... crown... Senju..." Tsunade's expression changed again as she murmured those words.
Then she took a deep breath and slowly left with Shizune. Her thoughts were so tangled now.
The whispers of the dead, the Senju's glory, the Senju's demise, Konoha's existence-everything left her mind in utter chaos.
Konoha was where the Senju's roots lay. She had always believed that, but today, she had a new thought!
"Heh... Don't disappoint me, will you? Senju... Tsunade?" Watching Tsunade's retreating figure with his Rinnegan, Otsutsuki Toneri stretched his lips into an exaggerated grin and chuckled.
His face was filled with uncontrollable delight. He had thought his attempt to sow discord might have failed.
But the results seemed far more pronounced than he had expected. Tsunade, a direct descendant of the Senju Clan, still cared about the clan's affairs from the bottom of her heart after all.
"If things really go as I imagine, perhaps I could lend you a hand? And show me some results~ Otherwise, you'll still be a 'useless woman' in the end. What will you do?"
Otsutsuki Toneri lowered his head and murmured. He was very, very curious about what Tsunade would ultimately choose. Fight her way back into Konoha?
There was no need even to consider that. It was absolutely impossible!
Tsunade was a woman who seemed boisterous but was actually extremely thoughtful. She would never do something so reckless.
If Tsunade could deliver an answer that satisfied Otsutsuki Toneri, he would not begrudge her a little reward~
This continent is growing more and more interesting. Let me, Otsutsuki Toneri, see what magnificent chapters it will unfold!
(Please give me all your support, sweethearts!)
Chapter 48: Time to Make a Big Stir? Third update!
Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning had always been one of the strongest hidden villages on this continent.
The First Raikage, the Second Raikage, the Third Raikage, and even the current Fourth Raikage were all renowned powerhouses on this continent.
They ran rampant with their distinctive Nintaijutsu and could be called very famous indeed.
Moreover, Kumogakure possessed the immensely powerful Eight-Tails and Two-Tails. Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it was truly a strong contender for the continent's second-strongest village!
At this moment, after several days of travel, Otsutsuki Toneri and Otsutsuki Quxian were already approaching Kumogakure.
"The Fourth Raikage, A! The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B! I'm really looking forward to this!" Otsutsuki Toneri stood before Kumogakure with his eyes closed, a smile of irrepressible excitement on his face.
After that quiet murmur, he walked toward Kumogakure's gates with Otsutsuki Quxian.
"Stop! This is Kumogakure. If you want to enter, please register first." Seeing Otsutsuki Toneri attempting to enter Kumogakure as though no one else were there, the gate guard hurried forward and spoke.
"Enter? No, that's not it. I'm not here for sightseeing~" Otsutsuki Toneri smiled at those words, and his eyes slowly opened.
A dazzling light flashed and vanished. Within his incomparably pure blue, snowflake-patterned eyes, glimmers of light sparkled, their beauty breathtaking.
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