A Sage's Pursuit of Power

When Aoba returned to the Hidden Leaf, riding on Satori and accompanied by Team 7 and Sakura, Tsunade nearly had a heart attack.

Satori's chakra fluctuations were so intense that she initially thought a tailed beast was attacking the village.

She almost gave the order to evacuate the villagers.

Later, in the Hokage's office, after reading Aoba's report, she still found it hard to believe.

"So, the Grass Ninja Village really had an ancient tool from the era of the Sage of Six Paths, and they planned to use it against the Hidden Leaf?"

"You could put it that way. But in reality, the plan to attack the Hidden Leaf was just a smokescreen. It was all driven by a ninja named Mui who wanted to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss to save his child.

Also, whether or not that thing is actually a tool of the Sage of Six Paths is still up for debate."

"You think there's something wrong with the Box of Ultimate Bliss?"

"There's definitely something off about it, though its negative effects seem manageable. I've already made a contract with Satori, so there's essentially no danger now. What interests me most is the energy properties of the box. Don't you think it's fundamentally different from the chakra-based tools we're familiar with in the ninja world?"

"Here we go again. You're about to start another one of your strange experiments, aren't you? Fine, do whatever you want. Just don't tell me about it. I already have enough headaches as it is."

"Alright, I'll take my time researching it."

"Wait a moment." Just as Aoba was about to leave, Tsunade called out to him.

"Is there something else, Lady Hokage?"

"Of course. Something very important."

A few minutes later, Aoba sat staring at the sake cup in front of him, his face filled with resignation.

"This is your 'important matter'?"

"Absolutely. What could be more important than sharing a drink with your Hokage?"

"...As you wish, Lady Hokage."

Aoba wasn't much of a drinker, in either his past or present life. However, in this life, Yumi often looked after him, preparing warm sake to help him relax after busy days. As a result, he occasionally drank a little.

Tsunade, however, was clearly not the "delicate type" like Yumi. While Aoba hadn't even finished half a cup, she had already downed half a bottle.

"Uh, Lady Hokage, you're drinking quite a lot…"

"This? This is nothing. You dump all the work on me and spend your days holed up in your lab doing whatever you want. You won't even share a drink with me?"

"...Fine." Aoba took off his jacket, assuming the posture of someone prepared to drink to their limit.

"Now that's the spirit. Come on, another cup!"

Aoba noticed that Tsunade looked particularly tired, which wasn't surprising.

When she became Hokage, the Great Ninja War had just ended. She had to deal with endless matters whether it'd be reconstruction, compensation or diplomacy.

Even though Aoba and others had helped her draft various plans, Tsunade couldn't avoid overseeing their execution.

Every day, she had to review countless engineering files and handle an endless stream of trivial issues.

Naturally a free-spirited person, she had been encouraged to embrace life again after being guided by the reanimated Dan and Nawaki. But now, it seemed she had taken on the Hokage mantle too hastily.

"Lord Jiraiya recently…" Aoba tried to bring up a topic that might interest her, but she cut him off.

"Don't mention him. Just pretend he's dead."

Surprisingly, Tsunade showed no fondness for Jiraiya. Since being dismissed by Aoba the last time, Jiraiya had been investigating the Akatsuki across the ninja world and hadn't returned, apart from sending back some intelligence reports.

Mentioning him only seemed to worsen Tsunade's mood. She grabbed the sake bottle and took another long swig.

Aoba sighed and followed suit, taking another drink.

"You… always wear this mask, doesn't it exhaust you?" Tsunade asked, her drunken eyes hazy and her tone increasingly uninhibited.

"Mask?"

"Yes, a mask. Don't think you're the only smart person in the world while everyone else is a fool. You, Aoba Kamikawa, don't actually like the Hidden Leaf, do you? But you act as though you're wholeheartedly devoted to it. Isn't that a mask?"

"Whether you believe it or not, Lady Hokage, I harbor no ill will toward the Hidden Leaf."

"Really? Isn't this the part where you add, 'for now'? Or perhaps you've already added that in your heart."

For the first time, Aoba realized that a drunken Tsunade was sharper than her sober self, or perhaps the alcohol simply gave her the courage to voice her inner thoughts.

Clearly, Tsunade had sensed Aoba's underlying detachment. Unlike Tsunade, who was a purebred descendant of the village's founding generations, Aoba's soul was that of an outsider.

In his previous life, he had finished watching the entirety of Naruto at a mature age, long past the days of youthful passion. He lacked any strong yearning or sense of belonging to this world.

So, as Tsunade said, Aoba did carry a mask. That mask only slipped in rare moments.

"Unlike you, Lady Hokage, I'm just a ninja from the Hidden Leaf's lower ranks."

With a loud bang, Tsunade slammed the sake bottle onto the table, stood up, and leaned across it toward Aoba.

Aoba was greeted with a view of overwhelming whiteness. Tsunade's "advantages" were undeniably unmatched, far beyond what Yumi could compare to.

"Are you going to say next that, as a ninja from the lower ranks, you've seen too much unfairness in the Hidden Leaf, perhaps even experienced it yourself? That's why you dislike the village, but because it's your home, you can't leave, and so you feel both detached and loyal to it?"

"..." Aoba had to admit, Tsunade's words hit the mark. They were practically the official justification the Hidden Leaf had prepared for him. But now, it was clear she had seen through it.

For once, Aoba found himself at a loss for words, bested in a verbal exchange. Normally, with his knowledge of the story and information advantage, he could outmaneuver any of the Hidden Leaf's ninjas in an argument. But here he was, being cornered by a half-drunk Tsunade.

He now realized that a tipsy Tsunade was far harder to deal with than her sober self.

"So, Lady Hokage, you understand me well," Aoba said, recovering some composure.

"Ha! Quite the opposite. You, Aoba Kamikawa, are the person I understand the least in the entire Hidden Leaf. You're a strange one. I can feel it, you're hiding a massive secret."

Tsunade straightened up, took another swig from the bottle, and her ample figure swayed in a way that made Aoba narrow his eyes.

"But that's fine. Aoba Kamikawa, you just have to answer one question for me, and I'll let your secrets be."

She leaned forward again, staring intently at him, her gaze sharp enough to make Aoba feel pressured.

"Will you harm the Hidden Leaf? Whether now or in the future?"

Aoba met her gaze without flinching and replied firmly, "No."

"...Good. I'll believe you."

Aoba breathed a small sigh of relief, but Tsunade suddenly smirked mischievously and teased, "Enjoying the view?"

"Very much," Aoba answered reflexively. The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it.

"I—uh—" Before he could finish, Tsunade silenced him with a playful slap, leaving him red-faced and speechless.

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Currently on Chapter 204 - Aoba and Orochimaru's Conversion