READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Tsunade
At the Main Gates of Konohagakure
"Ugh, this is so boring. Don't you think so, Kotetsu? We just won a huge battle—who would be stupid enough to come and mess with our village now? Making us guard the gate is such a waste of talent. We should be in the ANBU, serving the Hokage. That's what real men should do!"
Kamizuki Izumo propped his chin on one hand, looking completely uninterested in his current duties.
BAM!
Before he could say more, an iron fist landed squarely on his head.
"Idiot! Guarding the gate is an important job! We have to stay vigilant and make sure no suspicious people sneak into the village. The safety of Konohagakure depends on us!"
"And you? ANBU? Ha! Don't make me laugh!" Hagane Kotetsu scolded him with the air of a veteran, hands on his hips.
"Ow, Kotetsu! Did you have to hit so hard?" Izumo crouched down, clutching his head in pain.
"Hmph, with the Second Hokage here in the village, who would dare cause trouble?" Izumo grumbled, still nursing the lump on his head.
"Even so, we can't afford to let our guard down…" Kotetsu replied, shaking his head. He straightened up, scanning the people passing through the gates, more out of habit than necessity. At least watching for beautiful kunoichi helped pass the time.
"Hey, Kotetsu, look! Isn't that Kurenai-senpai?" Izumo tugged on Kotetsu's pant leg, excitement lighting up his face.
Kotetsu followed his gaze to see a striking figure in a red-and-black kimono walking gracefully past them.
"Wow, she looks amazing!" Izumo exclaimed, practically drooling.
"Tch, don't even think about it. Kurenai-senpai's already spoken for. You want Asuma to beat you up?" Kotetsu teased.
"No way, I wouldn't dare!" Izumo straightened up awkwardly, averting his gaze and pretending to focus on his duties again.
Time dragged on, and the sun crept closer to its zenith.
Izumo was starting to nod off when suddenly, two stunning women entered his line of sight.
The one in front had golden hair tied into low ponytails, brown eyes, and a green haori. But what truly caught his attention…was her figure. Izumo felt as if he'd been struck by lightning, his eyes glued to her.
"Shizune, hurry up! I can't wait to see my granduncle!" the blonde woman said impatiently.
"Tsunade-sama, if we weren't delayed by your gambling, we wouldn't have been chased by debt collectors!" Shizune huffed, catching up to her.
Izumo snapped back to reality at the sound of their voices. Kotetsu, noticing his reaction, turned to look as well.
"Wait a minute… Is that—?" Kotetsu's face went pale as a memory from his childhood surfaced. He stiffened, his posture snapping into military precision.
"Tsunade-sama!" he shouted, saluting with utmost respect.
Izumo quickly scrambled to his feet, mimicking Kotetsu's stance as the two women approached.
"Oh, Kotetsu and Izumo! It's been a while—you've grown so much!" Tsunade greeted them warmly.
"Tsunade-sama, you're as youthful and beautiful as ever," Izumo said, a shy smile on his face.
"Oh-ho! You've got quite the good tongue!" Tsunade laughed heartily, clapping him on the shoulder.
The strength behind her friendly gesture nearly brought Izumo to his knees.
"All right, enough chit-chat. I'm here to see my granduncle. Let's catch up another time!" With a cheerful wave, Tsunade and Shizune headed into the village.
"Wow, I can't believe Tsunade-sama is back! The last time I saw her, I was still in the Academy!" Izumo said, rubbing his sore shoulder.
"She must be here to see the Hokage. After all, she's the First Hokage's granddaughter," Kotetsu said thoughtfully.
With the Second Hokage in the village, Jiraiya staying after the Konoha Crush incident, and now Tsunade's return, Kotetsu couldn't help but marvel at how many Kage-level powerhouses the village now had.
...
Hokage's Office
The door burst open with a loud BANG.
"Granduncle!"
Tsunade's voice rang out, but instead of the person she was expecting, she found herself staring at Nara Shikaku, who looked up from his paperwork with a bewildered expression.
"Huh? Shikaku? What are you doing here?"
Tsunade's enthusiasm faltered as confusion replaced it. Wasn't her granduncle, Senju Tobirama, supposed to be here?
Behind her, Shizune sighed. "Tsunade-sama, could you at least knock first?" she muttered, bowing apologetically to Shikaku. "Apologies for the disturbance, Shikaku-san."
Shikaku waved off the apology and stood up with a wry smile.
"Welcome back, Tsunade-sama. The Hokage is currently at the hospital observing Uchiha Itachi. You'll find him there."
"Uchiha?" Tsunade's expression darkened slightly at the name.
The Senju and Uchiha clans had always been at odds. She couldn't remember a single instance of her granduncle showing goodwill toward the Uchiha.
Shikaku noticed her reaction and added, "It's a long story. You should see for yourself. Right now, I'm sure the Hokage could use your help."
With that, Shikaku summoned an ANBU to escort Tsunade and Shizune to the hospital before returning to his mountain of paperwork.
"Uchiha Itachi…" Tsunade muttered to herself as they left.
She'd heard of him before—the one who had wiped out the Uchiha clan. It was tragic, really, that both the Senju and Uchiha, the clans that had founded Konohagakure, had been reduced to shadows of their former selves.
Still, she couldn't let those thoughts distract her. Her pace quickened, eager to finally reunite with her granduncle. The memories of Tobirama's stern yet caring presence from her childhood were as vivid as ever.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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