Tsunade gazed at the village gates from a distance, a hint of nostalgia and reminiscence in her eyes.
"Old Thunder Guard..."
"He died on a mission. The ones guarding the gates now are Yuta and Tsuchihara, two newly promoted chunin."
"Newly promoted, no wonder I don't recognize them."
After being away for over a year, Konoha was still the same Konoha, with little change. But the people standing at the gates were no longer the same.
She sighed.
The faint anticipation on her face faded, replaced by a sense of melancholy.
However.
As they reached the village entrance.
"Lady Tsunade? Lady Tsunade is back!"
"What?"
The two guards at the gate exclaimed.
In an instant.
The villagers and ninja passing by stopped in their tracks and swarmed over.
"Lady Tsunade!"
"Lady Tsunade, you're back!"
"Where's Lady Tsunade? I want to see her!"
Amid the clamor, parents comforted their children, lifting them up to catch a glimpse of the figure at the village entrance.
These children had mostly grown up in the past couple of years and had no memory of Tsunade.
But clearly.
Influenced by their parents, they still knew her name and deeply admired her.
In the blink of an eye, the once-spacious village entrance was packed with people.
Tsunade was stunned.
A flood of emotions welled up inside her, words stuck in her throat, unable to be spoken.
"Don't block the way, move aside!"
Yuta waved his hand.
The crowd finally parted, making way.
Jiraiya walked behind Tsunade, and the group made their way inside.
Even the usually calm Kakashi was so excited that his forehead turned red, hinting at the expression hidden beneath his mask.
Kurenai was the same...
However.
Few could remain calm under such attention.
Many in this generation had been protected or healed by Tsunade. Even in Naruto's era, many still held her in high regard, which spoke volumes.
As they walked.
The crowd gradually dispersed under the organization of the ninja as they approached the Hokage Building.
Once inside, Tsunade leaned against the wall and looked at Jiraiya.
"You go report the mission. I won't be joining."
"Alright."
Jiraiya didn't push.
"The C-rank mission isn't that important. No need for everyone to report. Kakashi, Kurenai, you can head back and rest. We'll meet for training tomorrow."
"I'm going to rest too."
Tsunade yawned.
Kyohiko quickly asked, "Lady Tsunade, does what you said earlier still stand?"
"What?"
Tsunade was momentarily confused, then remembered and chuckled. "You really want a beating?"
"Getting guidance from a ninja like you is a rare opportunity for us genin. Of course, I want it!"
Kyohiko was straightforward.
Shizune couldn't help but admire him—
If she hadn't witnessed Tsunade's strength, she would have thought Kyohiko was just naive.
But.
Having seen Tsunade's power and knowing the gap between them, yet still daring to bring it up...
That took real courage!
Tsunade smiled. "You've got guts, kid."
She paused, then looked at Kakashi and Kurenai.
"What about you two?"
"We'd also like your guidance!"
Kakashi and Kurenai quickly responded.
Tsunade put her hands on her hips. "Fine, I've got nothing better to do. Tomorrow morning at seven, in the Forest of Death. Don't you dare not show up!"
"We'll be there!"
They all shouted in unison.
Shizune felt a pang of envy but didn't ask to join.
Having traveled and trained with Tsunade, she was already half a student and didn't need to participate.
...
Hokage's Office.
Jiraiya briefed the Third Hokage on the events of their journey and unsealed one of the bodies.
Hiruzen's expression was serious.
"Based on your judgment, how likely is it that they were targeting Tsunade?"
"Hard to say."
Jiraiya shook his head.
At the time, he wasn't at the scene, so he couldn't gather all the information.
However.
"One thing is certain: they wanted to capture someone alive. The targets could have been Tsunade, Shizune, or even Kyohiko and Kakashi. The first wave of attacks didn't use poisoned weapons, so framing someone else seems unlikely."
"Is that so?"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
Then, he looked at Jiraiya. "What are your plans now?"
"I promised Matsuyama Koji that I'd go to the Land of Waves next. I'll keep an eye on things there, but I hope you can investigate on your end too."
Jiraiya said.
Hiruzen nodded.
"I'll handle that."
"Then I'll take my leave!"
"Now that Tsunade's back, be careful. Don't do anything reckless."
Hiruzen warned.
Jiraiya's face stiffened, then he coughed lightly and jumped out the window.
...
The next day, Training Ground 10 in the Forest of Death.
This time, there were no pre-arranged tests, and it wasn't a three-on-one battle. Instead—
One-on-one!
Tsunade stood there, completely at ease.
"Are you coming at me one by one, or all at once?"
Tsunade pointed at the three of them.
Kakashi and Kurenai hesitated.
Fighting together would test their teamwork, while one-on-one would test their individual skills...
"Can we have both?"
Kyohiko whispered.
Although he was just a kid, as a mentally mature adult—
I want it all!
Tsunade chuckled, then said with a hint of exasperation, "Kid, you're too greedy. Be careful, or you might not be able to get out of bed today."
"I'm not afraid!"
Kyohiko mustered his courage.
Of course, he was afraid.
But.
Having a free Kage-level ninja as a sparring partner was too good to pass up. If he backed out due to fear, he'd be a fool.
A ninja fears nothing!
Kakashi and Kurenai also nodded, echoing Kyohiko's response.
"If you're not afraid, I don't want to waste energy. Let's do one-on-one. Who's first?"
Tsunade didn't mind.
Since they were here.
Beating one or three didn't make much difference, but fighting all three at once would be a bit of a hassle.
"I'll go first!"
Kakashi reacted quickly, stepping forward.
Kyohiko regretfully pulled his foot back.
It seemed—
Kakashi's natural reflexes were still superior to his.
He thought to himself.
"Good."
Tsunade's lips curled into a smile as she drew a circle on the ground with her left foot. "I just want to beat someone up, so I won't move much. I'll only use one hand, and if you can force me out of this circle, you win."
Kakashi focused, analyzing the battlefield.
The circle was small, with almost no room to maneuver.
In such a confined space...
"Can I use explosive tags?"
"Of course. Tools are part of a ninja's strength."
Tsunade smirked.
Kakashi nodded. "I have no more questions."
"Then let's begin."
As soon as the words left her mouth.
Tsunade's eyes locked onto Kakashi, her posture relaxed, but—
Kakashi's forehead was already dripping with sweat.
His lips trembled, his hands shook, and he stood frozen in place.
Kurenai was baffled.
"Genjutsu? But I didn't sense any chakra fluctuations!"
"It's not genjutsu. Just pure killing intent."
Kyohiko said seriously.
In the anime, Kakashi had twice been paralyzed by Orochimaru's killing intent.
At that time, he was already a jonin.
Now—
Kakashi was only a chunin, facing the overwhelming pressure of a Kage-level ninja like Tsunade. The pressure was unimaginable.