The carriage arrived smoothly at Konoha, with Naruto resting inside after his intense training, fast asleep. The others wore grim expressions.
The problem lay with Hakuto.
When she proposed to train under Anya, Tsunade strongly opposed it, bluntly stating that as Hokage, she could not approve of Hakuto becoming a ninja.
Even Shizune and Naruto are ninjas—so why couldn't she be one too? Hakuto naturally didn't understand. If before, her dreams were only possible on the road, wandering freely without conditions, now that they'd decided to go to Konoha, why wouldn't they allow her? How could she accept that?
Anya could see exactly what was going through their minds, but caught between mother and daughter, he didn't know how to speak up. Right now, silence was better than making things worse.
Tsunade's grandfather, parents, and younger brother had all been ninjas—and now they were all dead. In this world, the only blood relative she had left was Hakuto. It was understandable why Tsunade didn't want Hakuto dragged into the chaotic Ninja World.
But Hakuto clearly held great curiosity toward the ninja world, and her talent was obvious to everyone. Making her live an ordinary life seemed unduly restrictive.
And so, mother and daughter fell into a tense silence. Shizune saw that Anya remained silent, so she dared not say anything either.
The carriage stopped in front of Konoha's Main Gate. Tsunade stepped out with a cold face, harshly ordering behind her, "Shizune, aren't you coming yet?"
Startled, Shizune hurriedly replied, "Oh, right away."
Seeing the two leave, Anya sighed softly and asked, "Hakuto, why do you want to become a ninja?"
Hakuto thought for a moment, then answered seriously, "There's no special reason. I just genuinely like it. Ever since the day I learned to control chakra, I've loved the feeling of growing stronger every day."
"Well, you can still practice without being a ninja."
"If I'm not a ninja, I can only secretly train. Tsunade never teaches me any ninjutsu—only how to heal injuries or study medicine." Hakuto unconsciously pouted.
Anya fell into thought before speaking seriously, "Do you know what becoming a ninja truly means? Death always shadows a ninja's life. Take me, for example—I spent a long time teetering between life and death. Getting injured was normal, and the number of ninjas who died by my hand is even greater."
Hakuto's eyes flickered briefly, then quickly regained firmness. "I'm not afraid."
Anya chuckled slightly, "It's not about whether you're afraid or not—it's an objective reality. Moreover, I believe you're fearless, but your mother, she is afraid."
"Is she afraid of losing me?" Hakuto understood this already, which was why she hadn't argued against Tsunade on the carriage ride—but still felt deeply upset.
"Yes. You're the only family she has left." Anya gently patted Hakuto's head. "To be honest, I'm scared too. However, I respect your choice. Let's set a deadline—just one day from now. If you still want to become a ninja afterward, I'll convince Tsunade."
"Yay! You're the best!" Overjoyed, Hakuto hugged Anya tightly.
Smiling without realizing it, they shared a warm, heartfelt moment.
In a forest, the Konoha Genin who had just finished the Chunin Exams were training when Tenten excitedly approached Neji.
"Did you hear? Tsunade-sama has returned—it's really her this time! Aren't you going to go take a look?"
"I'm not interested," Neji replied coldly.
"Why not? Isn't she the newly appointed Hokage? You don't even want to see her?" A voice suddenly spoke up from beside them.
"What?!" Neji was clearly shocked—he'd just activated his Byakugan, so how could he not notice someone approaching?
Turning around, he was momentarily distracted by the woman's delicate features and softened his tone slightly.
"Who are you? I don't recall seeing you in Konoha before."
"My name is Hakuto. This is my first time visiting Konoha today," she replied with a friendly smile. "I heard there are many interesting people here, so I came to take a look. That eye technique of yours is the Byakugan, right? It looks amazing."
"Hakuto... may I ask where you're from?" Tenten stepped forward to greet her.
"I arrived together with the new Hokage," she said, extending her hand. "I assume you're Tenten."
Tenten took Hakuto's hand, flattered. "Wow, how do you know me already?"
Hakuto tilted her head slightly and said, "Someone told me the cutest girl in Konoha is named Tenten. I knew it had to be you."
Tenten smiled shyly and chuckled, "Haha, stop it, you're making me blush."
Neji watched the two girls chatting and laughing like old friends despite just meeting, completely baffled. But from Hakuto's words, he roughly guessed her identity—was she a trusted aide of the new Hokage?
Tsunade strode into Konoha's high-level meeting room, her imposing presence radiating an unmistakable 'keep your distance' aura as she briskly stepped inside.
Inside, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had already been waiting for some time.
Since they were all old acquaintances, there was no need for small talk. They got straight to it.
"Let's make it official, Tsunade. We'll notify the Daimyo right away and announce your appointment as Fifth Hokage. The Village will begin preparations for the inauguration ceremony starting today."
Tsunade shrugged indifferently. "Another meeting with the Daimyo, more ceremonies... What a hassle. Just do whatever."
Koharu's tone became sharper. "Tsunade, this is part of the Hokage's duties."
"Fine, fine, I get it."
"Why are we even discussing this? The council can take care of the arrangements. There's no point wasting our time on such a pointless meeting."
"Who's there?"
Homura and Koharu turned around simultaneously toward the source of the voice. They saw a long-haired figure—Anya—who somehow had appeared in the room unnoticed.
Stranger's presence triggered an instinctive hostility. "Who are you? How dare you sneak into Konoha?"
"It seems I've been away too long for your liking," Anya said, ignoring their outrage. She took a light step forward and appeared in front of Tsunade. Bending slightly, she smiled and said, "Congratulations, Fifth Hokage. Chief of the Anbu has arrived to report for duty."
"It's you... I should've known."
Upon hearing this, both of them suddenly recalled. This position could be considered the most mysterious existence in all of Konoha. The last time they had met was during the selection ceremony of the Fourth Hokage. No wonder they hadn't recognized him.
The two men immediately became suspicious of Anya's sudden appearance: "As one of Konoha's highest-ranking officials, you've never shown yourself before. Now, at a time like this, you appear out of nowhere—we question your identity."
"Enough. I can vouch for his identity. There's no need for you to worry about it," Tsunade waved her hand toward the two men, indicating they could leave.
Their faces darkened, but familiar with Tsunade's personality, they silently turned and walked out.
Tsunade glanced sideways at Anya and said with a smirk, "Done sweet-talking your daughter now? Here to flatter me too? Let me tell you clearly—this isn't up for debate."
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