These years...
Tsunade has been living in pain and confusion, not knowing what she should do.
Now with the chance to see the two most important people in her life again, Tsunade feels a faint sense of wavering in her heart.
"Tsunade..."
"Don't you want to see them?"
"Don't you want to see those two people?"
Orochimaru is extremely familiar with Tsunade's past, having even witnessed the moment those two died before her, causing her almost to collapse emotionally.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Shizune, clear-headed and rational, hastily advised, "You cannot fall for his tricks! This guy is a traitorous ninja from the village, his sweet words definitely have no good intentions!"
"What do you want to use Katsuyu for?"
Tsunade looked at Orochimaru, as if she was already tempted, but coldly asked about his intentions.
"Katsuyu has strong life force."
Orochimaru didn't hide his intentions, chuckling lightly, "If I use Katsuyu as a sacrifice, I can let the deceased regain their terrifying powers from when they were alive after my resurrection. Only then will I have a chance to defeat Akihara Kagura..."
"..."
Tsunade wanted to refuse.
Because Katsuyu has been her companion for most of her life, saving her countless times, she absolutely does not want to betray Katsuyu.
Despite...
Tsunade really wants to see those two people.
"Tsunade, you can take your time to think."
Orochimaru interrupted Tsunade's thoughts of refusing, using his own example, "Oh, Manda has already become a sacrifice. We're human, there's no need to lament the lives of these summoned beasts..."
Although the person who used Manda as a sacrifice wasn't him, Orochimaru didn't stop the sacrifice when he saw it, even wanting to see the experimental results.
After finishing speaking.
Orochimaru instantly disappeared from there.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Shizune looked at the silent Tsunade, repeatedly advising, "That was Orochimaru, who endangered the village, and he wants to use Lady Katsuyu as a sacrifice. You absolutely cannot agree to him..."
"I know."
Tsunade furrowed her brows deeply.
"That guy even sacrificed Manda..."
Another familiar voice appeared in their ears.
Jiraiya sat on a wall, watching Tsunade and Shizune below, his voice heavy as he continued, "Even Manda couldn't achieve the effect he wanted. That guy might want to use Katsuyu to resurrect the truly peak First Hokage..."
"Jiraiya..."
Tsunade furrowed her brows even tighter.
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, cheerfully greeting, "We haven't seen each other for many years, have we, Tsunade?"
"Who would want to see you..."
Tsunade displeasedly turned her head to the side.
"To win so much?"
Jiraiya jumped down from the wall, glancing at the money neither Shizune nor Tsunade could hold on to, lightly chuckling as he continued, "How about considering treating me to a sumptuous dinner? Just in time to reward a hard-training brat..."
Evening.
In a restaurant.
Tsunade and Shizune met that hard-training brat.
Jiraiya patted Naruto Uzumaki's head, seriously saying, "Tsunade, the Hokage advisors are letting me bring you back to succeed as the Fifth Hokage..."
"Isn't there a more suitable candidate in the village?"
Tsunade had no interest in the position of Hokage, laughing heartily, "There are quite a few people in the Ninja World calling someone in the village the new God of Ninja..."
"Kagura?"
Jiraiya sighed, shaking his head, "Before the old man died, he and the two Hokage advisors didn't agree with him succeeding as Hokage. They all thought Kagura's personality was too extreme, too deeply influenced by Danzo..."
"I have no interest in being Hokage..."
Tsunade scoffed indifferently, grabbing a bottle and drinking it all down, a blush appearing on her face, "I'm more interested in Orochimaru mastering the resurrection jutsu..."
"Don't believe him."
Jiraiya immediately warned Tsunade coldly, "Once Orochimaru uses Katsuyu to resurrect the peak First Hokage, you should know what he would do with the First Hokage?"
"The First Hokage sacrificed himself to protect the village's peace. Once he's controlled for actions that endanger the Ninja World or Konoha, his soul will not be at peace, especially since you are his descendant..."
"Shut up, so annoying!"
Tsunade impatiently raised her head to glance at Jiraiya, sarcastically retorting, "I won't let him use Katsuyu, my business needs no meddling..."
"As for the so-called Fifth Hokage, I have no interest either. Perhaps the Hokage exists to resolve dangers in the village, but it seems like each Hokage has sacrificed for this goal, yet the upheaval in Konoha hasn't settled..."
"The First was like that..."
"The Second was like that too..."
"The Fourth was the same..."
"Master Sarutobi was no different, already old yet insisted on being strong, and indeed died..."
Tsunade laughed lightly at this, "They all sacrificed themselves as Hokage. Many who wanted to be Hokage to protect Konoha died on the way, none achieved what they wanted..."
"Being Hokage is trash..."
"Only idiots would want to do it..."
"What did you say!"
Naruto Uzumaki erupted in anger, unable to believe this woman spewing slander about past Hokage, leaping onto the table ready to fight!
"..."
Jiraiya quickly grabbed Naruto Uzumaki's clothes, watching this brat flailing, hurriedly trying to pull him off the table.
"Let go of me!"
Naruto Uzumaki stood on the table, face full of rage as he looked at Tsunade, "Unforgivable, how dare you mock the past Hokage, I'm going to beat you up!"
"Brat, talking to me like that..."
Tsunade looked at Naruto Uzumaki standing up for the past Hokage, lightly chuckling, "Then follow me outside, let me see why you can talk big here..."
"..."
Naruto Uzumaki stubbornly clenched his fist.
In the end, this little guy was defeated by Tsunade with a single finger.
Naruto Uzumaki still stubbornly refused to admit defeat, trying to use the Rasengan he hadn't mastered yet, only to be smacked away again by Tsunade!
"Rasengan huh..."
Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya, unapologetically ridiculing, "Only you and the Fourth learned this jutsu, is this brat also learning it?"
"Actually, another disciple learned it too."
Jiraiya massaged his forehead, replying initiatively, "That guy's even mastered the nature transformation that Minato never did..."
"That brat Akihara Kagura, huh?"
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, casually saying, "Since he's surpassed the Fourth, just let him be Hokage then..."
"I think so too."
Jiraiya seemed rather helpless, sighing, "In terms of strength, Kagura might have already surpassed all past Hokages..."
"But his personality is too dangerous. I think when you return to the village to succeed, you'll understand why the two advisors don't allow him to be Hokage..."
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, actively speaking, "If the village still doesn't have a Fifth Hokage, Kagura might soon start a war against The Hidden Mist Village and The Hidden Sand Village, igniting a new Ninja World war..."
"Ninja World war!!!"
Shizune was shocked.
"..."
Even Tsunade felt a bit uneasy.
As a witness to two Ninja World wars, Tsunade knows how cruel they are, having lost her brother and lover during them...
"Actually Kagura fantasizes about peace in the Ninja World too..."
Jiraiya recalled that headache-inducing disciple, "But his idea for Ninja World peace is to clean out everyone in the Ninja World..."
"Jiraiya..."
Tsunade's brows furrowed deeply, hearing something hard to comprehend, "Your disciple sounds more dangerous than Orochimaru?"
"Only a new Hokage's birth can prevent the outbreak of war."
After convincing Tsunade, Jiraiya squinted his eyes, staring at Tsunade's expression, "Tsunade, you're the only suitable candidate...only the Fifth Hokage can command the Hokage assistant to halt all war actions."