Chapter 27: Tsunad e and Dan
Kato Dan knew he had to leave.
If he stayed any longer, he would be persuaded—of that, he was certain. Aizen and Sakumo could dismantle anyone's convictions with calm logic and quiet reason.
And truth be told, Dan's attachment to Konoha had never been that deep. His ambition to become Hokage wasn't born of unwavering loyalty to the village. It was born from love.
The only person he truly cared about—the one he would give everything for—was Tsunade.
His beloved, whose every glance and smile lingered in his heart. In the beginning, he had wanted to become Hokage simply because every shinobi in Konoha dreamed of it. But when he fell in love with Tsunade, his reason quietly changed.
He no longer sought the title for its glory. He wanted to be Hokage because only that position, that power, was worthy of Konoha's princess.
I want to build a world she'll love… a home where she can smile without fear.
If becoming Hokage was the only way to create such a world, then so be it. But if another path could bring Tsunade happiness, he would take it without hesitation.
For Dan, Konoha had faded into the background. Only Tsunade mattered.
He still remembered her tears—those silent, lonely moments beneath the rain. Even recalling it now made his chest ache, a pain that tore at him from within.
If I can't protect the woman I love… if I can't understand her heart… then what kind of man am I?
He knew his strength was limited. Even with Aizen's help, the power he gained only gave him the illusion of being capable—barely enough to stand before Tsunade as an equal.
But none of that mattered. He loved her. Without reason, without restraint.
If Tsunade ever betrayed Konoha, Dan had no doubt that he would abandon everything and follow her into exile.
He'd heard rumors—how Jiraiya, the gallant fool, pursued Tsunade with an open heart. "The one closest to the water sees the moon first," as they said. But Dan never doubted her. He trusted Tsunade completely.
In truth, it was often he who reminded her not to push people away.
Yet now, Kato Dan was a dead man.
Even when he had appeared before her in the past, he couldn't lie to himself. He wasn't like Uchiha Kagami, who embodied pure loyalty to the village.
Dan could pretend—he could tell himself he fought for Konoha, that he opposed Aizen's politics to restore the village's light—but deep down, he knew the truth.
It was Aizen who had brought order to Konoha. He had established systems that prevented chaos from erupting, kept power in check, and preserved the village's fragile balance.
Without him, Konoha would have fractured long ago.
The Third Hokage and even the Nidaime had once believed every plan had a safety net. But now, if Aizen hadn't suppressed certain factions, if he hadn't quietly manipulated others, defectors would already be running to the Sand or the Rock Villages—leaking secrets, sowing chaos, claiming that Konoha was once again devouring itself.
To be honest, some probably already had.
In such a situation, Dan could no longer convince himself of his "boundless loyalty" to the Hokage. He wasn't fighting for Sarutobi's ideals anymore.
He was afraid—afraid that Tsunade would be dragged into the storm, accused, imprisoned… or worse, broken.
What tormented him most was knowing that Tsunade had stopped seeking her own happiness. She lived only in memory, haunted by loss.
She was one of the greatest medical-nin alive—yet she feared blood. A medic afraid of blood… anyone else would have laughed.
But to Dan, it was his failure.
So he chose opposition. He defied Aizen, not for righteousness, but to pull Tsunade out of the cage she had built for herself.
That was the difference between him and Kagami.
Uchiha Kagami was loyal to Konoha.
Kato Dan was loyal to his Konoha—the one that existed in Tsunade's heart.
---
During the formal homecoming ceremony organized by the Third Hokage, Dan watched silently from afar.
The streets overflowed with cheering citizens and falling petals. The Legendary Sannin had returned, and the village celebrated their triumph.
Amidst the crowd, Tsunade stood in the center of it all—beautiful, radiant, yet visibly hollow.
To the world, she was the Princess of Konoha. To him, she was simply the woman he failed to protect.
I wasn't a good man, Dan thought, his heart tightening. If she wears that expression because of me… then I've already failed her.
"..."
Perhaps it was the intensity of his gaze, or perhaps it was something deeper—the resonance of intertwined souls—but in that instant, Tsunade turned.
Their eyes met.
Beyond the crowds, through the veil of rain and distance, Tsunade saw him.
Kato Dan—standing there quietly beneath a paper umbrella, his white haori spotless, his expression calm and warm, as if untouched by the chaos around him.
For a heartbeat, the noise of the crowd vanished.
Her heart stopped.
And then—
Without hesitation, Tsunade broke through the sea of people and ran toward him, tears welling in her golden eyes as the onlookers gasped in astonishment.
The onlookers erupted into waves of gasps and startled cries.
Several shinobi assigned to maintain order exchanged hesitant glances before quietly turning away. None of them dared stop the Princess of Konoha.
But the Third Hokage was completely caught off guard.
He could only watch as Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, broke formation and sprinted off in a single direction, vanishing from sight before anyone could react.
Forcing a smile, Hiruzen awkwardly explained to the crowd that the "Princess of Konoha must be overwhelmed with emotion." Yet, deep down, irritation simmered beneath his calm façade.
His grand homecoming ceremony—meant to project unity and strength—had turned into chaos. How was he supposed to intimidate Konoha's dissidents and prove the village's stability when his own students ignored protocol?
Where did my teachings of the Will of Fire go wrong?
The Hokage clenched his pipe. You can't just act on impulse. You must follow the Hokage's orders. Even if they're not absolute… they're close enough.
To him, Tsunade's sudden departure could only mean one thing—division. A crack had appeared in Konoha's foundation.
Watching her distraught expression as she disappeared into the distance, the Hokage sighed deeply. After offering a few calming words to the citizens, he dismissed the matter and turned his focus back to the crowd.
---
"..."
The two remaining Sannin—Jiraiya and Orochimaru—exchanged a long look.
Snake-like eyes met round ones, and in that silent moment, both understood what the other was thinking. Yet neither spoke.
When the Third Hokage turned toward them, they forced polite smiles.
At least for now, the bond between master and students remained intact. Whatever storm Tsunade had caused, it could be smoothed over. Under Hiruzen's guidance, the chaos transformed into spectacle—a moment of color in the image of the Sannin's legend.
But Tsunade herself had already crossed into a different world.
---
By the time she reached the figure she'd seen through the haze of rain and distance, the world around her had changed.
This was not Konoha.
It felt… like a rift between realities.
A thick fog rolled through the air, and the outlines of buildings wavered like mirages. The ground beneath her feet felt both real and unreal.
And standing in the center of that emptiness was the man she had dreamed of—her heart's eternal shadow.
Kato Dan.
He stood quietly, his posture straight, the moonlight tracing the edges of his white haori. As Tsunade froze in disbelief, the man slowly lifted his hand and removed his mask.
Beneath the silver-white hair was the familiar face—gentle eyes filled with pity and regret.
"…Tsunade."
His voice trembled like the echo of a dream.
"You shouldn't have been so impulsive," he whispered softly. "The Hokage was welcoming you home… you shouldn't have run off just to see me."
"Break… me…"
Her words came out in fragments. I just couldn't help it.
Seeing him standing there—his calm presence, his warmth—it tore open every wound she had tried to seal.
But as the faint hope in her eyes flickered, it dimmed again into sorrow.
She remembered everything: his death, his return, and the shadowy organization that had claimed him. Even now, she feared her presence might expose him.
Before she could step back, Dan reached forward and gently drew her into his arms.
"…I wasn't manipulated, Tsunade," he said quietly.
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"Me, Uchiha Kagami, and Hatake Sakumo—we were never controlled by him. He didn't bother to. To Aizen, we were nothing more than the byproducts of his ideals. Tools he didn't even need to observe."
He held her tighter, feeling the familiar rhythm of her heartbeat against his chest.
For a long time, Kato Dan had been torn between loyalty and love. But now, he understood his heart's answer.
He no longer wanted to compromise with Aizen to preserve Tsunade's fleeting peace. Nor could he stand by and watch her lose herself to despair within Konoha's crumbling walls.
To him, Tsunade was still the warm, strong-hearted medic who once healed both bodies and spirits. She was his light—the one thing in this world worth defying everything for.
So he made his choice.
"Let's elope, Tsunade."
His words fell into her ear like a whisper carried by the wind.
"You can go wherever you want," he said softly. "Do whatever you want. We both have power—we can change the world, or we can just… live as ordinary people. Farmers, travelers, anything. Let's elope."
"…Huh?"
Tsunade blinked, stunned. Leave Konoha?
Why? This was their home, their foundation.
Looking into Dan's desperate eyes, her thoughts tangled. She had believed she was no longer the weak girl who needed saving—that as one of the Legendary Sannin, she could stand proud. With her influence and Konoha's current strength, surely she could protect him.
So why did the man she loved—the one who had always been gentle and sure—speak with such despair?
"...That's because even if Konoha bound its strongest together," a voice came from the mist, "they still wouldn't stand a chance against his forces. Not even close."
The fog stirred.
From it emerged a tall man with white hair, hands tucked calmly into his sleeves. His expression was sharp yet melancholic.
Hatake Sakumo.
Dan's eyes widened in shock. "You—why are you here? Did he send you to clean up his mess?"
"Ah, not at all." Sakumo gave a faint, tired smile. "I was simply bored. Thought I'd come see what kind of fool still believes love can conquer politics."
He exhaled quietly, his gaze shifting between the two lovers.
"You're Kato Dan, right? And your girlfriend is Tsunade Senju—the Princess of Konoha, one of the Three Legendary Sannin."
He tilted his head. "Maybe instead of deciding for her, you should ask what she wants. Isn't that how love's supposed to work?"
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