Tsunade woke with a sharp gasp.
"Shizune!"
She shot upright, eyes sweeping the room in panic.
"I'm here!" Shizune rushed to her side.
Tsunade grabbed Shizune's wrist immediately, checking her condition with practiced precision. Shizune didn't resist, letting her examine every injury.
Only after confirming that Shizune's wounds were not serious did Tsunade finally exhale.
So it had been another nightmare.
In the dream, Shizune had vanished again, just like Dan and Nawaki. And right before she lost consciousness, Tsunade remembered Shizune standing between her and Orochimaru.
"Tch—"
Pain flared through her body as her wounds reopened slightly. She'd moved too much.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried. "I'll heal you right away!"
"It's fine. I've got it." Tsunade activated her own medical chakra, then paused, surprised.
"…This is good work," she muttered. "Shizune, did your medical ninjutsu improve?"
She'd expected to need to release her seal after waking. Apparently, that wasn't necessary.
"No," Shizune shook her head. "Jiraiya-sama brought Fujimoto Tōma to help you. I passed out partway through, and he treated both of us."
"Tōma… and Jiraiya, huh."
Tsunade went quiet for a moment.
"So he saved us."
"Yes," Shizune nodded.
"Where are they now?"
"Jiraiya-sama took Naruto to train. Tōma left early to scout the Autumn Wind Plains."
"…I see."
Tsunade gave a bitter laugh.
"So Orochimaru's convinced he's got me cornered."
Anger flared. Then frustration. Then resignation.
Her hemophobia had triggered. Once that happened, she really had been helpless.
"Tsunade-sama," Shizune said carefully, "wouldn't it be safer to have Tōma use Flying Thunder God to take us back to Konoha? A decisive battle like this is too dangerous."
"Flying Thunder God?" Tsunade froze. "He can use that jutsu?!"
"Yes," Shizune hesitated. "Is it… very hard to learn?"
Tsunade let out a breath.
"That technique was mastered only by the Second Hokage… and later the Fourth. Minato Namikaze built his legend on it. I've seen it myself. And now you're telling me someone else actually learned it?"
Shizune swallowed. "…Then maybe we really should—"
"No."
Tsunade cut her off sharply.
"I'm not running. And they're right. Orochimaru won't stop unless we deal with him."
"But—"
"No 'but.' Do as I say."
Shizune lowered her head. "Yes."
Tsunade clenched her hand out of sight. It trembled slightly.
She knew exactly what Orochimaru would exploit if they fought again.
Her fear of blood.
But running away wasn't an option.
She was one of the Sannin.
She would face it.
Tōma stood alone on the vast Autumn Wind Plains.
The land stretched endlessly, bare and open. He'd spent hours combing the area, searching for traps.
Nothing.
Too open. Too exposed.
It wasn't an ideal battlefield for ambushes.
After one final sweep, he turned back.
When he returned to their lodging, his expression changed.
The street outside was wrecked. Cracked stone. Shattered ground.
Did Orochimaru attack while he was gone?
Jiraiya and Naruto weren't far from here—
Tōma stopped.
The building itself was intact. The chakra signatures inside were familiar. No sign of intruders.
He pushed the door open.
Inside, Tsunade was drinking.
Naruto stood nearby, fuming.
"What happened out there?" Tōma asked. "The street's wrecked."
"Tōma!" Naruto exploded. "That granny said anyone who wants to be Hokage is an idiot!"
Tsunade's forehead twitched.
Granny?!
She'd only meant to teach the brat a lesson. She hadn't expected him to be that strong. She'd misjudged the force and wrecked half the street.
"Tōma," Jiraiya scratched his head, "I might've mentioned the Hokage thing a bit early…"
"…Sensei," Tōma sighed. "Maybe that conversation could've waited until after Orochimaru."
"Heh. Slipped out."
Tsunade glanced at Tōma, appraising him.
"You're not bad," she said. "Much better than that loud idiot."
"Hey!" Naruto protested.
"He's unstable," Tōma said calmly. "But he's strong. They call him the most unpredictable ninja for a reason."
Naruto grinned proudly.
Tsunade didn't argue. Dozens of wind-infused shadow clones had left an impression.
"So you really don't want to be Hokage?" Tōma asked.
"Of course not," Tsunade scoffed, taking another drink. "That job's for fools."
Naruto stepped forward angrily.
"Enough," Tōma stopped him. "We're here about Orochimaru."
Tsunade's eyes sharpened. "Of course. You think I'm avoiding this?"
She swayed slightly, drunk. "You're thirteen, right? Not cute at all."
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune hissed.
Tōma ignored it, already planning ahead.
Konoha couldn't send reinforcements in time. Anyone they sent would only become baggage.
So this fight would happen with who they had.
Three days passed.
Tōma continued scouting. No traps. No reinforcements.
Suspicious.
But Tsunade used the time to recover completely. Watching her heal herself so thoroughly was eye-opening.
Eventually, the day came.
"Let's go," Tōma said. "Shizune, Naruto, stay close to Tsunade-sama."
He handed Tsunade and Shizune each a Flying Thunder God kunai.
Insurance.
Whether Tsunade was protecting them or they were protecting Tsunade… that remained unclear.
With unease in his chest, Tōma led them to the plains.
Three figures waited.
Orochimaru.
Kimimaro.
Kabuto Yakushi.
No one else.
"Tch, Fujimoto Tōma," Orochimaru hissed, smiling thinly. "We meet again."
"I wish we didn't," Tōma replied calmly.
"You ruined my plans. Destroyed my village." Orochimaru's killing intent spilled out. "I've thought endlessly about how to kill you… or perhaps take your body instead. Such talent at your age. Surely there's a hidden bloodline?"
He licked his lips.
Jiraiya stepped forward. "Orochimaru! Why are you still obsessed with that nonsense?! You don't need a bloodline to become strong!"
Orochimaru burst into laughter.
Wild. Unhinged.
The sound crawled across the plain like something diseased.
Tōma's eyes narrowed.
This man wasn't just dangerous.
He was broken.