A short street. In an alleyway, four figures stood facing each other in pairs.
"Orochimaru, you didn't come to catch up, did you?!"
A blonde, chesty, twenty-something beauty stared expressionlessly at a former partner. The coldness and distance in her voice couldn't be clearer.
"Indeed. I need your help with something."
"Ask me for help? Orochimaru, are you sick? Asking me for help?!" Tsunade scoffed.
"Even though I've left the village, it was still built by my grandfather. You've messed up Konoha and killed the old man. What makes you think I would help you?"
"Because you're the only one who can help me with this." Orochimaru said with a creepy smile.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and waved her hand. "If it's about medical stuff, you've got the wrong person. I'm not a medical ninja anymore, and I won't help you."
"Shizune, let's go." Tsunade put her hands on her hips and immediately called for Shizune, helping her walk away.
"Tsunade, why not listen to my terms?"
"You know I can do the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, right?" Orochimaru said very calmly.
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat, and she stopped.
Orochimaru continued, "If you help me with this, I can let you see Nawaki and Dan again..."
Tsunade turned around, trembling, and stared at Orochimaru. After a long time, she asked, "What kind of help?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Don't worry, it won't be too much trouble. I just need you to help me undo a sealing jutsu."
"Sealing jutsu? What sealing jutsu?"
"Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"
Time slowly passed. By now, it was dark. In a small tavern in the short street, two beautiful women sat in a corner. One of them, a blonde woman, was gulping down strong liquor.
"Tsunade-sama, are you really going to make a deal with Orochimaru?!" Shizune asked anxiously.
She knew what it meant. The Third sacrificed his life to seal Orochimaru's hands. If Tsunade-sama really helped Orochimaru undo it, the Third would have died for nothing!
Even if Tsunade-sama was the granddaughter of the First Hokage, she wouldn't be forgiven.
"Uncle, and your brother, they definitely wouldn't want to see you this way!!" Shizune shouted.
"Shizune, you're so annoying. I know what I'm doing."
The blonde woman looked at her empty glass, annoyed.
Orochimaru gave Tsunade a month to think about it, offering her the chance to see her two loved ones again in exchange for helping him undo the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
"Really, why is there so little liquor?!"
Tsunade grew more and more annoyed and shouted, "Waiter, another drink!"
But she did not notice that, silently, a young man sat with his back to her at a nearby table.
That person was Neji.
"Looks like Orochimaru already talked to her. He must have really annoyed her, she didn't even notice me."
"Really, I have the Byakugan, such an obvious sign..."
Forced with no other option, Neji could only stand up and walk towards Tsunade. Hoping she would notice him on her own was probably impossible.
"Oh, you've finally shown yourself, Hyuga kid." Tsunade said excitedly to Shizune, "Shizune, see? I won the bet. He really came to me first."
But soon, Tsunade's expression became serious and even more annoyed. "Damn, why did I win again? Why is everything so bad these days!"
"Tsunade-sama, you're a bit drunk." Shizune looked at the many bottles on the table, filled with helplessness.
Neji's expression changed slightly. He didn't expect Tsunade to have noticed his presence so early. You really can't underestimate these shadow-level powerhouses.
"Speak up, what do you want here, Hyuga kid?" Tsunade pointed at Neji.
"Ah, Tsunade-sama, it's been hard to find you." Neji sat in front of Tsunade and said slowly.
Golden hair, fair and soft face, a perfect figure, everything was so perfect, you couldn't see that she was almost fifty years old.
Hmm? Although he is using a title of respect, I don't feel any respect in it.
"Interesting kid." Tsunade leaned back. "So, what do you want from me?"
"To be the next Hokage."
The atmosphere froze. Neji and Tsunade stared at each other, as if the world had gone silent.
Tsunade moved her lips slightly, about to speak, but was interrupted by Neji, "Orochimaru has been here, right? He wants you to help him undo the Dead Demon Consuming Seal."
"And the reward he offered is to let you see Nawaki and Dan again, correct?" Neji said calmly.
But these words were like a bomb to Tsunade and Shizune.
"What?!" they asked in shock. How did he know?
One of Orochimaru's people? No, that's not right. Konoha must have a reason to believe he hasn't betrayed Konoha if they sent him. Is there a spy near Orochimaru? But if that were the case, Konoha wouldn't have suffered such a huge change.
"Don't think about it." Neji waved his hand, interrupting Tsunade's thoughts. "I know more than you think."
What you know, I also know.
What you don't know, I also know.
"The village has decided to appoint you as the Fifth Hokage, not only because you made great contributions to Konoha during the Third Great War, but more importantly, you are the rightful heir."
"Impossible, I refuse." Tsunade refused before Neji could finish.
"Both grandfathers were great. They wanted to pursue peace, but they didn't achieve anything. On the contrary, after they died, the fighting became even more intense. Even in the village, there are signs of internal conflict."
Tsunade's beautiful eyes became slightly blurred, as if she was thinking about something. She gradually showed a look of sadness. "What's the point of being Hokage? You can't achieve your dreams, you can't even protect the people you want to protect. The Hokage is just a waste of time. Only fools become Hokage."
Tsunade poured a glass of liquor and drank it all.
Neji just watched her quietly. "You're right. Only fools become Hokage."
People who are willing to sacrifice themselves for trivial reasons, aren't they fools?
Tsunade paused, feeling that Neji wasn't following the script. What was she supposed to say? But it was nice to have someone who understood her.
"But they are not trash." Neji said.
"Hmm?" Tsunade looked at Neji with a questioning look, wondering what he was going to say.
Neji chuckled. "If people with that kind of power are trash, then basically the entire ninja world is garbage."
"Hahaha... you're a really interesting kid." Tsunade laughed, finding Neji more and more pleasing to the eye.
"But what are you going to do? I'm not going back. In that case, you've failed your mission."
"Ah." Neji nodded.
"So, let's leave everything to chance."
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