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In the crystal clear water, Tsunade opened her eyes.
"Excellent. You're finally awake."
An ethereal, girlish voice came from the pool's edge.
Tsunade looked over. It was a physical human form of Katsuyu, a graceful girl in green robes.
"Ah… Lady Katsuyu! How am I here?"
Katsuyu spoke softly. "It's a long story. You should be grateful you took on such a good student."
A good student…
Tsunade's mind went to the obvious. "Shizune!"
Katsuyu shook her small head gently. "No. The other one. The girl named Sakura Haruno."
Splash!
Tsunade stood up from the water. Her proud form trembled, sending crystalline drops cascading down.
"You're saying… it was Sakura?!"
Her chest heaved.
"That's correct." Katsuyu's voice held genuine admiration. "That child is truly remarkable. When she realized I couldn't reverse-summon you, she correctly surmised who had captured you. She even staked her own life to unite the three Great Sage Regions. In the end, she succeeded in rescuing you."
Tsunade's jaw hung open. She was utterly speechless.
"That girl… she's hardworking and exceptionally gifted in medical ninjutsu. But I never thought she had that kind of judgment. If it were Shikamaru, I could understand…"
She reconsidered.
"Though… Shikamaru is clever, yes, but he hesitates. He wouldn't have had that kind of decisive courage. Sakura… As her teacher, I failed to see her true potential. I've truly failed as her mentor."
A sudden, violent realization struck her.
"Wait—!" Her expression shifted to panic.
Having just woken from her ordeal, she had almost forgotten the most critical thing.
"The village! What about the village!"
"Rest easy, Tsunade. The village, at least when I left, was safe and sound."
That voice came from behind her.
Tsunade turned sharply. There, sitting on a rocky ledge, was a man she never expected to see, watching her with a faint smile.
"Jiraiya?! What are you doing here?!"
Realizing her current state of undress, she quickly sank back into the water.
Jiraiya rubbed his chest. "Tsunade, I've already seen everything there is to see. Paid for it with a few broken ribs and half my life, remember?"
Tsunade sighed in exasperation. "You never change, do you? Fine. Your presence here means you've already clashed with the one behind this, I take it?"
Jiraiya's expression sobered. "Yeah. If I hadn't received some powerful help, I likely wouldn't have made it out in one piece."
"Powerful… help?"
"It has been a long time, Lady Tsunade. Nearly three decades…"
A cool, calm voice spoke from another direction. Tsunade's gaze shifted. On a stalagmite stood a woman with blue hair and orange eyes. A delicate paper flower bloomed silently in her hair.
Thirty years ago… that small, rain-drenched country. That little girl holding a paper flower. The images superimposed onto the woman before her.
Tsunade's voice softened with recognition. "Ah. You're that child…"
"Correct," the woman—Konan—said. "I am from that small country, battered and bruised by the great powers, left crying in the rain. I was one of the many children left homeless. Fortunately or unfortunately… I became a shinobi. Only then could I stand before you and speak as I do now."
A flicker of helpless sorrow passed through Tsunade's eyes.
"So much has changed. None of us can control our pasts. We can only move forward, make mistakes, and search for the right path. As the Hokage, I represent the stance of my village and my nation. But as an individual… please allow me to offer you, your country, and the innocent civilians who perished in that war… my sincere apology."
Konan gave a slow, graceful nod.
She had long since let go of that grudge.
"I… accept your apology."
Swish.
She leaped from the stalagmite, landing gracefully at the edge of Tsunade's pool.
"Allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Konan. A student of Master Jiraiya."
Tsunade's eyes traced the pattern on Konan's robes.
"And you have another identity. A former member of the Akatsuki."
Konan's voice grew colder. "The Akatsuki strayed from its original path because of that monstrously evil man. A pity… Even with all my strength, I could not end him."
"I understand." Tsunade's tone became brisk and urgent. "We share a common enemy. But right now, my village needs its leader. My apologies, but I must return!"
Jiraiya spoke up then. "Tsunade. Going back now won't change anything."
"What do you mean?"
He stood up, his expression uncharacteristically grave. "This moment… this convergence. It's time you also learned the truth of this world."
"The truth? What in the world are you talking about?"
Jiraiya sighed. "I thought the timing wasn't right before, so I held back. But now… I have his permission."
"You've been speaking in riddles from the start!"
"He should have arrived by now…"
It was Katsuyu who spoke.
"Tsunade. Get dressed. We will go to meet him together."
The group made their way across the rugged, island-like terrain of the Shikkotsu Forest.
Confusion was etched on Tsunade's face. Until… she saw the familiar, slender silhouette waiting before a stone archway. Then, her confusion morphed into pure, unadulterated shock.
Who else could it be but… Orochimaru?
"Lady Katsuyu. My respects."
Even Orochimaru offered a respectful bow of a junior to the Great Slug Sage.
Katsuyu inclined her head slightly. "You've grown more considerate this time, sending Jiraiya ahead to announce your arrival."
Orochimaru chuckled lightly. "I was afraid if I arrived unannounced, Lady Katsuyu might dissolve me with acid."
"A part of me still wants to," Katsuyu said, her tone playfully threatening.
"Then I must beg for your mercy," Orochimaru said, his smile turning serious. "After all, I have put aside many pressing matters to come here and convey news of utmost importance. News concerning… the very survival of our world."
Tsunade's bewilderment deepened. "The survival of the world?"
Katsuyu, through her previous contact with Itachi, already had some inklings.
Before the Fourth Great Ninja War, Itachi had visited Katsuyu specifically, requesting she teach him senjutsu. After that, though Itachi himself never returned, he had relayed messages.
Of course, given the gravity of the situation, Itachi had only mentioned that he had reconciled with his brother and restored his body to full health, thanks to a potent medicine granted by Ryūchi Cave.
At the time, Katsuyu had been astonished that the notoriously insular Ryūchi Cave would bestow such a precious sage medicine upon a disciple of her rival. Even then, she had faintly sensed the tide of a great, unifying current.
Now… Orochimaru's visit confirmed it.
Orochimaru's gaze grew distant, filled with memory and emotion. "Yes. The grudges and conflicts of centuries are being untangled. A new era is dawning. An era where all shinobi, the Great Sages included, will stand together. And the catalyst for all of this… begins with a child who has traveled through time, weary from his long journey, finally returning home."
"Hold on…" Even Tsunade caught the implication. "The child you're referring to, could it be…"
Orochimaru's gaze focused, his words soft yet carrying immense weight. "Indeed… That child is Uchiha Sasuke."
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