Inside a modest home, a woman with long, dark red hair cradled her sleeping daughter in her arms, letting out a sorrowful sigh.
She knew her time was running out.
But... if she were to die, there was no doubt about who would take her place—her daughter. And that was something she could never accept.
Yet, even if they managed to escape from Kusagakure, what fate awaited people like them—those with special abilities?
There was always the risk of being treated like commodities, sold to the highest bidder. And once their usefulness had been drained, they would be reduced to nothing more than test subjects, dissected in the name of research.
This was the cruel fate of those without protection.
"I can only hope that the village leader keeps his promise… that Karin will be allowed to stay and be recognized as one of them."
It was the only thought keeping her going, the last shred of hope anchoring her to life.
Bang!
Her thoughts shattered as the front door suddenly swung open, slamming against the wall with force.
"Is someone injured again?" she asked instinctively, her voice tinged with exhaustion.
The woman wasn't surprised when her door was forcefully pushed open. It had happened too many times before—whenever there was a surge of injured people in the medical ward, someone would barge in, demanding she come at once.
"Who—?"
She had just finished soothing her awakened daughter and was preparing to follow the visitor when she finally took a proper look at them—only to freeze in place.
A familiar face stood before her.
"Haruka... is that you?"
Kushina's voice wavered slightly as she spoke, her gaze fixed on the woman who looked far older than she should.
It had been so long. Had she been seven? Eight? She could hardly remember. But even after all these years, the contours of Haruka's face were unmistakable—her childhood playmate stood right in front of her.
"You're… Kushina?"
Unlike the gentle and reserved Haruka, Kushina had always been lively and energetic—a presence that left a lasting impression on those around her.
Haruka only needed a moment to recall.
Her lips trembled as she spoke, and the instant recognition brought tears streaming down her face, spilling like pearls from a broken string.
"It's me!"
The moment Haruka called her name, Kushina could no longer hold back. Her emotions surged, and tears welled up before spilling down her cheeks.
Without hesitation, she pulled Haruka into a tight embrace.
Two women, both stripped of their homeland, clung to each other, their sobs unrestrained—like a dam breaking after years of silent suffering.
Nearby, the Kusagakure ninja watching the scene shifted uncomfortably, feeling awkward amidst such raw emotion.
Quietly, he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"Chief, should we...?"
No sooner had he stepped outside than a Grass ninja approached, making a subtle but unmistakable throat-cutting gesture.
He then glanced toward the room, his meaning clear. In the surrounding shadows, countless Kusagakure shinobi lay in wait, poised to attack.
The intent was obvious.
"You fool! Do you want to get us all killed?"
The Kusagakure leader's face twisted in alarm. He shot a panicked glance toward the room, holding his breath. Only after confirming there was no sign of movement did he exhale in relief.
Then, with barely contained fury, he turned to glare at his reckless subordinate.
"We cannot afford to provoke that woman!"
The memory of the overwhelming chakra she had just unleashed sent a shiver down the Kusagakure leader's spine. A thin layer of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"Besides," he muttered, his voice laced with unease, "she's a fully-fledged jonin of Konoha. If anything happens to her here, I can't even begin to imagine the consequences we'd face."
With a few swift hand signals, he ordered the hidden Kusagakure shinobi to withdraw. Only after they had fully dispersed did he finally allow himself to exhale, feeling a slight sense of relief.
He hadn't needed to engage in battle to understand the reality of the situation. He knew his subordinates' capabilities all too well. Even if they attacked together, they wouldn't stand a chance—Kushina could wipe them out single-handedly.
"So… Are we really just going to let them go?"
His subordinate's voice carried a note of frustration. He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"The abilities of those two women are invaluable to us. If we lose them, our casualty rate will skyrocket."
"And besides," he added, lowering his voice, "that woman from Konoha clearly cares about them. Can't we use that to our advantage?"
The Kusagakure leader's expression darkened. He knew where this conversation was heading.
"Enough," he said, his tone sharp. "The Hokage has already requested that we send a team of medical ninjas to Konoha for further training. Once they've completed their studies, we'll have our own skilled medics. That should help offset some of our losses."
He clenched his fists, frustration simmering beneath his composed exterior.
In the end, power dictated everything. And right now, they were in no position to challenge Konoha. Even if they suffered losses, they had no choice but to accept them.
—The Next Day"What a rare sight! I never thought I'd see Hokage-sama actually appear in the Hokage Building at this hour."
Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade—who was currently working part-time to pay off her mounting debts—glanced up at Toshiro. Dressed casually, he exuded his usual nonchalant demeanor, which only fueled the sarcasm in her voice.
Her sharp, golden eyes burned with thinly veiled irritation as they locked onto him.
"Since you're here, your timing is perfect," she continued. "There are some ongoing border disputes with the Land of Earth—I'll leave those for Hokage-sama to handle."
With a smirk, she casually picked up a hefty stack of documents and shoved them toward him.
"And while you're at it, these need your attention as well. Reports on casualties, condolence arrangements for the families of fallen shinobi… all matters that require the Hokage's personal involvement."
Since he had finally decided to show up, she wasn't about to waste the opportunity.
"Ahem…"
Toshiro, the ever-hands-off leader, cleared his throat awkwardly. He cast a quick glance at the mountain of paperwork, then at Tsunade—whose expression practically screamed vengeance.
"Well… actually, I came here today to solve these issues at the root," he said, feigning composure.
The moment Toshiro laid eyes on the documents, a headache set in.
He had never been one for handling tedious bureaucratic work, and just the sight of the towering stack of reports made his temples throb.
"Why am I even here?"
"Solve these problems?"
Tsunade scoffed, folding her arms across her chest.
"You actually think you can resolve something like this?" She said, her tone dripping with disbelief. "Even if my grandfather were still alive, he wouldn't be able to put an end to these constant power struggles between nations."
She was just about to continue her rant—fully prepared to tear into Toshiro's overconfidence—when the office door burst open.
"Ah! We're not too late, are we?"
A familiar voice rang out as a group of figures strode inside.
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"Jiraiya?! Fugaku… and Mimura? What are you all doing here?"
Tsunade's eyebrows lifted in surprise as she took in the unexpected visitors.
"Jiraiya? When did you get back?"
It wasn't just Uchiha Fugaku and Mimura Hamagaki who caught her attention—Jiraiya had also appeared. That was unusual. Hadn't he left again in search of the so-called Child of Destiny?
"Haha! Tsunade, long time no see..." Jiraiya grinned, shamelessly letting his gaze travel over her before flashing a mischievous smirk. "You're still as stunning as ever. No, wait—more refined now!"
As he spoke, he sauntered closer, his expression practically screaming, I adore you.
Tsunade didn't hesitate.
"Bam!"
Her fist collided with his gut, making him double over with a wheeze.
"Idiot! I asked you a serious question!" she snapped, shaking her fist.
Jiraiya coughed and rubbed his sore stomach. "Well, I don't know much. The Hokage summoned me and said it was urgent—something about world peace."
He stretched his shoulder, wincing slightly. At least he was used to Tsunade's way of greeting him by now.
Since she had settled back in Konoha, he had lingered in the village for a while—only to get bashed to oblivion by Tsunade when he got caught 'gathering research materials.'
Faced with Tsunade's fury, Jiraiya did what any man with a survival instinct would do—he fled.
Considering the village wasn't exactly the safest place for him at the moment, he had set off on his travels once more.
Now, summoned back in a hurry by Toshiro, he had no idea what was really going on behind the scenes.
"Oh? I can't wait to hear Lord Hokage's grand plan to resolve the conflicts of the ninja world," Tsunade said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "This should be interesting."
Tsunade turned her attention to Toshiro, crossing her arms over her chest with an amused smirk.
She claimed she would wait and see, but her expression held no real expectation—only skepticism.
In her eyes, resolving the endless conflicts between the major nations was a fantasy. Even her grandfather, with all his strength and influence, had only managed to maintain peace in one region at a time.
Expecting to pacify the entire ninja world? That was a fool's dream.
And Toshiro? He was just a young man in his early twenties. Sure, his strength was undeniable, but beyond that? He had no other exceptional qualities that set him apart.
To claim he could bring lasting peace to the world? Did he think the Hokages before him had simply been incompetent?
"This really is a grand vision," someone muttered.
But it was clear from the knowing glances exchanged in the room—they weren't talking about Toshiro.
As Tsunade folded her arms, every man in the room—not just Jiraiya—exchanged glances.
Or rather, they all involuntarily shifted their gaze to her—or more specifically, to a certain aspect of her presence.
It had nothing to do with age. Simply put, no man could ignore Tsunade's… greatness.
Gulp.
The audible sound of someone swallowing broke the silence.
Tsunade's sharp gaze flicked between Toshiro and Jiraiya, her expression dripping with disdain.
"Tsk! So this is your true nature," she scoffed, curling her lips in amusement.
She wasn't the least bit surprised by their reactions. In fact, she had expected it. And at this point, she was more convinced than ever that Toshiro's so-called peace plan was nothing but a joke.
"Let me guess," she continued, eyes narrowing. "Did some rumors about you start spreading in the village, and now you're spinning this elaborate tale to cover for yourself?"
As if the idea had just struck her, Tsunade leaned forward slightly, her gaze filled with both suspicion and mockery.
Since taking office as Hokage, Toshiro had led Konoha to victory against Kirigakure in the war, but after that? He had turned into a hands-off leader, rarely involving himself in the day-to-day running of the village.
And in Konoha, rumors traveled fast. Some people had deliberately fanned the flames, turning his absence into a hot topic for the villagers to gossip about over dinner.