"Blocked… blocked it?!"
Jiraiya's face twisted in shock.
As Tsunade's long-time teammate, he knew better than anyone just how devastating her monstrous strength could be. Yet this fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy had actually stopped it head-on?
"Indeed, this is the true strength of Lord Liu Yun!"
"That's the sword genius even Konoha's White Fang admires."
Compared to Jiraiya, who had never witnessed it before, the shinobi who had once fought alongside Aoyama Ryuyun were far calmer.
If he were that easy to deal with, how could Aoyama Ryuyun have earned the title of Golden Lion?
---
"The past cannot be undone, but the future can be changed. Don't you understand such a simple truth?"
Aoyama Ryuyun's tone was calm, almost indifferent. Truth be told, he didn't dislike Tsunade—nor did he have any intention of fighting her seriously.
"You…"
Tsunade's furious expression faltered. Ryuyun's words pierced through her rage, cooling her heart. The chakra around her fist slowly dispersed, and she lowered her arm.
Ryuyun sheathed his sword, the sound of metal sliding into its scabbard sharp and final.
Looking at the stunned Tsunade, he stepped closer and said quietly,
> "What's more, from now on… you are the only one left of the Senju Clan."
Tsunade's breath caught.
"Do you know something?" she demanded, her tone dark.
Ryuyun chuckled softly. "Ha! Who knows?"
With that, he turned away with a carefree smile and disappeared into the crowd.
The decline of the Senju Clan… the death of Senju Nawaki… Could anyone truly believe the Third Hokage had played no role behind the scenes?
Tsunade might have sensed it—but she simply dared not admit it.
Before leaving the square, Ryuyun glanced up toward the Hokage Building.
Behind that window was the office of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
With an unruly grin, Aoyama Ryuyun turned on his heel and swaggered off.
---
"This guy…" Tsunade muttered under her breath.
She, too, followed his gaze toward the Hokage's window.
Indeed… this matter is connected to you, isn't it, Sensei?
---
"Tsunade, you've finally calmed down!"
Kato Dan hurried over, face full of concern.
When Tsunade had been in a rage moments ago, he hadn't dared utter a word. But now that she seemed calmer, he rushed to comfort her.
"Tsunade, the dead can't be brought back. You should try to look at things more openly!"
Tsunade: "?!"
Jiraiya: "???"
Orochimaru: "???"
Jiraiya had been annoyed at seeing Dan swoop in to console her, but those words almost made him burst out laughing. Even Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, speechless.
Was that supposed to be comfort?
Unaware of the awkward atmosphere, Dan continued earnestly,
"Tsunade, the war is almost over now. How about we—"
Everyone in Konoha knew that Kato Dan was pursuing Tsunade. Normally, she ignored him. But this time—
BANG!
Before he could finish, Tsunade's fist connected squarely with his chest, launching him dozens of meters away.
"What kind of fool are you?! How dare you covet this old woman!"
She didn't even glance at the unconscious Dan as she spoke coldly, then turned and strode away.
What a joke. Even if she was the last of the Senju, she wasn't someone a random jōnin could dare to desire. Especially not now—barely after Nawaki's death.
Her golden hair whipped in the wind as she departed with quiet fury.
The onlookers were left speechless, staring at the unconscious Dan sprawled in the dirt.
Finally, Jiraiya sighed. "Alright, someone get Kato Dan to the hospital."
He might have disliked the man, but leaving him to die wasn't Jiraiya's style.
---
Inside the Hokage Office, by the window stood Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo Shimura, and the village elders Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado.
They had witnessed everything.
They all knew the truth behind Senju Nawaki's death—
and had gathered there precisely because they feared Tsunade might lose control.
Fortunately, the situation hadn't spiraled out of hand.
But Danzo's eyes weren't on Tsunade.
They were on the boy who had blocked her monstrous punch.
"Hiruzen," Danzo said coldly, "give him to me. For a talent like that, Root is the best home."
Sarutobi's eyes narrowed.
Root had only recently been established, and Danzo was desperate to fill it with powerful assets.
"The best home, you say?" the Hokage replied with thinly veiled irritation. "Don't think I can't see through your intentions. You're only after Aoyama Ryuyun's strength."
He had already read the boy's file—commoner birth, but with swordsmanship talent that even Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, acknowledged.
"Give him to you? You must be dreaming."
Danzo's lips thinned. "Then what do you suggest?"
Sarutobi smiled faintly. "If I remember correctly, that Golden Lion is considered a subordinate of Konoha's White Fang. You want him? Then go and ask Sakumo Hatake yourself."
Danzo fell silent. He knew exactly how futile that would be.
The Second Shinobi War had produced not only the Sannin, but also the man called White Fang of Konoha—
a shinobi whose strength was second only to the Hokage himself.
Even Hiruzen would hesitate to face Sakumo in direct combat.
Seeing Danzo's grim expression, Hiruzen hid his satisfaction behind his pipe and took a long puff.
"You want him, Danzo? Fine. Ask Konoha's White Fang."
Because for a genius like Aoyama Ryuyun—
if Sakumo Hatake would ever let him join Root…
Then hell would have frozen over.