Konoha Year 37 — The end of the Second Great Ninja War
Under the Hokage Building, chaos was unfolding.
"You bastard! Didn't you promise me you'd bring Nawaki back!?"
Senju Tsunade's furious shout echoed through the courtyard as she grabbed Orochimaru by the collar.
Her beautiful face—normally calm and dignified—was now twisted with grief and rage.
She had entrusted her younger brother, Senju Nawaki, to Orochimaru.
And the war returned him as a corpse.
"Speak, damn it!"
"That was my brother! My only brother!"
"I… I—"
Orochimaru, pinned by Tsunade's grip, could only force a bitter smile.
He didn't even have the courage to meet her eyes.
And it was precisely this moment—this helplessness and the fragility of life shoved in his face—that planted the first seeds of darkness in Orochimaru's heart.
Human life… is far too fragile.
"Tsunade, calm down!"
Jiraiya rushed over, trying to pull her away.
"Orochimaru didn't want this to happen!"
But even he understood.
Her younger brother died.
Her last blood relative.
How could she calm down?
"CALM DOWN!? HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN!?"
"That was my brother! My only family left!!"
Ever since the Third Hokage took the seat again, the once-glorious Senju clan had withered.
And with Nawaki dead…
Only Tsunade remained.
"I'm sorry, Tsunade… I'm truly sorry…"
Sorry was all Orochimaru could manage.
Anything else would sound like an insult.
Around them, many Konoha shinobi had gathered—veterans, elites, even fresh Chūnin.
But no one dared step in.
The name "Three Legendary Sannin" was already famous across the entire ninja world.
And Tsunade right now was like a lit powder keg—touch her, and you explode.
"Sure enough… it's this moment."
Among the crowd of onlookers stood a fifteen-sixteen-year-old boy with messy blonde hair and two short blades at his waist.
He squinted slightly as he watched Tsunade rage.
Shiki.
That was his name.
He had been dumped into this world over ten years ago.
And every detail of the timeline was very clear to him.
This year… this moment…
The death of Senju Nawaki was supposed to happen.
Over the years, Shiki had grown from a clueless transmigrator into a hardened, battle-tested ninja.
"Tch."
He let out a soft, mocking sound.
After surviving the Second Great Ninja War, life and death no longer shook him.
And honestly, he didn't even know Nawaki personally.
After that small sigh, Shiki turned to leave.
But—
"Huh!?"
The atmosphere was so tense that the tiny sound he made—"Tch"—was like a spark in a powder room.
Already blinded by grief, Tsunade snapped toward the noise.
She lowered Orochimaru and turned her fierce gaze directly at Shiki.
She heard it.
Everyone heard it.
"Boy…"
Her chakra flared sharply.
"Do you have an opinion about my brother's death?"
"…"
Because of that one tiny sound, the crowd instantly shifted their eyes toward Shiki.
"Who is that kid…?"
Orochimaru frowned, searching his memory.
Then recognition flashed in his snake-like pupils.
"Shiki… Konoha jōnin.
The one they call the Golden Lion."
He had heard the name before.
But this was the first time meeting face-to-face.
"That's the Golden Lion?"
"A new sword-genius after White Fang?"
Whispers spread rapidly through the crowd.
There was talk everywhere about the Golden Lion.
Konoha's rising blade after White Fang.
People said he was the strongest young swordsman in years.
Unlike Sakumo Hatake's single-blade style, Shiki used dual swords, and most of his techniques carried the ferocity and dominance of a lion.
Combined with his full, wild blond hair, the nickname Golden Lion practically stuck itself to him.
Jiraiya also gave the young Konoha prodigy a curious glance.
His newest student, Namikaze Minato, had blond hair too but Minato's gentle smile radiated like a miniature sun.
Shiki… was the complete opposite.
Unless he was fighting, Minato smiled warmly at everyone.
Shiki, on the other hand, carried an aura of defiance that never faded.
Unruly. Proud.
Like a lion that recognized no one above him.
"This sword genius is gonna have a bad time," Jiraiya muttered, helplessly shrugging.
He and Orochimaru knew Tsunade better than anyone.
Right now, she wasn't just angry—she was grieving.
And Shiki had just walked straight into her rage.
Jiraiya was already planning ahead:
If Tsunade hits him too hard… I'll have to save the kid.
He's still one of our own.
Beside him, Orochimaru stayed silent.
But his golden eyes watched the tension rise between Tsunade and Shiki with interest.
"Huh?"
Shiki halted his step, slowly turning his head toward Tsunade.
His eyes...fierce, fearless—held the pride of a lion king.
As if even Tsunade, one of the Three Sannin, meant nothing to him.
"You bastard…" Tsunade's voice trembled, cold and furious.
"Is my brother's death something you can just scoff at!?"
Veins pulsed on her forehead.
Her voice trembled with fury and grief.
Tsunade wasn't unreasonable.
She wouldn't have become the Fifth Hokage otherwise.
But Senju Nawaki had just died.
Her emotions had exploded past logic.
"So?"
Shiki replied calmly, like he was speaking about yesterday's weather.
"Y–You…!"
Tsunade's fist tightened.
The arrogant attitude...
The expressionless calm...
It was pure provocation.
Her anger reached its peak.
Shiki caught the shift in her stance.
His expression didn't change, but his right hand slid to the hilt of the blade at his waist.
"Monster Strength Fist!!"
"BOOM!!"
A violent shockwave erupted as Tsunade's punch ripped through the air, smashing straight toward Shiki.
Everyone felt the world blur for a moment.
But then—
A single sound rang out:
CLANG!!
Shiki had drawn one of his blades with lightning speed, holding it horizontally in front of him, feet firmly planted.
He blocked Tsunade's full-powered punch.
The ground beneath him cracked.
Dust exploded around their feet.
But he did not move.
"H-He blocked it!?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened.
He had fought beside Tsunade for years—
He knew just how terrifying her monstrous strength was.
But a fifteen-year-old kid…
blocked her punch with one hand?
"Is this… the real strength of Lord Shiki?"
"That's the sword genius even White Fang acknowledged!"
Unlike the stunned onlookers, the few ninjas who had fought beside Shiki during the war weren't surprised.
If he could be beaten easily, he wouldn't be called the Golden Lion.
Shiki exhaled lightly, still holding back Tsunade's fist with his blade.
Then he spoke calmly:
"The past can't be changed.
But the future can.
How do you not understand such a simple truth?"
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