Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze swept across the courtyard. It paused for a brief moment on the Uchiha father and son before finally settling on Tsunade at the center.
"Old man, why are you only showing up now?"
"I'm old. I'm not as quick as I used to be."
"Come here." Tsunade turned and pulled Hyuga Kiyonari from behind her to stand in front. "Just like you said—this kid really is outstanding."
Kiyonari bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Third Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen studied the boy carefully. He'd already heard plenty about him, but this was their first time meeting face-to-face.
"Good."
Hiruzen nodded, then pulled a scroll from his robes. "This is my gift to you—the Shadow Clone Jutsu. I hope you can walk your own path, a path different from the Hyuga… and different from Tsunade."
"Thank you, Third Hokage-sama." Kiyonari accepted the scroll and bowed again.
Shadow Clone was an extremely versatile, broadly useful technique. Advanced variants included Shuriken Shadow Clone and Multiple Shadow Clone, and the applications were wide-ranging.
Tsunade could tell Kiyonari wasn't comfortable in this kind of setting, so she patted his shoulder, signaling him to step aside. Then she said to Hiruzen, "Old man, want to come sit in the hall for a while?"
Tsunade poured two cups of sake. Ever since he'd gotten older, Hiruzen hadn't really drunk alcohol—but today he was happy, so he could make an exception.
He took the cup and spoke with pointed meaning. "So… are you still planning to go to Tanzaku Town?"
Tanzaku Town was the most famous gambling street in the Land of Fire. If Tsunade answered "yes," it would mean she was only back temporarily—taking a student was just a whim, and she would still leave Konoha and continue wandering.
If she answered "no," it would mean she'd decided to stay—and that decision would change a great many things.
Tsunade lifted her cup and downed it in one go. "Didn't I tell you? I've been winning like crazy lately. I nearly made the casinos over there shut down."
You? Winning?
You didn't have to come up with an excuse that flimsy.
"So the legendary cash cow won't be going… what a devastating loss for the casinos."
Tsunade immediately bristled. "I really did win! And I won a lot of money!"
That, of all things, was the one point she wouldn't allow anyone to question.
"Alright, alright." Hiruzen quickly conceded, having no intention of pushing that topic further.
"I just didn't expect it would be this child who made you decide to stay," he said, mostly with emotion. "The weight he carries in your heart is far heavier than I imagined."
Tsunade fell quiet for a moment, her eyes complicated. "He's excellent. Truly excellent. In fact… he might even do better than I ever could."
Hiruzen sighed inwardly, though his face remained calm. "I understand how you feel. If only you'd returned a little earlier. Even a month earlier, the main family's eldest daughter wouldn't have turned three yet. Now… if you plan to change anything, the resistance will likely be enormous."
Tsunade laughed. "I'm a doctor. I only know how to heal and save people. I don't understand politics, and I'm not interested in changing anything."
"Is that so?" Hiruzen clearly didn't believe her. "You held this apprenticeship banquet and invited the heads of all the major clans. That's not something someone who 'doesn't understand politics' would do."
"I'm just giving my student some face," Tsunade shrugged. "I can't exactly let people bully him, can I?"
Neither of them made it too explicit, but they both understood perfectly.
Holding his cup, Hiruzen let his gaze drift around the courtyard.
He saw the Uchiha father and son in the corner. He saw Hyuga Hiashi's complicated expression. He saw the other clan heads—some faces filled with expectation, others with worry.
Tsunade had returned, and she'd decided to stay. With her identity, strength, and reputation, the moment she showed even the slightest interest in power, Konoha's political landscape would be shaken to its core.
Even if Hiruzen knew Tsunade truly had no interest in power… would everyone else believe that?
Of course not. Someone would always want to "put a robe on her."
And Hyuga Kiyonari was ultimately only branch family. Unless there was a way to remove the Caged Bird Seal, he could never become Hokage—he might not even be able to hold a high office. Besides, he was still young, and his talent as a ninja wasn't yet proven. There were too many variables.
But with Tsunade's personality—and the importance she placed on him—she likely wouldn't let the matter rest. The best solution was to let Kiyonari, in Tsunade's name, realize his ambitions.
And that… was Tsunade's real plan, wasn't it?
She would pretend to show interest in the Hokage seat, trading that image for everyone's support of Kiyonari—investing in him as an investment in the "future Fifth Hokage."
Hiruzen's gaze drifted toward another precocious genius in the hall: Uchiha Itachi.
The boy he had placed such high hopes on—the child who already possessed "Hokage thinking" at the age of eight. If it came down to talent and capability, Hiruzen believed Itachi was even more outstanding than Kiyonari. Itachi's intelligence, perspective, and grasp of the bigger picture far surpassed his peers—surpassing even many adult ninja.
But the Uchiha now… sigh.
Hiruzen sighed again in his heart.
"What are you thinking about, old man?" Tsunade's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"I was thinking…" Hiruzen came back to himself. "Thinking about Konoha's future."
"I need time to think," Tsunade said. This time, she didn't refuse outright. "For me, this isn't a decision I can make lightly."
"I understand." He nodded. "But time is running out, Tsunade."
"I know."
They fell silent again.
Hiruzen watched the crowd in the courtyard, emotions swirling. He truly wanted to retire, truly wanted to lay down the Hokage's burden—but now that the moment was actually here, he felt a strange reluctance and hesitation.
Could Tsunade really become a good Hokage?
Maybe he really was old—hesitating over everything.
Did Konoha have any other choice now?
Danzo? Too extreme. He'd drag Konoha into the abyss.
Orochimaru? His most favored student, but now obsessed with an illusory immortality, drawn to evil like a stench.
Jiraiya? In every respect, he was less suitable than Tsunade—and he was far too close to those toads of Mount Myōboku.
As for the younger generation… Kakashi barely counted as an option, but his seniority and prestige were still lacking. And Asuma? He wasn't even qualified to be a candidate…
No matter how he turned it over, Tsunade truly was the most suitable choice.
You could even say… the only choice.
Tsunade held her cup, eyes narrowing slightly, taking in everything in the hall—the many faces, the many moods.
He—they—what they were thinking… she knew it all.