Every young girl has dreams of romance. Tsunade was no different. She was born when the Senju Clan was at its peak, a time when both Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama were in their prime. But even above them, above the entire Shinobi World, there was always one being who stood apart from everyone else.
That person was Shénrén Yueyan.
In his presence, even the most powerful clans like the Senju and the Uchiha knew to show deference. For a young Tsunade, who already saw her grandfather, the God of Shinobi, as the greatest hero, the existence of someone even more powerful was fascinating. This man, Yueyan, naturally captured her attention and interest.
As Tsunade grew older, the legends of Shénrén Yueyan began to fade from the Shinobi World, but his importance in her heart only grew. It was a matter of comparison. The world had once produced incredible heroes during its chaotic wars, but as peace settled in, the Five Great Nations and their villages stabilized. In an era of peace, it was exponentially harder for anyone to make a name for themselves. Only a few, like Kakashi Hatake with his Sharingan and his clan's sword techniques, managed to stand out. Most others were simply not impressive.
Tsunade knew her own strength, and few people could ever earn her respect. Over the past several years, she had watched as Hiruzen Sarutobi and his advisors stirred up trouble, turning Konoha into a mess of political intrigue and corruption. This left her completely disappointed with the village and, in a strange way, made her feel an even greater admiration for the legendary figure of Shénrén Yueyan.
The only thing she regretted was that in all these years, she had never once seen his face. If this so-called catastrophe in Konoha gave her a chance to finally see the real Shénrén Yueyan, then maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all.
As for Hiruzen's summons for help? To Tsunade, it was less than worthless.
…
Besides Tsunade, the other two Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya and Orochimaru, both made the decision to return to Konoha. However, their reasons were entirely different.
Jiraiya, despite his travels, was still a Konoha shinobi. He had no deep-seated conflict with Hiruzen or the Land of Fire; his absence had been a form of self-exile. Now that his village and his former teacher were in grave danger, it was only natural for him to return and offer his help. It was his duty.
But Orochimaru was a different story.
His departure from Konoha had been ugly. The official story was that he was cast out for his forbidden human experiments, but the truth was that Hiruzen had tacitly approved of those experiments, which were often conducted with Danzo Shimura. When the situation was exposed, Orochimaru was pushed forward to take all the blame. He became the scapegoat, a sacrifice to protect the village's leadership. On the surface, it seemed he had been corrupted, but in reality, he was just a tool they used and discarded.
More importantly, this happened at a critical time when the next Hokage was being chosen, and Orochimaru permanently lost his chance at the title. Although he later founded his own village and even manipulated his way into becoming the Kage of another, the throne of Hokage in Konoha was the prize he had always truly wanted.
Therefore, his decision to return now was a terrifying mystery. No one could possibly guess the true, dark intentions hidden within his heart.
…
At that moment, in Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Inside the Hokage's office, a new conference table had been set up. Seated around it were the four people who held the most power in the village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi. Danzo Shimura. Koharu Utatane. Homura Mitokado.
The pride they usually carried was gone. Today, they all looked worried, their faces grim and pale. It was as if they had aged decades in just a few days.
"I never expected it," Hiruzen began, his voice heavy. "In such a short time, our problems in Konoha have become the talk of the entire Shinobi World. For years, we've used every method we could to erase Shénrén Yueyan's influence, but you can't erase deeds of that scale. His power is terrifying. It's like staring up at the stars in the night sky; all you can do is look up in awe and feel helpless."
Despite the anger and fear he felt, Hiruzen remained surprisingly calm.
"We don't have much time. The good news is that Jiraiya and… Orochimaru have agreed to return. Tsunade, however, has not."
As soon as he said the name 'Orochimaru', the room fell into a dead silence. Danzo's expression, in particular, turned incredibly dark. Hiruzen had personally forced Orochimaru out of the village years ago. How could he be shameless enough to ask for his help now? Danzo had been in secret contact with Orochimaru for years, and he knew that Orochimaru's desire to kill Hiruzen had never faded.
Could it be? Danzo thought. Is Orochimaru returning just to use this chaos to fulfill his own ambitions? If that was the case, then perhaps Danzo himself could play the role of the oriole that waits for the mantis and cicada. He could become the final winner.
"There is one more thing we can do," Hiruzen said, his gaze sweeping over the other three. "Our families are all tied together in this. We will prosper or perish together. We've all gathered a great deal of wealth over the years. Now, at this critical moment, we can use it. We will offer a bounty to every mercenary and bounty hunter in the Shinobi World."
A cold, desperate smile touched his lips. "As the saying goes, a heavy reward will draw brave men. Shénrén Yueyan is terrifying, and he has his Twelve Divine Moons, but in the end, he is still just one person. And if a person is killed, he will die."
Hiruzen's face twisted into a mask of vengeance. "Our four great families will offer a bounty of one hundred billion ryo. The mission is simple: slay Shénrén Yueyan!"
Danzo, Koharu, and Homura stared at him, their eyes wide with fear and shock. They never expected Hiruzen to propose such an astonishing, reckless plan. But was this a brilliant strategy to use against a god, or was it just the final, desperate frenzy before their complete destruction?
They were too deeply connected to Hiruzen to back out now. If he fell, their four families would inevitably crumble with him, and everything they had built would be destroyed in an instant.
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