At this point, Aoyama Ryuyun had just defeated the One-Tail, Shukaku, and his name echoed through every corner of Konoha.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that no matter how fierce the storm, prestige always fades with time.
"Hmm."
Danzo's voice broke the silence, pulling Hiruzen from his thoughts.
"Given time, the uproar around Aoyama Ryuyun will settle."
Hiruzen nodded slightly. "Perhaps. But tell me, Danzo — can your Root handle him?"
It wasn't that Hiruzen underestimated Danzo.
Rather, even he himself doubted he could defeat Aoyama Ryuyun in a one-on-one fight — not after seeing him overpower Shukaku single-handedly.
"Hmph! Are you looking down on me, Hiruzen?" Danzo snapped, clearly offended.
"..."
Hiruzen didn't answer, but his silence said everything. He was looking down on him, at least a little.
Danzo, seeing that expression, grew more irritated. "Just wait and see! That boy is nothing special. My Root is more than enough to deal with him."
Hiruzen exhaled through his pipe. "...Alright."
With that air of exaggerated confidence he always carried, Danzo turned on his heel and left the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen watched him go and could only shake his head.
Danzo had always been that way — too arrogant for his own good.
His strength never matched his self-assurance, yet he carried himself as if it did.
Still, Hiruzen found comfort in one thing: even if Danzo failed, he would always be there to protect Konoha.
He gazed out the window at the Hokage Rock, his eyes lingering on the faces of Hashirama and Tobirama.
"Everything I do is for Konoha," he muttered.
And yet, under that noble declaration, countless Konoha geniuses had been sacrificed.
All in the name of "the village."
In Hiruzen's eyes, their deaths were simply the cost of peace.
---
Leaving the Hokage Building behind, Aoyama Ryuyun bid farewell to Nara Shikaku and his comrades.
"Liu Yun, if you're free, come by the Nara compound for tea sometime," Shikaku offered with a calm smile.
"Don't worry — I'll come when I can," Ryuyun replied lightly.
The Ino–Shika–Cho trio nodded politely to him and Tsunade before heading off together.
"Let's go home," Ryuyun said, gently taking Tsunade's hand.
She smiled softly, gazing at him from the side. "Hmm."
---
"Tsunade!"
Just as the two were about to leave, a familiar voice called out.
Turning around, they saw Jiraiya and Orochimaru approaching together.
"Tsunade! I heard you were back—"
Jiraiya's face lit up with genuine happiness — until he noticed Tsunade and Aoyama Ryuyun's intertwined hands.
He froze, finger trembling as he pointed at them.
"Y-You… you two…?"
The poor man was utterly tongue-tied.
Everyone in the village knew Jiraiya's feelings for Tsunade — everyone except, perhaps, Tsunade herself, who had never returned them.
Orochimaru's expression didn't change, but a faint flicker of pity passed through his golden eyes.
After all, the woman his comrade had pined for was clearly someone else's now.
Still, his gaze soon shifted toward Ryuyun — sharp, probing, and filled with curiosity.
"I heard your dual-wielding sword style has already surpassed even the Konoha White Fang of the past," Orochimaru said coolly.
Ryuyun met his snake-like stare without flinching.
At his current level, even facing Orochimaru at his peak would not make him falter.
"They're just empty titles," Ryuyun replied casually. He had no interest in fame — only in perfecting his power, raising the compatibility of the Golden Lion's abilities to one hundred percent.
Orochimaru's thin lips curled. "Empty titles? You cut a Tailed Beast Ball in half. That's no small feat."
No one in recorded shinobi history had ever done such a thing.
The more Orochimaru observed him, the greater his fascination grew.
What a specimen. Such physical prowess — such precision — such potential.
To Orochimaru, Aoyama Ryuyun wasn't merely impressive; he was irresistible.
A perfect subject for his next experiment.
Ryuyun, being all too familiar with Orochimaru's nature, knew exactly what that stare meant.
His lips curved faintly. His free hand moved to the hilt of his sword as he locked eyes with the Sannin.
"What's with that look, Orochimaru? You thinking of trying something?"
At that moment, his gaze sharpened like a predator's.
A sudden wave of Haoshoku Haki burst forth — invisible yet overwhelming — pressing down on the space between them.
To Tsunade and Jiraiya, it felt like a strange gust of wind that made the air itself tense.
At their level, they couldn't sense the true nature of the force unless it was directed at them.
But Orochimaru could feel it.
His reptilian pupils dilated. For an instant, his mind went blank under the oppressive pressure.
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