There really was no other path left for Tsunade except becoming Hokage.
At this point in her life, she hadn't fully given up on the village, nor had she ever considered abandoning Konoha completely.
So she asked the question that had been tugging at her mind:
"Don't you want to be Hokage?"
With Shiki's talent and strength, he was easily qualified.
Hearing that, Shiki suddenly stopped walking.
He lifted a hand and pointed toward the sky.
"My goal… is the peak above those clouds."
"…"
The world fell silent.
A soft breeze drifted between them.
Tsunade looked at the light in Shiki's eyes—
that overwhelming confidence, that untamed ambition.
And she didn't question him.
Somehow… it felt natural.
As if he really did have the qualifications to reach the top of the world.
Realizing her own thoughts, Tsunade quickly shook her head.
"Hmph! Then work hard for that lofty dream!"
Shiki's goal wasn't Hokage.
Why would a lion care about a single village's title?
His sights were set on the endless sky above.
Tsunade took a deep breath.
"If I become Hokage… will you help me?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Do I have anything worth lying to you about?"
"...You— You're just begging for a beating!"
Every time she talked with him, Tsunade suddenly felt an uncontrollable urge to punch him.
Shiki didn't care.
He walked back toward his two-story house.
And Tsunade… followed him.
Her excuse?
"Well… if I go home, I'll only be alone. And I can't cook."
So if she could freeload dinner...she absolutely would.
"I'm back."
Shiki opened the door and said it out of habit—
But this time, he got a response.
"Welcome back!"
Kurenai came running over immediately, eyes shining.
"Shiki-nii! You've been gone all day!"
The war wasn't fully over yet, so the Academy was still on break.
Kurenai had nothing to do most days, so she liked visiting Shiki's place.
At first she looked thrilled.
Then she saw Tsunade behind Shiki.
Her smile died instantly.
"Oh.
It's Tsunade-senpai."
The contrast in attitude was so dramatic it was almost comical.
"You little—! What do you mean by that!?"
This wasn't the first time Tsunade and Kurenai had met.
Kurenai used to admire Tsunade—a legendary Sannin.
But once she realized Tsunade often came to Shiki's house uninvited…
Kurenai began treating Tsunade like an enemy stealing air from her oxygen supply.
"Hmph."
Kurenai didn't care about Tsunade's reaction.
She grabbed Shiki's coat, hung it neatly, and set his shoes aside with practiced familiarity.
If she wasn't only eight years old…
She would already look like the wife of the house.
"Geez…"
Watching Kurenai fuss around Shiki so naturally made Tsunade's eyebrow twitch.
Why does she act like I'm not even here??
"I'm still standing right here. Are you going to help me, or what?"
Kurenai lifted her head slowly, looking Tsunade up and down with a strange face.
"Would Tsunade-senpai ever do housework?"
Then her expression brightened as she "remembered" something.
"Oh right! Tsunade-senpai is super strong.
Someone like you wouldn't need to do any chores at all, right?"
"…"
Tch. I can hear the sarcasm.
"Are kids always this annoying nowadays!?"
Tsunade's forehead began throbbing.
"Hahaha!"
The legendary Slug Princess, Senju Tsunade—
speechless because of a little girl.
Shiki couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, alright. Kurenai, I'm hungry. Go prepare dinner."
"Mm!"
Kurenai nodded eagerly and trotted off to the kitchen without hesitation.
Her obedient, cheerful response made Tsunade purse her lips.
"Geez… so that's your type?
Didn't expect the famous Golden Lion to like them young."
Of course Tsunade saw it...that Kurenai kept staring at Shiki every two seconds.
Shiki gave her a look.
"If you're going to keep running your mouth, go home and cook for yourself."
"Hmph!"
Tsunade snorted, defeated yet again.
She shut up and followed him inside.
If Jiraiya or Orochimaru ever saw this?
They would genuinely believe they were hallucinating.
Senju Tsunade—obedient?
Respectful?
Listening quietly??
Impossible.
And yet, here she was… following Shiki like it was the most natural thing in the world.
--
"What did you call me here for?"
Danzo's voice was cold as he stood before the desk.
Across from him, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat expressionlessly in the Hokage chair, silently smoking.
The office was filled with a thick haze.
Danzo's eye twitched.
Did you summon me just to make me breathe your second-hand smoke?
Hiruzen took one more slow puff, then finally spoke.
"It's enough.
Stop it."
Danzo blinked.
"…What?"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
"You know exactly what I mean, Danzo."
Unlike Danzo,who would burn the entire village to cure a cough—Hiruzen still kept up some pretense of caution.
"The matter with Sakumo Hatake… is enough.
Let it end here."
To Hiruzen, White Fang had never been a real threat to his position.
What he truly hoped for… was simply for the villagers' anger to settle.
But in the end, the damage was done.
His reputation had collapsed, and he could no longer sit quietly as Hokage without resolving this matter.
But Danzo's expression twisted.
"Hiruzen…!
You're too weak!"
"Enough!" Hiruzen snapped.
"Mind your tone. I am the Hokage!"
"…"
There it was again.
Every time Hiruzen said those words, something inside Danzo twisted violently.
You're Hokage. You're Hokage.
As if I don't know.
Are you mocking me?
Grinding his teeth, Danzo forced himself to bow.
"You will regret it."
Then he turned and left the office without looking back.
Hiruzen didn't chase him.
Instead, he gazed out the window, looking down at the peaceful, quiet Konoha below.
A village bathed in sunlight.
Children playing.
Shops open.
Shinobi walking calmly.
Hiruzen nodded to himself.
"What I do…
is all for Konoha."
He never wished for Sakumo to die.
He only needed the situation to cool down—
for the pressure around Sakumo to fade,
and for the village to move forward without placing him on an impossible pedestal.
Killing him?
That was never an option.
The Second Ninja War had barely quieted.
The Sand Village was holding a fragile ceasefire.
If the White Fang suddenly vanished from the field, that balance would collapse immediately…
and the flames of war would rise again.
But where Hiruzen saw danger...
Danzo saw opportunity.
Shimura Danzo didn't care about balance.
He didn't care about stability.
He cared about power.
And Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang, was a threat.
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