Within a mysterious space.
Yin An observed the noise, arguments, and collective hysteria of the outside world as if watching a play, finding it all rather amusing.
He stretched lazily, withdrawing his consciousness from the chaos of the shinobi world.
"Easy for you to say—always rushing me, rushing me!"
"Writing the script and directing it myself… that's seriously exhausting."
Yin An yawned, picked up the exquisite fishing rod again, and skillfully cast the line into the shimmering lake.
"You all can wait patiently. People only feel more intensely when they're anxious. As for now…"
"I'll fish for a bit. My tabby cat has been eyeing the fish in this lake for ages. Why aren't they biting?"
"System, exchange another one thousand fish and release them into the lake."
The tabby cat beside him seemed to understand. It let out a soft meow, licked its paw, then continued staring at the lake with eager anticipation.
Time felt peaceful here—forming a stark contrast to the boiling turmoil of the shinobi world.
Hokage Office, Konohagakure
In sharp contrast to Yin An's leisure, Hiruzen Sarutobi was experiencing torment unlike anything before.
In the future revealed by the Heavenly Screen, Sasuke Uchiha ultimately stood with Konoha again, and Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage.
So did that mean… Sasuke had successfully taken revenge on Konoha's upper echelons?
Hiruzen had never cared much about personal honor—or even life and death.
At his age, what mattered most was the village's continuation and stability… and how history would remember him.
"Death, then death…"
A dark thought even crossed his mind—perhaps leaving behind a "proper ending" wouldn't be so bad.
"And if our deaths could be exchanged for a Sasuke Uchiha like the one shown in the Heavenly Screen—standing at the pinnacle of the shinobi world, yet still belonging to Konoha—then perhaps… that trade wouldn't be a loss."
But the problem was—
The timing was completely wrong.
The current Sasuke was still a child who hadn't even graduated from the Academy.
Weak in strength, immature in thought, and filled with rage born of deception and manipulation.
Every scheme, every shadowy calculation, had now been exposed under the Heavenly Screen.
There was no guarantee Sasuke Uchiha would ever return to Konoha again.
What should be done next?
Forcefully control Sasuke?
Even ignoring whether it would succeed, that would only intensify the conflict—perhaps even give birth prematurely to a monster who hated Konoha.
And worse still…
Itachi was still out there.
A true madman.
Let things run their course?
But with the future already exposed, no one could guarantee Sasuke would still grow as he once did.
Inside the village: the unresolved issue of the Uchiha survivor and a ticking bomb of hatred.
Outside: the four great shinobi villages watching closely, trust collapsing, hostility surging.
Within Konoha itself: division and growing alienation.
Hiruzen felt as though his mind were tangled beyond repair.
He rubbed his aching temples, his gaze sweeping across the office before finally settling on Tsunade—arms crossed, expression still as cold as frost.
A thought flashed through his mind like lightning in the dark.
…Yes.
Perhaps… it was time for change.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, as if summoning all the strength he had left. His voice came out hoarse, yet unprecedentedly solemn.
"Tsunade…"
All eyes in the office turned toward him.
Meeting her sharp, distant gaze, Hiruzen spoke slowly, deliberately—uttering a decision that shook the room to its core:
"You… should become the Fifth Hokage."
The air seemed to freeze.
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock.
Tsunade's expression changed instantly. Her trademark temper nearly exploded on the spot—ready to curse this mess to hell and outright refuse.
Yet the words reached her lips… and stopped.
She was no longer an ignorant little girl.
Everything revealed by the Heavenly Screen, and the very real crisis now facing Konoha, weighed on her like heavy shackles.
Only those who still cared would hesitate.
The frivolity vanished from Jiraiya's face. He looked at his aged teacher, his eyes complicated, his tone carrying a faint sigh.
"Old man… you finally willing to let go of the power in your hands?"
It sounded like a joke—but it pierced straight through the self-justifications Hiruzen had clung to for years.
Hiruzen forced a bitter smile and asked weakly,
"In your hearts… am I really… that obsessed with power?"
Neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya answered immediately.
But their silence—and the unspoken 'Isn't that obvious?' written plainly on their faces—was the cruelest answer of all.
Seeing the undisguised distrust and distance in the eyes of his most trusted disciples, Hiruzen felt a stabbing pain in his chest, followed by deep despair.
He had spent his entire life running himself ragged for Konoha.
Every difficult—every dirty—decision had been made for the village's stability and survival.
So why…?
Why, in the end, could not even those closest to him understand?
Were all his sacrifices reduced, in others' eyes, to nothing more than greed for power?
He closed his eyes in exhaustion. When he opened them again, only a heavy, almost pleading resolve remained.
"Tsunade… Konoha is standing on the brink of collapse."
His voice was hoarse, utterly drained.
"Internally, trust has shattered. The clans are anxious. The hatred of the Uchiha survivor is a ticking time bomb."
"Externally, the four great nations watch us like predators. Suspicion and hostility surge like a tide."
"Konoha… needs a new pillar. Someone who can unite everyone once more!"
At this, Hiruzen looked straight at Tsunade, his eyes burning.
"And that person—can only be you."
"Your lineage, your strength, your prestige… You are the First Hokage's granddaughter. One of the Legendary Sannin."
"Only if you step forward can the situation be stabilized. Only you can lead Konoha through this crisis!"
"Heh."
Tsunade let out a cold laugh, her words sharp as blades.
"So you do know Konoha's about to be ruined by you old fogeys, huh? Now you finally remember to drag me back to clean up your mess?"
Hiruzen could only respond with bitter silence.
At that moment, Jiraiya spoke as well—his tone serious and sincere.
"Tsunade, the old man's not wrong. You and I both understand the situation we're in. According to the Heavenly Screen's original course… the future Konoha must have faced a catastrophe big enough to force you to return and take the Hokage's seat."
"Now… it's just happening earlier."
Those words struck directly at the deepest part of Tsunade's heart.
She fell silent.
Because what Jiraiya said… was exactly what she had been thinking.
If the village had not been pushed to the brink of life and death, she would never have returned to take on a position filled with pain and crushing responsibility.
The exhausted figure of Fifth Hokage Tsunade, bearing the fate of the entire shinobi world shown in the Heavenly Screen, was proof enough.
She had run for so many years…
And yet in the end…
Could she really escape it?
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