The boy lifted his conical hat, revealing short black hair, amber eyes—and Konoha's forehead protector.
"Forgive my rudeness," Tejima Shinichi said calmly. "I'm a Konoha ninja—Tejima Shinichi!"
The sight of the forehead protector eased Tsunade's guard. But when she heard the name, a flicker of recognition crossed her face—familiar, yet just out of reach.
Before she could place it, Shinichi spoke again, adding a single detail that made her expression shift.
"My mother's name… Mori Chie."
Tsunade blinked—then broke into a wide grin.
.....
On a hill just outside town, the setting sun bathed the trees in warm gold.
A wooden table sprouted from the ground, covered with dishes unpacked from stacked lunch boxes.
Tsunade tore into the meat, then tipped back a swig of sake.
Gulp... "Ahh!" she exhaled, slapping Shinichi's shoulder. "Nice! Strong sake, tasty food—you've got heart, kid! Hahaha!"
Shizune twitched. "Lady Tsunade, please mind your manners..."
Tsunade waved her off, throwing an arm around Shinichi's neck.
"Relax! He's my little brother—no need for airs!"
She refilled her cup, gaze softening. "Time flies... When I heard Chie was expecting you, I meant to visit, but kept putting it off—look at you now."
"If you want... it's not too late to come back now," Shinichi hinted, slipping free.
Her cup paused; she snorted, drained it, and changed the subject.
She studied the sturdy Wood Release table beneath them, fingers brushing the texture, eyes lost in thought.
"I've caught some rumors," she said, tone turning grave.
She met his eyes. "Fire Country's buzzing about some monster kid who inherited Grandfather's Wood Release and traded blows with Shukaku in the Forest of Death... That wouldn't be you, would it, Shinichi?"
Even without probing, the legendary medic could feel the vast chakra inside him.
Shizune stared, stunned that the rumored twelve-year-old Wood Release prodigy was this very boy.
Shinichi nodded calmly. "It was me."
Tsunade's eyes glazed for a second; the sake blurred her sight, his face momentarily overlapping with memories of Nawaki.
Annoyed, she gulped another mouthful.
"So... the old man took you as a student and plans to make you Hokage?!"
She scoffed before he could answer, pain laced with mockery. "Fools, every last one—why chase that title?! What's so great about being Hokage?!"
Shizune flinched, hugging Tonton tighter, glancing worriedly between them.
Shinichi watched them, expression calm yet provocative. "Actually, I never wanted to be Hokage."
Tsunade's brow rose, intrigued despite the haze of drink.
She hadn't realized what was coming.
Shinichi spoke as if discussing the weather: "Ever since I graduated the Ninja Academy, a man named Shimura Danzo kept targeting me."
He paused, voice dropping. "He tried to brand me with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, to control me, to turn me into the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—a weapon without will."
Crack!
"What?!"
Tsunade's fingers crushed the porcelain cup; sake and shards dripped as her muscles coiled like a cornered beast's.
Shizune gasped, horror flashing across her face as she instinctively covered her mouth.
Unfazed...Shinichi continued... "The second time, he sent two Root jonin and six chunin to drag me outside the village."
"Shimura Danzo... how dare he—!"
With a roar, Tsunade slammed her fist onto the wooden table.
Boom!
The Wood Release table exploded into splinters; dishes flew, soup and sake rained everywhere.
Tonton squealed, leaping from Shizune's arms in fright before she hurriedly caught him again.
Shinichi calmly brushed a stray vegetable leaf from his sleeve, seemingly unbothered by the chaos.
He let out a quiet sigh and met Tsunade's blazing gaze. "I've never even told my parents any of this…"
Tsunade's pupils shrank, the storm of anger in her eyes collapsing into a sudden, unsettling calm.
After a slow breath, she said simply, "Let's go."
Ignoring the wreckage around them, she looked at the boy—the one who had called her sister, cooked for her, and trusted her with what he couldn't share with his own parents.
"I'm going back to the village. Right now."
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