Konoha, Senju Clan.
Tsunade was under house arrest, undergoing an investigation by the Konoha Jonin Council.
The so-called Konoha Jonin Council was currently the highest decision-making body in Konoha.
Before the establishment of the Jonin Council, from the First to the Third Hokage, Konoha was co-governed by fifty-three Shinobi clans.
As time passed, civilian Ninjas became more numerous, and clans large and small declined one after another; thus, whenever a major event occurred, the Third Hokage would convene all the Jonin in the Village to deliberate together.
Over time, this became known as the Jonin Council.
Years ago, the meeting where Tsunade proposed assigning a Medical Ninja to every squad was a session of the Jonin Council.
Jonin are the pillars of a Village, each possessing a certain level of status and power within the Village, even those from civilian backgrounds.
The election for the Fourth Hokage this time could not bypass the Jonin Council.
Every Jonin held a vote for the election of the Hokage.
However, the election of a Hokage required nominations from the high-ranking officials—namely Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado, the four disciples of the Second Hokage.
The Uchiha Clan had been screwed over during the Hokage election; the high-ranking officials hadn't even nominated Uchiha Fugaku.
If you can't even sign up, wanting to be Hokage is just a pipe dream.
Overall, the Jonin Council held great power, yet not that much; Konoha was still run by those four old geezers.
Although Tsunade was supposedly being investigated, to this day, no one dared to actually investigate her. The people behind the scenes were busy destroying evidence and forging documents, trying to settle Nagayama Minoru's matter once and for all.
Tsunade was so furious she was punching training posts at home; she had already smashed the Senju Clan's training ground into a total mess.
Even so, Tsunade's anger was not appeased.
She grabbed the current head of the Senju Clan, Senju Gyokushun.
"Gyokushun, you were the Director of Konoha Hospital before. Did you know about Nagayama Minoru's business?"
Gyokushun pleaded desperately, "Eldest Miss, I really didn't know. Nagayama Minoru always seemed reliable, but I never expected him to be a spy for Root and cause such a massive deficit for the hospital."
Tsunade sneered, "I see you're not being honest either, old boy. You must have stolen funds hidden at home. Shizune, let's go; we're going to search the place."
Gyokushun quickly knelt down. "Lady Tsunade, Eldest Miss, Ancestor! Please don't search, don't search!"
"I'll talk, I'll tell you everything! Nagayama Minoru gave me a large sum of money to bribe me. He threatened me with Orochimaru and Danzo. I was truly afraid of them!"
"That's all I know, Eldest Miss. I really haven't spent a single cent of it; I was just scared of being poor."
"You, poor! Are the clan's offerings not enough? You are simply bringing shame to the Senju Clan!"
Tsunade lifted Gyokushun and sneered, "In a moment, send all the stolen funds to the Hokage's Office, and then await the Hokage's judgment."
"Thank you, Eldest Miss. I will certainly return all the stolen money."
Gyokushun felt that not being forced to commit seppuku was already a great mercy.
"Don't think it ends here. Once you're out of Konoha Prison, you'll still have to face punishment at the family shrine."
Suddenly, a small white snake appeared before Tsunade.
Tsunade recognized the snake. "Orochimaru's messenger snake? What does Orochimaru want with me?"
The relationship between Tsunade and Orochimaru was not the harmonious bond of fellow disciples.
In earlier years, there was trust between comrades-in-arms, but as Orochimaru became increasingly indifferent to life and obsessed with researching forbidden Ninjutsu...
This gloomy personality and dangerous ideas caused Tsunade to always maintain a layer of distance from him.
Ryou is a beast, but Orochimaru isn't human either.
Why am I surrounded by perverts?
Tsunade couldn't help but ask herself this internally.
Though their relationship was poor, they were currently Ninjas of the same Village. If Orochimaru sent a messenger snake, it must be something urgent.
Perhaps he found Ryou's whereabouts.
Tsunade opened Orochimaru's note with some trepidation, and her eyes suddenly went wide. "What? Uchiha Madara is still alive?"
Gyokushun doubted his own ears. Madara? A man who was practically a guardian spirit by now was still alive?
But Tsunade's actions undoubtedly proved it was true.
"Shizune, take this note to the Hokage's Office immediately and tell Sensei the news that Uchiha Madara is still alive."
"Gyokushun, I'll let you redeem yourself this time. Quickly summon your Ninja Eagle and take me to the Land of Grass."
"Eldest Miss..."
"Don't waste time! Orochimaru wouldn't lie about this. The existence of Uchiha Madara means a new Ninja World War!"
Mount Myōboku.
Sage Fukusaku woke up the Great Toad Sage.
"Great Master, Great Master, Little Jiraiya is here."
The Great Toad Sage woke up somewhat dazed, looking left and right as if he hadn't fully awoken, seemingly searching for Jiraiya's whereabouts.
Sage Shima reminded him, "Great Master, Little Jiraiya is right here."
The Great Toad Sage realized and said to Jiraiya, "Little Jiraiya, you've come!"
Jiraiya nodded. "Great Sage, if you have something to say, please tell me!"
"Something to say?!"
The Great Toad Sage was still a bit absent-minded. "Little Jiraiya, have you eaten yet?"
"(＞д＜)."
Sage Fukusaku and Sage Shima were so anxious they were about to start swearing.
Looking at the Great Toad Sage's posture, if Jiraiya hadn't eaten, it looked like he was going to prepare a plate of bugs and have a long chat with him.
Is the Great Toad Sage not awake yet?
Sage Fukusaku reminded him, "Great Master, don't you have a new prophecy to warn Little Jiraiya about?"
"Oh, prophecy... a new prophecy. I remember now."
The Great Toad Sage suddenly became serious, looking at Jiraiya. "Little Jiraiya, I see an Uchiha ghost quietly returning from the boundary between Yin and Yang."
"Little Jiraiya, you must stop him, otherwise the entire Ninja World will be destroyed by him."
As soon as these words were spoken, even Sage Fukusaku and Sage Shima instantly identified Madara.
"Great Master, is it Uchiha Madara?"
Sage Shima said urgently, "Stupid! Besides Uchiha Madara, who else in the Uchiha Clan has the power to destroy the world?"
"Good grief, if Uchiha Madara is about to be resurrected, then every toad in Mount Myōboku will have to be mobilized."
Jiraiya stood frozen on the spot, unable to come to his senses for a long time.
"Uchiha Madara?!"
The Ninja World... is in danger!
"...Cough, cough..."
Madara coughed twice, coughing up blood from his lungs.
Although a single glance had scared Orochimaru away, Madara had essentially exhausted half of his energy.
He couldn't even keep his Sharingan open now.
Black and White Zetsu appeared by Madara's side, and White Zetsu said to him, "Lord Madara, this is bad. Our base has been discovered by that Orochimaru fellow. He's currently driving his swarm of giant snakes to break in."
White Zetsu's tracks had been noticed by Orochimaru before, but Madara had felt he was about to return to his peak at the time and hadn't paid it any mind.
He didn't expect this foul snake to be so persistent, still looking for them after all this time, and actually finding him.
Should he say the man's perseverance was amazing, or that he was simply obsessed?
Black Zetsu suggested, "Lord Madara, let's move the base first!"
Black Zetsu favored stability; having waited for a thousand years, what Black Zetsu needed most now was caution.
In any case, the Rinnegan had already appeared in the world; even without Madara, someone could be found to collect the Tailed Beasts.
But the Gedo Statue was here with Madara; if an accident occurred, the nine Tailed Beasts couldn't be merged into the Ten-Tails.
Madara didn't answer directly. He said weakly, "Where is Ryou? Bring him to see me."
"Fine!"
Since things had come to this, he would leave it to fate.
One either explodes in silence or dies in silence.
Even if he, Madara, were to die, he would not die without making a sound.
Ryou was currently instructing Tobi on how to paint, while Obito had also woken up and was chanting a scripture to Ryou.
What scripture? The Scripture of the Will of Fire!
"Wherever leaves flutter, fire shall burn..."