Konoha.
Despite the outbreak of the Ninja World War in the scorching heat of August, most conflicts are localized, allowing the village of Konoha to enjoy a brief period of peace.
On the rooftop, leaning against the railing, Tsunade, who had recently returned to the village, stood with her hair tied up in a ponytail. She wore a refreshing short-sleeved shirt that exposed her midriff, layered over a sh outfit.
"Nawaki, happy 12th birthday."
Standing there, Tsunade smiled brightly as she offered her congratulations. Opposite her stood Nawaki, wearing his Konoha headband. Upon hearing his sister's birthday wish and seeing her pull out a gift, Nawaki displayed a sowhat prideful expression.
"I'm not a kid anymore. There's no need to give any birthday gifts." Though he said this, the joy in Nawaki's eyes was unmistakable, and his hands eagerly reached for the gift.
Seeing this, Tsunade chuckled and teased, "Go on, open it. You might like what's inside."
Leaning casually against the railing, she watched Nawaki open the gift with a doting expression, though a trace of seriousness lingered in her eyes.
The gift was a beautifully packaged tal box. When Nawaki opened it and saw the contents, his expression turned to shock.
"Sis, could this be...?"
Nawaki's face was full of astonishnt, instantly recognizing the gift.
Tsunade chuckled softly beside him and said, "That's right; this is from our grandfather, First Hokage's Necklace."
Upon hearing this, Nawaki's face lit up with excitent.
"I love it, sis!"
Seeing his excitent, Tsunade couldn't resist teasing him further. "Nawaki, it's your birthday today, and I hear you're going out on a mission tomorrow?"
Still elated, Nawaki didn't notice the hint of concern in her casual question. He enthusiastically nodded and, without hesitation, shared his plans.
"That's right, sis. I was assigned this mission yesterday, and I'm heading out tomorrow with Lord Orochimaru."
In an attempt to reassure his sister, Nawaki raised his head and smiled sincerely. Tsunade returned the smile, though a shadow of worry lingered deep in her eyes.
Is Orochimaru involved in this? She tried not to imagine, but this was her younger brother, the future of the Senju Clan.
As Nawaki's laughter echoed, Tsunade casually teased, "Well, I heard that Uchiha kid from your class beat you to the top rank. Otherwise, you'd already be working under your big sister."
Nawaki grinned.
"Don't worry, sis. Even if I were at the top, I'd still choose to work with Lord Orochimaru. But I bet Uchiha Shirou is going to give you a headache, sis."
At the ntion of Uchiha Shirou, Nawaki couldn't help but smirk a little.
And so, the siblings spent the day laughing together, celebrating Nawaki's 12th birthday.
...
The previous day, the sun blazed, but today, the sky was overcast, as if the weather mirrored the foreboding events to co. At the gates of Konoha, Orochimaru led Nawaki's team out of the village to carry out their mission. Once they'd departed, Tsunade quietly appeared under a large tree outside the village, hidden in the shadows.
Standing in the shade, Tsunade examined the scroll in her hand with a solemn expression.
"A simple C-rank mission involving a group of rogue samurai? In tis of war, intelligence on activities within the Land of Fire should be handled carefully. How could such a basic error happen? Especially so close to the village!"
As she analyzed the intel in her hand, she couldn't shake a feeling of unease. This mission should have been straightforward and short, with plenty of ti to return. If not for her gut feeling, she would have had no reason to doubt it.
But this was her younger brother. With a grave expression, Tsunade lted into the shadows. She chose not to follow Nawaki's team directly, knowing that Orochimaru's presence would make it easy to detect her. Instead, she headed straight to the mission's location. With the team slowed by their mbers, she would arrive first.
Half a day later.
In a dark forest, shadows darted back and forth. A scream echoed as a figure's eyes lost their light, a snake crushing their neck before retracting back into Orochimaru's sleeve as he chuckled sinisterly. Just then, Nawaki excitedly appeared behind him, followed closely by his teammates.
Orochimaru smiled to himself, thinking, "Nawaki is already getting the hang of it. Soon, he'll fully adapt to the battlefield."
True to his Senju lineage, Nawaki's chakra reserves were exceptional, setting him on a path to becoming an elite Chunin.
But just as Orochimaru's satisfaction peaked, an explosion resounded, and towering flas illuminated his pale face. His golden, serpentine eyes narrowed in shock as he stared into the distance.
"Impossible!"
The two genin froze, terrified. They had faced life-or-death monts before, but this ti, soone significant had fallen. The blaze cast a somber light on the trio's faces.
In the distance, Tsunade's eyes burned with rage, reflecting the flas. "Why are there so many explosive tags here? And in such large quantities!"
She had arrived over an hour before Orochimaru and, while watching from the shadows, had detected nothing unusual. But now, she'd seen everything.
The explosive tag trap had ensnared Nawaki. There was only one explanation—it was preditated. Could it be a coincidence?
"Nawaki!" ca the panicked shout of his two teammates. Amidst the flas, Tsunade suppressed her anger, throwing a decoy corpse and the necklace she'd given Nawaki the day before into the fire. She hadn't expected to need them but now, she had no choice.
In a flash, Tsunade, carrying Nawaki, disappeared into the night, leaving only flas behind.
At this ti, the Sannins hadn't yet earned their legendary titles. Among them, Tsunade was the strongest, followed by Orochimaru, with Jiraiya trailing. Being a ninja requires resources, and Orochimaru had yet to begin his research into forbidden jutsu or achieve near-immortality. (During his defection, he nearly perished from explosive tags.) Jiraiya, too, had yet to master Sage Mode.
As the Senju Clan's princess, Tsunade had access to resources most could only dream of.
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