"Tsunade-sama, where are we heading next?" Shizune asked, her voice tinged with frustration. Holding her small pet, Tonton, she looked at her ntor, clearly exasperated.
As she had expected, Lady Tsunade had lost all her money in the casino again. Fortunately, Shizune had hidden away so cash, or they wouldn't even have enough for a al.
"To the Hokage building," Tsunade replied, her expression complicated as she looked toward the tall structure visible even from a distance—the Hokage Building.
After a short walk, the two entered the building and made their way to the Hokage's office.
"Tsunade, welco back!" The Third Hokage greeted her warmly, a kind smile on his age-spotted face.
"Sensei," Tsunade replied with a asured tone. Though she acknowledged his greeting, a hint of disgust flickered in her eyes. She knew all too well that behind her teacher's benevolent exterior lay a calculating politician, ruthless and manipulative.
Her departure from Konoha had been partly due to the grief of losing her younger brother, Nawaki, and her lover, Dan. But her decision to leave had also been influenced by her disillusionnt with the Hokage's true nature—one she could no longer ignore.
"It's been years since you've been here. Konoha has changed quite a bit, hasn't it?" the Hokage began casually, trying to create a comfortable atmosphere.
Such cordial small talk was his way of disarming others, creating a warm impression that would make them more open to his aims.
"It certainly has," Tsunade replied coldly, her impatience visible. "Sensei, you ntioned a ninja with a blind right eye. Let's get to it. Summon him here."
The Third Hokage's smile flickered with a hint of displeasure, though he quickly concealed it. With a nod, he turned to the Anbu guard outside the door.
"Bring Shisui in."
Monts later, Uchiha Shisui entered. Since he was not on a mission, he wore a simple black outfit displaying the Uchiha clan emblem.
"An Uchiha?" Tsunade's face hardened as she noted the emblem. "I don't heal Uchiha clan mbers, Sensei. You know that."
"Tsunade," the Third Hokage said, a calm plea in his voice, "Shisui is different from the others. He's the grandson of Uchiha Kagami, my forr teammate and a disciple of the Second Hokage. Shisui's loyalty to Konoha runs as deep as yours or mine."
The ntion of her granduncle's student, Uchiha Kagami, softened Tsunade's expression. She had heard of Kagami—a mber of the Uchiha clan known for his integrity and commitnt to peace.
"Carrying on his grandfather's will, Shisui has joined the Anbu and worked tirelessly for Konoha. His right eye was blinded fighting an enemy who posed a grave threat to our village," the Third Hokage added, seizing the opportunity.
After a brief pause, Tsunade relented. "Fine, I'll make an exception this ti."
She walked up to Shisui, inspecting his blind eye before channeling her dical chakra. A soft green glow surrounded her hand, gradually enveloping Shisui's right eye. The energy flowed into his damaged eye like a healing balm, gradually reaching the necrotic areas.
The chakra felt like a stream of life, seeping into the injured tissue, attempting to repair the damage.
After a long silence, Tsunade retracted her hand, the green glow fading.
"Shisui, how does it feel?" the Third Hokage asked eagerly.
"I can see… a little light!" Shisui responded with surprise, marveling at the change in his vision. The Hokage's efforts to bring Tsunade back had proven worthwhile—no other dical ninja had even co close to restoring his sight.
"Tsunade, do you think you can fully heal it?" the Hokage asked with a glimr of hope.
"It's not possible," Tsunade replied bluntly. "The eye's crystalline structure is completely damaged, and the nerves are necrotic. I've done all I can."
She shook her head, glancing at Shisui's right eye. "The eye is entirely dead. The damage is irreversible, likely due to the Uchiha clan's forbidden techniques. If you need vision, I recomnd replacing it."
The Senju clan's long history with the Uchiha clan ant she was familiar with the side effects of techniques like Izanagi, which ca at the cost of an eye.
"Replacing it?" The Hokage's face fell, disappointnt clear.
This was no ordinary eye but a Mangekyō Sharingan. No replacent could match its original power.
Shisui's earlier excitent faded. If even Tsunade, the world's foremost dical ninja, couldn't heal his eye, he feared there was truly no hope left.
"Interesting… this eye must be no ordinary Sharingan," Tsunade thought to herself. She noted the Hokage's reaction and inferred that it was likely a Mangekyō Sharingan—one of the rarest and most powerful Uchiha abilities.
Satisfied she had done her best, she turned back to the Hokage.
"Sensei, I heard there's a Wood Release user active in the ninja world. I ca back to get information on him."
"You've heard as well?" The Third Hokage's brows knitted, a mix of surprise and unease on his face.
Tsunade's return to Konoha to heal Shisui was secondary. Her main goal was clearly to investigate the Wood Release user—a potential tie to her lineage.
"Yes, I heard rumors," Tsunade replied, nodding. Wood Release was her grandfather Hashirama Senju's signature ability, so of course, the news had stirred her interest.
"This person calls himself Uchiha Madara," the Hokage revealed.
"Uchiha Madara? That's impossible," Tsunade retorted, frowning. The idea that Madara was still alive defied all logic.
"We think so too, but this person does wield the Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release," the Hokage continued. "We suspect he may have transplanted First Hokage Hashirama's cells, potentially through experints conducted by Orochimaru, or he may be working with Orochimaru."
"Orochimaru…" Tsunade's expression darkened at the ntion of her forr teammate. "If he's involved, I need to find him. Sensei, I'll take my leave now."
Without further delay, Tsunade turned to leave the office with Shizune following close behind.
"You're leaving right away? Why not stay in the village a bit longer?" the Third Hokage called after her.
Once, he had viewed Tsunade and her fellow Sannin as potential threats to his leadership, manipulating events that eventually drove them away from Konoha. Now, with powerful enemies on the horizon, he found himself wishing she would stay and lend her strength to the village.
But Tsunade was resolute. "Orochimaru's movents are unpredictable. I need to start searching for him right away."
As long as the Third Hokage remained in power, she wanted nothing to do with Konoha's affairs.
(End of this chapter)
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