The afterglow of the setting sun painted the sculptures of the successive Hokage on the Hokage Rock with a warm golden hue, as if silently narrating the Village's glory and peace.
Kanzaki leaned on Lady Tsunade's soft shoulder, his clear eyes quietly surveying the Village before him, both familiar and strange. The tall gatehouse, the bustling streets, the lanterns hanging under the eaves, and the aroma of roasted meat and miso soup wafting through the air... everything seemed so peaceful and tranquil.
However, beneath this tranquility, Kanzaki knew better than anyone what undercurrents and sharp teeth lurked.
He understood that from the moment he stepped through this gate, his life was a drama with no retakes. The audience consisted of the world's most elite, cunning, and powerful Ninja. And he, a transmigrator in the skin of a four-year-old child, had to perfectly portray innocence and dependence to secure a place for himself to survive in this Village.
"Lady Tsunade, you're back!"
The two Chunin guarding the gate showed a flicker of surprise when they recognized the newcomer, then immediately straightened their backs and saluted respectfully. Their gaze inevitably fell upon the child in Lady Tsunade's arms, their eyes filled with curiosity and doubt.
Lady Tsunade merely nodded faintly, her steps not faltering in the slightest, as she carried Kanzaki directly towards the center of the Village. She only wanted to get to the Hokage Building as quickly as possible, find Sarutobi-sensei, and legitimize this child in the name of the Senju Clan, giving him a proper, public identity.
However, the news of Lady Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, bringing back a child of unknown origin, was like a giant stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up unseen ripples beneath the surface.
Along the streets, some villagers and Ninja cast curious glances, whispering among themselves.
"Look, Lady Tsunade brought back a child."
"Could this be Lady Tsunade's illegitimate child?"
"You're talking nonsense! Lady Tsunade is the purest."
"You're not allowed to insult Lady Tsunade! I'll duel you!"
"He's probably a child from the war."
"The world is too chaotic now. Luckily, we live in Konoha Village."
"Exactly. Konoha Village is safe, thanks to Hokage-sama."
"Right, right, Hokage-sama is the best."
Kanzaki took all of this in, but his small face only buried itself deeper into Lady Tsunade's embrace, as if filled with fear of the outside world. His hands tightly clutched Lady Tsunade's clothes, playing the role of a frightened child to perfection.
Just as they turned a corner, about to step onto the main road leading to the Hokage Building, Lady Tsunade's steps abruptly halted.
The surrounding lively bustle seemed to be instantly cut off by an invisible hand.
The air, in that instant, became cold and stagnant.
Three figures, like specters seeping from the shadows, appeared silently before them, blocking their path. They wore matching black uniforms, gray-white cloaks, and cat-faced masks that only revealed their eyes.
There was no emotional fluctuation from them, and their Chakra was suppressed like still water, yet the chilling and ominous aura emanating from their very bones was more oppressive than any killing intent.
They were Root Ninja.
Kanzaki's heart sank sharply, but his face still held that innocent and ignorant expression. They're here, so fast. Danzo Shimura, this Shadow of Konoha, truly was like a shark smelling blood, sending out his pawns at the first opportunity.
Shizune nervously stepped forward, shielding Kanzaki and Lady Tsunade, her face filled with vigilance: "Who are you? How dare you block Lady Tsunade's path!"
The leading Root Ninja ignored Shizune's question. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, were like two cold scalpels, fixed intently on Kanzaki in Lady Tsunade's arms.
"Lady Tsunade," his voice rang out, dry and flat, devoid of any human intonation, "This child's origin is unknown, and his aura is abnormal. According to Konoha's security regulations, he must be immediately handed over to Root for investigation and protection."
"Investigation and protection?"
Lady Tsunade laughed, but there was no warmth in her smile, only an bone-chilling coldness. Her amber pupils instantly narrowed into dangerous pinpricks, and a surge of Chakra, far more terrifying and violent than anything seen on the battlefield before, erupted like a waking volcano!
Boom—!
Centered on her, the flagstones beneath her feet instantly cracked in a spiderweb pattern, spreading outwards at a visible speed. The powerful shockwave blew the surrounding stalls askew, startling passersby who screamed and retreated, forming a large circle of onlookers in the distance.
"You rats hiding in the sewers, do you even qualify to talk to me about 'investigation'?" Every word Lady Tsunade spoke seemed to be squeezed from between her teeth, filled with undisguised killing intent and contempt. "Scram!"
The single word "Scram!" exploded like thunder, its terrifying pressure causing the ground beneath the three Root Ninja to indent slightly.
However, they remained motionless, like three lifeless stone statues. The leading Ninja continued in his flat tone: "This is Danzo's order. For the safety of Konoha, please cooperate. Any attempt to harbor suspicious individuals will be considered a potential threat to the Village."
"Danzo?" Lady Tsunade's cold sneer intensified. "Tell him to come here and speak to me himself! You lot, you're not worthy!"
Before her words finished, the arm holding Kanzaki tightened abruptly, and her other hand clenched into a fist, gathering a terrifying amount of Chakra at its tip, distorting the surrounding air. She truly harbored killing intent. To her, this was no longer a simple procedural matter; it was Danzo extending his dirty hands towards her last treasure!
This was a capital offense, touching her reverse scale!
However, at this critical moment...
A small, soft hand, gently and with a slight tremor, tugged at the sleeve of her arm, which was about to strike.
"Sister..."
A childish voice, tearful and full of fear and dependence, sounded in Lady Tsunade's ear.
Lady Tsunade's entire body trembled. The towering killing intent and rage, as if doused with a bucket of ice water, instantly froze.
She abruptly lowered her head, meeting Kanzaki's large, clear eyes, brimming with tears. The little one's body was trembling in her arms, his small face pale, his lips quivering. He used all his strength to squeeze out a few words from his throat.
"Sister... I'm scared..."
Kanzaki silently praised his own acting skills.
He wasn't scared, of course. From the moment these Root Ninja appeared, his brain had been working at high speed.
Fight?
He couldn't fight. Engaging Root here, regardless of winning or losing, would push him into the spotlight. If they won, it would be Lady Tsunade harboring him, an individual of unknown origin, openly defying Konoha Anbu. If they lost... that was even worse; he would be taken directly to that dark, sunless base and become the next experiment.
What he wanted was not for Lady Tsunade to clear a path for him with her fists. What he wanted was for Lady Tsunade, in her role as "Sister" and in the name of the "Senju Clan," to firmly protect him under her wing, preventing anyone, including the Hokage, from easily taking him away from her side.
That single "Sister" and "I'm scared" were arrows shot into the softest part of Lady Tsunade's heart.
It reminded Lady Tsunade that the child she held was not a "suspicious individual" who needed investigation, but a "little brother" who had just experienced immense trauma, saw her as his only reliance, and was capable of fear and tears.
Indeed, seeing Kanzaki like this, Lady Tsunade's heart, which was on the verge of losing control due to rage, felt as if it had been tightly squeezed by a hand, causing her to gasp sharply.
Right... she had forgotten. The child in her arms was only four years old, having just been pulled back from the brink of death. How could she let him witness such a bloody and terrifying scene again? Her demeanor just now must have scared him.
Endless self-reproach and heartache instantly overwhelmed her towering rage.
The destructive aura emanating from Lady Tsunade receded like a tide. She took a deep breath, carefully pressed Kanzaki's head against her chest, freed one hand, and gently patted his back, comforting him in the softest voice she had ever used: "Kanzaki, don't be scared. Sister is here. It's alright, Sister won't let anyone hurt you."
Her movements were so gentle, her gaze so compassionate, she was like a completely different person from the furious female Asura just moments ago.
Although he knew it wasn't the time to be distracted, the words "so soft" involuntarily arose in Kanzaki's mind.
Lady Tsunade raised her head and looked at the three Root Ninja again. Although the killing intent in her eyes had receded, it was replaced by a colder, more resolute, and unyielding determination.
"Today, no one will take him from me." Her voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed through the entire street corner. "If you want to take him, you'll have to step over my dead body. You can tell Danzo exactly what I said."
The atmosphere, at this moment, reached its absolute deadlock.
The Root Ninja did not move, nor did Lady Tsunade. On one side was an order representing the unchallengeable Shadow of Konoha, and on the other was a Legendary Sannin's protection, staked on her life and honor.
A storm, powerful enough to shake the entire Konoha high command, had already formed.