Fugaku has gone mad; he's going to create a new Uchiha clan in Kirigakure.

The Land of Fire, Tanabata Street.

"Big! Big! Big!"

"Open! -- Small!"

"Tsk!"

Inside the casino, Tsunade slammed her hand on the gambling table, causing the dice cups and chips to jump. Her proud breasts heaved violently, drawing furtive glances from the surrounding gamblers, who dared not look too closely.

"Again!"

"Lady Tsunade..."

Shizune stood behind her, holding a pink piglet named Tun Tun, her voice full of helplessness.

"We've lost everything."

Tsunade paused, looked down at her empty money pouch, then looked up at the glaring "small" sign on the gambling table, and remained silent for two seconds.

Then, she suddenly grinned.

"Oh no, I've lost everything."

She stood up, stretched, and her perfect curves were on full display under the dim lights of the casino.

"Let's go then, I'm a little hungry, let's go eat."

Shizune sighed helplessly, silently hugged the little pig in her arms tighter, and chased after it...

...

Compared to the artificially created atmosphere of day and night in the casino, the afternoon sun outside was a bit dazzling. Tsunade squinted and touched her flat stomach.

"Mute, let's go get some ramen."

"Lady Tsunade, we've already said, we... we're out of money..."

"Then let's pawn it first."

Tsunade pointed at Tonton.

"I'll redeem it when I have the money. It's not the first time anyway, haha..."

"Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!"

Tun Tun immediately began to struggle violently in her arms, kicking her short legs desperately.

"Okay, okay."

Tsunade sighed, bent down to take off her shoes, and pulled out a crumpled banknote from under the insole.

"Look, there's still some left, enough for the two of us to have a meal."

She paused, then glanced at Tun Tun.

"Let it have the soup."

...

Outside an inconspicuous ramen shop in Tanabata, Tsunade and Shizune squatted by the roadside, sharing a bowl of the cheapest miso ramen. Since they could only afford one bowl, the shop didn't even leave them a place to stand.

Just then, intermittent conversations could be heard coming from inside the ramen shop.

"Have you heard? Konoha has suffered a huge defeat this time!"

"Huh? What happened now? Didn't they say the Uchiha clan defected a while ago and were wiped out in the Land of Whirlpools by Elder Danzo and his men?"

"Annihilate my foot! That's fake news spread by Konoha! The truth is, Danzo's thousand elite troops were all captured!"

"What?!"

"That's not all! Later, the advisor, Lord Mitokado Homura, personally led the sealing team and used that... Four Red Yang Formation! And guess what happened?"

"What's wrong?"

"Let that Uchiha clan leader, what's his name, Fugaku, get smashed right through! He swallowed him whole, barrier and all!"

"Wow! Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? In the end, it was Hatake Kakashi, the 'Copy Ninja,' who surrendered to the Uchiha on behalf of the remaining remnants of Konoha. The two sides are negotiating right now!"

"Negotiation? Negotiate what?"

"What else is there to talk about? Ransom, of course! I heard that Fugaku Uchiha offered some terrifying terms: withdraw the arrest warrant, recognize the Uchiha clan as legitimate, and then pay compensation! An astronomical sum!"

"How many?"

"The exact figure is unclear, but I've heard that Danzo Mitsushimura alone is worth a billion yen!"

"A billion? That's robbery!"

"And that's not all! The heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho triads are each worth 30 million! The entire sealing team of over two hundred people is a package deal worth 1 billion! All in all, the ransom is said to be over 8 billion!"

"Can Konoha afford it?"

"We have to pay up, even if we can't afford it. Otherwise, what about those thousand-plus elite ninjas? But I heard that the Third Hokage resigned because of this."

"Huh? Then who will be Hokage?"

"It is said to be... Lady Tsunade Senju."

"That 'Legendary Sannin'? Hasn't she been traveling around for many years?"

"That's why we need to bring her back to save the day! Konoha has lost face big time this time, their prestige has been completely destroyed, they absolutely need a big shot who can keep things in order..."

"Bang!"

A shallow dent was punched into the stone pavement outside the ramen shop by a fair fist, and cracks spread out like a spider web. Tuntun, who was about to lower her head to drink the soup, was so frightened that she jumped up with a "howl", knocking over the soup bowl and spilling the turbid soup all over the ground.

Tsunade slowly stood up, her long golden hair swaying gently in the afternoon breeze.

Her face was expressionless, but in her amber eyes, it seemed as if magma was churning deep within.

She turned around and lifted her foot.

"Clang!!"

She kicked the already somewhat dilapidated wooden door of the ramen shop to pieces, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

The customers eating noodles in the shop were startled and all looked up.

Who are you?

Tsunade didn't turn around, but instead punched the earthen wall next to her.

"boom!"

A large hole suddenly appeared in the wall, letting in sunlight and dust.

"Others."

Tsunade's voice was eerily calm.

"Get out, all of you."

No one dared to say another word. The guests put down their chopsticks, lowered their heads, and filed out without even asking for payment for their noodles. The owner, a lean middle-aged man, rubbed his hands, wanting to say something but not daring to.

In the end, only the table in the corner remained, where a customer wearing a straw hat and dressed in ordinary traveler's clothes was still slowly eating his noodles.

"This kind of secret intelligence."

Tsunade walked up to the man's table and looked down at him.

"How did you know? Who are you?"

The man put down his chopsticks, pulled a thick wad of banknotes from his pocket, and casually tossed it to the trembling shopkeeper.

"I'd like to borrow your space to say a few words. I'll compensate for any damage."

The shopkeeper took the money, thanked him profusely, and ran away without looking back. In a place like Tanbata Street, you can't survive long if you don't have sharp eyes. A woman who can punch through a wall is definitely not someone he can afford to mess with.

Only after the shopkeeper's footsteps disappeared around the street corner did the man raise his head and reach out to take off his straw hat.

With a soft "poof," the traveler's face and figure rippled and changed like water, eventually revealing a head of wild white hair, a forehead band with the character "oil" on it, and two red oil paint marks on his cheeks.

"Long time no see, Tsunade."

Jiraiya grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

Tsunade took a deep breath and sat down opposite him. The anger on her face did not dissipate upon seeing her old friend; instead, it was like a suppressed volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.

"I'm no longer involved in Konoha's affairs."

She spoke each word clearly and deliberately, her voice cold and hard.

"Whether you win or lose, it's your own fault, especially regarding the Uchiha clan—you deserve it!"

Jiraiya sighed, picked up the sake bottle on the table, and poured himself a cup.

"So, the old man has stepped down."

He took a sip of his drink.

"Danzo's position as an elder is definitely gone, but if the Root can be redeemed, it should be retained. Mitokado Homura will most likely be completely out of work. Our people in the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools have confirmed his condition: he has lost both legs, his chakra channels are completely destroyed, and he is unconscious. We are doing our best to save him."

"Oh."

Tsunade let out a short, cold laugh, devoid of any sorrow, only filled with deep disdain.

"He actually survived?"

"It was Fugaku Uchiha who saved him."

Jiraiya gave a self-deprecating twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"After all, he's worth a billion. I've written books my whole life and only earned tens of millions of taels. This old man is really valuable."

Who paid for it?

"Of course it's your name, could it be me?"

Jiraiya laughed again, but this time there was a hint of sarcasm in his smile.

"You don't know, the old man was polite to the daimyo his whole life, but as he stepped down, he completely showed his fangs. This bite will probably take even the daimyo a long time to recover from. However, Konoha's own finances will not be affected in any way..."

"snort."

Tsunade snorted coldly and didn't reply. Of course, she understood what Jiraiya meant. He was pleading for the Third Hokage, telling her that although the old man made a mistake in his decision, at least he knew to take advantage of the Daimyo in the end and didn't touch Konoha's resources.

Jiraiya took another sip of sake, put down the cup, and his expression gradually became serious.

"There's one more thing."

He said.

"The old man had no choice but to announce that you would be the next Hokage without your consent."

"Get lost, it's because you don't want to be one."

"No, you've really wronged me this time."

Jiraiya shook his head and said seriously.

"The things that Fugaku Uchiha said in the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools have been spreading wildly in Konoha through the spies of Kirigakure. Only you can debunk those rumors."

"What rumor?"

Jiraiya remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly considering his words, before slowly recounting Fugaku Uchiha's remarks about "Konoha's higher-ups using the Senju clan and their close associates to fill the gaps."

Including the Second Hokage's sacrifice as a bodyguard, Tsunade's lover and brother dying in battle one after another, the Senju clan gradually dissipating, and even the Fourth Hokage being deliberately sent to his death while the Third Hokage did not use the Reaper Death Seal—those sharp, vicious, yet each and every one of them is indeed a true "coincidence."

Tsunade was stunned after hearing this.

She had never thought of it that way.

Those sacrifices, those partings, each one was heart-wrenching, but she never connected them together, never examined them from such a dark perspective.

However, thinking about it this way, following Fugaku Uchiha's words, those things were indeed "too coincidental".

It was so clever it sent chills down my spine.

Of course, she knew that such a thing was absolutely impossible.

Whether it's the old man, Mitokado Homura, or even Danzo, no matter how unscrupulous they may be, their feelings for the Second Hokage are undeniable. He was their teacher, the one who led them onto this path. And to put it another way, none of them were qualified to plot against their own great-grandfather.

However, on the other hand, what Fugaku Uchiha summarized is also true.

This cannot be explained by coincidence.

For some reason, she felt as if an invisible hand was silently controlling everything from the shadows.

Are those sacrifices, those partings, those seemingly reasonable "accidents" and "choices" really just fate?

Her fingers unconsciously tightened, her knuckles turning slightly white.

Jiraiya watched her changing expressions and knew she had taken his words to heart. He poured her another glass of wine and pushed it towards her.

"There's one more thing."

His voice was lowered, carrying a certain heaviness.

"Do you remember those three children from the Land of Rain?"

Tsunade snapped out of her daze and nodded.

"You stayed there for three years, saying it was to 'atone for your sins'."

"One of the children."

Jiraiya stared into her eyes, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"It's the Rinnegan, which the Sage of Six Paths is said to possess, and it might be related to the deaths of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, and the Nine-Tails' rampage in Konoha."

"Bang!!!"

Before he could even finish speaking, Tsunade slammed her fist on the table!

The solid wood tabletop shattered instantly, scattering wood chips and liquor everywhere. Jiraiya was thrown away by a terrifying force, crashing through the wall behind him and landing in the empty shop next door, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Partners for decades.

Tsunade didn't need Jiraiya to say anything more; she already knew what he had done and why he had done it—that bullshit "savior" theory.

She couldn't be bothered with those things.

However, the fourth generation couple, especially Kushina.

That was the last bloodline of the Uzumaki clan, her only remaining blood relative in this world.

He died at the hands of an outsider because of Jiraiya's teachings.

She didn't kill Jiraiya because there was a genuine bond between them.

"Cough cough cough..."

A cough came from the ruins. Jiraiya, covered in dust, crawled out of the pile of bricks and stones. He smiled bitterly, patted the dust off his body, walked to the counter, took out his wallet from his pocket, and then took out a wad of banknotes, which he neatly placed on the counter.

"Please consider my pension at least a little bit..."

He muttered to himself, rubbing his aching chest.

"This time, I will go back too, and I will personally take charge of the handover of the ransom and the prisoners."

"You have that much free time?"

"One of the children, Xiao Nan."

Jiraiya's voice lowered.

"Because that mysterious organization lost to Fugaku Uchiha, after negotiations, they formed a marriage alliance with Fugaku Uchiha as a hostage in exchange for the mysterious organization ceasing its harassment of the Land of Water. Perhaps I can obtain some information from her."

---Divider line

The Land of Whirlpools, East Coast Market Town.

The medical room was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant and herbs.

Mito Menyan lay on the hospital bed in the center of the room, her body covered with tubes of varying thicknesses.

His breathing was shallow and steady, and his chest barely rose and fell.

Under the blanket, where his legs should have been, was empty. It had been completely destroyed by the aftershocks of the explosion of the Mutual Explosion Tags. If Fugaku Uchiha hadn't devoured him in time, he wouldn't have even been able to keep his upper body.

In addition to losing his legs, his chakra pathways were also completely destroyed in that suicide attack.

He is now less a ninja and more an empty shell, barely maintaining his basic vital signs with medical ninjutsu.

A shell company worth a billion.

Beside the hospital bed, Kakashi Hatake sat against the wall, nodding his head as if he were dozing off.

These days, his task is to "protect" this former Konoha advisor.

"After all, there's no danger here."

When Kakashi heard this order, this is what he was thinking.

"This old man probably never imagined he'd be worth a billion..."

"Lord Kakashi."

There was a gentle knock on the door of the medical room. A man dressed in a white medical ninja uniform and wearing a mask stood in the doorway. These days, this medical ninja had been in charge of Mitokado's daily maintenance and treatment.

Kakashi suddenly woke up and instinctively reached for his ninja tool pouch at his waist. Although it was empty, all his weapons had been confiscated when he surrendered.

"Didn't you already receive treatment today?"

He composed himself and asked.

"Yes."

The medical ninja's voice sounded somewhat muffled through the mask.

"I came here on orders. Lord Fugaku asked you to go find him, and I'm temporarily taking care of Advisor Mitomon for you."

Kakashi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

These days, as a "high-ranking prisoner," his treatment is actually quite delicate. He has not been imprisoned, interrogated, or even had his movements restricted, of course, only within the scope of this market. His daily tasks, besides "guarding" Mitomon Yan, are eating, sleeping, and spacing out.

He even thought that Fugaku Uchiha had forgotten about him.

To his even greater surprise, his left Sharingan was still there, perfectly intact.

On the day he surrendered, he was actually prepared to have his eyes gouged out.

But Fugaku Uchiha merely glanced at him and said something indifferently.

"You are a friend of the Uchiha clan, and you have inherited the friendship of the Uchiha clan. Obito is a good boy."

His Sharingan caught a glimpse of Fugaku Uchiha's lips twitching slightly; it was a sign of suppressed emotion, suggesting he was grieving over Obito's sacrifice...

"it is good."

He stood up and dusted off his clothes.

"I'll go now."

The medical ninja stepped aside to make way, and Kakashi walked out of the medical room. The metal door slowly closed behind him with a soft creak.

...

Inside the medical room.

The medical ninja wearing a mask walked to Mitokado Yan's bedside.

A few seconds later, he reached out and took off the mask from his face.

In just a few breaths, a male face slowly transformed into a delicate and pale female face, with long golden hair slipping from the edge of her medical cap and emerald green eyes as calm as a deep pool.

If Kakashi were still here, he would definitely call out her name.

Yakushi Nono.