Naruto: In the name of the Senju, he made the ninja world tremble.

Unaware that he was being talked about by a minor village fodder, Orochimaru was walking towards his residence under the dim light when he was soon blocked by two figures.

"Quack quack!"

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

A frog as tall as an adult and a giant python that Orochimaru had arranged to guard his residence were facing each other in the middle of the road. Both were staring intently at each other, their bodies poised to strike, as if they were about to collide at any moment.

Orochimaru was stunned by what he saw, not expecting to see two close friends in succession today.

"Yo, Orochimaru, long time no see. I heard you got a beating from Tsunade. How are you doing?"

With his white hair, wearing a light green shirt and trousers, and a red outer jacket, Jiraiya leaned against the shadows where no one would notice him, his tone as light and cheerful as ever.

Orochimaru ignored Jiraiya immediately, instead walking straight through the gap between the frog and the python to open his door.

"Are you going to stay in that corner and cry for Minato Namikaze, or come in for a drink and a chat, Jiraiya?"

The hoarse voice drifted through the empty street, receiving no response for a long time, until Orochimaru's figure disappeared behind the door, and Jiraiya, wearing wooden clogs and with a faint sadness in his eyes, finally emerged from the shadows.

"You're still as calm as ever, Orochimaru. I think you, having experienced the Nine-Tails' rampage, can answer my questions."

-----------------

Chiyu miscalculated once again. He thought that after Tsunade's recognition of his existence, he would be summoned by the main family soon. However, to his surprise, he had not received any news for more than half a month.

Just when he was convinced that his plan had failed, the main family's letter about the family's Soul-Suppressing Sacrifice was handed to him.

"Cough cough cough, Qianyu, many people in the family lost their lives in this disaster, so the main family is holding this gathering to purify the disaster in order to appease everyone, cough cough cough."

Miki, who was bedridden and unable to get up, held Chiyu's hand, looked at his face with his cloudy eyes, and said softly, "I should have been the one to do this, since the family will cease to exist after we die."

"But I can't move anymore, and, cough cough, cough cough!"

"Grandpa, don't worry, I won't embarrass the family," Qianyu said softly, patting the old man's back gently, though this was also what he himself longed for.

Miki's aged hand grasped Chiyu's arm, and his cloudy eyes seemed to brighten considerably in that instant. Looking at his grandson's familiar yet slightly unfamiliar face, tears seemed to well up in his eyes.

"Qianyu, go see them, see them, let them know that even though the Senju family is gone, the bloodline connection still exists, and you are the best proof of that, cough cough cough..."

Seeing her grandfather coughing incessantly from excitement, Qianyu quickly comforted him and watched him slowly fall asleep before gently lifting her feet and slowly leaving.

Walking into the courtyard, looking up at the clear sky, I couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. This day had finally come. If it still didn't work, I was afraid I would have no choice but to defect from Konoha in the future, otherwise the secret of my body would be discovered sooner or later.

Thinking of this, Qianyu rolled up her right sleeve and looked at the inside of her forearm. Yesterday, while clearing obstacles, she had accidentally been cut by a sharp object, leaving a long, narrow wound. At the time, the skin and flesh had turned outwards a little, but now only a faint mark remained. If Danzo found out about this, it would be terrible.

Just as Chiyu was thinking about the Senju clan's Soul-Suppressing Festival, on a hospital bed in Konoha, a ninja whose legs had disappeared and whose face was withered reached out his trembling hands and held up the beast-shaped mask, which was his hope of becoming a ninja again.

"Your past self is dead. Think of a code name for yourself; it'll be easier to refer to yourself that way."

"Bitter Ape, that's my code name."

"casual."

-----------------

In the still dimly lit Hokage office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzo Shimura, whose face was gloomy, and frowned deeply. He was already overwhelmed with dealing with the aftermath of the disaster in the village, and he really didn't want to see Danzo again.

But we can't just ignore him. If we don't keep an eye on him, he'll do something unexpected. Just now, the secret service reported that they found a member of the "Root" organization at the hospital.

"So, I've agreed to Danzo's recruitment of people at the hospital. Is there anything else?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi lit his pipe when he had a moment, and asked as he smoked.

"Hiruzen!"

"Danzo!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were now fixed on Danzo with the sharpness of an eagle. Seeing Danzo's confused expression, he pointed to the Hokage hat lying on the table beside him and said solemnly:

"In formal settings, you should address me as Lord Hokage."

Danzo's single eye revealed a mixture of resentment and disbelief. Ever since Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage, he had always addressed him by his first name. Why was he acting so formal today?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was naturally aware of Danzo's gaze, but having ascended to the Hokage position for the second time, he was no longer young and vigorous. In addition, given the current extraordinary circumstances, he had to give everyone the impression of treating everyone equally and reassure them so that they would trust him.

As for Danzo, Koharu, and Mito, who are usually on equal footing with him in terms of seniority, he must show everyone his attitude. Moreover, according to the Anbu's report, some bad news is secretly circulating in Konoha.

Enraged by Sarutobi's attitude, Danzo glared with his bloodshot left eye, his chest heaving. After a few minutes of composing himself, he gritted his teeth and asked fiercely:

"Lord Hokage, are you aware of the Senju clan's upcoming clan meeting? What are they planning to do at this time? Could it be that they've seen Tsunade return and are having some kind of ulterior motive? I suggest we send someone to monitor their movements."

"no need."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's nonchalant yet unquestionable tone fueled Danzo's anger. He slammed his fist on the table. "How can you be so sure they're alright? If they are, it will be too late. Konoha cannot afford any more turmoil."

"I have my reasons for saying it's unnecessary. Lady Tao Hua has already invited me to the Senju ancestral home tomorrow to attend their clan gathering. Any issues can be discovered on the spot, so there's no need for secret surveillance."

"What? How come I didn't know about this?"

Seeing Danzo's puzzled look, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say anything, but merely glanced at the Hokage hat next to him, the meaning of which was self-evident.

This scene was fatally ironic for Danzo.

"Bang!"

Watching Danzo slam the door and leave, and hearing his angry footsteps, Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, puffed on his pipe, and continued processing documents. Tonight was another sleepless night.