XX-level Hokage

"Lady Tsunade, where are you going?" Shizune saw Tsunade suddenly get up and go out.

"I'm going to talk to Hyuga Mashiro. Shizune, you eat first," Tsunade said to Shizune, then pushed open the door and went out. At the casino, in the same private room, Mashiro had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing Tsunade lift the curtain and walk in, Mashiro chuckled, "I thought you weren't coming." Tsunade silently sat down opposite Mashiro and asked, "What did you do to me at noon today?"

Because of the hallucinogen, Tsunade didn't remember Mashiro revealing his identity. She only remembered that she and Mashiro were playing mahjong, and she seemed to have won. Then she had that dream.

"I didn't do anything. I just secretly used a little illusion technique, a kind of illusion that makes people dream. I originally wanted to make Tsunade fall asleep while playing mahjong, so she would forfeit the game. But I didn't expect her resistance to illusions to be so high. She only fell asleep after finishing the game," Mashiro said, seemingly telling the truth.

Let's start the third round. "Whether Mashiro is telling the truth or not, Tsunade doesn't want to have anything to do with her anymore."

"Okay," Mashiro said, squinting slightly. The final round, begin!

Chapter 48: The Tale of Tsunade, the Fire Princess (The End)

"Why doesn't Tsunade want to be Hokage?" Mashiro suddenly asked while shuffling the cards. "No reason, I hate troublesome things," Tsunade said after a moment's hesitation.

"It's probably because they think this position is too high," Mashiro said casually. "?" Tsunade didn't understand what Mashiro meant.

"Speaking of the people around Tsunade, her younger brother Nawaki, her lover Dan Kato, her friends Jiraiya and Orochimaru, all the tragedies seem to stem from this position. Because of this position, Nawaki and Dan died in battle; because of this position, Jiraiya and Orochimaru turned against each other. Moreover, as time goes by, you realize that this position seems to be gradually different from what you remember." Mashiro's address to Tsunade gradually lost its respectful tone.

Tsunade wanted to rebuke Mashiro upon hearing this, but seeing Mashiro's eyes, a sense of fear involuntarily welled up within her. This was precisely what Mashiro did in the second round.

This reminds Tsunade of her fear of Uchiha Zero again. Although Tsunade does not know that Mashiro is Uchiha Zero at this time, she can sense it in her subconscious.

Tsunade's vision blurred, her consciousness began to waver, and in that moment, Hyuga Mashiro before her seemed to transform into Uchiha Zero, who gently...

Play a mahjong tile.

The surrounding scenery changed drastically, and she found herself in a blank space, with countless images flashing before her eyes.

She saw Nawaki beaming and said, "Sister, I will definitely become Hokage someday, just like Grandpa."

The scene flashes, the war begins, and she receives news of Nawaki's death. However, when she rushes over, all she sees is Nawaki's body, a body with its internal organs removed.

Tsunade reached out to touch it, but everything before her vanished like bubbles. Then she saw Dan.

Dan Wen smiled and said to her, "Tsunade, after I become Hokage, I will definitely follow your advice and have a ninja by my side, including a medical ninja as an assistant."

The scene flashes, and it's war again.

Tsunade received news of Dan's severe injuries, but when she arrived, she only saw Dan's shattered body. She could only hold Dan's body and weep bitterly. Next came Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

"I support Minato becoming Hokage," Jiraiya proposed at the meeting. Orochimaru didn't say anything, but simply left silently.

Tsunade sat to one side, watching everything unfold before her eyes, helpless. With Minato becoming the Fourth Hokage, the Sannin were torn apart.

Looking at the various things that appeared before her, Tsunade buried her head in her hands and cried silently. She had failed to protect any of the people close to her.

"Why are you crying?" a little girl with light blond hair appeared and asked. Tsunade looked up, somewhat stunned; it was herself as a child.

Tsunade took out a lollipop, popped it into her mouth, and said, "Are all adults so spineless? They just cry all by themselves when something happens." "Who are you?" Tsunade asked.

"I am you, or more precisely, I am you as a child, living in your subconscious," Tsunade said with a smile.

"I appeared after Nawaki died, as your way of remembering and cherishing the past. I originally thought I would disappear soon, but with the death of Kandan and the departure of my friend, I have continued to exist until now," Tsunade continued.

"You..." Tsunade looked at the little Tsunade, unsure of what to say.

"Your heart is always so sorrowful," Tsunade said before leaving. After Tsunade left...

"Tsunade, are you crying again?" Mashiro appeared beside Tsunade without her noticing and asked. "What do you want?" Tsunade looked at Mashiro with tear-streaked eyes.

Mashiro reached out and wiped away Tsunade's tears, then struck a chord, and the scene reappeared around them.

As the scene changed, Mashiro slowly narrated: "Because of the boy's ambition, a war broke out. The boy overestimated himself and suffered extremely serious injuries. No one in the village could cure these injuries. Someone said that we could go to Princess Senju, who is the best medical ninja."

A girl learned of this and secretly went to find Princess Thousand Hands, but Princess Thousand Hands could no longer heal people for some reason and refused the girl. The girl persisted and knelt in front of Princess Thousand Hands' door for a long time until she fainted. Finally, Princess Thousand Hands took pity on her and asked to see the boy.

Originally, she only intended to reject the boy after seeing him, so that he would take the girl back with him. But after seeing the boy, and seeing the look in his eyes...

Nagisa asked him a question: Why do you want to become Hokage? Perhaps because he was about to die, the boy arrogantly replied: Only by becoming Hokage can I gain power. With that power, I will gradually dominate the Land of Fire, and then become the emperor of the entire ninja world, achieving true peace in the ninja world.

Something must have touched Princess Thousand Hands, for she made an exception and treated him. However, the boy was a very ambitious person. He witnessed Princess Thousand Hands' power and then used schemes and tricks to win her over.

Over time, the boy discovered that beneath Princess Thousand Hands' bold exterior lay a fragile heart, and her life was forever shrouded in the shadows of the past.

But the boy didn't care. He tried his best to play a selfish role. He realized that loneliness wasn't so good after all, because of a chance encounter that gave him a second chance at life. In this life, he wanted to help Princess Thousand Hands sweep away the gloom.

As the video ended, Mashiro also stopped narrating.

Tsunade stared blankly at the scene unfolding before her. These new images were both incredibly unfamiliar and incredibly familiar to her. "Who are you?" Tsunade guessed Mashiro's identity.

"The boy's name was Uchiha Zero, but he now has a new name, Hyuga Mashiro. The girl's name was Uchiha Izumi, but she has already died in this world."

Princess Senju's name is Tsunade Senju, and she is still crying. "Mashiro said quietly..."

Mashiro took Tsunade's hand and led her around. Little Tsunade was standing not far behind them.

"So you're finally willing to look back?" Tsunade suddenly said.

Tsunade looked around, only to find that he had disappeared without a trace.

“I am your past. The past contains not only some warmth but also some pain. Originally, I should have been sleeping in your subconscious, waiting for you to awaken when you recall the past. But because of what you experienced, you have been living in the past, and so have I been awake.” Tsunade said, then she walked closer and took Tsunade’s hand.

He pulled Tsunade forward and walked for a while.

Nawaki's figure appeared. He looked at Tsunade, smiled brightly, and then said softly, "Sister, don't shed tears for me. As a member of the Senju clan, I am already satisfied to die on the battlefield. You will always be my most beloved family member."

After finishing speaking, Nawaki took off his necklace and put it around Tsunade's neck. Then he smiled and disappeared.

Tsunade pulled Tsunade along as they continued walking forward.

A broken figure appeared, and he gently hugged Tsunade, then said, "Tsunade, don't be saddened by my death. I died for peace and for protection. If you are saddened by my death, I will be heartbroken."

Then he leaned closer and whispered in Tsunade's ear, "Don't blame yourself for me. Go find someone you love."

Then, stepping back, he waved goodbye. "Goodbye, my love."

Then he disappeared from the spot. Tsunade was already in tears.

Young Tsunade continued pulling Tsunade along, and images of young Jiraiya and Orochimaru appeared. Young Jiraiya waved and called out, "Tsunade, come quick, our teacher is waiting for us!"

"I should go now. It's your turn to leave on your own." With that, Tsunade released Jiraiya's hand, smiled brightly, and ran towards him. "Wait for me, I'm coming!"

Tsunade looked ahead at the road, a long-lost peace and ease filling her heart. She glanced back one last time. Everyone was smiling at her.

Tsunade wiped away her tears and walked forward.

"Are you awake?"

Tsunade gently opened her eyes and saw Mashiro in front of her.

"Once you play this card, the game is over. It looks like you're going to win," Masashi said with a smile.

Tsunade suddenly laughed, then crushed the mahjong tiles in her hand, saying softly, "Oh dear, I'm out of tiles. Looks like I'll have to forfeit." Mashiro smiled without saying a word.

Tsunade suddenly reached out and pinched Mashiro's cheek, then picked her up and said with a smile, "This body suits you perfectly; it's so soft."

"It seems you're not fully awake yet," Mashiro said, squinting.

“You don’t have that now, so you can’t scare me,” Tsunade said proudly. “Is that so?” Mashiro’s voice was somewhat low.

"I was just kidding, just kidding." Tsunade immediately understood. A few days later, Mashiro brought Tsunade and Shizune to Konoha.

Chapter 49: Konoha Hospital

Upon arriving in Konoha, Shizune looked around with curiosity. This was her first time returning to Konoha since she had run away with Tsunade when she was very young.

Many of the scenes were quite different from what she remembered.

Tsunade looked at Konoha with a mixture of nostalgia and bewilderment. From this moment on, she would no longer have to wander aimlessly. "Let's go to the Hokage Building," Mashiro said, continuing forward.

"Wait a minute, let's find somewhere to eat first." Tsunade said, grabbing Mashiro's shoulder. "Are you hungry?" Mashiro asked with a smile.

"What do you think? I barely ate anything in Tanabata Street those two days, and I only ate dry rations on the way to Konoha. Now I'm going to have a big meal." Tsunade said irritably.

"A big meal? Do you have the money?" Mashiro joked.

"But you're still here, aren't you?" Tsunade looked at Mashiro with a fawning smile.

"Oh, I remember someone still owes me a huge sum of money," Masashi said with a smile. "What? You want money back from me?" Tsunade retorted arrogantly.

"No money back? Fine. We can have dinner too, but that depends on what price you're willing to pay," Mashiro said, looking at Tsunade with a knowing look. "Let's go, let's go eat barbecue," Tsunade said, blushing slightly, seemingly agreeing.

Shizune watched the interaction between the two from a short distance away. After Tsunade went out that night, she returned to the inn with Mashiro the next morning. She then told Mashiro that she had agreed to become Hokage and that they were packing their things to return to Konoha.

Then Shizune realized that her master and Mashiro's relationship had inexplicably become very good, and it wasn't just the kind of good relationship between ordinary friends. Shizune even noticed that her master once acted like he was being affectionate towards Mashiro.

This still makes Shizune wonder if she was dreaming. "Come on, Shizune, let's go have a big meal," Tsunade said with a smile. "But, Lady Tsunade, we don't have enough money," Shizune said helplessly.

“It’s okay, this guy will pay.” Tsunade said, holding Mashiro’s hand and pointing at Mashiro.

For some reason, seeing the two so intimate, Shizune felt a little sad, but she still smiled and said, "Then thank you again, Mashiro."

In the Hokage's office, Tsunade sat in a chair with her legs crossed casually, while Shizune stood next to her.

"Tsunade, you've finally decided to return to Konoha." The Third Hokage pushed open the office door and walked in with a smile. Behind him were advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, while Mashiro followed at the back.

“Grandpa, you seem to be in good health. You could easily serve for another ten or twenty years. Why do you have to retire so early?” Tsunade said to the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage looked at Tsunade and smiled kindly, saying, "I really appreciate your kind words. Unfortunately, I know my own body best. It's already a blessing from the gods that I can last another ten years. As for why I retired so early, I just want to enjoy my old age."

"Then I'll have to ask first, how much salary and allowance does the Hokage receive per month?" Tsunade asked seriously.

"Tsunade, becoming Hokage is about protecting the people of the village. She is the embodiment of the Will of Fire, which is of great significance. How can it be measured by money?" Koharu Utatane said with some dissatisfaction.

"Since it's so important, why don't you two just take the positions?" Tsunade showed them no respect whatsoever.

“Tsunade, how can you say that? Koharu has sacrificed so much for Konoha over the years, how can you not show her any respect? Sarutobi, I think we should reconsider this matter,” Mitokado Homura said.

"Yes, yes, you guys should think it over. I'm going back now." Tsunade picked at her ear and got up to leave.

"Tsunade, the Hokage's salary isn't much, but the subsidies are quite substantial. If you're still not satisfied, I can give you a monthly allowance in the name of the Sarutobi family," the Third Hokage said with a hint of helplessness. His students, as always, were the same.

"Really? Master, it's a deal." Tsunade said happily.

"I'll have Mashiro take you to see Kakashi in a bit. I need to write a resignation letter and a letter of recommendation for the Daimyo before the new Hokage is appointed."

"You can wander around Konoha," the Third Hokage said, puffing on his cigarette.

Tsunade nodded, agreeing with what the Third Hokage had said.

After Mashiro and Tsunade left, the Third Hokage looked at his two old friends, whose faces were grim, and comforted them, saying, "Homura, Koharu, I will explain things to her when I get here. You will still be the core of Konoha."

Hearing the third generation's assurance, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's expressions improved somewhat.

On the way to the hospital, Tsunade looked at Mashiro and suddenly laughed. "What's wrong?" Mashiro asked.