Chapter 136: Why is it Souji again?
Tsunade glanced at the village gate again, then asked the two:
"Are Jiraiya and Orochimaru there?"
"Well... Lord Jiraiya and Lord Minato Namikaze are currently fighting against Kumogakure in the Land of Hot Springs.
As for Lord Orochimaru, he is also away, but we don't know the reason for his departure or his whereabouts..."
"Really? Thank you for your hard work."
Tsunade responded, then, carrying Shizune who was holding the piglet, she swaggered into Konoha with arrogant steps.
Watching her retreating figure, the two felt a surge of excitement.
"Lady Tsunade is back too.
With all three legendary Sannin still alive, we have another powerful ninja, and Konoha will surely be even more secure!"
"That's right!"
The other person suddenly lowered their voice and said:
"Have you... heard a rumor?"
"What?"
"I've heard that the Hokage seems to be... planning to have Minato Namikaze succeed him as the Fourth Hokage!"
"this..."
The man was slightly startled; his companion dared to discuss this matter in broad daylight!
However, people love to gossip, so the man looked around and, seeing that no one was around, replied:
"Of course I've heard about it! After all, even the Hokage arranged for Namikaze-sama to be the Souji, while Jiraiya-sama, as their teacher, was the vice-commander.
Many people have been talking about it privately..."
"I heard that Lord Namikaze performed exceptionally well in this battle, fighting to a standstill with the young master of Kumogakure and his sworn brother
For his age, his strength is truly astonishing!"
"However, Lord Orochimaru's reputation is also very high, and it's hard to say whether Lord Namikaze can defeat him, plus Lady Tsunade has now returned to Konoha..."
"I wonder if Lady Tsunade's return at this time will affect this matter?"
The two talked back and forth.
Choosing the Hokage is a top priority for everyone in Konoha.
This matter was not supposed to be made public easily; no one really thought about it, and there was no opportunity to discuss it.
However, ever since the Konoha leadership started making their support for Minato Namikaze so obvious, it became common knowledge.
With Tsunade's return, both of them felt that this might add another twist to the situation.
Tsunade and Shizune walked down the streets of Konoha, instantly drawing gasps from countless people.
"Lady Tsunade!?"
"Lady Tsunade, you're back!"
"Haha! Long time no see!"
Tsunade waved gently, greeting those she knew.
Shizune followed carefully behind Tsunade, glancing nervously at the people and then at the streets of Konoha.
She left Konoha with Tsunade when she was very young, and has almost no memory of the people and things in Konoha.
When she returned this time, everything seemed unfamiliar to her.
However, rather than traveling around, Jingyin hopes to settle down in this seemingly nice place long-term.
"Lady Tsunade..."
"Um?"
Silently asked:
Will we be living here permanently?
"Well... I guess I won't be leaving for now, right? For now..."
Tsunade hesitated before answering, because she herself was not quite sure whether she should get involved.
The two walked all the way to the Hokage Building.
Upon receiving the notification, the Hokage rushed out in person in front of the building.
Looking at the students he hadn't seen for several years, the Hokage couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.
"Tsunade, you're back..."
"Sarutobi-sensei..."
Tsunade, with a deep sense of emotion, looked at the Hokage.
Before her stood her most respected teacher, but also the one who arranged for her young brother to go to war, and to some extent, caused his death.
Although ninjas, even at a young age, must still go to the battlefield, this is the case for all families, and it is not specifically directed at her younger brother, Nawaki.
But given Konoha's formidable strength, is it really necessary to mobilize even ten-year-old children to the battlefield?
In that case, how is it any different from the Warring States period of my grandfather's generation?
What was the significance of my grandfather establishing Konoha Village?
Tsunade and the Hokage looked at each other with rather complicated expressions.
The Hokage was also thinking about something similar.
After a long pause, the Hokage sighed softly.
Why did you suddenly come back?
"Hmph! I met a rather interesting person, heard some interesting things, and decided to come back and take a look..."
"Oh? Who are you talking about?"
"A kid named Mochizuki Souji..."
"What!?"
Upon hearing Souji's name, the Hokage couldn't help but frown.
Why is it the Souji again?
Led by Kato Dan, Souji and his party entered the Land of Fire in the Underworld.
Outside the Land of Fire, when encountering other undead and demons, one can freely kill them and guide them to the afterlife.
But once inside the Land of Fire, almost everyone there would be from Konoha, so they couldn't easily make a move.
Although performing a ritual to help the dead is a good thing for them, if the not-so-conscious Kato Dan saw it, he might think they were attacking their own people, so they had to give up for the time being.
However, there are countless undead in the underworld, and they won't run away, so there's no rush to increase prestige.
Compared to that, meeting Hashirama Senju is much more important.
Because of Kato Dan's presence and Souji's wearing of a Konoha ninja headband, the undead they encountered within the Land of Fire did not provoke any conflict or battle.
The group successfully reached the vicinity of the Valley of the End.
However, before they could actually enter the Valley of the End, they encountered a person wearing blue ancient-style armor blocking their way.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
He was the younger brother of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, and also the man in the entire ninja world who hated the Uchiha clan the most.
Kato Dan respectfully called out:
"The Second Hokage!"
Souji glanced at Tobirama Senju, then stepped forward and called out:
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Second Hokage. I am a Konoha ninja from the future, named Mochizuki Souji."
"Um..."
Tobirama Senju crossed his arms and gave Souji a few glances with his usual cold expression.
"You guys... are you even alive?"
"Exactly."
How did you get to the underworld?
"No... I should say, what do you want to do in the underworld?"
Even a Jonin like Kato Dan might be somewhat out of it, but someone like Senju Tobirama, who is at the top level even among Kage, like Mu and Gengetsu Hozuki, has a very clear understanding of his own condition.
That's why he was quite curious about a group of living people appearing in the world of the dead.
Of course, there's also the need to be wary.
The Second Hokage was not only extremely powerful, but also a man with a very strict, cold, and suspicious personality.
Of the living people in this group, only the leader, Mochizuki Souji, was wearing a Konoha ninja headband; the others were not.
Moreover, a headband can be easily forged or stolen, and it doesn't really mean anything.
Even if they really are Konoha ninja, their appearance in the underworld like this might not necessarily be a good thing...
Tobirama Senju stared at Souji with a cold gaze, awaiting his answer.
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end of this chapter..