Chapter 106 – Tsunade
Kazane followed behind Shizune into the Senju Clan compound.
Only now did he understand why no one had answered after he knocked for so long.
From the main gate to Tsunade's residence, a distance of over a hundred meters—there wasn't a single person in sight. The entire estate felt desolate and empty.
Kazane had long known that the Senju Clan had fallen on hard times in recent years, but he hadn't expected the decline to be this severe.
They arrived at Tsunade's house, and Shizune pushed open the door. Kazane followed her into the residence, and as soon as he stepped into the main hall, he saw—
Tsunade, slouched lazily in a chair, a sake bottle dangling from her hand, her collar slack and exposing a generous amount of creamy white skin and an impossibly deep cleavage. Empty bottles littered the floor.
Clearly, she had drunk herself unconscious the night before.
Shizune, face flushed, quickly shoved Kazane back out of the room. The next moment, a chorus of chaotic noises erupted from inside.
Kazane waited patiently until Shizune finally called him back in.
This time, the room was much neater. The bottles were gone, and Tsunade was now fully dressed, seated properly in her chair.
Kazane couldn't help feeling a tinge of regret.
"Brat, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off with that little girlfriend of yours?"
Tsunade looked at him through bleary, half-awake eyes, clearly still recovering from her hangover.
If she remembered correctly, back during the academy's combat assessment, there had been a very pretty girl always by Kazane's side.
"Can't I come see you even if I don't need something, Tsunade-nee?"
Kazane made himself at home, grabbing a piece of fruit from the table Shizune had set out and casually munching on it.
"Knowing you, you're definitely up to something."
Tsunade suddenly reached out and lifted his chin, locking eyes with him.
As if he would just randomly show up at her place at this hour?
Normally, Kazane went out of his way to avoid anywhere Shizune might be. And in a world without phones or computers, there was little nightlife—after sundown, you either made babies or went to bed.
"Well, since you guessed it… I do need a little help from you, Tsunade-nee."
Kazane scratched his head sheepishly, flashing a sunshine-bright grin.
"Knew it. But I'm telling you right now—if this is about sensei and Orochimaru, then you can leave."
Tsunade pulled her hand back and crossed her arms, which only further emphasized her already impressive figure.
She might be busty, but she wasn't brainless.
If she was destined to become the Fifth Hokage in the future, then she clearly had the political instincts to sense the undercurrents moving within Konoha.
And the tension between Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi? Practically every jōnin in the village knew about it by now.
In recent battles—especially during the Iwa campaign—Sarutobi had deliberately kept both Orochimaru and Might Duy off the front lines, no matter how dire the situation got.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the master and student had completely fallen out.
Tsunade, stuck in the middle, was in a tough position. One side was her teacher, who had mentored her since graduation.
The other was her teammate, a comrade who had fought alongside her since their academy days.
She had no choice but to stay neutral—so if Kazane had come here to sway her, she decided to nip it in the bud.
"Then tell me, Tsunade-nee… under Lord Hokage's rule, how do you think Konoha's doing? If I recall, the Senju Clan was once the strongest in the village… yet now, you're the only one left. Oh, and Uzushiogakure—the ones who stood between the Mist and Konoha on the battlefield multiple times… their homeland is now a ruin, isn't it?"
Kazane was smiling, but his words peeled back the layers of Tsunade's buried wounds without mercy.
She knew everything he said was true—she had just refused to face it.
"That's enough! Get out, brat!!"
Tsunade exploded.
Old wounds, ripped open and bleeding again—it was more than she could take. She roared, pointing at the door with fury.
Even Shizune, who had been preparing dinner in the kitchen, was startled by the outburst and emerged with sleeves rolled up, ready to teach this troublemaker a lesson.
But facing Tsunade's rage, Kazane's eyes simply turned cold.
"I'm not finished. It wasn't just those clans. What about the death of Konoha's White Fang? Tsunade-nee… don't tell me you still don't know how my father died? The kind of mission that would require White Fang's involvement—how did news of it spread throughout the entire village so fast?"
"And those ANBU who served under him—why did they dare come forward and accuse him of abandoning a mission just to save one of them?"
"Our beloved Hokage… has always been swift in eliminating anyone who poses even the slightest threat to his rule."
"Tsunade-nee, do you really think I won't be next? Or you?"
A deadly glint filled Kazane's eyes—something Tsunade had never seen in him before.
"Maybe it was all Danzo's doing. Maybe sensei didn't know anything."
Tsunade, who had long since grown used to lying to herself, still clung to the excuse—even if she didn't believe it herself.
"Sure. Danzo did everything. And Hiruzen Sarutobi just happened to be the only one in the village who didn't hear about it? And Uzushiogakure—was that just an 'oversight' too?"
"Do you know why the Uchiha Clan is supporting Orochimaru now? …Heh. Because they don't want to end up like the Senju."
"I just don't want things to get any worse.
But if they do… then we'll have to end this farce the worst possible way."
"That's why—for him to still live—I hope you'll make the right choice, Tsunade-nee."
If the rest of the village's shinobi had heard Kazane's words, a storm of upheaval would have followed.
He had made it clear: if Hiruzen moved against him, he would respond with force despite his respect towards Orochimaru's decision.
And there was no one in Konoha who could stop Kazane now—especially with Orochimaru and the Uchiha Clan behind him.
Tsunade remained silent for a long time, and Kazane simply stood there, quietly awaiting her answer.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Tsunade pointed toward the door and gave her final response:
"Get out!!!"
This time, Kazane said nothing more. He turned and left.
He knew Tsunade had been lying to herself for over a decade. It wouldn't be easy to change her mind with just a few words.
And yes—his way of ripping open her old wounds had been brutal and dishonorable, especially for a woman.
But he had no choice.
If things truly came to their worst…
Then he would have no other choice, either.
He had lacked the strength before—but now that he had it, he couldn't leave his father's death unavenged.
No one would stop him.
Even if it meant sacrificing everything he had.