Chapter 3: "He Who Moves in Shadows"
That night, Galen stood on the Hokage Monument, gazing over the village.
The stars were bright — not like back home, but familiar enough.
Kakashi appeared beside him.
"Looking for something?" he asked.
"No," Galen said. "Someone."
He paused. "Tsunade."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "She's not in the village. She left long ago."
"I know where she is," Galen said. "The Force showed me."
Kakashi gave a skeptical look.
"Why?"
Galen's face darkened. "Because someone lied to her. Someone took everything from her... and made sure she never knew the truth."
Tanzaku Town — a small, run-down gambling city.
Tsunade sat at a bar, nursing sake with Shizune beside her. Her expression was blank, but her heart was always heavy.
A shadow moved behind her.
"You lost someone, didn't you?" Galen said quietly, stepping into the light.
Shizune stood up fast, protective. "Who the hell are you?"
Galen bowed slightly. "A friend. A stranger. A seeker of truth."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "You're not from around here."
"No. But I know the pain of loss. I know what it's like to want to run from it."
She flinched slightly. "Say what you came to say, stranger."
Galen took a slow breath.
"I came to tell you… that your clan didn't just fall to the wars. It was targeted."
The glass in her hand cracked slightly.
"What?"
"Danzō Shimura orchestrated attacks. Fed intel to enemies. Undermined your clan, and the Uchiha. For power. For 'peace.' But it was never about the village."
Tsunade stared at him, hand shaking.
"You lie."
"I saw it," Galen said. "Not in a report. In the Force. The memories are like echoes. And I followed them."
He reached into his robe and handed her a small scroll — stolen from Root's black archives.
"I can't undo what happened. But I can show you the truth. And help you stop him."
Tsunade looked down at the scroll, then up at him.
For the first time in years, her eyes filled with tears — not just from pain, but from validation.
"You're a strange one, Galen Anthony."
He nodded. "And you're stronger than you know, Tsunade Senju. They need you back in Konoha. Not as a gambler. As a leader."
By the time they returned to Konoha, whispers turned into waves.
Tsunade Senju had returned.
Jiraiya the Toad Sage was at her side.
And with them — the stranger with no chakra, but limitless power.
Tsunade walked straight through the gates like a queen returning from exile. No one dared stop her. Not after the energy she carried — rage, purpose, and truth.
The Hokage's seat was still empty. The elders were preparing their nominations.
But Tsunade wasn't interested in politics.
She was interested in justice.