TL Note: A bonus chapter today!
"Come on, drink, drink!"
Tsunade filled Kamizuki Hikari's cup with sake, then watched him with a smile.
"In Konoha, aside from Jiraiya and Shizune, you're the only one willing to drink with me like this. So, will you be the third?"
Hikari remained silent.
Tsunade didn't press him. She just kept drinking by herself.
Watching Tsunade gorge herself with food and drink, Hikari muttered quietly, "So, in your heart, I'm just the third wheel, huh?"
*Pfft—!*
Tsunade, in the middle of a big swig, ended up spitting out her drink.
Seeing Hikari's aggrieved expression, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"What do you mean third wheel? Don't say it like that! There's nothing improper between us!"
Hikari composed himself and said seriously, "That might be how you see it, but the people outside don't think that way. Do you know what people are saying about me now? Just because I'm always with you, they say I'm a guy who lives off a woman."
"Do you know how much that hurts me?!"
Tsunade shot him a disgusted look, thoroughly repulsed by his dramatic performance.
"Cut the nonsense. If you keep this up, I'll call Izumo in to replace you. Sure, he's not as good-looking as you, but at least he doesn't talk as much!"
Of all the things in the world, fine sake cannot be betrayed.
That mouthful she spat out just now made Tsunade feel a serious pang of regret.
[What a tasteless woman. That was peak-level performance, okay?!]
[Big-chested and small-brained—you only know how to enjoy dirty books!]
After being mentally roasted countless times by Hikari's inner voice, Tsunade had learned not only to keep a straight face when listening to his thoughts, but also to gauge his mood based on them.
Take right now, for example. Kamizuki Hikari looked annoyed on the surface, but she could tell he was just putting on an act.
"Drink up, drink up!"
Tsunade resumed pouring sake. "This is only possible outside the village. Once we're back in Konoha, I won't be able to indulge like this!"
With a quiet sigh, she downed another cup.
In the past, she hadn't cared about the title of Hokage—she'd even despised it.
But now, she truly understood how difficult it was to be Hokage, and how heavy the burden on her shoulders was.
Since she had taken up the mantle, Tsunade was determined to be the best Hokage she could be.
Her grandfather was the First Hokage, her grand-uncle the Second. If she, as the Fifth Hokage, messed things up, she'd have no face left to meet them in the afterlife.
The two kept drinking. Tsunade drank more, while Hikari focused on the food.
Kamizuki Hikari always controlled his alcohol intake.
He feared that if he got drunk, he might accidentally blurt out the secret that he was a transmigrator with a cheat ability.
That was also the reason why he had never dared to pursue a relationship—his safety had to come first.
[How long will I have to live like this?]
[I've been in Konoha long enough now. Based on my estimates, in a few more years, I'll reach Six Paths level. At that point... Should I go to outer space and have a little chat with the Ōtsutsuki clan?]
[Although, the moment they see me, they'll probably attack on sight.]
[Ugh, maybe it's best to just stay in Konoha and live a peaceful life. It doesn't matter if I stop guarding the gate—guarding Tsunade is still the envy of many.]
Tsunade said nothing, quietly sipping her drink as she listened to Hikari's inner monologue and pondered.
Six Paths?
Outer space?
Ōtsutsuki clan?
She committed these unfamiliar terms to memory.
Maybe they were just Hikari's fantasies, but even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance they were real, Tsunade couldn't ignore them.
"Six Paths" made her think of the Sage of Six Paths and Kumo's treasured tools, but beyond that, she had no leads.
"Outer space" was something she'd never even considered traversable.
And "Ōtsutsuki"—she'd never even heard of them.
'One day, I'll pry every last secret out of you!'
Reaffirming this silent vow, Tsunade looked up at Hikari.
"We're returning to the village tomorrow. I wonder if that old bastard Danzo has been stirring up trouble. I hope Shizune and Kakashi can handle it. What a headache."
[Relax. When we get back, I'll just go and kill that old fossil Danzō myself. That way he won't be hiding in the shadows every day, being an annoying pest.]
[But I won't tell you that. The stronger I am, the more likely you'll drag me into things. I still wanna be a laid-back slacker, you know.]
Completely unaware that Tsunade could hear his thoughts, Hikari began trying to reassure her.
"Don't worry about it. Karma comes for everyone eventually. A guy like him—who knows? Maybe he'll die from a failed forbidden jutsu. It's totally possible."
So he already arranged a way for Danzō to die?
Now Tsunade was genuinely intrigued.
If Kamizuki Hikari could eliminate Danzo within Root's heavily fortified base—bypassing all traps and barriers—then his strength surpassed hers.
At his peak, Danzo had been an elite jōnin. Even now, weakened, he was still jōnin-level.
To assassinate him in his own stronghold without triggering any alarms?
Tsunade wouldn't even dare dream of attempting that.
"If that does happen, I'll have to celebrate properly."
Just imagining Danzō dying and herself gaining full control over Konoha brought Tsunade a wave of satisfaction—even if she never cared much for power.
Old and stubborn—heroes who once protected the village had now turned into parasites eating away at it.
Tsunade could tolerate Koharu and Homura still being alive—at most, she'd just strip them of power. But not Danzō. The Root he commanded was like a thorn constantly stabbing into the Hokage's side.
Every time she tried to make a decision, she had to worry whether he'd stab her in the back.
That wasn't the kind of life Tsunade wanted.
She just wanted to bring Konoha back on the right path, then find a suitable Sixth Hokage to take over.
She had already picked her candidate—Hatake Kakashi.
With his Mangekyō Sharingan and his now fully recovered body, his strength had surpassed the elite jōnin level and and entered the realm of Kage.
After retirement, she'd let Shizune earn their keep while she enjoyed her golden years in the village.
But all of that would have to wait until Konoha was stable.
By her calculations, unless something unexpected happened, she'd have to stay in this position for another five years.
Such a hassle.
"Let's drink to that! Let the two of us happily make a wish—to bless Danzō, and hope he dies horribly from a ninjutsu backlash!" Hikari proposed cheerfully.
Tsunade nodded in agreement.
"Danzo spent his whole life fighting the Third. Now that the Third is gone, he must be lonely. May he reunite with the old man soon."
"Hope the two of them can be good friends again in the afterlife!"
[Now that's real leadership—what a way with words!]
[Too bad the Third's soul is stuck in the Shinigami's belly, while Danzō will end up in the Pure Land... Guess they really are destined to never see each other again!]
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