18 Chapter – 18: Senju Tsunade

The Senju are highly respected in Konoha. Even two generations later, and even if Tsunade is the only pureblood Senju left, people still respect this once glorious clan. Although no one is allowed inside, many people would still come once in a while to see this, now almost deserted, Senju compound which was once the home of two Hokages and where the Third was mentored.

It is the complete opposite of how they treat the Uchiha. Although the Uchiha are also respected, it's more of fear rather than respect. It isn't just normal people, the other clans and even Hizuren are fearful of this clan.

The Senju compound is at the dead center of Konoha and it is huge! It took me half an hour just to circle around by walk. [AN: couldn't find the exact location, so making this up. If someone knows the exact place, pls let me know.]

I am not just sightseeing, I started to scan for any vital signs hiding to see how many anbus are actually protecting this place. The Anbus usually use the camouflage technique to hide when protecting someone inside the village, although it is good for deceiving normal eyes, I don't even have to activate my Sharingan to find them, the A. I chip's scanner is more than enough to find heat signatures of human bodies.

'It seems the war has created a massive lack of manpower for Hizuren and he has to protect the new Jinchūriki too,' I grin as I only notice only one anbu sitting on a nearby tree, 'But shouldn't there be someone from Root as well?'

After thinking for a while I get it, 'It might be that Danzo did want to send his Root Anbu but is afraid of Hizuren going crazy. Hizuren might be forgiving when Danzo messes with the Uchiha but he should be protective of his own students. That must also be the reason Hanzo didn't kill the Sannin after thoroughly beating them up, not wanting a crazy Hizuren on his back!'

'This makes things a bit easy,' I think, 'But just to be sure, let me keep watch for a couple of days more.'

Next up to confirm is Tsunade really has Blood Phobia.

[Tsunade POV]

I am still devastated by Nawaki and Dan's death. Their faces keep coming back whenever I close my eyes. I am not angry at them for leaving me alone like this but I am angry at myself. I wasn't even able to make sensei agree to mandate a medical-nin in each three men cell. That would have definitely saved their lives. I should have pushed for it more. And … and… I wasn't as good a medical ninja as I believed myself to be. I wasn't even able to save them when they were injured so badly.

Since I can't be free of sadness, I decided to drown it with alcohol. Tears start flowing from my eyes again as I mindlessly walk towards the Senju compound.

I know sensei has sent some of his anbu to keep an eye on me, but I don't even care anymore.

As I am walking home, I see some kids running around playing happily, 'Nawaki should have been playing happily like them too … Grandfather, your dream that no kid has to fight in wars, can it ever be realized? Dan… Don't worry, I will protect your niece, I will take her and leave this war-ridden village for now,' I think.

Abruptly, one of the playing children falls on the ground and gets bruised pretty badly, and starts to cry. If it was a normal time, I would have rushed in to heal that poor child, but when I see the blood, it all comes crashing down on me, the images of Dan covered in injuries, bleeding profusely. I try to stop them, but nothing I do seem to work as he bleeds to death in the most painful way. The scene keeps repeating itself again and again in my head and I start to convulse.

Frozen, just when I was about to collapse onto the ground, "Big sister! are you alright?" I see a cute three or four-year-old boy standing in front of me asking with a concerned frown.

Calming myself a bit, I look around, the bleeding boy has already left. I and the boy are the only ones on the street. "I… am … fine," I stutter and try to smile, but with my face pale and in tears, that smile must have looked really ugly.

"Big sister, are you okay? you seem to be sick, where do you live? I will walk you there, my mother said, 'we should always help the old and the sick.'" the boy says.

'If only kids like Nawaki and these boys could happily live… free from all these wars,' I think as I and the cute little boy head towards the Senju compound, we weren't that far anyway.

As a Ninja, if it were before, I would have instantly become vigilant when someone I didn't recognize came near me. But due to these extenuating circumstances, I seem to not care.

When we reach the gate, "Wow big sister, you live in this huge place?" he asks starstruck when he sees the Senju compound.

"Yes, this is my clan's compound. Although I am the only one left," I say.

"Don't worry big sister, didn't the Hokage say the entire village is a family? you don't have to be sad, OK?" the boy says "Ok big sister, you take care, my friends will start playing without me if I am late, I have to go quickly, Bye!"

he says before and vanishes as quickly as he had appeared before.

'I didn't even ask him for his name,' I lament.

As I was heading towards the bedroom to relax a bit, I sense someone behind me. Initially, I think the kid might be back but then, 'How could someone appear behind me without me even realizing it?' there are only a few who are capable enough to pull it off.

As soon as I turn, I see a guy in a weird oni-mask. The guy takes an area-wide silencing seal and activates it. I don't know what he is planning, but he can forget about winning against me. Although I am in bad shape, I am still a Sannin!

But my hopes are completely dashed by what happened next. He swipes his right arm, it was not fast, one could say it was slow. But out of nowhere gallons of red blood starts pouring all over the place. Most of which lands directly on me. In just the blink of an eye, the entire room became a pool of blood.

My sight was fully covered in crimson. The floor, the walls, everything was covered in blood. Again the nightmares start to haunt me. The same bloody scenes of Dan and Nawaki. Even the man in front of me seems to transform into bleeding Dan whispering 'Help me…'

I couldn't even get myself to scream, although it wouldn't have helped much, 'I am sorry…' was my last thought seeing the familiar figure before getting hit in the back of my neck and passing out.