The Return

The smell of vomit filled the air.

With an expression oscillating between satisfaction and concern, Tsunade broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Well!" she exclaimed. "It's time to return to the village. The situation in the ninja world is... tense." Her tone became more somber. "I may not have time to take care of the next missions."

Chen, still holding Kushina who was trembling slightly, fixed his gaze on Tsunade. Catching the tone of her words.

"Is war about to break out?"

Tsunade exhaled heavily. "Yes," she confirmed. "Konoha troops are already mobilizing towards the border. Those damn Village of Rain..." Her voice filled with bitterness. "They had the audacity to attack our fortress. We suffered great losses and now... now we have to respond."

Surprise was reflected on Chen's face. "Has the Village of Rain become so reckless?"

"Hanzō of the Salamander," Tsunade spat the name as if it were poison, "is now considered a demigod. His power is undeniable. And his ambition... He wants to take this opportunity for his village to become the sixth great shinobi power."

Chen clicked his tongue. He didn't expect Hanzō to still have so much courage. The Land of Rain, trapped between the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth, had always been a strategic and volatile point.

"Hanzō possesses a poisonous technique and formidable strength," Tsunade continued, a touch of reluctant respect in her voice. "Some say he's the strongest in the world right now. Even the old man... doubts his ability to defeat him. With such characteristics, it's natural that he has such ambitions."

Frowning, Chen murmured, "The strongest ninja right now should be the Third Raikage," thinking of the man known for tying with the Eight-Tails, possessor of the "strongest spear and strongest shield".

Tsunade shrugged, uncertainty clear on her face. "The Third Raikage? I don't know. Konoha doesn't have much information about the Cloud Village, but it's rumored that his strength equals that of the Eight-Tails. Although," she added, her face darkening, "according to our spies, the Cloud Village is also ready to move. But their target seems to be the Rock Village."

With that, the group began to move, leaving behind the scene of their first "real" mission.

_________

The group approached the gates of Konoha. The familiar scent of the village began to replace the stench of ashes and death they had left behind.

"Well! It seems Konoha has improved since I left," said Chen, his gaze scanning the changed houses of the village. The scars from the Kyubi attack were almost completely erased, replaced by new constructions and an air of renewed vitality.

Just as they crossed the gates, a familiar figure appeared, as if he had been waiting for their arrival.

Nawaki looked at them with curiosity and a touch of envy. "Chen? Were you out of the village?" he interrupted.

The surprise of encountering Nawaki barely had time to register on their faces when a nauseating smell invaded the air, so intense it could almost be seen.

Chen and the others, caught off guard, instinctively covered their noses and took a step back, with disgusted faces.

"For all the... Nawaki, did you fall into a sewer or what? You stink!" Chen pointed out. The good mood he had brought back to the village evaporated in an instant.

Tsunade, with embarrassment painted on her face: "Idiot! What are you doing walking around the street like that? Go back home and take a bath, for God's sake! You're embarrassing the entire Senju clan."

People on the street began to point and murmur, the stench attracting looks of curiosity and disgust alike. Nawaki, however, seemed completely oblivious to the olfactory chaos he was causing.

"It's not my fault!" he defended himself, sniffing in a way that only made things worse. "Orochimaru-sensei sent us to clean the pigsty on the farm. I didn't think it would smell so bad!"

Chen, incredulous, thought: 'How is it possible that he doesn't notice? You can smell it for miles! This kid must have a broken nose.'

Out loud, he addressed Tsunade sarcastically: "Hey, Tsunade, aren't you supposed to be a medical ninja? How come you haven't noticed that your brother has a broken nose? What negligence."

Ignoring the comment, Tsunade ordered Nawaki: "Go home and clean yourself before someone complains to the Hokage."

Then, turning to Chen and the others, she added: "I wanted to invite you to dinner, but..."

Chen shook his head, a twisted smile on his lips. "Forget it. I'm starting to think Nawaki did it on purpose to save you money."

"I owe you a dinner, then," said Tsunade, pulling an envelope from her pocket. "Here, this is the reward for the mission."

Chen took the envelope, surprised by its weight. "Aren't rewards supposed to be paid upon completing the mission?"

Tsunade smiled mischievously, a glimmer of complicity in her eyes. "Let's say I got a bit ahead. The old man has already approved it. He trusts that you'll complete the mission without problems."

The three exchanged looks of amazement.

"Now go rest," Tsunade continued, her tone turning serious. "Tomorrow I'll likely head to the battlefield. If you want to continue with missions, you can do so on your own. With you here, Chen, I can leave with peace of mind."

Chen, with sudden concern on his face, asked her: "Sister Tsunade, if any Jinchūriki appears on the battlefield, please let me know."

Letting out a soft laugh, a spark of affection shone in Tsunade's eyes. "Look at that... A moment ago it was 'Tsunade this, Tsunade that', and now you're calling me 'sister'. You're going to make me cry." With a quick movement, she playfully pinched Chen's cheek.

Although Chen grimaced, he didn't resist. What else could he do? He had brought it upon himself by asking Tsunade for that favor.

"So, do you agree, Sister Tsunade?" he insisted.

Tsunade's expression turned serious. "I don't know what you're planning, but I'll keep you informed. Be careful, Chen. If they discover you, you'll become the number one public enemy of the entire World."

Then, with a mocking smile that broke the tension of the moment, she added: "By the way, that cape of yours, the white one... Does it really have the word 'justice' written on it? It doesn't suit you at all."

After many years with Chen, Tsunade knew him very well. Justice and he were basically two opposite paths, like water and oil.

Chen waved his hand, evading the topic with an enigmatic smile. "Bah! Don't even mention it. It's a long story."

In reality, he had won that Marine cape in a lottery, but he preferred not to go into details.

Tomorrow would be his tenth birthday, and there would be another lottery. He wondered what luck would bring him this time.

….

Back at home, the air charged with tension from the day's events and news of the imminent war began to slowly dissipate. Mikoto headed to the kitchen quickly, while Chen and Kushina, physically and emotionally exhausted, collapsed onto the sofa and turned on the television.

Kushina, aware of her limited culinary skills, no longer offered to help in the kitchen. Chen was secretly relieved by this, remembering with a shudder Kushina's "unique" creations that reminded him of Shion from Rimuru.

Within minutes, the aroma of freshly prepared food began to fill the house.

Mikoto finished preparing dinner with efficiency. The speed was, of course, due to the Shadow Clone technique.

________

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