Chapter 15: Dirty World.

In a certain garden within the Sarutobi clan grounds, Yuto leaned back on a stone bench, eyes tightly shut.

Tsunade reached out with one hand, gently covering Yuto's eyes. Soft chakra flowed from her palm to his eyeballs and optic nerves, stimulating cell repair and regeneration.

Using chakra, a powerful and wild energy, for medical purposes is extremely difficult. When treating delicate systems like the visual and brain tissues, it's akin to embroidery on the tip of a needle. In the entire shinobi world, fewer than five people could manage such a feat.

Fortunately, Tsunade was one of them. In terms of medical ninjutsu, this last descendant of the Senju clan was undoubtedly the best.

After some time, the cool sensation abruptly vanished.

Yuto opened his eyes, and though he felt a stabbing pain, his vision finally cleared.

"The pain will last for about a week. Drink plenty of water and get lots of rest," the blonde Tsunade said, letting out a relieved breath.

She let her tied-up hair down and took a sip of sake — Tsunade was a very ethical healer and wouldn't drink while treating patients.

Yuto rubbed his still tense forehead and, after a long silence, bowed deeply to Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama, you have saved my life as a shinobi. From now on, I am at your service, no matter the cost!"

"Hey, hey, that's enough, kid from the Hyuga clan," Tsunade grimaced. If it were anyone else, making such a face would seem comical, but Tsunade's beauty made even unguarded expressions captivating.

"Kid... your name is Yuto Hyuga, right? How old are you?"

"I'm 12, Tsunade-sama."

The blonde woman was momentarily stunned and took another gulp of sake.

"Twelve, huh? Many your age are still recent graduates and troublemakers, yet you've made a name for yourself through your own efforts... With young talents like you, the Will of Fire will surely be passed on."

"Tsunade-sama, I am not strong enough yet. There is still much I need to learn."

"When I was your age, I also wanted to master my clan's kekkei genkai and restore the Senju glory. But now, I feel that simply being strong won't necessarily get you what you want."

"The strong might not always get what they desire, but the weak will certainly lose more."

"Such... a boyish view," Tsunade said lightly, tilting her head to look at Yuto. She suddenly asked, "Your injury... is it from the Caged Bird?"

Yuto lowered his head. After a moment, he stood up, resting his hands on the stone railing of the pavilion, the night wind blowing through his bangs, carrying a faint scent of blood.

Tsunade couldn't see the boy's expression, but his silhouette against the railing made her feel uneasy.

—Ten years ago, her younger brother Nawaki was also twelve. On his birthday, he wore the crystal necklace she had given him, leaned on the railing atop the Hokage building, and talked about his youthful dreams... Then, the day after his birthday, he died in the chaos of war.

The blonde woman took another large sip of sake. When people are troubled, they seek escape, and sake is a good thing, though the strong body of the Senju clan made alcohol less effective on Tsunade.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, you are right." At that moment, Yuto's voice came from ahead.

"It might seem like airing dirty laundry... but you are one of the three Sannin of Konoha. To me, you are a trustworthy senior. I won't hide it from you; the one who cast the Caged Bird jutsu was Shinosuke Hyuga."

"Tch," Tsunade mocked without hesitation.

"The Hyuga have fallen so far that they disclose the Caged Bird's secrets to a child." Tsunade seemed to have a low opinion of the Hyuga clan, "When I was little, there were several strong figures in the Hyuga family. Though they were not as great as my grandfather, they were formidable. But now, ha, the Caged Bird imprisons both the branch and main families."

"Maybe," Yuto said calmly.

"When the Caged Bird activates, it hurts a lot. For a second or two, I wished I had a kunai to stab the caster in the neck."

Such thoughts would be heresy in the Hyuga clan, but to Tsunade, they seemed normal.

If a 12-year-old genius, made to suffer by a curse seal, still thought of serving the main family, Tsunade would think the person was either brainwashed or lying.

"Kid, you can say that to me, but forget those feelings outside of the Sarutobi grounds."

"I told you because I see you as a genuinely kind figure, someone I can trust with everything."

"Heh... you sure know how to talk. So what now? Yuto Hyuga, what do you think of the main family now?"

"Now... I don't know what to think. Surprisingly, I don't feel much anger or hatred. Tsunade-sama, I don't know how to put it..."

"Speak freely, kid. It's just us here."

"Yes... Tsunade-sama." Yuto hesitated for the first time.

—Can I really say this? To reopen the wounds of a woman who has lost her loved ones, just to achieve my own goals? Yuto, you are so dirty...

The hesitation lasted only a moment. The next second, Yuto suppressed it and spoke words he remembered from a manga in his previous life,

"Losing those you care about in battle... isn't a shinobi's mission."

"Because I live in a world filled with death and chaos, I want to strive for peace."

"I love this village and my comrades... so I want to protect them."

"Since my parents died, this thought has always sustained me... So Tsunade-sama, I want to become Hokage."

"Because being Hokage means protecting everyone... That has always been my dream."

Tsunade was stunned.

Those long-buried, painful memories suddenly resurfaced.

Ten years ago, when she and Dan Kato pledged their love, Dan had said the same thing.

It was a secret between her and Dan. Since Dan's death in the Second Shinobi War, she had been the only one who knew those bold and determined vows.

Now, the 12-year-old Yuto seemed to embody two figures.

The blonde woman tilted her head back, raising her sake bottle, but it was empty.

Ah... Nawaki, Dan, do you want me to help this boy?

(End of Chapter)