Chapter 267: As Expected of You
Tsunade quickly hurried back to the entrance of the Hidden Leaf Village with Shizune.
But the moment they arrived, both of them froze in place.
The once bustling village had already turned into a wasteland. Everywhere they looked was devastation; not a single living person could be seen.
Such a scene left Tsunade and Shizune completely at a loss.
"What's going on? How could this happen?!"
When she left the village back then, it had still been perfectly fine.
She never expected that upon returning, the entire Hidden Leaf would be reduced to ruins.
In an instant, Tsunade clenched her fists tightly.
With a grim face and gritted teeth, she strode quickly into the heart of the village.
Shizune, stunned for a moment, snapped out of it. Hugging the little pig, Tonton, she hurried after her, worriedly warning, "Lady Tsunade, please be careful, we don't know what happened during that battle just now!"
"Whoever it was! Daring to destroy the Hidden Leaf like this—I'll never let them off!"
Tsunade, seething with rage, had only just walked a few steps when she saw several figures rushing quickly toward them.
Her sharp eyes immediately recognized, from their attire, that they were members of the Leaf's Anbu. Rather than stop, she sped up and went straight to meet them.
The Anbu also clearly recognized her. Even if they hadn't seen her in person, they had certainly heard her name and appearance described.
The moment they reached her, they halted.
One of them spoke: "Lady Tsunade, we were just about to head out to search for you. To think you returned on your own—this is truly a relief!"
At those words, Tsunade's gaze hardened, and her heart sank.
If the village hadn't faced something of extreme importance, the Anbu would never have been so desperate to find her.
"What exactly happened?" she asked in a deep voice.
"It's Uchiha Madara."
"Uchiha Madara?"
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. Shizune, beside her, also stared in disbelief. "Uchiha Madara… that man—wasn't he already dead? How—how could this be?"
"We don't know the details, but it's said someone used the forbidden Reanimation Jutsu to revive him. He came to the Hidden Leaf attempting to seize the Nine Tailed Beasts…"
The Anbu gave a rough explanation.
Hearing this only deepened Tsunade's and Shizune's confusion.
Tsunade furrowed her brows. "Nine Tailed Beasts? What's that supposed to mean?"
But after asking, she quickly pieced things together.
If Uchiha truly unified the ninja world and forced the other nations to submit to the Land of Fire, then those tailed beasts—once wielded as weapons of war by other countries—would inevitably fall into the Leaf's hands.
That would explain it.
Sure enough, the Anbu's reply confirmed her guess.
Tsunade frowned even more deeply.
"You said just now someone was gravely injured? Explain everything you know while we walk!"
Without wasting time, she pushed forward again.
Before long, they arrived at the Leaf's hospital.
On the way, Tsunade had already learned the full picture: the Akatsuki's existence, Black Zetsu's schemes, and Uchiha Madara's purpose in being revived.
To discover that so much had happened in the ninja world since her departure—that the entire world now teetered on the brink of destruction—swept away all her old desires to escape responsibility.
The pressure from outside reignited the hot blood in her heart.
Her sense of duty, together with her resolve to prevent the world's ruin, rekindled her fighting spirit. Unknowingly, her hemophobia had already been overcome.
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi and others were in the hospital, visiting the injured.
But "hospital" was hardly accurate anymore—it had been nearly destroyed in the earlier battle.
Most of the equipment lay in ruins, one major reason why the Leaf's medical corps had been unable to provide timely and effective treatment.
Seeing Tsunade suddenly return, Hiruzen and the others were shocked.
But Tsunade ignored both him and Orochimaru. Instead, she strode straight to Jiraiya, who lay swathed in bandages on a bed.
"Even you…"
Her expression grew grave at the sight of him gravely injured and still unconscious.
But considering the one who had struck him was Madara, it wasn't surprising at all. That was, after all, the man who had once stood against her grandfather, the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.
"Shizune, come help!"
At her call, Shizune rushed forward.
Together, they began treating Jiraiya.
As expected of the strongest medical ninja—the title was no empty boast.
The moment Tsunade placed her hands on him, powerful medical chakra surged into his body.
The wounds that had left the Leaf's medical team helpless now began closing before their very eyes.
Jiraiya, on the brink of death, stabilized rapidly as bleeding stopped and injuries knit.
Such a miraculous sight left every ninja present in awe.
Hiruzen let out a long sigh of relief.
He didn't interrupt Tsunade. In fact, guilt still weighed heavily on him—he knew she still resented him for the past mistake that had cost Dan his life.
Moments later, Tsunade finished treating Jiraiya, wiping sweat from her brow.
Her technique was dazzling and effective, but the chakra expenditure was no small matter.
"Where are the other wounded?" she asked, turning toward the rest of the room.
"Your medical ninjutsu is as brilliant as ever, Tsunade. Truly awe-inspiring," Orochimaru remarked, giving no direct answer.
It was instead a nearby medic, snapping out of his dazed admiration, who quickly pointed and said, "Lady Tsunade, the others are in the ward next door—this whole floor is—"
Before he finished, Tsunade was already striding out, saying as she went: "Jiraiya needs rest. And as for the rest of you—keep out of here and don't disturb us!"
That remark, it was clear, was aimed at Hiruzen.
He didn't take offense. Nor did he argue. Instead, he calmly instructed his subordinates: "We'll wait outside."
Leading by example, he was the first to leave.
Once out of the ward, he immediately ordered the Anbu: "Come with me—we're going to search for the First Hokage's whereabouts! As for guarding the village, I'll leave that to you, Nagato, Yahiko."
Against Madara, he knew they could hardly make a difference. But standing idle was worse—better to at least do something.
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