Looking at the familiar Konoha gate, a warmth rose in Hikari's heart.
Although there were unpleasant things here as well, compared to other places in the shinobi world, this was the one place that truly felt like home to him.
Ignoring the chunin standing guard at the entrance, Hikari slipped into Konoha.
"Hikari-senpai, you came back and didn't come find me first?" Yakumo's voice sounded beside his ear, carrying the faint tone of someone feeling wronged.
Hikari sensed his surroundings but didn't detect Yakumo's physical presence. Without turning around, he said, "I suddenly wanted to walk around Konoha a bit. How are things lately?"
With a flicker of light, a graceful figure appeared out of thin air before him.
"What else could it be? Same as always! But Orochimaru has returned and is staying at Anko's place. Not sure what he's planning this time."
"You didn't try probing him with genjutsu?" Hikari asked curiously.
Yakumo's genjutsu could deceive even him if he wasn't guarding his mind. Let alone Orochimaru, who had very low resistance to illusion techniques.
"I tried. But that guy's mind is ridiculously deep. I couldn't be bothered to read his memories." Yakumo answered righteously despite her reasoning being anything but.
She obviously had the ability, but she refused out of laziness.
Hikari smiled faintly. He didn't comment on her attitude.
After all, he wasn't exactly the hardworking type either. He had no right to scold someone else.
"That's fine. Once I'm done with my business, I'll go see him myself."
Hearing that, Yakumo puffed her cheeks and glared.
"So you're abandoning me, huh? Why is it that after you're done, you're going to see Orochimaru instead of me? Don't tell me you've fallen for that guy-who-could-be-either-a-guy-or-a-girl?"
Hikari's face darkened. Seeing her eyes sparkling with mischief, he thought that if this were her real body in front of him, he'd show her what family discipline meant.
"I'm reporting to the Hokage's office first. Watch out once I'm done!"
"Pfft, as if I'm scared!"
---
*Knock! Knock! Knock!*
"Come in!"
Hearing someone knock, Tsunade responded casually. When she instinctively reached out with chakra to sense who was outside, she suddenly froze.
Unfamiliar yet familiar chakra. Incredibly powerful.
Hikari pushed the door open and entered, seeing Tsunade sitting at her desk, working through documents.
"Looks like you're pretty busy."
"Of course I'm busy! Did you think I became Hokage just to laze around?" Tsunade shot him an annoyed glare. This bastard hadn't even said anything nice upon returning—after she'd been worrying about him, too.
"Wasn't that the case?" Hikari looked at her with surprise.
[Did Tsunade change her personality? Not going gambling is one thing, but since when did she become so responsible?]
Hearing Hikari's thoughts for the first time in a long while made Tsunade momentarily happy.
But once she processed what he'd actually thought, her mood flipped instantly.
'Bastard... is that what you think of me? I swear, I'll kill you one of these days.'
"Hmph. If you have something to say, say it. If you're back just to sass me a couple times, you can leave!" Thanks to Hikari's interruption, her good mood instantly halved.
She was annoyed and felt like hitting someone.
"This time in the Land of Water, I had a clash with Nagato from Akatsuki. He currently holds the Ten-Tails shell, and frankly... I still don't have a way to defeat him."
"Nagato?"
Tsunade's mind immediately returned to the memory of the three of them leaving the Land of Water years ago, when they'd met that little red-headed kid.
In the blink of an eye, that little brat had become someone disturbing the peace of the entire shinobi world.
Jiraiya really caused nothing but trouble.
"What abilities does he have? If it were me, could I defeat him?"
This wasn't arrogance—she possessed Wood Release, and with the sage techniques Hikari had given her, plus Katsuyu, she had every right to ask.
Hikari rubbed his chin, seriously evaluating her strength.
Her greatest advantage was Wood Release, Sage Mode, and absolute regeneration.
Nagato's advantage was the Six Paths of Pain, plus the Ten-Tails shell.
Doing the math...
"If Nagato doesn't use the Ten-Tails, it would be a stalemate between the two of you."
That was his conclusion.
Tsunade wasn't Hashirama. If it were the First Hokage, with his absurd double-palm-clap Wood Release Senjutsu that he could spam casually, even the Six Paths would stand no chance.
It wasn't the Rinnegan that was lacking—Nagato simply couldn't draw out its true potential.
Tsunade nodded. She wasn't disappointed.
Shinobi had a clear understanding of their own power. Only then could they stay alive on the battlefield. The kind who blindly believed others' flattery died early.
"So, what's the Akatsuki's next move? And what are you planning to do about them?"
Those were the two things she cared about most.
In her mind, if Hikari were willing to take action, Akatsuki wouldn't be a threat. Peace would come quickly.
But disappointment struck again.
Facing her expectant gaze, Hikari shook his head. "Nagato and I reached an agreement. They won't go after the Fifth Mizukage, and I won't actively target Akatsuki."
"You..."
"Fool!"
Tsunade stared at him like he was a hopeless case. "Konoha has you, me, and Jiraiya. The three of us together could wipe out Akatsuki! And you're letting them collect the Tailed Beasts? You're letting them grow stronger!"
"I have my own reasons."
Hikari said calmly, "Nagato has the Ten-Tails. I can't kill him. And don't underestimate the others in Akatsuki. Take Uchiha Itachi for example. If he goes all out, even Jiraiya would struggle to stop him."
"The others all have their own trump cards. If we clash head-on, Konoha will only draw Akatsuki's hatred."
"Akatsuki is collecting the Tailed Beasts. They'll go after the easiest first. All Konoha needs to do is protect Naruto and let him grow stronger. That's what matters now."
He was, after all, the future Child of Destiny—along with his rival, Sasuke.
If those two grew strong, Hikari's burden would drastically lighten.
Tsunade fell silent, thinking.
She had gotten carried away earlier, dreaming about effortlessly crushing Akatsuki.
But now that she calmed down, she realized it wasn't that simple.
If Akatsuki could be destroyed easily, she wouldn't have needed to worry in the first place. The fact that Hikari refused to strike meant the timing wasn't right.
Besides, Akatsuki threatened the shinobi world as a whole.
If Konoha acted now, it would essentially take on the responsibility of the entire world.
Tsunade wasn't some self-sacrificing saint. Giving up her own village's interests for world peace was something the First Hokage might do—not her.
She was Tsunade, after all. A woman who cared only about her own village.
The shinobi world had nothing to do with her.
"Then... what about Orochimaru?"