Konoha, Year 60.
A Chūnin Exam that should have been ordinary instead carved itself into the history of the shinobi world.
The Sand and Sound launched their assault on the village.
Orochimaru, once counted among the Legendary Sannin, succeeded in slaying his own master.
The Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi, the "Hero of the Shinobi," who had guided the world for over forty years—was dead.
The Fourth Kazekage vanished without a trace.
And the man once spoken of as equal to the gods walked the earth once more.
One shock after another threw the shinobi world into chaos.
Konoha had lost its leader. Sunagakure, too, was in turmoil. Meanwhile, the great villages of Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri—until now content to watch from the sidelines—began to stir. Even the smaller villages and scattered shinobi organizations felt the ripples.
For those who had survived the last great war, the air was too familiar.
Storms were gathering. The scent of war returned.
And more than a few old veterans found themselves praying it was only their imagination.
In the Land of Fire, within the noise and smoke of a bustling casino—
"Big! Big!"
"Small! Small!"
"All in!"
"I win! Hahaha!"
"Damn it, just kill me already—!"
The crowd roared, gamblers shouted, dice clattered, and slot machines chimed without end.
Among the chaos sat a striking woman in a green coat emblazoned with the word gamble. Her twin ponytails of pale gold swayed as she tossed chips into the machine, her fair skin and ample chest earning glances even in such a place.
Beside her, a dark-haired woman cradled a pink pig in her arms, face filled with a mix of sorrow and resignation.
Moments later—
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
Another pile of chips spilled from the machine.
The mountain of winnings grew higher still.
Shizune's eyes widened. "Lady Tsunade! We… we actually won again!"
Heaven bear witness—after so many years of watching her master bleed money away, it was the first time she'd seen Tsunade winning nonstop.
Yet Tsunade's brow only furrowed deeper.
Even as chips rained down, her expression was that of someone suffering loss after loss. Wordlessly, she fed more in—and once again, fortune answered her call.
Shizune scrambled to steady the tower of chips, relieved that they wouldn't be sleeping in the streets tonight.
But Tsunade no longer moved. She only stood there, silent, lost in thought.
And then—
"…Did you hear? Konoha was attacked by the Sand and some no-name little village. The Third Hokage… was killed."
"No way… someone killed the Third?"
"They say it was Orochimaru. One of the Legendary Sannin. Once his disciple."
"Orochimaru's that strong?"
"Stronger than you think. Some say he also killed the Fourth Kazekage."
"Unbelievable… two of the Five Kage, just like that?"
"And there's more. Word is, a man equal to the First Hokage appeared at the Chūnin Exams. A shinobi once said to stand beside gods, who left one Kage dead and another crippled… he's back."
"That's impossible. Someone from that era? Alive?"
"My sister's husband's brother swore it. He's a Konoha shinobi—he was there."
"Then he must have seen wrong. Yui Xuanyue died decades ago, cut down by Senju Hashirama himself. The Valley of Fallen Gods was built where he fell. No dead man returns."
"Maybe so. But the Hokage's death? That part's true. Without a new leader, Konoha's in trouble."
"Yeah… they'd better hurry and pick a Fifth Hokage, or the village will fall apart."
Crack.
The chips in Tsunade's hand shattered to powder.
Shizune froze, still clutching the pile of winnings. Slowly, she looked at her master.
"Tsunade-sama…"
"Shizune." Tsunade's voice was flat.
"Yes!" Shizune straightened instantly.
"Pack up. We're leaving."
"O-okay!" She scrambled to gather the chips, then blinked. "Wait—Tsunade-sama… are we heading back to Konoha?"
For a moment, Tsunade's eyes flickered with something unreadable. But then she waved it away.
"Konoha? No. We're going to the next casino."
"Eh…?"
Shizune nearly dropped the chips.
Meanwhile, back in Konoha—
The funeral was over. The people dispersed, black-clad villagers and shinobi alike slipping away in silence.
But as Jiraiya prepared to leave, two figures blocked his path.
"Jiraiya," Koharu said, her voice grave. "With Hiruzen gone, we've formed an emergency committee, but it's only a stopgap. Konoha needs a new Hokage. You must become the Fifth."
Homura nodded firmly. "There's no one else as qualified as you. Don't refuse."
To them, only two of Hiruzen's students were fit to inherit the title—Jiraiya and Tsunade. And Tsunade… was nowhere to be found. That left only the man before them.
As for Danzō…
The two elders knew his hunger for the seat. But they also knew his heart was buried too deep in darkness, his methods too cold and merciless. If there were another choice, they would not let him wear the Hokage's robes.
"Hokage, huh?" Jiraiya scratched his head, face twisting. "Sorry, but that's not me. No way. Count me out."
The elders pressed him harder, but in the end, Jiraiya caved—by pointing the finger elsewhere.
"Tsunade's the one you want. She's better suited for the role. Don't worry—I'll find her. My toads will track her down, and I'll bring her back myself!"
Far from the funeral's solemn air, deep beneath the village, the base of Root lay steeped in silence.
Danzō Shimura sat alone in the dark, leaning on his cane. For a long while, he said nothing.
At last, he exhaled.
"…Hiruzen."
"Danzō-sama." A Root operative approached.
"What is it?" Danzō's voice was cold again.
"The council has chosen Jiraiya. He's to bring Tsunade back to serve as the Fifth Hokage."
"Tsunade, is it?"
Danzō wasn't surprised.
A Senju by blood, the architect of Konoha's medical corps, savior of countless comrades—Tsunade was the obvious choice, even if she had long abandoned the village.
On another path, he knew, she would one day collapse, leaving Konoha leaderless, and only then would he finally emerge to claim the title of Sixth Hokage.
But for now…
"…We wait," he murmured.
Perhaps it was Hiruzen's death, but the urgency he usually felt did not burn as hot. For a moment, he allowed himself a flicker of sentiment. Then he crushed it, and the mask of Root returned.
"Send word to Orochimaru. I want a meeting."
The operative bowed.
"And," Danzō continued, his single eye gleaming with hunger, "search for Yui Xuanyue. Track his movements. Find out what he's been doing."
The elders might dismiss him, but Danzō knew better. A man once spoken of in the same breath as Senju Hashirama would never be harmless—not even in death.
Xuanyue had broken free from Edo Tensei by design. That alone meant his schemes ran deep.
Such a man could not be left unchecked.
Find him.
Seize him.
Tear every last secret from him.
And in the end, make his power Root's own.
Danzō slammed his cane against the floor, his lone eye flashing with predatory light.
(End of Chapter)