The Third Hokage was, without doubt, a masterful politician.
He understood the human heart.
Instead of directly dissuading Tsunade, he invoked the wishes of Nawaki and Dan—the two people she cared for most—to urge her to stay calm.
Resurrection…
Such a taboo method, even if it existed, would surely come with a greater cost.
Bang—!
Tsunade slammed both hands on the desk, the sound echoing, as she gritted her teeth and glared at her teacher.
"Why does protecting Konoha require mere genin to sacrifice themselves?!"
"…That's war, Tsunade," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, his voice laced with helplessness.
He knew well that Tsunade harbored resentment over her brother's death.
Resentment toward herself, and toward Konoha.
Dan's death had only detonated that pent-up anger.
The Tsunade who left years ago had even deluded herself into thinking that dying for Konoha's sake was foolish.
"No matter what."
Tsunade locked eyes with Hiruzen, enunciating each word: "If there's a chance, I will bring them back!"
"…" Hiruzen took another puff of his pipe, exhaling slow smoke rings, then said deliberately, "If you can truly bring them back, I won't stop you. But the cost must not harm Konoha… I've got some savings, old as I am. Take them for now."
First, he set a boundary, then offered aid.
Hearing this…
Tsunade's anger gradually subsided.
Head lowered…
She picked up the badge Shen Mo had given her, turned to leave, and only at the door did she glance back.
"Thank you."
Her voice was clear, then she strode out.
Hiruzen continued puffing his pipe.
Better to guide than to block.
He knew Tsunade. Deep down, she still loved Konoha, though that love was buried under the pain of loss. If someone could rekindle it, she'd love the village even more fiercely.
Because then, she'd also carry the wills of Nawaki and Dan, who died protecting Konoha.
"Cough, cough."
Hiruzen let out a soft cough, subtly adjusting his Hokage hat.
Beneath that symbol of authority, his aged face looked even older.
A ninja's life of battle, even if one survived to his age, came with old wounds and hidden injuries. He no longer had the vigor of his prime as the Ninja Hero.
Yet he couldn't afford to grow old.
Not without a suitable successor.
His gaze shifted to the potions Tsunade had left on the desk.
One red vial…
Bore a label in Tsunade's handwriting: "Can heal hidden injuries."
"Out all these years, and your heart hasn't changed," Hiruzen said, a gratified smile spreading. He picked up the vial, sniffed it, assessed it, then took a sip.
This—!
Just a sip, and Hiruzen's eyes changed.
Then, in one gulp, he downed most of the rest.
Closing his eyes, he felt it silently.
He knew his body's condition better than anyone. Some hidden injuries, even Tsunade, a top-tier medical ninja, couldn't heal. Combined with age, he was far frailer than anyone realized.
But!
This sip of potion worked a comprehensive repair.
Though the dose wasn't enough for a full recovery, those chronic, rust-like hidden injuries were indeed alleviated.
"Is this what that mysterious merchant sells?" Hiruzen murmured, staring at the remaining potion, his eyes flickering.
Hearing Tsunade's account was one thing.
Experiencing it himself was far more vivid.
This mysterious merchant's backing deserved serious attention.
Hiruzen didn't fully buy Tsunade's talk of a merchant from another world. To him, Shen Mo—confirmed by Tsunade to be an ordinary man—was likely a puppet, deliberately placed before Tsunade by some entity to exploit her grief for a hidden purpose.
Tsunade would likely continue trading, wouldn't she?
…
Meanwhile, Tsunade and Shizune stepped out of the Hokage's office building.
"Lady Tsunade," Shizune said, noting Tsunade's blank expression, "did the Third Hokage refuse?"
They'd hoped Konoha would fund purchasingcans from the mysterious merchant.
Especially tier-three cans.
But that conversation…
"He's the Hokage, after all," Tsunade said calmly, seemingly unfazed by the result.
Tier-two cans cost five hundred thousand.
Tier-three cans cost five million.
That wasn't a small sum. He couldn't just hand over vast funds to a stranger based on her words alone—even if resurrection was possible, Nawaki and Dan weren't worth that price to Konoha.
"So what do we do now?" Shizune asked, at a loss.
They were saddled with gambling debts, and the Senju clan was a shadow of its former self. Relying on themselves, who knew how long it'd take to earn enough for resurrection.
"Call the can merchant, of course. Trade first," Tsunade said, her steps unwavering. "Didn't the old man say he had savings? He won't refuse business, will he?"
"But…"
Shizune started to say the money likely wouldn't suffice, but seeing Tsunade's eyes, she held back.
Those were the eyes of someone with an unshakable goal.
Tsunade took the "savings" Hiruzen mentioned, then returned to her original home. She hadn't been back in years, yet everything was as it was—no overgrown weeds in the courtyard. Clearly, someone in Konoha had kept it maintained.
Perhaps the Hokage's orders, or respect for the Senju clan.
Tsunade gazed at the familiar surroundings from her memories.
Once a bustling clan, now… only she remained.
"Phew—"
Exhaling deeply, Tsunade didn't linger in sentiment.
She pulled out the badge, following Shen Mo's instructions, and pressed the eye-shaped button in the center.
A "beep-beep" sound came from within.
Then…
"Hello?" Shen Mo's voice emerged. "Miss Tsunade? Hold on a moment—Haimaru, stop squirming."
"Meow meow!"
Slap slap.
"Behave, now!"
All sorts of odd noises came through the badge. Tsunade and Shizune exchanged bewildered looks. It took a while for things to quiet down.
"My apologies, just a small matter here," Shen Mo's voice returned. "Is Miss Tsunade looking to purchasecans?"
"Correct," Tsunade replied, her voice low. "I have some money now."
"Then—" A brief silence followed from the other side.
Then, with a soft pop—not from the badge, but right in front of Tsunade.
Shen Mo appeared, dressed in a black tuxedo, sleeves rolled up, cradling a sopping wet, utterly dejected white kitten in his hands.
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