276. Tsunade: Heartache

"Do you know Uchiha Madara?"

Konan pondered for a moment before asking.

"Uchiha Madara was a ninja from the Uchiha clan. He died at the hands of the First Hokage during the battle at the Valley of the End," Hanekawa nodded and asked, "Why are you bringing up Uchiha Madara?"

"Uchiha Madara isn't dead," Konan said gravely. "About a year ago, a ninja claiming to be Uchiha Madara approached us."

"A year ago? So, your alliance ended because of him?" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Yes," Konan sighed and began to explain the details.

"Revenge for one's parents is understandable," Hanekawa said calmly. "So, did you come to me today just to explain the reason?"

"Neither Yahiko nor I trust Uchiha Madara, but Nagato, because of the Rinnegan, strongly believes in his ideals," Konan said with concern. "If this continues, Nagato might start a war."

"You want me to stop Nagato?" Hanekawa was slightly surprised but not overly so.

Yahiko and Konan were idealists. In the current peaceful ninja world, they wouldn't start a war.

But Nagato was different.

He had been manipulated by Uchiha Madara, or rather, Black Zetsu, and the power of the Rinnegan had inflated his ego.

In short, he was showing signs of the dark transformation that occurred in the original story after Yahiko's death, though not as extreme.

"Yes," Konan explained. "In the current ninja world, only you have the strength to stop Nagato."

"And why should I help you?" Hanekawa chuckled.

"If he is Uchiha Madara, then he is an enemy of the Leaf Village," Konan said after a few seconds of silence.

"That's a fair point," Hanekawa said, then shifted the topic.

"But why shouldn't I wait until he and your Akatsuki organization weaken each other before stepping in?"

"..." Konan opened her mouth but couldn't find a response, momentarily stunned.

Though she didn't know Uchiha Madara's exact motives, she could guess that the Rinnegan was likely his goal.

This meant that a conflict between him and the Akatsuki was inevitable. Whether Nagato or Uchiha Madara would win was uncertain.

Neither she nor Yahiko were willing to gamble on such an uncertain outcome.

But as Hanekawa said, the most advantageous choice for them was to wait and reap the benefits.

"If it were before, when the Leaf Village and the Akatsuki were allied, we could have helped," Hanekawa said indifferently. "But now, we are no longer allies."

As the Hokage's assistant, he had to maximize the village's interests.

Moreover, the Akatsuki were the ones who had broken the alliance.

Personally, he didn't care about the Akatsuki's betrayal, but the Leaf Village could.

Konan unconsciously bit her lip.

She truly couldn't think of a reason for Hanekawa to help them.

But if he didn't, Nagato would eventually be in trouble.

"How about joining the Leaf Village?" Hanekawa looked at her and made an audacious offer.

"If you join the Leaf Village, I'll naturally help you."

"That... that's impossible," Konan's pupils contracted, and she instinctively refused.

"Why not? Isn't your wish for peace in the ninja world?" Hanekawa smiled.

"In the entire ninja world, only the Leaf Village can achieve that peace."

"Even if I agreed, Yahiko and Nagato wouldn't," Konan said with a pleading look.

"Can you change the condition?"

"Directly asking you to join is indeed a bit much," Hanekawa said, unsurprised.

He had expected Konan to refuse. But this was the art of negotiation.

"Then how about the Akatsuki working for me for three years?" Hanekawa paused, then added, "Dealing with both Nagato and Uchiha Madara is risky. Three years is the shortest term."

His implication was clear: no further bargaining.

Konan's expression shifted as she pondered. After a long while, she finally agreed.

Three years wasn't too long. If it ensured Nagato's safety, both she and Yahiko could accept it.

Seeing this, Hanekawa couldn't help but smile.

Uchiha Madara, or rather, Black Zetsu, was already his target.

As for Nagato, he also wanted to fight him, as it would likely trigger a new ability.

But one thing at a time. With his current strength, he could defeat Nagato, but there was still Black Zetsu to consider.

In the original story, Black Zetsu was a Schrödinger's cat of strength—sometimes incredibly powerful, yet always lurking in the shadows.

The only explanation was that it possessed a unique, mechanism-based ninjutsu.

The best way Hanekawa could think of to deal with it was through sealing techniques.

While learning sealing techniques, he could also master Sage Mode. That way, he would be absolutely prepared.

"Stopping Nagato isn't hard, but the real challenge is making him see Uchiha Madara's true nature," Hanekawa said, refocusing.

Of course, he didn't mention the most important reason: Black Zetsu wouldn't reveal itself easily.

It had schemed for over a thousand years and had immense patience.

If it sensed danger, it would flee. The only way was to let its guard down and give it a false sense of success.

"Right," Konan nodded solemnly. Uchiha Madara was enigmatic.

Apart from Nagato, neither she nor Yahiko had seen him.

"His goal is definitely Nagato's Rinnegan," Hanekawa said with certainty.

Konan was slightly stunned.


Though she had guessed as much, it was still just a guess.

How could Hanekawa speak as if it were a fact?

"You said he's teaching Nagato how to use the Rinnegan?" Hanekawa thought for a moment. "I suspect he'll make his move as soon as Nagato masters it."

Konan's heart skipped a beat, but then she realized the truth.

Yes, that was the most likely scenario.

"Here's a Flying Thunder God kunai," Hanekawa handed her a kunai. "Go back and notify me before Nagato masters the Rinnegan."

He planned to use this time to learn sealing techniques and Sage Mode.


That way, he would be more confident in dealing with Nagato and Black Zetsu.

"Thank you, Hanekawa," Konan took the kunai and bowed deeply.

Hanekawa watched her leave.

The reason he could guess when Black Zetsu would act was because he knew the original story.

Nagato's role in the Eye of the Moon Plan was tragic.

First, he was used to nurture the Rinnegan for Uchiha Madara. Second, he was to sacrifice himself to revive Uchiha Madara.

both cases, he was merely a pawn destined for destruction.

Black Zetsu teaching Nagato how to use the Rinnegan could only mean one thing: it wanted to revive Uchiha Madara.

This was partly Hanekawa's fault, as he had killed Uchiha Obito, leaving the Eye of the Moon Plan without an executor.

Black Zetsu could have killed Yahiko to push Nagato into darkness, but the problem was that Nagato might not be strong enough to defeat Hanekawa, especially since the Rinnegan wasn't truly his.

Thus, reviving Uchiha Madara was the better option.

Hanekawa snapped out of his thoughts and took out paper and pen.

He had already sent Kakuzu to the Land of Craftsmen.

His first company would be a weapons dealer or a ninja tool supplier.

As he wrote down his plans, he realized two issues: manpower and money.

Kakuzu was capable, but he was just one person.

Currently, Hanekawa could only mobilize people from the Leaf Village.

In the future, he might add the Akatsuki.

Then he thought of Orochimaru.

Aside from his research skills, Orochimaru was also excellent at recruiting.


He had single-handedly established the Hidden Sound Village.

Hanekawa had an idea: why not have Orochimaru establish the Hidden Sound Village in the Land of Rice?

It could serve as his company. With Orochimaru in charge, he wouldn't have to worry much.

As for money, Hanekawa had earned a fair amount from writing novels under the pen name "Thunderfire Sword."

This money would suffice for the initial stages, but if he merged with the Leaf Village later, what would he do if people asked about it?

Hanekawa fell into deep thought.

As the Hokage's assistant and future Hokage, being known for writing risqué novels would be a black mark.

Hanekawa quickly came up with a solution.

If Jiraiya could write novels, so could he.

He would publish serious novels under his real name.

That way, no one would connect him to Thunderfire Sword.

Besides, he had already taken over Tsuchibashi's Konoha Knowledge Bookstore, making it easy to publish novels and manga.

Hanekawa put away the scroll and headed to Orochimaru's house.

After greeting his three students, he entered the underground lab.

"How's the progress on the Chimera Technique?" Hanekawa got straight to the point.

"My cloning technology isn't perfect yet," Orochimaru shook his head.

He had been researching the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique and only started focusing on cloning after being controlled by Kotoamatsukami.

The time was too short for significant results.

Hanekawa suddenly thought of Uchiha Shin.

Orochimaru's cloning technology had advanced rapidly because of him, thanks to his unique physique, which allowed him to accept any transplanted tissue or organ without rejection.

It seemed he would need the Anbu to help find him.

"Your experiments are hard to conduct in the Leaf Village. Why not move to the Land of Rice? You could even recruit ninjas and establish a village," Hanekawa asked. "What do you think?"

"Can I conduct human experiments in the Land of Rice?" Orochimaru asked calmly.

Many of his experiments involved humans, but he had been prohibited from doing so in the Leaf Village.

"You can use heinous criminals," Hanekawa suggested after some thought.

"Then it's settled," Orochimaru agreed after a moment of consideration.

"I'll provide you with enough funds," Hanekawa nodded. "If you encounter any problems, you can always come to me."

After talking with Orochimaru, Hanekawa returned to the Anbu base.

He picked up a pen and, after some thought, decided to write his first novel: 'Demon Slayer'.


In his previous life, he had read the manga and watched the anime, so it left a deep impression on him.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was time to leave work.

Tsunade stood up and stretched, her mature, voluptuous figure casting a perfect curve in the sunlight.

"Why hasn't that brat come to see me today?" Tsunade glanced at the clock on the wall, feeling puzzled.

Normally, he would have come by now.

"Rei," Tsunade put on her tea-green coat and walked to the Hokage's office door.

"Lady Hokage," the masked Anbu ninja, Rei, appeared.

"Where's Hanekawa?" Tsunade asked.

"He's at the Anbu base," Rei replied.

Tsunade was surprised.

Like her, Hanekawa never worked overtime.

Curiosity piqued, she waved her hand and headed to the Anbu base.

But instead of using the main entrance, she went through the window. She wanted to see what Hanekawa was up to.

Peering through the window, she saw Hanekawa sitting at his desk, writing something.

After watching for a while, she climbed through the window into the office.

"Sensei, when did you learn to climb through windows?" Hanekawa put down his pen and looked up with a smile.

"I'm the Hokage. I can do whatever I want," Tsunade walked over to him and glanced at the desk.

She was slightly taken aback.

"You're writing a novel?"

"Yes," Hanekawa stood up.

"Want to read it? You're my first reader."

"Writing novels is fine, but don't follow Jiraiya's example," Tsunade warned before sitting down.

She picked up the novel and began reading.

After a while, she let out a soft exclamation.

The setting was quite novel to her—things like Breathing Techniques, demons, and the Demon Slayer Corps were all new and intriguing.

Tsunade became engrossed, and so did Hanekawa.

Standing behind her with nothing to do, he could only watch her.

His gaze fell on her delicate profile, then down to her soft, pink lips, glistening like water.

Only he knew how soft they were.

Thanks to the Strength of a Hundred Seal, Tsunade's skin was as smooth as a young girl's, even more tender.

Hanekawa's eyes trailed down her swan-like neck.

The collar of her sleeveless top was open, revealing a fair expanse of skin that rose and fell with her breathing, forming a full curve.

Hanekawa's eyelids twitched, and without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist.

He bent down slightly, resting his chin on her shoulder, and took in her fragrance.

Tsunade turned her head and glanced at him.

With a slight smile, she leaned in and kissed his cheek before returning to the novel.

Hanekawa blinked.

His right hand moved from her waist down to her hips.

Feeling their softness, he gave them a gentle squeeze, causing the flesh to tremble slightly.

"Stop fooling around," Tsunade snorted.

Hanekawa obediently returned his hand to her waist.

But as she focused on the novel, he decided to strike.

The weight of her chest pressed against his fingers, spilling over. Hanekawa suddenly thought of a juicy peach.

"You brat!" Tsunade was clearly annoyed.

Hanekawa observed her expression, confirming she wasn't truly angry, and moved his hand upward.

Tsunade's body stiffened, and she instinctively bit her lip.

A seductive moan escaped her lips.

She wanted to resist, but her weakness had been exploited, leaving her powerless.

Tsunade gripped the novel tightly.

The words that had captivated her earlier now seemed blurry.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes took on a watery hue. Hanekawa looked down.

Her soft clothes moved with her body, but he was in control.

"Sensei," Hanekawa whispered close to her ear.

Tsunade turned her head instinctively, and their lips met.

She felt like jelly, her essence being plundered.

Hanekawa gazed at Tsunade's face, now flushed and glowing like a tempting apple.

They exchanged breaths, lost in the moment.

After what felt like an eternity, Hanekawa reluctantly pulled away.

Tsunade looked at him, dazed.

She unconsciously licked her lips, savoring the taste.

Moments later, she regained her composure and grabbed Hanekawa's wrist.

"Brat!" Tsunade's face was crimson. "My chest hurts!"

"Should I massage it for you?" Hanekawa shamelessly offered.

"Do you want to die?" Tsunade stood up, pushed him away, and walked out.

Hanekawa quickly followed, but she had already vanished.

He shook his head, thinking he was close.

He couldn't help but miss Samui, but she would return to the Leaf Village next month.

Tsunade returned home and let out a sigh of relief.

She sat on the sofa, clutching her chest, still feeling a tingling sensation.

Her face flushed again.

Since confirming her relationship with Hanekawa, she had gradually let her guard down.

She wasn't a shy girl, nor was she overly reserved.

But doing such things in the office was too casual.

Tsunade soon thought of New Year's, which was next month.

That day was special, worth commemorating.

She took a deep breath, but just thinking about what might happen made her chest feel hot again.

"Sensei."

Hanekawa’s voice rang out. "I’m home!"

"Mm."

Tsunade coughed lightly, put down her hand, and forced herself to stay calm.

"Sensei, what do you want for dinner?"

Hanekawa took off his shoes and walked into the living room.

"I'm fine with anything."

Tsunade paused for a moment before asking, "How are you planning to spend Omisoka?"

Ōmisoka or New Year's Eve was the night of the year-end vigil.

Hanekawa usually rotated between spending it at Tsunade’s place and Kurenai Yūhi’s home.

This year, it was supposed to be Kurenai’s turn.

But since Tsunade had asked, there was no way he could say he’d be at Kurenai’s.

"I’ll spend the night with you, Sensei," Hanekawa answered without hesitation.

"Mm."

Tsunade’s expression remained calm, but her heart wavered slightly as she said, "This year, it’ll just be you and me."

"Yes, Sensei."

Hanekawa raised an eyebrow, thinking, Perfect.

Two mornings later.

Hanekawa arrived in Takigakure, the Hidden Waterfall Village, in the Land of Waterfalls.

It was nestled within a mountain valley.

A great waterfall cascaded from above, forming a silver ribbon of water.

"Takigakure is behind the waterfall."

Beside him stood Suien, a rogue ninja from Takigakure.

Along with him were 36 wandering ninjas he had recruited over the years.

Normally, an attack force of just 36 ninjas would struggle to take down a shinobi village.

That was why, in the original timeline, Suien had allied with Amegakure.

But with Hanekawa present, such complications were unnecessary.

Not that he planned to help Suien take over Takigakure for nothing.

His goal was simple—to fight the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki and obtain the Hero Water.

As for Suien’s fate?

Hanekawa didn’t care.

He’d simply treat it as a trade—one rogue ninja in exchange for the Hero Water.