"Lady Tsunade, where are we going next?"
Holding the pet, Shizune looked utterly helpless.
As she expected, Lady Tsunade had lost all the money gambling again. Fortunately, Shizune had hidden some money, or else they wouldn't even have enough to eat.
"To the Hokage Tower."
Tsunade's expression was complicated as she gazed in one direction.
In that direction stood a tall, iconic building clearly visible from afar — the Hokage Tower.
Before long, the two entered the Hokage Tower and arrived at the Hokage's office.
"Tsunade, you're back!"
The Third Hokage, his face marked with age spots, smiled warmly, radiating kindness and benevolence.
"Teacher."
Seeing the Third Hokage's kindly and gentle expression, Tsunade's face twitched—not with warmth, but with a trace of disgust.
She knew that behind this teacher's benevolent facade hid another face.
A cunning, ruthless, calculating politician's face.
She had left Konoha after the deaths of Shigure and Dan, unable to bear the blow.
She had also seen this teacher's true nature, something hard for her to accept.
"It's been years since you've been back. Does Konoha feel very different?"
The Third Hokage made small talk, trying to create a friendly atmosphere.
He was used to doing this—slowly numbing others, building a cordial image in their hearts as a setup for his own purposes.
"Indeed, it has changed quite a bit."
Tsunade was impatient in her heart and spoke somewhat coldly.
"Teacher, who is the ninja with the blind right eye you mentioned in your letter? Call that person here!"
"All right."
The mood was interrupted; the Third Hokage was slightly displeased but, with his cunning, did not show it.
He called to a nearby Anbu ninja.
"Go and bring Shisui here!"
Soon, Uchiha Shisui arrived.
Since he was not on a mission, he wasn't wearing his Anbu attire but a black outfit bearing the Uchiha clan crest.
"An Uchiha clan member?"
Noticing the Uchiha crest on Shisui, Tsunade frowned and said coldly,
"My rule is not to treat Uchiha clan members. You know that, Teacher!"
"Tsunade, although Shisui is from the Uchiha clan, he is different from the others."
"He is a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, the student of the Second Hokage, and his love for Konoha is no less than ours."
The Third Hokage quickly explained.
"A descendant of the Second Hokage's student..."
Tsunade was briefly stunned, a touch of nostalgia softening her heart.
She had heard of Uchiha Kagami, the Second Hokage's student—a truly peace-loving Uchiha.
"He inherited Kagami's will, joined the Anbu, and has been contributing to Konoha all along. His eye was blinded in a battle against a powerful enemy threatening Konoha."
Seeing Tsunade's hesitance, the Third Hokage continued persuading her.
"Blinded in a battle against a threat to Konoha?"
Tsunade's respect deepened. After hesitating a moment, she finally said,
"All right, I'll make an exception this once."
She stepped beside Uchiha Shisui, carefully examined his right eye, and activated her medical ninjutsu.
Hum—
A green light glowed on her hands, spreading over Shisui's blinded right eye.
The green light seeped into his eye, transforming into a cool aura that flowed to the damaged area.
It possessed a powerful moisturizing and healing effect, like the water of life.
It moisturized the damaged parts of Shisui's eye.
It healed the injured portions of his eye.
After a long moment, the green light faded, and Tsunade withdrew her hands.
"Shisui, how do you feel?"
The Third Hokage hurriedly asked.
Shisui was his top fighter, obedient and powerful—someone he cared for deeply.
"I can already sense some light!"
Shisui said with some surprise.
He couldn't help but marvel at the power of Tsunade's medical ninjutsu.
Many of the village's top medical ninjas had tried to treat his eye without success.
Only Tsunade's treatment had brought any change to his blinded right eye.
"Tsunade, can it be healed?"
The Third Hokage looked to her expectantly.
"It can't be healed. The lens structure is completely damaged, and the nerves are all dead. Even I can only do this much."
Tsunade glanced at Shisui's blinded right eye and shook her head.
"This eyeball is completely dead, and very thoroughly so. It's probably due to an ocular jutsu used by the Uchiha clan that sacrifices the Sharingan. I recommend replacing the eye."
Having dealt with the Uchiha and Senju clans for a long time, she was well aware of the Uchiha's Sharingan secrets.
"Replace the eye?"
Hearing this, the Third Hokage's heart sank.
Shisui's eye was a Mangekyō Sharingan — how could any replacement compare?
"No hope for healing..."
The surprise on Shisui's face faded into disappointment.
He hadn't expected even the strongest medical ninja in the ninja world to fail. This eye likely had no chance of recovery.
"This eye isn't ordinary..."
Sensing the Third Hokage's strong disappointment at the inability to heal the eye, Tsunade grew thoughtful.
The reason the Third Hokage tried so hard to heal it could only be that the eye was extraordinary.
Even a regular Mangekyō Sharingan shouldn't cause such concern for a Kage-level shinobi.
The only explanation was that this eye was special — a Mangekyō Sharingan.
Thinking this, she couldn't help but glance at Uchiha Shisui.
He was still just a teenager, yet had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. The Uchiha clan truly had produced a genius.
Having done what she could, Tsunade no longer dwelled on it and asked,
"Teacher, I heard there's a Wood Release kekkei genkai user in the ninja world. This time I came back to gather information about that person."
"You've heard as well?"
The Third Hokage was somewhat surprised and also enlightened.
Tsunade's visit to Konoha and her request to treat Shisui's eye was probably secondary — her main purpose was to investigate this Wood Release kekkei genkai user.
"I heard about it by chance."
Tsunade nodded.
Wood Release kekkei genkai was the bloodline limit possessed by her grandfather, Senju Hashirama. Naturally, she would be concerned about someone who could wield Wood Release.
"This person claims to be Uchiha Madara."
The Third Hokage said.
"Uchiha Madara? Madara can't still be alive!"
Tsunade frowned. Madara absolutely could not still be alive.
"We also suspect this person is not Madara, but he does possess the Mangekyō Sharingan, and also Wood Release."
"We suspect he gained Wood Release by implanting cells from the First Hokage, a product of Orochimaru's experiments, or that he has some cooperation with Orochimaru."
The Third Hokage explained.
"Related to Orochimaru? Looks like I have to pay him a visit. Teacher, I'll take my leave."
Tsunade decisively prepared to leave with Shizune.
Not just leaving the Hokage Tower — leaving Konoha altogether.
"Leaving already? Stay in the village a while longer?"
Knowing Tsunade meant to leave the village, the Third Hokage hurried to persuade her.
Before, fearing that Tsunade and others threatened his position, he had used some means to force them out of the village one after another.
But now, with the village facing powerful enemies, he was conflicted and wished Tsunade would stay and help.
"Orochimaru's whereabouts are uncertain. I must depart quickly to find him."
Tsunade refused decisively.
The Third Hokage's past actions had chilled her. As long as he remained in power, she would never meddle in Konoha's affairs.