Chương 44: Tsunade's Return

The next morning, Yone meets with Tsunade and Shizune seeing Tsunade hiding her face in embarrassment because of what Shizune told her this morning.

"So are we returning the fast way home or are we going to walk?" asks Tsunade curious since they are quite some days away from Konoha.

"I thought, I sent Shizune first with the piglet and the wolf cub while we take our time. Didn't you say yesterday that I should put my bread into your oven," says Yone teasing Tsunade because of what she said yesterday.

"Say that again and you will see how much my Haki has improved since the last time we have seen each other," says Tsunade seriously but still going a bit red in the face.

"We are going the fast way. Your brother has missed you as well as your niece," says Yone as he begins to eat his breakfast when Tsunade notices his Yang Seal on his forehead.

"Did you run out of places on where to place your seals?" asks Tsunade when Yone only nods before moving the sleeves up revealing his arms which have a giant seal on each arm.

"I had to let go of all my seals and created bigger ones to contain my chakra or my whole body would be plastered with those little ones like the one on my forehead," says Yone before running the sleeves down again.

"How much Chakra do you have now, roughly I mean?" asks Tsunade curious since Yone was someone that continues to train even if he already surpassed all the Ninjas in their history.

"I would say that my Chakra reserves are as big as twenty Uzumaki clan members when I release all of my seals," says Yone thinking hard about it when he sees an expression on Tsunade's face and he continues, "But that doesn't mean that I am the strongest. It doesn't depend on my Chakra but how well I can use my jutsus to defeat my enemy."

"You really haven't changed, have you? Nobody in this world could stand against you and you still are training to get stronger," says Tsunade as she finished eating.

"I was trained by a person that could grind me into the ground with just a thought. I need to get stronger so that once an enemy like him appears I can take care of it," says Yone with confidence as he shared his meal with the wolf cub to finish it faster when he pays for them all.

"You know I could have paid for it," says Tsunade angry thinking that Yone was belittling her.

"Keep your money to pay your little brother back. He is the person taking care of most of your debts," says Yone as he stood up and he puts his arm around Tsunade's hips while putting his free hand on Shizune's shoulder.

"Ready to leave?" asks Yone making sure that they have everything as the wolf cub howled giving his signal that it was ready.

"Well, at least the person that will receive him won't have to teach him much," says Tsunade feeling happy to finally return to the village.

Yone begins to concentrate before they disappear out of nowhere before they appear in front of the giant gates that lead into Konoha.

"The most pleasant travel I ever had," says Tsunade pleased since it didn't take them a week to get to Konoha.

She then looks at the massive gate and begins to swell in memories that she tried to seal away in the back of her mind. Shizune wanted to say something but Yone stopped her, giving Tsunade this moment since she couldn't prepare herself mentally as she could if they had taken a trip that would have taken them a week or two.

She turned around to the two and smiles at them while saying, "Ok, I am ready to enter the village."

"Good, you have much to explain, Tsunade," says an older voice which was full of wisdom and warmth.

She turned around and saw Hiruzen standing underneath the frame of the gate holding his smoking pipe. Tsunade looked at Yone to explain but he doesn't have a clue how Hiruzen found out that they already arrived at Konoha.

"Do you think that I didn't have an Anbu team following you just to protect you in the shadows the whole time? They informed me that Yone took you away," says Hiruzen looking at Tsunade feeling happy that one of his students returned home.

"Did you inform Nawaki?" asks Yone as Hiruzen shakes his head.

"I didn't want to spoil the surprise," says Hiruzen when he notices that Tsunade was wearing a ring he looks at Yone surprised before looking at Tsunade who seemed embarrassed that her teacher saw through them this fast.

"Now that is even a surprise for me," says Hiruzen happy for both of them.

"He is still on probation," says Tsunade seriously while her red face and actions were telling another story to Hiruzen.

"If you say so, Tsunade," says Hiruzen seeing Shizune giggle behind her mother figure while Yone only shakes his head.

"Well, I won't hold you back since it seems that you three will be having a long day," says Hiruzen before he leaves while smoking from his pipe.

Tsunade looked at the back of her teacher and sees that some burdens were lifted off of him when she looks at Yone who only smiled at her before she hugged him.

They walked through the village arm-in-arm as rumors began to spread that Tsunade returned to the village. They stood before the gate to enter the Senju Compound when Tsunade releases Yone and puts her hands on his shoulder before taking some deep breaths to calm herself down.

She looked confident and walked to the gate when a girl runs into her. The girl falls over before she looked at Tsunade wanting to complain while Tsunade looked at the girl seeing herself in the girl before noticing that her eyes were different.

"Are you alright?" asks Tsunade as she helps the girl up.

"I am fine," says the girl before she sees a familiar face behind Tsunade and says, "Uncle Yone, I didn't know you were coming today."

"I wanted to surprise your father and mother with your new aunt," says Yone as Utsumi looked at Tsunade excited not recognizing her.

"I will skip training and stay at home then," says Utsumi as she looked then at Shizune and asks, "Is she her daughter?"

"Yes, but let us enter first," says Yone as they enter the compound.

They didn't need to walk far before they stood before the house they once called home. Tsunade gathered her confidence before knocking on the door.

"Did you forget something, Utsu-" says Haru suddenly stopping her sentence as she saw what was behind the door.

She hugged Tsunade tightly not wanting to let go when she says, "Welcome home."

"I am back," says Tsunade emotional as she returned the hug when Nawaki came around the corner.

"Haru, have yo-," says Nawaki when he stopped his sentence and he rushed to Haru and Tsunade.

He gave Tsunade a hug confusing Utsumi when she hears Nawaki say, "Welcome home, Tsunade."

This made the switch in Utsumi's head turn and she looked at Yone furiously for not revealing it earlier. They stopped hugging and Tsunade was suddenly attacked by Utsumi who gave her a big hug.

Tsunade petted her head when Nawaki notices the ring she was wearing before he saw Yone and Shizune behind Tsunade.

"So you returned to get married," says Nawaki out of the blue surprising Haru and Utsumi.

Haru looked at Tsunade and saw the ring as well before realizing that it resembled the ring Mikoto just that the gems embedded were different. She looked at Yone and was happy for both of them.

"Not yet, we will live together for two years before we decide on getting married," says Tsunade using the same excuse that she used against her teacher.

"Still, you will be living together," says Nawaki when Utsumi looked at Tsunade and her father confused.

"Who are you going to marry, aunt Tsunade?" asks Utsumi curious about it.

"Your uncle, Yone," says Haru when she suddenly felt sick.

"But aren't you brother and sister?" asks Utsumi not knowing that Yone was adopted by the Senju Clan.

"I am not really related to them by blood only in name," says Yone explaining to his niece that he wasn't related to them by blood.

It took a moment but her disgust turned into curiosity when she says, "So I could marry Hori technically going by what you said."

"Yes, you could if you catch his heart," says Yone to her not believing it possible since Hori was into a Hyuuga woman.

They stayed for a while as Tsunade caught up with her younger brother and wife while pampering her niece while Nawaki and Haru were doing the same to Shizune since Tsunade is her legal mother making her their niece.

Once they finished they left for Yone's compound which was across the village. They arrived and find some banners hanging from the gate leading into it on which stood 'Welcome Home Tsunade and Shizune'.

"It seems the children already know that you are back," says Yone not surprised at all.

"It would be hard not to know about it when we heard rumors about my return already on our way here," says Tsunade as she was hiding her emotions not wanting to show them yet.

They enter the compound and Naruto rushed at Yone before jumping at him. Yone catches his grandson and smiles at him before putting him on his shoulders.

"Who are those two?" asks Naruto curiously as he was seeing Tsunade and Shizune for the first time.

"Tsunade is your grandmother while Shizune is your aunt," says Yone introducing both to Naruto.

Naruto only smiled at them before saying, "I am Naruto Namikaze, and in the future, I will be the strongest shinobi just like grandpa Yone."

"Someone seems to have big dreams," says Tsunade as she stretches her hands toward Naruto wanting to hold the boy in her arms.

Yone let Tsunade take Naruto from his shoulders when a red cat appeared out of nowhere and climbed Yone up before standing on his shoulder.

"And that fellow is?" asks Tsunade curious while holding Naruto in her arms showing off her strength.

"That's Red, grandpa bought him when I was born as a gift," says Naruto when the door of Yone's house opens and Kushina comes out of it.

She walks over and takes Naruto out of Tsunade's arms before placing him on the ground while saying, "You bought us enough time, Naruto."

"Good, I was running out of what to talk about," says Naruto making Yone laugh at hearing his grandson.

"It seems our little shinobi completed his first mission. I hope they paid you well," says Yone teasing his grandson.

"I will get to eat Ichiraku's Ramen for the next three days," says Naruto proudly making Yone wonder if it was really a reward for him or for his mother since both are Ramen junkies.

"We should enter the house. The others are already waiting," says Kushina not hugging Tsunade and Shizune yet as she guides them towards the house with Naruto.

They enter the house and Kushina guides them to the dining room where they find all of Yone's children. Hana and Hina are holding a similar banner that was hung over the entrance gate while Konan was carrying a cake in the form of Tsunade while Hori was holding one in the form of Shizune.

"Welcome back!" shouts Yone's family excited to meet Tsunade and Shizune again after so many years.