Chapter 197 Message

Tsunade looked at the bottle in her hand expressionlessly, then seemed to suddenly remember something.

Suddenly turn it over with the bottle mouth facing down.

Let the amber liquid pour down like a waterfall and pour directly into her mouth.

The liquid slid down her throat and passed over her delicate chin.

A few splashes of water appeared, crystal clear, like stars in the night sky.

Tsunade's movements were swift and rough, in stark contrast to her usual elegant image.

The moment she put down the bottle, a scornful smile suddenly appeared at the corner of her mouth, accompanied by a sneer.

"Isn't there Sister Yuxi in the back mountain of Konoha?" There was a hint of disdain in her voice, "With the Taijutsu God Yuxi here, who dares to touch Konoha?"

Jiraiya sat aside, watching Tsunade's actions, and shook his head helplessly.

The wrinkles on his face became deeper because of this shake of his head.

"Tsunade, you and I both know what kind of personality Lady Yuxi has." Jiraiya's voice was low and serious, "She is indeed the strongest, but she acts entirely based on her mood."

He paused, as if weighing his words.

Then he continued, "What if one day she gets upset and razes Konoha to the ground? Or one day she suddenly feels that the ninja world is too boring and destroys the entire ninja world. Can you guarantee that this won't happen?"

Naruto's eyes widened, shock and disbelief revealed in his blue eyes.

His mind kept flashing back to his mother Kushina's hesitant look and the words Jiraiya had once said to him.

Finally, he couldn't hold back his curiosity and interrupted, "Wait! Is the Yu Xi you're talking about... the one who can fight against the entire ninja world? How strong is she?"

The lights in the izakaya are dim and soft, giving people a warm feeling.

But it cast a shadow on Jiraiya's face.

"Yes..." Jiraiya said slowly, "If Lord Yuxi wants to unify the ninja world, I'm afraid only one day will be enough!" There was a hint of awe in his words, which made people imagine more about Yuxi's strength.

"Heh." Tsunade chuckled and shook the bottle in her hand. Her golden hair shone brightly under the light.

"My grandfather Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara couldn't hurt her at all even when they joined forces. How horrible do you think this is?"

She squinted her eyes, recalling the figure who always lay lazily by the river.

Uzumaki Naruto took a deep breath and asked in astonishment, "So what is she doing in the back mountains of Konoha now?"

When Tsunade heard Naruto's question, she couldn't help but roll her eyes and cursed unceremoniously: "Idiot!"

Her voice rose slightly, with a hint of helplessness, "Of course she lives there."

Tsunade's tone suddenly softened, as if she remembered something beautiful. "Sister Yuxi really likes growing vegetables and fishing, and..." She raised the corners of her mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile.

"She also likes to lie down and sleep."

Jiraiya added, "The area behind the mountain of Konoha is actually the private territory specially designated for her by the Second-Kai master, Tobirama Senju."

He lowered his voice, as if he was afraid of being heard by others.

"Private territory?" Naruto widened his eyes, scratched his golden hair, and showed more confusion on his face.

"But, for such a powerful person, why doesn't he choose to be Hokage and protect the village?"

There was a sudden silence in the pub.

"Because she's totally not interested."

Tsunade raised her head and drank the last bit of wine in the bottle, then slammed the empty bottle on the table with a dull sound.

"And! Those who became Hokage are all idiots!" She shouted drunkenly, with a hint of sarcasm and deeper bitterness in her voice, "They all gave their lives for the village, and it's completely meaningless!"

These words hit Naruto's heart like a hammer.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and flames of anger burned in his blue eyes.

"What did you say?!" Naruto stood up suddenly and slammed his fist on the table, making the wine bottles clink.

"All the previous Hokages were heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect Konoha! How could you——"

"Heh, hero?" Tsunade sneered, stood up shakily, and looked down at Naruto, "My grandfather is dead, the second generation is dead, the third generation is dead... What did they get? A name engraved on a memorial tablet?"

Jiraiya wanted to dissuade him: "Tsunade, you've drunk too much..."

"Shut up, Jiraiya!" Tsunade interrupted him with a wave of her hand, her long golden hair dancing like flames under the light, "I'm going to tell this brat the truth today! Hokage? It's just a position that means you die early!"

"I won't allow you to insult the title of Hokage! I want to fight you in a duel!" Naruto roared

"Oh?" Tsunade raised her eyebrows and curled the corners of her mouth, "Okay, let's go out and fight."

On the open space outside the izakaya, the moonlight poured down like water.

Naruto assumed a fighting stance, his eyes determined.

"Granny Tsunade, I'll make you take back those words!"

Tsunade, however, just stood there casually, not even making any intention of forming any hand seals.

She stretched out her right hand and raised a slender index finger, which shone bright white in the moonlight.

"One finger," she whispered, "is enough for you."

"Stop looking down on me!" Naruto roared and rushed forward, his speed was so fast that he almost left an afterimage.

He swung his fist and hit Tsunade in the face. The wind from his fist whistled and kicked up the dust on the ground.

Just as the fist was about to hit Tsunade, the index finger gently tapped Naruto's fist.

Time seemed to stand still for a second.

"boom!"

With a dull thud, Naruto was like being hit by a huge hammer. He flew backwards and broke several large trees before he could barely stop.

He fell to the ground, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and looked up in disbelief at Tsunade, who was still standing there without even moving the corner of her clothes.

"How can this be..."

Tsunade walked slowly towards them, the moonlight casting a long shadow behind her.

She looked down at Naruto, there was no joy of victory in her eyes, only deep exhaustion and sadness.

"Did you see that, kid? This is the difference in strength." Her voice was low. "Do you think you can change anything with just your passion? My grandfather was a thousand times stronger than you back then, but didn't he still die in the end?"

Naruto struggled to get up, but it seemed as if all the bones in his body were broken and he couldn't even move a finger.

His vision began to blur, but the anger and unwillingness in his heart became clearer and clearer.

"No... that's not right..." He spoke with difficulty, "Hokage...Hokage is not just about power... they are the village's... hope..."

Tsunade squatted down and looked closely into Naruto's stubborn eyes.

For a moment, she seemed to see the shadows of her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Kato Dan.

"Hope?" She repeated softly, and suddenly laughed, with an indescribable desolation in her laughter. "Hope is the cruelest thing, little ghost. It makes you give everything, and then... gives you nothing."