"You said no one would die for a bite of food. You said war would disappear. You said what Grandpa truly wanted to do was to let everyone live."
She took a step forward.
"Grandpa said those things too."
Nobunaga looked at her.
Tsunade's eyes reddened. But she did not cry. She was the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama; she would not cry in front of these people.
"When Grandpa died, I thought his dream had died too." Her voice trembled slightly. "But now I feel—perhaps it hasn't."
She looked at Nobunaga: "So, I want to join."
Nobunaga watched her extend her hand. Just like that day on the arena stage, her palm was facing upward.
Tsunade looked at that hand. Then she extended her hand and grasped it.
This time, she did not slap it away.
"It's a deal," she said.
"It's a deal."
Tsunade let go of his hand and stood among them. Nine people.
Might Duy scratched his head: "So now, what are we?"
"We're friends," Shinku Yuhi said.
"We're brothers," Sakumo Hatake said.
"We're comrades," Orochimaru said.
"We're idiots," Jiraiya said with a grin.
Zixiao Mitarashi pulled something out from his chest. "Let's take a picture."
It was a camera he had brought; old-fashioned, bulky, but functional.
The nine of them stood in the clearing. The moonlight was bright; in the distance stood the statue of the First Hokage, and further away were the lights of Konoha.
Zixiao Mitarashi set up the camera and adjusted the timer.
"Are you ready?"
"Ready!"
He ran over and stood in the group.
The shutter pressed.
Click—
The scene froze in that moment.
Tsunade stood at the very front, laughing carelessly, her mouth wide open, looking nothing like a young lady of the Senju Clan.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke stood beside her, making a face, tongue sticking out, eyes rolled up.
Might Duy gave a thumbs up, revealing a smile so bright it could make his teeth look dark.
Shinku Yuhi looked serious, but the corners of her mouth were slightly curved.
Sakumo Hatake stood to the side, his mouth twitching—it was a faint smile.
Orochimaru was expressionless, but there was a light in his eyes.
Jiraiya had his arm around Orochimaru's shoulder, grinning sloppily.
Zixiao Mitarashi stood at the very back, arms crossed over his chest, a hint of a smile on his lips.
Nobunaga stood in the very center, not smiling. But his eyes were very bright.
The moonlight fell upon them. Nine people, nine expressions, nine futures.
At this moment, they stood together, in this clearing, in front of the statue of the First Hokage.
The wind blew over, scattering their laughter into the night.
That photo was later developed by Zixiao Mitarashi, and everyone got one.
Nobunaga tucked his copy into his manuscript; later, as the manuscript grew thicker, the photo was squeezed into the middle.
Every time he flipped to that page, he would pause. Look at those young faces. Then continue writing.
That era was still long. But they had already begun to walk.
For the sake of the plan, Nobunaga began to be inseparable from Tsunade.
This was not something he had deliberately arranged.
Honestly, having learned from the lessons of the previous two simulations, he was very cautious about romantic feelings.
However, after taking the photo behind the mountain that night, Tsunade stuck to him like glue.
When he trained, she stood by his side; when he ate, she brought her tray and sat next to him; when he wrote, she lay on the table watching him write; he could even run into her on the way to the Training Ground:
"What a coincidence, you're taking this path too?"
Nobunaga looked at the only path from the Senju Clan compound to the Training Ground and said nothing.
Might Duy was the first to notice something wrong. That day, when Nobunaga and Tsunade walked into the Training Ground together, he widened his eyes, his thick eyebrows knitting together.
"How come you two came together?"
Tsunade put her hands on her hips: "Is that a problem?"
Might Duy scratched his head, not daring to ask further.
Shinku Yuhi leaned against a tree, watching this scene, the corners of her mouth curving slightly.
"Nobunaga, why are you with Lady Tsunade today?"
Nobunaga said it was on the way. Tsunade said it wasn't on the way, she had come specifically to find him. Shinku Yuhi's smile deepened, and she didn't ask any more.
Sakumo Hatake said nothing. He just glanced at Nobunaga, then at Tsunade, and continued wiping his short blade.
But as he wiped the blade, the corners of his mouth twitched.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya had the biggest reactions. That day, when Nobunaga and Tsunade walked into the cafeteria together, the rice ball in Jiraiya's mouth dropped directly.
"You guys..."
He pointed at Nobunaga, then at Tsunade: "Since when?"
Orochimaru sat nearby, slowly drinking soup.
"It's obvious, they are together."
Jiraiya's mouth opened even wider.
"Together?!"
Tsunade's face flushed red instantly.
"Who's together with him!" She slammed her hand on the table, making the bowls and chopsticks jump. "We're just—just—"
She couldn't continue.
Jiraiya looked at her red face, then at Nobunaga's expressionless, shaking face, and suddenly felt that this world was too crazy.
Zixiao Mitarashi leaned against the wall drinking, enjoying the spectacle.
"I've been seeing you two together a lot lately. Nobunaga, does Lady Tsunade have feelings for you?"
Tsunade kicked out, Zixiao Mitarashi dodged, and half his drink spilled.
But he wasn't angry, just smiling.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke was the most innocent. He looked up at Nobunaga, his eyes full of light.
"Brother Nobunaga, are you going to marry Sister Tsunade?"
Tsunade's face turned from red to purple, and from purple to black.
"Who wants to marry him!" She turned and ran away.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke stood there, looking innocent: "Did I say something wrong?"
Nobunaga patted his head: "Kids shouldn't worry about that."
But Nobunaga knew that getting close to Tsunade was the right move.
Not because of feelings, but because of the plan.
The granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, the direct bloodline of the Senju Clan, the core of Konoha's most prominent family.
Standing by her side was equivalent to standing at the edge of the center of power in Konoha.
Those people who wouldn't normally spare him a glance began to notice him.
Those people who wouldn't normally speak to him began to greet him proactively.
Those elders who usually treated him like a transparent person began to ask, "Who is that kid with Tsunade?"
However, Nobunaga did not intend to reveal his trump cards.
Wood Release, Mangekyo, Sage Body—none of these could be exposed.
Konoha never lacked geniuses, but if a genius didn't grow into a powerhouse, they were just a genius; after all, open spears are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against.
Especially his dangerous ideas from another world, which could very easily trigger the sensitive nerves of these relics from the Sengoku period.
A Senju orphan with Wood Release, someone who could threaten their power, a variable not within their control.
They would unite to strangle him in the cradle.
So he had to hide.
Hide until he became the next Hashirama, hide until he no longer needed to hide.
The war came faster than expected.
That day, Nobunaga was practicing with his blade at the Training Ground when the instructor walked over, holding a list in his hand.
"Nobunaga, you have been assigned to the Third Division. You depart tomorrow."