Chapter Nineteen: Reunion with Tsunade (Part One)

Early the next morning, his habit of rising with the dawn, cultivated over years, had become ingrained in his very body. Unless he was away on a mission, his punctual internal clock would, without fail, rouse Kato Mikaze at precisely 6:40 a.m.

He instinctively wanted to doze a little longer, but the moment he shut his eyes, he remembered that Orochimaru and his companions would be returning to the village today, and that he planned to greet them—and perhaps, by chance, encounter Tsunade as well.

With this thought, Kato Mikaze sprang out of bed. He first went to the small training ground within his clan’s compound to complete his daily morning exercises, then returned to his room to tend to his personal hygiene, finishing with a refreshing shower. He took a carton of whole milk and two beef patty sandwiches from the refrigerator for breakfast.

He had just requested a week’s leave from the ninja administration office at the Hokage’s residence; next Tuesday he would be taking the Jonin exam in Konoha, and his leave would last until Thursday. For the next few days, he would not need to report to the Hokage’s residence.

He deliberately avoided wearing the standard Konoha ninja uniform and instead chose a stylish, light blue casual outfit that complemented his hair color perfectly. After checking himself in the mirror and finding his spirits high, he set out.

The Kato clan was a small ninja family with a modest estate, situated near the heart of Konoha, close to the Hokage’s residence in the southeast. The neighboring residential areas were home to other similarly sized ninja clans, such as the Mitarashi, Kamizuki, and Yuhi families.

Leaving home, Kato Mikaze headed south, passing two streets before reaching an arched main road—Konoha Boulevard. Walking west along the boulevard for another four blocks, he arrived at Hokage Avenue, which directly connected the Hokage’s residence to the main gate of the village.

The entire village of Konoha was constructed with the Hokage’s residence and the towering Hokage Rock at its center, fanning out southwards in a vast semicircular arc. The closer one was to the Hokage’s residence, the busier the district. Key buildings like the Konoha Hospital, Ninja Academy, and others were all situated in the bustling core near the Hokage’s residence.

In truth, since the founding of Konoha, thirty-five years of development had not only established numerous ninja clans of various sizes but also attracted many civilians from the Land of Fire seeking safety and protection.

The large numbers of ninja and ordinary people from the Land of Fire had made Konoha a thriving and prosperous place.

Following Hokage Avenue, Kato Mikaze made his way toward the village’s main gate. It was still early, so he stopped by his favorite old barbershop to have his hair tidied up a bit.

Speaking of hair, the Kato clan’s hereditary hair color was quite distinctive. All the men in the family shared the same faint bluish-purple hair—his elder brother, Kato Dan, had a shade leaning more toward purple, while Mikaze’s own was a paler, more ethereal blue, even lighter than the sky. The women’s hair colors were more varied, most taking after their mothers, though a few shared the clan’s signature blue-violet shade.

After his haircut, Kato Mikaze wandered through the nearby commercial district, intending to buy a gift for Tsunade. Yet, recollections of some less-than-pleasant memories made him reconsider, and he abandoned the somewhat unreliable notion of bringing her a present. Glancing at the time, he decided it was about time to go and headed straight for the main gate.

Upon arrival, he greeted the two Special Jonin on gate duty, “Hey, it’s you two on shift again? Why is it that every time I pass the main gate, you’re the ones standing guard? Did you bribe Elder Mito Menen from the Mission Assignment Office to give you this cushy, safe job?”

“It’s you again, Kato Mikaze. I could tell it was you just from the sound of your voice, spouting nonsense as usual. Heading out of the village? On a mission?” The long-haired male ninja in the ninja cap turned and eyed Mikaze with a slightly acerbic tone.

The other Konoha ninja, who carried a ninja blade shaped like a giant seashell on his back, joined them and said, “Kato, what brings you to the gate today? I heard you’re taking the Jonin exam this time around? You’ve come a long way these past two years. If you pass, we’ll have to call you ‘sir’ at official events. Are all the new ninja these days this impressive? Judging by your outfit, though, you don’t look like you’re heading out on a mission.”

“How am I spouting nonsense?” Kato Mikaze retorted, approaching them. “Every time I come by, it’s you two at the gate. Why can’t I ever land such a cushy assignment?” He added, “I’m not leaving the village today. My classmates Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and the others are coming back—I haven’t seen them in a while, so I came to meet them. Even if I become a Jonin, I’ll still be your junior. Remember how you looked out for me back in the Academy…”

“Meeting someone? For Orochimaru and Jiraiya? Oh... I see, I see.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Kato Mikaze went to wait in the guard’s lounge next to the gate.

The two Special Jonin on duty were Kamizuki Ryuun, the long-haired one in the ninja cap, and Tetsuko, the one with the oddly-shaped ninja blade. Both were older than Kato Mikaze—one was twenty-six, the other twenty-seven—not much older, really, and considered peers. Thanks to his social skills, Mikaze had already become friends with them back in the Academy. Both came from even smaller ninja families than the Kato clan.

Yes, these two were none other than the predecessors of the gatekeeper duo from the original story—Tetsuko and Kamizuki Izumo's fathers.

Kato Mikaze waited until after ten in the morning when Kamizuki Ryuun’s acerbic voice called from outside, “Kato, come out, the ones you’re waiting for are here. You said you were meeting Orochimaru and Jiraiya—well, it’s just the two of them. Come see for yourself.”

“Tsunade didn’t come back with Orochimaru and Jiraiya? That can’t be; weren’t they all on the mission together? Could something have happened?” Kato Mikaze wondered as he quickly left the guardhouse.

He joined Kamizuki Ryuun and looked out toward the road beyond Konoha’s main gate. At the end of the road, three figures in Jonin vests approached at a relaxed pace—two tall, one shorter.

Even from a distance, he could make out two men and a woman: one with black hair, one with white, and one with golden hair.

Facing the sunlight, Kato Mikaze squinted, his gaze instantly locking onto the shorter figure. Though still too far away to see her features without using a jutsu, the dazzling golden ponytail swinging in the sunlight was enough to tell him that the figure was none other than the Princess of Konoha, Tsunade—whom he hadn’t seen in over half a year.

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