Naruto: The New Beginning

85. Trauma

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Pov- Tsunade

"Go back to Konoha?" Tsunade murmurs. 'Do I have the courage to return to the village that holds so many painful memories?'

As Tsunade stood at the crossroads of her past and future, a storm of conflicting emotions churned within her.

The familiar weight of grief pressed heavily on her chest—Nawaki's innocent face, full of hope, and Dan's passionate promise to change the village for the better haunted her every thought.

How could she, of all people, take up the mantle that had brought nothing but loss to those she loved?

Becoming close to her had cost them their lives, and the pain of those memories still lingered like open wounds.

"What good is power if you can't save the ones who matter most?" she had once asked herself, bitterness seeping into her voice.

The village had taken everything from her, and for years, she convinced herself that she didn't owe it anything in return. Konoha could burn for all she cared. She would never go back.

But then, there is that boy—Naruto. The spitting image of her younger brother's reckless passion, one she had tried to bury. At first, it had infuriated her, how stubborn he was, how naive.

But somewhere in those loud declarations and defiant eyes, she saw something else—a glimmer of hope, the same hope she had seen in Nawaki and Dan.

"Is it possible to protect them? To protect the village… without losing anyone else?" The thought gnawed at her, something she had long given up on.

Pov- end

Naruto doesn't act rashly. There's no way to force her back. If he tries, his house might end up either redecorated or outright demolished.

Then, he'd have no choice but to crash at Sasuke's place again, which he's already done more times than he can count. Surely, sleeping over one more time won't hurt, right?

For now, Naruto decides to rely on his "Talk no Jutsu" rather than force. He quips, "Why is Tsunade-nee-san so upset after winning a bet?"

"Naruto, don't say unnecessary things," Jiraiya interrupts, not wanting Tsunade to relive those painful memories.

'Maybe if I sweeten things up and call her 'sis,' she won't kill me,' Naruto thinks. 'As for whether it's appropriate to call her that, well, even if Tsunade is—cough—very experienced in age, it shouldn't be an issue.'

Tsunade looks at Naruto, seeing a glimpse of Nawaki. Back then, Nawaki was about the same age, and he used to call her 'sister' just like that.

This boy reminds her so much of him. No wonder she felt a sense of familiarity when she first saw him.

At his age, Naruto should have never even experienced war, yet he might get caught up in one soon. 'Would his fate end up like Nawaki's...?'

Tsunade tries to calm herself. "There's nothing I can't say. Every time I win a bet, the people around me suffer bad luck, so…"

"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Naruto counters. "Things were fine before, and now you've won. Isn't that just luck?"

"How many coincidences can there be?" Tsunade's voice is strained. "I usually lose every bet, but this time, I won a dozen games in a row!"

"I'll bet with you!" Naruto exclaims. "Maybe the pervy sage just has bad luck. I mean, he got caught peeping at the women's bath even with all his ninja skills."