That's right, friends.
Naruto's anger wasn't the killing intent directed at an enemy — it was frustration, the kind that comes from hating that iron cannot turn into steel.
Even though Tsunade didn't yet know Naruto's name, she couldn't help but be intrigued by the two kids in front of her.
When Naruto said he wanted to go outside the town, his intention was crystal clear — he wanted to fight Shigure.
If he couldn't reason with him, he would simply beat the sense back into him and drag him home to Konoha.
Shigure sighed softly.
"Are you sure about this, Naruto?"
As soon as Shigure called Naruto's name, Tsunade's eyes lit up with realization.
That face… he looked so much like the Fourth Hokage — almost as if they had been carved from the same mold.
And his name was Naruto. It couldn't be a coincidence.
This boy was Uzumaki Naruto — Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and the son of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
"I'm sure, Shigure. Unless you tell me the truth right now, I'll take you back to Konoha myself!"
Seeing Naruto's unyielding resolve, Shigure said no more.
He turned and disappeared in a blur — the Body Flicker Technique echoing faintly in the distance.
Naruto immediately gave chase.
"Lady Tsunade! Those two kids just ran off!"
"Then let's go! We'll see what this is about for ourselves," Tsunade said, already sprinting after them.
Shizune could only sigh helplessly.
What's there to see…
Still, she followed.
Outside the town, Naruto and Shigure faced each other on a wide grassy field. The wind brushed against their hair, the tension thick between them.
Shigure's hand rested on the hilt of Nindō Zangetsu at his waist.
"Naruto, I won't hold back this time. Have you really thought this through?"
"Shigure! Since when did you start talking so much?" Naruto shot back.
"I'll stop when I want to — either you come back to Konoha, or you tell me what's going on with that headband you're wearing!"
Shigure's eyes darkened.
"You really want to know? Then come back to the village and see for yourself."
"I want you to say it!"
In the next instant, Naruto lunged forward, kunai drawn, slashing fiercely at Shigure.
Halfway through his draw, Shigure's blade met Naruto's kunai.
Clang!
Sparks flew.
The shockwave from their clash rippled through the air, shaking the grass and startling even Tsunade from afar.
Are kids these days really this strong? she thought in disbelief.
The two clashed again, power exploding outward with each strike.
Then, with a sharp motion, Shigure shoved Naruto back and fully drew Zangetsu. Chakra surged along the blade, rippling like water. With a single fluid slash, he sent forth a shimmering wave of energy that sliced through the air toward Naruto.
The technique's precision left Tsunade momentarily speechless.
A single move… and his mastery is already that refined?
She hadn't expected a boy Shigure's age to have swordsmanship that could rival a seasoned jōnin. If she herself were on the receiving end of that strike, she wasn't sure how she'd block it.
But Naruto had anticipated it.
He dropped low, rolled aside, and countered with a swift kick that sent Shigure sliding backward.
Even as he landed, Naruto's hands blurred through seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
He exhaled chakra onto his kunai, forming a cutting wind edge that shimmered faintly.
Channeling the technique, Naruto charged forward again, slashing at Shigure. His swordplay lacked refinement — but what it lacked in technique, it made up for in raw power and spirit. The gusts of chakra and wind collided violently, sending tremors across the field.
The intensity of their clash only grew.
Just then, a red-cloaked figure approached rapidly from the distance.
"Naruto!"
The man called out as he descended, and when he noticed Tsunade and Shizune standing nearby, he nearly stumbled mid-air before correcting himself and landing next to them.
Tsunade blinked in surprise.
"...Jiraiya?"
"Tsunade! I finally found you!" Jiraiya grinned — but his smile faltered when his eyes fell on the two boys fighting in the distance.
"Why the hell are those two fighting?!"
He squinted. "Wait a minute… that's Shigure! What's he doing here?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You know that kid?"
Jiraiya chuckled. "Of course. Gekkō Shigure — one of Naruto's teammates."
Tsunade blinked, confused. "Teammates?"
"You've been away too long," Jiraiya said with a grin.
"Konoha's got three little monsters now — the two you're seeing right there, and the third one's Uchiha Sasuke. He's the only one behaving himself and staying in the village for once."
Jiraiya crossed his arms, watching the battle unfold with a frown.
"But seriously… what are those two knuckleheads fighting over this time?"
When Tsunade heard Jiraiya's words, she froze.
"Are you sure that boy, Shigure, is from Konoha? Gekkō Shigure… a child of the Gekkō Clan?"
"That's right!" Jiraiya said confidently.
"He's a Konoha ninja through and through! That kid's got real talent — one of the most promising of his generation."
Then Jiraiya turned serious, his gaze fixed on her.
"Tsunade, you've been gone long enough. It's time to return to the village. The old man's been gravely injured and is still unconscious. If you don't go back soon… he might not make it."
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly.
"…Hiruzen? That old man is injured? Who did this?"
"Orochimaru," Jiraiya replied grimly.
Tsunade's expression hardened. She had already suspected as much the moment she heard about Hiruzen's condition — but hearing Jiraiya confirm it sent a sharp pang through her chest.
"Why didn't you stop him?"
"I wasn't in the village at the time," Jiraiya said, his tone heavy with regret.
Shizune stepped forward anxiously.
"Lord Jiraiya, is Lord Hiruzen's condition truly that serious?"
Jiraiya nodded solemnly.
"Extremely. To be honest, Tsunade… you're the only person in the entire shinobi world capable of saving him."
He looked at her with quiet conviction.
Tsunade's face shifted through a storm of emotions before she finally exhaled and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Jiraiya. I can't."
Jiraiya blinked.
"…Can't? You're refusing?"
The thought of Tsunade — of all people — refusing to save Hiruzen left him stunned.
"Tsunade, you—"
"It's not that I don't want to save him," she interrupted softly.
"It's that I can't. I've lost the ability to perform medical ninjutsu like that. I… can't heal anyone anymore."
Jiraiya stared at her, speechless for a long moment, before finally sighing.
"Tsunade, I didn't just come here to ask you to save the old man. The village needs you to come back — to take his place. The elders want you to become the Fifth Hokage. If you don't… not only will Hiruzen die, but Konoha itself could fall apart."
His words hung in the air, heavy and unwavering.
Tsunade's eyes flickered with disbelief.
"The Fifth Hokage? Me?"
Her lips tightened. What right did she have to bear that title — after everything she'd lost?
Before either of them could say more, the ground trembled.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the distance, Shigure's attacks split the earth apart — three fierce slashes that left deep scars across the battlefield. Naruto barely managed to evade each one, his movements wild but determined.
Watching the two clash so ferociously, Jiraiya frowned.
"What the hell are those two doing? What kind of argument needs that much ninjutsu?"
"Are they trying to kill each other?"
Tsunade crossed her arms.
"So, you really don't know."
Jiraiya gave her a confused look. "Know what?"
"That boy, Shigure… he's wearing a Hidden Mist forehead protector."
"…What?" Jiraiya's expression froze. "That can't be right!"
A heavy silence followed — broken only by the wind sweeping across the plains.
Then, suddenly, a cold, serpentine voice cut through the air behind them.
"Then allow me… to give you the answer."
The air grew thick with killing intent.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "That voice—"
Jiraiya's face darkened. "Orochimaru!"
A figure stepped out from behind a rocky outcrop, pale as moonlight, golden eyes gleaming with amusement.
It was indeed Orochimaru — the last of the Legendary Sannin.
...
TN:
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