In the next few days, Arata Itsuki kept trying to find a chance to get intimate with Tsunade—but every single time, Nawaki showed up and ruined the moment.
It made Arata want to throw the kid out of the house, but unfortunately, this home belonged to Tsunade.
She made the rules.
All he could do was swallow his frustration.
Tsunade, on the other hand, absolutely loved watching Arata suffer like that.
But she had her own things to worry about—preparing for the engagement ceremony.
She was the princess of the Senju clan after all.
When the day came, even the Fire Daimyō was expected to attend, and everyone in Konoha who wasn't busy would show up.
It was going to be huge.
Arata, however, dumped all responsibilities onto her, saying solemnly:
"To become Hokage, I must keep training."
If she hadn't seen how seriously he trained—every day until well past midnight—she would've punched him already.
Her punches were enough to terrify Jiraiya.
Arata, whose body still wasn't fully tempered, would get flattened instantly.
---
Meanwhile, aside from training, Arata spent the last few days thinking about how to secure the Hokage position.
Uzumaki Mito's advice would definitely be followed—maintaining friendly relations with the major clans was important.
But Arata knew that wouldn't be enough.
He understood something crucial: Konoha's future would belong to the younger generation.
The old clans would eventually decline.
So besides befriending the clans, there was another essential step—
He needed to make himself known at the Ninja Academy.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had done exactly that in the original timeline.
He barely taught anything—always claiming to be too busy.
He never personally guided the students.
He only showed up once in a while to give motivational speeches and hammer the "Will of Fire" into their heads.
And somehow, the children ate it up.
By the time Hiruzen died, every one of them was heartbroken.
Arata thought it over:
"For all his preaching, did he ever actually teach them anything? And they cried for him?"
Still, the strategy worked.
So Arata decided: once the engagement ceremony was over, he would regularly visit the academy.
But unlike Hiruzen, he wasn't going there to give empty speeches.
He planned to truly teach the next generation—the real skills of a shinobi:
how to fight
how to survive
how to think in a war-torn world
Not the useless theories and the "Three Basic Jutsu" that were barely enough for peacetime and absolutely laughable for wartime.
Kids graduating only to be thrown into a battlefield with no experience?
That was just sending them to die.
Arata made up his mind.
Once he and Tsunade stood before the entire village for their engagement, his prestige would skyrocket again.
Then showing up at the academy would have a huge impact—students wouldn't dare look down on him.
---
A week passed just like that.
Arata's reputation spread far beyond Konoha.
Even the common citizens now knew his name.
The man who, in a skirmish, killed the Land of Wind's elite puppeteer Zōshirō, an actual Kage-level opponent.
His family was an ancient puppeteer family—founders of the entire puppetry art.
Zōshirō had defended the border against Hatake Sakumo for years, the two evenly matched.
For such a monster to fall to an unknown Konoha shinobi?
And that same shinobi was marrying Tsunade?
Arata instantly became the center of Land of Fire's gossip.
Everyone—men, women, young, old—talked about him.
Tsunade's identity went without saying: the last true heir of the Senju clan, a beauty, and an elite-level combatant.
Marrying her was every man's dream.
Even when Arata walked through the streets, whispers followed him:
"Damn, who is this Arata guy? How did he end up engaged to Tsunade-hime!?"
"You don't know? He killed Zōshirō! He's basically Kage-level!"
"You mean that Zōshirō? The strongest puppeteer of Sunagakure!?"
"Yep. Konoha's gotten stronger because of him."
"What a shame… Tsunade-hime was my dream woman. And now… the cabbage is eaten by a pig..."
"Dream on. Unless you're Kage-level, she wouldn't even look at you."
"Still… the two of them really look perfect together."
"They were classmates at the academy, you know!"
---
Finally, the day of the engagement arrived.
Konoha's largest venue—the same arena that would later host the Chūnin Exams—was filled to the brim.
Arata and Tsunade walked out slowly, hand in hand.
In the highest seats with the clearest view sat the Third Hokage… and the Fire Daimyō himself, chatting pleasantly.
That alone showed how important this ceremony was.
Not just Land of Fire—spies from other nations were no doubt observing carefully.
If they could interfere, they probably would have already; Arata was rising too fast, and Tsunade's heritage only strengthened Land of Fire further.
The two of them together were dangerous.
---
On the viewing platform, the Fire Daimyō watched the two descend as the entire arena erupted in thunderous cheers.
He smiled and turned to Hiruzen.
"It seems Konoha truly has outstanding talent.
With such a pair leading the next generation, the coming war should be easily won, yes?"
The Daimyō looked nearly seventy—wrinkled but bright-eyed.
And his facial features… resembled Hiruzen Sarutobi by almost 60 percent.
Hiruzen, who had been smiling politely, froze for a brief second at the unexpected question.
Then he replied warmly:
"Tsunade's medical ninjutsu is exceptional, and Arata's strength has reached Kage-level. They're both remarkable talents. Combined with Konoha's foundation, we have full confidence in the upcoming war."
But the Daimyō's expression didn't brighten.
"Funny… I heard you and that Arata boy don't get along.
This isn't like you—to let a potential threat bask in the spotlight.
Aren't you afraid he'll challenge you for the position of Hokage?"
Hiruzen immediately dropped the act.
He straightened and spoke respectfully:
"Father, rest assured. Everything is under control. The Land of Fire will always remain under the authority of the Sarutobi clan."
The Fire Daimyō…
was Sarutobi Sasuke, Hiruzen's father!?
***************************
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