The Hokage Tower got more intimidating the closer we got.
Up close, I could see the building was covered in layers of defensive seals—some glowing faintly with chakra, others dormant but still radiating power. Modern security cameras were positioned at every angle, and I spotted what looked like quirk-detection sensors built into the walls.
Guards were everywhere. On the ground, on the rooftops, probably hidden in places I couldn't see. All of them watching everyone who approached.
"They take security seriously," I noted.
"Tsunade-sama is one of the most important people in Domain 1," Hinata said quietly. "And she's made a lot of enemies over the years. The security is... necessary."
We reached the main entrance—massive wooden doors that looked like they could withstand a tank round. The guards there straightened when they saw Hinata, gave respectful nods, then looked at me with suspicion.
"Hinata-sama," one greeted. "The Hokage is expecting you. Room 7, top floor."
"Thank you."
The doors opened, and we stepped inside.
The interior was just as impressive as the exterior. High ceilings, polished floors, walls covered in historical paintings and seals. People moved through the space with purpose—ninja in traditional gear, heroes in costumes, officials in business attire.
We headed for the stairs. The guards flanked us, making it clear this wasn't a casual visit.
"So," I said as we climbed. "Any last-minute advice? Things I should definitely not say?"
Hinata thought for a moment. "Don't comment on her appearance. Don't mention gambling. Don't ask about her age. Don't—"
"There's a lot of 'don'ts' in this list."
"Tsunade-sama is... particular about certain topics."
"Noted. Avoid all the obvious landmines."
"That would be wise."
We reached the top floor. A hallway stretched before us, and at the end, a door marked with the kanji for "Hokage."
My stomach did a small flip.
This is real. I'm about to meet Tsunade. An actual legendary sannin.
The guards knocked on the door.
"Enter," a female voice called from inside. Strong, commanding, with an edge that said don't waste my time.
The guards opened the door, and we stepped inside.
The office was spacious but not ostentatious. Large desk covered in paperwork. Bookshelves lining the walls. Windows overlooking the city. And behind the desk...
Tsunade.
Blonde hair pulled back, amber eyes sharp and assessing, and an expression that suggested she was already annoyed before we'd even walked in. She wore traditional Hokage robes mixed with modern elements, and there was a sake bottle on her desk that was conspicuously half-empty.
She looks exactly like the anime. Except real. And way more intimidating in person.
Also—okay, the anime did NOT do her justice. Holy shit.
"Hinata," Tsunade greeted, her voice softening slightly. Then those amber eyes locked onto me, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. "And this must be the anomaly everyone's been talking about."
[SYSTEM TRIGGER DETECTED]
[NEW TARGET IDENTIFIED: TSUNADE]
[FIRST ENCOUNTER INITIALIZED]
[SELECT YOUR RESPONSE:]
[A) POINT AT THE SAKE BOTTLE: "Before we start, I should mention I have a policy about meetings with beautiful authority figures who drink on the job. I'm contractually obligated to be charming and slightly inappropriate."]
[B) COMPLETELY SERIOUS TONE: "I've been here two hours and I've already been told you could punch me through a building. So I'm going to be very respectful and definitely not mention that I noticed you're drinking during work hours."]
[C) GRIN LIKE AN IDIOT: "Anomaly sounds so negative. I prefer to think of myself as a limited-edition surprise. Like a gacha pull. Except I showed up in your forest instead of your inbox."]
First words to one of the most powerful people in this world. She's already calling me an anomaly and looking at me like a potential threat.
Option A is bold—calling her beautiful and commenting on the drinking. That's either going to go really well or really badly.
Option B acknowledges the drinking but frames it as me being "respectful" while still mentioning it. Seems safer but still chaotic.
Option C is the gacha joke. That's... actually kind of funny. But also might make me sound insane.
She looks intimidating. Powerful. Like she could snap me in half.
Perfect time to comment on her day-drinking.
I selected A.
I pointed at the sake bottle on her desk and said, "Before we start, I should mention I have a policy about meetings with beautiful authority figures who drink on the job. I'm contractually obligated to be charming and slightly inappropriate."
The room went silent.
The guards looked like they wanted to teleport away from the inevitable bloodbath.
Hinata made a small squeaking noise.
Tsunade's expression didn't change for a long, dangerous moment.
Then her eyebrow raised. "Did you just call me beautiful and comment on my drinking in the same sentence?"
"I did. It's in my contract. Very strict rules about it."
"Your contract."
"Yes. The one I made up about thirty seconds ago."
Her lips twitched. "You have either tremendous courage or a death wish."
"Can it be both?"
She leaned back in her chair, and I couldn't tell if she was amused or deciding which wall to punch me through. "Sit. Before I change my mind about not killing you."
It wasn't a request.
I sat in one of the chairs across from her desk. Hinata sat beside me, looking like she was having a minor crisis.
Tsunade studied me like a particularly interesting insect. "You're either very brave or very stupid."
"I'm reliably informed it's the latter."
"I believe it." She pulled out a file. "Let's start with the basics. Name?"
"Asher."
"Full name?"
"Just Asher. That's all I've got."
She made a note. "Age?"
"Eighteen-ish? Memory's fuzzy."
"Convenient." Her eyes narrowed. "And where are you from?"
"The forest. Specifically, face-down in the dirt. Before that?" I shrugged. "No idea."
"Also convenient." She tapped the file. "Shizune's report says you have untapped potential for three power systems and knowledge of classified clan information. Care to explain that?"
"Not really, since I can't. I have fragments—images, names, concepts. But no context."
"That's a symptom of memory manipulation. Or trauma. Or you're lying."
"I'm not lying. I genuinely wish I could remember more. Would make this less awkward."
[CHOICE ACCEPTED]
[TSUNADE - EMOTIONAL RESONANCE: 0% → 8%]
She leaned forward, amber eyes sharp. "Here's the situation. You're an unknown with suspicious knowledge and unprecedented power potential. Standard procedure is detention until we verify you're not a threat."
My stomach dropped.
"However," she continued, "you haven't actually done anything wrong. Stupid, yes. Wrong, no." She leaned back. "So here's what's going to happen. Academy enrollment. Observation status. Weekly reports to me. And you need a sponsor—someone responsible for your conduct."
"I'll do it," Hinata said suddenly.
Everyone looked at her.
She looked surprised at herself for speaking up, but pushed forward. "I'll sponsor him. I was the one who found him. I can take responsibility."
Tsunade studied her. "That's a significant commitment. You'd be vouching for him with your clan's reputation."
"I understand."
"And if he causes problems?"
"Then I'll handle it."
[SYSTEM TRIGGER DETECTED]
[HINATA TAKING RESPONSIBILITY - SIGNIFICANT MOMENT]
[SELECT YOUR RESPONSE:]
[A) GRAB HINATA'S HAND DRAMATICALLY: "Wait—are you sure? I'm clearly a disaster waiting to happen. Your clan's going to hate me. Your father's going to hate me. This is a terrible idea and I love that you're doing it anyway."]
[B) LOOK BETWEEN HINATA AND TSUNADE: "Just to be clear—if I mess up, does she get to punch me, or is that still your job? I need to know whose punches to fear more."]
[C) TO HINATA WITH MOCK SERIOUSNESS: "I accept your sponsorship on one condition—you have to teach me how to do that Byakugan thing so I can see when Tsunade-sama is about to punch me through a wall."]
She just put her entire clan reputation on the line for me. After knowing me for what, two hours?
Option A acknowledges how big a deal this is but might undermine her decision. B is deflecting with humor. C makes it about survival skills and includes both of them in the joke.
Tsunade's watching this whole interaction. Making a joke that includes her seems like the play.
I selected C.
I turned to Hinata with the most serious expression I could manage and said, "I accept your sponsorship on one condition—you have to teach me how to do that Byakugan thing so I can see when Tsunade-sama is about to punch me through a wall."
Hinata's mouth opened. Closed. "That's not—the Byakugan doesn't—you can't just—"
"So that's a no on the x-ray vision lessons?"
"It's not x-ray vision!"
Tsunade snorted. Actually snorted, trying to suppress a laugh. "You're going to be a problem, aren't you?"
"Almost certainly."
"Good. I was getting bored." She signed a form with a flourish. "Hinata's your sponsor. You start Academy Monday. Three days to get oriented. Don't die before then."
[CHOICE ACCEPTED]
[HINATA HYUGA - EMOTIONAL RESONANCE: 32% → 35%]
[TSUNADE - EMOTIONAL RESONANCE: 8% → 12%]
Tsunade stood, and everyone else stood reflexively. She walked around the desk, and I realized just how tall she was. And how much presence she had.
She stopped in front of me, looking down with those sharp amber eyes.
"One more thing," she said quietly. "Multiple power system compatibility is going to attract attention. Hero Commission, Shinobi Council, Jujutsu Headquarters. They're all going to want you."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It will be." She crossed her arms. "My advice? Don't let them push you around. But don't make unnecessary enemies either."
[SYSTEM TRIGGER DETECTED]
[TSUNADE GIVING ADVICE - MOMENT OF RAPPORT]
[SELECT YOUR RESPONSE:]
[A) SALUTE SLOPPILY: "Got it. Be difficult but not TOO difficult. Make friends but not TOO many friends. Survive but make it interesting. Am I getting this right?"]
[B) LEAN IN CONSPIRATORIALLY: "So what you're saying is—when all three councils show up with recruitment offers, I should host a bidding war and see who offers the best benefits package?"]
[C) DEADPAN: "Quick question—if I accidentally start a war between the three councils, does that count as 'unnecessary enemies' or is there a threshold I need to stay under?"]
She's actually giving me advice. Real advice. She didn't have to do that.
Option A treats it dismissively. B suggests I'm going to cause chaos deliberately. C asks for clarification on the chaos threshold.
Actually, B is funny as hell and she seems like someone who'd appreciate that kind of audacity. Plus she literally just said I was entertaining.
I selected B.
I leaned in conspiratorially and said, "So what you're saying is—when all three councils show up with recruitment offers, I should host a bidding war and see who offers the best benefits package?"
The guards looked ready to have heart attacks.
Hinata put her face in her hands.
Tsunade stared at me.
Then she laughed. Actually laughed—full and genuine.
"You've got balls, kid. I'll give you that." She shook her head. "Don't actually do that. They'll eat you alive."
"So that's a soft no?"
"That's a 'wait until you're stronger' no." She waved dismissively toward the door. "Now get out. I have paperwork. Hinata, try to keep him alive until Monday."
"I'll do my best, Hokage-sama."
[CHOICE ACCEPTED]
[TSUNADE - EMOTIONAL RESONANCE: 12% → 15%]
We filed out of the office. The door closed behind us, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"You made jokes about starting a bidding war," Hinata said faintly. "To the Hokage. About government organizations."
"She laughed."
"She could have killed you!"
"But she didn't. That's what matters."
Hinata shook her head, but she was smiling despite herself. "You're impossible."
"I prefer 'entertainingly unpredictable.'"
"That's not better."
We headed down the stairs, the guards trailing at a more relaxed distance now that official business was done.
"So," I said as we exited the building. "What happens now? I've got three days before Academy. What do displaced dimension-hoppers do for orientation?"
"Well," Hinata said thoughtfully. "First, documentation. Then housing. Then probably food—you haven't eaten since you got here."
My stomach growled audibly.
"That's a no," I confirmed.
She smiled. "Then let's start with food. I know a place."
"Lead the way."
We walked through the streets of New Konoha, and for the first time since waking up in that forest, I felt like maybe I could figure this out.
I had a sponsor. A place to stay. A path forward.
And a dating system that would probably make everything infinitely more complicated.
But hey, at least life wouldn't be boring.