Hanekawa greeted Tsunade and took a seat beside her at the banquet table.
He glanced around and, as expected, found himself surrounded by Konoha's elite—high-ranking officials and clan heads from across the village. Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Jiraiya, Sakumo Hatake, Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga. The usual suspects.
The atmosphere was tense. Especially with Koharu and Homura sitting rigid-backed, their expressions carved from stone.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the others, however, seemed utterly unbothered.
Hanekawa's timing was perfect. Moments after he sat down, the wedding ceremony of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki officially began.
He blinked. A traditional Japanese wedding—both bride and groom in formal kimono. His first time attending one. He found himself watching with genuine curiosity.
After the ceremony came the feast.
"Teacher, you should slow down on the sake," Hanekawa said, eyeing Tsunade's flushed cheeks and the empty cups accumulating before her.
"Such a joyous occasion! Such excellent wine!" Tsunade raised her cup high. "We must celebrate properly!"
"Cheers!" Jiraiya laughed, equally enthusiastic about the alcohol.
Of course they're both drinking like their lives depend on it, Hanekawa thought with a headache. And guess who gets to deal with the consequences.
"Teacher, that's enough," he tried again.
"Kid, stop your whining!" Tsunade widened her eyes at him, clearly unimpressed by his concern.
Before he could respond, Tsunade suddenly threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. The scent of sake mixed with her natural fragrance hit him all at once.
"Isn't this also you?" she whispered in his ear, her words slightly slurred, before turning back to her drinking.
Hanekawa froze momentarily, then decided it was better not to think too hard about drunk Tsunade logic.
Minato approached their table, raising his cup. "Everyone, I'd like to offer a toast."
"Minato," Tsunade said, her tone suddenly serious despite the alcohol. "If you ever treat Kushina badly, I won't forgive you."
Kushina was an orphan. In all of Konoha, Tsunade was her only family.
"I would never," Minato assured her earnestly.
"Congratulations, Minato-sensei," Hanekawa said with a genuine smile.
"Thank you." Minato paused, then added, "Actually, I wanted to ask you something later."
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow but nodded.
After making the rounds to other tables, Minato eventually settled back beside Hanekawa. Tsunade was now noticeably drunk, twin blushes high on her cheeks.
"What did you want to ask?" Hanekawa said once they had a moment of relative privacy.
"I heard you've taken on two students already?"
Hanekawa recognized the opening. He'd heard something similar from Uchiha Mikoto not long ago.
"Are you asking if I'll take your child as my student?" he asked directly.
Minato smiled, a bit embarrassed. "Is that obvious?"
"Not really a problem," Hanekawa said casually. "Given our relationship, there's no need for formality."
"Thank you." Minato hesitated, then added, "Actually, this was Kushina's idea."
"I figured as much." Hanekawa smiled. "Though I didn't expect it to come up so soon."
"You have no idea how popular you've become," Minato said, shaking his head. "If we'd waited any longer, we might have missed the opportunity entirely."
"That's an exaggeration," Hanekawa protested modestly. "This is my first time teaching. I might not be very good at it."
"If word got out that you were accepting students, the entire village would be in chaos," Minato replied with a knowing smile.
Four lines of text suddenly appeared in Hanekawa's vision.
---
[D-Rank Talent Entry: Teacher of Destiny]
[Trigger Condition: Become the teacher of Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Hinata Hyuga]
[Effect: Students' comprehension increases by 30%. Teacher's authority increases by 10%.]
[Note: Can be upgraded based on students' growth.]
---
Hanekawa's eyes lit up involuntarily.
The comprehension boost was useful, but the authority increase was something new. In practical terms, it meant his power would increase by 10% whenever he sparred or fought with his students. And this was only D-Rank. If it eventually reached S-Rank...
Not bad at all, he thought. And I won't have to worry about looking weak in front of them.
The meal stretched on for two hours. By the end, only the dedicated drinkers remained at their tables.
"Come on, Teacher. Let's get you home," Hanekawa said, watching Tsunade sway slightly in her seat.
"I... I can still drink!" Tsunade reached for another sake flask.
Hanekawa intercepted it smoothly. He bent down, wrapped an arm around her waist, and helped her to her feet.
"Little brat! You're so annoying!" Tsunade twisted against him, rolling her eyes.
"Let's go," Hanekawa said, nodding to Fugaku, Minato, and the others before guiding Tsunade toward the exit.
"Why... why aren't you drinking?" Tsunade demanded, stopping abruptly to stare at him.
Hanekawa opened his mouth to answer—
Tsunade suddenly collapsed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.
"I'm tired," she murmured. "Don't want to walk anymore."
This is going to be complicated, Hanekawa thought, but he simply picked her up and carried her home.
He brought her to her bedroom and bent to set her down, but Tsunade pulled him down with her, refusing to let go.
"Don't move. Just sleep," she mumbled, holding him close.
How am I supposed to sleep like this? Hanekawa thought, acutely aware of how close they were, how her curves fit against him.
He hesitated for only a moment before reaching up and gently touching her head. Then, before he could second-guess himself, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Tsunade's lips curved slightly, and her heartbeat quickened—though she remained still, her breathing evening out into sleep.
Hanekawa held her quietly through the night, suppressing the urge to do anything more.
---
When Hanekawa opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he saw was a pair of bare feet.
He jerked awake just as Tsunade kicked him off the bed.
"Why do you keep kicking me?" he demanded, looking up at her.
"Let go," Tsunade said flatly, already moving away.
"Only if you promise not to kick me again!"
"I won't kick you," Tsunade snorted, pulling on her robe.
Hanekawa released her.
The next second, she kicked him straight off the mattress onto the floor.
"...?" Hanekawa stared up at her in disbelief.
"I'm the Hokage," Tsunade said with a smirk. "I can break my word if I want to."
"You're going to regret this," Hanekawa said flatly.
"Am I?" Tsunade stretched, looking entirely unbothered. "I'm waiting for that day."
---
Ten minutes later, they sat across from each other at the breakfast table.
"I'm planning to call a jonin meeting next week," Tsunade said, twirling ramen around her chopsticks. "We've delayed long enough."
Hanekawa nodded. "What about Koharu and Homura? Think Sakumo can keep them in line?"
"That's the problem," Tsunade said with clear frustration. "If Jiraiya had agreed to be my advisor, this would be much simpler. Sakumo is strong, but he has no political backing. Koharu and Homura have been building their influence for years."
"What if we established a Hokage Guard?" Hanekawa suggested thoughtfully. "Officially to protect you, but functionally to redistribute power."
Tsunade's eyebrows rose. "Hokage Guard?"
"Think about it—Koharu, En, Danzo, they've all served as Hokage Guards before. It's a position with real authority. We could use it to shift power away from the advisor position."
Tsunade set down her chopsticks, a slight smile playing at her lips. "You'd make a better Hokage than me."
"I'm just thinking out loud," Hanekawa said with a shrug.
"Who did you have in mind?"
"Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Might Duy, and Aburame Shibi."
Tsunade considered this. "Nothing from the Uchiha or Hyuga clans?"
"They've already benefited enough," Hanekawa explained. "Sasuke and Hinata being your future students is already a significant advantage. Giving them more would create unnecessary resentment."
"Smart," Tsunade acknowledged. "What about the Pig-Deer-Butterfly alliance?"
"They're unified as one. Having Shikaku as an advisor is sufficient."
"Fine. Do it your way," Tsunade said, returning to her ramen.
---
The week passed quickly. Discussions about Minato and Kushina's wedding gave way to anticipation—and anxiety—about the upcoming jonin meeting.
As the first major gathering under Tsunade's official leadership, everyone knew significant changes were coming.
Monday, October 20th.
The conference room in the Hokage Building was already packed by the time the meeting was scheduled to begin. At nine o'clock sharp, the doors opened.
Tsunade and Hanekawa walked in together.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, seated in the front row, exchanged a look of poorly concealed unease.
"The jonin meeting is now in session," Tsunade announced, taking her seat at the center. She scanned the room, noting the absence of Orochimaru—who remained at home—and Jiraiya, who had departed on his journey to find the child of prophecy.
"First order of business: removal of Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu from their positions as Hokage advisors."
The room fell silent.
Though some had anticipated changes, no one expected such a direct opening move.
"Tsunade!" Koharu's voice cracked with indignation. "You can't simply remove us!"
"Why?" En demanded, his face paling. "We've committed no errors!"
"You're old," Tsunade said bluntly. "Step aside and make room."
"That's absurd!" Koharu shot to her feet. "We've served Konoha faithfully for decades!"
"The purpose of a Hokage advisor is to advise the Hokage," En said, regaining some composure. "Youth is not a qualification for this position."
"Have either of you offered any useful counsel recently?" Tsunade asked coolly. "Don't hide behind your age."
"Tsunade!" Koharu's voice rose. "Everyone knows we've worked tirelessly and made countless contributions to this village!"
"Then let's settle this fairly," Tsunade said calmly. "All those in favor of their removal, raise your hands."
Koharu's heart sank. En's face went rigid.
Tsunade had just turned this into a vote—and given them no way to refuse without looking obstructionist.
Hanekawa raised his hand first.
Sakumo Hatake followed. Then Hiashi Hyuga. Fugaku Uchiha. One by one, every jonin in the room raised their hand.
Within moments, it was unanimous.
"Anything else?" Tsunade asked, her tone making it clear the matter was closed.
Koharu and Homura fell silent, the chill in their hearts spreading like ice water.
"Hatake Sakumo will serve as the new Hokage advisor," Tsunade announced. "We'll discuss the second advisor position once we find a suitable candidate."
Sakumo's eyes widened in surprise, though he quickly composed himself.
The other jonin exchanged glances. Most weren't shocked—Sakumo was certainly qualified. But the vacant position Tsunade had dangled was far more interesting. Several jonin immediately began calculating their chances.
Clever, Hanekawa thought. Dangle an empty prize to keep them motivated and distracted.
"Second order of business," Tsunade continued without pause. "Reorganization of the Hokage Guard. The new members are: Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Might Duy, and Aburame Shibi."
Shibi looked stunned. "Me? I'm becoming a Hokage Guard?"
Kushina's face lit up with excitement. No more restrictions. No more being locked away.
Minato smiled, clearly pleased with the development.
Fugaku and Hiashi exchanged complicated looks. Their clans had been notably excluded.
"Third order of business," Tsunade said. "Establishment of a Hokage Staff, headed by Nara Shikaku. His primary responsibility will be assisting the Hokage with all administrative matters."
"Understood," Shikaku said immediately, standing to acknowledge the appointment.
Inoichi and Choza visibly relaxed. The Pig-Deer-Butterfly alliance remained relevant.
"Fourth order of business: reorganization of Konoha Police Department. The Uchiha clan will take the lead."
"Acknowledged," Fugaku said, standing formally.
"Fifth order of business: negotiation terms with the Hidden Cloud. Discussion begins now."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, her expression making it clear she was done with announcements and ready for actual debate.
The room erupted into discussion, but Hanekawa noticed something important: Tsunade had systematically dismantled the old power structure while simultaneously creating new positions that kept the major clans invested in the system.
Koharu and Homura had been neutralized. Sakumo was elevated but balanced by the vacant advisor position. The Hokage Guard gave Minato and Kushina real authority. The Hokage Staff kept the Pig-Deer-Butterfly alliance relevant. And the Uchiha, though excluded from the Guard, maintained control of the Police Department.
It was elegant. Brutal, but elegant.
She really does have a talent for this, Hanekawa thought, watching Tsunade field questions from the assembled jonin with the confidence of someone who'd already won.