After the tension settled, Tsunade finally broke the silence.
"Orochimaru asked me to heal his broken arm," she said, voice low and heavy.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "And what did he offer you in return?"
Tsunade hesitated. Then, almost in a whisper: "…My brother, Nawaki."
"You shouldn't play with the souls of the dead," Haruto said, his tone sharp, almost cold.
Tsunade let out a long breath, her shoulders sagging.
"So what are we gonna do?" Naruto broke in, cracking a grin. "Beat his ass?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "It won't be that easy, Naruto."
Haruto's eyes gleamed. "I have a plan."
---
Later that night
Under the pale moonlight, Haruto and Jiraiya sat atop a rooftop, flipping through their "research" scrolls like criminals reviewing blueprints.
"Jiraiya-sensei," Haruto whispered, glancing at a risqué sketch, "The part with Hana and Rika… that was good, right?"
Jiraiya nodded solemnly. "Yeah… real good."
Haruto smirked. "After I turn eighteen… you know what we should do?"
"Why wait till eighteen?" Jiraiya said with a wicked grin. "You're legal at sixteen."
"Wait, seriously?"
"Yep. Sixteen."
"Oh... I didn't know that."
"Same here," Jiraiya muttered. "So, what's this devious plan of yours?"
Haruto leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. "Something very devious, Jiraiya-sensei."
Their grins grew wider, shadows dancing on their faces as their plotting continued into the night.
---
Elsewhere — A silent alleyway
Orochimaru stood alone in the darkness, arms folded beneath his cloak. His eyes flicked to the figure walking toward him—Tsunade.
Hidden in the bushes nearby, Naruto crouched, barely breathing. Jiraiya lingered in a shadowed alley, silent. And above them all…
Haruto floated high in the sky, arms crossed, expression smug—and slightly overcooked.
"So, Tsunade," Orochimaru began with a sly smile. "Have you finally agreed?"
"I have," she said coldly, "but don't you dare mess with Nawaki's soul."
She stomped the ground—CRACK—the earth split beneath her heel.
At that instant, a kunai sliced through the air and pierced Orochimaru's shoulder—Naruto had entered the fray!
Jiraiya roared as he summoned a massive toad. Orochimaru answered with a colossal serpent. Tsunade summoned Katsuyu.
But the battlefield wasn't done shifting.
Two massive birds soared overhead, their shadows eclipsing the moonlight. Then came a chameleon. A three-headed dog. More.
Orochimaru's eyes twitched. "These summons…"
From above, Haruto's voice boomed like thunder.
"Surrender, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru sneered. "A test subject dares speak—"
"Banshō Ten'in!"
With a flick of Haruto's fingers, Orochimaru was yanked forward mid-sentence.
His body unraveled into a swarm of snakes.
Haruto didn't miss a beat.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The sky lit up as the inferno scorched through the snakes mid-air. The explosion rocked the block. The summons vanished.
Kabuto, sensing danger, slipped into the forest.
Haruto landed lightly, eyes scanning the burning rubble.
All that remained… was a note.
He picked it up.
"You can't kill me, fool."
Haruto crumpled it in one hand. "Those reincarnates in fanfics were right. This bastard's immortal."
"He got away again!" Jiraiya called out from the other side.
The squad gathered around, exhausted but intact.
Haruto chuckled. "Guess it's time to go home."
---
They traveled peacefully through the woods, the sun setting behind them. Laughter echoed through the trees
That night, under a clear sky littered with stars, three figures sat around a crackling campfire.
Jiraiya poked at the fire with a stick, then looked over his shoulder. "Looks like Naruto's already out cold," he said, half-smiling. "Kid snores like a bear."
"I'm thinking of taking him for training," he added casually.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Training?" She folded her arms beneath her chest. "Only him?"
Jiraiya tilted his head toward Haruto. "Yeah… he needs it the most right now."
Haruto stretched, lacing his fingers behind his head. "I mean… can you blame him? I'm already disgustingly strong." He flashed a cocky grin.
Tsunade gave him a sideways glance and smirked. "Cocky brat. Still, with all that power, you could learn something useful. Like medical ninjutsu."
Haruto groaned dramatically. "Ugh, healing? I'd rather punch someone into the stratosphere."
She rolled her eyes. "Exactly why you should learn. Knowing when to break bones and when to heal them—that's true strength."
"Okay, okay," Haruto chuckled, holding up his hands in surrender. "How about I make you a deal instead? There's a girl in our village—Sakura. She's got talent for healing techniques."
Tsunade's brow lifted. "You can tell just by looking at her?"
Haruto simply pointed to his eyes.
She blinked, then nodded slowly. "Ah… I see. So who else?"
"Ino Yamanaka," Haruto added. "She's sharp. Might surprise you."
Tsunade looked thoughtful. "Alright. I'll test them both myself."
"They might even surpass you someday," Haruto teased.
Tsunade scoffed, but her eyes glinted with amusement. "Keep dreaming, brat."
Meanwhile, Jiraiya was quietly turning skewered fish over the flames. "I, uh… feel like I'm crashing someone else's scene."
Haruto leaned over. "Wait—where the hell did you get the fish?"
Jiraiya grinned. "You guys were too busy bonding. I summoned them."
"…You summoned fish?"
"Yep. Gourmet no Jutsu."
Haruto narrowed his eyes. "That's not a real technique."
"It is now."
…
By the next afternoon, the tall green gates of Konoha came into view. Familiar and proud, the village stood waiting.
As the squad stepped through, two shinobi guards stood at attention.
"Jiraiya-sama!" Kotetsu greeted, bowing.
"Rise, Kotetsu. Izumo," Jiraiya responded.
He gestured to the woman beside him. "This is our new Hokage—Tsunade Senju."
The two guards blinked, then hastily bowed even deeper. "Greetings, Hokage-sama!"
"Ugh… yeah, yeah," Tsunade muttered, waving them off. "No need to bend your backs for me."
As they walked further in, Naruto nudged Haruto and whispered, "Hey… if she's the Hokage now… does that mean we'll get a huge house?"
Haruto laughed. "Probably not. I mean, unless—"
"Actually," Jiraiya interrupted, stopping in his tracks. "Now that she's in charge, I'll take care of something important."
He looked at Naruto and Haruto. "As Minato's legal heir, Naruto should inherit his father's property—and so should you, Haruto."
Haruto blinked. "Wait, what?" then haruto stopped in his tracks 'in the original timeline,hiruzen had already sold minato's property.'
Naruto's mouth dropped open. "M-Mansion?! You mean—like—big rooms, a huge bath, and snacks that never run out?!"
Jiraiya gave a smug nod. "Yup."
Haruto grinned. "We're gonna be rich, dattebayo!" his eyes flashing dollar signs
Naruto's jaw dropped even lower. "You can't just steal my line!"
…
Inside the Hokage Office, the atmosphere was heavy with tension. The village's elite sat around a long table—clan heads, advisors, and the Fire Daimyo himself.
Jiraiya stood before them, voice clear and resolute.
"As a Sannin, the most skilled medical-nin alive, and the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, I formally nominate Tsunade Senju as Konoha's Fifth Hokage."
Homura frowned. "Even Danzo would be better than her."
Koharu sniffed. "I agree. She's reckless. Unstable."
Jiraiya's expression darkened. "Let's cut the crap, shall we?"
The whole room stiffened.
"Can Danzo lead this village without plunging us into chaos? Can he heal our wounded? Does he command loyalty from shinobi like Tsunade does? The answer is no."
His voice sharpened. "Don't make me drag out receipts on Danzo. Tsunade's legacy speaks for itself."
The room fell quiet.
Then the Fire Daimyo stood.
"After considering all arguments… I hereby declare Tsunade Senju the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure—officially."
All the clan heads rose in unison.
"Greetings, Hokage-sama," they chorused.
Tsunade looked at them. Strong. Composed. Her lips curled into a confident smile.
"Let's get to work."