Konoha Hospital.
Hinata Hyuga and Ino Yamanaka walked together, each holding a bouquet of pristine white lilies.
"Sakura, honestly, always trying to act tough," Ino grumbled. "And now look at her, head wrapped in so many bandages."
"Fortunately, she was only hit by some stray rubble. Her injuries aren't serious. She can be discharged tomorrow, so it's alright," Hinata reassured her. "Also, do you know where Sasuke-kun's room is?"
"I just asked. It's 512." Ino glanced around and lowered her voice, "Are you sure it's okay for you to visit Sasuke-kun?"
The Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan had never been on friendly terms. If the Hyuga clan elders found out their esteemed young lady was visiting an Uchiha patient, one could only imagine the uproar. "Sasuke-kun isn't dead, you know. I can pass on your well wishes for you."
"It's alright," Hinata said with a smile, shaking her head. This visit, in fact, was at her father's request.
"Alright then." Ino nodded slightly, saying no more.
Thump!
At a corner in the hallway, Hinata bumped squarely into a white-haired middle-aged man and stumbled to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Ino quickly helped her up.
"My apologies," Jiraiya said hastily, looking at the two young girls before him.
"I'm fine," Hinata replied, shaking her head at their concerned expressions. She wasn't a porcelain doll that would shatter from a little fall.
Picking up the lilies that had fallen to the floor, the two continued towards the fifth floor. Halfway there, Ino suddenly turned around and said, "Mister, you've already apologized. You don't need to keep following us!"
"Oh, I was just wondering how to get to room 512?" Jiraiya asked, snapping back to reality.
"512?" The two girls exchanged glances. "Who are you going to visit?"
"Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi."
"It's on our way. If you don't mind, you can walk with us," Hinata offered.
"I don't mind, not at all," Jiraiya said, scratching his head with a smile. Looking at the two young girls, a thought crossed his mind. The Byakugan Princess, the swordsman... Could it be such a coincidence?
Knock, knock!
Inside the hospital room, the two occupants looked doubtfully at the nurse who pushed open the door. Hadn't their dressings just been changed?
"Sasuke-kun, two very pretty young ladies are here to see you," the nurse said, gesturing for the three people behind her to enter.
Seeing the three, Uchiha Sasuke was taken aback. He could understand Ino Yamanaka being there, but the other two? What was this about?
"Sasuke, thank you for risking your life to save me that day..." As Ino spoke, the indescribable feeling she'd had during their close contact unconsciously resurfaced in her mind.
"Sasuke-kun, if it weren't for you that day, we don't know if we would have survived," Hinata also expressed her gratitude.
"It was nothing. We're comrades," Uchiha Sasuke replied with a slight shake of his head.
Watching the three converse harmoniously, a flicker of surprise crossed Future Sasuke's eyes. He's willing to change this much? It seems he's dead set on becoming the Sixth Hokage.
After chatting for a while, the two girls felt that staying longer would disturb Sasuke's rest, so they got up to leave.
Once the girls had departed, both Sasukes turned their gazes to Jiraiya, who hadn't uttered a single word since entering the room.
"Lord Jiraiya, is there something you need?" Present Sasuke asked.
Recalling his conversation with Tsunade two days prior, Jiraiya slowly asked, "Are you willing to become my disciple?"
Future Sasuke: "??!"
"Why?" Uchiha Sasuke asked curiously. He was no longer the naive young man he once was; he now had a profound understanding of what the Sannin of Konoha represented. He had no doubt that with the Sannin's prestige in Konoha, if Jiraiya wanted to become Hokage, the position of Hokage candidate would always be open to him. Yet, such a figure, lacking neither fame nor fortune, actually wanted to take someone like him, with a "tainted past," as a disciple.
Even though he now possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, taking him as a disciple would bring Jiraiya absolutely no benefits and only disadvantages.
"Consider it a way for Konoha to make amends to you both," Jiraiya said. According to what Tsunade had told him, Uchiha Itachi genuinely wanted to return to Konoha. Uchiha Sasuke, however, did not. The only reason he was willing to stay in Konoha instead of returning to Orochimaru's side was entirely because of Itachi. Especially since Itachi was already planning to give up his own eyes to allow Sasuke to awaken the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Therefore, to re-anchor the Uchiha to Konoha, Tsunade planned to establish an emotional connection between Uchiha Sasuke and the village, allowing him to naturally develop a sense of belonging. Before settling on a master-disciple relationship, they had also considered romance and friendship. But because romance was too unstable and friendship too difficult to cultivate, the current scene had come to pass.
"I've spoken with Itachi, and I know your dream," Jiraiya said, walking over to him. "Becoming my disciple might not teach you many new techniques, but the connections and seniority I've accumulated over the years can all be at your disposal."
"These things might not be the most essential for becoming Hokage, but without them, your path will be much harder."
Perhaps forcing a master-disciple relationship in such a 'blunt' manner went against their initial intentions, but Jiraiya felt it was better to lay everything bare than to be secretive. The bond between master and disciple could be nurtured slowly over time. Starting with falsehood would inevitably lead to a false outcome. This was one of the few life lessons he had gleaned from his many years.
The two Sasukes exchanged a glance, and Future Sasuke gave a slight nod. Jiraiya wasn't exaggerating; if anything, he was downplaying his own influence.
"I am willing," Uchiha Sasuke nodded.
"By the way, what are your thoughts on peace?" Jiraiya asked. He didn't know why he'd asked this question. Perhaps it was because of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, or perhaps because he had encountered the Byakugan Princess. After all, the Great Toad Sage's prophecies had always been vague, and he didn't know if Sasuke was truly the prophesied swordsman. But so far, Sasuke was the closest match among everyone he had met.
"Peace?" Uchiha Sasuke shook his head. "I've never thought about it."
Jiraiya was momentarily stunned, then nodded slightly. Perhaps this was what he needed to do—guide this child onto the path of peace. Just like Nagato and Minato before.
"Rest well and recover." Jiraiya stood up and walked out of the room. "Once your injuries have healed, we'll hold an apprenticeship ceremony."
"Apprenticeship ceremony?" Uchiha Sasuke was taken aback.
"He's preparing to build up your reputation," Future Sasuke explained. "The Fifth Hokage is very generous." He patted Present Sasuke's shoulder. "Get ready to become Konoha's star of the future."
"Konoha's star of the future? Shouldn't that be me?" Boruto suddenly poked his head in.
"Don't block the door! When you can beat even one of my hands, then you can talk about being Konoha's star of the future!" Naruto said, exasperated.
Looking at Boruto's attire, Future Sasuke was stunned. Loose casual clothes, a katana slung at his waist—he was a spitting image of another Naruto.
"What do you think? Cool, right?" Boruto said arrogantly, hands on his hips.
"What's this about?" Present Sasuke asked.
"He wanted to learn swordsmanship. His old clothes weren't suitable for practice, so I got him a new outfit," Naruto explained.
"Now, let's talk about Otsutsuki Urashiki's situation."