Chapter 131 - Chapter 130: That Night I Saw You...

"Plop! Plop!"Naruto was so close to Tsunade that he could hear her heartbeat echoing in the silence of the night.More than the sound itself, what shocked him was the suffocating sense of pressure from her presence—an overwhelming aura that was both intense and oddly comforting.But Tsunade's emotions soon calmed. She released Naruto from her tight grip, her expression softening as she looked at him."Naruto… from now on, can you call me Sister Tsunade?"Tsunade's voice was gentle, surprisingly so. It was as if Naruto had become a living shadow of her long-lost younger brother, Nawaki.Naruto nodded without hesitation. With such a strong and caring sister by his side, how could he ever worry about food or protection again?Their bond grew significantly that night. Tsunade, who had always maintained a distant and authoritative image, seemed to have dropped her guard. She wasn't the fierce Sannin anymore, but a warm sister figure."Naruto..." Tsunade said softly, as she sat down next to him on the rooftop under the gentle moonlight.They talked through the night—sharing thoughts, memories, and unspoken feelings.Although Naruto had already seen through much of Tsunade's past and inner world with his Rinnegan, he still acted oblivious, playing the part of the curious listener.It was a long, quiet night. By the time dawn broke, a new decision had been made.---The Next Day..."What? Tsunade, you're actually going back to become Hokage?!"Jiraiya's jaw practically dropped. He stared at her in disbelief, convinced he had misheard.He had spent days preparing countless arguments to persuade her—reasons rooted in duty, honor, the village's need for a strong leader, and the threat of Danzo seizing power.But Tsunade had already made up her mind. Not because of politics or Jiraiya's arguments.No—her decision was personal.She was returning to protect her newly acknowledged younger brother—Uzumaki Naruto.According to Jiraiya, a mysterious organization called Akatsuki was targeting the Tailed Beasts, and as the host of the Nine Tails, Naruto was in great danger.Tsunade would never allow another loved one to die in front of her. Not again.She would protect this brother with everything she had—even her life.Her unwavering determination left Jiraiya completely dumbfounded.He looked at Tsunade, then shifted his gaze toward Naruto, his brows furrowed in confusion."Weird… why are these two so close all of a sudden?" he muttered to himself."Did something happen between them while I was asleep last night?"Jiraiya scratched his head and decided to let it go. Trying to understand Tsunade was never easy anyway."Forget it. It's a good thing for Konoha. Besides," he reasoned, "there's no way anything happened between Naruto and Tsunade. Their age difference is way too big."He chuckled to himself."If she had to choose someone," he mused, "it would obviously be me!"Unable to resist, his eyes drifted toward Tsunade's chest—his longtime obsession. He had fantasized about that view more times than he could count.But then something else caught his attention."Wait… Tsunade… Where's your jade pendant?"The pendant she always wore—the relic of the First Hokage—was gone!Tsunade simply smiled at Naruto.Jiraiya followed her gaze and was stunned to see the jade pendant now hanging from Naruto's neck.That was the First Hokage's heirloom!And worse—Jiraiya knew that Tsunade never took it off, not even when she bathed! She once joked it had soaked in enough hot springs and milk to develop its own chakra.Jiraiya stared at the pendant, struggling to suppress his curiosity.He wasn't just perverted—he was scholarly too. Really."I just want to see it up close… maybe study its texture… and, well, maybe smell it a bit..."---Regardless of what went through Jiraiya's head, the group—Tsunade, Shizune, Naruto, and Jiraiya—set off back to Konoha.---In the Afterlife Live Broadcast RoomSenju Hashirama: "I never imagined the gambling-addicted Tsunade would actually become Hokage. What a surprise!"Senju Tobirama: "Don't jinx it. Is she going to take the entire village out to gamble next?"Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Honestly... let's just hope for the best."Meanwhile, the Nine Tails couldn't contain its confusion any longer."Naruto, what are you doing? Why are you helping Konoha bring Tsunade back?"He sounded genuinely concerned.According to Naruto's earlier ambitions, he intended to overthrow Konoha and resurrect the Whirlpool Kingdom. So why now, of all times, was he helping them?With his current power—mastery of the Six Paths, Rinnegan, and immense chakra—he could've easily killed Tsunade if he wanted to.If needed, he could've framed Jiraiya too. It wouldn't be difficult at all.Jiraiya: "???"Yamanaka Ino: "LOL! I didn't expect the Nine Tails in that world to be this mischievous!"Uzumaki Naruto: "Kurama! How dare you plot to kill Pervy Sage and Grandma Tsunade?!"Nine Tails: "Tsk. Don't blame me for thinking logically. I'm not interested in your ridiculous mind games."Minato: "Still, I am curious. With Naruto's current strength, he really doesn't need to bring Tsunade back. So what's the real reason?"Tsunade: "Hmph! Don't underestimate my Hundred Healings Technique. I'm not that easy to kill."---"Kurama, there's a deeper reason behind this," Naruto finally explained."Right now, Konoha is still recovering from Orochimaru's attack. The village is on the brink of collapse—vulnerable and weak.""To the other great nations, it looks like a juicy piece of meat just lying there—easy prey.""And now, the people are beginning to realize something: under the Third Hokage's so-called glory, Konoha has grown weak!""This village has the most fertile land and abundant resources in the entire ninja world. In theory, it should've produced multiple Kage-level ninjas.""But thanks to Hiruzen's incompetence and Danzo's scheming, all that potential was wasted!""Now, Tsunade—the First Hokage's granddaughter and one of the Legendary Sannin—is seen as Konoha's last hope.""In their hearts, the villagers are desperate to believe that she can restore the village's former strength.""But… what happens when even this final hope fails?"Kurama instantly understood.If the people of Konoha still held on to hope, they would never fully accept Naruto—not as a leader, and certainly not as the founder of a new nation.Only when all their illusions were shattered, and Naruto appeared as the only one capable of saving them, would they truly follow him.He would become not just a hero—but a messiah.Naruto's vision was far more ambitious than simple revenge or destruction. He was laying the groundwork for a new nation—the rebirth of the Whirlpool Kingdom.And such a country couldn't be built on fear. It had to be built on belief.A place where people would gladly give their lives—not because they were forced to, but because they wanted to.Naruto had gleaned this truth not from battles, but from observing the long history of mistakes under the Third Hokage.So, despite possessing overwhelming power, he had no intention of destroying Konoha with brute force.That... was not his way.The Nine Tails looked at Naruto with a newfound respect.So young, and yet he understood the deepest truths of the world."So, what now? You're going to tear down the Senju's hope—Tsunade—next?""Hmph. Of course," Naruto replied coldly. "I'm not going to be distracted by two pieces of meat.""But, Naruto..." Kurama said with a smirk, "That night, I saw you... sticking out your tongue!""Shut up!"