From Tsunade's perspective, Uzumaki Kana was the perfect disciple.
First, she was an Uzumaki orphan, which meant their bond ran deeper than mere teacher and student. Blood ties mattered, especially to someone who had seen too many clans vanish from the world. Second, Kana's terrifying healing ability revealed an extraordinary talent for Medical Ninjutsu, the kind of natural gift that appeared only once in a generation.
With those two factors combined, Tsunade taking Uzumaki Kana as her disciple felt almost inevitable.
Yet there was a problem.
Yakushi Nono.
Tsunade had openly declared that she had no time or patience to teach anyone, yet only a few months later she suddenly accepted a new disciple. If one looked at it from Yakushi Nono's perspective, the situation was impossible to ignore.
Tsunade herself did not particularly care what Yakushi Nono thought, but she could not ignore the people around her. Nawaki, Kushina, and Uchiha Hayashi were all watching. She could not make things too uncomfortable for them.
After considerable thought, Tsunade made her decision.
She would take Yakushi Nono as a disciple as well.
One sheep was a herd. Two sheep were still a herd. If Yakushi Nono truly possessed talent in Medical Ninjutsu, Tsunade would teach her without reservation. If not, then she would simply let nature take its course.
In the end, each of Konoha's Three Sannin had found their own legacy.
No one was happier about this outcome than Nawaki.
On one hand, the girl he admired had become his sister's disciple. On the other, he had gained another little sister. To him, this felt like the perfect protagonist setup straight out of a manga.
Soaking comfortably in the hot spring, Uchiha Hayashi listened to Nawaki's overly dramatic declaration and calmly poured cold water on it.
"Don't celebrate too early," Hayashi said lazily. "Have you prepared the dowries yet?"
Bare-chested, Nawaki froze.
"Dowries? What dowries?!"
"You have two little sisters now," Hayashi replied. "When they get married, who do you think provides the dowries?"
"I thought I'd just collect gift money!"
Splash!
Minato slipped and fell flat onto his back in the pool.
Hayashi burst out laughing. "By the traditions of great clans, the elder brother is responsible for providing generous dowries. Isn't that right, Minato?"
Minato blinked, then gave an awkward smile. "I don't really understand big clan customs, but if it's tradition, there must be a reason for it."
Nawaki slowly sank beneath the water until only half his head remained visible. He covered his face and wailed toward the sky.
"I'm broke…"
Watching him lament his financial future, Hayashi and Minato exchanged a glance before breaking into laughter.
A soak in the hot spring truly was the best way to relax. Before they realized it, most of the lingering tension from the Chunin Exams had melted away.
Just then, the bathhouse door slid open.
"Bad luck," a voice muttered.
Wrapped in a yukata, Rasa stepped inside with clear irritation. After finishing the second exam, he had come to unwind, only to encounter the people he disliked the most.
For a moment, Rasa considered leaving, but retreating would cost him face. He forced himself to walk in, only to yelp and leap back out almost instantly.
Laughter echoed through the bath.
Hayashi, Nawaki, and Minato laughed openly, their voices ringing like bells.
"You…" Rasa nearly cursed aloud, but when he remembered he was no match for Konoha's Lightning Flash, he swallowed his words. In the end, he could only sit at the edge of the pool, feet in the water, splashing listlessly.
Not long after, the door opened again.
This time, two Cloud Village ninja entered.
Hayashi was genuinely surprised. He recognized them immediately.
Yatsuki Ai and Killer Bee.
In the span of a single evening, three future Fourth Kage had gathered in one bathhouse. With Kushina bathing next door, the place now housed three future Kage and two jinchuriki.
With a lineup like this, one could probably form a squad capable of challenging Akatsuki without hesitation.
Yatsuki Ai had not expected to encounter Konoha's Lightning Flash either. Unlike Rasa, who was already on edge, Ai was openly excited. As a battle fanatic, he had long wanted to test himself against the strongest of the new generation.
Feeling Ai's intense gaze, Hayashi remained completely unfazed. A stare, no matter how fierce, could not harm him.
"Hey, I'm Ai," Yatsuki Ai finally said.
"Hayashi," he replied simply.
Since the other man did not offer a surname, Hayashi did not press the issue. After brief introductions, Ai pulled young Killer Bee over and sat beside Hayashi, chatting as if they were old acquaintances. Before long, the atmosphere turned surprisingly relaxed.
Only one person felt completely out of place.
Rasa endured the heat in silence. By the time he adjusted the water temperature, the others were already laughing together.
Until the very end, he felt like the most unnecessary person there.
After the bath, the groups separated without even sharing a meal.
Although nothing had happened and Hayashi and Yatsuki Ai had even enjoyed their conversation, none of them trusted one another.
Rasa despised Konoha ninja. Kushina and Nawaki loathed Cloud Village. Yatsuki Ai, the future Fourth Raikage, openly desired to challenge Konoha's dominance.
Had they met on a battlefield instead, the result would have been a fight to the death.
Such hatred was not something that could be erased easily.
Walking beneath the night sky, passing brightly lit streets, Hayashi found his thoughts drifting.
"Trying to unite the Five Great Nations through words and goodwill alone really is a fantasy."
In his view, Madara's artificial dream world, Nagato's overwhelming deterrence, and Sasuke's absolute military unification all sounded more realistic than the idea that mutual understanding alone could fix the shinobi world.
Unfortunately, Madara had been manipulated, and the other two had failed.
Hayashi suddenly realized that the greatest obstacle to his own future plans might not be anyone else, but Naruto, a child who might not even be born.
While he was lost in thought, Nawaki asked, "Hayashi, what are you thinking about?"
"How to bring peace to the shinobi world."
Minato tilted his head. "Already got a plan?"
"Some ideas," Hayashi replied. "They're still rough."
"That fast?"
"I'll explain when they're ready."
Nawaki nodded seriously. "When the time comes, just say the word. We've been brothers for years. Helping you is nothing."
Hayashi laughed. "I'll remember that."
As they prepared to part ways, Minato sighed.
"Tomorrow I'm heading to Mount Myoboku with Jiraiya Sensei. I should be back before the third exam."
Hayashi's eyes widened slightly. "Special training with Jiraiya Sensei? That's good news. Why the long face?"
"If you had to eat bugs every day, you'd look the same."
Nawaki leaned closer. "Is Mount Myoboku really full of toads?"
Minato smiled helplessly. "Toads everywhere. Jiraiya Sensei says there's even a Great Toad Sage."
That caught Hayashi's interest. "Has it awakened recently?"
Minato shook his head. "Jiraiya Sensei said the Great Toad Sage last woke when he was a child, over ten years ago."
"A decade?" Nawaki exclaimed. "How old is it?"
"I'm not sure," Minato replied. "Granny Shima is over eight hundred, and the Great Toad Sage is far older."
Nawaki stared in disbelief. After a long pause, he muttered, "No wonder some shinobi worship the toad god. Is that the secret to a long life?"