c19 — Looking for Tsunade
It was a pity that Naruto failed to save the Third Hokage, but the appearance of the mysterious ninja had completely disrupted Naruto's original plan. Because the protagonist of the story had changed and an unknown force had interfered with canon events, the direction of the plot would inevitably shift as well. The next segment of the story was destined to deviate from what should have happened.
As for the identity of this mysterious ninja, no one could determine it on the battlefield. His chakra system and fighting style did not match any known Konoha or foreign shinobi records. They had no choice but to bring him back to the village for a proper examination. Shikamaru, now officially a Chūnin after the exams, carried the unconscious body of the ninja. Sakura supported Naruto, whose body was still strained from forcing the Kyūbi's chakra earlier, and although Sasuke had been overwhelmed by the sudden battle and the mental pressure of the invasion, he could still walk on his own. The group hurried back to Konoha.
The moment they returned, they were met with the announcement everyone feared the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had passed away. Hiruzen was deeply respected in Konoha, not only as the "Professor" who mastered over a thousand jutsu, but also as the Hokage who protected the Will of Fire for generations. The entire village was plunged into grief, and even Naruto, who always clashed with the old man, felt a weight in his chest.
However, grief could not last forever. Every ninja in Konoha understood that the village Hiruzen died protecting could not crumble because of sorrow. The village immediately entered a heightened state of alert. After Orochimaru's invasion, other villages especially those like Iwagakure who historically watched Konoha with animosity must not be allowed to sense weakness.
The next urgent task was to decide on a candidate for the Fifth Hokage. According to tradition and politics, the Hokage must be strong, experienced, and respected. In Konoha's system, the ultimate decision came from the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, advised by the two elders Koharu and Homura. Naruto strongly disliked this system of the Daimyō interfering with Konoha's military leadership, especially since the Third Hokage himself had often argued privately with them on matters concerning village autonomy.
More importantly, with the Third Hokage gone, Danzo's influence was growing stronger in the shadows. During this unstable period, Naruto worried that Danzo might pressure him into joining Root, especially since Root coveted jinchūriki as weapons. Thus, when he learned that Jiraiya had been ordered to find Tsunade the legendary Slug Sannin as the next Hokage, Naruto immediately clung to him. Going along would protect him from Danzo's reach and give him the opportunity to learn ninjutsu from one of the legendary Sannin.
But Naruto wasn't the only one troubled by Danzo's increased authority. Uchiha Itachi, who left Sasuke in Hiruzen's guardianship, knew better than anyone how Danzo coveted the Sharingan. The death of Hiruzen meant Sasuke's safety was in far greater danger than before. So Itachi, now a member of Akatsuki but still silently watching the village, appeared inside Konoha alongside Hoshigaki Kisame.
To Naruto, Kisame's sword Samehada felt like a waste in Kisame's hands. Although Kisame had monstrous chakra reserves, Naruto believed the weapon itself could demonstrate even greater power in the hands of someone born with more chakra diversity ignorance mixed with confidence due to his early contact with the Kyūbi's power. When the two intruders appeared, Itachi instantly subdued Kakashi using Tsukuyomi, his Mangekyō Sharingan technique a detail Naruto had seen in the future manga and recognized now. If Might Guy hadn't arrived in time, both Kurenai and Asuma would have likely been killed. But Itachi's goal wasn't destruction. After delivering a chilling message, he retreated once his objective was complete.
Naruto and Jiraiya then departed in search of Tsunade. However, Itachi and Kisame ambushed them again, this time overwhelming Jiraiya with a combination of illusions and powerful ninjutsu. Their true target was Naruto, as Akatsuki had begun gathering jinchūriki. Yet Naruto realized based on earlier clues and his own knowledge that Itachi's deeper goal was still Sasuke. He needed Sasuke's hatred to intensify so the boy would eventually awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
After provoking Sasuke into fighting and shattering the youth's pride, Itachi broke through Jiraiya's toad stomach technique something that should have been impossible forcing Jiraiya to admit that even among the Sannin, Mangekyō Sharingan was a threat not to be underestimated. Naruto briefly imagined seizing Samehada during the chaos, thinking the sword's chakra-absorbing ability would help his development, but acknowledging Itachi's unpredictable danger, he reluctantly abandoned the thought.
Itachi's appearance was solely to drive Sasuke down a specific path, and he vanished once that objective was met. Guy arrived in time to bring the badly injured Sasuke back to Konoha for treatment, while Naruto and Jiraiya continued their journey in search of Tsunade.
On the road, Naruto eagerly questioned Jiraiya about wind-nature transformation, determined to strengthen himself after witnessing the gap between himself and enemies like Itachi. Jiraiya deepened Naruto's understanding of chakra control and other ninjutsu essentials. He even mentioned senjutsu Sage Mode but explained that such training required the environment and guidance of Mount Myōboku. Given their current mission and the looming Akatsuki threat, Sage training simply wasn't possible for now.
The most direct way to find Tsunade is indeed to visit various gambling establishments, since Tsunade not only has an almost pathological love for gambling but is also notoriously famous throughout the Land of Fire and even neighboring countries for her terrible luck, earning her the nickname "The Legendary Sucker." However, even with this information, finding her is far from easy. Tsunade constantly travels, refuses to stay in one town for long, and often leaves behind debts in every casino she visits. To make matters worse, Jiraiya himself is especially drawn to red-light districts. Although he justifies it by saying he needs to gather intelligence and keep an ear out for rumors, his personal hobbies are certainly one significant factor. What troubles Naruto is that he, as a minor, cannot enter such adult-only places at all, so following Jiraiya into those places is meaningless and embarrassing for him.
As time went by, Jiraiya seemed to enjoy himself far too much, but he was still being responsible in his own eccentric way, since brothels and taverns were often information hubs for travelers, bounty hunters, and missing-nin. Naruto, however, couldn't care less about Jiraiya's "research." He used much of his time to practice ninjutsu, continuing to strengthen the techniques he had already mastered. Although he could not progress much in his wind-nature transformation yet since in the official timeline Naruto only begins wind training under Kakashi much later he did keep sharpening his chakra control and improving both his shadow clones and Rasengan practice. The rest of his free time was spent running through casinos, asking owners, gamblers, and even debt collectors if they had seen a busty blonde woman traveling with a dark-haired apprentice.
Eventually, after days of searching, they finally obtained reliable clues thanks to Tsunade's infamy. However, at the same time, someone else was also desperately looking for her Orochimaru, the most dangerous of the Legendary Sannin. He was the criminal responsible for the death of the Third Hokage in Konoha's recent invasion, a man who hid in the shadows to conduct forbidden experiments, steal bodies, and pursue immortality at any cost. Even though Naruto and Jiraiya worked tirelessly to track Tsunade down, Orochimaru still managed to reach her first. By the time Naruto and Jiraiya arrived in the vicinity, they found only traces of a violent clash destroyed trees, shattered stone fragments, and areas scarred by Tsunade's monstrous strength. The search on the following day yielded little more than rumors. Then, that evening, as Jiraiya wandered into a tavern hoping to test his luck again, he unexpectedly came across Tsunade and Shizune themselves. Naruto, having never met this last member of the Sannin trio, stared with open curiosity. She was the granddaughter of the First Hokage Senju Hashirama and was known as the greatest medical ninja in the entire world.
At first glance, she appeared roughly the same height as Jiraiya but looked astonishingly young due to her skilled use of the Transformation Technique, which she maintained constantly with perfect chakra control. She had clearly been drinking heavily, her face flushed with two pink patches and her sake bottle still in hand. Her body was strikingly voluptuous, and she spoke with the tone and attitude of a confident woman in her twenties. If Jiraiya hadn't already warned Naruto about Tsunade's fiery temper, impulsive personality, and fearsome strength capable of pulverizing boulders with a flick of her finger, Naruto would have struggled to believe she was one of the legendary Sannin.
Unlike Orochimaru's tense and hostile encounter, Tsunade and Jiraiya's reunion was unexpectedly relaxed. Although Jiraiya had made many foolish attempts in his youth to pursue her romantically most of which ended with broken ribs or black eyes the deep friendship forged through countless life-and-death battles remained intact. Old comrades meeting after many years naturally brought warmth and nostalgia. As their conversation deepened, Naruto and Jiraiya gradually pieced together the purpose of Orochimaru's visit. Tsunade was clearly conflicted; otherwise, given her temperament, she might have smashed Orochimaru through a wall on sight.
Orochimaru had offered Tsunade something almost impossible to refuse: using the Impure World Reincarnation in combination with her medical expertise to restore life to Nawaki and Dan, the two people she cherished most and whose deaths left her heart shattered. Nawaki, her younger brother, died during a mission shortly after receiving the dream of becoming Hokage, and Dan her lover bled to death in her arms during the Second Great Ninja War. Their deaths traumatized her so deeply that she developed hemophobia, a crippling fear of blood that caused her hands to tremble uncontrollably whenever she saw it. Considering Tsunade's status as one of the strongest kunoichi ever born, the fact that she became paralyzed by the sight of blood shows just how devastating those events truly were.
Orochimaru's offer to bring them back was a temptation strong enough to shake even someone like Tsunade. But Impure World Reincarnation required human sacrifices, and once his arms were healed, Orochimaru would undoubtedly attack Konoha again. If Tsunade agreed to his terms, she would betray everything she once believed in, effectively aligning herself with Orochimaru's path. It was no wonder she was so torn.
And amid all this turmoil, Jiraiya had arrived with an even more crucial message for Tsunade one that could determine not only her decision but also the future of the entire Hidden Leaf.
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