At the wedding venue, Taiichi surveyed the dense crowd. The concentration of shinobi packed into the courtyard felt tighter than any wartime ninja army he had ever seen. He took a deep breath, summoning the same methodical focus he used during high-stakes missions, and began weaving through the chaos to bring some order to the scene.
"Hiashi, right this way. Your seat is over here."
"Fugaku, Mikoto, Itachi—over here. Shisui's holding down the ANBU side just fine."
"Shikaku, Inoichi, Choza—more guests just arrived. Mind helping with the new arrivals?"
"This is… Aburame Shibi? Good to see you. This way, please."
Taiichi moved with purpose, guiding important guests to their places. But the miscalculation on the wedding's scale couldn't be fixed by one extra pair of hands. People kept arriving in waves. No sooner had he settled the Hyuga group than members of the Akimichi clan's side branches needed seating. He had barely finished exchanging pleasantries with Fugaku when the Inuzuka clan head arrived with several ninken (leashed outside, of course) and hearty congratulations.
Sweat beaded on Taiichi's forehead despite the cool air. His deep-blue kimono clung slightly to his back. He handled multiple training regimens at once without breaking stride, yet navigating the endless small talk, political nuances, and seating logistics of this wedding left him more drained than a battlefield clash. Even his shadow clones would have struggled to keep up.
"Taiichi, you're doing a fine job," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a warm chuckle, pipe in hand. "Who would've thought the White Reaper of the battlefield would look this flustered at a wedding?"
Jiraiya leaned in with a wide grin, sake cup in hand, and clapped Taiichi hard on the shoulder. "Hah! Kid, how's it feel playing best man for the groom? Tougher than facing Uchiha Madara, right? You look more nervous than Minato himself!"
He dropped his voice conspiratorially. "So, Taiichi… seeing Minato and Kushina finally tie the knot got you thinking? Got anyone special? Come on, spill it. Your old teacher's got plenty of experience in these matters."
Taiichi staggered slightly from the slap and rolled his eyes at the blunt matchmaking attempt. "Jiraiya-sensei, maybe you should focus on your own situation first. At your age, you really shouldn't be worrying about the younger generation's love lives."
Every head in the immediate vicinity turned toward Jiraiya at once. The legendary Sannin suddenly found himself the center of unwanted attention.
Before Jiraiya could sputter a defense, Taiichi slipped away into the crowd. There was still plenty of coordination left to handle.
The traditional wedding music swelled, and the courtyard fell silent. All eyes turned to the entrance as Uzumaki Kushina, resplendent in a white bridal kimono, entered with Tsunade and several kunoichi at her side. Her vivid red hair had been elegantly styled and adorned with delicate ornaments. The usual fiery "Blood Red Pepper" now radiated a stunning, almost ethereal beauty, her cheeks flushed with a rare, radiant shyness and joy.
Namikaze Minato stood at the ceremonial platform, golden eyes filled with unmistakable love and nervous anticipation. When their gazes met, the rest of the world seemed to fade away.
The formal ceremony proceeded under the priest's guidance—exchanging sake cups, reciting vows—each step carrying weight and promise. Taiichi finally allowed himself a moment to breathe, standing a little farther back in the crowd. He watched his close friends, who had endured so much, finally reach this moment of happiness. A quiet, genuine smile touched his lips.
When the ceremony ended, applause and heartfelt congratulations erupted. The reception began in earnest, the atmosphere turning lively and warm. Taiichi continued helping where needed—passing food, refilling drinks, answering good-natured jokes—but the tension in his shoulders eased. He moved through the guests with a faint, contented smile, genuinely happy for his friends.
As the long day finally wound down and guests began to depart with warm wishes, Taiichi watched Minato and Kushina being ushered toward their new home. A satisfied curve remained on his lips.
Naruto… wasn't far off now.
The thought surfaced naturally, followed immediately by a cold, almost imperceptible shadow in his eyes. The Night of the Nine-Tails—the event that had shattered this hard-won happiness in the original timeline. Danzo was dead. Relations between the Uchiha and the village were improving. Taiichi himself had grown significantly stronger. Would the wheel of fate still turn toward that same tragic night?
He clenched his fist, feeling the steady, powerful chakra flowing through him. His gaze sharpened with quiet resolve.
"What's meant to come will come," he murmured, the words lost in the night breeze carrying the scents of sake and flowers. "But this time, the ending will be different."
He turned and rejoined the group helping clean up the courtyard, determined to give his newlywed friends one flawless night.
There was no honeymoon leave for a Hokage. The very next morning, Namikaze Minato was already seated behind the desk in the Hokage's office. If the Fourth Hokage was working, no one else had an excuse to slack off.
Taiichi rose before dawn. After his usual morning training, it was already past seven. He formed the seals for the Shadow Clone Technique.
Eight shadow clones appeared beside him in bursts of white smoke—the number he could reliably maintain these days. The clones immediately dispersed without needing further instructions.
"I'll head to Konoha Hospital."
"I'm going to the Ninja Academy."
"Research Division for me."
"Three of us will work on nature transformation training."
"I'll study sealing techniques."
"I'll practice kenjutsu."
Only the core physical conditioning and meditation remained for the original body.
This was Taiichi's daily, grueling routine.
Konoha Research Division.
Orochimaru had practically moved into the facility since taking charge. He hadn't even left for the Fourth Hokage's wedding. Taiichi remained one of the few people who visited regularly.
When Taiichi entered the bright, spacious lab, Orochimaru had just finished examining a sample under the microscope.
"Taiichi, perfect timing. I have a new discovery," Orochimaru said, setting down his pen with a meaningful smile. "You won't believe what I found inside this white organism."
He pulled a report from the stack on his desk and handed it over.
Taiichi accepted it, curiosity piqued by Orochimaru's expression. He scanned the dense, technical pages. The analysis covered cellular structures from various parts of the White Zetsu body. As he read, his brow furrowed deeper. When he finally closed the report, his voice was steady but certain.
"This thing has two different genetic signatures inside it?"
Orochimaru's tongue flicked across his lips in excitement. "Exactly. Now look at the behavior of one of those cell types. Does anything come to mind?"
Taiichi flipped back through the data and pointed to a specific section. "These cells show extremely high vitality. And this invasive quality… that's not normal cellular behavior."
"Precisely," Orochimaru said, stepping closer. He took the report and turned to another page. "See here? And here? Does that remind you of anything?"
"Insane vitality… invasive properties… Wood Release…" Taiichi looked up sharply. "You're saying these are First Hokage's cells?"
"Correct. You caught on fast." Orochimaru's smile widened. "I cross-referenced old Wood Release experiment records. The cellular markers match perfectly. These White Zetsu organisms have somehow fused with Hashirama Senju's cells."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with the thrill of discovery. "Do you know why the original Wood Release experiments failed, Taiichi? Hashirama's cells are overwhelmingly aggressive. They consume and assimilate surrounding tissue without restraint. Most test subjects eventually turned into grotesque, deformed trees. But this sample… if we can understand how it maintains stable fusion, Wood Release might no longer be out of reach."
Taiichi kept his expression measured. He knew the truth involved the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and the God Tree's power, but he wouldn't dampen Orochimaru's momentum. "It's a solid lead. Still, I believe the real strength lies in the user, not the technique itself. The ANBU has a boy named Yamato—the sole survivor of those experiments. His Wood Release is nowhere near the First Hokage's level. That said, the fusion method itself has real potential, especially in medical applications."
Orochimaru gave him a look that was half exasperation, half respect. "You really are a medical-nin through and through. Everything circles back to healing. But you're not wrong about the user mattering most." He licked his lips again. "Still, we should pursue this. The symbolic and growth potential of Wood Release is too valuable to ignore."
Taiichi's interest was clearly piqued. "Then let's take a closer look. I wouldn't mind figuring out Wood Release myself—maybe I can develop it the way I did Ice Release."
He started toward the deeper section of the lab, then paused. "Remember to report this to the Hokage. It involves Wood Release and Hashirama's cells."
"I know, I know," Orochimaru replied with a wave. "You and your rules. We could move twice as fast without all the paperwork."
Their voices faded as they disappeared deeper into the facility.
At the top of the central tower in Amegakure, the cold dome seemed to press down on the leaden sky. Rain lashed against the massive windows in an endless rhythm. The air was thick with moisture and the lingering weight of a village scarred by war.
Four figures stood in the circular space, forming a tense, silent standoff.
Pain stood before the enormous window with his back to the room, a cold, godlike silhouette. Konan stood half a step behind him, white paper flower trembling slightly in her hair, her lavender eyes filled with quiet concern as they stayed fixed on Pain's rigid back.
Obito, masked and leaning against a support pillar in a deceptively relaxed pose, watched with glowing crimson Sharingan. White Zetsu stood nearby in his usual cheerful posture.
"Current intelligence on the shinobi world has been compiled," White Zetsu announced in his light, unsettlingly cheerful voice. Black Zetsu's deeper, rasping tone followed immediately.
"The Third Great Ninja War may be over, but our overall position remains unfavorable."
All eyes turned to them.
"Sunagakure suffered the heaviest losses," Black Zetsu continued evenly. "Their numbers are barely enough for basic defense. It will take them at least a decade to recover any real strength.
"Iwagakure—Ōnoki is still clinging on, but the village is critically short on talent. They can't even find a suitable Fourth Tsuchikage.
"Kumogakure's new Fourth Raikage, A, is aggressive, but the loss of the Third Raikage and so many elites, combined with Iwagakure's mess, will keep him occupied for a long time.
"Kirigakure… the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's rise was far from peaceful. The Bloody Mist has only grown thicker. They're too busy with internal issues to look outward."
Black Zetsu's gaze swept across the room and settled on Pain's unmoving back. "Only Konoha stands apart. Their war went the smoothest. Their losses were relatively light. And after the war…" His voice grew heavier. "The transfer of power was disturbingly smooth. Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped down willingly. Namikaze Minato took the seat with almost no resistance. Their recovery speed far outpaces the other great nations. Right now, Konoha is like a powerful beast that has just finished licking its wounds—its fangs are sharper than ever."
Konan's breath caught slightly. She stepped forward until she stood almost level with Pain, her cool voice tight. "Collecting the nine Tailed Beasts means standing against the entire shinobi world. Konoha currently holds the greatest strength and the strongest unity. With our current forces alone, can we truly challenge them? This is essentially declaring war on the whole world."
Pain remained silent, staring out at the endless rain. The weight of the moment settled heavily over the tower.