At nine o'clock sharp, Shinho, prompted by Shizune, stepped forward onto the stage.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Having recently captured Orochimaru, Shinho's reputation was at an all-time high.
This was especially true among the students of the ninja academy. With their young age and Shinho's position as Hokage, it was easy for them to idolize him.
Scanning the crowd, Shinho caught sight of Tsunade and raised a hand to wave at her.
The crowd quieted immediately.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns eternal…"
Shinho began his speech with a smile, using the Will of Fire right from the start.
That's my brother-in-law!
Hanabi Hyuga straightened her back with pride as she glanced at her sister, Hinata.
She noticed Hinata gazing at Shinho with a dreamy expression.
She's hopeless, Hanabi thought, her clever eyes darting about as she schemed how to help her sister later.
"Being Hokage is so cool!"
Konohamaru said confidently, "When I grow up, I'm going to be Hokage too!"
"Work hard, then," Asuma Sarutobi said, patting his nephew on the head.
Konohamaru, being the grandson of the Third Hokage, had a decent shot at becoming the Hokage.
"But first, you'll have to beat Naruto," Moegi Kazamatsuri interjected.
The pigtailed girl, with two red blush marks painted on her cheeks, looked both adorable and sweet.
"I'll use my Sexy—" Konohamaru began but quickly stopped when he saw Moegi clenching her fists.
Although she was usually kind, she became terrifyingly violent whenever that jutsu was mentioned.
"You still got a long way to o before becoming the Hokage!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out.
Naruto appeared with his signature cheerful grin.
"Naruto!"
Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon shouted in unison.
The three were classmates and close friends who idolized Naruto enough to form the Konohamaru Corps.
"When did you get back, Naruto?"
Asuma looked around in surprise. "And where's Jiraiya-sama?"
"Yesterday," Naruto said, pointing to a spot nearby. "Pervy Sage sensei is chatting with Grandma Tsunade over there."
Sensei?
Asuma chuckled to himself. It was interesting how destiny worked, with both Minato Namikaze and Naruto Uzumaki becoming Jiraiya's disciples.
Parents and students mingled together in the field. However, Tsunade, being neither, had chosen a spot at the very back.
Listening to the speech, she couldn't help but purse her lips.
The content of his speech were strikingly similar to the speeches Hiruzen used to give.
She had always disliked such formalities.
But since Shinho was her man, she listened patiently.
"That kid really looks like a Hokage in those robes," Tsunade muttered to herself, noting how he looked much more dignified compared to his usual demeanor.
Her gaze lingered on him, and a subtle warmth spread through her body. Once the dam of years of suppressed desires were broken, it will be a flood.
"Tsunade!"
A sudden voice broke her from her reverie, making her frown as she turned to see Jiraiya.
Taking two steps back instinctively, she asked, "What are you doing here?"
Jiraiya's smile stiffened, as he sighed inwardly.
"Naruto wanted to see Konohamaru and the others, so I came along," Jiraiya said, regaining his composure and smiling, "I didn't expect you to be here. I thought you hated events like these."
"That brat dragged me along," Tsunade replied, glancing at Shinho.
But as she spoke, her tone softened slightly.
"He's impressive," Jiraiya said sincerely, "Much more capable than we ever were. Catching Orochimaru so soon after taking office is no small feat."
Only Tsunade knew how impressive of a student he actually was.
"Is that why you came back early? Because of Orochimaru?"
"Yes," Jiraiya admitted. "I was stunned when I heard of his capture."
After Orochimaru's defection, Jiraiya had spent a long time searching for his former teammate, hoping to bring him back to Konoha.
It was a complicated mix of emotions, much like Naruto's obsession with Sasuke in the original work.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru was too cunning. Even when Jiraiya found him, he would always escape.
"I'm not surprised," Tsunade said with a faint smile.
Jiraiya froze, sensing something different about her.
She seemed gentler, with a more mature air about her.
No, it can't be… Jiraiya quickly dismissed the thought.
"I saw Orochimaru yesterday," Jiraiya said after a deep breath, "He's actually working for Konoha now. It's hard to believe."
"Orochimaru is a pragmatist," Tsunade said after a pause, "After all his crimes, it's only fitting that he atone for them."
"True," Jiraiya admitted, recalling the numerous lives lost during Orochimaru's experiments with Wood Release, "But he's still dangerous. You'll need to keep a close eye on him."
"Don't worry," Tsunade said with a smile. "Shinho will handle it."
"You really have a lot of faith in him," Jiraiya said, a trace of envy in his voice.
"He's my student," Tsunade replied casually, "And he's the Hokage."
Jiraiya fell silent.
"Has Naruto mastered the Nine-Tails' power?" Tsunade asked, her gaze shifting to Naruto in the crowd.
"He can maintain control in Four-Tails mode," Jiraiya replied.
"Not bad," Tsunade said thoughtfully, "That should give him some ability to protect himself against the Akatsuki."
"Any new news on the Akatsuki?" Jiraiya asked, his expression growing serious.
"None," Tsunade said, shaking her head. "They've been dormant for three years."
"With their strength, any action they take will definitely shake the ninja world," Jiraiya warned, "Konoha needs to be prepared."
Tsunade nodded slightly.
During the Chunin Exams, Itachi Uchiha had provided her with information on the Akatsuki's members. Since then, she hadn't let her guard down.
"I'll just leave it to Shinho," Tsunade said with a chuckle, "I'm retired. I don't want to deal with shit like this anymore."
"Hah, I wonder, when will I ever get to retire?" Jiraiya sighed.
"That's your own fault," Tsunade said with a snort.
Jiraiya offered a wry smile, choosing not to argue about his prophecy.
As the speech ended, Tsunade watched as Shinho was quickly surrounded by a group of children.
She decided to leave and deal with him later that evening.
"Are you leaving this afternoon?" Tsunade asked Jiraiya.
"Yes," Jiraiya replied, smiling, "Want to grab lunch together?"
"Forget it, I have no time," Tsunade said, waving him off, "I have surgery to perform at the hospital."
Last night, during their negotiations, she had agreed to look into Isaribi.
Jiraiya's smile froze.
He sighed deeply and walked into the crowd to fetch Naruto.
Sasuke and Karin were already waiting at the village gate.
The four of them set out for the Island of Summoning.
…
After Shinho finished dealing with the children, he realized Tsunade had left.
But it didn't matter. They weren't in a rush.
"Brother-in-law!"
Hanabi Hyuga ran over cheerfully.
Brother-in-law?
Shizune pursed her lips.
Why is everyone calling him that?
Hinata, meanwhile, not expecting hanabi to be so bold froze in place, her face turning bright red.
Even though Shizune was the only one who heard it.
"Hanabi, long time no see," Shinho said, smiling at the young girl in her kimono.
"Hmph!"
Hanabi crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks. "You haven't visited me in ages. I'm mad!"
"Really mad?"
Shinho crouched down, pinching her cheeks gently.
"Ugh! I am!" Hanabi stepped back with a pout.
"Alright, I'll make it up to you. What do you want?"
Hanabi glanced at Shizune before stepping closer.
A faint fragrance wafted through the air as she leaned in near Shinho's ear.
"Spend more time with my sister," she whispered.
Shinho blinked in surprise before nodding. "No problem."
Relieved, Hanabi glanced at Hinata, who was blushing furiously.
This won't be enough, Hanabi thought anxiously. I need a better plan.
Unfortunately, she didn't have time to implement one right now.
"Brother-in-law, I have to get back to class. Don't forget what I just said," Hanabi reminded him.
"I'll make sure to remember it very clearly," Shinho said, patting her head gently.
"Good luck, Sister!" Hanabi clenched her fists.
Hinata Hyuga, a bit confused by her sister's enthusiasm, nodded shyly in response.
"Shizune-nee, there's something I need you to look into," Shinho said as his gaze shifted toward Moegi Kazamatsuri.
"What is it?" Shizune asked, her focus sharpening as she set aside her earlier thoughts.
"Moegi Kazamatsuri," Shinho said, pointing toward the young girl, "I need detailed information about her, including any distant relatives."
A memory had resurfaced.
In the original story, Moegi eventually awakened the ability to use Wood Release.
Though she wasn't on par with Hashirama Senju, her power wasn't artificially created like Yamato's, it was a natural Wood Release.
Shinho suspected she might have traces of the Senju bloodline.
If confirmed, she could be trained early. Moreover, this would undoubtedly please Tsunade.
"I'll arrange it immediately," Shizune said, although she was surprised, she didn't press for details.
As Shizune left, Hinata seemed much more at ease.
It was just her and Shinho now.
"Shinho-kun," Hinata said hesitantly, "Please don't mind Hanabi. She's always like that."
"Do you want to know what she said to me?" Shinho asked with a smile, that bordered upon teaing.
"W-what?" Hinata's heart skipped a beat.
She noticed the expression on his face and, recalling Hanabi's usual boldness, began to panic.
Her hands instinctively clasped together.
Leaning closer, Shinho whispered softly into her ear; "She said you like me."
"Eek!"
Overwhelmed, Hinata stumbled backward.
Anticipating this, Shinho quickly reached out and caught her around the waist.
Looking down at her, he saw her face glowing a deep red, as if it were radiating heat.
"She actually fainted," Shinho let out an exasperated chuckle as he picked her up.
The slight pressure of her soft outfit against him caught his attention.
After a thought, he walked toward the Hyuga clan.
On the way, Hinata stirred awake.
Blinking, she realized her current position and immediately turned red again.
But she said nothing.
Surrounded by Shinho's familiar scent, she hesitated before slowly wrapping her arms around his neck.
The two were now even closer now.
Shinho held her tighter, in a way to make her more comfortable.
Soon, they arrived at the Hyuga residence.
As before, Shinho avoided the main gate, and bypassing the guards, entered Hinata's room undetected.
The Hyuga typically didn't activate their Byakugan within their own compound, making his sneaky entry relatively easy.
Sitting down on her bed, Shinho found himself with Hinata still on his lap.
Feigning sleep, she kept her eyes shut.
With a smile, Shinho pulled his left hand free, letting her legs dangle just above the floor.
Reaching out, he removed one of her sandals, leaving her delicate foot exposed to the air.
Her toes curled instinctively before she slowly relaxed, as though making a silent concession.
If Shinho-kun likes it, then… I can manage this.
After slipping off her other sandal, Hinata pressed her feet together nervously.
Her eyes flew open, however, when Shinho lightly tickled her soles.
"S-Shinho-kun!" she exclaimed, unable to continue her pretence.
"Awake?" Shinho asked, letting go of her feet.
"Mm," Hinata murmured, nodding softly.
She was confused.
Though she felt she should leave his embrace now that she'd been "caught," she couldn't bring herself to do so.
"You haven't told me the details of your mission in the Land of the Sea," Shinho said, still holding her gently.
Blinking in surprise, Hinata stammered, "O-oh, right…"
The retelling wasn't much different from the written report.
However, when she mentioned Isaribi's condition, her expression turned sympathetic.
"Don't worry about Isaribi," Shinho said, shaking his head, "Teacher will take care of her."
"That's wonderful!" Hinata's face lit up with joy.
"Cute," Shinho murmured, his praise making her freeze.
Avoiding his gaze, she felt him gently turn her face back toward him.
Watching her fair skin flush redder by the second, Shinho smiled.
Hinata squeezed her lips together, closing her eyes tightly, looking much like a kitten surrendering to its owner.
"Hinata," Shinho said softly, "If I kissed you now, would you faint?"
"Eh?!"
Hinata's eyes shot open, and after a few seconds of eye contact, she finally understood something.
The next moment, she lost consciousness, going completely limp in his arms.
"This might be a problem," Shinho muttered, placing her gently on the bed.
With a small shake of his head, he left the room and returned to the Hokage's office.
…
"Shinho," Shizune said, handing him a scroll, "Here's the information on Moegi Kazamatsuri."
The Anbu are impressively fast, Shinho thought as he opened the scroll and skimmed through the contents.
As he suspected, Moegi did indeed possess traces of the Senju bloodline, though it was many generations removed, making her a distant relative.
No wonder Tsunade didn't seem aware of her existence.
Moegi had awakened her Wood Release relatively late.
Given her young age, rushing her education by having her graduate early seemed unwise.
The best course of action would be to find her a private tutor.
"Shizune-sister," Shinho said, handing the scroll back, "Have Yamato take her as a student."
"Yamato?"
Shizune's eyes widened slightly as she connected the dots. "Does she have the potential for awakening Wood Release?"
"Yes," Shinho confirmed directly.
"I'll explain it to Yamato," Shizune said seriously. The significance of Wood Release, for Konoha was significant, and she understood the need for caution.
…
As it was soon dusk, Shinho prepared to finish work for the day.
Suddenly, two lines of text appeared before him:
[Achievement Unlocked: Isaribi's "Mermaid" – Reward: Declining River Gu.]
[Declining Rivers and Setting Sun Gu: Rank 5 Gu insect. When activated, it transforms into a torrent of radiant water, each droplet like a shard of the sun, dazzlingly brilliant.]
Shinho raised an eyebrow.
How did this achievement get triggered?
If he remembered correctly, Tsunade was supposed to perform surgery on Isaribi today.
Had she already been transformed back from a mermaid into a human?
Does that make Tsunade a witch?
As for the reward, it was excellent. Just one more Gu was needed to form the killer move Heavenly Cascade of Light.
Hopefully, Team 7 would help him secure a couple more achievements.
"Shizune-nee, you can head back and prepare dinner," Shinho said, standing up, "I'm heading to Konoha Hospital."
Before Shizune could respond, he disappeared with the Body Flicker Technique.
Is he going to meet Tsunade-sama?
Shizune didn't think much of it.
…
Arriving at the hospital, Shinho immediately spotted Sakura in her nurse's uniform.
"Shinho!" Sakura called out upon noticing him, hurrying over to greet him.
"Sakura," Shinho said, pausing briefly before asking, "Do you know where my teacher is?"
"She just finished surgery and is resting in the lounge on the first floor," Sakura replied quickly.
"Thanks."
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