38 Facing The Harsh Reality...

"No..." Naruto's cry echoed, a powerful gust of wind following his shout towards the dissipating smoke. When the smoke cleared, there was no one there...

"He's gone, again..." Naruto's frustration was evident as he mulled this over. Sensing his distress, Jiraiya placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Naruto... There will be more opportunities... Let's not lose sight of our main objective, which is to bring Tsunade back to the village with us..." Jiraiya reminded him.

"Right... Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei require urgent medical attention... We need to head back to the village soon..." Naruto agreed, his focus shifting from the recent clash.

Jiraiya concurred with Naruto's plan...

"Tsunade, you're coming back with us to take up the mantle of the 5th Hokage..." Jiraiya announced.

Tsunade, stepping forward to face Naruto, nodded in agreement. "Naruto..." She began, drawing the focused gaze of the young ninja.

Extracting a delicate necklace from her neck. It was a token of her grandfather, the First Hokage. The necklace was more than a mere accessory; it was a symbol of her faith and resolve.

She extended her hand, the necklace dangling between her fingers. Naruto's eyes widened as he looked from Tsunade to the necklace and back again.

"Really? For me?" Naruto asked, a blend of shock and excitement in his voice. His usual happy-go-lucky demeanor was replaced with a serious intensity, a unique characteristic he displayed during critical moments.

Tsunade nodded, her eyes soft. "Yes, Naruto, for you. This is a symbol of my faith in you, and a reminder for you to stay strong..." Tsunade declared, her voice steady and determined.

Naruto slowly reached out, his fingers gingerly closing around the necklace. He flashed his trademark grin, his blue eyes twinkling with renewed resolve. "Wow, this is heavy with responsibility...and history!" Naruto said, his voice full of awe and respect.

"But I like heavy stuff," he added, his grin broadening. "It gives me a challenge. And I never back down from a challenge!"

With that, Naruto carefully placed the necklace around his neck, his eyes shining with unyielding determination.

And with that, the team continued on their journey back to the village, their spirits high and their resolve unbroken.

Once they made their way back to the village, Tsunade found herself swamped with countless obligations that came with being the Hokage...

As part of these responsibilities, she had a meeting with the village elders...

"Pore over my words, Tsunade..." an elder woman from the village began, "We must summon the feudal lords and broadcast the appointment of the fifth Hokage. Let's initiate the preparations for the inauguration ceremony in the village today." The elder woman continued as Tsunade attentively listened.

"All this talk of feudal lords and ceremonies is just a major nuisance." Tsunade responded.

"Tsunade... !" The elder woman chastised.

"I get it, I get it, this too is part of the Hokage's duties." Tsunade conceded.

"Genma! - Aoba!" The elder woman called out, and two ninjas promptly appeared, bowing in greeting, "You two, issue an official announcement and make sure everyone in the village is informed in the coming days. We must introduce the fifth Hokage." The woman instructed.

"Understood, Madam." The ninjas replied in unison and quickly departed from the scene.

The discussion between Tsunade and the village elders came to an end and Tsunade, accompanied by her aide Shizune, left the meeting. As they were leaving, they ran into Naruto.

"Hey there, Granny Tsunade!" Naruto greeted with a wide grin on his face, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Despite his carefree demeanor, his respect for Tsunade was evident.

"Naruto, what brings you here?" Tsunade asked, looking at him with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"Well, I just thought I would remind you about healing Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, and Rock Lee. You did promise, after all." Naruto replied, a dash of seriousness edging into his tone. Despite his cheerful personality, he never failed to remind people of their promises.

Tsunade sighed. "I haven't forgotten, Naruto."

"Not to rush you or anything, but they're really important to me. We're a team, you know?" Naruto's voice held a firm conviction. His playful demeanor was replaced by earnestness, showing the depth of his care for his friends.

"I understand, Naruto. Healing them is my top priority." Tsunade reassured him.

"Great to hear, Granny!" Naruto exclaimed, his usual cheer returning. "I'll be on my way then. Lots to do, you know!" He waved cheerfully and dashed off, leaving Tsunade and Shizune watching after him.

"That boy..." Tsunade began, shaking her head fondly. Naruto's boundless energy and undying loyalty to his friends were traits she admired. She knew she could learn a thing or two from him.

"I think he's quite refreshing." Shizune commented, a small smile playing on her lips. "He reminds us of our duties in his own unique way."

"Yes, he does." Tsunade agreed. She couldn't help but smile as she thought of the young, energetic ninja who was so full of life. She knew that, with Naruto around, there would never be a dull moment.

After meeting Tsunade, Naruto headed straight to Minato's safehouse. Now that his identity was known to the villagers, Naruto planned to move into the safehouse.

Naruto had already been there once before with Hiruzen, who had given him the keys to the house.

The safehouse was heavily fortified with various security measures using Fuinjutsu. It was practically invisible, and no one with knowledge of its existence could even think of finding it, let alone entering it.

Upon entering the house, Naruto noticed that it needed some tidying up and cleaning. With Karin's assistance, Naruto took on the task of sprucing up the place.

Despite the need for a little maintenance, Minato's safehouse was a hidden treasure nestled between Konoha's bustling marketplace and training grounds.

Its exterior seamlessly blended with the natural surroundings and featured traditional architecture. Inside, the spacious two-story residence boasted an open-plan living area, kitchen, and study on the ground floor, while four simple yet functional bedrooms occupied the upper floor. The house's strategic location and unassuming design made it the perfect hideout.

"So this is your new home, Naruto," Karin remarked.

"Yeah, it's my father's house," Naruto replied.

"What about your old apartment where you used to live?" Karin inquired.

"Well, Jii-chan said I could keep the apartment and do whatever I want with it," Naruto explained.

"Do you think I could stay there until I find my own place here?" Karin asked.

"Of course, why not?" Naruto responded.

"Thank you, Naruto," Karin expressed her gratitude.

After finishing their work on the house, Naruto went to the village market and purchased various necessary items for decorating the house. He made some changes according to his personal preferences, transforming it into a place that felt like home.

By the time they were done, it was already evening. Karin prepared dinner for both of them, and they enjoyed a meal together. Afterwards, Karin returned to Naruto's previous apartment, where she would be staying for the time being.

The next morning, Tsunade, accompanied by Shizune and Naruto, arrived at the Konoha Hospital. They made their way to Sasuke's room, where Sakura was sitting by his bedside.

"I'm coming in," Tsunade announced as she entered the room, catching Sakura's attention.

Sakura stood up, observing Tsunade's beauty, and asked, "Who are you?"

Naruto entered the room and greeted Sakura, "Hey, Sakura! Long time no see. How's Sasuke doing?"

"He's still the same, no improvement," Sakura replied with a hint of concern.

"No problem, Sakura. Tsunade is here, and I'm sure she'll fix him in no time," Naruto reassured her confidently.

"Who is she?" Sakura asked, curious about Tsunade's identity as Tsunade bypassed her to check on Sasuke.

"She is one of the legendary Sannin, Senju Tsunade," Naruto explained, smiling proudly.

Observing the flowers in the room, Tsunade thought to herself, "Those two flowers aren't from the same day... So, this kid comes here every day, huh?"

Sakura turned her attention back to Tsunade and said, "I've heard about you from Guy-sensei. Please save Sasuke."

"Leave it to me," Tsunade replied confidently.

Tsunade placed her hand, brimming with green chakra, on Sasuke's forehead. After a few moments of waiting, Sasuke opened his eyes.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes.

Sasuke sat up, and Sakura rushed to him, embracing him tightly. "Sasuke-kun..."

Naruto smiled at the heartwarming sight and walked towards the door. "Now, let's go see the next patient," he said, signaling Tsunade and Shizune to follow him.

Tsunade turned her attention to Kakashi, who was sitting on the bed. "How disgraceful! To be taken down by two insurgents. And here I thought you were a genius," she scolded him.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi apologized.

"Alright, let's move on to the next patient," Naruto commented.

"Yeah, please hurry up and take a look at my disciple, Lee!" Might Guy exclaimed as he stood just outside Kakashi's cabin.

As they walked down the hall, they spotted Rock Lee, who was walking with crutches in his hands.

"Lee!" Guy called out, and Lee turned to look at them. "I brought Lady Tsunade here," Guy informed him.

Tsunade observed Rock Lee from head to toe and asked Guy, "That is your disciple?"

"Yes! My beloved, beloved disciple," Guy proudly confirmed.

"I see," Tsunade responded.

"Okay, Grandma Tsunade, I'll leave then. I have to go meet with Iruka-sensei," Naruto said.

"Alright, go on," Tsunade replied with a smile.

As Naruto left, Tsunade and Guy focused on Rock Lee's condition, ready to provide the necessary medical attention.

...

Meanwhile, Naruto waited for Iruka to arrive in front of the Ichiraku Ramen shop. He had been looking forward to meeting his old sensei, but Iruka was running late.

After some time, Iruka finally arrived at the designated spot.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei, you're late," Naruto commented.

"Sorry, sorry. There were a lot of things to do with respect to the Fifth Hokage," Iruka apologized as they both entered the shop.

From a small distance, someone was watching them.

"Thanks for waiting," Teuchi, the owner of the ramen shop, said as he served ramen to both Naruto and Iruka.

"Thanks for the ramen," Naruto expressed his gratitude as he started eating.

Iruka watched Naruto and smiled. "You've come a long way since becoming a shinobi," he remarked.

"Yeah, but there's still a long way ahead," Naruto replied as he continued enjoying his ramen.

"That's right," Iruka agreed, his smile filled with pride.

"Alright, Naruto. Pay attention for a sec," Iruka said, a stern expression on his face as he looked at Naruto, who returned his gaze. "Yeah, Sensei?"

"The situation in the Leaf Village is pretty grim at the moment. Starting from our 3rd Hokage, we've lost a bunch of our top shinobi. Our current strength is just about half of what it usually is! But, we still gotta get our jobs done."

"So, things are tough, huh? Well, tell me what I gotta do then," Naruto replied.

"That's the spirit," Iruka replied, a smile forming on his face.

...

At Konoha Hospital, Tsunade was examining Rock Lee.

"I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. You should quit being a shinobi," Tsunade declared to Rock Lee, as both he and Guy were taken aback by her words.

A silence fell over the room as everyone was stunned by her statement...

"Come on, Lady Tsunade. You can't be serious," Guy protested.

"Your bones around vital nerves are fragmented and deeply embedded. You're no longer physically capable of carrying out shinobi missions."

"Hey, Lady Tsunade, stop messing with us..." Guy pleaded.

"But even if I performed surgery... " Tsunade began.

"Wait a minute! You're not Lady Tsunade! You're an impostor using a transformation jutsu, aren't you? Who are you really?" Guy interrupted, shock and disbelief in his eyes...

Tsunade glanced at him, while Shizune gently placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head...

"Do I... Do I have any chance?" Rock Lee asked.

"Even if I could do the surgery, it would take too long… and it's extremely risky," Tsunade explained.

"Risky?" Guy inquired.

"There's a 50% chance the surgery could be successful, at best. And if it fails... You'll die," Tsunade stated.

Both Rock Lee and Guy paled at her words...

Guy remembered the past month and more - despite being injured, Lee never stopped training and worked hard to make a comeback. But now...

"You should consider quitting as a shinobi and finding a different path," Tsunade advised.

"Lee..." Guy murmured.

Rock Lee rose to his feet, picked up his crutch, and left the room.

"If I knew it would end up like this, I wouldn't have brought him to you," Guy said.

"Don't say that..." Shizune started, but Tsunade cut her off.

"I know it's hard, but it's better he knows the truth now. The longer we wait, the harder it'll hit him," Tsunade said.

Guy could only stare at the floor in disbelief and sadness...

[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]