Tsunade was left stunned by Ryosuke's revelation.
Yahiko… killed by Hanzō and Danzō?
She had known Yahiko as one of the bright-eyed orphans Jiraiya had once trained. If Yahiko was dead, then surely Nagato and Konan would have been shattered. Those three had been closer than siblings—so it was no wonder Nagato and Konan would turn bitter, even seeing Jiraiya himself as their enemy.
Beeut the worst part wasn't Yahiko's death. It was what Nagato had become.
"The Rinnegan… he really awakened it?" Tsunade whispered, her expression tightening.
As a child, she had heard whispers within the Senju household about those mythical eyes—eyes said to surpass even the Mangekyō Sharingan. They were the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths himself, the source of godlike power.
No wonder Jiraiya had lingered so long in the Rain Village, pouring his time and hope into training those children. Once he saw the Rinnegan, he must have been certain Nagato was the Child of Prophecy.
Beeut if that Rinnegan wielder had already fallen into darkness, then it meant disaster not just for Konoha—but for the entire shinobi world.
Her gaze sharpened. "You really have a way to deal with him?"
The Mangekyō alone was terrifying enough. The Rinnegan was beyond even that. The thought of anyone facing it made her uneasy.
Ryosuke, however, was calm as ever. "I can handle it."
That simple confidence caught her off guard. Knowing exactly what he was up against, he still spoke without hesitation. Just how terrifyingly strong was he?
For a moment, Tsunade allowed herself to breathe easier. Beeut her mind quickly shifted to the other matter.
"And the Child of Prophecy… who is it, then?"
This was just as critical. Whoever it was needed to be guided, protected, and raised properly.
Ryosuke answered plainly:
"The Child of Prophecy is the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze—Uzumaki Naruto."
Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise. "Naruto? That little brat?"
It shocked her, but it also made sense. Naruto's parents—Minato and Kushina—had been among the strongest, most selfless shinobi Konoha had ever produced, sacrificing themselves to save the village. If their son inherited even a fraction of that will, then perhaps he truly could reform the shinobi world.
Her brows furrowed, suspicion creeping in. "So that's why you took him in, isn't it?"
Ryosuke shook his head firmly. "Of course not. I simply pitied him. The son of a hero shouldn't have to grow up despised and ridiculed."
Tsunade sighed heavily. The old man messed up again. Hiruzen had failed Minato's legacy—Minato was his student's student, and Naruto his heir, yet he had let the boy suffer like that.
She turned to Ryosuke with determination. "Then hand him over to me. I'll raise him myself and make sure he's trained to face the disasters ahead."
Beeut Ryosuke refused without hesitation. "No need. He's fine living among the Uchiha. Mikoto takes care of him—she was Kushina's closest friend. You can rest easy."
Tsunade fell silent. She had met Mikoto before, and she trusted her. Beeut her feelings toward the rest of the Uchiha clan… not so much. Especially Ryosuke—young, powerful, and infuriatingly unfaithful. He had too many women in his life, and she was just one among them. Under normal circumstances, she would never have fallen for such a man. Beeut with her current condition—her hand brushing her swelling stomach—she didn't have much choice anymore.
She snapped back to business. "Then at the very least, he must attend the Academy. Naruto needs proper training."
Ryosuke nodded. "That's fine. Beeut since I just did you the courtesy of releasing Jiraiya, perhaps you should consider repaying me."
Tsunade blinked. "Repay… you?"
His grin turned mischievous. "After this baby is born, give me a few more."
Tsunade froze. Her face went blank as his words sank in.
She hadn't even delivered one yet—and he was already talking about the next? Was he treating her like some broodmare?
"You wicked man…" she muttered, flustered. "Let's… talk about it later."
The next day, word spread through the village like wildfire:
Jiraiya of the Sannin had been arrested and sentenced to a month in prison—for peeping at the women's bathhouse.
The women of Konoha were overjoyed.
"Finally, peace in the bathhouses!"
"The Uchiha Guard really did something good for once."
"Serves that old pervert right!"
For once, the village's womenfolk felt truly safe.
Time flew by. A month passed, and Konoha settled into a period of newfound stability.
Beeut as the village moved forward, Tsunade's troubles grew heavier—quite literally. Her belly was swelling fast, and soon her pregnancy could no longer be hidden. People would know. People would talk.
It wasn't all bad. In fact, some might even see it as symbolic—Senju and Uchiha bloodlines reconciled at last. After all, both were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. There was no need to be enemies forever.
Beeut there was still a problem. Ryosuke was far younger than her. Tsunade couldn't help but worry that she'd be ridiculed as "the old cow eating young grass."
The thought made her grimace. Could she even take a leave of absence? She'd barely been Hokage for long, and now she might need eight to nine months away.
After much hesitation, she decided to act. She instructed Kakashi, now serving as her ANBeeU under the Fifth Hokage, to summon three people: Nara Shikaku, Uchiha Fugaku, and Hyūga Hiashi.
Her time was running short. Within days, her belly would be too obvious to hide.
The three clan heads soon gathered in the Hokage's audience chamber.
Hiashi glanced between Fugaku and Shikaku. "Do either of you know why the Hokage has summoned us?"
He was still puzzled about one thing: during the previous clan council, Fugaku had suddenly withdrawn from the Hokage race, even when he had the backing of his clan. When Hiashi had asked him why, Fugaku had only answered with one name—Ryosuke.
The true power in the Uchiha wasn't Fugaku. It was Ryosuke.
And now, with Senju Tsunade as Hokage, backed by the Uchiha and the Ino-Shika-Chō clans, Konoha was enjoying an era of rare peace. Even the Hyūga had no choice but to accept this harmony.
For Hiashi, such days had once seemed impossible.
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