The moment Kazama returned to Konoha, the Sandaime Hokage summoned him.
"Kazama, I'm getting old. When Orochimaru attacked Konoha last time, I was powerless to stop him. I'm thinking of having Tsunade take over as the Godaime Hokage. What do you think?"
Kazama was floored. To think the Sandaime would ask his opinion on something as monumental as choosing the next Hokage!
But then it clicked. His strength had already surpassed every ninja in Konoha. He'd protected the village and even brokered an alliance between Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire) and Kaminari no Kuni (Land of Lightning). With his power and reputation, it made sense the Sandaime would consult him.
"Sounds good. Princess Tsunade is the First Hokage's granddaughter, your student, and one of the legendary Sannin with a stellar record. She's more than qualified to take the Hokage mantle."
"Really?"
Seeing Kazama's approval, the Sandaime's worries melted away.
After all, with Kazama's strength, he was the most obvious candidate for Hokage.
"Kazama, to be honest, your strength and contributions make you the ideal choice for Godaime Hokage. But you're still so young—it's not quite the right time. I hope you're not upset."
"Don't worry, Sandaime-sama. My dream is to become Hokage, but that's for the future. Right now, I know I'm not ready to take on that role. Tsunade's the perfect choice."
"Great! Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."
The Sandaime nodded with a smile, relieved by Kazama's response.
And Kazama was being honest. Becoming Hokage wasn't on his radar yet. His main focus was hunting down divine artifacts and absorbing the power of the Tailed Beasts to grow stronger. That meant leaving the village often. If he became Hokage, he'd be buried in paperwork—how would he ever get anything done?
So, Tsunade as the Godaime Hokage? Perfect fit.
"Next, I'll send Jiraiya to find Tsunade. Naruto will go with him to continue his training. I'd like you to join them, Kazama. Your job is to make sure Jiraiya hurries up and brings Tsunade back. And if she refuses… well, tie her up and drag her back."
The Sandaime knew Jiraiya might not convince Tsunade on his own. That's where Kazama's strength came in—only he could handle Tsunade's monstrous power.
"Got it. No problem!"
Kazama agreed instantly.
He knew the search for Tsunade would lead them to Orochimaru. That was his chance to use Orochimaru's knowledge to track down the Enbu no Kuni (Land of Flames) divine artifact, the Futen Bow.
"Ugh, the Sandaime's such a pain, sticking me with two brats."
Jiraiya didn't take Kazama seriously, lumping him in with Naruto as just another kid.
"Hey, Ero-Sennin! Don't underestimate Kazama. He's crazy strong!"
"Don't call me Ero-Sennin!"
Jiraiya snapped at Naruto's nickname, his voice booming.
"Jiraiya-sama, we should get moving."
"Hmph. Don't think just because the Sandaime put you in charge, I'll follow your orders, kid. I heard you single-handedly protected Konoha and sent Orochimaru running. Let's see if you're really that good."
"Fine by me. I've been wanting to test my skills against you, Jiraiya-sama!"
"Alright, kid. Beat me, and I'll do whatever you say. Ready? Three, two—Rasengan!"
Before he even finished counting, Jiraiya lunged at Kazama with a Rasengan.
"Ero-Sennin, you're cheating!"
Naruto yelled from the sidelines, spotting the dirty trick.
"Haha! That's called strategy, kid! Enemies don't wait for you to get ready!"
Ding! Rasengan absorbed successfully. Congratulations, host, you've unlocked Ōdama Rasengan!
Ding! Absorb nine more ninjutsu to unlock the eleventh strange fire!
"What the—?! You absorbed my Rasengan?!"
"No time to be shocked. Check this out—Ōdama Rasengan!"
Before Jiraiya could process what happened, Kazama formed an Ōdama Rasengan, far larger and more powerful than the original.
"Holy—! Alright, I give! Let's go find Tsunade!"
Seeing Jiraiya surrender, Kazama powered down his attack with a grin.