"Kids grow up so fast…" Jiraiya sighed. He never expected that his youngest disciple would become the strictest Hokage he'd ever had. The kid wasn't old, but he certainly wielded his authority. Neither Hiruzen Sarutobi nor Minato Namikaze had ever stopped him from traveling abroad, especially not when he was going to the Rain Village on official business.
Naruto Uzumaki's expression darkened. "Teacher, stop talking nonsense and go get some rest. We'll need your help setting up the Four Red Yang Formation for my spar with Sasuke."
Although the current Sasuke had not yet obtained the Yin Power, a battle between the two of them was still powerful enough to easily destroy Konoha. Therefore, they had to find a suitable area and set up the Four Red Yang Formation to serve as their battlefield.
After watching Jiraiya leave, Naruto still felt uneasy. He sent a message to Tsunade, hoping she could put a stop to Jiraiya's ideas.
Tsunade's method, however, was a bit more… direct. As a result, by the time of the duel, Jiraiya was temporarily hospitalized with serious injuries. His replacement for the Four Red Yang Formation had to be found at the last minute.
Fortunately, Konoha didn't lack powerhouses with Kage-level chakra now.
In a mountain forest in the Land of Fire, the Hokage Guard Platoon and the Hyuga clan searched the area. After confirming no one was there, they designated it as the battlefield for Naruto and Sasuke.
"The Valley of the End would actually be the most suitable battlefield," Naruto said softly, surveying the terrain. "It's just a shame that if we damage the statues of the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha, we'll have to pay for the repairs."
"Hmph, their era is over!" Sasuke snorted. "We surpassed them long ago. If our battle shatters their statues, it's the perfect opportunity to build our own."
"..." Naruto rubbed his brow. "That won't work," he said in a low voice. "The First and Second Hokage would never agree."
To be honest, he and Sasuke were on the same page. After their battle at the Valley of the End in his previous life, Naruto had wanted to build two new statues of himself and Sasuke to replace the old ones, signifying the end of the fated battle between Asura and Indra.
At the time, their battlefield had been right in the center of the valley, and the statues of Hashirama and Madara had been blown to pieces, conveniently making room.
However, at that time, the village had just gone through a war, Konoha's finances were in poor shape, and Tsunade was serving as the Fifth Hokage. Naruto had to temporarily abandon the idea. Later, an idea that "grand spectacles harm the nation" emerged in Konoha, making it even harder for Naruto to start such a large-scale construction project. The plan was eventually scrapped completely.
Although the current Naruto was the Fifth Hokage and Konoha's financial situation was slightly better, the battle between him and Sasuke was essentially just a sparring match, without any real significance. If they were to inexplicably replace the statues of Hashirama and Madara with their own, both Hashirama and Tobirama would probably fly into a rage.
After a while, Konoha's powerhouses began to gather.
As Naruto's strongest supporter, Tsunade was definitely present. As her old friend, big client, and big creditor, Orochimaru was also permitted to watch. Since Orochimaru was there, Tobirama and Yamato, who were responsible for monitoring him, also appeared. Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki couldn't possibly miss it either; one of the fighters was Kushina's son, and the other was her best friend's son.
In addition, there were members of the Hokage Guard Platoon. The last to arrive were the clan heads of the Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans, as well as two extras, Kakashi Hatake and Sakura Haruno.
As for Hinata Hyuga's Team 8, they were unable to attend. They had once again been assigned to patrol duty.
Kushina patted her son's shoulder, then Sasuke's. "Naruto, Sasuke, don't go too overboard!" she said softly.
"Aunt Kushina…" Sasuke wrinkled his nose in frustration. He had to prove he had the power to defeat Itachi; how could he not go all out?
Naruto, on the other hand, just smiled. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll go easy on him!"
"You bastard!" Sasuke, who had been hesitant, got angry after hearing Naruto's words and grabbed him by the collar. "Naruto, you think you're guaranteed to win?"
"Don't be so aggressive, Sasuke." Minato smiled and patted Sasuke's shoulder, gently calming him down. "Believe in yourself. Your chances of winning are still very high."
"...Yes, Fourth Hokage." Sasuke released his grip and nodded seriously. After spending time together, he had come to respect the Fourth Hokage quite a bit, not just because of Minato's status, but also because of his selfless teaching. Perhaps it was also because Sasuke had seen so much of Naruto's unreliability that he felt Minato was more like a perfect Hokage.
Suddenly, someone pulled on Sasuke's arm. "Sasuke-kun," a soft voice whispered, "I believe in you too. You have to win!"
Sasuke turned to see a head of pink hair. He ruffled Sakura's hair and said gently, "Don't worry, I will definitely win this time."
A blush immediately appeared on Sakura's face. She lowered her head shyly. "But… it's okay even if you lose… I'll still be by your side."
"..." Sasuke's face immediately darkened. The hand that was stroking Sakura's hair froze. Then he pressed down hard on her head and pushed her aside. He had thought his teammate was just here to cheer him on, not confess to him. What a waste of his time.
On the other side, Tsunade wrapped her arms tightly around Naruto's neck and issued a series of threats into his ear. "Brat, if you lose, you're dead! If you manage a draw, I'll pay for enough Ichiraku Ramen to last you a hundred years!"
"Is a small bet really worth you rigging the match?" Orochimaru, standing nearby, watched his old friend with an amused smile. "The money I bet on Sasuke-kun is insignificant. I'd rather see a spectacular duel between powerhouses."
Tsunade shot him a displeased glance and released Naruto. "Hmph, you rich people have no idea about the suffering of us poor folks," she said coldly.
"Shouldn't you look for the reason in yourself?" Orochimaru spread his hands. "Among the three Sannin of Konoha, why are you the only one drowning in debt?"
"Shut up!" Tsunade stomped her foot angrily, and a long crack instantly appeared in the earth. Orochimaru wisely closed his mouth.
After the brief exchanges, the two protagonists of the battle, Naruto and Sasuke, left the crowd and walked toward the designated battlefield. When they entered the area, Minato, Kushina, Orochimaru, and Tsunade stood at the four corners, ready to erect the Four Red Yang Formation.
Acting as the referee, Kakashi Hatake stood between his two students. He slowly extended his hand, then swung it down sharply.
"Team 7 ninja battle, begin!"
-----
Bonus:
Naruto: Why'd you push Sakura?!
Sasuke: She's sick in the head!
Naruto: What did she do?
Sasuke: I thought she was here to cheer me on, but it turns out she was here to confess!
Naruto: ???
Sasuke: Do I need her to confess to me?
Naruto: ...
Sasuke: What an idiot!
Naruto: ...I feel like the future of the Uchiha clan is in grave danger...