The next day, while the village was still undergoing repairs and reconstruction, Hiruzen Sarutobi directly announced Tsunade's succession as the Fifth Hokage.
The matter was handled with swift decisiveness.
Seeing the granddaughter of the First and Second Hokage, one of the Sannin, and the idol of all female ninja in the ninja world—Tsunade—become the Fifth Hokage, the Konoha ninja and villagers, who were somewhat dejected after the Konoha Crush Plan, reignited their fighting spirit and hope.
After the cheers, everyone redoubled their efforts in the reconstruction work.
In the afternoon.
Tsunade was sitting in the Hokage Office, diligently writing something with a pen.
Shizune had set up a small table beside her and was also reviewing documents.
This seemingly harmonious scene made people think that Tsunade's previous words were just a joke, and that she would still work seriously once she became Hokage.
Actually... "Hmm, besides Shizune, Shikaku can also share some of the burden.
Forget it, let Ino–Shika–Chō come together; one makes decisions, one gathers intelligence and transmits information, and one is responsible for solutions. Perfect.
And that old man, the Third Hokage, he wants to retire after stepping down? There's no such good thing... No, I can't write it like that.
Let me think... I am young and inexperienced, so I need the Third Hokage to guide me on how to handle the village's affairs. Moreover, handling affairs can effectively prevent senile dementia. This is for the Third Hokage's sake, a win-win situation.
And Kakashi..."
Bang.
The door was pushed open.
Jiraiya and Naruto, who had been called back by Hiruzen Sarutobi, had just returned to the village and learned that Tsunade had already become the Fifth Hokage.
"Damn it, why is such a young woman the Hokage..."
Naruto, who aimed to be Hokage, looked at Tsunade sitting in the Hokage's seat and immediately felt a bit envious.
"Naruto, what are you talking about? Tsunade is one of the Sannin, on par with me. She's old enough to be your grandmother."
Jiraiya 'kindly' corrected him.
"What?! She's an old hag!"
Naruto was shocked.
Okay, perfect.
Jiraiya gave himself a thumbs up.
Naruto successfully attracted the animosity, so Tsunade wouldn't focus on the fact that he had taken Naruto to the women's bathhouse earlier.
"Old hag again."
Tsunade gnashed her teeth when she heard that address.
But she eventually suppressed her anger.
She was the Hokage now. If she destroyed the Hokage Building, she would be the one losing out, and there would be less public funds available for embezzlement.
"Um, Tsunade, I'm relieved to see you back. Naruto and I will go out to train..."
Jiraiya was afraid Tsunade would notice his little trick, so he pulled Naruto and tried to leave.
"Stop!"
Tsunade stood up from her seat, her gaze sweeping over the two of them. "You can train, but besides going to Mount Myōboku, you cannot leave the village's ten-mile radius."
"Why? The old man also agreed to let me take Naruto out to train, didn't he?"
Jiraiya was a bit anxious.
Training Naruto was one thing; him going to gather material was another.
If he was caught gathering material outside, he could just run away.
If he was caught near the village, it was highly likely he would lose half his life.
"No 'why.' Don't forget, I am the Hokage now. This is an order."
Jiraiya bringing up Hiruzen Sarutobi's agreement had no effect on Tsunade.
Before thoroughly confirming its authenticity, she was not prepared to tell anyone about the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
But just in case, she still couldn't let Naruto go too far from the village, to prevent any accidents.
"...You'll regret this, Tsunade."
Jiraiya's face turned red, speechless. He threw out a very familiar phrase and left the Hokage Office with a dejected expression.
"Regret my foot. Speaking of Danzo, it seems he never appeared when the village was in trouble. Is there really still a need for his 'Root' to exist?"
Tsunade looked down at the things written on the paper in front of her and began to ponder.
Not long after Jiraiya and Naruto left, two more people came to the Hokage Office.
One pink, one yellow.
It was Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, who followed Tsunade for training in the original story.
"You two are Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, right? Someone recommended you to me. Starting tomorrow, you will train with me."
Tsunade saw the two little girls standing nervously in front of her, grinned, and stated her purpose.
"R-really?"
"We can actually train with Lady Tsunade... no, Hokage-sama?"
Sakura and Ino were overjoyed.
"Mm."
Tsunade nodded.
Shiro recommended them, but Tsunade herself made the decision.
Tsunade planned to overcome her hemophobia while teaching them to train.
Otherwise, as Hokage, facing enemies that could appear at any time, her current state was simply not up to par.
"But before that, I have some questions for you."
"Lady Tsunade, please ask. We will answer truthfully."
"Mm-hmm."
"Alright, Ino."
"Here."
After Tsunade called her name, Ino stepped forward.
"The Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques require precise control of chakra. Training Medical Ninjutsu with me will not only not neglect your family's secret techniques but also achieve multiple benefits with half the effort... However, the person who recommended you to me hoped I would give you a choice."
"...Lady Tsunade, please speak."
Ino hesitated slightly, the image of Shiro appearing in her mind.
After all, if a villager had recommended them, Tsunade wouldn't have needed to use "that person" as a proxy.
And among outsiders with whom she had a deeper connection, there was only Shiro.
"Do you want to focus on your family's secret techniques, or primarily learn Medical Ninjutsu from me?
He said a lot of useless things to me, but there's one point I agree with: you're quite suitable to be my disciple in terms of appearance."
Tsunade casually glanced at Ino's developing chest.
Then she looked at Sakura, who showed no signs of development, with a hint of regret.
Sakura noticed Tsunade's gaze and looked down at herself.
Indeed, she could see her shoes directly.
"Well, Sakura, don't worry about it. You might just be a late bloomer."
Tsunade noticed Sakura's action and spoke to comfort her.
What late bloomer, simply a slow wave.
After comforting Sakura, Tsunade's gaze returned to Ino: "His exact words were, 'Are you willing to continue staying in your comfort zone, focusing on family secret techniques, and continuing to fight primarily in cooperation with Ino–Shika–Chō, or are you like me, capable of standing alone?'"
Ino didn't expect Tsunade to ask this question. For a moment, she was at a loss, unsure how to answer.
"No need to rush your answer. Think about this slowly; the basic training is the same."
Tsunade patted Ino's shoulder and walked in front of Sakura.
Just as Sakura thought she, too, would face a bitter choice, Tsunade only asked, "Is Uzumaki Naruto your teammate?"
"Yes, he is, Lady Tsunade. Naruto, Sasuke, and I are all under Kakashi-sensei."
Sakura nodded.
"Have you ever punched him?"
"Uh... that..."
Sakura hesitated, thinking Tsunade wanted to know if she had a compassionate heart as a healer.
But in the end, she felt she couldn't lie about this, so she gritted her teeth and nodded.
"Yes."
"Oh, that's fine then. Your punches aren't fast enough or hard enough right now. Train well with me."
Tsunade patted Sakura's shoulder, then turned around and walked back to the Hokage's seat.
"?"
Sakura was bewildered.
What did that mean?
Did that idiot Naruto offend Lady Tsunade?
....
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