"Teacher Sarutobi, with Konoha clearly holding the upper hand, how could you just hand over Ōnoki's son like that? You're far too soft!"
"I am the Hokage, Orochimaru!"
"You will regret this, sensei."
SLAM!
Following Hiruzen Sarutobi's private agreement with Ōnoki and the handover of the Tsuchikage's son, Iwagakure ceased its retaliatory strikes against Konoha.
…
Three months passed in a blink.
No major incidents disturbed the peace, neither in the wider shinobi world nor within Konoha itself.
Without Danzō Shimura poisoning the well, the village's atmosphere had grown noticeably more harmonious. It wasn't that Orochimaru possessed some lofty moral standard—he simply saw power as a tool, a means to get closer to his "truth." He didn't share Danzō's fanatical, extremist drive.
Deep within the Root headquarters, inside a sterile lab.
Chiba and Orochimaru were completely absorbed in the latest iteration of their cell culture work. The silence was shattered when a naked, pint-sized kid came barreling into the room, startling them both.
"Yamato! Can't you see your Uncle Oro and I are busy? Go play outside!"
"…Oh."
Chiba's exasperated shout made the little boy pout, but he obediently shuffled out, closing the door carefully behind him.
"Ssss, only you can control that child, Chiba-kun." Orochimaru's tongue flicked out. "Incidentally, why were you so insistent on naming him 'Yamato'?"
"Ah… well…"
Chiba fell silent, struggling to explain that the boy was named Yamato… because he was supposed to be Yamato.
In the original timeline, raised as Danzō's tool, Yamato grew up devoid of basic human connection until he met Kakashi and Yugao. Here, thanks to Chiba's interference, the boy was having a perfectly normal—if excessively energetic—childhood. He was as much a handful as a young Obito, listening to no one but Chiba, which often gave Chiba a headache.
"Ssss, at this rate, Chiba-kun, it won't be long before we can successfully transplant Hashirama Senju's cells."
When Chiba didn't reply, Orochimaru didn't press. The Sannin's gaze fell upon the culture flask in his hand, his expression turning fervent. Orochimaru was armed with biological knowledge from another world and had the full, albeit clandestine, support of both Root and the Hokage. His research was advancing at a terrifying pace—light-years faster than in the original story.
"Yeah… I can't wait."
Chiba licked his lips, his own eyes gleaming with ambition. One day… I'll be the one casting those world-shaking Mokuton techniques.
With his mixed Uchiha-Senju bloodline, the Mokuton heart, and his ocean of chakra, mastering a few large-scale Wood Release jutsu after the transplant shouldn't be too much to ask, right?
"Lord Orochimaru, Lord Chiba. Incoming report. Jiraiya has been sighted approaching the village. He is accompanied by three children."
The voice of a Root operative came from outside the lab just as the two were deep in their work. Chiba's head snapped up.
"Three kids? It couldn't be…?!"
Whoosh.
In the next instant, Chiba vanished from the lab, reappearing beside a concealed Flying Thunder God marker near Konoha's main gate. As one of the village's key figures now, he no longer needed to hide his use of forbidden techniques like the Flying Thunder God.
"HAHAHAHA! Chiba! Long time no see! Missed me?"
The familiar, booming laugh reached him before the man did. A moment later, Jiraiya's massive form enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug.
"What, you came out here just to greet your old master? Check it out—look who I brought back!"
Jiraiya released him, clapping him hard on the shoulder before stepping aside to reveal the three smaller figures trailing behind him.
"Brother Chiba! Konan missed you so much!"
"H-hello, Brother Chiba."
"Yo, Chiba! Heard you're the pervy sage's student too. From now on, let's do this: I call you 'bro,' you call me 'senpai.'"
The bubbly Konan, the shy Nagato, and the little shit-stirrer Yahiko. Chiba laughed, scooping all three up in his arms and spinning them around in the air.
"Look at you all! You've grown so much… Yahiko, you're still as much of a brat as ever!"
After setting them down, Chiba ruffled Konan's and Nagato's hair. Under Yahiko's expectant gaze, he instead gave the boy's head a light, playful smack.
Chiba and Jiraiya led the wide-eyed trio into the bustling heart of Konoha. The streets were alive with people, a stark, vibrant contrast to the perpetual gloom of the Land of Rain.
Everything was new. Everything was fascinating. The three children darted around, touching vendor stalls, pointing at unfamiliar foods, their faces alight with wonder.
Chiba handed them some spending money and sent them off to explore, then turned to Jiraiya, his expression a mix of delight and deep concern.
"Lord Jiraiya… why did you bring them here?"
Bringing Nagato to Konoha was like lighting a massive beacon. It would absolutely attract the gaze of a certain someone who was best left forgotten.
'Madara Uchiha already noticed me once. With Nagato here drawing his attention back to Konoha… there's a good chance he'll look my way again.'
"Hah! I spent some time with them in Ame after the war. When I tried to leave, they threw a fit. Said they wouldn't let me go unless they got to see you." Jiraiya chuckled, scratching his cheek. "What choice did I have? Figured I'd bring them over, let them stay with you for a while."
Previously, Jiraiya had avoided bringing them to Konoha for two reasons: their lingering resentment towards the village, and the ever-present danger Danzō posed to a boy with Nagato's eyes. Now, with Danzō gone and the kids themselves asking to come, Jiraiya saw no reason to refuse.
"I see."
Chiba nodded slowly. "So… you're leaving again soon? Won't you stay in the village for a bit?"
"Mm, well… I made a promise. Gotta go to… uh… a certain place to keep it. Can't go back on my word."
Halfway through his sentence, Jiraiya suddenly coughed, his eyes darting away.
"Shifty eyes, fidgeting… Lord Jiraiya, are you hiding something from me?"
"No! N-no, of course not! Hahaha!"
Chiba stared, suspicion growing. The Sannin's guilt was written all over his face. Then, a piece of long-buried plot trivia clicked into place in Chiba's mind.
Aha!
Chiba pushed up imaginary glasses on his nose, striking a pose. "Lord Jiraiya… this 'certain place'… it wouldn't happen to be Nadeshiko Village, would it?!"
Jiraiya stared, flabbergasted.
"Chiba! Y-you know about Nadeshiko Village?!" he sputtered.
"Hmph. I am the leader of Root," Chiba said, puffing out his chest with mock pride. "How could I not know about that hidden village populated entirely by kunoichi? I hear if one of their warriors sets her sights on you, you have to fight her. Win or lose, you get a wife. That's the 'promise' you're talking about, isn't it? Lord Jiraiya, I never knew you had it in you!"
"I… I…"
Face flushing red under his student's teasing grin, the legendary Sannin was rendered utterly speechless.
'It's because of you, Chiba. Because in you… I finally see a real hope for peace in this world.'
Jiraiya watched his smirking student, the thought warming him from within. Chiba embodied everything he had imagined in the Child of Prophecy. For the first time, Jiraiya felt he didn't have to spend his entire life chasing the Great Toad Sage's vague visions, sacrificing his own happiness for a "destiny."
His parting with Tsunade on the battlefield had been the final closure he needed. He'd realized their paths and personalities were too different, finally letting go of that childhood dream.
Now, Jiraiya felt… free. Unburdened. And during his carefree travels, he'd met a woman whose beauty and… assets… rivaled Tsunade's. So, he figured… why not?
Jiraiya beat a hasty retreat, dumping the three kids and the "fate of the shinobi world" squarely into Chiba's lap as he gleefully sprinted towards his own new beginning.
'I'm glad… truly glad you're finding your own happiness, sensei.'
Chiba watched the retreating back, a soft, genuine smile touching his lips.
"Brother Chiba, where are we staying tonight?"
The trio came running back, arms laden with shopping bags. They didn't even blink at Jiraiya's sudden disappearance—they were used to it by now.
"Hah! Nawaki just bought a new place. You'll all be staying there with me for now."
"Brother Chiba! Can we play that 'Werewolf' game you taught us last time? Tonight?" Konan asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Hmm… I might be a little late. I've got a sparring session scheduled tonight. Might take me an hour…" Chiba wrestled with his conscience for a moment before sighing dramatically. "Fine! I'll wrap it up in half an hour, tops!"
He led the excited group to Nawaki's new home.
"Ugh, what a hassle. Why didn't you take them to your place?" Nawaki grumbled, but his body betrayed him as he happily cleared out rooms for the kids, a grin splitting his face.
He loved having people around. With these three here, the house wouldn't feel so empty when Chiba was off doing… whatever Chiba did.
…
Two weeks later, Chiba received an urgent summons to the Hokage's office.
The moment he stepped inside, he took one look at Hiruzen Sarutobi's stormy expression and made a preemptive guess.
"Lord Third… this sudden summons. It wouldn't be about… unusual movements from Kirigakure, would it?"
"Oh?" The Hokage's grim expression eased slightly as he regarded Chiba. "You've already heard the news?"
"Ah…"
Chiba's heart sank straight into his boots.
If I'm not mistaken… this is definitely about me.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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