Chapter 6: Trials of Body and Spirits.
The sun rose bright and sharp over Dagobah Beach, its light spilling across the rusted scrap and broken concrete that still littered the shoreline. The sound of waves crashing against the shore mixed with the rhythmic grunt of effort and the scrape of metal.
Naruto was at it again. Sweat slicked his red hair to his forehead as he bent and hauled, muscles straining as he dragged a twisted hunk of rusted steel across the sand. His chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, breath heavy but not faltering. Each heave seemed to ripple through his frame. Lean muscle working in perfect concert, sweat dripping into the sand.
Toshinori stood a few feet back in his frail form, arms crossed, watching intently. "His form is holding," he muttered, almost to himself. "Even after hours yesterday, he's stronger already. His recovery is… astonishing."
Tsunade was beside him, her sharp eyes never missing a detail. She hummed in agreement but added her own critique, her voice calm and clinical. "That's his quirk at work. Every time his muscles tear, they're being rebuilt stronger, instantly. His body doesn't need the usual recovery period as I said we just have to worry about his body running out of steam."
Naruto slammed the scrap of metal down with a loud thud and stretched his arms overhead, rolling his shoulders before crouching to grab the next piece. He caught their eyes for a second and flashed them both a determined grin. "Don't worry, Oba-san, Toshi-sensei. I'm not stopping anytime soon. I've got more in me."
Tsunade sighed and shook her head, though the faintest smile tugged at her lips. "Stubborn brat. He'll push himself until he drops if someone doesn't rein him in."
Toshinori chuckled softly. "That's the mark of a hero in training, Senju-san."
She shot him a look. "It's also the mark of a corpse if we don't pace him properly. He needs cardio added into this regimen running drills, sprint intervals. Stamina has to grow alongside muscle. Otherwise his quirk's advantage will turn into a liability."
Naruto staggered back from the latest heap of rusted metal, sweat streaming down his face. His chest heaved as he bent to grab another chunk of debris. Only for Tsunade's sharp voice to cut him off.
"Hold it right there, brat."
Naruto groaned but obeyed, jogging toward her and Toshinori. His shirt clung to him like a second skin, his muscles taut from hours of labor. Despite the exhaustion in his face, those blue eyes of his still burned bright.
Tsunade gave him a long, assessing look, her arms crossed beneath her chest. "Your strength is climbing faster than Yagi's plan intended. The problem is, if all you do is this…" she jabbed a thumb at the growing pile of junk behind him. "You'll just keep stacking more and more muscle mass."
Naruto tilted his head. "Isn't that a good thing? More muscle, more power, right?"
Toshinori opened his mouth, but Tsunade cut in first, her tone sharp. "Power means nothing if you can't last, idiot. Every fight, every rescue, every disaster. Your body's going to guzzle energy like a bottomless pit. And when you hit empty? That quirk of yours will sputter out. You'll be strong for exactly five minutes and dead on the floor by six."
Naruto blinked, taken aback. "...That's not exactly reassuring, Oba-san."
"Good. Maybe it'll stick in that thick skull." She jabbed a finger at his chest. "You don't need more strength training. The junk will cover that on its own. What you need is stamina. Endurance. The ability to keep moving when your body's screaming to stop."
Toshinori's thin brows rose. "…So what do you suggest?"
Tsunade's eyes sharpened, her tone switching into pure medical authority. "First, long-distance runs. Unweighted. He doesn't need bulk; he needs an engine that won't quit. Push him until he can run for hours without collapsing. Second, swimming—laps until his lungs feel like they're on fire. It'll build stamina across every muscle group while teaching him breath control."
Naruto grimaced. "Swimming, huh? Guess drowning's one way to train…"
"Don't tempt me," Tsunade shot back. "Speaking of lungs—he needs breathing drills. Underwater holds, controlled pacing while running. If smoke and suffocation nearly killed him once, then we damn well train it out of him."
She paused, then smirked faintly. "And combat sparring. Long rounds with minimal breaks. Force him to fight through exhaustion so he learns to ration his energy instead of burning it all in one go."
Naruto straightened, sweat still dripping down his chin. "…So basically, you want me to run 'til my legs fall off, swim until I sink, choke myself on purpose, and get beat on for fun?"
"Now you're getting it," Tsunade replied dryly.
Toshinori chuckled, though his eyes were bright with respect. "Unique… but sound. You've thought this through."
"Of course I have." Tsunade said, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "He's my boy. And I'm not about to let his own quirk be the thing that kills him."
Satisfied, she turned and began walking up the beach. "I've got business to attend to. Keep him alive, Yagi. And remember: results. I expect them."
Naruto watched her go, then sighed and glanced at Toshinori. "Guess that means I'm running laps until I puke, huh, Toshi-sensei?"
Toshinori grinned faintly. "Until you puke… and then a little more."
Naruto groaned but squared his shoulders, fire sparking in his eyes again. "Fine. Whatever it takes."
Moments Later
The sun was high overhead now, beating down on the shoreline as Naruto sprinted along the stretch of Dagobah Beach. His bare feet slapped against the sand, his breath coming in heavy, ragged bursts as he pushed himself forward. Sweat slicked his skin, and the salty wind whipped at his red hair, but he refused to slow down.
"Keep your pace steady!" Toshinori called, his thin form perched on a chunk of driftwood like a wiry overseer. "You're running against yourself, not the clock!"
Naruto grunted in acknowledgment, arms pumping as he powered through another stretch of sand and debris. His legs burned, his lungs ached, but every time his body begged him to stop, that fire in his chest flared hotter.
Toshinori watched carefully, his sharp eye noting the rhythm of Naruto's strides and the roughness of his breathing. He muttered to himself, "His lungs are strong, but he burns too much energy too fast. He doesn't ration… he pushes until he breaks."
As Naruto looped back around, panting heavily, Toshinori raised his voice again. "I'll look into getting you one of those training masks. An altitude simulator. Restricts airflow, forces your lungs to adapt. If you can handle that, you'll build stamina twice as fast."
Naruto shot him a look as he passed, his grin feral despite the sweat dripping down his face. "You trying to kill me, Toshi-sensei?!"
"Trying to keep you alive," Toshinori shot back, lips twitching upward.
Naruto barked a laugh, but his steps didn't falter.
By the fifth lap, his legs trembled with exhaustion. He stumbled once, catching himself on a rusted pole jutting from the sand. For a moment, his vision blurred, the world narrowing into soundless static. He growled and forced his body forward, refusing to quit.
On the sidelines, Toshinori's expression tightened. That determination of his… it pushes him through the wall instead of teaching him how to pace himself. Dangerous. But if he learns control… unstoppable.
When Naruto finally slowed to a jog, then collapsed flat on his back in the sand, his chest rose and fell in rapid bursts. His whole body was drenched, his hair plastered to his skin, but the fire in his eyes hadn't dimmed one bit.
"Still… alive…" he wheezed with a lopsided grin.
Toshinori strode over, offering him a thin, bony hand to haul him up. "Barely. But you did good, young man. This is just the beginning."
Naruto spat sand out of his mouth and laughed breathlessly. "Then let's keep it going. If I'm gonna be the best… I'll run this whole damn beach if I have to."
Naruto wiped his face with the back of his arm, still panting hard as Toshinori leaned down to help him up. The boy staggered to his feet, wobbly but grinning, that fire in his eyes burning as hot as ever.
Toshinori studied him for a long moment before giving a faint nod. "Good work, young man. But we'll save the altitude training for later. For now…" he gestured toward the sea, "…it's time to see how well you swim."
Naruto blinked, then laughed between breaths. "From one hell to another, huh? Fine. Lead the way, Toshi-sensei."
Together they started down the shoreline, Toshinori's frail stride steady beside Naruto's longer, weary ones. Their voices carried in low conversation as the junk heaps gave way to cleaner stretches of sand, the sound of waves shifting from background noise to the rhythm of their next challenge.
—
Meanwhile
Tsunade strode down a bustling street, her sandals striking pavement with purposeful rhythm. She has gone home and changed out of her usual casual home attire; now she wore a fitted jacket over her blouse, hair tied back, every line of her posture sharp and direct. Her golden eyes were fixed ahead, on the sprawling campus gates of U.A.
The moment she stepped onto the walkway, the ground shuddered. Thick steel barricades rose up from the earth, sliding into place with a mechanical groan, forming a wall around the entrance. A panel lit up, and a cheerful, mechanical voice chimed.
"IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED."
A small speaker clicked on after.
"Who goes there?" a sly, high-pitched voice asked. "What business brings you to my halls today?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes, already recognizing that sing-song tone. "Open the gate, you overgrown rat. I'm here to see Chiyo."
A pause and then a chuckle filtered through the intercom. "Ahhh… Tsunade-chan. It is a rare delight to hear that voice again."
Her brow twitched. "Don't call me that."
"Too late." Nezu teased, utterly unbothered. "It's wonderful to have a Senju gracing our gates once more. Tell me… what pleasure brings you to Recovery Girl? Or should I say… What troubles?"
Tsunade crossed her arms, answering with deliberate vagueness. "Let's just say I need her expertise on a case that's… unique. You're smart enough to read between the lines."
There was a thoughtful hum on the other end, then a polite ding as the wall receded back into the ground. "Cryptic as ever. Very well. I'll meet you inside. You know the way."
The gates clicked open. Tsunade exhaled slowly and stepped through, muttering under her breath, "You haven't changed a damn bit, Nezu." She quickly made her way to the main building. Preparing herself for the ordeal ahead.
The polished halls of U.A. gleamed under the midday sun filtering through wide windows. The school was quiet at this hour, the usual hum of classes and activity tucked away in lecture halls. Tsunade walked with purpose, her sandals clicking lightly against the marble floor, her eyes sharp and sweeping.
"Such heavy steps." came a light, cheerful voice from the side corridor.
Out of the shadows of a crossing hallway padded a small figure.
Nezu.
He was a creature of contradictions — a little shorter than two feet tall, carrying himself with the composure of a man twice his height. His fur was soft and white, brushed neatly, his round black eyes gleaming with intelligence far too sharp for his small, almost toy-like frame. A tailored dark suit jacket and a tiny crimson tie fit snugly over his body, and a porcelain smile stretched across his face, pleasant, welcoming, but somehow unnervingly knowing.
"Nezu." Tsunade greeted, her tone flat.
"Senju-san." He replied with a graceful bow of his small head before padding to her side, his gait brisk but measured. "It's been quite some time since I've had the pleasure. I trust you're finding the campus as pristine as ever?"
"It's clean." She said curtly, though there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes. "Cleaner than most hospitals, I'll give you that."
"Ah, high praise from one with your standards." Nezu chuckled, his voice warm but carrying an undercurrent of sharpness, like the edge of a blade hidden in velvet.
They walked in silence for a few steps, the soft tap of Tsunade's sandals and the faint padding of Nezu's smaller shoes on the polished floor echoing through the corridor. Then Nezu tilted his head up at her, eyes glittering.
"You know," he began casually, "Recovery Girl has very few active medical cases these days. She only reserves her expertise for the most… exceptional situations." He paused, letting the silence stretch. "There's only one I can think of that might draw your attention all the way here."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly, but her face betrayed nothing. "Is that so? And what case would that be?"
Nezu's smile widened a fraction, though his voice remained light and conversational. "Yagi Toshinori."
The name hung in the air like a weight.
Tsunade stopped walking just briefly enough to make a point, then resumed her stride. "You're fishing." She said flatly.
"And you're dodging." Nezu replied smoothly, trotting to keep pace with her longer stride. His little black eyes sparkled as though he were solving a delightful puzzle. "But your presence here tells me enough. You know about his injury. You know it's not something Recovery Girl alone can solve."
Tsunade's lips pressed into a thin line. "And you know more than you should, for a dean."
Nezu chuckled, as if genuinely delighted by the pushback. "Perhaps. Or perhaps I simply read between the lines better than most." His voice lowered, just slightly, still carrying that maddeningly pleasant tone. "I imagine that means Toshinori has already decided. He's passing the torch. To your nephew, no less."
Tsunade froze mid-step, eyes narrowing sharply down at him. "…So you do know."
"I make it my business to know." Nezu replied, entirely unfazed by her glare. "And now, of course, my attention turns to young Uzumaki. His condition, his potential… and what it means for all of us."
For a long moment, they simply regarded one another: the tiny animal in a suit with a smile that never wavered, and the statuesque woman whose presence filled the corridor. One testing, one weighing, both measuring how far the other was willing to go.
Finally, Tsunade exhaled softly through her nose and continued walking. "Then let's stop wasting time. Take me to Chiyo."
Nezu padded along beside her, his porcelain smile never once faltering as they continued on their way.
The hallway smelled faintly of antiseptic and medicine, the telltale signs of the medical wing. At the very end, a wooden door sat slightly ajar, and from within came the faint clatter of cabinets and the rustle of papers being shuffled.
Nezu gestured politely. "After you."
Tsunade pushed open the door, stepping into the cozy yet cramped office. Shelves lined the walls, crammed with medical journals, old books, and half-empty jars of ointments and medicine. A large desk was buried under piles of documents, leaving only a small cleared spot where a steaming cup of green tea sat untouched.
Behind the desk, a small, elderly woman in a white lab coat muttered to herself as she scribbled something on a clipboard. Her stature was short and hunched, barely brushing four and a half feet, her thinning gray hair pulled into a tidy bun under a nurse's cap. Her face was wrinkled with age, but her sharp green eyes gleamed with vitality. Despite her size and frail appearance, there was a steady authority in the way she moved. A healer who had seen countless wounds, lives saved and lost.
This was Shuzenji "Recovery Girl" Chiyo, the greatest healer in Japan at least on paper.
"Nezu, I told you, I don't have time for another one of your projects today." She said without looking up. "I've got three cases to review and Toshinori still insists on pushing himself like a damn fool. Come back later."
A low chuckle answered her. "Well gee, that's a fine greeting, bāchan." Tsunade teased, folding her arms. "I drag myself all the way out here after years and this is the thanks I get?"
Chiyo froze mid-scribble. Her head shot up, eyes widening before lighting with recognition. "Tsunade?!"
The old healer dropped her clipboard onto the desk and bustled forward with surprising speed for her age. She nearly crashed into Tsunade, wrapping her arms around the taller woman in a fierce hug that belied her tiny size.
"You little brat!" Chiyo laughed, pulling back just enough to look her up and down. "It really is you. I thought I'd go to the grave before seeing your face around here again."
Tsunade smirked, hugging her back warmly. "Still spry as ever, I see. Guess retirement never stuck, huh?"
Chiyo snorted, releasing her and wagging a finger. "Don't even start. And don't tell me you finally came to your senses and decided to take over for me?"
Nezu's little eyes glimmered at that, his expression unreadable but very much listening.
Tsunade raised her hands quickly. "Hah, don't get your hopes up, bāchan. I'm not here to steal your job." She sighed, her expression turning serious. "I'm here for something else. Yagi Toshinori. I need to see his full file. Everything you've got on what's wrong with him."
Chiyo blinked at her, the warmth fading as her eyes narrowed. "…Toshinori?"
Behind them, Nezu's smile remained fixed, but a gleam of satisfaction flickered in his gaze.
The warmth in Chiyo's expression dimmed. Her lips pressed thin, and for a long moment she simply stared at Tsunade, searching her face. "...That's not information I share lightly."
Tsunade folded her arms, her golden eyes hard. "Relax. I already know."
Chiyo's brows furrowed. "You know?"
"I dragged it out of him myself." Tsunade's voice softened slightly, though her expression didn't. "The time limit, the emaciated frame, even that Quirk of his—" she lifted her fingers and made air quotes, "—and what it really means. And I know he intends to give it to my nephew."
The room went still.
Chiyo blinked, then gave a slow, understanding hum. Her sharp gaze flicked past Tsunade to Nezu, who was quietly sipping the moment like fine wine, before she sighed and shuffled back toward her desk.
"Figures. Toshinori always was terrible at keeping secrets."
She pulled open a heavy drawer, the metal screeching slightly, and withdrew a thick folder bound in a worn leather cover. Setting it on the desk between them, she untied the string and flipped it open. The sheer bulk of papers inside spoke volumes.
Chiyo began to read.
"Stomach, gone." She tapped the first page, her tone clinical. "Left lung mostly destroyed, practically useless. Right lung, partially destroyed. Diaphragm, heavily scarred. His intestines—barely functional, patched together from surgery. Breathing compromised. His entire digestive tract is a wreck. He eats next to nothing and what he does eat barely sustains him."
She flipped another page, her voice tightening. "His body is in constant malnourishment. Every day, he burns more than he takes in. The only reason he's alive is because he's too stubborn to die."
Tsunade's jaw clenched as she leaned over the file, her healer's eye dissecting every note, every scan, every failure.
Chiyo's voice lowered as she closed the folder gently. "…And even then, my Quirk can only do so much. I can mend, I can push him through battle to battle, but this kind of damage?" Her sharp green eyes flicked up, holding Tsunade's gaze now with a pointed look. A glint of something unreadable sparked in her expression.
"There's no miracle my power alone can give him. He's only standing because of his will… and sheer stubbornness."
For a beat, the two women simply locked eyes. Tsunade felt the weight in that look. Not accusation, not dismissal, but something else. Challenge. Hope. Passing the burden to another set of hands that might succeed where hers had failed.
Nezu, perched quietly in the corner with his ever-present smile, merely watched, clearly savoring the silent test playing out before him.
Tsunade settled into the chair opposite Chiyo's desk, the heavy folder balanced on her lap. She flipped through the pages with practiced precision, her healer's eye scanning over the long list of surgical notes, vital statistics, and annotated scans. Her jaw tightened the further she read.
Finally, she exhaled through her nose and looked back up.
"I'll go through everything thoroughly. Every test, every stitch, every note you've logged. And once I've done that, I'll run my own scans. No offense, bāchan. I trust your eyes more than most, but with damage this extensive, I need to see it for myself."
Recovery Girl gave a small, tired smile and nodded. "I'd expect nothing less. If anyone could dig deeper, it'd be you. Just… be ready for the reality. Some wounds don't heal, no matter how stubborn the healer."
Tsunade hummed but said nothing, her attention already pulled back into the sea of data before her. She lingered on the scans of Toshinori's lungs, her healer's instinct already racing ahead to possibilities and theories.
For a moment, the office was quiet save for the soft shuffle of paper.
Then Nezu cleared his throat lightly, his small frame perched neatly on a stool in the corner. His beady black eyes glittered as he folded his tiny paws together.
"So," he began, his voice bright as ever, "about the matter of you taking over for Chiyo…"
Tsunade's eyes snapped up, narrowing sharply.
Nezu's porcelain smile never wavered. "It seems as though everyone else is dancing around the subject, so perhaps I should be the one to bring it into the open. U.A will not have Recovery Girl forever. The question is who among us could possibly replace her? Who has the skill, the pedigree, the sheer force of will to shoulder that mantle?"
He tilted his head, his smile widening a fraction. "And here you are. Reading Toshinori's file as if it already belongs to you. Don't tell me the thought hasn't crossed your mind, Senju-san."
Chiyo made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a chuckle, shaking her head at his brazenness. "Still as sly as ever, Nezu. Can't let a moment sit without turning it into politics."
Tsunade, for her part, closed the folder halfway and fixed him with a cold stare. "My only concern right now is Naruto. And Yagi-san. I didn't come here to talk about positions or titles. I came here to save a man's life."
The room grew still again, the tension sharp enough to cut.
Nezu's polite chuckle, when it came, carried just a little more weight than usual. "That's precisely why I need to address this, Senju-san."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Oh?"
The little principal leaned forward, his beady eyes glinting like polished obsidian. "Where do you think young Uzumaki is going to go for his education? His heroic education, I should say."
Tsunade's lips pressed into a line.
"There are only so many universities in this country capable of preparing someone of his caliber." Nezu continued smoothly, "And fewer still that could handle the unique weight of his soon to be legacy. Toshinori has already chosen him. Recovery Girl and I both know what's being placed upon his shoulders. He cannot simply become a competent hero. He must become the hero."
Chiyo grunted softly but didn't interject, her gaze flicking between the two of them.
Nezu spread his paws wide, his porcelain smile unshakable. "So it is all but guaranteed he will try to attend U.A. And when he does…" His voice softened, deliberately pointed. "Would you not rather be here, close enough to keep watch? To support him not from afar, but within these very walls? A single hallway, not a phone call, away?"
The words hung heavy in the air.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed, her sharp mind racing even as her jaw clenched. He was tugging on her instincts as a doctor and as the woman who had raised Naruto since childhood. He was deliberately framing U.A not just as the best place for Naruto to learn, but the only place where she could make absolutely sure he was safe.
Nezu tilted his head, sipping the silence like fine brewed tea. "You don't strike me as the sort of woman who sits idly by, Senju-san. And if you think you can truly protect him better from the outside, then by all means—convince me."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, one elegant brow arched. "You've got some nerve, rodent, trying to tell me what's best for my boy."
Nezu's porcelain smile didn't falter. "Not telling, Senju-san. Merely… clarifying the inevitable."
Her eyes flashed, and for a moment, the weight of her presence pressed against the room like a storm front. "I don't care how clever you think you are. I don't like being boxed in. Naruto's education and future aren't yours to dictate."
Chiyo gave a low chuckle under her breath, clearly amused by the clash of titans.
But Tsunade didn't rise from her chair, didn't storm out in fury. She sat still, her eyes locked on Nezu's glittering ones. Because beneath her temper, she couldn't deny the truth. His words had cut to the bone. If Naruto was going to shoulder One For All, if he was going to become what Toshinori and the world needed him to be, then U.A was the only place suited to prepare him. And if he was at U.A…
She'd want to be here too.
Her jaw tightened, but her voice came measured, almost grudging. "…I'll think about it. For now, I'm taking these." She closed the folder of Toshinori's case with a sharp snap, tucking it under her arm as she rose from the chair. Her eyes cut back to Nezu, sharper than any scalpel. "But don't mistake me considering your argument as you winning it. I'll make my decision when I'm damn well ready."
Nezu bowed his little head, utterly unbothered. "Of course. That's all I ask."
"Rodent." Tsunade muttered under her breath as she turned for the door.
Nezu's chuckle followed her out. "Such a charming nickname. I wear it with pride."
Chiyo just shook her head with a sigh, half-exasperated, half-amused, as Tsunade strode from the office with the files in hand — everything she needed, and a storm of new thoughts swirling in her head.
Tsunade stalked down the long hallways of U.A., the folder tucked tight under her arm. Her sandals struck the polished floor with clipped precision, but her thoughts were anything but neat.
"Damn rodent." she muttered under her breath. "Always twisting words, always cornering. And worse—" her lips pulled into a grimace, "—he's not wrong."
The more she turned it over, the more the argument made sense. If Naruto was going to U.A, if he was going to bear this enormous burden, then yes… she'd want to be close. She'd need to be close. Not for prestige, not for politics, but because she'd spent the last fourteen years keeping him alive and sane. How could she just leave him to strangers now?
"Damn it." she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm really leaning into this, aren't I?"
Her mutter echoed faintly as she pushed out through the tall double doors of the main building, her figure swallowed by the golden light of late afternoon.
—
Back To The Beach
Naruto's arms cut through the seawater, muscles straining with each stroke. The waves of the open beach crashed against him, salt stinging his lips, but he kept his pace steady. Forward, breathe. Pull, kick. His red hair clung to his forehead in soaked clumps, his blue eyes narrowed in sharp focus as he forced himself to keep rhythm.
"Again, young Uzumaki!" Toshinori called from the shore, his gaunt frame silhouetted against the setting sun. "Fight the tide, then let it carry you. Control the pace, don't let it control you!"
Naruto gritted his teeth, turning with the current and surging forward, then twisting back into the resistance of the water. His chest burned, his muscles screamed, but he refused to falter. Each lap wasn't just exercise; it was another brick in the foundation he was laying for the future.
Spray splashed around him as he pushed harder, foam rising with every churn of his arms. For a moment, his thoughts flicked to Izuku, to the friend he couldn't save, and then to Inko, and the promise he'd made at their graveside.
His strokes grew sharper. Fiercer. Unyielding.
On the sand, Toshinori crossed his arms, watching with a mixture of approval and awe. "He's already pushing himself beyond what most could endure… and yet he keeps going. His will… it's something else entirely."
Naruto's arms ached with every stroke, his chest burning as he pushed himself out against the tide one last time. His body screamed to stop, but his teeth clenched, blue eyes narrowing as he forced himself forward. One stroke, then another, until the shore was little more than a blur behind him.
"C'mon…" he growled between breaths, the salt stinging his throat. "Just… one more."
The current tugged at him mercilessly, and his strokes grew sloppy, but slowly — painfully — he turned back toward the sand. His body moved on instinct now, his will dragging him forward when his stamina had long since given out.
At last, his feet touched the sandbar beneath the waves. He staggered through the shallows, coughing, his legs heavy as stone.
"Enough!" Toshinori's thin voice carried over the surf. His frail frame stood near the waterline, his hand raised. "That's it for today, young Uzumaki. You've gone far enough!"
Naruto stumbled onto the beach, collapsing to one knee before flopping onto his back with a sharp exhale. The sun blazed above, painting his red hair gold where it clung wet to his forehead. His chest rose and fell like a drumbeat, but there was a grin tugging at his lips even through his exhaustion.
Toshinori walked over, crouching beside him with a faint smile. "You truly don't know when to stop, do you?"
Naruto chuckled weakly, rolling his head to the side. "Heh… stopping's easy. Getting up again's the hard part."
They sat in companionable silence for a while, the crash of waves filling the air. Eventually, Naruto's grin faded into thought, his expression turning curious.
"Hey, Toshi-sensei…" His voice was low, almost hesitant. "Can I ask you something?"
Toshinori glanced at him, brow lifting. "Of course."
Naruto's eyes searched the sky, words slow, careful. "Why? Why'd you wanna be a hero? I mean… not just strong, not just famous. You fought harder than anyone, clawed your way up to number one, and you kept going even when you were breaking apart." He turned his head toward Toshinori, blue eyes sharp despite the fatigue weighing them down. "What drove you? What kept you standing all this time?"
The question hung heavy between them, carried on the sea breeze.
Toshinori's shadowed eyes softened. For a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line as memories tugged at him, of battles, of sacrifices, of the weight of peace. He exhaled slowly, his gaze turning out toward the horizon as if the waves themselves might carry his answer.
Toshinori was quiet for a long time, his thin frame silhouetted against the sinking sun. The waves hissed and retreated across the sand, filling the silence until at last, he spoke.
"When I was your age, the world looked very different." His voice was low, steady, but tinged with something heavier. "Crime was everywhere. Corruption in every shadow. Japan wasn't a safe place to live. You couldn't walk the streets without looking over your shoulder. People were afraid every single day. Afraid of villains, afraid of their neighbors, afraid of what tomorrow might bring."
Naruto's breath slowed as he listened, his exhaustion forgotten for the moment.
"I was… quirkless," Toshinori admitted, his mouth twisting in a faint, self-deprecating smile. "Just another powerless boy in a world where power meant everything. But even then, I couldn't stand it, watching people suffer, watching fear choke the life out of them. I wanted to change that. I wanted… to give them hope. To be a light in all that darkness. To show people they didn't have to live in fear anymore."
He paused, the lines of his gaunt face deepening as he stared toward the horizon.
"And then I met her." A rare softness crept into his voice. "My teacher. My mentor. A woman who believed, even more strongly than I did, that a true hero doesn't fight for glory or power, but for the smiles of others. She gave me a chance. The chance I needed to stand where I'd never have been able to on my own. She trained me, guided me, believed in me. And in the short time I had with her…" His voice caught, just faintly, before he steadied it. "She taught me what it truly meant to be a hero."
Naruto frowned slightly, catching that hesitation. "Short time?"
Toshinori's eyes shadowed, the memory clearly painful. "Tragedy took her before I was ready. Before I felt I deserved the gift she had entrusted to me. But even in death, her words stayed with me. That's why I kept going, no matter what. Through pain, through loss, through wounds that should have ended me, I endured. Because someone had to. Someone had to be the light. Someone had to stand as the Symbol of Peace."
He turned then, meeting Naruto's gaze directly. His blue eyes, even in that frail form, burned with quiet conviction.
"That's what drove me, young Uzumaki. Not fame. Not fortune. Hope. The dream that one day, no child would have to grow up afraid like I did. That's why I became the Number One Hero."
Naruto lay back in the sand, chest still rising and falling from exertion, but his blue eyes stayed locked on Toshinori. His heart thudded hard in his chest, not from exhaustion this time, but from something deeper.
"Hope, huh?" he murmured, a tired grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Guess that's not such a bad reason to keep getting back up."
Toshinori's smile was small, wistful, but proud. "It's the best reason there is."
The waves crashed softly between them, the tide carrying away the last rays of sun as the day drew to a close.
Naruto sat up slowly, his wet hair clinging to his cheeks, salt still drying on his skin. Toshinori's words hung heavy in his mind, replaying over and over. A quirkless boy in a world gone mad with power. A mentor who believed in him enough to entrust him with everything she had, even if tragedy cut their time short. And a man who carried that will on his shoulders, even as his body broke piece by piece.
He tried to picture it, that world of fear Toshinori grew up in, the one so different from the one Naruto knew now. Tried to imagine what kind of woman his teacher must have been, the kind of conviction it took to forge a boy with nothing into the man now sitting beside him.
Finally, Naruto's lips parted. His voice was soft, thoughtful. "She sounded… like someone I would've gotten along with."
Toshinori's shoulders shook suddenly, a deep laugh rumbling out of him. The sound quickly hitched into a rough cough, flecks of blood staining his handkerchief.
"Toshi-sensei!" Naruto's eyes widened as he shifted closer, alarm plain in his voice.
But Toshinori waved him off with a shaky hand, still chuckling despite the blood on his lips. "No, no don't worry, young Uzumaki. It's nothing new. I just… hah… find it amusing because yes. I truly believe you would have." His smile, even gaunt and worn, was full of warmth.
Naruto relaxed only slightly, though the concern still lingered in his eyes.
Toshinori pressed his handkerchief away, breathing deep to steady himself before clapping a thin hand against his thigh. "Well! That's enough for today. You should be proud of what you managed. But now, it's time you went home to rest. Tomorrow—" he wagged a finger, "—no training. Take the day, recover, let those muscles and that stamina mend properly."
Naruto tilted his head. "And Monday?"
The older man grinned, just a flash of the Symbol of Peace shining through his frailty. "On Monday, I'll have all the gear we'll need. We'll be stepping things up."
Naruto smirked faintly, dragging himself up onto his feet despite the ache in his body. "Heh… guess I better enjoy tomorrow then."
"Indeed," Toshinori said, watching him with quiet pride.
The waves rolled gently in, the sun dipping low on the horizon. One man thinking of the legacy he was passing on, the other imagining the legacy he would build.
—
The Next Day.
For the first time in days, Naruto actually slept in. The warm sunlight filtered lazily through his curtains, painting the room in soft gold. He stirred, stretching his long frame across the futon, before the smell finally reached him.
Not grilled fish. Not miso. Something richer, heavier.
Naruto blinked, his nose twitching as the savory aroma pulled him from bed. By the time he shuffled into the main room, his hair still messy from sleep, he found the source.
At the table sat Tsunade, her hair tied loosely back, a steaming mug of coffee beside her. Spread out in front of her were Toshinori's files, notes already scrawled in her precise handwriting across fresh sheets of paper. She muttered to herself as her sharp eyes scanned the reports.
"No wonder Chiyo can't hold him together. Half his insides are working on stubbornness, the other half on dumb luck. Honestly…" She shook her head, jotting something down in quick, practiced strokes.
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, leaning against the doorway. "Sounds like you're talking about me, Oba-san."
Her head lifted, honeyed eyes flicking toward him, and despite the early hour, there was warmth there. "Hmph. You're not wrong, brat." She gestured toward the counter without looking up again. "Your breakfast's waiting."
Naruto padded over, finding a plate already made. Two thick omelets folded around bits of pork and green onion, alongside toasted bread with a small dish of jam, and a steaming bowl of miso-less vegetable soup on the side. Western influence, hearty and filling.
He grinned, grabbing the plate and flopping into a chair across from her. "You spoil me, y'know that?"
"You'll need it." Tsunade replied absently, flipping through another page and making a sharp note in the margin. "Running yourself ragged with that skeleton of a man. Someone has to keep you fueled properly."
Naruto dug into his food, the rich flavor making his stomach growl audibly. He shot her a sheepish grin, then glanced toward the papers spread across the table.
"You've been at it all morning, huh?" he asked between bites.
"Mm. This man…" Tsunade trailed off, tapping her pen against the file. "He's a miracle and a disaster in equal measure. Frankly, I'm surprised he's still walking. But… he's walking for a reason." She looked up then, her expression softening as her eyes lingered on her nephew. "And now I see what that reason is."
Naruto swallowed, the weight of her words sinking in, but he didn't comment. Instead, he gave her a small grin and another chuckle, returning his attention to the food in front of him.
Breakfast passed in a comfortable rhythm. The faint hiss of coffee, the clink of chopsticks, and the occasional hum from Tsunade as she reviewed Toshinori's notes filled the quiet. She shared a few fond memories from Naruto's younger years . Like the time he had strapped pans to his arms and legs, declaring them his "hero armor," only to topple down the porch stairs because of the weight.
Naruto laughed, cheeks reddening as he protested. "Oba-san, you make it sound like I was an idiot!"
"You were an idiot." Tsunade replied with a faint smirk, though her tone carried warmth. "But you were my idiot. Still are."
Naruto smiled sheepishly, and for a brief moment the heaviness in the house lifted.
When they finished eating, he stood and stretched, then disappeared into his room. Tsunade remained at the table, reviewing medical notes and cross-referencing them with her own annotations, the soft scratch of her pen filling the silence. By the time Naruto came back out, dressed in clean clothes with a small bag slung over his shoulder, his usual grin had returned.
He slid into his shoes at the door, already halfway out when her sigh stopped him.
"Naruto. Wait."
He froze, shoulders tensing. Slowly, he turned his head. Tsunade hadn't looked up from the papers, but her voice was sharper than before. "I need to talk to you."
Naruto shifted, uneasy. "What's up?"
Tsunade finally raised her eyes, pinning him with that piercing gaze. "You can't keep skipping school. I let it slide this past week because… I know what you've been through. But you're going to have to go back. Eventually."
Naruto blinked, his grin slipping. "…School?"
"Yes, school." Tsunade said firmly, folding her arms under her chest. "Training is important. Of course it is. But grades matter too. You need them to get into a university, especially a hero university. If you throw this away now, you'll ruin your chances before you've even begun."
Naruto frowned, tightening his grip on the strap of his bag. "Oba-san… my training's more important than any of that right now."
"That's not how it works." Tsunade shot back. "Hero work isn't just brawn and stamina. You'll need a foundation. You'll need discipline. And whether you like it or not, the education system is part of that."
He scowled, muttering under his breath. "School doesn't matter. Not compared to—" He caught himself, jaw working, then said louder, "I just… I need to stay focused on what's important."
Tsunade's tone softened, but only slightly. "And you think Izuku would want you skipping out on school? Throwing your future away before it even starts?"
That name hit like a hammer. Naruto froze, breath hitching. For an instant, something pained flickered in his eyes, then hardened into fire.
"Don't." His voice was low, tight.
Tsunade blinked. "Naruto—"
"Don't use him like that!" His voice cracked, and his fists clenched at his sides. "You don't—You can't just—!"
The words broke apart in his throat, tangled with grief he hadn't yet learned how to carry. His chest heaved, his breath shallow, and for a moment, he looked like that little boy again, the one who had clung to her sleeve in tears after his parents' funeral.
Tsunade's eyes softened, but she didn't reach for him. "Naruto, I didn't mean—"
But he was already moving. With a sharp yank, he pulled open the door, the wood rattling against its frame.
"Naruto!" Tsunade's voice carried through the house, a rare crack of desperation in it.
But her words only chased after his fading footsteps. Naruto stormed down the stone steps of the compound, each stride eating up the distance until he disappeared beyond the trees.
The silence that followed pressed heavy. Tsunade sagged back into her chair, rubbing her forehead with one hand as her golden eyes glistened faintly. She exhaled a shaky breath.
"Damn it, Kushina," she whispered to the empty room. "How do I reach him without breaking him?"
Naruto stormed down the stone steps of the compound, each stride heavy, each breath tight in his chest. His fists clenched and unclenched as if he could wring the anger out of his veins.
She doesn't get it.
She doesn't understand.
Training's what matters—me pushing myself, me getting stronger. Not… not sitting behind a desk like nothing happened.
His thoughts circled like vultures, feeding on his own frustration. He shoved past the crowds on the street without a glance, ignoring the startled looks, his height and pace making him stand out more than ever.
Every few steps, Tsunade's words echoed back, needling him deeper: You think Izuku would want you skipping out on it?
His teeth ground together. "Don't… don't use him like that…" he muttered under his breath, his voice shaking as his anger shifted toward grief.
The city blurred past him, feet carrying him faster and faster as though running would burn the ache out of his chest. He barely noticed where he was going, until at last the streets thinned, the buildings giving way to the quiet stillness of the cemetery.
His pace slowed, each step heavier than the last, until he found himself standing before the familiar grave. The marker was simple, unadorned save for fresh flowers placed days ago, Tsunade's doing.
Naruto's chest heaved, his anger draining away to leave only the hollow weight beneath it. Slowly, he dropped to his knees in the grass, his tall frame folding forward. His hands rested against the cold stone as his forehead pressed to it, his voice hoarse as he whispered:
"…Izzy…"
The cemetery was silent but for the rustle of leaves and the faint crackle of incense burning nearby. Naruto stayed there, kneeling in front of the grave, his breath uneven, eyes burning with unshed tears.
The weight of the world pressed down on his shoulders, and still he bowed his head.
The grass bent under Naruto's knees, damp with morning dew. He pressed his forehead against the cold gravestone, eyes squeezed shut, words spilling out before he could hold them back.
"She doesn't get it, Izzy. Oba-san… she doesn't understand. I need this. I need to train, to push, to fight until I can't breathe anymore. Sitting in a classroom like nothing happened, like you're not gone." His voice cracked, the words catching on the lump in his throat. "It feels like I'd be betraying you."
His fingers tightened around the edge of the stone, knuckles whitening.
"I know she's right." He admitted after a long silence, the fight bleeding from his tone. "I can't keep putting it off forever. But… honestly, Izzy? I'm scared."
The words trembled out of him, soft and broken. He sat back slightly, staring at the carved name on the grave marker, as if his friend's freckled face would appear if he just looked hard enough.
"I wasn't always there for you. There were days I couldn't protect you… and they got to you. Said things, did things. Cruel things." His jaw clenched, tears welling up in his eyes. "I know I couldn't always be there. And now, if I go back to that place, if I see their faces again."
Naruto's voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know what I'll do. I don't know if I'm strong enough to be the person you would've been. To turn the other cheek. To keep moving forward without letting the anger eat me alive."
He swallowed hard, chest aching, as the silence pressed in around him.
"I just… I don't know what to do."
The grave offered no answers. Only the quiet rustle of leaves overhead, the distant hum of the city beyond the cemetery gates. Still, Naruto lingered there, waiting for a reply he knew would never come.
The silence pressed heavy on Naruto's shoulders. No voice came from the grave. No gentle whisper of reassurance, no guiding words from his best friend. Just the uncaring wind, the swaying trees, and the ache in his chest.
He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. His throat worked, but nothing came. For a moment, despair threatened to drag him down again, drowning him in its weight.
And then like sunlight piercing storm clouds a memory stirred.
He was small again, barely four, sitting between his parents on the engawa of the compound as the cicadas sang in the summer heat. His father's calm voice floated back to him, a quiet murmur as Naruto had pouted about losing a spar with a wooden sword.
"Listen, Naruto." Minato had said, ruffling his hair with that gentle smile. "Falling down doesn't mean you've failed. It just means you get to stand up again, stronger than before."
Beside him, Kushina had laughed, fiery and bright, pulling him into her lap. "And if anyone tries to keep you down, you show 'em that Uzumakis don't break. We bend, we heal, and we keep going. Always." She'd tapped his chest with two fingers, right over his heart. "As long as this is still beating, you keep fighting."
The memory faded, but the warmth lingered, wrapping around the hollow ache in his chest.
Naruto sat straighter, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. His breathing slowed, his heart steadying as he whispered to the grave:
"…You're right. Oba-san's right too. I can't run from school forever. I can't run from anything. Not if I'm gonna be the hero you would've… the hero they'd be proud of."
He bowed his head once more, pressing his hand against the gravestone, the words low but steady.
"I'll carry you with me. Both of you. And I'll keep going. No matter what."
When he finally rose to his feet, his legs trembled from kneeling so long, but his resolve stood firm. The cemetery was quiet, but he didn't feel as alone anymore.
Naruto turned toward the path back to the city, his blue eyes burning with a new clarity.
The compound was quiet when Naruto returned, the lanterns outside flickering gently in the evening breeze. He hesitated at the door for just a moment before sliding it open.
He didn't even have time to step inside.
"Naruto!"
Tsunade was there in an instant, crossing the threshold like a storm. Her arms wrapped around his frame, pulling him close despite the difference in their size. Her voice shook as she pressed her face against his chest.
"I'm so sorry. I should've never said that. Never used Izuku against you like that. I wasn't thinking. I just—" Her words stumbled, her usual iron composure crumbling. "I was scared for you."
Naruto stood stiff for a heartbeat, startled by the force of her embrace. Then slowly, his arms came up, holding her just as tightly.
"…It's okay, Oba-san." He murmured. "You were right."
She pulled back just enough to stare up at him, her eyes wet. "No. I already talked to the principal. You can take as long as you need. One more week, two, however long it takes for you to heal."
But Naruto shook his head, his blue eyes steady. "No. I mean it. You were right. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I didn't mean to…" He trailed off, guilt flickering across his face. "At Izzy's grave, I admitted it to myself. I'm scared of going back. Scared of facing those people again. But I can't run from it forever. If I'm going to be the hero he would've been… I need to face it head on."
Tsunade's chest ached at his words, her heart both proud and aching for the boy she had raised. She reached up, brushing her thumb against his cheek as she whispered, "Then take one more week, Naruto. Use it to gather your strength. And then, you tackle it head-on… like a true Uzumaki."
A small smile tugged at his lips, the first genuine one she had seen from him in days. "Yeah. Like a true Uzumaki."
They stood there in the entryway for a long moment, the quiet of the house wrapping around them.