Land of Fire — Konohagakure
Inside the Hokage Office
The room was unusually quiet. Shisui had already left, disheartened and broken.
Tsunade rested gently in Bai Ye's embrace, eyes filled with quiet longing.
At this moment, as the Fifth Hokage, she was shouldering the heavy task of reviving the Konoha her grandfather Hashirama Senju and great-uncle Tobirama Senju had once built. Though her public and private identities now often intertwined—being both Hokage and Bai Ye's partner—it hadn't affected her resolve.
She had already made up her mind: in a few years, she would cultivate a talented successor for the Sixth Hokage position. Once she did, she could pass the Senju Clan's leadership to Nawaki, then accompany Bai Ye fully—standing beside him, not above or behind.
All of this was for the sake of their ancestors' legacy. The Senju Clan and Konoha were both pillars of her life—pillars she could not abandon.
"Don't push yourself too hard," Bai Ye said softly, sensing her thoughts as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her.
He knew better than anyone the pressure she was under. The village, aside from the silent tension between the Uchiha clan and the rest, was thriving again. As Captain of the Guard, his own life had returned to a calm rhythm, maintaining a delicate but stable peace.
But his words weren't just empty concern—they were a reminder. Tsunade didn't need to carry the world alone. She wasn't just the Hokage. She was his woman.
Yet, she had always been this way—strong-willed, stubborn, never one to show weakness. He worried she'd someday push herself too far trying to prove something, only to suffer for it.
"I'm not stupid, you know," Tsunade rolled her eyes, lips curling in a smirk. "Don't worry. If I can't handle Uchiha issues, I'll let you know."
She believed in sharing burdens, not being a martyr.
Men conquer women by conquering the world, and women conquer the world by conquering men. She didn't see a problem with that logic. She had never wanted to stand still—and since the day she met Bai Ye, she never had.
"Oh, right. The Academy just started enrollment again this year," Tsunade added, her golden eyes lighting up with a glint of nostalgia. "Aren't your two godsons joining?"
A new generation was rising.
Naruto and Sasuke—these two monsters in kid form—were finally old enough to attend the Academy. Even before becoming genin, they were already troublemakers, sparring regularly with enough power to leave even Tsunade shaken.
They weren't ordinary kids. Tsunade knew that better than anyone. Once this class matured, Konoha might just see another golden age.
"Do me a favor, will you?" she whispered into Bai Ye's ear, voice playful but coaxing.
"Three years ago, I asked you to speak at the Academy. A special course, to inspire the kids. You blew them off."
"Well, I'm asking again now—not just as Tsunade, but as the Hokage. Can you please go?"
The man beside her was hard to deal with. He was devoted to his duties as Guard Captain, but beyond that? Lazy. Detached. The children at the Academy idolized him, yet he'd never once stepped through those gates.
But Tsunade wasn't above tricks. Leaning closer, her breath brushing his skin, she bit his ear lightly. "If you agree, I might just consider your proposal from the other day…"
Bai Ye immediately looked serious.
That proposal was not insignificant.
It was nothing less than this: take Tsunade—while she's in full Hokage regalia—right here in the office. A forbidden fantasy. A sacred place. A sinful dream.
"Of course," Bai Ye answered with conviction, throwing up a perception barrier to block outside senses.
He paused solemnly. "I accept."
This devil was clearly just waiting for her to use bait like that.
Tsunade flushed faintly, giving up her Hokage pride for now—and giving in to him.
---
The Next Day
Konoha Ninja Academy
It was a major day for many Konoha families. At age seven, children finally got the opportunity to enter the prestigious Academy. Those who failed initial aptitude tests could try again next year, but for this particular class…
They were something else.
At the gate, the instructors welcomed families with grave expressions. One glance at the roster told them everything.
Direct heirs of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, Yamanaka Ino—future clan leaders, all three.
The Hyūga clan's eldest daughter: Hyūga Hinata, already engaged in intense clan training.
And that wasn't all.
Uchiha Sasuke, second son of the Uchiha Patriarch.
Uzumaki Naruto, son of the Fourth Hokage.
Plus the heirs to the Inuzuka and Aburame clans: Inuzuka Toga and Aburame Shino.
"This year's intake is insane…" Iruka murmured as he stared into the crowd.
Far off, he saw two boys walking side by side: one with a bright grin and spiky blonde hair, the other with a proud, brooding expression. Naruto and Sasuke.
Naruto didn't bear the Namikaze name. He insisted on using "Uzumaki"—to honor the red-haired woman who saved him, and the man from the Uchiha clan who raised him.
At one point, Naruto had even wanted to adopt Bai Ye's surname, but that idea was scrapped after a fierce fight with Sasuke.
Naruto had declared he wouldn't take the Uchiha name until he'd surpassed Sasuke. Until then, he said, he wasn't worthy. He'd earn it, and then approach Bai Ye proudly.
To Iruka, it was complicated. His father had died during the Nine Tails attack, and yet… how could he hate Naruto?
After Sarutobi Hiruzen's public trial, everyone had learned Naruto's true lineage. The red-haired woman often seen near him—Kushina—was the Fourth's wife.
Still, nobody dared discuss it openly. Everyone in Konoha knew she now served as Bai Ye's maid. But that didn't change Naruto's legacy.
Son of the Fourth Hokage. Nine Tails Jinchūriki. His existence stirred mixed emotions. People no longer hated him—but their stares remained complex, unsure.
That said, he was no longer alone.
Sasuke stood beside him, his rival and his friend. They'd sparred countless times, growing together. Destined opponents.
Now, the two approached the Academy, flanked by a tall white-haired man—Jiraiya—and a silent, sharp-eyed young guard—Uchiha Itachi.
Neither Mikoto nor Kushina had come to escort them.
Not because they didn't care—but because they trusted them.
No one could have imagined these two brats, raised within the reformed Uchiha Clan, would grow up to dominate the village in their own way.
After Bai Ye erased the lingering spirits of Ashura and Indra, their characters had changed drastically—more pure, more true to themselves. Their flaws were still there, but less destructive.
Behind them, Jiraiya sighed, noticing Itachi's furrowed brows.
"What are you even worrying about?"
Itachi didn't answer. His nasolabial creases, a sign of stress, had grown deeper with age.
"You're the only one in this village still obsessed with Uchiha drama," Jiraiya muttered. "It's like you think the Guard's gonna revolt or something."
It was absurd. Bai Ye's woman was the Hokage. The Guard and the Hokage were practically one.
Jiraiya had been staying in Konoha more since Sarutobi's arrest. He hadn't planned to, but the moment he saw Naruto, he'd felt something—something like fate. And just like that, he'd claimed Naruto as his student.
Of course, he'd never admit that he just wanted to outdo Bai Ye once in his life.
But then Sasuke had turned around and asked Bai Ye to train him. And now, Sasuke was tenacious, resistant to pain, and oddly terrifying for a seven-year-old.
"Are you worried?" Jiraiya asked again.
"I…" Itachi began, but trailed off.
"Whatever," Jiraiya snorted. "You Uchiha think too much."
He turned his gaze forward, watching the two boys.
And in that moment, the two children looked at each other—and a strange competition sparked.
"You're still not stronger than me!" Naruto declared, grinning as he pulled at the shinobi-style leggings he'd 'borrowed' from somewhere…
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