Tsunade was struck dumb by Ryōsuke's revelation. To think that Yahiko had actually been murdered by Hanzō and Danzō. With such a tragedy, it was only natural that Nagato and Konan would undergo a drastic change in personality; after all, the three of them were as close as siblings. It made sense that they would now view Jiraiya as an enemy.
More importantly, Nagato had actually awakened the Rinnegan. Tsunade had heard stories from her family when she was a child—those eyes were an even higher level of ocular power than the Mangekyō Sharingan. They were the eyes of legend, said to belong to the Sage of Six Paths. No wonder Jiraiya had stayed in that place for so long and spent so much time teaching those children. He must have recognized the Rinnegan and become convinced that the boy was the so-called Child of Prophecy.
However, it appeared that this Nagato, despite possessing the Rinnegan, had already succumbed to darkness. A powerhouse with the Rinnegan turning to the dark side was terrible news for Konoha and the entire shinobi world.
"Do you really have a way to deal with him?" she asked.
The Mangekyō Sharingan was already terrifying enough, and the Rinnegan sat even higher on the hierarchy. Ryōsuke looked at Tsunade and spoke calmly.
"I can handle it."
Tsunade was slightly surprised. Ryōsuke could remain so composed even knowing the threat was a Rinnegan user; just how terrifying was his own strength? Still, his confidence put her mind at ease. She shifted her focus back to the identity of the Child of Prophecy.
"Then who is the Child of Prophecy?"
This person was equally important; they had to be nurtured carefully to guide the world's reform.
"The Child of Prophecy is the son of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato—Uzumaki Naruto," Ryōsuke replied.
Tsunade was taken aback. She hadn't expected it to be such a young child. Though, considering his parents were great, powerful ninja who sacrificed themselves for the village, it made sense that he would eventually lead the world's reform. After all, she had practically raised Kushina herself. She frowned as she looked at Ryōsuke.
"So, is that the real reason you adopted Naruto?"
Ryōsuke shook his head. "Not at all. I simply thought he was pitiful. The descendant of heroes should not have to endure the abuse and ridicule of the villagers."
Tsunade sighed. The Third Hokage had truly handled that matter poorly. Minato was his own grand-disciple, making Naruto a direct junior to the Third. How could he allow the boy to be treated that way in the village?
She looked at Ryōsuke and said, "Hand him over to me. He must be properly trained to face the coming disasters and guide the shinobi world's reform."
Ryōsuke refused immediately. "There's no need for that. He is living very well with the Uchiha clan under the care of Uchiha Mikoto. Mikoto was Kushina's best friend. You can rest easy."
Tsunade had met Mikoto and trusted her completely. However, she still didn't have much affection for the rest of the Uchiha clan. She couldn't even say she was entirely fond of Ryōsuke; he was far too much of a playboy, with so many women, and she was just one of them. Under normal circumstances, she would never have looked twice at such a flirtatious man, but now that her belly was growing, she had no choice.
"Then he must be sent to the Ninja Academy to receive a formal education," she insisted.
Ryōsuke agreed without hesitation. "That's fine. However, I just gave you face by releasing Jiraiya. Don't you think it's time you repaid me?"
Tsunade noticed that Ryōsuke seemed to be picking up on her thoughts regarding "protection measures," which he clearly didn't intend to allow. She looked at him with confusion. Given their relationship, she had already satisfied his strange interests and let him have his way with her countless times.
"What kind of repayment?"
Ryōsuke smiled. "After you give birth to this child, give me a few more."
Tsunade's face froze in shock. She hadn't even given birth to the first one yet, and he was already thinking about several more. Did this evil man think she was a breeding sow?
"Let's get through this birth first," she replied perfunctorily. "We'll talk about the future when the future comes."
The next day, news that Jiraiya had been arrested for peeping in the women's bathhouse and sentenced to one month in prison spread rapidly through the village. The women of Konoha felt a great sense of relief.
"Jiraiya was actually thrown in jail! That's wonderful."
"Now we can finally bathe in peace."
"The Military Police Force really did a good thing this time."
Time passed quickly, and soon another month had gone by. The village had completely stabilized and entered a new stage of development. However, Tsunade, acting as the Hokage, was filled with worry. Her belly was getting larger and larger; soon, her pregnancy would be impossible to hide. Eventually, everyone would know she had gotten involved with a man from the Uchiha clan.
That part didn't actually bother her much. In fact, it could serve as a symbol of reconciliation between the Senju and Uchiha clans. Thinking about it now, as descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, there really was no need for them to fight to the death. However, there was still one embarrassing point.
Uchiha Ryōsuke was simply too young. She was worried people would mock her for robbing the cradle. Tsunade brooded over how to handle the situation. She wondered if taking a leave of absence would work. The problem was that she would need at least eight or nine months off—she hadn't even been in office that long!
After much hesitation, she made a decision. She instructed Kakashi to summon Nara Shikaku, Fugaku, and Hyūga Hiashi. There was no more time to think; in a few days, her belly would be unmistakable to any observant eye.
Kakashi received the order and set off immediately. He was currently serving as an Anbu under the Fifth Hokage, which was his new assignment. Before long, the three clan heads were gathered in the Hokage's reception room.
Hyūga Hiashi looked at Fugaku and Shikaku. "Do either of you know why Lady Hokage has summoned us?"
Hiashi was still quite puzzled by the current political climate. After Fugaku had withdrawn from the election during the clan head meeting, Hiashi had questioned him about it. The only reply he got was that it was Ryōsuke's instruction. Since Uchiha Ryōsuke was the true authority within the Uchiha clan, there was nothing to be done. He just couldn't fathom the deep meaning behind such a move.
Currently, Konoha was almost too peaceful. With Tsunade of the Senju, the Uchiha clan, and the Ino-Shika-Chō trio of families leading the way, no other clan dared to cause trouble. Even the Hyūga clan fell in line. Such a harmonious era was something they could never have imagined in the past.