"Hokage-sama! Danzo and the entire Shimura clan… they're gone. Vanished. Should we dispatch pursuit teams?"
The message, delivered by a tense Anbu operative, shattered the pre-dawn quiet of Hiruzen's private quarters. The old Hokage, who had just settled into bed, felt all weariness evaporate, replaced by a cold, hollow ache. He'd known this was a possibility, but the reality of it—another defection, a fellow student of sorts slipping through his fingers—stung just as sharply as Orochimaru's had.
He lay there for a long moment before sighing, the sound heavy with finality. "…Let them go. Just… let them go."
There was no fight left in him. The bitter taste of repeated failure coated his tongue. He was too tired for another internal war, another dark chapter in Konoha's history written in the blood of its own.
"At least make the formalities official," he muttered, pushing himself up. "Issue the bulletin: Shimura Danzo is to be stripped of all rank and marked as a missing-nin. Place a standard bounty for intelligence, not capture. No active pursuit is authorized."
It was a gesture, a paper-thin condemnation. He was weeks from retirement; let the next Hokage deal with the fallout of Danzo's ambition.
"Understood, Hokage-sama." The Anbu bowed and vanished into a swirl of leaves.
Sleep was impossible now. With dark circles deepening under his eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi shuffled to his office, lit a lamp, and pulled a stack of documents towards him. He would work until dawn. This, perhaps, would be among his last official acts.
****
By morning, two pieces of news rippled through Konoha with very different impacts. The first, spread with official fanfare: Senju Tsunade, the Legendary Sannin, had returned and was to be inaugurated as the Fifth Hokage!
The village buzzed with excitement and relief.
The second piece of news, a quiet, somber bulletin from the Hokage's office, noted the defection of former Elder Shimura Danzo. For most villagers, it was a footnote; for the major clans, it was a chilling omen discussed in hushed tones within closed council rooms. Any response would wait for the new administration.
****
Elsewhere, in a modest but homely residence, a different kind of restlessness reigned.
"Damn it… how do I lure Nagato and Konan to Konoha for a quick Jinchūriki snatch-and-grab?"
Namikaze Raimon had spent the entire night staring at the ceiling, or more accurately, at Tsunade sleeping soundly beside him. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was… frankly, non-functional and made of paper. The Edo Tensei body was the ultimate cockblock. He couldn't even properly feel the sheets, let alone anything else. He was a spectator in his own reunion.
A groan came from the bed as Tsunade stirred, blinking sleepily. "You… didn't sleep at all?"
She rubbed her eyes, taking in his perfectly alert, utterly frustrated form by the window.
"Edo Tensei. Doesn't need sleep, food, or… other things," Raimon grumbled, rolling his eyes heavenward. "It's a real drag."
A mischievous smile played on Tsunade's lips as she stretched, the blanket slipping.
"Oh? Feeling a bit… pent up?" she teased.
"Don't start what you can't finish," Raimon shot back, though a grin tugged at his own mouth. He stood up, heading for the door. "Come on. Time to get down to business. You've got a village to run."
Tsunade flopped back onto the pillow with a dramatic groan. "Ugh… Do I have to? Being Hokage means being chained to a desk all day! No more gambling trips, no more hot springs tours…"
"Who said you have to do the work?" Raimon countered, poking his head back in. "That's what tools are for! You've got Shizune. You've got Jiraiya, when he's not peeping. If we're short-handed, I'll drag Orochimaru back and put him to work. A Hokage leads, they don't do paperwork."
His mind was already racing. Why be like the future Naruto, drowning in scrolls? Use the brilliant minds available! Shikaku Nara for strategy and logistics, his son Shikamaru as a future chief advisor. Delegate! Then, he and Tsunade could actually enjoy life. If a crisis popped up? A quick Hiraishin trip home.
"That's it!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "Why didn't I think of this before?"
Downstairs in the living room, Shizune and a bleary-eyed Jiraiya, who had indeed spent the night under a bridge, waited.
"Achoo! Ugh… Did I catch a cold from the river damp?" Jiraiya sniffled, wiping his nose.
Naruto was long gone, having dashed out at first light to find his favorite rival, bursting to show off his new prize.
****
"Monster…"
The word, hissed from a shop doorway as Naruto passed, made him flinch out of old habit. But before the echo faded, a meaty fist connected with the speaker's jaw, sending him sprawling.
"Shut your filthy mouth! That's the Yondaime's son! Show some respect, you ingrate!" a burly chūnin guard barked.
Hiruzen's decree had spread. Uzumaki Naruto was the son of the hero Minato. For many, it was a shocking reversal that prompted guilt and rapid attitude adjustments. For a stubborn few, old prejudices died hard. But Naruto found he didn't care as much anymore. The hollow ache was filled. He had a father's legacy, an uncle's fierce protection, and a soon-to-be Hokage who was basically family. For the first time, he walked through Konoha feeling… connected.
He found his target on one of the outer training grounds. Uchiha Sasuke, drenched in sweat, was just collapsing after what looked like his two-thousandth squat, under the enthusiastic watch of Might Guy.
"SASUKE!"
At Naruto's shout, Sasuke pushed himself up, a flicker of something—relief? challenge?—in his eyes. He knew his teacher, Raimon, was back. He'd trained relentlessly, his body hardening to bear the strain of his growing Sharingan's perception. He was ready to show his progress.
"Naruto," Sasuke acknowledged, his tone cool but not hostile.
"Sasuke! I learned a super crazy awesome jutsu!" Naruto announced, puffing out his chest.
Sasuke's brow twitched. A flicker of something sour—was it favoritism?—passed through him before he quashed it. He's his nephew. It's fine.
"Hmph. So?" Sasuke turned away, beginning a set of one-handed push-ups.
"You think that's nothing? Watch this!" Not one for subtlety, Naruto planted his feet, focused his chakra, and with a fierce, grinding whirr, a perfect, brilliant blue Rasengan materialized in his palm. Without further ado, he lunged at a nearby training post and slammed the sphere home.
BOOOOOOM!
The post didn't just break; it vaporized in a shower of splinters and a cloud of dust. The concussive blast whipped Sasuke's hair back and made Guy's eyebrows shoot up.
"Whoa! Such youthful power!" Guy exclaimed, a gleaming smile on his face. "The signature technique of the Yellow Flash and his brother! To master it in mere days… The springtime of youth truly blooms with genius!"
Sasuke was silent, but his dark eyes were wide, fixed on the destruction. The sheer, raw power was undeniable.
"Heheheh… Pretty awesome, right, Sasuke?" Naruto grinned, the Rasengan dissipating.
"Tch. No." Sasuke looked away, his pride stung. He redoubled his efforts on his push-ups, his movements sharper, more aggressive.
But Naruto was a force of nature. He buzzed around Sasuke like an orange-haired hornet. "Come on, admit it! You're totally jealous!"
"I am not!"
"Yes, you are! You're just a stuck-up, jealous teme!"
"Shut up, you dumbass!"
Their classic bickering erupted. Sasuke, finally fed up, snapped. "What's the point of a big flashy jutsu if you can't even hit your target? I could run circles around you using nothing but my butt and you'd never land a scratch!"
"Oh yeah? You're boasting!"
"I'm stating a fact! You're just a loud, clumsy idiot!"
"You're just jealous and you know it!"
Sasuke saw red. This dobe was ruining his focus, his rhythm. "Fine! You want proof? I'll only use my 'butt-walking' technique. If you can catch me, then you can brag."
Naruto clutched his stomach, laughing uproariously. "Your butt? Okay, okay! I'll even give you a minute head start! Don't say I bullied you!"
A sly, almost predatory smile spread across Sasuke's face. "You said it."
Naruto dramatically reformed his Rasengan, the whirring sphere casting a blue light on his triumphant grin. "The clock's ticking! Start running before I change my mind!"
"Hmph. You asked for it." Sasuke sat down on the ground, lifting his legs in the air, assuming the ridiculous but effective 'butt-running' posture Guy had drilled into him. He took a deep, centering breath, chakra flaring around his gluteus muscles.
" Gear Second…!"
To Naruto's utter, jaw-dropped astonishment, Sasuke didn't scoot. He blurred. One moment he was there, the next he was a shrinking dot kicking up a colossal dust trail five hundred meters down the road, the sound of his voice echoing back faintly on the wind.
"You said… a minute… minute… ute…"
Naruto stood frozen, the Rasengan sputtering out in his hand, his triumphant grin now a perfect circle of shock. "Eh… EH?!"