"Do you still want to spar?"
Uchiha Gen smiled faintly as he watched Tsunade jump off Kyouki's back and land lightly on the water's surface.
"No need," Jiraiya said before Tsunade could answer, waving his hands wearily. "We're not your opponents."
Tsunade exhaled and nodded. "No more fighting. I've had enough for one day."
"Since that's the case," Fukasaku said, looking toward them, "little Jiraiya, let's head back."
"Alright, you two Sages, and Bunta, see you next time." Jiraiya gave a tired smile.
"Lady Tsunade, farewell," the elder toads said in unison.
Tsunade and Jiraiya both nodded, and in the next instant...
bang, bang, bang, bang!
Four bursts of white smoke flared as the great summons vanished.
"Uh, Lord Gen, I…"
"Go on," Gen said casually.
Relieved, Manda took the hint and quickly slithered away, disappearing beneath the receding floodwaters like a fugitive granted amnesty.
Gen formed a single hand seal. The Uchiha Flame Formation dispersed, and the water that had filled the barrier suddenly lost cohesion, collapsing into a roaring flood that spilled outward in every direction.
"Ah!"
Outside the barrier, Shizune shrieked as she saw the wall of water surging toward her. She turned and sprinted away, but her speed was no match for the torrent.
Just as she was about to be swallowed, a shadow flashed past.
Before she even realized what had happened, she was airborne, safely cradled in Uchiha Gen's arms.
"Are you alright?" Gen asked with a faint smile, glancing down at her.
Shizune's cheeks turned pink. "Th-thank you, Lord Gen."
"There's no need to call me 'Lord,'" Gen said lightly. "We're peers. Just call me Gen."
"I can't possibly do that," she said quickly, shaking her head. "You're the Chief of the Police Force and Konoha's next Hokage. Calling you by name would be too disrespectful."
"Then call him Gen-kun."
Tsunade's voice cut in sharply.
"Hey, brat! Put Shizune down already! How long are you planning to hold her like that?"
Standing on the churning water, Tsunade raised her fist, irritation written all over her face.
Gen chuckled. "It seems Tsunade-senpai is worried I'll make a move on you," he said softly, setting Shizune down atop Kyouki's head.
He leaned closer and added in a whisper only she could hear, "Although, I do have a little bit of an idea."
Shizune's blush deepened to crimson. Her legs went weak, and heat crept all the way up her ears and neck.
Gen-kun… has ideas about me?
He already flirted so shamelessly with Lady Tsunade, could he really be planning to go after both master and disciple?
That would be… beyond bold.
Before her thoughts could spiral further, Kyouki arced gracefully through the air and landed beside Tsunade and Jiraiya.
"Come on, both of you," Gen said. "It'll be faster if we ride back."
Jiraiya and Tsunade climbed aboard without hesitation.
Jiraiya stomped lightly on Kyouki's scales, testing their strength, while Tsunade stood protectively beside Shizune, shooting Gen wary glances.
As for Shuryu and Shizukamaru, one had already returned to its volcanic domain, while the other rested quietly in its scabbard.
Kyouki soared smoothly through the air, faster and more comfortable than any other summon.
After a while, Jiraiya broke the silence, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Gen," he said, squinting, "your eyes… they're not just ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan, are they?"
"Ah."
Gen clasped his hands behind his back, watching the landscape scroll beneath them. His coat fluttered in the wind as he replied calmly, "You could say that."
Jiraiya exchanged a look with Tsunade. "You haven't told the old man what they really are, have you? So, can you tell us?"
Gen smiled faintly. "Don't you two already have a guess?"
"Of course," Tsunade said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "It's just… hard to believe."
"Heh… then it's just as you guessed," Gen said, glancing back with an amused smile.
"Your Uchiha Clan had another Mangekyō ability?" Jiraiya asked.
"No," Gen replied. "Mine is special, it doesn't need to fuse with another Mangekyō to evolve."
"Your soul absorption ability…" Jiraiya's tone turned serious.
"That's right," Gen said simply.
The two Sannin fell silent.
A Mangekyō that could defy the normal rules of evolution was such a thing even possible?
For a moment, they both wondered if the heavens themselves had chosen to favor the Uchiha Clan.
After a long pause, Jiraiya spoke again. "So, when do you plan to officially take the Hokage seat?"
"I don't know," Gen said casually.
Jiraiya blinked. "Huh?"
"I'm busy," Gen said, shrugging. "I don't have time to manage Konoha's politics right now. So the Third Hokage will have to hold on for a bit longer."
"If he really can't, Tsunade-senpai can take over. I'll just be the Sixth Hokage."
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged flat looks.
Busy?
Then why was he wandering around outside the village sightseeing? Did he think they were fools?
"I have no interest in the Hokage position," Tsunade said coldly.
The shadows of her past still lingered, Nawaki, Dan, her heart hadn't yet healed.
"I see," Gen said lightly. "Then it's fine. The Third should still have a few good years left in him anyway."
Jiraiya frowned. "Gen, what exactly are you planning?"
Gen smirked. "Hehe… I'm not telling."
Tsunade and Jiraiya fell silent again.
Then Gen added, perfectly straight-faced, "Of course, if Tsunade-senpai decides to live with me, maybe she'll figure it out herself."
Jiraiya's face darkened. So that's your real plan, huh?
Tsunade glared daggers at him, muttering under her breath, little pervert…
"Think about it carefully," Gen said smoothly. "When I become Hokage, someone close to me could easily influence my policies. No outsider could compare to pillow talk, after all."
"With your strength, reputation, and experience, Tsunade-senpai, you'd naturally become the big sister of the inner court."
Tsunade froze. Her fists clenched. "Big sister my foot…" she growled.
Gen only chuckled. "Hehe, Tsunade-senpai is truly cute."
"???"
Tsunade's jaw dropped. Cute?
She was forty-five! What part of that was cute?!
It was like punching a cloud, no matter how angry she got, her attacks just passed through. All she could do was grit her teeth in helpless frustration.
Shizune watched quietly, saying nothing, though she found the entire exchange oddly entertaining.
"What do you plan to do once you are Hokage?" Jiraiya finally asked, tone serious again.
"There are many things I want to do," Gen said evenly. "But the most important is unification."
"Unification?"
"This world doesn't need so many villages or countries. One country, one village, that's enough."
He looked off into the horizon, voice calm but firm.
"And someday, even that distinction may disappear. The country and its village will become one. Only then will the endless wars stop and true peace begin."
"Hiss…"
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune all inhaled sharply, eyes wide with shock.
He didn't just want to eliminate the other Hidden Villages... he intended to topple the Daimyō and nobles themselves.
That was madness.
"Gen, that's… too extreme," Jiraiya said, voice heavy. "Even crazier than Uchiha Madara."
Madara had once dreamed of unifying the world, but even he never dared to erase the Daimyō or merge the villages and nations completely.
"Do you even know what you're saying?" Jiraiya demanded.
Gen didn't flinch. "Of course I do," he said softly. "This is my path to peace. Even if it means becoming the enemy of the entire world."
He clasped his hands behind his back, gaze steady. His tone was calm, his eyes like still water devoid of arrogance, but full of unshakable resolve.
That quiet certainty sent a tremor through Tsunade's heart. For a moment, she saw Kato Dan's silhouette overlapping with Gen's.
Dan, leaning on a railing under the sun, speaking of his dream to become Hokage. His eyes were filled with light, firm, sincere, and unashamed.
Back then, that confidence and idealism had captivated her completely.
He had supported her when no one else did, when she first proposed assigning a Medical Ninja to every squad, even Hiruzen had opposed it. Everyone had stayed silent… except Dan.
Jiraiya, who always claimed to care for her, hadn't said a word.
Whether Dan had spoken up for love or conviction, it didn't matter. From that moment, Jiraiya had already lost.
His own behavior only deepened that gap, the peeping, the bravado, the insecurity hiding beneath his carefree grin.
Confidence is everything, and Jiraiya had always lacked it.
During the Second Great Ninja War, when they fought side by side, Tsunade's feelings for him had softened. Their bond had grown—more than friendship, not yet love. She tended to his wounds, worried for him, and no longer pushed him away.
That had been his best chance.
But he left for six years to train Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, and whatever warmth had bloomed quietly faded with time.
When he returned and lost his students, Tsunade had been there to comfort him, she understood that pain better than anyone. But instead of staying, he drowned himself in the red-light district.
How could she possibly take him seriously after that?
His carefree playboy image was just fear in disguise, fear of rejection, fear of losing even friendship.
So he chose to stay in her shadow instead, helping her silently from behind.
Even in the end, when he went to face Pain, the words he'd wanted to say were right there but he laughed them away.
The essence of love is attraction, not pity. That's why Jiraiya remained alone.
And yet… love is also about time, growth, and courage.
If, during their final farewell, he had just said the words, or kissed her, perhaps there would've been no regrets at all.
…
After a long silence, Gen finally spoke again.
"As long as no one warns the Daimyō or nobles of the Land of Fire, by the time they realize what's happening, it'll already be too late."
He turned back to them, smiling faintly. "So… are my ideas shocking?"
Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "You know they are!"
"Hehe," Gen said. "Tell me then, Jiraiya-senpai, what do you think a ninja is?"
Jiraiya answered without hesitation, "Someone who can endure all pain."
"And Tsunade-senpai?" Gen asked.
Tsunade blinked, caught off guard. "Ah… my view's pretty much the same as Jiraiya's."
Gen's eyes shifted to Shizune. "And you, Shizune... actually, never mind. You're Tsunade-senpai's disciple, so I'm sure yours is similar."
Shizune: "…"
Can I at least answer?
Jiraiya crossed his arms. "Then what about you, Gen? What do you think a ninja is?"
A slow, meaningful smile spread across Uchiha Gen's face…