Chapter 246: The Fifth Hokage
Hokage's Office.
"Lady Tsunade is returning."
Tonbo Tobitake received the intelligence from Jiraiya. He immediately jumped up in excitement.
"Senior Shikaku, come with me to welcome the return of the Fifth Hokage," Tonbo said to Shikaku, who was nearby.
Shikaku put down his work. Hearing Tonbo's words—and especially seeing the joyous, relieved smile on his face—he felt quite speechless. For many, becoming the Hokage was a lifelong dream, the ultimate idolized goal. For Tonbo Tobitake, it was just a chore that he couldn't wait to be rid of.
Shikaku shook his head. He felt that Tonbo's personality really wasn't suited for being Hokage in the long run because he lacked that "toil until the end" sense of self-sacrificing responsibility. However, Tonbo's ability as Acting Hokage was beyond doubt. Shikaku had watched him grow up; no matter what position Tonbo occupied, he did it well. That wasn't an ordinary skill. Even in a position he didn't care for, he had kept the village's affairs perfectly organized.
"Mhm, let's go. It has been a long time since I've seen Lady Tsunade." Mentioning Tsunade brought a smile to Shikaku's face as well. Perhaps she was indeed the right choice. If she was even slightly more diligent and responsible than Tonbo, it would make Shikaku's life a lot easier.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two of them, along with the Anbu guards, left the Hokage's office.
In front of Konoha's Main Gate.
"Hmph. That old man Sarutobi... to think he let Orochimaru make such a mess of things. He really did get old!" Tsunade walked at the front, venting as she looked at the familiar sights.
Jiraiya sighed. "There was no helping it. We are all in our fifties now. It was inevitable that Sensei would grow old."
Whoosh— A cool breeze blew past. Shizune and Naruto, who were about to greet the gate guards, suddenly felt the atmosphere shift and quietly stepped back.
BAM!
Jiraiya went flying.
"You bastard! You're the only one who's old. I'm still young!" Tsunade barked, dusting off her knuckles.
Swish!
"Yes, yes... let's just go. The two advisors and Tonbo have probably been waiting for a long time," Jiraiya said, wiping blood from his nose as he walked back.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Just then, several figures landed from the sky.
"Long time no see, Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade..." Tonbo smiled the moment he landed. Finally! They were back! He was finally going to be free!
"And you are? You know me?" Tsunade looked at the stranger with confusion. She recognized Shikaku and the Anbu members behind him, so she assumed this was the "genius ninja with talent rivaling Minato" that Jiraiya had mentioned.
"Head of the Analysis Division and Acting Hokage, Tonbo Tobitake. Naturally, I know of Lady Tsunade," Tonbo said, launching into a tireless string of praise. "The legendary Sannin, the greatest medical ninja in the world, the strongest kunoichi who has Lord Jiraiya head-over-heels, the future Fifth Hokage, and the pillar of Konoha. If I didn't recognize you, I'd be a laughingstock!"
Shikaku stood behind him, listening in silence. You just want to ditch the job as fast as possible, don't you? Even Naruto, standing behind Tsunade, felt his blood boiling with excitement. He wanted to be that cool one day—then Sakura would surely fall for him, too.
"Kid, you really aren't suited to be Hokage," Jiraiya remarked, hearing the subtext. Tonbo had zero lingering attachment to the seat.
Tsunade countered, "On the contrary, I think this kid is quite suited for it. Why don't we just let him keep it? Looking at Konoha's current state, hasn't he handled things quite well?" She gestured toward the ongoing reconstruction.
She wasn't particularly moved by Tonbo's flattery, but the slight upward curve of her lips betrayed her good mood.
"Lady Tsunade, that simply won't do! Your appointment as the Fifth Hokage was voted on by all the Jonin of the village; it wasn't just a random whim of the Land of Fire's officials. Besides, my wife is pregnant. She needs me to spend more time with her. This position makes me feel like I'm failing her," Tonbo said, his eyes turning slightly red as if the single month of being Acting Hokage had caused him to neglect Ayame terribly.
"...Wife?" Tsunade asked.
"Haha, Tonbo already has two children, and yes, his wife is pregnant again. It's the truth," Shikaku explained.
Tsunade looked at Tonbo suspiciously. "What a coincidence. Why do I get the feeling you're doing this on purpose?" Most importantly, she wondered: If you're so busy, how do you have the energy to get your wife pregnant?
"Nothing of the sort. I'm just not suited for the Hokage's seat. The responsibility is too heavy. The burden of my family alone leaves me physically and mentally exhausted," Tonbo said, shaking his head with a weary expression. "Lord Fifth, let's talk back at the office. I'm sure the advisors have been waiting for a long time."
He didn't give her time to keep doubting him. After seeing them through the registration at the gate, he led the group toward the Hokage's office.
As Tsunade walked through the streets, she saw people carrying lumber and stone. Residents were busy repairing their homes. Even after a month, the repairs weren't finished, proving just how much damage Orochimaru had caused. However, seeing the children playing happily among the rubble, she realized Tonbo had handled the "vacuum period" exceptionally well. If he hadn't, rival nations would never have let Konoha recover so peacefully.
"Uncle Tonbo, are Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei okay?" Naruto asked from behind, his first priority being his friends.
"They're fine. Aside from not waking up, they're perfectly healthy. I go to see them with apples every day," Tonbo reassured him.
"Apples?" A mental image flashed through Naruto's mind: a sleeping Sasuke and Kakashi subconsciously reaching out to grab apples and stuffing them into their mouths. "As expected of Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke—they can even eat apples while asleep!"
He had a moment of realization. "Wait, no! How can they eat apples if they're asleep?"
His delayed reaction made everyone laugh.
"I ate them for them," Tonbo chuckled. "I was so kind as to bring them treats, and since they wouldn't accept them, I ate them on their behalf."
"You... Uncle Tonbo, you're too sneaky!"
"Have the medical ninjas checked them? There won't be any lasting issues, right?" Tsunade asked, shifting into her professional role. Kakashi was a vital asset to Konoha.
"Rest assured. While we can't wake them, maintaining their vitals is no problem," Tonbo said confidently. He checked on them every day and even used Genjutsu to "trick" their biological signals into absorbing nutrients more efficiently. Guaranteed safety.
It seemed Tsunade's succession as the Fifth would go smoothly. Tonbo felt a wave of relief. Under Naruto's influence, Tsunade seemed to have regained quite a bit of fighting spirit. Though, he suspected that spirit wouldn't last long before she defaulted back to gambling and drinking.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!