Long ago, Tsunade had proposed reforming Konoha's medical division.
The higher-ups dismissed it with excuses like "insufficient funds."
Dan Katō had supported her during that meeting.
That was how they met.
That was how they fell in love.
Not long after—
the Second Great Ninja War erupted.
Dan died.
Nawaki died.
Tsunade developed hemophobia.
For a medical ninja, fear of blood meant the end of everything.
Her spirit withered.
She took Shizune—
and left Konoha.
Back to the Present
Hearing the bitterness in Tsunade's tone, Jiraiya felt his head throb.
He had expected resistance.
But this was worse than he imagined.
He cleared his throat and forced himself into seriousness.
"Danzō is dead."
"Root has been dismantled."
"Konoha is unstable."
Tsunade remained indifferent.
Danzō's dead? Good.
One less old vulture.
She didn't care.
Jiraiya added:
"He was killed by Uchiha Yusuke."
"He's now Hokage Advisor."
"The Uchiha situation… could become complicated."
"The old man wants you to return as the Fifth Hokage."
Silence.
Tsunade didn't react.
But Shizune's eyes suddenly sparkled.
"Uchiha Yusuke?!"
"You mean Yusuke-kun?!"
"He's that strong now?!"
Jiraiya blinked.
"You know him?"
Shizune nodded vigorously.
"We were classmates!"
"All the girls in class adored him!"
Jiraiya rubbed his nose with faint envy.
So that kid's another Orochimaru-level heartthrob?
Why didn't I have that luck in school?
He remembered getting rejected by Tsunade again and again.
If he compiled all those failures, it could fill a tragic novel.
Not Make-Out Paradise.
More like Lonely Plum in the Winter Wind.
Tsunade's Verdict
After a long silence, Tsunade snorted.
"Hokage is garbage."
"Only fools want that job."
"They can't even handle one Uchiha brat."
"Hiruzen's getting worse with age."
Jiraiya's eyes lit up.
"So… you'll go back?"
Tsunade shot him a glare.
"I said only fools want it."
"You think I'm a fool?"
Jiraiya immediately raised both hands in surrender.
Tsunade's fists were not symbolic threats.
Broken ribs were standard pricing.
"Listen, Tsunade."
"Konoha really needs you."
"What's wrong with being Fifth Hokage?"
"You used to admire the title."
A flicker crossed her face.
Once—
Hokage had been her dream.
Now?
It felt like a relic from another life.
"Stop."
"If you want to go back, you go."
"I won't be Fifth."
Shizune couldn't help speaking up.
"Lady Tsunade… will you abandon your dream?"
Jiraiya seized the opening.
"Exactly."
"You're more suited than I am."
"The Fifth Hokage should be you."
Tsunade frowned.
"No."
Jiraiya changed tactics.
"You know… that line sounds familiar."
"You said the same thing when I confessed to you."
He shifted into nostalgia mode.
War stories.
Hanzo of the Salamander.
Medical reform debates.
Her contributions.
Then he mentioned Minato and Kushina.
He expressed dissatisfaction with Hiruzen.
He lamented Naruto being alone.
He even teared up dramatically.
Tsunade only felt a headache coming on.
"You done?"
"If not, leave."
"And don't ruin my mood for tonight's gambling."
Cold. Final.
But Jiraiya didn't give up.
That night, he lay awake thinking.
Tsunade likes gambling.
That's the angle.
The Next Morning: The "Last Box"
Tsunade donned her coat with the bold kanji "賭" (Gamble) on the back.
"This is it."
"Today I reverse fate."
Shizune trembled.
That's the last box of money…
Jiraiya followed quietly.
He overheard.
She's broke.
Opportunity.
Inside the casino—
as expected—
Tsunade became the walking ATM again.
Within hours, Jiraiya had secretly bet against her streak and won hundreds of thousands of ryō.
She burned through everything.
S-rank missions didn't even pay that much.
Even Kakuzu would clutch all five hearts in rage watching this.
By afternoon—
she was bankrupt.
No money for drinks.
No money for food.
Reality hurt.
And finally—
she remembered Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya."
"Come out."
He appeared theatrically—
only to nearly get punched into the pavement.
She stopped herself.
"I'll forgive you."
"Give me two million ryō."
"Otherwise prepare for hospitalization."
Jiraiya's soul nearly left his body.
Two million?!
Still—
he agreed.
Later, over dinner—paid entirely by him—he tried again.
"The old man sent me with thirty million ryō."
"If you return, it's yours."
Tsunade's eyes shifted slightly.
Thirty million.
Jiraiya's heart was bleeding.
No mission reward.
All personal funds.
But he pressed on.
"You wanted medical reform."
"You'll control the medical division."
"When you're Hokage, you decide everything."
She knew he was selling a dream.
But money was real.
And reform…
still stirred something deep inside.
Fine.
"Alright."
"I'll go."
"Two days. Then we return."
Jiraiya nearly cried in relief.
He immediately sent word back to Konoha.
Hiruzen's Satisfaction
In the Hokage's office—
Hiruzen received the message.
"Tsunade is returning."
Good.
With Tsunade back—
he could stabilize the situation.
Uchiha Yusuke might be powerful—
but Senju blood was returning.
And historically—
Senju had suppressed Uchiha.
Hashirama had suppressed Madara.
That precedent was comforting.
Hiruzen's thoughts drifted.
If only Orochimaru had stayed.
His genius could have carried the Will of Fire forward.
But Orochimaru had chosen forbidden arts.
And worse—
aligned too closely with Danzō.
That crossed a line.
So Hiruzen drove him away.
Now there was a generational gap.
His sons weren't ready.
Passing the seat directly to his child would look like monarchy.
"The Second Hokage ruled selflessly."
"How could the Third turn it into a family throne?"
Better to wait a generation.
Let Tsunade bridge the era.
Then perhaps—
in the future—
the Sarutobi name could return naturally.
After all—
the Hokage's brother was Hokage.
The Hokage's student was Hokage.
The Hokage's student's student was Hokage.
From Hashirama onward—
the Hokage line had quietly monopolized the position.
The Uchiha had co-founded the village—
but after Madara fell—
they had been sidelined for generations.
Three, four generations without a Hokage.
Breaking that pattern?
Not easy.
Meanwhile: On the Road Back
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune began their return journey.
Tsunade was in no rush.
She spent.
She gambled.
She lost again.
She soaked in hot springs in the Land of Hot Water.
Jiraiya had originally declared he would "not participate"—
but that resolution didn't survive long.
And as they traveled—
Konoha's balance of power quietly shifted.
Danzō was dead.
Root was dissolved.
Yusuke had shattered one pillar of the old regime.
Now—
the game was entering its next stage.
Not Uchiha vs. Root.
But:
Uchiha vs. the Hokage lineage itself.
And this time—
the Uchiha side had a clan head unlike any before.
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