But the moment Jiraiya heard that hot springs were especially popular with girls—and that it was mixed bathing—his "principles" instantly evaporated.
People need rest sometimes.
Let's go wash up comfortably!
So the three of them dawdled for nearly a full week before finally returning to Konoha.
Hiruzen gave them maximum face—an honor guard lining the streets like they were welcoming a triumphant army. "The return of one of the Legendary Sannin" shook the entire village.
But Uchiha Yusuke didn't care in the slightest.
In fact, he didn't even attend the welcome banquet Hiruzen hosted for Tsunade.
He understood perfectly:
Hiruzen dragged Tsunade back to Konoha to apply pressure on him. Since he clearly wasn't welcome, why bother showing up and making himself the target?
Tsunade had left the village early. Yusuke had met her before, but they weren't close. When she was active, he hadn't even graduated from the academy yet. Compared to Tsunade, he'd dealt far more with Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
A Day Off
Wind slanted. Rain drifted soft and fine.
Instead of sleeping at home, Yusuke gathered his own ANBU for a tavern feast.
Besides the four squad leaders—
Kakashi
Might Guy
Kurenai Yuhi
Nono Yakushi
—there were also:
Gekkō Hayate
Shiranui Genma
Uzuki Yūgao
Mitarashi Anko
Yusuke's recruitment was youth-heavy. After an aggressive wave of poaching, he'd practically swept up the elite of his generation.
Sitting together, it looked like a class reunion. Same age. Same jokes. Same dreams. Everyone wanted to change Konoha.
Hiruzen was "the symbol of light," sure—but under his rule, the shadows were very real. Danzō had been a convenient scapegoat. But Hiruzen wasn't innocent either.
Yusuke didn't have grand ambitions. He simply wanted to clean off the dust Konoha had allowed to accumulate.
Not overnight. Long-term.
Because even with the Uchiha massacre route altered, the world was still unstable—Akatsuki stirring, Obito moving, Black Zetsu lurking. Challenges were coming.
So Yusuke's next step was clear:
Build influence.
Strengthen his people.
Stay unbreakable when the storm hits.
Chōraku Street Izakaya
The feast began.
Top-tier sake. Expensive dishes. Konoha specialties—everything.
Yusuke didn't hold back. When he seized Root's territory, he'd also seized a very fat inheritance. He was worth hundreds of millions now.
Spending a few hundred thousand ryō on a night like this? Nothing.
Compared to Tsunade—who could lose hundreds of thousands in a single hand—Yusuke was practically frugal.
Then the door opened.
A voice drifted in, amused:
"I'll be the uninvited guest."
"Surely no one objects?"
Tsunade walked in with Shizune and joined the gathering.
Yusuke silently sighed.
He'd been avoiding her to prevent trouble—and she still found him.
Well. If she came, then let her come.
He wanted to see what she was really here for.
The Room's Reaction
Almost none. No shockwaves. No panic.
People kept drinking and laughing like nothing happened.
Among the Sannin:
Jiraiya wandered the world like a shameless sage.
Orochimaru kept everyone at arm's length.
Tsunade—despite being a princess—was oddly the most "human" of them.
Many here had known her for years.
And Shizune? She was Yusuke's generation. She blended into the crowd naturally.
Yusuke, meanwhile, quietly merged into the men's circle with Kakashi and Guy. If Tsunade wanted to start something, he gave her no opening.
Not because he feared her—but because he didn't want to step into Hiruzen's trap.
Hiruzen had definitely poisoned the well with words. Even if Tsunade had no bias against Uchiha originally… who knows what "teacher talk" could shape into misunderstanding?
So Yusuke's approach was simple:
Can't afford the mess → don't engage.
And honestly—he wasn't obsessed with becoming Hokage.
If Tsunade wanted the seat, he could even yield it.
What he wanted was something deeper:
Uchiha independence.
As long as the clan was strong enough, he'd always have real power. The title was just a name. The paperwork life wasn't his dream.
Tsunade Gets Ignored
Shizune immediately got pulled into the women's group—Kurenai, Anko, Yūgao, and the rest.
Tsunade had acquaintances here, but she still looked… out of place.
This was basically a young people's reunion.
A "big sister" could slip in, sure—but she wouldn't become the center.
Tsunade glanced toward Yusuke.
Her brows tightened.
As a princess, she was used to being the focus anywhere she went.
But here?
Yusuke treated her like air.
She clicked her tongue, went to a corner—and started drinking alone.
Then, she turned that irritation into appetite.
"Deep-sea lobster. Ten."
"Imported Lightning Country steak. Five."
"Nara specialty venison. Three jin."
Menu in one hand. The other slamming the table like she owned the place.
She'd already investigated:
Tonight's bill was fully on Yusuke.
Outwardly calm. Internally gleefully malicious.
You dare ignore me, brat? I'll eat you into bankruptcy.
She wasn't done.
"And that limited red wine you've got?"
"Two bottles."
The owner hesitated. Everyone knew Tsunade's reputation—a high-status woman with a low bank balance.
If she couldn't pay, it'd be a nightmare.
But refusing her? Even worse.
Then the owner's eyes flickered with a solution.
If she can't pay… the Hokage will.
Hiruzen cared about his image. He wouldn't let "his student eats without paying" become public gossip.
The owner's smile became brighter than the lanterns.
A whale customer was a whale customer.
He personally delivered the wine.
Tsunade was delighted.
Finally, someone with eyes.
She dismissed him and began eating happily, oil at the corners of her mouth.
The food was excellent.
But better than that—it wasn't her money.
And imagining Yusuke's expression when the bill landed?
Pure joy.
The Hokage Seat: The "Final Candidate" Theme Starts Showing
Tsunade didn't come here just to eat.
She'd heard plenty about Yusuke from Hiruzen. A young man who could make the elders panic, topple Danzō, and reshape the power map?
Of course she was curious.
She wanted a direct clash.
Instead, she got a cold shoulder—so she turned it into a financial duel.
And in the background, the real question quietly sharpened:
If Hiruzen is pulling Tsunade back as a counterweight… and Yusuke is building his own faction among the elite young shinobi…
Then the "final candidate" for Hokage won't be decided by words.
It'll be decided by:
who holds the village's loyalty
who controls the institutions
who can't be replaced
And right now—both sides are preparing for that inevitable vote.
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