Konoha: Gu Master

After washing the dishes, Shinho Aburame stepped out of the kitchen.

Tsunade was lying on the couch, fast asleep, her steady breathing audible. 

He approached, picked up the high-heeled sandals strewn on the floor, and placed them on the shoe rack by the door.

After a moment's thought, Shinho went to her room and fetched a blanket.

Draping it over her, he lost the captivating sight of her exposed skin and the snowy mountain peak. 

Shinho nodded approvingly, then resumed his training.

Two hours later, he opened his eyes and noticed Tsunade's bare feet exposed to the cool air. He stepped forward and reached out to cover them.

"What are you doing?" Tsunade looked at him with a weird look.

Does this kid have a foot fetish?

"You're awake?" Shinho asked, tucking her feet back under the blanket.

Tsunade felt a pang of guilt, realizing she'd misunderstood him. 

"Thanks."

Sitting up, she added, "I'm going to take a bath." 

She held the blanket around her as she walked barefoot to her room, soon emerging with a nightgown and heading toward the bathroom. 

Moments later, the sound of running water echoed from the shower.

About half an hour later, Tsunade reappeared in a kimono-style robe. 

Her dense blonde hair, wet and sticking to her face, gave her the look of a ruffled cat.

"Goodnight," she yawned. "You should get to bed early too." After drying her hair, she retreated to her room, turning off the light.

"I'm back!" came Shizune's voice.

Shinho turned to see her by the entryway, leaning against the wall with one leg raised as she removed her shoes.

As she slipped out of them, she lifted her skirt slightly, exposing her fair thigh.

There was a click as she unfastened a concealed weapon strapped to her thigh. Wearing it all day had left distinct impressions on her skin.

Normally, she wouldn't carry all this gear, but today had been the Chūnin Exams, and her preparation had proven essential.

Without her concealed weapons, she might have perished at the hands of Baki.

Shizune looked up and froze, noticing Shinho's gaze. 

A flush of embarrassment crept onto her cheeks, and she instinctively covered her thigh.

"Shizune-nee," Shinho said without a hint of emotion, "Have you eaten?"

"No." Shizune lowered her gaze.

"Go take a bath then," Shinho suggested. "I'll make some ramen for you."

"Thank you." Shizune let out a small sigh of relief as she headed to the bathroom, lightly patting her cheeks. 

What are you even thinking?! she chided herself, as she undressed and let the warm water cascade over her fair, slender body, gradually calming her thoughts.

By the time she returned, Shinho had the ramen ready.

"Go get some rest," Shinho said after she finished eating. 

"I'll handle the cleanup." He took the dishes and headed to the kitchen.

Shizune watched his back, sighing inwardly. 

He's too good. It was a shame he was so much younger than her.

When Shinho returned, Shizune had already gone to her room. 

He made his way to the bathroom, loaded the laundry machine with Tsunade's and Shizune's clothes, then hung them out on the balcony to dry before finally retiring to bed.

….

Three days later.

Dawn had just broken, and a light rain began falling over Konoha. Today was the funeral of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. 

The somber mood was palpable.

Shinho, holding an umbrella, made his way slowly to the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

"Shinho-kun," Yamanaka Ino greeted him as she appeared.

Dressed in a black kimono, her blonde hair stood out against the dark attire. She looked strikingly different from her usual self. 

"Here." She handed him a bouquet of white chrysanthemums.

"Where are your parents?" Shinho glanced around the shop but saw no one else.

"They left a bit earlier." Ino tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. In reality, she'd stayed behind specifically to wait for Shinho.

"Let's go," Shinho said without further thought.

"Um… we don't have enough umbrellas at home…" Ino said nervously, shifting on her feet. 

Her blush deepened as her obvious excuse hung in the air.

"Come here," Shinho said, moving over half a step.

"Thank you, Shinho-kun!" Ino quickly trotted over, pressing close beside him as they walked out.

"There are so many people…" Ino murmured as she glanced around. 

The streets were filled with villagers in mourning attire. Word of Sarutobi Hiruzen's death had spread, and people had come of their own accord to pay their respects.

For this, they had Tsunade to thank. Although she had once pressured Hiruzen, she hadn't revealed the full story to the public. 

Now that he had died defending Konoha, his reputation remained unscathed.

The funeral was held in front of the Hokage Building's main square, the only location large enough to accommodate such a crowd.

"Shinho." Nara Shikamaru greeted him with a nod.

Shinho nodded in return, then looked over at Uzumaki Naruto, who stood nearby, visibly dispirited. 

Thanks to his constitution, Naruto had woken up the day before, though Uchiha Sasuke was still bedridden.

"Shinho-kun." Hinata Hyuga mustered the courage to call out to him. 

She was standing with Neji and Hanabi.

"Big Sis isn't doing well," Hanabi noted to herself, seeing Ino and Shinho sharing an umbrella. I can't let such a good brother-in-law go to someone else!

Since it was a funeral, there wasn't much conversation; everyone exchanged only a few words of greeting.

By eight o'clock, the square was filled with ninja at the front and villagers behind them, all in black, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Moments later, Tsunade emerged and addressed the crowd. It was her first lengthy public speech. 

She first recounted Sarutobi Hiruzen's achievements throughout his life, then expounded on the Will of Fire he left behind.

"Please present the flowers," she finally announced after half an hour.

In an orderly manner, everyone approached and laid down their white chrysanthemums. It wasn't until noon, when the sun reappeared, that the funeral formally concluded.

….

In the Hokage's office.

Shinho sat in the Hokage's chair, assisting with paperwork.

"Eh? Why are you here?" a voice suddenly came from the window. It was Jiraiya, who leapt down and looked at Shinho with surprise a hint of admiration.

Minato Namikaze had been the youngest Hokage at twenty-four, but would his record be broken? 

If Jiraiya remembered correctly, Shinho had only graduated from the ninja academy six months prior.

With anyone else, Jiraiya would have thought it impossible. But with Tsunade? She might actually consider it.

"Sensei has gone to meet with the Sand Village jonin, Baki," Shinho said casually. "They apparently discovered the corpse of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa."

"A corpse?" Jiraiya asked, surprised. "Who killed him?"

"Orochimaru," Shinho replied, glancing at him.

"That guy again," Jiraiya said, his brows furrowing.

"Uncle Jiraiya, do you need something?" Shinho asked, sensing that Jiraiya was putting on a performance, though he couldn't be certain.

In the original storyline, after Sarutobi Hiruzen's death, Jiraiya had taken Naruto on a journey to find Tsunade. 

But because Shinho's presence had accelerated her return and her appointment as Hokage, that plotline was no longer necessary.

Could it be that this was related to Naruto?

"Naruto's performance in the Chūnin Exams was impressive," Jiraiya said thoughtfully. "But he's still lacking in certain areas—especially as a jinchūriki, he needs more than just taijutsu."

 Normally, he would only discuss such matters with Tsunade.

However, considering Shinho was already sitting in the Hokage's chair, it wouldn't hurt to tell him.

"I'll pass the message along to Sensei," Shinho nodded slightly.

This was a good opportunity for Naruto—there was no reason for him to stop it.

With the Eight Gates Technique combined with the Nine-Tails' chakra, Shinho couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Uchiha Sasuke.

Wait.

It seemed he himself was actually Naruto's primary target.

Shinho's lips twitched. Clearly, he would need to put in more effort.

"I'll be at the Konoha Hot Springs for the next few days. Please come find me if there's any news," Jiraiya said, waving a hand as he leaped out the window.

Shinho returned to his paperwork.

Two hours later, the door swung open, and Tsunade walked in.

"How did the negotiations with the Sand Village go?" Shinho asked, looking up.

"Quite smoothly," Tsunade replied, picking up a water glass from the desk and taking a sip. "To make amends for their actions, they agreed to pay reparations."

"Just reparations?" Shinho raised an eyebrow.

"And a few other terms." Tsunade chuckled. "In short, the Sand Village is now Konoha's ally."

An ally? Got it, Shinho thought, recalling Japan from his previous life.

"Any important documents for today?" Tsunade asked, putting the glass down.

"Nothing critical." Shinho paused, then added, "Uncle Jiraiya dropped by earlier. He wants to train Naruto to become a true Jinchūriki."

"A Jinchūriki, huh?" Tsunade thought of the Akatsuki and said, "Let him go ahead."

The Akatsuki's goal was to capture Jinchūriki. 

The stronger Naruto became, the safer he would be for him, and the village as a whole. 

If he mastered his tailed beast and the Eight Gates Technique, capturing him would be a near-impossible feat.

"Sensei, what do you intend to do about Danzo Shimura?" Shinho asked.

"No rush in that matter," Tsunade replied, shaking her head. "There's a lot in his head we need him to reveal first."

"True." Seeing her calm demeanor, Shinho felt reassured.

"Oh, and there's more good news." Tsunade snapped her fingers. "The Hidden Mist Village has agreed to begin trading with us."

"Why did the Mizukage suddenly change her mind?" Shinho asked, curious.

"She didn't reveal anything particular, but I suspect it has to do with a certain event." Tsunade's face turned serious. "The death of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura."

So the three-year countdown begins.

With Yagura's death, the Three-Tails was also gone, setting the timer for its revival at three years. 

Three years until the struggle over the Three-Tails and the full mobilization of the Akatsuki.

"I see." Shinho nodded. "The Mist Village likely needs Zabuza Momochi and Haku to bolster their ranks."

They might also want to increase their chances in the Three-Tails battle, though Shinho kept that thought to himself.

"Then again, maybe not," Tsunade said, settling onto the couch. "Yagura's death happened earlier but was kept a secret until now."

"Either way, it's an advantage for us," Shinho said with a smile.

"Indeed." Tsunade's lips curled up slightly.

"Sensei," Shinho glanced at her empty glass, "aren't you supposed to get me a drink?"

"Hmm?" Tsunade snorted as her eyes narrowed, "What did you just say, brat?"

"Since, by your logic, I'm the Hokage now," Shinho replied confidently, "doesn't that make you the assistant?"

"…"

After a brief pause, Tsunade reluctantly stood up.

"Thank you." Shinho nodded in satisfaction.

Three simple sentences, and he had Tsunade completely in hand. On a whim, he glanced around; if a massage was on offer, that'd be even better.

"Brat!" Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What kind of look was that?"

"You must be mistaken, Sensei," Shinho replied, unperturbed, as he picked up his paperwork.

Tsunade pursed her lips. Coward.

She glanced down at her chest, thinking to herself that sometimes, being so attractive was a real burden.

A brief silence fell over her.

She was beginning to sense something peculiar about Shinho. But how would she confront it?

What if it was just her imagination? That would be embarrassing.

And if it wasn't… what then?

Their ages and statuses were too far apart—it would never work out.

Tsunade spaced out, her thoughts drifting. But if we were the same age… how would things be?

After a moment's contemplation, she admitted to herself that she might actually agree.

"I'm going out for a bit," Tsunade said abruptly, feeling inexplicably restless.

….

At Konoha Hospital.

Uchiha Sasuke opened his eyes, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling in confusion.

After a few seconds, everything came rushing back.

He had lost to Uzumaki Naruto.

"Sasuke?" Sakura's voice sounded beside him, and she rushed forward. "You're finally awake!"

"How long was I out?" Sasuke asked flatly.

"Three days," Sakura replied.

"Who took first place?" Sasuke hesitated, then asked, "Was it Shinho?"

"No," Sakura answered reflexively.

"No?" Sasuke's face froze. "How's that possible?"

"I mean… it's not what you think," Sakura stammered, and quickly recounted everything that had happened while he was unconscious.

"…"

Sasuke felt like he had skipped entire scenes of a story. Where am I? What am I supposed to do now? How did I miss so much?

"Will the Chūnin Exams continue?" he asked, finally snapping out of it.

"I don't know," Sakura replied with a shake of her head.

Sasuke hesitated. Even if the exams did continue, he would be ineligible—he had lost to Naruto, after all.

That bitter thought stung.

At that moment, Sasuke's gaze sharpened. Someone was spying on him. It was obvious, and deliberately so.

"Sakura," he said, standing up, "I'm going to the bathroom."

Once outside the ward, he made his way to the rooftop.

"Impressive instincts for an Uchiha prodigy," greeted four young shinobi with Sound Village headbands. They were Kidomaru, Tayuya, Sakon and Ukon, and Jirōbō.

"You actually dare to show up here?" Sasuke sneered. "Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"We're actually terrified," Kidomaru replied with a sly tone. "But don't you want to become stronger?"

"And you think you can help with that?" Sasuke scoffed, his voice laced with disdain.

"Don't underestimate us," Kidomaru said, as black curse marks spread across his skin. 

In an instant, his appearance changed drastically—his hair turned white, a third eye appeared on his forehead, and six arms extended from his body.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.

What kind of bizarre mutation is this?!

But then he tensed, realising Kidomaru's aura had intensified several times over, enough to make him feel an unmistakable sense of danger.

join my patreon for 110+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL