Naruto: I Became a Sword Saint in Konoha

As the three little kids hesitantly approached, Tsunade crossed her arms and spoke with a mock-stern tone:

"You already got food, didn't you? Children shouldn't be greedy."

Orochimaru gave them a quick glance, silently licking his lips—but said nothing. Thanks to Hoshiyomi's subtle influence and consistent post-battle moral guidance, Orochimaru was no longer the life-disregarding figure of the original timeline.

He still thought these kids might not live long, even with their current stroke of fortune… but he no longer harbored thoughts of "putting them out of their misery early."

Startled by Tsunade's words, the three kids instinctively shrank back. Then Konan stepped forward. At some point, she had folded a paper rose out of biscuit wrapping paper.

"Thank you. The biscuits were delicious. I made this for you."

Yahiko, however, wasn't in the mood for niceties. He blurted out boldly:

"You're Konoha ninja, right? Can you teach us ninjutsu?"

Orochimaru's brows twitched imperceptibly. Tsunade, too, reflexively began to refuse.

"Regardless of the situation, we're still Konoha shinobi. We each have duties and assignments. There's no time to—"

But she was interrupted by a light tap on the shoulder from Hoshiyomi.

She turned to look at him, puzzled. Hoshiyomi gave a subtle shake of the head.

Before she could ask why, Jiraiya stepped forward and said:

"I'll take care of these three for a while. Whether I teach them ninjutsu is another matter—but since we've met, it must be fate. At the very least, let me look after them until they're strong enough to stand on their own."

Tsunade hesitated. "But…"

"Just consider it… penance," Jiraiya said, smiling. "I said it earlier—I don't plan to head back to the village yet. I want to keep traveling through this country. Maybe staying with these three will help me see this land for what it truly is.

Don't worry, I know my limits. I'll keep in regular contact with you all, and if an emergency comes up, I'll come directly."

Hearing him say this, Tsunade and the others no longer objected.

…

Hoshiyomi and the rest returned to the Konoha forward camp. Jiraiya, on the other hand, remained behind to guide the three orphans.

In a newly built cabin nestled deep in the woods, Jiraiya sat cross-legged with Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato around a small wooden table, enjoying a hot meal.

He pointed proudly at the grilled fish in the center.

"Try this roasted fish. It's one of my signature dishes—learned it from Hoshiyomi himself."

Yahiko didn't hesitate. He dug in furiously, mouth burning from the heat as he excitedly said:

"Sensei, I've already mastered fishing! I'm so smart—I bet I'll pick up ninjutsu super fast too!"

Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle. Every time he looked at Yahiko, it reminded him of himself as a kid. He knocked lightly on the boy's head.

"Don't get cocky. Ninjutsu's no joke—it takes real effort to master."

Konan chimed in:

"Who knows, maybe once we start learning, Nagato and I will be even better than you. Then we'll be the ones protecting you."

Yahiko slapped his chest with a dramatic thump and declared:

"No way! I'm a man—I'm not gonna hide behind you two. You'll see me charging straight into battle. Right, Nagato?"

But as Yahiko and Konan turned, they noticed Nagato quietly wiping away tears.

Konan rushed to his side.

"Nagato, why are you crying?"

"I… I was just thinking about my family," Nagato whispered, voice choked. "It's been so long since I sat down to a warm meal with anyone…"

Tears streamed down his cheeks. He hadn't felt this kind of peace since the day his parents were killed. That warmth, that sense of home—it had become a distant memory.

Yahiko, however, frowned. He slapped the table and stood up.

"C'mon! Don't cry again! You're a guy, aren't you? The reason other nations look down on us is because we've got too many crybabies like you!"

He stood tall and launched into a passionate speech—clumsy, perhaps, but filled with ambition and conviction. Jiraiya listened quietly, a glimmer of admiration flickering in his eyes.

Nagato wiped his tears.

And at that moment, Jiraiya accidentally caught a glimpse beneath Nagato's red bangs—

The Rinnegan.

Those unmistakable concentric rings.

The Great Toad Sage's prophecy echoed in his mind again.

There could be no mistake. This child… could be the Child of Prophecy.

Just as the Great Sage had foretold.

This was fate.

Jiraiya stood up.

"I've made my decision," he said. "Starting tomorrow, I'll officially begin teaching you ninjutsu!"

…

Back on the front lines, many shinobi remained stationed at the borders. Although the war with the Hidden Rain had ended, negotiations were still underway, and a proper defense was required until everything was finalized.

After a brief period of rest, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Hoshiyomi packed their gear and prepared to return to the defensive front to report in.

Once they relayed the outcome of the battle to Sakumo Hatake, they would then return to Konoha for a period of leave—until a new deployment strategy was devised.

When the trio returned to the defensive line, they caused a stir. For a moment, people feared that the attack squad had lost and only these three had escaped.

But after hearing their explanation, the shock only deepened.

Konoha had won.

Hoshiyomi's team had defeated Hanzō, and the Salamander himself had agreed to form an alliance with the Leaf against Sunagakure and Iwagakure.

Ignoring the stunned faces, Hoshiyomi, Tsunade, and Orochimaru went straight to Sakumo's command tent, bypassing the absent Danzo—who was still out on intelligence duty.

Inside the tent, the four sat around the table, eating dinner.

Hoshiyomi asked,

"Where's Sakumo? Isn't this his tent? Why isn't he here? Don't tell me he got assigned something else?"

Shinku Yuhi hesitated, his expression… difficult to read.

Eventually, he spoke up:

"I think it's best if Sakumo tells you himself when he comes back. It's not that I'm holding out on you—it's just… hell, I can't even explain it properly."

Coming from mild-mannered Shinku, even that little outburst caught their attention. The three of them paused mid-meal, staring at him expectantly, trying to pry more details out.

But just then, Sakumo walked in.

And right behind him… a graceful young woman with a demure, gentle air.

Sakumo blushed ever so slightly but still held her hand firmly and announced:

"Everyone, allow me to introduce my fiancée—Suzuki Mayu."

Hoshiyomi: ???

Tsunade: ???

Orochimaru: ???

Author's Note:

In the original story, Jiraiya only discovered Nagato's Rinnegan during an Iwagakure ambush after already spending a good amount of time with them. But I felt that dragging the reveal out wasn't necessary in this adaptation. It doesn't affect the flow of the story and improves pacing.

As for Kakashi's mom—I made up her name. She won't have a major role, so it shouldn't be an issue.