Naruto: I Became a Sword Saint in Konoha

After Sakumo introduced her, the woman behind him—Suzuki Mayu—stepped forward and politely bowed to Hoshiyomi and the others. But they were still too stunned to respond, making the atmosphere a little awkward.

It was Shinku who finally nudged them back to their senses. Only then did the trio—Hoshiyomi, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—greet her with delayed, slightly stiff smiles.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Tsunade and Hoshiyomi each pulled Sakumo aside, crowding him with curious questions about how he and Mayu ended up together. Orochimaru remained quietly composed, but his ears were clearly perked up, taking in every detail.

As Sakumo and Mayu began recounting their story, a rather ordinary yet touching tale of battlefield romance unfolded before them.

It wasn't anything dramatic or legendary—just a connection forged in the chaos of war.

Suzuki Mayu wasn't some elite genius kunoichi. Already in her early twenties, she was still a chūnin, and far from being treated as a key asset. If not for the lighter fighting on the defensive front, she might've died long ago.

Their paths crossed during a patrol mission. Mayu's squad was ambushed by an elite Sunagakure team and suffered devastating losses. Just as the enemy raised their blades to strike her down, Sakumo arrived like a storm, cutting through the Sand shinobi with his brilliant kenjutsu and saving her life.

From that moment on, Mayu fell hopelessly in love.

Despite her reserved personality, she made the boldest move of her life—pursuing Sakumo openly, caring little for others' opinions.

As the saying goes, "when a woman pursues a man, it's like slicing through silk." With her gentle persistence, even the stoic White Fang couldn't hold out forever.

Originally, they'd planned to wait until after the war to marry. But, well… accidents happen. One night's slip-up, and Sakumo "hit the mark," as it were.

Mayu's traditional, nurturing personality suited Sakumo perfectly. And Sakumo was never the type to dodge responsibility—he'd gone into the relationship seriously from the start.

Now that they had a child on the way, it was only natural they formalize their bond.

Sakumo had already been thinking about sending Mayu back to the village to safely carry out her pregnancy. When he heard Hoshiyomi and the others were also planning to return, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Everyone quickly agreed on a plan. News from the offensive front had been successfully relayed, and the defensive line's operations were stable. So early the next morning, Hoshiyomi, Tsunade, and Orochimaru set off for Konoha—quietly accompanied by Shinku and Mayu.

(Side note: why do "Shinku" and "Mayu" sound like they could be siblings?)

As for Danzō, Sakumo would pass the message along. After all, Hoshiyomi and the others had just scored a massive victory, and with no immediate threat of renewed conflict, their return to receive commendations and await new orders was well justified.

Shinku had merely requested leave to visit his children during the ceasefire, and Mayu's return to the village to rest and carry the baby to term was beyond reasonable. Even Danzō couldn't argue with that.

Not that Danzō could actually give them orders in the first place. Though technically their superior, he had no real authority over Hoshiyomi's group—and he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to cross them directly.

At this point, with their influence rising fast on the battlefield, offending them would be a disaster. If they quit out of frustration, Danzō might have to head to the front lines himself—and the scheming old snake wasn't about to take that risk.

So after a quiet farewell meal, the next morning the group set out.

Mayu was still in the early stages of pregnancy, and with all of them being shinobi, travel wasn't an issue. It only took two to three days for the group to reach Konoha.

Upon arrival, their first stop was the Hokage's office to report in to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Shinku and Mayu's situation was handled easily. With a simple wave of his hand, the Third Hokage approved their leave without hesitation.

What truly surprised him was Hoshiyomi's report.

"You're telling me the four of you actually defeated Hanzō?" Hiruzen asked, pipe clamped between his teeth, a mix of astonishment and joy in his eyes.

It was the best possible news for the village.

He had expected the conflict with Amegakure to drag on, potentially until winter, when their food supply would dry up. Only then might Konoha make progress.

He never imagined Hoshiyomi's team would resolve the situation so cleanly.

Orochimaru flashed a rare, playful smile. "Old man, don't tell me you still doubt our strength?"

This version of Orochimaru hadn't yet fallen into the darkness of the original timeline. The suspicion and resentment born from his parents' death had gradually dissolved, thanks in large part to the company of Hoshiyomi and the others. He was noticeably brighter and more open than his canon counterpart.

Hiruzen chuckled warmly.

"Of course I believe in you. All of you are my prized students. That battle was invaluable—especially your strategy, Hoshiyomi.

Using supplies to secure an alliance with the Hidden Rain was brilliant. With their help, we can ease the burden on our own forces. You may have saved thousands of Konoha lives.

You're all heroes of the village—without question."

Tsunade, still clinging to Hoshiyomi's arm, waved him off casually:

"Alright, enough with the praise, old man. Just give us our time off already—we want to go visit Nawaki."

Because Hiruzen hadn't accepted Danzō's suggestion to send academy students to the battlefield, and thanks to Hoshiyomi's forceful intervention, Nawaki had avoided his canon death. As a result, Tsunade harbored no resentment toward the Third Hokage.

At this point, their relationship was still relaxed and friendly—far from the bitterness seen in the original series.

(According to Jiraiya's flashback, Nawaki died before the battle with Hanzō, while Dan died afterward.)

Pleased with their growth and success, Hiruzen beamed.

"Of course! You all deserve it. Take a good rest. Walk the village. Visit your friends.

Speaking of which, many of your peers have already started families. Tsunade, Hoshiyomi… when's your turn, hmm?"

His teasing turned Tsunade beet red, nearly costing him an office desk as she slammed her hand down.

In that moment, Hoshiyomi noticed something—Hiruzen's photo frame had changed. Where there had once been a picture of three family members, there were now four. A baby was cradled in the arms of the mother.

Hoshiyomi's eyes narrowed slightly. He pointed at the frame.

"Seems it's not just our peers having children, is it?"

At that, Hiruzen scratched his head, a sheepish grin forming on his face.

"Haha… well, sometimes these things just happen. I named him Asuma. If things go well, maybe one day he'll become one of your students."

The room burst into laughter—but in Hoshiyomi's heart, something stirred.

Kakashi. Yūhi Kurenai. Asuma. Might Guy. Rin. Obito.

More and more familiar names were being born into the world.

Would the future still unfold the same way?