Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san

Tsunade stood with one hand on her hip and suddenly changed her tone:

"Well… Anyway, I'm one of the Three Legendary Sannin. There's no need to argue with a little kid like you."

"What did you say?!"

Naruto was furious, thinking she was going to back out of their agreement.

Tsunade turned her face toward Tōshirō , raised her chin slightly, and signaled with her eyes:

"Let him be your opponent."

Tōshirō : …

He hadn't expected to be dragged into this.

Naruto looked confused as he followed her gaze to Tōshirō , who had remained quiet until now.

"If you win, I'll admit you're capable of becoming Hokage, apologize for what I said earlier, obediently return to the village to become Hokage, and heal your companions."

Tsunade smiled. "How does that sound?"

"Sure, no problem," Naruto agreed immediately without thinking.

"You're not even going to ask what happens if you lose?"

"I don't care—I'm going to win."

Naruto hopped off the table and glanced at Tōshirō , who appeared to be about the same age as him. Adjusting his forehead protector, he wore a confident smile.

Ever since graduating as a Genin, Naruto had grown tremendously. He'd faced all kinds of opponents, including geniuses like Neji Hyuga and Gaara of the Sand, and even managed to defeat them.

At this point, his confidence was through the roof, and he didn't think he could lose.

"Tsunade, what exactly are you trying to make Naruto do—or rather, what are you trying to make me do?"

Jiraiya wasn't as naive as Naruto.

It was clear to him that Tsunade's true target wasn't Naruto but himself.

Tsunade smiled faintly. "Well, aren't you unusually perceptive for once?"

Jiraiya sighed inwardly. So, I was right…

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"Haven't decided yet…" Tsunade crossed her arms and touched her lips thoughtfully. "But first and foremost, stop pestering me about becoming the Fifth Hokage."

She knew Jiraiya too well. A simple rejection wouldn't be enough to deter him; she wasn't in the mood for endless arguments.

Jiraiya let out a helpless sigh.

"Care to make a bet?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, a faintly provocative smirk on her lips.

Her plan was to win the upcoming fight, use the victory to convince both Naruto and Jiraiya to return to Konoha, and help them gain a better understanding of its future, ensuring they would have no regrets moving forward.

Of course, she could simply force them to go back, but that wasn't her style. Besides, she had other things to handle before returning to the village, like gathering rare medicinal herbs that were impossible to buy on the market. Only with her guidance could they be properly collected.

"Tsunade, don't forget—you're notoriously unlucky when it comes to gambling," Jiraiya teased with a smirk. "If it's a bet, I have no reason to decline."

Tsunade scoffed coldly. "It doesn't matter. Absolute strength can crush any amount of luck."

Jiraiya squinted at the black-haired boy who was focused on eating. For Tsunade to make such a bold statement, this kid must be exceptionally talented.

Tsunade didn't hold back her praise for Tōshirō: "This boy is extraordinary."

Naruto crossed his arms, turned his head, and let out a dissatisfied grunt. Many of his opponents had made similar bold claims before fighting him, and he didn't take this one seriously either.

"Don't underestimate him, Naruto," Jiraiya cautioned, before making a request: "I have one condition before the official fight begins."

"What condition?"

"I need a week to prepare."

Jiraiya intended to use that week to train Naruto intensively and see if he could master the Rasengan, increasing his chances of victory.

"Hmph, I thought it was something serious."

Tsunade saw right through the trick:

"Don't bother trying to provoke me. Forget one week—I'll give you two weeks to prepare. That way, when you lose, you'll have no excuses."

Tōshirō glanced at Tsunade silently, thinking, You're clearly falling for the provocation.

Despite getting double the preparation time, Jiraiya wasn't particularly thrilled. The more confident Tsunade seemed, the more it implied Tōshirō's remarkable strength.

After the bet was settled, Tsunade had no intention of lingering. She left the agreed meeting place and took the group with her to settle the bill before departing.

With Orochimaru's hands sealed, he wouldn't take this lying down. Tsunade didn't want to get tangled in unnecessary trouble.

Two weeks later, under a blazing sun.

When the promised time came, Jiraiya and Naruto arrived on schedule at the meeting location.

"Wow, these flowers are beautiful!"

Following Jiraiya's lead, Naruto trudged through the grass and noticed the vibrant, multicolored flowers growing by the roadside. The sunlight reflecting off them created dazzling halos.

Even Naruto, someone not typically interested in aesthetics, was momentarily stunned by the sight. He bent down to pick some.

"I should take these back for Sakura. I bet she'll love them!"

"Stop, Naruto!" Jiraiya quickly called out.

Naruto froze mid-reach, confused.

Jiraiya, well-versed in such things, explained while eyeing the rainbow-colored flowers:

"These are called Xufu Flowers. If you try to pick them without knowing how, they'll summon a powerful enemy to protect them."

Naruto's eyes widened. "That dangerous?"

"In nature, the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it tends to be," Jiraiya replied.

In addition to their protective trait, Xufu Flowers were also highly valuable medicinal herbs.

Due to their demanding growing conditions, the flowers were nearly extinct in their youth. Back then, spotting even one was rare, let alone finding so many.

"Man, that's intense," Naruto said, relieved he hadn't picked any.

"Why would that old lady Tsunade arrange to meet in such a dangerous place?"

"Who knows?" Jiraiya replied offhandedly, though inwardly he pondered Tsunade's reasons for choosing this location.

"You're right on time."

A familiar voice rang out. Naruto and Jiraiya turned toward it, spotting several figures in the distance. It was none other than Tsunade and her group.

"Let's go somewhere else," Tsunade said as they approached.

"If you damage these flowers and plants, that old hag Furubuchi will nag me to no end."

Leading the group, Tsunade took them to a more open area.

Tōshirō and Naruto stood a short distance apart, ready to face off.

"Hey, Tōshirō, if you lose, I won't forgive you!"

After shouting this, Tsunade shifted her gaze to the blond boy with his eyes closed. She was curious about the future disciple of Jiraiya, wondering what level he had reached. Still, she didn't think he'd be a match for Tōshirō .

Before the battle began, Naruto asked curiously, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"More or less," Tōshirō replied, feeling slightly awkward. He also wondered if this version of Naruto had learned the Rasengan yet.

Naruto glanced at his own "cheering squad," which consisted of just one middle-aged man, then looked at Tōshirō's, where three young, beautiful women were enthusiastically encouraging him. He immediately felt at a disadvantage.

To make matters worse, Tōshirō already had a beautiful girlfriend at such a young age, while Naruto was still single. This realization made him even more frustrated.

"Let's get started!"

At Tsunade's shout, the battle began instantly.

(Author's Note: In this timeline, Boruto and Sasuke might time-travel here soon. Kind of tempted to kill off Boruto. But on second thought, that might mess with the timeline. To clarify, it's not the main character killing Boruto—it's just an accident caused by someone like Momoshiki.)

(End of Chapter)

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