"Easy for you to say!"
Tsunade slammed her palm on the table.
"Why should the two of you get to shirk responsibility and dump everything on me?"
Kiyosuke pointed at Jiraiya.
"A pervert!"
Then he pointed at himself.
"A brute!"
...
Tsunade had nothing to say to that. Suddenly, she realized Kiyosuke actually had a point. If Jiraiya became Hokage, the hot springs district might as well be his private residence. He'd probably invent some sort of Telescope Jutsu just to peek at the women's bathhouse every day.
And if it were left to Kiyosuke—well, the moment the other villages pulled their little tricks, he'd probably blow up and start a war.
"Do you really have the heart to entrust the First Hokage's legacy to two defective products like us?"
Kiyosuke delivered his performance with full emotional flair, deprecating both himself and Jiraiya.
"Only you, Tsunade-sama... only you can lead Konoha to a new era! Only you can usher in the next generation!"
"Kiyosuke-san, if she won't be Hokage, then I will!"
Naruto volunteered himself without hesitation.
"I believe I can become an outstanding Fifth Hokage!"
"Back off, kid! You're not even a Chūnin yet. What are you doing talking about becoming Hokage?"
She waved Naruto aside without mercy.
A forever-Genin trying to be Hokage? Please.
Naruto was indignant, but Kiyosuke casually held him back with one hand.
Tsunade sneered.
"You, a brat, think you can become Hokage?"
She'd had a bit too much to drink, and it was starting to go to her head.
"Only idiots want to be Hokage. You two are actually smart for avoiding it."
The deaths of her younger brother and lover had left Tsunade deeply disillusioned with the village. She had no intention of returning to Konoha or accepting the Hokage title.
But her words clearly struck a nerve with Naruto.
"What gives you the right to say that?!"
"My dad gave his life for the village—for me! Even old man Third fought to protect the village until the very end! How dare you say that?!"
"Even if you're a woman, I'll still beat you up!!"
Kiyosuke held Naruto back and chuckled.
"Hey now, fiery temper is normal for a member of the Uzumaki clan."
"Quite the guts you've got."
Tsunade sat up and locked eyes with Naruto.
"It's been years since anyone's dared talk to me like that. Come on. Let's see what you've got."
"Tsunade-sama, please calm down!"
Jiraiya sighed helplessly.
Kiyosuke narrowed his eyes, clearly ready for some entertainment.
Sasuke sipped his juice from the sidelines, silently watching the chaos. He had only come along to train under Kiyosuke—who became Hokage didn't concern him in the slightest.
...
The two stepped into the rear courtyard of the tavern. It was quiet, with no one else around.
Tsunade, still tipsy, said,
"I may look young, but I'm still one of the Legendary Sannin. Against a little brat like you, I won't even take this seriously. One finger will do."
"Don't mess with me!"
Naruto charged straight at her and was promptly flicked into the air by a single finger. Even his forehead protector went flying.
"Oww!"
"Hey, kid, let me ask you something."
Tsunade looked down at him.
"Why are you so obsessed with the title of Hokage? Is it just because you're the Fourth Hokage's son?"
Naruto answered,
"I'm not like you. I will become Hokage, because Hokage..."
He grinned with absolute confidence, full of determination.
"...because being Hokage is my dream!"
Tsunade was stunned. That expression, that tone—it was exactly like her younger brother's and her lover's. The resemblance pulled her straight into old memories.
Seeing her lost in thought, Naruto immediately seized the moment. He brought his hands together, chakra swirling between his palms, condensing into the shape of a spiraling orb—an incomplete Rasengan.
"Take this!"
Naruto charged straight at her with the Rasengan. Even Tsunade was surprised—she knew full well the power of that technique.
She struck the ground with a single finger.
Boom!
The ground cracked open beneath Naruto's feet. Unable to dodge, he fell straight into the crevice, and the Rasengan dispersed.
Sasuke walked over and pulled Naruto out.
Jiraiya watched with a nostalgic smile.
"Still as strong as ever... I remember getting punched almost a hundred meters by her once."
"Bet that was because you were peeping on Tsunade-sama in the bath, huh?"
No doubt about it.
Jiraiya laughed.
"Wow, you figured that out fast. Yep, nearly died that day!"
"And you're still proud of it?!"
Wham!
A punch flew in out of nowhere. Jiraiya was sent flying and crashed to the ground.
"Jiraiya, you actually taught him Rasengan? That jutsu has an insanely high difficulty level!"
"Come on, I was Minato's sensei, after all."
Jiraiya wiped a bit of blood from his nose as he stood up.
"Passing on his Rasengan to his son—it's only natural."
"This kind of technique is practically impossible to learn! What kind of teacher are you? Giving him a hopeless task like that—no wonder this kid is a dreamer, saying he'll become Hokage like it's nothing!"
"I'm not lying! Just give me three days—I'll master Dad's jutsu!"
"Three days? Hmph. A real man keeps his word."
Tsunade chuckled. For the first time, she seemed curious.
"Keeping my word is my Ninja Way!"
Naruto shouted with conviction.
"Alright, then let's make a bet."
"If you can master that jutsu in three days, I'll admit you're Hokage material. I'll even give you this."
She pointed at the necklace around her neck—one that once belonged to the First Hokage.
"Hmph! I don't even want that stupid necklace!"
Naruto, unaware of its value, turned it down immediately.
Jiraiya added,
"That's a one-of-a-kind gem. It was the First Hokage's keepsake. If you sold it, you could buy three mountains with the money."
Instantly, Naruto's eyes turned into giant money signs.
"Alright, I'm in! But if I win, you're coming back to Konoha with us!"
"Deal. I'll give you one week. But if you lose—"
Tsunade pulled out a fat frog-shaped wallet—it was Naruto's. She'd swiped it during the fight.
"Then everything in here is mine."
"Ahhh! My wallet!"
Kiyosuke and Jiraiya patted Naruto on the shoulders.
"Nice going. Even if you lose, we'll cover your allowance."
"That's right. I'll help train you for the next few days. Don't worry!"
The two of them grinned with satisfaction while Tsunade had already gone back to drinking.
She was convinced that Naruto couldn't possibly master the Rasengan in a single week. That confidence let her relax and maybe even make a little money on the side.
"Bringing Naruto along really was a great idea. Hahaha, I'm a genius!"
Jiraiya laughed heartily, completely pleased with himself.
Kiyosuke agreed.
"Yeah, yeah, this time we really scored."
There was no need to worry that Tsunade wouldn't keep her word. Her luck might be awful, but when it came to bets, she was always honorable. Once she made a promise, she would see it through.
That was why Jiraiya and Kiyosuke were so happy.
Now, the real training was about to begin.