The footage continued playing.
[Hokage's Office.]
[Fukasaku's messenger toad, Gamahiro: "Understood. I'll go fetch Naruto back immediately."]
[Tsunade: "I'm counting on you!"]
[Gamahiro pressed his palms together, just about to teleport to Mount Myōboku—]
[—when Koharu and Homura walked in together.]
[Koharu: "No! Naruto must remain on Mount Myōboku. He absolutely must not be brought back at a time like this!"]
[Tsunade's face darkened. "Nani!?"]
[Homura: "We heard the one attacking the village now is Pain—the leader of Akatsuki."]
[Tsunade froze. "How do you know that?"]
[Koharu: "Danzō told us."]
[Homura: "And Danzō also said Pain's target is likely the jinchūriki Naruto."]
[Tsunade's expression turned cold. "And what about it?"]
[Koharu: "Last time I turned a blind eye… but this time is different!"]
["Naruto is still a child! The invader defeated even Jiraiya! If Naruto is killed and the Nine-Tails extracted…"]
[Before she could finish, Tsunade stepped forward—grabbed both of them by the collars—and lifted them off the ground.]
[Koharu panicked: "W-what are you doing!?"]
[Homura snapped: "Unhand us! Tsunade! What do you think you're doing to the village advisors!?"]
[Tsunade roared: "The real question is—WHAT do you think you're doing!?"]
["Who do you two think you ARE!? How long do you plan on treating him like a helpless child!?"]
["He inherited Konoha's Will of Fire—he's already surpassing Jiraiya!"]
["He is NOT some secret anti-war tool hidden away by the village!"]
["He is a ninja of Konoha who will PROTECT this village—Uzumaki Naruto!"]
Konoha — Reality
Koharu and Homura, who were having tea at that very moment, turned purple with fury.
Koharu: "Tsunade is far too insolent! How dare she treat us, the advisors, like that! She must NOT become Fifth Hokage!"
Homura: "Agreed! If she dares lay hands on the advisors, what wouldn't she dare do!? Absolutely unacceptable!"
Koharu: "If the Third really is killed by Orochimaru… who should be the Fifth?"
Homura stroked his beard. "Danzō seems… adequate. Perhaps him?"
Koharu: "Jiraiya is also a candidate."
Homura: "But he'll be killed by Pain…"
Both: "..."
Root Base
Danzō laughed so hard he almost choked.
"Hahaha! Tsunade… oh Tsunade!"
"To think you'd be reckless enough to manhandle those two old fossils!"
"With their personalities, you can forget ever becoming Hokage!"
Suddenly, being publicly exposed for all his past crimes didn't seem to trouble him as much.
Konoha — Public Reaction
The villagers and shinobi were all stunned.
Because—
Tsunade's words… hit them hard.
After the previous footage featuring Naruto…
They had already begun rethinking their treatment of the boy.
But now, with Tsunade's speech, the guilt and realization in their hearts intensified.
Chūnin Exam Arena
Naruto was trembling.
"I'm… not a tool? I'm someone who'll protect the village?"
"I'll surpass Pervy Sage? The village needs me?"
He'd never even met Tsunade before.
But her words pierced straight into his heart.
And in earlier footage, Tsunade had said he would become Hokage.
"Granny Tsunade! From now on—I'm following YOU!"
Sasuke: "Naruto… are you going to be Tsunade's bestie?"
Naruto: "Sasuke! What the heck are you saying!?"
Sasuke shrugged. "Just look at yourself. With that… current appearance, don't you look perfect to be Tsunade-sama's girlfriend?"
Naruto: "AAAAH! Sasuke!! It's all your fault for shoving that Shapeshift Pill into my mouth! Hurry up and help me turn back!"
Sasuke turned away, ignoring her.
But inwardly he thought:
Once I take the Shapeshift Pill too… will Naruto and I become besties?
He wasn't sure if he was horrified or strangely calm about it.
Tsunade — Gambling Inn
Tsunade was dumbfounded.
"That Naruto kid… just what is he!?"
"Why do I seem to care so much about him!?"
She had never even met the boy in real life.
Pure Land
[Uzumaki Mito: My husband, it seems Little Tsunade isn't as hopeless as we thought.]
[Hashirama: Yes! What she said earlier—it was extremely moving!]
[Madara: Hashirama! And to think you entrusted the village to those two old fossils. What horrible judgment!]
[Hashirama: Madara… you're right. That was my mistake.]
[Tobirama: Big Brother, don't worry. Once we're Edo Tensei'd, I'll personally straighten out those two geezers.]
Footage Continued
[Tsunade tossed Koharu and Homura onto the floor like two sacks of rice.]
[Tsunade: "Do you know what the deceased—Jiraiya, Lord Hiruzen, and Lady Chiyo of the Sand—had that you two lack?"]
[The footage showed their deaths one by one.]
["What they had, and you don't—"]
["Is the power to believe."]
["Just like my grandfather, the First Hokage—who believed in you two and entrusted Konoha to you."]
["This time, YOU need to believe in the next generation, and entrust them with the future."]
[Scenes of the grown-up Konoha 12 protecting the village appeared one by one.]
[Koharu and Homura stood, and weakly turned to leave.]
[Koharu: "Do as you wish…"]
The Shinobi World Erupted
Especially—
Konoha and the Hidden Sand Village.
The reaction was explosive.
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