Ninja Academy – Classroom
"Haku, I challenge you!"
Hyuga Neji, with his long hair and pale Byakugan eyes, stood seriously in front of the class.
He had no choice but to be serious. Despite several attempts to defeat the new transfer student, he had failed every single time.
Neji wasn't the kind to admit defeat easily. After his repeated losses, he had even pleaded with his father to help him undergo special training at home.
But now, when the teacher had finally arranged another sparring match between him and Shiro, the latter had refused to participate. How could Neji possibly accept that?
"I'm really sorry... I didn't mean to cause you any trouble," Haku said softly, bowing with a look of sincere apology.
Dressed in a long, flowing white robe, his hair tied up neatly and wrapped with a white headscarf, Haku radiated an air of gentle elegance.
Seeing the bandages on Neji's hand, Haku felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't meant to push his classmate so hard that he'd return home and train himself into such a battered state.
"Ahhh! Haku is so adorable!"
"Neji, you better not hurt Haku!"
A chorus of excited female classmates erupted, their eyes sparkling as they watched Haku's graceful apology. His quiet demeanor and refined manners had clearly won their hearts.
Some of the bolder girls even began to confront Neji directly.
"Neji, even if you're the genius of the Hyuga clan, if you dare hurt Haku—we won't forgive you!"
Naturally, as the former top student in the class, Neji wasn't without his own supporters.
"You bunch of idiots! It's just a regular sparring match between Neji and Haku—what are you so worked up about?"
The voice came from a girl with her hair tied into two buns. She was clearly frustrated. Watching so many of her classmates suddenly side with Haku filled her with a mix of irritation and relief—annoyed that they were abandoning Neji, but also secretly pleased that she now had fewer rivals for his attention.
"What did you just say?!"
Within moments, before Haku and Neji had even touched fists, their supporters had already erupted into a full-blown argument.
"…"
Both Haku and Neji could only watch the chaos unfold with weary expressions.
"Um… everyone… it's getting late. Time to head home," Haku finally spoke, trying to ease the tension.
Seeing the girls bickering around him, supposedly on his behalf, left him more exhausted than any sparring match ever could.
Since joining this class, Haku had quickly become the center of attention—thanks to his soft-spoken demeanor, graceful manners, and strikingly good looks.
After defeating Neji—the top student in class—Haku's popularity only continued to grow.
Love letters became a daily occurrence, and sometimes, amidst the crowded hallways, classmates would sneak a little too close for comfort.
The overwhelming attention left Haku flustered.
Though a bit annoyed by the constant fuss, he didn't harbor any resentment toward his classmates.
'Maybe this is what the Hokage meant... part of life's experience!'
Since arriving in the Land of Fire, the Hokage had encouraged him to live freely, to step outside the shadows of his past, and to embrace a new way of life.
After a period of confusion, Haku had slowly begun to grasp the deeper meaning behind those words.
"I'm home."
After wrapping up a few things at school and finally shaking off a few overly persistent classmates, Haku returned to the Toshiro household.
He slipped off his shoes at the entryway, hung his schoolbag on its usual hook, and was just about to step inside when he stopped suddenly, a puzzled expression crossing his face.
From the direction of Toshiro's bedroom, he could hear the faint sound of rhythmic clapping.
Haku, still rather innocent at heart, was only briefly puzzled. Shrugging it off, he made his way into the kitchen and began preparing dinner.
Nearly a year of practice had turned him into quite a skilled cook.
"Where's Aunt Hana?"
Carrying a steaming plate of freshly cooked dishes into the living room, Haku blinked in surprise to find Toshiro sitting alone.
"Why are you by yourself?" he asked, confused.
"Your Aunt Hana had some matters to attend to at home—she's gone back for now."
Even Toshiro, who was usually thick-skinned and composed, couldn't help but blush slightly as he looked into Haku's clear, innocent eyes.
His physical state had been unusually heightened ever since absorbing the chakra of the Ten Tails, which had unexpected side effects—one of which was heightened libido.
Just as the silence grew slightly awkward, a cloaked figure appeared in the living room, breaking the tension.
"Hokage-sama, Jiraiya has returned."
"Jiraiya's back?" Toshiro's brows rose in interest at the news.
"Haku, I won't be having dinner at home tonight," he said, rising to his feet.
With that, he turned and headed straight for the Hokage Building.
If Jiraiya had returned, that meant the letter Toshiro had entrusted to him had likely reached both the Tsuchikage and the Raikage.
As expected, when he arrived at the Hokage's office, several of his aides were already there, waiting for his arrival.
"Jiraiya—what were Onoki's and A's responses?"
It had been more than ten days since Toshiro had sent Jiraiya with that message.
Ordinarily, such a mission wouldn't take this long. But the letter had contained highly sensitive content—including a proposal to convene a Five Kage Summit.
Naturally, the Kage of each village couldn't respond to Jiraiya immediately.
Each of them convened their village's top leadership and held several days of discussions before giving him an official reply.
"Everything went smoothly," Jiraiya said as he pulled two scrolls from inside his cloak and handed them to Toshiro.
"Excellent," Toshiro replied, taking the scrolls and skimming through their contents.
"Hmm… This is a promising outcome. They've all agreed to hold talks."
Seeing the curious, eager looks from those around him, Toshiro gave a simple nod, offering confirmation without any unnecessary words.
"Seriously?" Tsunade snatched one of the scrolls right out of his hand, completely disregarding any formality.
"If this goes as planned… the conflict between ninja villages could finally be eased in a big way."
She read through the scroll in one breath, then exhaled deeply, as though letting go of years of tension.
But not without casting a sharp glare at Jiraiya—who, true to form, had let his eyes wander inappropriately while she was reading.
As for Toshiro, having just had a 'scrumptuous' feast, he was currently in his "sage mode of clarity," and found himself unusually immune to such distractions.
"In that case—"
The contents of the scroll were straightforward. After a few diplomatic pleasantries, it tactfully addressed the issues Toshiro had raised.
In essence, the message was clear: everyone was willing to come together and talk things through.
"Jiraiya, you'll be responsible for coordinating the details of the Five Kage Summit. If anything comes up, consult with Tsunade," Toshiro instructed.
He felt it was only fair to give Jiraiya—this lovable fool—a proper chance.
After all, if nothing changed, both Jiraiya and Tsunade might end up single for life. What a waste that would be.
"Me?" Jiraiya blinked, caught off guard. He looked at Toshiro, clearly puzzled. "Shouldn't something like this be handled by the Hokage?"
"Why?" Toshiro replied, arching a brow. "This is a rare opportunity, Jiraiya. Don't you want to take it?"
His words carried a double meaning, as his gaze shifted between Jiraiya and Tsunade.
The truth was, Toshiro wanted Jiraiya to remain in the village—not just for the summit, but to prepare for future threats like the airborne shinobi and the inevitable assault from Pain.
With Jiraiya around, Toshiro could finally take a step back and breathe a little easier.
He was already the Hokage—he didn't need to handle every single matter himself. It would be a waste not to make use of Jiraiya's "free labor."
In fact, Toshiro planned to assign some of the more troublesome or tedious tasks to him.
He was confident that with Tsunade around, Jiraiya's wallet would be emptied faster than he could say "mission complete." That would effectively make him a tireless, unpaid helper.
One month later.
At the gates of Konoha, Toshiro, clad in the flowing robes of the Hokage, stood flanked by Itachi and Kakashi. He waved farewell to the villagers behind him as he departed for the Land of Iron.
Indeed, Jiraiya had chosen the neutral Iron Country as the site of the upcoming Five Kage Summit.
Toshiro hadn't interfered in the planning—he let Jiraiya handle the logistics.
Meanwhile, far away in Kirigakure, Mei Terumi, now wearing the ceremonial hat of the Mizukage, turned and waved to her mentor and the assembled Kiri shinobi before setting off with her two personal guards.
Thanks to the opportunity provided by the Five Kage Summit, Mei had officially risen to the position of Mizukage.
Meanwhile, Rasa, A, and Ōnoki had also set off, all en route to the Land of Iron.
Elsewhere, deep within a shadowy cave...
"The specific details of the Five Kage Summit initiated by the Hokage remain unclear," came the raspy voice of the half-black, half-white Zetsu.
"However, the central theme appears to be peace."
"I know a bit more than that," another voice chimed in—its golden, cat-like pupils gleaming as they studied their still, silent leader. The speaker licked his lips before continuing:
"It seems the Hokage has put forth several proposals aimed at easing tensions between the major nations. These plans have reportedly been well received by Konoha and the other great villages."
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"The Hokage's vision directly opposes our leader's ideology. If implemented, it would drastically reduce the number of conflicts... and that, in turn, would mean far fewer missions for our organization. It's a serious threat to our growth."
Gazing into the ripple-patterned eyes of Pain, Orochimaru's expression remained eerily calm—devoid of any reaction. Yet, the slow, deliberate motion of his tongue, flicking over his lips, betrayed the restlessness simmering within.
"Peace..." Pain muttered, his voice flat, his orange hair framing a face void of emotion. His gaze shifted toward Orochimaru and Black Zetsu.
"It's nothing more than a joke."
He continued coldly, "Zetsu, Orochimaru—track the Hokage's movements and map his route."
With that brief command, Pain fell silent once more.
At his words, both Orochimaru and Zetsu grew solemn.
Orochimaru, especially, allowed a flicker of amusement to flash in his eyes—quick and subtle, gone as soon as it appeared. He concealed it well beneath his usual serpentine facade.
Black Zetsu, however, was visibly uneasy.
Uchiha Toshiro… That man had awakened the Eternal Mangekyō. Zetsu doubted whether Nagato could truly stand against him in battle.
Still, leaving him unchecked would pose a serious threat to the Tsuki no me Plan.
Nagato's health was steadily declining, while Toshiro's strength hadn't yet reached its full potential. Weighing the risks, Zetsu ultimately chose not to intervene—for now.
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