"You mean… you actually want me to pretend to be a robber, attack Tsunade, and then you'll jump out and play the hero to save the damsel?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed as he looked at Jiraiya like he had grown another head.
Jiraiya nodded with all the seriousness he could muster.
Orochimaru stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds before finally scoffing. "I refuse!"
"Why, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya asked, visibly frustrated, like a rejected suitor.
Orochimaru sighed with irritation, shaking his head as if dealing with a child. "Jiraiya, must you always prove that you have no brains? Have you already forgotten what happened last time? Back then, you forced me into this exact same ridiculous scheme—pretending to be a robber. And do you remember what happened? Tsunade nearly beat me half to death!"
Jiraiya scratched the back of his head sheepishly, grinning in that foolish way of his. "Oh… really? Did that happen? Why does it feel like I completely forgot about that?"
Orochimaru rolled his eyes so hard Naruto thought they might stick that way. "You may have forgotten, but I certainly haven't."
Standing off to the side, Naruto struggled to contain his laughter. He had assumed Pervy Sage dragged him here because Orochimaru—despite being shady—might have had some genius plan for proposing. But in reality, Jiraiya had just asked Uncle Snake to play the role of a street thug again.
And Uncle Snake, remembering his painful lessons from the past, was in no mood to repeat history.
Not only did Orochimaru refuse, but he also jabbed a pale finger at Jiraiya and scolded him. "You're an idiot. Tsunade is now the Fifth Hokage. Do you even realize how absurd it would be for someone to 'randomly' attack her in the middle of the village? Who in their right mind would think that was a good idea? It's beyond foolish!"
Jiraiya's shoulders slumped. He turned to Orochimaru with a frown. "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Orochimaru folded his arms, his expression flat. "Don't look at me. I don't bother with trivial things like romance. My focus is on my research and experiments."
But then, his eyes slid toward Naruto, and a sly smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Why not ask Naruto instead? He seems to have a knack for pulling off the impossible. If anyone could come up with something workable, it's him."
Jiraiya glanced at Naruto, sighed, and nodded. "Fine… maybe you're right. My way isn't working. Naruto—what do you think I should do?"
Naruto crossed his arms and thought seriously for a moment before speaking.
"Pervy Sage, Granny Tsunade might look like an adult on the outside, but deep down she's still a little girl at heart. She wants something romantic, but she's also Hokage now. She has her pride. If you embarrass her in front of too many people, she'll feel cornered, and that's the worst thing you can do."
He raised a finger as he laid out his plan. "So… what we need is a balance. The proposal should be grand and unforgettable, but not in front of the entire village. That way, she gets her romance, and you don't end up with a broken jaw."
Jiraiya's eyes lit up, and he leaned closer. "Go on…"
"We should decorate an area just outside Konoha," Naruto continued. "When the moment's right, you'll bring her there. The atmosphere will be romantic, but private enough that she won't feel humiliated."
"As for what you say, start from your shared past. Talk about how you grew up together, the memories you share, how you've always watched over her. That'll stir her true feelings, and she'll see you're serious."
Jiraiya slammed his fist into his palm, his face glowing with excitement. "Yes! That makes sense. That makes perfect sense!"
The more he thought about it, the brighter his grin became. Slowly, a clear picture began forming in his mind.
Naruto smirked and added, "You work on your lines, and I'll handle the event planning! Uncle Snake, what about you? Want to join in?"
Orochimaru paused mid-step, his pale fingers curling slightly. For once, even he seemed intrigued. Finally, he gave a light sigh. "It's not every day I get to see you make a fool of yourself, Jiraiya. I suppose it might be… entertaining."
Naruto clapped his hands. "Great! Then lend me some of your manpower!"
Without hesitation, Orochimaru summoned Suigetsu and Jugo.
Naruto frowned. "Wait… where's Karin?"
Suigetsu picked his nose lazily and snorted. "Naruto, don't blame me. That redhead's been obsessing over Sasuke. She spends all day scheming new ways to get close to him—or annoy him. Last I saw her, she was plotting another ridiculous plan."
Naruto sweatdropped and shook his head with a bitter smile. "Figures…"
"Alright then," Naruto declared, "we'll work with what we have. Let's move!"
As they headed out, the group ran into Shikamaru, who was just arriving.
"Yo, Naruto!" Shikamaru called, raising a hand.
Naruto turned. "Ah, Shikamaru!"
The Nara genius approached, still in high spirits after last night's dinner at Asuma's place. "Hey, thanks again for yesterday. That was the most relaxed I've felt in ages."
Naruto grinned. "Don't mention it."
Shikamaru's gaze shifted to the group behind Naruto, and his eyes widened slightly. "Lord Jiraiya…" He bowed respectfully.
Jiraiya gave a casual nod but quickly urged Naruto forward.
Shikamaru frowned curiously. "Naruto, where exactly are you going with this group?"
Naruto hesitated for a moment, then smirked. "Let's just say… we're preparing for something big."
Then he leaned in closer with a mischievous grin. "Actually, Shikamaru—you'd be perfect for this. Want to join?"
Shikamaru blinked in surprise, glancing from Naruto to Jiraiya, and realization slowly dawned. His eyes widened slightly. "Wait… you mean… Jiraiya-sama is going to propose… to Lady Tsunade?"
Naruto gave a small nod, confirming it.
Shikamaru stared, stunned. Of all the things he expected to hear today, this wasn't even on the list. But then, seeing the earnest determination in Jiraiya's eyes, he chuckled softly. "Troublesome… but I'll join. Something this rare doesn't come around every day."
With Shikamaru now on board, the group marched out of Konoha and found an open field.
Naruto pointed at the space. "Alright. Pervy Sage, focus on your lines. Everyone else—let's start transforming this place!"
Suigetsu frowned, scratching his head. "We're gonna need a proper plan, Naruto."
"Of course," Naruto said with confidence. "Our goal is to create a romantic setting with fireworks! First, we'll cover this field with flowers. Then, we'll use fireflies to light it up. When the moment comes, the fireflies will scatter into the night sky."
He grinned wider. "And to top it off, we'll add birds flying overhead. That'll be perfect!"
Jugo raised a hand. "I can handle the birds. My ability lets me communicate with them."
"Perfect," Naruto said.
Shikamaru tapped his chin thoughtfully. "For insects, we'll need Shino."
Naruto nodded but frowned. "That's true. But even then, we don't have enough people."
"Then we'll bring in the rest of our friends," Shikamaru suggested. "The more hands we have, the better this will turn out."
"Agreed," Naruto said.
Turning to Suigetsu, Naruto added, "For your role—you'll carry Pervy Sage with your Hydration Technique and make him rise dramatically from the water. That'll be his big entrance."
Suigetsu grinned. "Heh, I can do that."
"As for fireworks…" Naruto hesitated, thinking of Deidara. The mad bomber's 'art' would definitely make things flashy—but way too risky. Instead, he glanced at Orochimaru. "Uncle Snake, think you can handle it?"
Orochimaru smirked. "Leave it to me. I have… some methods."
Naruto whistled, impressed. "Figures—you really can do everything."
Without wasting time, Naruto used Flying Thunder God to teleport Shino, Choji, Ino, Tenten, Kiba, Lee, and Sai into the field.
Shikamaru explained the plan to them in detail, making adjustments along the way.
When Sai heard about the fireworks, he raised his hand. "I can draw birds and attach explosives to their backs. They can fly into formation and explode in a way that spells out 'Jiraiya loves Tsunade' across the sky. That would make the proposal unforgettable."
Naruto's eyes widened with delight. "That's… brilliant, Sai! No wonder you ended up marrying Ino. You've actually got a sense for romance!"
Sai blinked, confused, while Ino rolled her eyes with a blush.
The plan was coming together.
Dear Readers
For 60 Advance Chapters Join My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/NF25
-------
Please Support My Patreon 🥺