"What are your thoughts on Tsunade's proposal to include medical ninja in mission squads?"
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, spoke with a grave expression. His deep, commanding voice echoed through the combat division's meeting hall.
The room stirred with quiet discussions among the gathered jonin.
Hatake Keiji stood among them, his gaze sharp and unwavering, fixed on the platform.
He appeared to be in his early twenties, with silver hair and a height of over 180 centimeters. His features were striking—clean, handsome, and refined. A rare heartthrob.
All eyes shifted toward Tsunade, the subject of the proposal.
She stood at the front row, exuding confidence and elegance. Her figure was curvaceous, her presence captivating. With twin ponytails and soft blonde bangs framing her forehead, she radiated charm and didn't seem to mind the stares.
Keiji nudged his older brother, Hatake Sakumo, with his shoulder but kept his eyes on Tsunade.
"Brother, Princess Tsunade is really beautiful."
Tsunade wore her jonin uniform, which slightly concealed her famously proud bust—a fact that drew a flicker of pity from Keiji.
"Can you be quiet for once?"
Sakumo cast a cold glance at his younger brother. As a married man, he preferred to avoid such topics.
He wasn't interested in commenting on the proposal. Medical ninja or not, as long as the mission was completed, that was enough.
"You're such a bore."
Keiji was used to his brother's rigid personality. Sakumo was strict and stubborn—that was just who he was.
As the surrounding jonin continued to debate the pros and cons of the proposal, Keiji felt restless.
The Second Great Ninja War hadn't started yet, and Tsunade's proposal was almost certainly destined to fail.
Still, Keiji changed his mind. Making his presence known in front of her didn't sound like a bad idea.
"I believe Tsunade's proposal is excellent. It could reduce casualties within mission squads."
"Too many Konoha ninja have died due to battlefield injuries that couldn't be treated in time."
Gone was his usual playful tone. Keiji's voice rang out clearly and with conviction, silencing the entire room.
Even Sakumo looked at him in surprise. The Hatake clan usually avoided political stances to prevent internal conflict. Keiji, who rarely cared about such matters, had just publicly supported the Senju princess—openly risking conflict with the Uchiha clan.
Though surprised, Sakumo didn't scold him. He respected his brother's intelligence.
Tsunade turned to look at Keiji, smiling appreciatively. She had heard of the Hatake prodigy—said to possess jonin-level strength before turning twelve.
Now, he looked just like his older brother, though they had never spoken before.
Yet today, he had been the first to support her—even before Jiraiya or Orochimaru said anything.
"Thank you for your support, Keiji-kun."
Her sweet voice carried a note of sincerity. Keiji returned her smile—a bright, sunny grin that made him look like a warm, cheerful young man.
"You're thinking about everyone's safety. Of course I support you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing. He observed the crowd silently, reading their expressions.
"I agree with Tsunade's proposal as well," Kato Dan said, his voice tinged with regret. He had hesitated, and Keiji had seized the moment.
Tsunade nodded, but her response to Kato Dan was clearly less enthusiastic than to Keiji.
One by one, the jonin began voicing their positions. The Uchiha clan opposed the motion, while Senju loyalists supported it.
Several neutral clans and ninja abstained. In the end, the votes were tied.
"We'll leave it at that, Tsunade. Your proposal will be revisited next time," Hiruzen concluded.
He was satisfied with the outcome—not because he opposed the proposal, but because he preferred to delay his own stance.
As Tsunade's teacher, he expected no serious objections from her.
"Understood, sensei."
Tsunade frowned, clearly wanting to say more, but she simply nodded.
...
Due to growing economic disparities between nations, the threat of war was escalating. This meeting had been called in response—and battle seemed imminent.
After the meeting adjourned, Hiruzen was the first to leave, followed by the jonin in an orderly manner.
Sakumo noticed his brother lingering by the door, unsure of his intentions.
He was about to call out when Tsunade emerged, speaking with her older brother. Kato Dan followed a few steps behind, face dark.
"Even though the proposal didn't pass, I still want to thank you, Keiji-kun."
Tsunade expressed her gratitude again, wanting to get to know the handsome man better.
"Nice to meet you. I like drinking and gambling," she added.
"Let's hang out sometime."
Keiji smiled, radiant in the setting sun. Tsunade nearly froze—this man really was handsome, and they even shared similar interests. Her heart was stirred.
"Sure, Keiji-kun. Let's have a drink together sometime."
"I'll take that seriously. If I come to your house and you don't let me in, I'll be disappointed," Keiji teased.
"Of course not! You're always welcome," Tsunade replied quickly, genuinely eager to build a connection.
As the two continued their lively chat, two figures stood beneath a distant tree, watching.
"Tsunade seems quite interested in this Hatake Keiji," said Orochimaru, his voice cold, his pale face lit with serpent-like eyes.
"Looks like you've got a rival, Jiraiya."
"As long as she's happy, that's all that matters," Jiraiya replied quietly, walking away with a lonely back.
Orochimaru stayed a while, then turned and left.
Tsunade blushed slightly as the conversation wrapped up and reluctantly walked off.
Keiji watched the strongest woman in Konoha disappear from sight, clicked his tongue, and returned to Sakumo's side.
"Let's go, big brother."
He had been in the Naruto world for 22 years now and still didn't understand how he had arrived.
Last he remembered, he had been happily writing a Naruto fanfiction when everything went black.
When he awoke, he was a crying infant.
He didn't mind ending up in Naruto's world, but having a brother crazy enough to kill himself? Talk about fate.
The Hatake clan specialized in swordsmanship but lacked any overpowering bloodline limit. Surviving in this dangerous world wasn't easy.
If he remembered correctly, the Second Ninja War was about to erupt in the Land of Rain.
As a seasoned Hatake ninja, Keiji would certainly have a major role on the battlefield.
Perhaps due to his transmigration, he had been gifted with a not-so-small cheat: extremely active cells.
This gave him greater strength, speed, recovery, and stamina.
Because of this, he had already surpassed his older brother Sakumo in combat ability—despite rumors to the contrary.