The morning after the funeral, Naruto stumbled into the training field with heavy eyes. His body still bore the aches of battle, but his heart carried something heavier.
Jiraiya stood waiting, arms folded, looking less like a perverted fool and more like a war-hardened sage.
"Ready?" he asked.
Naruto nodded firmly. "Yeah. I'm not stopping. Not until I'm strong enough to protect everyone."
The sannin smirked. "Good. Then let's start with your summoning. This time, don't hold back. Focus all your chakra, and don't scatter it like you usually do."
Naruto gritted his teeth, biting his thumb, smearing blood on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
The ground cracked as smoke burst upward. For a terrifying moment, Naruto thought he had failed again. Then the haze cleared to reveal a massive toad crouching heavily on the earth, its warty skin glistening.
The toad croaked, unimpressed. "Hm. Another brat?"
Naruto's eyes went wide. "I… I did it! I summoned a real toad!"
Jiraiya grinned, clapping him on the back hard enough to nearly knock him over. "Not bad, kid. Took you long enough. This is your first step into real power."
Naruto's chest swelled with pride, but Jiraiya's grin faded into something more serious.
"But remember—raw power isn't enough. You've got this Perfect Copy ability. Right now, you're just mimicking like a mirror. That's why you keep losing. A mirror only shows what's in front of it—it never creates. You need to stop being a mirror and start being a prism."
Naruto blinked. "A prism…?"
"A prism bends light, brat. It takes something simple and makes it into something new. That's what you have to do. Stop copying. Start making the jutsu your own."
Naruto clenched his fists, staring down at his bandaged hands. Make it mine… I can do that.
---
At the same time, inside the Hokage's council chamber, the air was thick with unease. The walls still bore scorch marks from the invasion. The smell of ash lingered.
The elders sat rigid at the head—Homura and Koharu, their expressions sharp and weary. The clan heads filled the other seats, some grim, others openly restless.
"We cannot delay," Homura pressed. "The village needs a Hokage now."
"Agreed," Koharu added. "Without leadership, Konoha is weak. We are surrounded by enemies who will not hesitate to strike again."
Shikaku Nara sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. "Troublesome… but they're right. A headless village won't last long."
Danzo leaned on his cane, his lone eye gleaming with cold authority. "Then why waste precious time searching for Sannin who abandoned this village decades ago? We have leaders here. Leaders who understand sacrifice. Leaders willing to make choices others won't."
The chamber fell into uneasy silence.
Inoichi frowned. "You mean yourself, don't you?"
Danzo's lips curved faintly. "If that is what the village requires."
The room stirred, some clan heads murmuring, others stiffening in unease. Hiashi Hyūga said nothing, his pale eyes narrowing slightly. Shibi Aburame remained unreadable.
Before the tension could boil further, the doors opened.
Jiraiya strode in, his broad frame instantly commanding attention. "Forget it," he said bluntly, his tone sharper than his usual careless drawl. "Danzo leading this village would be the death of it."
Danzo's eye narrowed dangerously. "You presume much, Jiraiya."
The sannin waved a hand. "I'm not interested in the hat myself. But I know someone who can wear it. Someone strong enough, smart enough, and stubborn enough to keep this place standing. Tsunade."
Koharu stiffened. "She would never accept."
"Then we'll make her." Jiraiya's grin was fierce. "She's the best chance this village has."
Danzo's grip on his cane tightened, but he said nothing.
---
That night, in the dark chambers of Root, Danzo stood alone before a flickering candle. His eye glimmered in the light.
"So, Jiraiya intends to drag Tsunade back…" His voice was low, almost contemplative.
The flame wavered.
"She will resist, but if she returns, she will shield the boy. Hiruzen was weak, but Tsunade's sentimentality may prove worse. Uzumaki's ability grows too quickly—unchecked, he could become a threat greater than the Kyūbi itself."
He tapped his cane against the stone, the sound echoing.
"No. Root will not stand idle. If they place their hope in fire, then I will become the shadow that extinguishes it."
---
The next morning, Naruto stood at the village gates with a pack slung clumsily over his shoulders. He looked exhausted but excited, his grin bright.
"So, where are we going?" he asked.
Jiraiya adjusted his cloak, giving a lopsided smirk. "To find Tsunade. She's the only one crazy enough and strong enough to take the hat."
Naruto tilted his head. "Wait… another of you Sannin? She's really that strong?"
"Stronger than you can imagine," Jiraiya admitted. His grin faded, voice lowering. "But she's broken. Lost too much. Hates this village, hates the Hokage title. She won't come easily."
Naruto clenched his fists. "TeasilyI'll help convince her. If she's strong, I wanna see it. And if she can teach me something, even better!"
Jiraiya chuckled, though his eyes stayed sharp. "Careful, brat. Tsunade's temper makes mine look polite. And her punches break bones."
Naruto grinned wider. "Bring it on!"
Together they stepped beyond the gates, the wide road stretching before them. The air smelled of dust and freedom. Behind them, Konoha still smoldered from the invasion. Ahead of them, somewhere across the land, waited the woman who could decide the village's future.
The sannin glanced sideways at Naruto, watching him stride forward with boundless energy. This kid… he's going to shake the world. Whether it's for better or worse depends on how well I can guide him.
Jiraiya smirked faintly to himself, and together they vanished into the horizon.