Chapter 31 - Talk with the Kage's of the Past

Tsunade held Jay's collar, shaking him, "You stupid idiot!!! How can you be so careless!! What if grandfather killed you?!"

Jay shrugged, "Sorry, but your Grandfather is strong, unexpectedly."

Tsunade threw him on the ground, "Serves you right!"

She turned around, looking at her grandfather Hashirama sitting on the floor, doting on his great-grandaughter, "To think Tsunade got married. And here I thought she'd always stay single."

Tobirama grunted, "But to think she found an Uchiha, moreover a stupid one."

Tsunade sighed, hearing their comments; she never felt this shameful.

Jay stood up, laughing, "Oh, I was having fun. Who better to test out my powers than the first Hokage."

"You, shut up!" Tsunade punched his head, sighing. But there was a smile on her face as she watched her daughter playing with her grandfather.

Jay held his head with a smile on his face. His eyes turned to Orochimaru and Kabuto, tied up by Hashirama.

Thich wooden branches surrounded them, sucking their chakra, keeping them in check.

Orochimaru sat there with a smile, seemingly having figured something out, while Kabuto's expression didn't change.

Right about now, outside,

Minato should be handling the people of sand while continuing the Chunin exam like nothing happened.

Hashirama smiled, hearing his great-granddaughter tell him everything about the village.

Tobirama let out a smile after meeting Tsunade and Ai. Other than that, there was one thing that worried him.

It was the strong seals on his great-grandaughters body. He wasn't sure what it was that these seals were sealing.

She said it was her bloodline limit that got sealed. But as an expert in seals, he could tell. That seal didn't have one core point but multiple.

The more he thought about it, the bigger the frown on his face got.

"Are you certain that Madara survived?" Hashirama asked, patting Ai's head. He looked towards Jay, asking.

Tsunade was surprised before she became upset, glancing at Jay.

Jay rubbed his chin, "Tell me, what's the afterlife like?"

Hashirama narrowed his eyes while smiling, "Well, it's peaceful. I don't remember my time in the afterlife, so it's like a blank period. A long peaceful sleep."

"According to my theory, yes. Madara did survive, and he succeeded in getting your cells. Prolonging his life through your cells," Jay said. But soon, his eyes turned upwards, his hand moved, a map of the world appeared, with the villages and forces marked on it.

"But then, there was a time where there was no one alive that could challenge Madara. They got divided fighting and weak targets for someone like Madara. Or so I am assuming based on the powers you showed right now."

"But he didn't." Tobirama narrowed his eyes, "Then he must be waiting for something."

Hashirama frowned, "He was waiting for something? Something more important than whatever he had planned for the world?"

"Or something more crucial for the plan, more than his life," Jay said.

"But then, you don't believe that Madara is still gone." Orochimaru interrupted the talk, making six pairs of eyes turn towards him.

Tsunade frowned, "We already talked about this; Madara should be dead, Even if he's not dead. He'd be too old to fight."

Orochimaru laughed, "But if he's like First and Second Hokage?"

Orochimaru's laughter became even louder, "Hahahahaha, so that's why you gave me advanced equipment. You wanted to see how far someone could perfect this Jutsu if they had been planning for more than half a century. But have you wondered, what if you are the reason why Madara comes back at his full power?"

Jay narrowed his eyes, "I never believed Madara would use this Jutsu. I am missing something, something that Madara found. He found a way to revive himself, at least that's what I believe."

Tobirama knit his brow, "The only way to reanimate a person is through my Jutsu."

"I never said, reanimate. When I said revive, I meant to revive." Jay said, standing up.

Hashirama put his hand on his knee, "I don't believe there is anything that could revive a person."

Orochimaru widened his eyes for a moment, realizing something. He shut his eyes with a smile, "Well, you don't need me anymore. Can I leave?"

Jay glanced at Tsunade, who closed her eyes and looked away.

"You are free to go." Jay waved his hand; their binding came off. At the same time he moved, appearing behind them, he held Tobirama's hand holding the kunai.

"You are dead; can you not interfere with the workings of the living?" Jay said while his hand bled.

He had to say that Tobirama's teleportation was fast; Jay didn't get the time to use iron.

"He's a danger to the village; with this Jutsu perfected, he could wreak havoc."

Jay smiled, "None of the old ones could defeat me, and First would be able to free himself from the Jutsu. Anyway, it's under control; I need him alive."

"Why?" Tobirama didn't budge.

Jay glanced towards Tsunade before staring at Tobirama, "I don't need to explain."

His blood vessels started glowing with blue light; his hand crushed Tobirama's and his kunai, making him take a few steps back.

"Alright, enough, you two! Tobirama, let it go!" Hashirama said, standing up. He looked at Jay, "So, do you have a plan?"

Jay rubbed his chin, "I already had many. You might not believe it, but I just completed the most important one."

Tobirama held his hand, while Hashirama laughed, "Hahahahahahahahaha, good! That's a spirit!" Hashirama laughed, "I did that too!"

Ai, who had been quiet - stood up with shining eyes, "Great-Grandfather!! When things are so dangerous, father's sealing my powers away! What if I get kidnapped?!"

She pointed at Orochimaru, "That creepy-eyed uncle! What if he kidnapped me for experiments?"

"I wouldn't -"

"Shut up, Uncle! I am trying to make a point!" Ai said without even letting Orochimaru finish his sentence.

"Now, Great-Grandfather, tell father to remove my seals!" Ai pointed with shiring eyes, twitching ears, and smiling eyes.

She was bouncy now, just imagining the free reign over her powers. She wouldn't have to lose to Hinata again.

Jay patted her head, leaning forward, whispering something to Hashirama.

Hashirama widened his eyes before coughing, "Sorry, I don't think the dead should interfere with the living anymore. It's about time we go back."

Ai puffed her face, turning to her second Great-Grandfather, "Oh, whatever, you can't even beat Papa. You are useless."

Jay hid his face, snickering. He could feel the veins popping in Tobirama's head.

Tsunade smiled, stroking Ai's head, "That's rude."

Ai held her disappointed face, looking down, "Whatever..."

In a coffee shop that was part of his enterprise, Jay was enjoying a cup of coffee.

In front of him was the woman responsible for earning money for him.

"It's amazing how popular this shop got," Pakura said, taking the sip from the cup. She had been in the land of waves for a while. After the bridge got built, the new trading roots were there; the new jobs propagated into the town. She got all the workers she needed; new furniture shops were opening.

She didn't think that her boss, wanting to drink more coffee, made her start a new coffee shot. At first, she found the idea stupid, but who could have thought it would become so popular.

Jay narrowed his eyes with a smile as he stared into the coffee inside the cup.

A few weeks since the Chunin exams, "You are very efficient." After the Chunin exams were over, Kage went back, Orochimaru left the village, the sand sibling returned home. Jay had nothing to do but call it nostalgia; he felt like having a cup of coffee. Hence, there was this shop.

Pakura curled her lips into a smile, "That I am. After all, I don't have anything better to do."

Well, nothing better than running a business, other than that she had nothing to do.

After being betrayed by Sunagakure, she was a rogue ninja. Although not living at the ninja was disturbing. And there was a part of her that missed that life. She could go to the black market and get a mission to assassinate some ninja, but that's not what she wanted.

More along the lines -

"You miss home?" Jay asked while looking at her. He could tell it was all over her face.

"Yeah...no amount of money could get me back home."

Jay glanced at her with a smile, "The security currently must be lax; why don't you go to sand, live there?"

Pakura looked up with confused eyes, "I don't know."

Jay narrowed his eyes, touching her shoulder, "Go." He covered her in darkness, and Pakura disappeared from his front.

"Have a fun trip." Jay leaned back, enjoying the peace. If anyone else was here, they might blame him for sending her away because she wasn't letting him enjoy the cup of coffee in peace rather than for her good.

Well, good thing no one was here.

After a nostalgic cup of coffee, Jay stood up, collecting the bill. He paid money, leaving a tip.

After he walked out of the shop, opening other shops came into his mind; an McD would be good.

But every time he thought about the amount of money he'd be getting, he sighed.

It not like he'd ever use all that money; what was the use of going through all the trouble.

Jay was about to walk back when he noticed team 7 in the ramen broth.

"Hmm..." He walked over, "Teuchi, give me the regular."

"Ah, Sir Jay...Coming up!"

Naruto, who didn't want to pull his face away from the ramen, looked up and greeted him, like Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi.

"Congratulations," Jay said to Kakashi, "One of your kids became the Chunin."

Naruto ate furiously after hearing that, while Sakura was brimming with a smile.

For once, Sasuke had a smug smile on his face as he closed his eyes.

Sasuke wasn't the only one Shikamaru, Garra, Sasuke, and Hinata; four of them got chosen to become Chunin.

Hiashi's face was something to look at when Hinata got chosen - Although Hinata was excited about it for different reasons.

Now that she became the Chunin, all she cared about was her training routine would reduce.

He didn't realize that Hinata was starting to become a slacker; it made him wonder from whom she was getting it.

Naruto couldn't take it anymore; he stood up, pointing at Sasuke, "I don't get it! Why is he chosen to be a Chunin and not me!"

Jay glanced at Kakashi, "You didn't tell him."

Kakashi sighed, "Too much work."

Jay rubbed his chin, "Ask Kushina; she'd explain to you." It wasn't like he was lazy. It was just too much of an effort to explain.

Naruto sat down, ordering another bowl of ramen. Jay left after talking to team seven and hearing their plans about training and doing the mission.

Konoha was getting back to its ordinary routine.

There were a few changes here and there, few teams with new Chunins, and other than that, everything was peaceful.

Jay walked back home, taking his shoes off. Tsunade was on the couch in the large living hall, reading magazines, eating chips.

Seeing Tsunade lying on the sofa, Jay leaned in, kissing her forehead, "Hey..."

Tsunade looked up, disinterested, "You are home."

Jay curled his lips, putting his hand in his pocket, "What is it?"

Tsunade put the magazine on her face, covering most of her face but her eyes, "I want a house in the village."

"Oh?"

Tsunade blinked, "This is too separated; I feel like I am a hermit or something. Can't we live like regular people? In a big house in the village? From somewhere, I can see the streets of Konoha?"

"Yeah, ok, anyway, I only created this in worry that Ai's powers might run out. But now that she has good control over them, it's fine."

A smile appeared on Tsunade's face, although the magazine hid it. Jay could see the smile in her eyes, "Hey...I love you."

Tsunade held his hand, their figures interlocking with each other, "I love you too."