Chapter 140: Jiraiya, Go Become the Fifth Hokage

Tōshirō: ...

Little Tsunade: ...

Big Tsunade: ...

Jiraiya: ...

Little Tsunade snapped back to her senses and saw Tōshirō still standing there, stunned. Furious, she shouted, "Tōshirō, you idiot! What are you standing there for? Fight back already!"

Her anger wasn't just because Tōshirō fell for the move but because he froze up after seeing another woman's naked form. This wasn't the first time it happened, and she felt he needed to be cured of this habit.

Tōshirō managed to shake off the effects of the Sexy Jutsu with sheer determination. Though he had missed the perfect timing to dodge, it wasn't too late yet. With his strength, he could still react in time.

The feminized Naruto kept running while saying, "I'm not done yet. Harem Jutsu!"

Behind him, six shadow clones poofed into existence, each transforming into a voluptuous, naked woman of various shapes and sizes.

Tōshirō: ...

Little Tsunade: ...

Big Tsunade: ...

Jiraiya: ...

Tōshirō fell for it again. This time, when he snapped out of it, it was too late. A massive punch was already coming straight for his face.

Naruto's punch landed squarely, shattering Tōshirō's ice armor on his face and sending him flying backward. As Tōshirō staggered, he noticed something astonishing.

With a whistling sound, a shadow clone beside Naruto was frantically forming a blue, spherical shape just a few centimeters above his palm.

"That jutsu is…" Big Tsunade's expression changed with surprise upon seeing the spinning orb in Naruto's hand.

It was the Rasengan, the Fourth Hokage's unique technique, known for its extreme difficulty to master.

Jiraiya, proud and smug, said, "Not bad, huh?"

Big Tsunade glanced sideways at him, thinking Tōshirō must be toying around at this point.

When Tōshirō landed, he quickly performed a kip-up and got to his feet. Without hesitation, he formed hand signs, encasing his arm in a massive, diamond-hard ice gauntlet.

"Ice Style: Diamond Star Fist!"

Naruto lunged forward with the Rasengan, and the two attacks collided. The result was immediate—the massive ice fist shattered like brittle tofu under the pressure of the Rasengan.

With a loud boom, Tōshirō was sent flying.

"I won!" Naruto exclaimed, his face lighting up with a victorious grin.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya shouted to warn him, but it was too late.

Naruto froze in place, realizing that the body lying on the ground was just an empty ice shell. The real Aokiji had vanished.

Before Naruto could react, Tōshirō emerged from the ground behind him, turning water into a humanoid form. He grabbed Naruto around the waist with both arms.

"Water Style: Water Clone x Taijutsu: Uchiha Slam!"

While Naruto was still flustered, another figure appeared behind him. After a series of rapid hand seals, the water clone expanded, transforming into a giant water sphere that enveloped Naruto.

"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"

Trapped inside the water prison, Naruto flailed helplessly, bubbles escaping his mouth as his shadow clones dissipated one by one.

Tōshirō turned to Big Tsunade and Jiraiya with a calm expression and said, "I think this counts as a win for me, doesn't it?"

With the Water Prison Jutsu in effect, there was no way Naruto could escape without tapping into the Nine-Tails' chakra. But since there was no life-threatening situation and Tōshirō hadn't provoked him, the battle ended as expected—with Naruto's loss.

Big Tsunade smirked victoriously, "Looks like I won the bet."

Jiraiya sighed in defeat, reluctantly accepting the outcome.

The battle had gone exactly as Tōshirō predicted. Naruto hadn't powered up with the Nine-Tails' chakra, and without that edge, he was no match for Tōshirō.

Tōshirō pulled his hand away from the water sphere, which promptly burst like a popped balloon. Naruto, soaking wet, gasped for air, looking like a drowned rat.

"Darn it, I got careless," Naruto lamented, determined to try again. "One more round!"

"Enough, Naruto. You lost fair and square," Jiraiya said, giving Tōshirō a meaningful look.

Unlike Naruto, Jiraiya could see through Tōshirō's act. Based on his final display of speed, it was clear Tōshirō had been holding back. The entire fight, Naruto was being toyed with, completely unaware of it. Even if they fought a hundred more times, the result would still be the same.

Jiraiya had to admit that Tsunade was right—Tōshirō was no ordinary child. His current strength was already at the level of a Jonin.

Relishing her rare victory in a bet, Tsunade laughed heartily and beckoned Tōshirō, "Great job, Tōshirō! Come here and let Mama give you a kiss!"

Tōshirō glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. Are you taking this "mother" role a little too seriously?

"Please, Mother, have some dignity."

Little Tsunade stepped in front of Tōshirō, blocking her shameless future self.

Big Tsunade coughed a few times, indicating she was just joking. Why is my younger self so uptight?

After losing the duel, Naruto held his head in frustration. "Now what? Who's going to help me? Sasuke? Kakashi? Lee?"

Seeing Naruto's genuine concern, Tōshirō pleaded on his behalf, asking Tsunade to help heal Naruto's teammates. Aokiji suggested that while she didn't need to become the Fifth Hokage, she could at least assist a few people and maybe visit the Leaf Village. After all, Tsunade hadn't officially passed her mentorship yet, and there was still time.

Big Tsunade didn't refuse. She had already planned to send Tōshirō and Little Tsunade to the Leaf Village so they could understand the future of the village firsthand. Some things could only be truly comprehended through personal experience.

Moreover, Tsunade herself hadn't been back to the Leaf Village in a long time. This was a good opportunity to visit, especially considering that if history were to change, she might never get the chance again.

Naruto's tears immediately dried up when he heard Tsunade agree to heal his comrades. His sadness turned into joy.

Due to the stark contrast in her demeanor, Naruto now saw Tsunade as someone who was harsh on the outside but soft on the inside.

Jiraiya, too, was thrilled that Tsunade had agreed to return to the village. "Tsunade, I knew you weren't that cold-hearted."

At that moment, Tsunade gave him a sly smile, which made Jiraiya uneasy. "Uh… what's with that look?"

"Remember the bet we made earlier?" Tsunade asked with a mischievous grin.

"I remember."

"Good. Then it's time to fulfill your promise. Don't worry, I won't make you do anything too difficult."

"What is it?"

"You're going to become the Fifth Hokage."

"Alright, fine—wait, what?!" Jiraiya exclaimed after realizing her words.

"What are you yelling about?" Tsunade glared at him, her brows furrowed in mock annoyance.

Jiraiya clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture. "Tsunade, I really don't want to become Hokage! Please, you do it instead."

Tsunade looked at him with disdain and flatly refused. "No way! Let someone else take that lousy job!"

Jiraiya sighed, knowing it truly was a terrible responsibility. "You know I'm not suited for this kind of thing."

"That's not a problem. You'll get the hang of it. Nobody's born ready to be Hokage."

"Still, I can't! I'm busy every day!"

Tsunade snorted. "Busy with what? Don't tell me you're busier than I am! I have two kids to take care of, so where would I find the time to run a village?"

Little Tsunade: …

Tōshirō: …

Jiraiya tried to argue further, but Tsunade cut him off. "Unlike me, who has kids to look after, you're single. You've got plenty of time. And don't think I don't know what you're up to every day—drinking, visiting hostess clubs, and 'rescuing' fallen women."

Jiraiya: …

Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment, then continued, "Other than refusing to be the Fifth Hokage, I think I've already done everything I can for you."

She then turned to Naruto. "You're his disciple, right? Why don't you try to talk some sense into him?"

Naruto thought for a moment. If Pervy Sage became the Fifth Hokage, that would make him the personal apprentice of the Hokage. Wouldn't that sound way cooler than being just "Pervy Sage's student"?

With this realization, Naruto grinned and said, "Pervy Sage, why don't you become Hokage?"

Jiraiya nearly exploded with anger. Traitor!

Tōshirō, amused by the drama, decided to chime in. "Forgive me for being young, but may I say something?"

Jiraiya, with a bitter smile, replied, "Go ahead…"

"Sometimes, instead of asking what the village can do for you, you should ask what you can do for the village. You claim to love the village, yet you're unwilling to change even your smallest habits for it. Can you really say you love the village with a clear conscience?"

Jiraiya tried to counter. "Then why don't you all change?"

Tōshirō, with a straight face, replied, "Because we don't love the village to begin with."

Jiraiya: …

He truly didn't want to become Hokage.

The Leaf Village was leaderless at the moment and desperately needed someone to step up. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone more qualified than the Sannin.

With Tsunade refusing outright, the burden naturally fell to Jiraiya.

And to make matters worse, he had lost the bet and had to honor his promise.

After weighing all the factors, Jiraiya finally, albeit reluctantly, agreed to become the Fifth Hokage. He strongly insisted, however, that he would only serve for a few years and would step down as soon as someone suitable came along.

(End of Chapter)

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