"You did what?!" Tsunade exclaimed, leaping from her seat in shock.
Naruto had just returned to the Leaf Village after meeting with Nagato and Konan. He wasn't returning empty-handed, though; he came back with a proposal for an alliance from Nagato, the leader of the Hidden Rain Village.
Despite Naruto's courageous encounter with Pain in their own village, dealing with official papers and agreements was beyond his responsibilities. Making such important decisions for the village was not in his hands.
Therefore, the moment he returned, he went directly to Tsunade, the Hokage, to inform her about everything that had happened.
"Let me go over it once more," Naruto began. "I traveled to the Hidden Rain Village to confront Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki. I had to battle them, and naturally, I came out on top. After that, I had a conversation with Nagato and Konan. You remember them, right? They were Jiraiya-sensei's students, the ones you mentioned before. Anyway, we talked things over."
Tsunade eased back into her chair, but her expression remained tense. Shizune, standing nearby, added, "Naruto, you really should have consulted Lady Tsunade before making such a hasty decision on your own. Besides, venturing into enemy territory alone was incredibly dangerous for you!"
Tsunade pondered for a few moments before meeting Naruto's gaze, "I understand why you did it. Your actions were for the good of the village and perhaps even the world. However, many might see what you did as reckless and dismiss it entirely."
"Yeah, well, whatever," Naruto replied. "Even if I had told you beforehand, it's not like you'd have given me the go-ahead. It was entirely my choice, reckless or not, and I don't care. I'm ready to take full responsibility for my actions!"
"Take blame for what?" a voice questioned as the door to the Hokage's office swung open. Everyone turned to see Danzo standing there.
"And here I thought I was the only fool who bothered to knock before entering," Naruto quipped, glancing back at the door.
Danzo chuckled heartily as he stepped into the room. "You're quite the comedian, Naruto. But what you've done? I doubt anyone, whether from the village or beyond, will find it amusing," Danzo remarked. "So tell me, did you visit the Hidden Rain Village or not?"
"And here I thought you'd be eavesdropping to catch up," Naruto said, his tone shifting to seriousness. "You already know what happened, don't you? Yes, I did go."
Danzo's demeanor changed abruptly, the laughter fading as he turned to Tsunade. "So,Tsunade," he began, "what do you intend to do about his disregard for village protocols and this reckless move he made on his own? The other villages have already caught wind of it, and even our allied nations are speaking against us. Who's going to bear the responsibility for this?" he questioned.
Naruto kept his eyes fixed on Danzo, a faint smile curling on his lips. 'Here he is,' Naruto mused silently, 'always plotting against the village, trying to hand over the secrets of the Anbu Black Ops to our worst enemy, and yet he stands here, pretending to care about the village's welfare. If only I could end him right here and now!'
Meanwhile, Tsunade had a conversation with Danzo, assuring him that she would take whatever actions were necessary to improve the village's future.
"I see. So you're taking all the responsibility onto yourself, huh? Just remember, if you can't manage the situation, you know what the consequences will be," Danzo remarked as he exited the room, throwing a smug glance at Naruto. Naruto remained silent, his face calm and unreadable.
"Naruto... why did you..." Tsunade began, but Naruto cut her off, speaking with determination, "I know what I've done, and I'm clear on what I plan to do. I'm aware of the consequences that come with it. As for Danzo, he shouldn't be a concern. I know how to handle him!"
With that, Naruto's expression shifted back to his usual playful and relaxed demeanor. "You just focus on what you need to do. Don't worry about me," he reassured her.
As Naruto uttered his final words, he swiftly left the room, leaving Tsunade and Shizune staring at the door. "This boy... When will he learn to listen?" Tsunade remarked with a sigh.
"Lady Tsunade, what should we do now?" Shizune inquired, concern evident in her voice.
"For now, we need to wait and see how the other villages respond. With the looming threat of the Akatsuki, there's a significant chance that a war could break out soon," Tsunade replied.
"War!?" Shizune exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
Meanwhile, after leaving the Hokage's office, Naruto headed straight to Ichiraku Ramen without wasting any time.
It appeared that news of his journey to the Hidden Rain Village and his battle with Pain hadn't spread among the villagers yet. This was understandable, as he had only recently returned.
At Ichiraku Ramen...
"When did you get back from your training?" Ayame asked Naruto as he took his seat and placed his usual ramen order.
"Just today," Naruto replied. "I came straight here after handling some things. So, what's been happening with you?"
"Everything's going smoothly for me!" Ayame replied with a smile as she brought Naruto's bowl of ramen and set it in front of him. "I've been cooking and taking care of the shop while Dad's away."
"So, where did Old Man Teuchi go this time?" Naruto asked, digging into his ramen.
"He went to buy some important supplies from the market. He said it might take a while, so I'm here holding down the fort until he returns," Ayame explained. "But enough about the usual stuff. Let's talk about something interesting—let's talk about you!"
"Me!? What about me?" Naruto asked, still enjoying his ramen.
"Tell me about your training. What new things did you learn, and how much progress have you made in the past week?" she asked, curious about his development. "I've heard that Sage Mode is one of the most powerful techniques out there, and mastering it isn't something just anyone can do."
"Honestly, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," he replied, a bit surprised at his own ease with the technique. "I didn't have to put in a lot of effort; it kind of just clicked for me."
"So, you've completely mastered Sage Mode?" she inquired, her eyes wide with amazement.
"Yeah, something like that," he replied with a modest shrug.
"Just like the Legendary Sannin, Lord Jiraiya?" she asked, her voice full of admiration.
Naruto paused, setting his food down for a moment. She quickly realized her mistake and apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up..."
"Hey, it's alright," Naruto reassured her with a soft smile. "And to answer your question, no, I don't think I'll ever reach his level. He'll always be the strongest pervy sage," he chuckled, as their conversation continued, filled with shared memories and laughter.