"Hah, if my secretary or my friend had heard that, they would have been greatly displeased by such audacity," Hiruzen tried to say in a cheerful tone, despite missing an arm and having a few extra, unintended holes in his body.
He managed to stop the bleeding using a technique. Thanks to his teachers, he knew a few tricks of medical ninjutsu.
"Hokage-sama!" exclaimed the ANBU responsible for his protection.
They arrived with Orochimaru's Four, who were unconscious at the moment. Using telepathy, I had sent each of them into a deep sleep.
"There's no need to worry about me," said Sarutobi. "Reed-san helped me, so I have enough chakra to heal myself."
The ANBU commander had already summoned a medic, and soon one arrived on the roof.
"Hokage-sama," the medic said, bowing slightly.
Hiruzen merely nodded. While the medic treated the old Hokage, Sarutobi continued giving orders. The ANBU commander began reporting on the progress of the battles in the village.
"Send a team of ANBU after Naruto-kun," Hiruzen instructed.
"That won't be necessary," I interjected, looking at Hiruzen. "Naruto has already handled it."
Thanks to my abilities, I kept the surrounding area (up to 40 kilometers) under constant surveillance. The Naruto I had trained alongside Jiraiya performed brilliantly. Using the Rasengan, he managed to break through Gaara's defenses. When the sand jinchuriki began to release Shukaku, Naruto woke him up with the help of Gamabunta.
As I finished speaking, Sarutobi and the others noticed the silhouette of the One-Tail vanishing.
"You've trained him well," Hiruzen said, his voice filled with pride and relief.
The old man was genuinely happy that Naruto had grown stronger. To Hiruzen, Naruto was almost like an adopted grandson, and he always did his best to look out for him.
"We must secure our victory," Hiruzen continued, his gaze firm and resolute. "All forces are to focus on ensuring the village's safety."
The ANBU nodded immediately and dispersed to carry out the orders. Hiruzen looked at me, his eyes full of gratitude.
"Reed-san, your assistance has been invaluable," he said. "Thanks to you, we were able to repel this attack."
At that moment, Hiruzen's student, the white-haired Sannin, arrived without any dramatic entrance. When he saw Orochimaru's body, his eyes briefly filled with sorrow for the friend he had lost.
"After this, you probably won't be as strong, old man," Jiraiya said. "It's time for you to find a successor."
"Hah, you're the second person today to tell me that."
"And who was the first?"
"My teacher."
Jiraiya frowned, his thoughts revealing that he knew what technique Orochimaru had used. He glanced at me with gratitude.
"I assume I can talk openly about this technique in front of Reed?"
Hiruzen nodded.
"He dealt with my teachers. Without him, I would likely be with them in the Pure World by now."
—= Two Days Later =—
"Well, Naruto," the first thing the blond heard as he awoke was the voice of Reed-sensei, "how are you feeling?"
Naruto immediately came to his senses. The last thing he remembered was Gaara being defeated, taken away by his brother and sister.
"Sensei?! Where's Gaara? What about the village? The old man?!"
"Hah, glad to see you're still as energetic," Sensei replied with a slight grin. "As for Gaara, he and his siblings managed to leave the village. There was no chase. Hiruzen and the Sand reached an agreement, so the old man is fine."
Naruto sighed in relief, but his face still showed concern.
"So, the village is safe?"
"Yes," Reed-sensei confirmed.
Naruto pondered for a moment, letting everything sink in. Once the pieces fell into place, he finally allowed himself to relax.
"And what are you doing here?" Naruto asked suspiciously, glancing at Reed. "Are you going to drag me to training in this state?"
—= Reed Richards =—
"No," I shook my head, suppressing the laughter threatening to escape. "I came to check on something."
"Check on something?" Naruto repeated, still confused.
"You remember that I'm a scientist first and foremost, right?"
The blond nodded.
"I came here to check on Rock Lee. Since you were here, I thought I'd stop by."
I wanted to study Rock Lee's body structure to better understand the concept of Eight Gates.
"That's it?" Naruto glanced at me skeptically.
"That's it."
At that moment, the door to Naruto's room opened, and his pink-haired teammate, who he had been pining over just a few weeks ago, entered. Thanks to our training, I had helped resolve that particular issue by explaining the concept of love to the blond.
"Hello," the girl said politely, a tone that Naruto often lacked.
"It's fine, we've finished talking," I replied, standing up. "I'll leave him to you."
As I turned to leave, I noticed one of Hiruzen's ANBU approaching the room. I glanced at the clock. Hmm, right on time.
The hospital was bustling with activity due to the many injured from the recent attack, but that didn't stop me from easily making my way to the rooftop.
"Reed-dono," the ANBU said, appearing as soon as I reached the roof. "The council meeting has begun."
"Lead the way."
The ANBU nodded and placed his hand on my shoulder, using Shunshin to transport us.
In a brief moment, I stood in the Hokage's residence, where the village's leadership had gathered—ranging from jonin of various levels to the elders and the Hokage himself.
The room was thick with tension and determination. The faces of those present showed a mix of exhaustion and readiness for action. Hiruzen sat at the head of the table, exuding authority and strength despite his injuries.
"Reed-san," Hiruzen began, drawing everyone's attention to me, "thank you for your assistance in defending the village. We are currently discussing security measures and the village's recovery after the attack. Given your help... I thought it appropriate that you be here."
Jiraiya, who was sitting next to the old man, smirked at me. In his thoughts, I clearly read, "At least I'm not suffering alone here."
"All right," I shrugged. "Where should I sit?"
My bold behavior made the elders look at me with even more disdain than before. Hiruzen's old teammates, as well as the various jonin and clan leaders, weren't exactly thrilled to have an outsider in the room.
Hiruzen nearly choked on air at my tone. However, regaining his composure and muttering something under his breath, he said:
"You can sit next to Jiraiya."
Jiraiya patted the seat beside him. As I took my place, the others resumed their discussions from before my arrival.
I listened to the conversations half-heartedly, fully aware that, despite my actions during the invasion, I was still an outsider to them. If it weren't for the diplomatic strain my refusal would have caused, I wouldn't have bothered to attend.
The discussions revolved around shinobi deployment and budget allocation for Konoha's swift recovery… none of which interested me until Hiruzen spoke:
"We also need to bring Tsunade back to the village."
The others began exchanging glances, uncertain of the reason behind this move.
"I need to find a successor," Hiruzen continued. "My battle with Orochimaru made it clear that time is catching up with me."
Now everyone in the room understood what the old man was implying.
—\\—
"You want to pass the title of Hokage to a woman who wasn't here during the Nine-Tails attack, Orochimaru's defection, or the invasion?!" Danzo growled. "Are you out of your mind, Hiruzen?!"
"Hiruzen, you cannot entrust the Hokage position to that fallen woman!" Elder Koharu declared.
"Why can't Jiraiya take the position?" Elder Homura asked in a more diplomatic but still protesting tone.
"Jiraiya? Who would turn the village into a brothel within a day?" Danzo asked sarcastically.
That remark from Shimura was a turning point. Homura and Koharu sighed in defeat. They were more politically savvy than Danzo and understood that such actions from the one-eyed man would turn many against him.
Hiruzen also realized that Danzo was aiming for his position.
"And you plan to offer yourself as a candidate, Danzo?" Hiruzen's killing intent was palpable, and I felt it through Danzo's mind.
This display made everyone in the room understand that Hiruzen was still the Hokage.
"My word is final on this matter," Hiruzen declared, each word reinforced by a surge of chakra. "As the Third Hokage, I have the final say in choosing the next Hokage!"
The room fell silent as everyone felt Hiruzen's authority and power. No one dared to argue, knowing that his decision was unwavering. Despite his injuries, Sarutobi's resolve remained strong.
"I have chosen Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage," Hiruzen continued. "She is one of the best medics and fighters in our village. Her knowledge and skills will help Konoha recover and grow even stronger."
Jiraiya nodded silently, supporting his teacher's decision. Despite his playful demeanor, he knew Tsunade was the best choice for the role.
Hiruzen's statement, backed by his authority, ended the theatrics that had unfolded before me.
Danzo briefly considered using Shisui's eye, but the presence of the Hyuga and sensory ninjas in the room deterred him.
"I suppose," Shikaku Nara began, "Jiraiya-sama will go to retrieve Tsunade?"
The Toad Sage nodded and said, "I plan to leave to find her right after this meeting."
Jiraiya's declaration eased the concerns of some in the room.
From there, the discussion continued without any significant incidents or interesting statements.
When the meeting finally ended, Jiraiya approached me, and we stepped outside.
"That meeting wore you out too, huh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It wasn't the meeting so much as what came after," I shrugged. "The clan heads trying to win me over was rather... amusing."
Jiraiya chuckled, understanding what I meant. Throughout the meeting, several influential clan heads had tried to start conversations with me, hoping to gain my favor or, at the very least, my neutrality in future matters.
"Well, you've certainly attracted a lot of attention," Jiraiya said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "But that was inevitable, especially after what you demonstrated. Your abilities are too valuable."
"And your search for Tsunade will be interesting," I noted. "With her love for gambling and running from debts, finding her could take some time."
"Exactly," Jiraiya sighed. "But I'll manage. We don't have a choice, and Tsunade really is the best candidate."
Thoughts of asking me to join him crossed Jiraiya's mind.
"I can see in your eyes that you're thinking of asking me to come with you," I remarked with a small smile.
The white-haired man raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Am I that obvious?"
"Unfortunately, I have a meeting with someone else," I replied.
"Hmm, and who might this someone be?" Jiraiya asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. His thoughts immediately pictured a beautiful brunette...
"I can't tell you that, but I can tell you where you'll find Tsunade."
Jiraiya's eyes widened, and his grin grew even wider.
"Really? Where?"
"Tanzaku Town."
"Hmm… That's very much like her," Jiraiya said thoughtfully. "Are you staying in the village?"
"It depends on who I meet. I assume you're planning to take Naruto with you?"
Jiraiya wasn't surprised that I asked this question.
"His presence will help bring Tsunade back," Jiraiya replied calmly. "I'd prefer not to escalate things into a conflict."
When Hiruzen had given his orders to Jiraiya, he had been very direct.
"When are you planning to leave?"
"Tonight."
"In that case, I should wrap up what I need to do as quickly as possible."
My words piqued Jiraiya's curiosity, as he thought it would be wise to keep an eye on what interested me.
"Since the blond will be gone for a few days, I should give him some training instructions," I clarified.
"Hahaha, that sounds about right. I'll be waiting for him near the gates then."
With that, Jiraiya disappeared using Shunshin, while I headed toward Naruto, who had already been discharged. Soon enough, I stood before the door to the apartment complex that housed retired shinobi. All the tenants in this building were former ninja.
Knock-knock
"I'm coming!"
The door opened slightly, revealing a surprisingly tidy apartment. My influence seemed to have worked.
"Sensei? Come on in!"
I entered without further ado. I noticed that even Naruto's diet had improved. A selection of fruits and vegetables on the table indicated that the blond had started eating more balanced meals.
"I'm glad to see you're taking care of yourself," I said, walking into the living room.
"Yes, Sensei. Your advice really helped," Naruto looked pleased, his eyes shining with confidence. "What brings you here?"
"I haven't given you a gift for becoming a chunin, have I?"
Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement.
"The gift I'm giving you will help you become the best Hokage."
With those words, I pulled out a vial containing my latest project. My attempt to recreate the power of the Wood Release had been successful.
"What is it, Reed-sensei?"
I muted the sounds from Naruto's apartment. Doing so with telekinesis and electromagnetic control was easy.
"This will give you the power of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju."
Thanks to Naruto having read most of the books in the library, he understood the value of the gift. To create this vial, I had to work hard since I didn't have Chronos, but I did have the knowledge I extracted from Orochimaru.
"Are you serious?" Naruto breathed, his eyes wide with amazement and anticipation.
"Absolutely," I confirmed. "It won't be an easy process, but with your determination and potential, you'll master this power."
Naruto took the vial, staring at it with awe.
"I just drink it?"
I nodded.
Naruto trusted me, so he drank the contents without hesitation.
"Now, all that's left is for me to monitor the process."
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