Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade, who had always seen Naruto as a childish younger brother, now appeared visibly irritated.
"Naruto, you're no longer an ignorant little brat. You're a mature ninja now!"
Back when Naruto was a naive, hot-blooded rookie, no one minded his antics. On the contrary, they even found it endearing. But now, as he had grown up, fewer people had the patience to tolerate his behavior.
Tsunade, frustrated, looked at Naruto. In her eyes, the boy she once saw as a little brother hadn't grown at all over the years. It was disappointing.
She couldn't help but think: If it weren't for her being in the Hokage's position, would Naruto have the freedom he enjoyed in Konoha?
"Granny Tsunade…"
Naruto tried to protest, but before he could say anything further, Kakashi immediately stopped him, his voice cold and stern.
"Naruto, enough! Address her as Lady Hokage!"
Given Tsunade's strict and decisive leadership recently, all the ninjas in Konoha were on edge. Kakashi couldn't allow Naruto to act recklessly. Even Sakura, standing to the side, noticed the tension and quickly grabbed Naruto, trying to calm him down.
"Naruto, don't make a scene."
"How am I the one making a scene?!"
As Kakashi struggled with the problem child of his team, the office door suddenly opened. When Shirou appeared, Naruto's pupils shrank instantly. Sakura, standing beside him, was equally shocked.
"That's impossible!"
"Naruto, stop right now!" A flash of yellow darted past, and Kakashi, stunned, shouted urgently.
But Naruto, upon seeing Shirou, immediately displayed a furious expression and roared:
"The one who killed Sai!"
Wood Release: Silent Strangling Binding Technique!
In an instant, wooden vines burst from the floor. Naruto's clenched fist, aimed with anger, stopped just short of Shirou's face. Bound by the vines, Naruto could only glare at Shirou, whose calm demeanor didn't waver as he looked at Naruto.
"Naruto!"
"Don't do this, Naruto!"
As soon as Naruto was restrained by the Wood Release, Kakashi and Shizune reacted immediately. Kakashi stood protectively in front of Tsunade, while Shizune rushed to stop Naruto's impulsive actions.
"Naruto, this is Lord Senju Shirou. You've got the wrong person!"
Shizune explained in a hurry. However, Naruto, bound by the wooden vines, continued to glare at the figure before him. He was convinced—there was no mistake in his judgment! His stubborn nature wouldn't allow him to doubt himself.
"Kakashi-sensei, you're all being deceived! He's the Uchiha from the other world—"
"Silence!"
Before Naruto could finish, Tsunade slammed her hand on the desk, her voice sharp with anger.
"Naruto Uzumaki, Genin! If you can't even adhere to the most basic ninja confidentiality rules, then take off your headband!"
Tsunade's outburst left Naruto stunned and speechless.
"I… but I'm telling the truth. He really is…"
"Naruto, S-class mission confidentiality rules…" Shizune quickly intervened, trying to calm Naruto down.
Meanwhile, Shirou remained composed, his expression indifferent as he walked past Naruto and Sakura. His quiet words, however, made Sakura's eyes widen with fear.
"It seems you're all terribly afraid of me."
"Naruto!"
Kakashi quickly restrained Naruto before bowing to Tsunade and then leading the boy out of the room. Sakura, frozen for a moment, stiffly followed them. As she turned back, she caught sight of Shirou's calm figure and the meaningful expression on Tsunade's face, which filled her heart with unease.
Two identical people might exist in different worlds, but how could Uchiha Shirou become Senju Shirou?
As the office door creaked shut, Tsunade snorted coldly and glared at Shirou.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"Tsunade, you're falsely accusing me. I'm a Konoha ninja now, after all. It's only a matter of time before I run into Naruto and the others. What do you want me to do, hide from them forever?"
Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. She didn't bother hiding their conversation from Shizune, who stood nearby, her face pale.
The S-class classified Dragon Vein incident. Shizune had been present when Naruto, Captain Yamato, and the others returned from that mission. At the time, she thought it was an elaborate genjutsu. But based on their accounts, it seemed real, which was why a gag order had been issued—to ensure no one leaked the details.
From start to finish, only five people in Konoha knew the truth: Yamato, Naruto, Sakura, Tsunade, and Shizune. Even Kakashi wasn't fully informed. Of course, Sai, who had died, likely knew as well.
"Shizune, calm down."
Tsunade, noticing Shizune's trembling hands as she served tea, took a deep breath and reassured her.
"Shizune, you're the one I trust the most. There are some things I don't want to hide from you."
It wasn't just because of Shizune's years of companionship. During the Dragon Vein incident, Shizune had stood by Tsunade's side without question. That loyalty was why Tsunade chose to confide in her.
As Tsunade explained everything, Shizune's expression shifted from pale to shocked, and finally to disbelief. Her eyes widened as she struggled to comprehend what she had just heard.
"The Fourth Hokage?!"
Tsunade nodded reluctantly. "That's right. He's the Fourth Hokage from another world."
"Wait… so… two Konoha villages, two Hokage working together?!" Shizune's mind buzzed with the revelation.
As Shizune tried to process everything, Tsunade turned to Shirou with a serious expression.
"With your appearance here, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and the others will notice Naruto's behavior."
The subtext was clear: even if they were both Hokage, Uchiha Shirou couldn't act recklessly toward fellow Konoha ninjas.
Shirou understood Tsunade's implication and smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't go that far. After all, this Konoha is my village too."
"Tch, I'm the Fifth Hokage!" Tsunade snapped, asserting her authority.
Shizune, standing nearby, was overwhelmed. She realized that two Hokage from different worlds were sitting together, discussing plans for Konoha's future, strategizing on how to solidify their power.
For a moment, Shizune thought Tsunade seemed like a cunning schemer with grand ambitions—and she, Shizune, was her trusted accomplice.
Yet, unexpectedly, a strange thought crept into Shizune's mind: Maybe this ambitious Tsunade is a good thing.
Shizune shook her head to dispel the idea, but deep down, she couldn't deny her feelings. After all, Tsunade had been through so much pain and loss. Seeing her now, full of energy and determination, made Shizune's eyes well up with tears.
Perhaps this was the Tsunade Konoha truly needed.
Just as Shizune was strategizing in silence, fully prepared to assist Lady Tsunade in building a strong foundation for Konoha, Tsunade and Shirou were having a conversation that she couldn't quite comprehend.
"How about it? Did you discover something? You wouldn't just come to my office for no reason," Tsunade asked with a slight pout—a rare, almost coquettish expression that Shizune had never seen before from her.
Under Shizune's gaze, Shirou's expression gradually turned serious. He nodded and replied, "I did find something. It seems the two worlds are different from what we imagined."
Shirou rubbed his temples and pulled out an ancient, weathered scroll that appeared to have a long history.
"This scroll was discovered in the Root base. In my world, when I overthrew the Third Hokage's regime and confiscated Root's property, there were no such items. Of course, you might argue that Root under Danzo in this world had an extra decade or so to develop, which naturally led to differences. But I can tell you that I've already sent people in my world to investigate, and they found nothing like this."
As Shirou slowly unrolled the scroll, Tsunade's curiosity was piqued. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the contents.
"This is…"
After reading the records, Tsunade's face darkened with anger. "Damn it! This is a scroll from the Senju clan. I knew it! When I left the village, those bastards went through the Senju clan's belongings! Damn them!"
The scroll contained records from the Warring States period, written from the perspective of the Senju clan. It described a terrifying war weapon once possessed by the Uchiha clan—a weapon so powerful that even the Senju clan feared it. Ultimately, during the Warring States period, the Senju, along with the Sarutobi, Uzumaki, and other clans, sealed away this ultimate weapon of the Uchiha clan.
"This can't be real," Tsunade said, her expression a mix of disbelief and frustration. "It's been so long. Even if it were that powerful, it would've turned to dust by now." She glanced back at the scroll, which described the Uchiha clan's ultimate weapon as nothing more than a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
"It might not be fake!" Shirou replied, shaking his head. The records hinted at something far greater than what they seemed on the surface. He could almost deduce the true nature of this so-called weapon.
"Uchiha Hikari," Uchiha Yo muttered under his breath.
The scroll's yellowed, ancient appearance indicated its long history, but the implications of its contents made Shirou's heart race. This world, he realized, held far more secrets than he had anticipated. No wonder Orochimaru was so obsessed with uncovering the truth of the world. Even Shirou himself was now intrigued.
If his suspicions were correct, then the ultimate weapon was indeed Uchiha Hikari. A character from a game appearing here? Then again, this was already an anime world. Adding a game character wasn't too far-fetched.
"It's just like me," Shirou said. "In another world, I exist, but in this world, there's no record of me. What seems like parallel worlds are fundamentally different in certain aspects."
Shirou's words sparkled with intrigue, his eyes alight with curiosity. The world's mysteries were unfolding layer by layer, and it was fascinating.
Tsunade frowned after hearing this. While the discovery was intriguing, her priority remained Konoha.
"Shirou, the location mentioned in this record is incredibly vague. Are you planning to go there?"
"After you've finished handling the village's affairs, I think it'll be time to investigate," Shirou said with a smile. The idea of uncovering Uchiha Hikari's existence was too enticing to ignore.
"And what about Kakashi and Jiraiya? Naruto is bound to tell them everything," Tsunade asked, clearly troubled. She didn't want this matter to escalate into something life-threatening.
Shirou chuckled and shrugged at her concern. "Tsunade, you're overthinking it."
This world's Tsunade, Shirou thought, was far too cautious. Perhaps it was because this was her first time consolidating power, and she wasn't yet accustomed to the feeling.
"Relax. If they visit the other world to gather information, Kakashi is smart enough to understand the situation. Everything we're doing is for Konoha's benefit, so he won't oppose it. As for Jiraiya…" A mocking smile appeared on Shirou's face as he shook his head. "This world's Jiraiya, frankly, is useless except for his strength. When it comes to major decisions, all he does is run away and leave things to fate."
"In my world, when that perverted sage was wandering around searching for the Child of Prophecy, I paid a visit to Mount Myōboku. After that, the old toad sage never mentioned the prophecy again. Jiraiya also came to a realization."
Tsunade's curiosity was piqued. "What realization?"
Shirou smirked, raising his fist. "This is the truth!"
Tsunade burst out laughing, clutching her stomach and pounding the table. "Hahaha! I finally understand why the Jiraiya in your world was so motivated. It's because you punched him!"
Shirou grinned and nodded. The old toad sage at Mount Myōboku was undeniably powerful, but it was also old. After a thorough beating, it had gone into the deepest sleep it had ever experienced. Jiraiya, dumbfounded, never brought up the prophecy again.
"Seriously, a prophecy to determine the fate of the ninja world? Then what's the point of being a ninja? You might as well just dream about it," Shirou scoffed.
"You're right," Tsunade agreed. "With Jiraiya's personality, even if he knew your true identity, he'd just stay silent in the face of overwhelming power. After all, we have no reason to harm Konoha."
If Konoha were truly in danger, Jiraiya would fight to the death, but only if there was no other choice. The title of Gallant Jiraiya wasn't for show. However, Jiraiya was someone who respected power. As long as Shirou didn't harm Konoha, Jiraiya would submit, just as he turned a blind eye to the wrongdoings of the Third Hokage's administration, including Danzo.
In truth, Jiraiya was a competent ninja but a terrible politician. He avoided conflict and left everything to fate, even when he knew it was wrong.
"Once these loose ends are tied up, it'll be time to set out," Shirou murmured, his eyes narrowing. Kakashi, and Jiraiya—they could be easily dealt with. Perhaps bringing people from the other world to replace some ninjas here would make things more interesting.
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