Kaizen Arashi, the current Fourth Hokage from a parallel Konoha, hadn't expected much when he joined the mysterious Konoha Hokage Chat Group. With war on the horizon and his strength still limited compared to future threats, he'd participated more out of desperation than hope—a dead horse as a living one, as the saying went.
But the moment Tsunade entered the space, her shocked voice rang out through the otherwise silent void.
"Grandpa?!"
"And… Second Grandpa?!"
Standing before her were the two legendary Hokage—Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. Both long gone in her timeline.
The two men, still adjusting to this strange meeting space, turned around at the sound of her voice. When Hashirama saw Tsunade walk out of the radiant portal, his eyes widened in surprise.
Tobirama, sharp-eyed as ever, recognized her instantly. "Tsunade?"
Hashirama squinted. His gaze drifted over her figure—tall, regal, wearing a green haori that flared dramatically behind her. But it wasn't her stature or features that caught his attention. It was the large red kanji boldly printed on her back:
Gambling.
"Huh?!"
Hashirama took a step forward, eyes narrowing. "You're… little Kozuna?!"
Tsunade froze. She hadn't heard that childhood nickname in years.
"Grandpa…" she murmured, her voice trembling. "You're alive?"
Hashirama gave a sheepish grin. "Alive? I guess that's what this place is. I feel healthy again—like I haven't in years. Must be something about this space…"
Before any more questions could arise, Kaizen clapped his hands and cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Since we're all here, let's take our seats," he said warmly. "This is the Konoha Hokage Chat Group. We're all part of the same family now. Let's sit and talk."
Tobirama, ever the skeptic, narrowed his eyes. "And who exactly are you?"
Kaizen turned and proudly displayed the back of his cloak. The embroidered characters read:
Fourth Hokage.
"I'm Kaizen Arashi, the Fourth Hokage of my Konoha."
Tobirama's expression shifted slightly. "Fourth…?"
Hashirama tilted his head in confusion, clearly unfamiliar with Kaizen.
Tsunade, however, raised an eyebrow.
"That doesn't make sense," she said sharply. "The Fourth Hokage should be Namikaze Minato. I was there when he took the position."
Kaizen nodded. He'd expected this.
"Yes, in your timeline, Minato became the Fourth Hokage. But the world I come from is a parallel Konoha. In my version of history, I maneuvered politically and militarily to become Hokage before Minato ever got the chance. I… ousted the Third Hokage early."
The three Senju stared at him, processing the idea.
Tobirama was the first to speak, slowly nodding in realization. "So… this chat group connects different timelines. Parallel Konoha worlds, each with their own Hokage succession paths."
"Exactly," Kaizen confirmed. "We've all become Hokage in our respective worlds. The system selects us to participate and grants us a space to exchange knowledge, coordinate, and eventually… conquer across dimensions."
Tsunade's eyes widened. "So this is a multi-world system?"
"Right."
Tobirama looked from Kaizen to Hashirama and then to Tsunade. "And you're the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade?"
"Yes," she confirmed with a nod.
Tobirama crossed his arms and fell into thoughtful silence.
So much must have happened in her world… he thought. For her to become Hokage, there must've been great upheaval.
Hashirama, meanwhile, looked visibly shaken. "Tsunade… Konoha's okay, right? I mean… you're not gambling the entire village budget away, are you?"
Tsunade shot him a glare.
"I've matured," she said, though her voice lacked conviction.
Hashirama glanced again at the bold gambling character on her haori and sighed.
"R-right. As long as the village is still standing, I guess that's fine…"
With everyone finally seated around the massive round table, Kaizen took the lead.
"Now that everyone's here, I'll explain what this chat group actually does."
Tobirama leaned forward slightly. "Go on."
"At this stage, the system hasn't unlocked all its features. Right now, we can only hold meetings like this every three months. We can chat, exchange information, and share perspectives. That's it for now."
Hashirama looked disappointed. "So it's like a conference call?"
"More or less," Kaizen admitted. "But here's where it gets interesting. When the group reaches five members, two major features unlock."
The three Hokage straightened in their seats.
"First," Kaizen continued, "the system will launch a world leaderboard. It ranks the different Konoha worlds based on various criteria. Those with higher rankings receive rewards."
"Rewards?" Tsunade asked, intrigued. "What kind?"
"I don't know yet," Kaizen said. "The system didn't reveal that. But if this is anything like the novels I used to read before I reincarnated… we can expect powerful items, bloodline enhancements, or even secret techniques."
Tobirama stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"And the second feature?"
Kaizen's expression grew serious.
"The cross-world assistance function."
All three Hokage instantly focused.
"If your world encounters a threat that your forces can't handle alone, you'll be able to request support through the chat group. When that happens, the other Hokage can travel to your world and help eliminate the danger."
The room went quiet.
Tsunade's hands clenched slightly. She'd been worried about how she'd handle Pain's invasion alone. But if this was real—if Hashirama, Tobirama, and even Kaizen could assist—then maybe, just maybe…
The corner of her mouth lifted into the faintest smile.
"That's… incredible," she whispered.
Hashirama slammed his hand on the table, eyes blazing. "Then if Tsunade's Konoha is in danger, of course we'll help! Right, Tobirama?"
Tobirama nodded firmly. "Naturally."
Kaizen allowed a moment for the gravity of the new information to sink in.
Tsunade turned to him quickly. "Kaizen—how long until the fifth member joins?"
"I believe…" Kaizen tapped a glowing panel in front of him. "It'll be triggered at the next scheduled meeting. That's when the system will attempt to recruit the next Hokage."
The three looked at each other. None of them knew who that fifth member would be. Minato? Hiruzen? Someone from another parallel timeline altogether?
Whatever the case, the stakes had risen.
"So until then," Kaizen said, "we should use this time to share what we know. Let's pool our knowledge. Each of our timelines has encountered different threats—Madara, Akatsuki, Danzo's schemes, even the Ōtsutsuki in some cases."
Tobirama nodded. "Agreed. Intelligence will be our greatest weapon."
"And maybe," Tsunade added, "next time we meet, we'll have the means to save not just our own world—but each other's too."
The round table shimmered faintly as the system acknowledged the successful conclusion of their first full meeting. Though they hailed from different eras and alternate histories, the Hokage of Konoha were now linked across time and dimension by a common cause.
The will of fire burned brig
hter than ever.
To be continued…
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