Chapter 123: The Fifth Hokage
Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 123: The Fifth Hokage
"Starting today, this village will be my responsibility as the Fifth Hokage," Tsunade declared, a satisfied smile on her face. She had gotten everything she requested from the elders. They were more desperate than she had anticipated.
"It's incredible that you managed to bring her back," remarked the elder Homura, clearly impressed.
"Yes, you did an amazing job, Jiraiya," Koharu praised him.
"Haha! Of course, my title as a legendary ninja isn't just for show," Jiraiya bragged. "No one can resist my charming perso—"
"All you did was drink and sleep with prostitutes," Naruto interrupted him.
"He did what?!" Koharu screamed.
"Now now...I'm sure he is exaggerating." Homura tried to ease his old teammate. Although he was very much aware of Jiraya's many vices but chose to keep it to himself.
"I still can't believe she took the job." Naruto glanced at Tsunade.
"Don't worry. I can tell that Lady Tsunade is starting to change. She will make a great Hokage," Shizune assured him.
"By the way, are the fifteen barrels of high-quality sake I requested ready?" Naruto asked.
"It hasn't been a month yet," Koharu began, but then a realization hit her. "Wait... you asked for ten barrels."
"Did I? Must've misspoken. I need fifteen." He said it without a hint of shame.
"What do you need that much alcohol for? Surely you can't be that much of a deviant at your age," Homura chimed in. If this was true, then this boy was on his way to become the next Jiraya. And he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
"It's a payment for his summon," Tsunade explained, turning toward them. "From what I've heard, Gamabunta played a significant role during the attack. Prepare those barrels for him."
"Oh, so it's like that," Koharu realized. Now feeling much more relieved.
"If the Hokage agrees, then I have no issues. We'll have them ready by the end of the week," Homura added.
Tsunade looked at Naruto with a smug expression. "You're welcome," she said, proud of herself.
"We shouldn't waste any more time. Let's gather the villagers and make the announcement," Koharu suggested.
"Yes, the village needs something to celebrate," Homura agreed.
"That can wait until tomorrow. I've been told there are people in dire need of medical attention at the hospital," Tsunade said. "I'll head there now... who were they again?" she turned to Jiraiya.
"I told you, Kakashi, the Uchiha brat, and Gai's student, Rock Lee," Jiraiya reminded her.
"If you have time, check on Hyuga Hinata too. She had difficulty recovering from the internal damage she suffered during the last exam," Naruto added.
"Oh?" Tsunade glanced at him. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"
"She's a person of interest," Naruto replied nonchalantly, offering no further explanation.
"Can't you act more like the boys your age? I was trying to tease you!" Tsunade complained, but Naruto ignored her as he walked away.
"Hey!, come back here!" Tsunade cried.
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He felt exhaustion catching up with him as he laid down on his bed, and for the first time in a long while... he slept.
The next day, Naruto woke up feeling refreshed and immediately took a long shower.
"Ahh, that felt good!" he sighed as he walked into the kitchen, grabbing a quick bite to eat before heading to the living room.
"I wonder if there's anything interesting on that magical box today..." he mused, referring to the TV. He usually kept it on during his long meditation sessions.
He didn't need full concentration the entire time, so having something like television made things more pleasant.
"I wish I had you in my previous life..." Naruto ran his finger across the surface of the TV before reaching for the remote to turn it on.
But just as he was about to press the button, someone knocked on his door.
"Who could it be this early in the morning?" He sighed, getting up to answer the door.
"Yes?" Naruto asked, opening the door completely.
Standing outside were three people, two of whom he knew very well.
"Hello, Naru—ahhh!" Hinata's eyes rolled back, and she nearly fainted.
"Lady Hinata!" her attendant hurried to catch her before she could fall.
Neji, standing next to her, glared at Naruto with an annoyed expression. "Do you usually open the door while naked?"
Naruto looked down at himself. He hadn't had time to get dressed yet, but it wasn't like he was completely naked. "I'm wearing a towel."
"You're wearing it on your head!" Neji snapped.
"Of course, I'm drying my hair," Naruto replied matter-of-factly.
"Go get dressed, please!" Neji was growing more annoyed, thinking Naruto was doing it on purpose.
"What does Lady Hinata see in this individual?" the attendant muttered disdainfully as Naruto retreated inside to throw on some clothes.
"Ah..." Hinata moaned as she opened her eyes.
"Lady Hinata! Are you alright?" the attendant asked, concerned.
"I... I was having a wonderful dream... Where are we?" Hinata blinked in confusion as she looked around.
"We came to talk to Uzumaki, remember?" Neji reminded her.
Hinata gasped. "That wasn't a dream?! I saw his... his..."
"Please, Lady Hinata, don't finish that sentence! It is beneath your station," the attendant exclaimed.
"No, it wasn't a dream... and yes, I saw it too..." For a moment, Neji cursed his perfect eyesight and photographic memory. He was never getting that image out of his mind.
The door opened again. This time, Naruto was properly dressed in a clean, comfortable-looking white tunic.
"Come on in. Then you can tell me the reason for your visit."
Hinata and Neji nodded politely and stepped inside his house.
The attendant asked for permission to prepare some tea and headed toward the kitchen.
"What can I do for you?" Naruto asked.
"Naruto... I... I wanted to thank you," Hinata began, her voice soft. "Lady Tsunade visited my household last night and treated my internal wounds. The medics had told me it would take at least another month or two to fully heal. But now... thanks to her, I feel better than ever."
"I see..." Naruto nodded, satisfied. It seemed Tsunade's reputation for medical prowess was well-earned.
'I wonder if she also treated Rock Lee. I should visit the hospital later.'
"And she mentioned that she came at your request," Hinata added, her eyes soft with gratitude.
"Don't worry about it. It was nothing major, no need to thank me," Naruto shrugged, turning his attention to Neji.
"And you? What's on your mind?"
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