The Scoundrel Who Opens the Door with a Blade

Tsunade was taken aback, then squatted down beside him and said with a silly laugh.

"We'll see how you perform in the future."

"Didn't you say you'd support me becoming the Fifth Hokage? Now that I've accepted, you have to keep your promise."

Upon hearing this, Naruto released Tsunade's wrist and struggled to his feet.

The lights from the shops lining both sides of the Tanzaku Town night market radiated like threads, casting dim yellow light at Naruto's feet. A night breeze seemed to sober him up a bit.

"This is outrageous. How could the Hokage do such a thing?"

"Sure, you can do it." Tsunade chuckled.

As she spoke, she stood up, her large blue robe printed with the word "gambling" fluttering gently in the night breeze.

"I'm sober now, it's time to go back."

"Um," Naruto coughed and said, "Is Lord Tsunade saying goodbye to her past memories? Although I don't quite understand, I think it's painful to just have bad memories around, whether you want to or not."

"You little brat." Tsunade chuckled and tapped Naruto on the head. "No matter how painful the past memories are, you can't just let them go. If you let go of the past, you'll be free."

Naruto wisely stopped the conversation. If someone is covering their wound and not letting others see it, forcibly prying their hand open is not showing concern, but rather stabbing them in the back.

"Lord Tsunade is already the Fifth Hokage, and the village affairs are still very busy," Naruto said in a sensible way. "The end of one era is also the Qidian of another."

"Ah," Tsunade responded, her voice tinged with melancholy. "The village is my grandfather's life's work, and I will pass on the responsibility of protecting it to future generations."

"The Shinobi World is not peaceful either. Frequent wars have caused countless people to freeze or starve to death," Naruto said. "The world is truly difficult to navigate. The way is what people's hearts desire, and the world is every blade of grass and every tree in the village."

"You're saying this again..." Tsunade suddenly laughed, rubbing Naruto's cheek as she asked, "You're quite thoughtful, what's on your mind this time?"

"I wasn't thinking about anything. Although I hope Lord Tsunade can succeed Fifth Hokage, I myself don't want to become Hokage at all," Naruto murmured.

"I just hope that Lord Tsunade can say a few more words for me in the High-level Meeting, so that I won't end up being imprisoned."

"Don't worry, those old guys can't do anything to you." Tsunade tightened her grip. "I will protect you. There will be no such thing as restricting your freedom."

"I'm very happy that you've been so open with me."

"The power of the Tailed Beast is too strong. I don't actually have many people in the village who can talk to me," Naruto said. "I'm also very happy to be able to do things for Lord Tsunade."

"Then do your best." Tsunade smiled, leaned down and kissed Naruto on the cheek. "I'll return the sword to you."

It took almost a month of back and forth.

As Tsunade had predicted, she obediently returned to Konohagakure to succeed as the Fifth Hokage.

On the day Naruto returned to the village, he was sandwiched between Tsunade, with Jiraiya and the Fifth Hokage Tsunade his right. Two of the legendary Legendary Sannin had returned, causing a sensation.

As the granddaughter of the First Hokage, a legendary medical-nin, and the future Fifth Hokage, who wouldn't want to see her?

The Konohagakure Street were packed with people, which was exactly the effect the two advisors of Konohagakure wanted, as they had spread the news before Tsunade returned to the village.

Tsunade is not only the granddaughter of the First Hokage, but also one of the Legendary Sannin, a disciple of the Third Hokage, and a powerful medical-nin. If Tsunade didn't Hokage, would she even be qualified to sit in that position?

Even Danzo gritted his teeth to pieces, there was no way he could take the Hokage Position from Tsunade.

This is what the people want; everyone believes that the granddaughter of the First Hokage will bring hope to the village.

And Naruto, this ominous figure, was forcibly paraded through the streets by Tsunade. They were paraded from the Konoha Gate to Konohagakure Street, and then from Konohagakure Street to the Hokage Building.

Below the Hokage Building's high platform, a group of ninjas and villagers gathered, looking up at the newly appointed Fifth Hokage.

Naruto tried to run away, but Tsunade dragged him back.

"Where do you think you're going, you brat?" Tsunade frowned, grabbing his ear and saying, "Stand right here and wait until the ceremony is over, then you can go wherever you want."

"It's not like I'm the one who's going to Hokage, why would I want to?"

"Sorry, the wind was too strong, I didn't hear you clearly." Tsunade's face was ashen, and her terrifying Red Eye looked like they could crush Naruto with a single punch.

"I apologize, but I swear allegiance to Lord Tsunade!" Naruto said, standing up straight.

"You've got a sweet tongue, kid." Tsunade's attitude instantly made Naruto feel like he was basking in a spring breeze, and he smiled as he put on the straw hat symbolizing the Hokage.

Behind her were two advisors and Jiraiya; Third Hokage the pro-Tsunade faction stood on Tsunade, solemnly attending the Hokage succession ceremony. This included the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Hyuga Clan and Aburame Clan Inuzuka Clan, and the Anbu Captain.

Naruto stood yawning in the spot closest to Tsunade, listening as Tsunade announced amidst cheers that she would be in charge of Konoha Village from now on.

The process was incredibly boring, but the villagers' thunderous cheers were indeed mixed with their hopes for the future.

Tsunade's return was like a shot in the arm for Konohagakure after the attack.

The Way is what people aspire to; the world is what every blade of grass and every tree represents.

Some people can just stand there and do nothing, and people will adore them like crazy.

That's the kind of person Tsunade is.

She gambled her whole life, and lost her whole life. From the beginning to the present, she lost everything in her entire life. But, she only needs to win once in her life, and that will be enough.

Naruto glanced at the assertive woman waving amidst the cheers out of the corner of his eye, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.

Back home, Naruto silently washed up, then lay naked on the sofa wrapped in a towel, lost in thought.

I was on a mission for a month, and when I got back, I didn't know what to do.

As expected, life will continue as before: do tasks when there are tasks, and just lie around when there aren't. The High-level Meeting are most likely to be canceled, so there's no need to bother with them anymore.

Looking at the pristine white ceiling, Naruto suddenly felt a craving for cocoa, for some reason.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't had cocoa in a long time. Actually, he didn't particularly like cocoa; he just wanted to know how Ino's cocoa differed from the one he brewed himself.

When I have free time, I tend to overthink; I guess I'm not free enough.

Knock knock knock!

The knocking was quite abrupt, and Naruto instinctively rolled over and drew his sword.

After a moment of stunned silence, he shook his head violently, realizing he was being driven mad by Itachi Uchiha. This was Konohagakure, a place with good public order; there was absolutely no need to be so cautious.

Click, the door opened.

Ino wore a thin shirt in a casual style, probably because she wasn't on a mission. Her soft, slightly wavy blonde hair was casually styled up, making her look both intellectual and cute.

She seemed to have applied something to her lips, giving them a dewy, pinkish, and soft sheen. The skin on her neck was unbelievably beautiful. The moment the door opened, I caught a faint, sweet scent emanating from her.

She looked at Naruto, who was only wrapped in a white bath towel, blinked, and asked.

What are you doing carrying a knife?

After two recommendations, I'll release 30 chapters next Friday, and then continue with a minimum of 10,000 words per day, with no upper limit. That's about it.

I've just been taken to the Little Black Room...