Straight Ahead

Rasengan!?

"Jiraiya, why did you teach such a dangerous technique to this brat?" Tsunade questioned Jiraiya again. Hardly anyone in the village could use this ninjutsu, and knowing Naruto's identity and Jiraiya's personality, there was no doubt that this guy had taught it to him.

Jiraiya waved his hand innocently. "You've got that wrong. I didn't teach Naruto the Rasengan..."

Tsunade grabbed Jiraiya's severed left arm, pulled back his sleeve, and saw the clearly old wound at the stump. Her brows drew tight as she asked, "Who could have hurt you this badly? Was it Orochimaru?" In the eyes of the Legendary Sannin, perhaps only someone of the same caliber could be their opponent.

"Old friends finally meet, and all you do is keep asking questions?" Jiraiya froze for a moment, pulled his arm back, then laughed heartily. He dragged over a chair and sat beside Tsunade, took the bottle, filled both their cups, clinked glasses with her, and drained his in one gulp.

Tsunade still frowned as she instinctively lifted her cup.

"Hey!" Naruto felt deeply hurt by being ignored. He angrily dispelled the Rasengan in his right hand and pointed at Tsunade. "Grandma, who loses every bet, do you dare bet me that I can learn the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique within a week? Someone with the nerve to mock the Hokage wouldn't be too scared to make a bet, would she?"

Tsunade cast Naruto another disdainful glance, drank a cup of wine, and could not be bothered to explain to a brat that the Flying Thunder God Technique had been created by her grandfather, the Second Hokage. Impatiently, she said, "You learned the Rasengan and now you think you're so impressive, brat? Flying Thunder God? What do you think that is, some ordinary ninjutsu? Hah... Like I said, everyone who wants to become Hokage is an idiot!"

Shizune sat across from them in awkward silence, though honestly, she had gotten somewhat used to this...

The Grandma Tsunade Naruto remembered most clearly was the one who stepped forward when Konoha was in crisis, the one who saved everyone alongside Katsuyu when they were all in danger. But what about the woman before him? Even though he had prepared himself for it, Naruto still burned with rage...

Bang!

Naruto slammed his hand on the table. The wine bottle, cups, and plates of snacks all shook.

"Becoming Hokage is my dream! A dream spanning two lifetimes! I will never allow you to slander the Hokage!"

Shizune's mouth twitched as she tried to soothe him. "Please calm down..."

"Shizune, don't interfere." Naruto only stared fixedly at Tsunade, his gaze as resolute as ever.

How did he know my name...? Shizune found it strange.

Naruto had a bad temper, but was Tsunade easy to provoke? The old woman was already in a foul mood today, and who knew how much she had drunk that night... With a clatter, she planted one foot on a chair, pointed her wine bottle at Naruto, and said, "You. Come outside with me." With that, she carried the bottle and walked out of the tavern.

Jiraiya continued rubbing his forehead.

Naruto snorted angrily. "Fine..." He cracked his knuckles and followed Tsunade outside.

Shizune looked worriedly at Jiraiya, but he did not seem concerned at all. She asked, "Lord Jiraiya, is it really okay to let those two go outside...?" Of course, she was not worried about Tsunade. She was worried that Naruto's little body would be smashed to pieces by an enraged Tsunade's fist...

Jiraiya smiled and followed them out as well.

Feeling helpless, Shizune hugged Tonton and hurried after them.

It was already night. There were few pedestrians on the streets, and the cold wind swept up one or two withered yellow leaves.

Tsunade stood in the middle of the street, tipped back her head for a mouthful of wine, and looked disdainfully at the blond brat across from her. "You really dared to come out? Do you think learning the Rasengan makes you invincible?"

Naruto did not care about her mockery. He smiled. "Is this a duel?"

"Hmph. You're still far from qualified to duel me as an equal, brat..." Tsunade was truly furious. Kids these days really did not know their limits. She had made a name for herself in the ninja world before he had even existed... This was Minato's son? This was the product Jiraiya had raised? How could he have so little sense?

"Grandma, Konoha truly needs you. Orochimaru will soon join forces with the Sand Ninja to attack Konoha during the Chunin Exams! There will definitely be massive casualties... Grandpa Hokage is already old. Konoha needs you to become the Fifth Hokage! You'll definitely become an outstanding Hokage!" Naruto spoke from the heart. After all, Tsunade had indeed been an excellent Hokage in his memories...

Orochimaru? Tsunade frowned. That guy was attacking Konoha? Thinking it over carefully, it really did sound like his style...

"Are Konoha's medical ninja all useless?" Tsunade snorted.

"The Sand Ninja's Jinchuriki will also participate in the Chunin Exams!" Naruto urged.

Tsunade frowned even more deeply. Even a Jinchuriki was being deployed. Sunagakure was determined to take a vicious bite out of Konoha... What the hell was stuffed inside Orochimaru's head?

"Naruto is right!" Jiraiya spoke from the side, helping persuade her. "Tsunade, if Sunagakure's Jinchuriki loses control and goes berserk, the village's losses will be enormous..."

Tsunade was slightly moved, but she still stubbornly refused. "Hmph, that has nothing to do with me. I left Konoha long ago..." She drank again. This day had been absolutely terrible. Feeling the Wood Pendant against her chest, Tsunade grew more and more irritated.

"Are we fighting or not, you little brat? If not, get lost! Go back to Konoha and chase your Hokage dream!" Tsunade threw the empty bottle to the ground.

"Lady Tsunade, he's only a child!" Shizune finally gathered the courage to try and persuade Tsunade, though she also knew that no human could reason with Lady Tsunade in this state...

Naruto stood opposite Tsunade, with nothing behind him. Reaching toward his abdomen, Naruto looked directly into Tsunade's eyes. "So I won't die someday in the future, I've trained without stopping since I was six. To protect everyone, I changed my bad habits and forced myself to study... All of it was for my dream of definitely becoming Hokage! It is a dream carrying the wishes of my father, my mother, and... myself! I will never allow you to look down on it like this, Fifth Hokage!"

A wisp of golden flame slowly rose from the clothes on his shoulder—

"Straight ahead, never giving up—that is my ninja way!"

Boom...

Golden light blazed, and Naruto seemed to become the sun.

Tsunade's pupils contracted slightly.

This was absolutely none of the scenarios she had anticipated. She had thought this rash little brat might throw kunai, fling shuriken, charge at her swinging his arms, or form a spinning ball... But what was this? What did transforming mean?

As a medical ninja, Tsunade was extremely sensitive to the subtle differences in Chakra signatures.

And this Chakra, brimming with vigorous life force... she had only felt it once before, when she was a child, from her grandfather Hashirama Senju.

"Nine-Tails?!" Tsunade instantly turned to Jiraiya, her face filled with disbelief.