"It's finally over. Now all that's left is Konoha's Nine-Tails..."
Black Zetsu murmured softly, a faint smile flickering in his empty eyes.
"To unleash a world-altering Genjutsu, one must gather the chakra of all nine Tailed Beast. To capture the Nine-Tails, the difficulty is..."
Nagato frowned slightly, but Black Zetsu quickly added.
" Infinite Tsukuyomi is a technique that covers the entire world. Nothing can block the light of Infinite Tsukuyomi. The Nine-Tailed Fox is the one with the most chakra among the Nine Tailed Beasts and is an indispensable part of it."
With pale purple eyes fixed on what was before him, Zetsu, whose skin was half black and half white, immediately put on an expression that showed he was thinking of Nagato's best interests.
"Didn't you want to see your friends one more time? Everything within the Infinite Tsukuyomi is defined by you. To give your friends a complete life and bring true peace to the world—hasn't that always been your wish?"
"Only by immersing themselves in a world of Genjutsu can humanity cease its eternal struggle and eradicate its inherent flaws..."
Faced with Zetsu's remarks, Nagato remained silent and simply walked out of the base.
"Then I'll trust you one more time..."
Black Zetsu, who hadn't seen Nagato's expression, breathed a sigh of relief, while Nagato, with his back to Black Zetsu and Tobi, had a subtle look in his eyes.
' Genjutsu are ultimately just dreams. Even if it means enduring pain and carrying a heavy burden, I will fulfill your and Konan's wishes and bring this world to a true peace amidst suffering, Yahiko...'
Meanwhile, in the Hot Spring Town outside Konoha, near a tourist city filled with casinos.
It was evening, Jiraiya and Naruto, after wandering aimlessly all day, were just about to find a hotel to rest for the night.
Suddenly, gasps of surprise came from the crowd in the distance, coming from inside the arcade.
"Wow! That woman just rolled a triple and won so much in one go..."
"Hey? I saw that guy around here a few days ago. He not only rolled three 7s on the arcade machine, but he also dominated the game all the way!"
"Really? She's so lucky..."
Jiraiya, hearing this, shook his head repeatedly.
Such good luck! I knew it wasn't her just by listening to her voice. If it were her personality, it would be strange if she didn't lose so much that she didn't even have money for a place to stay.
Jiraiya chuckled and was shaking his head as he was about to leave, intending to take Naruto to a nearby izakaya for a casual meal, Jiraiya he suddenly heard something and paused slightly.
" Shizune, pack your things and leave immediately. We have trouble coming to our door."
" Lady Tsunade, wait a minute, the money hasn't been packed up yet..."
"No, I don't want it!"
The next second, Tsunade, who had emerged from the crowd, froze on the spot. The white-haired, burly man behind the crowd turned around and their eyes met.
" Tsunade!"
" Jiraiya!"
Shizune, who had hurriedly followed, was also slightly stunned when she saw this. How could she have run into Lord Jiraiya here?
Naruto, standing nearby, looked on curiously, wanting to see what this beauty, who was said to be from the same generation as the Pervy Sage, actually looked like.
Her long, light yellow hair was tied in a large ponytail, and the light blue-purple mark on her forehead was very noticeable. She had striking features, with a prominent bust and buttocks.
At first glance, it gives the impression of a ripe peach, vibrant and mature.
However, when Naruto thought about how the woman in front of him was actually about the same age as Jiraiya beside him, he couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.
"Is this really not appearance deception?"
The words "appearance deception" were clearly audible. Tsunade frowned, turned her head to look at Naruto beside her with an unfriendly expression.
"Fraud? Can't this brat even speak properly?! Who did I fraud?!"
Having said that, he turned and stared at Jiraiya, chuckling.
"What bad luck, I didn't expect to run into you here. This is your new disciple, he looks dull and stupid, he has no future even if he becomes a ninja!"
For a moment, Naruto's lips twitched. This old woman was really sharp-tongued and unwilling to suffer the slightest loss.
Naruto glanced at his clothes, sighed helplessly, and looked sideways at Jiraiya beside him.
If he hadn't said that his red sage cloak was too conspicuous, Naruto would never have chosen to change into his old clothes. His taste was really bad back then!
"It was a lucky coincidence that we ran into each other, which saved me a lot of trouble. I went over there for a drink, and then lingered outside the village, catching up with old friends..."
A short while later, inside the izakaya (Japanese pub).
After three cups of wine, Jiraiya had been silent all the time except when ordering food, was the first to speak.
"Some time ago, Orochimaru joined forces with a mysterious organization to launch the Konoha Crush Plan, resulting in the death of the Third Hokage. I've come here to invite you back to Konoha to serve as the Fifth Hokage."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade, who was drinking alone, fell silent, while Shizune beside her was shocked.
" The Third Hokage is dead? How is that possible? The Third Hokage was the Professor of Ninjutsu..."
"The one who did it was Orochimaru, but he was also killed. The mysterious organization Akatsuki had five members who were all infamous S-rank Rogue Ninja, and the leader of the organization even possessed the Rinnegan."
Jiraiya spoke softly, his expression grave, while Tsunade lowered her eyes and remained silent.
" The Rinnegan... that's not the legendary eye of the Sage of Six Paths, Lady Tsunade, we should..."
"Why don't you become the Fifth Hokage?"
Before Shizune could continue, Tsunade interrupted her, casually tossing the wine cup on the table.
"I don't have time. The leader of Akatsuki, that child... Nagato, is my disciple."
"It is a teacher's duty to guide his students back to the right path. If I cannot do that, I must personally resolve the issue. This is a teacher's responsibility!"
Jiraiya's eyes were deep and unfathomable, while Tsunade's pupils constricted, already aware of his resolve.
"You..."
"Relax, relax. Your luck's pretty bad, isn't it? Then bet I'll die! You always lose, hahaha!!!"
With a hearty laugh, Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, hoping that his old friend would grant his request.
"I..."
With her brows furrowed deeply, Tsunade hesitated, which only added to Naruto's complicated feelings as he waited nearby, with impatience and anger surging within him.
Recalling the hesitant expressions of those people at the meeting, and then looking at the lingering woman in front of him, if it were someone with a short temper, they probably would have already overturned the table and left.
That's the Hokage, the position that countless people in Konoha dream of. Danzo has been scheming for decades, all for the Hokage throne!
Fortunately, the current Naruto is not the Naruto of the past. He slowly put down his chopsticks, his tone indifferent.
"Enough, Pervy Sage. Since she's unwilling to be the Fifth Hokage, it's fine to let our teacher act as her. The Fourth Great Ninja War is about to begin, and we don't have time to waste on her."
"Wait, little brother, what are you saying? The Fourth Great Ninja War?"
Shizune covered her mouth and gasped. Naruto gave her a knowing look and Tsunade.
" The Akatsuki has already seized eight Tailed Beast from the Five Great Nations and could launch a war at any time. This time, the village that has become the commander-in-chief of the allied forces is Konoha."
"We cannot allow such a weak woman to become the Fifth Hokage!"