Chapter 75: Yagyu: Naruto, I Am the Hokage!

The surging sea of trees had stretched far, and the rumbling of the earth had lasted for who knew how long before everything finally came to a stop.

By then, Jiraiya and the others were completely dumbfounded, unable to even describe their feelings, as if a storm had swept through their minds.

Where there had once been a vast, endless grassland now stood a colossal forest. Each tree towered tens of meters high, requiring a dozen or so people to circle their trunks. It felt as if their entire worldview had been shattered and reshaped.

Among the group, only Jiraiya and Tsunade were at the Kage level of strength. The most powerful person they had ever encountered was Hanzo the Salamander, often called the "Demi-God."

When Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, died, Tsunade had still been very young.

And after Konoha was established, Hashirama became synonymous with invincibility, recognized as the God of Shinobi across the ninja world.

Aside from Madara Uchiha and Kakuzu, no one dared challenge him.

Thus, Tsunade had never witnessed her grandfather's Wood Release in action.

Hanzo's power was immense; even Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya together hadn't been able to defeat him.

It was their defeat against Hanzo that earned them the title of "The Legendary Sannin," making their names famous across the ninja world.

However, Hanzo's strength had its limits—he didn't have techniques with such wide-ranging destructive power.

If they were to face Hanzo again, both Jiraiya and Tsunade were confident they wouldn't lose.

The most powerful technique Jiraiya and Tsunade had ever seen was the Tailed Beast Bomb from a jinchuriki, which could obliterate a small mountain in a single strike. That's why a jinchuriki was considered the strongest weapon of any village.

But when compared to the forest that had replaced the grassland, even the Tailed Beast Bomb seemed insignificant.

As for Kurenai Yuhi and Shizune, being only Jonin, the most powerful figures they knew of were the Five Kage and the Legendary Sannin.

They hadn't even seen the Five Kage or the Sannin in action!

In Kurenai's mind, the most terrifying sight she'd ever witnessed was the Nine-Tails during its attack on Konoha, though her memories of the event had grown fuzzy.

However, compared to the forest before her, even the Nine-Tails paled in comparison.

Naruto and Karin were in even greater shock.

Naruto stood in stunned silence, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word as he stared at the massive forest.

In Naruto's eyes, techniques like the Chidori and Rasengan were incredibly powerful, capable of destroying a tree.

But those were ordinary trees!

The forest before him resembled the towering trees of the Forest of Death.

In that moment, Naruto suddenly felt that Sasuke's Chidori and Jiraiya's Rasengan were rather underwhelming.

Originally, he had thought that once he learned the Rasengan, he'd be ready to challenge Yagyu and maybe even win. But now, that thought vanished instantly.

There's no way I could compete with him!

"It's over. They've run away," Yagyu's voice broke the silence, though he thought to himself, "I let them escape."

"Gulp…"

Jiraiya finally snapped out of his daze, his voice trembling as he asked the obvious question, "Yagyu, where did you learn Wood Release?"

Clearly, his brain was struggling to process what had just happened.

"I awakened it when I was seven," Yagyu lied, picking a highly sensitive age.

Kurenai Yuhi's eyes widened in shock. "Is this... is this the hidden ace you've been keeping from us?"

"Yes, Sensei," Yagyu nodded with a smile. "Sorry for keeping it a secret for so long."

"Tsunade-sama, you…"

At that moment, Shizune gasped in surprise.

Tsunade, who had been kneeling nearby, slowly stood up and began walking toward Yagyu.

Seeing Tsunade approaching, Yagyu started to speak, "Tsunade-sama, I—"

Before he could finish, Tsunade pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Call me 'Nee-san.' I like that," Tsunade said as she hugged Yagyu's head, ruffling his hair. Her eyes, which had been dull, now sparkled with life.

The blood on her face and clothes no longer bothered her at all.

"Tsu… Tsunade-nee-san…" Yagyu muttered, his voice muffled as he was smothered by Tsunade's ample chest.

"You're such a good boy!" Tsunade finally let go of his neck, cupping his head in her hands and planting a kiss on his forehead.

Then, she took off the necklace she wore around her neck and placed it around Yagyu's. "This is a keepsake from my granduncle. I'm giving it to you."

Before Yagyu could respond, Tsunade turned to face Jiraiya and the others, her expression resolute. "I've made up my mind. I'm going back to Konoha to take on the role of Fifth Hokage!"

In that moment, Tsunade completely let go of her past.

The people she had lost could not be brought back, but now there were new people who needed her protection!

The love and anger she felt for those she cared about allowed her to overcome her hemophobia in an instant!

Yagyu had awakened Wood Release at the age of seven, yet even his own Jonin instructor hadn't known.

Besides the Water Release techniques from her granduncle, he hadn't dared to use his strongest power—Wood Release—until now. His intelligence and caution made Tsunade's heart ache.

Tsunade, who had once lost all those she cared for, had left the village to avoid witnessing its darkness.

But now, she had found someone new to care about.

This time, she was determined to protect Yagyu, to shield him from the darkness, and to help him grow strong under her protection.

Goodbye… Dan!

Goodbye… Nawaki!

In her heart, Tsunade silently said farewell to the two figures she had cherished.

From the perspective of Jiraiya and the others, Tsunade suddenly exuded a powerful, resolute aura.

"Tsunade-sama…" Tears of joy filled Shizune's eyes.

Kurenai gazed at Tsunade with admiration. This was the role model for countless kunoichi—so cool!

Jiraiya, after a moment of shock, broke into a wide, excited grin. "Tsunade, welcome back!"

————

The next morning at 10 a.m.

Karin had returned the keys to her rental house, and along with Yagyu and Kurenai, she headed to the Yoshii Inn to meet up with Tsunade and Jiraiya.

The group of seven then left Tanzaku Town on foot.

"Damn it, why is it so hard to form the Rasengan with just one hand?!"

Along the way, Tsunade chatted with Yagyu, trying to learn more about her new "younger brother."

Meanwhile, Jiraiya continued to instruct Naruto on the Rasengan.

But no matter how hard Naruto tried, he couldn't form the Rasengan with just one hand. Even when he used his other hand to help, he could only manage a half-formed version.

Attacking an enemy with both hands full would only work if the attack landed. If it missed, it would leave a huge opening for the enemy.

Watching Naruto struggle with the Rasengan, Kurenai suddenly remembered something and turned to Yagyu. "Yagyu, since you've already perfected the Spiraling Water Vortex, have you also learned the Rasengan?"

Yagyu glanced at Naruto and nodded. "Yeah, I've mastered it. It's pretty simple."

"Huh? Yagyu, you can do the Rasengan too?" Naruto asked in surprise.

Yagyu nodded again. "Yes. The principle behind it is similar to the Hard Whirlpool Water Blade, but it's actually easier to master. I first developed my own Water Release techniques using the same principles, and after Kurenai-sensei explained the theory behind the Rasengan, I learned it quickly."

After speaking, Yagyu raised his right hand.

Under Naruto's and the others' watchful eyes, a blue chakra vortex formed in Yagyu's palm.

The vortex's color became a deeper blue as it compressed into an energy ball.

The ball grew larger, soon reaching the size of a small orb, its color shifting from pure blue to a blue-white energy sphere.

"That's… amazing!" Naruto stared at the Rasengan in Yagyu's hand, feeling a rare sense of defeat.

Jiraiya sighed. "To think you mastered the Rasengan just by understanding the principles behind it... What an enviable talent for ninjutsu."

"As expected of you, Yagyu."

Tsunade gave Yagyu a pat on the shoulder and playfully ruffled his hair.

Karin, watching from the side, thought to herself, "No wonder they're siblings—Yagyu-kun and Tsunade-sama both love ruffling people's hair."

Yagyu quickly tidied his hair with his hands. Seeing Naruto looking discouraged, he suggested, "If you can't form the Rasengan with one hand, why not use two? You have Shadow Clones, don't you?"

Whoosh!

Yagyu's suggestion hit Naruto like a flash of inspiration, and his eyes lit up.

Wasting no time, Naruto quickly formed a hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In a puff of smoke, a Shadow Clone appeared beside Naruto.

Naruto extended his hand, and the clone placed its hands over his, rapidly rotating the chakra into a stable form.

In no time, a blue-white energy ball formed in Naruto's palm.

"I did it! I did it!" Naruto shouted in excitement, jumping up and down with joy.

"Wait, what?!" Jiraiya was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected that an A-rank jutsu like the Rasengan could be mastered through such a shortcut.

"That's… amazing!" Shizune and Karin looked at Yagyu with admiration, their eyes sparkling.

Karin, in particular, didn't bother to hide her admiration.

Seeing them look at him like that, Yagyu felt a rare sense of embarrassment.

He swore to himself, he hadn't been trying to show off or steal Naruto's original method for learning the Rasengan. He had only wanted to help Naruto.

But clearly, Jiraiya and the others didn't know that and were amazed by Yagyu's talent for ninjutsu.

Tsunade wrapped her arm around Yagyu's neck again, laughing. "As expected of a Senju of the Forest! Your talent for ninjutsu is just like my granduncle's."

Jiraiya nodded in agreement.

At such a young age, Yagyu had mastered numerous advanced and secret Water Release techniques, even developing his own seal-less Water Release jutsu. On top of that, he had learned the Rasengan without any formal guidance. His talent for ninjutsu truly resembled that of the Second Hokage, who had developed countless techniques.

With this in mind, Jiraiya shook his head, then turned to Naruto and sighed, patting him on the head with a sympathetic look. "With the First Hokage's Wood Release, the Second Hokage's Water Release, and this level of talent, Naruto… I'm afraid you won't be Hokage."

"Huh?!"

Naruto blinked in confusion, then widened his eyes as he stared at Yagyu. "Yagyu, do you want to become Hokage?"

"Of course!"

Before Yagyu could answer, Tsunade spoke up, still holding him close. "I'm going back to Konoha to pave the way for Yagyu. He's going to be the Sixth Hokage."

"This… this…"

Naruto stood frozen, completely at a loss.

Becoming Hokage was his lifelong dream, one he was determined to achieve no matter how difficult the path.

But if Yagyu was his competition, did he even stand a chance?

Seeing Naruto's dazed expression, Jiraiya gave him a light smack on the head and scolded, "So you're ready to give up just because a strong competitor appeared? You don't know how long it'll take—are you really going to throw away your dream of becoming Hokage so easily?"

"Ow! That hurts, Pervy Sage!"

Naruto rubbed his head in pain, then looked at Yagyu with determination. "Even if Yagyu is my opponent, I won't give up! Becoming Hokage is my dream, and I'll make it come true—that's my ninja way!"

Seeing Naruto's fighting spirit reignited, Jiraiya smiled in satisfaction.

His earlier comments had been intentional.

He wanted Naruto to see Yagyu as a rival, as someone to chase after.

Yagyu was too exceptional, just like Jiraiya's most prized student had been.

With Wood Release, Yagyu would one day stand at the pinnacle of the ninja world, possibly even becoming the next God of Shinobi.

By setting Yagyu as his target, Naruto would have all the motivation he needed to grow stronger.

No matter who eventually became Hokage, they would both be towering trees, protecting Konoha.

Yagyu had no idea what Jiraiya was thinking. He was currently preoccupied with the fact that Tsunade still had him in a headlock, and half of his face was squished against her chest. He was also pondering her earlier words.

Becoming Hokage?

To be honest, Yagyu wasn't particularly interested in the position of Hokage. It was a job that came with an overwhelming amount of responsibility.

In "Boruto," Naruto's workload as Hokage had left him so drained that his body, once imbued with the power of a Sage, had become exhausted. He spent all day in the Hokage's office, and when he finally went home, he would immediately collapse into bed. Even on his daughter's birthday, he could only send a Shadow Clone in his place.

Yagyu had no desire to live like that.

However, he had to admit that the position of Hokage was unique and important.

In the ninja world's one-country, one-village system, the Hokage was on par with the feudal lords, responsible for managing the village's military forces, while the lords handled finances.

If either the Hokage or the lord was absent, they had the authority to appoint a successor.

But that wasn't the most important part.

The key thing was that if Yagyu became Hokage, he would essentially be the leader of all the clans in Konoha, a position akin to Konoha's "feudal lord."

As Hokage and a descendant of the Senju clan, no one would stop Yagyu from expanding his family.

Tsunade would likely support his "ambition" as well.

In that case, couldn't he openly declare, "I want everything"?

Just thinking about it made Yagyu's heart race.

Maybe becoming the Sixth Hokage wouldn't be such a bad idea after all!

As he looked at Naruto's determined gaze, Yagyu couldn't help but think of a famous internet meme.

If he became Hokage and Naruto continued to act reckless and disregard the rules, wouldn't he be able to sternly reprimand him with the words: "Naruto, I am the Hokage!"

And if Naruto were scolded and stopped, would he storm out of the Hokage's office, shouting, "Yagyu, you'll regret this!" before slamming the door?

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