บท 117: Chapter 117: Graduation

Tsunade's lips curled into a slight smile. This strategy was quite effective.

No wonder the old man used to always preach about the "Will of Fire."

She cast a glance at Shinho Aburame.

With her personality, such a convenient method would have never crossed her mind. It was Shinho's suggestion.

He'd told her that when facing difficult situations, invoking the "Will of Fire" could resolve them.

After all, she was the Hokage and the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju—who would dare to challenge her on the interpretation of "will of fire"?

This was the classic approach of fighting fire with fire.

"Does anyone have any objections?" Tsunade asked, crossing her arms casually.

"None!"

The first to speak up in support was Sarutobi Hiruzen's eldest son, representing the Sarutobi clan.

In the original storyline, he had little presence. However, he did have a son who played a significant role—Sarutobi Konohamaru.

After stepping down as Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen retained his role as the Sarutobi clan leader. But since he had lost quite some reputation after being forced out of office, he let his eldest son attend today's meeting.

His approval was no surprise—after all, his younger brother Sarutobi Asuma stood to gain a position on the newly-formed Hokage Guard Platoon.

More importantly, this appointment offered Sarutobi Asuma a chance to return to the village with honour, as he was currently serving as a guardian for the Land of Fire's daimyo.

Seeing this, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado's expressions shifted from hope to despair.

Their most influential ally, the Sarutobi clan, had defected. With their support lost, their roles as Hokage advisors were coming to an end.

No amount of resistance could change that.

Especially since Tsunade, with her aggressive approach, might impose even more severe consequences if they persisted.

"I agree!"

Might Guy announced enthusiastically, almost leaping out of his seat.

Kakashi Hatake, standing nearby, felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

It's me who's joining the Hokage Guard Platoon, not you—why are you so excited?

He glanced at Tsunade, momentarily distracted.

To be honest, he hadn't expected this turn of events.

Could he really handle the responsibilities that came with this position?

Kakashi wanted to decline, but he didn't want to speak up against the Hokage, more importantly, Tsunade.

Following Might Guy's excited approval, the rest of the jonin began to voice their agreement.

Finally, the only ones who hadn't spoken were Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

"I have thoroughly investigated the matter. The attack on the Root division and the coup attempt were solely the actions of Fugaku and Itachi Uchiha," Tsunade continued, ignoring them and moving on to the second topic.

Since the decision to include Mikoto Uchiha in the Hokage Guard Platoon had already been made, the announcement didn't come as much of a surprise to the jonin.

In reality, this was the most pragmatic solution.

What would be the alternative? Completely eradicating the Uchiha clan?

Such drastic action would not only significantly weaken Konoha but also attract the interest of rival villages.

If war were to break out again, it would undoubtedly be a loss for everyone.

"Itachi Uchiha is to be classified as an S-rank rogue ninja," Tsunade declared, "But the remaining members of the Uchiha clan within Konoha will not be held accountable."

Mikoto Uchiha bit down on her lip.

Her pearly white teeth left faint impressions on her delicate, red lips.

She was relieved that the Uchiha clan had escaped punishment, but she had mixed feelings about Itachi.

He had once been her pride and joy, but now…

"Aunt Mikoto," Shinho Aburame said, glancing her way.

"I'm fine," Mikoto Uchiha replied, gripping his hand instinctively. "Just let me hold on for a bit."

Having suddenly taken on a leadership role and faced with such upheaval, she felt lost and uncertain.

Among those present, Shinho was the one she trusted most, leading her to seek his comfort.

"The third matter concerns the Nine-Tails Incident," Tsunade said, dropping another bombshell.

Everyone in the room exchanged uneasy glances.

Shinho felt Mikoto's grip on his left hand tighten.

Her soft, delicate fingers wrapped around his smaller hand, their warmth pressing into his skin.

He understood her anxiety.

The Nine-Tails Incident had marked a turning point for the Uchiha clan, sending them into a steep decline.

Mikoto was uncertain why Tsunade was bringing it up now, which only heightened her anxiety.

Shinho glanced up.

He clearly saw two drops of sweat rolling down her forehead, tracing a path along her fair neck—one bead settling in her collarbone, the other slipping further down into the shadows.

"The masked man who appeared during the attack on the Root division is the true mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident," Tsunade stated firmly. "I will make it my priority to track him down and provide more answers."

"What?!"

The room erupted into murmurs.

Mikoto Uchiha instinctively covered her mouth with her hand.

If what Tsunade said was true, it would mean that the Uchiha clan could finally clear their name from any suspicion.

This would be an enormous boon for them!

But regret also filled her heart.

If only we had known this earlier…

Perhaps Fugaku and Itachi wouldn't have attempted a coup.

"The final matter," Tsunade pressed on without giving the room a chance to settle, "is that from today onward, Hanabi Hyuga will be my student."

Hiashi Hyuga visibly trembled with excitement, barely able to contain his joy.

All dissatisfaction he had over the lack of a Hyuga member in the Hokage Guard Platoon vanished in an instant.

Becoming the Hokage's student was no small honor; it meant being a strong candidate for future Hokage, or at the very least, a prominent leader in the village's higher ranks.

As long as Hanabi didn't make any mistakes and maintained her status as a Hokage's student, the benefits would continue to flow back to the Hyuga clan.

"Thank you, Lady Hokage."

Hiashi stood up and offered a respectful bow, demonstrating the clan's loyalty.

Tsunade nodded in acknowledgment.

Except for the small commotion caused by Koharu and Homura, the jonin meeting had gone quite smoothly.

"Meeting adjourned!"

Tsunade stood up and strode out of the room.

Her decisiveness left many of the gathered Shinhobi momentarily stunned.

They had so many questions—especially about the mysterious masked man.

But Tsunade didn't give them the chance to ask.

However, that matter was quickly pushed aside.

The priority now was to offer congratulations to those newly appointed, like Shikaku Nara and Hiashi Hyuga.

Mikoto Uchiha, however, found herself in a quieter corner.

Though the Uchiha's name had been cleared, their reputation hadn't won them many friends.

Shinho suddenly recalled an old saying:

Being a leader isn't just about strength and battles—it's also about connections and relationships.

"Thank you, Shinho," Mikoto said softly, releasing his hand with a gentle smile that seemed tinged with frailty.

Dressed in her black kimono, she carried with her the air of a sorrowful widow.

"There's no need to thank me, Lady Mikoto," Shinho replied, shaking his head.

Mikoto's heart warmed at his words.

She even felt a sudden urge to take him in as her godson.

But considering their respective positions, she swallowed the thought.

"I should return and call a clan meeting," Mikoto said, gently patting his head. "Please, come visit when you have the time."

"Sure." Shinho readily agreed.

"I'll make sure you're well taken care of when you do," Mikoto added with a smile before taking her leave.

Shinho scanned the bustling meeting room, his gaze eventually landing on the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

Even though it was Shikaku Nara who had joined the Hokage Guard Platoon, Shinho was the one receiving more attention.

Anyone could guess the reason—it was because he had a promising future.

Rather than joining in the excitement, Shinho chose to head back to the Hokage's office to accompany Tsunade.

"Lady Hokage~," Shinho called out with a grin, addressing Tsunade, who was still dressed in her ceremonial robe.

"Call me 'Sensei'!" Tsunade shot him a glare.

She found it strange when Shinho addressed her as "Lady Hokage"—it gave her a feeling that he had ulterior motives.

"Okay, Sensei,"

Shinho thought to himself..

No worries—we have time.

"Finally, I can relax!" Tsunade let out a yawn.

All the commanding presence she displayed in the meeting room seemed to evaporate, leaving her looking lazy and unrefined.

She sure knows how to switch gears.

Shinho stepped forward and poured her a cup of water.

"Is Jiraiya still in the meeting room?" Tsunade asked, sipping from the cup.

"No," Shinho replied with a shake of his head.

"Hmm." Tsunade's expression grew thoughtful. "He probably went to visit the Sarutobi clan."

...

"Taking it easy, old man?"

From a distance, Jiraiya spotted Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting by his family pond, fishing rod in hand.

"Keep your voice down," Hiruzen scolded, balancing a fishing pole in one hand and his pipe in the other.

"Caught anything yet?" Jiraiya stepped closer and peered into the bucket, bursting into laughter.

There wasn't a single fish.

"Shut up!" Hiruzen snapped, embarrassed. "This is my first-day fishing—give me some time, and I'll be a master angler!"

"Sure, sure." Jiraiya settled down beside him. "You're getting old, sensei. Don't get so worked up."

"Did you come back just to lecture me?" Hiruzen grumbled, casting a sidelong glance at him.

"No, I came back to attend Tsunade's inauguration," Jiraiya corrected.

"…" Hiruzen let out a defeated sigh.

"You missed it; it's quite a shame," Jiraiya chuckled as he spoke.

"What's there to be ashamed of?" Hiruzen Sarutobi responded indifferently. "I've seen plenty of inauguration ceremonies in my time—it's nothing new."

"I'm not talking about the ceremony, but the jonin meeting afterward," Jiraiya said mysteriously. "Now that was explosive."

"If it got you worked up, it must have been about the Hokage advisors," Sarutobi pondered for a moment.

"Exactly." Jiraiya grinned, leaning in. "Tsunade abolished the position of Hokage advisors."

"What?" Sarutobi's expression turned to surprise.

But then, recalling how Tsunade had taken over the role of Hokage through direct action, he realized that her abolishing the advisors wasn't entirely unexpected.

"Tsunade really has changed," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed with a mix of emotions.

"Actually, she hasn't changed that much," Jiraiya shook his head.

"She did abolish the advisors, but she redistributed the power to the Hokage Guard Platoon. Do you know who's in it?"

"Who?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind raced through the names of possible candidates.

"Asuma," Jiraiya replied.

Sarutobi fell silent, taking a deep breath as complex feelings welled up inside him.

That night when Tsunade had made her move to seize power, it was fueled by anger—anger directed at him and Danzo. He knew that full well.

"Well, I should get going," Jiraiya stood up, ready to leave.

He had come by to help ease the tension between Hiruzen and Tsunade.

As for addressing Naruto's situation, he had originally planned to confront Hiruzen about it, but seeing his former sensei in this state, he chose not to press further.

"Leaving so soon?" Sarutobi frowned. "Has Mount Myoboku sent you another prophecy?"

"You know me too well," Jiraiya said with a wry smile. "Yes, there's a new prophecy, but it has nothing to do with Konoha."

"Jiraiya," Sarutobi's tone grew serious. "You're a ninja of Konoha."

"I know," Jiraiya waved it off nonchalantly.

"Fine, I'm not Hokage anymore, so it's not my problem. Let Tsunade deal with it," Sarutobi grumbled. "Now get out of here and let me fish in peace!"

….

Night fell as Shinho Aburame and Tsunade returned to the Senju residence.

Shizune was still hard at work at the Konoha Hospital, striving to improve her skills.

In a few years, she would likely become a jonin and eventually serve as Tsunade's secretary, much like in the original storyline.

That night, it was once again time to treat Tsunade's hemophobia.

After the treatment, Shinho nestled into her embrace, obediently serving as her pillow.

As he drifted into the warmth of sleep, Obito Uchiha stood by a window, gazing out at the perpetual rain of Amegakure.

"Madara," a White Zetsu clone emerged from the ground at his feet. "I have two pieces of news."

"Speak," Obito said without turning around.

"First, Orochimaru has defected and is currently in hiding," White Zetsu paused. "Pain has ordered that any member who encounters him is to eliminate him on sight."

"A defection, huh?" Obito raised an eyebrow, sneering. "He's not afraid of death, is he?"

The Akatsuki didn't have many rules, but one was absolute: traitors faced death.

Orochimaru was powerful, but compared to the Akatsuki, he was insignificant. His death would be inevitable.

"Could it be because he lost to Itachi Uchiha?" Obito chuckled with disdain. "Even the so-called 'Sannin' aren't that impressive."

"The second piece of news is that Konoha has publicly named you as the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails attack," White Zetsu continued.

"What?" Obito's smile froze. "How do they know it was me?"

During the Nine-Tails incident, only three people had seen him: Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and Naruto Uzumaki. The first two were dead, and Naruto had been just a newborn.

Who could have leaked this information?

Could it have been me?

Obito replayed the events of that night in his mind, but there was no clear clue. He felt utterly confused.

What was going on?

….

A week passed quickly.

The Hokage Guard Platoon officially took up their roles. With Shikaku Nara's brilliant mind by her side, Tsunade found her workload lightened by at least seventy percent.

Meanwhile, Shinho Aburame finalized the location of the Three Star Cave. In the southeast of the Forest of Death, a massive tree rose from the ground.

The entire area had been camouflaged—without the use of sensory techniques, no one would discover the hidden rooms within.

"This is so beautiful!" Chiori marveled at the treehouse in front of her.

Karin, looking around, immediately kicked off her shoes and plopped herself onto a sofa.

"What is this place?" Neji Hyuga asked, puzzled.

"It's the secret base of our Heaven's Will," Shinho replied casually. "You can rest, train, or hold meetings here."

"Not bad!," Neji nodded approvingly.

"For now, only you and the three of them know about Heaven's Will. We'll recruit more people later," Shinho said, hinting that Hinata Hyuga, Ino Yamanaka, and Naruto Uzumaki were all potential future members.

However, due to their complex backgrounds and young age, he had decided to keep them in the dark for now.

"This is for you—joining the Heaven's Will comes with benefits," Shinho said as he summoned the White Boar Gu and the Black Boar Gu.

"What does it do?" Neji asked curiously.

"It enhances your strength," Shinho explained. "Hinata gained her extraordinary strength because of these two insects."

"What?" Neji looked at Shinho in surprise.

He had assumed Hinata's newfound strength came from eating too much recently.

"Give it a try and see for yourself," Shinho tossed the insects toward him, letting them burrow into Neji's body.

Neji instinctively took a step back, but he quickly realized that he felt nothing unusual. He looked at Shinho with a puzzled expression.

"Punch me with all your strength," Shinho said, pointing at his chest.

After a moment of hesitation, Neji threw a full-force punch. But as the punch landed, something felt off—it sliced through the air with an audible whoosh.

His fist connected with Shinho, but before he could register what had happened, a powerful force rebounded. Neji was sent flying, crashing into a wall.

Staring at Shinho in shock, Neji blurted out, "Are you even human?"

Despite his increased strength, he hadn't managed to break through Shinho's defenses.

"Of course, I'm human," Shinho said as he dispelled the White Jade Gu. "Your strength hasn't reached its peak yet—it'll take about a week to fully develop."

Neji stared at his own fist, noticing the redness and swelling on his skin from the White Jade Gu's backlash.

But he wasn't concerned; his heart was filled with excitement.

Joining the Heavn's Will was definitely the right decision.

This kind of power was incredible. He had never heard of any insect that could permanently increase one's strength.

"Let me heal you," Shinho said, extending a hand. "Even though your strength is increasing, it's best to keep it hidden for now."

"I understand," Neji nodded.

Within moments, the swelling on his hand disappeared.

Neji dusted himself off and stood up.

"By the way, I still don't know what Heaven's Will is all about," Neji said. Having just received this benefit, he was eager to repay the favor.

"Heaven's Will doesn't have any major objectives for now, other than to increase its members' strength," Shinho replied, watching as Karin hopped around the sofa. "I'll tell you more after we graduate."

"I'll be graduating a year before you," Neji reminded him.

"Right, that's true," Shinho mused. "Well then, wait until I graduate."

There was a lot Shinho could say, but Neji was still too young to grasp the full scope of their plans. Shinho decided it would be a waste of time to explain too much now.

"Shinho!" Karin called out, her playful energy finally spent.

"Do you like the treehouse?" Shinho asked as he approached her.

"I love it!" Karin replied honestly.

The rooms here were far superior to the place where she and her mother had been staying. For a child, space and beauty were what mattered most.

"The third room upstairs is yours and your mother's," Shinho said, pointing up.

"Thank you, Shinho!" Karin exclaimed, spreading her arms wide. "Can you carry me up there!"

Before Shinho could answer, Karin leaped toward him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Her bare toes playfully dangled in the air as her excitement bubbled over.

With a smile, Shinho carried her up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Neji stood in silence.

It seems like Lady Hinata will have quite a few rivals.

….

Time passed in the usual rhythm of school and training.

Before he knew it, Shinho had reached the sixth grade—the final year before graduation.

[tl/n: Fu*king finaly, a time skip. We're graduating guys! Which means, were at the start of official naruto Canon. Have a great day/night!]

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