Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 184: Trap
"Yes, you are right," said Mito. "So Setsuna, your plan is to leak the seal so Hiruzen could leak it to outside?"
"Correct, I... " Setsuna suddenly snapped his attention toward the ground.
In the blink of an eye, he dashed down at incredible speed. Everyone watching the interaction was caught off guard, completely shocked by Setsuna sudden movement.
Moments later, he emerged from the ground, holding a struggling White Zetsu in his grip.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He recognized the creature immediately, having faced countless ones during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
"It looks like Uchiha Madara has awakened the Rinnegan," said Setsuna, his voice cold and serious.
Tension swept through the room. Mito exhaled slowly, her expression tightening.
"There is no Hashirama this time. Can we really fight him?" asked Mito, her voice laced with concern.
"Don't worry. Even if he is still alive he had become an old man, history tells us his body has aged terribly. That is why he manipulated Obito instead of fighting directly," Sasuke replied.
Mito nodded slowly, regaining her composure. "Alright, then I will begin teaching Tsunade and her team about fuinjutsu. We must be prepared but how about that Zetsu?"
"Don't worry about it, He didn't get the information because I detect him the moment he come to this place" said Setsuna. "The information is secured"
Suddenly, Naruto, who had been quietly listening.
"I... I don't believe the Third Old Man would betray the Uzumaki Clan," said Naruto. Since the moment he heard the story from Sasuke, he had been battling with himself, either to trust them or not. But now, he finally gave voice to the conflict in his heart.
Setsuna looked at him, understanding the turmoil Naruto carried.
"Well, I understand why you think that, Naruto," he said. "But time will reveal the truth. Whether the Third truly betrayed the Uzumaki Clan and sabotaged the shinobi within Konoha... or not."
He stepped closer and placed a firm hand on Naruto shoulder.
"If you truly want to become Hokage, then remember this, never sabotage or betray your allies. That is the first lesson of leadership."
Naruto stood still, the truth was painful, but he still need to face it.
---The Romance---
Hatake Sakumo was a great shinobi. Coming from a samurai clan, he lived by the principles and code of life known as Bushido.
In this universe, Orochimaru's parents had been recruited by Setsuna. As a result, the one who took Orochimaru's place as a Sannin was Hatake Sakumo.
Comparing Sakumo and Orochimaru was like comparing night and day. Sakumo's gentle manner and respectful attitude won the admiration of many—especially the heart of the Senju princess. Unlike Orochimaru, Sakumo was a caring individual who knew how to support and encourage others, particularly when Tsunade was training with new jutsu or struggling with complex techniques.
Hiruzen selected Tsunade, Sakumo, and Jiraiya to form the new Team 7. Their bond grew strong, far closer than that of any other team. Among the trio, Sakumo became Hiruzen's best student, while Jiraiya remained the most troublesome, no matter how hard Hiruzen tried to guide him.
Nothing ever went smoothly for Jiraiya. He was like oil—unable to mix with water. But then, one day, Jiraiya went missing. An entire year passed before he returned, and when he did, he had changed drastically. He had become much stronger and had even mastered Sage Mode.
Setsuna had heard from Mito that Jiraiya had been trained by the toads of Mount Myoboku, who had chosen him because of a prophecy. The toads believed that Jiraiya would one day guide the child of destiny.
Hearing this, Setsuna could only laugh. Perhaps the toads possessed an item similar to the tools used by the Otsutsuki, allowing them to peer into alternate dimensions. They might have mistaken an alternate universe for the actual future.
That, however, was Jiraiya's path.
On the other side, after Jiraiya disappeared, the relationship between Sakumo and Tsunade deepened. Love began to blossom between them, and eventually, they made their relationship public.
Hiruzen had no objections. Sakumo's status as a samurai, rather than a member of a noble shinobi clan, meant that marrying Tsunade—the Senju princess—would not disrupt the balance of the village.
Jiraiya returned just one week before the wedding between Sakumo and Tsunade.
---Fall In Love---
Jiraiya during this time was nothing more than a pervert. He liked Tsunade simply because she was beautiful, while Tsunade found him disgusting and never returned his feelings.
But then there was Sakumo—completely different from Jiraiya in every way. It was during Jiraiya's training arc with the toads that love began to blossom between Tsunade and Sakumo.
It all started during a mission.
While Jiraiya was absent, a team was assembled consisting of Sakumo, Tsunade, and three other Chuunin. Their mission was to search for Jiraiya, but midway, they received an urgent report, some of their comrades were in danger. Without hesitation, Sakumo turned to Tsunade and told her to return home. The mission had suddenly become far too dangerous.
"Sakumo, don't go," said Tsunade, her voice trembling.
"Tsunade, do you remember your dream?" asked Sakumo calmly.
"Why are you asking about my dream now?" Tsunade became angry, frustration rising in her chest.
"My parents were samurai. We used to protect the Daimyo," Sakumo began. "But now, the Daimyo no longer wants our service. So, I made a vow—to protect you. I will become your guard, and I will see you become Hokage. But to know whether I have that strength, I need to save our friends."
Those words made the young girl's heart beat faster. From that moment on, she knew. She had already fallen in love with Sakumo. Though she failed to stop him, she couldn't bring herself to let him go alone.
She followed him.
Unfortunately, the person Sakumo encountered that day was none other than the Third Raikage.
"Oooh, another Konoha brat," said the Raikage, cracking his knuckles.
"We do not want to fight. Please return to your land," said Sakumo.
"You dare to expel me?" the Raikage growled. The other three ninja had pleaded for their lives moments before, but Sakumo's calm and direct words ignited his fury.
In a flash, the Raikage dashed toward Sakumo, his movement almost invisible. His chakra pulsed with raw lightning energy—he was a master of the Lightning Release.
Klang!
Steel clashed against flesh as Sakumo's blade met the Raikage's fist.
"It looks like you use lightning chakra," said the Raikage, narrowing his eyes as he examined Sakumo's pale hair. "Are you from the Hatake Clan?"
"Yes," answered Sakumo steadily.
"Then that gives me one more reason to kill you," the Raikage declared, taking a step forward.
"This is bad," whispered one of the three Chuunin, watching in fear.
Suddenly, Tsunade appeared, launching a punch at the Raikage. Though she missed, the ground beneath him shattered under the force of her blow.
"Senju?" the Raikage muttered, surprised.
"Go back. Do not involve yourself in this fight," said Sakumo, glancing at her.
"I will become Hokage. How can I let my guard die in front of me?" said Tsunade, her voice steady with resolve.
"So, you are that Senju Tsunade," the Raikage said with a smirk. "Then you must die here."
The Raikage surged forward, increasing his chakra output as lightning crackled around his body, preparing to strike Tsunade.
But Sakumo had already moved. He stepped between them and blocked the attack before it could land.
"Two ants trying to save each other," the Raikage mocked after his blow was stopped.
Then, one of the Kumogakure ninja ran up to the Raikage and whispered something in his ear. The Raikage's face darkened, then shifted. He turned to look at the Konoha shinobi.
"You are lucky today," the Third Raikage said coldly. "Next time, do not expect mercy."
Without another word, he turned and left the battlefield, heading toward the Daimyo palace.
Author Notes: There are 30 advanced chapter, feel free to visit my patreon.
-patreon.com/zorojurown