Naruto - Leader of Kusagakure

Eventually, Jiraiya left with a deep sense of melancholy. When he saw Kushina, it seemed as though he had something to say, but after seeing her raise her fist, he merely sighed and continued on his way.

He once again embarked on his journey to find the Child of Prophecy, the so-called hero of the ninja world. Even now, he hasn't let go of the prophecy from the toads. Despite everything he has been through, he still places his hopes on finding a disciple who can change the ninja world.

Therefore, Akihiko brought the two children, considered to be 'children of destiny', to see Jiraiya off and to impart another lesson, just as he did with his three former students.

He aimed to instill in them the essence of the new Grass Spirit: 'If we aspire to shape our own destinies, we must rely on ourselves, not on some Child of Prophecy.'

The two children were greatly moved by this and deeply despised Jiraiya's reliance on the idea of a Child of Prophecy, which seemed like an attempt to gain success without effort. Under Akihiko's guidance, they learned the importance of hard work and the truth that one must rely on their own diligent efforts to change the ninja world, not on someone else.

"Hahaha~," Kushina couldn't help but laugh at Akihiko's words. Since becoming a teacher, she has always preferred casual long clothes and pants. However, today, instead of tying her hair back into a single ponytail, she let it flow freely, giving her an elegant and mature charm.

As her laughter subsided, a hint of sentimentality crossed her face. She sighed, shook her head as memories flooded back, and said, "Back in the day, Lord Orochimaru and Sister Tsunade said the same thing about the Pervy Sage. I can't believe that after all these years, he still hasn't given up."

"Pervy Sage?" Naruto pouted. "That old man wanted to teach me and Sasuke some ninjutsu a few days ago, but he left so quickly."

No sooner had he spoken than Kushina, who had been lost in thought, froze for a moment. Her red hair swirled as she suddenly punched Naruto on the head. "You learned from him?"

"Ow~ that hurts, Mom!" Naruto exclaimed, clutching his head and looking at her in exasperation. When he first arrived, his mother had been so gentle, constantly doting on and caring for him. How was it that, in such a short time, she now seemed to relish hitting him?

With a tone of indignation, he added, "That guy didn't know anything—how could he teach me?"

"...Didn't know anything?" Kushina raised an eyebrow, puzzled by his words. After a moment, she shook her head, dismissing his claims as mere excuses. "Never mind~"

Despite Jiraiya's questionable character, she knew his ninjutsu was formidable, making it unlikely that he couldn't teach anything of value.

However, noticing Akihiko observing her, Kushina's red hair fell back as she smiled sheepishly before glaring at Naruto. "Remember! Stay away from that guy in the future, and don't pick up any bad habits!"

"I know~!" Naruto waved his hand dismissively, pouting before raising his fist resolutely. "Who would ever learn from him? I, Uzumaki Naruto, am going to become a great ninja like Uncle Akihiko!"

At his words, Akihiko nodded in satisfaction, extending his hand to give Naruto an affectionate pat on the head. His teaching efforts were clearly paying off, as Naruto was already showing signs of becoming a future successor to the Spirit of Grass.

Finally, Akihiko assigned an essay to the two children to help deepen their understanding of the new Grass Spirit. With that, everyone began preparing to head back.

Naturally, Akihiko had work to attend to, so he sent the children back first. After all, he couldn't let Mikoto handle all the office work alone. While he usually delegated tasks to his secretary, Mikoto was a formal employee, unlike Nonō. If he overworked Sasuke's mother, how would he face little Sasuke as an uncle?

Kushina nodded and said, "Go ahead, Akihiko. Don't worry; I'll make sure they study well."

"Huh? But I was planning to go play with Sasuke," Naruto replied, his tone sullen.

"Idiot!" Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's words.

"Study properly! If you get held back, your mom and Uncle Akihiko will be very disappointed," Kushina admonished him gently.

"Alright," Naruto sighed, but as he glanced back at Kushina and Akihiko, he hesitated, wanting to say something. "Mom... you and Uncle Akihiko... ugh, I haven't even asked yet!" However, before he could finish, Kushina punched him on the head.

"Shut up! Children shouldn't ask too many questions! If you fail your finals, Mom will be very angry!" Kushina said, her tone stern as she guided them away, clearly embarrassed by the exchange.

As Akihiko watched Kushina take the kids away, he shook his head helplessly and muttered to himself, "Looks like they still have too little homework."

Next year, Naruto and Sasuke will be advancing to the second grade. With the combined strength of Naruto, Sasuke, Jūgo, and Gaara—especially without Black Zetsu holding them back—they would be unmatched in the academy.

"It seems I'll need to add some challenges for them," he murmured, contemplating this. After all, it was all for the children.

Speaking of which, the war between Shinobi Times and Root Daily had recently come to an end. The Third Hokage of Konoha sent someone over, and both sides ultimately agreed to cease hostilities.

Perhaps it was because they recognized how closely tied the relationship between Grass Village and Konoha was. Everyone needed to cooperate, work hard together, and progress collectively. After all, Grass Village and Konoha were like brotherly ninja villages.

While the two major newspapers had stopped their conflict, lingering effects remained. Kushina and Mikoto still felt a bit awkward during this period. Although they understood it was part of Konoha's scheme, they still experienced moments of embarrassment, especially Kushina.

It was rumored that lately, Naruto had been showing up with a swollen head, looking dejected.

As Akihiko walked, he reflected on these thoughts. He soon arrived at the office, where Mikoto was busy at work. Noticing his arrival, she paused, a slight blush momentarily creeping onto her face as she recalled recent events.

Though there was nothing romantic between them—after all, it was all part of Konoha's scheme—being alone in the confined office with Akihiko made her feel somewhat uneasy.

Resigning was not an option. Akihiko had taken great care of her and Sasuke, providing them with shelter in his home, and she felt indebted to him. The only way she knew to repay his kindness was through diligent work.

Mikoto cleared her throat and straightened her slightly disheveled uniform, which accentuated her figure.

Noticing Akihiko glance her way, she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as she recalled Kushina's words during their late-night chats. Both she and Fuso deeply appreciated Akihiko's kindness, but whenever she thought about their situation, a lingering question remained—could Akihiko truly be…

However, Mikoto quickly pushed those thoughts aside and said seriously, "Advisor Chiyo sent a message indicating that the Sand Village Academy is now complete, and they've received the teaching materials. Once the new school year begins, arrangements can be made for the children to attend. However, there's still the issue of teachers…"

Akihiko waved his hand dismissively, as if it were no issue. "Tell them not to worry; we'll arrange for someone to go over there."

"Oh, right, there's something else…" Mikoto seemed to recall an important detail as she continued, "We received a letter from Rain Village. It appears that Advisor Chiyo is visiting the Land of Rain to learn about their development. However, there are whispers among some that Lord Hanzō is the one inviting Chiyo over to 'showcase his achievements'. People are concerned that something might happen and wanted to ask Leader Akihiko what to do."

Akihiko couldn't help but sigh internally. This old guy Hanzō… always seizing every opportunity to bully that old lady. Really, even at this age, he's still so childish.

A slight twitch crossed Akihiko's mouth before he composed himself, coughing lightly and waving his hand dismissively. "Don't mind those two old geezers." He shook his head with a sigh. "They're both so old, yet they're still at it."

The affairs of these two old-timers are best left for them to handle themselves. But speaking of which… the Sand Village has already joined the Land of Grass. He couldn't help but wonder how things were going with Sasori. He's probably plotting another escape, isn't he?

Curiosity piqued, Akihiko couldn't help but wonder how the two old-timers would react when they discovered the truth.