Chapter 117: 117
He seriously nodded and as Itachi was about to leave he stopped for a moment and turned back at Rei who was still looking towards the valley.
"The leader of Akatsuki wishes you to join the organization." Itachi said. And these words made Rei laugh out loud. And after a good laugh he turned and for the first time Rei looked into the black eyes of Itachi. He had been avoiding his eyes for the Tsukuyomi, but it seemed Itachi had let his guard down, since he realized that Rei probably wasn't a threat.
And even if Itachi tried something funny, he did have his own contingencies. Itachi was a bit amused by his laugh, not noticing that eyes of Rei had met with Itachi's for the first time, after all he was still under the visor.
"Join the organization that is obsessed with world peace, a concept that is impossible? Yeah, no thank you. I am fine by my own." Rei replied and with that he jumped down from the statue he was standing upon.
By the time he touched the water, he had already vanished. The next moment he appeared was near Naruto, of course, he let go his attire in the MCU world as he had travelled through that world to come to Naruto.
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The familiar ripple of space distorted beside the forest trail before Rei stepped out as though he had never left in the first place. Naruto, who had been lazily kicking small stones while walking, nearly jumped in surprise before immediately pointing an accusing finger toward him. Sasuke merely glanced sideways, while Jiraiya looked completely unsurprised, having expected the Flying Thunder God user to eventually reappear beside them.
"Took you long enough!" Naruto complained dramatically. "Do you know how boring it is listening to Pervy Sage talk about old stories for two whole hours? Sasuke barely says anything, and every time I ask him something, he just stares at me. You're the only normal one here!"
"...I'm beginning to question that last statement." Rei replied with a helpless smile. "Besides, I told you not to wait for me. You were supposed to keep moving, not count how many hours I'd been gone."
"We did keep moving!" Naruto defended himself immediately. "I can complain and walk at the same time."
"He's been proving that for the last two hours." Jiraiya sighed while rubbing his forehead. "It's a surprisingly impressive talent."
Even Sasuke's lips twitched ever so slightly before he quietly looked away again. Naruto instantly noticed the tiny reaction and pointed toward him once more. The bickering didn't end with that, and it continued.
But the journey continued peacefully afterward, though the peace didn't last nearly as long as any of them expected. Every town they entered seemed to produce the exact same answer whenever Jiraiya showed Tsunade's old photograph. The innkeepers scratched their heads, restaurant owners sighed dramatically, and gambling house attendants pointed in exactly the same direction before muttering prayers that the legendary woman had finally left their establishments for good.
"She was here yesterday."
"No, this morning."
"Actually... about an hour ago."
"And she still owes us money!"
By the fourth gambling establishment, the group had started developing a pattern. Jiraiya would politely ask whether Tsunade had visited. The owner would instantly recognize the photograph before launching into a furious tirade about unpaid gambling debts. Naruto would innocently ask how much she owed, only for the answer to become progressively more terrifying with every location they visited.
"Three hundred thousand ryō!"
"Half a million!"
"Almost two million!"
Naruto's jaw gradually dropped lower with every new number he heard.
"...How is she even still allowed inside gambling houses?"
"They keep believing she'll eventually win." Jiraiya answered with a deadpan expression.
"...Does she?"
"...No."
The owner of the fifth establishment happened to overhear that answer.
"That's because she's cursed!"
The large man immediately pointed toward Jiraiya.
"You! You're her friend! You pay!"
"...Run."
That single word from Jiraiya sent all four of them sprinting down the street at full speed while several furious employees chased after them carrying brooms, chairs, ledgers and whatever else happened to be within arm's reach. Naruto burst into uncontrollable laughter while Jiraiya loudly insisted that friendship did not automatically transfer gambling debts.
"This is your fault!" Naruto shouted between laughs.
"How is it my fault?!"
"You know her!"
"I regret that fact more every minute!"
Even Sasuke, despite maintaining his usual calm demeanor, found himself dodging a flying wooden bucket thrown by one particularly determined shopkeeper. Rei simply sighed before using Body Flicker to pull Naruto out of the way of another incoming projectile.
"...Next time," Rei muttered, "let's ask the restaurants first."
After escaping several increasingly angry gambling districts, the group eventually found themselves standing before a quiet roadside inn located just outside Tanzaku Town. Unlike everywhere else, nobody here looked furious at Tsunade's name. Instead, the elderly innkeeper simply smiled knowingly before pointing toward the upper balcony overlooking a peaceful river.
"She's been sitting there since this afternoon."
The four exchanged relieved glances before quietly making their way upstairs. Sitting beside the wooden railing with a bottle of sake resting casually in one hand was a beautiful blonde woman wearing a green haori. Beside her sat a younger woman with dark hair, who immediately noticed the approaching visitors.
Tsunade slowly turned her head after hearing the footsteps.
"...Jiraiya."
The legendary Sannin grinned.
"Long time no see."
"I was beginning to think you only visited when you wanted free drinks."
"I'd never take advantage of your generosity."
"You absolutely would."
"...Fair point."
A brief silence settled between the two old friends before Jiraiya's expression gradually lost its playful nature. The joking disappeared from his face entirely as he folded his arms and looked directly into Tsunade's eyes.
"I'm not here to drink."
"I figured."
"Konoha needs its Fifth Hokage."
The atmosphere changed almost instantly. Even Naruto, who had been looking around curiously moments earlier, sensed the sudden weight settling over the conversation. Sasuke quietly remained where he stood, while Rei simply observed the two legendary shinobi facing one another.
For several long moments, Tsunade said nothing. She merely stared into the distance beyond the flowing river, the bottle of sake remaining untouched in her hand as the evening breeze gently stirred her blonde hair.
"...So..." she finally spoke without looking back at Jiraiya, "...they've become that desperate."
The conversation unfolded almost exactly as Rei remembered from the original timeline. Jiraiya spoke about Hiruzen's sacrifice during Orochimaru's invasion and how Konoha had been left without its Hokage. He reminded Tsunade that she was now the last remaining Sannin still capable of leading the village.
Tsunade, however, merely scoffed before taking another sip of sake, calling the title of Hokage nothing more than the dream of fools who willingly threw away their lives for a village that would eventually forget them.
Naruto couldn't tolerate those words for even a second. He loudly declared that becoming Hokage was his dream and that he would surpass every Hokage before him. Tsunade merely laughed at the loud blond, calling him a brat who knew nothing about the burden carried by those who sat in that chair. Jiraiya watched the argument quietly, allowing Naruto to vent his frustration, knowing very well that this clash of ideals was something neither of them could avoid.
By the time evening arrived, Tsunade had retired to her room while Jiraiya gathered Naruto, Sasuke and Rei in a quiet clearing behind the inn. Looking at the three youngsters standing before him, he folded his arms before producing a water balloon from his pouch.
"Since we're already here, I might as well teach you three something worthwhile." Jiraiya said with a grin. "This is my colleague's masterpiece. An A-rank technique requiring absolute chakra control. The Rasengan."
Naruto's eyes immediately sparkled.
"Awesome! Teach me!"
Sasuke silently observed the water balloon while Rei simply smiled to himself. He showed the lethality and it's uses. And thus the training began.
The first stage began with rotating chakra inside the balloon until it burst from the internal pressure. Naruto immediately struggled, his balloon wobbling helplessly before exploding in completely the wrong direction. Sasuke performed considerably better, managing to create steady rotation, though it still lacked enough force to burst the balloon consistently.
"...This is harder than it looks." Sasuke admitted quietly after another failed attempt.
Jiraiya nodded.
"Most shinobi never master the first stage."
Meanwhile, Rei accepted his own balloon before calmly closing his eyes. Having already practiced the technique long before, he simply reproduced everything he had learned. Chakra rotated perfectly within his palm before the balloon burst almost instantly with a loud pop.
"...Eh?" Naruto blinked.
"...Already?" Sasuke muttered.
Even Jiraiya stared for several seconds before slowly scratching his head.
"...You did that on your first attempt."
Rei simply shrugged.
"It felt... natural."
Jiraiya couldn't help laughing.
"I was wondering whether Fourth Hokage's record would ever be challenged. Looks like I might've found another ridiculous genius." He looked toward the remaining two boys before pointing at Rei. "Don't compare yourselves to him. Keep practicing. The two of you will get there eventually."
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