Naruto: SSS-Rank Romance System

Tsunade froze for a moment, squatted beside him, and said with a mischievous smile,

"Let's see how you perform in the future."

"You said it yourself, you supported me becoming the Fifth Hokage, and now that I've accepted it, you must honor your promise."

Hearing this, Naruto let go of Tsunade's wrist and struggled to stand up.

The lights from the shops on both sides of the Short Street Night Market radiated like threads, casting faint yellow light on Naruto's feet. As the night breeze blew, he seemed to come to his senses a little.

"That's too much; how can the Hokage do such a thing?"

"It's possible," Tsunade teased.

As she spoke, she stood up, and her large blue robe with the kanji for "gamble" fluttered gently in the night wind.

"I'm sober now, we should head back."

"That..." Naruto coughed and said, "Lady Tsunade, are you saying goodbye to the past memories? Though I don't quite understand, I feel like bad memories, whether you want to or not, are painful just by being there."

"You little brat," Tsunade chuckled, tapping Naruto on the head. "No matter how painful past memories are, you can't just let go of them. If you let go of the past, you'd have empty hands."

Naruto wisely didn't continue the topic. If someone is covering their wound and not letting others see it, forcibly pulling their hand away is not concern, it's just another stab in the back.

"Lady Tsunade is already the Fifth Hokage, and the village affairs are still quite busy," Naruto said, speaking plainly. "The end of one era is the beginning of another."

"Ah," Tsunade responded with a hint of melancholy in her voice. "The village is my grandfather's legacy; I must pass on the responsibility of protecting the village to future generations."

"The ninja world isn't peaceful either. Frequent wars, with people dying from freezing or starvation, it's like there are more than we can count." Naruto said, "This world is truly not easy. 'Dao' is what the hearts of people desire, and 'Shi' is every tree and blade of grass in the village."

"You're saying these things again..." Tsunade suddenly laughed, rubbing Naruto's face, "You really think deeply, what else are you thinking about?"

"I wasn't thinking about much," Naruto mumbled. "Though I hope Lady Tsunade will take more of a stand for me in the high-level meetings, so I won't end up trapped and restricted."

"Don't worry, those old guys can't do anything to you," Tsunade said, tightening her grip. "I will protect you; you won't have to face such restrictions."

"You tell me everything, and I'm really happy about that."

"The power of the tailed beasts is too strong. In the village, there aren't many people I can talk to," Naruto said. "I'm also happy to help Lady Tsunade."

"Then show me how well you can perform," Tsunade smiled, leaned down, and kissed Naruto on the cheek. "I'll return the sword to you."

...

After nearly a month of trouble, Tsunade, as she said, returned to Konoha to take over as the Fifth Hokage.

On the day she returned to the village, Naruto was sandwiched between Tsunade on one side and Jiraiya on the other, with the two legendary Sannin having returned. This immediately caused a commotion.

As the granddaughter of the First Hokage, the legendary medical ninja, and the future Fifth Hokage, who wouldn't want to see her?

Konoha's main street was crowded, and this was exactly the effect that the two advisors of Konoha had wanted. They spread the news before Tsunade even returned to the village.

Tsunade, being the granddaughter of the First Hokage, one of the legendary Sannin, the disciple of the Third Hokage, and a powerful medical ninja—who else could possibly sit in the Hokage's seat if not her?

Danzo had ground his teeth but could never take the Hokage position from Tsunade.

This is what the people's hearts desire; everyone believes the granddaughter of the First Hokage will bring hope to the village.

And Naruto, this ill-fated person, was forcibly dragged around by Tsunade. From the gates of Konoha to the main street, and then from the main street to the Hokage building.

At the base of the Hokage building, a crowd of ninjas and villagers gathered, all looking up at the newly appointed Fifth Hokage.

Naruto wanted to run, but Tsunade pulled him back.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tsunade frowned, pulling on his ear. "Stay here and stand still. Once the ceremony is over, you can go wherever you want."

"It's not like I'm becoming Hokage, why should I...?"

"Sorry, the wind was too loud, I didn't hear you clearly." Tsunade's face darkened, and her terrifying red eyes seemed like they could smash Naruto with a punch.

"Sorry, I swear allegiance to Lady Tsunade!" Naruto stood up straight.

"You're good with words," Tsunade said, her attitude immediately making Naruto feel like he was bathed in spring breeze. With a smile, she placed the Hokage hat on her head in front of the cheering crowd.

Behind her stood the two advisors and Jiraiya, the Third Hokage's faction, all supporting Tsunade's side and attending the Hokage succession ceremony. This included the Ino-Shika-Cho clan, the Hyuga clan, the Oil Girl-Kennel clan, and the Anbu leader.

Naruto yawned, standing closest to Tsunade, listening to her announce to the crowd that she would be managing the village of Konoha from now on.

The process was quite boring, but the villagers' cheers mixed with hope for the future.

Tsunade's return was like a shot of adrenaline for Konoha after being attacked.

"Dao is what the hearts of people desire, and Shi is every tree and blade of grass in the village."

Some people can just stand there and do nothing, and the people will go crazy with admiration.

Tsunade is that kind of person.

She's gambled her whole life and lost it all. From beginning to end, her life was a complete loss. But as long as she wins once, that's enough.

Naruto glanced at the strong woman waving in the crowd, feeling complicated emotions.

...

Back at home, Naruto silently washed up and lay on the couch, wrapped in a towel, staring blankly.

He had been on a mission for a month and now didn't know what to do.

It seems he should continue his previous life—do the tasks when they come, and just lie here when there are no tasks. The high-level meetings would likely be a bust, so he didn't need to bother with them.

Looking at the white ceiling, for some reason, Naruto suddenly wanted a cup of cocoa.

Maybe it's because he hadn't had one in a while. Actually, he didn't particularly like cocoa, but he was curious to know how Ino's cocoa compares to the one he made himself.

When he's idle, he starts overthinking. Guess he's still not idle enough.

Knock knock knock! 

The knocking on the door came unexpectedly, and Naruto instinctively grabbed his sword.

After a moment of stillness, he shook his head, thinking that he was being influenced by Itachi. This was Konoha, a peaceful village—there was no need to be so cautious.

Click, the door opened.

Ino was wearing a thin shirt, casual style, probably because she didn't have any missions today. Her soft, slightly curled blonde hair was casually pinned up, giving her a refined and cute appearance.

It seemed she had something on her lips, emitting a glossy pink softness. Her skin on her neck was incredibly beautiful. When the door opened, Naruto caught a faint scent coming from her.

She looked at Naruto, who was only wrapped in a white towel, blinked, and asked,

"Why are you holding a sword?"

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