Naruto: The new beginning

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Tsunade had stepped out under the pretence of fetching documents, only to stumble upon startling news.

Jiraiya, the infamous Toad Sage, had gotten himself entangled in some mess with Nadeshiko Village, also known as the "Widow Village."

Naturally, Jiraiya wasn't killed by Tsunade after the revelation, though she certainly considered it.

Instead, he nervously approached the village gates alongside Naruto to meet the visitors.

After a brief exchange, they decided to relocate to a small restaurant for privacy. Discussions of this nature weren't suited for open streets.

As they settled, Shizuka's attendant, Sayaka, broke the silence. "Lord Jiraiya, the promise you made all those years ago does it still stand?"

Jiraiya hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "Of course! A promise is a promise," he declared with forced confidence. As a Toad Sage, he couldn't very well go back on his word.

Sayaka nodded. "Then I request that your apprentice duel with Lady Shizuka."

Jiraiya's eyes darted to Shizuka. Judging by her age, she seemed about as old as Naruto.

An idea struck him, and he quickly turned to his godson. "Naruto, what do you think?"

"Me? What's this got to do with me?" Naruto protested. "I'm not your apprentice. Your apprentice is the Hokage! Why don't you drag Dad into this mess instead?"

Naruto's smirk grew sly. "Better yet, why don't you bring them to my house and see if Mom kills you first or them?"

Jiraiya broke into a nervous sweat. When he'd made this arrangement decades ago, it hadn't occurred to him that Minato was already hopelessly in love with Kushina.

In hindsight, it was sheer madness. How could he have dared?

"Stop messing around, Naruto!" Jiraiya hissed. "Do you want a stepmother or something?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "Who's messing around? You're the one quietly lining up stepmothers for me! Honestly, I should just destroy you on Mom's behalf."

"You—!" Jiraiya was too flustered to retort.

Sensing the tension, Sayaka intervened. "It seems your current apprentice isn't available. Is that correct?"

Jiraiya sighed, defeated. "Yes, my apprentice is now the Fourth Hokage, and he's happily married. This here is his son."

"Oh?" Sayaka raised an eyebrow. "If that's the case, perhaps the young man could fulfil the promise instead. After all, he seems about Lady Shizuka's age."

Naruto immediately waved his hands. "Not a chance. I already have a girlfriend."

Shizuka, who had remained silent thus far, finally spoke. "Do Konoha's shinobi lack the courage to accept a challenge?" Her voice was sharp, a tinge of mockery laced within.

Naruto scoffed. "That's some weak provocation. You'd only fool someone like Sasuke with that."

Jiraiya, trying to diffuse the situation, forced a smile. "Why don't you stay here for the night? I'll have an answer for you tomorrow."

Sayaka narrowed her eyes. "I hope you won't delay this for decades."

Jiraiya pounded his chest. "Absolutely not!"

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Later that evening, back at the Uzumaki-Namikaze household, Kushina placed a steaming teacup in front of Jiraiya with a dangerous smile. "Well, well, sensei. You've done quite a bit this time, haven't you?"

Jiraiya chuckled nervously. "Kushina, listen, it's not what it seems! I didn't think this through back then…"

"And what do you plan to do now?" Kushina asked sweetly, though her tone made Jiraiya shudder.

Trying to escape her gaze, Jiraiya turned to Minato. "So, uh, Minato… thoughts?"

Minato, however, remained engrossed in his newspaper. Though it was yesterday's edition, it had suddenly become the most fascinating thing in the world.

Frustrated, Jiraiya muttered under his breath. "My disciples are so unreliable…"

Naruto laughed, earning himself a flick on the forehead from Kushina. "Quit laughing! If you're so amused, why don't you take on the challenge?"

"Me?" Naruto exclaimed. "I already told them I'm not interested. Besides, I have a girlfriend!"

Kushina smirked. "Hinata must be so pitiful, stuck with my sweet-talking son…"

"I'm not sweet-talking anyone!" Naruto protested.

Kushina ignored him. "Kimimaro's back, isn't he? Let him handle this. Poor boy needs a distraction anyway."

"Wait a second—" Jiraiya began, but Kushina was already smiling at her decision.

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The next morning, Naruto approached Kimimaro at the training grounds. "Hey, you free today?"

Kimimaro nodded. "What's going on?"

"I need you to meet someone. She's been training non-stop ever since she lost someone important. If you can defeat her in a duel, it might help her move on."

Kimimaro gave a curt nod. "I'll do it."

When they arrived, Sayaka and Shizuka were already waiting. Naruto gestured to Kimimaro. "This is my brother handsome and strong. Perfect, right?"

Kimimaro raised an eyebrow at Naruto's introduction but stayed silent.

Sayaka studied him thoughtfully. "Very well. If he's willing, then let's proceed."

Shizuka stepped forward, removing her cloak to reveal a sleek battle suit. Her form was impressive enough to make Sakura jealous but Naruto couldn't figure out why there was such a large opening in the chest of her outfit.

Kimimaro remained stoic, focused on the task ahead. "Let's begin."

And so, the duel commenced.

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