I’m Not Naruto, But I Got a Better Bloodline

Morning sunlight poured down upon the land.

The once-bustling border town of Sugi now lay in utter ruin under the morning light.

The prosperous town had been completely destroyed—fires raged everywhere, and all that remained were broken walls and shattered eaves. From a distance, the scene resembled a living hell.

Fortunately, the residents and tourists who had been here were mostly unharmed.

Still, they all stood staring blankly at the devastation before them.

"It's over…"

In the forest beside the town, Jiraiya stared at the ruined settlement in the distance, his face twisted in dismay. Then he looked down at the unconscious Fourth Raikage, whose arm had been severed. A wave of despair swept over him.

"This is bad."

Kakashi nodded woodenly, his expression equally grim, while Tsunade finally lost her composure.

"You bunch of bastards… You completely destroyed a perfectly fine town! And look at the state you left the Fourth Raikage in! You might as well have killed him!"

"Killing him would've started a Great Ninja War."

Kakashi rubbed his white hair with a weary hand, and Gen nodded in agreement.

"He's right. So many people were watching—killing him would've meant an all-out war between the villages. But then again, with things already this bad, maybe we should just…"

He made a throat-slitting gesture, leaving Tsunade utterly speechless.

Seriously? You're actually considering it?

"Stop joking around, Gen," Kakashi sighed, knowing him well enough to intervene.

"Let's focus on what we're going to do next."

"Yeah…"

Jiraiya trudged over, visibly defeated. He couldn't bring himself to keep looking at the destruction behind them.

"What are we supposed to do with the Fourth Raikage? Look at the state he's in."

It was a serious question. Jiraiya didn't dare bring him back.

Sure, dragging him back to Konoha would boost their prestige and deal a huge blow to Kumogakure's morale.

But the problem was—a Kage was the ultimate symbol of a village. Capturing him would only escalate tensions and create even more trouble.

Not to mention, Gen had chopped off the Raikage's arm.

There was no way they could spin that as a friendly invitation to visit Konoha.

"This is such a mess…"

Though clearly frustrated, Tsunade couldn't help but glance at Gen.

"…Still, that kid really is something."

The battle between Gen and the Fourth Raikage had left a deep impression on her.

Especially because that kid had white hair, was a master of kenjutsu—and knew Flying Thunder God.

It was hard not to be reminded of her granduncle.

Konoha… another genius has emerged.

"No matter what, I'll treat him first."

Shaking her head, Tsunade chose not to dwell on it any further. Although she was full of curiosity about Gen, there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Jiraiya, I already know the reason you came to find me. Orochimaru… he's part of that Akatsuki organization too?"

"Yeah, he is."

Jiraiya glanced at Kakashi, who gave a silent nod. Seeing that, Jiraiya continued without hesitation.

"I've managed to gather some intel from Orochimaru. Things are more serious than we thought."

"How so?"

"The Akatsuki… they're far more dangerous than we imagined. Even Hanzō the Salamander—and Danzō—have lost to them."

"Hanzō? Danzō?"

Tsunade's expression turned grave. Nearby, Gen couldn't help but raise a brow.

What the hell? What exactly did Orochimaru say?

As Jiraiya continued recounting Orochimaru's words, Gen's eyes widened more and more.

Orochimaru hadn't lied about a single thing—but when you string together all these eerie bits of intel, the whole story feels like the truth got diluted beyond recognition.

'But he did spill the beans about Akatsuki… and Danzō. Damn, that was a full-on setup!'

Gen hadn't forgotten about the ties between Danzō and Orochimaru. This was a ruthless move—no doubt about it.

Did those two have a falling out or what?

"Danzō and Hanzō…"

Tsunade furrowed her brows. She stayed silent for a long moment before finally speaking.

"This does sound serious. That Akatsuki group… might be more dangerous than we ever expected."

"Yeah," Jiraiya let out a bitter chuckle. "This has all gotten more troublesome than I imagined."

"Maybe I'll need to head to the Land of Rain myself, see what's going on with Hanzō."

"Though that's for later—I still have to talk it over with the old man back in Konoha."

"By the way, Tsunade, will you be coming back with us?"

"Hmph."

Tsunade scoffed, shooting another glance at Gen. But soon, her eyes drifted back toward the ruined town.

"What else can I do? Damn it… such a good place, so many great casinos—and you blew it all to hell?"

"I don't even have a spot left to unwind. Not to mention, I've got to keep an eye on the Fourth Raikage now. If he dies, I won't be able to avoid the fallout."

"That's good enough for me."

Jiraiya managed a strained smile. Despite the mountain of trouble ahead, at least something had worked out.

"But we weren't the only ones who started this fight. He was involved too. And he's the one who struck first."

Right then, Gen couldn't hold his tongue anymore.

He pointed at the still-unconscious Fourth Raikage, then gave Tsunade a strange look.

"If things really get difficult... maybe we can get him to pay for the reconstruction?"

"..."

Kitagawa Gen's suggestion left everyone in silence.

You cut off the man's arm, and now you want him to foot the bill?

"And also," he added casually, "I heard from Jiraiya-sama that Tsunade-sama is neck-deep in gambling debt."

"Hey! Jiraiya! Are you trying to die?!"

Tsunade snapped. She instantly grabbed Jiraiya by the collar, making him panic.

"But isn't this kind of perfect?"

Thankfully, Kitagawa Gen stepped in again.

"Now that everything's been reduced to rubble… doesn't that mean the debt's gone too?"

...

"...Huh?"

Konohagakure.

Hiruzen was in a cheerful mood as he reviewed the documents in his hand.

Jiraiya had left the village with Kakashi and Kitagawa Gen, and that alone made him breathe a little easier.

"The village… is a lot quieter now."

Though all three were valuable assets to Konoha, their presence often brought chaos—and headaches.

On top of that, they'd been carrying out high-difficulty missions for an extended period. Hiruzen had been worried something might eventually go wrong.

Especially Kitagawa Gen.

"That kid has always lacked proper guidance. Since becoming a ninja, he's been thrown into nonstop high-level missions, with almost no chance to truly rest. At least now he can relax for a bit."

People can't stay under constant tension. Rest and work need balance.

Jiraiya might seem unreliable on the surface, but when it matters, there's no one more trustworthy.

Sending him off with Kitagawa Gen—and with Kakashi to keep an eye on things—was the most suitable arrangement possible.

"Hokage-sama, urgent report!"

Just then, an ANBU operative burst into the office—carrying a toad in his arms.

"..."

The moment Hiruzen saw the toad, his heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, Jiraiya asked me to give this to you. Mission accomplished. I'm out."

The toad wasted no words. It immediately spit out a scroll, then vanished in a puff of smoke.

"…No way."

Hiruzen staggered slightly as he picked up the scroll, a foreboding feeling rising in his chest.

It was just a mission to find Tsunade… what could've possibly gone wrong?

Muttering under his breath, he unrolled the scroll. But the moment he read its contents, his vision went dark.

They encountered the Fourth Raikage and Orochimaru while looking for Tsunade?

They fought and leveled an entire town?

Orochimaru leaked critical intel—and somehow, it involves Shimura Danzō?!

The Fourth Raikage was defeated—even had his arm cut off?

These revelations hit Hiruzen like a hammer to the head. The room spun so violently that he could barely stand.

At this moment, he truly felt like the sky was collapsing.

"And now this Akatsuki organization… is connected to Danzō too?"

There was a flood of chaotic developments, but he forced himself to stay calm. After a moment of silent contemplation, he struggled to his feet.

The matter with the Fourth Raikage was critical—any misstep could spark a full-scale war.

But until Jiraiya sent more updates, he had to wait on that front.

For now, he could only shift his focus to Danzō. He knew Root had been wiped out, but Danzō had never explained the full story behind it.

"This bastard got involved with someone that dangerous… and never said a word? If he's planning revenge in his heart, this could go downhill fast!"

With that thought, Hiruzen immediately left the Hokage's office, accompanied by the nearby ANBU.

He had to meet with Danzō—right now.

But just as he stepped away, a pale figure quietly emerged where he'd just been.

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