Konoha: The Honored One

"You never stop going on about being the next Hokage, don't you?"

"Then try to stop my power, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Sasuke Uchiha's finger twitched slightly. Susanoo's skeletal fist surged forward, slamming down with immense force toward Naruto.

"Fast!" Naruto's pupils widened as he leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.

The Susanoo's fist collided with the ground, creating a resounding bang and leaving a small crater behind. The audience watched in terrified awe. That kind of punch could reduce a person to pulp in seconds.

"Not bad, Sasuke. Clunky as that thing looks, it moves pretty fast," Naruto quipped, crossing his arms confidently. Pale smoke billowed around him, and in an instant, a dozen Shadow Clones appeared, ready for battle.

"Ultra-Many Spiralling Rasengan!"

The clones charged, each wielding the glowing orb of chakra, swarming Sasuke from all directions.

"Pathetic," Sasuke sneered, standing motionless within Susanoo. His pride shone through his crimson eyes. "Do you really think your third-rate attacks can touch me?"

The Shadow Clones pressed forward, their Rasengan colliding with Susanoo's exterior. The ground shook violently from the impact, but as the dust settled, it became clear: Susanoo remained unscathed.

"That all you've got, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, his tone dripping with disdain. "I'm disappointed."

Naruto clicked his tongue in frustration. Damn it. His Rasengan was his strongest attack right now, and it didn't even scratch Susanoo's surface. He briefly considered using Sage Mode, but...

Five seconds.

That's all he could manage without the proper preparation. If he pushed too far, he'd risk losing control of the natural energy and turning into a very permanent, very dead cat statue.

Meanwhile, Gojo stood to the side, observing the fight with a lollipop in hand. He glanced at Sakura, who was just standing there, clearly torn about what to do.

"Hey, Pinky," Gojo called, waving lazily. "You planning to just stand there gawking? Maybe give cheering a try? 'Go, team!' Or, you know, actually help?"

Sakura clenched her fists, biting her lip nervously. She was clearly worried about what might happen if Sasuke or Naruto lost. Would Team 7 fall apart completely?

Tsunade, standing nearby, furrowed her brows. "Do you think they'll be okay?" she asked. "They're both so stubborn, and with their powers—"

"They'll be fine," Gojo cut in, casually twirling his lollipop. "Let 'em smash each other up a bit. Like I always says, it builds character." He smirked, tilting his head toward Tsunade. "What's youth without a little healthy rivalry? It's like protein for the soul."

Tsunade gave him a skeptical look. "You've got a strange way of teaching, you know that?"

"Strange? Nah, it's genius," Gojo countered, ruffling her hair. "Better to let them vent now than bottle everything up. That's when the real problems start."

Tsunade batted his hand away, quickly smoothing her hair back down. "Stop messing with me," she huffed. But before she could say more, Gojo's smug grin widened.

"Oh? What's this?" he teased. "Tsunade, the nurturing teacher. Doting on her students, are we?"

"Only on you," Tsunade muttered under her breath before realizing what she'd just said. Her cheeks flushed pink as she hurriedly turned away.

Gojo cupped his hand to his ear dramatically. "Hmm? What was that? Speak up, I didn't quite catch it!"

"Nothing!" she snapped, her face a deeper shade of red.

Gojo chuckled but let it slide—for now. "By the way, where's Piggy?" he asked, suddenly switching gears. "Shizune off rolling in the mud somewhere?"

Tsunade sighed, already exasperated. "I told you last night. She's out with Might Guy and the others, tracking the Three Tails. Remember?"

"Ohhh, right," Gojo said, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I forgot. I don't really pay attention to boring stuff."

"Then why ask?!" Tsunade groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Gojo grinned and pulled out another lollipop. "Want one?" he asked, dangling it in front of her.

Tsunade shot him a glare. "What are you, five? Keep your candy."

"Suit yourself," Gojo replied, popping the lollipop into his mouth. Then, leaning in closer, he whispered, "Although, you didn't mind having a taste last night."

Tsunade froze, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You forced it on me!"

"Is that what you're calling it now?" Gojo smirked, though he instinctively took a step back when he saw the look in her eyes.

"Do that again, and I'll bite it off," Tsunade growled, her tone icy.

Gojo winced, a phantom chill running down his spine. "Scary," he muttered.

Tsunade smirked triumphantly. "Open your mouth," she ordered.

"Ahhh—" Gojo complied, albeit cautiously.

Tsunade snatched the lollipop from his mouth and plopped it into her own. "Imported candy, huh?" she said, taking a deliberate lick. "I heard Kurenai had some of these too."

Gojo's grin widened. "Jealous? Cute."

"As if," Tsunade replied, but her focus drifted back to the battlefield, where Naruto was still struggling to find a way to counter Sasuke's Susanoo.

Gojo leaned closer to her, his tone mock-serious. "It's hard being this irresistible, you know. Truly a curse."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "You're unbearable."

"Unbearably handsome," Gojo corrected with a wink.

Tsunade sighed but didn't argue. Instead, she kept her gaze on Naruto and Sasuke, silently hoping this clash would teach them something valuable—if they didn't kill each other first.

"Let's just watch the show," Gojo said, his lollipop back in place. "They'll be fine. Probably."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Probably?"

"Well," Gojo admitted, "if not, we'll just blame Kakashi. He's not here to defend himself anyway."

With that, they both turned their attention back to the battlefield, letting the chaos unfold.