Naruto: Promotion is my Ninja Way

Tsunade sat across from Shihouin Naraku, her amber eyes fixed on him with an intensity that could melt steel. She had been discussing the recent Sannin War, but her expression had grown increasingly stern as the conversation progressed.

"What's with that look?" Naraku asked, raising an eyebrow at her piercing stare.

"I have to admit something unexpected," Tsunade said, her voice carrying a note of reluctant admiration. "You actually have real talent as a teacher. That student of yours, Yakushi Kabuto—you've trained him well. His medical ninjutsu is far stronger than I anticipated."

Naraku couldn't help but chuckle at her words. "Hahaha..."

The sound only seemed to irritate Tsunade further. Naraku knew exactly why she was bringing this up. Tsunade must have faced Kabuto during the recent conflict and found herself outmatched. After all, the current Kabuto was significantly more powerful than his original timeline counterpart, and that improvement was entirely thanks to Naraku's guidance and training.

The truth was even more serious than Tsunade was letting on. She hadn't simply suffered a minor defeat at Kabuto's hands—she had nearly died fighting him. Without Uzumaki Naruto's unexpected intervention during the battle, Tsunade wouldn't have survived long enough to face Orochimaru in their final confrontation.

"You look awfully pleased with yourself," Tsunade said with clear annoyance in her voice. "Maybe you should consider becoming a full-time mentor instead." She paused, then fixed him with another sharp look. "But I want to know something else. What exactly did you do to Orochimaru? What's wrong with his right hand?"

Tsunade leaned forward slightly, her medical expertise immediately apparent. "I didn't treat him personally, but even from a distance, I could tell there was something seriously wrong with that arm of his."

Naraku raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. Orochimaru's condition was indeed the result of his Zanpakuto Kurikara's unique ability. Unlike the Shiki Fujin sealing technique that the Third Hokage had used, which trapped souls but left them intact, Kurikara's power was fundamentally different. Where the Death God Seal merely bound souls, Kurikara severed them completely and permanently.

The sealing effects of Shiki Fujin could theoretically be undone if someone found the right method, but souls that had been cut by Kurikara could never be restored. This meant that no matter how many times Orochimaru performed his body-switching jutsu or underwent reincarnation, he would never be able to recover that severed arm.

Seeing no reason to hide the truth from his former teacher, Naraku decided to be completely honest about what had happened.

He placed his right hand on his waist, and with a soft sound, Kurikara materialized. Drawing the straight-bladed sword with a metallic ring, he held it out for Tsunade to examine. "Here, this is the weapon I used. Kurikara cut through Orochimaru's right arm, but the damage went deeper than flesh and bone—it severed part of his soul."

Tsunade glanced at the dark blade with curiosity, studying its unusual appearance, but she didn't seem overly surprised by its existence. The ninja world was filled with legendary weapons and mystical tools that possessed extraordinary abilities. The Six Paths ninja tools that had once belonged to the Sage of Six Paths were perfect examples—powerful artifacts that had eventually found their way to Kinkaku and Ginkaku of the Hidden Cloud Village.

Those very tools had played a role in the death of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, when he fell to the team led by those notorious brothers.

So while Tsunade was curious about Kurikara's properties, she wasn't shocked by the existence of such a weapon. After satisfying her curiosity, Naraku returned the blade to its scabbard.

"You know what your mistake was?" Tsunade said with a heavy sigh. "You should have aimed for his head instead of his arm."

Naraku spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "Well, Kurikara didn't deliver the killing blow in the end, but Orochimaru did die by my hand. However, as you probably know, his immortality technique has been perfected. Even if we kill him, Orochimaru can find a way to return from death."

Tsunade scratched at her blonde hair in frustration upon hearing this confirmation. The implications were troubling, but her resolve quickly hardened as she made her decision.

"I don't care whether Orochimaru can resurrect himself or not," she declared firmly. "If he comes back to life, I'll kill him again. And if he returns after that, I'll kill him again. My first official order as the Fifth Hokage will be to dedicate every possible resource to hunting down and eliminating Orochimaru, no matter how many times it takes."

With those words, the legendary bond between the three Sannin—once famous throughout the entire ninja world—was definitively shattered.

Naraku and Tsunade continued their conversation well into the evening hours. Naraku took the time to explain the many changes that had occurred in Konoha Village over the recent years, helping Tsunade develop a comprehensive understanding of the current state of her home village. While there would be countless other matters for her to learn about after officially becoming Hokage, this overview gave her a solid foundation to build upon.

The following morning, Naraku escorted Tsunade to the medical department to show her the extensive developments that had taken place during her absence.

"The medical emergency division had grown quite large and unwieldy over the years," Naraku explained as they walked through the facilities. "So I decided to reorganize it by splitting the department into more specialized units. This section handles..."

The restructuring of the medical emergency teams had been completed months ago. The new hospital and rehabilitation center would have been finished much earlier if not for the disruption caused by the Konoha Crush invasion plan. As it stood, only the finishing touches remained before the facilities would be fully operational.

Standing in the main hall of the original Konoha Hospital, watching the steady flow of doctors and nurses going about their duties, Tsunade couldn't help but shake her head in amazement.

"No wonder so few people came seeking my medical services when I was traveling the ninja world," she said with a mixture of admiration and mock complaint. "You've been taking all the business from these people, Naraku! Thanks to your efficiency, I lost quite a bit of potential income over the years."

"To be fair, all the money earned by the medical department gets turned over to the village treasury," Naraku replied. "It's not like I'm keeping all these profits for myself."

While money certainly wasn't everything, it was impossible to accomplish anything significant without adequate funding. After the devastating Konoha Crush attack, the village had been able to recover with remarkable speed largely because of the substantial financial reserves that had been accumulated over the previous years.

Naraku was well aware that much of the structural damage to Konoha's buildings had been caused directly or indirectly by his own actions during the invasion. This knowledge motivated him to distribute reconstruction funds generously and efficiently, ensuring the village could rebuild quickly.

Since Naraku didn't need to rely on council members Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to request additional funding from the Fire Country's government, he could avoid the political negotiations and compromises that such requests typically required. Simply drawing from Konoha Village's accumulated savings from previous years was sufficient to cover the reconstruction costs.

Even in worst-case scenarios, the medical department alone possessed enough financial resources to cover emergency expenses without straining the village's budget.

As the head of the Medical Department, only Naraku himself knew exactly how much wealth he had managed to accumulate through the department's operations over the years.

Naraku proceeded to give Tsunade a comprehensive tour of the medical department's current structure and organization. "After splitting the Medical Emergency Squad, this division handles... that unit is responsible for... and the medical research ninjas in the laboratory primarily focus on developing new medical ninjutsu techniques and specialized ninja tools. We also have..."

The more Tsunade learned about the current scope and organization of the Medical Department, the wider her eyes grew with amazement. Now she understood why the Medical Department had become the largest single department in all of Konoha Village, and why it was able to contribute such substantial funding to the village treasury each year.

None of these achievements seemed surprising anymore given the scale of the operation she was witnessing.

"I'm glad I didn't hand you over to Orochimaru back then," Tsunade said with genuine appreciation in her voice. "Say what you will about that snake, but his eye for talent was always exceptional."

She gestured toward the shelves lined with medical scrolls and research documents. "With so many new medical ninjutsu techniques to learn, it looks like I'll have to go back to being a student again. I never expected to find myself studying medical arts at this stage of my life."

Picking up one of the medical ninjutsu scrolls with obvious interest, Tsunade began reading through its contents. After reviewing the technique described within, she couldn't help but express her admiration for the innovative approach.

"Cellular manipulation... virus vectors... that's brilliant," she murmured appreciatively.

Time seemed to pass quickly in the days that followed. Throughout Konoha Village and the broader Fire Country, people rapidly became familiar with—or renewed their knowledge of—a particular female ninja who had returned to prominence.

Tsunade was beautiful, incredibly powerful, and possessed an impressive background and lineage that commanded respect. The news of her impending appointment as Hokage became the primary topic of conversation throughout the region.

"Why haven't I heard her name before?" one villager asked during a typical marketplace conversation.

"That's because you're not well-informed," another replied with authority. "Lady Tsunade is one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha!"

"Tsunade-sama has returned to us," an elderly citizen declared with obvious joy. "I absolutely support her becoming our new Hokage!"

"How does Lady Tsunade maintain such beauty at her age?" wondered a young woman with obvious admiration.

"Master Tsunade is the most renowned medical ninja in the entire ninja world," explained a well-informed merchant. "Even people from other villages and countries acknowledge her superior medical ninjutsu skills!"

"Really? But I thought Naraku-sama was the strongest medical ninja around here," questioned a confused citizen.

"What do you know, you fool?" scoffed a know-it-all villager. "My uncle's youngest son's son-in-law is a jonin, and he told me that Tsunade-sama is actually Naraku-sama's teacher!"

"Is that really true?" came the skeptical response.

"Of course it's true! Lord Naraku learned all his medical ninjutsu from Lady Tsunade herself."

"Ah, I absolutely adore Tsunade-sama," sighed a lovestruck young man. "She's so incredibly beautiful!"

As the days continued to pass, the entire population grew more familiar with Tsunade and gradually accepted the idea that their new Hokage would soon take office officially.

Finally, the day arrived for the Fifth Hokage's inauguration ceremony to begin!

Tsunade, looking particularly radiant and dignified in her ceremonial robes, stood atop the Hokage building wearing the traditional Hokage hat. She gazed down at the massive crowd that had gathered in the plaza below to witness this historic moment.

Behind her stood the key figures who would support her administration: Shihouin Naraku, Jiraiya, Nara Shikaku, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura, all positioned respectfully as she prepared to address her people as their new leader.

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