Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

However, for some reason, despite having changed bodies several times and met countless people over the years, very few people have noticed this. Even with so many people present in Konoha last time, only Shiki noticed it; everyone else, except for Sakumo, his teacher, and that idiot Jiraiya, failed to notice. This frustrated him somewhat; no one seemed to realize he was getting younger with age…

Hearing his younger brother say this, even Orochimaru, who had already transcended worldly affairs, felt a surge of satisfaction. The more he looked at his younger brother, the more pleasing he became. Although his talent was a bit lacking, he had a powerful older sister and the halo of the Senju clan, so he could make it if the opportunity arose. However, not everyone has the vision and character to do things right.

"...These hands are sealed, not injured, so I can't heal them."

Upon hearing that Orochimaru was actually going to teach his younger brother such a bizarre forbidden technique, Tsunade quickly interrupted.

joke.

Rope Tree didn't know what this guy's secret to immortality was, but she did know something about it. She couldn't accept her younger brother really changing bodies everywhere.

The thought of my younger brother swaying his curves even more alluring than hers makes me feel like I'm betraying our ancestors...

"...Even changing bodies won't work?"

Orochimaru had anticipated his friend's answer, but he was still somewhat unwilling to give up and asked, "This body has been used for several years and is about to expire. Plus, now that I've obtained Sasuke Uchiha's body, I'm thinking of switching to Sasuke's body."

"...You know Second Grandfather's Impure World Reincarnation, so you should have some knowledge of souls. The souls in your hands are sealed. If you can't break the seal and restore your souls, no matter how many bodies you get, it won't help. If there's nothing else, you can leave."

Tsunade shook her head indifferently. Although her friend's method of achieving immortality by changing bodies was unethical, Tsunade didn't feel much about it. People die every day in the ninja world. She had seen too much life and death and had long since become indifferent to it.

However, seeing the shifty look in her younger brother's eyes as he glanced at his friend, Tsunade's heart tightened. She quickly sent the friend away, determined to keep her brother away from friends in the future; she didn't want him to become androgynous...

1025. The Thousand-Handed Grandpa hadn't signed the documents yet.

"boom!"

"Huh? Why is this great scientist out sightseeing instead of conducting your little experiments? Konoha's practically begging for your attention all over the world..."

At that moment, the tavern door was violently flung open, and a blond figure walked in, looking at Orochimaru with curiosity as if wondering why he was there.

".....╥﹏╥"

The tavern owner stared at the broken mahogany door, silently wiping away tears. This was an antique passed down from his great-grandfather's generation!

Why are these ninjas so irritable?

But he could only silently wipe away his tears. The newcomer was more prestigious than Princess Tsunade, and besides, they weren't even on his side. There was no way to reason with them...

"Hehe, they're just some little bugs."

Orochimaru wasn't surprised at all by the visitor. This guy was currently the biggest idler in the ninja world. He hadn't even managed to seduce Tsunade yet, so it would be strange if he stayed idle.

"By the way, are your hands still usable? Can you still summon the Thousand-Handed Master? I have a document here that he hasn't signed yet."

Shinto stared at Orochimaru's hand and asked, feigning concern and curiosity.

"...Not yet. Let's wait until I find a way to break the Death Seal. I'll be going now..."

Sensing the dangerous look in his friend's eyes, Orochimaru realized the conversation couldn't continue and immediately burrowed underground to escape.

That bastard's tough enough to take two punches from Tsunade like a little massage, but he's no match for her. Even with his snake-like skin-shedding ability, it still hurts like hell...

.....

"Boss, bring two more jugs of wine."

"Did some big science come to you to heal your hand?"

After Orochimaru left, Shinto sat down and spoke to his boss, who was wiping away tears in the distance, before asking Tsunade a question.

"That's a corpse demon seal, there's no cure for it unless he can break the seal, but that's almost impossible. All those people sealed by the corpse demon over the years are dead, let alone someone breaking this seal. And..."

"boom!"

"You were there at the time, why didn't you stop Orochimaru?"

Tsunade got angrier and angrier as she talked, and couldn't help but give Masato a light punch to the chest. It wasn't enough to hurt him, but it was explosive, shaking the tavern which had already lost a load-bearing wall and making it tilt all over the place.

The tavern owner, who had just finished serving the drinks, stumbled and sat down on the ground, secretly vowing that he would put up a sign at the door after today.

"Ninjas and dogs are not permitted..."

Damn, these ninjas are so fucking violent...

"Yeah, brother-in-law, you were there at the time, if you had intervened, Uncle Hokage wouldn't have died..."

Rope Tree nodded and grumbled softly.

In Nawaki's mind, his brother-in-law was the most powerful and formidable ninja in the world after his grandfather. Although Orochimaru was also quite powerful, he wasn't as powerful as his brother-in-law. Look at how his older sister's critical hit had no effect on his brother-in-law; if it had been Orochimaru, he would have had to suffer several layers of skin before recovering...

"...Big brother, big sister, the situation was very complicated back then. You know Orochimaru's development capabilities; that barrier he created wasn't easy to break. Besides, that was the heart of Konoha. If I had struck him, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't died, Konoha would have had to go to war with Sunagakure. Wouldn't I have become a sinner against Sunagakure? Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi's death might not have been a bad thing for Konoha. You know that since Minato Namikaze died, Konoha has been controlled by your four leaders. When Hiruzen Sarutobi was young, he was alright; although indecisive, he still had some courage. Now that he's older, his courage has long since disappeared. Sakumo is also getting old; he can only protect the village for a while, not forever. Rather than letting it gradually decline, it's better to let it rise from the ashes. Wouldn't it be better to have a young and courageous Hokage? As long as he can keep the remaining three leaders in check, don't you agree?"

Masato took a sip of his drink and stared speechlessly at the siblings.

At the time, he really couldn't interfere. The barrier Orochimaru created wasn't a fake; although it wasn't as strong as the barrier the Uzumaki clan had created with the full power of their clan, he estimated that forcibly breaking through that barrier would kill at least half of Konoha's villagers. He couldn't handle such a massive massacre; just look at the consequences for Senju and Madara. He still wanted the Miyako clan to enjoy long-term peace and stability...

Moreover, with so many people wiped out, this is even more exaggerated than Orochimaru's achievements. Who knows if Hiruzen Sarutobi will go berserk and start a war? If the ninja world falls into chaos, and most people are dead, what ability will they have left to stop Obito's hundreds of thousands of White Zetsu troops?

"...But the Hokage is dead, who will be the Hokage? Jiraiya or Kakashi?"

Nawaki is over forty years old. Although he is still single, he has matured a lot and at least understands the current situation of Konoha. After all, it is the village that his two grandfathers dedicated most of their lives to. No matter how unfilial the descendants are, they should still pay attention to the property left to him by his two grandfathers.

Currently, besides Jiraiya and Kakashi, there are no other candidates in Konoha who can become Hokage. White Fang said early on that he would not become Hokage, and although Kakashi debuted very early and his reputation is not good, he has enough seniority. With White Fang supporting him, there shouldn't be any problem.

Jiraiya goes without saying; aside from lacking in substance like Jiraiya, he's perfect in every other way...

Of course, Nawaki selectively forgot the promise that the Hokage uncle made to his older sister.

Become Hokage?

What's the point of being Hokage? Sitting in an office dealing with all sorts of messy documents every day, what's the point of life? Although his life isn't interesting now either, at least he gets to travel around with his older sister every day, which is kind of free. If he were stronger, like his brother-in-law, able to act independently, that would be even better...

"...Didn't you ever think that you were actually the best candidate? Apart from being a little weak in terms of ability, you are the perfect successor."

Tsunade and Masato both looked at Nawaki, and then Masato asked a question.

Tsunade nodded in agreement. She'd thought of this long after her father's passing. After all, her younger brother bore the Senju surname and the title of Senju clan leader. So, she hadn't been gambling away her brother's time. Firstly, she was worried he might be heartbroken and do something foolish. Secondly, she wanted to protect him. Danzo had gone mad for the Hokage position; who knew if he'd try anything with her brother again? She'd even planned that if Danzo attacked her brother again, she'd immediately lead her brother to storm Konoha and kill him.

However, judging from this period of time, Danzo has been relatively well-behaved and has not made a move against Nawaki. Although she was surprised that Danzo was being so well-behaved, she was also slightly relieved.

1026. Your older sister is such a spendthrift, so you have to step in.

However, Tsunade was unaware that after the roundtable meeting at the Hokage Building, Danzo wasn't unwilling to take action against Nawaki; the problem was, he simply couldn't. He had a history of such actions. The moment he returned to Root headquarters and took a sip of tea, the two Konoha leaders, along with Sakumo Hatake and a group of Anbu members, were already blocking the entrance. Forget about having his subordinates take action; Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had even drawn a circle around Root headquarters, inviting Root members to try and step outside that circle until Nawaki returned to the village...

Ever since that bastard Jinshiki tattled on them to the teacher, Koharu and Homura Mitokado are terrified, especially Homura Mitokado, who was singled out. This time, she's determined to turn the tables on her friends rather than let them mess around.

They're not young anymore, and they'll have to go down and report to their teacher sooner or later. They vividly remember how ruthless their teacher and the First Hokage were when they teamed up to fight their friends. They say they're being controlled by Orochimaru, but who the hell believes that!

Orochimaru briefly appeared bewildered, but this did not escape their notice.

In order to avoid being double-teamed by the two CEOs, they had to protect Nawaki, their only remaining member, because they didn't have the skill of Hiruzen Sarutobi to last that long.

If we could help Nawaki by giving him a few girls to help the Senju clan expand, that would be even better. They'd have more confidence when they went down to sign in with the teacher...

Moreover, with Tsunade by Nawaki's side, if the elites of Root were not sent out, the underlings on the periphery would be useless. If the attack failed and they ended up causing trouble, it would be even more troublesome. So, seeing that his two companions were so determined, and with White Fang always wielding his ancestral short blade, Danzo simply stayed in Root, eating, drinking, and doing nothing.

Over the years, he's come to realize that time waits for no one, and forcing things won't help. To truly rise, he needs to wait for the right opportunity. All these years, he's been creating opportunities for himself, which has led to so much trouble. Now, he's learned his lesson: do nothing, just be prepared. He refuses to believe that everyone has their ups and downs; he's been down for so many years, it's finally time for his turn to shine...

......

"I've never thought about it, and I've never thought about becoming Hokage. What's so great about being Hokage? It's much better to stay where I am now."

Rope Tree shook his head decisively and said.

"That's not up to you. Given Konoha's current state, it's either you or Tsunade who goes. However, many people would prefer you to go, since Konoha has been rebuilt twice and doesn't have much wealth left. It's not even enough for Tsunade to have a good time..."

Masato patted Nawaki on the shoulder sympathetically.

He fully understood Rope Tree's thoughts, just like he and Handsome Scorpion's father back then. They were very resistant to the position of Kazekage because they had been in contact with Kazekage since childhood and knew what Kazekage's daily work was. This had nothing to do with whether they loved their village or not, but rather that they did not want to live like this for the rest of their lives.

This is the difference between children born into privilege and those from ordinary families. Regardless of the village, very few children from privilege dream of becoming a Kage. Most aspire to be strong and protect their village. On the other hand, children from ordinary families have no experience of the Kage's life and only see the outward glamour of the Kage, without seeing the hardships behind it. In addition, the education these children receive equates loving the village with becoming a Kage.

Nawaki had been exposed to Hiruzen Sarutobi since childhood and witnessed the hardships and frustrations of being a Hokage. Compared to the other three giants of Konoha, who were still in their prime while Hiruzen Sarutobi was already old, Nawaki felt that the Hokage was a huge pit of fire in his mind.

However, Nawaki's situation was different from Shinto's. At that time, Sunagakure still had options. Shinto and Sasori's father were both young, especially Shinto. Chiyo had once considered promoting Shinto, but considering that Shinto was just starting out and still in his rising phase, and that the village wasn't without options, there was at least Sunagawa as a candidate who was willing to enter the fire pit, so Shinto and Sasori's father were able to perfectly avoid this disaster.

However, Nawaki could not escape this calamity. Firstly, Konoha had no choice. Even if there were suitable candidates, none of them wanted to enter this fire pit. Those who were willing to enter the fire pit did not have the qualifications. Apart from being a little weaker, Nawaki was fine in every other way. Most importantly, Nawaki was only in his forties and was still in his prime. He could serve as Hokage for at least ten years without any problem.

Given Konoha's tradition of producing a super genius every few years, ten years or so is enough time to cultivate the next generation of leaders...

In the original work, both Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu wanted someone with Jiraiya's unconventional personality to become Hokage, which shows that Konoha had no other choice at the time. In the end, they had to tolerate Tsunade's extravagant spending.

Things are different now. Compared to Tsunade's extravagance, Nawaki at least doesn't have that kind of hobby. It doesn't matter if he's a little weaker; as long as Danzo is kept in mind and Nawaki is given more bodyguards, there won't be any problems.

From an external perspective, there is not much danger for Rope Tree to take over. Rope Tree has been called the Golden Lion for more than 20 years. Can the Golden Lion come and steal his head?

Tsunade's return to Konoha will strengthen the team's lineup. With Tsunade and White Fang in charge, it won't be so easy for Orochimaru to cause trouble.

"Sis, is it really absolutely necessary? o(╯□╰)o"

With a face full of embarrassment, Rope Tree had no time to grieve for the death of his Naruto uncle. He was about to fall into the fire himself, so he didn't have the leisure to be sad.

"Grandpa and Second Grandpa have dedicated most of their lives to the village, you absolutely have to go."

This time, Tsunade didn't feel sorry for her younger brother. She calmly nodded, just like Shinto said. Given the current situation of the village, if her younger brother didn't go, she would have to. If she became Hokage, she wouldn't have time to go to the casino to have fun.

Since someone has to do it anyway, and it's not like anyone's going to die, plus it'll be a moment of glory, I might as well let my younger brother do it. He doesn't really have any hobbies anyway, so finding him a proper job would be good for passing the time...

"..."

Seeing his older sister nod, Nawaki lowered his head resignedly. Although he didn't want to become Hokage, he also didn't want the village his two grandfathers had built to continue like this, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the position.

"Oh! You're all here... Ah! I'm so thirsty... Boss, bring two more jugs of wine."

"Tsunade, the village has unanimously decided to let Nawaki return to succeed as Hokage. What do you think...?"

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. No sooner had Nawaki been appointed than Jiraiya arrived with a blond-haired boy. Jiraiya plopped down next to Nawaki, grabbed the wine jug, and began chugging it down his throat, treating the wine like water.

After finishing a pot of wine, he patted the now gray-faced Rope Tree on the shoulder and asked...

1027. That blond guy is definitely Minato's son.

"See? The messenger has already arrived. Who else but you deserves the Hokage position?"

"But speaking of which, Jiraiya, why did you bring this blond kid out here? If something happens, can you handle it?"

Shinto raised an eyebrow at Nawaki with an expression that said, "Just as I expected," before noticing Jiraiya's savior beside him.

Although the battle between the Tailed Beast leaders in Konoha wasn't as impactful as Hiruzen Sarutobi being defeated by Orochimaru, the clash between these two behemoths was still quite a spectacle. Even though Konoha was in disarray when the Savior transformed into the Nine-Tails, and few people discovered his identity, anyone with a discerning eye could still guess it.

Shinto wasn't talking about external dangers. The Akatsuki hadn't started the Tailed Beasts plan yet, and with Jiraiya protecting the savior, things were at least quite safe. With Jiraiya's strength, even though his Sage Mode was only half-baked, he could already handle many people besides the rice carriers. In the original story, Jiraiya's death at Nagato's hands wasn't because he was weak; a large part of the reason was that he didn't understand Nagato's Six Paths Puppets at all, so he was caught off guard. If he had known the details of the Six Paths Puppets, how could Nagato, who had only fought a handful of times, possibly be a match for Jiraiya, who had been on the battlefield for decades?