Snippet-1_C10:-Naruto_FanFic_FugakuSI (Patreon)

Chapter 10. Another Flashback.

│3rd Person POV │

[The Land of Fire, Village Hidden in the Leaf (Konohagakure), Atop the Hokage Rock...]

The wind atop Hokage Rock carried the lingering chill of the evening, rustling through the trees as two figures stood in contemplative silence. The distant hum of the village below was a stark contrast to the weight of the revelations they had just witnessed.

Tsunade exhaled slowly, rubbing her temples. “I already had enough problems to deal with once I officially take over as the Fifth Hokage,” she muttered. “And now, this.”

Jiraiya crossed his arms, his expression unusually serious. “Fugaku… I never expected him to trust us to this extent,” he admitted. “Revealing his Mangekyou Sharingan, letting us in on its abilities… Even giving us insights into powers we barely understood.” He shook his head. “The fact that he kept it hidden for who knows how long, I am sure Sensei and his buddies don’t know anything about it. Maybe even Minato didn’t know.

“It makes me wonder, just how much he’s still keeping to himself.”

Tsunade sighed. “Considering what he’s already shown us, I doubt he revealed everything. But what he did show… it changes a lot.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Below them, the village carried on, its people blissfully unaware of the storm brewing just beyond their sight.

Finally, Tsunade broke the silence. “I don’t even know where to start when it comes to dealing with that masked man.”

Jiraiya exhaled, his gaze still fixed on the village. “Leave that to me. I’ll start looking into it right away—my spy network stretches far. If this guy is still active, someone, somewhere, might have caught wind of him. Even the smallest lead could be enough.”

Tsunade sighed. “Be careful. The last thing we need is you getting yourself killed chasing ghosts.”

Jiraiya grinned, but there was little mirth in it. “Don’t worry. I’m not that easy to kill.” He turned to her then, his expression serious. “In the meantime, you need to focus on the problems you can solve. The village needs you now more than ever.”

Tsunade frowned but nodded. “I know.”

Jiraiya offered a small grin, though the weight of the night’s revelations dulled its usual playfulness. “If you ever need me, just send a message through the toads. I’ll come right away.”

Tsunade let out a breath, the tension in her shoulders easing—if only slightly. “Yeah. You better.”

‘After all, you are the only reason I decided to come back and take the position of Fifth Hokage.’ She continued in her mind.

=+=+=+=< Flashback >=+=+=+=

The air inside the casino was thick with smoke, and the murmur of gamblers hunched over their games, chasing fortune or fleeing from loss. Tsunade sat at a table near the back, a glass of sake untouched at her side, her brown eyes fixed on the cards in her hands.

Another loss.

She sighed, leaning back in her seat, barely listening as the dealer called out the results.

Shizune shifted uncomfortably beside her. “Tsunade-sama, maybe we should—”

The doors to the casino swung open with a creak, drawing Tsunade’s attention. The moment she saw who stepped inside, she sat up straighter.

She hadn’t expected to see him here.

Jiraiya strode into the casino with his usual swagger, which felt out of place amidst the dim lighting and the heavy scent of alcohol. His eyes scanned the place briefly before locking onto her, and a wide grin spread across his face.

“Tsunade!” He called out, quickly making his way towards her, “It’s been a really long time since we last met, huh?”

She barely reacted, lifting her cup of sake and taking a slow sip. “Not long enough,” she muttered—just low enough that he wasn’t supposed to hear, but of course, he did.

“Ouch, such harsh words! You wound me, Princess—right here!” Jiraiya exclaimed, dramatically pointing at his heart.

He then pulled out the chair beside her and dropped in with a sigh, stretching out like he had all the time in the world. “Still wasting your money, I see,” he teased, nodding towards the table.

Tsunade shot him a sidelong glance. “Still sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, I see.”

Jiraiya laughed. “Well, you know me. I just can’t help myself.” He flagged down a passing server and ordered a drink before turning back to her, his expression softening ever so slightly.

“…It’s good to see you, Tsunade.”

Tsunade set her cup down with a soft clink, “Enough with the dramatics. Why are you here, Jiraiya?”

Jiraiya smirked, undeterred by her bluntness. Leaning back in his chair, he stretched his arms behind his head. “Can’t a guy just drop by to see an old friend?”

Tsunade wasn’t amused. She simply arched a brow, waiting.

With a chuckle, Jiraiya leant forward, resting his arms on the table. “Alright, alright. If you must know, I actually came with good news.” His grin widened as he watched her expression carefully. “Your godson is about to be born today.”

For a brief moment, Tsunade just stared at him, her mind processing his words.

Shizune, seated beside her, had gone completely still, her eyes wide with shock. She glanced at her Sensei, uncertain of how she would react.

Tsunade, however, remained silent, her fingers tightening around her sake cup. “...What? What kind of nonsense is this?” She said at last, her voice quieter than before—but there was an edge to it, something unreadable.

Jiraiya shook his head. “I’m not speaking nonsense,” he said with a small chuckle. “Kushina made the decision. She wanted you to be her son’s godmother.”

For a long moment, she said nothing.

“Tch. That girl… Even as a grownup, she hadn’t changed one bit.” She muttered, shaking her head. Her hand lifted, rubbing at her temple as if she could chase away the dull ache forming there.

Shizune finally found her voice, speaking up with a hesitant expression, “Tsunade-sama… this is—”

However, before she could finish, the dealer’s voice interrupted her, “It’s your turn, ma’am!”

Tsunade barely acknowledged the dealer’s words. With a slow, deliberate movement, she reached for her remaining chips and pushed them forward. “All in,” she declared, her voice detached, as if she were discussing the weather rather than gambling away the last of her money.

Shizune stiffened beside her, her mouth parting slightly in protest, but she hesitated. She knew better than to question Tsunade when she was in a mood like this.

Jiraiya, on the other hand, let out a sigh. “At least look at your cards first,” he said, exasperation laced in his tone.

Tsunade merely leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, making no move to do so. “Does it matter?”

Jiraiya rolled his eyes before reaching forward. “Fine, let’s see what kind of horrible luck you—” He flipped the cards over and froze mid-sentence.

The entire table leaned in slightly as the reality of her hand sank in.

Ace of Spades.

Ace of Hearts.

Ace of Clubs.

A Trio of Aces. The highest possible hand one could get.

Shizune blinked in disbelief. The dealer and the other players looked at the cards in surprise. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Jiraiya muttered, finally breaking the silence that fell over the entire table. He knew very well what it meant for Tsunade to win, and to win so overwhelmingly.

He looked up from the cards and turned his gaze to her, only to see her pale as a sheet of paper.

Before he could do anything, a puff of smoke suddenly erupted beside the table, drawing startled gasps from the surrounding gamblers.

Out of the dissipating cloud, a small red toad with blue markings around his eyes and on the top of his head appeared. The toad also wore a pair of goggles around his neck, and on his back, there was a kanji mark for the word “gold.”

Jiraiya immediately recognised the toad as he called out, “Kōsuke?”

“Master Jiraiya!” The messenger toad greeted in a solemn voice. He then noticed Tsunade and Shizune beside Jiraiya and immediately greeted them too, “Lady Tsuande! Lady Shizune!”

“What happened, Kōsuke? Why are you here now?” Jiraiya asked, his heart pounding in his chest as an uneasy feeling crept over him.

Kōsuke straightened and spoke up with a grave expression, “Master Jiraiya…  we should take this conversation somewhere more private.”

The moment those words left the toad’s mouth, Jiraiya felt his stomach drop.

However, he forced himself to nod and stood up. Kōsuke hopped onto his shoulder as they made their way out of the casino, with Tsunade and Shizue following right behind them.

=+=+=+=< Scene Change >=+=+=+=

The clearing was quiet, save for the distant chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves in the night breeze. Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows over the four figures standing in its glow.

“Lord Fourth, his contract with us… has been severed.”

The moment those words left Kōsuke’s mouth, Jiraiya’s mind went blank for a second, the words not making sense.

Then, like a dam breaking, the realisation crashed down on him.

“What?” He questioned, staring down at Kōsuke with an intense gaze. He dearly wished for Kōsuke’s next words to confirm that he had misheard.

Kōsuke lowered his head. “Lord Fourth is dead, Master Jiraiya.”

Jiraiya felt his strength drain from his body as he collapsed back on the ground with a thud.

“No, this can’t be happening. Not Minato.” His breathing turned uneven, his chest tightening with each word.

His student. His pride. His… son.

He can’t be gone.

Not like this. Not so soon.

A firm grip on his shoulder grounded him before the weight of it all could send him spiralling.

Jiraiya barely registered it at first, but then he felt the pressure tighten.

Tsunade.

He turned slightly, meeting her gaze. She wasn’t saying anything, but he could see it—the way her brows furrowed ever so slightly, the way her jaw tensed. It wasn’t just concern. It was understanding.

Tsunade’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it as she addressed the messenger toad, “Kōsuke. Tell us everything. What happened?”

The small toad took a deep breath before speaking. “We don’t know what exactly happened, but… The Kyuubi broke out of the seal and attacked the village.”

Jiraiya’s stomach twisted, but he said nothing, waiting for the rest.

“Lady Kushina… she—” Kōsuke hesitated for a split second before continuing. “She and Lord Fourth… they fought to stop the beast. In the end, they—” He swallowed. “They sacrificed themselves to seal it away.”

The words felt distant, like echoes in an empty space.

Minato… and Kushina…

Gone.

Jiraiya’s fingers clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white.

Tsunade’s grip on his shoulder tightened as her sharp gaze locked onto Kōsuke, “Alright, start from the beginning and explain everything.”

The small toad gave a solemn nod before speaking. “First, Chief Bunta was suddenly summoned by Lord Fourth. When he returned a few minutes later, it was with the news that the Kyuubi was free and it was attacking the village. Lord Fourth had summoned Chief Bunta for his help in transporting the Kyuubi away from the village. A few minutes later, Lord Fourth summoned Gamatora and entrusted him with the key to the Kyuubi’s new seal. Gamatora saw Lord Fourth and Lady Kushina in a very bad state while returning. Also, Lord Fourth instructed Gamatora to take the key to you, Master Jiraiya.”

“Master Jiraiya,” Kōsuke said, turning to him, “you need to summon Gamatora and store the key within yourself as soon as possible—just as Lord Fourth instructed.”

“Hold on!” Tsunade interjected, her eyes sharp. “Before anything else, tell me—who is the Kyuubi’s new host?”

Kōsuke hesitated for a brief moment before answering. “It’s the child… Lord Fourth’s newborn son.”

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Beta Readers: @LuluViBritania (FF.N, SB, WN and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th Britannian Emperor(Discord)

Author’s Note: Here's another Chapter of Fugaku SI. Enjoy!

If you guys see any mistakes, please don't hesitate to point them out.

Anyway, Good day. See ya guys later.