"Big sister! You're back!" Nawaki lit up at the sound of Tsunade's voice, rushing forward to wrap his arms around her in a tight hug.
Tsunade smiled warmly, ruffling his hair with a gentle hand. That small moment of happiness between them made every hardship on her mission feel worth it.
"Yeah, sorry I was gone so long. Things got complicated, but we made it back in one piece," she said, taking a seat on the edge of Nawaki's bed.
"That's my sis! Always saving the day!" Nawaki beamed with pride.
Tsunade chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You know me. Always cleaning up someone else's mess—usually that idiot Jiraiya's."
Despite her teasing tone, Tsunade knew Jiraiya had saved her life during a sudden ambush. But she kept that part to herself—for now. Nawaki didn't need to know the danger she'd been in. Not when he looked at her like she was invincible.
"Anyway, enough about me," she said, straightening her back just a little, putting on the face of the dependable older sister. "How was your first day at the Academy?"
Though the Senju name had faded from power, Tsunade still carried a weight in the village not far from that of the Hokage. Her word was law, and she wouldn't hesitate to use that power if anyone dared mistreat Nawaki. She'd send them to meet Grandfather himself before they ever tried again.
Nawaki shrugged. "It was alright. We sat in the courtyard while the old man gave a huge speech about the Will of Fire. I almost fell asleep."
Tsunade smirked knowingly. She'd spent her share of lectures pretending to be awake while her sensei waxed poetic about the village's ideals. Jiraiya had once dozed off completely and got sentenced to water-walking for an hour as punishment.
"Then we went to class and met our sensei—Harima-sensei. Oh! And I made a friend."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed with interest. "A friend? Already? What's his name?"
"Hmm... I think it was Kiryu—no, Kiyu. Yeah, Kiyu Gunto. He kinda reminds me of you."
______________________________________________________________
The next morning, I ate like a king.
After an all-night training session, I'd collapsed into bed without the energy to cook, and now I was starving.
My stipend wouldn't arrive until next week, and I was far too weak to hunt anything in the forests around Konoha.
Luckily, my system came through.
"Sea King meat…" A thick slab of it dropped onto the table. The savory scent hit me like a wave, making my mouth water.
"Welp… time to dig in."
The first bite was so good I could barely register it—and before I knew it, the entire cut was gone.
"Still hungry… good thing I'm a hoarder."
Like any self-respecting grinder, I'd mass-produced food items to the in-game limit—99,999 of them. It was standard practice. You needed absurd amounts of materials to level up your character, your subordinates, and basically everything else. The game's grind? Insane.
By the time I was done, I'd devoured four more servings of perfectly cooked Sea King meat. I leaned back, belly full, body loose.
"Aah. Nothing beats good food after a workout."
Speaking of which, I pulled up my profile.
[Kiyu Gunto: Civilian]
[Equipped: Elite Navy Training – Rokushiki]
[Body: 15]
[Haki: 0]
"Not bad for day one."
A body stat of 100 to 200 was Seaman First Class level. In Naruto terms? About Genin-tier. I surmise that when I reach 1K, I'd hit around Jonin-tier.
"The harder I train, the more I eat. Good thing my inventory's stocked to the brim."
After breakfast, I settled cross-legged in the living room, ready to meditate. Even if I had a busted One Piece system, this was still the Naruto world—and this body was born here. That meant one thing: Chakra.
A fusion of mental and physical energy, chakra was the life force that allowed shinobi to perform superhuman feats.
Yesterday, I tried to sense it for over an hour with no luck. It was there, but elusive—like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands.
Maybe, with daily meditation, I could finally get a grip on it.
[Ding! Meditation complete. Proceed to the next task.]
"Hoo… still nothing." But I wasn't discouraged. I was only five. Chakra mastery would come with time. "Let's get started."
I dove straight into my daily grind.
Each task pushed my body to its limit—designed to break me down and rebuild me stronger. Every rep, every strike, was a step toward survival.
The Naruto world thrived on chakra and sudden death.
The One Piece world? It was built on raw physicality and sheer will. Old men could punch mountains in half. Experience and endurance ruled.
If I wanted to live—really live—in a world crawling with assassins, monsters, and future warlords, I had to forge myself in fire.
My knowledge of Naruto gave me a roadmap, but it was useless without strength.
Canon events meant nothing if I couldn't survive what came next. Or worse, the things that weren't in the script.
Pain is temporary.
Weakness is fatal.
______________________________________________________________
"These are the records on Kiyu Gunto."
Tsunade accepted the papers from her sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi, her sharp eyes scanning every line with clinical precision.
[Name: Kiyu Gunto]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 5]
[Date of Birth: August 9]
[Blood Type: AB]
[Affiliation: Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village)]
[Classification: Academy Student]
[Status: Orphan – Registered with Konoha Orphanage]
[Kekkei Genkai: None recorded]
[Chakra Nature(s): Unknown]
[Clan: Unknown (Unverified)]
Nothing immediately stood out to her. The file was clean—too clean. While far from a paperwork expert, Tsunade could spot inconsistencies or forgery when they reared their head. But here? Everything seemed legitimate. Perfectly ordinary.
A little too perfect.
An orphaned boy, placed in the system, living in a village-sponsored apartment. No known family, no bloodline traits. Just another face in the crowd.
And yet, something about it didn't sit right.
"I don't like it," she muttered. "This is too neat. Too polished."
Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe, the smoke curling in the quiet air. Decades of experience gave him an instinct for deception. If there was something hidden in the file, he'd likely have found it.
After a long pause, he finally spoke. "The records are genuine. Verified by multiple channels. The boy's origins trace back to Konoha. No ties to other villages, no red flags."
Tsunade wasn't satisfied. "Maybe. But I'll check for myself. Can't take chances."
As she turned to leave, Hiruzen's voice stopped her.
"Tsunade."
She looked back, eyebrow raised.
"I know you're worried about Nawaki. But I've assigned our best interrogation officer to oversee his training."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Who?"
Hiruzen handed her another folder. "Former Captain of the Interrogation and Espionage Division. A Jōnin with unmatched instinct and resolve. Harima Shundo."
Tsunade opened the file briefly, then closed it.
"If anyone so much as thinks about hurting Nawaki," Hiruzen added, "Harima-sensei will make sure they regret it."
Tsunade exhaled slowly, the tension easing—but only slightly.
Hiruzen's expression softened, his usual grandfatherly warmth taking over.
"You've been pushing yourself too hard. Take a month off. No missions."
She blinked. "Old man, unless you're secretly arranging a marriage interview, that's a weird suggestion."
He chuckled. "Just looking out for Konoha's finest healer. Spend time with your brother. Rest."
"But what about—"
"Orochimaru and Jiraiya can handle things. The village won't collapse without you for a few weeks." He gave her a firm look. "That's an order, Tsunade."
She gave a mock bow. "As the Hokage commands."
As she exited the office, Hiruzen's shoulders slumped with the familiar weight of leadership. She was as stubborn as ever—but it was that same fire that made her one of the village's greatest protectors.
Still, caution was warranted.
He raised a hand, and the shadows in the room stirred.
From the darkness emerged a masked figure—dog-faced, cloaked in black, silent as death.
"Investigate Kiyu Gunto," Hiruzen commanded. "Everything. Every detail. Leave no stone unturned."
The masked shinobi vanished, melting back into the shadows.
Outside, the view from the Hokage's office was serene. The sun bathed Konoha in golden light, children laughed in the distance, and peace hung in the air.
But peace, Hiruzen knew, was always the calm before the storm.