Just as Minato mentioned the Third Hokage, Tsunade's expression darkened, and her mood soured instantly. She snorted, swirling the sake in her cup with visible irritation.
"The Hokage? They're all a bunch of fools," she snapped. "My grandfather was one, the Third Old Man was another. If he'd just listened to me and invested in strengthening the medical corps sooner, Konoha wouldn't be in such a sorry state. But no—he thought he knew better. Stubborn old fool."
The tension in the air thickened. Most at the table exchanged awkward glances, unsure of how to defuse the situation.
But Akira didn't hesitate.
With a sudden bang, he slammed the table with both palms, his small frame trembling with fury.
"I won't let you insult the Hokage-sama like that!" he shouted.
Tsunade blinked, caught off guard by the outburst. She finally took notice of the child beside Minato—a boy barely seven, eyes ablaze with defiance.
Her lips curled into a smirk. "And who's this little brat? So full of himself. Is he your disciple, Minato?"
Minato cleared his throat awkwardly. "His name is Akira. He's Uchiha Akira, a disciple of Orochimaru-sama. A medical ninja—and quite a genius at that. It was thanks to him we found a solution to Sunagakure's poison crisis."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Uchiha? A medical ninja? And that name… Akira. She thought back to her late junior, Saki, who had married into the Uchiha clan. Could this kid be Saki's child?
Tsunade turned her full attention to Akira. "So? You think I'm wrong, brat? That the Hokage aren't just stubborn fools who die young?"
Akira's expression hardened. "The Hokage are the pillars of our village. I've dedicated myself to one day becoming one. They are the strongest and the most respected. Even if you are the medical ninja I admired the most growing up, I won't forgive you for speaking of them like that."
Tsunade raised her brows. Bold words, especially from a child.
"Fine," she said, setting her sake cup down with a thud. "I'll give you a chance. If you can defeat me, I'll apologize. And if you really impress me, I might even consider going back to Konoha."
Minato nearly choked. "Tsunade-sama! Please don't take him seriously. He's just a kid."
"Don't worry, Minato," Tsunade said, waving him off. She stood, cracking her knuckles. "To deal with a brat like him, I'll use just one finger. If I need more than that, I lose."
Outside, a small crowd gathered as word spread. Akira and Tsunade faced off in the street, the tension crackling like lightning in the air.
Akira activated his Sharingan and launched forward with his Godspeed technique, the world blurring around him. Tsunade, surprised by his speed, responded instantly. She jabbed one finger into the ground between them, unleashing a devastating shockwave that split the earth wide open.
Akira skidded to a halt, barely avoiding falling into the cracked pavement.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "He's fast. That's not normal for a kid. He really is Saki's son, isn't he?"
Akira's eyes gleamed. She was fast—faster than Orochimaru in close combat. He couldn't win in a straight-up taijutsu match.
But that wasn't the plan.
With a puff of smoke, five shadow clones surrounded Tsunade. She frowned, adjusting her stance. Clones wouldn't be a problem.
But then five more appeared.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. Ten clones, moving as one.
She dodged and parried as best she could, but they overwhelmed her space. A moment later, with a grunt of frustration, she smashed her fists into the ground, breaking her own rule.
The clones dispersed with a series of loud pops.
Tsunade stood panting, fists clenched. She realized her mistake—she'd used both hands. She'd broken the agreement.
Akira, hidden in the smoke, smirked.
Perfect.
His hands moved in a blur, channeling Lightning Chakra into his palm. Chidori sparked and screamed with raw energy. It was still rough, newly learned from Kakashi, but it would serve.
As the smoke cleared, Akira darted forward, Chidori crackling like a thunderstorm in his hand.
Tsunade's eyes widened. She recognized the jutsu instantly—and its flaws. It was powerful, but hard to control and easy to disrupt. She didn't hesitate.
With a roar, she activated the Strength of a Hundred Healings and slammed her fists into the ground again. Rubble exploded upward, disrupting Akira's charge.
He tripped, tumbling forward as Chidori plunged into the dirt. A violent burst of lightning erupted, sending smoke and dust flying. Akira was hurled back by the shockwave, landing hard but intact.
The dust settled.
Tsunade walked forward, shaking her head.
"Kid... you could've been seriously hurt. What the hell are you doing playing Hokage out here?"
But Akira, lying on the cracked stone with scratches on his cheeks and dirt on his clothes, was grinning.
"Looks like... you used both hands, Tsunade-sama. That means... I win, right?"
Tsunade stared down at him.
Then, unexpectedly, she burst out laughing. A deep, hearty laugh she hadn't felt in years.
"You little brat," she said through chuckles. "Fine. You win this round."
Minato sighed in relief, while Might Guy gave Akira a thumbs-up, tears streaming from his eyes at the boy's youthful passion.
Tsunade helped Akira up, her expression softening.
"You've got guts, Akira. You remind me of someone I once knew. Maybe... maybe it is time to go home."
Akira beamed, and though his arms ached and his chakra reserves were running low, his heart was light.
The battle was over. And the first spark of Tsunade's return had been lit.
Akira never truly intended to defeat Tsunade in this clash. The agreement had been simple: if Tsunade used more than a single finger, she would be considered defeated. But now, even though she had clearly used both fists, no one was going to stop the momentum to accuse her of cheating.
Victory wasn't Akira's true goal. He wasn't chasing glory. What he sought was to show Tsunade his resolve—his unwavering determination to uphold the dignity of the Hokage, and to prove that becoming Hokage was more than just a dream to him. It was a belief, an ideal. Just like Naruto had once won her over by stubbornly clinging to that same dream, Akira was betting everything on kindling that same spark in her.
So even after being violently blown away by the shockwave of her attack, Akira forced himself up. Blood dripped from his scraped palms, his legs shook with exhaustion, but his eyes remained sharp and unyielding. He stood tall, trembling but proud, ready to charge again.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, an unfamiliar flicker of admiration dancing in her eyes. "You've got quite a backbone, kid," she murmured.
But before she could say more, Shizune stepped forward, clearly unable to stomach any more of the farce.
"Tsunade-sama, you said you'd only use one finger! You used both fists! You lost! According to the agreement, you should return to Konoha with us!"
Akira's heart surged. That was the line he had been waiting for. Now came the next act of his performance.
He gritted his teeth and shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Shizune. I don't care about the agreement anymore. I just want to teach a lesson to someone who mocks the Hokage title. I won't stop until I defeat her."
Tsunade faltered. Shizune's words hit their mark, and the memory of her own boast stung. Yes, she had said one finger. She had used both fists. Technically, she had lost.
But pride is a stubborn companion.
"You're right," she said at last, trying to find a way out with grace. "There are no rules in real combat. If we're going by that logic, then let's call it a draw."
Minato, who had watched the duel in tense silence, took a step forward. "Then does that mean you'll return to Konoha with us, Tsunade-sama?"
Tsunade crossed her arms. Her voice was stubborn, but softer now. "I said I'd go back if I lost. This is a draw. I don't owe anyone anything."
"That's not fair!" Shizune protested, her voice rising. "Tsunade-sama, you're just twisting things because you don't want to go back!"
Tsunade winced at that. Her lips twitched, caught between guilt and annoyance.
"Fine," she relented at last. "I won't return to Konoha. But I will help you. I'll develop an antidote for the poison from Sunagakure. Send someone with the sample. I'll work on it here."
Minato let out a slow breath, both disappointed and relieved. "Understood. In fact, we brought the sample and research data with us. We thought this might happen."
He handed her a scroll, sealed with the Hokage's sigil. As she broke the seal, a larger scroll and a small, glass vial appeared.
Tsunade examined the bottle, swirling the contents, then unrolled the scroll and scanned the data. As she did, Akira spoke again.
"Hey, Tsunade-sama. You still haven't apologized for what you said about the Hokage. Our fight's not over."
Tsunade blinked, surprised at his persistence. Then her shoulders slumped.
"Alright, alright. I was wrong. Not all Hokage are idiots, okay? Satisfied?"
Akira frowned. That wasn't the dramatic, fiery continuation he had anticipated. He had hoped she would get angry again, strike him down, and give him another chance to rise—to show his spirit again and again until she relented and took him as a student.
But the moment had passed.
Still, something shifted in Tsunade's gaze. As she looked at him, she saw shadows of another boy. Not in his face, but in his voice. In his dream.
Nawaki.
His words echoed in her memory: "I'll become Hokage someday, you'll see."
Akira had that same fire. That same reckless, beautiful belief.
She studied the vial again, then the scroll, eyes narrowing as she recognized the complexity of the poison—Chiyo's work, no doubt. And then something else stood out. The notes.
"The Microscopic Extraction Technique?" she murmured. "That's not something just anyone can use. Who taught you medical ninjutsu?"
Akira looked surprised but answered honestly. "My mother. Her name was Uchiha Saki."
Tsunade's breath caught.
"Saki... That kid… So, you really are her son."
Memories flashed behind her eyes—her junior sister, her cousin. That same wild brilliance. It made sense now. She turned to Minato.
"I'm not returning to Konoha. But you can go back and tell Hiruzen this: I'll make the antidote. Shizune and this kid, Akira, will stay behind as my assistants. Once the antidote is finished, they'll bring it back."
Akira's heart soared.
She wanted him to stay.
She wanted him to help.
It wasn't an official apprenticeship, not yet, but it was a start. And with time, he would prove himself worthy of being her student.
Minato nodded, a faint smile on his face. He had suspected this would happen—the ties of family and fate were not so easily cut.
"Very well," he said. "I'll return to the village with Might Guy and Kakashi. Akira, Shizune, assist Tsunade-sama to the best of your abilities. I'll inform the Third Hokage. He'll be pleased."
As Minato turned away, Akira watched him go with a renewed sense of purpose. He wasn't just here to witness history. He was stepping into it.
And soon, Tsunade would call him more than just an assistant.
She would call him her student.