Hatake Tatsuya in Naruto

"It's a shame... Sarutobi Hiruzen's title, [The Strongest Hokage], truly lives up to its name."

As Tatsuya journeyed toward the western battlefield, a missive from Nara Shikaku reached him. Reading the contents, he sighed in contemplation.

Inquisitive, Terumi Mei blinked curiously and inched forward. Catching Tatsuya's glance, she quickly looked away.

Internally amused, Tatsuya thought the young girl was quite adorable as a kitten. Hiruzen's intuition was spot on; he indeed qualities of a leader since his youth.

Hiruzen had accurately guessed Tatsuya's intent—he was patiently waiting for the elders to make the first move, providing him with a legitimate reason to eradicate them in one decisive strike. Despite Danzo falling for the ruse, Hiruzen saw through Tatsuya's true goal. In terms of political sense, Sarutobi Hiruzen rightfully held the title of [The strongest Hokage].

Yet, Tatsuya felt no pressure; he harbored a slight regret at most. There would be plenty of chances in the future.

In the northwestern region of the Land of Fire, the clash between Konoha and Cloud Shinobi at the Rock Shinobi base unfolded.

"Tatsuya-san, long time no see!"

As Tatsuya brought Nohara Rin and Terumi Mei into the stronghold, a lively Kurenai dashed towards them, exclaiming with excitement.

Tatsuya promptly made Uchiha Itachi's signature move sign, lightly tapping Kurenai's forehead.

"Ouch!"

Grasping her brow where the sign had left a mark, Kurenai cast a pitiful glance toward Tatsuya.

"Be more Careful." Tatsuya playfully tousled the girl's slightly curly hair.

"Long time no see, Red." Rin approached, taking Kurenai's hands with a warm smile.

"Rin, I've missed you so much—huh!" Just as Kurenai was about to reciprocate the smile, her attention was diverted to Terumi Mei standing beside Rin, her presence looming large.

"So big..."

Kurenai involuntarily uttered, prompting a chuckle from Rin, who couldn't help but remember her reaction when she first met Terumi Mei.

Terumi Mei confidently straightened her waist, emphasizing her stature.

"Hey, what's with the attitude? Planning to be a troublemaker in the future?" Kurenai muttered under her breath.

Although her voice was hushed, Kurenai deliberately kept the volume within Terumi Mei's hearing range.

"Cut! Don't act innocent when you're not!" Terumi Mei sneered.

These two women seemed to be constantly competing from the first time they met. Their initial encounter was far from friendly, and the bitterness carried over into the future events.

"Come on, you two, don't be like this!" Rin the most gentle one of the trio tried to mediate.

Just as the three young women were engaged in a heated exchange, Tatsuya reunited with Tsunade after nearly two years. "Come here, give me a hug."

Tatsuya opened his arms with a mischievous smile. Tsunade countered with a punch on his shoulder. "No way!" Well, the same old routine.

"Tatsuya-san." Minato, Jiraiya, and others also greeted them.

"Enough chit-chat; let's wrap this up quickly." Tatsuya waved his hand.

'He's still as direct as ever...' Minato chuckled and gestured for them to follow: "Please, follow me."

Just as Minato and Jiraiya led the way with Tsunade, suddenly, next to Tatsuya, Tsunade stood on their toes and kissed him.

Well, a familiar taste. The three young women trailing behind them had varying expressions. But they all shared the same sentiment: the unmistakable whiff of romance.

Due to the success of the raid in the Battle of the Kannabi Bridge, the primary route from the Kingdom of Earth through the Kingdom of Fire was disrupted, making it challenging for Rock Shinobi to maintain logistics.

The battle situation gradually reached a stalemate. To bring the war to a conclusive end, a decisive blow was necessary.

"Uncle."

After Minato explained the situation, a white-haired teen approached Tatsuya.

"Your eyes..."

Upon seeing Kakashi's unchanged and healthy eyes, Tatsuya's expression involuntarily showed surprise.

"What about my eyes?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"No, it's nothing," Tatsuya changed the subject. "I heard about Obito; how did he die in the end?"

"To protect me, Obito knocked me away at the last moment when the cave collapsed, but then he was crushed inside the cave."

As Kakashi spoke on this topic, he instantly closed himself off. Observing this, Shizune and Kurenai quickly approached to offer comfort.

Minato also appeared guilty. If, at that moment, he could have arrived a little earlier, just a bit earlier, perhaps Obito might not have...

Tatsuya dismissed these thoughts, reassuring them that they were overthinking it. Even those Rock Shinobi weren't under Uchiha Madara's control. The timing of all this was undoubtedly too perfect. Even if they had arrived earlier, there would have been other "unexpected" obstacles. But...

Tatsuya glanced again at Kakashi's eyes. Even if Rin hadn't joined Minato's team and Kakashi hadn't transplanted the Sharingan, would there still be a future as "Sharingan no Kakashi"?

After the melancholy moment, Minato patted his forehead and forced himself to calm down. And then he spoke to Tatsuya, "Tatsuya-san, Rock Shinobi are short on supplies. It won't be long before they retreat on their own. Once Rock Shinobi, comprising the majority of its forces on the border withdraws. We only need to deal with a small part of the Cloud Shinobi army led by the Third Raikage."

Tatsuya did not object to Minato's proposal. If Onoki himself were there, Tatsuya would want to test his flames against the dust release and see if he could eliminate him. However, in this war, Rock Shinobi's Kage, Onoki did not personally enter the battlefield; instead, he sent his son Kitsuchi as the leader. This made Tatsuya disinterested in Rock Shinobi and decided to target the Third Raikage.

"I'll find you tonight," Tatsuya whispered in Tsunade's ear as they walked out of the main tent.

Tsunade blushed and turned to stare at him ferociously. But as their eyes met, she knew that she wouldn't be escaping tonight. It had been a long time coming.

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