Master, Please Become a Hokage

Kato Dan, born into a commoner family, had inherited a forbidden technique known as the S-level spiritual transformation technique. During the Second Shinobi World War, following the death of his sister, he grew close to Tsunade, who had also lost her brother at the time. Their shared grief turned into admiration, and soon, love.

Konoha later received a request for aid from the Whirlpool Country and dispatched a support team, which included Tsunade, Kato Dan, and elite shinobi like Kimetsu Kōdo. However, the Konoha leadership miscalculated the enemy forces. Upon arrival, Tsunade and her team found themselves ambushed by a vast enemy force. Though they managed to break free, Kato Dan fell in battle.

"At that time, facing the overwhelming army, Princess Tsunade had no time to retrieve the body, so she buried her lover here..." Sarutobi Ryo narrated, recounting Kato Dan's tragic fate.

There were whispers of conspiracy, suggesting that Kato Dan, whose dream was to become Hokage and who was too closely associated with Tsunade, had drawn the ire of Konoha's higher-ups. Some believed that his death was orchestrated to eliminate him as a political threat. Regardless of the theories, the truth remained—Kato Dan had been a loyal shinobi of Konoha who had given his life in service to the village.

"Young Master..." Yamanaka Hui glanced at Sarutobi Ryo.

"Collect his remains and take them back," Ryo decided.

Fallen leaves return to their roots. It was time to bring him home.

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Swish! Swish!

As Sarutobi Ryo began retrieving Kato Dan's remains, a group of shinobi arrived at the entrance of the secret passage.

Dressed in blue, their shark-like teeth gleamed in the dim light. The leader, a female warrior, was short but imposing, carrying twin swords with serrated edges. Her brown-red hair was styled into an upturned shape resembling rabbit ears—distinct and striking.

"Finally, someone arrived. I thought Konoha would never send anyone," she sneered, resting her hands on her hips and revealing a toothy grin.

"Lady Ayuri, what are our orders?" asked one of her subordinates, each radiating an aura of bloodlust. Their eyes, their stance—these were not ordinary warriors. They were the infamous shinobi of the Hidden Mist Village, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. The very same village that played a major role in the Whirlpool Country's destruction.

"Simple. We go in and kill them all."

This was Ringo Ayuri, a prodigy of the Hidden Mist and a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. She had earned her title at a young age and possessed extraordinary skill.

"The structure has been explored before," Ayuri mused. "Multiple exits, ventilation holes, drainage systems... flooding or collapsing the tunnels won't work. The best strategy? Enter, lock down the key passages, and cut off their escape."

With a sharp gesture, she signaled her troops forward. Unlike Konoha, where the strongest led from the front, in Kirigakure, the weak were disposable. The underlings entered first—cannon fodder meant to absorb enemy attacks while the strong followed behind.

As the last of her subordinates descended, Ayuri stepped forward leisurely, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of the hunt.

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"Master, someone is coming," Yamanaka Hui warned, sensing multiple figures approaching rapidly.

The barrier protecting Kato Dan's sarcophagus was intricate. Even Ryo Sarutobi had to handle it carefully. It was likely set up by Kimetsu Kōdo, an elite jonin who had accompanied Tsunade. Though not well-known, Kōdo had been a classmate of Hatake Sakumo and a senior to Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. He had been the one to scold Tsunade into action as Kato Dan lay dying.

A barrier constructed by such a skilled shinobi warranted caution, even weakened by time.

"They aren't ours… They're spreading out… They plan to seal off the exits and trap us inside!" Yamanaka Hui deduced, her sensory abilities picking up their movements.

"You go first," Sarutobi Ryo ordered, his hands still pressed against the barrier as he focused on dismantling its intricate seals. It was like hacking through layers of encrypted code, unraveling its defenses bit by bit.

Yamanaka Hui hesitated but then nodded. "You, come with me," she said, pointing at Baiyun Hayama.

"Huh?" Baiyun looked confused but complied, following her lead while glancing back in uncertainty.

As they left, silence settled over the chamber.

Hinata Ruri stood nearby, her pale eyes lowered, lost in thought.

Minutes passed. The tension thickened.

Then—shouts erupted in the distance.

Kei and Baiyun had encountered the enemy.

Ryo furrowed his brows but remained focused. He wasn't worried for Hui's safety—her cunning mind would ensure she prioritized herself. If needed, she'd even use Baiyun as a human shield.

A moment later, footsteps echoed down the corridor.

A shadow appeared at the entrance.

Before they could react, a delicate figure moved like a breeze.

A slender arm flicked forward—swift, precise, deadly.

A flash of blue chakra.

The intruder fell, eyes wide in shock.

Before darkness claimed them, they caught a glimpse of a lovely yet terrifying face—soft features framed by raven hair, her pale white eyes glimmering with eerie clarity.

"Eight Trigrams… Four Palms."

The enemy's body twitched one last time before going still.

Hinata Ruri lowered her hand, the gentle fist technique leaving no wasted movement.

She returned to her silent stance, awaiting the next move.

Sarutobi Ryo watched her, a smirk forming on his lips.

There was no need for words.

Tacit understandings were sometimes more powerful than spoken promises.

Help was given. Help was returned.

In the world of shinobi, debts were always repaid in blood.