Konoha: The Honored One

Sasuke's scowl deepened as his anger flared. His Sharingan activated, its red glow sharp against his pale skin. "Do you want to die, you absolute idiot?" he growled, his voice low.

"Hey!" Sakura snapped, smacking Naruto on the back of the head before things could escalate. "Naruto, stop antagonizing him!"

"What? I'm just saying the truth," Naruto huffed, folding his arms and puffing out his chest indignantly. "I thought people from the Uchiha clan could handle losing. Guess I was wrong."

Naruto's grin turned sly, a clear sign he was deliberately poking the bear.

Sasuke's temper snapped. In a single motion, he grabbed Naruto by the collar, hauling him up as his eyes locked onto the blonde with cold fury. "Crane tail," he snarled, his voice laced with a deadly promise, "the next time you lose to me, I'll make sure you regret it."

Naruto blinked at him, unfazed, even as Sakura sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

Finally, with a sharp inhale, Sasuke shoved Naruto back and stepped away. His hands came together in a flurry of seals. "Transform!" he barked, his body shifting into his next form as a small puff of smoke surrounded him.

For all his pride and irritation, Sasuke knew when to take a loss. The Uchiha way was to own defeat—and to plan revenge later.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office…

Tsunade sat at her desk, her fingers drumming on the surface as she scanned the latest report. Her golden-brown eyes narrowed with thought.

"Orochimaru… still alive?" she murmured, her expression turning grave. This wasn't the first time she'd heard of Orochimaru's supposed death only for him to reappear unscathed.

She rubbed her temples. "Could he have finally perfected that damn experiment?"

Before she could spiral further into her thoughts, a knock echoed on the office door.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened, and Shizune entered, her expression calm as she carried a scroll. "Lady Tsunade, this is a message from the Mist Village."

"From the Mist?" Tsunade frowned, her brow furrowing. She took the scroll and unfurled it, her expression souring as she read.

Shizune tilted her head curiously. Tsunade-sama… working hard? Is this a dream?

Tsunade's lips pressed into a thin line. "Mist Village wants their ninja tools back."

"Ninja tools?" Shizune asked.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Apparently, they want that oversized butter knife Kisame called a sword and Zabuza's beheading blade. And—get this—they're blaming us for capturing Kisame."

Shizune's face twitched, struggling to keep her composure. "Didn't Gojo keep Samehada as a… pet?"

Tsunade nodded slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Yeah. He turned it into a damn shark exhibit. And the beheading blade? Last I checked, he was using it as a laundry rack."

Shizune sighed, cradling Tonton, who let out a soft oink. "Lady Tsunade, maybe we should return the tools. It could smooth relations with Mist Village."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You think Gojo's just going to give them back? The man lives to do the opposite of what you ask."

Shizune winced, knowing Tsunade was right. "Still, wouldn't it be diplomatic?"

Tsunade snorted. "Diplomatic? Mist Village couldn't deal with Kisame, so they let Gojo clean up their mess, and now they want their toys back? They can choke on their diplomacy."

Before the conversation could continue, the door burst open, and Team 8 entered the room, led by Shino.

"Mission complete," Shino said, his tone neutral but respectful. "The five thieves around the village have been repelled."

Tsunade gave a curt nod. "Good. Await further instructions."

Hinata, standing to the side, fidgeted nervously. Her fingers twined together as she stared at the floor. "L-Lady Hokage," she stammered softly, her voice barely audible.

Tsunade frowned, leaning forward slightly. "Speak up, Hinata. What is it?"

Hinata flushed, her face going beet red as she tried to form the words. "I… um… well…"

"Oh, for crying out loud," Kiba groaned, rolling his eyes. "Hinata wants to give Gojo-sensei a gift. That's it."

"Woof," Akamaru chimed in, wagging his tail as if seconding the statement.

Hinata, thoroughly embarrassed, fumbled with a small box of chocolates, her hands trembling. "Please, Lady Hokage, could you… um… give this to him when he gets back?" she managed to squeak.

Tsunade blinked at her, utterly nonplussed. "Why don't you just give it to him yourself?"

Hinata's blush deepened as she stammered incoherently.

Kiba sighed again. "Hinata, seriously…"

Before the conversation could progress, Gojo appeared in the room, casually materializing out of thin air with Kurenai in his arms.

"Yo!" he said cheerfully.

"Gojo-sensei!" the group exclaimed in unison.

Hinata froze, her entire body stiffening like a statue.

"Gojo," Tsunade said, her eyes narrowing. "What the hell were you doing while the rest of us were dealing with explosions and rogue Akatsuki members?"

"Oh, you know. Helping an old lady cross the road," Gojo replied smoothly, flashing his trademark grin.

Tsunade's eye twitched. "Do I look like I was born yesterday?"

Gojo smirked. "Well, I didn't want to brag, but…"

"Teacher!" Hinata's sudden, high-pitched outburst shocked everyone. She thrust the box of chocolates forward, her face practically glowing with embarrassment. "Th-these are for you!"

Gojo blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then his grin returned full force as he accepted the chocolates. "Why, thank you, Hinata-chan. Didn't know you had such good taste."

Hinata immediately fainted, her blush spreading all the way to her ears as Kiba caught her with a loud groan.

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly. "Why do I feel like every time you're around, chaos follows?"

Gojo shrugged, his grin unrepentant. "It's a gift."