Uchiha's forgotten Ember

The quiet night in Tanzaku Town shattered as a shadow fell across the ruins of a once-proud castle. Orochimaru stood like a specter, pale and grinning, flanked by Kabuto. His voice was velvet wrapped around venom.

> "Come now, Tsunade. You're the best medic in the world. Just fix these arms for me... and I'll let Konoha live."

Tsunade clenched her fists. Memories of blood, of Nawaki, of Dan, surged through her. Her hands trembled. Not from fear.

From rage.

> "You mock their deaths… with every breath you take."

Jiraiya stepped forward, shielding Naruto. "Back away, Orochimaru. You're not walking out of here again."

But Orochimaru only chuckled. "Oh, Jiraiya… still so sentimental. But it's not you I want."

---

Kaizen Steps In

Kaizen stood silently beside Tsunade and Jiraiya, cloak rustling. His Ketsugan flickered to life.

> "Orochimaru... your chakra is corroded, like rot behind silk."

The Snake Sannin's grin widened. "Ah… Kaizen. The Root's little ghost. I was hoping to see what makes your blood so special…"

Kaizen said nothing. But Tenrakura's whisper echoed in his thoughts:

> "Do not let the snake burrow deeper. If it coils, it will strike at your soul."

---

The Battle Erupts

Kabuto dashed forward, chakra scalpels glowing. His speed was incredible—but Tsunade met him with raw power, smashing the ground and sending up a shockwave that leveled the battlefield.

"You haven't lost your touch, Princess," Kabuto taunted, licking blood from a cut. "But fear still haunts you."

As Tsunade froze—trauma threatening to paralyze her again—Naruto jumped in, protecting her. His body bruised, but his spirit unbreakable.

> "I don't care who you are!" Naruto yelled. "I'll be Hokage one day—and no one's going to die because of cowards like you!"

Kabuto lunged at him, but—

Kaizen intercepted.

With a flicker, he unleashed a surge of lightning-tinged wind from his palm—Storm Palm: Static Rend!—crashing into Kabuto and flinging him back into rubble.

> "You touched the wrong comrade," Kaizen muttered.

---

Summons Unleashed

Orochimaru hissed, "Enough."

With a hand sign, he summoned the giant serpent Manda, its body coiling like a living mountain.

Jiraiya slammed his hands together, blood on his palm. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Gamabunta appeared with a BOOM, blade already drawn.

Tsunade wiped the blood from her lip and finally stepped forward.

Her fear… was gone.

"Let's end this."

With a roar, she summoned Katsuyu, the giant healing slug.

Kaizen narrowed his eyes. I have no summon yet... but I don't need one. I'll fight like a dragon until I earn their respect.

---

Legendary Sannin vs Orochimaru

The battlefield became a clash of titans.

Manda struck with poison fangs, Gamabunta parried with his tanto, and Katsuyu coated the field in acid to slow the snake's movements.

Jiraiya hurled fire jutsu.

Tsunade leapt from boulder to boulder, punching Manda in the face and cracking its fang.

Kaizen weaved hand signs and formed a chakra spear of compressed lightning and storm energy—Stormfang—hurling it directly into Manda's eye.

> "I'll hold his summon!" he shouted to Tsunade.

She gave him a look—not just of respect… but of gratitude.

Then she turned, leapt into the air, and crashed her fist into Orochimaru's face.

> "This… is for Dan!!"

Orochimaru screamed, blood flying from his mouth.

The Snake retreated, badly injured, supported by a limping Kabuto.

---

Aftermath

As dust settled and the titans vanished in puffs of smoke, the battlefield lay quiet.

Jiraiya smirked. "Well, what do you know. Princess came through."

Tsunade crossed her arms, lips twitching. "Don't push your luck, perv."

She looked at Naruto—bandaged, smiling.

Then to Kaizen, eyes still glowing with stormlight.

"I've decided," she said. "I'll become the Fifth Hokage."

The sun broke through the morning mist as Konoha's newest Hokage, Tsunade, prepared for the journey back to the village with her small yet explosive entourage. Naruto marched ahead with loud confidence, grinning ear to ear as he jabbered about ramen and his upcoming Hokage ambitions. Jiraiya trailed behind, arms folded, smirking at the boy's boundless energy. Kaizen, however, walked silently beside them, his crimson eyes half-lidded but alert—his body and mind still adjusting to all he'd learned in the last few days.

Naruto's Practice: The Rasengan Grows

While resting by a riverbank, Naruto begged Jiraiya to continue Rasengan training.

"C'mon, Ero-Sennin! I almost got it down! I just need to—"

BOOM!

A tree exploded into a whirl of bark and leaves as Naruto's unstable Rasengan detonated early. Kaizen raised a brow. "You're trying to contain rotation, force, and chakra control with no clone assistance now. Ambitious."

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "That means I'm getting close, right?"

Jiraiya grunted. "Barely. Try again. And stop blowing up the scenery."

Kaizen knelt near the water, forming a hand seal. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

In a puff of wind and light, a small, coiled crimson-scaled dragon whelp slithered into existence, its eyes a shade of blue-violet with flickering irises. Its scales shimmered with a metallic sheen—like molten steel forged in lightning storms.

Jiraiya watched with curiosity. "That's not your average contract summon."

Kaizen nodded. "It's part of the Kurata bloodline—deep dragon heritage bound in stasis. I awakened it recently. Her name is Rinryuu."

The tiny dragon blinked, then snorted in approval as Kaizen handed it a shred of chakra-enriched jerky. "She'll grow as I do. We share chakra. It's… more symbiotic than the Toad contract."

Naruto stared, starry-eyed. "A baby dragon?! That's way cooler than toads!"

"Oi!" Gamakichi appeared in a puff. "I heard that!"

---

Evening Campsite – Sparring Under Stars

Later that night, the group made camp in a small clearing. The fire flickered against their faces. Tsunade drank silently nearby, Shizune dozing beside her. Naruto had fallen asleep mid-ramble.

Kaizen approached Jiraiya. "Earlier… you said something about 'Natural Energy'. What did you mean?"

The Toad Sage opened one eye.

"I can sense it in you. That potential to absorb and convert nature into power. You're like Naruto in that you're a chakra freak… but with your heritage, you might be a candidate for Sage Mode—if you survive the training."

Kaizen's eyes narrowed, contemplative. "I'll take the risk. Teach me what you can."

Jiraiya smirked. "You'll regret saying that."The sun broke through the morning mist as Konoha's newest Hokage, Tsunade, prepared for the journey back to the village with her small yet explosive entourage. Naruto marched ahead with loud confidence, grinning ear to ear as he jabbered about ramen and his upcoming Hokage ambitions. Jiraiya trailed behind, arms folded, smirking at the boy's boundless energy. Kaizen, however, walked silently beside them, his crimson eyes half-lidded but alert—his body and mind still adjusting to all he'd learned in the last few days.

Naruto's Practice: The Rasengan Grows

While resting by a riverbank, Naruto begged Jiraiya to continue Rasengan training.

"C'mon, Ero-Sennin! I almost got it down! I just need to—"

BOOM!

A tree exploded into a whirl of bark and leaves as Naruto's unstable Rasengan detonated early. Kaizen raised a brow. "You're trying to contain rotation, force, and chakra control with no clone assistance now. Ambitious."

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "That means I'm getting close, right?"

Jiraiya grunted. "Barely. Try again. And stop blowing up the scenery."

Kaizen knelt near the water, forming a hand seal. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

In a puff of wind and light, a small, coiled crimson-scaled dragon whelp slithered into existence, its eyes a shade of blue-violet with flickering irises. Its scales shimmered with a metallic sheen—like molten steel forged in lightning storms.

Jiraiya watched with curiosity. "That's not your average contract summon."

Kaizen nodded. "It's part of the Kurata bloodline—deep dragon heritage bound in stasis. I awakened it recently. Her name is Rinryuu."

The tiny dragon blinked, then snorted in approval as Kaizen handed it a shred of chakra-enriched jerky. "She'll grow as I do. We share chakra. It's… more symbiotic than the Toad contract."

Naruto stared, starry-eyed. "A baby dragon?! That's way cooler than toads!"

"Oi!" Gamakichi appeared in a puff. "I heard that!"

---

Evening Campsite – Sparring Under Stars

Later that night, the group made camp in a small clearing. The fire flickered against their faces. Tsunade drank silently nearby, Shizune dozing beside her. Naruto had fallen asleep mid-ramble.

Kaizen approached Jiraiya. "Earlier… you said something about 'Natural Energy'. What did you mean?"

The Toad Sage opened one eye.

"I can sense it in you. That potential to absorb and convert nature into power. You're like Naruto in that you're a chakra freak… but with your heritage, you might be a candidate for Sage Mode—if you survive the training."

Kaizen's eyes narrowed, contemplative. "I'll take the risk. Teach me what you can."

Jiraiya smirked. "You'll regret saying that."