Konoha Village, Yamanaka Flower Shop.
As the head of the Yamanaka clan, Inoichi Yamanaka didn't run the flower shop to support the family financially. The shop had been passed down through generations of clan leaders. Although "generations" might be a bit of a stretch—it was only the third generation, given that Konoha's history spanned less than sixty years.
The daily management of the flower shop was mainly handled by Inoichi's wife. A young girl they hired helped out, and their precious daughter, who was growing into a young lady, also lent a hand after school. She would often cling to her mother and share secrets like, "Sasuke from class is so handsome."
When Inoichi learned that his precious daughter had a crush at the ninja academy, he was devastated. He dragged his friend Nara Shikaku to a tavern for a drink, where, after getting drunk, he embarrassingly cried in the streets. Thankfully, his reliable friend Shikaku used the Shadow Imitation Technique to restrain him and quickly whisked him away before he could embarrass himself further.
Otherwise, many intelligence ninjas in the village might have experienced the disillusionment of seeing their idol fall from grace the next day!
"Sigh, what am I going to do in the future?"
The gentle woman sitting behind the counter, arranging flowers, let her thoughts drift. She imagined the commotion that would arise when her daughter eventually got married.
The bell above the shop door chimed.
The woman set aside her thoughts about the future, stood up with a warm smile, and looked at the customer who had entered. It was an old man, tall and robust, with long white hair reaching his lower back. Two red streaks ran down from his eyes, and he wore a red cloak over a brown outfit, with wooden sandals clacking loudly as he walked.
"Good day, sir. What kind of flowers would you like?"
The woman thought the old man seemed familiar, but since she had married shortly after graduating from the ninja academy, her social circle wasn't very broad. She scanned her memory but couldn't recall his identity.
Nonetheless, the slight confusion didn't disrupt her composure.
"Just a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, please."
His deep voice and solemn expression, along with his choice of flowers, made the woman's smile fade, replaced by a respectful demeanor. She selected a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, wrapped it carefully, and handed it over. Without saying another word, the man paid and left.
Watching his white hair flutter as he walked away, the woman suddenly recalled an event from many years ago, when she was a student at the academy shortly after the Second Great Ninja War had ended. At that time, the academy principal had invited the famed "Three Legendary Ninjas" to speak to the students.
Back then, she had seen a nearly identical back, radiating confidence. Now, that back seemed weathered and worn by the passage of time.
The woman's eyes widened in surprise.
She finally remembered the prominent figure who hadn't returned to Konoha in years. In a rush, she instructed the shop assistant to take over, then hurried to the Yamanaka clan's grounds to report Jiraiya's visit to the clan elders. One of the elders took the matter seriously and personally went to find Inoichi.
The higher-ups in Konoha were informed that Jiraiya, one of the legendary "Three Ninjas," had returned.
Akimichi Torifu, seated in his large office chair, sighed with a complex expression.
Nara Shikaku and Inoichi were at a loss for words, while Hyuga Hiashi and Aburame Shibi, who felt less involved, remained silent.
Aburame Shibi had returned from the front lines.
The war had ended, and he hadn't joined the delegation negotiating with the Sokuma organization; they had Shikuro for that. Instead, he and Akimichi Choza had brought the victory news back to the village.
"Now that Jiraiya is back, I guess I can finally step down as the acting Hokage," Torifu said, looking relieved. Still, no one responded, as agreeing with him might sound like saying, "You're right, Lord Hokage, you should retire." Shikaku and the others weren't foolish enough to voice that thought.
Seeing the silent group, Torifu sighed, understanding their mixed feelings.
He himself had a complicated relationship with the role of Hokage. Only by sitting in the Hokage's chair could one truly understand its weight. He began to see why Hiruzen had clung so tightly to the position.
"Shikaku, what do you think we should do next? We can't just sit here doing nothing."
Naturally, Torifu turned to Shikaku, the "strategist."
Shikaku felt a bit troubled, though he had anticipated the problem would eventually fall on him. After a brief pause, he spoke, "Jiraiya returned alone, and none of the Anbu sent to find him came back. This situation might be more complicated than we think."
Torifu was taken aback.
He hadn't noticed these details.
"Do you think there could be some unexpected twist?" Torifu frowned. He wasn't close to Jiraiya, one of Hiruzen's disciples, and only knew him as one of the legendary Three Ninjas, renowned for his strength and high standing in the village.
"Lord Jiraiya is... a bit unpredictable."
Shikaku chose the term "unpredictable" carefully.
Torifu's frown deepened. "Are you saying he... might refuse the role of Fifth Hokage?" Having dealt with the Nara clan for years, Torifu had learned to decipher their subtle hints.
He found it hard to believe.
"This is the Hokage we're talking about! Who would refuse to become Hokage?"
To Torifu and the other elders, the position of Hokage was irresistible. Many of them had dreamed of it in their youth, even knowing that Hiruzen was Tobirama's favored disciple.
People like Danzo, who clung stubbornly to their ambition, probably never gave up on becoming Hokage, even at the end.
He couldn't fathom anyone rejecting the Hokage title.
"We should meet with Lord Jiraiya first and clarify his intentions. That way, we can make necessary preparations. If he declines, then we must accelerate the search for Tsunade; it's taking too long," Shikaku suggested.
Hiashi promptly voiced his support.
"I know a bit about Jiraiya's temperament, so it's best to ask him directly, rather than making assumptions."
Torifu was stunned; even Hiashi agreed. Was Hiruzen's disciple truly so unconventional as to refuse such an opportunity?
"Inoichi, Shibi, what are your thoughts?"
"I trust Shikaku's judgment."
Inoichi expressed his support for Shikaku. The bond between the Ino–Shika–Cho trio wasn't just for show.
"I have no objections."
Shibi's stance was clear. Although he wasn't familiar with Jiraiya, he had been close friends with Minato, who deeply respected his teacher, despite occasionally lamenting Jiraiya's quirks and escapades.
Still, Minato's admiration shone through.
Thus, Shibi was confident that Jiraiya was a worthy elder.
"Alright then... Shikaku, Hiashi, please go meet Jiraiya and find out where he stands. If he's interested in becoming Hokage, we'll begin preparations. If not, we need to speed up the search for Tsunade," Torifu instructed.
Finding Tsunade wasn't easy. The "Legendary Sucker" had accumulated significant gambling debts earlier in the year, and to avoid her creditors, she had been actively hiding, causing immense trouble for the Anbu.
In the past, gathering intelligence on Tsunade was simple because she hadn't bothered concealing her movements.
But now that she was hiding, locating the skilled medical ninja and "Princess of Konoha" was no easy feat.
"We're on it," Hiashi nodded.
It wasn't a burdensome task to meet Jiraiya and ask him a question. Like Shibi, Hiashi didn't care much who became Hokage, as long as it wasn't Hiruzen. The Hyuga's involvement with the role was minimal this time around.
That was for the next generation to decide.
Hiashi and Shikaku left the Hokage office and followed the Anbu's report, tracking Jiraiya to the cemetery, where they found him standing before the grave of the Third Hokage. The source of thɪs content is nοvelfire.net
Hiashi and Shikaku approached and greeted the tall man.
"Oh! If it isn't Hiashi and Shikaku?" Jiraiya turned around, his face showing no signs of grief, but rather a bright, cheerful smile as he greeted them. "Long time no see!"