Three days later, Kawaki and Tsunade's wedding took place as scheduled.
The entire village of Konoha came alive with celebration.
The Hokage's wedding was a joyous occasion that brought the entire village together in celebration.
"Glad I made it back in time."
Outside the main gates of Konoha, a man with long white hair stood, reminiscing.
He had been away for over a year. Finally, Tsunade and Kawaki had reached a happy resolution.
Although he had yet to meet the Child of Destiny foretold by the Frog Sage, he had found love of his own.
"Is this the village you grew up in?"
Walking beside him was a beautiful woman with short brown hair, carrying a longsword and affectionately clinging to his arm.
Her gaze was fixed on Jiraiya.
"Yeah, I told you about her—she's tying the knot today."
Jiraiya didn't hide anything. His feelings for Tsunade had gradually faded after Kawaki entered the picture.
Now that she was happy, he'd also found someone to spend the rest of his life with.
"Is that man stronger than you?"
Makoto Nakano didn't mind that Jiraiya once loved another woman. According to their village tradition, women pursued strong men, defeating them to claim them as husbands.
Unfortunately, she had lost to Jiraiya, so by their agreement, she left her village to follow him.
As they spent more time together, she discovered Jiraiya's charm and deeply fell in love with the man.
"Him? He's really strong."
Jiraiya recalled the scene of Kawaki slaying Hanzō, drifting into memory.
"Well then, I definitely want to see for myself."
Makoto tugged Jiraiya forward and knocked on the gate.
Soon, the door opened.
"Jiraiya-sama, you've returned?"
The ninja at the gate recognized Jiraiya, surprise evident in their eyes.
"Yes, I'm here for the wedding."
Jiraiya smiled, bringing Makoto through the gates.
"The Hokage will surely be delighted."
Knowing his relationship with Tsunade, the guard's words were only natural.
"Haha, I specifically rushed back for this."
Waving goodbye to the guards, Jiraiya pulled Makoto along toward the Senju mansion.
"Such a lively place! It's way better than our Nakano village."
Looking around at Konoha's prosperity, Makoto couldn't help but marvel—the Five Great Nations truly lived up to their reputation.
"In the future, this will be your home too."
Jiraiya patted the hand Makoto had looped through his arm.
"Mm-hmm."
She showed no sign of shyness—after all, she came from a clan where women actively pursued and defeated powerful men.
As they approached the Senju mansion, the crowd grew thicker.
Many villagers had gathered voluntarily to offer their congratulations.
"Long time no see."
Suddenly, Jiraiya felt a familiar tap on his shoulder, followed by a well-known voice.
"Long time no see."
Jiraiya turned to find Orochimaru standing behind him.
"I thought you wouldn't return."
"Who's this?"
Orochimaru looked at Makoto with curiosity in his eyes—it seemed his old friend had finally moved on from the past.
"Haha, this is my fiancée, Makoto Nakano."
"This is Orochimaru, my teammate and close friend."
Jiraiya chuckled while introducing both to each other. However, his final glance landed on Pakura.
"This is Pakura. She'll be my wife someday."
Orochimaru introduced himself to Jiraiya with confidence and even took Pakura's hand willingly.
"You must be Pakura," said Makoto Nakano.
"And you must be Makoto Nakano," Pakura replied.
The two women followed suit with their introductions.
"Shall we go in together?"
Orochimaru and Jiraiya exchanged knowing smiles before the four of them made their way toward the Senju mansion together.
Today, bright red lanterns had been hung throughout the Senju estate.
Numerous servants bustled about, having been temporarily reassigned from the Hatake household.
Mito had always preferred peace and quiet, so there weren't enough staff at home to manage the event.
"Big brother Jiraiya."
No sooner had Jiraiya entered than Nawaki, sharp-eyed as ever, spotted him.
"Nawaki, you've gotten so tall."
Jiraiya hesitated to ruffle Nawaki's hair like he used to, so he happily patted his shoulder instead.
"Teacher, Teacher's Wife."
Nawaki had already gotten used to calling them that—official marriage or not.
Pakura simply nodded—she practically was their teacher's wife already.
"Big brother Jiraiya, is this your fiancée?"
Nawaki gave Makoto Nakano a quick glance. She was stunning.
"Yeah, isn't she gorgeous?"
Jiraiya let his usual lecherous side show, winking playfully at Nawaki.
Makoto responded with a sharp pinch, clearly annoyed.
"Haha! Hello sister-in-law, I'm Nawaki!"
Seeing Jiraiya's pained expression, Nawaki greeted Makoto enthusiastically.
"Hello."
Makoto politely returned the smile.
"I'll show you where to sit. Brother-in-law will be here soon too."
With that, Nawaki led the group toward the inner hall.
"Just sit here. I still need to greet others."
After arranging seats for everyone, Nawaki hurried off. He was quite busy helping with his sister's wedding.
Once seated, Orochimaru and Jiraiya resumed chatting.
They reminisced about their training journeys and past experiences.
The two women listened quietly on the side, occasionally chiming in with a word or two.
"It's been a long time, but Tsunade and Kawaki are finally married."
"We should work hard too."
Orochimaru sipped his tea slowly, taking his time.
"Yeah, can't fall too far behind."
"This time, I'm back—and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon."
Jiraiya raised his teacup and took a large gulp, a stark contrast to Orochimaru.
"Why don't you ask Tsunade for a position? She's Hokage now."
Orochimaru made a joke. Among the three of them, formality wasn't an issue.
"Ohhh!"
[Like this story? Check out: Fire Shadow – From Courting Tsunade Onward]
"Haha! I was just planning to ask her for an important role once her wedding finishes."
Jiraiya learned from Orochimaru the reasons behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's resignation as Hokage, though it didn't surprise him much.
He'd often left the village, and part of that might have had something to do with Hiruzen—though it was never said outright.
...
Meanwhile, Tsunade was still waiting in her bridal chamber for Kawaki's arrival.
Today she was dressed in an elaborate, thick white wedding kimono.
Her usual carefree spirit was subdued, replaced by grace and solemnity.
But one thing hadn't changed—her beauty.
"Little Tsunade, Grandma really will miss you."
"Hahaha."
Mito chuckled as she adjusted Tsunade's hairpin, her relief clearly evident.
"Could you please hold back the laughter?"
"It makes things look more realistic."
Tsunade gave Grandma an eye roll.
Normally, when a girl got married, her family would be shedding tears.
But her grandma? She was laughing joyfully instead.
"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself."
"No more laughing."
Mito rubbed her face and tried to put on a sad expression.
Misaki and Kushina stood by the side, barely able to hold back their laughter.
They would've laughed even harder if they weren't afraid of getting hit.
"Grandma, how much longer until the lucky hour?"
Tsunade sat there impatiently, unable to move around.
"Almost time. Don't rush."
Mito thought Tsunade's lipstick looked uneven, so she reapplied it.
"Sister Tsunade, you look absolutely stunning today."
Kushina gazed at Tsunade, who was glowing radiantly, secretly envious of her.
"Really? I think so too."
Tsunade glanced at the mirror, proudly accepting the compliment.
"Sis, Brother-in-law is on his way."
"Oh right, I forgot to tell you—Big Bro Jiraiya has already arrived."
Nawaki shouted from the doorway before rushing off again—he had come specifically to deliver the news.
"That's wonderful!"
Tsunade broke into a bright smile, radiant as a fully blooming peony.
Please check out: Naruto – Starting from Pursuing Tsunade (Mobile Edition)
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>