Tsunade might have sent Naruto back to Mount Myoboku if he hadn't already been suffering from extreme vertigo from the drastic elevation change.
And that's not even mentioning how the entire army reacted when Shikamaru discovered that Naruto—who had been with them all along and was central to their attack plan—was actually just a Shadow Clone.
When the war ended without any casualties, Konoha's villagers rejoiced. The celebrations stretched from morning into the dead of night. Even those far from home found reasons to celebrate.
It was a momentous celebration—after all, everything had finally come to an end.
Even the Sunagakure ninja who had come to reinforce Konoha joined in the festivities. People laughed, wept, and swapped stories—from the war's outbreak to the day they heard Amegakure's leader had surrendered.
Naruto's clone didn't burst anyone's bubble but instead lived the day like a real person, sharing in the joy of victory with everyone—including spending plenty of time with the women close to him, especially Temari.
Temari eagerly found Naruto to celebrate the end of hostilities between their countries. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, as if she never wanted to let go.
Shikamaru didn't tell anyone that the Naruto beside them was fake because he believed some truths were best left unspoken.
…Meanwhile, the real Naruto was stuck doing Tsunade's paperwork in Konoha.
Tsunade gave him medicine for a quick recovery and forced him to stay behind to help draft the ceasefire agreement they would send to Amegakure.
Now that everything had calmed down, although new matters still needed attention, life had mostly returned to normal. With the war over, the Five Great Ninja Villages needed to solidify their alliances, resolve lingering grudges among defeated smaller nations—or what remained of them—and ensure such wars would never happen again.
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like before returning to Kumogakure, Yugito," Tsunade told the liaison officer and Jinchuriki from Kumogakure after another meeting.
Inevitably, something would always threaten to disturb the peace—but this time, they would hold tightly onto the hard-earned peace they'd achieved.
They had all nearly witnessed their familiar way of life twisted into an irreparably dark future. Although the future remained uncertain, at least it now seemed brighter than yesterday.
"I think I will," Yugito replied with a mischievous smile. "By the way, Lady Hokage, do you know where Naruto is? I haven't seen him since our last encounter at the Five Kage Summit. It's been… quite a while. I've really missed him."
"I knew it," Tsunade muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes with a smirk. "I've kept him busy lately, so I gave him the day off to take care of personal matters. It must've been important. But maybe you'll get a chance to see him tonight—he'll probably be completely worn out."
******
At last, the war had ended, and many welcomed the long-awaited peace—including Jiraiya, a man whose life seemed to have revolved around battle after battle.
On this day, Jiraiya stood atop the Hokage Rock.
He felt it was time to step back and finally enjoy a little peace of his own.
After nearly fifty years of service as a ninja, he had decided to permanently take off his forehead protector.
Of course, unless absolutely necessary, he would no longer get involved in the affairs of the ninja world.
Heroism ran deep in his bones. The world still needed someone like him—once in a while—to save the day.
But now, it was time for him to focus on his passion—writing.
Fans eagerly anticipated the thrilling adventures and romantic tales this beloved author would deliver next. Jiraiya had always believed that serving the people was his purpose.
Well, more specifically, serving his female readers—he considered them far more valuable than anyone else.
"Now that I think about it, it's kind of strange," Jiraiya said with a satisfied smile. "I can't even remember the last time I had nothing to do. It feels like there was always some enemy to fight."
Certainly, new enemies would appear eventually—it was just a matter of time—but for now, peace endured, and that was a rare feeling for him.
Jiraiya sat atop the statue of the Fourth Hokage, thinking over the plot of his next novel.
Was there any better place to brainstorm? He needed someone to critique his work, but he couldn't trust anyone else, so he ended up speaking aloud to the statues.
Talking loudly gave him comfort, as if he were truly conversing with the imaginary versions of Minato Namikaze or Hiruzen Sarutobi, telling them all that had happened since their passing.
He felt fortunate that after retiring, he'd chosen to live close to his final apprentice's home—close enough to drop by anytime.
"Your kid will take your place eventually, you know," Jiraiya chuckled, sketching out possible plots and new characters in his notebook. Since he could only use one hand, he had to balance the notebook on top of the statue's head. "It's just a matter of time. He needs time to grow into the role of Hokage..."
Naturally, the statue of Minato Namikaze didn't respond. It was just stone. Stone doesn't speak. You could slap it as hard as you liked, scolding it like a stubborn child, but there would be no reply.
"Don't judge me with that silence," Jiraiya said, as if the silence itself were speaking. "I'll assume you're pretending not to talk because you don't want to offend me. That's exactly what Kushina Uzumaki always called you—weak."
However, this time, the heavens themselves seemed to answer him. A sudden gust of wind blew away a dozen pages from his notebook, scattering them across the village.
...Now that was just rotten luck, wasn't it?
Jiraiya helplessly watched his notes fly away, unable to do anything. He stared helplessly at his empty hands, sighed, and lifted his gaze toward the sky. "Minato Namikaze, you're such a tightwad—even with a gorgeous wife and a son destined to be Hokage."
Hmm. Maybe this was a sign from the other side. Maybe it was time to stop writing the Make Out Paradise series and try something more traditional? After all, inspiration was certainly not lacking now.
That's right, he finally had all the time he needed to sort out his thoughts and start a completely new story.
"Uh... but I can't use the name 'Naruto' in this story anymore."
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