The heavy, oppressive tension that had filled the Hokage's office gradually dissolved into a quiet, exhausted calm.
Naruto leaned back against the deep velvet cushions of the sofa, letting out a long, weary sigh. The golden, slit-pupiled pigmentation of Sage Mode had completely faded from his eyes, leaving behind their familiar, deep ocean-blue hue. He brought his hands up, pressing his palms flat against his face and thoroughly massaging his tired eyes.
Sitting across from him in her high-backed leather armchair, Tsunade was mid-lecture. Her hazel eyes were narrowed, and her crossed arms pressed against her chest as her voice echoed off the wood-paneled walls.
"...I am well aware that you are an impulsive, temperamental brat, Naruto," Tsunade continued, her tone sharp enough to cut glass, "and I understand that you were pushed to your absolute limit down in the interrogation cells. But that does not mean you have the right to storm off and completely pulverize half of the Forest of Death!"
Naruto pulled his hands away from his face, rolling his eyes back with a groan. He had spent the last ten minutes completely tuning out her scolding, but her unrelenting volume had finally pierced his mental defenses.
"Come on, Auntie, I didn't destroy that much," Naruto grumbled, slumping further into the cushions. "It was just a tiny section of the east wing. Besides, it's a giant chakra-dense rainforest—the trees will literally grow back in two days. It's not like I turned the whole landscape to ash."
"Naruto, I literally saw brilliant flashes of elemental fire and sky-tearing lightning bursts from the fifth-story window of this building!" Shizune interjected, stepping out from behind Tsunade's chair while clutching her medical clipboard to her chest like a shield. "Sector 44 is on the outer perimeter of the village walls, and yet we felt the physical shockwaves and heard the sonic booms all the way inside the administrative tower! Are you honestly trying to stand there and tell us that 'nothing was damaged'?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, tossing his head back with a sheepish, half-hearted grin. "Okay, fine! Maybe a few old trees took a beating. But don't worry about it—I've already got a flawless plan to fix it up."
Tsunade raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And just how do you plan on restoring an entire sector of decimated forest?"
"It's simple!" Naruto declared, snapping his fingers with absolute confidence. "We just track down Yamato and make him use his Wood Release to reforest the whole area. Easy-peasy. And if his personal chakra reserves start running low, I'll just slap my hand on his shoulder, dump a massive wave of my own chakra straight into his coils, and keep him powered up like a human battery until the trees are back!"
An audible, collective sigh rippled through the room.
All four women—Tsunade, Shizune, Ino, and Hinata—simultaneously pinched the bridges of their noses or let their shoulders drop in absolute exasperation at his ridiculously blunt, brute-force logic.
Ino, who was sitting right beside him on the sofa, finally had enough. Reaching over, she curled her index finger and gave Naruto a sharp, wooden-knuckle rap right against the side of his skull.
"Ow! What was that for, Ino?!" Naruto yelped, rubbing his head.
"I am honestly starting to believe that you lose valuable brain cells by the minute!" Ino snapped, though her lips twitched with suppressed amusement. "That isn't a 'flawless plan,' Naruto! That's just turning Captain Yamato into your personal landscape gardener!"
"Hey, it's a win-win solution!" Naruto protested, waving his hands defensively. "I get to vent my frustration and blast as many trees as I want, and Yamato gets to practice his Kekkei Genkai! Everyone's happy!"
Sitting on Naruto's other side, Hinata ducked her head slightly, her lavender eyes wide with a mixture of affection and utter disbelief. "Naruto-kun..." she started softly, her voice melodic yet tinged with gentle exasperation. "I... I honestly don't know whether we should be proud of how incredibly powerful you've become, or completely terrified that you're actively finding new, efficient ways to destroy things..."
"Speaking of your terrifying reputation, brat," Tsunade interrupted, her chair scraping against the floorboards as she stood up. She walked back over to her ruined executive desk, picked up a single sheet of heavy parchment, and carried it back to the glass-topped coffee table in the center of the lounge area.
She slapped the paper down onto the glass with a loud THWACK.
Naruto leaned forward, his blue eyes scanning the bold, black ink printed across the document. Ino and Hinata both leaned over his shoulders to read it as well.
It was an official entry from the international Black Market Bingo Book.
At the top of the page was a remarkably accurate portrait of Naruto in his dark orange shinobi gear, flanked by high-priority warning markers from multiple major and minor hidden villages.
"A high-tier bounty..." Naruto murmured, scanning the fine print line by line.
"Not just a standard bounty," Tsunade clarified, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the edge of the table. "That notice was circulated by a coalition of underground syndicates, but the primary funding came directly from the Hidden Rain Village, along with several smaller mercenary factions you've pissed off over the last few months."
Naruto read the bolded bullet points aloud under his breath:
Target: Uzumaki Naruto — Jonin of Konohagakure.
Known Accomplishments: Confirmed execution of S-rank rogue shinobi; subjugation and capture of two high-priority international criminals; sole individual responsible for the destruction of Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin.
Unconfirmed Reports: Rumors state he tore the Sannin in half with raw physical strength before burning his soul to absolute ash. Confirmed Host of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.
Bounty Value: 200,000,000 Ryo (Alive or Dead).
"Two hundred million Ryo on my head?!" Naruto blinked, whistling softly through his teeth. "Damn, I'm expensive. But wait—this part right here is totally wrong! It says I personally executed Gatō during the Land of Waves mission! I didn't kill Gatō—Zabuza did that with a kunai in his mouth!"
Naruto slammed a thumb onto the paper, his brows furrowing in genuine annoyance as he read further down. "And who the hell leaked all this detailed combat data about my Sannin fight and my Jinchūriki status to the underground network?!"
Tsunade merely shrugged her shoulders, her hazel eyes glittering with dark cynicism. "You already know who leaked it, brat. There's only one backstabbing, paranoid old bastard in this village holding a high-ranking political position who has the authority and the guts to sell out your combat profile to the Black Market."
"That old corpse," Naruto spat out, leaning back into the sofa cushions with a bitter scoff. "Well, whatever. It doesn't even matter."
He stretched his long legs out in front of him, lacing his fingers behind his head in a display of absolute, unshakeable confidence.
"What are they honestly gonna do? Send a bunch of washed-up bounty hunters after me?" Naruto smirked, his voice filled with terrifying, casual authority. "Please. With perfected Sage Mode on my side, Nine-Tails's chakra fully unlocked, and complete control over my physical baseline, there isn't a single person left on this entire planet who can defeat me and claim that reward. Honestly, if they want people to actually try, they should raise the bounty to a billion."
Naruto tilted his head up toward Tsunade. "Oh, by the way, what official threat rank did the Bingo Book give me?"
"High S-Rank, brat," Tsunade replied smoothly. "A clean, absolute High S-Rank."
"Really? Sweet."
"Don't get cocky," Tsunade added, pointing a finger at him. "The entry explicitly carries a red-letter advisory: 'Engage only with a minimum of an S-Rank squad or Kage-level military force.' They are officially treating you as a walking calamity."
As the talk of international bounties faded, the heavy atmosphere in the room completely evaporated. Hinata shifted slightly on the sofa, her hands resting nervously in her lap. She looked up at Naruto, her pale cheeks flushing with a soft, radiant pink as she gathered her courage.
"Um... Naruto-kun?" Hinata spoke up, her voice clear despite her obvious embarrassment. "Why... why don't we all go for a picnic together?"
Naruto blinked, turning his head to look at her in genuine surprise. "Huh? A picnic, Hinata? What do you mean?"
"Well..." Hinata stuttered slightly, her fingers twirling together as she pressed on. "You've been under so much stress lately—with your intense toad training, mastering the Nine-Tails' chakra, and then... everything that just happened down in the interrogation cells with Sasuke."
Hinata glanced over at Ino, gaining confidence. "Ino and I have been so busy with our medical rotations and Taijutsu training with Tenten that we haven't had time to just sit down and talk. And I heard from the gate guards that almost all of our friends from the other squads are back in the village today!"
Ino's eyes instantly lit up like bright stars, her hands clapping together in excitement. "That is an amazing idea, Hinata!" she exclaimed, spinning around to face Naruto. "We could even invite our squad leaders! I saw Guy-sensei and Kakashi-sensei near the main gates earlier this morning, and I'm sure Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei can easily clear an afternoon out of their schedules for a village get-together!"
Naruto looked between the two enthusiastic girls, the heavy weight lingering in his chest finally melting away into a genuine, warm smile. "Alright, alright! I'm sold. So, where's the venue?"
"I think Training Ground 7 would be perfect!" Ino declared instantly. "The grass is wide, the river view is gorgeous, and the clearing is huge enough for us to set up a training ring in case Lee decides he wants to challenge you to a mock battle."
Naruto chuckled, leaning his chin into his hand. "Man, I've actually been wanting to spar with Lee for a while now."
Ino gave him a completely flat, deadpan look. "Naruto... Lee is always ready for a spar. The entire time you were away at Mount Myōboku, he was practically vibrating, asking everyone he saw, 'When is Naruto coming back?! I must test my youth against his Sage Mode!'"
Hinata nodded in solemn agreement, a small giggle escaping her lips. "She's right, Naruto-kun. You are getting a spar with Lee whether you like it or not."
"Hey, that's a total win-win for me!" Naruto laughed, flexing his broad shoulders. "I've been dying to test out my new physical control on a real opponent, and Lee is literally is one of the few guys in this entire village durable enough to take my hits head-on without snapping in half."
From her armchair, Tsunade slammed her teacup down onto the saucer. "Naruto! I swear to God, do not put one of my top close-combat specialists into a hospital bed!"
"Oh, come on, Auntie!" Naruto whined playfully. "Don't be such a buzzkill! It'll be fun!"
"It might be fun for you," Tsunade countered, glaring at him sharply, "but Rock Lee possesses an absurdly reckless competitive spirit. That kid doesn't know the meaning of holding back. You give him an inch in a spar, and he will most likely open the Eight Inner Gate on you just to keep up!"
Naruto's confident smirk instantly froze. A single, massive sweatdrop manifested behind his head as he envisioned an enraged, green-suited Lee opening the higher gates just to win a casual weekend sparring match.
"Okay... fair point," Naruto mumbled, rubbing his neck. "I'm definitely not trying to go toe-to-toe with the Eight Gates on a relaxing Sunday afternoon..."
Ino rested her chin on her hand, her thumb tapping thoughtfully against her cheek as she looked over at Hinata. "Hey... speaking of the Eight Gates... do you think we could actually use the basic Gate release principles to boost our own body conditioning and medical chakra control?"
Hinata tilted her head, her lavender eyes narrowing in deep concentration as she considered the theory. "Hmm... it could theoretically work. Lee gets an astronomical boost in physical speed and muscle density whenever he opens the lower gates. Maybe we could adapt a modified version of that pressure release for our own Taijutsu... But opening the Gates puts an immense, tearing strain on the muscle fibers and heart. I don't know if Guy-sensei would ever teach us the unlocking sequence."
Listening to their conversation, Naruto let out a soft chuckle. "Anyone can learn to open the Eight Gates if they understand their own body structure."
Both girls snapped their heads around, staring at him in utter shock.
"Wait... what do you mean by that, Naruto-kun?!" Hinata asked, her voice rising an octave in sheer disbelief. "The Eight Inner Gates Formation is a forbidden Kinjutsu meant to forcibly rip past the body's natural chakra limiters! It takes years of extreme physical conditioning!"
"That's just the standard explanation," Naruto said smoothly, leaning back against the sofa. "The Eight Gates are simply eight specific tenketsu limiters along the body's main chakra pathway that regulate the flow of life energy. For someone like me—who possesses absolute, microscopic awareness of every muscle fiber and chakra valve in his body—opening them is just a matter of manual regulation. I don't even need to use the Primary Lotus sequence to trigger the release."
Ino's jaw practically hit the floor. "Wait... how many gates can you open?!"
Naruto scratched his cheek casually. "I tested my limit up to the Seventh Gate back during my private training."
"WHAT?!"
The entire room erupted. Shizune dropped her clipboard onto the floor, Ino jumped up from the sofa, and even Hinata looked at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head.
"You can open the Seventh Gate of Wonder?!" Ino shrieked, clutching her head in disbelief. " Lee has been pushing his body to the absolute brink of death for years, and his absolute limit right now is the Sixth Gate! How on earth can you just open the Seventh?!"
Naruto reached out, casually picking up his glass of water and taking a slow sip before looking back at Ino.
"Look, Ino, I'm not trying to downplay Lee's insane hard work or anything," Naruto explained calmly, placing the glass back down. "Lee is a hard working guy. But I was born with two massive genetic cheat codes: first, my Uzumaki heritage gives me ridiculous, bottomless chakra reserves to buffer the strain; second, my physical recovery factor heals my muscle tears almost instantly. That lets me push past the safety limiters far easier than a normal human body."
Naruto then pointed a finger across the room at Tsunade, giving her a sly grin. "Besides, Auntie Tsunade can open the Eight Gates up to the Seventh Gate too. In fact, I'm pretty sure she could open the Eighth Gate of Death if she really wanted to."
Ino and Hinata both turned their heads slowly, their eyes shining with massive, awe-filled stars as they stared at the Fifth Hokage.
"Wait... Lady Tsunade can open the Eight Gates too?!" Ino gasped out. "When did you learn that?! Why don't you ever use it in battle?!"
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, a proud, sharp smirk gracing her lips as she crossed her legs. "You two seem to be forgetting that out of the Legendary Three Sannin, I am by far the most dangerous close-quarters combatant. I am a master of Taijutsu first and foremost. Unlocking the body's physical limiters wasn't a big deal for me back in my prime. And as the world's greatest medical-nin, I understand the anatomical blueprint of the human body better than anyone alive."
"With her Strength of a Hundred Seal releasing stored chakra," Naruto added, leaning in with an analytical glint in his eyes, "she could open the Eighth Gate of Death, bypass the lethal incineration process using her automatic cellular regeneration, and fight at full power for several minutes before needing to shut the gates down."
Tsunade waved a dismissive hand, though her expression grew remarkably quiet and nostalgic. "I've never actually tested the Eighth Gate in a real battle, Naruto. And let's keep it that way. I'm not as young as I used to be, and my body wouldn't recover as easily as yours. I'm perfectly content knowing I can draw on the Seventh Gate if the village ever faces an absolute crisis."
Tsunade's eyes suddenly hardened into stone as she glared pointedly at Naruto. "But don't you dare try pulling any reckless stunts with the Eighth Gate yourself, Naruto! I am serious!"
Naruto leaned back, stretching his arms out over the back of the sofa with a relaxed grin. "Hey, chill out, Auntie! Nothing bad is gonna happen to me."
Ino tilted her head, her curiosity completely piqued. "Why are you so confident about that, Naruto? The Eighth Gate literally burns the user's blood to fuel ultimate power and destroys their heart! How can you be so sure 'nothing bad' will happen to you?!"
Shizune and Hinata both leaned in, waiting intently for his answer.
Naruto's smile slowly faded into a serious, remarkably profound expression.
"Across the entire shinobi world," Naruto spoke softly, his blue eyes holding a profound depth, "there are only about four specific individuals who could theoretically trigger the Eighth Gate of Death and survive the aftermath."
"Care to share those names?" Tsunade asked, her interest clearly piqued.
"Most of them are perfected Jinchūriki," Naruto explained, resting his chin on his hand. "If I were to open the Eighth Gate, the immense heat would normally burn my internal organs to ash. But if I layer Nine-Tails's dense, regenerative Biyū chakra cloak over my heart and circulatory system while using Sage Mode to constantly gather natural vitality, the Eighth Gate would at worst put a massive, temporary strain on my body. It wouldn't kill me."
Naruto pointed a thumb at Tsunade. "Second is Auntie Tsunade, thanks to her Creation Rebirth cell regeneration."
He then held up a third finger. "Third is Killer B, the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails from Kumo. He's one of the rare Jinchūriki who has achieved complete, perfect synchronization with his Biyū. Gyūki's chakra has incredible physical stabilization properties that could buffer the lethal thermal feedback of the Eighth Gate, though B is primarily a Kenjutsu master rather than a pure hand-to-hand fighter."
Naruto tapped his fourth finger against his knee. "And fourth... Son Gokū, the Four-Tails, and his Jinchūriki, Rōshi. Son Gokū is literally a massive, legendary monkey king—an absolute master of raw, volcanic Taijutsu. His biological structure and lava-infused chakra pathways are built to withstand internal temperatures that would melt a normal human's heart instantly."
Naruto looked around at the silent, awestruck room, a bright, triumphant grin returning to his face. "So you see? The world is a pretty big place. But right now, we've got a picnic to plan!"
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