The air in Konoha was a heavy blanket of mourning. Days after the devastating invasion, the village gathered for the funeral of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The streets, once a scene of destruction, were now filled with shinobi and civilians, all dressed in mourning, their faces marked by sadness and loss.
Naruto was there, in the front row, wearing his usual clothes that seemed out of place amidst so much darkness. Tears had burned his cheeks until they dried, leaving only the dull ache in his chest.
He saw his classmates: Sasuke with his cold, tense gaze, Sakura with her eyes swollen from crying, Kakashi with his somber face.
Even Iruka-sensei, who had always been his pillar, had his shoulders hunched with grief.
Gojo Satoru stood a little apart, his presence a silent anomaly. He had removed his blindfold, revealing eyes so deep blue they almost seemed to glow with the sadness surrounding him, a rarity for him.
He had observed Naruto in the days following his return. The boy was devastated, the bright optimism that characterized him had faded. Gojo felt a twinge of regret; if he had been here, perhaps this wouldn't have happened.
Though, truthfully, the Third's death was a classic plot point in Naruto, and his absence had only accelerated the inevitable outcome.
Konoha's advisor, Homura Mitokado, solemnly rang out across the heavy silence, glorifying Hiruzen's sacrifice. The village bells rang, their melancholic chimes echoing across the empty training grounds and damaged buildings.
Naruto clenched his fists, anger and grief warring within him. He remembered the Hokage's words, his smile, the way he had protected him. Orochimaru would pay for this.
Just then, a new notification appeared in Gojo's vision, as unexpected as the last.
[Critical Plot Mission Received!]
[Objective: Find and convince the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade Senju, to return to Konoha to assume the mantle of Fifth Hokage.]
[Success Reward: 30,000 Dimension Points (DP) and a 'Plot Artifact: First Hokage's Necklace'.]
[Failure: Konoha suffers an internal collapse. The plot cycle veers drastically toward a path of 'Darkness and Destruction'.]
Gojo blinked. "Well, well. And now it's my job to find the drunk and the compulsive gambler?" he muttered to himself.
The mention of a "Plot Device" piqued his curiosity. Hashirama's necklace was an interesting item, capable of amplifying chakra. And the "Route of Darkness and Destruction" sounded like something he'd rather avoid, especially with a vulnerable and rage-prone Naruto.
He approached Naruto, who was still staring blankly into the sky. "Hey, Blondie," Gojo said, his voice a little softer than usual.
Naruto didn't respond immediately, but turned his head slowly.
"I know it hurts," Gojo continued. "And I'm not going to tell you not to. But we can't stay here moping forever. Konoha needs a new leader. And, as it happens, the system just gave me a mission to find the right person."
Naruto looked at him, a spark of curiosity peeking through his pain. "What are you talking about, Gojo-sensei?"
"We need someone who can take the reins. Someone strong," Gojo explained. "And it seems the next on the list is an old friend of Jiraiya and Orochimaru. One of the Sannin. Tsunade Senju."
The mention of the Sannin caught Naruto's attention. "One of the legendary Sannin? And I have to go with you?"
Gojo smiled, regaining a bit of his usual arrogance.
"Of course I do. I need my training 'assistant.' Besides, with your little tantrum in progress, I think a trip outside the village will do you good. And look, this isn't just a mission for the village, it's a chance for you to get stronger. Don't you want to be able to protect Konoha from things like this?"
The last sentence hit Naruto hard. Protect Konoha. The village the Third Hokage had loved and died for. The spark in Naruto's eyes flared a little brighter.
The promise of greater strength, the chance to honor the Third Hokage and avenge what had happened... the idea of finding Tsunade, a legendary figure, seemed like the only way forward in that moment of desolation.
"So, where do we go?" Naruto asked, his voice still hoarse from crying, but with a hint of the determination that had always driven him.
Gojo winked at him. "Good question, Blondie. I guess we'll have to ask the right people... or the least suitable. Let's go after the Legendary Sannin!"