Konoha: The Honored One

Hokage office.

Gojo lounged on the plush sofa in the Hokage's office, legs crossed, flipping lazily through the pages of Intimate Paradise. A small plate of desserts rested precariously on his lap, a fork dangling from his fingers.

"Haha, so boring," he sighed, voice dripping with exaggerated ennui. While the entire village bustled with activity, here he was—gloriously idle.

Across the room, Tsunade sat at her desk, glaring daggers at him. Her desk overflowed with stacks of paperwork that could put even the most battle-hardened shinobi into a coma.

"Gojo," she began, her tone icy and sharp, "if you're so free, why don't you help me with this mountain of papers?" She jabbed a finger at the towering stack.

Without looking up, Gojo flicked the corner of a page, then casually popped a bite of cake into his mouth. "I'm just an ordinary ninja, Tsuna. Surely, Hokage-level secrets are a bit above my pay grade," he mumbled through a mouthful of frosting.

Her eyebrow twitched violently.

"And don't get me wrong," Gojo continued, now waving his fork like a wand. "I'd love to help, but I'm suuuper busy too. Just this morning, I was advising Satoshi Kato on his love triangle situation. Personally? I'm rooting for his wife. But if you ask me, those two women should ditch him and just grind tofu together."

The pen in Tsunade's hand snapped audibly. Her golden-brown eyes burned with frustration as her grip tightened on the broken halves. "Gojo," she said slowly, through gritted teeth, "are you seriously too busy reading that trashy book to lend a hand?"

The door suddenly burst open, saving Gojo—temporarily—from Tsunade's wrath. Shizune hurried inside, clutching a scroll and looking flustered.

"Lady Tsunade! There's been an incident!" Shizune exclaimed, panting slightly. "Kisame Hoshigaki, the S-class rogue ninja from the Mist Village—he's dead!"

Tsunade blinked. "Dead? How?"

"In the torture department. He didn't crack under interrogation. Instead, he summoned sharks out of thin air... and let them devour him."

Gojo paused mid-chew, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. "Man really said, 'If I'm going down, I'm going down shark-style.' Respect."

Tsunade's fists slammed onto her desk, rattling the papers. "Are you telling me the torture department lost one of the Akatsuki's key members? A Kage-level threat, gone, just like that?"

Shizune nodded hesitantly. "Worse… Ibiki reported seeing something strange before it happened. He said Kisame's memory seal showed an image of strange… circular purple eyes."

"Purple circles?" Tsunade's brows knitted together. Her mind raced to an old memory. Could it be...?

Gojo spoke up, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather. "Sounds like the Rinnegan."

The room fell silent. Shizune and Tsunade stared at him, wide-eyed.

"The Rinnegan?" Shizune echoed. "As in, Sage of Six Paths-level power?"

Tsunade's thumbnail grazed her lower lip as her mind spun. If the Rinnegan was involved, it could mean ties to Nagato Uzumaki, a figure long thought dead.

Gojo's smirk widened as he observed Tsunade's reaction. "Oh, come on, Tsuna. Don't act so surprised. You've seen those eyes before."

Her gaze snapped to him. "What do you know, Gojo?"

"Everything." He leaned back, his grin maddeningly smug.

"Then start talking!" Tsunade snapped. Her patience, already threadbare, was rapidly unraveling.

Gojo, ever the tease, gestured to the untouched slice of cake on the desk. "Feed me first."

Tsunade's fists clenched. "Feed you?"

"And not just feed me—spread butter on it mommy-style and—"

His words were cut off by the sound of the wall beside his head exploding. Tsunade's fist hovered an inch from his face, veins bulging on her forehead.

"Gojo," she hissed, dangerously calm, "finish that sentence, and I'll rearrange your perfect teeth."

Unfazed, he unwrapped a lollipop, popped it into his mouth, and sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. No sense of humor around here."

Shizune, clutching Tonton tightly, shuffled further into the corner. She was used to these exchanges but had no desire to get caught in the crossfire.

"Alright, Tsunade," Gojo finally relented. "The Rinnegan belongs to Nagato Uzumaki. He's not just any rogue ninja; he's the leader of the Akatsuki."

Shizune's jaw dropped. "Nagato? But Jiraiya-sama said he... he was dead!"

Tsunade slumped against her desk, her hand pressed to her forehead. Memories of Jiraiya's former students—Nagato, Yahiko, Konan—surfaced. Could it really be?

"They were reported dead during the war," she murmured. "And yet, if what you're saying is true..."

"It is," Gojo said. "Nagato didn't just survive. He thrived. And now, he's at the top of the most dangerous organization in the world."

Tsunade's mind churned. If Nagato was alive, and the Rinnegan was in play, the stakes were far higher than anyone had anticipated.

"So," Gojo said, standing up and stretching. "Now that I've done my part, I'll leave you to handle the rest. You're the Hokage, after all."

"You're not going anywhere," Tsunade snapped, pointing a finger at him.

Gojo flopped back onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. "Fine, but only because I don't feel like teleporting today."

Shizune whispered to Tonton, "They really should just get married already."

Tonton oinked softly in agreement.