They went to a large, empty training ground behind the Hokage’s office.
Tsunade and Jiraiya stood on the side to watch.
Dale stood in the middle of the dirt field.
He held his wooden practice sword.
Bright blue lightning sparked along the blade.
Hiruzen stood across from him, holding his long, wooden staff.
“Begin!”
Jiraiya shouted.
Dale vanished.
*Pop.*
He used his Blink jutsu and appeared right behind the Hokage, swinging his lightning sword.
But Hiruzen was the “Professor” of ninja.
He had fought in many wars.
He didn’t even look back.
He simply blocked the strike with his staff and pushed Dale away.
For a whole hour, the training ground shook.
Dale fought with everything he had.
He used his incredible speed, his space-time jumps, and his fierce lightning ninjutsu.
But it was very clear that Hiruzen was on a different level.
Dale was strong.
He was as strong as Tsunade.
But Hiruzen had a lifetime of combat experience.
The old man knew exactly how to move, how to dodge, and how to counter every single attack.
Furthermore, Dale only knew how to use lightning-based ninjutsu, so he was at a huge disadvantage against someone who knew all the elements.
Every time Dale thought he had a clean hit, Hiruzen was already two steps ahead.
Finally, Hiruzen jumped back and lowered his staff.
“That is enough,”
The Hokage said, breathing heavily but smiling brightly.
Dale stopped.
He wiped sweat from his forehead and lowered his wooden sword.
The blue lightning slowly faded away.
Hiruzen walked closer to Dale.
The old man looked very, very happy.
“You are incredible, Dale-kun.”
Hiruzen said, his voice full of deep praise.
“You lack battle experience. And you only use one element, which makes your attacks easy to read. You are not as strong as me yet.”
Dale nodded respectfully.
“I have a lot to learn, Lord Hokage.”
“Yes, you do,”
Hiruzen smiled wider.
“But you have something that I have never seen in my entire life.”
Hiruzen looked at Tsunade, then back at Dale.
“You fought me at full speed for a whole hour. You used high-level lightning jutsu and space-time jumps over and over again. Your chakra should be completely empty right now.”
Dale touched his chest.
“I feel fine.”
“I know you do,”
Hiruzen said, his wise eyes shining.
“Because your chakra recovery is insane. You are drawing in natural energy from the air and the earth around you as you breathe. It is refilling your power instantly.”
On the side of the field, Jiraiya’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates.
“What?!”
Jiraiya yelled, running over to them.
He pointed a shaking finger at Dale.
“Did you say natural energy, old man?!”
“Yes, Jiraiya,”
Hiruzen nodded.
“He absorbs natural energy as easily as breathing.”
Jiraiya grabbed his own hair in pure frustration.
“You cheater!”
Jiraiya shouted at Dale, his face turning red.
“Do you know how hard that is?! To learn Sage Mode and take in nature energy takes years of sitting perfectly still! If you mess up even a little bit, you turn into solid stone forever!”
Jiraiya threw his hands up in the air.
“And you just do it while running around swinging a sword?! There is no way! That is totally unfair! You are a cheater!”
Dale didn’t know what to say.
He just scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously.
Tsunade walked over and proudly wrapped her arm around Dale’s waist.
“He isn’t cheating,”
She smiled, resting her head on Dale’s shoulder.
“He is just special. The seal that sent me to his world changed his body perfectly. He is a natural Sage.”
Hiruzen chuckled softly at his old student’s jealousy.
The Hokage looked at Dale with absolute certainty.
The dark clouds of the coming war didn’t seem so scary anymore.
“Tsunade was right to bring you here,”
Hiruzen said deeply.
“Welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village. We are very lucky to have you on our side.”
After leaving the Hokage’s office,
It was a huge, beautiful estate with traditional wooden houses and quiet koi ponds.
It was the home of the famous Senju Clan.
As they walked through the front gates, people stopped what they were doing and bowed.
“Welcome back, Lady Tsunade!”
They greeted her with warm, happy smiles.
But their eyes quickly moved to Dale.
The clan members whispered to each other.
They were incredibly curious.
Tsunade, the strong and proud princess of their clan, was holding hands with a strange man.
She was looking at him with absolute love.
Tsunade ignored the whispers.
She just smiled happily and led Dale deep into the main house.
“There is one very important person you need to meet,”
Tsunade told him softly as they walked down a quiet hallway.
“My grandmother. Mito Uzumaki.”
Dale felt a little nervous.
Tsunade had told him stories about her.
She was the wife of the First Hokage and one of the strongest women in history.
Tsunade slid open a paper door.
They entered a peaceful room smelling of sweet green tea.
A woman was sitting gracefully on a cushion.
Dale blinked in surprise.
Tsunade’s grandmother did not look old at all.
She had beautiful, long red hair and a young, smooth face.
She had a strange diamond mark on her forehead, just like Tsunade’s.
Her presence was calm, but her chakra felt like a massive, warm ocean.
Mito looked up and smiled brightly.
“Welcome home, my dear,”
Mito said gently.
Then, Mito’s dark eyes moved to Dale.
Her warm smile instantly vanished.
Her teacup stopped halfway to her mouth.
Her eyes widened in pure shock.
She quickly put the cup down on the table and stood up.
Mito didn’t say a word to Tsunade.
She walked straight toward Dale.
Her eyes were glowing with a sharp, intense focus.
“Grandmother?”
Tsunade asked, feeling a little confused by her sudden movement.
Mito stopped right in front of Dale.
She raised her hand and hovered her fingers just an inch away from his chest.
“Incredible…”
Mito whispered, her voice full of absolute wonder.
Dale stood perfectly still.
He felt a warm, tingling energy scanning his body from her fingertips.
“I am an Uzumaki,”
Mito explained softly, never taking her eyes off Dale’s chest.
“I am a master of Fuinjutsu. The ancient art of sealing. I have seen and created the strongest seals in the world.”
She finally looked up at Tsunade, her face completely serious.
“I have a Tailed Beast sealed inside my own body, Tsunade. The Nine-Tails,”
Mito said, her voice heavy with truth.
“The seal holding that giant monster is incredibly complex. It is the peak of human magic.”
Mito gently pressed her palm against Dale’s chest, right where the bright light from the alleyway had struck him four years ago.
“But the space-time seal inside this young man…”
Mito breathed out, slowly shaking her head in disbelief.
“It is older, deeper, and far more powerful than the seal holding the Nine-Tails. I have never seen anything like it.”
Mito looked up at Dale’s face with deep respect and awe.
“It is a true miracle that your human body did not break into pieces, young man,”
Mito told him honestly.
“You are carrying the power of a god inside you.”
Tsunade’s eyes went wide.
“The power of a god?”
Tsunade asked, stepping closer to Dale.
She looked very worried.
“Grandmother, do you know exactly what this seal is? Will it cause a problem for him in the future?”
Mito smiled softly.
She pulled her hand back from Dale’s chest.
“Put your heart at ease, Tsunade,”
Mito said gently, seeing the fear in her granddaughter’s eyes.
“There is no danger. The seal is not a trap or a poison. Right now, Dale’s body is slowly absorbing the seal.”
Dale looked down at his chest, feeling a bit surprised.
“I am absorbing it?”
He asked.
“Yes,”
Mito nodded.
“Your body is acting like a perfect vessel. It is slowly eating the space-time energy and making it your own. It is a very safe and natural process.”
Mito walked back to her cushion and sat down gracefully.
She explained, picking up her teacup again.
“And what happens when he finishes absorbing it?”
Tsunade asked, still holding Dale’s hand tightly.
Mito took a small sip of her warm green tea.
She looked at Dale with a very serious, but kind smile.
“When the process is finally complete,”
Mito said softly.
“His chakra pool and his life force will reach an impossible level. He might become as strong as my husband, Hashirama.”
Mito paused for a second, letting the heavy words sink into the quiet room.
“Or perhaps… even stronger.”
Tsunade stopped breathing for a second.
Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, was known as the God of Shinobi.
He was the strongest ninja to ever live.
To hear that Dale, the ordinary boy she met in an alleyway, could reach that level of power was completely unbelievable.
Dale just squeezed Tsunade’s hand.
He didn’t care about being a god or a legend.
He just wanted to be strong enough to protect the woman he loved.
The room went quiet for a moment.
Mito looked down at their joined hands.
Her eyes grew very soft, and a little bit sad.
“Now,”
Mito said gently, changing the subject.
“There is something else we need to talk about. Something much more important than ninja or gods.”
Tsunade tilted her head.
“What is it, Grandmother?”
“Marriage,”
Mito said simply.
Tsunade’s face instantly turned a light shade of red.
“I am an old woman, Tsunade,”
Mito continued, her voice growing quiet but firm.
“My life force is fading. I am transferring the Nine-Tails to a new vessel soon. I do not have much time left in this world.”
Tsunade felt a sharp pain in her chest.
She squeezed Dale’s hand tighter.
“Do not look so sad, my dear,”
Mito smiled warmly.
“It is the natural way of things. But before I finally close my eyes, I want to see you truly happy. I want to see you married to this fine young man.”
Tsunade looked up at Dale.
She loved him deeply, but she didn’t want to force him into anything.
“What do you think, Dale?”
She asked softly, asking for his honest opinion.
“Is it too soon?”
Dale didn’t look worried at all.
Instead, a huge, bright smile spread across his handsome face.
He let go of her hand and reached deep into his pocket.
“It isn’t too soon,”
Dale said, his voice full of love.
“Actually, I have been waiting for the perfect time to ask.”
He pulled out a small, beautiful velvet box.
He opened it gently and held it out to her.
Inside were two shining, beautiful rings.
They weren’t the cheap, fake silver rings they used for their cover story in the other world.
These were real, sparkling, and carefully chosen.
“I bought these right before we left my world,”
Dale explained, looking deeply into her sharp, beautiful eyes.
“I already planned to propose to you when we got here. Tsunade, will you marry me? For real this time?”
Tsunade gasped.
Tears of pure, absolute joy filled her eyes.
She didn’t care that her grandmother was watching.
She threw her arms around Dale’s neck and hugged him tight.
“Yes,”
She whispered happily into his chest.
“Of course I will.”
Mito clapped her hands together.
Her quiet, peaceful room was suddenly full of bright, happy energy.
“Wonderful!”
Mito laughed lightly, her dark eyes shining with joy.
“This is truly wonderful news.”
Mito immediately stood up and walked over to a small wooden cabinet.
She pulled out a thick, traditional calendar.
“We cannot waste any time,”
Mito said, flipping through the pages with a serious but happy look.
“I need to find the perfect, lucky date for your marriage. We have to prepare the food, the guests, the traditional clan clothing… There are so many things to do!”
Tsunade laughed as she wiped her happy tears.
She held Dale’s hand, feeling the beautiful ring slide perfectly onto her finger.
The dark clouds of the coming war were still out there.
But right now, standing in the warm room with her grandmother and the man she loved, Tsunade felt completely at peace.