Hokage: Immortal, I Open Unlimited Eight Gates

A trace of hesitation flashed across Tsunade's eyes. "You can learn if you want, but I won't be the one teaching you. After all, I don't know how."

"Here's what we'll do: come to the hospital tomorrow, and I'll take you to Shikkotsu Forest. First, we'll let Katsuyu Sage determine whether you have the qualifications to learn Sage Mode. We'll see what she says then."

Seeing Tsunade agree, Chiba smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Sister Tsunade."

Tsunade nodded before asking, "Is there anything else? If not, you should leave. I still have work to do."

"Tsunade-sama, are you that eager to get rid of me? We haven't seen each other in two days," Chiba said with a mischievous grin. "Sister Tsunade, don't you miss me?"

"Who would miss you? Stop being so full of yourself and leave already. Don't disturb my work," Tsunade replied in a flustered tone, though her heart skipped a beat.

Hearing this, Chiba pretended to be hurt. "Is that so? I thought Sister Tsunade missed me too. This is truly heartbreaking. I haven't seen you in two days, and yet I've been thinking about you."

"Hmph, that's none of my business," Tsunade muttered under her breath.

Damn pervert, still so shameless even after two days...

If she had known, things wouldn't have turned out like that that night.

Yet, for some reason, while she could act calm when she took the initiative, she always felt flustered when faced with Chiba's advances.

"How is it none of your business? You should know that I'm working so hard because of you, Sister Tsunade. Otherwise, I could just stay home and rest instead of training my swordsmanship every day," Chiba said with a smirk.

Tsunade didn't know how to respond. She had to admit, he wasn't wrong. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't be pushing himself this much.

"Thank you, Chiba," she finally said after a moment of silence.

"That's not good enough. It sounds too insincere."

"Then what do you want?" Tsunade asked, slightly wary.

Chiba didn't say anything, just smiled and pointed to his lips.

Tsunade fell silent again, an internal struggle evident on her face. After a brief pause, she stood up from her chair…

Uchiha Chiba left with a satisfied smile.

Later That Day

As he walked through the streets of Konoha, he passed a bookstore and noticed an unusual sight.

A long line stretched out from the store, which usually had mediocre business. Strangely, the entire crowd consisted of men.

Chiba was puzzled. What's going on?

Curious, he walked to the back of the line and tapped the shoulder of the last person. "Uncle, what's this line for?"

The man glanced at him and waved him off. "Kid, just go home. This isn't something you need to know about."

Chiba's face twitched. What's with this secrecy? This isn't some underground club…

Just as he was about to ask again, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

Chiba was about to retaliate when he turned and saw Jiraiya.

Once they reached a quieter area, Chiba asked, "Brother Jiraiya, what's the deal? Why did you drag me away like that?"

Jiraiya scratched his head sheepishly. "Haha, I didn't want to be recognized."

Chiba raised an eyebrow. "Did you do something shameful?"

"Of course not! I've been on missions lately, okay?" Jiraiya said defensively.

Then, his face twisted into a smug grin. "Actually, my novel Icha Icha Paradise just hit the shelves."

"You don't want people to know that Konoha's legendary ninja, Jiraiya, is the one who wrote it?"

"Exactly!" Jiraiya nodded.

Chiba smirked. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… Brother Jiraiya, didn't you promise to let me read it first when you finished writing it?"

"Uh…" Jiraiya looked embarrassed. "I forgot, okay? I've been busy taking Minato and the others on missions."

"Well, you forgot, so how will you make it up to me? After all, you wouldn't want people to find out that Konoha's renowned ninja is actually the author of Icha Icha Paradise, right?" Chiba said with a sly grin.

Jiraiya panicked slightly. "Alright, alright! I'll get you as many copies as you want, even the collector's edition!"

The thought of the entire village knowing about his extra profession terrified him.

Maybe I should get back at this brat… Jiraiya smirked inwardly. What if I name the villain of my next book Uchiha Chiba?

And the protagonist? Hmm… let's go with Naruto.

For the book's title…

Jiraiya's eyes lit up with inspiration.

"Perseverance and Determination"… that sounds perfect!

Suppressing a laugh, he turned to Chiba, who was still waiting for an answer.

"Just one collector's edition will do," Chiba finally said. "I'm not trying to resell them, after all."

"Alright, I'll send it to you tomorrow." Jiraiya sighed in relief.

Chiba frowned. "Brother Jiraiya, use your brain. What if my mom finds it? Just get one from the bookstore now."

Jiraiya shuddered. Oh, right… his mother would kill me.

"Okay, wait here. I'll be back."

Less than five minutes later, Jiraiya returned with a package and handed it to Chiba.

"Phew, that was exhausting," he said, wiping his forehead before grinning proudly. "Chiba, read it carefully. I promise you won't be disappointed."

"Got it. I'll head home now. See you."

After getting what he wanted, Chiba had no reason to stay and chat.

Back at Home

Taking advantage of the fact that his mother, Uchiha Motoka, wasn't home yet, Chiba eagerly flipped through the pages of Icha Icha Paradise.

After reading a few chapters, he nodded in approval.

Thanks to his advice, Jiraiya's writing had improved significantly. While there were still flaws, it was leagues ahead of his earlier drafts.

Chiba smirked. Looks like my efforts paid off.

The Next Day

As usual, Chiba arrived at Hokage Rock on time to train in swordsmanship under Hatake Sakumo.

After his training session, he headed straight to the hospital once again.