You Call This a Local Specialty?

"Wuhu~! Pidgeot, do another figure-eight maneuver, then dive and pull up at top speed!"

Yamanaka Kei used Chakra to firmly adhere his feet to Hawk Falcon's back, spreading his arms as he felt the fierce wind batter his face and the world spin upside down.

At that moment, he felt exceptionally free.

The vast earth, dense forests, remote villages, rivers winding through the woods.

Setting aside the giant green Toad on the main road, its two hind legs pumping as fast as galloping horses and kicking up a trail of dust.

Everything in his sight was so vivid and beautiful!

Only after playing around for over an hour and thoroughly satisfying his craving for high-altitude flight did Yamanaka Kei use the spatial coordinates on the Flying Thunder God Kunai in Namikaze Minato's Ninja Tool Pouch to return to the giant Toad's back.

"Can't you use your own Flying Thunder God Mark?"

Namikaze Minato looked at the Flying Thunder God Kunai hanging at his waist, then helplessly raised a hand to rub his brow.

He truly was happy that his close friend had learned the Flying Thunder God.

But Kei kept using his Flying Thunder God Mark.

It always gave him the strange feeling that he had gone out wearing pants, only for someone to grope his bare ass.

"No. I'm not planning to let anyone else know about a killing move like the Flying Thunder God."

Yamanaka Kei threw an arm around Namikaze Minato's neck.

He made no effort whatsoever to hide his distrust toward the village leadership.

"You... how are you going to make up this mission report?"

"Hmm... How about this? As for Tea Country, we'll say we left after completing the intelligence gathering and don't know what happened afterward. Then we'll honestly report Summoning Island..."

"The jōnin committed suicide?"

"The mission report will naturally say it was suicide. Privately... hmm, we'll let the Third know. Then we'll hand over the Hozuki Clan Secret Technique and Gengetsu Hozuki's inheritance. After all, I'm an heir to the Will of Fire who wholeheartedly serves Konoha."

"I really ought to thank you on behalf of Lord Hokage."

Namikaze Minato rolled his eyes, a rare sight.

He was not an idiot. How could he fail to see that Yamanaka Kei was completely dumping the blame onto the Third Hokage?

Could an ordinary person possibly learn the Hozuki Clan's secret techniques?

Whether it was the Water Transformation Technique, Water Gun Technique, Great Water Arm Technique, or Water Transformation Healing Technique—

Without Hozuki Clan blood, the difficulty of learning them was outrageously high.

The inherited techniques of Gengetsu Hozuki were the same.

They not only required exceptional talent in Water Release, but also extraordinary Genjutsu talent. One even had to be able to turn the Water Transformation Technique into Oil Transformation.

How many years had the Hozuki Clan struggled after Gengetsu Hozuki's death?

Had another Gengetsu Hozuki ever appeared?

To Konoha, this was like the Wood Release scrolls left behind by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Throw them away?

What if some genius capable of learning them appeared?

Try to learn them?

Sorry, I'm a fool.

If they handed over secret technique scrolls like these, given Lord Hokage's character, he would most likely accept them despite the headache.

They were, after all, the inheritance of Gengetsu Hozuki, the former Second Mizukage.

Strengthening Konoha's foundations could never be a bad thing.

But as long as he accepted these scrolls, when the Hozuki Clan discovered that Yamanaka Kei knew their clan's secret techniques in the future—

No matter how bitter Lord Hokage felt inside, he would have to stand at the forefront.

And once these scrolls were officially recorded, even those two Old Men in the Council of Elders who loved dumping blame on others would have no way to use this against Yamanaka Kei.

"No need to thank me. It is my duty."

Yamanaka Kei did not care in the slightest about Namikaze Minato's teasing.

"Kei, it would be nice if the things you did were ever as admirable as the things you said."

"Little Sun, where did you learn that sarcastic tone?"

"Didn't I learn it from you?"

"Come on, come on, Honoka, tell me who's right..."

Beside them, Honoka covered her mouth as she watched the two banter, giggling nonstop.

The worry and unease she had felt about settling down in Konoha also gradually faded by more than half amid their laughter.

Two days later, in Konoha's Hokage Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi read through the mission report submitted by Yamanaka Kei and Namikaze Minato.

Then he looked at Uzumaki Honoka, standing beside Minato with an anxious expression, as well as the two secret technique scrolls and one Sealing Scroll on his desk.

He could only feel his temples throbbing, as though he could barely breathe.

Bringing an Uzumaki Clan member back to the village was one thing. After all, the previous high-level meeting had already passed the resolution to gather the Uzumaki clansmen.

Even if this girl named Uzumaki Honoka had previously worked at a Mist research institute—

As long as she possessed the Uzumaki Bloodline and held no particular hostility toward Konoha, everyone else in the village would welcome her with open arms.

But what the hell were these remaining things?!

Great Sword Samehada?

Hozuki Clan secret techniques?

The inherited secret techniques of Gengetsu Hozuki, the Second Mizukage?

Were they really not afraid that those lunatics from Mist would come charging in tomorrow?

"This mission will be classified as top secret. The Hozuki Clan's secret techniques will be stored in the Scroll Chamber and categorized as techniques with an extremely high cultivation risk. As for the Second Mizukage's techniques... add them to the Book of Sealing. You may each choose two techniques from the Scroll Chamber or the Book of Sealing as your reward."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, massaged his temples with both hands.

At such a critical time, with war on the verge of erupting, he truly did not want to provoke this kind of trouble!

But a ninjutsu reserve was one of a ninja village's important foundations.

Could he really blame his subordinates for bringing back such a significant secret technique inheritance?

If word got out, who would ever do such a thing again?

Sigh...

He was truly convinced!

It had only been a somewhat dangerous reconnaissance mission. How had they managed to stir up so much trouble?

"Lord Hokage, then I'll take this sword. I already promised Kushina that I'd bring her back a local specialty."

With a placating smile, Yamanaka Kei stepped up to the desk.

Using Kushina as an excuse, he directly retrieved the scroll sealing Great Sword Samehada.

Beside him, Namikaze Minato's cheek twitched almost imperceptibly.

Great Sword Samehada was a local specialty?

Uh...

Whether it was local, he did not know, but it really did seem to be a specialty?

"...Mist still places great importance on the Seven Ninja Swords. Until the matter between Mist and Hidden Sand is resolved, don't go showing it off everywhere."

After considering it for a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi ultimately chose not to confiscate Great Sword Samehada.

Spoils captured by ninja during missions belonged to the ninja themselves in the first place.

Confiscating a subordinate's spoils.

It was not something that looked good, no matter how one put it.

Besides, Mist and Hidden Sand had already fought themselves into a frenzy.

If it was merely one ninja sword—

Whether for the greater situation or out of hatred for Hidden Sand, Mist could not possibly bare its fangs at Konoha right now.

Still, it would be safer to wait until they truly started fighting before taking this thing out.

"Got it."

The smile on Yamanaka Kei's face grew several degrees more sincere.

The Third really was a good man!

Before returning to the village, he had thought he might need to put in some effort over Great Sword Samehada.

He had not expected the Third, who had not yet reached his twilight years, to possess far more decisiveness than he had imagined!

Not bad, not bad!

Since this old man was being so straightforward, he would definitely scam him two fewer times in the future!