Gathering

"Tell me, what is the Lord Hokage doing in a place like this?"

"Ask me?"

"Then who else can I ask? It's just you and me here."

"What do I know? You dragged me out of bed to patrol first thing this morning, I haven't even had breakfast yet. Why should I care about the Lord Hokage? Taisheng, I think you should consider my hungry stomach first."

Uchiha Otoha pressed his stomach and glanced at his companion beside him.

"A hungry stomach? I think you should fix your tardiness habit first. This is the sixth time you've been late this month, and today is only the 16th!!"

Yuki Yashuo's hands trembled with anger. The Uchiha Clan was known for its expressionless faces; although they were difficult to deal with, those icy-faced individuals were all very responsible. But this guy in front of him was simply a disgrace to the Uchiha Clan. He was late, left early, skipped work without reason, and then argued with his boss with great self-righteousness.

Even though the highest-ranking officer in the Police Force was Uchiha Fugaku, Yuki Yashuo still felt that this guy would be kicked out of the team sooner or later.

"... Hey, isn't that Katsuki? And... Jiraiya -Jiraiya senpai? This is really strange. Jiraiya- senpai has actually returned to the village?"

"You bastard!"

Seeing that this guy was changing the subject, Yuki Yashuo's forehead veins bulged.

"Holy crap, Taisei, I'm not kidding you, it really is Jiraiya- senpai... Oh, right, Jiraiya- senpai hasn't come back since you guys came to the village. You might not recognize him, but look, that white-haired guy dressed like a kabuki actor, that's Jiraiya - Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin along with the Lord Hokage and Sannin."

Uchiha Otoha talked on and on, successfully diverting Yuki Yashuo's attention.

"The Sannin? Then... who are that blue-haired woman and the orange-haired man?"

After waiting for a long time without receiving a response, Yuki Yashuo turned around and found that the person next to him had been replaced by a wooden stake with a note nailed to it.

"I'm going to eat... you bastard, that damn bastard."

As he deciphered the scribbled handwriting on the note, Yuki Yashuo sighed helplessly. He sighed at Otoha's incurable laziness, yet was also surprised by his increasingly formidable skills. He hadn't even noticed how Otoha had left.

"This is unbelievable! This kid's skills are getting better every day... Damn it!"

When he turned around, the Hokage and the others had all disappeared, and his initial enthusiasm for watching the spectacle was immediately extinguished.

"...Keep patrolling!"

"Hey, Katsuki, what do you want?"

In a quiet alley with few pedestrians, cherry trees planted in the courtyard stand tall and graceful, their dense, green canopies reaching over the walls and casting a cool shade in the alley.

Katsuki leaned against the wall and waved to Otoha, who appeared at the alley entrance.

"What are you doing over there? Shouting like that, it seems like your companion is really annoyed by you?"

"Hey, it's nothing, just a small matter." Otoha shrugged. "More importantly, why did you use a secret signal to call me over? If there's nothing else, I'm going to eat. I didn't eat anything this morning, and I'm starving."

Stepping on lightning, Katsuki flashed to block the alley entrance and grabbed Otoha by the collar.

"Don't rush off. I must have called you here for a reason."

"Let me go! Can't you be a little gentler? If you keep doing this to me, I'll object to your relationship with Otome!" Otoha struggled fiercely.

"If you dare do that, I guarantee Otome won't kill you, but she'll definitely cripple you. Anyway, with my medical skills, as long as you don't die, I can save you." Katsuki dragged Otoha away, saying as they walked, "Don't struggle. I need your help to identify someone; it'll be quick."

His right hand, like a tightly gripping crocodile, clamped down on Otoha's body, and no matter how much Otoha struggled, she could not break free.

"I'd better buy a couple of taiyaki on the way to tide me over. I've been starving all morning and I'm really too weak..."

Having once again realized the immense power of Katsuki, Otoha quickly resigned himself to his fate and gave up struggling.

Instead, they changed their strategy; if the hard approach didn't work, they tried a softer one.

Clutching two taiyaki (fish-shaped cakes) that she had obtained through a appeasement strategy, Otoha ate as she walked, following Katsuki through the streets and alleys. Soon, the two arrived at their destination.

Looking at the huge ginkgo tree on the street corner, it would take seven or eight people to encircle it. Such large old trees are common in forests, but they are quite rare on the street.

"Huh? What are you doing here at Minato?"

Otoha became curious.

The largest house, nestled beside a ginkgo tree, had a door plaque bearing the inscription "Namikaze."

This is the residence of Minato, a reward bestowed by the village to reward Minato achievements, and also a symbol of the new leader of the Root.

Instead of going through the main gate, Katsuki led Otoha over the wall and jumped directly into the backyard, where they saw several figures sitting or standing under the eaves of the long corridor.

The Fourth Hokage, the retired Third Hokage, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the two Hokage advisors, Tsunade, the current director of Konoha Hospital, Jiraiya who just returned to the village, Minato Namikaze, the leader of the Root organization and its youngest Hokage, and Nawaki Senju, the head of the Senju clan...

"Wow!"

Otoha swallowed the last bite of taiyaki and licked his fingers.

"So many important figures, Katsuki, are you sure you didn't lead me the wrong way? Or did you get the wrong person? Could it be... you drank too much yesterday and are still asleep?"

"Stop talking nonsense. If you keep being cheeky, I promise I'll beat you to death."

Katsuki shook her fist and made a threatening statement.

"Tch, I really don't know where all our years of friendship have gone?"

Otoha muttered complaints under his breath, and Katsuki's ears twitched slightly. He decided not to argue with her and pretended not to hear.

"Fugaku is not in the village, and I have important matters to consult with the nobles, which is why I came to you."

Orochimaru.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu sat in a circle, a complete tea set laid out in front of them. They were sipping tea and chatting leisurely, seemingly relaxed and at ease, but their solemn expressions made one feel somewhat worried.

Jiraiya and Tsunade were talking in hushed tones, their conversation unclear. Minato and Nawaki sat solemnly by a pillar, their expressions dignified, like two statues.

"Lord Hokage, even if Clan Head Fugaku is not here, there are plenty of people in the clan with higher status than me. I am just a junior, and I'm afraid I won't be of much use here." Otoha narrowed his eyes and stared directly at Orochimaru.

"Otoha- kun, why belittle yourself? Minato- kun and Katsuki- kun both recommended you. Based on that alone, I believe you will not disappoint me. Besides, this matter is somewhat awkward and difficult to discuss. If the elders of the nobility were here, it might cause unnecessary trouble."

Orochimaru spoke slowly and deliberately.

Upon hearing this, Otoha's expression changed instantly. The playful look on his face vanished, and his deep, unfathomable eyes swept over everyone present, especially Katsuki, whom he deliberately lingered on for two seconds.

"Don't look at me like that. There's no way I would do anything to betray Otome."

Katsuki sighed helplessly. The Uchiha Clan had been driven to paranoia by the Second Hokage's policies. In this state of mind, their coup was probably just a way to seek liberation!