Envoys

Is this Konoha?

"Wow, there are so many people!"

Main gate of Konoha.

The huge doors were wide open, and the crowds coming and going surged like a tidal wave. The sight of towering heads filled the air, and the sounds of chatting, shouting, and children crying mingled together. The nearly 10,000 square meters of open space at the entrance was packed with people, like a giant boiling pot.

The uproar is unsettling.

Since the end of Third Shinobi War in 1945, there has been no large-scale war for fifteen years. As a result, Konoha has ushered in a period of rapid development, with an explosive increase in population. At the same time, the village's prosperity and peace have attracted a large number of outsiders, as well as many clients and merchants.

Last year's census showed that Konoha's permanent population exceeded 400,000, and if the floating population is included, it exceeds 500,000.

Such a number is extremely astonishing in the Shinobi World, after all, it's just a ninja village.

The Sand Village delegation was stopped on the main road. Many Sand Village ninjas, who were visiting Konoha for the first time, stared wide-eyed at the lively scene before them.

This was a scene never before seen in Sunagakure, and even the Daimyo's Daimyo's Mansion in the Land of Wind could hardly compare.

This is Konoha!

As a candidate for the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa was naturally the highest-ranking envoy of the Sand Village delegation.

Since the defeat in Second Shinobi War and the signing of the alliance treaty between Sunagakure and Konoha, the two ninja villages have had very frequent exchanges. Rasa has served as an envoy of Sunagakure to Konoha on many occasions, and has witnessed Konoha's development firsthand.

Standing here, looking at the prosperous scene of Konoha, and then thinking about the plight of Sunagakure in recent years.

I have very mixed feelings!

With the Wind Daimyo repeatedly cutting the village's budget, life in the Sand Village became increasingly difficult.

"Alright, everyone, perk up and get ready to enter the village. The people from Konoha are here."

As a delegation from the Sand Village, they naturally didn't need to queue to enter the village. Waiting staff came forward to greet them, clearing a wide path through the crowd so they could enter the village without any hindrance.

"Wow! Another wave is coming. Is this time... Sand Ninja?"

"Hey, what big thing has happened lately? Why is everyone heading to Konoha?"

"God knows, I hope nothing's wrong. My little business can't withstand any storms."

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, which buzzed like a swarm of flies, Rasa pricked up his ears to listen carefully, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Rasa, please come this way."

After passing through the gate, the receptionist warmly led the way.

"Does the Rain Ninja also have messengers?"

Rasa asked casually.

"Yes, the envoy from the Rain Ninja arrived an hour ago and should be settled in at the embassy by now."

"I see... Do you know who's leading the team?" Rasa pressed, while simultaneously tossing a heavy money bag from his sleeve, which landed precisely in the hands of the receptionist.

As if by magic, the money pouch vanished in the blink of an eye. The Chunin was receiving them broke into a wide smile and began answering Rasa's question with lightning speed.

"This time, the envoy from Rain Ninja is Konan, and I've heard that Rain Ninja Village has also submitted an application to visit the Ninja Academy. Perhaps we can arrange to travel together then."

Given the substantial amount of money in the Chunin added another sentence.

Rasa nodded and said nothing more.

In recent years, Rain Ninja, a guy from Yahiko, has come to power and become the new ruler of Amegakure after Hanzō. He has managed Amegakure very well, and its strength has increased significantly. The name of Amegakure as the sixth great ninja village has been circulating in secret once again.

Konan, as the strongest member of Amegakure, is also a key focus of attention.

"This time, we must convince those foolish elders that if they don't learn from Konoha and reform their ninja training system, they might really be surpassed by Rain Ninja."

Rasa pondered to himself and made up his mind. No matter what, once he returned to the village, he would persuade the Third Hokage elders to remove those incompetent old men from their positions.

Hokage Building.

"Are the envoys from Rain Ninja and Sand Village both coming?"

His long black hair cascaded down his back, and his blue-green Tomoe earrings swayed gently. Time had not left many marks on Orochimaru's face, and it was difficult to judge his exact age from his appearance alone, but his mature demeanor was quite striking.

At that moment, he stood by the window, gazing at the bustling street scene outside.

"Yes, both sides have settled in at the embassy. Konan Rain Ninja has visited Lord Minato's house with her daughter, while Lord Rasa of Rasa remains indoors."

The Anbu kneeling before the table recounted the intelligence one by one.

"... Did Kimimaro cause any trouble at the embassy?"

Orochimaru hesitated for a few seconds, but still showed concern for his beloved little disciple.

Anko's eldest disciple, Anko, had very limited talent and remained at the Special Jonin for a long time before barely becoming Jonin. Moreover, her strength among Jonin was only average. In contrast, the younger disciple, who came from the Kaguya family, had exceptionally outstanding talent and was therefore greatly favored by Orochimaru.

Kimimaro is only fifteen years old, already has the strength of Jonin, and there is still a lot of room for improvement in his strength. However, his weakness is that he is somewhat rigid and inflexible in his dealings with others.

To this end, Orochimaru specifically arranged for him to undergo training involving frequent contact with all sorts of people.

One of them is the work of the embassy.

"Kimimaro's work was completed perfectly, without any flaws."

The Anbu answered quickly.

"Alright, let's stick to the original rules. Minato will handle the surveillance; it's Root's job anyway, so you don't need to overstep your bounds." Orochimaru waved his hand, then added, "By the way, how's the Ninja Academy going? Both Sand and Rain Ninja have applied to visit. They'll come over tomorrow to make a show of it, and then they'll probably head over to the academy."

"The Ninja Academy is making preparations, but it seems Lord Katsuki doesn't intend to make any major changes. He just had the grounds cleaned up, held a meeting to give instructions to all the teachers, and that's all... Isn't that a bit too casual?"

After a moment's hesitation, the Anbu voiced his doubts.

As Orochimaru's confidant, he dared to say some things.

Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile upon hearing this.

Unfortunately, the Anbu behind it were completely invisible.

"Is it casual? Whether it's casual or serious, don't worry about it. Just leave the Ninja Academy to Mizuki -Katsuki kun... Oh, and the cemetery, is there any problem there?"

There are countless tasks to worry about every day, and even someone as outstanding as Orochimaru will occasionally miss one or two things.

"The cemetery is very peaceful. The Konoha Military Police Force has increased manpower, and my subordinates have also arranged four teams to guard the area day and night. As long as the tomb raiders dare to show up, we guarantee they won't be able to escape," the Anbu service officer replied firmly.

Orochimaru shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"That's not necessarily true, that's not necessarily true! Someone who can dig up a Sand Ninja's grave without being discovered is definitely not an ordinary person..."

Orochimaru didn't voice his true feelings; he simply waved his hand.

Knowing the conversation was over, the Anbu bowed respectfully and withdrew. (To be continued)