So, the Beginnings of Tragedies Are All Alike
"It's signed." Naruto was slightly taken aback, then realized what was going on. "Does Lord Tsunade want to see those documents?"
"No, Lord Shizune who asked for it. She told me to sign it and send it over as soon as possible." Sakura said this, but there was no trace of urgency on her face.
"The file." Naruto glanced back at the file on the table. "It's right there. Do you want me to get it for you?"
"Okay." Sakura replied, a hint of doting affection flashing in her eyes.
Naruto turned around and took the document. Every time Sakura said "okay," it made him feel a little uneasy. Even so, he calmly handed the document to her.
"Do you remember what you promised me?" he asked.
"Forehead?"
"I should be able to leave the Hokage Building around 4 PM. Are you free?" Sakura waved the documents in her hand. "Come wait for me at the Hokage Building."
Naruto doesn't have any missions for the time being; Shizune mentioned it to him briefly. He won't have any missions for a long time until the Sunagakure incident is resolved.
The resumption of the Land of Snow mission remains uncertain, and Kazahana Koyuki has left Konohagakure with no known whereabouts. Naruto cannot easily leave the village to find a princess who constantly escapes reality, so the matter is temporarily put on hold.
"Okay," he said.
After returning home, Naruto lay on the sofa for a while, but Nine-Tails was surprisingly not home. The balcony window was wide open, the curtains were swaying, and a beam of light shone directly into the area within a meter in front of the French windows.
With a whoosh, the French windows were pushed open from the balcony, and Nine-Tails swaggered back like Tom Cat. A summer breeze, carrying heat, rushed into the living room.
"Kid, you're back so soon?" Nine-Tails jumped onto the sofa, twisted his body to find the most comfortable position, and showed an expression of enjoyment on his face.
"Where did you go?" Naruto opened his eyes a crack and glanced at Nine-Tails.
"It's none of your business." Nine-Tails muttered as she pulled a bottle of wine from under the sofa and opened it with practiced ease. "I went out for a stroll. Ha, humans are so easy to fool."
"I just stood there, and they bought food for me. They really are slaves."
"Begging?" Naruto asked with a hint of disdain.
"What nonsense are you spouting? What begging!" Nine-Tails stood up abruptly from the sofa. "How can the Tailed Beast be considered begging? It's not like I wanted them; they gave them to me!"
"I just said it offhand, why are you getting so worked up?" Naruto said in a cheeky tone.
Nine-Tails really wanted to throw a Tailed Beast Ball at it, but held back for the sake of the drinks. The fox had no choice but Jonin bow its head under the eaves. It simply rolled over and lay down on the sofa.
The man and the fox lay there, and the living room was quiet for a while. A summer breeze blew by, and the wind chimes tinkled.
"What are we having for lunch?" Nine-Tails suddenly asked.
"You're being really pathetic talking like that. You're a Tailed Beast, aren't you?" Naruto complained. "You won't starve to death even if you don't eat anything."
Upon hearing this, the Nine-Tails's face darkened.
"That's true, but we're finally free, so we should treat ourselves to something nice. You're not really planning to leave us empty-handed, are you? I want barbecue."
"I'm too lazy to go."
"No! We have to go." Nine-Tails jumped off the sofa, grabbed Naruto's hand, and dragged him off the sofa.
With a thud, Naruto landed heavily on his back, opening his eyes. His face twitched slightly; he really wanted to lock this fox up with the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
With a bang, the door slammed shut.
Naruto walked slowly down the corridor, the warm Nikko shining on him. Nine-Tails) perched on his shoulder, nestled behind his fluffy blond hair.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The footsteps faded into the distance, and the shadows of the man and the fox were short, like two chibi-style monsters.
The sunlight was intense, shining on every corner of Konohagakure.
"Regarding the issue of developing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," Danzo of high-ranking officials. "I personally think it's time to put this on the agenda."
"The Jinchuriki of Sunagakure are currently in Konohagakure. Even though an agreement has been signed for their temporary containment, we have more opportunities to facilitate cooperation between the two villages in the development of their Jinchuriki."
"After all, Konohagakure and Sand are allies."
In the backlit seats, each clan leader remained silent. The Fifth Hokage had been gone for quite some time, seemingly to retrieve something personally, and was listening to Danzo's theoretical explanation of developing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Danzo was an excellent high-ranking official, cunning and patient, willing to do anything for the benefit of Konohagakure. However, he was also lacking in courage and prone to self-deception.
He attempted to use the collective good to mask his selfishness; he had no ulterior motives towards Konohagakure, so he felt Konohagakure couldn't do without him. This was Danzo's most important point: dedication!
He had shed blood for Konohagakure, sacrificing everything except his life. His greatest dream was to gain recognition, the recognition of everyone. And this recognition translated into a concrete and achievable goal: to become Hokage.
Giving and taking – this perfectly encapsulates the life of Danzo Shimura of Konoha.
"It's understandable that the Fifth Hokage acted out of self-interest, but Jinchuriki are important strategic weapons for the village and cannot be viewed in the same way as ordinary people," Danzo paused and continued.
Shikaku Nara coughed. As a veteran strategist Konohagakure's mouthpiece, he had the privilege of interrupting Danzo's speech.
"The issue of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has been discussed before, and the Third Hokage's opinion is..."
"The Third Hokage is no longer here, what's the point of saying all this now?" Danzo said unhappily.
The rise of the younger generation, Tsunade's succession as the Fifth Hokage, and the possibility of Kakashi becoming the Sixth Hokage —this trend deeply troubled Danzo, but he also knew what Tsunade and Kakashi meant to Konohagakure.
Konohagakure needs pillars of strength, and it also needs the power of the younger generation.
Danzo valued Konohagakure too much, and himself too much. The Third Hokage had already stepped down from the stage of history, but he was still unwilling to leave. He firmly believed that his position was irreplaceable; Konohagakure needed Root, and it needed him.
The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Danzo's voice was deep but carried the undeniable authority of a veteran high-ranking official.
With a loud bang, the heavy wooden door of the conference room was pushed open. The intense Nikko was blinding, illuminating the entire meeting room, Danzo subconsciously squinted.
The Nikko surrounded Tsunade like a cluster of flowers, highlighting her striking appearance in her Tsunade.
"Stop wasting any more time!"
The crisp sound of high heels hitting the ground echoed throughout the conference room. Konohagakure, the Fifth Hokage and Hokage Tsunade Konoha with absolutely pure blood, walked to the long table that occupied two-thirds of the conference room.
The moment he stood still, he scanned his surroundings, his gaze sweeping over the group of executives without fear, his eyes sharp as knives.
With a snap, he threw a bound document onto the center of the table.
"Sand has signed a betting agreement with Konohagakure. After Gaara becomes Kazekage, the Jinchuriki of Sand and Konohagakure will form an alliance. They promise that the two countries will never go to war."
"The premise is to refuse to develop Jinchuriki and to reject any treaty or plan that sacrifices the interests of Jinchuriki."
As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous boom resounded in the minds of all the high-ranking officials.
This agreement is not just a few blank sheets of paper; it signifies the emergence of the first treaty protecting the rights of Jinchuriki (humans of Tailed Beasts). In written form, the Jinchuriki protection plan may one day become a legally binding law.
Moreover, this was not an agreement drafted solely by Tsunade, but rather a co-opted agreement involving two of the five great nations' leaders, Sunagakure and the Land of Wind. Its significance cannot be underestimated. Besides the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth also possesses a Jinchuriki, and the Tsuchikage is facing a generational gap – a consensus known to everyone.
What will the future hold? All the high-ranking officials of Konohagakure focused their attention on that agreement.
Danzo's face turned ashen. He stretched out his hand, and a nearby high-ranking official grabbed the agreement and handed it to Danzo. Danzo remained silent, flipping through the agreement page by page.
"What does this say?" At the Barbecue restaurant, Nine-Tails tossed the menu onto the table with its paw and said in a low voice, "Why is it all juice? Bring a few bottles of wine."
"Heh, do you think that's possible?" Naruto said impatiently. "At this age, they won't put drinks on the menu. Forget about it."
"Little brat, why aren't you growing up yet!" Nine-Tails complained in a low voice. "How can we eat barbecue without wine?"
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and choose."
"Ah!!" A scream from the street caught Naruto's attention. A white bird flew through the crowd, knocking off a woman's large hat, and then flew around Konohagakure Street.
At the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Ino carefully inspected her ninja tool bag before pushing open the door. Her blonde hair was ruffled by a rapidly flying bird; she turned her head, her dark blue Tartar eyes fixed on the bird as it soared into the sky.
Shikamaru Choji emerged from the alley, bathed in sunlight, their brows slightly furrowed as they talked. They paused briefly at a stall, then waved to Ino.
Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka waited by the Hyuga Clan's main gate. Akamaru looked somewhat listless, gazing at the steaming crowd and sticking out his bright red tongue.
Under a clear blue sky, the people of the entire village flowed like a slow but vibrant stream.
June 3rd, Konohagakure was unusually hot in the summer.
Naruto, carrying Nine-Tails, strolled slowly down the street after leaving the Barbecue restaurant. He gazed at the bustling street, the air thick with the steam slightly distorted. He glanced at the convenience store and stopped in his tracks.
The Hokage Building, at sunset.
Sakura sat on the rooftop railing, her legs dangling and swaying slightly. She gazed at the green trees whose leaves had turned golden, her expression utterly peaceful.
Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned around to look.
Naruto stopped at the doorway, his eyelids twitching as he gazed at the pink-haired girl completely bathed in the sunset.
He had seen that kind of scene before, usually in tragic movies. The clichéd plots didn't move him at all; in fact, he had already predicted the ending before the tragedy even began.