Return to Konoha, High-Value Senju

"Summon Danzō."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was low, issuing the order to the invisible shadow in the air.

Before long, the grim-faced Shimura Danzō walked in from outside the Hokage Building, heading straight for the Hokage's Office.

The moment he pushed open the office door, he couldn't help but speak:

"Hiashi, I heard intelligence from the Land of Whirlpools has arrived. How goes the battle?"

"Uzushiogakure has fallen. The Uzumaki Clan is nearly wiped out."

"Hmph, what useless allies."

"And the Root members I ordered you to send? Why wasn't support mentioned in the intelligence? You even dispatched a squad on a 'infiltration' mission tantamount to suicide." Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze was sharp as he stared at the Shimura Danzō before him.

At this, Shimura Danzō's expression stiffened, but he replied with feigned composure:

"Root lacks personnel. I've told you this before—we need to draw ninja from the various clans."

"Danzō! You're something else! So protective of your subordinates, yet you disregard the village's ninja and orders." The anger Hiruzen Sarutobi had been suppressing finally broke loose, and he shouted at Shimura Danzō.

"If not for Namikaze Yoru surviving by sheer luck, I'd still be kept in the dark!"

Scolded like this by his old friend, Shimura Danzō's face couldn't hold up, and he retorted:

"Everything I do is for Konoha! Who knew the Uzumaki Clan would be so fragile? As for that brat who managed to escape from the Land of Whirlpools, he's definitely suspicious. I think we need to use the Yamanaka Secret Technique to investigate thoroughly..."

"Shut up!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shot to his feet, the Hokage's authority radiating invisibly.

"I am the Hokage. I don't need you to teach me how to do my job! You're to head to the front lines and support Orochimaru. Don't let me see you acting on your own again."

"I don't regret this."

After saying this, Shimura Danzō glanced at the fluttering Hokage robe on Hiruzen Sarutobi, then turned and left without hesitation.

The Hokage's Office fell silent once more.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly sank back into his chair, his usually upright frame now seeming somewhat hunched.

He knew full well that Shimura Danzō wasn't entirely wrong. At this moment, Konoha was stretched thin fighting on multiple fronts, and avoiding conflict with Kirigakure was indeed in the village's interest.

Turning his gaze to the window, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the statues of the First and Second Generations on the Hokage Rock, lost in thought for a long time.

Dragging his exhausted body, Namikaze Yoru finally returned to that familiar little house. Though the Uzumaki Sage Body granted him a powerful physique, mental fatigue wasn't so easily dispelled.

Not to mention the nonstop travel, pushing the Mind's Eye of the Kagura to its limit, constantly sensing everything around him—even after entering the Land of Fire, he hadn't let up, nearly drained completely, not a drop left.

And in that brief meeting with Hiruzen Sarutobi, the flash of surprise on his face confirmed to Namikaze Yoru that this infiltration mission was indeed problematic.

Combined with memories from his past life, he could be sure that behind it all lay the handiwork of the "Pot Kage," Shimura Danzō.

Exhausted in body and mind, he could no longer think. The fatigue from days of slaughter and escape surged over him like a tide.

He hastily stripped off his filthy clothes, collapsed onto the bed, and instantly fell into a dreamless sleep.

Under the midday sun, having slept until the sun was high in the sky, Namikaze Yoru finally woke up.

"Ah—ah—"

"That feels good!"

He stretched his body, joints cracking and popping. All the weariness from sleep seemed to have been swept away, his body brimming with vitality.

"So this is the recovery power of the Uzumaki Sage Body? Truly insane..."

Normally, after such intense exertion, he'd be sore and weak for at least several days.

He couldn't help but think of that nephew he'd never met—no wonder he could withstand so many Shadow Clone accelerators messing around. If someone else tried the same thing, they'd probably have died from overwork long ago.

Carefully sensing the surging chakra and the vigorous life force within him, Namikaze Yoru even vaguely felt that he'd grown a bit taller overnight.

He rolled up his tattered, blood-soaked ninja uniform and tossed it away, washed up casually, and changed into clean civilian clothes. Refreshed, he pushed open the door and stepped onto the street.

The small building he lived in was an inheritance from his parents in this world, both of whom had died early in the Second Shinobi War.

Fortunately, Namikaze Yoru had awakened memories of his past life, and with the substantial survivor benefits, this "precocious" child had managed to live fairly comfortably during his time at the Ninja Academy.

And though the Namikaze Clan wasn't considered a ninja clan, his blood relatives had shown him plenty of care as a talented young ninja.

At noon, the streets of Konoha were as bustling as ever, full of the flavor of daily life, as if the shadow of war had never touched this land.

"Little Yoru, haven't seen you in days. Were you out on a mission?"

Just as he was wondering where to grab some food to fill his stomach, a familiar voice came from the roadside.

Namikaze Yoru turned to look and saw Aunt Keiko from the dango shop waving at him with a smile, a bit of flour still dusting her apron.

"Aunt Keiko, how's business today?"

"Thanks to your idea, business has picked up a lot."

Her shop used to sell only plain white rice dumplings, but it was Namikaze Yoru who casually suggested adding sakura and matcha flavors, creating the now-popular Three-Colored Dango.

Though it was just a casual move, Namikaze Yoru had actually considered it before—if he didn't manage to graduate from the Ninja Academy, opening a food shop with his past-life memories might be a viable livelihood. He'd even used his survivor benefits to buy a storefront.

Now it happened to be rented to Aunt Keiko in front of him, earning a bit of living expenses.

"Ohayou! Yoru, you're here to eat Three-Colored Dango too?"

[Ding! Scan complete, high-value pawn item detected:]

[Extremely rare Senju Bloodline*1... Estimated value: 1000]

Even without the system's reminder, just hearing that naive voice, Namikaze Yoru knew who it was.

His gaze shifted, and a plan suddenly formed in his mind.

"I say, Nawaki, you've been following Lord Orochimaru for so long, why are you still so rash and reckless?"

"Haha, Yoru, don't joke around. I graduated in the top three of the Ninja Academy."

"Then who was first?"

"Alright, you win. But I've learned a lot from my teacher now. There's no way you can beat me as you are now."

Their class at the Ninja Academy didn't have any particularly outstanding figures. If he had to name one, the Senju Nawaki in front of him could count as one.

Senju Nawaki—the true genius of their graduating class in practical assessment. Although his theoretical scores were slightly inferior, his combat potential and Chakra reserves far surpassed his peers, and his graduation rating was well above Namikaze Yoru's.

But his personality was straightforward and reckless. He had immense power but lacked tactical thinking. Against ordinary genin, he could overwhelm them with brute force, but against an opponent like Namikaze Yoru, who possessed an adult's mentality and cunning, he often showed countless openings.

Taking two skewers of dango from Aunt Keiko, stuffing one into his own mouth and the other into Nawaki's hand, Namikaze Yoru continued:

"Then I'd like to see how much you've improved. How about a spar in the training ground?"

"Loser treats the winner to a meal, deal?"