Nonexistent Stability

For the Forest Senju, the Hidden Leaf Village is an even more expansive forest. Now, following the sacrifice of the Second Hokage, this ninja clan that founded the Hidden Leaf Village has chosen to integrate into the village in a more thorough, more extreme manner.

That the powerful Senju would make such a choice suggests, in a sense, that the current clan head is someone who is overly conservative, lacking in ambition, devoid of glory, and exceptionally long-suffering.

With such changes occurring in the Senju clan immediately after the death of the Second Hokage, a bystander watching the spectacle without fear of chaos might well sigh:

"Truly, each generation is worse than the last."

Yet, who could have guessed the internal struggle and pain of the clan head who made this decision? She had even prepared herself to endure countless pressures, criticisms, and rebukes. Regardless of anything else, someone capable of making such a decision is certainly not weak or cowardly at heart... even if she appears completely different from the First and Second Hokage, her core is the same as her predecessors—she, too, possesses a firm and powerful heart.

A gentle knocking sound came from outside Hanyu's door. The rhythm of the knocking was not impatient, yet it urged the person inside to open the door quickly.

Hanyu had rested well last night and was already awake, so he headed toward the door the moment the knocking began. Upon opening it, he found that the person standing outside was none other than Sanshao, the director of the Sanatorium.

"Put on the clothes inside, then come with me." Before Hanyu could even offer a greeting, Sanshao quickly thrust a bundle into his hands and proceeded to pull the door shut again.

Hanyu was confused—not by Sanshao's act of delivering clothes, but by her attitude and the time of day... Dawn was only just breaking, the hour was still early, and Sanshao seemed somewhat hurried.

He unwrapped the bundle, and sure enough, it contained a set of clothes, from the top down to the shoes. Hanyu took off his hospital gown and changed into the new attire. The thickness was perfectly suited for the season and warmth, the fabric was tight yet elastic, and regardless of the style, the clothes were very comfortable to wear. The only issue was that, aside from the lack of a signature tactical vest, the outfit looked exactly like a ninja's combat uniform.

In fact, it didn't just look like one.

After moving the clothes and shoes aside, he found two smaller pouches remaining in the bundle. Hanyu opened them to find that the long, narrow one was stuffed with four kunai, while the other, a waist pouch, was filled to the brim with shuriken, along with several different types of pills sorted into various compartments... clearly, these were also items used by ninjas.

Hanyu had no choice but to mimic the image of a ninja he held in his mind, strapping both items onto his body. Having made his preparations quickly, he stepped out of his room once more.

Sanshao looked him up and down in his new attire, then simply nodded without offering any comment. She signaled for Hanyu to follow and then began walking away rapidly.

It seemed the matter was indeed urgent. Hanyu did not know where he was being taken, but since the other party gave him no opportunity to ask, he could only follow along obediently.

Soon, Sanshao brought Hanyu to a circular building. Hanyu remembered this as the administrative hub of the Hidden Leaf, the place where the Hokage worked. Upon arriving, Sanshao navigated through several twists and turns until they reached an office housing a specific department. After the people inside fussed over Hanyu for a while, he left the room clutching a document bearing his name and the registration number "001050."

"Sarutobi is currently reorganizing the strength of the Hidden Leaf, re-registering himself and all the ninjas below him. This measure has only just begun to be implemented. Firstly, there are few ninjas in the village right now as most are away on missions; secondly, we arrived early, which is why we secured such an early number. You were a bit unlucky, though; otherwise, you could have gotten a number under one thousand." Seeing Hanyu staring at the paper in confusion, Sanshao explained it to him this way.

Could the acting Hokage's rectification movement really reach an outsider like him?

"Teacher Sanshao, do you mean that I have been registered as an official ninja?" Realizing what this meant, he asked, steeling himself. Now that he was aware he possessed chakra, Hanyu didn't mind becoming a ninja, but... regardless, this was all too rushed.

To become a ninja without the skills of one—if he were to be sent to the battlefield next, what would such a person be called?

The answer is cannon fodder.

Hanyu didn't mind being a ninja, but he did mind being cannon fodder.

"Yes, and you will be accompanying me on a mission." Sanshao's explanation pushed the situation in the exact direction Hanyu feared most.

It was clearly an emergency mission; even as they spoke, their pace did not slacken. Despite the early hour, the Hidden Leaf was already bustling at dawn, and the two of them soon arrived at the main gate of the village.

A team was already waiting for them there.

"Is this everyone?" Bringing Hanyu before the group, Sanshao asked.

Before a response came, Hanyu looked at the faces of two of the men and slowly recalled who they were—Mitokado Homura and Kagami Uchiha.

He was secretly shocked; the composition of this squad was far too high-level.

However, besides these two prominent figures, another child stood behind them. Judging by his stature, he was no older than ten. He wore black clothes, with only his eyes visible... this tight-lipped attire reminded Hanyu of the spy who had appeared outside his hospital window the night before last.

"Yes, Lady Sanshao." Mitokado Homura stepped forward to respond.

"A very reasonable composition. I represent the 'sincerity' of the village, and the two of you will handle the negotiations. As for the child, a genin... to a certain extent, he represents that we have no intention of engaging in combat on this trip. He is our 'goodwill'." After surveying the members participating in the mission, Sanshao spoke thus.

Although it was not rare for young ninjas to go to the battlefield, who would bring a child along for a high-intensity combat operation? Therefore, her reasoning held some weight.

Then wouldn't I be completely redundant? There's no need for me to be involved, Hanyu desperately wanted to ask. Aside from him, this squad was the standard four-man ninja team. So why drag along a "noob" like him who couldn't even take care of himself on the battlefield?

However, he had no way to voice this; there was no room for him to interject here.

"Since everyone is ready, we can depart now."

"Lady Sanshao, you really don't need to take this risk." Kagami Uchiha finally couldn't help but try to persuade her, still hoping she might change her mind.

But Sanshao shook her head firmly. "We are not going to fight, and at this point, how could we possibly change the mission roster?"

"But today is..." Kagami Uchiha wanted to say more, but his words were cut short by two sharp, forceful syllables.

"Let's go." With that, Sanshao took the lead and stepped onto the path leaving the village.

Kagami Uchiha and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance, both seeing the bitter smiles on each other's faces, and had no choice but to follow.

Behind them, the Hidden Leaf was becoming even more restless...

It was not just because this trip was too dangerous, but because today was the day of the funeral for the late Second Hokage, who had left not even a corpse behind.

Regardless of anything else, Sanshao should have remained in the village.