Sarutobi Hiruzen's Reward (Parts One and Two)

Sunagakure.

In the vast deserts of the Land of Wind, sandstorms rage year-round.

"That old man Hanzō, who wore a breathing tube, is dead."

Chiyo frowned.

"Ah, I was hoping to see him again before I die, but I never expected him to leave us first."

"Chiyo, Ebizo requests your presence to discuss matters concerning the war against Cloud Village."

A Sunagakure Chunin ran over from a distance and knelt on one knee.

"Knew."

Chiyo responded.

Hanzō's death is both good news and bad news for Sunagakure.

The good news is that with the Land of Rain in chaos, Sunagakure can more easily concentrate its forces to deal with Cloud Village.

The bad news is, this was killed by one of Konoha's new generation of ninjas.

Even though rumors Tsunade was also present, Chiyo remained wary.

The fact that Konoha has produced a brat capable of killing Hanzō is far more terrifying than Hanzō's death itself.

"Lady Teshiro, I've heard that Kiyosuke is very skilled in medical ninjutsu?"

A young female Sunagakure asked in a low voice.

She couldn't believe that a ninja skilled in Medical Ninjutsu could be so powerful.

"He's not only skilled in Medical Ninjutsu, but he also knows many other Ninjutsu."

Chiyo said calmly.

Just like her beloved grandson who had left Sunagakure, Qingyu possessed talents that were unmatched by ordinary people.

Thinking of this, Chiyo fell silent for a moment.

Where did her beloved grandson go?

If he had stayed in Sunagakure, he might have achieved a reputation similar to Qingyu's.

Chiyo had this confidence because of her mastery of the art of puppetry.

Sasori was the most talented ninja she had ever seen.

Iwagakure.

Ōnoki sat in the Tsuchikage's office.

Hanzō is dead.

Ōnoki also received this information.

"In that case, the Land of Rain will be Konoha's for the taking."

"That little girl Tsunade actually trained a disciple capable of killing Hanzō. That old fox Sarutobi Hiruzen must be laughing in his sleep."

Ōnoki sighed.

His disciples, however, were not so fortunate.

Ōnoki felt a headache coming on just thinking about that bastard Deidara.

"Father, there's no need to worry too much."

Kitsuchi, who was standing to the side, spoke up.

"Although the Land of Rain falls within Konoha's sphere of influence, it is a resource-poor place. Even if Konoha wanted to develop it, it wouldn't gain any benefits in the short term."

What do you know?

Ōnoki snorted.

"What I want isn't that desolate land and muddy wasteland of the Land of Rain. What I'm worried about is Qingyu. Once he truly matures, do you think our Iwagakure will still have a chance to turn things around?"

Ōnoki had seen Qingyu in person.

I know this guy is no ordinary person.

Furthermore, Qingyu had also had contact with Madara Uchiha.

All of this made Ōnoki completely unable to underestimate Qingyu.

The thought that Madara Uchiha was still active in the shadows of the Shinobi World made Ōnoki feel extremely bad.

Almost all of the older generation are dead, how come Madara Uchiha can live so long!

The Kitsuchi remained silent for a moment.

For some reason, ever since Father returned from Kannabi Bridge, his attitude towards Konoha has remained tense.

"We need to expedite reaching an agreement with Kirigakure."

Ōnoki continued.

"Konoha is currently too powerful. If Konoha, Sunagakure, and the Land of Rain also side with Konoha, Iwagakure will truly be surrounded. We must withdraw our forces from the western front as soon as possible, and at the same time send someone to contact Kirigakure to discuss a ceasefire and jointly deal with Konoha."

"But Kirigakure and us—"

Kitsuchi frowned.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Ōnoki shook his head.

Kitsuchi, as his son, was a bit too honest and simple-minded.

"Yes, Father."

Kitsuchi lowered his head and said.

A few days later, at the gates of Konoha.

As Qingyu and her group approached, they could see a large crowd gathered at the village entrance from afar.

The ninja guarding the gate was originally leaning against the gatepost. When he saw Qingyu's figure, he was stunned for a moment, and then quickly walked over to greet him.

"Lord Qingyu!"

He was a young ninja in his early twenties, with an old scar on his face that stretched from his forehead to his chin.

He ran up to Qingyu, took a deep breath, and barely managed to calm himself down.

"Lord Qingyu, I—I heard you killed Hanzo of the Salamander, is that true?"

His voice was distorted with excitement, sounding somewhat strange.

Qingyu nodded.

"My brother—my brother died in the Land of Rain."

The gatekeeper ninja lowered his head.

"That happened during the Second Shinobi World War. He was killed by Hanzō's poison mist, and his body couldn't even be brought back."

"So, thank you, Lord Qingyu."

"Really, thank you so much."

The gatekeeper ninja looked grateful.

Qingyu looked at the ninja who was a few years older than herself and was somewhat surprised.

After all, this is a legacy issue from the last Shinobi World War.

War inevitably breeds hatred, perpetuating the animosity between the two sides.

Hanzo of the Salamander killed many Konoha ninjas, and it was precisely because Hanzo of the Salamander was so powerful, and because most of the ninjas who fought him died, that he achieved his goal.

That's why the name of the Sannin is so famous.

Qingyu reached out and patted the other person on the shoulder.

"No need for that, we're all comrades."

Qingyu said.

At the same time, three lines of text appeared before his eyes.

[Collectible trait detected: Guard Duty]

[D-Rank Trait: Guard Duty]

[Effect: Chakra recovery speed is increased by 30% when stationed at a fixed post or guarding a gate.]

Qingyu glanced at it, then accepted it.

This is still a trait associated with gatekeepers.

"You all knew?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over the growing crowd at the village entrance.

"Lady Tsunade, the news has spread throughout the village."

The gatekeeper ninja quickly straightened up, his tone filled with barely concealed excitement.

"The Lord Hokage himself sent word that Lady Tsunade and Lord Qingyu teamed up to kill Hanzo of the Salamander, and now the whole village is talking about it."

Tsunade and raised an eyebrow.

"The old man is quick."

She gave a soft hum.

"This is to build momentum for you."

Tsunade lowered her voice and whispered something in Qingyu's ear.

Qingyu nodded slightly.

Sarutobi Hiruzen has always been a master at manipulating public opinion.

This was clearly intended to boost the morale of the Konoha ninja.

Although the war is nearing its end, it is not over yet, and there are still tough battles to fight.

"Let's go inside and talk."

Tsunade patted Qingyu on the shoulder.

The group stepped through the gate.

A large number of villagers and ninjas had already gathered at the village entrance.

Some people ran out of their own shops, while others were already walking on the street and spontaneously gathered after hearing the news.

"That's Lord Qingyu?"

"Yes, the one with the black hair, the really handsome one!"

"Lady Tsunade is so beautiful."

"I heard she's from Lady Tsunade's clan. How old is she, and she's already so powerful—"

"Maybe he can become Hokage someday!"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Many children rode on their fathers' shoulders, straining to see what the legendary ninja who killed Demigod looked like.

Several elderly people were standing by the roadside, leaning on their canes.

During the Second Shinobi World War, many Konoha ninjas died in the Land of Rain.

Hanzō's poisonous fog has shattered countless Konoha families.

Now the murderer who killed their loved ones is dead, and the one who did it was a Konoha ninja.

This made them feel both pleased and emotional.

"Ginka is back too."

Hyuga Hiashi stood at the back of the crowd.

He happened to be out of the clan's territory on business today when he unexpectedly ran into Qingyu and the others returning to the village.

Seeing Hyuga Ginka walking in the middle of the group, he nodded slightly.

Being able to travel with Qingyu and Tsunade on a mission of this caliber and return safely together is a qualification in itself.

From now on, Hyuga Ginka's position within the clan will be even more secure.

"It seems that the decision to have Ginka and Qingyu become friends was the right one."

Hyuga Hiashi passage.

"But----"

He turned around and looked in the direction of the Hyuga Clan Compound in the distance, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.

"As a member of the Main Family, I must produce an heir as soon as possible."

Hyuga Hiashi pondered.

Without an heir, the family cannot live in peace.

This is not just his personal matter, but concerns the survival of the entire Hyuga Clan.

In addition to the Hyuga Clan, Uchiha Clan also came.

Uchiha Fugaku had just returned from outside and was standing on the side of the street watching Qingyu being surrounded by a crowd.

"This is the power of the Uchiha bloodline."

Fugaku sighed inwardly.

If Qingyu had grown up normally on Uchiha Clan Compound, the Uchiha Clan's status in Konoha would probably have been completely transformed long ago.

At the same time, he became even more determined to have Itachi become Qingyu's apprentice.

As long as Itachi stays by Qingyu's side, he will be the strongest bond between the Uchiha and Qingyu for decades to come.

Shizune noticed the commotion and ran over.

"Qingyu ----"

Yūhi Kurenai and Rin Nohara stood in the crowd, watching Qingyu walk through it.

"Why are you causing such a commotion outside again?"

Yūhi Kurenai muttered something under her breath, but her eyes shone with pride.

She would be very happy if Qingyu were very capable.

Hokage Building.

Shimura Danzō in his room, listening to the noise coming from the streets outside, and frowned.

Why is it so noisy outside?

"Qingyu and the others are back."

A Root ninja knelt in the corner and answered in a low voice.

Shimura Danzō's hand suddenly clenched.

He's back, just as expected.

He had already received the news, but he had simply refused to think about it.

Qingyu not only returned alive, but also brought back Hanzō's body.

None of his Root ninjas returned.

All the ninjas sent to the Land of Rain died at the hands of Qingyu and the Akatsuki.

Shimura Danzō was certain that Qingyu must have obtained some information about the Root's corpses.

Because he later sent ninjas to retrieve the bodies, but they all disappeared.

There were too many inexplicable things on those corpses.

"Danzo, should we try to dispose of those corpses?"

The Root ninja asked tentatively.

It's too late.

Shimura Danzō slowly closed his eyes.

"If Qingyu has already handed the body over to Hiruzen, then if we act now, we'll only solidify our guilt."

"That----"

"Let's wait and see."

Shimura Danzō a deep breath.

He had actually considered assassinating Qingyu on the way back, but that idea was unrealistic.

Putting aside Qingyu's own strength, with Tsunade by his side, he couldn't afford the consequences of failure.

If she fails, given Tsunade's personality, she will definitely make a big scene on the spot.

By then, Sarutobi Hiruzen will know what he has done.

Regardless of one's identity, one should not openly murder fellow villagers.

Unless Shimura Danzō can uncover dirt on Qingyu and use the pretext of righteousness to intervene, this could shake the very foundation of Konoha.

If Sarutobi Hiruzen doesn't address this, then Konoha will be filled with unease, with people believing that the higher-ups are controlling everything.

His fate was singular: he would fall from Root leader to missing-nin.

Unfortunately, he didn't have any dirt on Qingyu.

"Knew."

The Root ninja gave a low response and said no more.

Hokage Building, Hokage's Office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind a large wooden table, his hands crossed and his chin resting on his hands, a smile on his face.

"Okay, very good."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Qingyu, Tsunade, Kakashi, Hyuga Ginka, and nodded in satisfaction.

"You all did a great job this time, especially Qingyu."

With Hanzō dead, the Land of Rain will no longer pose a threat to Konoha in the short term, and the situation on the front lines will be much more favorable.

Qingyu stood beside Tsunade, his expression calm.

He then took out a sealing scroll and released Hanzo of the Salamander's corpse.

Bang.

The body lay on the office floor, carrying the smell of rain and blood.

"This is Hanzō's corpse. Please Lord Hokage."

Qingyu said.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up, walked around the table to the corpse, and bent down to examine it.

"That's right, it's Hanzo of the Salamander."

He straightened up, his gaze towards Qingyu full of approval.

"Hanzō possesses a great deal of classified information about the Land of Rain; the value of this corpse is immeasurable."

Sarutobi Hiruzen beckoned, summoning two Anbu Ninja to take the body to the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force run by the Yamanaka Clan.

"Although this mission only involved the handover of supplies, the results you brought back far exceeded our expectations."

Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Therefore, the reward that is due will not be shortchanged.

He gestured to the finance ninja to hand over several heavy envelopes.

"I will pay the reward according to the standards for three S-Rank Mission."

Tsunade's eyes lit up, but she managed to maintain her composure in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

As for Hyuga Ginka.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Hyuga Ginka.

"Your performance this time was outstanding, providing accurate intelligence at crucial moments on several occasions. I have decided to promote you to Jonin, making an exception for you."

"Thank you so much, Lord Hokage!"

Hyuga Ginka was flattered and quickly bowed.

"Congratulations."

Qingyu chuckled and said softly.

Hyuga Ginka's face flushed slightly, and she whispered, "It's all thanks to you—"

Then Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Kakashi.

"Kakashi, what about you?"

Upon hearing this, Kakashi's expression shifted thoughtfully.

He thought for a moment and said, "Lord Hokage, if possible, I would like to learn more about Lightning Release Ninjutsu."

Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Sure, take Konoha's Lightning Release Ninjutsu stockpile and learn the ones that suit you. I'll have the Anbu give you temporary access later."

"Thank you Lord Hokage."

Kakashi said.

Then Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze fell on Qingyu.

"Qingyu, what do you want?"