Reunion

Inside Satomi Hill Villa.

The Kurama Clan held a banquet to entertain everyone.

Even after learning of Kurama Unkai and Danzo's conspiracy, Kimura Takuya remained completely calm.

He simply gave Yakumo's parents a word of warning. They had already been on their guard, so Kimura Takuya left the clan's internal affairs alone.

What did surprise him was that the Third Hokage had directly passed the position on to Tsunade.

Still, it made sense. Sarutobi Hiruzen had been worn down ever since the Third Great Ninja War; otherwise, he wouldn't have passed the position to the Fourth Hokage.

After the Fourth Hokage and his wife died, the Third Hokage had no choice but to step in and take charge again.

He had intended to summon Tsunade and Jiraiya back, but the former had avoided him, while the latter had shown up as Mount Myōboku's representative, even replacing his Konoha Forehead Protector with one bearing the kanji for "oil."

If Konoha hadn't wanted to maintain its ties with Mount Myōboku, and if Jiraiya hadn't been so powerful and a student of the Third Hokage, that sort of behavior would have made anyone else a deserter, plain and simple.

Now that Tsunade had returned, it was only natural for the Third Hokage to pass the position on to her.

After the banquet.

Kurenai Yuhi, Yakumo Kurama, and Kimura Takuya went to a quiet spot in the villa.

Kimura Takuya first "refreshed" Yakumo's physical condition, then reminded her not to use her abilities carelessly.

"Every use of power comes at a cost. To kindle a fire, you have to burn fuel.

"All power has a source."

At that, Kimura Takuya paused. Where did his own soul power come from?

Setting the question aside, he continued.

"I'll restore you regularly, so remember to eat plenty. Even if you don't use your abilities at all, they'll keep draining your body.

"As long as you're conscious, you'll have an inner world. Your abilities will keep being used up in that inner world, and even a seal can't stop them."

That was why Yakumo could use her abilities in the original story even after Kurenai sealed them. Her powers had broken through the seal directly from her inner world.

"Yakumo, if you want to become a ninja, don't worry about too much for now. Just work on the basics of Taijutsu."

"Mm, I understand. Thank you, Takuya!"

Yakumo nodded with a smile. She gazed at Kimura Takuya for a long time, reluctant to look away.

The latter grew a little uncomfortable under her stare and turned to look into the distance.

Watching them, Kurenai wore a knowing grin.

"Yakumo and Takuya look like a lovely match."

They were around the same age, both had black hair and dark eyes, and they both had a slightly lovesick air about them.

Now that she mentioned it, they really did look well suited!

At her words, Yakumo lowered her head shyly, no longer daring to look at Kimura Takuya.

The latter rubbed his forehead, marveling at how open-minded this world was.

Was it really okay for a teacher to match her eleven- or twelve-year-old students with someone like that?

In the real world, wouldn't the parents tear her apart?

Kimura Takuya grumbled inwardly.

He knew perfectly well that his soul belonged to a normal adult.

He wasn't interested in little girls, only older ones, like Uzuki Yugao and adult Ino.

His tastes were perfectly healthy!

"Let's call it a day—

"Who's there?"

Kimura Takuya had been about to say goodbye when he suddenly sensed chakra approaching.

His sensory abilities had grown stronger, too. Even though Kurenai was a Jonin and hadn't noticed anyone, he'd sensed the person in advance.

A young boy emerged from the villa's wooded grove.

"Jonin Kurenai Yuhi, I'm Sai, recommended by Root to serve under you. Here's the assignment order.

"The Third Hokage has decided to pass the position on to Lady Tsunade, who will become the Fifth Hokage. The inauguration ceremony is tomorrow. The Hokage Building is busy right now, so I was sent to notify you."

"I heard from the Kurama Clan that the Fifth Hokage had been chosen. As for your assignment order, I'll need to verify it first."

Kurenai Yuhi had once served in Anbu and knew Root well. She knew it was Danzo's faction.

As someone aligned with the Hokage, she wasn't about to trust Root without question.

Sai nodded without comment, then turned and left.

Kimura Takuya gave Sai a meaningful look.

"Teacher Kurenai, is Lady Tsunade the Tsunade I'm thinking of? I didn't feel comfortable asking at dinner."

"That's right. She's the Third Hokage's student and one of the Konoha Sannin."

Kimura Takuya chatted with Kurenai, pretending to be surprised, and asked a few more questions about Tsunade.

He had to make the act convincing.

After expressing his surprise and saying a few things about how amazing Lady Tsunade was, he said goodbye to Kurenai.

Yakumo still wasn't an official ninja, and now there was a Root operative in the team.

Naturally, they wouldn't be taking any missions.

Besides, in peacetime, ninjas were free to accept missions as they pleased. As long as you weren't short on money, you could choose not to take a single one.

Of course, without enough mission records, there were many things you couldn't do.

For example, you needed at least eight recorded missions to take the Chunin Ninja Exams.

Even to be promoted to Jonin, you needed enough mission records. No matter how strong you were, if you didn't have enough, you still had to keep doing missions before you could rank up.

Take a certain protagonist, for example: at sixteen, he saved the Ninja World, married a rich beauty, became the Seventh Hokage, and reached the peak of his life.

But his rank?

Still Genin!

As for their team, both Kurenai Yuhi and Yakumo were from ninja clans, so they weren't short on money.

Kimura Takuya wasn't short on money either.

He'd worked at the hospital for several years.

But that was only to keep up appearances.

With the True Transformation Jutsu, how could he possibly work like an honest man?

Working was out of the question. He'd never work in this lifetime.

Kimura Takuya quickened his pace and caught up with Sai.

"Hey, kid, what's Root? Are they tough? Let's see what you're made of!"

Sai looked slightly surprised, then his eyes shifted.

He blocked the kick Kimura Takuya threw at him, slid backward, and drew the short sword from his back.

"Hey, it's just a spar. No need to draw your sword, right? I'm done playing with you. I'm off!"

When Kimura Takuya walked away, Sai put his short sword away too.

But the instant he sheathed it,

a Kunai stabbed toward him from his blind spot.

Sai was too late to draw his sword and block it, so he grabbed the incoming Kunai with his bare hand.

Blood streamed from his palm as he recognized the attacker: a veteran of Root, responsible for training its recruits.

"You let your guard down. You have to stay alert at all times. Otherwise, I'll kill you. Don't let seeing a childhood friend stir up your feelings. That'll get you killed!"

"I'm truly sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"You've apologized twice today already. Be careful, or I won't apologize before I kill you."

"Yes!"

Sai nodded in acknowledgment, his expression unreadable.

The Root operative suddenly released a wave of cold, murderous intent, pressing down on Sai as he continued the lecture.

"Root has no names and no feelings."

"No past, no future. All we have are missions."

Sai recited Root's commandments instinctively.

Seeing this, the Root operative nodded in satisfaction.

"We are the will of Root, buried beneath the earth and unknown to all, supporting Konoha, the great tree. Never forget that!"

After delivering his brainwashing speech, the Root operative vanished with a Ninjutsu technique.

Sai waited there for a moment, then went home, a little disappointed.

"Little Sai."

A voice called out. Sai looked around, but there was no one in sight.

"Just go home normally. Don't look around. I'm inside your head."