Star Chasing Girl Juri

A full moon night.

Diejian sat on the Face Rock of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, his arm resting on his knee, looking down at the sleeping village.

He wore a haori emblazoned with the Senju clan crest, and beneath it, his casual purple kimono was slightly open, revealing a well-trained chest.

In his scarred, rough palm, he held an old forehead protector.

--The Kinkaku subjugation battle, which ran concurrently with the Chunin Selection Exam.

This mission, which gambled the lives of genin, concluded with "Konoha's victory" thanks to the efforts of ninjas like Diejian.

However—a report came from Ōnoki of Both Scales of Iwagakure, stating that the elite of Kinkaku's Unit had not been completely annihilated.

Diejian received this report some time after the subjugation battle ended.

As soon as he received it, he slipped out of the hospital against his doctor's advice and rushed into the Hokage's office.

Diejian directly pleaded with the Third Hokage to sever ties with Iwagakure.

Based on the speculation that "Iwagakure ninjas intentionally let Kinkaku's subordinates escape," Diejian argued: this was a conspiracy by Iwagakure to pit Konoha against Sunagakure.

Diejian believed that Iwagakure, by sacrificing a small amount of reputation, had not only cleverly probed Konoha's inner workings but also successfully redirected Sunagakure's animosity towards Konoha.

The Third Hokage did not act on Diejian's words.

Konoha had already received an apology from Mu, the Second Earth Shadow of Iwagakure, personally delivered, leaving them in no position to comment further.

If the Third Hokage, who had just taken office, were to disregard the personal apology from the Second Earth Shadow, who bore the weight of his village, he would not only be questioned by other villages but also by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire regarding his capacity.

However, what displeased Diejian was not solely the difficulty of holding Iwagakure accountable any longer.

It was the Third Hokage's stubborn insistence on maintaining friendly relations with Iwagakure.

Diejian proposed that severing ties with Iwagakure would be better.

But the Third Hokage, citing that Diejian's claims were purely speculative, did not agree. Instead, he ordered Diejian to take a temporary rest.

This was tantamount to informing Diejian that he would no longer be involved in diplomacy with Iwagakure.

"Old man, uncle... what should I do?"

Under the moonlight, Diejian lowered his gaze.

He did not believe the Third Hokage's reasoning was wrong.

But he also did not feel his own reasoning was incorrect.

The silence of the night continued.

The First Hokage was dead, and the Second Hokage was dead.

Times changed, generations passed.

Even if he spoke to the Face Rock at his feet, there would be no response.

Diejian clenched the forehead protector in his hand.

—If you don't suspect, your throat will be torn out.

This wariness stemmed from his distrust of other nations, born from witnessing the Second Hokage's death.

At the same time—it was the ideology of Uchiha Izuna, who had lived through an era of betrayal and conspiracy, ultimately leading to the breakdown of relations between the Uchiha and the Senju.

It was precisely because he sensed this that Diejian chose to obey the Third Hokage's order.

This decision was outwardly presented as a leave granted after the completion of a long-term mission.

Moreover, the possibility that Iwagakure genuinely wished for friendship with Konoha was also higher, and this was a fact.

In that case, the personal apology from the Second Earth Shadow was more than sufficient to demonstrate sincerity to Konoha.

There was little Konoha could ultimately do in response to Iwagakure's ambiguous stance.

"You're not usually this down."

"—Is that Sakumo."

A voice came from behind Diejian.

Sensing the person's presence, he sat down beside him.

Diejian guessed the name without looking back.

He slightly turned his neck, casting his gaze towards the man—Hatake Sakumo.

Under the moonlight, the corners of his gentle eyes narrowed, his silver hair shimmering faintly.

"I heard you clashed with the Third Hokage."

"It wasn't a clash. It was just—"

"...Just?"

Diejian fell silent at this.

A wry smile appeared on Sakumo's face.

"..."

With a soft clink, a pottery wine bottle and a small wine cup were placed before Diejian.

Diejian watched in silence as the liquid was poured into the cup.

"You are troubled by how the predecessors would have acted—is that it?"

Diejian did not answer Sakumo.

Sakumo felt that this silence was an answer in itself, and the corners of his mouth relaxed slightly.

"I understand."

"We have always been friends, after all."

It was not only Diejian who had changed over this past year.

Before anyone realized it, Sakumo had become someone capable of standing on his own.

And the same was true for Konohagakure.

After the death of the Second, many ninjas born in the Warring States Period decided to retire.

The loss of the Senju Brothers, those pillars of support, had vividly branded the shift of eras into the hearts of those from the old days.

Konohagakure was now attempting to pivot toward a new generation.

A pivot toward the young generation, led by the Third Hokage, who had been entrusted with peace after the end of the Warring States Period.

Sakumo set down the wine bottle, picked up the filled cup with both hands, and offered one to Diejian.

Diejian took it, staring at the swirling liquid.

The pungent scent was certainly not water.

Watching Diejian study his own reflection in the cup, Sakumo shifted his gaze away and looked up at the moon.

"--Diejian. You are still young. Sometimes you must suffer because you cannot find the answer. Sometimes you might make mistakes, thinking you have found the answer--you must keep the village in your heart. No matter what happens from here on out, you will always be with the Will of Fire."

"What is that?"

"It is the words of my teacher, Sasuke Sarutobi."

"The Third Hokage's old man?"

"Yes. Tell me, Diejian, do you remember the words of the First Hokage?"

"The old man's words...? Why ask that so suddenly?"

"Oh, never mind that. Look, when we were still in the Nurturing Facility, the First Lord and the Second Lord came to be our Special Lecturers, didn't they?"

"Ah, that time. I remember."

Hearing Sakumo's words, Diejian recalled his childhood memories.

"'I treat everyone in the village... as my family. You are all my children.' That was it, wasn't it?"

That day, before Tobirama stopped him, Hashirama had spent the entire time with the children.

The innocent children quickly grew fond of the kind-hearted Hashirama; not even knowing what a Hokage was, they treated him as a playmate to romp and play with.

He remembered how his reckless behavior made the teacher in charge break out in a cold sweat, but Hashirama always laughed it off with forgiveness.

Afterward, Diejian, who had been sulking because his grandfather was being monopolized by other children, acted spoiled toward him and received his grandfather's affection.

Even such embarrassing memories remained clear in Diejian's mind.

"Recently, I have begun to think about the will of our ancestors—to think about what this village really is. Teacher Sarutobi said to keep the village in one's heart. The First Lord said that those who live in the village are family. Indeed, the current Konohagakure is full of warmth, and the children are laughing. Our generation is the same. But... I wonder. Konohagakure wasn't like this from the beginning. The Warring States Period ended, the village was born, and peace arrived—that is what children are taught in textbooks. A history tidied up and kept clean. But the true beginning of the village could not have been so pristine. The village was a collection of people who once slaughtered and hated one another. In the gaps between them, there must have been—unimaginable difficulties."

Sakumo conveyed his thoughts to Diejian, heavy with meaning.

Within his words, and within the unimaginable hardships the predecessors had overcome, lay the answer Diejian was seeking.

The dormant Will of Fire flickered, hoping he would notice.

"Sakumo... that is..."

Diejian sensed the profound meaning in Sakumo's words, but he frowned, feeling restless because he could not immediately arrive at an answer.

Indeed, the village today could be called a symbol of peace.

But from the records of his previous life, Diejian knew how much the various clans had once hated each other.

At the time, everyone must have believed that such things were absolutely incompatible and that peace was impossible.

Yet, people who once hated each other joined hands, and Konohagakure was built.

The young generation did not know how those born in the Warring States Period had overcome the chain of hatred to reach this point.

Diejian was the same.

He knew hatred.

He also knew sorrow.

However, he did not know the method to overcome these things and continue moving forward.

--Sakumo watched Diejian, who was lost in thought with a furrowed brow.

He hoped Diejian would notice.

The village the First Hokage envisioned wasn't meant to be a small territory to defend, a thing to protect fleeting peace.

Creating a nation where children wouldn't have to die was the First Hokage's dream.

But this dream had a further future.

That was the unrealized dream of all ninjas working together.

A village is the crystallization of a dream.

Yet, even so, it was merely a waypoint on the path to that unfinished dream.

Dreams wear down with the changing of generations.

The great ambition the First Hokage championed would also gradually fade with the passage of time.

To avoid losing it, one must understand.

The "hearts" of the Predecessors.

If the Third Hokage had correctly inherited this, then it was only natural he would try to remove factors that could lead to war, Sakumo thought.

But at the same time, he didn't think Diejian's assertion was wrong.

He even felt it was good to be able to sense that possibility and remain vigilant.

At least at this stage...

--But whether to reveal it was another matter.

Objectively speaking, Diejian had become too emotional due to his deep concern for the village.

Diejian was already a man of deep loyalty and easily invested with emotion.

For the past year, he had literally risked his life to protect the village, so Konohagakure was probably no longer just the treasure his Grandfather loved in Diejian's heart... perhaps.

It wasn't incomprehensible that he would become emotional.

However, with the current good relations with Iwagakure, if Diejian, who raised objections, wasn't restrained, it could lead to unnecessary disputes.

The Third's order for Diejian to act cautiously was, in Sakumo's view, a sound judgment.

The problem was whether the Third truly believed in Iwagakure.

The Third Hokage's generation, inherited from the First and Second.

Their generation's role was probably to form alliances with as many villages as possible.

But not only that.

Those entrusted with this task, from that moment on, bore a certain obligation.

That was to never let what the Predecessors entrusted be cut off.

And to nurture it.

To nurture the successor.

The successor, that is—the Fourth Hokage.

If the Third played his role well, then the role shouldered by the generation that would become the "Fourth Hokage" would probably be to connect hearts, transcending villages.

Just like the First Hokage, who once transcended clans and established the relationship of "family."

Working together across the barriers between various clans would inevitably involve unimaginable hardship.

--But to work together by transcending the vast system of villages would likely encounter equal or even greater difficulties.

That was a thorny path far more perilous than the difficulties experienced in connecting clans.

It was precisely because he realized this that the First Hokage didn't hesitate to entrust his will to the next generation, and the Second Hokage cast aside personal feelings to stabilize the village system within his lifetime.

The dream the Predecessors gambled everything on.

The responsibility entrusted to Diejian and the others, or the next generation, could never be half-hearted.

If the Third Hokage realized this, then his pushing Diejian towards caution must have had some intention.

The Third Hokage's intention in deliberately making the signboard of Konoha, Senju Diejian, cautious was—.

Sakumo did not arrive at this answer through his own power.

It was because Sasuke Sarutobi, before his death, had entrusted him with some insights for the sake of the next generation.

As a pillar of the Will of Fire, Sasuke Sarutobi had entrusted the future to Sakumo's consideration for his comrades.

However, to walk ahead of everyone, one must perceive that answer through one's own strength.

No one knew what awaited in the future.

But Sakumo hoped that one day he and Diejian would see the same view.

"Diejian, you are different from me; you come from a prestigious family. The root of your pain is likely something only a 'Mind Synchronizer' or 'someone who carries the same burden' can understand. I can only wait for you to find the answer and accept it... There is so little I can do for you. So--"

As Sakumo spoke, he gently raised his Wine Cup.

"--Let's have a drink tonight. I want to toast this wine to my friend, who has fought hard all year."

"Sakumo, you..."

"It feels a bit awkward to say this myself, but this is truly good sake."

Hearing Sakumo's words, Diejian's lips trembled with emotion.

He let out a deep sigh as if to calm himself, his shoulders relaxing.

"I can't do anything about you. It seems I'm always favored by people."

--Cheers.

Their voices overlapped.

The two raised their wine cups towards the moon hanging high in the sky and downed the contents in one go.

The night had only just begun.

★

"Oh, isn't that Juri."

"Hm...? Diejian!!"

In Diejian's vision, as he ambled unsteadily through the streets, a figure with black hair tied in a ponytail, looking at a fruit stand, came into view.

Diejian subconsciously greeted her. Juri was initially bewildered, but upon recognizing the voice as Diejian's, her expression immediately turned to anger.

Juri leaped from in front of the fruit stand, instantly landing before Diejian, her face so close it could spray him with saliva.

Her expression was ferocious, almost to the point of activating her Sharingan, and her fierce aura made Diejian break out in a cold sweat.

"How dare you show your face to me so brazenly!! This is what they call running into an enemy on a narrow road!! I'll kill you!!"

"Such an old-fashioned way of speaking... Hey, are you serious!!"

Facing Juri's outburst, Diejian's eyes widened, and he hastily blocked her suddenly swung fist with his arm.

He wasn't entirely unaware of why she was so angry—but he hadn't expected her rage to have accumulated to this extent.

"Hey, hey!"

The area around Diejian and Juri was now empty.

People watching from afar cast troubled glances, as if thinking, "It's them again," yet also with a hint of curiosity, like spectators at a show.

"Wait, consider the trouble you're causing others!!"

"You have the nerve to say that!!"

Diejian blocked Juri's follow-up knee strike with a spinning block.

Seeing that it was about to escalate into a real fight, Diejian's voice took on a scolding tone.

But this had the opposite effect on Juri—and even for the onlookers, recalling Diejian's past actions, they were inclined to agree with Juri.

Juri retracted her arm and threw a second punch with the speed of an arrow released from a bow.

Diejian finally realized this wouldn't do and began to think of a proper countermeasure, quickly calculating ways to stop Juri in his mind.

"Ice cream and sakura mochi!!"

Just before the fist could hit Diejian's face, Juri's punch stopped abruptly.

The gust of wind from her punch ruffled Diejian's hair.

"And add some black tea."

"Understood."

Diejian obediently accepted Juri's additional requests, and the fist before him retracted.

Juri spun around sharply and gestured with her head for him to follow.

Diejian felt a wave of exhaustion but still followed Juri's retreating figure, being led by her to their usual sweets shop.

Sitting down at a randomly chosen seat and watching Juri order whatever she pleased, Diejian thought about the balance in his wallet.

He had originally come out to purchase ninja tools, but it seemed that objective would not be achieved today.

"So, Diejian. Do you have anything you want to say to me?"

"Don't fight on the street."

"That's not it!!"

Juri's face turned red with anger, and she jumped up agitatedly.

"Don't be loud in the shop."

"I'll kill you."

Juri impatiently tapped the table with her fingertips, glaring at Diejian with her Sharingan.

"Your eyes are beautiful."

"Stop joking!!"

Juri's Sharingan had a rather nice hue.

As one of the Uchiha's strongest combatants, and still possessing the Sharingan, he observed Juri's eyes closely and found their color to be of superior quality.

Diejian genuinely meant the compliment.

Truthfully, he said it to change the subject.

He expected Juri to blush and snap back.

But—Juri's anger was real, and she merely chided Diejian before stopping.

Surprised by Juri's uncharacteristic reaction, Diejian blinked and gasped.

"...Explain yourself."

"Explain what?"

"Enough, Senju... This is the first exam."

So it was because of this, Diejian thought.

However, Diejian felt there was no issue, as he could smoothly articulate his intentions for arranging the exam that way.

Diejian omitted the part about the Kinkaku subjugation battle and carefully explained the intent of the first exam to Juri.

On that basis, as a Genin, Juri raised an objection, which he, as an examiner, could not approve.

This was a plan that even the Third Hokage had passed; refuting an examiner was equivalent to resisting the Third Hokage's decision.

"--That's how it is. That exam had such intentions. I know it was harsh, but I don't think it was wrong."

"Idiot."

The moment Diejian thought he had explained clearly and his thoughts relaxed slightly, Juri's outburst stopped his thinking.

Diejian frowned as if stunned and was about to reprimand Juri's attitude—

"Your despicable exam intentions or whatever, I don't care. I heard about that from Ina. The frequent elimination of participants is merely because the Jonin in charge failed to train their Genin properly; their disciple-raising ability is poor. That's not what I'm talking about."

Unexpectedly, Juri's words were not a critique of Diejian's exam.

Diejian wore a confused expression at Juri's unexpected words.

Juri snorted unhappily, her impatiently tapping fingertips on the table suddenly stopped with a thud.

"--You, why are you impersonating Uchiha Izuna?"

This time, it was Diejian's turn to gasp.

Juri snorted at Diejian, who finally seemed to have grasped the focus of her anger, and continued.

"Uchiha Izuna is the greatest hero our Uchiha clan takes pride in. Unlike the traitor Madara, Izuna cared for the clan until his dying breath, and even after death, he left behind his Sharingan to protect the clan. You think he would oppose the village—the Konohagakure to which the Uchiha clan belongs...? I will never allow you to mock his will!"

Listening to Juri's rapid-fire words, Diejian's expression turned serious.

Because Juri's expression was equally earnest.

She was angry that someone other than herself was being insulted.

Diejian had belittled Uchiha Izuna precisely because his soul resided within him.

Choosing Izuna for the exam was also because he knew Izuna well, using him as a possibility.

However, struck by Juri's earnest anger, Diejian finally understood that even that had been a thoughtless action.

Even if he himself belittled someone, or didn't care about their existence, there were still people who cherished them.

If that were the case, Diejian's actions indeed deserved criticism.

"--I apologize for underestimating your anger and for my rash actions. Indeed, I did something that deserved reprimand."

Diejian understood Juri's anger and recognized his mistake, immediately bowing his head in apology.

He felt that even rubbing his head against the table wouldn't be excessive.

—Imagine if the will that Senju Hashirama left behind at the cost of his life were mocked; Diejian would surely hunt that person to the ends of the earth and kill them.

He didn't think he could restrain his anger as Juri had.

If the Uchiha clan revered Uchiha Izuna so much, it wouldn't be strange for them to disown him.

However—

"--I forgive you."

Hearing Juri's calm tone, Diejian hesitantly looked up.

Although dissatisfaction still lingered on her face, her anger had indeed subsided.

"You are a Senju. It's natural that you don't know the internal affairs of the Uchiha. There's no point in blaming someone who doesn't know. Be more careful next time."

Juri's overly magnanimous words greatly surprised Diejian.

He felt a tremor run down his spine at Juri's spiritual growth and magnanimity.

For the first time, Diejian felt respect for the friend before him.

Just as he was moved by how generous a woman she was, thinking he should address her as "Miss Juri" from now on—

"Speaking of which... Uchiha Izuna was a truly remarkable man. Since you've transformed into Uchiha Izuna, even from a Senju's perspective, you must know about Izuna, right?"

The atmosphere changed.

Shuri's expression, a mix of straightforwardness and shyness, was unlike her.

Tatami felt a chill down his spine in a different sense.

He had to wonder, who was this woman?

"Uchiha Izuna, that man, had a relationship of both enemy and friend with the Second Hokage—"

The heroic image of Uchiha Izuna that Shuri spoke of...

—This guy is a fangirl.

Tatami felt another chill down his spine, thinking, "Then who the heck is that?"

"You could say that it's precisely because of him that the clan is as it is today. Or, if the village didn't have him, perhaps—"

Tatami thought, I never imagined I'd be seen that way.

This whole incident was just an unfortunate accident, wasn't it? Was there any reason for Shuri to be so angry?

In the end, Izuna was me.

No matter how I used him, wasn't it strange to be so angrily accused by an outsider?

Listening to Shuri's words, Tatami felt increasingly stifled.

The emotion he'd felt earlier had long since vanished.

However, since he had already apologized, bringing it up again wouldn't be manly.

Therefore, Tatami vowed in his heart that he would make her suffer even more next time.

—But.

Tatami didn't realize that as he listened to Shuri speak, a part of his cheek was relaxed and happy with relief.

★

"The final round of the Chunin Selection Exam begins, with a team battle. The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's team from Konoha will face the left and right arms of the Second Earth Shadow Mu of Iwagakure, the team of Ōnoki, nicknamed the Two Scales. Hiruzen's team had two members eliminated in the first exam, leaving only Uchiha Shuri. In contrast, all three Genin of Ōnoki's team survived, and the Konoha side is expected to face a tough battle."

The amplified voice echoed through the venue.

In the center of the vast training ground where the final battle of the first Chunin exam had once been held, Uchiha Shuri stood.

Facing three Iwagakure Genin alone, Shuri showed no signs of fear.

Shuri, displaying a beautiful demeanor amidst the disadvantage, earned the cheers of the audience.

"Miss Shuri isn't on Hiruzen's team, is she?"

"Tsunade and Orochimaru were both eliminated, weren't they? It can't be helped."

"Wasn't it you, Brother, who caused us to be eliminated!!"

In a corner of the spectator stands, Tatami, who was eating rice crackers, was scolded by Tsunade and frowned in annoyance.

Seeing his excessive attitude, Tsunade's cheeks turned red with anger.

"However, although it was a short time, they were comrades who fought together. Miss Uchiha Shuri is also our comrade, isn't she?"

Orochimaru, sitting next to Tsunade, interjected as if to mediate the sibling quarrel.

Tsunade mumbled, suppressing her anger with some dissatisfaction, and then realized she had stood up unconsciously, so she sat back down.

Tsunade snatched the paper bowl filled with rice crackers from Tatami and shoved the crackers into her mouth as if giving up.

Tatami hurriedly tried to get it back, but Tsunade blocked him with her body, hiding it and protecting the crackers from being taken by Tatami.

Ina, sitting next to Tatami, watched the sibling argument with interest while chewing her own baked snacks.

"You guys are completely watching the show. Don't you have any more enthusiasm, like cheering them on?"

Sakumo squinted helplessly, peeking out from beside Ina.

However, Sakumo held the novel he had recently bought, seemingly concerned about the subsequent plot, and glanced at it from time to time.

"These people are really... Miss Shuri is a bit pitiful..."

Jiraiya, who had temporarily returned home from Mount Myōboku, looked at the state of Shuri's friends with a look of pity, gazing at the small figure of Shuri in the distance.

Only Jiraiya was excluded.

He had been deeply affected upon returning from Mount Myōboku and learning that everyone in his class except himself was participating in the Chunin exam, and had shut himself away, but he quickly recovered due to his natural optimism.

"Which side do you think will win?"

Ina asked.

"Of course, Shuri. That girl is no longer at the Genin level."

"But it's three against one, isn't it?"

Hearing Tatami's words, Tsunade tilted her head worriedly.

Tatami called out to a passing snack vendor, bought new snacks, and put them in his mouth.

"Shuri wouldn't lose to Genin, no matter what."

"No, I think that's a pretty good team. It has the feel of an Iwagakure Secret Treasure ace."

Sakumo interjected at Diejian's words.

Although the first exam had ulterior motives, it also brought corresponding trials to the Genin, and the second exam would be no less difficult.

Being able to win with all three members present could not be explained by luck alone.

"But it should be fine. Look, look at the referee."

At Diejian's words, everyone's gaze turned to the ninja in black standing in the center of the arena.

That man, bearing the Uchiha clan crest--

"Teacher Kagami?"

"That's right. In front of his favorite brother, he won't fight too badly."

Diejian answered Ina's question.

Sakumo narrowed his eyes helplessly at Diejian's words.

"If Juri heard that, she'd seriously refute you."

"She probably thinks she's the only one who hasn't been exposed. Because of her attitude towards outsiders, Teacher Kagami seems to get hurt sometimes too."

"These guys are too self-willed..."

Jiraiya muttered, looking at his classmates who were eating snacks beside him.

"Even if you didn't bring me, you shouldn't all go to the exam. What a lack of camaraderie."

"We already apologized for that. It was like Teacher Sarutobi's order, there was nothing we could do."

"But I still feel like this..."

"What? You're back with a strange tone and you have the nerve to say that."

"What!?"

The residents of Mount Myōboku are all frogs.

Those frogs have unique ways of speaking, and Jiraiya seemed to have caught that tone.

"Tsunade..."

Diejian showed a subtle expression.

To step into the place that their Elder Group deliberately avoided, it was indeed because they were companions with the same perspective.

Looking at his sister and junior arguing incessantly, he felt happy.

Diejian's gaze was gentle, and he was grateful for the current happiness.

"It's about to start."

Kagami, as the referee, left the Genin--the stage was set.

Juri summoned a giant staff and formed a formation behind her.

The three Iwagakure ninjas had one in front and two spread out behind, each forming hand seals.

The Iwagakure ninjutsu in the rear was activated, and the ground beneath the Genin's feet rose, attacking Juri.

Juri swung her staff to meet the attack--the battle had begun.

★

"--It was a dream."

Juri shivered slightly, shaking her cold body, and slowly climbed out of bed.

In her dream, she was standing on the stage of the Chunin Selection Exam finals, and her friends who came to watch were not cheering for her, but were chatting amongst themselves, making a lively scene.

It seemed Diejian had said something unpleasant, but because it was a dream, the details were vague.

Juri climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen, prepared a simple meal, and ate it with a rustling sound.

After the meal, she threw the dishes into the sink and went to the bathroom.

After rinsing off the sleep sweat and stepping out of the bathroom, she wrapped herself in a towel, brushed her teeth.

Afterward, Juri, who had silently tidied her appearance, sat down on the steps in front of her house again, reconfirming her luggage.

At this moment, she remembered that her ninja medicine stock was running low, and thinking she would buy some when she returned from her mission, she made a note on her memo pad and put her luggage back into her bag.

Juri slipped her bandaged slender legs into her boots, nodded slightly, and switched her consciousness.

The moment she passed through the entrance, Juri's gaze fell on a photo recently placed on the shoe cabinet.

--Surrounded by many companions such as Diejian, Sakumo, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, a black-haired woman in a green vest stood in the center.

"I'm leaving!!"

The woman in the photo was beaming with a happy smile, and Juri's voice at this moment also carried a cheerful tone.