By the end of December, a week before the New Year, the Konoha delegation for the Five Kage Summit had been assembled.
Danzo was worried that his old friend would never return, so he specially arranged for a Root squad to protect Sarutobi Hiruzen. He needed his old friend to take power so that Root could be preserved.
The Hokage's Direct Anbu only selected two teams, with Minato Namikaze and Shu Furukawa serving as captains respectively.
The three teams were small, and only Minato Namikaze and Shu Furukawa were able to stay by the Third Hokage's side.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was very satisfied with this arrangement. Often, too many people would only get in the way, and if a battle between Kage were to break out, ordinary ninjas would be unable to intervene.
In Konoha Hospital, Chiyo underwent her final examination with a look of utter despair. Although the old woman's physical injuries had healed, her psychological trauma was becoming increasingly severe.
Chiyo's heart sank when she heard that Rasa had ultimately chosen to make Sunagakure a vassal of Konoha. She knew that the village would be powerless to change this situation for the next 20 years.
"Your health is fine. Taking advantage of the Five Kage Summit, Sunagakure can bring you home."
" Chiyo, let's witness this friendship together. Don't always look so serious; historical moments are meant to be captured on camera!"
As Shu Furukawa spoke, he recorded data from the device. Chiyo, thinking of being branded with shame, murmured, "When I return to the village, my brother and I will retire and no longer concern ourselves with anything."
"With an evil ninja like you around, Sunagakure is destined to survive only as an allied nation."
Hearing the old lady's aggrieved tone, Shu Furukawa had to speak up and remind her, "Isn't this a good thing? You don't have to worry about the war anymore, and you can accept some requests."
"Aside from the limitation on the number of ninjas, I think the lives of the Sunagakure Ninja would be much better."
"You care about reputation, but ordinary ninjas don't care about that; they just want to make more money."
"My teacher is still very kind, and it's unlikely there will be any more wars in the future. Living a peaceful life is better than losing your life on the battlefield."
Chiyo didn't want to speak. If she lost her prestige, Sunagakure's backbone would be broken. She knew without a doubt how the other three Kage would mock Rasa at this Five Kage Summit.
" Katsuyu is going to become the Fourth Hokage. Perhaps we lost from the very first Five Kage Summit."
"Boy, perhaps you're right. You received the legacy of Sunagakure from me. When Sunagakure falls on hard times, I hope you'll lend a helping hand."
"Even just keeping the name would be fine..."
"Don't worry, as long as the land of the Land of Wind remains barren, Sunagakure will continue to exist."
Shu Furukawa responded casually, ignoring the old woman's forlorn expression, and continued, "As for the inheritance of ninjutsu, you know the difficulties better than I do. A ninja's talent is something they are born with."
"If it can't be done, it can't be done. But we can discuss the One's Own Life Reincarnation Technique again."
Chiyo didn't think much of it and readily agreed. She had never used this forbidden technique before, and whether it could actually revive someone was still unknown.
In the evening, Tsunade returned to the courtyard, looking exhausted.
The Hokage has too much work to do; he spends a lot of time every day just looking through scrolls and files.
Shu Furukawa took the coat and, seeing Tsunade's tired expression, smiled and offered advice, "Sensei, how about we consider paperless office? Confidential documents can remain in their current form, while other documents can utilize electronic devices more."
"The idea is good, but many department heads will probably feel uncomfortable; people find it hard to accept new things."
Tsunade followed behind Shu Furukawa, muttering under her breath that even the implementation of walkie-talkies was facing resistance, since communication was the foundation of the Yamanaka Clan.
It was only after getting involved in village administration that Shu Furukawa realized how traditional the village was, and that a lot of preliminary work was needed to change this situation.
Looking at the sumptuous dinner, Tsunade a little embarrassed, but she didn't show it on her face.
"Why is the Lord Hokage starting to research Sealing Jutsu?"
"It seems he still doesn't quite trust me and Minato. It's just a meeting; it's unlikely a conflict will break out in the Land of Iron."
As Shu Furukawa poured Tsunade a drink, he inquired about Sarutobi Hiruzen's recent activities. Tsunade, recalling her teacher's actions, sighed helplessly, "It's probably a psychological issue left over from the Old Man's personal experiences back then."
"He probably felt that his grandfather and the others were better at managing the village."
"I think the teacher has done a great job. Most of the Uchiha's lingering problems have been resolved, the number of requests is increasing, and the village's reliance on funding from the Land of Fire is decreasing."
After having a few drinks, Tsunade became more talkative. She had gotten used to this kind of life, especially since Shizune wasn't around, and their conversations became more casual.
When it came time for her evening training, Tsunade tried her best to control her "boiling" body, but after the training ended, she eventually leaned weakly on Shu Furukawa's shoulder.
Although this wasn't the first time such a situation had occurred, Tsunade still felt a little embarrassed. She lowered her head, avoiding looking at her disciple, and whispered, "Shu, be careful on this mission. The Old Man's premonitions are sometimes very accurate."
"Take good care of yourself, don't worry me..."
Tsunade noticed her right hand on her shoulder pause slightly in breathing, and instinctively looked up to see Shu Furukawa's sincere gaze. "Sensei, I will bring the Lord Hokage back safely."
"Don't worry, just be careful when you practice ninjutsu while I'm gone."
Tsunade subconsciously. Her body felt limp, so she leaned against his shoulder and stopped talking. After a while, she asked in a very soft voice, "It's late, Xiu. Do you want to stay here or stay in that room?"
"Yes, teacher."
Traveling from Konoha to the Land of Iron is very convenient, but the group still set off ahead of time, mainly to reserve the Flying Thunder God Formula.
The heavy snow of the past two days had covered several paths, but fortunately the ninjas didn't need to deliberately follow the roads. They occasionally ran through tree branches, which didn't delay their journey.
As night fell, the group camped at the border. Sarutobi Hiruzen in high spirits, seemingly having rediscovered his former self. He jokingly teased the cautious Minato Namikaze, "No need to be so tense, Minato. It's perfectly safe within the Land of Fire."
"Since the negotiations will be held in a neutral country, even if a battle breaks out, it will only take place on the way back."
"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage, I still prefer to be fully prepared."
"If anything happens to you, it will be my fault."
Wearing his Jonin combat uniform, Minato Namikaze bowed and explained that he had already prepared several contingency plans, and an efficient retreat required these coordinates along the route.
"Someone is approaching us. The Chakra is familiar; it must be Sunagakure Ninja."
Shu Furukawa whispered a reminder, and everyone immediately went on alert. However, Chiyo Sarutobi Hiruzen his hand to stop them, and looked at Chiyo gently, saying, " Sunagakure is already our ally, there's no need to be nervous."
Chiyo initially didn't want to speak, but hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's sincere tone, she finally sighed and bowed slightly, " Sunagakure will fully support Konoha at the meeting."
After waiting for quite a while, Rasa and his group finally arrived. Chiyo glanced at Shu Furukawa; such a range of perception was beyond human comprehension.
Rasa, now the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, dressed in a brown combat uniform, saw the group already waiting for him. He could only suppress his complex emotions and step forward to greet them, " Lord Hokage, thank you for your trust. Sunagakure's recent missions have temporarily escaped their previous predicament."
"There's no need to be so polite. Let's rest tonight, and we'll reach our destination tomorrow."
After Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a shout, the four Sunagakure Ninja squads following behind were still somewhat nervous. Many of the ninjas instinctively lowered their heads and dared not look directly at Shu Furukawa when they saw him.
"Long time no see, Rasa. Congratulations on becoming the Kazekage!"
Shu Furukawa broke the awkward silence with a smile and congratulated the Fourth Kazekage.
Rasa looked at the much taller Shu Furukawa and his eyes twitched. This was the last person he wanted to meet. He sighed inwardly and reluctantly extended his right arm to shake hands in a friendly manner.
"Thank you so much for taking care of Advisor Chiyo."
Chiyo, who was behind them, was initially furious when she heard their conversation, but when she thought of the evil torture she had suffered, the old woman instantly lost her temper.
She had developed a habit from being tormented, and whenever her emotions surged, she would immediately calm down. Chiyo couldn't be sure whether Shu Furukawa had lifted the restrictions on her.
Despite being allies, both sides remained wary of each other, but thankfully the night passed peacefully.
Upon entering the capital of the Land of Iron, the group encountered the Third Tsuchikage. Ōnoki, a short man with a red nose, openly mocked Rasa upon seeing Rasa, saying, "Since when can a 'half-kage' participate in talks?"
"Since you've chosen to be an ally of Konoha, there's no need to offer your opinions here."
Ōnoki's father, Kitsuchi, tugged at him twice, then bowed his head and apologized to everyone. Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki wearing iron protective gear on his face, frowned slightly when he saw Minato Namikaze.
He came here with Ōnoki for peace, but seeing the composition of Konoha's forces, he seems to have other plans.
" Ōnoki, let's save our opinions for the meeting. Now is not the time to voice them."
"We haven't informed the Land of Iron yet; let's go together if we encounter them."
Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled and urged everyone to get moving. Ōnoki glanced at the two young men from Konoha, snorted, and said nothing more.
Rasa was furious with the Old Man, but he knew he had betrayed his ally first. He glanced instinctively at Shu Furukawa beside the Hokage, and silently vowed, "I must master the power of the Tailed Beast!"