In mid-July of Year 46, the members of Jiraiya's squad who had successfully made it back to the outskirts of Konoha all breathed a sigh of relief.
Akimichi Choza stopped and patted his belly, then declared loudly:
"Once we're back in the village, I'm having a huge meal. Since we made it back in one piece this time, I need to build up even more energy!"
At the front of the group, Jiraiya burst out laughing at that. Although they hadn't achieved their expected goal and the mission had hit a few snags, he was still in high spirits:
"How about a few drinks? The liquor in the Land of Grass can't compare to Konoha's, and they don't have nearly enough snacks to go with it!"
"The girls were surprisingly pretty, though..."
"Sensei Jiraiya! We're not old enough to drink."
Minato Namikaze cut Jiraiya off and turned to look at everyone behind him, wearing an apologetic smile.
"What does that matter? Minato, don't underestimate children!"
"Kakashi, you must agree with me. The Toad Sage needs more inspiration to write even more interesting stories!"
Jiraiya made a series of exaggerated expressions. Kakashi awkwardly turned his head away, though deep down he did agree.
Shu Furukawa, who had read the Toad Sage's manuscript, couldn't judge his talent as a writer, but some of the scenes were certainly powerful:
"Captain Shikaku, that scar on your face isn't a problem, is it? You're still single, right?"
Shu Furukawa changed the subject, making everyone laugh. Nara Shikaku had been "disfigured" during this mission.
"A man ought to have a few scars! They'll remind me not to underestimate any opponent."
"Come to think of it, I made a pretty sorry showing. I only made it back to the village thanks to you all. I can't let my guard down from now on."
Both of Shikaku's injuries had been to his face. He smiled and rested his arms behind his head, completely unbothered by the scars.
"Don't let your guard down, Shikaku. This time was a lesson!"
"If Shu, Kakashi, and Hideichi hadn't been so capable, you would've had a much harder time dealing with what happened."
"Ninja need sharp minds, but they also have to take their own strength seriously."
Yamanaka Inoichi gave him a firm reminder. Not every team had such capable members, and he didn't want his friend to grow complacent and come to harm.
"I understand. Even if training is the most troublesome thing in the world, I'll stick with it!"
Shikaku replied solemnly. Thinking back to the night they'd been surrounded, he knew things would have turned out very differently if Shu and Kakashi had been even a little slower.
"Forget about the mission. Once you've finished the report, take some time to relax!"
"Ninja need to balance work and rest, too. I'll handle everything else from here."
Jiraiya made his promise with a confident smile. Minato's two teammates cheered along with him. High-rank missions paid well, but they were exhausting.
When the group reached the village gate, they happened to run into Tsume Inuzuka's squad returning from outside the village.
"Kuromaru! You're not listening again!"
Tsume Inuzuka, with her wild, spiky hair, saw her dog race over to Shu Furukawa and called out in exasperation. Kuromaru, who had grown several sizes bigger, immediately replied:
"I just wanted to ask if Shu had any more of those Military Ration Pills."
"I'm helping you get stronger, too!"
The big dog looked rather fierce, nothing like Kakashi's little Ninja Dog. Shu Furukawa smiled and patted Kuromaru's head, then handed him the remaining Military Ration Pills in his bag and warned him:
"That's all I have left. Remember, don't eat too many at once. There's a risk you'll mutate. You don't want to turn into a monster, do you?"
The specially made Military Ration Pills contained a little Natural Energy. They worked better than the Inuzuka Clan's secret medicine, and eating them could improve a dog's health...
"Tsume's still too fierce..."
A look of regret appeared on Kuromaru's face. He'd wanted to introduce Tsume to Shu and make them one big family. It would've been a great way to expand the clan, too.
Ignoring his owner, who was chasing after him and trying to hit him, Kuromaru ran off. Before leaving, he didn't forget to remind Kakashi:
"Kid, have Pakkun bring that Akino fellow next time. I'll give him a proper training session!"
Looking at the enormous, imposing dog, Kakashi wore an envious expression. His own Ninja Dogs did nothing but complain...
The group grew larger, and everyone chatted and laughed as they walked through Konoha's gate. At the back of the group, Hideichi Hyuga felt conflicted.
He truly envied his free-spirited companions. He was nothing but a tool of his clan.
Inside the Hokage Building, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and the two advisors were present. Danzo sat on the other side of the room, his eyes narrowed as he listened in silence to Jiraiya's report.
"Based on the latest intelligence, we've essentially identified Iwagakure's Jinchuriki."
"As for the grudge between Ōnoki and the Jinchuriki mentioned in the report, we can't confirm it yet. Next time, I'm confident I can test how far the Jinchuriki has developed their abilities."
As soon as Jiraiya finished speaking, Danzo, who had been silent until then, added:
"I still have two leads on my end. We'll need to assign more intelligence operatives to them."
Everyone in the room understood what Danzo meant. Once their work was done, death was the only outcome for Root's intelligence operatives.
No one objected. The Five Great Nations constantly infiltrated one another, and sacrifices for the village were unavoidable.
"How did Hideichi Hyuga perform?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't bring up the intelligence work. Danzo was the specialist in that area. He was more concerned about the Hyuga Clan's attitude.
"Hideichi Hyuga played a major role in the Nara squad's ability to bring back intelligence this time."
"His Rotation, which was effective in both offense and defense, was a tremendous help in battle."
Jiraiya reported honestly. At the mention of Rotation, the others in the room nodded. With that secret technique in combination with the Byakugan, the Hyuga could truly be called Konoha's strongest clan.
Whenever war broke out, the Hyuga Clan sent out their elites to contribute to the village. The people in the room cared less about status than attitude.
"Next time, we might face their Jinchuriki. Jiraiya, don't let your guard down!"
"Minato needs to get even more proficient with the Flying Thunder God. That boy's talent is beyond imagination. He's the village's future."
Hiruzen Sarutobi praised him with a genial smile, but Danzo narrowed his eyes and spoke up:
"I don't want Minato Namikaze getting too close to the Jinchuriki. It would pose a great risk to the village."
"That's Minato's freedom. As his teacher, I have no right to interfere."
"That's enough, Old Man. I'm off for a drink."
Jiraiya replied with some annoyance, then turned and walked out without even looking at Danzo.
"Thud..."
The door closed. Danzo opened his eyes and looked at the others. No one spoke for a moment, until Utatane Koharu finally broke the silence:
"Lady Mito mentioned this matter. I support Danzo's position. If things get out of control, we all know what the consequences would be."
"There's no need to discuss this. Kushina's chakra is very special. We just need to trust Lady Mito's arrangements."
Hiruzen Sarutobi trusted his "family," as he always had. Mitokado Homura lowered his head and said nothing, while Danzo stood up and said gravely:
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this."
"..."