After Naraku and the others had waited there for a short while, the Third Hokage arrived with the two Anbu.
"He actually woke up."
One of the Anbu hurried forward to restrain Yamato when he saw that he had come to.
But the Third Hokage raised a hand and stopped him.
"Lord Hokage?" The Anbu looked confused.
"Let's return to the village first." The Third Hokage offered no explanation, simply telling everyone to head back.
The Anbu said nothing more. They were absolutely loyal to the Third Hokage, their Hokage.
The group then set off for Konoha.
The two Anbu walked at the front, the Third Hokage and Yamato walked side by side, and Naraku brought up the rear.
Since they had been attacked on the way here, the two Anbu were on high alert this time, not daring to let their guard down for even a moment.
Naraku could only say they were worrying too much.
As it turned out, the journey back was uneventful. Nothing happened all the way to the gates of Konoha.
After entering the village, Naraku said goodbye to the Third Hokage and slipped away. Being around someone like the Third Hokage made him uncomfortable every moment.
The Third Hokage said nothing, merely nodding and letting him go.
Inside the Hokage Office,
The Third Hokage stared silently at Yamato, lost in thought.
Creak!
Just then, the office door opened.
"Hiruzen, what did you want me for?" Danzo's voice came from the doorway.
"Lord Danzo." At the familiar voice, Yamato's body trembled slightly.
He still feared Danzo greatly. After all, Danzo was still controlling him with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.
Danzo had only just entered when he saw Yamato. His eyes flickered briefly, but he wasn't too surprised. After all, this scene was part of his plan.
"Kinoe, leave us," Danzo said coldly to Yamato.
Yamato hesitated at those words, but in the end he looked up at the Third Hokage.
"Kinoe!" Seeing Kinoe dare to disobey his order, Danzo was furious.
"You may leave."
Just then, the Third Hokage nodded, indicating that Yamato should go.
"Yes."
Yamato bowed to the Third Hokage, then saluted Danzo before leaving the room.
The Third Hokage gestured toward the air. Then, with a grim expression, he looked at Danzo, waiting for an explanation.
Danzo seemed to have prepared for this in advance. He took a scroll from inside his robe and handed it to him.
After reading the contents, the Third Hokage's grave expression faded, replaced by one of disappointment. Even his eyes dimmed.
"Hiruzen, Orochimaru is your disciple, yet he's done something like this in the village. Are you, as Hokage, truly without any responsibility?"
"Everything that has brought Konoha to its current state is your fault," Danzo declared, delivering the speech he had prepared.
"Step down, Hiruzen!" Danzo shouted.
Bang!
"That's enough!" The Third Hokage slammed his hand on the desk and rose to his feet. The air around them trembled faintly.
"Release that boy's seal," the Third Hokage said in a tone that brooked no refusal.
"Hiruzen, you—"
"I said, release that boy's seal."
Looking at the Third Hokage's slightly aged face, Danzo finally relented.
With a bang, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Yamato, standing outside, barely had time to react before Danzo grabbed him by the throat.
"Cough! Cough!"
Just as Yamato felt he was about to suffocate, Danzo let go and left.
"Ha... ha..."
Yamato sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath. For a moment there, he had truly thought he was going to die.
"The seal..."
Only then did Yamato realize that the seal that had been on him all along seemed to have been removed.
The Third Hokage also walked out of the office and came over to Yamato, speaking to him.
"Join the Anbu for now."
"The Anbu?" Yamato didn't hesitate. He dropped to one knee before the Third Hokage. "Thank you, Lord Hokage."
"Heh, there's no need to thank me. The future of the village rests in the hands of young people like you."
"Wherever the leaves dance, the fire burns on. The flame will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout..."
In the end, the Third Hokage assigned Yamato to Naraku's squad. Naraku was also promoted over the usual ranks to Anbu squad leader, taking Shisui's place, while Shisui was given a new mission.
But Naraku had no idea he had been promoted. Even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared. No position meant anything to him. Even if he were given the Hokage's seat, he might not take it.
"So he's not home?" Naraku frowned at the tightly shut gate before him.
The words "Hatake Residence" were written across it.
After parting ways with the Third Hokage and the others, Naraku had come here to find Kakashi. He wanted to ask him about a few ninjutsu techniques, but he hadn't expected Kakashi to be out.
"Did he go on a mission again?" Naraku muttered, then turned and left.
Unable to find Kakashi, Naraku headed back out to the street. He had spent the day guarding the Third Hokage and barely eaten anything. His stomach had been growling for ages.
"Boss, I'll have a few dumplings," a girl who looked about eleven or twelve said as she stood in front of a dumpling shop by the roadside.
"Well, if it isn't Anko! It's been ages since you last came by!"
The owner clearly knew her well and soon packed up a few dumplings for her.
"Yeah, it has been a while," Anko thought to herself.
She had only recently become a Genin, and spent every day going on missions with her teammates to find lost cats. She had much less time to visit the dumpling shop now.
Naraku, not far away, also spotted Anko buying dumplings. Seeing her made him think of her teacher, Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was a true genius in the world of Naruto, and Naraku had always wanted to meet him, but he didn't dare. He was afraid Orochimaru might dissect him if he wasn't careful.
Still, Naraku wasn't in a hurry. He knew that one day he would seek Orochimaru out himself. His incredible research skills would also be a great asset when facing the Otsutsuki in the future.
"But Orochimaru should be close to defecting around this time, shouldn't he?" Naraku thought as he stepped into a barbecue restaurant.
The moon shone bright and the stars were few as night soon cloaked the entire world.
Glass bottles of all shapes and sizes, filled with liquids of every color, stood alongside the bizarre tools on the table.
Bang!
The very next moment, everything on the table vanished.
"Heh, this should be about enough." A man in a kimono stood there, his pale golden eyes radiating a chilling aura.