The Cloud Shinobi Envoy Who Stirred Up Trouble

During Konoha's reconstruction, many new houses were built. To better care for the little one who'd joined their family, Minato and his wife moved into a brand-new villa.

That evening, to celebrate their move, the Fourth Hokage cooked dinner himself and invited his teacher, his junior, and his students over for a feast.

"Dattebayo, Brother Genye, put me down already!" Naruto shouted from Genye's arms.

"Hey, you little blondie." Genye rolled his eyes. "When you were little, you let me cuddle you, carry you, and kiss you. Now you've grown up and turned your back on me?"

"Come on, Genye, just put Naruto down," Jiraiya said, unable to watch any longer. "Who holds a child upside down like that?"

"...Oh." Genye pouted, turned the poor upside-down Naruto right way up, and set him on the floor.

But the kid kept hollering, "Dattebayo, dattebayo!"

Genye was only interested in playing, not soothing him. Seeing Naruto fuss, he simply let go and left him be, going over to chat with Nohara Rin instead.

Snap.

Seeing this, Jiraiya broke the popsicle he'd just bought in half and handed Naruto one piece. "Be good, Naruto. Stop fussing. How about I give you this?"

"Okay!" Naruto's eyes lit up. He took the popsicle, stuffed it into his mouth, and quieted down at once.

"Lord Jiraiya, it's freezing outside, and you're letting Naruto eat ice cream again!"

Kushina came out of the kitchen carrying a dish. At the sight, her brows drew together.

"Aw, the kid likes it." Jiraiya ruffled Naruto's hair and grinned. "Besides, with the constitution of your Uzumaki Clan, why worry about something like that?"

"Um, Sensei, I think Lord Jiraiya has a point." Obito raised a hand from the sofa, timidly offering his opinion.

Earlier, when he'd been playing with Naruto, he'd accidentally made the boy bump his head. He'd rushed him to the hospital, only to find that the injury had already healed...

"Hm?!" Kushina glared at Obito, her expression darkening as her red hair slowly floated upward. Obito's heart pounded at the sight.

You couldn't hide the look in your eyes when you wanted to kill someone!

"I-I didn't say anything just now..."

Obito broke into a cold sweat and held up the book Jiraiya had just given him to hide his face, "burying" his head in it as he read in terror.

Damn it, I still can't see a thing!

Kakashi sat beside Obito, looking as though he couldn't stand him, but his butt had nearly slid onto Obito's lap. His eyes were fixed on the book in Obito's hands.

What a pair of idiots. They've got beautiful women right beside them, and they're looking at comics instead.

Genye shook his head and edged closer to Rin, admiring her long, straight legs in black stockings from up close.

"By the way, Rin-chan." Genye pointed at the two engrossed boys and whispered, "Which of those two idiots do you like more?"

"Um, the one I like is..."

Rin hesitated, then leaned close to Genye's ear and quietly whispered a name.

(ÒωÓױ)!

Genye's eyes widened in surprise at her answer.

"All right, the food's ready! Let's eat!"

Minato came out of the kitchen with the last dish and set it on the table, smiling as he urged everyone to take their seats.

"(╯▽╰ ) It smells so good~~"

Obito caught the scent, put down his book at once, and scampered over to the table.

Everyone else took their seats, too. While no one was looking, Kakashi slipped the book from the sofa into his shirt, then strolled over to the table as if nothing had happened.

"Congratulations on the new home!"

The eight of them clinked glasses and began their meal amid laughter and cheerful chatter.

Rin chatted with Kushina about gossip, little Naruto focused on stuffing his face, and Obito and Kakashi kept exchanging glances, lost in their own little world.

After talking with his teacher for a while about the state of the Shinobi World, Minato glanced at Genye, who was spacing out beside them. He set down his chopsticks and asked, "Genye, what are you planning to do next? Would you like to take a position in your senior's Anbu?"

Genye had been using his Byakugan to check out the girls. At Minato's question, he shook his head like a rattle.

"No way. I still prefer traveling the Shinobi World with the Pervy Sage."

"Ah, all right, then." Minato could only let it go.

He gave a helpless smile, then joked with Jiraiya. "It's your fault, Jiraiya Sensei. You turned such a promising young man into a carefree wanderer."

Jiraiya downed a cup of sake and laughed heartily. "A swimming dragon belongs in the sea, and a cloud-dwelling crane belongs in the sky. That's just how this kid is. You can't blame me."

"Right. Just keep staring at the sky with your head tilted back. You're suited for a burial at sea someday."

Drinking merrily with his students and grandstudents, Jiraiya was in high spirits, but he couldn't help thinking of his other three students.

If only Nagato and the others were still alive... Jiraiya sighed to himself, then drained his cup once more.

Hmm, it's been two years since I last drew. Time to clear out some of my stock.

After eating his fill, Genye opened the system interface. It showed that he had ten replication attempts left.

I hope I get the Bloodline Puzzle. System, replicate five times!

After selecting Kushina on the interface, Genye called out in his mind.

[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You replicated the skill "Four-Symbols Seal"! ]

[ Congratulations, Host! You obtained the skill "Dark Cuisine"! ]

[ Congratulations, Host! You obtained "Sealing Jutsu: From Beginner to Quitter"! ]

[ Congratulations, Host! You obtained "Sealing Jutsu Mastery"! ]

[ Host's constitution +1. Current constitution: 10. You have reached the First and Four Kage level! ]

Hmm, still no Bloodline Puzzle.

He hadn't gotten an SSR, but it wasn't a bad haul either. Genye decided he could accept it and began considering his rewards.

The Uzumaki Clan really did specialize in sealing jutsu. After replicating a few times, he'd somehow become a sealing expert himself.

And that "First and Four Kage level" was pretty clever...

I'll save the other five attempts for next time. Sigh, I guess Kushina still doesn't love me enough.

If only I hadn't saved Minato back then. Then I could've taken advantage of the situation! (doge)

"By the way, Senior." After finishing his replications from Kushina, Genye turned to Minato beside him. "I heard the Land of Lightning's delegation is coming to Konoha for a visit in a few days?"

Minato nodded slightly. "That's right. If nothing unexpected happens, Konoha and Kumogakure should be able to sign a peace treaty this time."

"I see..." Genye rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

[In the original story, the Land of Lightning's delegation came to Konoha ostensibly to negotiate, but in truth, they were after the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan.

One night, an envoy sneaked into the Hyuga Main Family's compound and quietly stole two- or three-year-old Hinata. But Hyuga Hiashi caught him and killed him with a single palm strike.

...It was pretty ridiculous. A bunch of people who could see for several kilometers couldn't spot a grown man sneaking into their own compound.

But the most ridiculous part came later. Using the envoy's death as an excuse, the Land of Lightning demanded that Konoha hand over Hyuga Hiashi's corpse, threatening to attack Konoha if they refused.

One ordinary envoy's life in exchange for the life of a clan head from one of Konoha's great families. Everyone else thought Kumogakure had gone mad. Sarutobi Hiruzen thought it was fine.

And so came the tragedy of Hizashi Hyuga sacrificing himself in his brother's place.]

But thanks to Genye, the butterfly who'd changed history, Konoha was now in much better shape than in the original story.

So Genye didn't know whether this would still happen.

"Is something wrong, Genye?" Minato asked, puzzled.

"Oh, I just have a feeling Kumogakure might have ulterior motives. You'd better be on your guard, Senior," Genye said honestly.

"All right, I'll keep that in mind." Minato smiled as he agreed, but he didn't take it to heart.

A few months ago, he'd personally gone to the Land of Lightning and met with its daimyo. There was no way things could go wrong now.

"Damn it, where's my book?!" After dinner, Obito was stunned.

A week later, the Land of Lightning's delegation arrived in Konoha as scheduled.

That night, one of the envoys put on a dark outfit and quietly left the inn, sneaking into the Hyuga Main Family's estate.

Whoosh!

A few minutes after climbing into the estate, the envoy soon climbed back over the wall, a sleeping little girl tucked under his arm.

"Hinata!"

Hyuga Hiashi had just returned from a stroll. The moment he saw this, his eyes blazed with rage.

"Gentle Fist!"

Hiashi flew into a fury. He used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of the envoy, then slammed a fist into his chest.

"Gah!" The envoy groaned, clutched his chest, and slowly collapsed to the ground. Soon, he stopped breathing.

By the next morning, news had spread that a Land of Lightning envoy had been attacked and killed in Konoha.

Kumogakure angrily declared that unless Konoha handed over the killer's corpse, its army would surely flatten Konoha!