Homecoming Matters

"Is that so!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi held the file in his hand and looked at the three before him.

"Xuanhui, I've already received your application for jōnin.

But the approval process will take a few more days. Find something to do in the meantime."

He turned to look at Tsunade and Orochimaru.

"Since Jiraiya is staying in the Hidden Rain Village, what are you two planning to do?"

After thinking for a moment, Tsunade patted Xuanhui on the shoulder.

Xuanhui was startled at first, then understood.

After summoning a wooden gate, he showed Hiruzen Sarutobi the medical supplies he had obtained from the Hidden Rain camp.

"I plan to use these medical resources to strengthen Konoha's medical corps."

At that, she swallowed before changing the subject.

"Nawaki is on the battlefield near the Hidden Sand Village right now, isn't he? Once I've been busy for a couple of days, I plan to go fight there."

After speaking, Tsunade stepped back half a pace to indicate that she was finished.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, and the two turned to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru pondered for a while before raising his head and making a request none of them had expected.

"Teacher Sarutobi, I want to read through the complete collection of forbidden techniques. Is that possible?"

Hearing that, Xuanhui abruptly raised his head as well.

What's going on, brother! Didn't I reform you?

No, this isn't right! Nawaki and Kato Dan haven't even had their parts yet. How are you already turning evil ahead of schedule?

"Why? Orochimaru, can you tell me your reason?"

"I feel that the forbidden techniques left behind by our predecessors are all incomplete. I want to improve them."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked into Orochimaru's eyes. After a long while, he still shook his head.

"No. If you want to learn one, I can let you learn one, but you can't learn them all at once."

Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi's gazes clashed in midair, as though they were secretly competing against each other.

In the end, Orochimaru was the first to yield.

"Forget it. Just approve some funding for me. I want to move into a new laboratory.

The old one is too small. It can't even accommodate two people doing experiments."

Two people?

Xuanhui glanced into Orochimaru's pupils.

With that glance, he finally saw it—the cunning of a snake!

"This... fine... I agree! But don't mention the forbidden techniques again in the future."

"Thank you, Teacher Sarutobi!"

Orochimaru's gaze shifted downward, meeting Xuanhui's eyes exactly.

They truly were master and student. Even so, they both managed not to laugh out loud.

"Teacher Hiruzen, I have another idea. I wonder if you'd support it."

To keep himself from cracking up, Xuanhui quickly brought up another matter.

"An orphanage?"

The troubled expression from before surfaced on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face again.

"Xuanhui, the laboratory Orochimaru just mentioned is exactly what's troubling me.

It's wartime now, and funds are tight..."

"Actually, regarding funding, I do have a modest family fortune..."

"Ah!"

An idea suddenly flashed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind.

"Xuanhui, there's an orphanage run by the village in the south of Konoha.

However, it hasn't received any funding in recent years, so it's somewhat run-down.

How about you go there? I can approve a bit more funding to renovate the place, and then you can serve as its vice director.

Once you're older, you can become the director. How does that sound?"

"That works, but there's no need to rush into making me vice director.

Teacher Hiruzen, if I contribute eighty million ryō in funding—2.67 Asumas—would I become the orphanage's largest shareholder?"

Xuanhui's proposal caught Hiruzen off guard.

But with that much support, Xuanhui really could become the largest shareholder.

After all, no other businesses in Konoha were supporting the orphanage!

"Do you really have that much money? If not, I can pay out of my own pocket..."

"Then let's settle it that way! Teacher Hiruzen, I don't want to be director or vice director for now. I just like children. Being a shareholder is enough for the moment."

What a good child!

This was what an outstanding young member of Konoha's new generation looked like!

"Fine. Since that's the case, I'll send someone to contact them later. You don't need to worry about the rest. When the time comes, someone will take you through the procedures and show you around."

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up a pen from beside him and wrote down everyone's requests.

"Other than Orochimaru's laboratory funding being somewhat high, the rest are minor matters. There's no need to hold a meeting to discuss them.

You can go back and wait for notice. In a couple of days, I'll send someone to inform you."

The three thanked him, closed the door, and left the Hokage's office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long sigh, pulled open a drawer, and put his pipe between his lips.

"Konoha's future is promising indeed!"

The ember in his pipe brightened and dimmed as Hiruzen Sarutobi once again began puffing clouds of smoke toward the windowpane.

Of the three who left the Hokage's office, one ran to the medical department to find someone, while another hurried to his old laboratory to pack up his equipment.

Xuanhui stood where he was and thought.

There were actually quite a few things he still needed to do.

He had to go home and see his mother, find Minato and Fugaku to fulfill his promise, and buy some food and clothes for the three little ones.

"It's only just dawn. The shops might not be open yet, and Minato and Fugaku may still be asleep.

I'll go home and see Mom first."

Walking through the familiar streets, Xuanhui could not help sighing at how quickly time had passed.

He arrived at the familiar door and knocked.

A few seconds later, footsteps came from inside, drawing closer and closer!

When they stopped at the door, there was a click from within.

Then the door flew open. Before Xuanhui could even see his mother's expression, she rushed out and hugged him.

"Wow! Xuanhui! You're finally back! Hehe!"

Nara Yamanaka held her son in her arms and rubbed his face against the fabric over her lower belly.

Her hands kept tousling his hair, and every so often, she let out a silly "hehe" laugh.

"Hehe! My son is back! My adorable son! Hehe!"

"Mom! I can't breathe! Let go already!"

Xuanhui slapped at his mother's arms several times with his little hands, but the strength in her arms did not lessen in the slightest.

"Son, where's your father? Didn't he say the two of you were on the same battlefield?"

Nara Yamanaka suddenly released Xuanhui from her grip and lifted him up.

"I came back on leave. He hasn't gotten leave yet."

Xuanhui explained, trying to free himself from his mother's hands.

But when he glanced into her eyes, his head instantly began to ache.

Why are there little pearls again? Could your sense of security possibly be any lower?

"Mom! I'm not lying! Believe me! I only got leave because I earned merit and came back to submit my jōnin application!

Dad is alive and well right now, and he hasn't abandoned you either. Believe me!"