Return and Claim the Reward, the Third Hokage Tests Him Personally

"Did you find this iron tag beneath Iron Claw's boot?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi held the evidence without immediately handing it to the Anbu beside him. His thumb brushed over the inverted dead tree; the coordinate mark hidden within the inner layer was still warm.

"The man in the pit told me."

"Iron Claw said it came from Yaqu."

"Only half of what he said can be trusted."

"Which half do you believe?"

"The tag does belong to Root."

Hiruzen raised his eyes, his pipe still in his other hand.

"Root is also part of Konoha."

"That's why I brought it back to Konoha."

The Anbu in charge of the handover lowered his head to check the wanted list, circling Iron Claw's name with his pen.

"The bounty for capturing Iron Claw alive is 7.2 million ryo. The other four total 1.6 million. Rescuing the miners carries an additional merchant guild commission of 600,000."

"When do I get it?"

The Anbu looked up.

"After interrogation confirms everything."

"How long will that take?"

"Usually half a month."

"Will Root take him away first?"

"That falls outside the scope of bounty settlement."

Chiba reached out and took back his travel permit. The words "exceeded authorized range" had been added to it.

"Then I'll wait outside the Interrogation Division."

Hiruzen tapped the iron tag with his pipe.

"You still have class tomorrow."

"The bounty can buy textbooks."

"The Ninja Academy doesn't lack textbooks for you."

"The Senju Clan Grounds lack a roof."

The Anbu handling the exchange turned to the next page of the ledger, then stopped his pen over a blank space.

Hiruzen coughed lightly.

"Release the 7.2 million first. Once the statements concerning the four accomplices and the rescue commission are verified, the remaining funds will be issued."

"Cash?"

"It will be deposited in Konoha Bank."

"I want half in cash."

"You plan to carry 3.6 million ryo back yourself?"

"The people selling lumber can carry it."

Hiruzen studied him for several breaths, then returned the pipe to his lips.

"Fine."

By the time the handover procedures were completed, night had fallen.

Two iron chests of money were delivered to the Senju Clan Grounds by Anbu. Bai Ye remained hidden in the western cave, merely extending Soft Bone through a crack in the wall to probe beneath the chests and confirm that there were no mechanisms inside.

Chiba removed the seals and took out the repair list he had prepared in advance.

"Finish patching the east wall, replace the main house beams, rebuild the kitchen, and use the rest to dig drainage ditches."

Bai Ye's voice came from behind the wall.

"Build the kitchen first."

"Replace the main house beams first."

"When it rains, I can stay in the cave. If there's no food, I'll starve."

"There's uncooked rice."

"You try eating that for two days."

The sound of a wooden cane striking the ground came from outside.

The Soft Bone Bai Ye had extended immediately withdrew into the stone crack, and a layer of isolating wood sealed off the cave entrance as well.

Chiba closed the money chest.

"Does the Hokage not need to knock before entering someone else's clan grounds?"

"I knocked three times."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood inside the courtyard gate with no Anbu beside him, carrying only a paper packet of tea leaves.

"The courtyard gate has fallen over. Knocking anywhere is the same."

"Someone will fix it tomorrow."

Hiruzen stepped around the root trenches on the ground and set the tea on a broken table.

"Looks like the bounty already has a destination."

"It's still far from enough."

"To restore the old Senju Clan Grounds to their original state, seven million would only repair half a courtyard."

"Fix the parts people can live in first."

"How large a place does one person need to live in?"

"There won't be just one person in the future."

The hand holding Hiruzen's pipe shifted half an inch.

"You're planning to adopt orphans?"

"I could recruit people too."

"A clan's bloodline limit is difficult to pass on to outsiders."

"The Senju rely on more than bloodline limits."

The courtyard fell silent for several breaths. No more sound came from the western cave. Only thin roots pressed against the ground through the stone cracks, stopping two zhang short of Hiruzen's feet.

Hiruzen did not look in that direction. He pulled over a wooden stool missing one leg and sat down.

"I heard you completed another Wood Release transformation."

"News travels fast."

"You shattered half a mountainside in front of three Anbu and four Root shinobi. It would be hard for the news to travel slowly."

"Kinoe attacked first."

"His report says you refused to hand over the person first."

"He had no right to take him."

"You left your authorized range by seventy miles. You had no right to pursue Iron Claw either."

Chiba folded the repair list and tucked it back into the hidden compartment of the money chest.

"He wanted to capture me."

"That is your judgment."

"He's in the Interrogation Division now. You can ask him."

"I already did."

Hiruzen knocked the ashes from his pipe. The remaining sparks fell into the mud and were quickly snuffed out by a thin vine.

"Iron Claw admitted that the buyer came from Konoha, but he couldn't identify the person. The iron tag only contained a positioning technique commonly used by Root."

"Danzo denied it?"

"Danzo said the tag was lost three years ago."

"Something from three years ago could still track Kinoe?"

"Coordinates are changed."

"Then investigate who changed them."

"We are investigating."

Chiba took a bag of money from the iron chest and placed it by the door.

"Are you done?"

"Not yet."

Hiruzen's gaze fell on Chiba's right arm, where a short section of dark bronze vine bark showed beneath his cuff.

"Chiba, the speed of your growth has surpassed everyone's expectations. Konoha... thinks highly of you."

"Which part of Konoha?"

"What do you mean?"

"Does the Hokage think highly of me, or does Danzo?"

Hiruzen held the pipe between his lips but did not light it for a long while.

"You are too wary of the village."

"The village sent people to stop me from saving Iruka first."

"That matter has yet to reach a conclusion."

"Root's conclusions are always slow."

"That is why I intend to assign you a dedicated jonin instructor, someone who will personally guide your taijutsu and ninjutsu."

Fine dark bronze roots curled once beneath his sleeve.

Protection.

Surveillance.

Possibly both.

Someone personally chosen by Hiruzen would not obey Danzo's orders, but would certainly report the contents of his training back to the Hokage Tower.

"Who?"

"Asuma Sarutobi."

The Third Hokage's son.

A former member of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve.

Skilled in Wind Release and close-quarters combat, aligned closely with the Hokage's faction, with no connection to Danzo that could be laid out in the open.

He was safe enough, and troublesome enough.

"When does it begin?"

Hiruzen removed the unlit pipe from his mouth.

"You agreed faster than I expected."

"I have conditions."

"Let's hear them."

"He can't inspect the root network in the clan grounds, he can't enter the western cave, and I choose the training location."

"What have you hidden?"

"Something belonging to the Senju clan."

"What if it concerns the village's safety?"

"The Hokage can show me a search warrant first."

Hiruzen leaned against the wooden stool. One stool leg sank partway into the mud, and he had to steady it twice before setting it straight.

"Anything else?"

"The Hokage's Office covers any repair costs caused by training."

"You just received 7.2 million."

"I earned that by getting beaten up."

"You think Asuma will tear this place apart?"

"If he can't beat me, he won't."

Hiruzen finally lit his pipe, smoke curling past the broken roof beams.

"I can agree to the first and third conditions. The western cave must retain the right to safety inspections."

"Then he won't teach me."

"Chiba, not every student gets a dedicated jonin instructor."

"I'm not every student either."

The two sat across the money chest for a while.

Hiruzen rose first and pushed the packet of tea leaves toward Chiba.

"Asuma is only responsible for training, not searches. If he discovers anything that threatens the village, he will notify me first."

"Fine."

"Starting tomorrow morning."

"I still have class."

"Iruka will approve it."

"He hasn't approved it."

"He has now."

Hiruzen walked outside the courtyard gate, then turned back to look at the half-filled root trenches.

"Your choice today wasn't a loss."

"Neither was yours, Lord Hokage."

After the wooden cane departed, Bai Ye pushed open the isolating wood layer from behind the wall.

"Did that old man discover me?"

"Not sure."

"Want to change locations?"

"No."

"What about the one coming tomorrow?"

"We'll fight first."

Roof tiles ground beneath his shoes, and a cigarette butt fell into a puddle in the courtyard.

Asuma crouched on the broken ridge of the roof and beckoned Chiba over.

"The old man said you were hard to teach. I'm here to see just how difficult you are."