Going to See the Hokage

After dinner, Hana Inuzuka had just stepped out of the kitchen when she saw Ye Fan standing at the doorway.

With a slight smile, Hana was in a good mood. "Do you need something?"

Ye Fan nodded. "Hua, do you have time later? I'd like you to take me somewhere."

As she dried the water droplets from her hands with her apron, Hana asked curiously, "Where do you want to go so late?"

"I want to see Lord Hokage."

"See Lord Hokage?" Hana stared at Ye Fan in astonishment.

"Yes."

"Ye Fan, what do you want with Lord Hokage?" Hana's expression turned serious as her beautiful eyes fixed directly on him.

Ye Fan did not hide it. "I want to obtain official custody of Laiyun from Lord Hokage."

Hana stared at Ye Fan for a long while before suddenly laughing. "You want to see Lord Hokage just for that?"

Ye Fan nodded, his expression unusually serious.

Although Laiyun had now become his contracted beast, there was no telling whether someone might get ideas after seeing Laiyun grow stronger by the day. The people of the Inuzuka Clan in particular might use some excuse to demand Laiyun.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, it was better to prepare for some things early.

"You don't need to see Lord Hokage for this. I can make the decision. If you truly like Laiyun, then you can take care of it." Hana smiled.

Clearly, she had misunderstood Ye Fan, thinking he merely wanted to stay with Laiyun.

"I want Laiyun to become my Ninja Hound. Hua alone cannot decide something like that. I need Lord Hokage's approval," Ye Fan explained.

This time, Hana understood, and her expression grew serious. "Ye Fan, you need to ask Laiyun what it thinks first. You cannot decide based on your own wishes alone."

In her view, Laiyun would never agree.

Ninja Hounds were the most loyal companions, and precisely because of that loyalty, they found it difficult to accept a second master.

Hana believed that if Ye Fan simply kept Laiyun company, there would be no problem. But if he wanted Laiyun to become his Ninja Hound, Laiyun probably would not only refuse, but might even distance itself from Ye Fan.

"Laiyun has already agreed." Ye Fan's answer stunned Hana once more.

Under her incredulous gaze, Ye Fan called Laiyun out from the bedroom and asked, "Laiyun, from today onward, you are my Ninja Hound. You've already agreed to this, right?"

Laiyun nodded.

"Laiyun, you really agreed?" Hana could scarcely believe her ears.

Laiyun nodded again. It had already signed a Soul Contract with Ye Fan. The matter was set in stone.

Even after confirming the truth, Hana still found it hard to believe. She turned to Ye Fan. "Ye Fan, how did you persuade Laiyun?"

"It was simple. I told Laiyun that I could help it avenge Aoi, and it believed me, so it followed me." Ye Fan shrugged. Even if he said it outright, Hana might not believe it.

Sure enough, Hana's expression proved exactly that.

In her eyes, Ye Fan was someone who did not even possess chakra. How could he possibly help Laiyun?

Still, this was good. At least now that Laiyun had followed Ye Fan, it would not run away like last time. For quite some time, it would probably behave itself. Perhaps as time passed, it would move beyond the grief of losing Aoi.

"Ye Fan, why do you have to see Lord Hokage? Since Laiyun has already agreed..." Hana had not finished speaking before Ye Fan interrupted her.

"Hua, the other people in the clan may not think as you do. Once Laiyun recovers, it might be assigned to someone else at will, or sent out again to carry out dangerous missions. I know you want to say that Laiyun was Aoi's Ninja Hound, and no one else has the right to interfere. But if Inuzuka Goya gives the order, it will still be troublesome." Ye Fan directly called the Inuzuka Clan head by name, making it clear how much he disliked the man.

Hana fell silent. She thought of the recent movements within the Inuzuka Clan. Just as Ye Fan had said, if Inuzuka Goya sent someone to take Laiyun away, what reason would she have to stop him?

Inuzuka Goya was, after all, the head of the Inuzuka Clan. Moreover, he had recently been deliberately aligning himself with Danzo. No one could guarantee what mad decision he might make.

Aoi had often opposed Inuzuka Goya while she was alive. Who could guarantee that he would not take revenge on Laiyun? Even if he disdained doing such a thing, what about the clan members who supported him?

The more Hana thought about it, the more serious her expression became. At the same time, she increasingly realized how thorough Ye Fan's considerations were.

The Hokage's Office was brightly lit at this moment.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, held a smoking pipe between his lips as he pondered matters with a grave expression.

Not long ago, an ANBU member had reported that over the past two days, Inuzuka Goya, the head of the Inuzuka Clan, had received more than a hundred trainable puppies from Danzo.

According to the ANBU investigation, those hundred-plus puppies had all undergone experimental research. Though they were still young, they had already displayed savage traits.

Hiruzen now suspected that Inuzuka Goya was helping Danzo train a batch of highly aggressive Ninja Hounds. More Ninja Hounds would likely be sent over later.

Though Ninja Hounds were far inferior to true ninja in both intelligence and strength, once their numbers reached a certain scale, they would inevitably become a terrifying force.

Furthermore, Ninja Hounds grew quickly and could reproduce in large numbers. If the Inuzuka Clan possessed thousands upon thousands of powerful Ninja Hounds, they might pose a threat to Konoha.

Hiruzen had spoken with Inuzuka Goya before, but the man had brushed him off, yielding no useful information.

"It seems I need to gather information from the other members of the Inuzuka Clan." Just as Hiruzen was lost in thought, a guard ninja reported that Hana Inuzuka and Inuzuka Ye Fan were requesting an audience.

A glint flashed through Hiruzen's eyes, and he immediately ordered that the two be admitted.

Ye Fan followed closely behind Hana, his eyes curiously sweeping over the surroundings. It was not the paintings on the walls that caught his attention, but something interesting he had discovered.

As expected of the Hokage's workplace. The security is incredibly tight.

He discovered many mechanisms around them. The hidden sentries in particular were all exceptionally skilled. Even the weakest among them were likely Elite Jonin.

Laiyun, following behind Ye Fan, seemed entirely at ease. Clearly, it was not the first time it had come here.

They finally reached the Hokage's Office, and the thick smell of smoke drifting out made Ye Fan frown.