There Are Snakes!!

At the Hokage Building, the Konoha F4 had been waiting for quite some time. Aside from Hiruzen Sarutobi, the other three showed obvious dissatisfaction with Aoba's lateness.

But Aoba did not care. In Konoha, if you cared about the Konoha F4's attitude, you would probably lose at least ten years off your life. Better to ignore them.

"Aoba Kamikawa, why did you return so late? Your teammates returned and reported in half a month ago. You were half a month late. Shouldn't you explain yourself?"

The two evergreen advisers were the first to attack. Danzo, unusually, did not speak.

In fact, Aoba could tell that Danzo was interested in him, but not very much. Thinking it over carefully, it was probably because he lacked "talent."

Danzo liked gifted people with special abilities—those with secret technique inheritances, Kekkei Genkai, and the like. A Jonin like Aoba, who had risen through Nintaijutsu, was low-grade material with little potential in Danzo's eyes.

That was why Danzo targeted Aoba less than the other two advisers did.

"It's simple. I was injured. Konoha's intelligence on Orochimaru had a serious flaw. It did not mention that he possessed a summoned beast of that level. When we attacked the base, we were scattered by the summoned beast. I was injured while fleeing, and I also went in the wrong direction. That was why it took me longer to return to Konoha."

"Hmph. But according to Root's report, Orochimaru mainly pursued Root's members. How were you injured?"

That was also what displeased Danzo. This operation had actually been arranged between him and Orochimaru.

I launch a symbolic attack, and you abandon that base. Whatever you lack, I will make up for it. That way, Orochimaru would suffer no real losses, and Danzo's Root could also make a show of its presence.

Yet no one expected Orochimaru to suddenly turn against them for some reason, slaughtering Konoha's people until they were thrown into chaos. Of Root's four men, three died.

The one who returned claimed that the others had been personally killed by Orochimaru.

"That is correct. I was not directly pursued by Orochimaru. It was one of his subordinates. If I was not mistaken, that person should have been a wielder of the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai from Kirigakure.

That boy was extremely powerful. Moreover, his Kekkei Genkai somewhat countered my tactics. I was no match for him. I barely managed to escape after great difficulty."

The moment Aoba spoke, Danzo knew he was referring to Kimimaro. Having worked with Orochimaru for so many years, he naturally knew about that capable enforcer under Orochimaru's command. In that case, Aoba's words were entirely logical.

At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke.

"Enough, Aoba. This is merely a routine debriefing. We have no intention of holding you responsible. In truth, the mission's failure was also due to insufficient intelligence. In principle, the responsibility does not lie with any of you.

However, I heard that you brought back a mother and daughter from outside, vouched for them, and allowed them to settle in Konoha?"

"That is correct. At the border of the Land of Fire, I encountered them being pursued by bandits and rescued them in passing. I simply did not expect them to have such deep ties to Konoha. They are descendants of the Uzumaki Clan. The girl is Uzumaki Karin, and her mother is Uzumaki Yumi."

"I see. Their red hair is indeed very conspicuous; it is the mark of the Uzumaki Clan. The Uzumaki Clan was once our ally, so it is only natural for Konoha to take them in.

Still, even with your guarantee, some review procedures are necessary. After all, the Uzumaki Clan all possess ninja talent. We must proceed cautiously."

"That is only natural. I have no objections."

"Good. It is good that you understand. Since they are members of the Uzumaki Clan, the village can provide them with a monthly allowance. As for whether they live on their own, or..."

"Uh, they can live with me. They have already agreed to that."

"Hehe. Good. With you looking after them, I can rest easy. Descendants of the Uzumaki Clan are friends of Konoha. You must take good care of them. All right, that will be all. You have only just returned home, so go back and rest."

Hiruzen Sarutobi once again played the role of the good old man, bringing the interrogation to an end.

That left the other two advisers somewhat dissatisfied.

"Hiruzen, he is clearly concealing many things. Aoba Kamikawa's loyalty is questionable."

"Hehe, I understand what you mean. But do not forget, anyone who was exiled to a border outpost for three years, and had their Jonin promotion report suppressed for over a year, would inevitably harbor resentment.

Aoba must resent Konoha in his heart. But that is not a major problem. I believe the village still holds a place in his heart. Besides, he is no longer that young. I saw Uzumaki Yumi.

Though she looked travel-worn, she was not unattractive. This young man has probably developed other thoughts. I believe he will soon form strong bonds in Konoha. When that happens, the estrangement between him and Konoha will resolve itself.

You also saw Hayate's report. Aoba's current combat strength is absolutely at the Elite Jonin level. We need talents like him."

After leaving the Hokage's Office, Aoba also let out a sigh of relief. This hurdle had been much easier to clear than he had imagined.

Since Hiruzen Sarutobi had spoken, Karin and Yumi's situation was no longer an issue. It was a good thing Danzo looked down on his ordinary self. He should be able to live peacefully in Konoha for the next few years.

When he reached the commercial district, Aoba gave it some thought and bought some meat and vegetables at the market.

Karin had the constitution of the Uzumaki Clan, but she was painfully thin. She was clearly malnourished. She probably had not even been fed properly among the Grass Ninja.

If he wanted her to be useful in the future, he had to nourish her properly starting now.

When he returned home and opened the door, the place felt somewhat unfamiliar. Looking closely, he found that the entire courtyard had been swept spotlessly clean, without even a single fallen leaf.

Entering the house, he found Yumi wiping down the tables and chairs. The kitchen had also been tidied up in advance.

"Ah, sir, you're back. Let me take that."

As Yumi spoke, she reached out and took the vegetables from his hands.

"Karin, sir bought lots of food. You're in for a treat this time."

Aoba was not exactly short of money. The main issue was that there had been nowhere to spend it at the border. All of his salary had been saved up. The spoils from his bloody battle with Kumogakure had also been exchanged for quite a bit of money. He had saved all of it, and supporting two more people was no problem at all.

But if he wanted to advance his plan to become stronger, that money was merely a drop in the bucket. The solution to that problem would probably still have to come from Orochimaru.

In the days that followed, aside from carrying out missions, Aoba stayed home and nursed Karin back to health. He also taught her basic ninja skills.

More than a month passed like that. Then one day, Karin suddenly let out a loud cry from the courtyard.

"There are snakes!!"