Another young man raised his hand:
"Hokage-sama, we want to do more for Konoha!
Besides working in the workshops, what else can we do?"
Kumoi smiled.
"Good question.
Then let me ask you: what can you do?"
The young man puffed out his chest.
"I know the basics of Sealing Jutsu, and I can do a little barrier maintenance too."
"Then do those well."
Kumoi said:
"Build a solid foundation and hone your craft.
More workshops will be built in the West District in the future, and we'll need more technical backbones.
Maybe someday, you'll be able to take on apprentices and stand on your own."
The young man's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.
A young mother holding a baby timidly raised her hand.
"Hokage-sama, can my child... become a ninja someday too?"
Kumoi looked at the swaddled infant, with his red hair and tiny little face.
"Of course he can."
He said gently:
"As long as he wants to, and as long as he works hard, every position in Konoha will be open to him."
The young mother lowered her head and kissed the child's forehead, her eyes glistening with tears.
Kushina suddenly raised a little hand from Shui Yuan's arms. "Hokage-sama! I want to become Hokage someday!"
The entire crowd froze for a moment, then burst into warm laughter.
Kumoi laughed as well. He crouched down, meeting the little girl's gaze at eye level.
"Alright. I'll wait for you to take over from me."
Kushina nodded hard, smiling like a flower.
Kumoi rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.
"Lastly, I want to say a few things from the heart."
The crowd fell silent.
"I know that you may still feel uneasy.
After all, people who have lost their homes will always feel