The lights in the Hokage's Office finally went out.
After signing the last document and confirming the arrangements for the village's work over the next few days, Naruto Uzumaki let out a long sigh of relief.
If I'd known, I wouldn't have slacked off during the day. Shikamaru hadn't come to work either, since Naruto had happily granted him a month's leave when he first returned.
Shikaku was still on his way back, and things outside the village had largely settled down.
The enormous machine that was Konoha had begun running efficiently. Even if Naruto left for a short while, it could remain reasonably stable.
It was time to set out.
His next destination was the Land of Demons, far removed from the conflicts of the Five Great Nations and renowned for its unique miko culture.
He had three objectives, each vitally important.
The first was Dan Katō.
Jiraiya had already gone ahead to the Land of Demons, taking the body Orochimaru had cultivated for Dan Katō using cloning technology.
According to the reports, Dan Katō's soul, which had been on the verge of dissipating because of a forbidden jutsu and years of being sealed, had temporarily stabilized with the help of Shion, the Land of Demons' current miko.
But a soul separated from its body for too long was ultimately like duckweed without roots. Even with a miko's power nurturing it, this was no lasting solution. His soul had to be returned and merged with the cloned body as soon as possible to bring this former Konoha jonin back to life.
Naruto needed crucial information from Dan Katō about the specific conditions of Iwaya Slope and the Pure Land.
As someone who had studied the Spirit Transformation Technique extensively, and whose soul had once wandered the boundary between life