Everyone headed home

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been thoroughly enjoying the show from the sidelines, but the moment he heard Hatake Ziyan's words, his face fell.

Though Hiruzen Sarutobi was displeased, he had gone to great lengths to bury this matter. Now that Hatake Ziyan had brought it up, he could hardly argue and could only swallow the humiliation.

Seeing the discomfort on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, Hatake Ziyan couldn't help smiling.

"Lord Ziyan, what do you mean by this? Are you going to kill me just because I talked back to you? Do you really think there's no one in Konoha who can stand up to you?" Danzo asked, lifting his head to look at the people around him.

Hatake Ziyan rested his hand on the sword hilt at his waist. At the sight, Danzo recoiled several steps in fright.

"Hatake Ziyan! What are you doing?" After retreating several steps, Danzo was so frightened that he addressed Hatake Ziyan by his full name!

Hatake Ziyan's expression turned stern as he looked at Danzo. "Shimura Danzō, where is your respect for the strong? I merely rested my hand on my sword, and you dared address me by name. Do you truly think I wouldn't kill you?"

Danzo dropped to the ground with a thud and stammered as he looked at Hatake Ziyan. "L-L-Lord Ziyan, I... I wasn't thinking straight. Please forgive me, Lord Ziyan!"

Hatake Ziyan walked slowly toward Danzo, and everyone present grew tense.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the panicking Danzo, then at Hatake Ziyan. Fearing that Danzo might blurt out something damaging to him in his panic, he stepped forward. "Lord Ziyan, Danzo merely acted on impulse. Please spare his life!"

Hatake Ziyan glanced back at Hiruzen Sarutobi without a word. He walked up to Danzo and helped him to his feet. "Danzo, there's no need to be so afraid. I was only joking with you. How could I kill someone simply for calling me by name?"

Danzo stared at Hatake Ziyan with wide eyes. He had never expected those words from him! From what he knew of Hatake Ziyan's deeds, the man was ruthless and decisive, acting entirely on his own likes and dislikes. If he disliked someone, he never wasted words-he simply killed them with a single stroke of his sword. What had gotten into him today? Could Danzo still be useful to him?

The more Danzo thought about it, the more certain he became that he was right. He had to be useful to him.

Had Hatake Ziyan heard Danzo's thoughts, he would certainly have told him outright that he was indeed useful: he was someone Ziyan could frighten now and then for amusement.

Seeing that Hatake Ziyan had not attacked, everyone present let out a collective sigh of relief. They had truly feared he would strike in front of them all. If he did, whose side were they supposed to take?

Now that Hatake Ziyan had held back, they felt considerably more at ease.

Hatake Ziyan felt he had teased Danzo enough for one day. He bowed before Mito Uzumaki's grave, then said to Tsunade, "Little Tsunade, don't be too sad. Your Grandma Mito passed peacefully. Besides, you still have me, your Grandpa Ziyan. If anyone dares bully you, come to me. I'll protect you!"

After speaking, Hatake Ziyan shot Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo a fierce glare, then left.

Once Hatake Ziyan was gone, the funeral returned to normal and continued.

After the funeral ended, those who had come to pay their final respects said their goodbyes to Tsunade and headed home.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stayed until the very end. Once everyone else had left, he approached Tsunade and said, "Tsunade, don't grieve too much. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are things everyone must face in life. Besides, your Grandpa Ziyan was right. Lady Mito passed peacefully, without regrets, so you must get back on your feet soon! You still have a younger brother and sister to look after!"

Tsunade wiped away her tears and glanced at the gravestone before saying to Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Don't worry, Sensei. I'll work through it!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, then beckoned to Nawaki and Kushina, who stood a short distance away.

Seeing the Hokage beckoning to them, the two hurried over to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Nawaki, you've graduated from the Ninja Academy, and you're a big boy now. You must grow up quickly. The Senju Clan is still counting on you to restore it to glory!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said, patting Senju Nawaki on the head.

"Don't worry, Lord Third! I'm the man who's going to become Hokage. I'll work hard!" Nawaki declared, brimming with determination.

"Yes! Good! It seems Lord Hashirama's Will of Fire has found a successor!" Hiruzen Sarutobi praised him.

Then he said to Kushina, "Kushina, the Nine-Tails inside you is very important to Konoha, so it would be best if you didn't leave the village on missions from now on. Otherwise, other ninja villages might target you. Outside the village, it would be difficult for me to keep you safe!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke to Kushina in what he considered a very kindly tone.

Kushina was just about to answer when she heard the Nine-Tails speak inside her mind. "Little girl, that old man meant you no good when he spoke just now. I sensed malice coming from him!"

"Malice? You can sense whether someone harbors malice?" Kushina asked inwardly.

"Yes! It's an innate ability of mine. I can sense whether others harbor malice toward me. Otherwise, I would never have agreed to let Hatake Ziyan seal me inside you. And now that I'm inside you, naturally, I can also sense whether others harbor malice toward you!"

Kushina asked inwardly, "Why would Lord Third harbor malice toward me? I'm part of the village too, aren't I?"

"That, I don't know. I sensed it all the same. I don't understand how you humans think, but with that fellow Hatake Ziyan protecting you, I don't think you need to pay anyone else any mind!"

"Kushina?" Seeing that Kushina had not answered him, Hiruzen Sarutobi called to her again.

Only then did Kushina snap out of it. She bowed to Hiruzen Sarutobi and said, "I'm sorry, I got distracted! Please rest assured, Lord Hokage. I won't leave the village alone. But Grandma Mito entrusted me to Grandpa Ziyan. What if Grandpa Ziyan wants to take me outside the village?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed at Kushina's words. Then he said, "If Lord Ziyan takes you out of the village, of course there's no problem. But you must remember that you belong to Konoha. In the future, Konoha will be counting on young people like you to protect it!"

Kushina nodded to show she understood.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi stayed no longer. He planned to find another opportunity to talk to Kushina later. He could not allow an outsider to take the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki away.

After Mito Uzumaki's funeral, Konoha entered a period of peace, with no further major incidents in the village.

For once, Hatake Ziyan did not come out to stir up trouble, allowing Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo to breathe a little easier.

During this time, Hatake Ziyan traveled back and forth between Hatake Sakumo's home and the Senju Clan Compound, teaching Hatake Kakashi and Kushina respectively, along with the rather oblivious Senju Nawaki.