A few days later.
"It really is quiet. So quiet I'm having trouble getting used to it."
Shihōin Naraku stood on the roof of the Hokage Building with his hands behind his back, looking down over the village.
Konoha was peaceful now.
The scars left by the Fourth Shinobi World War seemed to have long since healed.
It was developing at an even faster pace.
Observation Haki instantly spread out, enveloping the entire village.
At the Konoha Gate, Sasuke Uchiha finished registering with the squad of ninja he led and set off into the distance.
Yes, the Reconnaissance Squad had set out again.
"It looks like even with Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno's help, Sasuke still isn't comfortable staying in Konoha for long."
Naraku hadn't urged Sasuke to leave.
He knew it would be far too difficult for the Reconnaissance Squad to find any trace of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
Besides, the earlier mission to search for Sharingan had still affected Sasuke's state of mind, so he had tacitly allowed him to recuperate in Konoha.
During that time, Naruto and Sakura had occasionally brought Sasuke along to meet and chat with their friends.
Their intentions were obvious.
They wanted Sasuke, who had been away from the village for so long, to settle back into Konoha as soon as possible.
Sasuke knew they meant well, so he hadn't refused.
And Naruto and Sakura's efforts had been useful.
Even if many ninja didn't take Sasuke's strength into consideration, they still had to show Naruto some respect. Sasuke's situation in Konoha had indeed improved considerably.
In stark contrast, with no one to help him, Kabuto Yakushi could only stay quietly at the Orphans' Orphanage and rarely went out.
Even so, the ANBU kept him under surveillance twenty-four hours a day.
Naraku naturally didn't care about