The Sannin returned to the village-Tsukuyomi World?

Damn. Judging by the timing, he had lost out.

With the Land of Earth no longer interfering, it had taken nearly ten days to wrap up the fighting in the Land of Rain.

Yet the original mission assigned to the Undying Squad to hold back the Land of Earth had definitely not been for ten days. Takahashi Yū himself had only planned to hold them off for three.

But after he punched Ōnoki, the Land of Earth had pulled back entirely, and there had been no news of the Iwa Shinobi ever since.

Command had made a mistake, and Takahashi Yū had patched the hole. But he had received no extra credit. What a loss!

What Takahashi Yū did not know was that Ōnoki still had not woken up after taking that punch!

Leaderless, Iwagakure could only hunker down and wait for Ōnoki to wake up. Had he died, they could have appointed a Fourth Tsuchikage, but he was gravely injured rather than dead, and no one in Iwagakure dared try anything underhanded. The village had ground to a halt. They had kept the secret quite well, but even so, Kumogakure had grown suspicious. Ōnoki had gone too long without appearing in public, and the entire Land of Earth had withdrawn.

Kumogakure had already begun to suspect that Takahashi Yū had beaten Ōnoki to death. They kept sending spies into the Land of Earth, intending to gather intelligence on Iwagakure. Once they could establish Ōnoki's condition with confidence, even if he was only too badly injured to recover, Kumogakure would probably tear up the four-nation pact to attack Konoha and march on the Land of Earth instead.

Takahashi Yū belatedly realized he had quietly lost out, but there was nowhere to take it up, since Konoha had already entered it in the records. He slapped his face in frustration, drawing a curious look from Mizuki beside him.

"It's nothing. Just remembered something. Fell into a little trap." Takahashi Yū patted his cheek and continued home. In another three months, he expected to leave his status as an ordinary villager behind.

He would officially become a farmer.

The next day.

Takahashi Yū was lying in bed, bored and unwilling to get up, when the villagers' cheers outside became unbearably irritating. He could only put on his shoes and continue spacing out on the living room sofa.

Uzumaki Shui Ling, who was teaching the three little redheads in the living room, sighed at the sight.

"I really don't know how you became so strong. Don't you need to train at all?"

Takahashi Yū merely chuckled twice. I, Takahashi Yū, earned all my strength through hard work!

It was just that gaining 0.01% a day was far too slow. He no longer even wanted to pull up that crude panel.

There was still a long way to go anyway.

That familiar, chakra-amplified voice sounded outside again. Hiruzen Sarutobi's speech had begun. Apparently, the welcoming ceremony had reached its climax. Takahashi Yū plugged his ears.

Orochimaru's party had received a far grander welcome than Takahashi Yū's. There had been over five thousand Konoha Ninja in the Land of Rain, and communications had remained smooth throughout, unlike Takahashi Yū, who had only one squad and had to operate deep behind enemy lines.

Orochimaru and the others would certainly have notified the village of their return beforehand. Yesterday, ANBU had even been informing the villagers. Today's welcoming ceremony was packed with people and held on a grand scale.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was also paving the way for his disciples. Listening to the cries of "Lord Orochimaru!" and "Lady Tsunade!" outside, their reputations were clearly soaring among Konoha's ordinary people.

There were no cheers for Jiraiya. Apparently, he had gone to teach the three youngsters in the Land of Rain. Had he still met Nagato, even though Takahashi Yū had accelerated the war?

Still, Takahashi Yū heard people shouting, "Where did Lord Jiraiya go?" "Lord Jiraiya is still in the Land of Rain!" and "What a relief!" They were obviously planted shills.

Hiruzen Sarutobi really was treating everyone equally at this point.

Of course, the longer power corrupted someone, the harder it became to break free.

The noise outside grew louder and louder. Even though Takahashi Yū's house was rather out of the way, the villagers' voices were still unbearably loud. Even Uzumaki Shui Ling stopped teaching because of the disturbance. The two little redheads, only three or four years old, immediately beamed and scampered upstairs.

Those two were still a little afraid of Takahashi Yū. After all, his murderous intent fluctuation constantly radiated an aura that warned strangers away.

Without his reputation as a "hero," the villagers might have reported him every day, sending him to the Konoha Military Police Force for questioning on a daily basis.

"Ugh... why isn't it over yet?"

Takahashi Yū covered his ears with both hands and cried out helplessly.

"Come on. Let's see whether Carpenter and the others have started. We'll hide out at the farm." With a flex of his waist, Takahashi Yū sprang off the sofa.

He took Mizuki outside and headed straight for the farm.

The same huge hole was still there, but someone had clearly tidied the surroundings, and a path had been cleared through the dense woods. The people Carpenter had found worked efficiently.

Walking down the crude path, he noticed that even the plants alongside it seemed to have been trimmed. The care put into it was obvious. Takahashi Yū nodded. He could already see people busily working ahead, but when he approached, he frowned.

Why were they all youngsters? Had Carpenter hired child labor?

These children, who looked about Mizuki's age, were struggling to trim and move the trees Takahashi Yū had felled yesterday.

Carpenter stood at the building site Takahashi Yū had chosen, a pencil tucked behind his ear and an enormous blueprint spread in his hands. He alternated between shaking and nodding his head, muttering to himself.

"Um... are you Lord Takahashi Yū?"

Hearing someone call him from behind, Takahashi Yū turned toward the voice. It was a little girl with pale blond hair and round glasses. She carried a bamboo basket at her waist, filled with mushrooms and wild greens.

"Who are you? Another worker Carpenter hired?" Takahashi Yū's brow furrowed deeply enough to crush a grasshopper.

Facing his unfriendly expression, Yakushi Nonō raised the bamboo basket to her chest and spoke timidly.

"Shin is Matron's son. He's always been earning money for the orphanage. We came to help him, so we could save a little more."

"A lot of new people have come to the orphanage lately. Lord Takahashi Yū, could you please not send us away? We'll work very hard."

As though frightened, Yakushi Nonō rushed through everything in one breath.

Takahashi Yū's brow relaxed slightly. He waved to Nonō, beckoning her over.

Yakushi Nonō still looked frightened, but she steeled herself and walked shakily toward him.

The scene looked as though he was threatening an innocent woman. Takahashi Yū could not help speaking.

"Come here. I don't eat people. If you don't come over, I'll send you all away."

Yakushi Nonō quickened her steps, looking aggrieved. Moisture glimmered in her eyes, and she could barely hold back her tears.

Great. Now it looked even more like that.

"All right, all right. You wouldn't want your dear Shin to lose... ahem." The words had slipped out too smoothly.

"All right. Is this all you're eating for lunch? Is the orphanage doing that badly? What's that old Third been doing?"

Takahashi Yū was now quite curious about the Konoha Orphanage's situation. After all, Konoha had nearly sent him there when he was little.

Once Nonō was certain Takahashi Yū would not dismiss them as "child laborers," she collected herself before speaking.

"A lot of our sisters went to pick wild greens too. We used to get by on the money Shin earned and Elder Danzo's subsidies, but a lot more brothers and sisters have arrived lately, and the orphanage can't keep up."

"Konoha only sends its subsidy once a year, at the end of the year. If not for you, Lord Takahashi Yū, we might not have made it until then."

Yakushi Nonō answered his questions clearly and methodically, making Takahashi Yū see her in a new light.

Children from orphanages really were tough. She could answer his questions so steadily even standing beside him.

Nonō's answer shocked Takahashi Yū. What the fuck? Did I hear that right?

Danzo's subsidies?

"Elder Danzo? Shimura Danzō? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake, little girl?"

Takahashi Yū could not imagine someone like Danzo subsidizing an orphanage. Wasn't that like a rooster laying eggs and a hen crowing?

"Yes. Elder Danzo has been privately funding the orphanage for a long time. There's no mistake," Yakushi Nonō said, sounding puzzled herself.

Takahashi Yū drew a sharp breath. He knew that Shimura Danzō's Root currently consisted entirely of elite operatives, with no so-called "cannon fodder." Ordinary shinobi could not get in even if they wanted to. Its selection process was stricter than that for jōnin, so naturally, it had no use for the orphanage's children.

Now he had learned that Danzo privately supported the orphanage too. This is Danzo? The darkness of the Shinobi World? More like the light of righteousness!

"Mizuki, go to that butcher's shop I took you to last time. Tell the owner to deliver two pigs here every day and put it on my tab."

After marveling at this, Takahashi Yū addressed Mizuki Uzumaki.

Then he turned back to Yakushi Nonō.

"How can you work without eating your fill? Tell Carpenter later that meals are included for everyone who works on my farm."

"Tell him to buy whatever he needs. I'll reimburse everything afterward. Go fetch all your younger brothers and sisters too. Eat as much as you want!"

Takahashi Yū patted his chest as he assured Nonō.

"Thank you, Lord Takahashi Yū. You're a good person, just like Elder Danzo." Yakushi Nonō bowed to him.

Takahashi Yū's mouth twitched. Thanks, but how could I possibly compare with Lord Danzo?

"What's your name? You've got a good eye for people." Takahashi Yū reached inside his clothes and rummaged around as he asked Nonō.

"This is my personal donation. Remember to give it to your matron. I'll donate again when I have more money."

How could Takahashi Yū let Shimura Danzō outdo him? He took out all the banknotes tucked inside his clothes, roughly five million ryō, and placed them in Nonō's bamboo basket.

Yakushi Nonō answered dazedly.

"Lord Takahashi Yū, my name is Yakushi Nonō..."

Seeing the thick stacks of banknotes, Nonō did not know what to say. She was stunned by a thickness of money she had never seen before.

Oh, another "familiar face." Takahashi Yū studied the stunned little girl before him. There was no sign at all that she was the top spy who would later be called the [Wandering Miko].

Still, she did seem very mature and composed for her age.

He remembered Yakushi Nonō being from Minato Namikaze's generation. Then Minato Namikaze should be about this old too.

At that thought, Takahashi Yū slapped his face. Mizuki had already said she was Kushina's classmate. That meant Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and the Nonō before him were all of the same generation.

Forget it. Why think about it so much?

Takahashi Yū looked at the clearing before him. They had not even started laying the foundations yet. He would chop down some more trees, then go home!

After felling another large swath of trees, Takahashi Yū lay on the sofa questioning his life.

A Root that truly feared no sacrifice and gave selflessly, and a charitable Danzo of unparalleled loyalty and righteousness.

Have I ended up in some guy's Infinite Tsukuyomi world?

This was too ridiculous. Could age change someone so much?

Did Shimura Danzō go crazy from having too many Sharingan implanted? That deranged man from later years and the current Danzo are practically two different people.

The more Takahashi Yū thought about it, the more wrong it seemed. He pushed himself up from the sofa.

He walked over to Uzumaki Shui Ling, who often drank tea in the living room, and looked at her with utter seriousness.

Affected by his solemn air, Uzumaki Shui Ling set down her cup and gave him a questioning look.

"Old Uzumaki woman, I suspect I'm under a genjutsu!"

"Do you have any seals that prevent genjutsu? Put a set on me!"

Takahashi Yū stared into Uzumaki Shui Ling's eyes and spoke gravely.

Having braced herself for something serious, Uzumaki Shui Ling rolled her eyes at his words and picked up her cup again.

"I'm serious. Right now, this world feels fake! And not just a little. Completely fake."

Seeing that Uzumaki Shui Ling was unconcerned, Takahashi Yū reached out and pressed down the cup she had lifted.

"Takahashi Yū, are you joking with me? Your blood energy is practically overflowing. What brave soul would dare use genjutsu on you? Wouldn't they be blasted to death the instant your minds touched?"

Unable to lift her cup even with both hands, Uzumaki Shui Ling rolled her eyes at him again and spoke helplessly.

Takahashi Yū immediately released the cup and rubbed his chin.

Even setting his murderous intent fluctuation aside, his [Soul] stat had passed 10%. Even an Infinite Tsukuyomi straight to the face might not put him under a genjutsu.

"Not necessarily... There are plenty of things in the Shinobi World we know nothing about."

A rather hoarse voice with a distinctive cadence drifted in through the window.

"Orochimaru? Taking up peeping like Jiraiya?"

Seeing Orochimaru's head poking up outside the window, Takahashi Yū spoke irritably.

"You jest, Yū. I wasn't deliberately eavesdropping on your conversation. You were simply so engrossed that you didn't hear me knock."

Orochimaru answered unhurriedly from outside.

"Tch. What's this? The great 'Sannin' just finished their victory celebration, and now you're visiting Konoha's demon?"

Takahashi Yū walked over, undid the latch, and opened the window.

Orochimaru did not mind the entrance. He vaulted straight into the living room.

"We owe you our thanks, Yū. With the Land of Earth abandoning the battlefield in the Land of Rain, we had enough time to make arrangements and minimize our losses."

"But you're very well informed, Yū. The village hasn't publicized the title 'Sannin.'" Moreover, thanks to their thorough preparations, Orochimaru and the other two had faced Hanzō in a separate showdown.

After all, "Sannin" was also a somewhat humiliating title. They had failed to defeat him even three against one. Under pressure from Konoha, Hanzo of the Salamander had not dared kill them, giving them that humiliating title instead.

"Hmph. Dreamed about it. Anyway, Orochimaru, what brings you here?" Takahashi Yū answered casually.

Orochimaru and Takahashi Yū were on fairly good terms, all thanks to Jiraiya.

After all, this was Hot Springs Street. The only two or three hot springs in all of Konoha were here, and Takahashi Yū had caught Jiraiya more than once.

Takahashi Yū did not care whether he was the Third Hokage's disciple. Whenever he caught him, he beat him soundly and marched him off to the Konoha Military Police Force in full public view.

Orochimaru always came to bail Jiraiya out. Over time, they had become acquainted. Besides, Orochimaru had excellent social skills, and Takahashi Yū found him pleasant to talk to.

After repeated beatings, each worse than the last, and with his reputation in tatters, Jiraiya no longer dared visit Hot Springs Street.

Takahashi Yū and Orochimaru, however, had stayed in touch.

Orochimaru walked over to the table and sat cross-legged, casting a few curious glances at the composed Uzumaki Shui Ling.

"Yū, I have a presumptuous request. I hope you'll agree."