Tailed Beast and humans coexisting peacefully?
This is simply...
Hatake Sakumo's fingers unconsciously caressed the teacup.
"Is Sakumo- senpai too tired?" Minato Namikaze asked with concern. "You seem a bit distracted since you returned to Konoha."
I'm fine!
Just as Hatake Sakumo finished speaking, they heard the sound of a key turning at the door.
I'm back!
Rin Nohara pushed open the door and entered, carrying two bags of fruit. "Sorry I'm late, there's an urgent consultation at the hospital."
Hatake Sakumo's pupils contracted slightly.
This Lin looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, much more mature than I remembered. She was wearing a medical-nin uniform and had a barely visible scar above her left eye.
"Sister Rin!" Naruto jumped up excitedly, "Try my special chili sauce!"
Lin chuckled and ruffled Naruto's hair, "Forget it, I had to take stomach medicine for three days after eating your chili sauce last time."
Then, her gaze shifted to Hatake Sakumo, and she was visibly taken aback.
"... Hatake- senpai?"
"He just returned from a classified mission!" Kushina explained, "Just in time for our family dinner."
Lin bowed respectfully. "It's been a long time since I last greeted you."
She turned to Minato, "Oh, right, at the Medical Department meeting tomorrow at nine, Lady Tsunade said she'll be discussing the development of a new type of medical talisman..."
Hatake Sakumo's attention was no longer on the conversation.
He stared intently at Lin's left hand; the wedding ring on her ring finger glittered under the light.
Not only is Lin alive in this world, but she's also married?
Is it Kakashi? Or Obito?
Hatake Sakumo tentatively asked, "By the way, didn't Obito come today?"
The moment these words were spoken, the dining table fell silent.
" Obito?" Rin tilted her head in confusion. "Who's that?"
Minato and Kushina exchanged a puzzled look.
Naruto, his mouth full of food, asked with a slurred speech, "Dad, who's Obito?"
"A name I've never heard of." Minato Namikaze shook his head. "Is this the new recruit you just brought into the Anbu, Sakumo- senpai?"
Hatake Sakumo's fingers paused slightly, and the slice of beef on his chopsticks slipped back into the bowl, splashing a few drops of sauce.
Obito... doesn't exist? How is that possible?
According to intelligence, whether it's the Shinobi World No. 1, the Invaders' World, or other parallel universes, Obito Uchiha will play an extremely important role.
In this world, there's Kakashi, Rin, and others... everyone is alive and well, except for Obito Uchiha.
It seems this matter needs to be investigated thoroughly to see if Obito Uchiha truly never existed, or if he was deliberately erased.
Hatake Sakumo suppressed the turmoil in his heart and smiled nonchalantly, "Perhaps I remembered the name wrong."
The atmosphere at the dinner table became lively again.
Through casual conversation among the women, she learned that the man Rin was about to marry was Kakashi, her son.
If Obito Uchiha existed in this world and was still alive, could he really watch Rin marry someone else?
"Uncle Sakumo, would you like another bowl?" Naruto's enthusiastic voice pulled him back to reality.
"No, thank you."
Hatake Sakumo put down his chopsticks and glanced at everyone at the table.
Minato Namikaze was carefully picking out the peppercorns from Kushina's soup, Sasuke quietly eating the vegetables in his bowl, and Rin was enthusiastically describing her newly developed Medical Ninjutsu.
Everything seemed so harmonious, yet there was something eerie about it all.
Outside the window, the lights of the Konoha came on one by one, outlining the village's silhouette.
Hatake Sakumo suddenly noticed that the statues on the Hokage Rock were empty except for the statues of the First to Third Hokage.
" Minato, has the Fourth been chosen?"
" The Third Hokage is still in good health, why are you worrying about the Fourth?" Minato Namikaze looked surprised.
Hatake Sakumo's heart sank.
In the main world, Minato Namikaze was supposed to sacrifice himself during the Nine-Tails Attack and become the Fourth Hokage.
Here, he not only lives, but he has never even been Hokage.
Dinner is over.
Hatake Sakumo declined Minato's offer to take him home and walked alone on the streets of Konoha.
The night breeze brushed against my cheeks, carrying the coolness unique to early spring.
He deliberately took a detour past several key locations: the Ninja Academy, the Hokage's office building, and the Uchiha Clan Compound.
The bulletin board at the school gate was covered with paintings on the theme of peace, among which one picture of ninjas from the Five Great Nations holding hands and dancing around a bonfire was particularly eye-catching.
The guards in front of the Hokage's office building greeted him with a respectful bow and a standard smile.
When Hatake Sakumo approached the Uchiha Clan Compound, he found it brightly lit and bustling with people, lacking the oppressive atmosphere of the main world.
" Hatake?"
A familiar voice came from behind.
Hatake Sakumo turned around and saw Uchiha Fugaku standing under a street lamp, with a boy of about six or seven years old beside him.
"Still patrolling this late?"
Fugaku's tone was concerned, "I heard you just returned from a long mission; you should get some rest."
"Just came out for a walk."
Hatake Sakumo gave a brief reply, his gaze fixed on the boy.
He knew this child; Minato Namikaze had mentioned him during a meal. He was the third son of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto, and was greatly loved by them.
"That's right!"
Fugaku seemed to suddenly remember something, "Regarding next month's joint Chunin Ninja Exams, I still need your review of the Anbu's security plan. Tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM, in the Konoha Military Police Force conference room."
Chunin Ninja Exams? Konoha Military Police Force?
Hatake Sakumo's eyes flickered slightly as he quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.
In this unusually peaceful Shinobi World No. 2, the Joint Chunin Ninja Exams are indeed an excellent opportunity for intelligence gathering.
First, in the main world, with the establishment of the Shinobi World Federation, the traditional Joint Chunin Ninja Exams have long been replaced by a completely new selection mechanism.
The Genin each village are now promoted through practical exercises, theoretical examinations, and cross-village cooperative missions.
Secondly, the Chunin Ninja Exams have always been a stage for each ninja village to showcase their strength and skills.
Through security plans, he can learn about the world's military deployments and defense systems, and may even glean intelligence about other ninja villages.
Most importantly, high-ranking members of the Shinobi World will definitely be present at the meeting.
The Five Kage, the advisory group, the Uchiha, the Hyuga, and even representatives of nobles and daimyo...
These are key figures he needs to observe closely, hoping to uncover the mechanisms by which this world maintains its 'false peace'.
I will be there on time.
Hatake Sakumo nodded in agreement, while noticing Yōta looking at him with curiosity.
" Yōta, don't be rude."
Uchiha Fugaku gently scolded him, then explained to Hatake Sakumo, "This kid has recently become obsessed with the Anbu's uniform and keeps asking to join."
Gathering his courage, Yōta asked, "Senior Hatake, may I take a look at your Anbu mask?"
"This is classified information and cannot be shown to just anyone."
Hatake Sakumo subtly took a half-step back, deliberately replying in a formulaic tone to avoid excessive interaction with the 'familiar faces' of this world.
"I'm sorry, the child doesn't understand."
Fugaku smiled apologetically and patted the boy beside him on the shoulder, "Say goodbye to Hatake- senpai."
Goodbye Hatake -senpai.
The boy raised his head, his dark eyes gleaming with a composure beyond his years. His voice was clear, yet carried a hint of deliberate adult seriousness.
After watching the Uchiha father and son leave, Hatake Sakumo turned and continued on his way, deciding to head to another key location in Konoha.
Memorial Stone.
If the world were truly so peaceful, there shouldn't be many names on the Memorial Stone.
When Hatake Sakumo arrived at the place he remembered, he found it had been transformed into a small park.
Children chased and played on the lawn, while elderly people sat on benches chatting.
Where Memorial Stone should have stood, there is now a statue of the First Hokage, with the words "Founder of Peace" engraved on the base.
The inscription on the base of the statue caught his attention.
' Hashirama Senju, the architect of peace. Under his guidance, the Five Great Nations achieved lasting peace, and war became a thing of the past.'
"How ironic..."
The ideal that the First Hokage of the main world could not achieve in his entire life was easily accomplished in this world.
"Captain, why didn't you go to the Hokage to submit the mission after you came back?"
A hoarse voice suddenly came from behind.
Hatake Sakumo's muscles tensed instantly, but years of training in the Anbu allowed him to maintain a calm demeanor.
He slowly turned around and saw an Anbu wearing a fox mask standing in the shadows of the trees.
Faced with this suddenly appearing colleague from the Anbu, Hatake Sakumo chose the safest course of action: silence.
He slowly raised his hand, making a 'mission in progress' gesture used by the Anbu, while shaking his head slightly.
This gesture can indicate that you are on a special mission and it is inconvenient to talk, without revealing that you are not familiar with the specific details of the mission.
The Anbu of the fox mask immediately understood and returned a gesture of 'understanding'.
It seems that in this world's Anbu organization, this kind of silent communication is accepted, and the Anbu seems to have very lenient requirements for missions.
If this were during the time of the ninja villages in the Shinobi World No. 1, it wouldn't necessarily arouse suspicion, but it would certainly require proof of Hokage first.
But there's none of that here.
Hatake Sakumo was about to turn and leave, the fox-masked Anbu suddenly stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Wait, the Third Hokage wants to see you."
Hatake Sakumo narrowed his eyes. " The Third?"
"Yes." The other person nodded. "Please follow me."
The two crossed several streets and arrived in front of the Hokage Building. Then, the fox-masked Anbu made a gesture, indicating that Hatake Sakumo go upstairs alone.
The offices on the third floor were brightly lit.
Hatake Sakumo climbed the steps alone, contemplating possible solutions with each step.
"Come in, Sakumo."
The door to the top-floor office was ajar, and the Third Hokage's familiar yet unfamiliar voice could be heard from inside.
Pushing open the door, Hatake Sakumo saw Hiruzen Sarutobi standing by the window, wisps of smoke rising from his pipe.
Unlike the aging Hokage in the main world, the Third before them appeared vigorous, but an abnormal light flickered in his eyes.
"You've had a tough mission." The Third turned around and smiled. "How's the situation at the Valley of the End?"
Hatake Sakumo maintained a respectful posture and answered with the fewest words possible.
"Stablize."
To Hatake Sakumo's surprise, this ambiguous answer actually worked.
Without him even knowing the details of the mission!
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and said slowly, "The peace brought about by that golden light decades ago probably won't last much longer."
As he spoke, his gaze sharpened. "I need you to continue your secret investigation, without alerting the Scientific Research Department, especially Orochimaru."
Hatake Sakumo tentatively asked, "Do you suspect Lord Orochimaru?"
"He's too obsessed with studying the nature of 'miracles'," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed helplessly. "Sometimes, maintaining the status quo is more important than pursuing the truth."
Hatake Sakumo frowned slightly.
The Third's words revealed several key pieces of information.
Decades ago, during what should have been the first year of Konoha, a golden light appeared at the Valley of the End, and the so-called peace of this world is closely related to it. Orochimaru seems to be investigating this matter as well.
"There's one more thing," the Third suddenly lowered his voice, "Recently, there have been several unfamiliar Chakra reactions appearing in the village. Keep an eye out for them when you investigate."
Hatake Sakumo's muscles tensed instantly, but he asked calmly, "Are they spies from other ninja villages?"
"No." Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, a strange glint in his eyes. "More like... an existence that doesn't belong to this world."
He then waved his hand and continued, "Of course, it might just be my imagination. You can just pay a little attention!"
"Clear!"
After leaving the Hokage's office building, Hatake Sakumo's thoughts became even more complicated.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was able to sense the unfamiliar Chakra reactions appearing within the village.
How did you do that!
As a reconnaissance team, they possessed a considerable amount of magical artifacts and ninja tools.
Several of these items are used to conceal Chakra fluctuations or suppress one's aura, making them difficult to detect even for sensory ninjas who get close.
And if the other party really had that ability, how come he didn't sense me when I was standing right in front of him?
As the investigation deepened, Hatake Sakumo felt more and more that the mystery hidden behind this seemingly perfect and peaceful world was far more profound and unpredictable than he had imagined.
"What kind of hell is this place...?"
Hatake Sakumo murmured softly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the White Fang Short Sword at his waist.
The cold touch of the hilt reminded him that in this world filled with fake smiles, this knife might be the only real thing.
Midnight.
Hatake Sakumo appeared precisely on time in a hidden cave downstream of the Naka River, First Raikage A and the Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki had been waiting for some time.
"None?"
"We're monitoring the Uchiha Clan Compound," A said, handing over a map. "We've discovered that Shisui Uchiha is still alive and goes to the Valley of the End every week."
"I've discovered a problem," Gengetsu added. "It seems that the Sharingan of all the Uchiha ninjas has degenerated."
"Besides Sasuke Uchiha also possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan, and Uchiha Itachi and Shisui Uchiha, who have Mitsudomoe, the others at most have Two-Tomoe, and even those are very few in number."
Hatake Sakumo then gave a brief account of what he had seen and heard in the Hokage's office.
The focus is on 'miracle', ' Konoha history', and ' Hiruzen Sarutobi may have sensed the reconnaissance team'.