8:00 PM, in a secluded, dense forest somewhere within Konoha Village.
Swoosh~
Under the faint, weak moonlight, a figure suddenly appeared at the edge of the dense forest.
"Lord Tatsuya."
His figure landing at the forest's edge, this person bowed respectfully towards the depths of the woods and spoke. The newcomer was Kabuto Yakushi.
As Kabuto Yakushi's voice fell, Tatsuya's figure emerged from the shadows at the edge of the dense forest, not far in front of him.
Turning his head, Tatsuya looked at Kabuto and asked, "Has Danzo been in contact with Orochimaru recently?"
Kabuto replied respectfully, "Yes, Lord Tatsuya."
"Mm! Very good! Give this scroll to Orochimaru." Hearing this, Tatsuya nodded, then tossed a scroll he held in his right hand towards Kabuto.
"Yes, sir," Kabuto replied respectfully, quickly catching the scroll.
After catching the scroll, Kabuto was about to tuck it into his robes, but he paused when he saw the faint, unreadable, almost teasing smile on Tatsuya's face. He thought for a moment, then his hands quickly formed a series of seals.
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke rose, and a large snake, several meters long, appeared beside Kabuto. Kabuto placed the scroll into the snake's mouth and instructed it, "Deliver this to Lord Orochimaru."
The snake's forked tongue flicked out twice, then it vanished in another puff of white smoke. Having done all this, Kabuto looked up, about to say something more. But before him, Tatsuya's figure was already gone.
A sharp glint flashed in Kabuto's eyes. He adjusted his glasses, then his figure also flickered and disappeared.
Akimichi Clan Compound.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
On the training grounds, under the bright illumination of the lights, two figures were engaged in a back-and-forth sparring match. At the edge of the training grounds, more than ten young boys and girls from the Akimichi clan were watching intently.
"Sister Kyoko, go for it!"
"Teacher Kyoko is so strong!"
"Sister Anko, you can do it!" ...
As they watched, they continuously shouted words of encouragement.
The two sparring on the training grounds were none other than Kyoko and Mitarashi Anko. Their fight wasn't particularly fierce; it was purely a taijutsu contest, and neither of them was using their full strength. They were being considerate of the young boys and girls watching from the sidelines. Today's "battle" was purely a practical combat demonstration and teaching session conducted by Kyoko and Anko for them.
Due to their relationship with Tatsuya, both Kyoko and Mitarashi Anko held a very special status within the Akimichi clan. Although they weren't considered high-ranking members, they were always treated with great respect by the clansmen. Perhaps feeling a little embarrassed about enjoying the clan's special treatment for so long without contributing much in return, ever since Kyoko started teaching at the Ninja Academy, the two women would occasionally provide teaching and guidance to these young boys and girls within the clan. The youngsters, in turn, were always very happy to receive instruction from the two of them.
Just as the group of youngsters was watching with keen interest, Tatsuya's figure silently appeared beside them. With his hands casually clasped behind his back, Tatsuya stood at the edge of the training grounds, watching the two women teach.
Among the group of young boys and girls, Tatsuya spotted Choji, who was watching the match while continuously munching on snacks. Compared to the liveliness of the other youngsters, Choji seemed somewhat quiet and reserved. Tatsuya had always had a rather good impression of Choji, and he couldn't help but walk over towards him.
"Choji, did you feel anything watching their fight?"
Choji was just about to stuff a handful of snacks into his mouth when a voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. Hearing the voice, Choji was startled and quickly turned his head. Beside him, he suddenly saw an incredibly familiar figure.
"Lord Tatsuya!" Choji quickly bowed respectfully to Tatsuya.
"Lord Tatsuya!" Nearby, the other young boys and girls, alerted by Choji's voice, all quickly gathered around. Nowadays, Tatsuya was the face of the Akimichi clan, the idol of all the young people within it. Surrounded by everyone, Tatsuya couldn't say anything more to Choji privately and could only smile and respond to each of them in turn. For a moment, Kyoko and Mitarashi Anko, who were on the training grounds, found themselves unexpectedly neglected.
"Tch! This guy shows up and steals all our thunder. How annoying!" On the training grounds, Kyoko and Mitarashi Anko simply stopped their sparring. Anko, in particular, let out a slightly disgruntled hmph.
"Tatsuya-san seems to really like children, doesn't he?" Kyoko, on the other hand, had a gentle smile on her face.
"Then you should hurry up and have one with him!" Anko immediately leaned in closer upon hearing this, a mischievous grin on her face as she looked at Kyoko.
Kyoko's face turned a deep shade of red, and she shot Anko an exasperated, playful glare.
Amidst the noisy excitement, Tatsuya expended considerable effort to finally persuade the enthusiastic young clansmen to disperse. They were truly too fervent! After everyone else had gone, what greeted Tatsuya was a cold, disdainful face, radiating tsundere vibes. This girl is still throwing a bit of a tantrum. Tatsuya didn't indulge her and made his move. The rest of the night passed without a word.
The next morning, Tatsuya arrived early at the home of the clan head, Choza Akimichi.
"Tatsuya, you're here so early? Is something the matter?" Seeing Tatsuya, Choza Akimichi was clearly quite surprised. Over all these years, the number of times Tatsuya had proactively paid him a visit could be counted on one hand.
"Clan Head, I came today because there's something I'd like to discuss with you," Tatsuya said.
"Oh? Go on," Choza Akimichi replied, his curiosity piqued.
Tatsuya stated, "I'd like to select some suitable candidates from within the clan to train alongside Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, under my guidance."
"Train under you? That's no problem at all! The clan will definitely give its full support!" Hearing Tatsuya proactively make such a request, Choza Akimichi didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately nodded in agreement. Who would refuse such a wonderful opportunity?
Over the past few years, quite a number of ninja throughout Konoha Village had grown stronger due to Tatsuya's influence. Not to mention those further afield, just within the Akimichi clan itself, there were the examples of Akimichi Rou, Kyoko, and Mitarashi Anko. Kyoko, in particular, had transformed from a formerly weak "dead-last" into a powerful Jonin, and even her summoned creature possessed considerable strength.
"Alright then. In that case, Clan Head, please select some suitable individuals. Not too many, though; it would be best to keep the number around five," Tatsuya said with a nod. Throughout his growth, Tatsuya had always benefited from the clan's support; it was time for him to give something back to the family.
"Good, I'll arrange it," Choza nodded readily in agreement. Selecting the clansmen was naturally not something Tatsuya needed to worry about; the clan would handle the matter properly.
A few days later.
At the main gate of Konoha Village.
"Shikaku, this trip to the Land of Iron will likely take a considerable amount of time. I'm counting on you for everything here in the village. If any urgent matters arise, please consult frequently with Elders Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu," the Third Hokage, dressed in his official Hokage robes and Kage hat, instructed Nara Shikaku with a solemn expression.
The Land of Iron was a great distance from the Land of Fire, and after the Five Kage Summit convened, there would undoubtedly be further delays. To ensure the normal functioning of the village in his absence, the Third Hokage had specially appointed Nara Shikaku, the Jonin Squad Commander and a trusted advisor in the Hokage's office, to be responsible for the village's daily affairs.
"Lord Hokage, please rest assured. I will definitely guard the village well on this end," Nara Shikaku replied, accepting the heavy responsibility with due gravity.
"Good! With your words, I can set my mind at ease." The Third Hokage nodded at this, then, under the escort of three ANBU Black Ops ninja, he slowly began to walk out of the village.
Under the gentle light of the winter morning sun, the Third Hokage embarked on his journey to the Land of Iron.