After discussing the relationship between the Mangekyō and Yin Release chakra with Orochimaru for a while longer, Hoshiyomi left his laboratory.
By the time he left Konoha's Research Institute, it was already past two in the afternoon.
After grabbing a quick lunch, Hoshiyomi thought for a moment, then turned his steps toward the Konoha Orphanage.
He and Tsunade had already talked that morning about trying to set up Nono and Jiraiya.
If he was going to play matchmaker, he couldn't just charge in unprepared — he had to "do his homework" first.
Otherwise, what if he arranged everything perfectly, only to find out at the last minute that Nono wasn't interested… or already had someone she liked? That would be awkward as hell.
Aside from that, there was also the matter of Yakushi Kabuto.
The kid was a prodigy — but also a potential ticking time bomb. Hoshiyomi figured it'd be smart to keep an eye on him early.
The storyline had already diverged so far from the original thanks to Hoshiyomi's presence that anything could happen now — the butterfly effect was in full swing.
Facing an unpredictable future, Hoshiyomi thought it best to minimize every known risk as much as possible.
Sure, he still dreamed of the day he could go toe-to-toe with Madara or even Kaguya for three hundred rounds in the Fourth Great Ninja War…
But that didn't mean he wanted the war to be as tragic and bloody as it was in the original.
If he could help it, he'd reduce the casualties as much as possible.
After all — if Kabuto never "went dark," that would mean no rogue necromancer reviving the dead, no massive Edo Tensei army, and a whole lot fewer deaths overall.
That's why, Hoshiyomi thought, you can never underestimate the importance of youth mental health.
Lost in these messy thoughts, Hoshiyomi soon found himself standing in front of the Konoha Orphanage.
Although he hadn't personally paid much attention to it before, thanks to his economic reforms and the stability brought by the end of the wars, Konoha's economy was booming.
And that prosperity had naturally trickled down to the orphanage as well.
The village was wealthy and stable; food and clothing were no longer issues.
Donations and government support were more than enough to keep the orphanage running smoothly.
As a result, while the children's clothes were simple, they at least looked healthy and well-fed — no longer pale and skinny like in the original story.
The orphanage no longer faced the same constant financial struggle it once had.
When Hoshiyomi walked in, the children grew quiet.
They were shy at first, but soon began greeting him timidly, their small voices soft but polite.
Hoshiyomi nodded to himself in approval.
Their modest but positive demeanor spoke volumes — Nono must have put a lot of effort into guiding them with care and discipline.
He walked up to a cheerful-looking little boy and asked gently:
"Hey there, little one,. Is your director, Nono, around right now?"
The boy blinked, then nodded slightly.
He led Hoshiyomi toward the director's office, glancing up at the tall stranger with curiosity along the way.
Once Hoshiyomi was out of sight, the rest of the children quickly reverted to their natural chattiness.
They huddled together in little groups, whispering excitedly as they stared at Hoshiyomi's departing figure.
"That uncle looks really strong somehow…"
"He's a ninja, right? He has to be — that's why he seems so cool!"
The word ninja sent a collective shiver of excitement through the kids.
Their eyes sparkled with admiration and longing.
As their chatter grew louder, one child spoke up quietly — a silver-haired boy with round glasses.
"That uncle's sword looked special… and he had one on his back too. It's just like the one Aunt Nono told us about…"
"...Huh? What did you say, Kabuto?" one of the other kids asked.
Hearing that, the group suddenly fell silent, each trying to recall the details.
"Black hair…"
"Kind eyes…"
"Looks really powerful…"
"Two swords — one at his waist, one on his back…"
As the children spoke, their eyes grew brighter and brighter, the image of Hoshiyomi in their minds becoming clearer by the second.
"There's no mistake — it has to be him!"
"He's the legendary hero Director Nono always tells us about!"
Their voices suddenly rose in unison, bursting into cheers:
"He's Konoha's Silver Moon-sama!"
At that moment, a chubby little boy's eyes lit up with excitement, and he suggested eagerly:
"Let's go see him! This is the legendary Konoha's Silver Moon-sama, after all!"
A chorus of cheers erupted, and under the chubby boy's lead, the children all dashed off toward the director's office in a noisy stampede of little feet.
As the group thundered away, the first child who had recognized Hoshiyomi — Kabuto — trailed at the back.
While running, he happened to glance back at the yard and noticed that one boy hadn't joined them.
It was a white-haired boy, no more than three or four years old, sitting curled up alone in a corner, watching the other children leave with a hint of longing in his eyes.
Kabuto remembered him — a newcomer who had only recently arrived at the orphanage.
Because he was still new, he hadn't yet blended in with the others and rarely spoke to anyone.
That kid's name was… Shin, wasn't it?
With that thought, Kabuto slowed to a stop, then turned back toward Shin and asked kindly:
"Aren't you going to come see Konoha's Silver Moon-sama? He's a legendary figure, you know."
Shin hadn't expected anyone to talk to him.
Since coming to the orphanage, no one besides Nono had ever spoken to him.
Hearing Kabuto address him so suddenly, he froze, unsure what to do or say.
Seeing his awkwardness, Kabuto smiled gently and continued:
"I get it — you must be from another village, huh? That's why you've never heard about Hoshiyomi-sama's deeds.
Come on, I'll tell you all about him on the way!"
And so, Kabuto took Shin by the hand, and together they headed toward Nono's office.
...
Meanwhile, inside the director's office, Hoshiyomi was quietly studying Nono.
Though it had been quite some time since they last met, she hadn't changed much — still the same calm, gentle woman as ever.
When Nono suddenly noticed Hoshiyomi standing there, she jumped in surprise, rising quickly to her feet with a flustered expression.
"Eh?! Ho–Hoshiyomi-sama, why are you here all of a sudden?"
Her reaction made Hoshiyomi chuckle softly.
It reminded him of the first time they met years ago in the Rain Country — she hadn't changed one bit.
He waved a hand dismissively.
"No need for all that formal stuff.
If anything, it's me who owes you an apology.
You were the hero who helped Konoha crush Sunagakure in one strike, and yet I let you slip from my mind — that's my mistake."
Nono quickly waved her hands in protest.
"Hoshiyomi-sama, please don't say that. I only did a few small things for the village — nothing worthy of being called a hero.
Besides, it was my own choice to stay here and look after the children. I truly enjoy this peaceful life."
(Author's Note)
In the original story, Shin definitely didn't grow up in the Konoha Orphanage.
I just placed him here at the start so I wouldn't have to write a separate "search for Shin" subplot — consider it a butterfly effect, haha.