"Great! Dad, you're amazing!" Naruto said, upon hearing from Souji that he would be the village leader for a while.
"Yes, I agree with Naruto. Souji-kun, you're amazing." Ino said while hugging Souji's arm.
Shikamaru and Choji nodded.
"Well, it's nothing. It's only temporary. I don't think I'll work too hard because Shikaku-san and the others will help me."
"So, my father isn't going to the front lines?" Shikamaru asked.
"No, because someone competent must stay in the village, and that someone is your father." Souji replied.
Shikamaru nodded his head.
"I heard that my father is going to the front lines." Choji said.
"My father too." Ino said, "Hey... Souji-kun, when do you have free time? I want to invite you and Naruto to dinner at my house."
"Eh? Really, Ino?" Naruto asked enthusiastically. This would be Naruto's first time visiting a friend's house. Especially since Naruto and Ino got along so well. They usually talked about the books they read. Of course, they sometimes argued, but they seemed happy about it.
"..."
Souji seemed to be thinking, 'Sunday, I have an appointment with Mebuki. What about Monday or Tuesday?'
"How about Tuesday?" Souji asked.
"Of course!" Ino replied happily.
Souji nodded. "All right, we'll start the training."
Ino released Souji's arm and joined the others in line.
"Ready!" they said together.
"Ino and Shikamaru, your chakra control has improved greatly, but your training isn't over yet." Souji added. "You will try running on the surface of the waterfall. I want to see how you adapt to the strong water flow."
"Yes." They both replied.
"Naruto and Choji, you have entered the training to walk on the water. This is different from walking on trees." Souji continued, "What you are stepping on is not as hard as a tree. I want to see how you adjust and stabilize your chakra."
"Yes!" They both answered enthusiastically.
"Good. Training begins!"
"..."
"..."
———————————————————
Somewhere in the Land of Fire.
"Mama!"
"Karin!"
Hug
Karin and Mariko embraced each other tightly. Mariko then released the hug and kissed Karin's face many times. "I'm sorry, Karin."
Karin felt very happy to be treated like that by her mother. She shook her head and said, "Mama doesn't need to apologize, because I always love Mama."
"Karin... I love you too..." Mariko said, then hugged Karin again.
"..."
Not long after, Clone Number 1 came with food again. "This is for Karin. Eat it."
"..."
Karin looked at Clone Number 1, then at Mariko.
"Eat it, Karin." Mariko said softly.
Karin nodded and started eating.
"..."
"Mama, this is delicious. Try it, Mama." Karin said, offering it to Mariko. Mariko, not wanting to refuse, ate it too.
"Mm...yes, this is delicious." Mariko said to Karin, then, Karin ate her food again.
It was the most delicious food Karin had ever eaten, onigiri with tamagoyaki and simple grilled fish with salt and lime.
Clone Number 2 had wanted to give them food from the Iwa supply, but after seeing that it was in the form of rations, he changed his mind. He wanted the food to be memorable and leave a mark on their hearts. Clone number 1 had done the same for Mariko, he made porridge with chicken broth and put shredded chicken, scallions, and boiled eggs on top. Because of that, he gave Karin onigiri, tamagoyaki, and grilled fish.
Karin usually ate bland soup and thin porridge. Even then, she and her mother struggled to eat that food once a day. Typically, they only ate once every two days. Karin often searched for food in the forest or in the village's trash bins.
If she found any, she would bring it to home to share with her mother. Even if the food was dirty, Karin would clean it, with water first, to see, if it was safe to eat.
Today, however, she could eat delicious, warm, clean food. She could also enjoy it with her mother.
"Ano... Sir, what should I do?" Mariko asked.
"Nothing for now. After Karin eats, we'll leave." said Clone Number 1.
"Of course." Mariko said, bowing her head.
"Mama, where are we going?" Karin asked Mariko.
Before Mariko could answer, Clone Number 1 answered, "We're going to your papa's house."
"Eh? Papa?!" Karin asked, curiously and enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, Mariko blinked, then looked at Clone Number 1.
"Ano... Karin's papa? But my husband has been dead for a long time." Mariko said.
Hearing this, Karin's enthusiasm waned. She thought she have a father, it turned out she didn't.
"Mariko-san, he is Karin's new papa and also your new husband."
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
Mariko and Karin, who had been sad before, were suddenly shocked to hear what Clone Number 1 said.
"New Papa?!"
"New husband?"
"..."
Clone Number One nodded.
"A new life."
"..."
After hearing a brief explanation from clone number one, they packed up and prepared to leave.
Clone number two and clone number one parted ways.
"Remember, after you blow up Kusa's medical camp, go to the Land of Earth and take their supplies." Clone Number 1 added, "I sent Clone Number 4 to the Land of Lightning with the same task." Clone Number 2 nodded, saying, "Of course. Leave it to me."
Then, they went in different directions. As clone number 1 and his group left, they heard the sound of an explosion. Clone number 1 smiled with satisfaction upon hearing it.
'Art is an explosion! Hn.'
"..."
"..."
———————————————————
Naruto's apartment, night.
"Yosh! Time to meet Mom!" Naruto said enthusiastically after finishing his meal.
"Don't forget to brush your teeth." Souji reminded him.
"Yes! Good night, Dad."
"Good night, Naruto."
Naruto went to brush his teeth, then went to his room.
"..."
"Akebi, is Mama Kushina doing well?" Souji asked through his ring.
"Yes, Papa." Akebi answered happily.
Akebi now can speak. It happened after the incident where Kushina entered the life-seeking ball on Naruto. The next morning, when Kushina woke up, she heard Akebi call her "Mama." Kushina melted when she heard that.
Fortunately, Kushina didn't feel lonely because Akebi accompanied her, and Naruto visited his mother and sister every night. Of course, as the head of the family, Souji also visited their home and slept there.
"Papa, I feel your shadow clone entering the village." Akebi suddenly said.
"Thank you, Akebi. You can accompany Mama Kushina now." Souji replied.
"You're welcome, Papa."
"..."
Because of Akebi, Souji now has an extra skill, Chakra Sense.
'I thought, Akebi's computational ability is really great.' Souji thought proudly of his daughter.
'But I don't sense anyone else's chakra besides my shadow clone. Did they fail?'
Souji decided to go to their meeting place. Beforehand, he approached the Anbu who were watching them and said, "Please take care of Naruto while I'm gone."
Swish
After saying that, Souji left, using Body Flicker. The ANBU were silent after seeing and hearing what Souji had just said.
'It turns out he really knows that we are watching him.' The ANBU thought, and then continued his duty to watch and protect Naruto.
"..."
Souji arrived at a small forest near the edge of the village and met his shadow clone.
"So, did the mission fail?"
Clone Number 3 shook his head. "I don't know. That was the task of Clone Numbers 1 and 2. We separated after not finding Karin and her mother. For more details, let me return to your body."
Souji nodded.
Poff
Clone Number 3 disappeared, and his memories appeared in Souji's brain.
"..."
After absorbing all of clone number three's memories, Souji was proud and satisfied with his performance, especially with how much money he had brought in.
Clone Number 3 carried the money in a sack and used many shadow clones to help carry it. They didn't know how to use Fuinjutsu to store items, if they had known, then Clone Number 3 could have arrived here faster.
'With this, I can buy land for my clan and build a big house.' Souji thought.
'So, where should I keep this wealth?'
"..."
'Can I buy the land tonight?'
'But the people who managed it, they're probably already asleep, right?'
"..."
'Wait a minute.'
"Akebi, can I store items inside the life-seeking orb?" Souji asked.
"Papa, I can't do it because it's an object."
"What about the objects inside it?" Souji asked again.
"The objects in the house are formed from the chakra inside, so they're still considered chakra."
"..."
"What about combining it with Fuinjutsu to store objects?"
"..."
"That can be done, Papa."
Souji nodded in satisfaction. "Can you ask Mama Kushina to teach you Fuinjutsu?"
"I can, Papa."
"How long do you think it will take you to make it?"
"I can make it if I have a complete data, Papa."
Souji then breathed a sigh of relief. "In that case, please do it, Akebi."
"Okay, Papa."
"..."
Souji looked at his shadow clone. "Take care of my body, watch the surroundings, and use Genjutsu: False Surrounding, to cover and camouflage this place."
"Of course, boss."
Then, Souji entered his life-seeking ball, which was connected to Naruto's necklace.
"..."
Souji saw Kushina teaching Akebi Fuinjutsu in the living room.
"I'm home." Souji said.
"Welcome home." Kushina and Akebi replied. Souji looked around the living room and asked, "Where's Naruto?"
"He's already asleep." Kushina said.
Souji nodded and approached them.
"Do you want to learn Fuinjutsu, too?" Kushina asked Souji.
"Eh? Can I?"
Kushina chuckled and said, "Of course you can." Kushina now had an additional student to teach.
Unfortunately, Souji didn't receive a notification from his system when he learned Fuinjutsu.
'Could activities that don't use chakra or energy not become an extra skill?' Souji thought.
"..."
'Well, whatever.'
"..."
"..."
———————————————————
Morning, Naruto's apartment.
"Eh? You're not going to school today?" Naruto asked Souji.
"Yes, I have something to do. But, Don't worry, my shadow clone will replace me." Souji said.
"Oh, I thought you weren't going to school at all." Naruto said.
Hearing that, Souji smiled and said, "Alright, here's your lunch."
"Un." Naruto nodded. "I'm leaving, Dad!" Naruto and Souji's shadow clone then left for school.
"..."
'All right, it's time to find the land for my clan.'
Souji went to the Hokage's office to meet Hiruzen and, of course, to buy the land. Fortunately for Souji, Hiruzen didn't ask where he got the money, which made him quite relieved.
Hiruzen then assigned a ninja who handled land matters to help Souji find the right plot of the land. Hiruzen also told Souji that, he would be going to the front lines later that afternoon. Souji nodded and said he would be present when Hiruzen and the other ninjas left.
Souji and the ninja then went to look for the land. Beforehand, Souji stopped by Honda's bookstore and gave Honda a new story he had written titled Yukihime and the Seven Ninja Cats. Honda received the story well and said he would check it first.
After that, they went to look for the land, of the Tendou clan.
"..."
After looking at the available land, Souji decided to buy the land near the Uchiha clan. Not only was it spacious, but it was also on the outskirts of the village. He intended to buy the land up to the village's barrier wall.
This way, he could come and go from the village in his own territory. Then, he returned to the Hokage's office and told Hiruzen.
Hiruzen was actually a little worried about the land Souji had chosen, because it was far from the center of the village and close to the Uchiha.
Naruto's apartment is close to the Uchiha, but there's a reason for that. The distance isn't too close, either.
Souji explained to Hiruzen that he bought the land to keep an eye on the Uchiha. Souji himself wasn't afraid of the Uchiha, except for Shisui's Kotoamatsukami. That ability was terrifying, especially for a transmigrator or reincarnator like himself.
It's understandable why Danzo took Shisui's eye. We never know someone's true intentions, so, it was natural for Danzo to want Shisui's eyes, because he was afraid and of course greedy with its power.
Danzo knew he was weak, which is why he did such things. Imagine if he had Madara's power. Maybe it would be a different story, and Konoha would be different.
Would Konoha become better or worse with it? No one knows.
"..."
"..."