The faint scent of disinfectant lingered at the tip of his nose. Muen sat leaning against the hospital bed, listening as the Third Hokage recounted the entire incident's conclusion in steady tones.
Satori had been dealt with. The Box of Ultimate Bliss had also been retained by Konoha.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Muen's face, observing his reactions.
Muen's expression showed self-reproach and relief, yet not a trace of resentment toward Konoha's handling could be seen.
"Muku and Ryuzetsu, those are the two children's names, correct?"
Light returned to Muen's eyes as he pleaded, "Lord Hokage, all responsibility lies with me. It has nothing to do with them! Muku and Ryuzetsu... they merely followed the village's orders, trusting us elders... Please, please do not hold them accountable."
Sarutobi Hiruzen feigned surprise. "Accountability? What accountability?"
He gently shifted topics. "I was merely thinking that those two should be able to represent Kusagakure in participating in this Chūnin Exam, correct?"
"Could it be that Kusagakure's previous commitment to participate in the exam was not genuine?"
Muen froze. Were they not discussing the Box of Ultimate Bliss matter? Was Konoha not pursuing Kusagakure's responsibility? Why suddenly mention the Chūnin Exam?
The Third merely watched him.
"You... Yes, Muku and Ryuzetsu can participate in this Chūnin Exam," Muen seemed to understand something. He lowered his head and answered.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "Excellent. Muen-san, you are the team leader Kusagakure dispatched to participate in this exam."
Muen found this somewhat unbelievable. "Lord Hokage, I am deeply grateful you wish to help me, but... I was also among those attempting to resist Konoha."
The Third said gently, "The heart wishing to protect one's village holds no fault, Muen-san. You merely used the wrong method."
"Choosing to flee after making mistakes is the most irresponsible behavior."
"Now that Kusagakure has suffered such tremendous losses, if even you as a jōnin abandon them, how will you face the village's remaining people?"
"How will you face those children?"
"Please pull yourself together and return to face what must be faced, Muen-san. This is precisely what should be done for Kusagakure, for Muku and Ryuzetsu."
Within Root, Danzo sat alone in his wide chair, single eye tightly closed, fingers tapping the armrest intermittently.
The Box of Ultimate Bliss incident had indeed allowed him to swiftly escape the awkward predicament of semi-house arrest, regaining authority to act.
However, Danzo could clearly sense his voice in the core decision-making circle continuing to irreversibly decline.
His counsel was not adopted. This was not most critical. Danzo deeply understood old friend Sarutobi Hiruzen's methods. As long as matters succeeded and results benefited Konoha, he often tacitly approved accomplished facts.
However, now he no longer possessed such authority. Matters the Hokage disapproved could not be done. Matters the Hokage had not instructed must not be done.
Everything, when did it begin?
Right, it began with Shuji, someone who should have died yet did not die and came back to life.
He had seized Uchiha Itachi, seemingly also gaining Uchiha Fugaku's trust. He had regathered the Senju, costing Danzo some supporters in the process. He had retrieved Tsunade. His own return to silence approached.
Tools grasped in unsuitable hands not only failed to function effectively but instead caused tremendous waste, even bringing deeper harm.
Their naive, weak strategy toward the Uchiha clan would ultimately make Konoha pay a painful price.
Just like the Nine-Tails Night.
The time had come to properly replan everything.
Western suburbs, the old Senju estate.
Shuji lay sprawled across his room's bed, gaze vacant, listlessly staring at the ceiling's wood grain.
This rare rest period, body and mind completely relaxed, thinking of nothing. This feeling proved truly long-missed.
Regarding Sarutobi Hiruzen's invitation for him to formally join ANBU, he had carefully considered it.
His conclusion was refusal.
ANBU work could certainly accumulate impressive credentials and achievements, but what use did Shuji have for such things?
Moreover, ANBU work mostly involved dirty jobs. Setting that aside, it was year-round without rest. After completing missions, one had to immediately return and report, lacking any freedom whatsoever.
Comparatively, ordinary jōnin life suited him better. Though saying matters were not few, with occasional special missions as well, under non-emergency circumstances, he could occasionally find ways to slack off. For instance, taking ten days to walk a three-day route, slowly returning to the village proved acceptable.
Though his mind was set, Shuji was not rushing to reply to the Third Hokage. He could just mention it later when visiting the Hokage Tower.
After one field assignment, Tsunade had at least not lost her conscience by dragging him to continue overtime work.
After sleeping soundly until the world turned upside down, when Shuji awakened it was already the following afternoon.
Sufficient sleep made accumulated fatigue dissipate completely.
Leaving the old estate and heading toward the village center, Shuji sensed the village's internal atmosphere seemed somewhat different. That faint oppressive feeling had not appeared for some time since the war's end.
Village residents along the roadside conversed in low voices in twos and threes. Just hearing scattered words like "border," "sacrifice," "monster," he roughly understood. When Satori entered the Land of Fire heading toward Konoha Village, border outposts had lost many people.
Border rotation duty meant bearing the brunt of everything first...
Shuji walked toward Ichiraku Ramen. Passing an intersection, his gaze was drawn to a small figure.
It was a child appearing only three or four years old, wearing green long sleeves with a somewhat oversized light-colored short-sleeved shirt over it. A prominent red spiral mark adorned his chest.
Most eye-catching was his blonde hair and the whisker-like markings on his face.
It was Uzumaki Naruto.
Shuji's steps slowed somewhat.
Could Naruto already move independently within the village at this age?
According to his knowledge, as the Nine-Tails jinchūriki with both parents deceased, Naruto had spent most time after birth under strict supervision, with specific personnel providing care.
Therefore, since transmigrating here, Shuji had never encountered Naruto.
Was it because he had grown older, allowing him to move about the village independently?
Though saying jinchūriki treatment in various shinobi villages proved quite poor, taking Gaara as an example, even with his father being the current Kazekage, it could not change his circumstances.
Of course, considering Gaara's suffering actually directly stemmed partly from Rasa's manipulation, so it held no reference value either.
However, knowing theoretically and witnessing personally ultimately proved different matters.
Watching that small figure shuttle through the crowd, surrounding adults cast gazes mixing fear, disgust, and alienation while whispering, quickly pulling their children away. This nearly public, tacitly understood rejection constructed an absurd, uncomfortable scene.
So-called concealing the jinchūriki's identity under these circumstances truly proved concealing nothing whatsoever. Especially since Konoha Village was not a completely closed shinobi village, with personnel constantly flowing. Anyone remotely serious could discover abnormalities.
Shuji's gaze instinctively swept toward shadowy street corners. ANBU members' presences remained there, following Naruto like shadows.
Even so, tolerating such village attitudes, even though the Third personally often expressed concern, truly showed excessive confidence in this child's mental resilience.
Shuji's steps did not halt, naturally passing by Naruto. His form precisely blocked those gazes. Facing village shinobi, villagers restrained themselves somewhat, averting their eyes. Though whispers did not cease, at least that piercing scrutinizing sensation weakened somewhat.
Just at the moment of crossing paths, that small blonde head suddenly turned around. Azure eyes carried a trace of confusion, gazing toward Shuji's departing back.
Just now... something seemed different.
Those uncomfortable stares suddenly disappeared for an instant.
Unaware of Naruto's current thoughts, after finishing ramen, Shuji proceeded directly to the Hokage Tower. He did not encounter the Third Hokage but instead ran into Tsunade emerging from inside.
"Today, no matter what, I am not working overtime, Lady Tsunade," Shuji preemptively declared.
Tsunade-hime snorted coldly in annoyance upon hearing this. The hand that seemed about to rise was lowered again.
"If you are not here to help, what are you running here for?"
"Earlier on the way here, I encountered a child," Shuji said.
Tsunade immediately displayed a disgusted expression. "You bastard, are you planning to snatch people from somewhere again?"
"...A village person," Shuji answered. "If I am not mistaken, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki."
The Senju princess restrained her expression. "Naruto? Did something happen?"
"Can that child live independently now? Is he not only... four years old?"
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I merely saw him on the street," Shuji repeated.
"Two ANBU squads rotate twenty-four hours providing village protection. The old man also often visits him," Tsunade answered.
"I merely thought that even for jinchūriki protection purposes, whether we should also require villagers to restrain their attitudes toward him," Shuji entered the main topic. "I am aware how many died in the Nine-Tails rampage. I also understand his being resented. However, this is not reason to indulge and ignore."
"However many enemies the Fourth had, in prominence, they likely pale compared to the attention and danger brought by the Nine-Tails jinchūriki identity itself."
Tsunade fell silent for a moment. Her grandmother was the First Nine-Tails jinchūriki. She understood better than anyone what this identity meant, what gazes it attracted. Even as the God of Shinobi's wife, Uzumaki Mito could not completely avoid those abnormal stares.
Therefore, even Jiraiya, even Kakashi had never expressed anything about Naruto's circumstances. Even Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato himself likely held mental preparation regarding Naruto's circumstances after becoming jinchūriki.
This was the shinobi world's reality, the jinchūriki's fate. No village proved an exception.
She looked at Shuji and finally said, "...I understand. I will make arrangements."
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild