"Naruto: Ice God"Chapter 141: The New Generation of Lightbulb Fixers
Sakumo Hatake left the Hokage building in a daze.
Various pieces of information swirled through his mind—even with his composure, he couldn't process everything immediately.
"Sakumo-sama."
A gentle voice called out, and a flash of yellow appeared before Sakumo.
"You must be... Minato, right?"
Recalling the name Hiruzen Sarutobi had just mentioned, along with the recent rumors about this person in the village, Sakumo Hatake smiled while discreetly observing him.
"Yes, Sakumo-sama."
Minato didn't know why Sakumo was here—he'd only received a sudden notice that Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to see him.
Sakumo had become famous too early; most of what Minato knew about his exploits came from Jiraiya.
Even though they knew each other's names, they had little to say upon actually meeting.
After a brief farewell, Minato entered the room Sakumo had just vacated and saw Hiruzen Sarutobi unconsciously placing his pipe between his lips.
Facing his student's student, Hiruzen appeared much more relaxed.
"Minato, I've read the battle reports from Kumogakure. You've truly worked hard during this time."
Faced with Hiruzen's elder-like tone, Minato bowed his head respectfully: "Everything is for Konoha."
"I called you here for just one thing—I wanted to ask if you have any interest in joining ANBU."
Skipping meaningless preamble, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Minato and asked directly.
"ANBU?" Hearing this term, Minato immediately thought of the shinobi who monitored Kushina daily.
"Yes, ANBU—exactly those shinobi you're thinking of."
Hiruzen saw right through Minato's thoughts and confirmed them, while explaining his reasoning: "You've probably heard—due to the Iwagakure incident, I've already petitioned the Daimyō to have the Fourth Hokage lead Konoha. As for the candidate..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused.
Minato immediately understood, connecting this to Sakumo he'd just encountered: "It's Sakumo-sama, isn't it?"
"Exactly." Hiruzen Sarutobi was very pleased.
This young man before him possessed strength, skill, and an excellent mind.
If not for age issues and Sakumo's superior reputation, he truly would have wanted to recommend Minato to the Daimyō.
But doing so would inevitably provoke Danzō's opposition, shattering the fragile balance they'd carefully constructed.
He could only ask this young man to endure for now.
"As Fourth Hokage, Sakumo needs to cultivate his own team, including ANBU. Therefore, I recommended you to him, hoping you'll serve as ANBU commander."
Hearing this, Minato showed no negative emotions. After brief consideration, he accepted this "mission."
This way, he could better protect Kushina.
Minato Namikaze thought to himself.
...
"Minato Namikaze..."
Returning home, Sakumo sat in a small room, reflecting on what Hiruzen had told him.
This was the first time he'd learned that Minato Namikaze's lover was the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
Kushina's identity was well-protected—aside from Konoha's leadership, no one knew this bold, generous girl was the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
"Uzumaki Kushina, one of the survivors when the Uzumaki clan was destroyed. Born with enormous chakra, we brought her here to serve as the Nine-Tails jinchūriki's successor. She's the first person in the village requiring close attention."
"The Nine-Tails' chakra is too vast—aside from the late Lady Mito, no one else has been able to control it perfectly."
"However, as Kushina has matured, the Nine-Tails hasn't rampaged for quite some time."
In his memory, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked serious: "Still, we cannot be careless. The village maintains massive barriers to suppress the Nine-Tails."
"The second person to watch is Shimura Feng Bai."
Sakumo hadn't expected to hear Feng Bai's name in such circumstances.
"In this battle, Feng Bai was ambushed by an unknown Uchiha, and through chance, seized Kirigakure's Three-Tails. This information is now classified as top secret—few people know."
After hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's account, Sakumo was shocked by Feng Bai's audacity, but afterward felt deeply gratified.
That once-fragile little boy had grown into a remarkable shinobi.
"Feng Bai's surveillance is handled by Danzō's Root. That said, after this period of observation, we've detected no signs of instability."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's words contained enormous implications—not only revealing unknown Uchiha operating outside the village, but also indicating Danzō's vast power.
After becoming Hokage, these would all be issues requiring his attention.
Internal stability was more critical than external enemies...
"The Uchiha clan—"
Sakumo unconsciously clenched his fist.
Meanwhile, in Root's underground tunnels.
The prodigy Shisui, after returning to the village, continued serving as Feng Bai's bodyguard and, under Danzō's arrangement, entered the tunnels to investigate the flickering lights.
Holding work notes left by the previous maintenance worker, Shisui easily identified the problem's source following the records.
"This is truly a practical notebook. If I get the chance, I'd like to meet this Ikku-senpai."
Looking at the edited signature in the notebook, Shisui carefully stored it away, unconsciously recalling the hostile expression of the Root ninja who'd handed him the notebook.
Even here, they couldn't eliminate their prejudice against the Uchiha clan?
It seemed he still needed to work harder to change their thinking.
Following the notebook's guidance, Shisui found the toolbox hidden in a secret compartment and began his work.
"This Ikku-senpai is truly knowledgeable—he's even researched the Military Police Force's lighting system..."
While fixing the malfunction, Shisui marveled at his predecessor's broad expertise.
After Shisui repaired all the faults and the lights regained their brightness, he emerged from one tunnel entrance with a satisfied expression, just in time to encounter Feng Bai returning home with the children.
"What are you doing here?"
Gently placing the sleeping Yamato from his back onto the sofa, Feng Bai asked quietly.
"Uh..."
Shisui considered—repairing the lighting system shouldn't be classified, and was about to explain truthfully when Feng Bai interrupted him.
"Never mind, that's not important. Perfect timing—my old man's not coming home tonight, so we need to handle dinner ourselves. Come help me in the kitchen."
Without waiting for Shisui's response, Feng Bai dragged him toward the kitchen.
Leaving only Itachi standing alone in the room, staring at the sleeping Yamato, unsure what to do.
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