"Here we are."
Looking at the now-familiar surroundings ahead of him, Namikaze Minato finally realized where Kizaru had brought them.
…Isn't this the Konoha orphanage where I used to stay as a child?
"Kizaru-kun, this is—"
"The orphanage," Kizaru replied before Minato could even finish asking.
Minato nodded slowly, but that only made him more curious about the child Kizaru had mentioned before.
An orphan…?
I wonder what happened to the friends I knew here back then…
At Kizaru's words, Kushina also seemed to think of something. Her expression shifted slightly, and for a moment, the image of the ruined Land of Whirlpools and the childhood friends she had lost flashed through her mind.
Sensing the change in her mood, Kizaru smiled faintly, lowered his hand onto her shoulder, and gave it a light pat.
"Who knows? You two might end up getting along pretty well."
"Friends…" Kushina repeated softly.
Her eyes immediately lifted, and a trace of anticipation appeared on her face for the person they were about to meet.
After that, Kizaru picked up the pace and led the group toward the orphanage entrance.
"What a coincidence," he said lazily, his eyes landing on a little girl with light orange-blond hair not too far away. She was helping another child up from the ground with a gentle expression.
Following his gaze, Minato, Kushina, and the others all looked over as well.
"That girl?" Minato asked quietly as he looked at the little girl in the distance.
For some reason, that gentle smile of hers gave him a strangely familiar feeling.
"Yep," Kizaru said, then casually walked toward her.
At that moment, the little girl had just helped her companion back to his feet. As one of the most dependable and caring children in the orphanage, Yakushi Nono was about to say something comforting when she suddenly noticed the sunlight above her dim a little.
Someone had approached.
Almost by instinct, Nono moved half a step forward and pulled the smaller child behind her protectively before looking up.
The moment she saw the person standing there, recognition flashed across her face.
"It's you…" she said softly, surprised. "You're that big senpai from before."
Kizaru grinned.
Without a care in the world, he sat down right there on the ground in front of her, as casually as if he were talking to an old acquaintance.
"It's been a while, Nono."
"You're not taking my sister away!"
Behind Nono, a little boy around five years old suddenly stepped forward. He had also recognized Kizaru, and even though there was obvious nervousness in his face, he still forced himself to stand in front of her.
"Ohh? That's pretty brave," Kizaru said with an amused smile, clearly entertained.
"Ichima, don't be rude," Nono quickly said as she pulled the boy back.
Then she looked at Kizaru again, her small expression turning serious.
"I still want to stay here."
"Wahh, now I really sound like the villain, don't I?" Kizaru said, laughing at himself.
Nono blinked, then quickly realized something.
So… he's not here to take me away this time.
The tension in her shoulders eased a little.
"Then… why did you come today, senpai?" she asked.
"I came to return the favor," Kizaru said with a smile.
"Return the favor?" Nono tilted her head, clearly confused.
Kizaru turned slightly and called over his shoulder.
"Senpai, bring the box over here, would you?"
Being ordered around yet again, Kakuzu walked over with a cold face, the suitcase in his hand looking no lighter than his expression.
The moment Ichima saw him, he immediately shrank back in fear and hid behind Nono.
Nono gently grabbed his hand and gave him a reassuring smile before looking back at Kizaru.
"Last time, you gave me a bowl of water," Kizaru said. "So today, I'm paying it back."
After hearing that, Nono finally remembered.
That had been the first time they met.
Back then, she had been sitting outside alone in the sun, quietly reading, when Kizaru—who had apparently just finished training—walked over to her out of nowhere, said a few strange things, and asked her name.
Then, after learning it, he had asked her for a bowl of water.
She had run inside, brought him one, and handed it over.
After that, to her shock, he had suddenly invited her to leave the orphanage, go with him, and be adopted into his family.
Because she couldn't bear to leave the other children behind, she had refused.
And for days after that, she had been quietly worried that he might come back and forcefully take her away.
Thinking back on it now, Nono smiled helplessly.
"It was only a bowl of water," she said. "You really don't have to go that far, senpai."
"This isn't just for you," Kizaru replied, resting both hands on his knees. "Think of it as something for the whole orphanage."
Hearing that, Nono understood immediately.
He had deliberately said "orphanage" instead of bringing up anything else, clearly not wanting to make the children uncomfortable.
The goodwill in her eyes deepened.
"Then I'll go call the director. Please wait a moment."
With that, she quickly turned and ran back toward the building, dragging Ichima along with her.
Kizaru watched her leave with a smile before glancing sideways at Kakuzu.
"Senpai, count out twenty million."
Kizaru trusted Kakuzu's ability with numbers enough to leave it entirely to him.
It wasn't that he was being stingy.
But if he gave too much all at once, that could easily become a problem for an orphanage instead.
…This bastard really thinks I'm his subordinate now?
Kakuzu's face darkened.
Kizaru noticed the shift immediately and chuckled.
"I'll treat you to barbecue tonight."
Kakuzu said nothing.
Still, he silently opened the case and began counting the money.
A short while later, Nono came back out of the building with an old man and a middle-aged woman beside her.
Behind them, a group of children were peeking nervously from the doorway, staring at Kizaru with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
The old man Nono had brought was the current director of the orphanage.
The moment he saw Kizaru clearly, he immediately recognized him.
"Kizaru-sama," the director said respectfully.
After all, the young man standing before him was no ordinary person. He was a genius of Konoha, a war hero, and someone from an influential family.
"Just Kizaru is fine," Kizaru said casually, cutting off the greeting with a smile as he stood up.
The director looked up at him carefully.
"Kizaru… what brings you here today?"
"My little senpai here wanted to donate twenty million ryō to the orphanage," Kizaru said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As he spoke, he glanced toward Kakuzu and gave him a subtle look.
Kakuzu understood immediately.
With a cold expression, he crouched down beside the suitcase and started taking out stacks of money.
One bundle after another.
Even though each note was high in denomination, twenty million ryō was still no small amount. The director alone clearly couldn't manage it all, so the nurse beside him quickly stepped forward to help.
Together, the two of them carefully took the money.
Their hands trembled slightly.
Not because they were greedy.
But because they knew exactly what this money meant for the orphanage.
The worn-down building could finally be repaired.
The old furniture could be replaced.
The children could have proper clothes.
Their meals could be improved.
"Kizaru-sama… I truly don't know how to thank you," the director said, this time with genuine emotion in his voice.
"Hahaha!" Kizaru laughed, then casually slung an arm over Kakuzu's shoulder and patted him. "If you want to thank someone, thank Mr. Kakuzu here. He's the one who donated the money. I just showed him the way."
The director and the nurse both turned to Kakuzu at once.
"Mr. Kakuzu, thank you very much for helping the orphanage."
Kakuzu gave a silent nod, but his eyes shifted toward Kizaru beside him, dark and deep.
This bastard…
"The gift's been delivered," Kizaru said with a clap of his hands. "Guess it's about time we got going."
Then he looked back toward Nono, who had been standing there quietly with gratitude written all over her face.
"If you think this return gift's too much," he said with a lazy smile, "then come have barbecue with us, Nono."
Nono hesitated.
Rather than answering right away, she instinctively turned to look at the director and the nurse.
The director smiled gently.
"Go on, Nono."
The nurse beside him nodded as well.
"I'll watch the children. Don't worry about anything. Go enjoy yourself."
After hearing both of them say so, Nono hesitated for a moment longer before stepping forward.
Then she bowed deeply to both Kizaru and Kakuzu.
"Kizaru-kun, Mr. Kakuzu… thank you very much for helping us."
When she straightened up again, she looked at Kizaru, and for once, a playful smile fitting for a child finally appeared on her face.
"Then… I'll be in your care today, Kizaru-kun."
The Land of Rain, Amegakure
Taking full advantage of Kizaru's overwhelming victory, Danzō used both pressure and negotiation to successfully force Hanzo into granting Konoha wartime garrison rights and intelligence-sharing access within the Land of Rain, along with several other favorable terms. Satisfied with the outcome, he then signed a reconciliation treaty with Hanzo.
The Land of Rain was poor in both resources and wealth. Dragging Hanzo back to Konoha would have meant very little in practical terms. Worse, it could easily throw Amegakure into chaos and provoke Rain shinobi into launching desperate revenge attacks against Konoha.
Because of that, after receiving the report, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō, and the rest of Konoha's higher-ups unanimously decided to leave Hanzo in Amegakure to stabilize the situation.
Once the negotiations were over, Danzō—who had failed to see his nephew the last time—prepared to withdraw his troops and return to the village.
Kizaru had achieved decisive, war-changing merits on two battlefields in a row. Danzō could hardly wait to return to Konoha and push his name even higher.
This war was nearly over, and Hiruzen was already close to fifty. In just a few more years, it would be about time for him to step down.
And when that time came…
It would be Kizaru's era.
Just the thought of it stirred a trace of excitement in Danzō's heart.
With Kizaru's lazy, slippery, hands-off personality, if he became Hokage, wouldn't that practically be the same as Danzō himself holding power?
Kizaru would stand at the top as Konoha's absolute military force, while internal affairs and strategy remained in his hands.
If that happened, Konoha would flourish beyond anything it had ever seen.
And perhaps… the dream of unifying the entire shinobi world really could be achieved by him.
"Danzō-sama, Hanzo wishes to speak with you."
As Danzō was immersed in thoughts of that bright future, an ANBU shinobi stepped into the room and reported in a low voice.
Danzō's gaze sharpened at once, his mind snapping back into work mode.
"Take me there."
He rose and followed the ANBU out.
In the spacious reception room, Hanzo sat calmly in his seat, waiting for Danzō to arrive.
Not long ago, he had met with a messenger from Sunagakure who had snuck into Amegakure in secret.
If not for the crushing defeat Kizaru had handed him, Hanzo might actually have considered the proposal.
An alliance with Sunagakure to attack Konoha together?
A cold, mocking smile tugged at Hanzo's lips.
Sunagakure was courting death… and wanted to drag him down with them.
The repeated defeats—especially that disastrous battle against Kizaru—had pushed Hanzo from one extreme to the other.
Once, he had been consumed by ambition, dreaming of raising the Land of Rain into the ranks of the great powers and making it the sixth great nation.
Now?
Now he only wanted to keep Amegakure firmly in his grasp and live out his days in peace.
That shift in mindset had made his choice easy.
The moment Hanzo heard Sunagakure's proposal, he had already decided what to do.
He would hand everything over to Danzō.
Thinking of that Sunagakure jōnin—risking his life to sneak into Amegakure and secretly negotiate with him—Hanzo's smile turned even more sarcastic.
If I'm going to side with one of the great nations…
Why would I choose a dying Sunagakure over the strongest of them all?
Just then, the door to the reception room opened, and Danzō walked in with the Sannin behind him.
Danzō of the darkness.
The famed Sannin of Konoha—a title Hanzo himself had once given them.
And beyond them all, the golden monster who had already left the battlefield.
Konoha truly had an enviable number of monstrous talents.
"Hanzo," Danzō said calmly as he sat down across from him, the Sannin standing behind him, "what is it you wished to discuss?"
"Sunagakure sent an envoy to see me," Hanzo said bluntly. "They wanted to form an alliance and attack Konoha together."
Behind Danzō, the expressions of the three Sannin changed at once.
But Danzō himself remained completely calm.
"Where is he?" he asked.
"He already left."
That answer was all Danzō needed.
A faint smile touched his face.
"So. You refused them."
Orochimaru was the first to understand. Standing behind Danzō, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Hanzo with interest.
Tsunade, standing in the middle, quickly grasped Hanzo's intention as well.
Jiraiya, impulsive as ever, had nearly opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but seeing his teammates remain silent, he quickly pieced it together himself.
"I agreed to meet with Sunagakure tomorrow morning," Hanzo continued. "They intend to ambush you while Konoha's forces are evacuating."
"Good," Danzō said, clearly pleased. "Then tomorrow, we'll proceed exactly as planned."
In an instant, he had already worked out how to use this setup to smash Sunagakure hard enough to cripple them.
"Jiraiya," Danzō said without the slightest hesitation, issuing orders right in front of Hanzo, "use your summons to send word back to the village. Tell Hiruzen that Sunagakure is preparing to go to war with us."
"Got it!"
"Also tell him to send reinforcements to the Land of Rain." Danzō's expression hardened slightly. "This isn't the same as dealing with the Land of Rain. Sunagakure still has real strength left."
Then he added, without pause:
"Tell him to send Kizaru."
"Understood!"
Hanzo's eyes shifted faintly.
So… Konoha's monster was returning to the battlefield?
Suddenly, a trace of anticipation stirred in his heart.
He genuinely wanted to see what Sunagakure's shinobi would look like once they found themselves standing in front of Kizaru.
"What a steady hand," Kizaru said with a smile as he picked up a piece of beef Nono had just grilled.
After following Kizaru to the barbecue restaurant, Nono had insisted on helping with the grilling as repayment for the meal.
Faced with such stubborn determination from a little girl, Kizaru had simply smiled and let her do as she pleased.
Inside the private room, Nono carefully grilled both beef and pork while Kushina sat beside her, helping out.
Minato, meanwhile, sat near Kizaru and Kakuzu, quietly pouring drinks for the two of them.
Normally, village rules only allowed adults over twenty to drink alcohol.
But with Kizaru's mature appearance and shameless confidence, he had successfully convinced the restaurant to look the other way.
"Senpai, are you staying in the village tonight?" Kizaru asked with a smile after he and Kakuzu had finished splitting the bounty money.
"I'm leaving after I eat," Kakuzu replied flatly.
Now that he had money in hand, he had no intention of wasting time. He was already thinking about his next job.
"You're really diligent, senpai," Kizaru said lazily.
"Money is the only thing in this world you can actually trust," Kakuzu said coldly after taking a drink.
That answer drew different reactions from everyone at the table.
"Mr. Kakuzu," Minato said with a gentle smile, "the village and your comrades can be trusted too."
As someone who dreamed of becoming Hokage, Minato said it with complete sincerity.
The stark difference between Minato and Kakuzu made both Kushina and Nono pause in thought from across the table.
"I think trust has to be built both ways," Nono said softly as she remembered the children back at the orphanage. "If you're sincere with someone, they'll usually answer that sincerity with their own."
Beside her, Kushina stayed quiet.
She still hadn't found anyone she could trust completely.
"The village? Sincerity?" Kakuzu let out a contemptuous scoff. "That's the kind of thing only naïve brats say."
Nono looked at him quietly.
He must've been hurt badly by someone he really trusted…
That was the thought that crossed her mind.
"Ohh? Then do you trust me?" Kizaru asked with a lazy grin as he lifted his cup.
He drained the sake in one go, then spoke in that same casual tone of his.
"Whether it's money, the village, or your comrades… everyone's got their own story. No need to force your way of thinking onto someone else. Just live comfortably, the way you want. That's good enough."
Kakuzu glanced at him.
For a brief moment, a trace of genuine admiration appeared in his eyes.
This brat really is different.
Is he seriously only ten?
For some reason, a ridiculous thought suddenly crossed Kakuzu's mind.
If I ever partnered with someone like this on a bounty mission… it'd actually be pretty comfortable.
The thought amused him enough that he let out a short laugh.
As Kakuzu picked up his cup, clearly about to drink with Kizaru, his expression suddenly changed.
He sensed a powerful shinobi approaching the room.
At almost the exact same moment, Kizaru also turned toward the door.
Unlike Kakuzu, though, Kizaru's smile never faded.
He had already sensed not only a shinobi…
…but an acquaintance.
The door slid open.
Hatake Sakumo stood there in an ANBU mask.
"Kizaru. Hokage-sama wants to see you."
"What timing," Kizaru sighed as he stood up.
Then he turned back toward the room.
"Minato, look after everyone for me. Once you're done eating, just put it on my tab."
After saying that, he looked toward Kakuzu again.
"Senpai, guess we'll meet again some other time."
Kakuzu simply gave a small nod and said nothing.
Kizaru then waved lightly to Nono and Kushina before leaving the room with Sakumo.
Once the door closed again, he followed Sakumo out of the barbecue restaurant.
By the time the two of them arrived at the meeting room in the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two advisors were already waiting.
The moment Kizaru stepped inside, Hiruzen spoke without wasting time.
"Kizaru, Sunagakure is preparing to start a war with us. Danzō wants you back on the front line in the Land of Rain."
"Sunagakure, huh? That sounds scary," Kizaru said in his usual tone.
He walked over, pulled out a chair by the side, and sat down with one leg crossed over the other.
"The situation is urgent," Hiruzen said seriously. "You and Sakumo will leave tonight and head to Amegakure to support Danzō and the others."
"Understood."
When it came to proper business, Kizaru was still dependable.
So this time, his answer came without any complaint at all.
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