Chapter 20
The whispers never quite died down, but soon enough everyone became acclimated to the news of Gojo's retirement. Those with any semblance of intelligence understood that the reality was far more complicated than the simple truth that was being peddled out, but none dared to question the official statement from the village higher-ups.
Still, Kakashi was worried for his brother, and so he came to visit him. The Hatake clan compound was well maintained despite neither of them living inside it, and his brother had taken up residence in the place ever since his retirement.
"So, you are firm in your decision?" Kakashi asked, and while he knew that his brother was spending much of his time trying to acclimate himself to his newfound powers, it was obvious that he needed a new hobby to keep himself busy.
"Yes," Gojo answered, and it felt a bit odd seeing him with a bandage over his eyes. Amongst the two of them, he had been the only one to wear a mask before, but now they were brothers in more ways than one.
"What will you do now?" Kakashi asked, and his brother frowned.
"I believe I have already made up my mind," and that was quick.
"What?" he asked.
"I am going to open a restaurant..."
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KARIN UZUMAKI
She ran out of food a few days ago, and hunting in the forest was nearly impossible. There was a reason Konoha called it the Forest of Death, for death did indeed linger in it. The war was over now, but her troubles were just beginning.
Karin was in an absolute bind, for she knew well that she could not stay here for long. But she had no desire to return to her village either, for she did not wish to suffer the same fate as her mother.
She would much rather starve in this forest, and yet the sudden presence of that all too familiar chakra in front of her told her that she could hide no more. She had hidden herself in the bushes, but if her conjecture about his sensory prowess was true, her efforts were all futile.
"I can see you, you know," he spoke, and Karin's heart sank as she slowly stood up from the bushes, and her clothes were all dirty and mangled. Her hair was disheveled and disorderly.
She knew well that she looked like a ruffian in her current state, but she had known that such a day would come sooner or later.
"I know I should have come sooner, but I wanted to wait until the things were official," and she frowned at the explanation, as she finally gathered the courage to look up at her captor.
Her eyes widened as she saw his cloak, and even in Kusagakure she knew well what that white cloak with red fire on its edges and that hat represented.
"Hokage...," she gasped, and he had white hair. His eyes were covered by a strange bandage that tempered his presence.
"Well, I have yet to have my coronation. But yes, I am indeed the Godaime Hokage," and he was so young she realized.
But he was strong. She had sensed his full power once, and it was greater than any shinobi she had ever seen.
"You knew about me, didn't you?" she asked, and he nodded.
"For some time," and yet he had ignored her presence for some reason.
"Have you come to take me away?" she asked with a hardened heart.
"Not exactly," and she frowned at that answer, as he stepped forward.
"The reason I did not come find you earlier was that I did not wish to endanger your life. Even though I was the sole nominee, prior to my coronation the village's command structure was not entirely set," and none of what he was saying made any sense to her at all.
He realized that as well.
"Well, I will cut this short then," he said as he rubbed his head.
"Karin Uzumaki. I would like to offer you asylum in this village," and she was taken aback by that proposal.
"Why?" she asked, and he shrugged.
"Because you are an Uzumaki. You are a descendant of an Uzushio, an old village with which we had a strong alliance," and she knew of her history and pedigree. Her mother had taught it to her before her death.
But she did not really care, though, for she knew what it entailed.
"Do I even have a choice?" she asked mockingly.
"You do," and he knelt down until his face was opposite to her.
"I know that the shinobi world has not been kind to you. It has not been kind to me either, so as the Godaime Hokage of Konoha I offer you asylum with no conditions," and his chakra told her that he was not lying, but if a shinobi were powerful enough they could manipulate it well.
"You will be allowed complete freedom in the village, and no one in this village would dare lay a finger on you as long as I am alive," and her lips quivered as she grabbed her arm.
"I swear it on my name as Hokage," and she hesitated, but in the end, she realized that it could be no worse than what Zosui had in store for her at Kusa.
"I accept then," she answered resolutely, and he smiled at her and ruffled her hair.
"Don't worry," he assured her softly.
"I won't let you down...."
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GOJO HATAKE
"Absolutely not," Shikaku's protest was entirely expected, and despite having little desire for the title or the power, Gojo found himself coronated as the Godaime Hokage of Konoha.
The daimyo had doubts over his age and youth, but the recommendation from Sandaime and a simple lack of candidates helped assuage his worries. Neither Jiraiya-sama nor Lady Tsunade had any desire for the position, and so that left him as the only obvious choice.
Moreover, given the condition of the village, the Daimyo could not wait much. The war was over, and Suna had already surrendered. As expected, they had chosen to blame Orochimaru for their actions, and were now vying for a renewed alliance as they found their very existence threatened.
A delegation from their village was set to arrive soon to negotiate terms, and both Iwa and Kumo had begun their own adventures across the borders.
"I have already made my mind," Gojo insisted, and the hat and the robe felt so odd on him, though he realized that this was perhaps the perfect opportunity for him to achieve his dream and fulfill the very mission with which Konoha had been established.
"I must protest," Shikaku knew well that as the Hokage, the decision was his and his alone. Still, the jounin commander persisted, and for good reason, for even by Yondaime's standards, what he was proposing was quite radical.
"You are no longer an ordinary shinobi. You are the Hokage. You are the foundation of this village's power," and he understood that.
"I understand that, but there is no better way of pushing Kumo back than this," and it seemed to him that the world had forgotten about him in his time of retirement, and so it was a good opportunity to remind them of the powers of the 'Invisible Blade'.
"It's not as if I am leaving the village undefended," and he smiled at the Nara clan head.
"I am certain that you will look after it well in my absence," and Shikaku sighed as he realized that there was nothing he could say or do to change my mind.
"You will also have Lord Jiraiya to turn to in case of an emergency," and soon enough the Sanin would leave the village, and then opportunities like this would dry up for him.
"Speaking of him, you are not going to try and stop him from leaving?" Gojo shook his head.
"He is more useful to us out there than he is in here," and the man intended to train Naruto, and the task would be easier to perform outside the village.
"I know, but the village could use his presence to bolster confidence," and the attack had left people afraid and full of doubt. Lord Jiraiya's presence could help reassure these people, but he intended to handle this problem in another way.
"He is a Sanin, and his presence inside the village could help people feel confident again," and Gojo shook his head.
"I have another Sanin in mind for that," and he had already sent his letter and was hoping to see her once he was back from his little trip to the Northern border.
"Another Sanin?" Shikaku frowned, but it took the man only a few seconds to see through his plans.
"The Uzumaki girl?" he realized, and Gojo smiled.
"Yes," and there was a strange expression on his face, before Shikaku gave him a slight smile.
"You are shrewder than you look," and this was nothing shrewd.
"Still, the girl could prove to be a problem. Kusa is no ally of ours, and they already favor Iwa over us. When they learn that we have taken away one of their shinobi," then they would probably form an alliance with Iwa, and they would have a border nation ally against them.
It would be stupid of Kusa, but taking away another village's shinobi was considered taboo, and even if Kusa was a small village, they would want to retaliate.
This would be the best way for them to do that.
"It could invite conflict," and he shrugged.
"Let it," Gojo was confident of handling this.
"I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty," and he would handle this himself if the time came for it.
"Is a single girl really worth a war?" Shikaku asked.
"Yes," he answered without a second thought.
"To me it is," and Shikaku waited for a second.
"I will be heading out tonight, and by the time I return I wish to have a draft for the agreement with Suna on my desk. I also want you to assign a jounin to oversee the academy curriculum and make recommendations to improve it," and Sandaime-sama simply revered his old sensei too much to change anything about the Academy system, but it was obvious to him that their system was failing its students.
"Anything else?" Shikaku asked, and he glanced at his desk and the piles of paperwork waiting for him.
"Also, I want you to establish a separate administrative branch under me to help with this," and he was not going to have his entire life bogged down by this shit.
"Of course....."
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Karin was first taken to the Hospital. The lack of food and sleep had taken a toll on her despite her Uzumaki blood, and so she was bathed down and hooked up to several bottles of fluids.
The Iryo-nin ran a full body check on her, and after that she was taken to a special room where everything was provided for her. After two days, there was a knock on the door, and she frowned as she spoke meekly.
"Come in," and yet this time it was no Iryo-nin that walked in. No, this person was a stranger, yet his chakra was filled with warmth and life. He had short dark hair and wore a helmet on his face.
An Iryo-nin walked beside him.
"Karin, I would like to meet Yamato," the Iryo-nin introduced the man.
"Until the Hokage-sama is back, he will be the one looking after you...."
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