Tsunade's arrival in Grass Village was quickly reported, given her stature as one of the Legendary Sannin from Konoha, a prominent figure in the ninja world.
Even though another Sannin had once been imprisoned in Grass Village for various reasons, Tsunade's reputation and abilities remained intact. Thus, the moment she crossed the borders of the Land of Grass, the village's ninjas quickly recognized her presence and relayed the news.
However, Akihiko merely raised an eyebrow at the report and dismissed it. If this had occurred right after the Second Shinobi World War, he might have found it intriguing. Now, though, he suspected that she was struggling financially, with little left to offer. The only things of value she retained were her title as the granddaughter of the God of Shinobi and her status as one of the Legendary Sannin.
In Akihiko's eyes, her usefulness was even less than that of his close friend Danzo. After instructing the security department to keep a watchful eye on her to prevent any disturbances, he turned his attention elsewhere, losing interest in her presence.
Early in the morning, Akihiko woke up feeling refreshed and decided to head to Fuso's house for breakfast. Today, he was home alone—a rare occurrence since it was a holiday. Kana and Fuso had taken Mikoto shopping early that morning. Although Mikoto had initially been reluctant, preferring to stay home and care for Akihiko while he slept, she eventually accepted Kana and Fuso's invitation to join them.
As he ate breakfast by himself, Akihiko idly flipped through the newspaper laid out beside him. With Kushina taking the kids on a trip, the house had become notably quieter in the mornings. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought about Kushina's optimistic and cheerful demeanor.
When she first arrived, Kushina had been mostly quiet, spending her days resting or looking after little Karin. After the traumatic Nine-Tails incident, she had seemed more subdued, the worries of motherhood weighing heavily on her. However, as time passed and she grew accustomed to her new environment, her lively spirit began to shine through once more. Even as a mother, she retained the vivacity of a young girl.
On another note, the ninja world had been relatively peaceful of late. Aside from Mist Village's ongoing isolationist stance, the other major villages had remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, Danzo had secretly acquired equipment at three times the original price. However, according to Kado, Danzo was not satisfied and planned to covertly replicate the equipment to expand his factories. His ambition was to dominate the market and disrupt Grass Village's monopoly. Kado had even commented, "He's quite the ambitious one!"
For Akihiko, the broader Danzo's scheme, the better. His only concern was Danzo's small-mindedness and limited vision. Kado had already established connections with Danzo, who considered him a business genius. At times, Danzo even endorsed Kado's suggestions.
Now that the equipment and personnel were in place, and the development plans were ready, Akihiko speculated that Konoha might be preparing for emergency situations. Of course, Danzo wasn't satisfied with mere preparation; he aimed to shatter Grass Village's control over its products.
However, while the new production methods were efficient, matching Grass Village's cost-effectiveness posed a significant challenge for Danzo.
Akihiko wasn't concerned about Danzo catching up to them because he knew that replicating Grass Village's equipment wouldn't be a simple task. To prevent technological leaks, even Akihiko himself wasn't fully aware of the specifics of the security seals. According to Elder Yoshinori, even someone with insider knowledge would take three to four months to decipher the core, and any misstep could trigger self-destruction. As a result, even Orochimaru, the foremost scientist in the ninja world, wouldn't crack it in that time frame.
Speaking of progress, Elder Yoshinori had recently made strides in long-distance wireless communication technology and Sage Mode, though Akihiko wasn't well-versed in the specifics. Nevertheless, times were changing quietly, and Grass Village's cultural influence continued to shape new generations.
As Akihiko finished his late breakfast—more accurately, lunch—he sighed occasionally while reading the newspaper. He had stayed up 'late' the previous night and ended up waking later than usual.
Once he cleared his plate and set aside the newspaper, he slumped back in his chair, muttering, "Kana's energy is something else." Shopping early in the morning after a long night? It was no wonder she belonged to the Uzumaki Clan. Unlike her, he felt completely drained and had no motivation to move.
Speaking of the Uzumaki, Kushina and the others should be returning soon. The school term was about to start, and the kids couldn't afford to miss their studies.
Just as he was lost in thought, the doorbell rang, echoing through the house. Akihiko was taken aback for a moment and murmured, "Could it be Kana and the others returning already?"
He quickly rose from his seat and made his way to the entrance. As he opened the door, a chorus of familiar, cheerful voices greeted him. "We're back!" "Uzumaki Naruto has returned!" "Daddy~!"
Standing at the door, Kushina beamed with joy, flanked by the three kids. Akihiko smiled back and said, "Welcome home! It looks like you had a lot of fun!"
Before he could say anything more, the kids chimed in, "Yes, it was a blast!" "It was great!" "Yeah! So many interesting things happened!" Naruto, in particular, was full of excitement, talking nonstop about their adventures as they walked inside.
As Naruto rushed in, he couldn't contain his excitement as he shared stories about their trip. "We played in the sand, built the coolest sandcastles, and visited all sorts of towns in the Land of Wind!"
"Too bad Uncle Akihiko didn't come with us. Mom said you were probably…" he started, but his words were cut off when Kushina crouched down beside him.
"Shut up!" she said playfully, her smile bright yet slightly intimidating as she pinched Naruto's cheeks. "What nonsense are you spouting now?"
Despite her cheerful demeanor, a shiver ran down Naruto's spine. He quickly replied, "I promise I won't do it again, Mom!"
With a satisfied grin, Kushina released his cheeks and gently patted his head. "What a good child you are."
Naruto, noticing the sudden gentleness of his mother, blinked in surprise and fell silent for a moment. But excitement quickly took over again as he turned to Akihiko. "And Gaara… the kids in Sand Village tried to bully him again! Even though Gaara didn't care, I beat them all up! Oh, and we even ate—"
He continued to chatter enthusiastically, recounting every detail of their adventure. Karin nodded along occasionally, clearly enjoying his animated storytelling. Sasuke, on the other hand, stood off to the side with an expressionless face, only engaging briefly when Naruto directed a question his way. For the most part, he remained quiet, observing the lively exchange.
At one point, Sasuke inquired about his mother, and when he learned she was out shopping, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Akihiko listened attentively, nodding along as Naruto recounted their adventures. Meanwhile, Kushina watched the three children gathered around Akihiko, a soft smile spreading across her face as she quietly said, "We're back."
"It sounds like you all had an amazing time," Akihiko said as Naruto wrapped up his enthusiastic tale. He smiled at both Naruto and Sasuke. "Great job! I can't wait to read your essays about the trip."
But as soon as the words left his mouth, the lively expressions on Naruto and Sasuke's faces froze, and their excitement faded into disappointment.
Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. "You really know how to ruin the mood, Uncle Akihiko! Why do you have to bring that up now?"
Sasuke chimed in, his own mood dampening. "Yeah, for once, this idiot is right." He nodded, agreeing with Naruto's sentiment.
While Naruto and Sasuke were still grumbling, the doorbell rang again.
Before Akihiko could respond, Kushina jumped up. "That must be Kana and the others! I'll get it. I brought souvenirs for everyone!"
She rushed to the door and opened it, but her enthusiasm quickly faded when she saw a Grass Village shinobi standing there, looking anxious.
"Lady Mikot... Lady Kushina, is Leader Akihiko here? I have an urgent matter to report!" the shinobi said, confusion evident on his face. He wondered why Lady Mikoto, the leader's secretary, wasn't the one answering the door today.
Kushina was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure. "Yes, he's inside. Let me get him—"
"I'm here!" Akihiko called out, stepping forward to address the shinobi. "What's going on?"
"Leader Akihiko, one of the Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha—Lady Tsunade—was caught dining and dashing at the Grass International Hotel this morning. She's been detained by the Security Department and is claiming she knows you," the Grass shinobi reported, a slight twitch appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Both Kushina and Akihiko fell silent. While Akihiko seemed speechless, Kushina's surprise broke through as she exclaimed, "Sister Tsunade is here?!"