Three pairs of eyes bore into Sarutobi Hiruzen, waiting for him to give an answer.
"Have you all finished saying what you wanted?" Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly closed the scroll he was reading, picked up his smoking pipe, and looked at them impassively.
"Sarutobi, what exactly are you planning to do?" Koharu asked, clearly irritated. "It wouldn't hurt to share some of your plans with us, would it?"
For years, Konoha's senior leaders had handled essential, albeit shadowy, roles. Danzo acted as Sarutobi's dark counterpart, managing Konoha's roots and dealing with the village's underbelly. Mito Menyan handled trade and resource gathering, essential for sustaining Konoha's power, while Koharu's role was often to keep powerful clans like the Uchiha in check.
Yet now, Sarutobi wasn't sharing anything with them, causing visible frustration.
"Tell you? So you can spread the word?" Hiruzen replied, his voice low and steady. "The fewer people who know, the better. And what's the real threat here—my personal safety?"
He eyed each of them, question after question, until Koharu fell silent, visibly out of words. Mito Menyan opened his mouth but found himself similarly at a loss.
Both their gazes shifted to Danzo, who, as the apparent leader of their inquiry, stepped forward. "We can't feel secure with him alive, Sarutobi," Danzo said bluntly. "Either he dies, or let me place a seal on him. If Tsunade discovers Kato Dan and he's still alive, our credibility—and even the entire village—will be shaken."
Hiruzen took a long breath and then turned toward the window, looking out at the streets of Konoha. "Is that all?" he asked, dismissing them without a clear answer.
Koharu opened her mouth as if to argue, but Danzo signaled her to leave it. Huffing, she turned and exited.
As they left, Hiruzen's composed face darkened, his brows furrowing deeply.
"Lord Hokage," came a voice. An ANBU operative appeared silently before him.
"Make the arrangements," Hiruzen instructed. "Then, notify Uchiha of the mission and initiate it."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" The ANBU nodded and vanished.
…
The following morning, Reiki brought Shizune to the hospital.
Due to her apprenticeship under Tsunade and her close relationship with Reiki, Shizune had left the ninja academy early to start her medical training at the hospital.
"Brother, could you maybe stop talking to Kurenai so much?" Shizune asked, pouting. "She keeps buying you breakfast every day and wanting to visit us…"
Reiki smiled. "Shizune, do you trust me?"
Shizune immediately straightened up. "Of course, Brother!"
"Then, don't worry about those things now. We're still kids. For now, focus on getting stronger." Reiki's tone was both gentle and serious.
"I understand," Shizune replied, her determination shining. "Brother, I'll work hard to become a strong ninja who can stand by your side!"
Reiki smiled, patting her head. "Good. Let's go register for my assignment, and then I'll be your official instructor."
The registration process was quick, and due to Reiki's skill and his connection to Tsunade, he was assigned to an administrative role at the Information Registry.
"Sister Kana!" Reiki greeted a familiar face as they entered the office.
"Reiki, welcome!" Kana replied warmly. "It's rare to be assigned here so soon; you're very lucky!"
"Information Registry?" Reiki asked, slightly disappointed. "No contact with patients or injuries?"
"In theory, you won't have to, unless there's a shortage of medical ninjas," Kana explained. "This department is actually where future hospital managers start their training."
Reiki only half-listened as Kana continued to explain the role. All he knew was that this role wouldn't help him improve his healing skills or gain experience. Meanwhile, Kana seemed to take for granted that Reiki would have a prestigious role in the hospital someday, and she was eager to build a good relationship with him.
After a while, Reiki couldn't contain himself any longer.
"Sister Kana, I'm going to apply for a transfer. I can't just sit around here," he said, shaking his head. "But when you're a manager, remember to assign me as many injured patients as you can!"
With that, he hurriedly left the office, determined to find a more hands-on role.
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