At the same time, in the Sarutobi clan's territory, a ninja from the Anbu knelt on one knee before the Third Hokage, reporting the matter of Danzo sending people to "invite" Yoruha.
This individual was a spy the Third Hokage had placed within the Foundation. It wasn't unusual; both the Foundation and the Anbu had spies within each other's ranks. After hearing the report, the Third Hokage remained silent, smoking his pipe as he pondered the implications of the information.
Since this spy wasn't one of Danzo's trusted aides, he didn't have detailed knowledge of the situation. After a long pause, the Third Hokage finally looked at the ninja before him and said, "I understand. You may return now." Once the ninja disappeared from his sight, the Third Hokage allowed himself a smile. "It seems Kakashi wasn't exaggerating in the slightest."
"Danzo's anger suggests it wasn't Kakashi who knocked out Yamanaka Fū, but Yoruha who did it." "It seems my choice was correct, and he's even stronger than I imagined." Previously, he had trusted Kakashi's words but hadn't confirmed whether Yoruha was truly as strong as Kakashi claimed.
Tonight's events proved that Yoruha was far stronger than he had anticipated. "No wonder even Kuromaru Raiga fell by his hand. Yoruha's strength likely surpasses that of an elite Jonin, perhaps even reaching the level of a Hokage." "And he's only twelve years old, haha, impressive! Very impressive!"
Since he had already decided to groom Yoruha as his successor, the Third Hokage wasn't afraid of Yoruha becoming too powerful and threatening him. On the contrary, he feared Yoruha wouldn't be strong enough to earn the village's respect.
The next day, Yoruha woke up feeling refreshed, as if nothing had happened the previous night. After getting ready, he headed to Hon Yatako's residence.
Since Hon Yatako and Yamada Jumoku didn't have any missions today, Yoruha went to explain why he hadn't been with the team recently. After ringing the doorbell, Yoruha waited outside for a while.
Hon Yatako finally came out. Just like the first time he saw her, she still had her waist-length golden straight hair, a spotless white top, and a pure black skirt. The simplicity of her outfit contrasted sharply with her hair, yet it didn't seem out of place.
There was a unique beauty to it. When Hon Yatako saw Yoruha, she was momentarily stunned. Then, with a face full of joy, she walked over to him.
"Yoruha, you're back!" She stopped in front of him, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on him. She seemed genuinely delighted.
Indeed, both Hon Yatako and Yamada Jumoku had been somewhat unhappy about Yoruha leaving the team for a while. Yamada Jumoku envied Yoruha for being able to leave the village with Kakashi on C-rank missions. He wanted to go too.
Hon Yatako, on the other hand, was unhappy because she hadn't seen Yoruha for a long time. Yoruha smiled and said, "I went out on a mission recently. Thank you both for handling our team's tasks on your own."
Hearing this, Hon Yatako shook her head. "It wasn't hard. I know going on missions with Kakashi-sensei is beneficial for you."
"I heard you've already become a Chunin," she said, looking at Yoruha with a face full of envy.
In their cohort, he was the first to become a Chunin, and it had been less than two months. Not to mention, she had a good impression of Yoruha. Yoruha waved his hand and said, "It was just luck. Come on, let's go find Shumu. Our teacher said you have the day off today. Want to hang out?"
Motoyota Toko didn't hesitate and agreed immediately, "Sure, sounds good!" Even if Yoruha hadn't sought her out, she would have gone to find him. After making plans, the two of them went to find Yamada Shumu.
After they left, on the second floor of Motoyota Toko's house, a man and a woman stood by the large floor-to-ceiling window watching the two of them walk away. These were Motoyota Toko's parents.
Motoyota Toko's father was somewhat plump, but he stood at a height of 1.8 meters, with a dignified face. Motoyota Toko's mother was also 1.7 meters tall, so standing beside him, she didn't seem short. They made a very fitting couple, and no one would say that Motoyota Toko's father wasn't a match for her beautiful mother.
Motoyota Toko's father was named Motoyota Sukeichi, one of the top ten wealthy merchants in the Land of Fire. His marriage with Motoyota Toko's mother, Senju Mei, was clearly a family alliance. However, the two lived quite happily.
Motoyota Sukeichi asked calmly, "Is that child Natsuki Yoruha?" Senju Mei nodded. "Indeed, he's a very good child. Not to mention his strength, just his appearance and demeanor are not inferior to Toko."
"I think there's no need to interfere in their matters. Whether they end up together or not, Toko won't be at a disadvantage." From the first glance, Motoyota Sukeichi approved of Yoruha. Of course, this was mainly because he had investigated Yoruha's background.
Plus, the actions of the Third Hokage yesterday made Motoyota Sukeichi change his mind. Previously, when he heard that Motoyota Toko liked a civilian ninja, he was quite opposed. He could allow Motoyota Toko to be good friends with Yamada Shumu, who was also of civilian origin, but if they developed a romantic relationship or even wanted to marry, Motoyota Sukeichi would never agree.
Yamada Shumu was out of the question, and so was Yoruha. But yesterday's actions by the Third Hokage, along with his recent investigation into Yoruha, made him optimistic about Yoruha's future potential. In the end, a ninja's strength speaks for itself.
Senju Mei, standing beside him, nodded. "Previously, I thought that child was very shrewd and difficult to get along with. But now it seems that he just doesn't like being the center of attention. Let's see how Toko's choice and his future development go. If they truly have a connection and he achieves something in the future, I won't oppose it."
Although the Motoyota family was ultimately under Motoyota Sukeichi's control, he respected Senju Mei's opinion when it came to their daughter's feelings. Motoyota Sukeichi watched for a while until Yoruha and Motoyota Toko's figures disappeared from view before turning to leave. Senju Mei remained standing there, deeply concerned about her daughter's future happiness.
After all, Motoyota Toko was born into the Motoyota family. If she didn't find someone she liked who could also gain Motoyota Sukeichi's approval, she was destined to marry into another family. Senju Mei didn't want her daughter to live an unhappy life.
Even though she was very happy marrying Motoyota Sukeichi and he treated her well, that was a rare occurrence. She had seen too many girls from her family who were married off for alliances and lived poorly. Senju Mei hoped her daughter could find someone she loved and who also earned Motoyota Sukeichi's approval.
In the ninja world, Motoyota Toko was already twelve years old. Given her prestigious background, she was not considered young for her age. When she married Motoyota Sukeichi, she was only 18, and they were engaged when they were 14.
This was why Senju Mei was so attentive to the boys Motoyota Toko liked. If the person wasn't outstanding or treated Motoyota Toko poorly, her husband would surely not approve, and Motoyota Toko's future life would be difficult. At her age, in two or three years, she would need to be engaged to a family of equal standing.
Before then, if she hadn't found someone she liked who also received her husband's approval, she would have to marry into another family, and there was a high probability that she wouldn't live happily.
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