Kikyo Yagura's residence had been moved from the depths of the dungeon to a floor just below the main tower, becoming a neighbor to Sougen. No matter what, Yagura was still the Fourth Mizukage. Even though the experts from the sealing squad had placed the strongest seal they knew on him, no one could guarantee how much restraint that would have on a jinchuriki.
So, Nara Suzaku cautiously probed whether Yagura could be housed on a lower floor of the main tower. After a moment of consideration, Sougen agreed. Although being neighbors with the Fourth Mizukage felt odd, he didn't mind much. If Yagura had any rebellious thoughts, Sougen wouldn't hesitate to remind him of what it felt like to be controlled by the Uchiha!
The bamboo sword hit a slender wrist with perfect precision, causing pain but not injury to Uchiha Fujika.
"Fujika, pick up the sword."
Uchiha Chihaya, dressed in a traditional black robe of the Uchiha clan, tapped the stone floor with her wooden sandals, her face stern, exuding the imposing air of a battlefield goddess.
Rubbing her wrist, which now had several red marks, Fujika silently picked up the fallen bamboo sword and resumed her stance.
The training continued.
If this had been in the past, she might have persisted, but tears would have already covered the floor.
But after witnessing the brutality of the battlefield under Chihaya's guidance, she had become much stronger!
"Is that your younger sister? Is she five or six?"
"Sending someone that young to the battlefield seems a bit early, doesn't it?" Sougen commented while playing a game of Go with Yagura under the eaves.
The most popular game in the shinobi world was undoubtedly shogi, but Sougen wasn't interested in its complexity. Instead, he commissioned a famous craftsman to create a set of black-and-white Go stones, which he would pull out when feeling restless or bored.
Unlike shogi, Go was much simpler and easier to learn, making it more accessible.
Even though it was Yagura's first time playing, he was already holding his own in their game.
"So, Mizukage-sama, when did you first learn to kill?" Sougen asked casually while contemplating his next move.
"Me?" Yagura's expression grew complicated. "I was about five. My father took me to kill a group of bandits terrorizing the Land of Water. That was the first time I slit a person's throat with a kunai. After that, I lost count of how many I've killed."
He looked down at his clean, white hands, but to him, they seemed stained with endless blood, save for the pure white Go stone in his palm.
"I went to the battlefield at five, too," Sougen said as he finally placed his stone. "In a world , if you don't learn about its brutality early, it'll swallow you whole."
"You make this world sound utterly hopeless," Yagura sighed bitterly.
"Isn't it? Sending children barely taller than a blade to war. This world is a pile of crap!" Sougen's words visibly disturbed Yagura, but he dropped the subject.
Changing the topic, Yagura asked, "When will this pointless war end?"
"That's not something easily answered," Sougen replied, placing another stone. "It involves the relations between two villages, so it requires the approval of the Hokage. If I weren't tied up commanding the frontlines, you'd have to visit Konoha yourself."
"The Fifth Hokage, huh? I hope you can end this soon. A broken Kirigakure can't help you track down that one-eyed bastard."
"Is that so?" Sougen chuckled, paying little mind.
With a click, four black stones connected in an unbroken diagonal line.
As the downpour drenched the village, Uzumaki Naruto sat alone on a narrow platform of a playground slide. Though the mushroom-shaped roof shielded him from the rain, it couldn't block the chilling wind or the cold rain that seeped into his heart.
He hugged his knees, his expression blank, his blue eyes staring through the rain at the distant Hokage Rock. His gaze lingered on the youngest face—the Fourth Hokage's.
Recently, he had overheard a rumor.
It claimed that he was the Fourth Hokage's child.
A ridiculous, laughable rumor. How could a "demon fox" be the child of a "hero"? The gossiping housewives dismissed it as nonsense, finding it unbelievable and even distasteful.
But Naruto didn't laugh it off.
The thought made his heart race, keeping him awake at night. Whenever he was alone in his empty, lonely home, that wild thought grew like weeds in his mind.
If only he really were the Fourth Hokage's child!
With a hero for a father, maybe people wouldn't hate him so much.
But such daydreams were fleeting, and he quickly smothered them. He knew better than to believe in such fantasies—if he did, the tears he fought so hard to hold back might start falling uncontrollably.
And yet, at this moment, he had no one to talk to.
His only friend wasn't home.
No one was there to listen to his pain.
"Has Uzumaki Naruto been acting strangely for a week now?"
Akimichi Torifu tugged at his raincoat, the largest size available, yet still too tight for his bulky frame. He regretted not sticking with his old, worn-out straw cape.
From the rooftop of a nearby building, Torifu and other Konoha higher-ups watched Naruto from a distance.
As Konoha's "weapon of war," the Nine-Tails jinchuriki was under constant surveillance by the ANBU. His unusual behavior hadn't gone unnoticed.
Reports had been filed. The most update n0vels are published on novel-fire.ɴet
Upon reading them, the Fifth Hokage had immediately acted. The last thing they needed was an unstable jinchuriki, especially with the ongoing war against the Mist Village and the possibility of Uchiha Madara's involvement.
Torifu sighed. Being Hokage was far more exhausting than it seemed.
The last thing he wanted was for Naruto to become a bigger problem.
"Yes, the rumor that Naruto is the Fourth Hokage's child seems to be the cause," Nara Shikaku explained, glancing at Uchiha Genshi, who stood silently beside him.
After Sougen left for the eastern front, Uchiha Genshi had temporarily taken his place in the village's political affairs. As for Uchiha Fugaku, no one would trust him with such responsibilities anymore.
Uchiha Genshi remained expressionless as the Fifth Hokage's temporary replacement glanced at him. However, inside, he was secretly muttering to himself. From what he knew, it seemed that rumor had originated from his precious grandson. After the Matsutake Pavilion incident, in front of so many people, the various mistakes committed by Sarutobi Hiruzen were listed out, one of which happened to be the mistreatment of the Fourth Hokage's orphan.
That rumor had been circulating ever since.
Fortunately, such a rumor didn't have much traction. Most villagers didn't believe that the 'Demon Fox' could be the child of a 'Hero,' and even the few clever ones couldn't change much. Moreover, with so much big news flooding the village lately, it was assumed that the rumor would soon be buried in the dust of the past.
But no one expected the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki to overhear the rumor and undergo some unsettling changes as a result.
"This is the conclusion reached by those experts in the ANBU based on Uzumaki Naruto's recorded words and actions."
Nara Shikaku raised his voice slightly, a small inconvenience brought by the noise of the heavy rain. "Barring any surprises, their assessment should be accurate." The ANBU was a mysterious organization. Originally a special assassination tactical squad, it had become a bloated entity under the Third Hokage.
To ensure that the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki didn't go down the wrong path, Sarutobi Hiruzen had gathered psychological experts from various departments, experts in interrogation, to form an anonymous research group. This group was specifically tasked with studying the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki's personality, preferences, and behavior, providing Sarutobi Hiruzen with sound strategies to guide the Jinchūriki into genuinely loving Konoha.
These were real experts.
Even Nara Shikaku, after reading those confidential documents he originally didn't have clearance for, had to express his admiration.
As he spoke, he let out a soft sigh.
He had been friends with the Fourth Hokage. Although not close enough to entrust families to each other, they shared a strong bond on the battlefield. Seeing Naruto now, in such a desolate and lonely state, it was impossible for Shikaku to remain entirely unmoved.
That child was, after all, a Jinchūriki.
No one knew when a Jinchūriki might go berserk. No matter how sympathetic one might be, no one dared to risk their own children or family. Additionally, getting too close to a Jinchūriki could be seen as having ulterior motives. The Jinchūriki was a village weapon, not a private asset of any family.
So, keeping a respectful distance was the unspoken choice of the noble clans.
They wouldn't stoop to bullying a child, but nor would they offer any particular kindness. Especially since the Third Hokage had his own way of handling things, there was no need for the clans to meddle. All these complex factors combined had forged the current situation of the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
The village that the Third Hokage had left behind was fraught with contradictions and endless troubles.
And without a doubt, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Naruto, was one of the most troublesome issues among them.
This hot potato had now been passed to Akimichi Torifune.
But honestly, Akimichi Torifune had no idea what to do at this moment. Continue with Sarutobi Hiruzen's training plan? The problem was, he wasn't Sarutobi Hiruzen, and that plan was far too long-term. Torifune knew he didn't have Hiruzen's patience.
But doing nothing wasn't an option either. This was the precious Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. If he lost control... well, Torifune certainly didn't have the ability to seal a tailed beast like the Fourth Hokage!
"A Jinchūriki being in a prolonged state of mental instability... that's not good! Shikaku, do you have any ideas? How can we calm this brat down?" Torifune, unable to come up with any solution, had to ask Nara Shikaku again.
Nara Shikaku's face looked as if he had just swallowed a whole bitter melon. Ever since Akimichi Torifune became the Fifth Hokage's temporary replacement, Shikaku felt like he was losing hair by the handful every day. His poor brain would be completely drained sooner or later.
Shikaku squeezed his brain for an answer, searching for any so-called "solution."
An ANBU operative rushed in through the rain, knelt before Akimichi Torifune, and presented the latest intelligence from the frontlines.