5 The Aftermath

'This is Konohagakure?'

A newborn blinked and looked at the huge village filled with pits formed from explosions.

He was held by a beautiful dark-haired woman as she and a lot of people slowly went down the mountain.

"What a cute child! What is his name?"

A kind old woman walked up to Asuka and smiled at the child held by her.

"His name? It is Eio of the Hozai family."

Asuka smiled and looked at Eio lovingly.

'Eio? What kind of name is that?'

The kid immediately felt uncomfortable in his heart.

"Hmm? This child is silent and does not cause any trouble. How old is he?"

The old woman started chatting with Asuka as they walked back to the village.

"Phew! I thought we were a goner this time!"

"Yeah, no shit! I heard that this time, it was an S Rank emergency!"

Another person behind Asuka spoke with a sigh of relief.

"Hah! No matter how high the danger, Hokage and other shinobis will definitely protect the village!"

Another man spoke sincerely.

'Hokage, shinobis?'

Eio absorbed the information as he tried to figure out his true situation.

"Yeah! My kid is already five years old and eligible to enter the Ninja Academy! I really hope he can make me proud!"

Another man spoke as a little boy rode on his shoulders and laughed happily.

"Yes, Papa! I will enter the school and become a strong shinobi!"

The cute kid raised his small fists and shouted happily.

'At least, I am not in the same planet!' Eio looked extremely upset.

"Ah! Eio, here, you like this!?"

Asuka looked that her son didn't look well and immediately moved her arms and tried to swing Eio around to make him feel comfortable.

'I have a mom...'

A figure of a black-haired woman with her hair tied into a bun emerged in his heart and he felt very emotional.

'When is the last time I felt like this?'

'Was it when Dad and mom died one after another?'

'Was it when Picollo died saving me?'

'Or was it when Krillin died trying to avenge dad?'

'Hahaha, when did I ever felt such emotion. This bittersweet feeling. I want to meet mom, but it's not possible.'

'This woman gave me birth, but can I really think of her as my mom?'

'Those Androids really fucked my life.'

'I hope that Trunks doesn't lose all his emotions. He is still a kid.'

'And Bulma... sigh.'

'She lost everything dear to her. I had my martial arts to support me, but she didn't have anything.'

'Even with Trunks, she used to cry during the night.'

'And...'

Another image of a red-haired girl with light freckles on her face emerged in his heart.

Her slightly foolish grin and goofy hairstyle. Her tomboyish clothes and her obsession with paintings.

Her pouting face with a grieved look in her eyes, her teary eyes, her soft lips, her pearly white teeth, her beautiful body and her beautiful and kind heart.

'Maya...'

Tears started to form on Eio's small face.

Seeing tears pouring out of her son's eyes, Asuka went into a panic.

Even though she felt extremely tired when walking, she was trained well and she could support some burden after childbirth.

She immediately started to make funny faces on her beautiful face as the old lady beside her tried to cheer Eio up.

But Eio's tears flowed silently. His face remained unchanged, but the tears didn't stop pouring for hours.

***

In a large room, one figure could be seen on the head position of the table while many shinobis in various outfits sat on his side.

'Something is different about him!'

A bandaged figure sitting in front of the old man thought darkly.

"I am thankful that all the leaders could meet me in such short notice."

Hiruzen spoke and broke the silence of the room.

"Lord Third, this meeting is a long overdue. We should have already done this few years back."

A dark-haired man with raised jaws spoke as he sat to the left of the Third Hokage with his hands folded.

"I am aware of most of the troubles of the village and I intend to solve it during this meeting."

Hiruzen calmly nodded at Fugaku, the clan head of Uchiha clan.

"First, I want all of the Clan Heads to create a detailed report about their members, including the ordinary civilians and other small families in your control."

Hiruzen tapped the table and looked at all the clan heads slowly. He himself was a clan Head of the Sarutobi Clan and will adhere to this order.

The other Clan Heads nodded.

But his next statement caused a commotion.

"I will also be requiring the detailed notes on all the members of your family stationed inside Anbu and Root."

"But, this is not possible."

"Anbu and Root are the most critical existence for the protection of the village!"

Many Clan heads opposed the idea immediately.

Even the bandaged old man sitting opposite to Hiruzen was stunned and he spoke out.

"Hiruzen, you—"

A pressure emerged from Hiruzen that immediately suppressed other Shinobis.

A green aura covered his body as his eyes turned dangerous. His breathing was calm, but every other shinobi had pounding hearts.

"Let me finish."

Hiruzen spoke and the pressure disappeared instantly.

Gulp

Other Clan Heads had caution in their eyes as they felt that the Third Hokage wasn't as easy going as before.

"Along with the report on shinobis from various Clans placed in Anbu and Root, I also need the information of all the orphans taken in Root."

"That is confidential information!"

Danzō, the bandaged man with his right face and arm covered in bandaged slammed the table and looked at Hiruzen coldly.

Hiruzen did not reply to Danzō but spoke to other Clan Heads.

"I need this report in two days. Any clan failing to complet6the task will be exiled from the village. If there is any form of resistance during the investigation, that particular clan will be exterminated."

The other clan heads, including the Uchiha Clan, paled and looked completely terrified.

"I want all of you to understand one thing."

Hiruzen looked at Danzō, whose expression was ugly because of getting ignored and spoke lightly.

"This Village is created by Lord First alongside the Uchiha Clan as a symbol of peace to the world."

His words attracted everybody's attention.

"Please don't make me carry out mass murder in this peaceful world."

***

"Damnit! That Hiruzen!!"

Danzō screamed and shouted inside a dark room.

Whenever he thought of Hiruzen's cold expression, his heart shuddered.

"And that manifestation of chakra... when did he grow so strong?"

Danzō's eyes were stern.

"One of these days...." He gritted his teeth.

"One of these days, what? Going to assassinate me?"

A cold voice appeared out of thin air as Hiruzen walked inside the room slowly.

Danzō's eye turned sharp and he looked at Hiruzen with a frozen expression.

"You thought those young ones can stop my clone?"

Hiruzen sat on one of the chairs calmly as he looked at Danzō.

"Why are you here?"

***

"Sigh, thank you, Minato. I really needed this!"

Kushina sighed as she ate a bowl of homemade ramen.

Meanwhile, Minato was massaging her legs.

On the side, Naruto laid on the crib and slept peacefully.

"Kushina, I am thinking that I should appoint the next Hokage!"

Minato suddenly spoke out.

"Hmm?"

Kushina frowned as she continued eating and enjoyed the massage.

"With Naruto and our conditions, I think we should help you train Kyuubi before doing anything else. After all, you could have died yesterday. So I was—"

"So you were thinking of backing out when the village needs you the most?"

Minato froze as he heard Kushina's interpretation.

He looked at her.

Her cold expression as she enjoyed the ramen and her eyes showing a hint of disdain.

"My son's father fought the enemy and a friggin tailed beast to save his wife. But you? You are now trying to be an insult to that man!"

Minato understood her words and simply nodded.

"Fine, fine. Just eat your ramen."

Minato nodded helplessly.

He didn't plan on telling Kushina about another tailed beast forming inside him.

After all, a trump card shouldn't be exposed even to the closed ones.