Chapter 115

As Kazuki led the way home, the kids followed closely, excited about Sandaime-sama's unexpected visit. The air buzzed with anticipation as they reached their familiar doorstep.

Inside, they found Shikaku and Sandaime engrossed in a serious discussion, their voices low but their faces serious. Kazuki casually sat beside his uncle, greeting Sandaime-sama with respect but also curiosity.

"Hello, old man. What brings you here?" Kazuki asked politely.

Sandaime smiled warmly at Kazuki and the children. "Good to see you, Kazuki-kun. And you too, young ones. Quite a lively bunch you have here," he remarked, his gaze shifting to the kids.

Kazuki grinned, acknowledging the compliment. "Yes, they keep me busy," he replied with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Yoshino approached with a tray of snacks, welcoming the children with her gentle smile. "Come, don't be shy. Have some snacks while the adults talk," she invited warmly.

The children eagerly accepted the snacks, settling down nearby to listen to the grown-ups' conversation while enjoying the treats.

As Kazuki sensed the children's curious glances, he swiftly raised an isolation barrier, casting a shadow of disappointment over their faces.

"Now, Sandaime, what brings you here?" Kazuki inquired, feigning innocence while inwardly amused by the old man's visit. "Still dealing with the Daimyo faction, I presume? Need any assistance with those restraining barriers? I have a few tricks up my sleeve that could ensure none of them escape."

Hiruzen cleared his throat, recognizing Kazuki's playful demeanor. "Ah, yes, that's one reason for my visit," he admitted, playing along with the game. "But I'm also here to discuss another matter."

Kazuki raised an eyebrow, pretending ignorance. "Oh? What other matter might that be?" he asked, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes.

Hiruzen chuckled, appreciating Kazuki's banter. "Well, it seems you've already guessed it, haven't you?" He replied cryptically, enjoying the playful exchange.

"You've been using my persona to terrorize the children in the academy, haven't you?" Hiruzen questioned, his tone stern.

Kazuki tilted his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Terrorizing? I prefer to think of it as helping them grow stronger," he retorted, his voice laced with sarcasm. "And wasn't it you who wanted me to share my knowledge for the betterment of the village? I distinctly remember you laughing when I was assigned to the teaching post. Now you are questioning my methods?"

Hiruzen sighed, trying to maintain his patience. "It's not about that. You understand that you've been using my face to create chaos in the academy. Can't you use someone else's face? Perhaps Shikaku here?" He gestured towards Kazuki's uncle, who looked utterly bewildered at being dragged into the conversation.

Before Kazuki could respond, an ANBU from Tsunade's personal guard materialized outside the house. Kazuki quickly released the isolation barrier, allowing the ANBU to deliver his message.

"Sandaime-sama, Hokage-sama has requested your immediate presence. Jiraiya-sama has returned to the village," the ANBU relayed, his voice crisp and professional.

He then turned to Kazuki, exchanging a few ANBU hand signs before disappearing as swiftly as he had arrived.

Kazuki's expression shifted, his playful demeanor replaced by a sense of urgency. He nodded, acknowledging the message, before turning back to Hiruzen with a more serious expression. "It seems duty calls. We'll have to continue this discussion another time," he said, his voice tinged with regret.

Hiruzen nodded in understanding, knowing that duty always took precedence. As Kazuki prepared to depart, Hiruzen couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Kazuki's actions than met the eye.

Back in the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was tense as Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen awaited the report of Jiraiya's recent mission. Before Hiruzen could even settle into his seat, Kazuki materialized into the room, dressed in his ANBU attire, having already anticipated the urgency of the situation.

As Hiruzen took his seat beside Jiraiya, he couldn't help but notice the state the toad sage was in—battered and bruised, a testament to the challenges he had faced.

"Tell us what happened," Tsunade instructed, her tone indicating the seriousness of the matter.

Jiraiya began recounting the events of the mission, detailing their encounter with Hidan and the unforeseen complications that had arisen. Despite their success in capturing Hidan, the interference of the Akatsuki and the subsequent battle with Pain and the Gedo Mazo had posed significant challenges especially the interference of a third party.

"We managed to capture Hidan, but not without a price," Jiraiya explained, his voice tinged with weariness.

The fight had taken a dangerous turn with the summoning of the Gedo Mazo, and it was only through Jiraiya's skill that they had narrowly escaped disaster. However, amidst the chaos, Jiraiya had detected the presence of a mysterious third party, a detail that left him unsettled.

"After the battle, Nagato retreated with the help of this unknown ally," Jiraiya continued, his expression grave. "We searched the battlefield for clues but found nothing substantial. Nagato's whereabouts remain unknown, and I couldn't even confirm Konan's status."

Tsunade's brow furrowed with concern as she absorbed the gravity of Jiraiya's words. It was clear that their troubles were far from over, and the uncertainty surrounding Nagato's next move weighed heavily on them all.

"And it was not just that; even the ANBU team escorting Hidan was attacked by an unknown assailant, but Shisui was able to fend off the attack. However, we did lose one ANBU from the team," Jiraiya continued.

Kazuki, who heard this from the side, couldn't help but clench his fist as he worried about his friends. Both Itachi and Torune were part of Shisui's ANBU squad. Although their original team had split up, they still maintained a tight friendship. So he was worried when Jiraiya mentioned that there was a casualty. Tsunade must have detected her student's unease and questioned the identity of the fallen Shinobi, as Jiraiya was already aware of this detail.

Tsunade, ever perceptive, noticed the tension in Kazuki's demeanor and sought clarification. "Who was the fallen Shinobi?" she inquired, her voice laced with concern.

Jiraiya's expression grew solemn as he delivered the grim news. "It was one of Shisui's teammates, an ANBU member from the Lee clan," he revealed, his tone heavy with regret.

Kazuki inwardly sighed. Although the loss of life was regretful, not having his friend's name spoken washed him with relief.

"How strong is he, the Rinnegan user?" Hiruzen added, aware that the loss of life during missions was an everyday occurrence in the life of a Shinobi. He wanted to focus on the more important matter: the strength of the person wielding the Rinnegan. Until a few weeks ago, Hiruzen had only thought the Rinnegan was a myth, but now he believes otherwise and wants an estimate of how powerful a person wielding such legendary eyes could be.

"Well, I was able to handle all six puppets thanks to the information and preparation I made beforehand. But things started going south after Nagato summoned the large statue. What was that called again? Ah, yes, Gedo Mazo. That thing is a different beast altogether. If the husk of the Ten-Tails holds such power, I wonder how much power a Shinju might hold. And I fear Nagato was restricted because of his poor physique. If he somehow truly adapts to the Rinnegan's true power, I am afraid that, as I am now, I cannot truly hold back Nagato if he goes all out." Jiraiya shared his honest opinion about the power level of his former student.

"So we have a wounded tiger out there whose true potential we have no idea about," Hiruzen hummed, his mind racing for countermeasures that needed to be devised.

"So, what do you think?" Tsunade turned to Kazuki, who stood aside, grasping all the information.

"The matter's troublesome. I hoped that Jiraiya-sama could finish off Nagato. Now that Nagato knows that he isn't invincible, I'm afraid he will become more dangerous. I'm also worried that Orochimaru will be approached by the Akatsuki, or maybe he already has been. Like it or not, we need to admit that when it comes to forbidden arts regarding body modification, he is in a league of his own. And if he really joins the Akatsuki, there are chances he might find a permanent solution to Nagato's problem, and we still do not know Obito's fate. But what I am more worried about is what he would gain in exchange and about the assailants that targeted the ANBU team. To kill a member under Shisui's nose is no easy feat. The enemy must have been at least Kage-caliber Shinobi or even stronger. And we do not know who their exact target was—was it Hidan or was it Shisui himself? We must not forget that the Uchiha have the most coveted Dojutsu in the world, and from the last war, I am sure the news of both clan leader Fugaku and Uchiha Shisui having the Mangekyou Sharingan must have spread." Kazuki quickly analyzed the situation with all the information he had. Things were only getting more chaotic, and Kazuki had no idea who these new players were that were getting involved. But he wasn't going to drop the ball now that the entire canon he knew had been thrown out the window.

Tsunade, weighing all the options, turned to Kazuki. "Kazuki, I want you to resurrect Minato at the earliest, and I also want you to bring up the process of sealing the bijuu into their respective Jinchuriki. Additionally, this is a personal request of mine: I want your help in performing the ritual on both Jiraiya and my sensei. I understand that I am asking for too much, but I hope that you can fulfill it."

Behind the Kitsune mask, Kazuki's eyes narrowed, and he gave a stinky glare at Hiruzen. Tsunade made this as a personal request because she knew otherwise there was no way Kazuki would agree to let her sensei undergo the chakra-enhancing ritual because it was a Nara clan secret, and as of now, the only people who have had access to this boon are the Senju and Nara clans, with the only exception being Kakashi and the little kids. As for Jiraiya, as her most trusted friend and the elder of the Senju clan, Kazuki would not have any issues helping him grow stronger.

However, her sensei was a different matter because she knew, with the old man's mindset, that once the old man got to know about this ritual, he might start pestering her student shamelessly regarding the matter of performing the ritual for his progeny, especially now that he has a grandson. And she had to have a talk with her sensei not to create any more trouble regarding the matter, and the other reason was that she included her sensei's name because of her attachment, and according to Kazuki himself, the old man had the potential to breach the Super Kage caliber despite his old age if he undergoes the chakra ritual.

But Tsunade also harbored a guilty feeling on the inside, one she did not share with anyone. She knew that she had been relying heavily on Kazuki's prowess, and this started hindering his growth. Although the overall village had been growing steadily, she thought burdening Kazuki with too many responsibilities at such a young age might affect his potential. So she had decided to herself that once Minato was resurrected, she would try to give her student the time he needed to grow without restraint.

"Wait, what ritual are we talking about?" Hiruzen, who had no idea about the matter, gave Tsunade a confused look and turned to Kazuki, who looked as if he wanted to swallow him whole. However, Jiraiya was contemplating the matter. Tsunade had already offered him to go through the ritual, but originally, he had declined it because he did not want to burden Kazuki. The kid had already helped him a great deal in powering up, especially with his assistance in Senjutsu. Taking things from a kid without giving anything in return did not sit well with him, and he would never put a monetary value on such precious things. So he had declined Tsunade's offer.

However, after facing Nagato and learning some of the secrets that Tsunade had shared, he realized that the current him might not be enough to face the future issues that might pop up. Now, with the possibility of Minato being resurrected, he held a faint hope in his heart that he might find a way in the future to help resurrect Kushina as well. As Naruto's godfather, he owed him that much.

Tsunade quickly explained the situation regarding the ritual to Hiruzen, whose face turned ugly as he realized that the little monster had kept such a precious secret from him. However, he also realized that he was being petty, and locking horns with a child who had not even hit puberty when he was in the wrong was downright stupid.

Suddenly, Kazuki's voice interjected. "I want him to pay double, and I want him to pay it out of his own pocket. You cannot help the old man with your resources," Kazuki gave an ultimatum, but he still held some resentment due to Jin's death. He knew how much the ritual would cost. Even among the current clans, only the Senju, Uchiha, and Nara could afford it. This was with Kazuki not adding his own service fee as a fuinjutsu grandmaster. Even the resources used by Choji and Ino were forked out of Kazuki's own pocket. If not for Kazuki, the resources of the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans would have taken a huge dent in their finances.

The reason Kazuki asked for such an amount from Hiruzen was because he knew how the old man would act once he realized the true benefits of the ritual. Even after helping the Sarutobi clan prosper all these years, this amount was not something that he could easily fork out. Especially after the recent revision of salaries by Tsunade, who had found out that the Konoha higher-ups, especially the elders and Hokage position, were taking an exorbitant amount of money out of the village treasury under the guise of salary each month. So she had revised the entire structure from the ground up.

Even the mission rank system was revised, and two new classes of missions were added: SS class and E class. E-class missions are assigned to academy students from years 1 through 3 so they can get used to the life of a Shinobi. These missions serve as stepping stones for the young aspirants, allowing them to gain practical experience in real-world scenarios under the guidance of their instructors.

To accommodate the need for instructors, Tsunade appealed to veterans who had been disabled in the line of duty and declared unfit for combat. When word spread that the Hokage required their expertise once more, almost all of the disabled Shinobi came forward to apply for the position. Taking stock of the vast number of discarded Shinobi still eager to serve the village, Tsunade personally embarked on her own project. This initiative aimed to assist some of these Shinobi in regrowing their lost limbs and returning to active duty.

As for SS class missions, these are assignments directly handed down by the Hokage herself. They are reserved for elite teams led by at least one Kage-caliber Shinobi. These missions are of the utmost importance and often involve high-risk situations or critical tasks vital to the security and prosperity of the village. Only the most skilled and experienced Shinobi are entrusted with such missions, making them a testament to their capabilities and valor.