C111(2)

It didn't take long for Kain to receive a reply from Orochimaru, telling him that he was busy with business and it was inconvenient to visit Ryūchi Cave. However, Orochimaru hoped that Kain could come to Konoha to speak with him when he had more free time.

"Go to Konoha... Is there going to be a war in the ninja world?"

At this point, the Shadow Clone Kain had sent to gather information also sent back memories. It seemed to be around the 43rd year of Konoha, and there were indeed many reports of war in the ninja world, with even civilians being aware of it.

"The war came much earlier than I expected. It seems the things I did before I left had a significant impact. I just don't know what Orochimaru's plan is. Does he intend to use this war as a way to become the Fourth Hokage?"

Kain thought for a moment, then decided to head toward Konoha. He planned to speak with Orochimaru, and if Orochimaru had aspirations of becoming Hokage, Kain would fully support him.

Kain could have cooperated well with Konoha, but those high-ranking Konoha officials, who had been complacently biding their time, kept pushing him away. 

If Orochimaru became Hokage, then Konoha's power would be maximized, and Kain could reap even more benefits.

When Kain arrived in Konoha, he could feel the atmosphere of war even more acutely.

Like last time, Konoha's gates were heavily guarded, with patrolling ninjas visible on the high walls and eaves. Even though Kain had a pass issued by Konoha, he still had to go through some inspections before being allowed entry.

Kain could clearly tell that the Konoha Shinobi at the gate recognized him, as if they had received special instructions regarding him.

As he walked through the commercial street, aside from the drug store and dessert shop, most of the other businesses were empty.

"Boss!?"

When Nanami saw Kain, she immediately handed over the cashier duties to another shop assistant and followed Kain to the back room.

The room was well-maintained, often cleaned by staff, so it was relatively tidy. After Kain waited for Nanami to sit down, he asked about the recent situation.

Nanami, who wasn't a ninja, could only report the income and expenditures of the shops to Kain.

The businesses had been doing well over the past few months, with substantial balances, but the recent tension in the village had directly affected consumer spending and entertainment. 

There were far fewer people around, and while the business of medicine and desserts had doubled, most of the customers were ninjas.

Expenses had remained the same, but Nanami sensed that there would soon be more war orphans.

Although the directors of several orphanages hadn't said anything, Nanami clearly noticed a change in the number of orphans they were supporting when she delivered the funds.

However, none of the orphanage directors had asked for an increase in funding or anything like that.

At the end, Nanami smiled and said, "Boss, Kushina comes here every two days. If there's no accident, she'll come again tonight."

What made her laugh was that the boss was so charming, even the little girl Kushina was attracted to him. But when she thought about it, it made sense. 

If she didn't already have a child, she would definitely be attracted to the boss just like Kushina.

"I see, Nanami."

After sending away Nanami, who was becoming more casual, Kain separated a Shadow Clone to monitor things, then contacted Yakushi Nono via message.

Yakushi Nono had already been a medical Chūnin before Kain left, and she was still a student of Tsunade, so she shouldn't be on the battlefield. But with the current atmosphere in the village, Kain wasn't sure if Yakushi Nono was busy right now.

After a while, Yakushi Nono replied, briefly outlining the recent events.

Konoha had recently clashed with Rock Shinobi and, shortly after, with Sand Shinobi. The causes of both conflicts were linked to Konoha's White Fang. 

Although this information hadn't spread within the village yet, Yakushi Nono, as Tsunade's student, had already heard some news from Tsunade.

White Fang was in trouble this time. It was said that the envoys of the two daimyos had set off for the Daimyo Mansion in the Land of Fire. Konoha was now in a very passive position.

Moreover, it was expected that this news wouldn't be kept secret for long. Once the envoy of the Fire Country's daimyo arrived in Konoha, the villagers and ninjas would all know.

Orochimaru was not in the village right now. A while ago, he had been sent to the border of the Land of Grass to deal with Rock Shinobi. However, with the arrival of the envoys from the two countries, the situation at the border had temporarily eased.

 It was expected that Orochimaru would return soon.

"It turns out that Orochimaru isn't in Konoha, and Konoha's White Fang is involved in some minor issues. Just based on his strength, how could he have made such a big mistake?" Kain was puzzled.

Now, the Sannin were around 30 years old, which was the peak period for a ninja. Although they didn't have the Forbidden Techniques from over ten years later, they were still far superior to the average Jōnin. 

And Sakumo was stronger than the Sannin. Even the Fire Country's daimyo had heard of White Fang's reputation. For him to make mistakes twice in a row seemed undeserved.

"Maybe I should ask Orochimaru."

Just as Kain finished speaking, he heard the familiar sound of footsteps in the corridor. The sound immediately brought a mental image to Kain's mind: a red-haired girl, wearing black stockings, walking quickly down the corridor.

When the footsteps stopped, a questioning voice came from outside the door.

"Boss, can I come in?"

Before Kain could answer, the door was pulled open, and a red-haired girl poked her head in. When she saw Kain, she broke into a long-lost, happy smile.

….

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