Late Night Party

In a restaurant along the street, Fumori Masaki opened the curtain and stepped inside. The people sitting at the counter turned upon hearing the sound and waved at him.

"Yo, Masaki, over here!" Sarutobi Hiruzen called out.

"Have the others arrived yet?" Masaki asked as he sat down beside Hiruzen.

"Not yet. They're probably held up with other matters. Kagami is the captain of the garrison, Koharu is the head of the medical department, Homura is busy with the Ministry of Education, and Danzō's busy with the Anbu. Only the two of us seem to have a bit of free time. Our responsibilities are lighter; we mostly give general advice and focus on training students." Sarutobi poured a glass of wine for Masaki as he spoke.

"How about Torifu? He doesn't have any major administrative duties, does he?" Masaki asked as he took the glass.

Hiruzen shrugged. "He was supposed to come with me, but something came up with the Yamanaka and Nara clans, so he had to deal with it. Since the heads of those clans passed away in the war, the responsibility fell to him as the elder of the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance. He's like both a father and a mother to those kids now."

Masaki smiled at the thought of Torifu trying to comfort the young heirs of the Nara and Yamanaka clans. "He's really working hard."

"If it weren't for him, I'd have to step in," Hiruzen said. "Our Sarutobi clan is the witness to the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance. If no one's around to manage things, we would have to, but it's more appropriate for Torifu to handle it. He's family, after all."

Masaki nodded. Even though the Sarutobi clan was part of the alliance as witnesses, it was better for someone from within the three clans to manage their internal matters.

At that moment, the sound of heavy footsteps approached, and Akimichi Torifu stepped in through the curtain.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, sitting down with a sigh.

"That was quicker than I expected. What happened?" Hiruzen asked.

"It was just some issues with the kids. Nothing serious," Torifu replied, shaking his head. "It's exhausting, though. The Yamanaka and Akimichi kids are manageable, but the Nara child is smart yet incredibly lazy. He'd rather follow than lead. If it were him, things could've been resolved without me stepping in."

Masaki thought for a moment. If he remembered correctly, the current generation of the Nara clan should include the father of Nara Shikaku and the grandfather of Shikamaru. It seemed that laziness was a family trait, but they eventually grew into their responsibilities.

"Nara kids are always like that," Hiruzen laughed. "Give him time."

"We don't have the luxury of waiting right now. When the three of them take the Chūnin Exams, I don't expect any spectacular performances," Torifu said. "Masaki, Hiruzen, when you meet your disciples, make sure to drill some sense into them."

Masaki chuckled. This gathering was initiated because Jiraiya had informed Hiruzen that Masaki wanted to meet the disciples. Hiruzen took the opportunity to invite everyone. Though only Masaki, Hiruzen, Kagami, and Torifu had students, Sarutobi had also called Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu to make it a full reunion.

"Speaking of disciples, Masaki, what do you think of Jiraiya?" Hiruzen asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"Jiraiya, huh? He's a bit mischievous, but he's determined and doesn't give up easily," Masaki said.

"That's true," Sarutobi agreed. "At the Academy, his scores are low, and his peers often outperform him, but his perseverance is impressive. I see potential in him, which is why I took him as my student. If I can guide him well, he could be an example for other struggling students."

Torifu chuckled. "I bet Orochimaru impresses you even more, right, Hiruzen?"

Masaki nodded. "He's a natural talent, that one."

"Haha, yes. Orochimaru's gift for ninjutsu is incredible. He might not come from a prestigious clan, but his abilities are on par with the best of them," Hiruzen said, pride evident in his voice.

While Hiruzen was undoubtedly proud of Orochimaru's talents, Masaki couldn't help but feel concerned. The current Orochimaru was still a child, but Masaki knew what would come. Orochimaru parent's deaths and Tsunade's brother's tragic accident would drive him down a dark path. If Hiruzen or someone else could intervene early, perhaps his descent into darkness could be prevented.

"Hiruzen, make sure you pay attention to your students' thoughts. It's easy for unspoken concerns to fester if no one's there to listen," Masaki said with a slight edge to his voice.

Hiruzen looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Masaki smiled. "Just be mindful, that's all. Don't overlook others just because Orochimaru is gifted."

Hiruzen nodded but seemed to brush off the warning.

Just then, the door opened again, and Uchiha Kagami entered, followed by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.

"I ran into them on the way here, so we came together," Kagami said with a smile as they sat down.

"You weren't waiting long, were you?" Homura asked.

"Not too long," Masaki replied. "But Danzo is the slowest."

"He's busy with Anbu tasks. I heard Hokage-sama asked him to help train new recruits," Koharu added.

"That's true. He's probably swamped," Masaki agreed.

"Speaking of which, Masaki," Koharu said with a stern look, "you've really increased my workload with all the suggestions you gave for the medical department. I know your ideas are great, but can't you space them out a little?"

Masaki leaned back slightly, sensing the pressure in her tone. "I'll send a shadow clone next time to help out. Promise."

After hearing Koharu complain, Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses and said, "Same here. Masaki, don't think you can just stay out of this if you want to teach students."

In the past, Masaki and Homura had worked together to compile the textbooks for the Ninja Academy. After teaching the students, Masaki withdrew from the process. Although Homura was intelligent in his own right, Masaki's new educational approach was beyond the thinking of this era, and implementing it posed many challenges. Homura managed to handle them, but it placed significant mental pressure on him.

"I understand. I will definitely send one to you too," Masaki quickly agreed.

"That's better," Koharu and Homura said, relieved. They had been complaining, but once Masaki agreed to help, the tension eased. After all, they were comrades and wouldn't break ties over this.

"Haha, Masaki, it's rare to see you in such a tough spot," Kagami laughed.

"Well, I should help," Masaki admitted, a bit embarrassed. "After all, it was my suggestion in the first place. Compared to Homura and Koharu, I'm not particularly busy, so I can spare some time."

"What about you Kagami? Is the Police Department as busy as the other departments?"  Hiruzen asked.

"Not really," Kagami replied. "It was hectic at first, but now more people are recognizing the policies I set up and are starting to handle things proactively, which has relieved a lot of the burden on me." He smiled. "Even the more troublesome individuals in the clan have started to change, which makes me quite happy."

"Change? What about Uchiha Setsuna?" Masaki asked.

At the mention of Setsuna, Kagami couldn't help but chuckle. "He's working hard now. He's learned to practice making himself more approachable. He really cares about the clan. When a child is born, he always shows up to visit. When my child was born, he brought an extravagant gift. I asked him why, and he told me it was his fault that some clan members died in battle. So now he feels responsible for the next generation, to ensure they grow up healthy. He sees it as his way of atoning."

At this, Uchiha Kagami smiled with relief. "I used to think Setsuna would always oppose me, but seeing him like this now, it's really great."

Kagami's dedication to his clan was well known. He didn't want the Uchiha to be at odds with the village and hoped for unity. Now that Uchiha Setsuna, who was once a prominent hawk within the clan, expressed a desire to integrate with the village, the prospect of the Uchiha truly living alongside Konoha brought happiness to everyone.

Masaki, however, felt a little uneasy. While it was possible for people to change due to certain circumstances, the Uchiha clan, with their Sharingan and emotionally driven tendencies, often went to extremes. Setsuna hadn't awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, nor had he shown signs of being mentally stable after such emotional turmoil. Even if he felt genuine remorse for his fallen comrades, his drastic change in behavior was a bit suspicious.

Moreover, the fact that Uchiha Setsuna always visited newborns struck Masaki as odd. There could be something more behind it. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Masaki wondered, Could Uchiha Setsuna be planning something…?

Deciding to keep an eye on Setsuna, Masaki resolved to monitor the situation as it developed. For now, he continued chatting with his colleagues, discussing the various challenges they had faced.