Chapter 180: The Last Summer in Konoha

The cicadas hummed, and the scorching sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting spots of light on Yuto's face, like a fragmented puzzle.

"Sensei."

"Hmm?" Yuto half-opened his eyes and looked at the boy in the hood.

Muta Aburame handed over a thermos cup: "Chilled plum water, I made it myself."

"You're always so thoughtful, Muta," Yuto said with a smile as he used the Mystical Palm Technique, covering the boy's face. "Your eyes look a bit bruised. Did that violent girl hit you?"

"Ruri didn't mean to," Muta explained in a low voice. "I teamed up with her, and we went two against one against Shisui, but he's too fast with his Body Flicker Technique. I couldn't keep up with his speed, and my face ended up hitting Ruri's fist."

Yuto chuckled softly and teased, "You should apologize to her then. Where is she?"

"Shisui took her to Konoha Hospital. I had nothing else to do, so I made you some cold water."

"It tastes pretty good. What did you add?"

"Honey from a type of insect I cultivate inside my body called Sweet Grasshopper..."

As they conversed, the boy and girl returned.

Eight-year-old Shisui Uchiha already showed signs of the calm and efficient demeanor he'd have in the future. With short hair and a shinobi blade strapped to his back, his talent was dazzling, improving almost every day.

As for Ruri Mochizuki, she still towered over other girls her age, her white hair flowing as she carelessly draped her arm over Shisui's shoulder.

Yuto couldn't help but hear Muta's sigh of frustration.

"Shisui, where's that kid who always follows you around?" Yuto jumped down from the tree and approached the boy and girl.

"Sensei, Itachi is at home taking care of his brother."

"Oh? I thought a special nanny would be watching over him."

"When it comes to looking after his brother, Itachi does a better job than anyone else. He's a very thoughtful person."

"That's really impressive. Itachi is only about four or five years old, right?" Yuto sighed and waved his hand. "I still need to return to the Hokage's office. You three keep practicing the techniques I taught you... don't forget about the event this evening. Wait for me at the shop's entrance, and don't be late."

"Yes, Sensei."

...

Yuto arrived at his office. He had already adapted to life as the head of the Anbu, handling his duties with ease, and his efficiency was even higher than before.

It's worth mentioning that last month, the same month Sasuke Uchiha was born, Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado all resigned from their positions as advisors. Yuto's power increased significantly.

The title "The Hand of the Hokage" became even more prominent. Not only in Konoha, but also in the major shinobi villages, Yuto was acknowledged as the second most important person in the Land of Fire, right after Minato Namikaze.

By all logic, if something were to happen to Minato, Yuto would automatically assume the position of Hokage. His claim would be far more legitimate than anyone else's.

However, logic is logic, and reality is reality. Everyone understood that a caged bird could never become a shadow.

As a member of the Hyuga clan's branch family, "The Hand of the Hokage" was the highest position he could ever aspire to.

Minato felt deeply guilty about this, believing that his friend's talent and effort deserved more recognition. However, Yuto only smiled and reassured him, saying he was more than satisfied to be the arm that supports the Hokage and would never ask for more.

Of course, even though he couldn't become Hokage, the power of being the head of the Anbu was very real and undiminished. Yuto's status exceeded that of the Sannin and White Fang during Hiruzen Sarutobi's reign.

As the sun gradually passed its zenith, Yuto got up and left the Hokage's office, heading to Minato's residence.

At the gate, standing guard was Kakashi Hatake, who had just been promoted to the captain of the second division of the Anbu two months ago.

"Commander."

"Kakashi, there's no one else here. Why so formal?"

"...Yuto-san."

"Ah, that's better." Yuto raised his head towards the residence and asked, "Where's Kushina-sama?"

"She just went out," Kakashi sighed. "She went to the Uchiha compound again. Eight Anbu members are following her. I'm the only one left to guard this place... Is there something you need?"

"Yes, I need to go inside for a moment."

Kakashi stepped aside without the slightest hesitation.

As Konoha's second-in-command and the head of the Anbu, as well as being known as Minato's trusted confidant, Yuto didn't need any "permissions" to go anywhere, even entering the empty Hokage's residence. Kakashi only assumed it was an assignment from their sensei.

Those who are deeply favored naturally enjoy special privileges.

Yuto patted Kakashi's shoulder, entered Minato's home, closed the door, and skillfully approached a support pillar.

"Monkey-Rabbit-Rat-Horse-Rabbit... Release!"

Yuto formed the hand seals, and the middle of the support pillar split open, revealing a hidden room.

Three cabinets were filled with scrolls, and on the stone platform in the center was the Scroll of Seals, containing records of forbidden jutsu.

Since the time of Hashirama Senju, forbidden jutsu and classified documents had been stored in the homes of each Hokage. As the village leader, no one was better suited to guard these secrets.

As for the way to unlock and the specific location, they were passed down verbally from Hokage to Hokage.

In fact, it wasn't just Yuto; Hiruzen and Tsunade also knew how to open the forbidden jutsu room.

Given Yuto's power and status as head of the Anbu, if he requested it, the village would likely fulfill his demands.

However, the jutsu Yuto wanted was not within the bounds of what the village would "likely" grant.

Yuto entered the room and began flipping through the scrolls, most of them glanced at briefly. As a shinobi of his caliber, he understood that the level of a technique wasn't necessarily better the higher it was. It had to be suited to his specific abilities. No matter how good the Flying Thunder God Technique was, it wasn't something just anyone could learn.

In the dimly lit room, the only sound was the rustling of Yuto flipping through scrolls.

Finally, he found the jutsu he was looking for.

...

By evening, the sun hung low, casting a warm orange glow over everything.

Even though it was late, the August weather still held some heat.

The constant cicada hum in her ears made Ruri more irritable.

"Ahhh, He told us not to be late, but he's the one who's late!" The white-haired girl gritted her teeth, her expression hostile as she stared down the street.

"It's okay, we can wait a bit longer," Muta Aburame shrugged. "Besides, Sensei is the head of the Anbu, he's definitely busy."

Shisui chuckled softly, always the patient boy.

After waiting for another ten minutes, Yuto finally arrived.

"Ah... sorry, I was just too busy," Yuto said sheepishly, scratching his head. "Let's go inside."

He led the boy and girl into the shop, where the owner had been waiting for a while.

"Yuto-sama, please stand at the back."

"The young lady in the middle, smile, that's right."

"The boy with the blade, stop sneaking glances, or we'll have to retake the shot when I press the shutter."

"The boy with the hood, take off those sunglasses. Why do you look so gloomy? Cheer up a little."

"Alright, now everyone look at the camera. One, two, three..."

Click—

The flash went off, capturing the moment forever.

Outside, the cicadas continued their hum.

(End of Chapter)