Chapter 139: Heading to Rain Country... Alone?

If Sand Village wasn't dealt with soon and the frontlines became too strained, even the genin might end up being sent to the battlefield. "Looks like we won't be resting for long," Minato sighed, scratching the back of his head in frustration. He had really been hoping for some downtime in the village, time to properly study sealing techniques. Here in Konoha, at least he could ask Kushina for advice. But out on the battlefield? Who was he supposed to ask about sealing techniques? Maybe a close friend would help, but a casual acquaintance? Not a chance.

Determined to one day become the fastest man in the ninja world, Minato had been pouring almost all his time and energy into studying sealing jutsu. Poor guy—good thing I didn't bother getting obsessed with the Flying Thunder God technique. Sometimes, not having a knack for something can be a blessing. If Takuya had been as fixated on the Flying Thunder God technique, he'd probably be even busier than Minato was right now.

"Kushina, what brings you here?" As soon as the two elders had left the Hokage's office, Kushina appeared. She didn't usually come to the Hokage's office without a reason, and the Third Hokage could tell she wasn't exactly comfortable with the village's higher-ups. "Hokage-uncle, I'm here to ask if you can help me arrange some jobs for my clan members," Kushina said, a little embarrassed. It felt awkward, having to ask the Hokage himself to help her clan find work.

"Jobs?" The Third Hokage blinked in surprise. "The Uzumaki clan members haven't found work yet?" To be honest, the Third Hokage hadn't paid much attention to the Uzumaki clan members. There were only a few of them, and with two wars going on, he'd been too preoccupied to worry about such small matters. He looked genuinely surprised—how had they gone this long without finding work?

Kushina blushed, nervously fiddling with the hem of her clothes as she admitted, "I wanted to give them some extra time to rest, so I didn't push them to find work." Ah, that explains it. So, Kushina had been supporting them herself. That made sense, but it wouldn't work long-term. The Third Hokage thought for a moment.

"Kushina, I can arrange some regular jobs for them. But if your clan members are hoping for..." he began. "Just regular jobs are fine, as long as they're stable," Kushina quickly interjected. She knew exactly what she was asking for. Kushina wasn't looking to get her clan involved in Konoha's power struggles. She simply wanted them to settle down and live peacefully in the village. The Hokage wouldn't agree to placing outsiders in key positions, and Kushina didn't want that anyway. All she wanted was for them to have steady, normal jobs, and no one would object to that.

Konoha had plenty of those kinds of positions. Even though the Hokage was about to remind her of the limits of what he could offer, Kushina wasn't interested in anything beyond the basics. The Uzumaki didn't need power or influence. All they needed were jobs that allowed them to support themselves and live quietly. Kushina's main concern was making sure her clan didn't become dependent on her wealth.

Thanks to the Uzumaki clan's inheritance, Kushina owned an entire luxury street in Konoha, and she had no intention of giving it away. But she did provide her clan members with occasional financial support. As long as her clan members didn't mess things up, they were living better than most people in the village. That was all Kushina cared about.

The Third Hokage relaxed a little after hearing this. As long as the Uzumaki clan wasn't trying to stir things up, finding them regular jobs wouldn't be a problem—it was only a few people, after all. "I'll take care of it. Once the arrangements are made, someone will notify your clan members. Don't worry, Kushina."

"The Uzumaki clan used to be one of Konoha's strongest allies. Now that they're here, they can consider themselves part of Konoha and live here permanently," he said with a kind smile. But to Kushina, the smile felt forced. Wasn't this the same village that had stood by while her clan was destroyed?

She sighed inwardly but kept a bright smile on her face as she bowed to the Hokage. "Thank you, Hokage-uncle. I'm really grateful." "Don't worry about it. I'll make sure it's handled," the Hokage assured her.

Kushina left the office in high spirits, but as soon as she was gone, the Hokage's smile faded. He called for one of the Anbu. "What's the situation with the Uzumaki clan since they've been living here?" he asked. The Anbu member, kneeling respectfully, answered, "Hokage-sama, the Uzumaki clan members have remained within their designated district. They've shown no signs of unusual behavior and rarely interact with people outside their clan."

"I see." So, they were truly trying to settle down in Konoha. The Hokage handed the Anbu a scroll. "Send someone to inform them tomorrow. These are the jobs I've arranged for them. And make sure they're watched." Whether the Uzumaki clan was sincerely integrating into Konoha or not, they would still be monitored in secret. For the next few years, the village would keep an eye on them until it was clear they were fully assimilated. Only then would the surveillance be lifted.

The next morning, Takuya had just woken up when he noticed someone waiting at his door. Opening it, he found none other than one of the ever-dedicated Anbu. "Yagami Takuya, your jonin exam results are in. You've passed. Please proceed to the Hokage's office to collect your jonin vest and update your ninja registration," the Anbu said, handing him a scroll.

"This is a mission from the Hokage. You are to take this scroll to the Konoha camp in Rain Country and deliver it to Tsunade-sama. She will brief you on the rest."

"…Huh?" Takuya wasn't surprised he'd passed the jonin exam. He'd aced every part of it. But being sent back to Rain Country? That didn't make sense. He had just returned home, and now they were sending him back to that miserable place? And alone, no less? Was this some kind of solo mission?

Taking the scroll, Takuya headed to the Hokage's office. First, he needed to pick up his jonin vest and update his ninja registration. As for the vest itself, it was up to him whether he wanted to wear it or not. Sure, it offered decent protection—something like a bulletproof vest from his previous life. But Takuya wasn't a fan of green, especially when it came to clothing.

After updating his registration and receiving the vest, he headed home and tossed the vest aside. No way was he going to wear that green thing. He'd rather stick to his usual clothes. "I should let Minato know," he thought. Since it was a solo mission, Minato would have plenty of time to stay in the village and focus on his sealing jutsu training. Nawaki would be staying behind, too.

Takuya planned to meet up with Minato before heading out. Letting him know would be the same as informing Kushina and Mikoto—they would all know soon enough that he'd be leaving the village on a solo mission.

"Up already?" Minato groggily opened the door, still half-asleep and wearing his pajamas. He yawned, clearly having stayed up late studying sealing jutsu. Without much thought, he made his way toward the bathroom. Takuya flopped down on Minato's worn-out sofa, which was faded from years of use. As Minato disappeared into the bathroom, Takuya called out, "Hey, Minato, you really need to get some new furniture in here!"

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