Chapter 116

The two returned to Konoha Park, and Jiraiya called Naruto over, eyeing him up and down.

"Well, there is a bit of a resemblance, this hair..."

Without directly revealing Naruto's identity, Jiraiya pulled up Naruto's shirt and confirmed it when he saw the intact seal.

"Kid, do you want to become my student?"

Naruto mimicked Jiraiya's inspection and looked him over, then with a face full of doubt asked, "Who are you?"

Jiraiya fell over on the spot.

"Kid, I'll say this only once! I am the Toad Sage from Mount Myoboku! If you become my student, you can learn powerful ninjutsu!"

Naruto eyed Jiraiya suspiciously, clearly not convinced.

"Mount Myoboku? What kind of place is that?"

"Toad Sage? Why a toad? You're ugly enough as it is."

At this point, Kazuki slapped Naruto on the back of his head. "You'll train with him from now on, got it?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto tearfully agreed. "I understand, Kazuki."

Kazuki had taught Naruto many things, and Naruto considered him half a teacher by now. If it weren't for Kazuki, Naruto might still be a failure, unable to even master the basic Three Body Techniques.

Seeing that Naruto had finally accepted Jiraiya as his mentor, Kazuki turned to leave. He had one more task: finding Sasuke.

He wanted to get Sasuke under Jiraiya's training too, so he could finally relax!

Once Sasuke and Naruto learned senjutsu, Kazuki's own strength should rise to new heights, right?

However, Sasuke didn't seem to be in the village. Kazuki activated his sensory ninjutsu, scanning the entire Konoha, but couldn't find him.

Just when he was about to give up, an ANBU member approached.

"Kazuki of the Gekko Clan, Hokage-sama wants to see you!"

Kazuki didn't rush to Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately. He chuckled as he recognized the ANBU member. "Yūgao?"

"Mm."

"Tsk, still as cold as ever."

Yūgao stayed silent for a moment before responding seriously, "On a mission. No chat. Go to the Hokage's office now."

She turned to leave, but Kazuki stopped her.

"It's been a while. Don't you miss me?" he teased, playfully lifting her mask.

Yūgao remained unfazed, her voice cool and even. "There's someone who probably misses you more."

"Who?"

"The girl you rescued from the Forest of Death."

Kazuki fell silent.

After the Chunin Exam, Kazuki had arranged for Karin to stay temporarily with the Gekko Clan. Since then, she hadn't left their compound. Sarutobi Hiruzen had allowed her to stay in Konoha, but restricted her movements due to the refusal of Kazuki's earlier request.

In truth, Kazuki had considered not intervening during the Chunin Exam to save Hiruzen. Although Hiruzen had treated him well over the years, Kazuki knew that the Hokage was always watching him, planning behind the scenes. The old man's schemes could easily become a threat.

Kazuki sighed. "Did the Hokage summon me because of Karin?"

Yūgao's silence answered his question.

"I'll head back now. You should hurry too."

With that, Yūgao vanished, not giving Kazuki any chance to stop her. She had been acting cold lately, and Kazuki wondered if it had something to do with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The Hokage had recently asked her a troubling question: "Yūgao, if Kazuki did something harmful to Konoha, what would you do?"

Yūgao didn't answer. She was torn between her loyalty to the village and her feelings for Kazuki.

Kazuki, unaware of this, made his way to the Hokage's office, his expression unreadable as he stood before Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Kazuki, you're here."

Sarutobi Hiruzen greeted him with a smile, but Kazuki remained silent, waiting for the Hokage to speak.

Sarutobi wasn't bothered by his aloofness. He had long since grown accustomed to Kazuki's personality—distant, a bit lazy, sometimes witty, but always keeping his true emotions hidden.

"I called you here because of Karin. Somehow, Kusagakure has found out that she's staying in Konoha. They've sent people to demand her return."

Kazuki's face remained impassive. "So, are you planning to hand her over?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. "No. I told them she perished during the Chunin Exam. But I need to ask you—what do you plan to do with her?"

Kazuki didn't respond right away, weighing his options. Though it seemed like he had two choices, in reality, he only had one. Defying Sarutobi would mean facing endless trouble in the future, something he had already experienced with the Hokage's manipulations.

Suddenly, Kazuki smiled.

"Sorry, but I refuse."

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned. "Are you sure?"

Kazuki, not wanting to repeat himself, asked instead, "How did Kusagakure learn about Karin's presence in Konoha so quickly?"

The Hokage remained calm, staring at Kazuki for a moment before answering, "I don't know. Perhaps someone leaked the information during the Chunin Exam. After all, quite a few people knew she was still alive."

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