Chapter 232 The Beginning of Tragedy Is Always Similar

"It's signed." Naruto replied, then was stunned for a moment, and reacted, "Are those documents for Tsunade-sama?"

"No, Shizune-san asked for them. She told me to get them signed and deliver them right away." Sakura said this, but there was no trace of urgency on her face.

"The documents…" Naruto glanced back at the documents on the desk, "They're right there. Want me to bring them over for you?"

"Alright." Sakura agreed, a hint of a doting expression flashing in her eyes.

Naruto turned and picked up the documents. Every time Sakura said 'alright', it gave him a strange, uncomfortable feeling. Still, he calmly handed the documents to her.

"Remember what you promised me?" Sakura suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"I'll probably be free to leave the Hokage Tower around four in the afternoon. Are you free?" Sakura waved the documents in her hand, "Come wait for me at the Hokage Tower."

Naruto didn't have any missions for the time being, as Shizune had mentioned it to him. Until the Sunagakure situation was resolved, he wouldn't have any missions for a while.

The mission to the Land of Snow was also on indefinite hold since Koyuki had left Konoha, and her whereabouts is unknown. Naruto couldn't just leave the village to chase after a princess who kept avoiding reality, so that matter was shelved for the time being.

"Alright." He agreed.

When Naruto returned home, he lay on the sofa for a while. Kurama was unexpectedly not home. The balcony window was wide open, curtains swaying, and a beam of light shone straight onto the floor within a meter of the sliding door.

With a clatter, the sliding door was pushed open from the balcony, and Kurama strolled in like a Tom Cat. The summer breeze carried warm air into the living room.

"Kid, you're back already?" Kurama hopped onto the sofa, wriggled around to find the most comfortable position, and displayed a satisfied expression.

"Where have you been?" Naruto squinted his eyes open, giving Kurama a brief glance.

"None of your business." Kurama muttered as he pulled a bottle of booze from under the sofa and skillfully opened it, "Just took a stroll. Hah, humans are so easy to fool."

"I just stood there, and they bought food for me. Truly, they are slaves."

"Begging?" Naruto asked with a hint of disdain.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Begging?!" Kurama jumped up from the sofa, "How can a Biju like me be begging? It's not like I asked for it! They gave it to me!"

"I was just making a casual remark, why are you so worked up?" Naruto teased.

Kurama wanted to toss a Bijudama at him, but restrained himself for the sake of the alcohol, as he was forced to lower his head under the roof. So he simply flipped over and lay back down on the sofa.

The man and fox lay there quietly for a while, the summer breeze blowing in, making the wind chimes tinkle softly.

"What's for lunch?" Kurama suddenly asked.

"You know, you sound pretty pathetic talking like that. After all, you are a Biju, right?" Naruto complained, "You wouldn't starve even if you ate nothing, right?"

Hearing this, Kurama's face darkened.

"That may be true, but since I finally have my freedom, I should enjoy some good food. You're not really planning on not preparing anything, are you? I want barbecue."

"I'm too lazy to go."

"No way! You have to go." Kurama jumped off the sofa, grabbed Naruto's arm, and forcibly dragged him off the couch.

With a loud thud, Naruto landed heavily on his back, and his eyes snapped open. His face twitched slightly, and he really felt like using the Adamantine Sealing Chains to lock up this fox.

Bang!

The door shut behind them.

Naruto slowly walked down the hallway, the warm sunlight bathing his body. Kurama lay on his shoulder, curled up behind the tuft of fluffy blond hair.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The sound of their footsteps slowly faded, and the shadows of the man and the fox became short, like two chibi monsters.

The sun was shining brightly, shining on every corner of Konoha.

"Regarding the development of the Kyubi's Jinchuriki," Danzo's bandaged eye swept across the group of higher-ups, "I personally believe it's time to bring this matter onto the agenda."

"The Jinchuriki from Sunagakure is also in Konoha now. Even if we have signed an agreement to temporarily house them, we have more opportunities to facilitate collaboration on developing the Jinchuriki from both villages."

"After all, Konoha and Sunagakure are allies."

Seated in the shadows, each Clan Head remained silent. Tsunade had left a while ago, supposedly to retrieve something personally, so they were now listening to Danzo's arguments about developing the Kyubi's Jinchuriki.

Danzo was a competent higher-up, as he was cunning and patient, willing to go to any lengths for Konoha's benefit. However, he lacked bravery and was self-deceptive.

He tried to use the collective interest to accommodate his selfishness. He had no second thoughts about Konoha, so he felt that Konoha couldn't do without him. This was Danzo's main concern: dedication!

He had shed blood for Konoha and sacrificed everything except his life. His greatest dream was to be recognized by everyone, and this recognition had crystallized into a tangible goal, which is to become the Hokage.

Give and take… This was the story of Shimura Danzo's life in Konoha.

"It's understandable that the Godaime Hokage has personal considerations, but the Jinchuriki is an important strategic weapon for the village and cannot be treated as a regular matter." Danzo continued after a pause.

Shikaku coughed softly at this moment. As the veteran military strategist and Konoha's voice, he had the privilege to interrupt Danzo's speech.

"The issue of the Kyubi's Jinchuriki has been discussed before, and the Sandaime's opinion is..."

"The Sandaime is no longer with us, so what's the point of bringing this up now?" Danzo interrupted irritably.

The younger generation is growing up, with Tsunade as the Godaime, and Kakashi may become the Rokudaime. This trend deeply frustrated Danzo, but he was also well aware of what Tsunade and Kakashi represented for Konoha.

Konoha needed pillars of strength, as well as the power of the younger generation.

Danzo held Konoha in such high regard, but he also held himself in equally high regard. Sandaime Hokage had already left the stage of history, but Danzo was still unwilling to leave. He firmly believed that his position was irreplaceable, and Konoha needed Root, and it also needed him.

The conference room was silent enough to hear a pin drop. Danzo's voice was soft but carried the irrefutable authority of a veteran higher-up.

With a loud crash, the heavy wooden door of the conference room was flung open. Blinding sunlight flooded in, illuminating the entire room, and Danzo instinctively squinted his eye.

The sunlight surrounded Tsunade like a radiant bouquet. Clad in a green robe, with her golden hair flowing, she exuded an impressive aura.

"Stop wasting time!"

The crisp sound of high heels hitting the ground echoed throughout the conference room. Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, a pure-blooded descendant of the Shodaime Hokage, strode to the long table that occupied two-thirds of the room.

The moment Tsunade stood still, her gaze swept across the higher-ups without any hint of fear, her eyes sharp as blades.

With a loud slap, she tossed a neatly bound document onto the center of the table.

"Sunagakure has already signed a betting agreement with Konoha. After Gaara becomes the Kazekage, the Jinchuriki of Sunagakure and Konoha will form an alliance. The two villages have pledged alliance, never to engage in war."

"The premise is the refusal to develop Jinchuriki and the rejection of any treaties or plans that sacrifice the interests of the Jinchuriki."

Her words exploded in the minds of the higher-ups like a thunderclap.

This agreement was not just a few pieces of paper, as it signified the first treaty that protected the rights of Biju's Jinchuriki. In black and white, the protection plan for Jinchuriki could potentially become enforceable law in the future.

Moreover, this agreement was not something Tsunade drafted alone, and it was formulated with Land of Wind's Sunagakure, involving two of the Five Great Countries, making the ordinance substantial.

Apart from the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth also possessed Jinchuriki, with the Tsuchikage facing a critical juncture. This was a reality everyone understood.

What will happen in the future? All the Konoha's higher-ups focused their attention on the agreement.

Danzo's face turned ashen as he extended his hand. nearby higher-up quickly grabbed the agreement and handed it to him. Danzo, without saying a word, flipped through the contents of the agreement page by page.

"What is this stuff written here?" In the barbecue restaurant, Kurama tossed the menu onto the table and whispered, "Why are there only juices? Get some bottles of sake."

"Haha, do you think that's possible?" Naruto replied impatiently, "At this age, they won't put alcohol on the menu, so just give up on that idea."

"Kid, why haven't you grown up yet?!" Kurama complained in a low voice, "How can you enjoy barbecue without booze?"

"Stop whining, just pick something."

"Ah!!" A scream from the street caught Naruto's attention. A white bird flew through the crowd, knocking off a woman's wide hat and circling above the streets of Konoha.

At Yamanaka Flower Shop, Ino checked her Ninja Pouch carefully before pushing open the store's door. The golden strands of her hair were ruffled by the swiftly passing bird. She turned her head, her blue eyes tracking the bird as it soared high into the sky.

Shikamaru and Choji walked out of an alley together, bathed in sunlight, frowning slightly as they conversed. They paused briefly by a stall and waved at Ino.

Shino and Kiba were leaning against the gate of the Hyuga Clan's compound, waiting. Akamaru appeared a bit listless. He looked at the steaming crowd and stuck out his bright red tongue.

Under the clear blue sky, the entire village of Konoha was like a living stream, moving slowly yet vibrantly.

On June 3rd, the summer in Konoha was unusually hot.

Naruto and Kurama, having just left the barbecue restaurant, walked slowly down the street, gazing at the bustling street. The heat in the air caused a slight distortion. He glanced at a convenience store and couldn't help but stop.

Hokage Tower, at sunset.

Sakura sat on the rooftop railing, her legs dangling and swinging slightly. She gazed at the trees whose leaves had all turned golden, her expression utterly serene.

Hearing the footsteps coming from behind her, she turned her head and looked back.

Naruto stopped at the doorway, his eyes resting on the girl with pink hair completely bathed in the sunset. His eyelids twitched slightly.

He had seen similar scenes before, usually in tragic movies. The cliché plot couldn't move him at all. He could even predict the ending before the tragedy had begun.