Tomio

A/N: We've reached our double release target, so there will be a Double Release next Monday. Lets go for the Triple Release target. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! New Goal: 1000 Powerstones! Let's increase our power ranking!

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The next day, a knock sounded at Goro's office door. "Come in," Goro instructed, setting aside his thoughts about the upcoming tasks he needed to address.

The door opened, revealing the five masked ninja he had sent to search for Tomio the day before. The shinobi entered in silence, kneeling before him in respect. Goro's eyes scanned over them briefly before asking, "What did you find?"

The leader of the squad stood up, handing over a detailed analysis of their findings. Goro took the file, flipping it open and scanning over it. His eyes narrowed as he read. 'Tomio's been spotted on the outskirts of the village... That area was impoverished last time I checked,' he thought. 'I ordered work to be done on those homes. The living conditions should have improved by now.'

He nodded to the masked ninja, who immediately disappeared, leaving Goro alone with his thoughts. 'I'll have to visit them,' he mused, placing the file down on his desk. But another task was nagging at him. 'First, I need to handle Sasuke's curse mark.'

'System, I'd like to create a seal that can suppress curse marks entirely.'

[Analyzing and finding solutions… Found! Beginning creation. Time left: 1 Week.]

'As convenient as always,' Goro thought, feeling a slight sense of relief. The system was efficient, which was one less thing to worry about.

Just as he stood to head out, the door to his office suddenly flung open. Goro turned, his eyes landing on a young woman with long black hair. She appeared around eighteen and had a hawk perched on her arm, a scroll clutched tightly in her hand. The woman was visibly flustered, her cheeks flushed from running.

'Ah, Aika's replacement for the week,' Goro thought, watching her as she caught her breath.

"I understand this is new to you," Goro began, tapping his desk lightly, "but you can take your time. Also, there was no need to bring the hawk with you."

The young woman looked embarrassed for a moment but quickly regained her focus. "Lord Takikage, we've got a message!" she yelled, her voice full of urgency.

Goro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We get messages every day. Are you going to react like this every time?"

"It's not that!" she replied, her voice shaky. "It's a message from the Leaf! They're sending a three-man squad to negotiate getting a boy named Sasuke back!"

Goro's eyes narrowed slightly. 'I knew this message would come eventually… I just didn't expect it so soon.' He thought back to his recent encounter with Tsunade. 'She probably regretted lashing out like that.'

"All right," Goro said, waving a hand. "Leave the scroll on my desk and send the hawk back. Next time, don't read the message inside the scroll. If this had been a secret message with a rigged seal, your head would've been blown off."

Her face paled instantly, fear flashing in her eyes. She bowed quickly, leaving the scroll on his desk before scurrying out of the room.

'I need Aika back quickly…' Goro thought, shaking his head as he stood up. 'Tomorrow, I'll reincarnate Hashirama. I need to get that out of the way before something else comes up and occupies me again.'

Goro knew walking through the village streets would only delay him—too many citizens would stop him to talk. Instead, he leapt out of his office window and began jumping from rooftop to rooftop, moving quickly toward the outskirts of the village. As he moved, his eyes scanned the horizon. In the distance, he could see small sheds that looked worn and old, untouched by the improvements he had ordered.

'What's up with those homes? Didn't they receive any of the work I commissioned?' Goro's expression changed to one of irritation. The closer he got to the outskirts, the more disheveled the area looked. Sheds stood in rows, their wooden walls rotting and roofs barely holding together.

An ember of anger sparked in Goro's chest. 'It's like I'm doing everything myself... I have tons of clones working in the academy, one in the Hokage's office, and others overseeing construction. How is it that, despite all of this, basic tasks still aren't being completed? Whoever's in charge is slacking off.' Goro landed on the ground inside the outskirts, with a light thud.

'This place… it reminds me of prison,' Goro thought as he walked through the narrow dirt paths that separated the rows of sheds. Goro could feel the poverty in the area. It was a distinct feeling he couldn't forget from his past life. Even without activating Wood Sage Mode, he could sense the grimy nature of the area.

Jumping onto the roof of one of the sheds, Goro looked around for the specific home marked in the file given to him by the masked shinobi. After a few moments of searching, his eyes landed on a shed that matched the description.

In an instant, Goro flickered in front of the shed and knocked on the door. The door creaked under the force of his knuckles, and after a few seconds, it slowly opened, revealing a young boy with long red hair. He appeared to be around eleven years old. The boy had dark bags under his eyes, and his clothes were little more than rags.

'What condition is this child living in? Is this really the academy's top student? He looks nothing like the other two I sparred with...'

"Tomio?" Goro asked, trying to confirm the child's identity, although at the back of his mind, he knew the truth.

The boy looked different from the image in the academy files. His once bright eyes were now hollow and drained. The rags he wore hung loosely on his small frame, a clear sign of malnourishment. He stared up at Goro with a mix of confusion and fear.

"Lord Takikage?" the boy replied in shock.

Goro's eyes narrowed, taking in the boy's condition. 'This can't be the top student of the academy... He looks like he hasn't slept or eaten properly in weeks... Something's definitely wrong here.' He glanced over the boy's shoulder into the dark, cramped interior of the shed.

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Reminder: Lets go for the Triple Release target. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! New Goal: 1000 Powerstones! Let's increase our power ranking!