Konoha Hokage Office Building, meeting room...
It was still the familiar Konoha F4, but this time, Tsunade was present as well.
Kazuyama was clinging to the Sword of the Thunder God like his life depended on it, grinning from ear to ear. He looked downright ridiculous.
"Alright, alright, the sword is yours. No need to act like that."
"Tch, I don't even know if giving you my great-uncle's weapon is a good thing or a mistake."
Tsunade shot him a look of utter disdain. This guy was truly shameless.
It was just a weapon—was all this excitement really necessary?
"Hey, hey, hey, easy for you to say! You don't understand what it's like to be starving while others feast."
"I'm just a poor, pitiful Jōnin with no solid offensive techniques and no good weapons."
"After struggling for so long, I finally got my hands on the Sword of the Thunder God! You could never understand my joy!"
His words left everyone in the room speechless.
Koharu shook her head in exasperation.
"Alright, kid, the weapon is yours, but I hope you don't waste it."
"You should know that this sword once belonged to the Second Hokage."
"If it weren't for your meritorious service in protecting the Daimyō—and the commendation letter sent from the Daimyō's Manor—there's no way your efforts alone would have been enough to earn you this weapon."
There was always someone ready to pour cold water on a moment of joy.
Koharu and Homura, as senior advisors of Konoha, were responsible for major decision-making and village governance.
This reward had been discussed with Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with Danzo's input.
After all, the Sword of the Thunder God wasn't just any weapon—it belonged to their former mentor.
When Koharu first heard about it, she outright refused.
In the end, she had no choice but to relent when a message arrived from the Daimyō's Manor, commending Kazuyama's team for their outstanding performance and providing Konoha with a generous supply of resources.
"Alright, Kazuyama, your next mission won't be easy. I hope you're prepared."
His excitement faded instantly. The sword in his hands didn't feel as precious anymore.
Why were they always piling more work on him? One mission after another—weren't they afraid of working him to death?
"Uh… can I just not take the sword and have some time to rest?"
With a pained expression, he reluctantly set the sword down on the table, looking as if he had just given up a priceless treasure.
But he really was exhausted.
"Too bad. The Sword of the Thunder God is already yours."
"And so is the mission."
"Kirigakure's offensive has begun. Battles have already erupted in the Land of Hot Water, and even on the outskirts of the Land of Fire."
"At the same time, the situation on the Land of Rivers battlefield is just as critical."
"This time, I'll let you choose—do you want to head to the Land of Rivers or the Land of Hot Water?"
Hiruzen smirked, clearly having the upper hand.
After all, Kazuyama had already accepted the sword. There was no way he'd willingly give it up now.
Homura and Tsunade were also smiling, waiting for his answer.
Only Danzo remained silent, eyes closed, offering no opinion at all.
"Fine, I'll admit defeat this time. I'll go to the Land of Rivers."
"After all, I just finished fighting Kirigakure. They're all lunatics. At least the kids from Sunagakure are a bit easier to deal with."
"Am I going alone, or am I leading a team?"
In the end, Kazuyama chose the Land of Rivers. The battlefield had officially erupted, and there was an old white-haired figure pulling the strings behind both Kirigakure and Iwagakure. He was trying to stay out of their way, not rush straight into the chaos.
Madara: ...Maybe one Third Mizukage isn't enough!
"You'll be leading a team. Kakashi, Obito, and Rin have all made great progress."
"At this point, all of the village's Genin have been deployed to the battlefield. We need every available force."
"Kazuyama, your mission is to assist your sensei, Orochimaru. If possible, cutting off their supply lines would be a solid strategy."
Easy for you to say. The Land of Rivers isn't the Land of Grass.
In the Land of Grass, the only route to Konoha was through Kannabi Bridge, but the Land of Rivers was surrounded by endless desert. How was he supposed to cut off supplies there?
"Alright, that's enough out of you, Lord Hokage."
"Cut off their supply line? In the desert? Why not send Sakumo instead? Even he wouldn't be able to pull that off."
"That's their home turf. We're fighting away from home—how the hell are we supposed to gain an advantage?"
"Whatever. I'll get ready. We leave tomorrow."
Kazuyama's head was already throbbing at the thought of another mission, but it wasn't like he could refuse.
The moment he turned around, Danzo slowly opened his eyes, a calculating glint flashing through them.
Clearly, he had his own plans—it was just unclear whether they were good or bad.
...
Back home, Pakura wasn't at the Academy. Instead, she was training in the courtyard.
Hayate and Ebisami were nowhere to be seen.
"Why the long face? Weren't you all excited before you left?"
Kazuyama sighed, set his weapon aside, and reluctantly explained the situation.
Pakura frowned slightly upon hearing he was heading to the Land of Rivers battlefield again.
"Sunagakure, huh…"
"I heard the Third Kazekage has gone missing..."
"Sigh… war is always unpredictable. Even someone as powerful as Hatazaemon…"
Kazuyama noticed her sudden silence. He wasn't sure why, but on impulse, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Pakura froze. Her mind went blank for a moment before her face turned bright red.
"What… what are you doing?"
"Nothing. Just felt like hugging you. Is that a problem?"
Suddenly, Kazuyama thought about Fugaku. Damn it. He, Minato, and Fugaku… clearly, Fugaku was the ugliest, yet he was the first to get married. What did Mikoto even see in him? His damn laugh lines?
The thought made his head heat up. Two lifetimes, surrounded by flowers, yet never plucked a single one…
Pathetic. Truly tragic!
"Hmph, you little rascal. Don't think I don't know what you're up to."
"But… it's not impossible. We'll talk after you get back from the Land of Rivers."
Pakura slipped out of his arms, flashing a rare playful smile that made Kazuyama's heart itch.
"You said it. I'm holding you to it."
"Of course I said it. Now go. I'm off to find Mikoto and Kushina."
Kazuyama grinned as he watched her leave.
The next second, he vanished with the Flying Thunder God Technique.