The next day, inside the Hokage's office.
"Lord Hokage, a rather troublesome mission has come up," Nara Shikaku reported, his expression grave.
"Oh? What mission is it?" Behind the desk, the Third Hokage looked up and inquired.
Looking at the Third, Shikaku's expression faltered slightly. For a moment, he wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the Third Hokage seemed much more relaxed, much lighter, today.
"Shikaku, what is the mission?" Seeing Shikaku momentarily lost in thought, the Third asked again, his voice pulling the Jonin Commander back to the present.
"Lord Hokage, it's a request for aid from the Miko," Shikaku replied quickly, snapping back to attention.
"A request from the Miko?" Hearing Shikaku's answer, the Third's own expression grew serious. "Is it nearing the time for the sealing again?"
"Yes! According to the message from the Land of Demons, the sealing is less than two months away," Nara Shikaku confirmed.
The Third Hokage tapped his fingers lightly on the polished surface of his desk, sinking into contemplation. After a moment, he looked up at Shikaku again. "What are your recommendations regarding this matter?"
Shikaku met his gaze evenly. "Lord Hokage, the demon in the Land of Demons is rumored to possess power comparable to the Tailed Beasts. We must dispatch a team quickly to assist the Miko in sealing it."
The Third frowned, the lines on his face deepening. "The demon's power is not insignificant. Do you have suitable personnel in mind?"
Nara Shikaku nodded slowly. "I recommend dispatching Kurenai Yuhi's team."
"Oh?" The Third Hokage looked up, regarding his advisor with clear surprise.
Meeting the Third's gaze, Nara Shikaku offered a faint, knowing smile. "Lord Hokage, you are well aware of the demon's strength. The team sent to the Land of Demons for this mission must be elite, and crucially, it must include a ninja proficient in sealing techniques. Honestly," Shikaku continued, choosing his words carefully, "among the current Jonin squads and ANBU teams in the village, only ANBU Team 11 could definitively handle this mission at that level."
He paused, letting the implication hang before continuing, "However, you also know how... unmotivated that one can be. Unless the safety of the few people he actually cares about is genuinely at stake, it's incredibly difficult to get him to accept a mission voluntarily."
Hearing this, the Third gave a wry smile, smoke curling from his pipe. "Never voluntarily accepting missions, nor participating in village administration... a ninja like him is truly one of a kind in the shinobi world."
Nara Shikaku lowered his head slightly, his voice soft but clear. "Lord Hokage, his current unwillingness to participate in village administration might not necessarily be a bad thing."
The Third Hokage paused, considering Shikaku's words. After a contemplative moment, he finally spoke. "Shikaku, proceed according to your recommendation."
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Nara Shikaku acknowledged crisply and turned to leave.
After Shikaku had departed, the Third Hokage retrieved a familiar crystal sphere from beneath his desk. Weaving the necessary hand seals, he performed the Telescope Technique.
An image shimmered into existence on the crystal sphere's surface. A classroom from the Ninja Academy appeared before the Third's eyes – specifically, the one belonging to Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and their peers. Iruka stood at the front, currently teaching the students.
Naruto was slumped over his desk, looking utterly listless. One hand propped up his head while the other rested limply on the edge of the desk, his face contorted in an expression of pure, unadulterated torture. For Naruto, who was usually bursting with mischievous energy, the ninjutsu theory lesson Iruka was painstakingly delivering was as incomprehensible as ancient scripture. He desperately wanted to try and learn, to pay attention, but his brain simply refused to absorb any of it.
As he struggled to listen, Naruto's gaze inevitably drifted towards a figure seated diagonally in front of him to the left.
Sakura-chan is really cute!
Staring at the back of that head full of vibrant pink hair, Naruto's blue eyes began to sparkle again, momentarily forgetting his academic suffering.
And while Naruto was secretly watching Sakura, he remained completely unaware that Hinata Hyuga, separated from him only by the narrow aisle, was just as secretly watching him. The little boy who had brought her warmth and unexpected strength on that cold, snowy night long ago had long since taken root firmly within Hinata's gentle heart.
Watching all of this quiet classroom drama unfold within the crystal sphere, a fond smile spread across the Third Hokage's aged face.
"It really has been too long since I properly checked in on the little fellow," the Third murmured softly to himself, his voice barely a whisper in the empty office. "Perhaps… perhaps I'll treat him to some Yakiniku today."
Later, at Kyoko's Yakiniku restaurant, every table was full. The lunch rush was in full swing.
"Table three, Yakiniku coming through!" Inside the bustling restaurant, Mitarashi Anko shouted cheerfully as she expertly navigated the narrow gaps between crowded tables, a steaming plate of freshly grilled meat balanced perfectly in one hand. On the other side of the small eatery, Kyoko was similarly engaged, weaving through patrons while delivering food with a practiced smile. Everyone was immersed in the controlled chaos of peak dining hours.
Seated nonchalantly before the counter, Tatsuya, who occasionally deigned to handle the register, was arguably the most relaxed person in the entire establishment. Watching the whirlwind of activity that was Anko and Kyoko, he showed absolutely no intention whatsoever of stepping in to help or offer either of them a break.
Kyoko, after all, genuinely loved the business and thrived in the busy atmosphere. Anko, on the other hand, was clearly driven by a persistent desire to seek Kyoko's forgiveness and continuously prove herself helpful. Every single time she returned from a mission, Anko would invariably show up at the Yakiniku restaurant to lend a hand. No matter how many times Kyoko insisted she didn't mind or that it wasn't necessary, the kunoichi remained resolute, stubbornly dedicated to her self-imposed penance.
Tatsuya, naturally, had no intention of competing with Anko for this golden opportunity to 'perform well.'
Anko, for her part, seemed keenly aware that Tatsuya was silently amused at her expense. Every time her serving route took her past the counter, she made sure to shoot him a fierce glare, her purple eyes narrowed.
Adorably fierce! Tatsuya thought with inner amusement.
His silent response to her glares was basically: bring it on. He quite enjoyed her spirited reactions.
The three of them spent the entire lunch rush immersed in this busy, yet familiar, routine.
Just when the restaurant finally emptied out and Anko and Kyoko were about to collapse onto stools for a much-needed breather, three figures stepped through the entrance.
"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" Anko immediately straightened up, fatigue forgotten, and hurried over to greet the newcomers. "Want some Yakiniku? My treat!"
These three were none other than Anko's current teammates: Kurenai Yuhi, Yugao Uzuki, and Hayate Gekko.
Tatsuya noted with some internal curiosity that, perhaps due to his own subtle influence on events in this timeline, the couple Hayate Gekko and Yugao Uzuki hadn't joined ANBU. Instead, they continued to operate within Kurenai's regular Jonin squad.
Three beautiful women on one ninja team... Tatsuya couldn't help but silently comment on Hayate's incredible visual fortune. However, glancing at Hayate's perpetually exhausted, slightly sickly state, Tatsuya dryly concluded, the poor guy probably can't quite handle it.
He briefly recalled Hayate's fate in his previous life – kicking the bucket far too early during Orochimaru's Konoha Crush invasion, leaving the lovely Yugao to remain faithfully single in his memory. Tatsuya idly wondered if things might perhaps turn out differently for them in this life.
"Anko," Kurenai said, gently shaking her head at Anko's enthusiastic offer of food, "we came to tell you about a mission."
"Mission news?" Anko blinked, slightly surprised. "But... didn't we just get back to the village last night? How can there be a new mission already?"
"Yes." Kurenai nodded, her usual calm demeanor underscored by a serious expression. "It's a mission just assigned by the Hokage's Office. Our team was specifically requested to handle it."
"Assigned by the Hokage's Office... specifically requesting our team?" Anko's voice rose slightly, her face etched with astonishment. She had never encountered a mission assigned quite like this before.
"Mm-hmm." Kurenai nodded briefly towards Tatsuya and Kyoko in acknowledgment. "Let's go. We need to find somewhere private to discuss the details." With that, she took hold of Anko's arm and began pulling her towards the exit.
"Hey! Kyoko!" Anko called back quickly as Kurenai dragged her off. "I'll be right back!"
Watching Anko get practically hauled out the door by her squad leader, Tatsuya couldn't help but purse his lips in resignation.
He had a distinct feeling he was about to be 'forced into service' yet again.