Haruki stayed in New Leaf Village for about a week.
As more and more support personnel arrived from Konoha, he gradually found himself with nothing much to do.
After making sure there were no loose ends, Haruki returned to Konoha.
Hokage Building.
Tsunade was handling official paperwork.
Sunlight fell gently on the side of her face, giving it a beautiful sheen.
Haruki smiled slightly.
He didn't speak out loud.
The inclusion of New Leaf had further increased the Hokage's power.
Accordingly, there were now nearly twice as many responsibilities to manage.
This was just two villages merged.
If they later incorporated the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire, things would become even busier.
Haruki knocked on the door.
Tsunade looked up. She had always been aware of his presence, but because she was focused on her work, she hadn't paid attention.
When she saw Haruki, her expression flickered for a moment, then her lips curled into a genuine, heartfelt smile.
For a moment, it seemed as if sunlight danced on rippling water.
Haruki hesitated, stepping forward with his arms open—only to find himself pulled into a hug by Tsunade first.
This feels... off.
The roles were reversed.
With some effort, he managed to free his hands and pulled her into a proper embrace.
She glared at him, "If you didn't get back soon, I was going to become the first Hokage to die from overwork."
He patted her back lightly and laughed, "Come on, is it really that bad? Can't you just delegate to the Executive Department or use Shadow Clones?"
"You think I haven't done that already?"
Tsunade took his hand and led him to the office next door—Haruki's office—and slightly opened the door to reveal several copies of Tsunade buried in paperwork.
Wow!
Haruki blinked.
So many Tsunades...
It was an oddly cheerful sight.
Of course, his thoughts were entirely innocent.
"What about that guy Orochimaru?"
Haruki walked back to Tsunade's office, sat down on the sofa, and pulled her onto his lap.
Leaning against his chest, Tsunade let out a cold snort at the mention of Orochimaru.
"Since I came back, I haven't seen him once. Not sure where he's run off to."
"Sounds just like him."
Haruki leaned closer to her head, enveloped in a faint fragrance.
He exhaled softly. "Most likely, he's holed up in his lab again."
Tsunade felt the warmth of his breath near her ear, making her ear tingle slightly. She covered her ears and muttered discontentedly, "And on top of that, Jiraiya left for Mount Myoboku and hasn't come back yet."
"Mount Myoboku, huh?"
Haruki narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
The Great Frog Sage wasn't a simple or ordinary figure.
His influence reached far and wide.
He could be considered the true mastermind behind the entire ninja world.
Though ultimately, everything he did served his own world.
"Jiraiya probably won't run into any real trouble. The Great Frog Sage probably just wants to keep him around for a few more days."
Looking at Tsunade's profile, Haruki whispered softly.
"I know he won't get into any real danger."
Tsunade didn't know much about the Great Frog Sage, but from past experience, Mount Myoboku had always been friendly toward Jiraiya and Konoha.
"Mm."
A small smile curled Haruki's lips.
His hands, still wrapped around her waist, began to slowly wander upward.
But they were quickly halted.
Tsunade stood up, looking down at him from above.
Keeping her emotions in check, she feigned calm and said, "Someone could walk in anytime."
Haruki didn't say anything. He motioned for her to move closer.
"What do you think you're doing now?"
Tsunade shot him a sharp glare. Before she could react, he had already pulled her over, positioning her on top of him.
She instinctively propped herself up with her elbows.
Haruki gazed at the quivering shadows, a restless feeling stirring inside him.
He raised both hands and attacked Tsunade's armpits.
"Hahaha! What are you doing?!"
Tsunade immediately burst into laughter and hurriedly tightened her arms, but she forgot that her elbows were supporting her weight, causing her body to collapse downward.
A soft, fleshy thud.
Haruki's face was hit, almost leaving him without space to breathe.
His disheveled hair fell over his face, completely covering it.
"Enough!"
Tsunade couldn't take Haruki's attack anymore.
She laughed until tears streamed from her eyes.
"Ow... It hurts!"
Haruki got punched directly.
"Serves you right!"
Tsunade slightly lifted her body, allowing Haruki to reemerge into daylight.
"Seriously, hitting this hard."
Rubbing his forehead, Haruki pouted and muttered, "This is the first thing I get after being away so long? A punch?"
Tsunade looked at him, suddenly smiling. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead lightly.
"You're acting up again."
She suddenly became aware of her position, gently bit her lip, and asked, "Do you really want me to break it outright?"
"Do you really think I scare that easily?"
Haruki tucked his head in slightly, yet remained defiant. "If your teeth can't even break through my defenses, what chance do your hands have?"
Tsunade's face reddened as she glared at him, exclaiming, "What exactly are you saying? Can't you just talk normally?"
She quickly sat up and created some distance.
Taken by surprise, Haruki didn't stop her from getting away.
He slumped back onto the sofa, looking utterly defeated.
Seeing this, Tsunade couldn't help but smile smugly, proudly declaring, "What's that called again? Reaping what you sow."
Hearing her words, Haruki glanced at her.
If we weren't in the office, could you really be so arrogant?
Understanding his gaze, Tsunade's heart skipped a beat unconsciously.
Yet she still crossed her arms defiantly, stating firmly, "Now that you're back, help me deal with official duties."
"Eh?"
Haruki clearly hadn't expected this turn.
"What 'eh'?"
Tsunade walked in front of him, pulling him up and sitting him straight.
One hand lifted his chin, briefly touching her lips to his.
"This is your reward… Mmm…"
Both their throats moved.
"Tsunade-sama… Ah!"
A sudden voice rang out within the office.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Shizune, the Hokage's secretary, had just appeared. She had the habit of using the Shifting Body Technique instead of knocking. But she never imagined she'd walk in on something like this.
Tsunade's eyes widened dramatically.
It was rare to see her flustered.
Quickly pushing Haruki away, she wiped her lips.
"It's all your fault! Didn't I tell you someone might come in?!"
Tsunade blushed slightly, embarrassed to be caught by her own apprentice. Her dignity as a teacher was utterly gone.
"You were clearly enjoying yourself..."
"What did you say?!"
Tsunade gave him a sharp, warning glare.
Haruki quickly fell silent.
"Hmph!"
Tsunade took several deep breaths, gradually calming herself down.
Although still somewhat embarrassed,
she opened the door.
"Shizune."
"Eh?"
Shizune gasped in surprise, quickly realizing what was happening. She bowed her head and said, "Lady Tsunade, I saw nothing."
...
A faint stiffness crossed Tsunade's face.
There's no need to stress that you saw nothing.
She twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "Come in and talk about whatever it is."
"Oh, okay... sure."
Swallowing nervously, Shizune stepped into the office. Her eyes met Haruki's for a brief moment—like a startled bird—before darting back down to the floor.
Haruki couldn't help but smile slightly.
At just fourteen, Shizune hadn't yet become the composed and skilled medical ninja she would later be in the original story.
Tsunade shot Haruki a cold glance before turning to Shizune, softening her tone as she asked, "Do you have any intelligence for me?"
"Yes, I do."
As the topic turned serious, Shizune gradually regained her composure and began a brief verbal report. "Lady Mikoto has returned from the southeast battlefield, bringing back six of the seven swords of the Bloody Mist."
"Six swords?" Haruki raised his eyebrows, interrupting with a question. "What about the seventh one?"
"Lady Mikoto didn't mention it," Shizune shook her head.
"So where is she now?" Tsunade sat back behind her desk and said, "Call her over here."
"Alright."
Stepping out of the office, Shizune let out a sigh of relief.
After witnessing such an awkward situation, this was quite overwhelming for her innocent young mind.
She pinched her own cheeks.
Moments later, she arrived at the Uchiha Clan's residence.
"Senior Sister Shizune."
"Oh, it's Shisui."
Looking up, she saw Shisui Uchiha greeting her.
"Oh, and Itachi too. Did you two just finish training?"
Noticing their sweat-drenched clothes, she couldn't help but feel impressed.
Two incredibly diligent prodigies.
"Yeah."
Shisui nodded. "Senior Sister, are you here looking for Auntie Mikoto? We heard she came back too."
"That's right."
Bending down slightly, she said, "Come give Senior Sister a hug."
Three-year-old Itachi Uchiha was undeniably cute.
He shook his head. "I'm already grown up."
"Grown up? What do you mean 'grown up'?"
Without hesitation, Shizune picked him up. "You're still tiny—nowhere near grown up."
...
Young Itachi instantly frowned in displeasure.
Shisui couldn't help laughing.
Even someone as mature as young Itachi had no solution when faced with Shizune's antics.
The three walked into the courtyard.
"Auntie Mikoto."
Shisui greeted first.
Though he was also one of Haruki's students, he belonged to the next generation after Mikoto. Calling her Senior Sister would be disrespectful to Itachi.
Besides, it was normal for their teacher to have many students.
Strictly speaking, he wasn't even Haruki's official apprentice.
"Senior Sister Mikoto."
Shizune set Itachi Uchiha down and, spotting Haku behind Mikoto, her eyes lit up with excitement. "So adorable! Who's this little girl?"
"Huh?"
Itachi finally got to witness a woman's fickle nature firsthand. Within just a few minutes, she had already shifted her attention elsewhere.
Instinctively, he looked toward Haku.
His heart gave a slight tremble.
Indeed, the child was very cute—hiding behind Mikoto with tiny hands clutching at the hem of her clothes, looking both nervous and fragile.
How could Mother bring back another girl after stepping out for just a while?
Itachi couldn't help his mind racing with thoughts.
"He's called Haku."
Mikoto gently patted Haku's head, her voice soft. "There's no need to be afraid—they won't dislike you."
After more than a week together, she already had a clear understanding of Haku's past.
She knew that Haku had been driven away because of his Kekkei Genkai.
Though in her opinion such behavior was utterly incomprehensible, this experience had left deep psychological scars on Haku.
"That's right."
Taking one step forward, Itachi extended his tiny hand earnestly. "My name is Itachi Uchiha. No one will bully you here in Konoha anymore."
Haku's eyes flickered with hesitation. Looking at the sincere Itachi, he hesitantly reached out and took his hand.
Itachi immediately smiled.
"Not bad."
Seeing this, Mikoto couldn't help but feel gratified.
Although her son had been strictly raised by her since childhood, his personality remained quite good—never becoming biased or extreme.
"From now on, Haku will be your younger brother. You must protect him well."
"I definitely will, Mother… Eh?"
Itachi quickly lifted his head, the light in his eyes flickering with confusion. "A brother? Mother, did you say it wrong?"
"There's naturally no mistake."
Seeing that he had misunderstood, Mikoto smiled. "Although Haku does look a bit like a little girl, he's definitely a boy."
Itachi felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind.
His crush hadn't even begun before it was already over.
"Having a younger brother isn't bad either."
Thinking Itachi didn't like having a younger sibling, Shizune patted his head, then turned her sparkling eyes toward Haku again.
So cute!
Startled, Haku immediately scurried behind Mikoto again.
"Shizune, what did you come here for anyway?"
Mikoto comforted Haku while stroking his head.
"Tsunade-sama and Haruki-sama are waiting for you in the Hokage's office."
Finally remembering her urgent business, Shizune quickly explained.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Mikoto immediately stopped what she was doing.
Shizune sheepishly scratched her head.
Not blaming her, Mikoto crouched down, looking at Haku. "Go get to know those two older brothers. I need to see Teacher now."
Haku nodded in agreement.
"Itachi, don't bully Haku."
"Okay."
Itachi responded briefly, noticeably subdued.
Mikoto disappeared from sight.
Outside the Hokage's Office.
She knocked on the door and entered after receiving permission.
—Hokage-sama, Teacher.
Mikoto greeted politely with a slight bow.
—Hmm.
"Six of the Seven Swords?" Haruki chuckled. "I heard from Shizune that you only brought back six of them. Given the might of the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist, none should have been able to escape."
"It was Obito."
Mikoto happened to be about to ask the same question. "Obito said he let Raiga Kurosuki go, and claimed it was on your orders."
"My orders?"
Haruki rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Obito had appeared in the Land of Water out of nowhere, supposedly following his orders.
There was only one possibility.
He wanted Raiga Kurosuki to join Akatsuki.
As a member of the Seven Swords, although his strength wasn't much in Haruki's eyes, he was already a famous figure in the ninja world.
Once dead, he would lose all value.
In Obito's hands, however, he could be more useful.
"Could Obito really have lied to me?" Mikoto couldn't help asking as she saw him deep in thought.
"Not exactly," Haruki replied with a smile, then explained Obito's undercover mission.
Mikoto blinked, finding it hard to believe.
She was very familiar with Obito's personality.
She never imagined someone as reckless as Obito could pull something like this off.
But when she came to her senses again, she felt relieved.
After all, he was part of the Uchiha Clan.
If he really pulled off what Master Haruki hoped for, he'd surely become famous throughout the ninja world.
"Master," Mikoto continued, thinking of Haku, "during my trip to the Land of Water this time, I met a very talented child. I plan to bring him into Konoha. He possesses the rare Ice Release kekkei genkai. Master, would you allow Shinji Hira to take him as a disciple?"
"Ice Release?" Haruki looked at her, surprised. "Ice Release is extremely rare. What's his name?"
"Haku," Mikoto answered.
Haruki raised his eyebrows. That was quite a coincidence.
That actually saved him some work.
He then thought of another genius from the Land of Water—Kimimaro.
If his memory served him right, Kimimaro was roughly around the same age as Haku.
Maybe he should send Orochimaru over there.
"If it's Ice Release, I'm sure Shinji will be more than happy." Haruki naturally didn't refuse.
Satisfied with the answer, Mikoto stayed to chat a little longer before taking her leave.
Just as Haruki was thinking he could wrap up his work and go spar with Tsunade, a toad suddenly appeared before him.
"Lord Haruki, the Great Toad Sage has invited you to Mount Myōboku."