Orochimaru suggested that he should accept a team of Genin and explained the reasons for doing so to him.
Yasu expression turned serious after listening.
Orochimaru was right.
Even if he found Karin's mother, what reason would Konoha have to choose her and abandon Kushina, who had already been nurtured since young?
He had been thinking too simply before, always assuming that finding Karin's mother would solve the problem of Kushina.
He then nodded and said: "I understand, Teacher Orochimaru. I will take a team of Genin."
Orochimaru said to him: "I knew you would agree after I explained it, so I already told Teacher Hiruzen in advance. You don't need to take a three-man squad; you only need to take one person, but that one person must be your disciple."
"Disciple..." Yasu murmured.
If they were a disciple, then he would have to personally teach them real skills.
However, the techniques Orochimaru taught him, besides Wind Release, were enough for teaching.
So, he agreed: "I understand, Teacher Orochimaru. I will choose a Genin to be my disciple."
"Good, it's good that you understand. Three Genin might become a burden to you, but a disciple is not necessarily so. So, choose carefully when the time comes. When do you plan to leave?"
"I plan to leave now."
"Alright, this is a summary of the current situation in the Land of Hot Water. Please hand it over to Teacher Hiruzen for me."
Orochimaru took out a scroll and tossed it to Yasu, who caught it and bid farewell to him, saying: "I will deliver it to the Hokage. Then, Teacher Orochimaru, I'm leaving."
"Go ahead."
Yasu returned to his room, put on the backpack he had prepared earlier, and left the camp.
He hadn't walked for long when he heard a familiar voice.
"Yasu."
Yasu turned his head and saw that it was the blondie, and he felt a wave of trouble in his heart.
This blondie was naturally Minato Namikaze.
Minato arrived beside him in the blink of an eye.
Yasu twitched his lips: "You really are persistent. Don't tell me you're here to see me off."
Minato showed a very sunny smile and said: "No, didn't I tell you before? I also need to go back to Konoha. Seeing that you're also going back to Konoha today, let's go together. It's good to have a companion."
Yasu made a 'tsk' sound and after looking at Minato up and down, he asked: "Minato Namikaze, let me ask you a question. Are you a sissy? Do you need a companion to go back to Konoha?"
Minato's expression froze, and he said helplessly: "It's really hard to hear a kind word from you."
Yasu ignored him and walked forward on his own.
Minato didn't mind and followed behind him, heading towards Konoha.
For the rest of the journey, the two didn't say a word to each other and minded their own business.
Four days later.
Because Yasu's pace was very fast, he only needed to travel for one more day to reach Konoha.
He wanted to see Kushina as soon as possible, so he planned to travel overnight and return to Konoha early.
Just as he was preparing to travel under the cover of night, Minato suddenly asked: "Yasu, if I had chosen to help Kushina back then, would we have become comrades?"
Yasu looked at him in confusion.
Minato looked at Yasu with a flickering gaze and continued: "It seems that our only conflict was that one time. I didn't know that Kushina was so important to you. Actually, I regretted it at the time. If I could have stopped them from bullying her, maybe we would have been good friends."
Yasu looked at Minato calmly and suddenly chuckled: "No, Minato, even without that incident, we wouldn't have become friends, because we are fundamentally two different kinds of people, and I'm actually happy you hadn't helped Kushina."
Minato frowned and said: "Why? Teacher Jiraiya and Lord Orochimaru are also two completely opposite types of people, and they can still become friends who entrust their backs to each other. Why can't we?"
Yasu shook his head and said: "You really are idealistic. The two of us are fundamentally different from Teacher Jiraiya and Teacher Orochimaru, because I hate you from the bottom of my heart."
Minato asked doubtfully: "Why would you hate me? There must be a reason for hating me, right?"
"What good would it do to tell you? So, don't force things that can't be forced. We are just people who happen to live in the same village, nothing more."
Yasu put on his backpack and walked forward.
Minato stood in place, looking at his departing back, unable to understand.
After a long time, he came back to his senses and sighed.
"Teacher Jiraiya, it seems I really can't become friends with Yasu."
...
Because Yasu traveled all night, he arrived in Konoha at noon the next day.
He didn't go to look for Kushina right away. Instead, he went to the Hokage Building to hand over the scroll that Orochimaru had given him to Hiruzen first, and also to pick up the letter of appointment to the Land of Grass.
After he arrived at the Hokage Building's office, he knocked on the door.
Hiruzen's old voice came from inside: "Enter."
Yasu opened the door and went in, surprised to find that besides Hiruzen, there was also a man of about the same age as Hiruzen in the office.
He had brown hair, neat sideburns, two slender eyes, a cunning and deep gaze, a fork-shaped scar on his chin, and a slightly gloomy complexion with deep wrinkles, giving people a treacherous and cunning feeling. (Oh, handsome Danzo?)
Although it was the first time he had seen him, Yasu immediately recognized the man in front of him.
The Hokage's assistant, the leader of Root, Danzo Shimura.
So, he respectfully greeted the two: "Lord Hokage, Lord Danzo."
Hiruzen's serious expression immediately became amiable when he saw that it was Yasu: "So, it's you, Yasu. It's been a while since I've seen you. You seem to have grown a lot. I've always been paying attention to you. You were very active in the war with the Cloud Ninjas in the Land of Hot Water and completed many quite difficult missions."
Yasu habitually flattered him: "Thanks to the guidance of Teacher Orochimaru and the trust of Lord Hokage, I was able to grow to my current level."
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.
He never thought that Yasu, who no one cared about back then, would have grown to this point, becoming a quite reliable Konoha ninja.
Although the current situation in Konoha is not good, excellent ninjas like Yasu, Minato, and the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho have gradually revealed their talents.
With these new sprouts, he is increasingly confident in the upcoming war.
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