"What's your name?"
"Lord Haseo, I'm Uzumaki Yayoi."
"How old are you now?"
"Nine."
"Do you remember anything about what happened back then?"
"I only remember it was chaotic at night. People were running around outside the streets. Later the town caught fire… After that, I couldn't recall anything else, Lord Haseo."
Haseo understood. The girl's memories had stopped at the night of the incident. Even Mito's death—a major event for the Uzumaki clan—meant nothing to her anymore.
The reason she could recall events spanning several years was probably because other Uzumaki shinobi had made her try recalling them carefully before Haseo questioned her. Those hidden in the shadows truly knew Konoha well enough. To avoid leaving evidence behind, they'd been thorough and efficient with their cleanup.
Or rather, if not for Orochimaru, this child's ultimate fate would have certainly been "dealt with" silently—a more discreetly ruthless form of ninja justice.
The girl's real age was probably around fourteen by now. She looked at least sixteen, but her body seemed visibly worn out…
"Lord Haseo, I'm sorry… I just can't remember anything else."
"It's okay. How do you feel right now?"
"Nothing in particular, just kind of tired."
Naturally, there was nothing further to be gained from questioning the girl—in fact, it was already fortunate she had regained consciousness. Although her mental capacity lagged far behind her actual age, at least her mind remained intact.
"There isn't any technique or trap placed on this child, is there?"
After a few quick questions, Haseo let the girl rest properly. Stepping outside, he turned to Shikou with this question… Since Yayoi had nowhere else to go now, she could only stay here within Kagenami base for the time being.
"She's undergone a full examination. We can guarantee there won't be any issues whatsoever… Under such meticulous scrutiny, no techniques could possibly remain completely hidden from us," Shikou replied.
"That's good. For now, gradually tell her everything that's happened recently—the changes in her family life too. Otherwise, she definitely won't accept it easily."
This arrangement naturally drew no more than a nod from Shikou.
Suddenly recalling something else, Haseo asked, "What about Kushina?"
"She's still locked up. She's been confined throughout the afternoon and the entire night." Shikou sounded somewhat sympathetic toward that mischievous kid.
"Release her. Let her come keep Yayoi company. Kids always communicate more easily with other kids. This should help cheer Yayoi up… Hopefully Kushina proves useful."
Just having punished someone by confinement, now immediately assigning them a task—Haseo truly lived up to his role as an organizational leader, deeply understanding the meaning behind those four characters: *Making the Best Use of People.*
After making these small arrangements, he returned to his office.
From yesterday until this brand-new dawn today, despite engaging in no battles, Haseo felt a sense of fatigue settle over him. At this moment, he truly began contemplating retirement.
Big-picture problems like these couldn't be solved by one person alone; even the First's return would probably be unable to resolve Konoha's current internal chaos.
So why not just find a place to farm, pick up old hobbies like sculpting clay figures, and stay far away from all the mess in the village? Wouldn't that be pleasant?
Kind of like a shut-in, Haseo considered himself someone who could genuinely enjoy being alone.
Haseo started mapping out the second half of his life. His first goal was retirement within five years—this timeframe was only an estimate and might shift depending on when he completed "Sage Mode."
Once Sage Mode was mastered, that would represent the peak state for a ninja like Haseo. When the enemy is at their weakest and I am at my strongest—that would be the best timing. Of course, if he later failed and got killed, then such "plans" wouldn't matter anyway.
That kind of ending could also count as an alternative form of "retirement."
If he won, great. If he lost, then he'd die on the spot. Either way, Haseo would feel he had lived up to everything he had learned in this life.
Just as Haseo contemplated this profound life question, the door to his office suddenly burst open from outside—but beforehand, he hadn't detected even the slightest sound.
This... seemed like a surprise inspection.
"What are you grinning about all by yourself? Is it really that exciting you didn't come home yesterday?" Tsunade gave him a suspicious look.
Fortunately, Haseo had been alone, so this didn't touch upon Tsunade's sensitive nerves. Therefore, she was merely suspicious—his chuckling wasn't a problem, as long as it wasn't some lecherous giggle.
"Oh, is it already morning?" Haseo immediately suppressed his smile. "Did I laugh just now...? Yesterday had an emergency situation, and I've been busy nonstop until now. I finally had time to sit down, so I didn't get a chance to go back home."
When Yayoi needed treatment, they couldn't contact Tsunade at first because she'd been on another mission. Therefore, she remained unaware of yesterday's events.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" Seeing Tsunade hesitating as if wanting to say something, Haseo took the initiative to ask. The two had always maintained normal, daily routines, so her hesitation definitely wasn't caused by missing him desperately—"missing someone like crazy after one day apart" would be too exaggerated.
"Hmm, it's about my younger brother..." Tsunade walked over and sat beside Haseo, ultimately deciding to discuss the matter regarding Nawaki with him.
"To the Land of Rain?"
Haseo pondered briefly before saying, "Personally, I hope he can just stay inside the village continuously. Considering Konoha's external environment currently, there's no need for him to participate in warfare either."
For Haseo, Nawaki surviving… or to be honest, just coasting through life doing nothing and worrying about nothing until he dropped dead—that would be the biggest "favor" anyone could do.
"Yeah... I think that too."
"But that's not going to happen. You know how stubborn young guys get about their pride."
That was especially true for kids who thought they were hot stuff but'd never actually failed at anything. For them, war was just some fantasy in their heads.
Thinking further, Haseo decided not to voice this last point aloud.
"A guy like Nawaki won't budge once he's made up his mind—even if you're his older sister. Teenagers that age hate being 'controlled' the most. The fact that he discussed this with you instead of rushing off to the Front Line means he's mature enough—this should make you happy.
However, telling you all this simply means he wants your support. Otherwise, he'll definitely find a way to reach the Land of Rain by himself," Haseo said.
Tsunade frowned. Although she raised her younger brother herself, she knew very well that it was hard for her to fully understand what a boy would think.
"So what do you suggest?"
"Instead of trying to forcefully stop him, which might cause him to act recklessly, you should help him make proper arrangements. Find him some powerful companions to lower the risks on the battlefield as much as possible... Otherwise, just make up your mind and break his legs—to put an end to his foolish ideas for good," Haseo suggested.
"Teenagers in their rebellious phase might act out no matter how well-behaved they usually are... [Kotoamatsukami], which allows complete mental manipulation, would be the only reliable solution—otherwise, 'physical persuasion' tends to work far more effectively."
"What nonsense are you talking?" Tsunade gave Haseo a sidelong glance. How could she ever break her own brother's legs?
Still, she couldn't deny the logic in what he had said. Actually, even before seeking Haseo's advice, she had already had vague thoughts along these lines. "Looks like there's no other choice then."
Tsunade had only mentioned her younger brother's idea about going to the battlefield; she hadn't revealed what Nawaki had said about Sansho.
She decided to do her best to prepare everything for her brother... No, she had to start arranging things right now.
But Haseo stopped her. "There's no rush. I have a special case here—a child who has suffered some misfortune. I need you to examine her."
Since Tsunade was already at the Kagenami Base, Haseo naturally wanted her to examine Yayoi and help develop a more effective treatment plan. After all, Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu was the one Haseo trusted most.
Yayoi's condition definitely required long-term treatment. Her physical state could only be restored gradually. Luckily, Tsunade did have experience dealing with such long-term treatments—for example, when she treated Haseo himself.
The disappearance case concerning Uzumaki was finally coming to a close. On one hand, Haseo hoped that Yayoi would recover as soon as possible. On the other hand...
Now that the Uzumaki clan had chosen to retreat quietly, Haseo wished the entire incident could truly come to an end here and now.
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