Saito Ayachi made his way to the Mizukage Building.
Logan couldn't help but feel a little worried about Terumi Mei.
Saito Ayachi's rank was quite high. Logan wasn't sure if Terumi Mei could handle someone like him. But confronting and cooperating with the daimyo was part of a Kage's growth. All they could do now was hope she would rise to the challenge.
Elsewhere, Miyamoto was still being treated by Sasuke and Momo with Logan's ripple technique.
The crowd had gradually dispersed. Some men reenacted Miyamoto's earlier battle, pretending to be swordsmen, while women animatedly debated who had the more handsome face—Logan or Miyamoto.
Tonight, Kirigakure buzzed with gossip and energy.
Kakashi, carrying a travel-worn pack on his shoulder, waited until the crowd was gone before walking up with a sigh. Looking around at the lively street, he muttered, "Is your life always this chaotic?"
"Just another day filled with drama," Logan replied, eyeing Kakashi's dusty appearance. He looked like he'd been traveling nonstop.
"You here on a mission?"
"Yes, I am."
"Looking for Terumi Mei?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No. I'm here for you… Third Hokage-sama. You might need to step down."
Sasuke, who had just finished patching up Miyamoto, chuckled from the side. "The old Hokage is abdicating—to Logan?"
Kakashi glanced at Sasuke's amused expression and licked his lips. "Ah?"
---
Later, Logan and Kakashi sat in a quiet corner of a nearby izakaya.
As they entered, the proprietress, Iwamine Genmako, brightened up at the sight of them. Wiping her damp hands, she glided over gracefully, bowed deeply, then knelt down to help Logan remove his shoes.
"I can manage," Logan said gently.
After Yagura had stepped down, Kabuki Street had shut down. Many women lost their livelihoods. Some went home with government assistance, but others, like Genmako, chose to stay and start anew.
Once an oiran, Iwamine Genmako had saved money and, with help from the Kirigakure reconstruction fund, opened this izakaya. Though some still looked down on her past, she carried herself with a calm confidence now, her smile more genuine than before.
"If not for your support, Lord Logan, this place would've shut down long ago," she said warmly as she set down side dishes and drinks. With another respectful bow, she quietly left the two men alone.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is stepping down?" Logan asked.
Kakashi nodded. "The news isn't public yet, but most of Konoha's leadership is already aware."
He looked out the window at the steadily rebuilding Kirigakure.
"The Third was deeply shaken."
"By Yagura's resignation?"
"Partly," Kakashi said. "But also by Danzo's death, the Uchiha massacre, and the untimely death of the Fourth Hokage... Too many tragedies."
Everyone knew that under the First and Second Hokage, Konoha had been invincible.
Now, it was just a strong facade, hollowed from within.
The Third Hokage had witnessed, and even contributed to, that decline.
Whether one blamed his leniency toward Danzo or not, no one questioned Sarutobi Hiruzen's loyalty to Konoha or the Will of Fire.
No one wanted a strong and peaceful village more than he did.
"For someone like him, to see his life's work unravel... it's heartbreaking," Kakashi said. "He had held on all these years, but after hearing about what happened in Kirigakure, he went to Minato-sensei's grave and sat there all night. The next morning, he summoned me."
Kakashi raised his glass.
"The first thing he said was: 'Times have changed.'"
"I've never seen him like that. Shoulders slumped, frail, hunched… just an old man in mourning."
"And then?"
"He asked me to find Tsunade and bring her back to become the Fifth Hokage."
Logan nodded slowly.
He'd heard of Tsunade, but the details were... complicated.
Still, he had to ask, "Is she even fit to be Hokage? Better than Jiraiya?"
Kakashi paused. "Well… I don't know if she's a better leader, but she's the First Hokage's granddaughter."
The two men exchanged glances, raised their glasses in silent agreement, and moved past the subject.
"So, you want me to find the missing Tsunade?"
"Exactly. Master Jiraiya said you have a 'wonderful little vine' that can search across mountains and seas. He asked me to find you—for a price, of course. Konoha will compensate you fairly."
Logan nodded. It made sense now.
"But why you?" he asked. "Shouldn't Jiraiya go himself? He knows her better."
Kakashi sighed. "He would've, but he got injured while training and is recovering in Mount Myōboku. He sent the message to me through a toad."
"And the injury?"
"Partly your fault," Kakashi said with a dry laugh. "He saw you manipulating natural energy, flying, burrowing… thought, 'If Logan can do it, so can I.' Tried to mimic it. Instead, he lost control of the balance and half his body turned to stone. The toads are helping him recover."
"But hey, silver lining—he can finally focus on writing his book. Oh, and he asked me to pass along a message."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess: 'Surrender now?'"
"What?" Kakashi blinked.
"Never mind. Go on."
"He said: 'Be careful in Ryūchi Cave. The snake sages are unusually active.'"
Logan's eyes narrowed.
He still remembered Tian Xinshen Ji—the snake sage he had slain.
Thanks to the Dragon Snake Orb she'd left behind, Logan had learned to control nature's energy so rapidly.
"Tell him thanks," Logan said, serious now. "I never underestimate my enemies."
He paused, then added, "And about that reward… I want Konoha to send a few people to attend my lectures and observe Kirigakure's reconstruction. When they return, they can share whatever they find useful."
Kakashi blinked. "That's all?"
"That's all."
Kakashi nodded, then summoned a small pug ninja dog with a puff of smoke. After relaying Logan's conditions to the dog, he dismissed it.
"You'll get your answer by tomorrow," Kakashi said.
"Good."
Logan stood up. "I'm going to find a camera."
He slid the door open and saw Iwamine Genmako kneeling at the end of the hallway with a tray of food she hadn't delivered yet.
"You don't have to wait here. Tend to the other guests," Logan said.
"You're the only guest that matters tonight," she replied with a gentle smile.
Seeing he couldn't change her mind, Logan gave a resigned shrug and walked off.
Genmako entered with the tray and laid it out before Kakashi. As she bowed and turned to leave, Kakashi suddenly spoke.
"You really admire him, don't you?"
She stopped, then replied without hesitation. "Yes. Lord Logan is the person I respect the most."
"Because he saved you?"
She shook her head gently. "I've met many people—some mediocre, some excellent. Most just pass through your life. But then there are those rare ones who shine so brightly that their presence makes life feel more beautiful. He's one of those people."
She looked out the door in the direction Logan had gone.
"He's that kind of person."
Kakashi was silent for a moment before finally saying, "...You're very eloquent."
Genmako covered her mouth and giggled.
Just then, Logan returned—with a television in his arms.
"I couldn't find a camera, so this'll have to do."
He plugged it in, turned to Kakashi, and held out his hand. "Give me something that belonged to Tsunade."
Kakashi handed him a dice.
Logan took it and activated his ability. "Hermit Purple."
Purple vines surged from his palm and wrapped around the TV. The screen flickered, static hissing across the glass. Then, through the snowy afterimages, an image began to form—
Tsunade.
She was pale, blood streaming from a deep wound near her heart. Her breathing was shallow, and she looked to be on the verge of death.
Logan's eyes darkened..
Tsunade was dying.
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