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After the war ended, the pace of the entire Konoha Village seemed to slow down. The usual routine returned, and the Ninja who had been constantly rushing across rooftops due to the war disappeared. The oppressive feeling that had been suffocating people's chests seemed to vanish suddenly, like a person running who suddenly stops and walks slowly forward.
Caravans, crowds, and vendors reappeared in the villagers' sight.
In fact, due to the large construction site of Konoha New City, the post-war benefits, and the resurgence of long-suppressed consumer desires, the entire Konoha seemed much more prosperous than before the war.
However, in contrast, in the newly cleaned Hokage Office, the Three Sannin, who had always been busy with various government affairs, were now idle—by delegating their work to the appropriate people, their workload was no longer as heavy as it once was.
Now, Lady Tsunade and the other two rotated daily, with often only one person on duty in the Hokage Office.
Conversely, the long-overdue nomination for the next Hokage had still not made any progress.
However, those matters were irrelevant to Sawara Kiri at the moment.
He was currently lying on the large sofa in the resting room next to the Hokage Office, his feet crossed and resting on one side of the sofa, quietly reading a novel with one hand.
The bright sunlight from the window shone on one side of his face, making him appear exceptionally lazy.
There was a reason why he was staying there.
After the war ended, various related propaganda naturally spread throughout Konoha.
Sawara Kiri, whose reputation was originally limited to Ninja, suddenly became famous as a young hero—to what extent? He could simply go out to buy groceries and encounter three or four girls who would come up to him asking for his autograph, insisting he sign their clothes.
At first, he was quite proud.
Becoming famous at a young age, shaking the Ninja World.
It was hard not to get carried away with such great prestige.
However, when the numbers grew, it became a physical chore, and just going out for a stroll, he would notice everyone around him staring at his face.
Like staring at a monkey.
Who could stand that?
Over time, he chose this empty space—in the Hokage Building, there were dedicated people responsible for delivering snacks and drinks to the Hokage Office, and Lady Tsunade and the others, annoyed that he did nothing while in the office, simply chased him to the next room, arranging for someone to bring him things and even setting up a bookshelf.
It was just like raising a mascot.
In reality, the Three Sannin were quite helpless about this.
Due to the significant discrepancy between Sawara Kiri's age and his status, it was currently unsuitable for him to serve as a department head or to be the supreme commander of a battlefront, unless the Advisor system was restarted to create a good job for him that involved little work, good pay, and was close to home. Otherwise, given his current situation, there was truly nothing for him to do.
However, Sawara Kiri himself didn't care about these small matters at all.
As long as Konoha didn't follow the old path from the original story and could continue to develop, providing him with a stable environment, then he truly didn't care what job he did—preferably no work and still getting paid.
After all, everyone understood the principle.
Labor is bullshit!
Just as he was leisurely reading, the door to the resting room was suddenly pushed open.
"Ah, I'm exhausted."
The tall Jiraiya stretched his body with effort, causing a series of crackling sounds, and with a tired look on his face, he fell onto the sofa opposite with a "thud," as if he was about to collapse.
Clearly, he was the one responsible for the Hokage Office today.
"You brat, why do you have no youthful vigor at all?"
"You're like us middle-aged people all the time."
Seeing Sawara Kiri lounging on the sofa opposite, Jiraiya felt a surge of irritation—he was practically dying of envy.
Sawara Kiri remained firmly entrenched on the sofa, completely ignoring Jiraiya's small jealousy, even chuckling with an air of entitlement:
"If getting stronger doesn't allow me to do what I want, then what's the use of me getting so strong?"
"This is called avoiding twenty years of detours, Jiraiya-sama."
He said, turning a page, and crunching on a rice cracker, reminding him:
"Also."
"If you call yourself middle-aged, be careful not to let Lady Tsunade hear you."
"She'll definitely beat you to death."
Sawara Kiri's tone was quite certain.
Jiraiya shivered at the words and immediately clasped his hands together:
"Please! Don't tell her."
"Eh? How annoying."
"Tsk."
The two of them chatted and laughed during this free time, not taking it seriously at all.
Jiraiya looked up at the young man opposite him.
To be honest, his impression of this young man was quite complex.
Ever since he was young and received guidance from the Great Toad Sage, learning that he would be the guide for the Child of Prophecy, Jiraiya had been intentionally searching for a young man who could bear the burden of the entire Ninja World.
Initially, after taking Minato as his disciple and witnessing his talent, Jiraiya was almost certain that he was the one who could change the entire Ninja World.
It wasn't until Sawara Kiri suddenly rose to fame, forcefully surpassing Minato as the first of the new generation, that he began to have some doubts about the Great Toad Sage's so-called 'prophecy'.
Later, Sawara Kiri's various deeds gradually led him to the position of the strongest in the Ninja World, further confirming to him that the Great Toad Sage's prophecy was wrong.
Clearly, the one who could change this Ninja World was not Minato, but this young man in front of him.
However, he was not led to this by Jiraiya himself.
This gave Jiraiya, who had already considered himself a supporting character in an epic hero story, a strange sense of mission unfulfilled, but at the same time, for some unexplainable reason, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
—A person's fate, perhaps, is not predetermined.
This was the change Sawara Kiri brought to him.
But now, seeing Sawara Kiri's leisurely appearance, Jiraiya witnessed another side of him besides his decisive and ruthless nature.
Jiraiya thought to himself, then felt that he was making a mountain out of a molehill.
He shook his head, sat up on the sofa again, opened a novel in his arms, picked up a pen, and frowned in deep thought as he sketched character designs based on the images he had constructed in his novel.
Unlike others' ways of relaxing.
For Jiraiya, doing what he loved was true relaxation.
However, just as he was sketching according to the novel's plot, Sawara Kiri had, at some point, stood beside him, quietly watching.
Due to the rapid development of Ninja technology, many aspects of this world's culture and art often felt disconnected.
This included Jiraiya's novels; rather than being modern novels, they were more akin to timeless masterpieces like "Kane Ping Mei" or "The Carnal Prayer Mat," possessing a subtle blend of ancient and modern styles.
Similarly, even what Jiraiya was drawing now resembled ancient ink paintings.
Sawara Kiri had endured this for a long time.
"Sigh, that's not how you draw a vixen!"
He watched for a while and immediately couldn't help himself. The vixen Jiraiya drew, to say it had no allure, would be an understatement; it was completely unarousing.
A vixen with a human body and a fox head—this was too avant-garde for the Ninja World.
Especially as an illustration for the novel's heroine.
Jiraiya was startled by the remark and immediately snapped out of his immersed state, almost falling to the ground.
Being caught drawing lewd pictures by an acquaintance—who could stand that?
"Y-y-y-you guy..."
Sawara Kiri, with a dismissive wave of his hand, sat in Jiraiya's previous spot, pulled out another sheet of paper, found a pencil, and scoffed with a master's air:
"No wonder your previous novels, despite having good plots, couldn't get published."
"Let me show you what a true master's illustration looks like!"
Jiraiya froze at the words, the embarrassed blush on his old face stiffening, and he looked at him in astonishment.
Then, he saw Sawara Kiri, with a drawing method he had never seen before, quickly sketch two lines on the paper, then glanced at the character written in his book, and his hand began to fly across the page.
It must be said that after countless Ninja trainings, Sawara Kiri's control over his body and his ability to express his imagination were both excellent.
In just a few strokes, he outlined captivating curves on the paper.
Although in this life he had no leisure time to watch various entertainment works, in his previous life, Sawara Kiri had been exposed to countless masterpieces from artists like Karyuu Kyou, Asakaze, Karen no Yado, Yukimuramaru, Mifune Seijiro, and others—imitating them now was simply effortless.
"Heh, you talk a big game, but it's nothing more than—"
Jiraiya, seeing the outline he drew, was about to mock him.
Then, his voice immediately stopped.
The rustling sound quickly faded.
As Sawara Kiri began dotting the eyes, Jiraiya remained completely still, only a faint, heavy sound of his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets and his breathing becoming ragged could be heard.
In just a moment, the final stroke on the fox tail was completed.
Sawara Kiri picked it up, shook off the excess ink, looked left and right, and then nodded with a hint of satisfaction.
Swaying fox ears, seductive eyes like silk, peaks gathered, an exquisite waist, a top-tier beauty—and that soft, fluffy big tail.
The kind that would be banned if a blurry screenshot were posted online in his home country.
Not bad.
After more than ten years, his skill had not declined.
"Look, this is what you call a fox spirit."
Sawara Kiri smiled, a little smug, then turned to look at Jiraiya beside him, and instantly froze.
Then, he saw Jiraiya standing there quietly with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed forward, as if he had been frozen in place.
Only two streams of blood continuously flowed from his nostrils, showing no sign of stopping.
A masterpiece!
"W-What happened?"
Jiraiya suddenly sucked in a breath, barely managing to hold back some of the flowing blood, which then flowed down again, but his mouth remained stubborn:
"Nothing happened."
He was so resolute and fierce that if the blood hadn't still been flowing, Sawara Kiri might have believed him.
Suddenly, Sawara Kiri felt a little regretful.
Right.
How could ancient people have seen such a scene?
Was it a bit too stimulating for him?
Sawara Kiri hesitated for a few seconds, then tentatively asked, "Then, I'll take this painting with me?"
"You must leave it!"
Jiraiya tightly gripped his brush, his eyes sparkling brightly: "Kiri-kun, you are the fated child I've been searching for!"
"Help me, I need your painting!"
"When our novel sells big, we'll split it fifty-fifty! No! Seventy-thirty!"
"Our novel will surely be famous throughout the Ninja World!"
"Imagine that scene!"
Sawara Kiri didn't know how excited Jiraiya was at that moment.
He only knew that his panel had started displaying pop-ups.
"Sawara's Book of Friends: Character 'Jiraiya' added."
"Bond Level Increased ↑"
"Jiraiya Bond Level: Zero → One"
Even a faint white halo began to appear around his head.
"Jiraiya's Inner Conflict (Shallow)"
"Details: Let's become the world's number one novelist!"
Sawara Kiri's expression instantly distorted as he looked at the old man.
You're really hopeless, you person.
Why is your shallow inner conflict so different from others'?
Just as he was thinking this, he heard footsteps from outside.
That familiar rhythm instantly made Sawara Kiri's heart tighten. He immediately stuffed the fox spirit into Jiraiya's arms, then stood up a few steps, putting distance between himself and Jiraiya.
Jiraiya looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Then, Uchiha Megumi pushed the door open and entered.
Upon entering, the girl's gaze calmly swept around the room, as if completely ignoring Jiraiya, who was sprawled on the sofa with blood all over the floor. Her gaze went straight to Sawara Kiri, and then a gentle smile appeared on her face:
"Let's go, Kiri."
"Today's patrol mission is complete."
"Y-Yes."
Sawara Kiri's expression instantly changed from a moment ago's slouching to seriousness.
Jiraiya subconsciously said, "Kiri-kun, then our co—"
"Cough."
Sawara Kiri pretended to cough, interrupting him, "Um, Jiraiya-sama, we can discuss the relevant contract later. I have something to do right now."
Only then did Megumi seem to just notice Jiraiya, who was still sprawled beside the sofa, and she looked at him with a hint of confusion.
And the blood on the floor.
The room didn't look like there had been a fight.
Was he sick?
Sawara Kiri didn't dare let her linger, and immediately pulled Megumi away.
Leaving Jiraiya alone in the room, clutching the treasure-like painting.
The cold wind blew outside the window.
Jiraiya held the world-shattering painting in his arms, silent for a long time.
Art comes from life, perhaps that's what they mean about people like Kiri-kun?
Damn it, he was so envious.
Megumi today was still dressed in her usual neat attire: a dark short shirt and shorts, with a Konoha vest over it, and her long hair tied up high behind her head, giving her a somewhat boyish look.
Because they had little time to properly meet due to the war and missions recently, and also because Konoha was gradually returning to its pre-war prosperity, Megumi thought about whether to go out for a good stroll—rather than shopping being the goal, it was more about finding more time to be alone with Kiri.
Sawara Kiri, being a free man, naturally had no objections. However, it was Megumi who always found herself too busy due to the heavy workload of the Uchiha Police Force. He heard she even threw a big tantrum at the Captain, threatening to resign, which finally got her a lighter assignment, allowing her much more free time.
However, it didn't seem so bad.
"Didn't you say you get off at five today? Why are you here so early?"
Sawara Kiri looked at the childlike joy on the girl's face, couldn't help but find it amusing, and casually asked.
"I skipped work."
Megumi stated matter-of-factly, "If it's any later, the shopping street will be very crowded."
"Hey, hey, skipping work all the time will make That Person nag, won't it?"
"Then I'll resign."
Uchiha Megumi didn't care about the meager salary from the Police Force; it wasn't as much as she'd earn from one or two A-rank missions, so why bother?
Megumi, while seemingly unremarkable when beside Sawara Kiri, with her Crimson Blade Jutsu and initial Limitless combination, along with her Three-Tomoe Sharingan, was strong enough to firmly stand in the middle of the 'Hokage' level of power—and not even at the bottom tier.
Therefore, even within the Uchiha clan, her personal opinions were highly valued.
Moreover, she also had a special connection with Sawara Kiri.
"Being too willful can make people whisper behind your back, you know."
"Just like me."
Sawara Kiri was unreasoning and bold, setting a very bad example for Megumi.
"Who's whispering behind whose back?"
Uchiha Megumi's attention, however, was drawn to another key point.
"Why are you focusing on that?" Sawara Kiri grumbled, then, as he glanced down, he seemed to notice something. "Lift your hand."
Megumi obediently raised her hand.
Then, Sawara Kiri took a tissue from his pocket and carefully wiped the edge of her fair index finger—likely stained with a bit of ink from holding the brush for too long.
"There."
However, after Sawara Kiri finished wiping, the girl still held out her hand, straight and stiff, in front of him, just looking at him.
Sawara Kiri stared at it confusedly for a few seconds before realizing, then somewhat speechlessly took her hand.
"Hehe."
"No 'hehe"..."
Although Sawara Kiri said that, Megumi still looked very pleased, with a smirk on her lips, and let him lead her as if it were only natural.
Just like this was good enough.
Uchiha Megumi liked these calm, uneventful moments where she could hold his hand.
Other people passing by in the Hokage Building were all used to it, some even giving them knowing smiles as they passed, causing Sawara Kiri to quicken his pace a bit.
Megumi, on the other hand, seemed to completely ignore the surrounding gazes, gripping his hand tightly, her smile very pleased.
"Oh, right, what were you going to do today?"
Uchiha Megumi paused, then asked strangely, "Shopping."
Sawara Kiri turned to look at her, waiting quietly for a few seconds.
Seeing that Megumi had no intention of continuing, he then asked, "Just pure shopping?"
Uchiha Megumi frowned and pondered for a while, then said, "And then eat dinner?"
Sawara Kiri realized something.
She truly had no other purpose than wanting to spend some time with him.
At times like this, it really had to be him, the reliable adult, to take charge.
Sawara Kiri scanned Megumi from head to toe and said, "You've been wearing this outfit for a long time, haven't you? Is it the same every day?"
"No."
"I have seven identical sets, I rotate them daily."
Megumi earnestly retorted.
Isn't that still the same?
Sawara Kiri thought for a moment: "Then let's go pick out some clothes for you first, then go for dessert, and have dinner out too… I'll have to tell Yuki beforehand."
Uchiha Megumi heard half of it, then suddenly tilted her head to look at him:
"Kiri, you seem very skilled."
"At planning dates."
"…"
Almost the moment those words left her mouth, Sawara Kiri felt a chill down his spine, as if Yuki was crawling on him.
He turned his head, silently looking at Megumi, and said very solemnly:
"I thought about it for three days and three nights before deciding, you know."
Megumi looked at him, her gaze a little suspicious.
How suspicious.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr