Shindai and Pakura followed Orochimaru into the Hokage's office inside the Hokage Building.
Sarutobi Hiruzen grinned so broadly upon seeing Pakura behind Shindai that it seemed like his smile would never fade.
Pakura awkwardly greeted him first, "Hokage-sama."
"Welcome! It's wonderful to have you here, Pakura. On behalf of Konoha, I warmly welcome your joining us!"
Privately, Sarutobi felt delighted—Shindai had joined earlier, and now Pakura had come too. This meant Konoha had gained two powerful bloodline limits, known as Kekkei Genkai!
Unable to hold back any longer, Shindai reminded him, "Hokage-sama, maybe rein in your gums a bit. This damages your glorious image as Hokage."
Immediately, Sarutobi shut his mouth, instinctively licking his gums.
So I did show my gums just now? The sensation felt cool and refreshing—it must've been visible.
Boy, couldn't you just quietly tell me instead of blurting it out loud? Now I look even worse in front of our guest!
"Cough!" Sarutobi coughed once, then said, "Pakura, let me explain the process for joining Konoha. As a ninja, you'll need a guarantor to sponsor your entry. I believe Shindai would be more than happy to vouch for you, considering he's your fiancé…"
"Ahh-cough-cough-cough!"
Shindai suddenly erupted into violent coughing, interrupting Sarutobi while winking frantically at him with exaggerated facial expressions.
Surprised, Sarutobi asked, "What's wrong, Shindai? Did you catch a cold?"
Fiancé?! What fiancé?
Realization dawned on Pakura—she nearly forgot about this; back then, Orochimaru also called her Shindai's fiancée.
Pakura fixed Shindai with an intense, scrutinizing gaze.
Quickly, Shindai improvised, "Don't misunderstand, Pakura. The word 'fiancé' here isn't what you think. In Konoha, these terms simply mean close friends!"
Confused, Sarutobi asked, "What are you talking about, Shindai? How could that possibly mean such a thing?"
Again, Shindai shot frantic winks at Sarutobi, distorting his face trying to signal him to keep quiet.
Why doesn't this 'old fart' get it?!
Pakura had intended to stay calm—after all, she didn't want to lose her composure in front of Konoha's highest leader, Sarutobi Hiruzen. But Shindai was really pushing it too far now.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" she snapped. "Hokage-sama, please tell me exactly what he said."
Sarutobi spilled everything immediately: "Earlier, Shindai told me the two of you were [Childhood Promise to Marry]. That makes you his fiancée. He also claimed he always keeps his word and has very high household authority at home."
Pakura fixed Shindai—who was now drenched in sweat—with a mocking smirk: "Oh? Childhood lovers? Promised marriage? And I'm your fiancée?"
Meanwhile, Sarutobi watched both Shindai and Pakura with a gleam of unmistakable curiosity in his eyes.
Actually, when Shindai mentioned "trusted allies," Hiruzen Sarutobi had already guessed the truth.
What he said afterward was intentional on his part.
Why did Shindai bring up topics like a man's dominance and household authority before? It made him a bit jealous. When he tried to show who's boss at home, it ended in tragedy.
Shindai used his signature technique—changing the subject.
"These things aren't important at all, Hokage-sama. Since I'm vouching for her, can Pakura get her identification right away?"
Hiruzen asked, "Pakura, do you want to join Konoha as a villager or as a ninja? If you choose to be a ninja, you'll need to complete a certain number of missions before becoming a full-fledged Konoha ninja. If you choose villager status, after living here three years without any misconduct records, you may also apply to become a ninja."
Pakura replied, "I'll join as a villager. I'm just too tired to become a ninja right now."
Having been betrayed before, Pakura still felt deeply hurt. And if it weren't for Shindai, she wouldn't have joined Konoha at all—so just being a villager was fine.
Shindai frowned, "Wait, that doesn't make sense! Why did I originally have to earn special merits before someone could vouch for me joining Konoha?"
Hiruzen explained, "Because back then we were in wartime. Now though, the daimyos of the Five Great Nations are discussing ending this war, so our policies can be slightly more lenient. I've already made arrangements beforehand—you just need to take Pakura directly to get her documentation later.
Take some time to show Pakura around Konoha. As for where to stay..."
"I can live at Shindai's house. There's no need to arrange separate housing for me," Pakura immediately said.
Shindai tugged Pakura's arm slightly and whispered, "Hey, are you crazy? Don't you realize how good it is to get free housing—even if you don't use it? Why not take it?"
Quickly, Shindai turned toward Hiruzen and said, "Hokage-sama, Pakura was just joking earlier. She definitely wants the house!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi curled the corner of his mouth. This kid really was tightfisted.
Just a house—giving someone like Pakura a place to stay was worth every penny to keep her in Konoha.
"All right," Hiruzen continued. "We'll handle your housing well, Pakura. You can live anywhere you'd like. Shindai, you won't be receiving any missions recently—you should accompany Pakura and help her become familiar with Konoha. Okay, you two can go collect her identification now. Considering Pakura has injuries, once the paperwork is done, head directly to the ninja hospital for treatment."
When Shindai was about to lead Pakura away, suddenly remembering something, he stretched out his hand toward the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, Orochimaru-sama previously said you'd treat me and Pakura to barbecue. Give me the money now."
Hiruzen looked confusedly at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru kept staring silently at the floor. His forehead already had one pulsing vein—but now several more bulged.
Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly had just told Shindai to ask the Hokage to treat them to barbecue, not that he himself had asked the Hokage to do so.
Shindai phrased it in a way that made it sound like he couldn't afford to treat everyone to barbecue.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took out his wallet and handed several bills to Shindai. "Is this enough?"
Shindai counted the money, then shook his head. "Not quite. Barbecue is pretty expensive, and Pakura and I eat quite a lot."
Pakura tugged at Shindai's coat in irritation.
Pakura felt uneasy now. What did he mean by "Pakura and I eat quite a lot"? It was entirely because of Shindai!
She had just arrived in Konoha and this was her first time meeting the Hokage. She wanted to leave a good impression. Now, perhaps the Hokage would think of her as someone who "eats a lot."
Still…this Hokage seemed genuinely different from Sunagakure's Kazekage—it was true, he was approachable.
Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out several more bills and stuffed them into Shindai's hand. "How about this?"
With a bright smile, Shindai shoved the cash into his pocket. "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Cheerfully, Shindai took Pakura by the hand and headed off to get their identification papers. After picking them up, he planned to take Pakura to the ninja hospital.
Now, only Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru remained in the office. They exchanged glances, and silence settled between them.
After a moment of quiet, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke first: "Orochimaru…have you been short on money lately?"
Orochimaru immediately frowned. "No, I'm not short on money!"
Letting out a quiet sigh, Orochimaru turned serious and said to Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Sarutobi-sensei, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
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