A special thank you to all my patrons:
—Cain, Jacob Mooe, HADES, Varun Madhu, Gonzalo Sumalavia, kevin Williams, KD2001, merp., Jose Carrillo, Derek M, DancingMonkey65, Joseph, Jose Sierra, AR3S, Nuro, SPabloS, Nocturnal.
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
—————————————————————
Just like the Nine-Tails Incident, the aftermath of the Konoha Collapse Plan left the village steeped in a heavy atmosphere of oppression and sorrow.
Fortunately, having experienced the Nine-Tails Incident twelve years prior, Konoha's response was swift, preventing significant harm to the villagers. The majority of the casualties were ninjas who fought against the Sand and Sound forces.
However, the giant serpents summoned by the Sound ninjas from the Ryuchi Cave destroyed numerous buildings. Without ninjutsu to aid in reconstruction, it would likely take considerable time to repair the damage.
But these losses paled in comparison to Konoha's greatest tragedy: the permanent loss of the Third Hokage.
The Five Kage are the backbone of the great ninja villages, and the death of any Kage plunges a village's morale to its lowest point.
If a new Kage isn't chosen quickly, the village risks descending into chaos.
Clients, too, would begin to doubt and distrust the village's strength.
Thus, immediately after the Konoha Collapse Plan ended and news spread throughout the Land of Fire, the Fire Daimyo dispatched envoys to meet with Konoha's Council of Elders, inquiring about candidates for the Fifth Hokage.
Of course, these were matters for later.
The following day, dark clouds loomed over Konoha, with flashes of white light flickering within the heavy layers and muffled thunder rumbling intermittently.
Rain was brewing.
At Ryūsei's home, he emerged dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt and pants.
Outside, waiting for him, were Hinata, Ino, and Sakura, all similarly clad in black attire.
Each held a bouquet of white chrysanthemums.
Gone were the usual smiles on the three girls' faces, replaced by solemn expressions.
After leaving the house, the four headed toward the venue of the memorial ceremony.
Along the way, they saw many others dressed like them—men and women, ninjas and civilians alike.
All were heading to the memorial to pay their respects to the Third Hokage and the fallen ninjas.
Boom!
As Ryūsei and the others reached the ceremony site, a flash of lightning split the sky, and torrential rain poured down, accompanied by thunder.
A curtain of rain enveloped Konoha.
After lining up to offer their white chrysanthemums, Ryūsei and the girls stood at the back of the crowd in silent tribute.
Some people wept quietly with bowed heads, while others stood expressionless.
Rain drenched everyone, making it impossible to tell whether the water on those stoic faces was rain or tears.
The mournful atmosphere weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
Even Ryūsei, who felt no personal sorrow, was affected by the somber mood, his heart growing heavy.
Thankfully, the memorial ceremony ended quickly, and Ryūsei and the others dispersed to return home.
Influenced by the atmosphere and the pouring rain, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata didn't invite Ryūsei to hang out or gather at his place.
It would likely take a few days for them to recover.
After the ceremony, the villagers began rebuilding the village. The higher-ups also discovered the situation with the Hokage Building and Tenzō, and they had been investigating the mysterious intruder ever since.
However, seeing that no critical ninjutsu scrolls were missing from the Forbidden Jutsu Library and the Scroll of Seals remained untouched, they couldn't find the mysterious figure and had to temporarily set the matter aside.
More pressing than hunting the intruder was selecting the Fifth Hokage.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado immediately sought out Jiraiya, hoping he would take up the mantle of the Fifth Hokage.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen's student and the Fourth Hokage's teacher, Jiraiya was the ideal candidate in both strength and status.
As expected, Jiraiya refused.
But in the current situation, refusal wasn't an option he could simply choose.
Faced with Koharu and Homura's insistence, Jiraiya, as in the original story, proposed a candidate better suited to succeed as the Fifth Hokage.
Hearing that Jiraiya could find Tsunade and had a way to convince her to return and assume the Hokage role, Koharu and Homura fell silent for a few seconds before nodding in agreement.
In Konoha's current state, the only person more suitable than Jiraiya to become Hokage was indeed Tsunade, the granddaughter of the First and Second Hokages.
Submitting Jiraiya and Tsunade's names to the Daimyo would undoubtedly result in Tsunade's selection.
Why? Because that was the weight of Konoha's legitimate lineage!
Thus, Jiraiya prepared to leave the village with Naruto that very day to find Tsunade.
On the same day, Ryūsei rose early, washed up, ate breakfast, and headed to Kurenai's doorstep.
Knock, knock, knock…
The sound of knocking prompted Kurenai to quickly open her door.
Seeing Ryūsei, a seemingly just-awakened Kurenai yawned and said, "Oh, it's Ryūsei. Come in!"
She turned and walked toward the living room.
However, she didn't notice Ryūsei behind her, rubbing his nose with a hint of embarrassment.
He couldn't help it—Kurenai truly didn't treat him like an outsider.
Perhaps because she'd just woken up, Kurenai wore only a red camisole nightgown. Her shoulders, collarbone, and delicate back were exposed, and the hem barely covered her hips. Her ivory-white legs were like magnets, irresistibly drawing attention.
"Right…"
Ryūsei closed the door, changed into guest slippers at the entrance, and sat on the living room sofa. Watching Kurenai's figure in the kitchen, he coughed lightly to remind her, "Teacher Kurenai, isn't it a bit inappropriate to wear that in front of a guy?"
"Ha! Since when did a twelve-year-old kid become a 'guy'?"
Kurenai came out with a glass of milk, deliberately waving it in front of Ryūsei as she teased, "Besides, have you forgotten what they call our Team 8? When you're twenty and can drink with your teacher, then you can say that! For now, drink your milk, kid."
Seeing Ryūsei's forehead lined with exasperation, Kurenai chuckled and headed to the bathroom to wash up and change.
Ryūsei's lips twitched.
Though his height was close to Kurenai's—only a few centimeters shorter than her in heels—his age was an undeniable hurdle, leaving him no room to argue.
Picking up the milk, Ryūsei took a sip.
For someone who drank milk daily to grow taller, this was the first time he found it annoying.
"So, what's up? Coming to see your teacher this early—what's on your mind?"
Kurenai soon finished washing up, changed into her usual ninja attire, and poured herself a glass of milk. Sitting across from Ryūsei, she asked.
Ryūsei straightened up, his tone serious. "I came today to ask you to be a recommender, to help someone join Konoha."
Kurenai's expression turned serious. She looked at Ryūsei and asked, "Someone you met during the Chunin Exams from another village?"
"Yes."
Ryūsei nodded, explaining Karin's background. "She's a genin from the Hidden Grass Village I met during the second exam. She's a descendant of the Uzumaki clan."
"A descendant of the Uzumaki clan? Are you sure?" Kurenai's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Ryūsei.
"It's true. I did well in history class. The books say the Uzumaki clan was an ally of Konoha during both the Warring States period and the ninja village era, distant relatives of the Senju clan."
Ryūsei spoke confidently. "I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when I saw her. When I saved her, she was unconscious. While treating her, I noticed her arms were covered in bite marks of various shapes and sizes—a hallmark of the Uzumaki clan's unique healing ability."
"Does she have red hair?"
"Yes."
"Then there's a high chance she's indeed an Uzumaki descendant."
Kurenai nodded, then cautioned, "I can be her recommender, but I need to remind you: anyone wishing to join Konoha must undergo interrogation by the Intelligence Division. This is to prevent enemy spies from infiltrating, and even an Uzumaki descendant is no exception."
"I understand, and she's agreed to it."
"Sounds like you've been in touch with her often. Is she in Konoha now?"
"No, she's in Tanzaku Town in the Land of Fire."
Ryūsei shook his head, explaining honestly, "The Hidden Grass Village treated her like a medical tool, and her participation in the Chunin Exams was no different. After discovering she was an Uzumaki descendant and learning about her past, I secretly helped her escape Konoha and told her to wait for me in Tanzaku Town to avoid diplomatic issues for the village."
"Well done. That was a smart decision."
Kurenai didn't reprimand Ryūsei for acting on his own; instead, she approved and praised his judgment.
Diplomatic incidents were beyond the authority of ninjas like them.
Discovering an Uzumaki descendant outside the village was a different matter entirely.
As allies of the Uzumaki clan, Konoha had a responsibility to aid their descendants.
If they could confirm she was truly an Uzumaki descendant and she passed the Intelligence Division's scrutiny, bringing her back would be a meritorious deed.
"So, you came today to ask me to go with you to find her?" Kurenai asked.
"Yes. As a genin, it's hard for me to get a permit to leave the village."
"Come on, you seem pretty close to her. I bet you've been sneaking out this past month," Kurenai teased, giving Ryūsei a playful look. "Your Phantom Body Flicker Technique—wasn't it honed that way?"
"Phantom Body Flicker Technique?" Ryūsei feigned confusion.
"You know, the move you used to beat Shikamaru."
"Oh, that one? It's just a special Body Flicker combining the Shadow Clone Technique you taught me with the Lightning Chakra Stimulation Method."
"I almost believed you. Last time, you said Black Hoe Thunder Fang was immobilized by your Temporary Paralysis Genjutsu, but when I said I'd bring back his head, you panicked," Kurenai said, smirking as if daring him to keep spinning tales.
"Uh…"
Seeing Ryūsei at a loss for words, Kurenai burst out laughing. "Alright, alright. I know you've got some family secrets and hidden techniques. It's good for a ninja to be cautious about revealing their abilities."
"Heh, then I'll trouble you to come with me, Teacher Kurenai," Ryūsei said, scratching his head with a grin, choosing not to clarify her misunderstanding.
"Sure. There aren't any missions right now anyway. It'll be nice to get out and clear my head."
Kurenai stood, her eyes brimming with anticipation.