[ Konoha - Senju Estate ]
*BAM* *Swish* *BAM BAM*
Combat noises filled the forested private training ground of the Senju clan. On one side, the world-renowned Sannin and granddaughter of the first Hokage, Tsunade dashed around with power accompanying every move while trying to punch a hole through her opponent.
To her dismay, said opponent, Hatake Sumoku seemed to dodge or redirect before any damage could be dealt. The wispy trails of leftover smoke as he flickered away repeatedly only added further frustration to his assailant.
"Where's your respect for your Sensei, brat?! A good student would let me get a few hits in!" Tsunade roared with faux anger that contrasted her feral grin, clearly enjoying this long-overdue private 'lesson' with her pupil.
"Jeez, Sensei. Is there any way we could simply talk this out? You wouldn't want to hurt such an important figure in Konoha, would you?" Sumoku replied unhurriedly as he continued dodging the assault with precision and grace.
"Nonsense! I can just fix you up if you get hurt, so quit whining! I still haven't paid you back for interrupting my fun at the casino." The pleas for peace fell on Tsunade's deaf ears as she rocketed forward without remorse.
Sitting on the porch watching this whole display were multiple important figures in Konoha's future and current history. Kushina, Mikoto, Shizune, Itachi, and even baby Sasuke and Naruto were present. Despite the intense chase scene happening just a few feet away, they appeared unbothered while enjoying a picnic.
"Are you serious? Minato wants seven kids?? I know we're ninja, but even I hesitate to think about going through that…" Mikoto replied to her best friend with a complicated look on her face.
"Well… we only decided on seven after he talked me down from 15…" Kushina blushed while sharing her own thoughts, all the while Kurama within her snorted in disdain.
Itachi and Shizune sat to their left, each playing with a baby in their laps. Naruto and Sasuke, though still babies, already seemed to have some sort of rivalry going on. Sasuke would babble and reach his hands towards his brother, trying to get him to smile. When Itachi gladly gave him the attention, baby Sasuke sent a contemptuous look.
Not one to be defeated so easily, baby Naruto turned his attention to Shizune who was looking elsewhere while blushing to herself after catching bits and pieces of Kushina and Mikoto's conversation. The baby babbles and flailing of the little one in her arms grabbed her attention, causing her to coo and hug the child adoringly.
"Alright, let's stop here, Sensei. I seriously can't believe you consider this performance level unsatisfactory." Sumoku was panting, yet untouched. The game of cat and mouse that caused craters to cover the training ground was finally over and he could breathe normally again.
"*Tch* Stop acting clueless all the time, it makes you ugly. Minato-kun and Kushina-chan already have a kid, and yet you're still a single dog? How embarrassing for me as your Sensei!" Tsunade rolled her shoulders lightly, testing her body's reactions after sustained taijutsu sparring.
"Hey! I'm still only 24, I have plenty of time! And how the hell am I gonna raise a kid when I already have to handle so many responsibilities?!" Sumoku was indignant. His sensei always seemed to like poking fun at his relationship status for some reason. He, of course, never retaliated in kind. That would be a one-way ticket to meeting the Shinigami…
"Excuses, excuses. Just admit it, you have more 'particular' tastes, don't you? That's why I never see you with a girl around your arm, isn't it?" Tsunade grinned mischievously while patting his shoulder 'understandingly' before walking towards the porch.
"Ew. Go have your BL fantasies somewhere else. And they call Jiraiya the pervert…" The last sentence was muttered at such a low frequency that even dogs would go undisturbed.
"And you even leave the repairs to me… What an unreliable sensei…" Sumoku quickly smoothed over the craters that littered the ground with earth-release before joining the group on the porch.
"She's right, you know. It's about time you thought about settling down, Sumoku-san. You can't leave poor Kakashi to shoulder the burden of revitalizing your clan, you know." Mikoto commented as he approached, receiving nods of agreement from every woman present.
"I'm happy to see that my love life is such a hot topic these days… If I'm gonna marry anybody, they gotta be attractive AND strong. Hmm, and they should definitely be caring and considerate…" Sumoku pulled out a joint from his tin, taking a mindful distance from the children playing to the side as he spoke.
"Great, now he's increasing his standards. At this rate he's gonna end up just like Second Grandpa. Ladies, please do me a favor and introduce this dumbass to some of your friends." Tsunade laughed openly while uncorking a sake gourd.
"Well, this session is over for today, so I really should be heading out to deal with important matters. Itachi, keep working on your nature transformation while I'm gone. I'll meet up with you later to keep working on the project, Sensei. Kushina, Mikoto, Shizune, a pleasure as always." Sumoku delivered his farewells then flickered away, leaving a trail of smoke as he desperately escaped the 'attack' on his personal life.
Later, in the Hokage's office.
"Reporting. Project Psychotherapy is progressing on schedule. I estimate that the initial setup phase will be complete within the month at this rate. Once the medical team completes their training, the hospital should be ready to receive psychological patients." Sumoku dutifully reported the progress of countless new projects that had been initiated this year.
Project Psychotherapy was initially just a case study on the adverse effects of trauma on the ninja psyche and performance. It was only thanks to Sumoku and Minato's dedication to improving the quality of life for Konoha shinobi that this project came to fruition.
Aside from Project Psychotherapy, there were many more projects being worked on. For example, Project GreenGrass, or as Sumoku liked to call it, Project Hash-irama (patent pending).
"...Finally, there has been moderate success on Project GreenGrass. A low-purity product has been successfully produced that exclusively exhibits beneficial properties after extensive testing. The report before you provides more specific details and annotations by Orochimaru-sama."
"Excellent. These results so far are promising. Shikaku, what are your thoughts on our progress?" Minato looked to his Jonin Commander and left-hand man for his opinion.
"*sigh* The reports already say it all. Progress on all fronts is promising, but we shouldn't be too hasty. We need to prepare for proper integration with these programs in order to reduce any pushback from the older generation later down the line. I would start spreading rumors about Lady Tsunade's return at this stage. That way we can garner extra support for the medical reforms right away." Shikaku retained his constant expression of tiredness and boredom as he shared his thoughts.
"Mm. Good thinking. Sumoku, I'll trouble you to inform Lady Tsunade about the plan. For now, let's discuss the next generation. How are the recruits faring under your watch?" The Fourth Hokage leaned back in his chair, ready to listen with a focused expression that meant business.
"Their talent is definitely special, that's for sure. With the rate that I'm teaching them, I can guarantee that they will all reach Special-Jonin level by the start of Spring. Some of these kids might even reach Jonin if they push themselves. Two of them even remind me a bit of myself, funny enough. All in all, it's a promising group." Sumoku replied truthfully, though his tone was amused.
"Having more capable comrades is always a good thing. Good work, Sumoku. The last thing I wanted to review with you two was the upcoming Chunin exams. This is extremely important for our relations with Kumo, so we need to send a strong team we can trust to ensure everything proceeds smoothly. Any recommendations?"
"If you're looking for a strong Genin, I'd recommend Itachi. He already exhibits Elite Chunin-level abilities and discernment, his only limiting factor being size due to age. That shouldn't be a problem, though, when facing opponents below his level." As Itachi's private tutor, Sumoku knew better than most how absurd his talent was. The kid is barely eight years old!
"Noted. I'll include him in the 15-man delegation, then. I'll have Kakashi serve as the delegation leader, unmasked, of course. We still need to flex our strength while we're there after all." Minato calculated the political weight of it all, aiming to show off Konoha's strength without damaging newly established foreign relations with Kumo.
"I'll have an ANBU squad perform a discreet sweep of the towns surrounding Kumo while their attention is on the chunin exams. I suspect the cult will also make another move at that time. Unless these cultists are masters of stealth, we'll eventually uncover their whereabouts." Sumoku's eyes were sharp and cold despite his smile as he concluded.
Another hour passed in the Hokage's office as the three leaders discussed various topics involving the village's development. Shikaku only commented occasionally as Sumoku and Minato reviewed their plans meticulously.
"Well, that should be everything." Minato stretched his entire upper body as he leaned back in the tall chair supporting him. The work of a Hokage was truly demanding on his mental energy.
"Then I'll be off, Hokage-sama." Shikaku took the opportunity to leave and ran with it, literally.
Sumoku remained in the office with Minato, pulling puffs from the joint that somehow appeared in his hand the moment the meeting ended. The sun in the sky was just beginning its descent, still shining brightly.
"Guess that means I should head back, too." He lifted himself up from leaning on the desk before pausing slightly as if remembering something. "Oh right, I almost forgot."
His hands went through familiar motions as he performed the Summoning Jutsu. In a puff of smoke, Sati appeared elegantly. Her demeanor resembled that of a noble woman.
"My, I was worried you had forgotten, Sumoku-san." Despite her elegant tone and demeanor, Sati's tail wagged incessantly, betraying her joy at being summoned.
"Sorry, Sati! Got caught up with work and it slipped my mind 'til now. Minato is currently over there daydreaming about his family or something." He lazily pointed his thumb behind him, where Minato sat in a post-work daze.
"Hokage-sama. A pleasure, as always." Sati redirected her attention to the young Hokage who finally returned from dreamland.
"How are you, Sati-san? Was there something you needed from me?" Although familiar with Sumoku's summons, Minato never truly had an extended conversation with them.
"Yes, Hokage-sama. My father has sensed space distortions repeatedly near our old clan grounds. He suspects that an enemy is looking for our home with malicious intentions. We, the smoke wolf clan, request that you investigate the disturbances personally. We would handle the situation ourselves, but father insisted on asking for your help specifically." Sati recounted.
"Of course, we intend to compensate you as best we can should you take on this task. Father has approved it, personally." She bowed her head.
"Spatial disturbances near the Land of Rain? I can see why Saturn-san is concerned. Disturbances of that caliber are usually accompanied by powerful figures. Understood, I will gladly spare some time to assist the smoke wolf clan." Minato replied with his usual smile. His thoughts raced as he tried to decipher the source.
'Aside from the Flying Thunder God, the only other known jutsu capable of creating such distortions comes from Kumo… But why would they suddenly show such interest in a summoning clan? And would they really spend such resources on them? Unless?!'
"Minato, I have suspicions that this may be connected to our recent masked intruder. Think about it – why would Kumo waste their resources on teleporting to the Land of Rain?" Sumoku commented from the side, subtly hinting at the answer he was already confident in.
"Mm. I was thinking the same. That just increases the urgency of this request even further, then. *sigh* Go get Shikaku back here and send out the summons for a non-emergency jonin council. We need to spread this intel and caution anyone taking missions around the Land of Rain." Minato felt a headache coming. This feeling had become too familiar in his time as Hokage.
"Heh, he's gonna have such a stink face when I show up at his door." Sumoku saluted lazily before flickering away to handle the task.
In less than 20 minutes, the council room was filled with all available jonin. The tension in the room was much lighter compared to a week prior. Casual conversations were exchanged amongst the ninja.
"I'm telling you, Choza, this is incredible stuff! I smoked one yesterday and it felt like I finally broke through that bottleneck that's been annoying me for seven months! You seriously should place an order for your clan. It's miraculous how varied the effects are." Inoichi chatted excitedly as he described his experience to his friend.
"Hmm, maybe I should take a look when I'm free." Choza said while munching on a bag of fried pork skin.
The room suddenly quieted down as the village's leadership stepped in. Minato, Phoenix, and Shikaku took their respective positions. Shikaku looked particularly serious, making Inoichi and Choza slightly startled. This was a non-emergency meeting, wasn't it?
"We have new intel on the intruder. Space distortions have been reported in the Land of Rain, close to the border. Starting today, all missions taken near the reported area must include one Jonin, no exceptions. Should anyone encounter the masked suspect, you are to retreat immediately and report it to the Hokage." Shikaku's lazy voice didn't shake the room, but it shook the Jonin themselves.
"An investigation and search squad has already been deployed to the reported area. The suspect has officially been given an SS-rank in the bingo book, as well." Phoenix added.
"I hope that you all take this matter seriously. We have already lost too many shinobi to this unidentified missing-nin. Aside from that… Jonin instructor positions will need to be filled out soon, as the academy's graduation is approaching. Are there any volunteers?" Minato asked while sweeping his gaze across the room.
Jonin instructor… While the prospect of guiding Konoha's next generation sounded nice and honorable, the truth was that any Jonin that takes the position would have to put a hold on taking their own missions. You couldn't leave for months at a time to take on A-rank missions while simultaneously babysitting fresh Genin, after all.
The only hands raised at the moment were predictable. One belonged to Shinku Yuhi, the ever-reliable Genjutsu master. The other belonged to a recently promoted Jonin with an eye-catching bowl-cut and green training gear, Might Guy.
"Thank you for your contributions, as always, Shinku-san. Guy… you still aren't ready to take on any students at the moment, but I appreciate the sentiment." Minato sweatdropped at the excitable young man who seemed downcast at his words.
"*ahem* Seeing as we only have one volunteer, I will have to select the remaining instructors personally. This meeting is over. You may return to your duties." Minato concluded it quickly, leaving no room for discussion on the matter.
The familiar scene of countless flickers occurred, emptying the room completely within a minute. Shikaku was ironically the first to leave.
"I should head home, too. Kushina and Naruto are probably missing me." Minato smiled grandly as he envisioned his family.
"Guess I'll head home, too, then. Kakashi is probably still training with that short sword like a fanatic… That kid seriously needs a girlfriend." Sumoku said offhandedly, receiving a perplexing look from Minato in return.
"What?" Sumoku replied suspiciously.
"...nothing. See you later!" Minato disappeared using his FTG.
"That bastard was making fun of me wasn't he!"