Jiraiya, who was in the middle of sealing Amaterasu, glanced at him in surprise. "How did you know?"
Aoki Yoru recounted what had happened in Konoha, and finally emphasized what Kakashi had said—Itachi's target was the Nine-Tailed.
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya wore a serious expression. He had already guessed it before, but he didn't expect the Akatsuki Organization to start acting so soon, especially when Naruto hadn't grown up yet.
'It seems I need to accelerate Naruto's growth,' Jiraiya couldn't help but think.
Aoki Yoru then stepped forward and hoisted the unconscious Sasuke from the ground onto his back. "Then I'll take Sasuke back first."
"Do you want to come with us? If we find Tsunade, Sasuke will be healed very soon," Jiraiya asked, looking at Aoki Yoru. He still wanted to discuss the plot more with Aoki Yoru.
Hearing this, Aoki Yoru shook his head. "No, we don't even know where Lady Tsunade is. I'd better take Sasuke back for treatment first."
That woman Tsunade was a walking collection of trouble herself. This time, Orochimaru would also go to find her, and who knows what tricks Orochimaru had prepared.
That guy Orochimaru—even Aoki Yoru, who had read the original work, couldn't see through him. The last time Orochimaru retreated, it was because he hadn't taken Aoki Yoru seriously, treating him as an ordinary genius. If they met again, it wouldn't necessarily be the same.
After bidding farewell to the two, Aoki Yoru carried Sasuke on his back and dashed toward Konoha.
Five days later.
The previously quiet Konoha suddenly became lively. Tsunade, one of the Sannin, had returned to the Village to succeed as the Fifth Hokage.
Konoha instantly turned into a frenzy of excitement, with men, women, and children gathering on the streets to discuss the news.
As the granddaughter of the First Hokage and the number one medical Ninja in the Ninja World, Tsunade's popularity and prestige had reached their peak, both among Ninja and civilians alike.
Countless people flocked to the Hokage Building in groups, just to witness the inauguration of the Fifth Hokage with their own eyes. The streets were filled with cheers and anticipation.
The four members of Team 6, where Aoki Yoru belonged, were rarely tasked together, and they were responsible for security during the inauguration ceremony.
Although it was unlikely that anyone would be foolish enough to come to Konoha to cause trouble, if there were any slip-ups during the ceremony, Konoha would become a laughingstock in the Ninja World. Who knew if the Land of Lightning or the Land of Earth would think Konoha was weak again and try to take a bite.
At this moment, Tsunade slowly walked out from backstage and stood on the high platform in front of the Hokage Building.
She wore the Hokage hat, standing tall and straight like a pine, her gaze sweeping over the boiling crowd below.
The once-noisy square instantly quieted down. All eyes were focused on her, waiting for the inauguration declaration of the Fifth Hokage.
Tsunade raised her hand and took off her hat. Her long golden hair cascaded down with the movement, and with one hand on her hip, her aura was fully unleashed.
"From today on, I will govern Konoha Village!"
As her voice fell, the entire square paused for a moment before erupting into deafening cheers.
After Tsunade succeeded as the Fifth Hokage, Konoha began a brand new chapter.
...
"It really is better to have some peace."
Aoki Yoru strolled down the street, watching the bustling commercial district, and couldn't help but sigh.
Too many things had happened during this period, leaving him a bit physically and mentally exhausted. Now, he could finally relax and come out for a stroll.
If he remembered correctly, there wouldn't be any major events for the next two years, so he could take some time to properly think about the path to the Six Paths level.
"Huh?"
Aoki Yoru suddenly stopped. He saw three figures that shouldn't have appeared there; Gaara and his two siblings were actually shopping together.
"Released already? It seems they've reached a preliminary agreement. That was fast."
Unlike the original work, this time the three siblings hadn't escaped and had been captured together.
During the Chunin Exams, although Naruto was injured and fell unconscious, his Uzumaki Clan constitution, combined with the Nine-Tailed Chakra and Jiei's timely treatment, allowed him to recover quickly.
Moreover, this time, Neji, whose strength had greatly increased, joined the pursuit of the three siblings, so they were quickly captured.
In the original work, Baki was there to support them, but this time, Baki had long been locked up in the Anbu.
Suddenly, Temari in the distance saw him and revealed a surprised expression, immediately pulling Gaara over.
This left Aoki Yoru confused. Shouldn't they show hatred when seeing him? Why was there a surprised expression? Did they discover in the last few days that he and they were long-lost relatives?
"Jonin Aoki, hello. Our Hidden Sand Village has reached a preliminary agreement with Konoha, and we are now free to move around in Konoha."
Temari said something that confused Aoki Yoru right from the start. What did that have to do with him?
Seeming to notice his confusion, Temari spoke directly: "I would like to ask you to add a seal to Gaara's stomach, just like last time."
"Huh? What did you say?"
Aoki Yoru suspected he had misheard. Had they been locked up for so long that it caused problems?
"Ever since Gaara fell unconscious last time, he slept for three whole days and nights. It was the first time I'd seen him sleep so soundly. After waking up, his spirits were much better, and he wasn't as irritable. However, as the Sealing Technique lost its effectiveness, Ichibi began to harass Gaara again."
Temari looked at Gaara with heartache. "The Sealing Technique of our Hidden Sand Village is too poor. Once Gaara falls asleep, its consciousness will erode or even replace Gaara, causing the seal to loosen, or even the Tailed Beast to go berserk."
"In order not to let Shukaku lose control, Gaara is forced to stay awake for long periods. The long-term inability to sleep has made Gaara become withdrawn and bloodthirsty, relying on killing to prove himself."
For Gaara's sake, Temari revealed what could be considered the Village's top-secret information.
As Gaara's older sister, after her mother passed away, she took on the responsibility of taking care of Gaara, watching with her own eyes as Gaara walked step by step into the abyss.
This time, after Gaara was defeated by Uzumaki Naruto, for some reason, his mental state became very stable and no longer so bloodthirsty.
But she could tell that Gaara was desperately suppressing himself.
Therefore, seeing Aoki Yoru, she immediately asked him for help, at least to let Gaara have a good sleep.
At this moment, she was even a little envious of Konoha's foundation. A Sealing Technique from a random Jonin could make Shukaku quiet down for a few days, something they couldn't do even by gathering the strength of their entire Village.
"Please, I beg you to help Gaara." At this moment, Gaara, the person involved, also stepped forward and bowed, requesting: "Please help me."
Aoki Yoru looked at Gaara, whose eyes were clear and expression calm—it was a world of difference from before—and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
'As expected of the strongest genjutsu in the original work—Talk no Jutsu, it could actually make Gaara change so much.'
"Sure, right here?"
Aoki Yoru agreed. Anyway, the two sides would be allies later, so it was just a small favor.
Hearing this, the three siblings all showed surprised smiles. Temari immediately said: "Right here."
To avoid any complications, they decided to do it now, for fear of any unforeseen changes.
Aoki Yoru nodded upon hearing this, his five fingers emitting Chakra as he pressed them hard onto Gaara's lower abdomen.
"Five Elements Seal."
"It's you again, you bastard! I will definitely kill you!" Shukaku inside Gaara's body roared in impotent rage.
After Shukaku was briefly sealed, Gaara instantly felt sleepiness wash over him and collapsed. Kankuro immediately caught him.
"Thank you very much, we are deeply grateful." The two thanked him profusely and left with Gaara.