The New Year Festival was clearly approaching, but Konoha was currently in a state of devastation. Fortunately, by the time Hiruzen Sarutobi rushed back, everything had settled down.
Many Chunin and Genin were clearing away collapsed houses and buildings, working with Medical Ninja to treat the villagers.
Kurenai Yuhi didn't know Medical Ninjutsu, but she knew some basic battlefield first aid, so she was helping the Medical Squad arrange and treat the wounded.
At this moment, Anko arrived in a huff.
"Kurenai, where is Orochimaru?"
"He's gone."
Kurenai Yuhi replied.
Afterward, she said somewhat helplessly, "Even if you were here, it would have been useless. I suspect the one who came wasn't Orochimaru's main body at all."
"Damn it!"
Anko struck a nearby lamppost with her fist, and the lamppost immediately made a creaking sound, startling everyone.
Kurenai quickly tried to dissuade her: "This area just suffered damage, and things are quite fragile. You should take it easy..."
"Sorry, sorry!"
Anko immediately apologized to everyone.
The Ninjas of the Medical Squad all knew that Anko had such a brash personality, so they weren't angry.
Anko restrained herself quite a bit, but her mood was low, feeling that this mission's timing was truly unfortunate.
She wanted to find Orochimaru so badly!
As a result...
The other party appeared twice, and neither time had anything to do with her.
"Argh! I'll go report to the Hokage Building first. I'll come back to help after I've finished checking in from my mission."
"Don't bother coming back here. Go help clear the collapsed houses; that's better than following me around."
Kurenai Yuhi was blunt.
Anko rolled her eyes, having no time for anything else, and quickly rushed toward the Hokage Building... The Hokage Building.
Kakashi issued several orders in succession and immediately handled various reports from the Village; his head was spinning.
In just a short half-hour, he already felt like retiring.
"Kakashi..."
"Shikaku-senpai, you're finally free! Quick, quick, quick!"
Kakashi clutched his head, looking like he had a splitting headache. "I'm exhausted. You come and take over!"
"On my end... I still need to coordinate the distribution of medicine. Forget it, I'll handle the coordination at the hospital."
Shikaku had originally come to ask for help, but seeing Kakashi's haggard face, he couldn't bear it and volunteered to take on the task.
Kakashi sat down weakly, propping up his head as he processed documents.
But as he wrote... he glanced out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but pause.
The Hokage Hat was hanging on the wall; seeing it, the figures of several people flashed through Kakashi's mind.
"Sensei, Obito..."
This Hokage seat is truly not easy to sit in!
Kakashi picked up the documents and continued reading, processing, and dispatching them.
He was only in his twenties and still didn't know how to solve many things; after much thought, he set them aside for now.
While he was working hard... "Hokage-sama!"
Even through the window, he could still hear the loud cheers.
Lord Third has returned!
Kakashi's heart also grew lighter, and just as he was about to get up to greet him, the outer door was opened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi entered from outside, bringing Yagyū Masahiko with him.
"Kakashi, how is it going?"
"Hokage-sama... there are many things I really don't know how to handle. Perhaps it's better if you..."
Kakashi pointed at the stack of documents he hadn't dared to approve, looking embarrassed.
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked them up, flipped through them quickly, then picked up a few that had been reviewed and looked at them; the smile on his face grew even brighter.
"Leave the ones you don't know for now."
"But..."
Kakashi wanted to say more.
At this time, Masahiko interjected, "Senpai, if you're tired, you can rest for a while and then work on it slowly. Maybe you'll have plenty of time to adapt in the future."
"..."
Kakashi was stunned for a moment.
Is this... still a long-term mission?
He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his gaze filled with inquiry.
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed lightly and said:
"Didn't I say before that I planned to have you leave the Anbu? It just so happens that I'm old, so you will assist me in handling some work to ease my pressure."
"Ah?"
Kakashi finally lost his composure.
"Congratulations, Senpai!"
Masahiko looked sincere.
Kakashi's mouth twitched slightly as he said, "How about you do it instead? I think you're very suitable."
"I have other tasks and cannot share Senpai's workload."
Masahiko smiled.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded gently, rubbed his brow tiredly, and said, "Let's go to the meeting room. Leave this place to Kakashi."
"Yes!"
...Meeting room.
After Masahiko closed the door, only Masahiko and Hiruzen Sarutobi were in the room.
Hiruzen Sarutobi set up a barrier before sighing lightly, "The matter with Danzo was truly unexpected... and Orochimaru..."
He recalled carefully and couldn't help but sigh, "Thinking about it now, Orochimaru's defection back then was likely inseparable from Danzo."
"Are you talking about his hand?"
Masahiko adopted a pensive posture.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and said, "That hand... is a taboo within the Village. Only a small number of people participated in that forbidden research."
"Those are Sharingan on his arm, right? Is there any use for so many Sharingan?"
Masahiko asked.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a moment and said, "Izanagi, a forbidden genjutsu that can reverse life and death. Danzo has resorted to any means necessary for power!"
He looked at Masahiko.
"I do intend to hand Root over to you, but just as you said before... Konoha needs Root, but Root also needs nutrition and needs Konoha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said very seriously, "I don't want you to become a second Danzo."
"Please rest assured, I am not interested in Forbidden Techniques."
Masahiko answered.
Afterward, he paused slightly and said, "It just so happens that I want to report my thoughts to you."
"The origin of the Root squad was the Anbu Training Department, if I remember correctly?"
"Yes."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.
He said helplessly:
"The emergence of Root involved a secret matter. Back then, Danzo sent a confidant to assassinate me, but that confidant was reformed by me and has now become my subordinate... Later, I took back his Anbu authority."
"No wonder!"
Masahiko suddenly understood.
He thought for a moment and said, "I believe the Root Organization should return to its original function, and we can no longer use those blood mist methods."
"You think this training method is wrong?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.
Masahiko nodded:
"Of course it's wrong. A Village's most precious wealth is its children. Working hard to train two children into talents, only to have them kill each other in the end..."
"If I were the enemy, I'd want to clap and cheer after hearing that."
He sighed lightly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed loudly and said, "Well said! Some people just never understand such a simple and obvious truth, thinking I'm too merciful and pedantic!"
"Danzo's original intention was good; it's just that his philosophy was different, and he messed things up."
Masahiko answered.
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, "At this point, you don't need to cover for him."
He pondered for a moment and said, "So, you plan to change Root back into the Anbu Training Department?"
"Something like that, but I believe it can train more than just the talents the Anbu needs; it can train the talents our Konoha needs."
Masahiko answered, "It can completely serve as our Underground Ninja Academy."
"Underground Ninja Academy..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi mulled it over and unconsciously sat up straighter:
"I'm old; you're speaking so broadly that I can't quite grasp it, and you can't explain it fully. Go back and write a report, and we'll discuss it in detail later."
"Yes!"