Looking up at the student who now stood far taller than he did, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Today, Kizaru was no longer just one of Konoha's brightest prodigies. He had already become one of the village's pillars.
With his own strength, he had crushed Kumogakure's forces led by the Third Raikage and the Two-Tails' jinchūriki, captured the Raikage alive, and even subdued the Two-Tails itself.
Achievements like that had already gone beyond even his own.
"Kizaru, do you have any thoughts on how we should handle the Third Raikage?"
Hiruzen looked at him seriously now.
At this point, Hiruzen no longer looked at Kizaru as just his student or one of the village's younger shinobi.
He was already someone who belonged among Konoha's core leadership.
Someone to be treated as an equal.
"It'd be a waste to kill him, y'know," Kizaru said without hesitation. "Might as well trade him back for resources."
Hiruzen's eyes softened with approval.
At only ten years old, this boy already had the mind of a Hokage.
Satisfied with the answer, Hiruzen nodded.
"Then I'll leave the negotiations with Kumogakure to you, Kizaru."
"Eh? Me, sensei?" Kizaru's face immediately scrunched up in protest. "That kind of troublesome stuff should be handled by you old folks instead, y'know."
He had absolutely no interest in something as exhausting and tedious as negotiation.
Hiruzen smiled as he looked at him.
Seeing just how unwilling he was, he chuckled and said, "Fine, then I'll have someone else handle it. You can take these next few days to rest."
"Ooh, now that's what I like to hear, sensei." Kizaru's expression brightened right away, a lazy smile returning to his face.
"You really are something else." Hiruzen shook his head with a laugh before continuing, "Still, Kizaru, you should be prepared. If the situation in the Land of Rain changes, the front lines may need your support."
"That's asking a lot, y'know..." Kizaru muttered, scratching his head.
"The more capable you are, the more responsibility finds you," Hiruzen said warmly. "With you there, far fewer shinobi on the front lines will have to die."
"In that case..." Kizaru looked at him sideways, half-joking, half-serious. "How about I get all their salaries too?"
"You may submit the request," Hiruzen replied with deliberate seriousness.
Then he broke into hearty laughter.
This great victory over Kumogakure, along with Kizaru's safe return, had put him in an exceptionally good mood.
"Hey now, sensei," Kizaru said with a grin. "I was being serious."
"Hahaha!" Hiruzen laughed again, then looked at him with clear pride. "The village will remember what you've done. Once the war is over, your reward will be more than worthy of your contribution."
"Then I'll be looking forward to it."
With that, Kizaru turned and headed toward the window, clearly ready to go home and rest.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be heading back. You can wait for Hyuga Nagayasu to return and ask him for the mission report."
"Go on, then. Get some proper rest."
Still smiling, Hiruzen lifted his pipe again and watched Kizaru leave through the window as he smoked.
Then, just as Hiruzen thought the matter was over—
By now standing on the eaves just below the window, Kizaru leaned back in and added casually,
"Oh, right, sensei. Better prepare one hundred and fifty million ryō in cash."
Hiruzen froze.
"I hired a pretty scary bounty ninja out on the border," Kizaru continued. "Had him help the village shinobi patrol the frontier and assist with this escort mission. That's his fee. Once the money's ready, just hand it over to me, y'know."
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Hiruzen nearly choked on his smoke.
"One hundred and fifty million?!" he sputtered. "That's outrageous, Kizaru!"
"That guy's strong enough to be called a monster," Kizaru said with an easy smile. "You don't want Konoha getting hated over unpaid debt, do you?"
Hiruzen coughed a few more times, still recovering.
Since even Kizaru referred to that person as a monster, he naturally had no desire to provoke someone like that.
And considering Kizaru had just returned after capturing the Third Raikage and securing such an enormous victory for the village...
In the end, Hiruzen could only agree.
At the same time, he quietly decided that this money would be added to Kumogakure's compensation bill one way or another.
"As expected of you, sensei. So generous."
Having successfully made a little extra on the side, Kizaru grinned, hopped down from the eaves, and leisurely left the Hokage Building.
After crossing the lively commercial district and greeting the villagers who warmly called out to him along the way, Kizaru eventually arrived at the front gate of the Shimura clan compound with Matatabi.
"Tauri, this'll be your home from now on," Kizaru said, hands tucked into his pockets as he looked at the gate ahead, speaking to the beast perched on his shoulder.
"Tch. It's tiny," Matatabi said with open disdain.
"That's because you're too big, y'know."
As he said that, Kizaru lifted a hand and rubbed her head.
Matatabi let out an annoyed growl, while Kizaru stepped forward with a smile and knocked on the door.
A moment later, it slowly opened.
Standing there was Shimura Shintarō.
Kizaru reached out immediately and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Where're the others, brats?"
"Yoshihiko, Tanin, Yuki, and Minato were all taken to the front lines by the clan head."
Compared to three years ago, Shintarō had grown much older. He was already beginning to follow the management and business training arranged by the Third Elder's faction.
There was clear excitement in his eyes when he looked at Kizaru, though his manners remained composed and respectful.
"That's pretty scary, y'know, uncle."
As he withdrew his hand, Kizaru let out a faint sigh.
"Kizaru-nii," Shintarō said, his voice firm with conviction, "the clan head only wants everyone to grow stronger sooner, so they can help you rise to the position of Hokage."
As he grew older, Shintarō had also begun to understand the tremendous hopes the Shimura clan placed on Kizaru.
He himself had no talent as a shinobi.
But because he admired Kizaru so much, he had already projected all of his own unrealized dreams onto him.
To see Kizaru-nii become Hokage.
To have him surpass even the First Hokage.
To make him the strongest shinobi god in the entire ninja world.
That had become Shintarō's ideal.
Looking at the almost fanatical admiration in the boy's eyes, and hearing the approval in his words toward Danzō's methods, Kizaru was once again reminded just how rotten this world really was.
If Obito's dream, one day, would be to create a world with Rin...
Then Kizaru's hope for this world was much simpler.
A world where people worked nine to five, only eight hours a day, and just four days a week.
Sadly, that kind of dream was even less realistic.
What a messed-up world, y'know...
Letting out a sigh inwardly, Kizaru patted Shintarō on the head and walked toward his residence under the boy's admiring gaze.
"You didn't like what that kid said?"
Following Kizaru into the elegant courtyard, Matatabi leapt down from his shoulder.
"No," Kizaru said as he returned to his own place and visibly relaxed. He casually sat down on the engawa outside the house, leaning back against a wooden pillar. "I just don't like this fucked up world."
"Fuck?" Matatabi repeated, tilting her head. She clearly understood it wasn't a nice word.
"It means something that makes people feel real unpleasant," Kizaru explained.
Matatabi thought about the long years she had spent sealed away, then gave a slow nod.
"...Yeah," she said. "This really is a damn fucked-up world."
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