Chapter 54

"Excellent work. I hope I can invite you again for a demonstration match using taijutsu if my students decide to take their studies lightly again?" the jonin smirked cunningly.

The response came in the form of two groans, leaving me only to nod.

"It was nice to meet you, but now I must be going," I decided to take my leave after finishing my business. "See you again, Hitomi-chan."

Waving to the happily smiling Hyuga, I turned around and headed towards the village. Ma is probably waiting, and I should relieve her at the shop, at least for lunch. Emerging onto the road from the fairly large training area reserved for the genin teams, I briskly moved towards the gates. But just as I was about to reach them peacefully, a shadow flickered across the ground. Tilting my head up to the sky, I spotted a hawk circling above. Hmmm... Extending my hand, I caught the dropped message and, after confirming the intended recipient, unfolded it, breaking the wax seal. The scroll contained only a few lines. Scanning through them, I grimaced. Damn it! Ma and Mito-chan will not be pleased at all!

***

Hiruzen Sarutobi relaxed with enjoyment in his rightful Hokage chair and leisurely filled his pipe. In recent years, moments like this were rare due to the necessity of personal presence at the frontlines during the wars. However, now that he had returned to the village, he could allow himself a small weakness. Yet, that didn't mean he couldn't combine business with pleasure.

Hiruzen glanced at his companions, now seated across from him, and silently chuckled—war didn't come easy to anyone, and his old comrades were definitely beginning to falter. Danzo lost an eye and sustained serious injuries, having missed an unexpected attack, while Homura and Koharu simply couldn't handle the strain, noticeably weakening over their time as advisors.

Among the four original students of the first Hokage present, only he retained enough strength to avoid even minor injuries during combat operations. Just a few scratches. Puffing on his pipe, Sarutobi allowed himself to bask a little in his own self-satisfaction.

"Hiruzen?" Koharu couldn't endure the prolonged silence.

"Yes, I suppose we can begin," Hiruzen emerged from his thoughts, nodding as Hokage. "What urgent matters do we have concerning Konoha?"

Before arranging the meeting, the advisors had enough time to delve into a few neglected village matters.

"Food suppliers are unreasonably hiking prices on provisions, citing increased attacks on country roads, forcing them to hire more guards," Homura promptly reported. "Prices were inevitably going to rise, but not by twice the amount. Although, the shortage of patrols is blatantly encouraging various ruffians hoping to make a profit at others' expense."

Mitokado refrained from mentioning that it was precisely Hiruzen who decided to leave such a small contingent of shinobi in Konoha that bandits had completely run amok. Even regular fresh recruits from the academy couldn't stabilize the situation for long—natural attrition and sending reinforcements to the front lines constantly diminished the effectiveness of the remaining forces in Konoha. Patrols simply couldn't keep up with the double workload, sometimes perishing simply due to the inability to fully recover after yet another battle.

"With one front closing, this problem will resolve itself," Sarutobi exhaled smoke. "What else?"

"The clans are dissatisfied—losses in the war with Suna were too great, and the shortage of chunin has seriously impacted those who fought," Koharu frowned. "Among the survivors, unrest of various kinds is beginning to stir."

Considering that they repeatedly thwarted attempts to increase funding for the chunin program against the hopes of the medical corps, the dissatisfaction was entirely justified.

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