Konoha.
Dusk.
To be honest...
The war ended so suddenly, it really feels a bit unfamiliar.
After all, during that period...
I was extremely busy, didn't even dare let my mind wander. Now that I'm free all of a sudden, there's this empty feeling.
Looking at the tombstone in front of her, last time she came here with Dan to pay respects to their clansmen. Never expected that now...
Dan was already gone.
Tsunade's heart ached. In this war she...
Lost too much, far too much.
Clansmen, younger brother, father, lover, and even her grandmother who had passed from old age.
Tsunade didn't know why things turned out this way, but she was starting to feel lost. For all these ninjas who sacrificed themselves...
What was it all for?
"Only fools would want to become Hokage!" Tsunade sighed, tears unconsciously rolling down as she murmured, "What a bunch of fools!"
Her granduncle was Hokage, died for the village. Her granduncle was Hokage, died for the village. But...
Her clansmen, father, younger brother weren't Hokage!
Yet they still died for the village.
"Yeah!" Jiraiya glanced at the tearful Tsunade and said with emotion, "They're all idiots." Then after a brief pause, his face resumed its usual playful grin, "So Orochimaru is an idiot too!!"
But...
In that fleeting moment unseen by others, a shadow of sorrow flashed through his eyes.
He already knew...
He...
Could never replace the person who occupied the deepest place in Tsunade's heart.
"Fool." Orochimaru ignored Jiraiya's remark and said flatly.
Tsunade wiped her tears and looked at Jiraiya, asking, "What about you? What's next for a pervert like you?"
This friend of hers...
Always wore that cheerful expression.
However...
Tsunade knew that although Jiraiya was lecherous, not particularly skilled, and lazy, still...
His grief was no less than theirs.
"The war is over." Jiraiya gazed at the setting sun and murmured, "Finally over."
Then the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
"I'll continue my training."
"Going back to Mount Myoboku?" Tsunade asked, "What about that Sage Mode of yours..."
"It's so lame."
"With that huge nose look."
"Hey now." Jiraiya said discontentedly, "That's the same Sage Mode as Lord First's, you know."
"You know what that means?"
"It means although my current strength hasn't reached Lord First's level, it's getting close."
Tsunade and Orochimaru rolled their eyes at Jiraiya's words. After all these years, this friend of theirs...
Still hadn't dropped his habit of bragging!!
"Not going back to Mount Myoboku this time." Jiraiya said with a confident smile, "Elder Fukasaku already said there's nothing more it can teach me."
"Consider me graduated."
"So..."
"This time I'll be traveling around the ninja world." Jiraiya looked at the tombstones bathed in the golden hues of the gentle sunset and said, "Maybe somewhere I'll meet someone who can change this world..."
"Bring true peace to the ninja world."
And do some material gathering along the way...
"How pointless." Orochimaru said disdainfully, "Just looking for things to do."
"Maybe." Jiraiya ignored his friend's mockery, still smiling as he said, "But I believe I will definitely meet that person."
Meet that...
Child of Destiny who can bring true light to this sorrowful world.
That way...
There would be no more wars in the ninja world.
Originally he thought he might find something in the Land of Rain this time!
Never expected...
To come up completely empty!
"Orochimaru, what about you?" Jiraiya asked curiously, "Not planning to find a successor for your ninja way anymore?"
"No." Orochimaru shook his head, a trace of bitterness flashing across his lips as he said flatly, "My wish now is to master every technique."
As for disciples...
Being alone is better!!
And...
Jiraiya and Tsunade could only shake their heads helplessly. A human life isn't eternal, it's impossible to master every technique.
Seems their friend still hadn't moved past Nawaki's death.
"By the way." Tsunade asked Jiraiya, "Where are you planning to go this time?"
"Where to go?" Jiraiya scratched his head in thought, then as if remembering something, his eyes suddenly lit up, "Uzushiogakure."
"I've decided to go check out Uzushiogakure. The whole ninja world is talking about how great it is now."
Also, during this war, Konoha's early struggles were partly because Uzushiogakure didn't keep its promises.
So...
"I want to see what's so special about that place."
And also...
See that youngest Kage!
...
Uzushiogakure.
"Chiro, how are you feeling?" Hiroshi supported Chiro as she asked worriedly, "The doctor said you need to go for regular checkups."
They had been discharged from the hospital some time ago.
And moved into the dormitory assigned to them by Uzushiogakure. Although it was just a one-bedroom apartment with a living room and bathroom, it was much more comfortable than the mansion they had in Sunagakure.
The amazing electric lights, chakra stoves, exquisite transparent windows...
All things they'd never seen before.
"Don't worry." Chiro looked at his wife and said gently, "I'm fine now, just need more rest."
Looking at the bustling scene around them...
Chiro could hardly believe this was the same impoverished place known throughout the ninja world.
"This place..." Chiro said with emotion, "Is truly unbelievable!"
Never thought there could be such a paradise in the ninja world.
So he was extremely eager to see what made this place so special.
"Chiro..." Hearing Chiro's sigh, Hiroshi opened her mouth, "I..."
"It's fine." Chiro smiled and said, "I didn't mean anything by it."
"This place really is wonderful."
Although they didn't know why Uzushiogakure had brought them here, still...
They really couldn't return to Sunagakure anymore.
He'd read Uzushiogakure's ninja bulletins some time ago...
His mother had already drawn the village's displeasure because of his "death." If he showed up now, it would only cause her more trouble.
So...
Chiro and Hiroshi were already dead.
It's just...
Sorry, Scorpion. Sorry, mother.
"Let's walk around." Chiro said with a smile, "See what makes Uzushiogakure so special?"
"Okay." Hearing Chiro's words, Hiroshi also smiled and nodded, "Whatever you say."
...
"This year's population increase reached eleven thousand people." Uzumaki Hibiki flipped through his notes and said, "A thirty percent increase from previous years."
"Also, the clan head reported yesterday that due to the high number of newborns, the academy needs expansion again and new teachers must be recruited."
"Still not enough!" Uzumaki Jun rubbed his temples and sighed, "Only a few thousand, ten thousand new people each year. How much longer before Uzushiogakure can reach a million people?"
With so few people, how could Uzushiogakure become a major nation?
You know...
A million people probably isn't even as much as a second-tier city from his previous life!
"As for the academy." Uzumaki Jun frowned in thought, "Other things are manageable, but teachers..."
Uzushiogakure is lacking!
Especially taijutsu specialists...
Should he send Fugaku to teach at the academy?
This...
Was worth considering, though probably unlikely. After all, he's currently Uzushiogakure's model police officer!!
Living quite comfortably, suddenly asking him to change jobs doesn't seem very appropriate.
And Madara...
Is a bit too old. Having him work overtime as a substitute teacher seems inhumane.
He, Uzumaki Jun...
After all, was nurtured by millennia of civilization and has never forgotten traditional virtues like respecting the elderly and cherishing the young.
So...
"Have the academy teachers put in more effort for now." Uzumaki Jun said with feeling, "Adjust the schedules, distribute them reasonably. I'll see if I can recruit some quality teachers later."
Children's education must not be neglected!!
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📖 Like the story? Read 120 chapters ahead!
🔗 patreon.com/atomelectron
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━