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Due to this operation, both sides had effectively become mortal enemies. Moreover, with the Akatsuki organization aiming to capture the tailed beasts of each village, it was inevitable that they would eventually walk the path of outright hostility.
On top of that, the overwhelming strength displayed by Akatsuki wasn't just testing the Five Great Shinobi Villages' bottom line—it was more like lifting a giant foot and stomping hard on their faces several times.
As long as Akatsuki remained undestroyed, the Five Great Shinobi Villages would always have a lingering sense of unease. After all, a powerful enemy like this could jump out at any moment and deliver a fatal blow.
"Should the village take further action?"
The more Tsunade thought about this matter, the more it gave her a headache. In the end, she simply gave up and tossed the problem to Kazuki to handle.
"There's no need. Akatsuki will inevitably show themselves sooner or later. Rather than wasting manpower and resources, we should focus on our own development. However, we should still maintain a superficial investigation—just so the other villages can't accuse us of being negligent and allowing Akatsuki to grow unchecked. This war has caused significant losses for the Five Great Shinobi Villages, but Akatsuki won't fare much better. I believe they're not having an easy time right now."
Using eyes that weren't his own came at a tremendous cost. Even if Nagato didn't die from it, he'd still be severely weakened and wouldn't be able to cause trouble for a while.
Add to that the fact that Obito's identity had been confirmed, along with the internal distrust within Akatsuki—if they didn't end up turning on each other, it would already be a miracle. They certainly wouldn't have the capacity to stir up more trouble.
At most, Obito might target Kirigakure for revenge.
Given how broken Kamui was, even Obito alone could throw Kirigakure into complete chaos. He wouldn't even need to launch any large-scale attacks—just killing a few people here and there or making occasional appearances would be enough to keep the village on high alert.
As the saying goes, "A thief may spend a thousand days plotting, but no one can stay vigilant for a thousand days."
And Obito wasn't just a thief—he was out for blood.
"Then we'll proceed as you suggested. We'll send out a few squads to conduct a perfunctory investigation—just enough to cover our bases. At least that way, we won't face unjustified accusations from the other villages in the future."
There was a big difference between pretending to put in effort and not even pretending. The former might annoy people, but the latter… would make you the target of all the blame.
"I'll handle the squad selection. By the way, who exactly are you looking for?"
Since Kazuki wasn't deeply involved in village administration, Tsunade decided to personally pick the teams for the Akatsuki investigation mission.
Setting down his teacup, Kazuki raised an eyebrow and enunciated each word clearly:
"Orochimaru."
Tsunade: "..."
You're looking for Orochimaru?
Am I hallucinating, or are you not making sense, Uchiha Kazuki?
What do you even want with him?
And even if you do, good luck finding him.
Jiraiya had spent years scouring the shinobi world for Orochimaru, only to be led around like a dog on a leash, constantly outmaneuvered until he was left utterly frustrated.
It wasn't that Tsunade doubted Kazuki's abilities, but when it came to intelligence gathering and investigations, Jiraiya was far more experienced and specialized—advantages Kazuki simply couldn't match.
Stretching lazily, Kazuki tilted his head and smirked:
"I have my own ways of tracking him down. Back at the border camp in the Land of Rain, I promised Kakashi I'd get him the most suitable eye. For that, I need Orochimaru's help. That guy might not be much in terms of combat strength, but when it comes to research and experiments, he's top-notch. And while we're at it, maybe we can even drag him back to the village."
"..."
Rolling her eyes hard, Tsunade crossed her arms and huffed:
"Fine, if you want his help, go get it. But forget about bringing him back to the village—I don't want people causing an uproar over this. We've only just cleaned up the mess from before. If you bring a walking bomb like him back, I won't be able to take it."
I'm begging you, let me rest in peace for a while. No more trouble. I can't handle Orochimaru.
"As you wish."
Kazuki shrugged indifferently. He didn't have any strong opinions about Orochimaru anyway. If Tsunade didn't want complications, then he'd just collaborate with Orochimaru and leave it at that.
"Leave work early today. I'll treat you to barbecue later—unlimited drinks included."
Knowing Tsunade was perpetually broke, Kazuki kindly offered to foot the bill.
"I'll be there on time."
At the mention of barbecue and unlimited alcohol, Tsunade's eyes lit up.
---
After leaving the Hokage's office, Kazuki had just stepped outside the administrative building when he spotted the two clan heads—Hiashi and Fugaku—still waiting for him.
"Are you two here for me?"
"Let's talk somewhere else."
Fugaku glanced meaningfully at Hiashi, making it clear that this was primarily Hiashi's idea. Fugaku was only accompanying him out of obligation.
Since Hiashi had already spoken up, Fugaku couldn't very well refuse.
"Sure."
Kazuki knew Hiashi just wanted to thank him—after all, he had retrieved the Byakugan that the Hyūga clan had been desperate to recover.
That wasn't something just anyone could accomplish.
Out of both courtesy and principle, Hiashi needed to express his gratitude on behalf of the Hyūga clan.
"How about the hot springs inn?"
Hiashi: "..."
Fugaku: "..."
The two esteemed clan leaders felt their worldviews shatter upon hearing Kazuki's choice of venue.
Last time, they'd discussed matters of critical importance to the entire village at a barbecue restaurant.
Now? A hot springs inn.
Uchiha Kazuki, are you kidding me? Can't we take things a little more seriously?!
---
"Ahhh, this is the life!"
Soaking in the warm waters, Kazuki felt the fatigue of the past few days gradually melt away. Glancing back at Hiashi and Fugaku—both sitting stiffly in the pool with stern expressions—he almost laughed.
These two clan heads had probably never gone for a casual group soak like this before.
As leaders of prestigious clans, they had to maintain a certain dignity.
If anyone else had suggested this, they would've been scolded to death.
But with Kazuki being the one to propose it, they had no choice but to go along.
Hiashi was particularly awkward—this was likely his first time bathing with others in such a setting. At least the company was respectable, so he could save face.
The most frustrating part was that the person who had so casually broken all conventions—and couldn't care less about clan head decorum—was none other than his future son-in-law, Uchiha Kazuki.
"Kazuki, even though we'll soon be family, I still want to formally thank you on behalf of the Hyūga clan. You've restored our clan's dignity."
The Main Family's Byakugan wasn't just an eye—it symbolized the Hyūga clan's honor. That was no exaggeration.
Every time Kirigakure brought up the stolen Byakugan, it was like a slap to the Hyūga clan's face.
After all, a Main Family member had been killed, their Byakugan stolen, and they hadn't even been able to retrieve it. That kind of humiliation was unbearable.
Pouring three cups of sake provided by the hot springs inn, Kazuki handed one each to Hiashi and Fugaku before raising his own.
"Since you've said we'll soon be family, then there's no need for formalities between us. Even if it weren't for the Hyūga clan, I would've done everything in my power to retrieve those Byakugan for the sake of the village. I'll prove to everyone that the reason I sit in this position isn't due to charity—it's because I have the capability to do so!"
Hiashi was visibly moved, while Fugaku decisively clinked his cup against Kazuki's. After a brief pause, Hiashi silently followed suit.
The three of them drained their cups in one go.
Setting his down, Kazuki said frankly:
"Feel free to enjoy yourselves, gentlemen. I still have to treat the Hokage to barbecue later, so I'll hold off on drinking any more—wouldn't want to spoil the evening."
*****
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