After Kakashi left, the Third Hokage quietly mulled over his words.
"Increase Shigure's prestige..."
It was a solid suggestion.
Konoha desperately needed a new generation of prodigies to rise.
Things weren't supposed to be this way. Once, the village had the Sannin, but they had all left—one by one—leaving Konoha considerably weakened.
Sure, the three still lived. And if Konoha were ever in true danger, Jiraiya and Tsunade would likely return.
But the problem wasn't the strength of the past—it was the lack of future successors.
"Maybe it's time to change that."
Sasuke. Naruto. Shigure.
Couldn't these three be the ones to lead Konoha's next generation?
"But just sending them on missions isn't enough to boost their reputations."
Even if they performed well on a mission, most people wouldn't witness it firsthand.
"The Chunin Exams are coming up soon. Once they return from their current assignment, preparations can begin."
If they were going to raise the status of these three new shinobi, they had to go big—make a splash across the entire ninja world.
It wouldn't be easy, but the Third Hokage wasn't worried.
He had Shigure. And with Naruto and Sasuke by his side as well, there was nothing to fear.
Shigure alone was already peerless among his generation. That fact alone gave Hiruzen Sarutobi great confidence.
All he had to do now was figure out how to maximize the impact.
"The Hidden Mist seems to have lifted its blockade... That could work."
"And as for Iwagakure and Kumogakure..."
A gleam flickered in the old Hokage's eyes.
A subtle smile appeared on his lips.
He had a plan. It might not work—but it was worth a try.
Meanwhile, at a local restaurant in Konoha, the newly minted genin had gathered for a party.
Naruto, Sasuke, Shigure, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Ino, Hinata... even Sakura.
"This is the first time we've all gathered like this since becoming genin," Shikamaru said, raising his juice and glancing toward Shigure.
Shigure nodded in response.
Originally, it had just been a casual idea—grab a bite together, catch up.
But somehow, it had grown. Shigure invited Kiba and the others. Then even Naruto and Sasuke. And Ino had invited Sakura.
Shikamaru still didn't quite get it.
What was Shigure trying to do?
Shigure looked around at the group.
"We're all part of the same graduating class," he said. "Even if we were split into different squads—or even trained in different ways—we were still classmates."
His gaze lingered on Sakura for a moment.
"And that makes us friends."
"The path of a ninja is long. There's nothing wrong with meeting up once in a while—to relax, and take the edge off."
As the one who had initiated the gathering, Shigure took the lead in lightening the mood.
Though they weren't exactly close before, everyone now found themselves smiling at his words.
Maybe... maybe it really was okay to be friends.
Kiba leaned in, curious. "I heard your Team 7 took on a special mission. Even the rank was different from ours. What kind of mission was it?"
Although Team 7 had already returned from their battle with Zabuza, the details hadn't spread just yet.
Shigure gave a small smile.
"I'm not sure if I can talk about it right now," he said. "If it becomes public, you'll hear about it soon enough. So don't ask me for details just yet."
He quickly shifted the mood.
"Alright, enough chatter. Let's eat!" he said, raising his juice glass.
"This first cup is for us—for becoming real ninja and completing our first official missions!"
The others raised their glasses with a cheer.
No alcohol, of course. They were still just kids.
But in that moment, they felt like shinobi.
Such a scene was uncomfortable for Sasuke—but that was exactly why he fit in so well.
It was because Shigure had promised to teach him swordsmanship.
If it were anything else, Sasuke might've turned it down. But swordsmanship… that was different. Even Kakashi had acknowledged that Shigure's sword skills were on another level.
So if Sasuke truly wanted to improve his kenjutsu, there was no better teacher than Shigure.
The party ended in laughter and lighthearted chatter.
Shigure hadn't expected his first gathering with the Konoha 12 to go so smoothly.
Of course, Tenten, Neji, and Rock Lee were still missing. But that didn't matter—Shigure already knew Tenten. He'd make sure to invite all three to the next one.
After the party, Shigure planned to return home and rest, but Sasuke stopped him—insisting on starting sword training immediately.
Shigure was about to figure out how to gently turn him down for the night, when Kakashi suddenly appeared out of nowhere...
...and handed Shigure three movie tickets.
Shigure blinked in confusion. "What's this supposed to mean?"
Naruto, who hadn't left yet, noticed Kakashi handing something to Shigure and immediately stepped over, curious.
"Are you seriously giving us movie tickets?" Naruto asked, incredulous.
Kakashi nodded. "That's right."
Shigure raised an eyebrow. There was no way Kakashi was doing this out of kindness.
He looked down carefully at the tickets. Something felt off.
Then Kakashi said, "This is part of your next mission. Consider watching this movie the briefing."
"After that, go home, pack your things, and be ready to leave first thing tomorrow."
"Oh—and bring warm clothes."
And just like that, Kakashi vanished.
Naruto scratched his head, utterly confused. "Wait—what kind of mission needs us to watch a movie first?"
Sasuke casually took a ticket from Shigure's hand. "Let's go find out."
Naruto followed his lead and took one too. "Fine. I've never heard of a mission like this before, but I'm not missing out."
Shigure was still a little dazed, but he had a hunch.
At the theater.
As the lights dimmed and the movie played, Shigure's suspicion was confirmed.
"Fujikaze Yukie..."
So this was it.
"After Zabuza... is our next mission the Land of Snow?"
It made sense. The timeline lined up—this was before Sasuke's defection.
Coming out of the theater, Sasuke looked over at Shigure.
"We've got a mission tomorrow. No time for sword training tonight."
"I'll go pick up a ninja sword. You can teach me on the way."
And with that, Sasuke was gone.
Naruto chimed in right after, "Shigure, I've gotta head out too. I still haven't finished half the training plan I set for today—and we've got a mission tomorrow!"
Then he dashed off too.
Shigure stood there, a bit surprised.
When did those two get so motivated?
He thought about it for a moment.
It was his fault, really.
Their teammate was a monster—how could they afford not to train harder?
...
TN:
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