In early spring, Konoha Village gradually wakes up from its wintry slumber.
Hiruzen stood by the window of his office, gazing at the bustling streets below as smoke curled up from his pipe.
With the arrival of spring, the villagers had grown more active. The streets were lively, filled with the shouts of merchants and the playful laughter of children, weaving together into a vibrant scene of life.
'The wounds left by war were slowly healing, and the shadows of the Nine-Tails Rampage four years ago were quietly fading away with the spring breeze-'
'All of this was achieved under my leadership!' Hiruzen thought as he tapped his pipe. But then, his gaze suddenly froze.
In the distance, something seemed to be happening on the street.
As he squinted, he saw members of the Konoha Military Police Force, Uchiha Clan's members, punishing a merchant, causing the surrounding pedestrians to instinctively step back.
Beneath his Hokage hat, Hiruzen's brow furrowed slightly.
'If only the Uchiha clan could behave a little more peacefully, things would be even better.' Hiruzen couldn't help but think.
Knock, knock-
The knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in." Hiruzen withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at Shikaku who entered, carrying a scroll.
The latter placed the scroll on the Hokage's desk and said, "Hokage-sama, this is the latest intelligence from the Land of Bears. Please take a look."
"Oh?" Hiruzen sat down in his chair and carefully unrolled the scroll to read.
As he read, his aged face grew increasingly solemn.
According to the report, based on news spread by envoys returning from the Land of Birds, the Land of Bears had been renamed the Land of Stars. The Land of Birds was the first to recognize the new regime's takeover, as the Daimyo system was abolished and a mysterious figure had become the ruler of the Land of Stars.
This new regime, which is located at a key trade hub in the western part of the continent, was rapidly establishing trade relations with neighboring nations at an astonishing pace.
"The ruler…" Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe and looked up at Shikaku, "What do you make of this?"
As Hiruzen's chief strategist, Shikaku had naturally reviewed the intelligence before presenting it to the Hokage.
"Hmm… the fact that the Land of Birds sent envoys to the Land of Bears is suspicious in itself." Shikaku mused, stroking his chin, "It's a small country without a Ninja Village, sandwiched between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind. During the last war, it became the main battleground between Sunagakure and Iwagakure."
"So, I doubt this move was initiated by the Land of Birds' Daimyo alone. Most likely, it was done under the orders of either the Land of Earth's Daimyo or the Land of Wind's Daimyo."
Shikaku's analysis precisely captured the helplessness of small nations acting as pawns under the control of greater powers.
Hiruzen nodded and asked further, "Have we received any additional information from the Daimyos of the Land of Earth or the Land of Wind?"
"Neither country has made any official statements. They're still maintaining their blockade against the Land of Bears, which should be called the Land of Stars now." Shikaku hesitated for a moment and added, "But strangely, they're allowing smaller nations to trade with the Land of Stars."
"Recently, merchant caravans from the Land of Fire have frequently hired Ninja Escorts to travel to border cities of the Land of Stars. Most of these are B-Rank escort missions, and many of our village's Ninja have taken on these jobs, accompanying the caravans to border towns between the Land of Birds and the Land of Stars."
After the Third Great Ninja War, Ninjas from various nations had withdrawn to their own territories. When carrying out escort missions for merchant caravans or important figures in other countries, as long as there were no direct conflicts between missions, they generally avoided provoking incidents.
Ninjas are also human beings and they will get tired of war.
"Our Ninjas typically completed these missions by escorting the caravans to the border cities of the Land of Stars. That's because the Ninjas from the Land of Stars will take over the escort duties and ensure their safety. Moreover, the business environment in the Land of Stars is reportedly excellent, with traveling merchants praising the country highly."
Konoha's Ninja often brought back intelligence during their missions, such as the merchants' favorable impressions of the Land of Stars.
"I see…" Hiruzen set down his pipe, lost in thought.
The embers in his pipe flickered faintly as Hiruzen recalled the coup in the Land of Snow two years prior.
Two years ago, Kazahana Doto, the leader of Yukigakure, led a coup and killed his own elder brother, Kazahana Sosetsu, becoming the new king of the Land of Snow.
Doto himself was a Ninja who commanded a force of Yukigakure's Ninjas.
However, unlike the relationship between other nations and their Ninja Villages, the Land of Snow was resource-poor, and its Ninja were trained by the nation.
Doto, as the king's younger brother, had ninja talent and was thus groomed to lead the Yukigakure's Ninjas.
But Sosetsu never expected his own brother would lead the Yukigakure's Ninjas to kill him.
However, the rebellion in the Land of Snow was, strictly speaking, an internal power struggle among its rulers. The rebel, Doto was both the leader of Yukigakure's Ninjas and a member of the Land of Snow's royal family, possessing a legitimate claim to the throne.
Exhaling a ring of smoke, Hiruzen said to Shikaku, "For now, let's leave it at that. Keep a close eye on the movements of the Land of Stars and its Ninja Village. Remind the teams assigned to escort missions for westward merchant caravans to stay vigilant."
"Yes!" Shikaku nodded in acknowledgment.
…
Five o'clock in the afternoon.
After finishing his work for the day, Hiruzen stretched his stiff limbs.
He pulled open a drawer and took out an envelope.
"It's time to give Naruto his living allowance for the month." Counting the money inside, Hiruzen stood up, removed his Hokage's hat, and changed into casual clothes.
When he arrived at Naruto's apartment and was about to knock, the door suddenly swung open from the inside.
"Eh? Grandpa Third!" Naruto's small hands gripped the doorknob as his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Hiruzen outside.
Hiruzen was one of the few people who treated him well. Though not family, the old man seemed to know a lot about his parents.
"Where are you going, Naruto-chan?" Hiruzen asked curiously.
"To the park!" Naruto pushed the door open wider and invited Hiruzen inside.
Hiruzen was well aware of Naruto's few friends, an orphan named Menma and the Hyuga Clan's young lady, Hyuga Hinata.
The two of them got along well with Naruto and often played together.
Hiruzen thought it was only natural, after all, they were just four- or five-year-old kids, so what else would they do besides play?
After looking into Menma's background and Hinata's situation, he felt reassured letting them spend time together. He hoped having friends his own age would give Naruto a normal childhood.
"In that case, I won't keep you. Here's your living allowance for this month." Hiruzen didn't step inside, simply handing Naruto the envelope with a reminder: "Don't spend it recklessly, alright?"
Just as Hiruzen was about to leave, Naruto, clutching the envelope in both hands, suddenly asked, "Grandpa Third, do you know my parents?"
Hiruzen, who was halfway through turning away, was stunned for a moment and raised his eyebrows slightly: "Why do you ask?"
'Could it be that Danzo is secretly contacting Naruto again?' The first person Hiruzen thought of was his old 'friend'.
Naruto fidgeted, his small face scrunched up in frustration as he pressed further, "I-I was just wondering… why does everyone else have parents, but I don't-?"
"Doesn't Menma have no parents either?" Hiruzen replied after a brief silence.
"But-" Naruto tried to argue, but Hiruzen cut him off.
"Your parents… were both heroes." Hiruzen said solemnly, sighing heavily, "But the dead cannot return to life."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Whoosh-
"Hokage-sama!" An Anbu suddenly landed on the railing of the hallway, kneeling on one knee.
"Shura has left a notice at the Hyuga Clan's compound!"