It was only noon when Kenji left the Hokage's office, so he decided to wander through Konoha's shopping district for a while. The post-war recovery had been good for business. Merchants who'd been hoarding inventory during the conflict were now eager to move product, and civilians who'd been scraping by on rationing were finally able to spend money on things beyond bare necessities. The result was a shopping district that buzzed with commerce.
He walked past weapon shops doing brisk trade with newly promoted chunin, past fabric stores where housewives examined bolts of cloth for new clothing, and past a bookshop where Academy students clustered around the latest adventure novels. The village felt alive in a way it hadn't during wartime.
He stopped at a confectionery shop he'd been to before, one that specialized in traditional sweets. The old woman running it recognized him and smiled.
"Yamanaka-san! I haven't seen you in a while."
"Been busy with work," Kenji said. "I'll take a box of dorayaki."
"The usual? Your wife has good taste. These are fresh from this morning."
She wrapped them carefully in decorative paper and tied it with string. Kenji paid and tucked the package under his arm, then continued down the street.
A toy vendor had set up a stall near the marketplace, displaying wooden puzzles and carved animals. He examined a few options before selecting a puzzle designed for toddlers. Something Daiki could use instead of just chewing on.
"My grandson has the same one," the vendor said as he wrapped it. "It keeps him occupied for hours."
Purchases complete, Kenji headed home at a leisurely pace. The walk took him through residential streets where neighbors chatted over fences and children played in yards. Normal, peaceful, exactly what everyone had been fighting to protect.
---
"I'm home," Kenji called out as he opened the front door.
"You're back?" Honoka's head popped out from the kitchen doorway. She was wearing an apron dusted with flour, her hair pulled back in a bun. "Are you going out again later? Should I set a place for dinner?"
"I'm not going anywhere. I'll eat at home."
"Good."
She disappeared back into the kitchen, and Kenji could hear the sounds of cooking resume. He changed out of his sandals and set his purchases on the entry table. His gaze drifted to the living room where Daiki sat on the carpet, surrounded by what looked like the aftermath of a small battle between building blocks.
The kid was completely absorbed in his construction project, tongue poking out slightly in concentration as he tried to balance another block on top of an already precarious tower. The whole thing was leaning at an angle, held together more by luck than any structural integrity.
He walked over and sat down cross-legged beside his son.
"Hey buddy, what are you building there?"
Daiki's head shot up immediately. When he saw it was his father, his entire face transformed.
"Papa!"
He immediately started babbling in excited baby talk. The building blocks were instantly forgotten as he lurched forward on unsteady legs, nearly falling over in his eagerness to reach his father.
Kenji caught him before he could face-plant into the carpet and scooped him into his arms. Daiki continued his incomprehensible story.
"Is that right?" he said, nodding seriously as if he understood every word. "That does sound impressive."
Daiki beamed at the response and kept talking.
Looking at the abandoned block tower, Kenji decided to join in rather than try to decipher toddler linguistics. He shifted Daiki to sit on his lap and picked up a few blocks.
"Should we build a fort? Or maybe a castle?"
"Ca'le!" Daiki declared, which Kenji chose to interpret as castle.
"Castle it is."
They got to work. Or rather, Kenji attempted to build something resembling a castle while Daiki enthusiastically added blocks in completely random locations that immediately made the structure less stable. Every time something fell over, he would laugh like it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen, and they'd start again. It was probably the least productive construction project Kenji had ever participated in. It was also significantly more enjoyable than anything he'd done at the Hokage's office that morning.
Before long, Honoka emerged from the kitchen carrying serving dishes. She paused in the doorway, watching father and son completely absorbed in their ridiculous building project. Kenji was making exaggerated sound effects for falling blocks while Daiki giggled uncontrollably.
"Alright," she said with fond exasperation. "Stop playing and go wash your hands. Dinner's going to get cold."
"Yes ma'am!" Kenji said with mock military seriousness, which made Daiki giggle harder.
He set his son back down on the carpet and headed to wash up. Daiki immediately returned to the blocks.
Dinner was simple but good. Honoka had made grilled fish with rice and miso soup, along with pickled vegetables and fresh tofu. They ate while Daiki made a spectacular mess with his own bowl of rice, getting more of it on his face than in his mouth.
"So how was work today?" Honoka asked as she helped Daiki with his spoon. "Anything interesting happen?"
"Same as usual. Paperwork and meetings. The normal routine."
They continued eating in silence for a moment. Then Honoka suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, Haruto came by earlier looking for you. He said he wanted to invite you to barbecue tonight. You weren't home, so he left a message."
"A get-together?" Kenji nodded, already looking forward to it. "I don't have anything else planned. Sounds good."
Ever since his former students had all made jonin, coordinating schedules had become nearly impossible. Everyone was busy with different missions, responsibilities, and lives. Finding time when they could all sit down together was rare. This would be a good opportunity to catch up instead of just exchanging brief greetings in passing.
---
That evening, Konoha's streets were alive with lantern light and the warm glow from shop windows. The temperature had dropped with the sun, bringing a pleasant coolness to the air.
Yakiniku Q was doing excellent business as always. The scent of grilling meat wafted out into the street, making passersby slow down and consider whether they had room in their budget for barbecue. Some went inside. Others reluctantly continued on their way, already planning when they could afford to come back.
Kenji arrived to find Haruto waiting outside.
"Sensei!" Haruto greeted him with a grin. "Kaede and Aoi are already inside. They got us a private room."
They headed in together, weaving through the crowded main dining area. The private room was quieter, with a charcoal grill already heating up in the center of the table.
Kaede and Aoi were there as Haruto had said, already working on the first round of meat. They looked up when Kenji and Haruto entered.
"About time," Kaede said. "We were about to start without you."
"Started without me, you mean," Kenji observed, noting the already half-empty plate of raw meat.
"Details."
They settled in around the grill. Fresh slices of beef hit the grate with a satisfying sizzle, fat beginning to render and drip onto the coals below. Little sparks flew up. The rich aroma of grilling meat mixed with sauce filled the entire room.
With reflexes honed by years of ninja training, Kenji beat Kaede to a perfectly cooked piece of meat. He snatched it up with his chopsticks and popped it directly into his mouth, chewing with satisfaction while giving Kaede a provocative look.
Kaede's eye twitched. "Really?"
"Really," Kenji said around the mouthful of meat.
Aoi covered her mouth to hide her laugh. She picked up a fresh slice and placed it on the grill, trying to smooth things over.
"Kaede, your arm still hasn't fully adjusted yet. Of course you can't beat sensei's speed. Don't rush."
"You're the best, Aoi," Kaede said immediately, putting on an exaggerated expression of gratitude.
"Classic," Haruto said. "Absolute textbook simp behavior."
Kaede's head whipped around to glare at him. You could practically see sparks flying between them. But Haruto had no intention of stopping. If anything, he doubled down.
"What, did I hit a nerve? If it really bothers you that much, I'll be generous. I'll let Kenta call you his godfather when he's old enough. That way when you're old and alone, at least someone will arrange your funeral. Better than dying with nobody around to even notice."
He waggled his eyebrows for emphasis. The long scar cutting diagonally across his face from left temple to right jaw twisted with the expression, making him look simultaneously menacing and ridiculous.
Kaede opened his mouth, closed it, then finally muttered, "I really can't believe someone as ugly as you managed to get Mei to marry you. It's seriously annoying."
"What do you know?" Haruto immediately reached up to touch the scar, puffing out his chest. "She loves this scar! I got it fighting Iwa ninjas during the Third War. It's a symbol of courage and manliness!"
"Sure it is," Kaede said flatly. He picked up a piece of beef and stuffed it in his mouth, not bothering to argue further.
He knew Haruto was telling the truth, actually. That scar represented a battle where Haruto had nearly died covering for his squad. The fact that he could joke about it now didn't change what it had cost him.
For a while, they just ate and talked about nothing important. Village gossip, funny things that had happened on recent missions. The easy conversation of people who'd known each other for years.
Then Kenji decided to stop dancing around the obvious.
"So," he said, using his chopsticks to flip a piece of meat. "Haruto, I heard you got accepted as an Academy instructor."
"News travels fast," Haruto said with a slight smile. He reached for the soy sauce. "Yeah, I start next month. Teaching basic taijutsu and weapons handling to the first-year students."
"That's a big change from field work."
"It is," Haruto admitted. He was quiet for a moment, organizing his thoughts. "Mei's health has been getting worse. Nothing immediately dangerous, but the doctors say she needs to avoid stress and get proper rest. And Kenta's starting at the Academy soon. I want to be there for that, you know? Not just hear about it secondhand when I get back from a three-week mission."
He poked at the meat on his plate.
"I've been a ninja for long enough. And I saved enough money to support the family comfortably. The Academy salary isn't as high as active duty, but it's stable. Regular hours, no risk of not coming home. It seemed like the right time to make a change."
Kenji nodded. It was a practical decision, and an understandable one. Haruto had always been the most family-oriented of his former students.
"Well, congratulations then," he said, raising his cup. "The Academy's lucky to have you. You'll be good at it."
"Thanks, sensei."
They clinked cups and drank. Then Kenji turned his attention to Kaede.
"What about you? Are you really planning to retire completely? You could transfer to logistics like Haruto suggested. With your experience, you'd be valuable there."
Kaede had been quiet during the conversation, focused on his food. Now he set down his chopsticks and slowly raised his right hand.
The prosthetic arm moved smoothly enough. Kenji had designed it well, incorporated good materials and precise mechanisms. But watching Kaede's face as he flexed the artificial fingers, it was clear the limb still felt foreign to him.
"A few weeks ago," Kaede said quietly, "I was on a tracking mission. Team of four, hunting a missing-nin who'd stolen classified documents. We found him holed up in an abandoned outpost near the border."
He paused, staring at his prosthetic hand.
"It was a trap. He had backup waiting, three other missing-nin. We fought them, but we were outnumbered and outpositioned. The team leader called for retreat. I stayed behind to buy time, figured I could hold them for a minute or two."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"One of them got close enough to slap an explosive tag on my arm. I had maybe one second to react. I tore it off and threw it as far as I could before it detonated."
Aoi's hand had moved to cover her mouth. She'd heard the story before, but hearing it again clearly still affected her.
"The blast still got me," Kaede continued. "But I survived. A medical-nin said if I'd hesitated even one more second, the explosion would've taken my head instead of just my hand."
He lowered the prosthetic arm.
"Lying in that hospital bed afterward, staring at the bandaged stump, something clicked in my head. I realized I was tired. I was tired of this life. The missions, the killing, the constant risk. I've been doing this since I was ten years old. And I still haven't achieved the dream I had as a kid. Opening a dango shop, making food that people enjoy instead of just ration pills and field provisions. If I'd died on that mission without ever even trying, it would've been a complete waste."
Haruto was staring at him like he'd never heard Kaede speak so many words at once.
"Wait," he said. "You had a childhood dream? About dango?"
"Of course I did!" Kaede's frustration returned, which was somehow more normal than the serious tone he'd been using. "When our squad first formed, I said it during the self-introductions! You're seriously telling me you all forgot?"
There was a beat of silence while everyone searched their memories. Then Aoi's face lit up with recognition.
"Oh! Now that you mention it, I do remember! You said you wanted to open the best dango shop in all of Konoha! You were really passionate about it too."
Kenji nodded as the memory surfaced. Young Kaede, fresh from the Academy, talking about dango with the same enthusiasm other kids reserved for discussing legendary jutsu or famous ninjas. At the time, it had seemed like a childish dream he'd outgrow.
Apparently not.
Still, he had to ask the question.
"If I remember correctly, there's already a dangoshop on the main shopping street that does extremely well. The owner's skills are family tradition going back generations. You really think you can compete with that?"
"That's where you're wrong!" Kaede immediately perked up, a smile spreading across his face. "I'll admit their dango is incredible. But I've got a strategy."
"A strategy?" All three of them forgot about the meat on the grill, turning to stare at him.
Kaede glanced around the private room like he was about to share state secrets, then leaned in closer and lowered his voice.
"I did my research. The owner of that shop is an elderly woman whose health hasn't been great lately. Her granddaughter basically runs the place now. So my plan is..."
"Wait, you're not seriously thinking..." Haruto's eyes went wide.
"That's exactly what I'm planning!" Kaede slapped the table triumphantly. "I'm going to date the granddaughter! Once we're together, won't the shop basically become mine too? I'll get a wife and fulfill my dream. It's perfect!"
"What?!" Haruto pointed at him in disbelief. "That's completely underhanded! I thought you were going to compete on cooking skills, not... like that!"
Aoi was looking at Kaede like he was absolute human garbage.
Kenji was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected Kaede's business plan to involve matrimony.
"What's with those looks?!" Kaede hurried to defend himself against the unified wall of judgment. "Why are you all looking at me like that? Her name's Mayu, she's around my age, and she's single! Think about it logically. She's a young woman taking care of her sick grandmother while running an entire business by herself. That's got to be exhausting, right? So if I help share the burden and we happen to fall for each other in the process, how is that underhanded? That's called being supportive! That's called being a good partner!"
"You even know her name already?" Kenji couldn't help but call him out. "Don't talk to me about dreams. You're just attracted to her."
"Exactly! You're totally just interested in her!" Haruto and Aoi chimed in simultaneously. "This has nothing to do with dango!"
Kaede deflated under the combined assault. He could only sigh dramatically and adopt the pose of a misunderstood visionary.
"The path to one's dreams is always lonely," he said with exaggerated melancholy. "Filled with people who don't understand. I get it. I really do."
Seeing him put on such a theatrical performance made all three of them laugh.
Truth was, even though Kaede's approach was ridiculous, they all understood what he wanted. A stable life, and someone to share it with. If he really did manage to win over Mayu and ended up with both a wife and his childhood dream, they'd be happy for him.
They hoped he'd succeed.
The meat on the grill finished cooking again. Just as Aoi reached for a piece, Kenji suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, Aoi, how's Tsunade doing these days? Does she know about Orochimaru's defection?"
At the mention of her teacher, Aoi pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed heavily.
"How else would she be? Still gambling everywhere with Shizune, losing money, running from debt collectors. Nothing's changed."
After several years of training under Tsunade, she hadn't just mastered medical ninjutsu. She'd also become frighteningly good at evasion techniques. Counter-tracking, transformation jutsu, creating fake identities on the spot, she had skills that would make ANBU members jealous.
"As for Orochimaru," she continued, her tone becoming more serious, "I had Katsuyu deliver the news to Tsunade the moment it was posted on the notice board. She definitely knows by now."
"Who would've thought the Legendary Sannin would end up like this?" Kaede set down his chopsticks. "Lady Tsunade left Konoha years ago. Orochimaru's a missing-nin with a bounty on his head. And Jiraiya-sama wanders the world, barely ever coming back to the village. Three people who were so legendary, now scattered to the winds. It's kind of sad when you think about it."
The atmosphere in the private room shifted, becoming heavy. Even the sizzling of the grill seemed unusually loud in the sudden quiet. They all stared at the dancing flames, processing the reality of what had happened to their childhood heroes.
The Sannin had been legends. Stories parents told their kids. Examples Academy instructors held up as the pinnacle of what a ninja could achieve. And now that legend had fractured into three separate paths, none of them leading back to Konoha.
The mood threatened to turn melancholic before Haruto forcibly broke it. He raised his glass.
"Enough with the depressing stuff! Come on, we're supposed to be celebrating here. To Kaede's questionable dango shop strategy, and to my new career as a teacher. Cheers!"
"Cheers!" Kenji and Aoi responded immediately, grateful for the interruption.
Kaede raised his glass with a grin, his usual energy returning to his face. The crisp clink of glasses rang out, sweeping away the earlier melancholy. The lively atmosphere of the barbecue restaurant filled the room once more.
---
With the tacit approval of Konoha's leadership, the ANBU units assigned to pursue Orochimaru only chased him as far as the Land of Fire's border before halting and returning to the village.
It was political theater. Everyone involved understood that. He wasn't going to be caught unless he wanted to be, and forcing the issue would only create problems. Better to maintain the illusion of effort while letting him disappear.
In the days that followed, Minato organized search teams to locate Orochimaru's remaining experimental facilities within the borders. Simultaneously, he formally requested intelligence from Root. Most of those bases had been secretly supported by Danzō's organization anyway. They had the most detailed location information.
With Root's "cooperation," and Kenji suspected Danzō was more than happy to eliminate evidence of his involvement, Konoha ninjas destroyed several hidden facilities. They recovered massive quantities of experimental data in the process. While Orochimaru himself remained at large, the research documentation represented years of work and significant resources. It was a valuable haul despite the primary target's escape.
A few days later, Kenji arrived at the Hokage Building as usual. He'd barely reached the lobby when an ANBU operative intercepted him.
"Kenji-sama, the Hokage requests your immediate presence in his office."
Kenji nodded and changed direction, heading for the stairs. He assumed Minato had accumulated another mountain of paperwork that needed sorting. The Hokage had a bad habit of letting administrative work pile up when field reports came in.
But when he opened the office door, he paused in surprise.
Minato was there, as expected. But he wasn't alone. Kakashi stood near the window, and Rin was at the desk organizing documents. More notably, there was an unfamiliar young man wearing an ANBU uniform. His forehead protector had an unusual design that immediately caught Kenji's attention.
"Hi Kakashi," Kenji greeted first, closing the door behind him. "How are you adjusting to ANBU life?"
Since Kakashi had joined the black ops division, their paths rarely crossed. Unlike Rin, who wasn't suited for frontline combat and had been assigned to remain in the Hokage Building year-round as Minato's assistant, basically filling the same role Shizune did for Tsunade, Kakashi was constantly deployed on high-risk missions. His schedule was unpredictable and his whereabouts classified most of the time.
"It's fine," he said simply. His visible eye crinkled slightly in what might have been a smile. "It keeps me busy."
Kenji's gaze shifted to the unfamiliar young man, particularly that odd forehead protector. A guess formed immediately in his mind, but he waited for confirmation.
"And this is?"
"Kenji-senpai, his name is Tenzō," Kakashi introduced, his tone noticeably gentler than it usually was in the field.
Minato stepped in with additional context. "I transferred him from Root. Tenzō is a survivor of Orochimaru's Wood Release experiments. More importantly, he's one of the very few test subjects capable of using Wood Release in a stable, controlled manner."
"Wood Release? I'd like to see it for myself, if that's alright."
Tenzō glanced uncertainly at Kakashi and Minato, clearly uncomfortable being put on the spot. Both nodded their permission. Only then did he slowly extend his right hand. A thin branch sprouted from his palm, growing rapidly into a small tree complete with leaves. The wood was solid, real, unmistakably the product of the First Hokage's legendary bloodline limit.
"Impressive," Kenji said, studying the tree. "That really is Wood Release."
He kept his thoughts to himself. Tenzō's ability came from Hashirama cells that had been surgically integrated into his body. But the amount of cellular material was limited, and it lacked the most crucial component. The true power of Wood Release hadn't come from the jutsu itself. It had come from Hashirama's monstrous chakra reserves and, more importantly, the Asura chakra that had been part of his spiritual makeup.
Tenzō's Wood Release would always be a shadow of what Hashirama had been capable of. Useful, certainly. Potentially powerful with proper training. But not world-changing. Still, no need to dampen the kid's confidence by pointing that out.
"I'm surprised Orochimaru's experiments produced a successful result. Given how many test subjects reportedly died in the process."
"I was surprised too when I read Kakashi's initial report," Minato admitted. His expression turned more serious as he shifted to business. "Kenji, I'd like you to teach Tenzō how to use his Wood Release more effectively. He has the ability, but he lacks proper instruction in how to apply it tactically."
"No problem," Kenji agreed readily. The request made sense. He had more experience with Wood Release techniques than anyone else in the village, courtesy of the puppets he'd created using similar principles. "Kushina isn't using the Wood Release puppets right now anyway. I can have them work with him, teach him the fundamentals and some advanced applications."
"Thank you. I appreciate it." Minato said with relief. Tenzō represented rare combat potential, and with proper guidance, he could develop into a significant asset much faster.
Kenji turned to address Tenzō directly. "I've already memorized your chakra signature. I'll come find you when I'm ready to begin training. For now, focus on your assigned missions. Don't wait around for me."
"Thank you, senpai!" Tenzō bowed deeply.