Thinking about her feud with Rasa, Pakura sighed deeply. Compared to the issues in Konoha, her situation was child's play—barely worth mentioning.
"Nah, I don't want to. I might end up scaring the Hokage," Kushina said, her words suggesting reluctance, but her expression betraying otherwise. Judging from her squinted eyes and sly grin, she was already planning something. If the Third Hokage really tried to make trouble for her, she wouldn't hesitate to blow up a few more mountain tops to make her point.
Takuya laughed heartily, the only one not finding it amusing being Pakura. Now fully defected, Pakura couldn't help but worry. Would she face suspicion or hostility in Konoha? How was she supposed to integrate herself into the village now? There was no turning back for her, only the hope that Takuya wouldn't betray her trust; otherwise, her future in Konoha would be tough.
Thanks to Takuya taking a longer route to avoid a direct meeting, the group managed to avoid any encounter with the Third Hokage on their way back to camp.
"Lord Hokage!" The Hokage's personal appearance on the frontlines stirred great excitement among Konoha's shinobi. Everyone found a spot to stand in orderly fashion. Even some of the injured ignored their medical aides to come witness his arrival.
"You all have worked hard," the Third Hokage said warmly, waving at the assembled shinobi, his face adorned with a kind smile. Yet, as he looked around, his eyes searched for someone in particular—Kushina. Despite scanning the entire area, he found no trace of either Kushina or Takuya.
Not seeing Takuya was understandable—their relationship was strained, after all. But where was Kushina?
"Shikashige, where is Kushina?" he asked. They had barely made it to the command tent, his seat hardly warm, when the Third Hokage brought her up.
"..." Shikashige sighed inwardly. I knew I wouldn't escape this.
"Kushina has already returned to Konoha," Shikashige said with a weary smile. "She must've missed you on the road, Lord Hokage."
I just arrived, and she left already? Was this a coincidence, or deliberate? And whose idea was it?
Seeing the change in the Hokage's face, Shikashige cleared his throat. "Takuya mentioned that keeping Kushina here for too long was unsafe; the risk of enemies or spies targeting her was high. And since Tsunade had sent orders, he took Kushina and Pakura back ahead of time."
You expect me to believe that? A so-called "order" from Tsunade—what a load of nonsense.
The Third Hokage knew well what had happened. Takuya wanted to avoid seeing him, and he especially didn't want Kushina involved, in case things turned ugly. This kid was getting more and more out of control.
Frustrated, the Hokage slapped the table, opting to shift the topic instead. Whether Tsunade's order was real or not, for the sake of everyone's dignity, he had to pretend it was.
"Never mind," he said. "As long as Takuya is with her, there shouldn't be any problems. Where's Sakumo?"
"He's stationed at the front, keeping watch in case Sunagakure changes its mind," Shikashige replied.
Shikashige felt like crying. Takuya had left, avoiding dealing with the Hokage entirely. And Sakumo? He'd declared, "I'll stay at the front to deter any betrayal from Sunagakure. The command tent is yours—along with the job of welcoming Lord Hokage."
Great. Just great. These two kids had dumped everything on him, an old man.
"Sigh... forget it." The Third Hokage exhaled heavily.
The so-called reason for Sakumo staying at the frontlines was simply a convenient excuse to avoid seeing him. Ever since his name had been smeared, Sakumo's regard for the Third Hokage had been shattered, and Sarutobi Hiruzen knew he was at fault.
"Send a message to Chiyo," he said. "Tomorrow morning at nine, I will personally visit the border to negotiate peace. I expect her to be prepared."
The message soon made its way to Chiyo, and she prepared for the talks. To her surprise, it was the Third Hokage himself who was coming to negotiate. She had expected it to be Sakumo Hatake or Shikashige, or maybe one of Konoha's elders. The fact that the Hokage himself would be present underscored Konoha's seriousness.
"Sister, Sarutobi Hiruzen is personally coming to the frontlines. It seems Konoha values these talks greatly," Ebizo noted.
"Of course they do," Chiyo responded with a cold smile. "Konoha is fighting on two fronts. If the war continues, even if they win, they'll be drained. The sooner they can end things with us, the sooner they can focus on Kirigakure."
Having been around the block more times than most, Chiyo knew exactly why the Hokage was making an appearance. The more Konoha wanted these talks, the better deal Sunagakure could negotiate—maybe even grab a few extra benefits.
"What about the war reparations?" Ebizo asked, dreading the thought.
Thinking about the potentially massive reparations weighed heavily on both Chiyo and Ebizo. Sunagakure couldn't afford a crippling financial burden, or it would stagnate for years.
"I'll handle it," Chiyo said. "We may have to give something up, but I won't allow it to destroy the village's future."
Back in Konoha, night had fallen when Takuya, Kushina, and Pakura finally arrived. At the village gate, they hit a slight snag.
Pakura wasn't yet a registered Konoha ninja, lacking any official documentation. Even with a headband, she was still considered an outsider.
"Pakura has defected from Sunagakure and joined Konoha," Takuya said. "Her registration as a Konoha ninja will be processed tomorrow. For now, let's keep it at that."
All Takuya wanted was a hearty meal, a hot spring bath, and a good night's sleep.
"But, Lord Takuya, this isn't in line with regulations," the guard said hesitantly.
"Regulations?" Takuya waved dismissively. "If there's an issue, come find me. Just notify Tsunade, and tell her not to have the ANBU snoop around my house."
Regulations, my foot. Since when did you lot demand regulations from Tsunade, Orochimaru, or Jiraiya? Those three came and went as they pleased, brought whoever they wanted into the village—and not a single one of you raised the topic of regulations then.
"Let's go," Takuya said, stepping through the gate.
"Bleh!" Kushina stuck her tongue out, skipping after him. After a moment of hesitation, Pakura followed suit.