At the end of December, 62 Konoha.
Winter.
The dry north wind blew down from the plateau.
It breathed in the moist air that was still warm.
Then it turned into a thick dark cloud and continued to move slowly toward the vast fallen leaves plains. Sometimes it was blocked by the dry dust of the western desert.
It turned into rain before it completely cooled down.
Sometimes it went further.
It would encounter the sea breeze from the east and south.
It turned into snow.
Konoha, the land of fire.
Roofs, trees, roads.
They would wake up at night covered in a thin layer of white. The glass ceiling of the New Hokage Building corridor was cleaned up by the logistics before dawn.
Only a layer of ice was left sparkling in the morning sun.
Hatake Kakashi looked up at the ice and occasionally nodded slightly to the saluting ninjas. He didn't use the Thor today, he didn't take the Anbu direct elevator, and he didn't go through the document corridor … He would have to take the outermost corridor step by step when he returned to Naruto's office. Because the General Staff advised him to show his face more in front of the lower-level ninjas. Just like the third generation leader Naruto,
The Four Generations leader Naruto, when he first took office.
This will help Konoha to quickly establish a new superior-subordinate relationship and a relationship that is different from the superior-subordinate relationship.
"Only the Chief Staff is troublesome." Kakashi cursed under his breath.
He pushed open the office door. Sarutobi Asuma had already cleaned up the place.
Including the small desk by the elevator that no one would sit at for many years. The intelligence documents had also been sorted and placed on the L-shaped desk one by one. The only difference was,
There was no need to prepare lukewarm water and all kinds of small nuts to refresh the brain. There were no more candy and biscuits in the drawer.
"Your speech for the inauguration ceremony."
Kakashi took the folder from Asuma's hand.
He didn't deny that this bearded man was an expert in handling office affairs.
Better than Genma. He was also a great political consultant.
If it weren't for some historical reasons, he would have been Naruto. But if there was a chance, Kakashi still wanted to find a younger person to help him.
"Why is it so long?"
"It's already very simple. The new Naruto should at least tell everyone what you plan to do with Konoha in the future. You should also lead everyone in shouting slogans." Asuma flicked the unlit cigarette in his mouth. "The General Staff suggests that you memorize it as soon as possible, and then take out at least 20 hours for speech training."
"I don't think there's a need to give a speech. Last year, when I attended a meeting for my teacher at the National Capital Institute, I had to read a script." A total of two and a half pages, less than three thousand words, estimated to take 15 minutes. "Also, I think it's really awkward to be on the rostrum holding a microphone and shouting," Konoha is the best, believe me, Konoha is even better, and so on. "
"Indeed, I also feel that even if you practice in front of a mirror for more than 200 hours, you won't be able to achieve the same effect as the Four Generations."
"That's right. I've always believed that if you can fight, then don't talk nonsense. Besides, my voice doesn't sound good through the mask."
"…" Asuma bit the filter, a little annoyed. "But reading a script will make you look unconfident, and it's not good for establishing Konoha's image as the new Naruto. As the leader of the strongest ninja village, not only do you have to be domineering when you kill people, but you also have to stand there conspicuously. "
Kakashi was also annoyed. At the time, there were few people, and his teacher relied on his handsomeness, but he and all the other Jonins of Konoha stood side by side. If he didn't wear an ugly bamboo hat, it would be hard to tell who was Naruto. "Then what about memorizing the script?"
"You'll definitely be interrupted by applause and cheers many times during the speech. If you forget your lines …"
"Don't you have an inscription device and a headset? It's not like I'm Sensei. At that time, Genma and the others had to hold up the small blackboard. "
"The problem is, Four Generations looked at the small blackboard because he was afraid that he would stray too far from the topic. He only needed to say a few words to maintain the scene." Asuma squinted. "And you need a large scrolling screen. The ceremony will be held on the square on the first floor of the New Naruto Building. It'll be awkward if you can't hide the teleprompter."
"…"
"Sooner or later, you'll have to get used to giving impassioned speeches anytime and anywhere like Four Generations. Konoha has encountered so many difficulties over the years, but everyone has always been united. In addition to obeying orders, Four Generations' mobilization is also very important. " Asuma continued to persuade him. "You have to be reasonable in a meeting, but in a general meeting, you'll have to see who's better at mobilizing everyone's emotions."
Kakashi sighed. "Ask Genma to send someone over in the afternoon. Let's deal with this first."
"Okay, try to rehearse twice." Asuma flipped through his calendar. "The General Staff said that after the ceremony, you still have to find time to go to the National Capital with Thor. There's no need for a banquet, but you still have to meet him."
"He's a three-year-old baby."
"But he's still the king."
"Do I have to kneel on one knee?"
"You won't lose anything by kneeling. You're Naruto. Your attitude is Konoha's attitude. Don't let your personal likes and dislikes affect it. "
Kakashi raised his hand to show that he was convinced. "Continue."
Asuma paused for a moment. "Orochimaru is back."
"Yes, I've already sent the Black Ops to monitor him. He won't cause any trouble."
"The hospital knows that Orochimaru is coming back today."
"And then?"
"Kabuto prepared an auditorium for Orochimaru. Now Orochimaru is giving a lecture and answering questions for the young medical ninja."
"…" Kakashi's eyes were swollen with pain. "How can they praise Orochimaru so much! He's a scumbag who uses his own people for human experiments! Pervert! If it weren't for the fact that he's still useful … "
"Because he's useful." Asuma was glad that the Five Generations' reputation was far inferior to that of the Four Generations. Otherwise, if Kakashi decided to make a decision, Konoha would definitely be finished. "The so-called Naruto … You can hate Orochimaru because of his evil deeds, but you don't have to stop using him."
"…"
"Just like how Sandaime-sama clearly hates Danzō, and knows that he's done a lot of bad things, many of which may not be as clean as Orochimaru, but Sandaime-sama has never denied that Shimura Danzo is not Konoha Ninjas."
"…" Kakashi scratched his head. "I'm asking why Konoha Ninjas respect Orochimaru so much. It's one thing for Kabuto, but other people also want to join in. Is he a hero? "
"The universal antidote was invented by Orochimaru, the medical scrolls were mass-produced by Orochimaru, and many first-aid drugs were developed based on Orochimaru's research." Asuma laughed dryly. "He's also a legendary spy who couldn't return home for many years because of Konoha."
"Admitting that he's a spy didn't clear his name for human experiments." Kakashi was depressed. "It's clearly written in the notice that he became a spy to make up for his mistakes."
Asuma took out his lighter and hesitated for a moment, but didn't light it. "Everyone says that Orochimaru fled because his evil experiments were discovered, but where's the evidence? Danzō said it, Sandaime-sama said it, everyone said it, but we didn't see any evidence at all. "
"I saw it with my own eyes!"
"What you see may not be the truth."
"…"
"It's easy for people who don't know the truth to think that way."
Kakashi knew that Orochimaru's return to Konoha was more beneficial than harmful, and he was prepared to let bygones be bygones. But Orochimaru so easily let bygones be bygones … Why did he feel so displeased?
"It can't be helped if you're unhappy."
Konoha, Land of Fire, Old Naruto Building's original location
"I'm not unhappy." He didn't notice when the barrier was removed, but without the barrier covering him, the old Hokage's building had completely become a memory. Bo Fung Watergate sighed and walked through the open space that originally belonged to Old Naruto. He threw the umbrella behind him, put on the hood of his coat, and climbed up to the top of the Naruto Rock step by step. Although ninjas always came and went from high to high, there was still a way.
"Don't think about it. There's nothing wrong with letting Orochimaru come back in glory." Kina Maelstrom held Watergate's arm and listened to his slight panting. "Take care of yourself first. If you're tired, you can rest for a while."
"I'm just going to climb some stairs." Watergate pulled his knees. "I don't mind wearing long johns, but why are these long johns so thick? I can't even walk."
"You'll get used to it." Kina giggled. "It's better than someone complaining in the middle of the night that his legs hurt when he gets old."
"It's indeed a bit high."
"Who told you to buy such a large piece of land to build a small villa?"
"What if Naruto has a lot of children and grandchildren in the future?" Watergate took off the troublesome mask and took a breath. "After a few generations, there will be more people. Such a large piece of land is enough to build a Uzumaki residence like the Hinata Uchiha residence."
"You used to look down on this family and that family, but now you're envious of them." Kina had been going back and forth between the Uchiha residence for almost two months. In fact, she was also very envious. Because in the Uchiha residence's secret chamber, in addition to the strange shadow men, there were also gold, silver, gems, and antiques. Mikoto usually looked very simple when she went out to buy groceries, but in fact, she had several closets of expensive and beautiful dresses and a drawer of jewelry. "Uchiha family is really despicable."
"How is it despicable?"
"They're obviously super rich. When Konoha was about to go bankrupt, they took out so little."
"If they don't want to take it, then don't take it. They can't rob the rich in their own village just because Konoha is short of money." Watergate finally climbed up the Naruto Rock and saw the newly built white stone path leading to layers of tall trees. Inside, a large two-story house with a red roof and white walls was faintly discernible in the snow. Watergate actually wanted a log-style building like Hatake's old house, but Naruto abstained from voting in the family meeting. Aromatic Phosphorus's eyes were obviously shining when she saw the little red roof.
So, he went with Kina's wishes. "Huff, huff, that guy Hizashi worked very hard."
"It's actually quite beautiful, isn't it?" Kina looked at the tallest building in Konoha from afar. "Since you used reinforced concrete, you should be more thorough. I don't want to make it like the new Naruto building with a wooden shell."
"It's not a bad thing to be unified with the old building." Watergate continued to pull on his pants piled up on his knees as he walked forward. "Yamato, Yamato, give me some water."
The person holding the umbrella handed him a thermos flask. "Yamato -senpai has been assigned to lead a team to monitor Orochimaru -senpai. Did you forget again?"
Watergate drank the water and ignored the night guard who was baring his waist in the middle of winter. Because he had already seen the large flat lawn in front of the house. Konoha's leaves would fall in autumn, and it would snow in winter, but the grass would never wither. He also saw a smaller house with white walls and a red roof on the edge of the lawn. In the future, Lion Ball would sleep there and guard the house. Let's just treat it as a guard. There was also an irregular pool behind the house … Watergate wanted to use the pool for less intense exercise, but in the end, the square pool became irregular. There was even a slide and a large white swing tied with a pink bow beside it. In the future, the pool would be filled with water in summer and filled with fine sand in winter. There would also be various flowers and plants planted around it. After all, his backyard would be left for the children to play in. "I've never understood why there's a pair of strange flamingo sculptures in the pool."
"It's a symbol of enthusiasm for young girls. You've read the magazines, it's very popular in the big cities." Kina was satisfied with the house, both inside and out. "Well, don't doubt your wife's taste. The old house was colorful because we only looked at the price when we bought things, and we didn't consider the color scheme."
"That's true."
"So, come over here and pick up your little notebook. Remember what I said. There are no stools and tables, no chandeliers and curtains. There are still many things to buy."
"Okay." Watergate sat on the large swing and watched Kina float around. He felt a sense of peace in his heart that he had never felt before.
"Go inside and sit on the sofa. Don't catch a cold." Kina pinched Watergate's face. "The place you chose is good in every way, but it's windy."
"It's high ground." Watergate pushed open the pink door and walked in. As long as Kina was happy, he didn't care about the style of the house. However, he suspected that when Naruto finished his work and saw the new house, he would regret giving up … ahem, young girl's style.
The person followed him in. Looking at the large crystal chandelier in the living room and the white spiral staircase with carved handrails, he had a rare expression under his mask. Although Four Generations had explained many times that it was Madam's idea, no one could see or hear her … Well, who said that the retired Naruto couldn't have a young girl's heart? "0101, I'm 02. I'm safe here. What about you?"
"0202, I'm 01. Orochimaru has successfully finished his speech. He's now heading to Sarutobi's house with Jiraiya." Yamato held the walkie-talkie. It was more convenient than using a walkie-talkie for small team activities. "Five Generations said that I can retreat when Itachi comes back tomorrow. You can continue to work overtime."
"Okay." The person pressed the walkie-talkie and walked up to Watergate. "What can I do for you, sir?"
"You know how to draw, right? Kina wants to hang some paintings in the house."
"I'm an ink painting master. What Madam wants should be more colorful and bright decorative paintings."
"Anyway, I don't understand these things. Either you draw, or you take me to buy some paintings in the afternoon." Watergate nodded. "Why don't you do the day shift? Let Yamato do the night shift for a few days."
"Yes, sir."
At the same time.
At the gate of Sarutobi's house.
Yamato and a few Dark Ops were lying in the shadows of Sarutobi's house. They saw Orochimaru holding a large bouquet of flowers in his hands and smiling as he greeted old Naruto. Of course, the flowers were not for Sandaime, but were given to Orochimaru by his comrades in the medical system. When he was in the Rain Country, he was still a gloomy and cold uncle who was not to be trifled with. As soon as he entered Konoha's door, even his facial features suddenly softened. He even looked like a kind senior Mute's … gentleness. Yes, Yamato was sure that he saw the unique gentleness of a medical ninja in Orochimaru.
If Sarutobi could hear Yamato's doubts, he would tell Yamato that when it came to acting, no one could beat Orochimaru. "Okay, you don't have to pretend in front of Sensei."
"People judge people by their appearance. Of course, I have to protect my beautiful skin." Orochimaru continued to smile gently, "Ever since I explained this to Watergate, you see how much he cares about his image."
"He protects Naruto's image and Konoha's dignity." Sarutobi puffed out his copper pipe, "That's not his nature."
"Oh? Nature? You're still so keen on this word. But how can you be sure that what you see is not just skin? "
"Because I know when people are the most real." Sarutobi looked at Orochimaru's smile with disgust in his heart. But he couldn't help but think of the past. A long, long time ago, Jiraiya only knew how to be happy and show off when he killed his first enemy, because killing the enemy was what he should do. Jiraiya was a determined and responsible child. Tsunade repeated it twice to successfully kill the enemy, and then she vomited. She vomited until she was dehydrated, but she still had to help her companions change their medicine. She was a kind and brave child. Orochimaru, on the other hand, was full of questions after killing the enemy. He asked, "Sensei, where do people come from? Where do they go? What is life? Why does it seem so great sometimes and so fragile at other times?"
When a child with a strong sense of responsibility grows up and abandons his responsibilities, when a kind and strong child grows up to be a coward, the child who thinks too much is still exploring the world. "Come in."
"Another day. I still have something to do. Recently, they developed a new drug using my technology, but there are still some things that Dodo doesn't understand. I have to explain it to him." Orochimaru maintained his smile. "Business is more important, isn't it, Sarutobi sensei?"
"Yes."
"Jiraiya, don't forget the gift that the Rain Country brought back."
"Oh, oh, oh." Jiraiya, who was standing on the side, hurriedly rushed into Sarutobi's house. "I told you I forgot something."
Sarutobi watched Orochimaru quietly leave under the Anbu's "escort" and knocked Jiraiya's head with his pipe.
"Why did you hit me?" Jiraiya laughed. "Forget it, as long as you didn't fight with Orochimaru, it's fine. In fact, it hasn't been easy for him these years, but it's fine now. You didn't see it just now, those medical ninjas …"
Sarutobi knocked his pipe again. "Naive.
。”
Naive is a bridge.
…
December 27, 62 Konoha, light snow.
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