"You three are indeed quite capable."
"You've passed the test in vigilance. As for my whereabouts—if you lost track of me, then so be it."
"Genma was right. Even if that old fox Minato himself came along, he wouldn't have much luck following my trail."
Kazuyama Gekkō leapt down from the tree, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes as he looked at the trio before him. The three of them let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Kazuyama-sensei, thank goodness you're back."
"We should continue the mission. The matter of the Five-Tails is still critical."
Raidō Namiashi urged them to move on—after all, they had a mission to complete, and the sooner they finished, the better.
But Kazuyama Gekkō waved his hand dismissively.
"Forget it. The Five-Tails issue is already resolved."
"By the time you even found her, the cucumber dish would be cold. Now then, let me see how well you've mastered the Flying Thunder God Formation."
"Hmm... from here to the village, it's not that far, right?"
"I'm counting on you three."
His words froze the trio in disbelief. Resolved?
That was the Five-Tails they were talking about!
But then again, this was Kazuyama Gekkō—one of Konoha's most powerful forces. If he said it was settled, it probably was.
Seeing their confused faces, Kazuyama Gekkō frowned impatiently.
"Hey, what's with those looks? You brats doubting me now?"
"Get back to the village. I'll report to Minato myself."
"The Five-Tails won't be causing any more trouble along the Fire Country's border."
He truly had dealt with it—he'd sent the Five-Tails to Takigakure and instructed Yugito to look after it.
Though "look after" wasn't quite accurate—it was more like watch over, or keep company. Among the nine Tailed Beasts, only Matatabi and Kokuō were female, which made it easy for them to get along.
With Matatabi there, any potential issues surrounding Kokuō would naturally be resolved.
Hearing that, Raidō and the others hesitated no longer. They quickly moved to form up, positioning Kazuyama Gekkō at the center.
"Oh? Looking sharp now, aren't you?"
Ignoring his teasing, Raidō Namiashi, Genma Shiranui, and Tatami Iwashi focused intently, not daring to lose concentration for even a second.
"Flying Thunder God Formation!"
Their chakra flared at once, and the technique activated successfully.
Kazuyama Gekkō looked around at the familiar scenery of the village, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Not bad. You're getting the hang of it. But seriously—just one teleport and you three are already this exhausted?"
"Still a long way to go."
The moment his feet touched the ground, he vanished again in a flash of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
As Kazuyama Gekkō disappeared, Raidō and the others exhaled heavily, shaking their heads in defeat. Their grasp of the technique was still shallow—nowhere near the effortless precision of Kazuyama Gekkō or Minato Namikaze.
Even performing it together drained them completely.
"Unbelievable."
"The Flying Thunder God we can barely pull off together—Sensei uses like it's nothing."
"Is he even human?"
Genma Shiranui launched into his usual round of complaints. This time, however, neither Iwashi nor Raidō objected—they simply nodded in weary agreement.
...
Hokage's Office.
"The Five-Tails is already handled?"
"How did you manage that? How long were you even gone?"
Minato stared in disbelief at Kazuyama, who was already back.
Was resolving a Tailed Beast incident really this quick now? Minato Namikaze felt his head spinning.
"What more do you want?"
"You want me to throw the Five-Tails into Iwagakure and gift that bastard Ōnoki a big explosion while I'm at it?"
"I'd love to, but that's too far a trip. I don't have the time for it."
"I've been to the Land of Earth before—I just used the Flying Thunder God Technique to send it back."
"Now, if there's nothing else, I'll be going. Still need to keep tracking Akatsuki's whereabouts."
Earning the trust of two Tailed Beasts was already good progress, but continuing to come up empty on Akatsuki's location wasn't acceptable either.
Besides, staying in the village bored him. He might as well enjoy a little tour around the shinobi world.
Minato hadn't thought much of it—until Kazuyama's last sentence hit him.
Based on years of experience, Minato knew this man too well. Kazuyama Gekkō was the kind who acted entirely on impulse. If he left now, he might not return for years.
"Minato, even if you disagree, I'm still going!"
"Unless you bring Jiraiya back! If he can wander off whenever he pleases, then so can I!"
"The village has you and Fugaku—I know it'll be fine!"
"That's settled! I'm off!"
Before Minato could say a word in protest, Kazuyama Gekkō disappeared in a flash.
Left alone, Minato slammed his hands on the desk and shouted furiously, "Kazuyama, you bastard! Get back here! I wasn't finished talking!"
Come back? Not a chance.
Kazuyama Gekkō already had a new plan—go home, pick up his wife and kids, and then... fly.
...
Daimyō's Manor.
"So it's confirmed—the previous Daimyō was assassinated by Kazuma?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
The Daimyō's face twisted with fury as he looked down at the restrained Kazuma and Mizukurai.
Kakashi and his team had brought them in to face judgment.
Though surprised to see Konoha shinobi at the Daimyō's Manor, the Daimyō quickly dismissed that detail—compared to the assassination of his predecessor, it was a small matter.
"The geniuses of the Uchiha Clan, are you?"
"Hehehe, the Daimyō's Manor welcomes you."
The Daimyō's gaze lingered on Obito and Shisui, and his voice turned almost indulgently admiring.
Now that the truth was out, he would show no mercy toward Kazuma.
"Asuma, Chiriku—imprison Kazuma and Mizukurai in the dungeon. Their execution will be arranged soon."
"Furthermore, from this day onward, the Daimyō's Manor will resume its support for Konohagakure and continue funding the Guardian Ninja Corps."
He did not disband the Guardian Ninja Corps outright—after all, aside from Kazuma's faction, there were still many capable individuals within it, such as Asuma and Chiriku.
Keeping the organization intact made sense. It served as the Daimyō's personal guard, and there was no need for extreme measures.
Restoring support to Konoha had also been a long-considered decision. The war was over, but the future remained uncertain. A divided relationship between the Manor and the village would only bring instability.
Better to act now than let things stagnate.
"Kakashi Hatake, is it? Disciple of Kazuyama Gekkō."
"Hehehe... not bad at all. A hero, even in youth."
"Attend me! Prepare a letter—deliver my message to Hokage Minato Namikaze."