The Land of Water, in the hot spring inn where the Akatsuki once stayed.
Makoto and Hanami were still waiting for those great ninja to bring them good news.
In truth, they didn't have much hope in their hearts. After all, the idea of just a few people changing an entire country sounded far too unbelievable.
But still, they weren't completely without expectation. After all, those ninja didn't seem ordinary at all.
At that moment, a boy with brown hair, a green scarf around his neck, and a scar on his left cheek walked into the inn and looked toward them.
Makoto stepped forward and asked curiously, "Whose child are you? Were you sent by the ninja lords to deliver a message?"
Yagura's face darkened, "Watch your words. I'm not a child. And besides, those people only told me about you, I wasn't sent here by them."
Seeing Yagura speak so seriously and trying hard to act like an adult, Makoto showed a look of sudden realization.
"Don't be embarrassed. When I was your age, I also imagined every day that I'd already grown up."
"Anyway, it's not shameful to be working for those ninja lords. So then, what brings you here?"
Yagura's face darkened further. He couldn't be bothered to respond to Makoto and instead turned to Hanami, "I've heard about your situation. The Tanaka family's estate outside the daimyo's residence now belongs to you. Along with that, you'll inherit his property as well."
A hint of rejection crossed Hanami's face, "I don't care for that scum's inheritance. On the contrary, could you ask those ninja lords to properly bury my father, Gan?"
Yagura nodded, "Understood. I'll find someone to take care of your father's remains properly. As for those assets, just keep them."
Hanami froze for a moment, because she faintly sensed that this boy wasn't merely delivering a message, he was the one who actually had the authority to decide everything.
Then, Yagura turned his head to Makoto, "From this moment onward, the Land of Water's taxes will be cut in half, and from now on, they'll remain at that level forever, never to increase."
Makoto was astonished, "Cut in half? That means future taxes will only be a little over twenty percent, that's completely acceptable. But… is this real?"
Yagura thought for a moment, then slightly bowed to Makoto and Hanami, "I am the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. In my name, I promise, everything I've said is true!"
The two of them were instantly dumbfounded. What did this kid just say? The Fourth Mizukage? Could it really be that exaggerated?
———
Meanwhile, Obito had brought the Akatsuki members, including the newcomers Kisame Hoshigaki, Nishimura Suzuko, Hozuki Mangetsu, Juzo Biwa, and Juzo's disciple, Momochi Zabuza, back to the Akatsuki headquarters.
All at once, the organization gained a bunch of young kids. Everyone received child-sized versions of the Akatsuki uniform, and Uchiha Madara truly became "Director Madara" now.
After that, Obito took Kakashi back to Konoha. As the supreme commander of the Fire–Lightning frontlines, he finally returned to his own jurisdiction.
However, everything was handled by Nara Shikaku, so Obito didn't have much to do. A few days later, with Konoha's "benevolent" attitude, Konoha and the Land of Lightning signed a very "friendly" peace treaty.
The war was over. For the lower-ranked ninja of both sides, this was something to celebrate.
Konoha's main forces began their return home. After several days of travel, they finally arrived back at the village.
And with the wars now ended, the shinobi world finally welcomed peace. Hiruzen, seeing that the village had made it through his term without any major disasters, hurriedly chose an auspicious day to confirm Minato's succession.
Of course, since it was an auspicious day, the day before Minato's inauguration, Konoha's adviser and great contributor, Shimura Danzo, was enshrined beneath the Memorial Stone and buried.
That day, many people came to the site of the Memorial Stone. The Third Hokage stood solemnly before the coffin, neatly dressed, his expression both mournful and grave.
Members of Minato's team, including Kushina, stood not far from him, watching the old man use his final moments of authority to indulge in one small act of sentimentality.
None of Danzo's dark history was recorded on the stone. Even if it was mentioned, it was glossed over and glorified. Overall, Danzo was praised as a great, unyielding man, a warrior who dared to oppose everyone, an enforcer in Konoha's darkness. A man above lowly pleasures.
Kakashi, seeing this, couldn't bear to look straight at it. His eyebrows twitched slightly as he muttered in a voice only his companions could hear, "Is this really okay?"
Obito whispered back, "What's wrong with it? History is written by the victors. If it bothers you, then wait until the Third's gone and you become Hokage, then you can change whatever's written on that stone however you like."
Kakashi rolled his dead-fish eyes, "Obito, you know perfectly well I have no desire to become Hokage."
Obito said, "Then I'll make you the future Hokage's teacher. That way, you can still change whatever you want, can't you?"
A faintly awkward look appeared on Minato's face, "Obito, who are you planning to make Hokage in the future?"
Obito replied, "Sensei, I was thinking, the Uchiha clan's never had a Hokage before. So the Fifth Hokage's position could go to Itachi. He already has the mindset of a Hokage at a young age, and in another timeline, he was even willing to destroy his clan for the sake of the village. His loyalty isn't something to worry about."
Kakashi snorted, "And you're not afraid that Itachi might one day destroy Konoha for the sake of the entire ninja world?"
Obito coughed, "Hey, the one who was rated as having a 'world-level mindset' at a young age wasn't Itachi, it was me. Based on my experience, Itachi's still not quite on my level."
Kushina, rubbing her belly as she imagined when Naruko would be born, couldn't help but laugh, "Obito, you really are shameless. I don't even know if that was meant to praise yourself or insult yourself."
Obito grinned, "Let's just call it praise. Either way, I don't mind."
Rin, standing beside Obito, was holding back laughter so hard it hurt. At some point, her small hand had already hooked tightly around Obito's.
Just then, several Konoha ANBU finally placed the coffin in its designated spot and buried it with earth.
Seeing this, the Third Hokage couldn't hold back his tears.
Sharing in his grief were those unaware of the truth, and those who truly believed in Danzo's ideals.
Of course, there were also some ninja who, while wearing the same mournful expression as Hiruzen, were secretly mocking him in their hearts.
Only Orochimaru, watching the scene, showed no joy or sorrow in his eyes. With a sigh, he murmured, "Life really is fleeting. No matter what one does in life, in death, one is gradually forgotten."