"It's fine, my lord! Just send him! He will definitely capture that kid named Torifu and bring him back!"
The man in the monk's robe glanced at him, then stood up and shook his head. "Wait for the right time."
"That useless one's actions have already alerted them. Now is not a good time."
The middle-aged man thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "I will follow your orders, my lord."
Early the next morning, Torifu and his group arrived at the seaside. The sons of Uzumaki Ashina were also there. Although they had reconciled, their feelings weren't so easily restored, and they all looked at odds with each other. But Uzumaki Ashina didn't care about that anymore. In any case, the future of the country was now in the hands of these sons. If they truly didn't have the ability to stop the Land of Whirlpools from going downhill, then there was nothing he could do. After all, what could an old man like him change?
"Alright, alright, you guys should go back now. Don't be so sad. I'm an old man who doesn't have many years left to live anyway. I'm going to see your aunt, and maybe I'll come back when I'm dead, hahaha." As Uzumaki Ashina spoke, he boarded the ship. His sons also didn't know whether to laugh or cry after hearing what he said.
"Father, please give our regards to Aunt Mito when you see her."
Uzumaki Ashina nodded, then got into the ship's cabin. The Second Prince walked up to Torifu and said, "Torifu, please take care of my father on the way."
"No problem, no problem. Second Prince, you're too kind."
Then, the other princes all came forward one by one to thank Torifu and the others. If it weren't for their selflessness, they wouldn't be standing here right now. A few minutes later, the conversation ended. Torifu and the others boarded the ship, ready to return to Konoha.
"This ship is definitely different. It doesn't have that fishy smell."
Naori said with a smile, "Of course not. This is a warship from the Land of Whirlpools. It's maintained every day. We're just lucky that Ashina-sama lent it to us."
Hiruzen also said seriously, "In any case, the journey will be a lot easier. This warship won't sway when it's on the sea, so it's not easy to get seasick."
After a short while, the warship was ready to set sail. It slowly left the port and headed toward the endless sea. Torifu's mood was quite good after dealing with all the troubles in the Land of Whirlpools. Although Uchiha Setsuna had escaped, they would meet again someday, and he wouldn't be able to escape so easily next time.
"Ah, we can finally go home. The round trip and the mission have kept us away for more than half a month."
Torifu also nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Come to think of it, we rarely take on missions that last this long. It feels a little fresh."
At that moment, Hiruzen walked out of the cabin. "Oh yeah, Torifu. You're probably going to be the Third Hokage when you get back to the village. You're going to be so busy then."
It was a headache just thinking about it. They just had to make him the Third Hokage out of nowhere. He had given them the Fruit of the Longevity so that the older generation of ninjas could continue to shine. But in the end, it just gave them more time to enjoy their lives in retirement. And with how popular Torifu was in Konoha, the villagers would definitely support him in becoming the Third Hokage, and it would be impossible for him to refuse.
Torifu could only force a bitter smile. "I can't believe this mission has become my vacation. Tobirama-sama really does care for people."
Hiruzen patted Torifu on the shoulder when he heard this. "Hey, he's a teacher, right? You don't know his personality yet? The more you struggle, the happier he is. He's a perfect example of a... ahem, you get it."
Torifu also agreed with Hiruzen's words. It was worth mentioning that he hadn't told Hiruzen and the others about Rain's gradual influence on Tobirama in Konoha. After all, the matter was already over, and there was no point in bringing it up. It would also affect Tobirama's image in their minds. Now that Rain had been killed, it was better to let this matter be sealed away forever.
The group set off early in the morning. After a day of sailing, the warship arrived at the fishing village they had left from. But it was already too late, and there was probably no place for them to stay in the village. The group squeezed onto the warship for the night. Early the next morning, they left the small port village while the villagers were still asleep. The warship also quietly left the port.
"Alright, let's pick up the pace and hurry back to Konoha."
"Right!"
Everyone then increased their speed. Although Uzumaki Ashina was old and his strength had regressed, his speed was still very fast, and he didn't fall behind the young ones at all. At around four in the afternoon, the group returned to Konoha. It had been a long time since they had seen the village, and they missed it greatly. Even the slightly worn-down gates seemed so familiar.
The guard ninja saw that Torifu's group had returned to the village and immediately ran forward. "Torifu-sama, you're back!" He then looked at Ashina behind him. "And who is this?"
Torifu first greeted the guard and then introduced Ashina. When the guard learned that this old man with white hair was the Daimyō of the Land of Whirlpools, he immediately became a little flustered. After all, this was Mito-sama's older brother!
Torifu patted him on the shoulder. "Alright, we'll talk later. We're going to report to Tobirama-sama."
"Alright, take care, my lords."
Uzumaki Ashina, who hadn't been to Konoha in decades, curiously observed everything in Konoha. "It doesn't feel like much has changed. It's just a little more prosperous, and there are more tall buildings and new houses."
Torifu nodded. "You're right. Konoha has been expanding or renovating around its original design over the years, which is why there haven't been any significant changes."
Along the way, the villagers all greeted Torifu and Hiruzen. Even though they hadn't seen them in half a month, it didn't lessen the villagers' enthusiasm. Torifu couldn't even imagine what the villagers would be like when he became the Third Hokage. After walking for a while, they arrived in front of the Hokage's Office. The guard ninja briefly talked to Torifu and the others and then let them through. After all, they hadn't seen Torifu in a long time and were naturally curious about where he had gone on his mission.
When they arrived at the door of the Hokage's office, they found that the door wasn't closed. After knocking, Torifu led his companions inside.
"Tobirama, it's been a while."
"I sensed your chakra a long time ago, Ashina. It's been so many years, but you don't look like you've changed at all." Tobirama walked up to Ashina and gave him a hug. Ashina found it strange that even though Tobirama was much younger than him, he shouldn't be this young, right?