"Since that's the case, we'll handle this matter according to your plan. Kakashi and Gai, right? Besides these two, I can also assign you two elite squads. How about that?"
Since Hikari was so insistent, Tsunade decided not to argue further.
Having Kakashi and Maito Gai leave wouldn't affect Konoha's overall war strength much anyway.
And with her Wood Release now fully mastered, Tsunade wasn't worried—no one would dare come here looking for trouble.
"No need. Just those two. Everyone else should stay at their posts. Also, while I'm away on this mission, consolidate our forces and preserve Konoha's main strength."
Tsunade still didn't quite understand his reasoning, but Hikari was already heading out the window.
"Yo!"
Kakashi, standing outside the Hokage Office window, greeted him casually.
"Yo, my ass. Follow me."
Hikari, clearly in no mood for small talk, barked the words and took off toward the Hokage Rock. The situation with the Three-Tails had unsettled him, leaving no room for humor.
Kakashi could only follow, confused. The two soon reached the top of the Hokage Rock, overlooking the prosperous Konoha below. Hikari sighed quietly.
"Kakashi, tell Gai to meet us tomorrow morning. The three of us will head straight for the Land of Hot Water and search for the Three-Tails' whereabouts."
"Got it."
Kakashi agreed easily. After all, this was an order from Hokage—his job was simply to follow through.
"But if the shinobi from Kirigakure are already there to capture the Three-Tails, wouldn't our interference affect relations between the two villages?"
The Three-Tails... that was a wound Kakashi had never healed from.
The image of Rin's death still haunted his mind, an unending echo of pain.
"Now's not the time to worry about Kirigakure," Hikari replied sharply. "For this mission, just follow my command completely. I'll explain everything afterward."
A wave of irritation washed through Hikari's chest.
He'd only needed a few quiet years. A few years to stabilize his strength and ascend to the Sage of Six Paths level. By then, even if Kaguya Ōtsutsuki returned, he wouldn't have to worry.
But, as always, trouble arrived right when he least wanted it—throwing his plans into chaos.
"Understood."
Kakashi nodded, gazing down at the busy streets of Konoha. "What about Naruto and the others? Who'll guide them now?"
Naruto and Sasuke were far too important to Konoha.
The Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, and the last of the Uchiha—either one alone was someone Konoha could never afford to lose.
"I'll have Shikamaru keep an eye on things. As long as Naruto stays in Konoha and waits for Jiraiya to return, that'll be enough."
"Alright then, I'll go make preparations."
With that, Kakashi vanished in a flicker, using the Body Flicker Technique.
"Haah..."
As Kakashi left, Hikari sat down and sighed heavily.
"When will these damn problems ever stop?"
"What's troubling you so much?"
A soft, melodic voice sounded from behind him. Two slender arms draped gently over his shoulders, carrying a faint, feminine fragrance.
"The Three-Tails is about to revive," Hikari muttered, pressing his fingers to his temples. He felt a deep, weary ache inside.
"So what if it revives? With your strength, dealing with a single Three-Tails shouldn't be hard at all." Kurama Yakumo whispered teasingly in his ear.
"I'm not worried about the Three-Tails itself," he said. "It's the people connected to it. I just hope the shinobi world can stay peaceful for three more years. Just three years..."
Three years would be enough. Naruto would grow strong enough to stand on his own, and Hikari himself would finally cross the last threshold—to truly reach the Sage level.
"That's easy enough," Yakumo said lightly. "Just destroy the Three-Tails completely. Tailed Beasts take decades to revive, right? By then, even our grandkids will be graduating from the Academy."
"Don't joke around. We don't even have a kid, so how would there be grandkids?" Hikari rolled his eyes, clearly exasperated.
He was already frustrated—Yakumo's teasing only made his head ache more.
Being a man women liked... really was a hassle.
"Are you sure nothing ever happened between us?" Kurama Yakumo's finger traced lazy circles on his chest. "Did you forget what happened in the Tsukuyomi world?"
"That world wasn't real." Hikari replied flatly.
Yakumo chuckled softly. "Who told you that what happens in the Tsukuyomi world isn't real? I had half the control back then, you know. That masked man wasn't exactly a genjutsu expert—his grasp on the illusion was shallow at best."
"Ahem–khm!"
Hikari choked a bit, coughing awkwardly.
"Yakumo, that's not something to joke about. Don't mess with me."
Sure, he sometimes dreamed about being surrounded by women—but he was a man who hated complications. Daydreams were one thing; acting on them was another.
"If you don't believe me," Yakumo smiled mischievously, "why don't you come and see for yourself? After all, what's real can't be faked... and what's fake can't hide the truth."
---
Hokage's Office
Kakashi stood before Tsunade, a small orange book in hand. "That's the situation. Hikari asked me to gather Gai and accompany him to the Land of Hot Water. Is there anything specific I should watch out for?"
Truthfully, Kakashi wanted to ask about command authority. He was an elite jonin, and one of the Hokage's advisors, after all. Having Hikari take charge left a faint sting to his pride.
Of course, if Hikari made up for it by sketching him a few more waifus, Kakashi wouldn't complain.
"For this mission, just follow his lead. I get the feeling this matter has exceeded even Hikari's expectations. This is the first time I've seen him with such a grave expression." Tsunade said.
"The Three-Tails is indeed important," said Shikaku, who had been called in to discuss the matter. "But Kirigakure is already moving to retrieve it. If Kakashi and the others go too... won't that cause a conflict?"
He was puzzled.
Konoha had the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki and Tsunade-sama's Wood Release. Even if the other villages joined forces, they had little to fear. So why was Hikari reacting so strongly to just one tailed beast's revival?
It was true—people change.
There was a time when Shikaku himself valued the tailed beasts highly. But after witnessing Tsunade's overwhelming power, he'd grown a bit... complacent.
"If conflict can't be avoided, then so be it," Tsunade said firmly. "This time, Hikari, Kakashi, and Gai are going. We will also recall Jiraiya. According to Hikari's intel, the real issue this time isn't Kirigakure—but an organization operating in the shadows called 'Akatsuki'. With Jiraiya's experience wandering the shinobi world, he may already have clues about them."
Hearing that Jiraiya would be recalled, Shikaku's expression hardened.
This was serious.
Jiraiya was one of Konoha's strongest assets—just his name alone was enough to make other villages think twice before acting against them.
"So... what should we do?"
"Observe for now," Tsunade ordered. "And be ready for anything."
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