Pushing open the Hokage's office door, Hibari saw Sasuke, Hiruzen, and Tobirama waiting for him and Kagami.
Before Hibari could speak, Sasuke quickly asked, "What happened? I heard the Eight-Tails went berserk in Kumogakure just a day after you entered. Is it related to you two? Also, given the rushed timing, how did the mission go? Did it fail?"
As Sasuke finished speaking, Hiruzen and Tobirama both looked at Hibari, seemingly waiting for his answer.
Konohagakure naturally had 'eyes' in Kumogakure. Originally, Hibari had thought that if he didn't find any good leads after entering Kumogakure, he would first contact the intelligence personnel there to see if there was anything they could share.
However, things went too smoothly later, so there was no need for these extra steps. The exchange of information between these two places naturally couldn't be done by simply running, so Kumogakure's intelligence arriving at Konoha two days earlier than them didn't surprise Hibari at all.
"How could that be? I'm not some jerk; why would I go provoke the Eight-Tails for no reason? Wouldn't that just cause trouble for myself? As for the mission... sigh." Hibari sighed dramatically.
Hiruzen, seeing this, quickly said, "With something like that happening, Kumogakure will undoubtedly conduct a full investigation of their village. Your decision to evacuate promptly was correct; at least your identity wasn't exposed. As for mission failure... who hasn't failed before? Don't be discouraged."
Just as Hiruzen finished speaking, Kagami, the 'honest man,' couldn't help but burst out laughing. When he laughed, everyone else was stunned. What? So happy about a failed mission? Was he asking for trouble?
Just then, Hibari said smugly, "What mission failure? Where did I say it failed? I was just lamenting how strong my work ethic is, thoroughly investigating Kumogakure in just one day. This mission, it wasn't just successful; it was extremely successful!"
As Hibari spoke, he unfastened a scroll from his waist and placed it on the Hokage's desk. Then, Tobirama, wearing the Hokage's hat, glanced at Hibari, reached for the scroll, and immediately unrolled it.
He first looked at it for a few moments, then frowned and looked at Hibari, saying, "Hibari, if I recall correctly, the mission I gave you was to investigate Kumogakure's current situation and war trends, right?"
"That's right, what about it?" Hibari asked, somewhat confused.
"Then what's the meaning of giving me this scroll? You stole so many ninjutsu from Kumogakure? Is this how you completed the mission? You brat..." Tobirama scolded, somewhat annoyed.
His words made Hibari look carefully at the scroll, then he slapped his head and said, "My apologies, my apologies, I gave you the wrong one. That's my private gain..."
As he spoke, Hibari handed Tobirama another scroll. This time, Tobirama opened it and looked for a while, and the expression on his face also became very shocked.
"Where did you get so much intelligence, you punk? This isn't just about the war... You collected so much in one day? You didn't make this up yourself, did you?" Tobirama asked, surprised.
"Hokage-sama, can't you just acknowledge the professional competence of your direct subordinate's second-in-command? Kagami, tell them how we risked our lives, endured countless hardships, and obtained this intelligence!" Hibari lifted his chin, speaking with great 'arrogance.'
Kagami also smiled, then cooperatively said, "Hokage-sama, this intelligence is absolutely genuine. If you ask why, it's because Hibari infiltrated the Raikage's office and took everything there. The ninjutsu you just saw were unexpected gains."
"You thoroughly investigated the Raikage's office???" Hiruzen asked, utterly surprised.
"Oh, it was nothing, just a minor thing. If it weren't for the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki suddenly going berserk, I was even planning to try and sweep through their intelligence and archives departments..." Hibari boasted shamelessly.
Then, Hibari and Kagami exaggerated and embellished their actions in Kumogakure, making it sound as if they had turned Kumogakure upside down.
"I said I didn't want to leave then, to stay hidden for two more days, but Kagami was probably worried we'd bite off more than we could chew and insisted on dragging me away. That's why I left Kumogakure; otherwise, there might have been other gains, truly..." Hibari continued to boast shamelessly.
Tobirama couldn't listen anymore. Anyway, what came after this was probably all nonsense, so he quickly waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright. For the mission details, you can write a report yourself later. If there's nothing else, go back and get some good rest. I have important matters to attend to here; the intelligence you've provided is too much, and it will take two days to properly sort through it..."
He paused slightly, ignoring Hibari's displeased expression after his boasting was interrupted, and Tobirama spoke again, "Sasuke, go call Harano and have him bring a few trustworthy subordinates to organize these things."
And so, those who were to disperse dispersed, and those who were to be busy became busy.
Hibari indeed wanted to go back and rest, as the mission, though without major problems, had been quite tiring on the road.
As soon as he stepped out the door, Hiruzen came over, reaching out and snatching the scroll from Hibari's hand. He said, "You brat, you've thoroughly explored the Raikage's office; those ninjutsu must be incredibly powerful, right? A-rank? S-rank? Forbidden jutsu?"
"Hey, hey, hey, go easy on it! These are priceless treasures; I'll get mad if you damage them!" Hibari didn't try to snatch it back or prevent Hiruzen from looking, merely giving a caution.
Then Hiruzen Sarutobi the scroll unceremoniously. After a few glances, his expression turned to shock. He said, "My heavens, you've gotten your hands on the Raikage's secret techniques..."
"Shh! Lower your voice! Do you want me to be chased by Kumogakure before you're happy?" Hibari quickly interjected.
Hiruzen quickly scanned it, then closed the scroll and returned it to Hibari, saying, "You, next time, can you get some ninjutsu that's easier to learn?"
"What? You don't fancy this one?" Hibari raised an eyebrow.
"No, it's just that this technique isn't good to learn, and besides, I don't have much interest in Lightning Release. This technique clearly looks like it's best learned from a young age, to be continuously honed and strengthened over time. It's an accumulative ninjutsu; the earlier you learn it, the better. My age is already a bit late, so forget it," Hiruzen said with some regret after thinking for a moment.
"Spoiled rotten, with incredibly picky taste! Learn it or don't; if you don't, I'll learn it myself," Hibari said as he put away the scroll.
The two bantered a bit, then Hibari asked, "Has anything happened in the village while I was away?"
"Nothing major, everything's proceeding as planned. Oh, right, the Hokage has approved what I told you about before: our Anbu's subordinate training institution has begun to be established. The person in charge is..." Hiruzen said with a smile.
However, before he could finish speaking, Hibari directly interrupted him, saying, "Danzō Shimura, right? I've suspected you two had something going on for a long time. You always think of him for anything good. Tell me, are you worthy of Biwako-nee? You scoundrel!"
Hiruzen's face darkened at Hibari's retort. He said, "What nonsense are you spouting, kid? Let me tell you, Biwako-chan is almost due, and she's been sensitive lately. If I come home a bit late, she thinks I've done something to displease her, so don't cause me any trouble..."
"Let me calculate the time, it's almost that point. How about it? Once your child is born, have them call me godfather..." Hibari hadn't even finished speaking when Hiruzen chopped him on the head.
"You brat, it's one thing to talk nonsense normally, but if Sensei hears that, he'll break your legs..." Hiruzen said, somewhat annoyed.
Hibari gave an awkward laugh, then said, "Haha, well, I was just joking. Sigh, suddenly having a little brother, my feelings are a bit complicated. Oh, right, is it a boy or a girl?"
"We've had the Hyūga clan check; it's a boy," Hiruzen said with a smile.
"I really didn't expect the Hyūga clan's ability to have this use. Amazing. In my opinion, it would be very profitable for them to open a maternal and child health hospital. Why even be shinobi, really..." Hibari chuckled, complaining.
Just then, a voice suddenly emerged from around the corner of the corridor, saying, "Deputy Commander, do you truly believe it's very promising for our Hyūga clan to open such a hospital? Also, even if that's the case, I still think being a shinobi is necessary."
Then, Hitenn walked around the corner, carrying some documents. This made Hibari a bit awkward; he had been gossiping, and the person he was talking about had heard him.
"Ahem, well, I just spoke without thinking. Hitenn, please don't take it to heart," Hibari quickly said.
"No, Deputy Commander, your hotpot restaurant business has fully demonstrated that you have a certain talent in this area. As the young clan head of the Hyūga clan, I also have a duty to find new avenues for development for the Hyūga clan. To be frank, our Hyūga clan's financial resources have indeed been a bit tight lately. If we could expand our income, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Because I really want to know, Deputy Commander, are you truly optimistic about our Hyūga clan entering this industry?" Hitenn asked with a serious expression.
"You're truly a stick in the mud..." Hibari muttered to himself, then said, "It's indeed very good. I suggest your Hyūga clan could think more about this aspect, such as opening a maternal and child health hospital or a chain massage parlor. These are all very profitable and can fully utilize your Hyūga clan's abilities. In these processes, you can also train your mastery of the Byakugan. Don't you agree?"
Hitenn's expression turned serious upon hearing this, and he said very earnestly, "Thinking about it, that's indeed true. Thank you very much for your suggestion, Deputy Commander. After I finish handling these matters, I hope to visit you at the Senju residence to discuss the future in detail."
Hibari's mouth twitched slightly, then he said somewhat reluctantly, "No problem, I await your esteemed presence at any time..."
After Hitenn left, Hiruzen finally burst out laughing, holding his stomach and saying, "You crack me up! You really have ideas, it's impressive! I look forward to you and Hitenn establishing a good hospital that benefits both the country and the people, hahahaha."
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