The voices outside gradually faded, and Hoshigaki Kisame flashed an enigmatic smile at Itachi.
"Was that little guy outside your brother Sasuke just now?"
"Mm," Itachi replied, his expression unchanging as he ate the dango.
Hoshigaki Kisame continued, "What? As your teammate, aren't you going to introduce me?"
"Sasuke is different from me."
"Then I'm even more interested," Hoshigaki Kisame said, making a move to follow.
Itachi looked up, his Sharingan with three tomoe flaring scarlet, and said coldly, "Do you want to go in there again?"
"Never mind, never mind."
Hoshigaki Kisame's injuries still ached faintly, and he had no desire to enter the Tsukuyomi space again.
"Then at least take me on a tour of Konoha, right? That's the mission the boss gave me."
"Fine," Itachi said, swallowing the dango in one gulp and standing up to leave the dessert shop.
"Hey! Why do I still have to pay the bill!"
Hoshigaki Kisame looked at the sweet young lady smiling softly at him and reluctantly pulled out some silver from his pocket to pay. Everyone who joined the Akatsuki was clearly a profiteer!
When would he find a gullible fool to swindle? Preferably a guy with a slicked-back hairstyle who looked like an easy mark!
Hoshigaki Kisame reluctantly followed Itachi, and their figures gradually disappeared into the streets of Konoha.
...
The Ankoro, an aerial fortress built by the Sky Ninja, was being personally cleaned by Shisui, who was weeding and clearing branches, while also looking for any surviving Sky Ninja remnants.
"How can I possibly clean such a huge fortress by myself!"
Shisui complained, and he didn't even know how to operate the fortress. If it suddenly fell, they'd be smashed to smithereens.
"Why hasn't Teacher Lin Yu come yet? He wouldn't actually make me do all the work alone, would he!"
Just as Shisui finished clearing another passage, the central area where the underground chakra network had been sealed echoed with the sound of hurried footsteps.
"Wow, is this our future base? It's so magnificent!"
"Shh! Suigetsu, speak quietly. We should be polite when visiting the base for the first time."
Compared to the whispered conversations of the Hozuki brothers, Kimimaro remained silent, his head bowed, following closely behind Lin Yu. His eyes, however, held a touch of wistfulness. Was this the place where he would live from now on, his home?
"Tch! This place is so messy! Why are there weeds and trees everywhere? Did you just snatch it?"
"That's right."
Kurenai and Mei Terumi began to complain after surveying the area, expressing dissatisfaction with the messy state of the base and their resentment towards Lin Yu for leaving them with the Akatsuki and then disappearing.
However, Mei Terumi spoke very softly, shrinking back slightly, seemingly afraid to face Lin Yu directly.
"You guessed right. Now it's time for a big clean-up. Everyone go grab your cleaning tools over there and get to work!"
"Ah..."
Everyone sighed. However, only three of them, the Hozuki brothers and Kurenai, did so. The rest had already silently picked up their cleaning tools. For example, Kimimaro was a model student in Lin Yu's eyes!
"Such unique ideas, worthy of research."
"How is it? Can it be improved?" Lin Yu asked Orochimaru, who was studying the runes on the wall.
The operating techniques of this fortress were too archaic. Shennong had simply drawn a few lines on the ground, and the fortress had flown up. How could anyone learn that!
"It can be improved, but it will take some time."
Orochimaru's eyes held a glint of interest. "However, my time is very precious."
"If we find Shennong's regeneration jutsu in the fortress, I'll give it to you."
"Deal!" Orochimaru licked his lips, surprised that Lin Yu had agreed so easily. In fact, even without compensation, Orochimaru would have wanted to study the fortress. There were too many aspects to learn from, and many areas he could improve.
For a researcher, this was a wonderful thing. He realized that the village was merely a constraint; he, Orochimaru, should roam the world, vast and free...
"Originally, I was going to give you a break, but since you're asking for compensation, your progress on electrical appliance research and that experiment will proceed as usual!"
Lin Yu picked up a broom and said, "Remember to submit your reports on time. And don't slack off, everyone needs to participate in the clean-up!"
Orochimaru: "..."
Resigned, Orochimaru picked up a broom and walked towards a passage. These were all tests on his path of research. He would surely attain the power of a "god"!
"Everyone participates?"
Lin Yu suddenly remembered that there was also Namikaze Minato among the Akatsuki members. However, Minato was likely busy. So, he would find someone to replace him!
Besides, the garbage collected needed to be disposed of. Throwing things from a high place was very dangerous!
There was someone who was very suitable for dealing with garbage.
Obito, who was bathing in the Land of Rain, suddenly sneezed, "Achoo!"
"What's going on? Is someone thinking of me? Is it Kakashi?"
Obito rubbed his nose, but he didn't want to go to Konoha. There shouldn't be anything to do lately, and he wanted to take a break and recuperate...
*Bang!*
"Obito! I need your help with something!"
Seeing Lin Yu suddenly burst in, Obito buried his head in the water with a black line on his face...
He wished he could drown himself!
...
Meanwhile, in Konoha Park.
"Naruto, are we playing hide-and-seek again today? Huh? Who's that?"
Shikamaru looked at the little boy standing behind Naruto, hands in his pockets, striking a cool pose. His eyes slightly narrowed.
Naruto, holding Sasuke's arm, introduced him to Shikamaru and the others, "This is my good friend, Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Let go! Who's your good friend? We're just ordinary friends!" Sasuke yanked his arm back, turning his little face away with immense pride!
"Uchiha..."
Shikamaru gave a dry chuckle. This looked like it was going to cause trouble. Perhaps he should make a run for it.
"Hide-and-seek is more fun with more people! Shikamaru, let's start quickly!"
Choji Akimichi, his body two sizes larger than Shikamaru's, exuded an imposing presence as he munched on his snacks.
"Tch, boring!"
Sasuke didn't want to play such childish games. He'd rather go back and practice his shuriken throwing.
"Come on, Sasuke, we'll all be classmates at the Ninja Academy soon. Let's play together." Naruto tugged at Sasuke, preventing him from leaving, as if insisting he had to play with him.
"Ninja Academy?"
Sasuke remembered that his brother had been the most dazzling genius at the Ninja Academy, graduating early after only one year.
Thinking that he would also be attending school in two and a half years, Sasuke felt it necessary to first understand the strength of his rivals. He, Uchiha Sasuke, would also become the most dazzling genius at the Ninja Academy, just like his brother!
Sasuke said coolly, "Whatever, but I want to change the rules of the game. The hiding range will be the entire Hidden Leaf Village!"
"The entire Konoha?! Then the difficulty of catching people will skyrocket."
Shikamaru frowned, having a bad feeling about this.
"Don't worry! Leave it to me, I'll definitely catch all of you!" Kiba Inuzuka, seeing his advantage, eagerly jumped out to make his presence known.
Sasuke pondered for a moment and said, "Then those who aren't caught will also join the catching team. That should be acceptable."
"Let's start quickly! I can't wait!"
Shikamaru quickly added, "Wait, let's agree on some places we can't go first, just in case..."
"Hey, Shikamaru, don't worry, I'm here! It'll be fine!" Naruto patted his chest and promised.
It's because you're here that I'm worried!
Shikamaru made a pained face, hoping that no trouble would arise today!