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It would be nearly impossible for the two villages not to end up fighting.
The Akatsuki's scheme was unfolding, yet none of the villages had a clue.
Even Kirigakure's people were completely in the dark, as their Mizukage, Yagura, was under control.
Nagato wasn't Obito. Even though he controlled Yagura, for the sake of the plan, he wouldn't let Yagura stir up chaos recklessly.
Unlike in the original story, where things got messy and dramatic.
That would weaken Kirigakure's strength, putting them at a disadvantage in war.
That wasn't the outcome Nagato wanted—he needed Kirigakure and Sunagakure to fight fiercely, the bloodier the better.
Over these past few years, Obito had constantly wanted to move against Kirigakure, but with Nagato standing in his way, any attempts at revenge could only be half-hearted and perfunctory.
Sunagakure's little mess had been dealt with, and the necessary deterrence was in place.
Unless someone was brain-dead, no other village would casually provoke Konoha anymore. Even the Akatsuki would likely shift their focus to other villages.
Kazuki returned to Konoha with his team.
"Tch, tch, tch. I thought you were just going to handle things normally, but you went and made Sunagakure infamous. Poor Rasa, scurrying around like a mole."
As soon as Kazuki stepped into the Hokage's office, Tsunade teased him.
"It's the most direct and effective approach. Got the job done, and the enemies that needed deterring are pretty much deterred."
Kazuki casually leaned back on the sofa and asked:
"The village hasn't received any protests from Sunagakure, right?"
"Nope."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her expression a bit smug:
"Rasa's probably shouldering the whole thing. Sending someone to protest would do no good and only make him lose more face. I reckon Rasa's the type who cares about his reputation, even if the guy's got a bit of a vicious streak."
"Definitely a bit. The kind of person who doesn't even spare his own son or wife." Kazuki nodded in agreement.
"Oh, by the way, I gave the old man a heads-up to avoid any real trouble. If it comes to that and you retaliate, I wouldn't even know how to stop you."
What a headache these messes are.
Is that so?
Didn't expect Tsunade to be so foresighted.
Kazuki grinned:
"No big deal. If you try to stop me, I'll just take the Uchiha and defect to another village. I'm sure plenty of villages would be thrilled to welcome us."
In the past, he didn't do it because he lacked the confidence.
Don't ever talk about just up and leaving with your clan.
Even if you escape Konoha, how far could you go?
If it really came to defecting, it'd mean an all-out feud with Konoha.
How many Uchiha could escape Konoha, escape the Land of Fire, at that point?
"Go to hell." Tsunade couldn't help but flip him the middle finger.
Speaking of which, she'd learned that gesture from Kazuki.
"Hahaha…"
Kazuki laughed heartily, sauntering over to Tsunade. Under her exasperated gaze, he leaned in close to her, taking a few deep sniffs:
"Mmm, smells nice."
"…"
I'm about to punch someone, you believe me?
Tsunade, forehead throbbing with dark lines, raised her fist. Try acting up one more time.
Being cheeky at home is one thing, but pulling this in the Hokage's office? If someone saw, it'd cause a stir.
Seeing Tsunade's fur standing on end, ready to throw hands, Kazuki promptly bolted.
Time to head home, rest up, and tomorrow take his adorable fiancée out for a picnic.
Hinata was a little foodie, but she was too reserved in the village.
Kazuki needed some rest and relaxation himself, so taking Hinata for a picnic sounded perfect—plus, it'd help build their bond.
The thought of Hinata's shy eating face made Kazuki chuckle a bit.
That girl's timid personality hadn't changed much.
Good thing Kazuki had his boundaries—he'd never done anything to cross the line with Hinata.
The next day, Kazuki took the truant Hinata out of the village. Under the escort of an Anbu team, they found a spot with a natural waterfall and set up camp.
Building a fire pit, chopping firewood—these chores were handled by the Anbu ninjas. Only when the wood had burned down to charcoal would Kazuki take over to grill the meat.
"How's school going lately? I heard the atmosphere there's gotten pretty intense."
"Yeah."
Hinata's little face lit up with a smile.
She loved going out to play with Kazuki, having picnics—it made her feel free, unbound by all sorts of shackles.
Over the years, Hinata had grown comfortable around Kazuki naturally, even curling up in his arms to rest when she got tired.
"Ever since Naruto and Sasuke stopped coming to school, a lot of classmates have stepped up their efforts by leaps and bounds—especially the girls who like Sasuke."
Sasuke wasn't attending school anymore.
Neither was Naruto. Without Sasuke around, girls like Sakura and Ino, who were obsessed with him and would've married into the Uchiha yesterday if they could, started getting competitive.
They wanted Sasuke to see a different side of them when he returned.
Their overachievement sparked a wave across the entire class, even spreading to other classes, as students started pushing themselves harder.
Even if the students weren't keen, the teachers made sure they got swept up in it.
And so, it spiraled—until the entire Ninja Academy was caught up in the frenzy.
Add in the pressure from supplementary classes, and the academy teachers weren't about to take it lying down. Fine, let's all get intense then.
Before, the Ninja Academy had pretty generous breaks. Now? Dream on—everyone's back in class!
Even after-school hours got extended. Sure, plenty of students complained.
But the teachers didn't care. Be glad we're not making you do night study sessions—still whining?
Whine again, and we'll cancel regular holidays too. See how you like that.
A bunch of lovestruck girls had driven the entire Ninja Academy into a frenzy. You had to hand it to Sasuke—he'd achieved something remarkable. Not just anyone could pull that off.
Talking about the funny incidents at school, Hinata couldn't stop giggling.
She found this whole competitive craze amusing and interesting.
"…"
Love-struck brains are something else.
Thinking back to the original story, where Sakura would do anything for Sasuke, it wasn't hard to understand why she'd push herself this hard.
Completely irrational love-brain behavior. In comparison, Ino at least retained a shred of reason—not as extreme as Sakura.
"It's ready to eat."
Kazuki handed the grilled meat to Hinata, who happily dug in. As she ate, her little face suddenly flushed.
Because she noticed that Kazuki's grilling speed could only just keep up with her eating speed.
"You guys."
After grilling for a bit and getting ready to eat himself, Kazuki waved to the Anbu ninjas hiding in the distance.
What are subordinates for?
They're for ordering around, obviously.