After Izumi returned to the Village, she went back home.
"Mom!"
Uchiha Hazuki directly opened her arms and embraced her daughter.
Uchiha Hazuki said happily, "I missed you so much! Quick, tell me everything you did!"
"Mm!" Izumi and her mother smiled as they returned home.
In the Hokage's office building, Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to Sarutobi Muraki's report, took a puff from his cigarette, and then said, "I didn't expect you to encounter a Ninja battle. I understand the specific situation, so, how did Uchiha Izumi perform?"
Sarutobi Muraki said, "Very honest, and her aptitude is very good. She quickly learned the Fire Release Ninjutsu I taught her."
The Third Hokage leaned back in his chair and nodded, "Yes, her aptitude is indeed good, but compared to Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui, she's not just a little bit behind. Alright, you can go now. Rest for a while, and then take on another mission."
Sarutobi Muraki immediately said, "Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Seeing him leave the room, the Third Hokage walked to the window, looking at the prosperous Village, he took another puff of his cigarette, lost in thought.
During this time, Izumi had been doing some simple missions, helping farmers plant rice in paddies filled with giant leeches, collecting herbs in the mountains for people, finding cats for the Daimyo's wife, and helping move furniture for the Daimyo's mansion.
Izumi even formed a deep friendship with the Daimyo's wife due to some beauty treatments; she constantly spent huge sums of money specifically requesting Izumi to perform her beauty treatments.
Izumi also felt very relaxed there; when she had nothing to do, she practiced Ninjutsu and could enjoy treatment she couldn't get in Konoha.
This time, after finishing the Daimyo's wife's beauty treatment and taking care of the cats, Izumi and her companions left the Daimyo's mansion with their pockets full.
"Hahaha... The Daimyo's wife's money is so easy to earn, it's fantastic!" Yamamoto Kawa was given a huge tip by the Daimyo's wife, and he was practically floating as he walked.
Sarutobi Muraki and the others felt the same, but Akimichi Jiro still rationally said, "Thanks to Izumi, who made the Daimyo's wife so happy, we also benefited."
Sarutobi Muraki patted Izumi's shoulder and said, "Izumi, you did very well. The Daimyo's wife said many good things about Konoha Village to the Daimyo, so the Daimyo decided to increase Konoha's funding. You are a great contributor! I will ask Hokage-sama to reward you!"
Izumi quickly said, "Oh, no, it's nothing! It's all for the Village!"
As the group happily hurried along, they suddenly saw a white-haired middle-aged man fishing by the river.
Sarutobi Muraki was startled by the sight, then immediately ran over and respectfully greeted the man, "Jiraiya-sama, long time no see! I didn't expect to run into you here!"
Jiraiya glanced at him, also surprised, "Oh, isn't this Muraki? Why are you here too?" He looked at Izumi and the others, then nodded, "Oh, so you're here on a mission. What a coincidence!"
Yamamoto Kawa asked, "Hey, do you know who this is?"
Akimichi Jiro whispered, "Don't you know? He's Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin!"
"Ah? He's Jiraiya! Oh my god! He's my idol!" Yamamoto Kawa covered his mouth, saying in disbelief, "Can I go ask him for an autograph?"
Izumi ignored their conversation and instead sized up Jiraiya, sensing him. She couldn't help but praise inwardly, "He's indeed very powerful. I wonder if I can beat him, probably not, but I can also run, and he won't be able to keep me."
"It seems I need to battle others to accumulate some experience."
Just as Izumi was thinking, Yamamoto Kawa directly ran to Jiraiya with a piece of paper to ask for his autograph.
Izumi and Akimichi Jiro also walked over to Sarutobi Muraki's side.
Sarutobi Muraki then introduced Izumi, Akimichi Jiro, and Yamamoto Kawa to Jiraiya.
"Oh! The new generation of Ninja? Hmm, they all look quite good!" Jiraiya stroked his chin, looking at these newcomers, and couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, time flies so fast. I've gone from that age to being an old man."
Sarutobi Muraki said, "Not at all, you've gone from a commoner Ninja to one of the legendary Sannin, you're a role model for all commoner Ninja, and Hokage-sama also hopes you'll return soon."
"Alas, I still need to constantly gather material for my writing, so I won't be returning for now, but if Konoha needs me, I will still come back."
Sarutobi Muraki leaned close to Jiraiya and said, "Jiraiya-sama, my treat, how about I take you to a drink or two in the nearby town? Hmm?" After speaking, he gave a look that all men understood.
Jiraiya rubbed his head, showing an embarrassed expression, "Ah? Is that really okay? Didn't you just finish a mission? Is it alright?"
"What's wrong with that!" Sarutobi Muraki said, "We were planning to rest in the town for a day anyway, and also teach them some Ninjutsu."
"Oh, is that so! Then I won't refuse, hehehe..." Jiraiya and Sarutobi Muraki led the three towards the town. Jiraiya said with a smile, "You really understand me!"
Sarutobi Muraki also laughed, "We're all men. No need to hide anything..."
The three behind them watched the two adults lewdly discussing these topics, following them speechlessly.
Izumi looked at Yamamoto Kawa's dumbfounded expression and asked with a smile, "Hey, hey, didn't you expect Jiraiya-sama to be this kind of person?"
Yamamoto Kawa asked with a lost look in his eyes, "What did you just say?"
"Haha, no, nothing." Izumi covered her mouth, almost bursting into laughter; this guy was too funny.
Once they arrived at the town, Sarutobi Muraki called the three over and said, "I'll teach you a Ninjutsu, practice it, watch carefully!"
He threw a shuriken, then quickly made hand signs, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
The one shuriken he threw turned into more than ten, all embedded in the trees.
He looked at the three and asked proudly, "What do you think? You'll learn this Jutsu this afternoon."
"Yay! More Ninjutsu to learn!" Yamamoto Kawa jumped up happily. As a commoner, learning Ninjutsu was very difficult for him; the Ninjutsu his teacher taught him was almost his only chance to learn Ninjutsu now, and he cherished it greatly.
Sarutobi Muraki thought to himself, "Hmm, this is an A-rank Ninjutsu, it should take them a long time to learn, but their talents are all good. With more practice, they might learn it quickly."
"Oh right, Izumi, you also need to practice the tree climbing and water walking I taught you earlier."
After teaching the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, Sarutobi Muraki and Jiraiya walked towards the red-light district.
The remaining three practiced the Ninjutsu there.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Yamamoto Kawa said, "It's too noisy with three people practicing together! I'll go practice over there." With that, he left.
"Just as I wanted." Izumi pointed in a direction and said, "Then I'll go this way."
Akimichi Jiro said, "I'll just stay here."
The three separated and practiced in different places.