Seeing Kakashi's movements, Onoki couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
With such a light, floating palm strike, he actually wanted to carve words into this stone monument?
It was simply a fool's dream.
However... a sudden change occurred.
Purple electricity flickered across the smooth surface of the blank stone monument. A massive amount of stone chips fell away, kicking up a burst of dust and smoke.
When the dust settled, a massive character for "Fire" occupied the entire surface of the monument.
This scene caused Ohnoki to narrow his eyes slightly.
He had personally selected this stone.
He knew its hardness better than anyone; even using A-rank jutsu might not necessarily leave a mark on it.
That purple lightning...
This Fifth Hokage was something else.
"Someone come, drag this stone monument to the main gate of the Hidden Leaf. Consider it the Leaf's new landmark building."
Kakashi patted the stone with satisfaction—a stone that was useless for anything other than looking at—and gave orders to his nearby subordinates.
"Lord Tsuchikage, if you please..."
Kakashi looked at Ohnoki with a beaming smile.
"Since the Lord Hokage invites me, I will naturally follow your lead."
Seeing that his stone monument was about to be dragged to the Leaf's entrance by Kakashi to serve as a decoration, Ohnoki let out a cold snort and walked into the Hokage Residence.
Hiruzen Sarutobi accompanied the Tsuchikage.
Glancing at the two little old men departing, Kakashi did not go to entertain Ohnoki personally. Instead, he summoned Hayate Gekkō to ask when the representatives for the Raikage and Mizukage would arrive.
"The Raikage is estimated to arrive tomorrow morning. As for the Mizukage's representative, they are expected around noon tomorrow."
Kakashi nodded slightly upon hearing this news.
Now that the Four Shadows were gathering, and even the Mizukage had dispatched personnel, it could be said that the focus of the entire ninja world was concentrated right here.
"I've arranged for Yūgao to be responsible for security within the village. She's likely too busy to handle it alone, so you should go and assist her," Kakashi said, waving his hand.
"Yes."
Hayate Gekkō accepted the order and retreated immediately.
Looking at the setting sun on the horizon, Kakashi smiled.
The arrival of the Kazekage and Tsuchikage was within Kakashi's expectations.
However, the choices made by the Raikage and Mizukage surprised him somewhat.
If nothing else, the war between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Cloud had only just ended. For the Raikage, as the defeated party, to actually swallow his pride and come to the Leaf to offer congratulations was truly strange.
And while the Mizukage did not come in person, the fact that he sent a representative was worth discussing.
As a puppet of Obito Uchiha, the Hidden Mist Village under the Fourth Mizukage's rule had long since become someone else's possession.
Kisame Hoshigaki was a subordinate recruited by Obito Uchiha using the name of Madara Uchiha, while the other representative, Mei Terumī, was the future Fifth Mizukage who would overthrow Yagura Karatachi's bloody rule.
Of these two people, one was a member of the Akatsuki, and the other was a future Mizukage.
It was a coincidence that natural born enemies would come together to attend a wedding under such serendipitous circumstances.
One could only say that the affairs of the world are unpredictable.
Kakashi returned to the Hokage's office and looked through the documents to see if anything needed processing. Finding that there were no urgent matters for the time being, he clocked out right on time.
Night fell.
The Yūhi Household.
Kurenai Yūhi's heart grew increasingly uneasy as the hands on the clock slowly ticked away.
She had already made dinner, waiting for a certain someone's arrival.
Although it was just three dishes and one soup, it was obvious that it had been meticulously prepared.
Following her memory of Kakashi's preferences, she had specially made salt-grilled saury.
But the food had been reheated time and time again; the hands of the wall clock had circled round and round; the house had been cleaned over and over. The night outside grew deeper and heavier, yet the white-haired man in her heart still did not appear.
Kurenai Yūhi slumped into the sofa, her wrist resting over her forehead. She felt a bit ridiculous, like a clown.
Everything she had meticulously prepared, even the readiness to give her all—to that man, it seemed to be an existence that was entirely optional.
Sure enough... there is no use forcing what cannot be obtained.
A sigh escaped Kurenai's lips.
During the day, the scorching heat from that man's lips had left her in a trance, but now it seemed like a false dream.
However, the lonely and deserted room before her eyes forced Kurenai to recognize reality.
Just as she stood up, intending to hastily eat a meal and then rest, there was a sudden knock at the door.
Kurenai's heart tightened violently. Could it be...
With urgency in her vermilion eyes, Kurenai walked quickly to the main entrance. But when the door opened, the surprise in her eyes vanished in an instant.
"It's Yūgao..."
Kurenai spoke with disappointment.
?
Wearing a look of slight exhaustion, Yūgao Uzuki looked at Kurenai Yūhi, who seemed very disappointed to see her. Although she was a bit puzzled, she didn't think much of it. Instead, she handed the documents she had brought over to Kurenai and said:
"From now on, Kurenai, you will be responsible for managing Lord Hokage's itinerary and the daily affairs within the Hokage Residence. This is the work content I have organized. I hope you can take over as quickly as possible."
"If there is anything you don't understand, you can ask me, or go ask Lord Hokage."
"I am very busy right now—extremely busy—so if you have any questions, you can ask me now."
Yūgao fired off a long string of words like a cannonball, leaving Kurenai unable to react for a moment.
Yūgao Uzuki really had been too busy lately.
As the deputy of the Anbu, she had to follow Tenzō to handle the follow-up work of the Uchiha incident. As the Hokage's personal Anbu guard, she had to urgently arrange the village's security issues due to the Hokage's grand wedding. On top of that, she was responsible for the daily affairs within the Hokage Residence.
She was almost at the point of wishing she could split herself into three people.
If the Lord Hokage hadn't sent Hayate to assist her during the day, she would probably still be planning the warning zones within the village right now.
"Oh, oh, I understand."
Kurenai took the documents, her interest waning.
Yūgao furrowed her brows as she looked at the unenthusiastic Kurenai, sensing that something was wrong with her.
Her gaze glanced lightly into the room; there was untouched food on the table.
Moreover, this girl, Kurenai, had put on makeup.
Was she waiting for someone?
Although Yūgao wanted to say something, the thought of her own massive pile of work forced her to squeeze out just one sentence:
"Good luck, these tasks are very simple."
With that, she instantly vanished from in front of Kurenai, using the Body Flicker Technique even to leave. One could see just how busy Yūgao was.
"Sigh..."
Looking at the cold documents in her hand, Kurenai sighed, turned around, and went back inside. Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to look over her work for tomorrow.
But not long after she closed the door, there was another knock.
"Is there something you forgot to mention, Yūgao? You..."
Kurenai opened the door again, thinking it was Yūgao returning. She spoke casually.
However, the rest of her words were forcefully swallowed back. Looking at the man before her, whose face was calm and who carried a faint scent of alcohol, she spoke dryly:
"Y-You, why are you here?"
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