"Get this old man some sake..."
"Right away..." the Third Hokage replied, making his way out.
After the Third Hokage left, Kawasaki entered the Police Force headquarters. He wasn't looking for Jiraiya, however; he had another target in mind—Hizashi.
Back when Fugaku was the captain, he would only occasionally visit the field in person. Hizashi, on the other hand, was at the Police Force headquarters almost every day, managing all matters, big and small.
When Kawasaki arrived, he happened to run into Hyuga Yuto, who had just finished his report and was about to leave.
He gently patted Hyuga Yuto's shoulder. "Good work, kid."
Hyuga Yuto seemed a bit shy and scratched his head.
"Lord Kawasaki, I'll be taking my leave then."
Kawasaki's eyes darted as an idea came to him.
"Wait a moment."
He then whispered something in Yuto's ear.
Yuto nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, Lord Kawasaki. You can leave it to me."
Kawasaki waved him off and entered the room without knocking.
Inside, Hizashi was completely absorbed in the report he was holding.
"Hizashi, you look quite the part."
Hizashi looked up, and seeing it was Kawasaki, he smiled.
When they first met, Kawasaki had addressed him as "Lord Hizashi" with an almost unbelievable level of respect. But after they became familiar, Kawasaki's unreliable nature revealed itself. He was never too serious with anyone.
Hizashi didn't mind, however. The Hyuga and Uchiha clans were currently in a honeymoon period.
During the recent incident with Kumogakure, it was thanks to Kawasaki's intervention that things didn't go south. Otherwise, Hiashi might have messed everything up. If that had happened, the Hyuga clan would have been in serious trouble. It might have even cost his brother's life, or his own.
"Kawasaki, you really made a scene today."
Kawasaki waved his hand dismissively, feigning nonchalance. "It was a complete accident. Who would have thought Jiraiya would stir up this kind of trouble right after coming back?"
"I was just standing up for the common folk."
I don't buy it for a second, Kawasaki. You Uchiha are a cunning bunch. Didn't you specifically ask me for that mission scroll today just to make trouble for Jiraiya?
Jiraiya had a mountain of scandalous rumors surrounding him. He traveled far and wide, living a life of debauchery that truly lived up to his reputation. Everywhere he went, finding women and drinking heavily were his essential routine. Moreover, bathhouses in every place he visited had put him on their blacklists.
Not only that, but Jiraiya also wrote novels and drew manga. The novels were decent enough, but as for whether the manga were... proper, that was another question entirely.
But one's position dictates one's perspective. Previously, Hizashi had only listened to Jiraiya's romantic escapades as amusing jokes. Now, as the captain of the Police Force, Hizashi had to take action against such behavior.
It was one thing for a man of his stature to mess around outside the village. But to continue acting like this after returning home was going too far. You don't foul your own nest.
Besides, one of the victims this time was a member of the Hyuga clan. If Hizashi had stepped in himself, things would have gotten tricky. After all, Jiraiya's status was undeniable.
But with Kawasaki taking the lead, it was a different story. He had probably left Jiraiya with some psychological trauma. The great Jiraiya, disciple of the Third Hokage, one of the legendary Sannin, the Toad Sage himself—caught peeping into the women's bathhouse and publicly exposed.
Lost in thought, Hizashi finally asked, "Kawasaki, why did you do it this time?"
Kawasaki shook his head. "No particular reason. I just can't stand that kind of behavior, not even from someone like Jiraiya."
Hizashi gave Kawasaki a deep look, simply responding with a noncommittal "Oh."
"Also, that guy from Root, Nakamura Kazuya—I caught him red-handed today. He dared to obstruct me while I was enforcing the law."
"You can use this as an opportunity to dismiss him. That way, the rest of the Root members won't be able to cause any more trouble."
Hizashi nodded in agreement. Nakamura Kazuya had been making moves for a while now, trying to win over people in the Police Force. But the structure of the Hyuga's main and branch families was as solid as an iron plate; outsiders had no way to infiltrate it.
Still, a restless person like him was bound to be a problem. Since the opportunity had presented itself, it was best to dismiss him.
Kawasaki took out the mission scroll.
"Captain Hizashi, I think the Police Force is quite interesting, but I'm just too busy. I'd like to resign for now."
Hizashi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Everyone knew Kawasaki was just dabbling for fun.
"Alright, just leave it here."
Many outsiders speculated that Kawasaki's motive was to undermine the prestige of the Hokage's faction. But only Kawasaki himself knew the truth: he simply didn't want Naruto to be negatively influenced. To him, that kind of vulgar amusement was both foolish and disgusting.
Kawasaki headed toward the Konoha Ninja Academy, overhearing many people discussing Jiraiya's arrest along the way. When he arrived at the academy, he found that school had been out for some time.
The guard on duty nearby was from the Hyuga clan. "Where did Sasuke go?"
The Hyuga clansman quickly bowed and replied, "Lord Kawasaki, Sasuke and Naruto headed toward Eighth Street a little while ago."
"Alright, you're dismissed."
Kawasaki followed the road to Eighth Street and, sure enough, found the two boys. They each held a skewer of takoyaki. With more living expenses now, Naruto was no longer so withdrawn. He looked full of life.
"Naruto, Sasuke, there you are."
Hearing the familiar voice, Naruto looked up in pleasant surprise. "Kawasaki-senpai!"
Sasuke, more formally, called out, "Master."
Kawasaki gently poked Sasuke's forehead with his fingers.
"I heard you placed first in this week's test again. As expected of an Uchiha. You did great, Sasuke."
Hearing such direct praise, Sasuke felt both proud and a little shy. He kept a straight face and said with a touch of arrogance, "As your disciple, I can't afford to bring you shame."
Naruto watched Sasuke with envy, a flicker of admiration in his eyes...