Shinichi was silent for a moment before walking back to the desk.
He opened the three submission agreements and checked them one by one. Each carried the signature and village seal of its Kage: A of Kumogakure, Gaara of Sunagakure, and Mei Terumī of Kirigakure.
Everything was in order.
"Where is the Hokage seal?"
Shizune paused. She had only ever seen Tsunade use the Hokage seal, but after a moment, she opened the drawer and handed it over.
Shinichi pressed the seal onto each agreement, leaving a bright red mark beneath the signatures.
Once he was done, he closed the scrolls and pushed them across the desk.
"Call an Anbu."
Shizune immediately called for an Anbu. A masked shinobi appeared moments later and knelt before the desk.
"Shinichi-sama."
Shinichi handed him the completed agreements.
"Deliver these to the three Kage. Inform them that the process is complete and that they may return to their villages."
The Anbu accepted the scrolls with both hands.
"Yes, Shinichi-sama."
He disappeared from the office a moment later.
Only then did Shizune relax. The most urgent matter left from yesterday's meeting had finally been settled.
With the agreements settled, Shinichi turned to the documents still covering most of the desk.
Before Shizune could explain which ones needed attention first, he walked around the desk, sat in Tsunade's chair, and opened the first document.
Shizune quickly moved beside him and began sorting the rest.
Shinichi read through the document, wrote a few short instructions in the review section, then placed it to one side and reached for the next.
At first, Shizune explained which departments had submitted them and what decisions were still pending, but Shinichi soon understood the arrangement and no longer needed her guidance.
The pile began to shrink. Some documents only required approval, while others needed instructions sent back to the responsible department.
Shinichi dealt with each one without wasting time, and Shizune organized the completed documents into separate stacks.
Nearly an hour later, he placed the final document on top of the reviewed pile and set down his pen.
The desk that had been buried beneath paperwork was clear again.
Shizune looked from the empty tray to the completed stacks beside her. She had known Shinichi was capable, but she had not expected him to clear several days of accumulated work so quickly.
"Is there anything else?" he asked.
Shizune glanced once more at the cleared desk, then shook her head.
"That was everything waiting for review. Unless something urgent arrives, there should be nothing else until this evening."
Shinichi rose from the chair and walked back to the window.
For now, the matters in Konoha were settled. What happened next would depend on the Akatsuki.
...
Two years passed.
For most people in the Ninja World, those two years were very peaceful.
With the other four great hidden villages now tied to Konoha by their agreements, the conflicts that once broke out along their borders gradually ceased.
There were no large wars, and even smaller disputes became rare. Some people credited Konoha's strength, while others believed it was only the calm before another storm.
Whatever the reason, the peace held.
One morning, two cloaked figures appeared on the road leading toward Konoha's main gate.
As they drew closer, one of them pulled back his hood, revealing bright blond hair and three whisker-like marks on each cheek.
It was Naruto, with Jiraiya walking beside him.
Naruto had grown taller, and his face looked a little more mature, but his excitement was unchanged. The moment the village came into view, a wide grin spread across his face.
Once they reached the gate, Naruto jumped onto a nearby utility pole and threw his arms wide.
"Konoha!"
His voice rang across the entrance.
"I'm finally back!"
Naruto's shout drew the attention of Kotetsu and Izumo at the gate.
Kotetsu looked up from his post and blinked. "Is that Naruto?"
Izumo followed his gaze. When he noticed Jiraiya walking behind him, a smile appeared on his face.
"Looks like they're finally back."
Before either of them could call out, a familiar voice came from inside the village.
"You come back after all this time, and the first thing you do is shout from the gate."
Naruto turned sharply.
Sasuke stood a short distance away with his arms crossed. He had grown taller and looked more mature, but the familiar mocking look in his eyes had not changed.
"Still an idiot, I see."
"Sasuke!"
Naruto jumped down from the pole and hurried over to him.
"How did you know I was back?"
"You sent word ahead," Sasuke said. "And even if you hadn't, the whole village heard you just now."
Naruto scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Then that saves me the trouble of looking for you."
Sasuke didn't reply, but he smiled slightly.
Another voice came from behind Sasuke.
"You really haven't changed at all, have you?"
Sakura stepped out from behind him, crossing her arms. She tried to look annoyed, but she was already smiling.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Sakura!"
He had barely finished speaking when she walked over and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"That's for taking so long to come back."
Naruto rubbed his shoulder, though the hit had barely hurt. "What kind of welcome is that?"
Sakura ignored the complaint and looked him over. After a moment, her expression softened.
"Welcome back, Naruto."
Naruto grinned. "I'm back."
"Yo."
The familiar voice came from the side of the street.
Kakashi stood near the wall with his orange book open in one hand, watching them with his usual relaxed expression.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto hurried toward him. "You came too?"
"I heard you were back," Kakashi said as he closed the book. "I thought I should come and see whether Jiraiya-sama managed to bring you back in one piece."
Naruto frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kakashi's eye curved slightly. "Nothing in particular."
Naruto stared at him, clearly unconvinced, while Sakura laughed quietly behind him. With Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi gathered there, Team 7 was together again.
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