Before seeking out Minato Namikaze and Kaga, Haruto Saito made a solo visit to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
It was a farewell of sorts.
Even though he would return to Konoha in the future—he could never truly sever his ties with the village—this departure was significant. He would still come back to attend meetings, take advantage of Konoha's resources, and seek assistance when needed. No matter what he built in the Land of Whirlpools, it would always be his private endeavor. He was, and would remain, a Konoha ninja.
Unless he and Hiruzen Sarutobi had an irreparable fallout, leading to armed conflict, he had no intention of betraying the village.
But this journey carried weight, and thus, he came to bid farewell.
In the Hokage's office—
"Haruto, regarding the 750 million ryo that Konoha owes you, I believe you could issue missions to allow Konoha's ninjas to benefit from it…" Sarutobi suggested.
Haruto smirked inwardly. That was exactly his plan.
However, he feigned reluctance and nodded. "Alright, since you personally requested it, I suppose I can do that…"
Sarutobi was pleased. Haruto was becoming more and more reasonable.
Sitting behind his desk, the Hokage took a moment to reevaluate Haruto. The fourteen-year-old had grown significantly, now standing at 170 cm, shedding his formerly short stature. Though he remained thin, his facial features had matured considerably compared to a year ago.
He was growing up.
"How long do you plan to be gone on this mission?" Sarutobi asked.
"If everything goes well, I plan to return within a month. After that, I may leave again…" Haruto replied.
"Good." Sarutobi nodded. "Go, and don't let Lady Mito down."
"Understood!" Haruto nodded and turned to leave, but then hesitated and looked back at Sarutobi.
"Something else?" Sarutobi asked.
"Yes." Haruto met Sarutobi's gaze. "Sensei, if—just if—I were to die in the Land of Whirlpools…"
"Konoha will avenge you at all costs!" Sarutobi promised immediately.
"Uh… that's not what I meant." Haruto coughed. "I was talking about my assets in Konoha…"
"Oh? What about them?"
"If I die, I want all my assets to go to Tsunade."
…
After leaving the Hokage's office, Haruto met up with Kakuzu in a secluded grove before heading off to find Minato Namikaze and Kaga.
Technically, both Minato and Kaga were still genin.
Minato was already strong enough to be a chunin—his mastery of the Rasengan put him ahead of Kaga. However, since he had not yet taken the chunin exam, his rank remained unchanged.
Following Haruto's carefully planned training regimen, neither Minato nor Kaga had undertaken any official missions since becoming full-fledged shinobi.
Thus, when Haruto approached them about joining him on a mission, they were beyond thrilled!
—
That afternoon, outside Konoha's southern gate, deep in the forest.
Fifteen ROOT ninjas stood assembled, waiting in complete silence.
Soon—
*Whoosh!*
Haruto suddenly appeared.
*Poof! Poof! Poof!*
With three puffs of smoke, a cloaked Kakuzu, the ten-year-old Minato Namikaze, and the ten-year-old Kaga materialized alongside him.
In reality, Kaga's exact age was uncertain since he was an orphan and did not know his birth date. He was roughly ten years old—perhaps a little younger than Minato, though it was hard to tell. Minato had a mature demeanor, making the age difference seem larger than it was.
"Greetings, Lord Akatome!" The fifteen ROOT ninjas kneeled on one knee in unison.
They were officially under Haruto's command, assigned to protect him. Haruto scanned them with interest—surprisingly, none of them exuded hostility.
That meant Danzo had not yet given them secret orders to harm him. They had simply been instructed to follow him.
As such, they would genuinely protect him if a battle arose. ROOT ninjas were unwaveringly loyal to their missions—once given an order, they would execute it without hesitation or retreat.
"Let's go. Move out!" Haruto ordered.
And so, they departed.
—
On the very first day after Haruto left Konoha, news of his departure for the Land of Whirlpools quickly spread across the village.
Like wildfire, the information raced across the shinobi world.
The informants who leaked the news had no idea what Haruto's mission entailed. It was classified information known only to Konoha's five highest-ranking officials. Those who caught wind of it merely knew that Haruto had left Konoha for the Land of Whirlpools.
—
The next day, at noon, inside the Hokage's office—
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Tsunade roared, slamming her hands on Sarutobi's desk in utter shock.
She, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had just returned from a month-long mission in the Land of Rain. In that short time, they had missed an entire cascade of events—Haruto's resignation, his financial maneuvers, and his unexpected departure.
The last time she saw him, Haruto was still Konoha's Minister of Commerce, handling affairs as usual.
Yet now, he was on a mission to the Land of Whirlpools?!
Everything had changed overnight!
"Old man! What the hell were you thinking?" Tsunade fumed at Sarutobi. "Do you have any idea how many people out there want that brat dead? And you still let him leave? He was doing just fine as the Minister of Commerce—why the hell did you fire him?!"
Sarutobi rubbed his temples. The usual headache was back.
"He resigned voluntarily, Tsunade. I did not dismiss him," Sarutobi explained patiently. "He was insistent on going to the Land of Whirlpools to fulfill his promise to your grandmother, Lady Mito. He is going there to bring peace…"
Tsunade froze.
He had mentioned her grandmother—Mito Uzumaki.
"You don't need to worry so much," Sarutobi continued, standing up and clasping his hands behind his back. "Danzo has sent ROOT ninjas to ensure his safety. He also brought his two personal disciples along. With such responsibilities, he won't act recklessly… He'll be fine."
"But… but…" Tsunade hesitated, gritting her teeth before suddenly remembering something. Her expression darkened. "That damn brat ran off with our money!"
"Huh?" Sarutobi blinked in confusion.
"All our business assets were managed by him—he handled all the finances!" Tsunade's frustration grew. "Between the three of us, we had nearly *five billion ryo* in liquid cash under his control… That bastard ran off with our money!"
Sarutobi's face stiffened.
He had never expected Haruto Saito to pull off a *financial heist* on his own comrades.