Tsunade slowly shifted her gaze away, feeling conflicted.
It seemed inappropriate for Haruto Saito to call her anything at all!
It just felt... weird.
"Call me whatever you want," Tsunade muttered under her breath, an unexpected wave of melancholy washing over her.
She had come to collect a debt!
Chasing Haruto Saito all the way from Konoha to the Land of Whirlpools, only to end up failing spectacularly. Instead of collecting what was owed, she found herself feeling defeated—losing control over the situation, over him! A strong-willed person like her found it hard to accept being outmaneuvered like this.
"Damn brat!" Tsunade suddenly sat up, determined to take the initiative.
She was done being passive.
So she pinned Haruto Saito down...
---
That morning, when the villagers of Kotani Village awoke, they were shocked to find that their surroundings had drastically changed!
The noise from the turmoil last night, along with the sounds of walls and a palace being erected, had not gone unnoticed. But most of the villagers were ordinary people, well-versed in the ways of surviving in chaotic times—when trouble arose, the safest place to be was inside their homes. Only fools went out to watch and risked their lives.
As a result, only a handful of people had caught glimpses of what had happened, piecing together a rough idea.
"A wall... Was that ninjutsu?"
"Such powerful Earth Release techniques... Impossible!"
"I heard there was a battle at the commander's mansion last night!"
"Hey, did you hear? Our leader has changed! The old one was taken out..."
"I heard the new leader is an incredibly powerful ninja!"
Rumors spread like wildfire throughout Kotani Village. Some villagers left to inspect the newly built walls from a distance, while the bolder ones attempted to approach the palace—only to be stopped by guards.
That afternoon, an announcement rang out from the commander's mansion, summoning all villagers to gather in the central square at 1 PM.
Thousands of Kotani Village's original inhabitants assembled, along with thousands more outsiders, drawn by curiosity.
On the raised platform stood Kakuzu, making his first public appearance. Many sharp-eyed individuals immediately recognized him as the ninja who had summoned the massive earthen walls the previous night.
Kakuzu delivered a passionate and fiery speech!
He spoke of Kotani Village's future, of prosperity for its people—his words carried weight and conviction. But what truly shook the crowd was when crates of copper coins, worth a million ryō, were dumped onto the platform for all to see!
A staggering display of wealth!
He called on the villagers to join in the grand construction efforts. Following a structured plan, they would build new homes, and anyone who participated would be paid wages far above the local average—nearly double, in fact!
That very same day, news of Kotani Village's leadership change and its ambitious development plans spread to neighboring settlements. Word-of-mouth carried it far and wide, but surprisingly, it didn't cause much of an uproar.
Such events were common.
In the war-torn Land of Whirlpools, villages were constantly being conquered, wiped out, or entangled in conflicts. The takeover of Kotani Village was a minor incident in the grand scheme of things.
However, the identity of the new leader did attract some attention.
Rumors surfaced about his mastery of formidable Earth Release techniques and summoning jutsu. Of course, these rumors were deliberately spread by Haruto Saito himself. This tactic ensured that surrounding villages grew wary of Kotani Village.
Because Kakuzu was too powerful!
Had they known his true identity, they would have done more than just feel wary—they would have been terrified.
---
In the days that followed, Haruto Saito remained behind the scenes, orchestrating everything from the shadows.
With Kotani Village now undergoing rapid development and offering generous wages, it became a magnet for laborers from other regions. Nearly every new arrival was privately approached, encouraged to settle permanently and even bring their families—promised homes and security in return.
Meanwhile, the village also began recruiting civilians to form a militia.
Managing Kotani Village required manpower!
Two hundred ninja were enough to control a village of ten thousand, but for large-scale construction projects, supervisors were needed in various roles. The current numbers simply weren't sufficient.
Haruto Saito considered recruiting more ninja, but that was a challenge. He couldn't expose himself—it was too dangerous. If Kakuzu were to do the recruiting instead, he'd have to keep his identity hidden, reducing his influence.
The fastest way to gather ninja?
Conquering other villages.
But Haruto Saito wasn't ready for that yet. Launching wars would damage Kotani Village's reputation and might provoke a combined assault from other factions. He wasn't afraid of being targeted, but chaos invited scrutiny—and scrutiny could lead to discovery.
---
On the seventh day of construction, Haruto Saito sent several Root ninja to Mount Ryu to retrieve Minato Namikaze and Kaga.
They weren't coming alone. Along with them were Konoha's undercover operatives and several ANBU members.
There was no need for secrecy anymore. In a few days, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru would be leaving. Once that happened, Konoha would inevitably learn about Haruto Saito's current situation. Rather than hide it, he could now use this to reestablish intelligence support.
After all, he was still the head of Konoha's ANBU Assassination Squad.
His authority was vast.
And his mission in the Land of Whirlpools remained the same—to bring peace.
As long as he kept to that objective, he had free rein to deploy Konoha's resources however he pleased.
Kotani Village entered a period of explosive growth. Haruto Saito spared no expense, throwing money into development.
And this wasn't even the real spending yet.
Recruiting ninja? Now that would cost a fortune! The wages for a single skilled ninja far exceeded that of ordinary workers by a hundredfold, if not more.
The Land of Whirlpools was filled with poverty and suffering—people barely survived, often going days without food. But Kotani Village was now a beacon of opportunity. Its high wages attracted waves of impoverished migrants and refugees.
The village population surged dramatically.
Naturally, this influx included spies and informants from neighboring villages. Even a few Hidden Mist reconnaissance units had passed through to take a look.
Haruto Saito didn't interfere.
As long as they didn't uncover his true identity or cause trouble, reconnaissance was acceptable. Let them watch all they wanted.
---
Time flew by, and before long, it was early February of Konoha's Year 34.
The news of Hattori Ryuno's death had fully spread.
Many were convinced that Haruto Saito had killed him, though some believed it was Sarutobi Hiruzen's doing.
Regardless of who was responsible, Haruto Saito remained the center of attention across the entire ninja world.
Yet no one knew where he was.
The changes in Kotani Village? Barely a blip on the radar. In a land so accustomed to chaos, such matters were insignificant to the major powers.
---
On the afternoon of February 8th, in the vast garden behind the palace, Haruto Saito sat cross-legged beneath a tree, training alone.
"Hah!" He exhaled deeply, slowly opening his eyes before stretching lazily.
The sun was only beginning its descent to the west.
Looking up at the sky, he pressed his fingertips to the ground, activating his chakra sensory technique.
A daily habit—he did this at least ten times a day.
"Huh?" Haruto Saito's expression suddenly changed, his eyes narrowing sharply.
He sensed it.
Eighty kilometers to the south—an overwhelmingly powerful chakra presence.
A level of power he had never encountered before!
Far beyond that of Hattori Ryuno.
"Who could it be? The Mizukage, Boiling Rain? Sarutobi Hiruzen? Or perhaps Hanzo the Salamander?!"
Haruto Saito shot to his feet, his mind racing.
If it wasn't Sarutobi Hiruzen...
Then it was an enemy.