The Hokage's convoy finally stopped in front of the Hokage Building, but the Hokage himself remained inside the carriage.
Seirengoku didn't dare enter without permission and instead knocked lightly on the carriage.
"Lord Hokage is resting," came Tsunade's voice from within.
Before long, Samui descended from the Hokage Building.
She glanced at Seirengoku and the others, then asked, "You must be Seirengoku Saemon?"
Seirengoku bowed slightly. "Indeed, I am."
Having been away from the village for years, many people were unfamiliar to him.
"I am the Hokage's secretary, Samui. Please take your men to register first—there will be someone to assist you there."
Seirengoku led the group of Guardian Ninja away, while Samui waved a hand to dismiss the ceremonial escort before lifting the curtain and stepping into the carriage.
She paused momentarily at the sight of Tsunade still kneeling there, and Tsunade, upon realizing it was Samui, let out a small breath of relief.
Luckily, it was Samui.
She had been worried that Seirengoku and the others would barge in looking for the Hokage.
"Lord Hokage," Samui said as she lightly patted Makoto's shoulder, waking him up.
"Go sleep in the resting room, on a proper bed."
Makoto slowly opened his eyes, stretched, rubbed his arms, and shivered slightly.
"It's getting colder."
Samui responded, "Winter is approaching. And sleeping like this will only make you colder."
Makoto got up and stepped out of the carriage.
Samui glanced at Tsunade, still kneeling inside.
For a brief moment, she felt an inexplicable sense of pity for her, but the feeling passed just as quickly.
She nudged Tsunade lightly with her foot, signaling that she was free to get up.
Tsunade watched as Makoto left the carriage, then slowly stood up, sat on a nearby chair, and began rubbing her sore and numb knees.
However, she didn't dare sit for too long.
She quickly stepped out of the carriage and followed him into the Hokage Building.
Since Makoto had already napped in the carriage, he didn't plan to continue resting.
Instead, he sat at his desk and had Samui bring over a map of the Land of Fire.
Konoha was not located in the heart of the Land of Fire.
In contrast, the nation's capital was at its center and highly prosperous.
It would indeed be a pity if such a place were to be destroyed.
But it was just that—a pity.
Makoto studied the map for a long time before saying to Samui, "I'm planning to expand Konoha."
Samui hesitated upon hearing this. "But our village's finances are already stretched thin…"
Not long ago, Kakashi had gathered some funds from wealthy merchants, but it was far from enough to support a large-scale expansion of the village.
However, Makoto simply said, "The money will come soon…"
Suddenly, as if something had just occurred to him, his expression sharpened, and he called for the Anbu.
"Someone, go fetch Uchiha Obito!"
Obito's life hadn't changed much—he still carried out missions, trained hard, and tried to win Rin's favor.
That said, he was now a Jonin.
Though he had once been the dead last, the combination of his Sharingan and Wood Style had greatly enhanced his strength.
During his Jonin exam, he had struggled with theoretical knowledge—just like Guy had back in the day—and had to take the test twice before passing.
The events in the Land of Birds hadn't left much of an impact on him, and he had long since pushed aside everything that Clan Head Fugaku had told him.
Now, upon receiving a personal summons from Makoto, Obito felt a surge of excitement.
He rushed to the Hokage's office, thinking that the Hokage had finally acknowledged his abilities and was about to assign him an important mission.
Makoto pondered for a moment before saying, "Indeed, I have a very important mission for you. Calling it an S-rank mission wouldn't be an exaggeration."
Upon hearing this, Obito became even more excited.
He quickly patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, Lord Hokage! I will never let you down! I can complete any mission perfectly!"
Makoto asked, "How's your training in Wood Style going?"
Obito replied, "I've already mastered all the recorded Wood Release jutsu."
"What about house-building?"
"Eh?" Obito was stunned for a moment.
"I mean…" Makoto carefully chose his words.
"Techniques like Four-Pillar House Technique and Multi-Pillar House Technique."
Obito looked confused but nodded. "I rarely use them, but there's no problem."
Makoto revealed a satisfied expression. "Uchiha Obito, the village now has an S-rank mission for you."
Obito's eyes lit up with excitement.
Makoto continued, "Three days from now, you will work alongside several Earth Release users and a group of construction workers to help expand the village."
Obito was dumbfounded. "Wha… What do you mean?"
"The village is expanding, but due to financial constraints, we really need your abilities. The responsibility of building the village is now yours."
"…Didn't you say it was an S-rank mission?" Obito couldn't help but ask.
Makoto's face turned serious. "Isn't the village's construction important enough? This concerns Konoha's future development—it's a plan for the next hundred years!"
"..."
Makoto narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong? You don't want to do it?"
"No, I'm more than willing! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
Makoto nodded in satisfaction. "Good. That's what I expect from a Jonin of the village. Since the village is short on funds right now, the most we can offer you for payment is 200,000 ryo. I hope you can understand. But don't worry, this mission will definitely be recorded as an S-rank mission in your records."
Obito: "..."
200,000 ryo… A B-rank mission alone could earn that much, and this construction task was bound to be a long-term project.
His mouth twitched as he forced an awkward smile.
After listening to Makoto's additional instructions, he finally left the Hokage's office.
Konohagakure—though called a village, its actual size far exceeded that of a typical village, making it more akin to a small town.
However, as the capital of an entire nation, it was still too small.
The surrounding area was dense forest, offering plenty of space to develop a new city.
...........
Evening
To celebrate Guy's return to the village, a group of their peers gathered for a welcome party.
Though he had returned yesterday, Guy hadn't been in the mood to celebrate due to what had happened with Anko.
"Where's Anko? Didn't you invite her?"
At the barbecue restaurant, noticing her absence, Asuma asked.
Kurenai replied, "Anko hasn't been home for the past few days."
None of them knew about Anko's situation, including the fact that she had become a Guardian Ninja.
Guy's expression grew slightly heavy, but Kakashi spoke up, "Anko has a special mission and isn't in the village."
Genma nodded. "I see. That's a shame."
"Hakumen isn't here either."
"No big deal. Now that Guy's back, we can always get together another time."
As ninjas, going on missions was perfectly normal, so no one paid it much attention.
They quickly resumed their lively chatter and laughter.
Kakashi discreetly patted Guy on the back and gave him a look.
Understanding the gesture, Guy smiled and joined the conversation.
"Obito, why do you look so down?"
Someone finally noticed Obito's silence and spoke up.
Given Obito's usual personality, he should have been the loudest one talking by now.
Resting his cheeks in his hands, Obito stared at the sizzling meat on the grill without any appetite and sighed. "It's nothing… I just got assigned an S-rank mission."
"S-rank?!"
"Are you serious?"
"Who are you teamed up with?"
Everyone was shocked, and even Kakashi couldn't help but glance over in surprise.
He thought to himself, This guy just got an S-rank mission.
Shouldn't he be bragging about it nonstop? Is he trying to act all indifferent on purpose?
Obito grew even more irritated and said, "Lord Hokage said he wants to expand the village. Since I can use Wood Release… he's making me help build houses."
"..."
After a brief silence, everyone burst into laughter.
"Building houses, hahaha…"
"What kind of S-rank mission is that?"
"Could it be that Lord Hokage is just messing with you?"
Kakashi said, "Building and expanding the village is an important matter. Of course, it can be classified as an S-rank mission. In fact, it's even more important than some regular S-rank missions."
Asuma clutched his stomach, laughing. "That may be true, but why is it still so funny? Hahaha…"
The others also burst into laughter, making Obito even more embarrassed.
"I think it's really impressive."
Suddenly, Rin, who was sitting between Kurenai and Shizune, spoke up. Obito immediately turned to look at her.
Rin said seriously, "Using ninjutsu to build houses… has something like this ever been done before? Right now, you're the only one who can do it. Isn't that an amazing thing? Ninjas don't always have to fight and risk their lives in battle. Kakashi already said that this is something very important for the village. Otherwise, Mako— I mean, Lord Hokage wouldn't have classified it as an S-rank mission, right?"
Obito was deeply moved. "Rin, is that really how you feel?"
Rin smiled. "Obito, Lord Hokage gave you this mission because he sees you as someone special and important. Don't let him down."
The others exchanged looks, while Obito's fighting spirit ignited instantly.
He grabbed his chopsticks, snatched a piece of grilled meat from Kakashi's plate, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Speaking with his mouth full, he declared, "Don't worry! I'm the future Hokage! Building the village is part of my duty! I'll definitely complete this mission perfectly!"
--------------
Exclusive access : All novel on paetron
Genshin impact Complete novel, Naruto birdcage Complete novel, Overlord Complete novel
From the apocalypse 100+ch, Fairy tail Destiny Complete novel, Genshin Impact Eerie Teyvat 200+ch
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz