"Orochimaru, why not just finish this guy off?"
"You're actually taking this guy back to Konoha? I'm afraid I might just let out a Tailed Beast Bomb when I see him in Konoha."
Kurama, baring its fangs, looked at Uchiha Madara, who was slouched on the ground in apathetic fashion, with hostility, its voice filled with displeasure.
Uchiha Madara lifted an eyelid, his three-tomoe Sharingan quivering slightly, which immediately startled Kurama. It scurried behind Orochimaru in a panic.
"Hmph!"
A dismissive snort infuriated Kurama, making its fur stand on end. But without Orochimaru backing it up, it truly had no confidence to confront Uchiha Madara.
"Kurama, you know that Madara-senpai was misled by Black Zetsu back then, which is why he captured you to try and defeat Lord First with your power."
"In terms of relationship, you are still Madara-senpai's elder."
"Let bygones be bygones!"
Orochimaru's words were fine, but the moment he spoke, Uchiha Madara and Kurama exchanged glances and let out simultaneous cold snorts.
"Who is his elder!"
"Who is its junior!"
They spoke in unison, yet both were filled with disgust for the other.
Uchiha Madara looked down at Kurama with disdain, sneering:
"I never thought you, who originally looked like a beast, would actually have your own name."
"Kurama..."
"Did you give it to yourself? It sounds like an old monk, with decay filling its name!"
Kurama had thought it was ignorant enough, but it didn't expect Uchiha Madara to be so lacking in knowledge. It immediately retorted with mockery:
"You junior truly lack insight, you can't even compare to this Orochimaru fellow."
"Kurama is the guardian name personally bestowed by that old man, the Sage of Six Paths!"
"Someone as foolish as you, who was deceived by Black Zetsu for his entire life, can never comprehend the profound meaning within this noble name."
Heh heh, I can't beat you, but can't I still infuriate you to death?
Kurama's despicable behavior of striking at the most sensitive points almost provoked Madara's temper again. He glared with bloodshot eyes, grabbing his fan, ready to cause trouble for Kurama.
"Enough!"
Orochimaru shouted with exasperation, forcefully interrupting the two old geezers' childish behavior.
"We are all family, and we have a long time to spend together in the future!"
"I will temporarily seal the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and then return to Konoha."
"Mitsuki's Karma is still unresolved, and there will be many things to deal with later."
"You two should tolerate each other and not make things difficult for me."
Orochimaru uttered this and instantly vanished.
Kurama, seeing its pillar of support leave, let out a cowardly snort and went to find its toys.
It couldn't be helped. The stronger Orochimaru became, the stronger the people he encountered.
It, the formerly powerful little follower, was also nearing retirement.
Uchiha Madara paid no attention to Kurama's departure and sat back down on the ground. He picked up a leaf that had blown in from somewhere, gazing at it intently for a long time...
...
The date for the joint Chunin Exam selection was drawing nearer.
The list of Konoha genin participating in the exam, the letters sent back by the various ninja villages, the reception of personnel from villages that had arrived early, and their proper arrangements...
A series of complex tasks made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel the same way he did when he first took office. He had been extremely busy during this period.
Just as he put down a document, hoping to slack off and rest for a moment, his hand hadn't even reached the treasure in his drawer when the sound of knocking echoed again.
Sighing regretfully, Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a sorrowful expression, took a few puffs of his pipe. After reluctantly extinguishing it, he picked up the documents on his desk again and called out towards the door.
"Enter!"
Honestly, if Orochimaru hadn't returned yet, he really wanted to throw in the towel and quit!
Pushing the door open was a Konoha chunin specifically responsible for receiving and handling mission requests from outside personnel. He rarely had the chance to be alone with a high-ranking figure like the Third Hokage, so he appeared quite reserved.
"Hokage-sama!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi put down the document in his hand as if to show off, and offered the newcomer a gentle smile.
"It's Ono-kun!"
"Are you here to report today's mission requests?"
"Put it there first! After I finish with these, I'll file them away."
The chunin named Ono obediently placed the mission list in his hand but showed no intention of leaving wisely.
"Is there anything else?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a little confused.
"Hokage-sama, there's a mission request, but the person who brought it didn't give specific details about the mission. They said they would only explain further after meeting with Hokage-sama."
"I dared not make a decision on my own, so I came to report to Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen Sarutobi realized.
"So that's how it is!"
"Where is the person who posted the mission from?"
"Takigakure!"
Ono seemed annoyed that he hadn't explained everything earlier and quickly provided the answer.
"Mmm!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled reassuringly at him and nodded slightly.
"I understand. I'll have someone invite the people from Takigakure over later. You can go back now."
"Yes!"
Ono left the Hokage's office with an excited heart.
Hiruzen Sarutobi reignited his pipe, took a few puffs, and called out the window.
"Sakumo!"
"Hokage-sama!"
The white-haired ANBU wearing a cat-faced mask instantly appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi and bowed respectfully.
Konoha had been too busy recently, so even Hatake Sakumo, who was accompanying his wife during her pregnancy at home, had returned to his post.
"Takigakure is also a village that possesses a Tailed Beast. Their sudden visit to Konoha, and their insistence on seeing me before revealing the details of the mission request."
"This mission request might be quite troublesome. You go personally and invite those people from Takigakure."
Hiruzen Sarutobi dropped the relaxed expression from before and gave a stern order.
Village-to-village requests, unlike individual missions, were rarely simple. Moreover, Takigakure was one of the few villages in the ninja world to possess a Tailed Beast.
"Yes!"
Hatake Sakumo, sensing the seriousness in Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone, nodded solemnly and vanished.
...
"Mizukage of Takigakure, greetings, Third Hokage-sama!"
Suien, the leader of Takigakure, wearing a yellowish-brown headscarf, did not display the submissive demeanor of other minor village leaders when meeting the Hokage of Konoha.
Instead, he stood with an almost completely equal stance, as if the old man before him was not the Third Hokage of the strongest hidden village.
However, this was not unusual.
Before the rise of Hanzo of the Salamander in the Land of Rain, Takigakure was known as the sixth great hidden village in the ninja world.
The Water of Heroes, which could increase a user's chakra tenfold, the forbidden jutsu Earth Grudge Fear, which could grant a ninja immortality...
Even at the First Five Kage Summit, Hashirama Senju personally spoke and granted Takigakure, which had not secured a seat among the Five Kage, a Tailed Beast.
This showed how powerful Takigakure's strength and foundation were back then.
However, after being wiped out by Kakuzu, it gradually faded into obscurity in the ninja world...
But this did not diminish Suien's pride in his village, even though they were now seeking help from Konoha.