I, Konoha’s Sage of Life

"Hokage-sama, something's definitely off. In the past, most of the villagers from the Land of Grass fled to our Land of Fire," said Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the leader of the Anbu.

As a veteran of the Anbu, Shinnosuke was well-versed in the situation in the Land of Grass. There was no shortage of people from the Land of Grass who longed to settle in the Land of Fire. However, due to the alliance between the two countries, the Land of Fire couldn’t accept too many refugees.

Even so, every time war broke out, there were always attempts to cross the border.

But this year, there were none.

How strange.

Shinnosuke examined the report closely and grew increasingly suspicious.

"What are you suggesting?"

The Third Hokage frowned. The Land of Grass bordered both the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Rain. The former was known for its xenophobia, making it unlikely for Grass villagers to go there. As for the Land of Rain...

The environment there was not ideal.

However, it now seemed like the most probable destination. It was hard to imagine them fleeing to the Land of Earth.

The Third Hokage recalled Hanzo's "neutrality" and past events, gradually piecing things together.

"It seems that while Hanzo claims neutrality, he hasn't been idle. These villagers may have gone to the Land of Rain," he said.

"But why?"

Shinnosuke was puzzled.

Hanzo had been keeping a low profile for years, almost as if he had given up. Making such a move now would only draw attention to himself.

The Third Hokage couldn't quite grasp it either.

But...

Kyoichi understood immediately.

No wonder he had received that strange reward earlier.

It was the Land of Rain’s wool he had unknowingly sheared.

Yahiko must have taken his advice to heart. Upon returning to the Land of Rain, he likely allied himself with Hanzo, attempting to take the long route to success—first winning over Hanzo and then slowly making his own moves.

That wasn't a bad strategy.

Hanzo wasn’t weak. With his protection, even if Madara was displeased, he wouldn’t act against them immediately.

"Perhaps Hanzo saw an opportunity and his ambition reignited. I’d like to investigate and see what's really happening," Kyoichi proposed.

"Good idea. Since Onoki hasn't fully committed to an invasion of the Land of Grass, we still have some time," the Third Hokage agreed.

However...

He added, "It’s not safe to send just your team. I’ll have Team Owl go with you. You have full authority over decisions—no need to report or ask for my approval constantly."

"Understood!"

Team Owl was led by Gekko Hayate. The Third Hokage’s intent was clear—he was granting Kyoichi autonomy, allowing him to lead both his own squad and Team Owl as he saw fit.

Kyoichi considered it for a moment and requested a full Anbu uniform from the Third Hokage, including the mask and attire.

Later, he returned to his team, presenting the uniforms to Shisui and the others.

The three young shinobi were thrilled.

After changing, Asuma couldn't contain his excitement.

"Sensei, does this mean I'm part of the Anbu now?"

"No, you’re just a temp," Kyoichi said flatly. "When there's no danger, you do the work. When things go wrong, you take the blame."

"Huh?"

Asuma froze.

Of course, he knew Kyoichi was joking, but what kind of logic was that second part?

Kurenai Yuhi, while adjusting her equipment, pondered for a moment and then chuckled.

"Anbu have their own rules, but temps aren’t bound by them," she said.

It was just like being a medical ninja.

At Konoha Hospital, something similar seemed to have happened before.

Asuma understood.

So, when bad things happen, they just blame it on the fact that they don’t understand the rules, right?

Cunning!

He silently grumbled to himself.

“Let’s go…”

…

After receiving their orders, Gekko Hayate’s team headed towards the Land of Grass, but by the time they reached the border, Kyoichi had caught up with them.

Kohinata Mukai immediately greeted Kyoichi respectfully when he saw him.

Since confirming his abilities, Kyoichi had started mentoring and guiding him.

In the past ten days, he had received the most guidance from Kyoichi.

Kyoichi hadn’t taught him ninjutsu or swordsmanship yet. Instead, he had focused on teaching him his own expertise in physical techniques, including soft-body training, and had even shared a manual with him.

It could be said that Mukai had received Kyoichi's teachings in physical arts.

As for Kyoichi…

These past days, he had often gained proficiency in physical techniques and soft-body training. However, he had yet to receive the “Mentor” reward.

This clearly showed that…

Older individuals, especially those with deep scars and grievances, were not so easily fooled.

Kyoichi sighed inwardly.

But…

He wasn’t particularly concerned.

Teaching Kohinata Mukai was never about rewards.

The Land of Grass wasn’t very large.

After reaching the border, it didn’t take long before they saw migrating villagers along the road.

“Kyoichi-sama, they’re heading west. Are they going to the Land of Rain?”

“Hmm…”

Kyoichi nodded.

Just as he had thought, the migration was in small groups. There weren’t many people, but with so many small groups traveling every day, a significant number might have already entered the Land of Rain over this period.

He just wondered whether the village of the Land of Grass had noticed yet.

“What should we do now?”

Gekko Hayate asked, troubled.

He had no problem with killing people, but figuring out the next move wasn’t his strength.

“Let’s observe first, understand the situation, and then decide how to act.”

Kyoichi activated his Body Flicker technique to catch up.

The two teams moved westward, silent as they traveled.

If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, no one wanted to leave their homeland. At this stage, only a small portion of the villagers were migrating, all of them poor, so the Land of Grass Village didn’t seem to be taking action yet.

“Yahiko, this guy really gets right to the point!”

Kyoichi thought to himself.

The poor are always the least cared for.

But for a village like the Amegakure, where the population was scarce, these new migrants were a valuable resource. If even half of them could be trained into ninjas, they would hit the jackpot.

Moreover...

The soft approach, like cutting with a dull knife, was difficult to detect.

“Sensei, ten squads!”

Kurenai Yuhi said with a tense tone.

Besides Kyoichi and Kohinata Mukai’s Byakugan, Kurenai had the strongest sensory abilities, and at this moment, she had already detected the presence of ninjas from the Land of Rain.

Ten squads.

Even if their teacher was strong, facing ten squads would still be an incredibly tough battle.

“Hmm…”

Kyoichi not only knew about the ten squads, but he also knew that Konan was among them.

Not only that, but there were paper butterflies scattered throughout the forest ahead of them. Once they entered the area, Konan would immediately detect their presence.

Since joining Hanzo, Konan’s techniques had grown stronger.

Mukai secretly activated his Byakugan and saw a large number of chakra-infused paper butterflies. He was immediately alarmed.

He quickly deactivated his Byakugan, unsure whether to speak up or not, but then saw Kyoichi raise his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

He sighed in relief.

Of course...

How could their teacher not notice?

“Let’s move…”

Kyoichi motioned for everyone to retreat.

After retreating, a single paper butterfly turned into a cluster of butterflies, silently flying into the forest, blending in with the others.

Not far away…

Konan looked perplexed.

Where did these paper butterflies come from?

She was startled and ordered a few paper butterflies to wrap the one back.

It was a piece of white paper.

But…

It was infused with chakra.

She rubbed it thoughtfully, a realization dawning on her.

Kanda Kyoichi.

He’s here!

And…

When did this guy learn her Paper Jutsu?

She felt a flash of irritation, but then a bit of pride and admiration followed — Kyoichi Kanda, such talent, he took the time to study her techniques. That was proof that her Paper Jutsu was unique.

She was impressed.

This guy really did his homework.

“Let’s finish this round, and then take a short break. We don’t want to draw too much attention.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm, I’ll go find Yahiko.”

Konan said, then vanished in an instant.

After a brief journey, she found Yahiko near a location where the villagers were being settled. He was directing and comforting them. She quietly approached and informed him of Kyoichi’s arrival.

…

Later that night, on a mountain peak.

After Yahiko and Konan had finished dealing with the situation, they waited in hiding near the Land of Grass border. Yahiko wasn’t sure if Kyoichi would show up, but he had decided to try.

After a short while, a figure emerged from the rocks.

“It's been a while, you two.”

A familiar face.

Though there was now a mask, it was easy to tell from the presence and hair that this was Kanda Kyoichi’s shadow clone.

Yahiko, upon seeing Kyoichi, bowed deeply in respect.

“Thank you very much for your guidance. Without your advice, the future of the dawn would have been uncertain.”

“It seems you've gained a lot from Hanzo.”

“Hmm…”

Yahiko nodded and briefly explained his situation over the past few days. Konan, meanwhile, controlled the paper butterflies to stay hidden nearby, preventing anyone from eavesdropping.

After parting ways with Kyoichi, Yahiko carried out some operations and was eventually able to meet with Hanzo.

They spoke throughout the night. Hanzo acknowledged Yahiko’s ideas and abilities. Although he didn’t formally take him as an apprentice, he shared many valuable teachings.

Once he finished recounting his experiences, Yahiko briefly shared his own plans.

Konan hesitated, on the verge of speaking up.

She wanted to say that Yahiko couldn’t necessarily be trusted, but then she thought…

If Kyoichi wanted to report him, there was no need to guide Yahiko in the first place.

“This is the situation.”

“Your plan is good, but once you start acting, you’ll be in the public eye, and larger villages may see you as an enemy,” Kyoichi warned.

“I understand. If things go wrong, we could even ally with Sunagakure…”

Yahiko nodded.

He knew that too, but taking that first step was crucial to success.

“The areas you’re targeting overlap with Sunagakure. They won’t cooperate with you.”

Kyoichi shook his head. “Also, they’re not afraid of Hanzo.”

Hanzo’s strength years ago was in large part due to his unique "poison," which Chiyo from Sunagakure had perfectly countered.

Yahiko paused, then said, “Hanzo didn’t mention this.”

“After all, it’s not something you want to bring up, and sometimes a lesson is more effective than an explanation. But I have my own needs and don’t want the Amegakure to learn this lesson the hard way.”

Kyoichi said it calmly.

“You want us to help Konoha?” Konan asked.

“No, you’ve pledged neutrality. There’s no way you’ll help us, but I’d like you to share some intelligence on the Land of Earth with us.”

Kyoichi explained his intent.

Only then did Konan breathe a sigh of relief.

She had been worried that Kyoichi might press them. Given Yahiko’s nature, he might have agreed if asked.

Yahiko nodded. “That’s no problem. I expected it. Here’s the recent intelligence from the Land of Earth.”

He handed over a scroll.

Kyoichi carefully examined it, focusing on a few names — Gari of the Explosion Corps, Onoki's son Kurotsuchi, and the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi.

They were all still in the Land of Earth, nowhere near the frontlines in the Land of Grass.

After reading it, Kyoichi handed the scroll back to Yahiko.

At this moment, Yahiko finally asked, "You think allying with Sunagakure won't work. Then what other options do we have?"