Konoha Year 66.
With the subjugation of the Land of Sky, Yuzuru had already unified the entire northern region of the ninja world.
Now, only the Land of Water, isolated overseas, and the many scattered small nations in the south remained.
The Land of Water had always been part of Yuzuru's plans. It only required a gradual approach.
As for the southern countries, bringing them all under his control would be somewhat difficult.
After all, the southern climate was hot and humid, most of the land remained undeveloped, and it was filled with mountains and hills…
Integrating it all would undoubtedly require a great deal of time and effort.
But for Yuzuru, those were the things he lacked the least.
There was still plenty of time before the Ōtsutsuki clan descended upon the ninja world—more than enough to turn his plans into reality.
The construction of the Imperial Palace was progressing rapidly as well. In less than a year, it had already begun to take shape.
Garden landscapes, artificial mountains and flowing streams, intricately carved beams and painted rafters, soaring eaves supported by elaborate brackets…
Unlike the somewhat modest aesthetics common throughout the ninja world, the Imperial Palace exuded grandeur and luxury at a single glance.
Even Tsunade, Kushina, and the others—who had initially opposed such a high-profile residence—had begun to look forward to it.
It couldn't be helped. Yuzuru's design was inspired by the grand palace gardens of his previous life.
In this regard, the war-torn ninja world simply couldn't compare.
In the courtyard—
Yuzuru lounged alone on a reclining chair, basking in the sunlight with a relaxed expression.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached.
Turning his head, he saw Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara walking toward him at a brisk pace.
"Dad!"
Raising an eyebrow, Yuzuru asked curiously, "What brings you three here?"
All three were already fifteen years old. To preserve his own peaceful life, Yuzuru had long since had them move out to live on their own.
They rarely came by these days.
"Dad, we came to ask you for a favor," Naruto said with a grin.
Yuzuru remained calm. "What kind of favor?"
"Hehe…" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Dad, can you take us on another mission?"
"Ever since that trip to the Land of Snow with you, we haven't left the village in a long time."
Sasuke immediately added, "Exactly. We've already finished all the academy courses ahead of schedule. You can't seriously expect us to stay there until we're eighteen, right?"
Even Gaara spoke up, unusually earnest. "Dad, please help us out."
Looking at the three of them—now nearly one meter eighty tall—Yuzuru thought for a moment before nodding.
"Alright. I'll head to the Hokage's office. If there's a suitable mission, I'll take you out again."
The three clenched their fists in excitement.
If they could go on another mission, they'd have something to brag about in front of their classmates again.
Watching them, Yuzuru couldn't help but shake his head before activating Kamui and vanishing from the spot.
When he reappeared, he was already inside the Hokage's office.
Compared to when he had first become Hokage, Fugaku now had no light left in his eyes.
He was resting his chin on one hand, staring blankly at the computer on his desk, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Yuzuru couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
As expected—no matter how much you like something, the moment it becomes your job, it loses all its charm.
Fugaku noticed him and spoke first.
"Yuzuru, what brings you here today?"
"Nothing much. I've been a bit bored staying in the village, so I came to see if there are any suitable missions."
Fugaku let out a long sigh. "Yuzuru, your life really is carefree."
"Look at me—I've practically worked my hair white."
"By the way, can you find a new Hokage? I'm really done with this job."
Yuzuru smiled. "That's an important matter. Let me think about it."
With that, he began browsing the files on the computer.
Although ninjas usually accepted missions through the mission hall, the Hokage's computer had access to all mission records.
"Helping a noblewoman find her cat? Is it the one I'm thinking of?"
Yuzuru muttered before scrolling down.
"Helping villagers deal with a brown bear… too simple. Not suitable."
"Investigating a cheating spouse? What even is this?"
The ninja world had been peaceful for a long time, so most missions were rather mundane.
The pay wasn't bad, but they clearly weren't what Yuzuru was looking for.
As he continued browsing, his gaze suddenly froze.
"The Land of Waves?"
As a Naruto fan, there was likely no one who wouldn't recognize that name.
After all, it was the very first arc.
The battle between Kakashi and Zabuza had been quite impressive.
"Mission requester… Tazuna?!"
"Mission details: Escort Tazuna to the Land of Waves and assist in the construction of a cross-sea bridge."
After reading the mission, a faint smile formed on Yuzuru's lips.
Interesting.
From the description alone, it was strikingly similar to the original storyline.
The only difference was… Tazuna hadn't hidden anything. Instead, he openly stated that enemy ninja attacks were likely, raising the mission rank to A.
Recalling the old man who reeked of alcohol and spoke harshly, Yuzuru snorted.
This one, then.
If Tazuna tried anything like in the original story, he wouldn't mind letting him suffer a bit.
He directly upgraded the mission to a classified level, ensuring no one else could see it.
After finishing, Yuzuru looked up and instructed Fugaku.
"Fugaku, send someone to bring Tazuna here. I'm taking this mission."
Though curious why Yuzuru had chosen such a mission, Fugaku didn't ask. He simply nodded.
"Understood. I'll make the arrangements right away."
After Fugaku left, Yuzuru turned his gaze out the window, his expression deep.
He wondered how Mei was progressing in the Land of Water.
If he could encounter Zabuza during this mission, he'd have a legitimate reason to intervene in the affairs of the Land of Water.