Shendai and Pakura followed Orochimaru into the Hokage Office in the Hokage Building.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Pakura following behind Shendai, the smile on his face bloomed like a chrysanthemum.
Pakura greeted Hiruzen Sarutobi reservedly: "Hokage-sama."
"Welcome, welcome! This is wonderful, Pakura. On behalf of Konoha, I welcome you!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was overjoyed. First came Shendai, and now Pakura. With this, Konoha had gained two new Bloodline Limits!
Shendai couldn't hold it in anymore and reminded Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Hokage-sama, pull your gums in. Showing them like that damages your glorious image."
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately closed his mouth and subconsciously licked his gums with his tongue.
Had he been showing his gums? It felt cool when he licked them, so he must have been.
This kid, couldn't he have said it quietly? Saying it out loud like that damaged his glorious image even more!
"Ahem!" Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed and said: "Pakura, I will now explain the procedure for joining Konoha. To join as a Ninja, you need a guarantor. I believe Shendai would be very willing to vouch for you, after all, he is your fiancé..."
"Ah, cough, cough, cough!"
Shendai suddenly started coughing violently, interrupting Hiruzen Sarutobi, while simultaneously winking and making faces at him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked curiously: "What's wrong, Shendai? Do you have a cold?"
Fiancé?
Pakura remembered; she had almost forgotten about that. Orochimaru had also said back then that she was Shendai's fiancée.
Pakura looked at Shendai with a scrutinizing gaze.
Shendai quickly bluffed: "Pakura, don't overthink it. The terms fiancé and fiancée that Hokage-sama used don't mean what you think. In Konoha, these two terms actually mean 'good friend'!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in confusion: "What are you talking about, Shendai? How could that possibly be the meaning?"
Shendai made faces at Hiruzen Sarutobi again, his facial expressions becoming extremely distorted, trying to get Hiruzen Sarutobi to stop talking.
Why couldn't this old man understand!
Pakura had originally wanted to endure it; after all, she didn't want to lose her composure in front of Konoha's highest leader, Hiruzen Sarutobi. But Shendai was going too far: "Do you think I'm stupid? Hokage-sama, please tell me, what did Shendai say?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi spilled everything: "Shendai told me earlier that you two were childhood sweethearts! That you promised to get married when you grew up, so you are his fiancée. He also said he is a man of his word and holds a high status in the household."
Pakura said sarcastically to Shendai, who was already sweating profusely: "Oh? Childhood sweethearts, huh? Promised to get married, huh? I'm your fiancée, am I?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Shendai and Pakura with intense interest.
In fact, when Shendai mentioned 'good friend', Hiruzen Sarutobi had already guessed the truth.
Everything he said afterward was intentional on Hiruzen Sarutobi's part.
After all, Shendai had previously talked about masculine dignity and household status, which had made him a bit envious. He had tried it at home and immediately met with tragedy.
Shendai used his specialty move: changing the subject.
"These things aren't important at all, Hokage-sama. Since I am vouching for her, can Pakura go get her identification papers immediately?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked: "Pakura, do you want to join Konoha as a villager or as a Ninja? If as a Ninja, you need to complete a certain number of missions to become a Konoha Ninja. If as a villager, you can apply to become a Ninja after residing here for three years without any bad records."
Pakura replied: "I will join Konoha as a villager. I am very tired right now and do not wish to be a Ninja."
Pakura, who had been backstabbed, was still very sad inside. Moreover, if it weren't for Shendai, she wouldn't be joining Konoha, so being a villager was fine.
Shendai wondered: "That's not right! Why was it that when I joined, I had to make a contribution to be vouched for and join Konoha?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi explained: "That was because it was wartime then. Now, the Daimyo of the Five Great Nations are already discussing ending the war, so we can be a bit more lenient. I've already given the heads-up. Later, Shendai, just take Pakura to get her identification papers. Afterward, take Pakura around Konoha to look around. As for housing..."
Pakura immediately said: "I will just stay at Shendai's place; there is no need to arrange separate housing for me."
Shendai tugged on Pakura's arm and whispered: "Hey, are you stupid? Even if we don't live in the house we get, we can sell it later! Why not take something free?"
Shendai hurriedly said to Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Hokage-sama, Pakura was just joking. She wants the house!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi twitched the corner of his mouth. This kid Shendai was really money-hungry.
It was just a house. To keep a talent like Pakura in Konoha, no amount was too much.
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued: "Fine, housing will be arranged for you. Pakura, you can live wherever you like. Shendai, I won't assign you any missions recently; just accompany Pakura and help her get familiar with Konoha. Alright, you two can go get the identification papers. Seeing that Pakura has injuries, after you get the papers, go to the Ninja Hospital for proper treatment."
Just as Shendai was about to take Pakura away, he remembered something and reached out his hand to Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Hokage-sama, Lord Orochimaru just said that you would treat Pakura and me to barbecue. Give me the money."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Orochimaru in confusion.
Orochimaru stared at the ground without speaking, but while there was only one vein on his forehead before, now there were a few more.
He had clearly told Shendai to ask Hiruzen Sarutobi to treat them, not that he was asking Hiruzen Sarutobi to treat them.
The way Shendai put it made it seem like he couldn't even afford a barbecue meal.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took out his wallet, pulled out a few bills, and stuffed them into Shendai's hand: "Is this enough?"
Shendai counted them and shook his head: "Not quite enough. Barbecue is quite expensive, and Pakura and I can eat a lot."
Pakura pulled on Shendai's clothes.
Pakura's scalp was tingling a bit now. What did he mean by 'Pakura and I can eat a lot'? Clearly, it was only Shendai who could eat a lot!
She had just arrived in Konoha and was meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi for the first time. She wanted to leave a good impression, but now, Hiruzen Sarutobi's impression of her might just be 'a big eater'.
However... this Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, really felt very different from the Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village; he was quite approachable.
Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out several more bills and stuffed them into Shendai's hand: "Is it enough now?"
Shendai stuffed the money into his pocket with a bright smile: "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Shendai happily dragged Pakura to go get the identification papers, and after getting them, he planned to take Pakura to the Ninja Hospital.
Now only Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru were left in the office. The two looked at each other, and for a moment, there was silence.
After a moment of silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke first: "Orochimaru, are you very short on money lately?"
Orochimaru's face darkened instantly: "I am not short on money!"
After exhaling slightly, Orochimaru said to Hiruzen Sarutobi with a serious expression: "Sarutobi-sensei, I have something I would like to discuss with you."
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