Chapter 34: Baseless Hostility

In front of the ninja academy, Yujin admired once again the faces carved on the wall and entered the place.

He gained access because of Tsunade.

Days ago, Tsunade had spoken with the Hokage so that Yujin could work with him. Hiruzen only set one condition; Yujin had to meet with him for a conversation.

The Hokage’s goal was to better understand Yujin through this meeting and determine if he was a trustworthy person. Due to the circumstances, Yujin had postponed this meeting a bit and decided on today because of the ritual that would take place in two days. He knew the Hokage would be present to ensure everything went smoothly, so he didn’t want this meeting to occur at such a critical moment.

He also needed time to better understand the culture of the new world; he didn’t want to make a mistake in front of the most powerful man in the village, the equivalent of a feudal lord.

Armed with the knowledge gained through Tsunade and the biography found in the bookstore, Yujin was confident.

A subordinate came to fetch him.

On the way, he didn’t encounter children or teachers as he expected. Although the administrative area of the village was in the academy, they were still separate.

When he first learned that the Hokage’s office was in the academy, Yujin was surprised. He didn’t expect the Hokage to work near studying children; it didn’t make sense to him.

Only when Tsunade explained did he understand the intentions behind it, and he was surprised by the simplicity of the idea.

The Hokage being in the academy served as a form of protection for the future of the village, the children, as well as inspiration. Knowing that the most powerful and important man in the village was nearby always impressed, inspired, and uplifted them.

It was a symbolic decision, as if this decision meant that the Hokage was directly linked to the future of the village, but it was also practical, as it meant he would always be ready to protect the children.

It was one of the first times Yujin felt admiration for the Hokage.

Although he didn’t encounter students or teachers, the hallways were filled with people bustling around. Where the Hokage’s office was, that’s where the administrative center of the village was, so the place was crowded.

One of the people he passed, however, caught Yujin’s attention. It was a tall man with bandages over his right eye. As soon as Yujin registered under the man’s gaze, he felt a high level of hostility. No one around noticed, and the man himself worked to conceal it, but Yujin could feel it and watched him carefully for the few seconds he could.

For some reason, he seemed even more dangerous than Orochimaru, something that worried him. This concern increased when he realized the man had just left the Hokage’s office.

The man disappeared down the corridors, but Yujin remained on guard the entire time. He could sense the man’s genuine desire to kill him, something he didn’t feel even from Orochimaru.

Taking a deep breath, he thanked the man who brought him to the office and entered after knocking on the door and receiving a response.

The first thing he saw when he entered the room was stacks and stacks of papers, something he had never seen before. He had seen many books in Tsunade’s training and research facilities, but never this amount of paperwork that practically filled the room. Tsunade had told him before that the Hokage was the busiest man in the village, but seeing the absurd amount of papers was still disconcerting.

“Good afternoon, Lord Hokage. My name is Yujin.”

Even though he couldn’t see the most powerful man in the village behind all the papers, he felt the presence of a person behind the pile and greeted him. As always, Yujin was respectful in his greetings; just as he did with Mito, he bowed slightly and made the typical gesture from his homeland.

“Hohoho, good afternoon, Yujin. I’ve heard many good things about you ... Perhaps too good.”

Feeling the acidity in the man’s words, Yujin became worried but didn’t react. A few seconds later, the man spread the papers a bit and finally showed his face.

He looked tired, with bags under his eyes. Black hair, he seemed to be around 40 years old, and wore a strange hat with the symbol of fire, a symbol that existed even in Yujin’s original world, with the same meaning.

“Hmm ... You’re a handsome man. Young, strong, intelligent, handsome, sensitive ... I understand how you managed to seduce Tsunade.”

Although Hiruzen’s words were hostile, Yujin couldn’t feel hostility, which intrigued him. He chose to remain silent, hoping that the man would continue and maybe understand the meaning of the words.

“Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with seducing a woman. Tsunade is beautiful, strong, kind, intelligent, powerful ... You two make a good pair.”

The man suddenly took a moment to light a pipe, leaned back in his chair, and released some smoke.