Konoha Drunkard

"What? Since he's like Orochimaru, then this child is in danger. Hiruzen, while he's still young, hand him over to me. I promise I won't let him become the second Orochimaru." Whether others believed Shanks's boast was a mystery, but his older brother Danzo certainly did. After hearing Shanks's words, Danzo suddenly understood. Thinking it over carefully, he realized he had missed out on so many geniuses over the past few decades. He secretly resolved to send his underlings out to find children whose behavior was different from their peers and bring them back to train himself.

However, all of that can be done slowly. Right now, there is a genius child. He immediately quoted Shanks' words and told his friends, but he forgot that the person in charge now is Minato. The Anbu have a lot of records of his shady dealings. How could Minato agree to let the child be handed over to a sinister person like Danzo?

"Advisor Danzo, the child is still too young, and they only arrived in Konoha today. I want them to see the light of Konoha, not its darkness." Although Minato's words came late, the implication was clear: no way. They had just arrived in Konoha and hadn't even received the warmth of Konoha before being dragged into the dark Roots. What right did Konoha have to accept outsiders? Did they not care about Konoha's reputation?

"Fourth Hokage! Shanks said this child could be just as dangerous as Orochimaru! If we don't control him soon, do you want tragedy to repeat itself?" Danzo said emotionally, his voice trembling with tears. If he could squeeze out a couple more tears, it would be perfect.

"Brother Danzo, don't talk nonsense. I didn't say he's as dangerous as Orochimaru. I said his talent is just as outstanding as Orochimaru's. Orochimaru ended up like this because his dream was too grand for Konoha to contain. What if this kid's dream is to be a stay-at-home dad? It's just researching chickens, ducks, and fish, what's there to be afraid of? Linlin has been researching for over ten years, hasn't she?" Shanks said. Danzo was clearly using him as a shield; it would be strange if he agreed.

423. Why are they all from the Sarutobi family?

What if Bai grows up and sticks out his sealed tongue to Shanks, saying that he got into this mess because of Shanks's mouth back then? Then even if Shanks swims from the Land of Fire to the Land of Water, he'll never be able to clear his name. He just wanted to brag...

"Minato is the Hokage now, so this matter will be decided by Minato." This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't give his best friend any face. At worst, he could just buy some supplements and go to Root in a few days to coax him. He would have to be crazy to hand the child over to his best friend. What kind of ninjas did his best friend train? They were all living dead. The only one who was still decent was that Yamanaka Hiroshi.

The thought of Yamanaka Hiroshi made him itch with desire. He had wanted to take Yamanaka Hiroshi many times, but his best friend's reply was too decisive. Even if he offered his youngest son in exchange, it wouldn't work.

Hiruzen Sarutobi never imagined that his best friend could find someone like Yamanaka Hiroo. His words were so pleasant to hear; listening to him boast every day made his backache and legs feel better, and he even walked with a spring in his step. No wonder his best friend, despite being the same age as him, looked much younger than him, except for being a bit uglier. Later, he also went to observe the Yamanaka clan, and found that, not only the Yamanaka clan, but the entire Hidden Leaf Village didn't have such a talent.

Shanks is one, but I can only listen to him occasionally. To expect him to rave about something after just one listen is probably something even Hashirama Senju couldn't do.

"Hmph!...If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I have other matters to attend to at Root." Seeing that his best friend wasn't supporting him, Danzo snorted, turned around, and slammed the door shut as he left. There was no point in him staying if he couldn't get his hands on the child; it would be better to go back and send his underlings to find the genius child.

"Look at them, look at them, they're all so old, yet they still have such a temper. It's all because you guys spoiled them." Shanks said to the other three leaders of Konoha in a tone of educating a junior.

"Alright, Sakumo, take advantage of the current lapse in defenses in the Land of Water due to the major events. Send people to keep a close eye on the situation there. As for that Shimura Hanzo..." Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi had another headache. He hadn't even figured out the Akatsuki organization in the Land of Rain yet, and now he knew that Shimura Hanzo had controlled the Mizukage for many years. Even if he stepped down, it would still give him a headache.

“Third Hokage, there’s really no need to worry too much. The Nine-Tails incident last time was just an accident, and now that the Nine-Tails has been sealed in three parts, Shimura Hanzo can’t pull any tricks.” Minato said to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was rubbing his forehead.

This wasn't Minato being arrogant. Ever since a quarter of the Nine-Tails' chakra was sealed inside his body, his proficiency with the Flying Thunder God Technique had skyrocketed. Before, he would be out of breath even when teleporting to distant places, but now it was no problem at all. Besides, the current strength of Konoha was unprecedented, with three generations of veterans, middle-aged and young, each holding the title of Double Flower Red Staff. If he hadn't been worried about Kushina's safety last time, he could have easily killed Shimura Hanzo after discovering his weakness, let alone now.

Shanks was too lazy to deal with these delusional fantasies he had fooled. When he got home, he found that Haruko-sama wasn't home. She was probably off visiting her grandson again. Ever since Shikamaru was born, Haruko-sama, the once dedicated vice-director of Konoha Hospital, had been slacking off far too much. She had dumped all her work on Tsunade's disciple and assistant, Kato Shizune, while she spent all her time at Big Mom's place. Sometimes she wouldn't even go home and would just stay there.

After Shanks sat down, he thought about Minazuki Kawai's problem. His sperm friend had entrusted him with the important task of taking care of his daughter. He couldn't let her and her child live in the wood industry forever. Food and clothing were fine, but the problem was that she was such a young single mother. It wouldn't be good if people always gossiped about her. He planned to help his deceased sperm friend find a son-in-law to come back.

Among the young talents in Konoha, there are quite a few who can match Kawaka in terms of personality, even Green-skinned Guy is a candidate... but in terms of appearance... there are really not many.

The first candidate is of course Kakashi, but... the age difference isn't a problem, the problem is that he has a contract, so Kakashi is directly eliminated.

The second candidate is Hiruzen Sarutobi's outstanding eldest son. He perfectly inherited Hiruzen Sarutobi's genes in appearance, physique, and personality, making him the ideal choice. Moreover, Konohamaru's mother has not yet appeared, making her a perfect successor. However, judging from Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude today, it will be difficult for him to pull off this move, so he is temporarily placed in the pending area.

The third one is also from the Sarutobi clan, but this time it's Sarutobi Sumido, the son of Sarutobi Hiruzen's younger brother. Sarutobi Sumido is the person Shanks has seen who has changed the most. As a child, he was really mischievous and carefree. If he had a power-up, he would have been a natural protagonist. But as he grew up, due to his father's old injury recurring, he had to take charge of the clan's affairs and take care of his father. These experiences made him mature and steady. Apart from inheriting the Sarutobi clan's big beard, he's still acceptable. But after all, he is the family heir, so he was only selected for the waiting area.

The third one... is still from the Sarutobi family. This time it's Asuma, the youngest son of Hiruzen Sarutobi. Of course, not the current Asuma, but the Asuma who returned after being a monk for a few years. He was much more mature then, and because of his close friendship with Kakuzu, he dared to guarantee that Asuma wouldn't be killed by Kakuzu. Having him as the replacement is a win for Asuma; he won't die, and he'll get such a beautiful young lady as a wife—it's like a buy-one-get-one-free deal! Hiruzen Sarutobi must be quite pleased with himself...

Fourth on the list is Genma Shiranui, who always has a toothpick in his mouth and expects others to pretend they don't know who he is. He's a character with a name in Naruto, and just for surviving until the end of the first part, Shanks should give him a spot.

Moonlight and Gale, a consumptive man with an arranged marriage, pass on!

Shisui... the age gap is too big, I bet Koharu would come after him with a cleaver if he transferred dorms, so... pass on him.

Needless to say, the Hyuga clan has even more rules than the Uchiha clan. Even if Hiashi accepts the marriage with a clan member out of consideration for him, Kawashima's future life is not necessarily going to be easy.

And those smaller families, without any outstanding talents, he couldn't possibly wrong his close friend's daughter.

...........

"Snapped!"

After thinking for a long time, Shanks suddenly realized something and slammed his fist on the table. Three of the candidates were actually from the Sarutobi family!

If all else fails, we can just kidnap Little Scorpion from the Land of Rain. Little Scorpion is a good match in terms of looks and family background, and Grandma Chiyo would be so happy if she knew her grandson had found her a great-grandson...

424. Is this guy trying to scam his son?

"Little Green Sprout! What a coincidence, you just went out too? Come, come, we haven't had a chat since the Third Shinobi World War. Let's have a good chat today!" Thinking and doing are always Shanks's creed. The next morning, he went to Hiruzen Sarutobi's house and waited for Little Green Sprout to come out so that they could have a chance encounter.

Although among the candidates he came up with last night, Little Green Sprout was the most difficult to find, he also believed that the success rate was the highest. Little Green Sprout had his own ideas since he was a child and would not be swayed by his father's thoughts. Moreover, once he made up his mind about something, even Shanks couldn't change it. And most importantly, he was as thin-skinned as Minato and rarely refused others.

"Uncle Shanks, what brings you here today?" Little Green Seed isn't stupid. He's never known why Konoha's famous lazybones and drunkard would suddenly appear at his doorstep this early in the morning, especially since he'd seen him lingering there for a long time.

"Haha, it's nothing really. You don't know, recently the village established a council to help young talents in Konoha find a spouse. Because I'm so popular, everyone had high hopes for me and elected me as the first council president. And among all these unmarried young talents in Konoha, you're the most outstanding one. I've been looking for you in the village for a long time, but unfortunately, I just couldn't find a suitable match for you. You have no idea how worried I've been these past few days! Finally! A couple of days ago, I met a young lady in the Land of Water. She's absolutely stunning, a beauty that could topple cities with a single smile, a beauty that could topple kingdoms with another. No words can describe her beauty... she's just gorgeous! So I thought of you. And when I inquired, I learned that this young lady's story is truly heartbreaking. She was originally a noble lady, but her family suffered a great calamity, and her father risked his life..." They sent her out, but the enemy continued their relentless pursuit. Finally, thanks to the desperate rescue of her guards, she ended up in a remote mountain village. She thought she would live a peaceful life there, but little did she know that in that wrong place, she would meet the wrong person. That ignorant and misguided man, after she gave birth to his child, mistook ninjutsu for demonic arts and also considered her a monster. He beat and kicked this frail woman who had just given birth. For her child's safety, she held the baby tightly with her thin body, enduring the beatings of that despicable man! If I hadn't stopped him in time, another human tragedy would have occurred in the ninja world. Tell me, isn't this young lady pitiful? After hearing this, don't you want to offer her a warm and strong embrace, letting her know that the world is still full of love?" Shanks praised his own story! Even he was deeply moved, let alone the little green sprout whose eyes were already brimming with tears.

"I never imagined there were such pitiful and tragic people in the ninja world. This great mother is truly admirable!" Little Green Sprout was deeply moved. Even the usually peaceful boy wanted to kill that bastard with his own hands.

"You also think she's great, right? If, and I mean if, she were in Konoha, would you protect her and cherish her for the rest of your life, regardless of the fact that she's been married before?" Shanks asked cautiously.

Before arranging a meeting, you should at least find out the other person's attitude towards second marriage, so as to avoid awkwardness!

"If the feeling is right, then of course there's no problem. And even if I don't feel anything, I'll still protect her. Such a great woman deserves respect just the same!" Little Green Sprout is indeed Little Green Sprout; his awareness and understanding are several levels higher than his father's. Shanks really doesn't know what stroke of luck Hiruzen Sarutobi had to have such an outstanding son. In his mind, second-generation heirs should all be like Asuma, arrogant and domineering, defying the heavens from a young age!

"Is that so! Then there's no problem. I'll go pick her up and bring her to Konoha tomorrow, so you can meet her. You know how difficult it is for a woman to raise a child, and the only one in Konoha worthy of her stunning beauty is you, Shinnosuke. Thankfully, fate only delayed your relationship by two years. Thank goodness." Shanks was overjoyed. This little green seedling hadn't disappointed him. In the entire ninja world, only he and Minato were this kind. It's a pity Minato is already married, and Kushina is a violent maniac. If she knew Minato was raising a child, I wonder if she would summon that quarter of the Nine-Tails...

Besides, Kushina is his niece; he can't possibly cheat his own family. Since Little Green Sprout herself doesn't care, he can cheat her without a conscience.

"Shin-chan, I just saw you talking to Shanks at the door." After Little Green Seed returned home, Hiruzen Sarutobi was already waiting for him at his door. Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyelids had been twitching wildly since last night, and he had a bad feeling. He couldn't figure out where this bad feeling came from in Konoha. Just as he was about to go out to reminisce with his friends and listen to that Yamanaka Higanbana brag, he saw his eldest son talking to Shanks at the door.

Having known each other for decades, he had never seen Shanks come to his front door so early in the morning. There's an old saying that something unusual must be a sign of trouble. As they talked, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyelids twitched faster and faster. At that moment, he finally realized where that ominous feeling came from. That bastard Shanks was planning to trick his son.

Thinking back on his recent phone conversations with Shanks, it seemed that only last night at the Hokage Building did Shanks ask him if his son would accept a second marriage... After he brushed him off, Shanks didn't press the matter further, and he thought that guy had given up... He should have realized that the bastard wouldn't give up so easily; it turned out he was planning to trick his son!

"It's nothing. Uncle Shanks recently established some kind of... Konoha Young Talents Marriage Council, and Uncle Shanks is the first chairman, so he came to me and said he wanted to introduce me to a poor woman who has given birth!" Little Green Sprout didn't hide anything. If she felt it was right after meeting him, she would eventually have to meet his parents.

"puff!"

"You...you didn't agree, did you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spat out his morning tea, his hand trembling as he pointed at his eldest son, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, as if trying to see if his son had been possessed.

"I agreed, why wouldn't I? I was so moved by this woman's story! I never imagined there could be such an extraordinary woman in the world! If my feeling is right, Father, you'll be a grandfather!" Little Green Sprout joked with Hiruzen Sarutobi, completely unaware that Hiruzen's brain had already shut down, his mind echoing with "I'll be a grandfather! I'll be a grandfather!"

425. Brother, I support you!

"You...you...you unfilial son!" Hiruzen Sarutobi clutched his chest with one hand and pointed at the little green seedling with the other, a surge of anger rising to his head. He was about to explode with rage. What the hell is this grandpa? To hell with grandpa!

“Father, don’t you think she’s pitiful? She’s an orphan and a widow, and she’s just arrived in Konoha. It’s not easy for her,” Little Green Sprout said.

"...She's pitiful, and you can help her, but...you don't need to help her in any way! In short, I absolutely will not agree to you marrying a divorced woman!" Hiruzen Sarutobi was furious. He didn't know what that bastard Shanks had said to his eldest son, managing to completely fool him. He couldn't tell if his son was just too kind or incredibly naive.

Although he had tried to persuade his eldest son before, that was before Minazuki Kawaka got married. Now that she has even had a child, for the sake of the Sarutobi clan's reputation or for the sake of Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation, this is absolutely impossible.

"It's just a meeting, what if they don't like you? Father, you're overthinking it," Little Green Sprout quickly comforted her father, who was about to have a stroke.

"You can't even see her! You're the pillar of my Sarutobi clan, how can you get involved with a divorced woman! I've already spoken to Danzo. There are still a few unmarried girls in the Shimura clan. I'll take you to pick one tomorrow. Anyway, you absolutely cannot see that woman!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said angrily. He really wanted to pull out his fire poker, which could grow longer and thicker, and stab Shanks to death. The genes of the Minazuki clan were too monstrous; both men and women were too beautiful. He was genuinely afraid that his eldest son wouldn't be able to control himself!

"Father, how can you say that about her? She was forced by circumstances. Anyway, no matter what you say, I'm going to marry that woman! As for the girl from the Shimura clan, you can choose for yourself!" Little Midori's stubbornness flared up. Her tragic experience was described as a second marriage in her father's mouth. Wasn't this an insult to her great maternal love? Besides, marriage was her own business. How could she let her father decide for her?

"Brother, I support you!" Asuma, who had been eavesdropping for who knows how long, firmly stood up for his brother. He had suffered enough from arranged marriages. His dream lover and his good classmate Kakashi had their dreams shattered because of the contract of the previous generation. Therefore, he extremely hated Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions.

"Get out of here, you little brat! You've already disgraced me completely with what you've done, and now you still dare to support your older brother? If you dare to bother Kurenai again, I'll break your legs! How could I have given birth to a son like you? I'd rather have given birth to a piece of char siu than you!" Hiruzen Sarutobi was even more furious when his youngest son suddenly jumped out.

This little rascal has caused him no end of trouble since he was a child, especially by constantly pestering Kurenai Yuhi, who is already engaged. If it weren't for his pride, Kurenai Yuhi would have broken his legs long ago. Moreover, he's trying to steal the mantle of the Hatake clan, which has supported him for decades. If the Hatake father and son hadn't been so straightforward and didn't take it seriously, he would have broken his legs long ago.

Now look what's happened! He dares to show his disgusting side after doing such a terrible thing. Hiruzen Sarutobi really regrets not putting him on the wall back then.

"My affairs are none of your business. You're the one who's too domineering. You want to control everything, even your brother's marriage partner. Don't bring the Hokage's prestige home! You're no longer the Hokage!" Asuma retorted angrily. What kind of father talks to his son like that?

"You...you, you little bastard, get out of here, get as far away as possible!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned purple with anger. He suddenly realized that his status in the family had dropped so much. Now even his youngest son, whom he had beaten, dared to talk back to him.

"Fine, I'll get out! I'm never coming back!" Asma yelled before rushing out of the house and running wildly.

"Asma!" Little Green Seedling saw that her little brother seemed to be serious this time, and forgot about discussing the first and second marriages with his father, she quickly chased after him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched his eldest son chase after him, and began to regret his harsh words. Although he had disciplined his younger son many times since he was a child, it was always primarily for educational purposes. His younger son's personality differed from his elder son's. As the Hokage, he always felt indebted to both sons. Fortunately, his elder son was reliable, and while his younger son was mischievous, he had never spoken to him so harshly before. Today, he realized he had indeed gone too far.

"Ape Demon, let's go!"

It's all that bastard Shanks' fault! If he hadn't fooled his eldest son, he wouldn't have argued with him. And if he hadn't argued with his eldest son, his younger son wouldn't have stood up for his older brother and confronted him! The more Hiruzen Sarutobi thought about it, the angrier he became. He pulled out the fire poker that could grow longer and thicker, slung it over his shoulder, and charged toward the Senju clan's territory with murderous intent!

"Asuma! Where are you going? Father was just saying that in anger," Little Green Seed said after catching up with his younger brother outside the village.

"Big brother, because you've been cleaning up his messes for so many years, he's always thought that everything he decides is right. And you've seen the result—he even wants to control who you marry! He told me to get lost, so I'll get lost and show him! The Daimyo is recruiting the Twelve Guardian Ninjas recently, and I want to go check it out. I want to show him that I can make it even without his protection!" Asuma said stubbornly.

"...Even if you're going to leave, you should at least tell Mother. She'll be worried if you just leave without a word." Little Green Sprout is more like a father figure than Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Asuma has always listened to Little Green Sprout since he was little.

Little Green Seed also thought it would be good to let Asma go out and explore, maybe he could grow up, unlike now where he spends all day idly pestering that girl with colored contact lenses, which is a complete waste of time.

Just as Asuma was following the little green seedling home to say goodbye to Lake Biwa, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already arrived at the Senju clan's territory carrying a fire poker.

"Hey! What brings the Third Master here today? Oh? And he's carrying a fire poker!"

Good morning, esteemed elders! You've all retired, why aren't you taking a proper rest? Take care of your health!

"It's been a long time since I last saw you, Third Generation Lord. You seem to have gotten even younger."

"........."

"Haha! I've come to see Shanks about something, you guys go ahead and do your work!"

As Hiruzen Sarutobi walked along, the Uzumaki clan members kept greeting him. Hearing the sincere praise from the Uzumaki clan members, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was originally furious, unconsciously had his anger reduced by half. It was true that he hadn't wasted so many years of pampering this clan. Living with that bastard Shanks for so long had really taught him how to speak nicely.

426. Boasting in a serious manner

"Oh, what a coincidence, Lord Shanks is up so early today, it seems he just got back from his workout," said a middle-aged woman from the Uzumaki clan.

"Really! Shanks, that lazybones, actually does morning exercises now? I never would have guessed!" Morning exercises my ass, that bastard must have been out fooling his eldest son early in the morning. Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled at the swirl lady, but in his heart he cursed Shanks.

........

"I was wondering why my house was suddenly filled with auspicious purple clouds and bright spring sunshine today. It turns out it's the Third Hokage's arrival! But what's with you carrying a fire poker, old man?" When Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at the door of Shanks' new two-story house, Shanks seemed to have known he was coming all along and had opened the door early.

He'd just fooled someone's son, and he'd really be surprised if this old bastard didn't come after him to settle the score!

"...What did you say to Shinnosuke this morning? You completely charmed him, making him act like he won't marry anyone but that woman." Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was about to make a fuss, had his last bit of anger dissipate after hearing Shanks's praise.

"I'm doing this for your family's good. Think about it, you, Hiruzen Sarutobi, were born with all five elemental chakra natures, but all these years have passed, and you still haven't created a bloodline limit. You know how difficult it is to create a bloodline limit! Now, there's a ready-made opportunity right in front of you. Although she did have a child, it was out of necessity! Although it might sound harsh, I still have to say it. I don't know what kind of luck you had to be able to have such an outstanding eldest son like Shinnosuke. Which unmarried girl in Konoha is good enough for him? Minazuki Kawaka only had one child, so what? Let me tell you, that child's talent is top-notch, much stronger than your two sons. You don't want such a ready-made future double-flower red stick child? Aren't you afraid your best buddy will secretly take him back and brainwash him?" Shanks is trying to trick me into having a son again, trying to fool me.

"...But you're asking Shinnosuke to accept a divorced woman? How am I supposed to save face?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was almost fooled by him.

"Tch! I thought it was something serious. Not only do few people in Konoha know about this, but even if they did, people would just say that the Third Hokage and his family are kind-hearted, willing to accept a woman with a tragic fate and not caring about her past. Wouldn't that add another achievement to your monument in front of the Hokage Building? Besides, what if Shinnosuke's child awakens a magnificent Ice Release technique in the future? Wouldn't Ice Release become synonymous with your Sarutobi clan? And think about it, if your Sarutobi clan had some of Mizuki's genes, not to mention anything else, just your looks alone would rival the Uchiha clan. Don't think I don't know that if you were prettier back then, you wouldn't have flirted with Koharu-nee?" Shanks started boasting seriously. While it wasn't as easy as fooling his son, it wasn't too difficult either.

Koharu Utatane, the "Flower of Konoha," wasn't called that for nothing. Every young man in the village who wasn't blind dreamed of her, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was no exception. However, Hiruzen was smart enough not to show it. After all, his height and appearance were quite different from Kagami Uchiha's. He didn't want to lose her and would only embarrass himself, just like his best friend Danzo, who was teased for decades because of a single topic. If Shanks hadn't accidentally discovered that Hiruzen had followed Koharu Utatane, he wouldn't have known that Hiruzen had a thing for her.

After listening to Shanks' long-winded explanation, Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his shoulders with his fire poker in one hand and puffed hard on his pipe in the other. He found there was some truth to it. No one knows the difficulty of creating a bloodline limit without having done so themselves. Even with his mastery of all five elemental ninjutsu, he hadn't been able to create a bloodline limit unique to the Sarutobi clan after years of effort. Now, a ready-made one was right in front of him—it would be strange if he wasn't tempted. And as Shanks said, it would bring both fame and fortune! But… the thought of children who weren't his sons calling him "Grandpa" felt like eating shit. Although he always told the village children to call him "Grandpa,"… wasn't that the same thing?

"So? Tell me, do you think what I said makes sense? Look at the young people of your Sarutobi clan now, apart from Shinnosuke, they're all bearded. The girls in Konoha have very high standards when it comes to choosing men. Inuzuka Tsuru already has his second child, and your nephew Sarutobi Jinko is still not married. Do you really intend for all the descendants of your Sarutobi clan to be over thirty and still not having children like you?" Shanks pressed his advantage, seeing that Sarutobi Hiruzen was still pondering his words.

"...Sigh! Let them meet tomorrow."

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally relented. It wasn't Shanks' words that moved him, but rather the monstrous genes of the Minazuki clan. He was over fifty now, and if Midori also hoped to get married and have children in her thirties, then he would have to wait another ten years or so. Shanks, who was ten years younger than him and only in his forties, already had a grandson. If he wanted a grandson, wouldn't he have to wait another ten years or so? Especially since his arch-rival, Onoki, that red-nosed guy, already had a granddaughter.