XX-level Hokage

Out of boredom, Shouhan started reading it. At first, it was normal, just depicting the daily life of two sisters who had been separated for a long time. But the more he read, the more something seemed off. After finishing it, Shouhan blushed and realized that it was an erotic comic. Shouhan was furious about this and read it several more times.

After finishing their meal, Mashiro got up to wash up, and Temari cleared away the dishes and put them back in the kitchen. Once Mashiro was done washing up, Temari came over to help her get dressed.

“I might be gone for a day or two. Although I’m quite confident about this rescue operation, I’ve decided to go along just in case,” Mashiro said.

Shouhan paused in his movements, his expression becoming slightly more serious. He then tucked the collar of his white coat into his clothes and said softly, "Be careful in everything you do."

“You don’t have to stay in the yard all the time. I’ve already spoken to the others. You can go out for a walk when you’re free. If you buy anything, you can get reimbursed by the clan.” Zhenbai clasped his hands together, then turned and left.

Shouhan gently patted Mashiro's departing figure.

"Temari's favorability +1" [Name: Temari]

Gender: Female Age: 16 Affection Level: 89 Relationship: Master/Servant

Favorability Reward (50): Wind Release Mastery (50) [Frequency Reward Obtained (90): Sandstorm Technique]

"It seems difficult to break through 90% favorability without taking the final step," Mashiro muttered to herself.

On their way to aid the Sand Village, Naruto and the others were riding on a skylark drawn by Sasuke, rushing on their way without stopping. The rescue team consisted of familiar faces.

The original Team 7 consisted of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura; Team 3 consisted of Lee, Neji, and Tenten; Team 8 consisted of Kiba, Shino, and Hinata; and Team 10 consisted of Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino.

Also present were Shizune and Karin, as well as Sai and Yukikaze, members of the "Root" unit sent by Mashiro. Finally, there were Kakashi and Guy, who were responsible for the safety of all of them.

This rescue was an extremely dangerous mission, but as Mashiro said, it was also an excellent opportunity to enhance one's resume. After all, there aren't many opportunities to participate in the rescue of other leaders, and this would be an outstanding resume.

This is why they were willing to involve Hinata and persuaded Tsunade to send out her three disciples, Sakura, Shizune, and Karin.

If they don't do this, even if Naruto convinces Shikamaru and the others, their families won't agree. But if even the head of the Hyuga clan sends his sister and the Hokage sends his three disciples, then it's a different story.

This means the rescue operation is absolutely safe, and since it's absolutely safe, they naturally won't let go of this golden opportunity to enhance their resume.

Mashiro sent Sai and Yukikaze with the same purpose: they are both absolutely loyal to Mashiro. By simply boosting their resumes, Mashiro can promote them to high-ranking positions within "Root".

"I don't know if this rescue operation will be dangerous," Shizune said with some helplessness. She hadn't carried out many missions and didn't have much combat ability, so she was very worried.

“Senior Sister Shizune, don’t worry. Since Master is willing to send us here, there shouldn’t be any major danger,” Sakura comforted her. On the other side, Yukikaze was also a little worried and said uncertainly, “Am I really capable of participating in this kind of mission?”

Yukikaze's full name is Hayakawa Yukikaze. She is an orphan raised by the "Root" organization and has the natural ability to communicate with animals. She was trained as a reconnaissance ninja from a young age and is now mainly responsible for making coffee for Mashiro and organizing documents.

"If you don't even have this much confidence, you should go back as soon as possible," Sasuke said coldly. He could understand sending Sai back to life, but he really didn't know why Mashiro had sent Yukikaze.

Although she has good reconnaissance skills, with the Hyuga clan's Byakugan and the Aburame clan's insects in the team, her reconnaissance skills are completely useless.

The most crucial point is that Mashiro emphasized to the two of them before setting off that they must bring her back safely, so for Sasuke, Yukikaze is not only a task but also another mission.

"Don't worry, it was Lord Mashiro who specifically instructed us to come here. There are also so many people from various families in the team, so safety shouldn't be a problem. Our biggest challenge is whether we can successfully complete the mission," said Sōbin gently.

Hearing Mashiro's name, Yukikaze felt a little relieved.

Within the shadows of Yukikaze, a pair of eyes were watching everything unfold. Mashiro observed the group through the eyes of the shadowy soldier. This was the fundamental reason she could guarantee their safety; she had planted a backup plan in front of Yukikaze beforehand.

In Konoha, Mashiro was calmly processing the documents left behind by Root when a Root member suddenly entered the office, knelt on the ground, and respectfully said, "Lord Mashiro, Lord Torune has something to discuss with you."

Upon hearing the name Aburame Torune, Mashiro's face showed an interesting expression. A year ago, he sent Aburame Torune with some people to the Land of Grass to search for traces left by Orochimaru. Did they find them so quickly?

"Where is he now?" Mashiro asked.

“It’s right outside the door,” the member said respectfully.

"Let him in." "Yes, sir."

Then Aburame Torune came in.

"Greetings, Lord Mashiro," said Aburame Torune respectfully.

"Did you discover something in the Land of Grass, Root Taken?" Mashiro asked with a light laugh.

"Reporting to my lord, my subordinates and Tsuchimon and others have searched for a long time in the Land of Grass, but only found Orochimaru's abandoned research institute. There was nothing inside, only ruins."

"Snake people? Can't understand the language? Explosion? Okay. I understand. I'll send someone else to handle this. You've all worked hard this year, go and get some rest," Mashiro said.

"Yes, sir." Aburame Torine left respectfully.

"Could it be related to Orochimaru?" Mashiro tapped her pen, deep in thought.

Chapter 58: The Girl from the Land of Snake People

Just in case, following Aburame Torune's directions, Mashiro still arrived at that eerie village. This village was located in a dense forest, behind a mountain near the Land of Grass.

“It is indeed a bit strange.” Mashiro could see the thick miasma from a distance from the village.

Mashiro slowly walked towards the village. Just as she was about to reach it, a clear female voice rang out. "I advise you not to approach this village."

Mashiro looked in the direction of the sound and saw a girl carrying a basket on her back and holding a sickle standing not far away. The girl had a cold expression and light green eyes. Her long dark green hair was braided and casually hung down her back.

"Are you a villager from this village?" Mashiro asked with a smile as she stepped forward. The girl glanced at Mashiro but didn't say anything.

"Don't worry, I mean no harm." Mashiro smiled very gently.

"You outsiders all say that. A few days ago, a group of people kidnapped one of our villagers." The girl's tone remained icy. "Kidnapped someone from your village? Those people are probably a bunch of rogue ninjas. They've always committed countless atrocities. I'm a ninja from Konoha, and a former Hokage..."

"You should be able to trust me, Shadow's disciple, that I won't do anything evil." Mashiro removed the headband from her arm and handed it to the girl, saying.

The members of "Root" never wear Konoha headbands when they are on missions, so Mashiro doesn't need to worry about any problems.

"Konoha? Hokage? I've heard my teacher say before that Konoha is indeed a peaceful village." A slight smile appeared on the girl's usually cold face, as if she were recalling something. "Then I wonder what your purpose is in coming here, Konoha ninja? This small village has nothing of value; in fact, it's quite dangerous."

"The girl asked, her attitude becoming much gentler."

“I received a mission from the Land of Grass. They said that caravans and ninjas have been frequently disappearing in this area, so they asked me to come and investigate,” Mashiro said.

"Do you want to go to this village?" the girl asked in a low voice.

“It’s my profession, and because of you, I’m even more curious about this village,” Mashiro said with a smile. “Then you’d better hold me tight. Also, your eyes are very beautiful,” the girl said, looking into Mashiro’s bright eyes. “Thank you for the compliment. My name is Hinata Mashiro,” Mashiro said, extending her hand to the girl.

The girl hesitated for a moment, then grasped Mashiro's hand. "Hello, my name is Yuuma Kiyoshi."

The moment they shook hands, Mashiro's pupils contracted briefly before quickly returning to normal. [Name: Yuuma Kiyoshi]

Gender: Female Age: 17 Favorability: 20 Relationship: Strangers

Favorability Reward (50): Tail of Desire Favorability Reward (90): Multisexual Reproduction What kind of ability is this?

Before Mashiro could even begin to wonder, Yuuma Kiyoshi withdrew her hand and walked towards the village. Mashiro followed her, walking alongside her.

"Is Kiyoshi from this village?" Mashiro repeated the question. "Perhaps," Kiyoshi answered somewhat ambiguously.

They soon arrived at the entrance to the village. Before entering, Qing said, "For some reason, all the people in this village have been afflicted by an unknown curse. Everyone has become very strange. Please do not be alarmed when you see them."

Mashiro smiled and nodded.

Then the two of them went inside together.

The village wasn't large, and the houses were just simple wooden structures. Judging from the houses, there were probably only a dozen or so households. Strangely, the village was filled with poisonous miasma. Apart from ninjas, ordinary people would absolutely not be able to survive in such miasma.

Just as Mashiro was observing, some of the original inhabitants of the village came upon hearing the noise. Just as Aburame Torune had said, all of these villagers were human-snake hybrids, which made Mashiro think of Kabuto in his previous life in his immortal form.

Upon seeing Mashiro, these snake-people displayed an extremely strong desire to attack, but when they saw Kiyoshi next to Mashiro, they all turned back. "They look terrifying, don't they?" Kiyoshi said coldly.

"Fortunately, I've seen a similar situation with someone named Orochimaru before." Mashiro said softly, her eyes constantly glancing at Kiyoshi as she spoke.

Just as Mashiro had predicted, Kiyoshi's expression changed abruptly, revealing fear. So it really was related to Orochimaru?

"Does Kiyoshi know Orochimaru?" Mashiro asked calmly.

"I've heard of that name; it sounds like a very bad person," Qing said expressionlessly.

"He was indeed a very bad person, but fortunately, he was killed by my teacher and me three years ago," Mashiro said casually, her eyes still observing Kiyoshi's expression.

"Orochimaru is dead?" Kiyoshi seemed unable to control the expression on his face as he asked.

"He's truly dead. I personally extracted the power and implanted it into his head." Masahiro said calmly. [Yuuma Kiyoshi's favorability +20]

"I see, that would be perfect." Qing's momentary lapse in composure quickly vanished, and he returned to his expressionless state. Leading Mashiro to a room, Qing entered and gently closed the door.

Then he put down the sickle in his hand and the basket on his back, filled the teapot with water, and placed it on the stove. "It's rather simple; I guess it'll be a while before the tea is served," Qing said, sitting on a wooden stool.

"It is indeed a bit shabby. Qing has lived here for so many years, has he never thought about leaving?" Mashiro asked, sitting on the other half of the stool.

The curse afflicting the people of this village needs to be healed. My sister was the first, but she passed away, and now it's my turn. I won't leave until these people are cured. "Qing paused for a moment before speaking.

"So, has Kiyoshi found a cure yet?" Mashiro asked softly. Kiyoshi didn't speak, but gently shook her head.

"Kiyoshi really has it tough, having to shoulder such a heavy responsibility at such a young age," Mashiro said, seemingly with a sigh. Kiyoshi remained silent.

A moment later, she suddenly asked, "What is Konoha like?"

Konoha is a prosperous and peaceful place. Its people live in peace and contentment, and all live in harmony… just as Konoha's ideals dictate, where leaves dance, the fire will never cease. The fire will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout. "Mashiro answered using the Third Hokage's words."

"How envious I am!" Qing's eyes were filled with longing.

"Does Kiyoshi want to go to Konoha? With my abilities in Konoha, I can arrange a good place for Kiyoshi." Mashiro said gently with a smile. Kiyoshi hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head.

"That's a real shame. I'm leaving before I finish my mission. I expect to be in this area for the next few days. I can bring Qing some Qiao tomorrow."

"Creams and marshmallows." Mashiro said, then walked out the door.

Kiyoshi stood there, lost in thought, somewhat dazed, until the sound of the teapot boiling brought him back to his senses. He murmured to himself, "Hyuga Mashiro? What a gentle person."

As Mashiro walked through the village, the snake-people villagers emerged from their houses, their vertical pupils filled with desire, yet seemingly hesitant to approach due to some lingering fear. Mashiro glanced at them, paid them no heed, and vanished from the spot.

I created an original little plot point to give Mashiro a new skill.

Chapter 59: Life Experiments and the Priestess

Kabuto was in his office recording his recent experiments when Mashiro suddenly appeared in front of him.

Kabuto was already prepared for Mashiro's elusive nature, so he stopped what he was doing, stood up, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Lord Mashiro."

"Kabuto is still so busy. Once you're done with this, you should all go back to Konoha. I'll set up a new system for the research institute: four days on, three days off. That way, you'll have enough time to do what you want," Mashiro said with a smile.

“On behalf of all the members of the research institute, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Lord Mashiro,” Kabuto said gratefully.

Even in Otogakure, he frequently received letters from the orphanage; the children missed him dearly. "Does Kabuto know the specifics of Orochimaru's experiments in Kusagakure?" Mashiro suddenly asked.

“I’m sorry, Lord Mashiro, I’m unaware of this. I wasn’t with Orochimaru when he was conducting his experiments in the Land of Grass. If you really want to know, perhaps you could ask Kimimaro and the other Sound Ninja.” Kabuto replied.

"I see, okay, I understand." Mashiro said before disappearing into the shadows. Back in Konoha, Mashiro headed straight for the Anbu's prison.

"Take those Sound Ninja to the interrogation room," Mashiro said to the ANBU guarding the prison. "Yes, Lord Mashiro."

Mashiro entered the interrogation room and waited quietly. Out of humanitarian spirit, Mashiro did not put the Sound Four in the same cell as other prisoners, after all, they were not very old when they were imprisoned.

Soon, the Sound Four were brought to the interrogation room: Kimimaro, Sakon, Ukon, Tayuya, and Jirobo. After three years of imprisonment, except for Kimimaro, the other three had lost the courage to resist.

"Guests, how were your three years in prison?" Mashiro asked with a smile. All four of them had empty eyes and remained silent.