Yes, the Hokage

After sending everyone else home, Feng Lan naturally went to the Aburame clan's residence, where she received a warm welcome.

Seeing her clansmen, who had been separated from their families for many years, reunited, You Nu Zhiwei couldn't help but feel that the best decision she had ever made was to gamble everything on Feng Lan.

He knelt on one knee and offered his loyalty to Feng Lan in front of all his clansmen: "Lord Feng Lan, from now on, as long as you give the word, the Aburame clan will go through fire and water without hesitation."

"Don't worry, I will let you use your strength, but I won't make you go through fire and water." Feng Lan smiled. "Following me is much safer and more humane than following Danzo."

“That’s right, that’s right.” Aburame Shiki waved and called over a child. “Sir, this child is Aburame Torune, whom I mentioned before. From now on, let him follow you.”

“We have to listen to the child’s opinion.” Feng Lan bent down, but dared not touch Torune’s head, because he knew the child was full of poison. “Torune Aburame, right? Would you like to work for me in the future? You’re still young, so I’ll give you Chunin-level pay, a 9-to-5 work schedule, weekends off, and triple bonuses if you need to work overtime in an emergency. As you grow up and become stronger, your salary and bonuses will also increase.”

Ninjas are human too. If they are constantly on edge, they will become completely isolated from the world and close off their hearts, just like Kakashi in the Kakashi Chronicle. Naturally, they also need to relax and embrace life. As the saying goes, there is a balance between tension and relaxation.

He would never stoop to Danzo's methods of child trafficking. With this kind of treatment, how many people would rush to him?

Qu Gen was still young and didn't have much of a concept of money. He timidly asked, "Then, will I still be able to see my mom and dad?"

"Of course you can," Feng Lan said with a smile. "After get off work every day, you also have weekends off, so you can spend as much time as you want with your parents."

“Then I’m willing!” Kotomoto’s eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously.

Behind him, Aburame Shiki and the entire Aburame clan couldn't help but kneel down on one knee again, offering their loyalty: "We swear to follow Lord Fenglan to the death!"

……

Taking over the resources of the Root organization and sending those children home took a lot of time. It wasn't until dusk that Feng Lan finally had a moment to stand at the entrance of Konoha Village and wait silently.

Soon, several cars drove up from a distance. These were the people he had sent out that morning to pick up the orphanage. They were led by Hizashi and had already escorted the children to their safe arrival.

"Lord Fenglan!"

The charioteer at the head of the convoy saw Feng Lan and excitedly ran over to report, but was then startled: "You, what's wrong with you...?"

A diamond-shaped blue mark had appeared prominently in the center of Fenglan's forehead, gleaming faintly in the setting sun. It looked remarkably similar to the caged bird that had been stripped of most of its effects.

"Don't be nervous, this is a good thing." Feng Lan smiled and waved his hand. From the time Tsunade placed the mark until a whole day had passed, the Yin Seal finally began to slowly absorb his chakra and take shape. Now it was officially starting to operate.

In this way, the chakra that one does not usually use can be stored in this Yin Seal and released all at once when needed.

"Oh, I was startled." Hizashi chuckled self-deprecatingly, knowing full well that Hyuga was too busy taking care of himself to dare cause trouble for Lord Fenglan.

"You must have had a long journey." Feng Lan patted his shoulder. "Did you run into any trouble?"

"Everything went very smoothly, and the children are all in the car."

Feng Lan nodded and walked towards the car, just in time to see the children getting off the car one by one, looking around with curious and uneasy eyes.

Meanwhile, Yakushi Nonou held Kabuto's hand and looked at Feng Lan with a slightly wary gaze. Clearly, she had gathered some information about him along the way and knew that the man in front of her was Konoha's highly sought-after chief Hokage advisor.

Given Nono's status, she couldn't access the real higher-ups, so in her view, Fenglan, the chief advisor, was naturally above Danzo, which explained why the other party was so wary of her.

Feng Lan could naturally see the wariness in Nonou's eyes, but to be honest, in his plan... having this woman wouldn't make much difference, and losing her wouldn't make much difference either. What he truly valued was Kabuto's talent.

However, to win over Dou, you have to win over this woman first, since she plays the role of the only ray of light in Dou's life, a role no different from that of a mother.

(Kabuto: Nono is the woman who could be my mother!)

As an elite intelligence agent of the Root organization, nicknamed the Wandering Witch, it's unrealistic to try to appease her with words; she'd better prove herself with actions.

Therefore, he simply nodded slightly to Nonou: "Welcome everyone to Konoha. Let's go and take a look at the new orphanage first."

The new orphanage was actually the former ninja school, but all the buildings had been renovated, and there were various sports equipment on the playground, which immediately made the children's eyes light up.

"Wow, so beautiful!"

"Is this our new home?!"

"That's fantastic!"

"..."

They cheered and rushed into the courtyard, and the plump old woman and the old man in charge of looking after them could not stop them and could only shout repeatedly.

But by this time the children had been sitting in the car all day, and with nowhere to release their energy, this place, which used to be a training ground for ninjas, naturally became their playground.

"What's that?" a little girl with pigtails asked, pointing at the soccer goal.

"Idiot, that's where you play football!" A little boy nearby was already eager to try.

"I want to swing on the swing!" Another child spotted the swing by the playground.

"This is so soft!" a child exclaimed in delight as he rolled around on the grass.

"Stop fooling around!"

The plump woman finally caught up, but the children dragged her down onto the lawn. In the end, she gave up, hugged the children, and laughed heartily.

Nono was also stunned. After all, the world of Naruto was constantly in turmoil. From the Warring States period of the First Hokage and Madara to the Fourth Shinobi World War, it was only a little over a hundred years. Therefore, the process of taking in orphans could only be simplified.

Feng Lan's new orphanage was built entirely according to the standards he had before his transmigration. In the first half of his life, Ye Naiyu had "traveled" to the five major countries and countless small countries as a spy, but he had never seen such a well-made orphanage.

Chapter 42 Itachi and Kabuto

Even the more mature Dou was a little excited, looking at Feng Lan with sparkling eyes: "Can we really live here!"

“Of course… but not now. It will take about half a month for the renovation to be completed. Until then, I have other accommodations to arrange for you.” Feng Lan shrugged and led everyone to another property she had purchased. It was near the New Ninja Academy and had not yet been sold, so it was perfect for the children to stay temporarily.

"Long live!"

The children cheered and rushed inside. Fenglan's properties were all fully furnished to fetch a good price, and to these children who had only ever lived in log cabins, they were naturally exquisite.

Just then, Zhishui brought over dinner. Compared to the meager and rough food in the orphanage, Fenglan's food was at least standard canteen food, with careful consideration given to the combination of nutrition and taste, which made the children eat with gusto.

Seeing this scene, Nono felt her eyes welling up, but only because of the children; she still maintained a certain level of vigilance towards Fenglan.

After a moment's thought, she decided to take the initiative. Rather than waiting for the other party to ask for it, she would rather show her value. Even if she had to go back to her old ways, it would be worth it if it could allow the children to live such a life.

So she went to Fenglan, who was eating with the children, and whispered, "Lord Fenglan, I have something I want to tell you."

"Hmm..." Feng Lan swallowed the last bite of rice. "Sure."

He got up and walked outside with Nonou. Even without using his senses, he could see out of the corner of his eye that Yakushi Kabuto had secretly followed them.

The two went to a private room. To avoid suspicion, Fenglan did not close the door. After standing still, Nonou bowed deeply and said, "Lord Fenglan, thank you so much."

"If you want to thank someone, thank the Fourth Hokage. Establishing new schools, orphanages... these are all projects promoted by the Fourth Hokage. I was just an executor." Feng Lan waved his hand. "As for Danzo, I apologize to you and promise that it will never happen again."

“So…” Nonou paused, “what do you need me to do?”

There's no such thing as a free lunch. The new orphanage, with its comfortable environment and delicious food, costs several times more than the aid money given by the third generation. Nono doesn't think that she and the children deserve these things for free.

"Hmm..." Feng Lan pondered for a moment, "You will indeed be very busy from now on."

Hearing this, even though she had mentally prepared herself, Nono couldn't help but clench her fingers slightly: "I... I don't care what happens to me, it's just those children..."

However, Feng Lan ignored her whispered request and continued, "You need to first count the exact number, age, and gender of the children from the orphanage so that I can deliver clothes and other necessities later. Also, boys and girls should be separated into different rooms. Even children should have some sense of gender."

"Next, you need to provide a detailed list and tell me how many people the orphanage still needs, such as a dedicated cook, teachers to teach them knowledge... After basic education is completed, these children will eventually have to go to school, because knowledge is power."

"I hope you won't be too conservative in your estimate of the manpower, because the orphanage won't just have this many people. There are also some orphans in the village who lost their families because of the war, and there should be similar situations all over the Land of Fire. I plan to bring them all over and settle them in the new orphanage. If there aren't enough houses, we can build more; if there isn't enough money, we can invest more. But you, as the director, will have a very hard time."

"You..." Nono was completely stunned. "Is this all you want me to do?"

“Of course the orphanage director has to do these things,” Feng Lan said matter-of-factly. “Now that the new orphanage has been built, it naturally has to be put to use. Otherwise, what’s the point of just leaving an empty shell there for people to see?”

"Oh, as for intelligence gathering, you don't need to get involved anymore. There are professional ninjas to handle that. Since you only want to look after the children, just stay in the orphanage and do your job well. If you really run out of manpower, you and the children who know medical ninjutsu can go to the hospital to earn extra money to support yourselves."

Feng Lan finished explaining her plan in one breath: "Any other questions?"

"No, that's all..." Nono's strong voice finally trembled slightly, "Really, thank you so much..."

"So the one who should be thanking is not me, but the Fourth Hokage." Feng Lan waved his hand and was about to leave when he heard a commotion outside the door.

"Um?!"

The two instantly became alert. They both knew that Kabuto was following behind, but they just didn't say it out loud. Nono instinctively stood in front of Fenglan to protect him, and then leaned out to look.

Then, to their amusement and dismay, Itachi led Kabuto in: "Lord Fenglan, this child was eavesdropping."

[I never imagined that even Jackie Chan couldn't beat Itachi when they were kids.]

Feng Lan couldn't help but chuckle, coughed, and hurriedly said, "Let him go, Itachi, this child means no harm."

"Yes, sir." Itachi bowed slightly and released Kabuto, but he did not leave. Instead, he stood guard beside Fenglan and even raised his chin at Kabuto in a slightly childish and provocative manner.

It's clear that Fenglan's act of helping the children has unknowingly increased Itachi's favorability, and he's becoming increasingly... presumptuous in front of Fenglan.

Kabuto, who was originally calm and honest, suddenly became bold after being glanced at by Itachi: "Lord Fenglan, I, I also want to protect you!"

"Forehead……"

Feng Lan hadn't expected this: "It's very dangerous for you to stay by my side. You're too young. Even if you know medical ninjutsu, it's best for you to stay in the orphanage for now and be with the director and the other children."

Kabuto excels at medical ninjutsu and the development of various Orochimaru-style advanced technologies. He's even planning to have the other person join the ninjutsu development class to research scientific ninja tools once they're older.

It would be a waste to use such a talented person as a bodyguard.

"Then..." Kabuto suddenly pointed at Itachi, "Why is he allowed to serve as your bodyguard?"

"Kabuto?!" Nono was startled, clearly not expecting the child to suddenly become so brave today.

“Itachi is the son of the Uchiha clan. He was raised by his father, the clan head, to be his successor from a young age. Don’t let his age fool you; he’s already graduated from the Ninja Academy.” Feng Lan smiled. “You saw it just now, didn’t you? He captured you so easily. Besides, Itachi doesn’t participate in battles while he’s with me. He mainly organizes documents and… records (although these records are entirely his own initiative).”

"Stop talking, Kabuto."

Nono was not perceptive at all. Even though she didn't know the relationship between Fenglan and the Uchiha, she keenly sensed that Itachi was definitely not just a simple bodyguard. He might be a pledge of allegiance, just like the junior ninjas that Danzo forcibly recruited.

However, Dou, who is usually honest and obedient, pouted with a wronged expression, and her big eyes behind her glasses were full of tears.

Holy crap, Jackie Chan, you're actually acting cute!

Feng Lan was both amused and exasperated, truly unable to understand where Dou's inexplicable sense of antagonism came from.

At this moment, Itachi suddenly spoke up: "Lord Fenglan, if you want to take this child in, then hand him over to me. I will take care of teaching him ninja skills and writing skills, and I will definitely not cause you any trouble."

"Ok?"

Feng Lan raised an eyebrow, suddenly understanding what was going on: "Alright, this child's name is Dou, right? Would you like to become my subordinate? You just need to follow me during the day, and go back to the orphanage to eat and sleep at night."

"I do!" Dou's eyes lit up immediately.

"Alright, then Itachi, this child is in your care." Fenglan patted Itachi's shoulder.

"Yes!" Itachi smiled smugly and pushed Kabuto forward.

"Lord Fenglan..."

Just as Nono was about to speak, Fenglan waved her hand and whispered, "Do you have any techniques to conceal your voice and presence?"

As a spy ninja, this method was naturally one of Nono's specialties. The two of them secretly sneaked over and, sure enough, saw Itachi and Kabuto around the corner of the corridor.

"How about it? My plan went smoothly, didn't it?" Itachi's face, which he could still keep up in front of the adults, was now full of pride. "Now you can get a salary from Lord Fenglan! Just like me, although I am not officially under Lord Fenglan's command, he will always pay me a salary under the guise of giving me pocket money."

"Mmm!" Dou's eyes lit up with excitement. "This way I can buy Mother a new scarf. Hers has been worn out for years. I can also help earn some money to ease her burden!"

“This child…” Nono Yu finally understood what was going on, and her eyes welled up with tears, her heart warmed.

However, she quickly realized, "Lord Fenglan, this child is just..."

"It's alright." Feng Lan waved her hand with a smile. "Isn't this great?"

Looking around the corner of the corridor, Itachi, surprisingly acting like a little adult, began lecturing: "But don't think that Lord Fenglan's allowance is so easy to take. You should study hard with me and strive to become a true ninja who can stand on his own as soon as possible. The stronger you become, the more you can help Lord Fenglan, and the more money you can earn to help Dean Yakushi..."

"Yes!" Kabuto clenched his fists, looking excited. "I will definitely do my best!"

Even Feng Lan herself didn't expect that just one day and one night after she left would make Kabuto Yakushi and Itachi Uchiha become friends. But considering that the two were of similar age and both were precocious and mature, and even geniuses (Kabuto was able to learn medical ninjutsu at a young age, and his talent to become the perfect Ryuchi Cave Sage was not to be underestimated), it was quite reasonable that they could get along well.

"Don't worry, Dean." He patted Nono on the shoulder. "Kabuto is a good kid. I'll take good care of him."

“Then…” Nono bowed deeply, “I’m entrusting this child to you.”

Chapter 43 Looting (4K)

Because they couldn't bear to part with their "kind older brother" who provided them with delicious food and soft beds, the children clung to Feng Lan for a long time. It wasn't until it was completely dark that he was finally able to set off for the hospital and begin his next plan.

"Lord Fenglan seems to really like children." Shisui, who was guarding him, couldn't help but sigh as he recalled how he didn't get angry when several children rode on his back.

"Kids are always full of energy, and they don't really have any likes or dislikes, but we can't be too harsh on them," Feng Lan casually remarked. "Otherwise, these guys will start crying again, and things will never end."

This time, Shisui simply smiled and didn't say anything more.

Tsunade's "house arrest" was at Konoha Hospital, which she didn't mind. It was just a matter of returning to her old profession. As long as she didn't directly touch blood, she was the omnipotent medical saint.

Although Rin, who had been stabbed by the Kusanagi sword, was out of danger, she could only lie pale in her hospital bed, and it seemed that she would need at least six months to recover. However, after Tsunade examined and treated her, Rin was now able to sit up and her appetite had increased significantly.