Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

A few days later, the team that had gone to support the Sand Village finally returned to Konoha.

From Kakashi, Tsunade learned more detailed information about Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara, as well as the news of Chiyo's passing.

"So, Chiyo passed away..." Tsunade said with a touch of melancholy, reflecting on the death of an old rival.

As for Natsuro's feat of slaying Deidara with a single strike, Tsunade wasn't particularly surprised. After all, considering Natsuro's ability to confront and escape from four Akatsuki members, such a feat was well within expectations.

Tsunade now genuinely believed that Natsuro was advancing toward the level of strength her grandfather had achieved.

Rubbing her forehead, Tsunade sighed. She hadn't thought anyone could reach that level again. Even her second uncle had never come close.

"And Chiyo's death, you knew about it, right? Why didn't you tell me at the time?" Tsunade asked, turning to Natsuro.

"I knew, but it didn't seem important. It just slipped my mind," Natsuro replied honestly. He didn't particularly care about Chiyo's life or death.

Tsunade paused and nodded. Fair enough. Perhaps only old-timers like her would dwell on such things. It truly was a new generation's world now.

"And Danzō, do you have any leads? If not, let me handle him for you," Tsunade offered.

"Don't," Natsuro rolled his eyes. "You mean you'll storm into Danzō's place and make a scene? That won't accomplish anything, it'll just give him more ammunition to use against us."

"Then what do you suggest? Danzō has been so quiet lately, he's practically become a block of wood, no activity at all," Tsunade said, frustrated.

"I've got a few ideas. Leave it to me," Natsuro reassured her.

That said, his investigation into Danzō had hit a bottleneck recently. The man was truly a master at covering his tracks.

Even after Natsuro had left spiritual imprints on many "Anbu" around him, he discovered they were all genuine Anbu operatives. Danzō had even stopped monitoring Natsuro, withdrawing completely into his shell.

It was clear Danzō intended to wait for the storm to pass, hoping Natsuro would eventually give up so he could resume his schemes.

What new tricks could Danzō possibly come up with to deal with him, though? Natsuro didn't know, but he wasn't willing to leave such a threat lurking in the shadows.

Even if Danzō posed little direct danger to him now, being plotted against was always unpleasant. And what if he made a mistake someday?

"If you have a plan, I'll leave it to you," Tsunade said with a nod.

"Shizune has already prepared your new house. Here's the key. You and your mother can move in today, it's all cleaned and ready," Tsunade added, handing Natsuro a set of keys.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Natsuro said, reaching for the keys, only to find Tsunade holding onto them tightly.

"Natsuro, you're not short on money, are you?" Tsunade asked with a suspicious smile.

"Not at all..." Natsuro sighed, realizing too late that he had overlooked Tsunade's infamous gambling habits.

Without hesitation, he took a portion of the fortune left behind by Gato and handed it to Tsunade, it was more than enough to satisfy her.

"Is this enough?"

"Plenty, plenty!" Tsunade's face lit up as she pocketed the money. With Shizune not around, this was her personal stash, free to use at her discretion—perhaps for a trip to the gambling halls.

"Lady Tsunade, you're a well-known figure in Konoha now. If you go to a casino, people will recognize you," Natsuro pointed out.

"No problem. I'll use a transformation jutsu," Tsunade replied casually before freezing and looking at Natsuro with a nervous smile. "Um, Natsuro, don't tell Shizune."

"I understand. Just don't overdo it, Lady Tsunade," Natsuro said, shaking his head.

"Of course, I know that. I haven't gambled much since becoming Hokage. Natsuro, how much longer until you take over as the Sixth Hokage? Why not just take the position now?" Tsunade grumbled.

She wouldn't have said this to anyone else, but Natsuro's succession was already a given. Plus, he seemed better suited to the role than she was, so Tsunade felt free to speak her mind.

"It'll still be a while," Natsuro replied vaguely.

"Hmm?" Tsunade was a bit surprised. She had only been complaining, but Natsuro's response caught her off guard.

She studied him carefully, then smiled.

For Natsuro, becoming Hokage was a natural aspiration, a desire for power and influence. But he also knew he wasn't the type to hold the position forever.

Once he had enjoyed the prestige for a while, he'd likely lose interest. By then, Naruto and Sasuke would have matured enough to take over, and he could let them fight it out for the position.

After all, as the saying goes: if you're transported to the world of Naruto and don't become Hokage at least once, you're missing out.

With no further business, Natsuro left the Hokage's office and returned home.

When he arrived, he found his mother, Shinai, already at home. She had taken care of everything with her boss and colleagues, ready for the move.

Shinai initially felt a bit guilty about leaving her job, but to her surprise, her boss and coworkers were incredibly understanding. Instead of criticizing her, they went out of their way to comfort her.

However, it wasn't Shinai who surprised Natsuro, it was the group that had gathered in his home.

A total of nine people were there: a boisterous Naruto, a stoic Sasuke, Sakura sticking close to Sasuke, Shikamaru lazily muttering about how troublesome everything was, Chōji happily munching on snacks, and Ino staying close to Sinai.

Even the scouting team had shown up: Hinata, sneaking shy glances at Naruto; Kiba, playing with Akamaru; and a mysteriously quiet Shino.

"Yo, Natsuro! We're here to help you move!" Kiba was the first to notice Natsuro's return and shouted excitedly.

"What are you all doing here? And who told you I'm moving?" Natsuro asked, visibly puzzled.

"It was me," Ino admitted with a hint of helplessness. "I originally only asked Shikamaru and Chōji to help, but somehow, everyone else found out. And, well... here we are."

"Natsuro, you're so unfair! Moving is such a big deal, and you didn't even tell us!" Naruto said loudly, grinning. "Besides, I'm an expert when it comes to moving!"

"But I could've just used Flying Thunder God to transport the furniture myself..." Natsuro replied, matter-of-factly.

The room fell silent.

It was clear no one had thought of this. They had all gathered to help, only to realize their presence might not even be necessary.

"You all know where my new house is, right?" Natsuro asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Of course! Ino told us it's next to Granny Tsunade's place!" Naruto replied enthusiastically.

"Naruto, do you even know where Lady Tsunade's house is?" Natsuro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I... uh..." Naruto started confidently but trailed off, scratching his head in confusion. He turned to Sakura, who was standing nearby. "Hey, Sakura, where's Granny Tsunade's house again? Isn't it in the Hokage's office building?"

"Of course not! That building is for work; she doesn't live there!" Sakura said, exasperated.

"Um, Naruto-kun, I know where Lady Tsunade's house is. I can show you the way," Hinata said shyly, her voice barely audible.

"Really? That's awesome! Thanks, Hinata!" Naruto beamed, turning to Natsuro.

"N-no problem..." Hinata stammered, her face turning bright red.

Natsuro observed the interaction with a smile. It seemed Ino's efforts to push Hinata and Naruto closer together were paying off.

"Alright then. You all head over and get things ready. I'll transport the furniture, and afterward, you can help arrange it in the right places," Natsuro instructed.

"Leave it to us!" Naruto said enthusiastically, moving closer to Hinata, as she was their guide.

"Ino, can you swing by the barbecue restaurant where my mom used to work and reserve some tables? After we're done, I'll treat everyone," Natsuro added.

"Got it," Ino replied, nodding before heading out.

"Barbecue! Yes!" Chōji's eyes lit up at the mention of food. At this point, it seemed no amount of heavy lifting would dampen his enthusiasm.

Natsuro looked at the assembled group and thought for a moment. This was a team with a few big eaters: Chōji was an obvious one, but Naruto could eat a lot too. And then there was Hinata, the quiet, hidden contender...

Thankfully, this was a one-time treat. Otherwise, Natsuro thought, even with Gato's fortune, he might not be able to afford feeding this group regularly.

Finally, Natsuro handed a key to Shikamaru.

Naruto stared longingly at the key in Shikamaru's hand, pouting. "Why didn't you give it to me?"

"Because I'm afraid you'll lose it. Alright, let's get moving. If we're any later, the barbecue restaurant might close," Natsuro replied.

With that, everyone sprang into action.

Sinai watched the scene unfold, her face glowing with a smile that never left. She hadn't expected Natsuro to have such a close and lively relationship with his companions. She'd always thought of him as a little adult who wouldn't have many friends.

"Mom, let's go inside. Point out the things that need to be moved, and I'll mark them. Once they're ready at the new place, I'll teleport everything over," Natsuro said, as the Flying Thunder God Technique proved perfect for the task.

"Alright."

At Natsuro's new house, the group watched in awe as furniture began materializing out of thin air. They couldn't help but marvel at how useful the Flying Thunder God Technique was.

Too bad none of them could learn it.

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Currently on Chapter 265 - The Secret of the Mangekyō Sharingan