Chapter 112: Kakashi's Choice

A night free of dreams, Uchiha Li awoke early.

Compared to his energetic state, Kakashi appeared far more fatigued.

The heavy dark circles under Kakashi’s eyes clearly indicated that he had not rested well.

But this was understandable—having suddenly acquired the power of an Apostle, Kakashi was naturally excited, likely spending the entire night studying it.

“Li-kun, shall we set off again today?”

At that moment, Sarah stepped out of her room, softly inquiring.

Uchiha Li nodded and replied, “Yes, let’s cover more ground these next few days so we can return to Konoha sooner.”

Kakashi had already succeeded as an Apostle; there was no reason to stay outside any longer. It was better to return early.

As for Sarah, they would take things step by step—Yao should be able to understand...

Neither Kakashi nor Sarah questioned Uchiha Li’s decision, so the three set off on the journey back to the village.

In no time, two days passed quickly. The trio walked and rested intermittently until they finally reached the village.

As they stepped through the village gates, an Anbu member approached them.

“Uchiha Li, Kakashi, the Hokage wishes to see you. Please come with me,” the Anbu said plainly, stating his purpose.

Uchiha Li and Kakashi exchanged a glance. Then he said, “Please wait a moment.”

He then looked toward Sarah and asked, “Sarah, why don’t you go find my clan leader first? He will help arrange accommodations for your people.”

Having long grown accustomed to treating Uchiha Fugaku as a tool, Li no longer felt any guilt in using him.

Moreover, given Sarah’s situation, it was indeed more appropriate for his clan leader to handle it.

Of course, he would also have a word with Minato later—respect for the Hokage was still necessary.

Sarah obediently nodded and quietly replied, “Alright, I’ll follow your lead.”

Upon hearing this, the Anbu, who had been looking straight ahead, suddenly turned his head to glance deeply before quickly looking away.

He felt as if he had just witnessed something he shouldn’t have.

Especially since it involved Uchiha Li, a legendary figure within the village.

Although Li hadn’t stirred up trouble for two years, the Anbu would never forget the scene when Li had compelled the Third Hokage to issue a public apology.

Uchiha Li noticed the Anbu’s subtle reaction but was too indifferent to explain.

Some things couldn’t be clarified by explanation—better left unsaid.

Turning his gaze toward the street in the distance, Uchiha Li beckoned a member of the Uchiha guard division to come over, instructing him to escort Sarah to the guard headquarters.

Having arranged this, Uchiha Li followed Kakashi under the Anbu’s lead toward the Hokage’s office.

Pushing open the door, the two bowed slightly to Tsunade, who sat in her seat, greeting her with calm and measured respect.

Minato smiled and nodded, signaling them to sit before asking, “How did the mission go?”

Uchiha Li spoke first, “The dragon veins of Loulan have completely subsided. There’s no need to worry about another eruption.”

“Completely subsided? How is that possible?” Minato was momentarily stunned before reacting, “Did something unexpected happen?”

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Li turned to Kakashi, signaling him to speak.

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi met Minato’s gaze with a flicker of guilt and said, “Sensei, the dragon veins were seized by Terra, which is why they’ve completely quieted.”

Minato fell silent, his eyes shifting between the two.

Finally, he looked at Kakashi and asked, “So, have you found any information about Terra?”

The fact that the dragon veins had been taken by Terra was something Minato had not anticipated.

But what concerned him more was Terra itself. After all, his old mission notes had mentioned the Terra organization.

The problem was, he could not recall what exactly had happened when he was at the dragon veins.

Even when he asked his former teammates, they were equally baffled, unable to remember.

That part of their memory seemed to have vanished entirely; whatever occurred in Loulan back then was lost to history.

Kakashi lowered his head slightly, his gaze flickering as he said, “Sorry, Terra acted too swiftly. We didn’t obtain any useful information.”

“I see...” Minato’s face showed a trace of disappointment but quickly vanished, replaced by a smile.

Thinking Kakashi was disheartened by the mission’s failure, Minato comforted him, “Kakashi, don’t dwell on Terra. It was just an ordinary reconnaissance.”

Though Terra had caused a stir two years ago, in reality, they had taken no further significant action.

The only notable aspect was the two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan among Terra’s ranks, but Minato had no suspects.

He had considered whether members of the Uchiha clan might be involved, but until the truth was uncovered, he was unwilling to cast suspicion.

The changes in the Uchiha clan over recent years were visible to all, himself included.

Hearing Minato’s words, Kakashi lowered his head even further.

If he could, he would never deceive his teacher.

But Terra had its own rules, and the impression left by Terra’s previous leader on him was too profound.

Under such circumstances, he dared not reveal anything to Minato.

Moreover, standing beside him was Uchiha Li—a member of Terra...

Uchiha Li quietly observed Kakashi’s every move and nodded with satisfaction.

Though Kakashi’s sense of belonging to Terra was not yet strong, it was still acceptable for now.

With that thought, Uchiha Li said, “Senior Minato, although the dragon veins were taken by Terra, there is something else I need to inform you of.”

Minato, puzzled, replied slowly, “Go ahead.”

Uchiha Li said, “The Queen of Loulan, Sarah, wishes to bring her surviving people to join the village.”

“Join the village, huh?” Minato pondered for a moment before saying, “Such a matter is certainly welcome, but the village is approaching saturation. I’m afraid we cannot cover all the relocation expenses.”

Having people willing to join was a joyous event for all ninja villages.

It signified strength and prosperity.

The era had long since changed from the Warring States period.

Though great clans still held high positions within the villages, the backbone of the ninja forces was made up of common folk from the lower levels.

Although individual strength might not be great among these lower-tier ninja, they were the majority, undertaking a vast number of fundamental tasks.

Especially in times of war, the number of ninja was a critical factor in determining victory.

While elite ninja formed the core, the contributions of lower-ranked ninja were undeniable.

They handled logistics, patrols, reconnaissance, and other duties.

However, hastily absorbing large numbers of civilians into the village carried risks; spies from other villages often infiltrated in such circumstances.

This was unavoidable and required careful screening over time.

Yet, if all these people came from a single, already extinct nation, the chances of spies among them would be far lower.

Therefore, Minato naturally had no objection to Loulan joining.

The only issue was funding—the village’s resources were limited, and he needed to allocate them judiciously.

Seeing this, Uchiha Li spoke up, “The expenses won’t be a problem.”

He lacked many things now, but money was not one of them.

Not to mention, Volume Two was about to be released...