Chapter 417: Missing Persons
"Yosh! Honestly, training right here isn't a bad idea either!"
Might Guy was currently walking on his hands through Tobitake Tonbo's estate. The sheer length of the pathways led him to believe that this place was surprisingly ideal for a casual workout.
Trot-walking on his hands right alongside him was Rock Lee. "Compared to the Gravity Dimension, this is way too mild! I can't feel any pressure at all."
Ever since the inception of the Taijutsu Training System, the two of them had finally experienced what true, uncompromising physical conditioning actually felt like. Their past training regimens seemed almost childish by comparison—useful only as a basic, rudimentary baseline. For taijutsu specialists of their tier, those old routines no longer yielded significant results. Thankfully, the arrival of the new system allowed their physical strength to push past previous limits once again.
"Indeed! Having just left the Gravity Dimension, I actually find myself missing it a little. Good grief, my willpower is still lacking after all!" Guy said, a look of nostalgic longing gleaming in his eyes.
That place was where real youth burned!
"Yes! Captain Tonbo mentioned that while training is important, life itself is the primary focus. We shouldn't become completely consumed by novelties just because of initial excitement. For now, we must focus on celebrating the wedding properly," Lee stated firmly.
Guy looked at him with an exceptionally serious expression. "Lee, you shouldn't blindly believe everything that guy says."
Lee paused, startled. "Why, Sensei?"
"Heheh, Tonbo thinks I don't see right through him! He advises us to enjoy life, but in reality, he trains harder than anyone else. Every time I try to get him out for a meal, I have to pass through a whole chain of personnel just to locate him. That proves he's burning his own youth in secret, grinding away continuously! For all we know, he's currently training in the deepest, uncharted layers of the Taijutsu Training System without us ever realizing it," Might Guy declared with the supreme confidence of a man who had unraveled the secrets of the world.
A sudden realization struck Lee. "So that's how it is! As the genius who engineered such a magnificent system, Captain Tonbo must be striding far ahead of us! Guy-sensei, we have to push ourselves even harder—we can't let Captain Tonbo leave us in the dust!"
"Precisely!"
"Let's push forward! We will be the very first ones to conquer all eight tiers of the Eight Tremor Heavens, cementing our names as the absolute greatest in taijutsu history!"
Listening to their passionate dialogue, Kakashi, who was walking nearby, felt thoroughly exasperated—and perhaps a bit bored. What's so fascinating about grinding through training day in and day out?
Though, comparing it to the mountain of paperwork sitting on his desk back at the office, Kakashi had to admit that physical grueling labor might actually be the less mentally draining option.
Soon. Very soon. Naruto was close to completing his training and returning. Before long, Kakashi would finally be able to step down as Hokage, following Lady Tsunade's footsteps to enjoy a peaceful retirement or go traveling across the world.
Thinking of Tsunade, Kakashi turned to Guy and asked, "Guy, have you received any news from Lady Tsunade recently? It's been nearly two years without a word from her. She hasn't been detained over unpaid gambling debts again, has she?"
Knowing Tsunade's relentless gambling habit—and considering Shizune wasn't currently traveling by her side to manage her—Kakashi felt that scenario was entirely plausible.
Guy replied, "I haven't heard anything from Lady Tsunade either. As the current Hokage, shouldn't you be the one with tracking reports? Though, two years without word isn't terribly unusual for her. She likely lost a massive gamble, ran out of funds, and is currently dodging debt collectors!"
Under normal circumstances, that was usually the case. However, two full years without a single update was stretching it a bit long.
Even in this era of global peace, Lady Tsunade was a former Hokage after all. It was virtually impossible for her to remain out of contact with Konoha for two entire years without relaying an intelligence report. Even Sasuke, while traveling the globe to gather intelligence, would periodically send reports back to the village. He never stayed dark for extended periods.
After mulling it over for a moment, Guy's tone shifted to a more serious note. "Could something have actually gone wrong? When was her last official communication?"
Guy hadn't paid much attention to the matter until now. But with Kakashi raising the question, he found himself setting aside the festive mood of Tonbo's estate.
Kakashi answered grimly, "The last update came roughly a year ago. She mentioned being hired as an executive consultant by a pharmaceutical enterprise and planned to stay there temporarily. Since then, her trail has gone completely cold."
Kakashi had already dispatched ANBU operatives to investigate the enterprise in question, but they returned empty-handed without any substantial leads. They only managed to confirm that Tsunade had indeed spent time at the company, but her current whereabouts were entirely unknown.
At first, Kakashi assumed she had simply accumulated enough consultation fees to go on another gambling streak, and since he couldn't micromanage her personal life, he hadn't thought much of it. But over the past few months, an uneasy intuition had been bugging him.
Furthermore, recent reports from the Shinobi Alliance indicated that rogue organizations and anti-Alliance ninja were quietly causing friction across various regions—specifically within small nations outside the Five Great Powers, where the Alliance's jurisdiction was thin. Agitators were actively stoking anti-Alliance sentiments among the populace.
It seemed that after a few years of quiet stability, underlying tensions were beginning to bubble to the surface once more. Certain factions were growing restless.
Because of this, Kakashi had even stationed high-profile figures within the Shinobi Association to serve as a public deterrent. Yet, war was a specter that certain individuals would always seek to reignite—a eventuality the Shinobi Alliance had long anticipated. They simply hadn't expected factions to grow this impatient after just a few brief years of peace.
Shikamaru Nara had also noted in recent intelligence briefings that covert, subterranean organizations—not unlike the former Akatsuki—were gradually taking shape. These underground networks operated well outside the Alliance's direct reach.
Guy frowned. "The disappearance of the Fifth Hokage is no minor incident. If Naruto finds out, he'll likely be unable to sit still and will rush off to search for her himself."
Tsunade and Naruto shared a deeply affectionate bond. Naruto was currently at a pivotal stage in his growth, and if he were forced to divert his time now, Kakashi's long-awaited retirement journey would face yet another frustrating delay.
Lee offered enthusiastically, "Why don't we send a team of taijutsu specialists like us to investigate? We are exceptionally capable!"
"Forget it. For direct combat, we are top-tier, but when it comes to subtle tracking and reconnaissance, we are still lacking," Guy pointed out bluntly.
Kakashi let out a faint smile. "It's fine. Konoha isn't short on talented operatives. We can address these issues once we've properly celebrated the occasion today. A joint wedding for two couples—four newlyweds tying the knot together—it really is a wonderful idea."
He felt a slight tinge of envy. Marriage... it wasn't as though he had never considered it, but upon reflection, he figured the bachelor life suited him better. Though it was a bit of a shame—it meant he had no practical use for the techniques detailed in Master Jiraiya's Make-Out Paradise.
"Indeed. For now, let's focus on enjoying Captain Tonbo's family celebration. A single day's delay won't make a difference," Lee agreed.
"Alright then! Let's race to the central venue where the main event is being held! First one there wins!"
Before the words even fully registered, Might Guy flipped onto his feet and bolted forward, leaving his companions zero time to react.
"Guy-sensei! That's so sneaky! Explosive Dash!"
Bam!
Seeing his master pull such a trick, Lee activated the advanced taijutsu techniques he had honed over the past year in the Gravity Dimension. Adapting to heavy gravity and then exploding into a sprint in the normal world yielded an absurd amount of acceleration. He instantly kicked up a massive cloud of dust, choking Kakashi right behind him.
Cough, cough, cough!
Kakashi immediately deployed a Flicker Technique to give chase.
"My training may have slacked off a bit since taking the Hokage seat, but I am still the Hokage! I won't be outrun by you two—don't think a head start is enough to leave me behind!"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed as his suit jacket billowed violently in the wind behind him.
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