Despite the cranes' extraordinary physiques, two days of non-stop flying had no ill effects on them. After devouring a large amount of food, they soared off to who-knew-where.
Torifū and Naori, though they had rested, couldn't fully relax in the sky. They were still somewhat fatigued, but unlike Aokumo and Ryūfū, they couldn't simply rest. After all, they still had a mission to report, and they also needed to discuss the matter of the Chinoike clan.
The two went to their respective homes to wash up briefly. After changing into clean clothes, they met at their designated spot and headed together to the Hokage building to report their mission.
During this time, Torifū and Naori noticed that Konoha Village's ninja rank promotion exams seemed to have concluded. The ninja had already been strictly ranked into upper, middle, and lower tiers. That meant Torifū's rank in the village should now be Elite Jonin, as this was their agreement with Tobirama. Naori should also be promoted to Special Jonin, and not having to take an exam made her very happy. Although the Special Jonin position was neither high nor low, her strength wouldn't stagnate there. It was merely a stepping stone.
The two entered the Hokage building and arrived at the door of the Hokage's office, gently knocking a few times. Then they pushed the door open and walked in. Inside, Tobirama wasn't alone; Hashirama was also there, which surprised Torifū and Naori. Their master, ever since resigning from the Hokage position, hadn't much concerned himself with political affairs. For him to be in the office today, could it be that he was waiting for their intelligence?
"You returned to the village a day late. Did something happen? Was the mission successful?" As soon as they entered, Tobirama asked with concern.
Torifū and Naori bowed to the two Senju brothers. Then Torifū spoke. "The mission was quite successful. As for the one-day delay, I will explain it in detail after the mission report."
"It's good that Sensei is also here; he can help make a decision."
Hashirama laughed heartily: "Hahaha, I'll just listen from the side. Everything still rests on Tobirama's decision." Hearing his elder brother's words, Tobirama couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Ever since his elder brother abdicated, he truly did no work. He remembered that when Hashirama was Hokage, he himself was running around, putting in immense effort. Now that he was Hokage, his elder brother wasn't putting in any effort at all, just staying at home all day playing with children. However, Tobirama was used to it; his elder brother had been like this since childhood.
"Alright, let's talk about the mission first."
"Yes."
Naori took out a letter from her pocket and handed it to Tobirama, then said: "This is a letter delivered by the spy in Kumogakure. The cipher has been confirmed, largely ruling out impersonation."
Torifū then added: "And according to our reconnaissance in the Land of Lightning's capital, we found that people in the capital are saying something big is about to happen; some say in one or two years, others say in a few months."
"Although the timing isn't consistent, making it difficult to judge the authenticity of the intelligence, I believe it still needs to be taken seriously."
After Torifū finished speaking, Hashirama sighed: "Alas, we've just had a few good years, and the Land of Lightning is causing trouble again."
Tobirama crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair: "It can't be helped. The Land of Lightning's usual style is aggression. A time of peace is actually unfavorable to them." With that, Tobirama picked up the letter from his desk, opened it, and read it carefully. His brow, initially relaxed, slowly furrowed. After committing all the contents to memory, he placed the letter back on the desk.
"What does the letter say?" Hashirama asked.
"The Land of Lightning is indeed making moves, but their primary mission is to monitor Konoha Village."
"To be precise, they are monitoring you. They believe you abdicated due to physical reasons, so they are secretly monitoring for news closely."
"They say that once you pass away, they will immediately launch a war against Konoha."
Hashirama's brows furrowed upon hearing this. Although he was a relatively peaceful person, being cursed like this still made him uncomfortable. He was perfectly healthy, so why did Kumogakure think he was about to die? And they dared to wage war against Konoha! How audacious!
"Kumogakure's plan is truly audacious, wanting to wage war but fearing my strength, so they are eagerly wishing for my death."
Seeing that their sensei was somewhat angered, Naori said: "Then they probably won't live to see that day. Sensei will surely live to a hundred."
Whether he believed it or not, being coaxed by Naori like that, Hashirama's mood genuinely improved quite a bit, and his frown disappeared. "Naori certainly knows what to say, hahahaha."
Tobirama didn't feel anything about this, as it's impossible for someone to die just because Kumogakure wants them to. However, since Kumogakure was so impatient, Konoha certainly needed to respond.
"Is the spy's safety guaranteed? Is there any risk of exposure?" Torifū shook his head: "He didn't seek aid, so he should be safe." This reassured Tobirama. Getting such news meant the spy must have gained the Kage's trust, allowing them to obtain more confidential information in the future.
This was a very good situation for Konoha Village. After all, only by knowing the enemy's information could one gain the initiative. The same applied to Kumogakure; it had to be said that they were truly depraved.
Through the information in the letter, Tobirama learned that within these two years, Kumogakure had sent a total of five spies to Konoha, all of whom had successfully infiltrated Konoha Village. Fortunately, the letter also listed their identities and names in Konoha, allowing them to be exploited in reverse. However, this was not something to rush. It was better to play the long game.
The immediate task was to control those five spies. Tobirama merely waved his hand, and a black shadow flashed outside the window. Torifū keenly observed this, realizing that Tobirama had already begun establishing the Anbu. In less than two weeks since his succession, Konoha had already changed significantly. If things continued to develop this way, Konoha would undoubtedly become stronger and stronger.
"Excellent, this mission has been successfully completed and will be recorded as an S-rank mission." Upon hearing this, Torifū and Naori both smiled. Although they had completed more than one S-rank mission, the more S-rank records one had, the more it indicated their strength, and no one would complain about having too many.
"Now, can you tell me and Big Brother why you were delayed for a day?"
Torifū scratched his head and chuckled: "Of course."
Then, Torifū recounted to Tobirama and Hashirama the entire process, from Naori's wallet being snatched in the capital to encountering Oyashirō En in Kumogakure and following him back to Hell Valley.