Chapter 362
Before seeking out Minato Namikaze and Kaga, Haruto Saito made a solo visit to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
It was a farewell of sorts.
Even though he would return to Konoha in the future—he could never truly sever his ties with the village—this departure was significant. He would still come back to attend meetings, take advantage of Konoha's resources, and seek assistance when needed. No matter what he built in the Land of Whirlpools, it would always be his private endeavor. He was, and would remain, a Konoha ninja.
Unless he and Hiruzen Sarutobi had an irreparable fallout, leading to armed conflict, he had no intention of betraying the village.
But this journey carried weight, and thus, he came to bid farewell.
In the Hokage's office—
"Haruto, regarding the 750 million ryo that Konoha owes you, I believe you could issue missions to allow Konoha's ninjas to benefit from it..." Sarutobi suggested.
Haruto smirked inwardly. That was exactly his plan.
However, he feigned reluctance and nodded. "Alright, since you personally requested it, I suppose I can do that..."
Sarutobi was pleased. Haruto was becoming more and more reasonable.
Sitting behind his desk, the Hokage took a moment to reevaluate Haruto. The fourteen-year-old had grown significantly, now standing at 170 cm, shedding his formerly short stature. Though he remained thin, his facial features had matured considerably compared to a year ago.