The young ANBU could only watch as the man casually equipped himself with his stolen gear… His ninja tool pouch, mask, identification papers, all swiftly stashed away. His movements were practiced, his expression composed.
In the blink of an eye, Logan had transformed from someone in nothing but an empty set of clothes into a fully armed, official-looking Ninja.
He looked the part. The young ANBU, on the other hand, now had nothing.
"I..."
The young ANBU wanted to say something, something about how he had years of experience in the field, about how he wasn't weak, about how he deserved his hard-earned possessions back. Maybe even something about how Missing-nin like him should be stopped.
But from the moment they crossed paths to the moment he was subdued, their difference in skill had been too vast. Any words he had got stuck in his throat.
"Thanks. I'll be off, then." After Logan finished adjusting his new gear, he patted the young ANBU on the shoulder and casually said his goodbye.
'He still had the audacity to say goodbye?!'
With a swift motion, the man identified in reports as Raiden Hattori vanished into the alley.
The sun continued casting its golden light over the walls, quietly illuminating the now-empty passage.
It was a long time before the young ANBU finally managed to struggle to his feet, gritting his teeth as he prepared his report.
…
"It seems that he is really Raiden Hattori. The description in the report is very certain. His appearance also matches the photo exactly."
"Old man, what do you think we should do?"
From the Hokage's Office, the evening sun cast golden hues over the rooftops of Konoha. A gentle breeze carried the late-day fatigue through the village, blending with the peaceful atmosphere.
Standing by the window, gazing at the sunset's reflection, a woman spoke without turning around.
The spacious Hokage's Office had changed little over the years. The decor remained largely the same, with only one constant, the person sitting behind the long desk, donning the red and white cloak symbolizing the highest honor of the village.
Soft white clouds drifted across the sky. Tsunade, with her arms crossed, was frowning as she absentmindedly tapped her fingers. Before her, spread across the desk, were intelligence reports from Yukino Town.
A cup of tea let out wisps of steam. Dressed in black and gray, Shizune cradled Tonton in her arms as she quietly tidied up the stack of disheveled documents, saying nothing.
The room had one more occupant. A casually dressed Hiruzen Sarutobi, lounging on the sofa in the corner. He leisurely sipped his tea, letting out a soft sigh before turning his attention to a bonsai tree beside him, seemingly lost in admiration.
He had completely ignored Tsunade's question.
Tsunade turned, and upon seeing his relaxed demeanor, she immediately grew furious, "Old man, you're living far too comfortably these days."
She shot a glance at the mountainous piles of paperwork cluttering her desk… requests, reports, approvals, no matter how diligently she worked through them, they're endless.
A sense of grievance welled up inside her. She flicked her sleeve, feeling exasperated, "I should've known better than to fall for your 'Konoha is in peril! We need you!' nonsense! I got tricked into coming back to suffer through this!"
"How can you say that?" Hiruzen finally shifted his gaze back and said with a gentle smile, "Being Hokage is the greatest honor in the village. There are countless people who would give anything for this position."
"Then whoever wants to can have it! First thing tomorrow, I'm writing a letter to Jiraiya, telling him to take over!"
"You've said that at least ten times now..."
"Do you think I don't dare, old man?!"
Shizune, having watched her teacher throw the same tantrum for so long, couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Right now, Tsunade didn't have the slightest air of a Hokage, she's just like a frustrated woman on the verge of quitting her job. Shizune quickly lifted the teacup, "Tsunade-sama, please don't be angry."
Tsunade took the cup, but after bringing it to her lips, she pulled it away with a grimace, "I want sake."
Shizune sighed helplessly, "This..."
Tsunade had a history of sneaking alcohol into work hours. Shizune had always been strict about preventing it. She was the kind of person who stayed quiet and dutiful, but never backed down when it mattered.
"Alright, enough." Hiruzen stepped forward, taking over the conversation, "Regarding Hattori's matter, at least no one in the ANBU was seriously harmed. The fact that he didn't go out of his way to injure our people is already a good sign… Still, it's the same old story."
As Hiruzen reminisced, his gaze softened slightly.
At the Chunin Exams at Year 60th of Konoha, his strength had waned due to age and injury. Not long after, he stepped down from the position of Hokage, finally freeing himself from the burden of leadership.
Truth be told, life had been much easier since then.
Occasionally, he would lend a hand to Tsunade, who, despite some resistance, had taken on the role. The recent resurfacing of Hattori, however, had brought back old memories.
That day's events had been as swift and overwhelming as the lightning that trailed behind that man.
Bang!
Tsunade drank the cool tea in one breath and slapped it on the table, "I had the same general thought… There's no need for a full-scale operation. Just assign a few people to keep an eye on him."
A highly skilled Missing-nin was always a headache. Once they had taken to the skies, free as a bird, it became almost impossible to rein them in.
While Konoha didn't produce many Missing-nin, the few who had left proved how little the village could do against them.
Unless they were foolish enough to step into the village's security perimeter, or unless the Hokage personally led an ANBU's team for the raid, it was unrealistic to capture them.
"But what worries me is that blond brat..." Tsunade paused, the corner of her lips twitching into a smirk, "Well, I guess I should say the grown-up brat now. He just got back. If he hears this news, who knows what he'll do?"
Hiruzen also chuckled knowingly, "Naruto, huh?"
Tsunade nodded, "After all, it is not only his teacher, but also his cherished companion. He has experienced such things twice... I heard from Jiraiya that Naruto pushed himself to the limit in training."
At first, mentioning Naruto, who brought a different energy to the village, lightened the mood. But as they continued, the realization dawned.
Given Naruto's temperament, he was likely to act rashly. Their expressions darkened as they turned to gaze out the window in concern.
…
Outside, the setting sun bathed Konoha's streets in warm hues.
And the boy that the two big shots were worried about, Uzumaki Naruto, was indeed walking the path of impulse.
"Hey, Naruto! Wait..."
Sakura stared in exasperation at Naruto, who had already packed his bag and was striding towards the Hokage Tower.
"I told you to calm down! Hey! You can't just storm in and demand answers from Tsunade-sama… Damn it, are you even listening to me?"
There weren't many people on the streets. The sky was scattered with wisps of pale white, soft yellow, and faint red clouds, drifting lazily into the distance. A gentle breeze curled through the eaves and windows, lifting Sakura's hair as she hastily smoothed it down, watching the boy ahead.
The boy had grown much taller than before. The black strap of his pack fluttered behind him.
Naruto turned, his face no longer carrying the childish softness of his younger years. Three years of relentless training had hardened his resolve.
The losses he had faced in life, the sweat he had poured into his training… everything had shaped the boy named Uzumaki Naruto into someone different.
Yet, some things had not changed.
"Hmph, Sakura, I am calm… but I just can't stay calm!"
Naruto scratched the back of his head. His bag strap dug into his newly donned black-and-orange jacket. The urgency in his expression erased any sense of maturity his stance might have given.
"Now that it is confirmed that it is Hattori-sensei, I am going to find him. As I said, whether it was my promise to Sasuke, or my promise to you… I will bring them back."
Sakura hesitated for a moment and opened her mouth, "But…"
The wind carried her words down the long street, and Sakura was ultimately unable to convince Naruto.
She knew that at this moment, there weren't many who could cool the fire in this hot-blooded blond's heart.
But then, a piece of news reached them that Naruto stopped walking on the impulsive road.
The missing member of Gensaku's team, the one who had encountered Raiden Hattori, Hase Mai…
Had returned to the village.