---
Alaric took his time, a rare luxury he afforded himself. He had a full hour before the rendezvous at the East Gate, an eternity for a man who could cross continents in a blink with a Hiraishin.
He strolled through the streets of Konoha, a giant in a sea of unfamiliar faces, yet feeling a strange, surreal sense of homecoming. He could feel the eyes on him, the faint, almost imperceptible chakra signatures of the ANBU squad Hiruzen had assigned to tail him. He didn't mind.
'He can't order me around since I'm not a shinobi of his village,' Alaric mused, a faint smirk on his lips. 'So he'll just let me do what I want, as long as it's not too troublesome for him, hoping to keep me close. Smart.'
The village was alive. More alive than he had ever imagined. Merchants hawked their wares from colorful stalls, the air was filled with the scent of grilling fish, sweet dango, and the sharp, metallic smell of a nearby blacksmith's forge.
He passed shops selling ninja tools, their windows displaying rows of gleaming kunai and shuriken. He saw civilians and shinobi mingling with an easy familiarity, an evidence to the village's strange, militaristic peace.
As he turned a corner, a familiar, boisterous voice cut through the crowd. "Akamaru, heel! I said heel, you stupid mutt!"
Alaric's eyebrows rose. He saw them then… Team 8.
Kurenai Yūhi, a vision of grace and beauty, was trying her best to wrangle her chaotic genin squad. Kiba Inuzuka, brash and loud, was arguing with the small white puppy perched on his head. Shino Aburame stood off to the side, silent and inscrutable, a column of quiet intensity. And Hinata Hyūga, shy and sweet, was doing her best to become invisible, her pale lavender eyes fixed on the ground.
"Ah, let's have breakfast first," Kurenai said, her voice a mixture of authority and weary resignation. "Then we'll go to the Hokage Tower and get some missions."
Alaric watched them go, a genuine, nostalgic smile on his face. To see them here, real and breathing, was a profoundly surreal experience. He turned and continued his walk, his own destination now clear in his mind.
His footsteps stopped before a restaurant that sent a jolt of pure, unadulterated fanboy excitement through him. Akimichi Barbecue. Over his two decades in his second life, he had always wanted to try it in its physical store. Now, he could.
He stepped inside, and his eyes widened. The place was filled with… giants. Men and women of a size and girth that would have been considered a medical marvel back in his world. And at a large, central table, he saw them… the original Ino-Shika-Cho.
Choza Akimichi, a mountain of a man with a kind, gentle face, was laughing heartily. Beside him, Inoichi Yamanaka, cool and composed, took a delicate sip of his tea. And across from them, Shikaku Nara lounged in his seat, an expression of profound, intellectual boredom on his face.
Alaric took a small table in the corner, ordered one of every item on the menu, and waited patiently. A few minutes later, Team 8 entered, their arrival adding to the lively atmosphere of the restaurant.
'They sure took their time in picking a place to eat,' Alaric thought, a brow raised in amusement. 'Barbecue for breakfast, though?' He chuckled to himself. 'Anyways… who am I to judge?'
He ate in comfortable silence, savoring the rich, savory flavors of the expertly grilled meat. He could feel the stares, though. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio were observing him with a quiet, professional curiosity. Kurenai, too, kept glancing his way, her expression a mixture of caution and intrigue. And, of course, the ANBU, their chakra signatures like faint whispers from the rooftops outside.
'Am I that popular?' he wondered, taking a bite of kalbi. 'Or just that suspicious?'
With his stomach full and his curiosity sated, Alaric stepped back out into the morning sun. He still had a few minutes to spare before the rendezvous. He looked up at the rooftops, at the places where he knew his "fans" were hiding. He sighed. It was time to set some boundaries.
He vanished.
Not in a flash of light or a puff of smoke. One moment he was there, a towering, crimson-coated figure on the busy street. The next, he was gone.
"Huh?"
"He disappeared!"
On a nearby rooftop, the three ANBU operatives materialized from their concealment, their eyes wide with shock behind their porcelain masks. They scanned the street below, their senses reaching out, searching for the massive, impossible-to-miss chakra signature that had been their target. It was gone.
"I'm here."
The voice was calm, conversational, and directly behind them.
They spun around, their hands already flying to their tantō, their bodies dropping into combat stances. Alaric stood there, his arms folded, an amused, almost bored expression on his face.
"Stop following me, will you?" he said, his voice a quiet, reasonable request.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The ANBU remained silent, their posture unchanging, their killing intent a palpable, suffocating pressure.
Alaric sighed, a sound of genuine disappointment. He hadn't wanted to cause trouble. He didn't even need to form a hand sign. He simply focused his will, drawing on a jutsu he hadn't used in years. 'Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darknes...'
"Huh!?"
The world dissolved. For the three elite shinobi, the bright morning sun, the rooftops of Konoha, the very concept of light itself, ceased to exist. They were plunged into an absolute, suffocating blackness, a void so complete it stole their breath and sent their senses reeling.
But they were ANBU. They were the best. They reacted on pure, unadulterated instinct, their hands forming a single, familiar seal even as their minds struggled to comprehend the sensory deprivation.
"Kai!"
The genjutsu shattered. The world snapped back into existence, the bright sunlight a painful shock to their eyes.
But their target was gone. Vanished, without a trace.
---Konoha East Gate---
Alaric arrived at the rendezvous point a little bit late, but he could still sense the team there. The East Gate of Konoha was a massive, imposing structure, a clear symbol of the village's military might. He saw them immediately, a small, chaotic cluster of bright colors and conflicting personalities.
Tazuna, the bridge builder, was already taking a swig from a hidden flask, his face a mask of drunken belligerence. Naruto was practically vibrating with a mixture of excitement and indignation, yelling at the old man.
"What did you say, you old drunk!? I'm an elite ninja! I'm gonna be Hokage someday, dattebayo!"
Kakashi Hatake, their jōnin leader, had Naruto held firmly by the back of his collar, the boy's feet dangling a few inches off the ground as he flailed uselessly. "Naruto, we've been over this. You do not assault the client."
Sakura was wringing her hands, her face a mask of anxiety. "Naruto, stop it! You're embarrassing us!"
And Sasuke… Sasuke was just leaning against the gatepost, his arms crossed, his expression one of profound, aristocratic boredom, as if the entire scene were beneath his notice.
Kakashi's single visible eye flickered up as Alaric approached, a subtle tensing in his relaxed posture. He saw the official-looking scroll in the stranger's hand, and his brow furrowed in confusion. 'Hmm... I don't believe I've seen this guy before.'
"Hello," Alaric smiled, waving a casual hand as he came to a stop before the group. "You're Team 7, right?"
Tazuna squinted at him, his drunken gaze sweeping over Alaric's fine crimson coat and towering frame. A flicker of relief crossed his features. "The Hokage changed his mind, eh?" he slurred. "Finally, you look like a decent shinobi."
"Ah, not really," Alaric chuckled, holding the scroll out to Kakashi. "You guys are on a double mission now. In addition to your first client, you'll be protecting me all the way to the Land of Wave."
"Eh?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Nani!?" Tazuna glared at Alaric, his relief instantly replaced by a renewed sense of indignation. "You looked like a shinobi at first glance! I can't believe I complimented you!"
'I don't look like one though…' Alaric internally sighed. 'I mean, my attire's not one of a shinobi…'
"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, her voice filled with a worried uncertainty.
"Well..." Kakashi took the scroll, his eye scanning the Hokage's official script and seal. He read it, then read it again, a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. He finally looked up, his expression unreadable. "Aside from Tazuna-san's mission, we have another C-Rank client. Not to worry, it's just an addition to our duties."
"So… you accept?" Alaric asked, a polite smile on his face.
"Yes," Kakashi nodded, his visible eye curving into his trademark smile. "My team and I will ensure your safety until we reach the Land of Wave." He then turned to his three genin. "And you'll all be compensated for the additional work. You'll go home with a lot of money."
"YES!" Naruto yelled, his earlier anger completely forgotten, his fist pumping the air.
"Hai!" Sakura smiled, a new, determined light in her eyes. 'It took this long, but our first mission outside the village is a double C-Rank!'
"Hn."
Alaric couldn't help but smile at their antics. It was all so wonderfully, nostalgically familiar. His gaze drifted for a moment to the trees lining the road out of the village. He could feel them there, two faint, almost imperceptible chakra signatures, hiding, waiting. He disregarded them. He knew Kakashi had sensed them too.
The real mission was about to begin.
.
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