"Yes, Captain Mingyu!"
Sunflower responded loudly.
Qing and Haidao, standing beside her, no longer dared to defy Tian Yu's orders. This time, they silently followed Sunflower to clean up Kakuzu's corpse.
"Kid, not bad at all."
Tsunade looked at Tian Yu, eyes gleaming, and spoke with admiration.
"That kind of combat power... you might already be stronger than me."
As the battle concluded, Tian Yu instantly adjusted his state, standing calm and composed like before.
"Tsunade-sama flatters me."
"If not for your assistance in this fight, our entire Anbu unit would have likely perished here."
Tian Yu was not simply being polite.
With his current strength… facing two members of the Akatsuki alone… it would have been incredibly difficult.
"Hahaha, you smooth-talking brat!"
Tsunade burst into hearty laughter. She then took the tracking bow off her back and extended it toward Tian Yu. "Here, take this. I'm returning it to you."
Tian Yu smiled but didn't reach for it.
"This bow was my token of gratitude to Tsunade-sama for your help."
Tsunade frowned and refused firmly.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"A deal is a deal!"
"I only helped because you helped me win a fortune at the casino—that was our agreement."
"This bow was never part of it."
As she spoke, Tsunade took two steps forward and pushed the bow back into Tian Yu's hands.
This tracking bow was clearly an extraordinary weapon—calling it an artifact wasn't an exaggeration.
Naturally, anyone would be tempted to keep it. Tsunade was no exception.
But in the end, she resisted the temptation and chose to return it to its rightful owner.
"Winning a bit of cash at a casino doesn't come close to matching the weight of this deadly battle. This bow is an extra reward—you should take it."
"Tsunade-sama, please don't refuse."
"It would be insincere of me to argue over it."
Tian Yu smiled warmly.
"Well, if you put it that way… I'll accept it!"
Tsunade finally relented with a bold grin.
Then she asked, "Are you heading back to Konoha?"
Tian Yu nodded.
"Alright, then I'll accompany you!"
After accepting the bow, it wouldn't feel right for Tsunade to part ways immediately. She decided to escort Tian Yu back to Konoha. If another battle occurred on the way, she could assist—considering it part of "returning" the bow.
"It's been years since I've returned to the village anyway. This is a good chance to see how Konoha's doing."
Tian Yu did not reject her offer.
Before long,
The Anbu team finished handling Kakuzu's remains,
And Tian Yu and company set off once more for the Leaf Village.
…
Two days later
Konoha Village – Hokage Office
"Tian Yu, you've worked hard on this mission."
Sarutobi Hiruzen praised him sincerely after reviewing the written report several times.
"I'm only fulfilling my duty, Hokage-sama."
Tian Yu responded respectfully.
After a moment of silence, Sarutobi laughed and said, "I'm upgrading this to an A-rank mission. Tian Yu, don't forget to claim the correct reward—it's not B-rank anymore."
"Old man, aren't you being stingy?"
A dissatisfied voice interrupted from the side.
"You're just talking about an A-rank?"
"Let me ask you—does a normal S-rank mission pose as much danger as this one did?!"
Tsunade's booming voice echoed through the office.
Ordinarily, such a disrespectful tone toward the Hokage would provoke the immediate response of the hidden Anbu guards in the shadows.
But now… no one moved.
After all, this was none other than Tsunade-hime, granddaughter of the First Hokage and one of the Legendary Sannin.
No one dared to cross her.
"…Fine, fine. S-rank it is."
Having been scolded by Tsunade, Sarutobi Hiruzen paused momentarily, then laughed aloud.
To him, this was a minor adjustment, and it bought him goodwill with both Tian Yu and Tsunade. Why not?
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Tian Yu replied calmly.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, you may leave, Tian Yu."
"I haven't seen Tsunade in years—we'll take some time to catch up as teacher and student."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Tian Yu had no interest in lingering, so he bowed and left the office.
Whatever schemes Sarutobi had in mind… they had nothing to do with him.
"I haven't seen that little girl, Tiantian, in quite a while…"
"I wonder how her training's been going."
Tian Yu smiled to himself as he walked.
He'd been away for so long—she was probably worried sick.
He guessed she'd follow him around like a puppy for a few days before calming down.
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
"Captain Mingyu!"
Just as he exited, Sunflower, Qing, and Haidao came running over from the Anbu unit.
"The Konoha compatriots we rescued from the Land of Hot Water have already met with Lord Hokage. He's assigned them to new positions."
Qing and Haidao lowered their heads, unable to meet Tian Yu's eyes.
They felt deeply ashamed of their conduct during the mission and had no face to face him.
"Go claim your mission rewards, then go home and get some rest."
"Yes, sir…"
Sunflower was the first to respond.
If not for Captain Mingyu… she would've died during this mission.
It had been far too dangerous.
An enemy with five hearts… a monster who wouldn't die even when beheaded…
Sunflower's worldview had been completely shattered.
She desperately needed time to rest and recompose herself.
"Captain Mingyu, would it be alright… if I visited you during my vacation?"
Tian Yu raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't expected that.
"Of course."
He smiled gently.
"C-Captain…"
Qing and Haidao approached, hesitant, still unable to lift their heads.
"What is it? Something on your mind?"
As the words left his mouth, Tian Yu already had a sense of what they wanted to say.
During the operation in the Land of Hot Water, Qing and Haidao had disobeyed direct orders, acting without authorization and nearly dooming the entire team.
No squad leader would be fond of subordinates like that.
Moreover… Tian Yu had just submitted a full mission report to the Hokage.
Qing and Haidao were anxious.
"Don't worry. I didn't badmouth you to Hokage-sama."
"I reported everything objectively and mentioned that your disobedience was out of concern for Konoha's fellow citizens."
"Did… did Lord Hokage say anything about us?" Qing asked hesitantly.
Tian Yu shook his head.
"No. Hokage-sama didn't mention you."
"Anyway, the mission's over. Everyone's exhausted. Go home and rest."
With that, Tian Yu turned and walked away.
Behind him, Qing and Haidao's relieved voices rang out.
"We… we're still in Anbu!"
"Thank you, Lord Tian Yu!"
Tian Yu said nothing more and headed straight for the mission reward office, ready to collect the resources for the S-rank mission and finally return home.
Qing and Haidao were still far too naive.
Tian Yu hadn't made things difficult for them.
Even the spies in the Land of Hot Water had vouched for them…
But as a seasoned schemer like Sarutobi Hiruzen…
Did they really think he'd favor ninjas who ignore orders, defy leadership, and act on their own?
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