The ninja team, with K' quietly following behind, made their way through the dense forest until they emerged before a towering gate.
"Konoha…" K' murmured, his gaze fixed on the structure. "Brings back a lot of old memories…"
His eyes lingered on the gate's intricate woodwork and sturdy build. It was more impressive than he had imagined.
As he stepped through, he entered the Hidden Leaf Village—still in the process of construction.
Buildings of varying shapes and sizes were being raised across the town. Wood, stone, and scaffolding stretched through the streets, and yet, the village pulsed with life.
Civilians and ninjas worked side by side, moving supplies, laying tiles, setting beams—building not just homes, but the foundations of something far greater.
"It's something, isn't it?" Yamata Takke, the jonin leading the squad, spoke beside him. "I never imagined we'd see a ninja village being built in our lifetime."
Yamata led a team of six, all of whom had encountered K' earlier when they caught him within their surveillance perimeter.
"Indeed. It's… beautiful," K' said sincerely.
No manga, no animation had ever managed to capture this feeling—the scale, the warmth, the scent of fresh timber, the sound of hammers and voices creating a future.
"Come. I've already sent word to the Hokage," Yamata said, his voice firm. "He's expecting us."
As they made their way toward the central district, K' noticed it—the stares. Dozens of ninja, some in uniform, others in training gear, observed him carefully as he passed. Their eyes followed him with subtle suspicion and caution.
It made K' feel like an exhibit on display.
They arrived before the Hokage's building—an impressive structure still undergoing final touches. The guards at the entrance stepped forward, blocking their path.
Yamata approached, exchanged a few words and showed his identification. After a tense pause, the guards stepped aside, allowing them to proceed.
K' followed, his posture calm, but his mind fully alert.
The large double doors of the Hokage building creaked open, revealing a modest but sturdy wooden hall.
Though still under construction, the structure already exuded authority and quiet strength. Scrolls lined the walls, and a faint scent of ink and cedar lingered in the air.
K's boots echoed softly against the polished floor as he followed Yamata through the corridor.
"I'll announce you," Yamata said, then stepped ahead to speak with the assistant stationed outside the main chamber.
K' stood still, arms folded, eyes scanning the surroundings. The building, though incomplete, pulsed with purpose. He could hear footsteps above, muffled voices, and the distant rustling of documents.
Moments later, Yamata returned. "The Hokage will see you now."
The doors to the chamber opened with a heavy creak.
Inside stood a man with broad shoulders and calm, commanding eyes—wearing the signature white robes and the fire-emblazoned hat of the First Hokage.
Hashirama Senju.
K' entered slowly. The warmth of sunlight filtered through the paper windows, illuminating the Hokage's desk and casting soft shadows across the room.
Hashirama smiled gently, but his gaze was sharp and measuring.
"So… you're the one who caused quite a stir on our borders."
K' offered a respectful nod. "I didn't intend to trespass. It happened because… I had nowhere else to go."
Hashirama leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the desk. "Yamata says you fought with restraint. You even waited for them to wake up rather than flee. That tells me a lot about your character."
K' didn't respond. His expression remained guarded.
"I value peace," Hashirama continued. "But peace depends on trust—and right now, you are a mystery in the middle of a fragile foundation. Can you tell me who you are and where you came from?"
K' paused. He didn't lie. But neither did he reveal the truth.
"I come from far beyond the known borders. A place with no name you'd recognize. I was… caught in something I didn't understand. And when I woke up, I was here."
Hashirama studied him carefully. "A wanderer with no clan, no known history, and power beyond most jonin… that troubles some of my advisors. But I also know power is not evil by itself."
K' met his gaze. "I don't want to fight. I don't want to be chased or treated like a threat. I only want a place to stand."
Hashirama stood from his desk and walked to the window. Outside, the newborn village bustled with life.
The dream of unity was still fragile—every decision now could ripple through the decades.
"You may stay," Hashirama said at last. "But you'll be watched—at a distance, for now. No village works on trust alone. Trust is built."
K' exhaled softly and nodded.
"I understand."
Hashirama turned to him with a faint smile. "Welcome to Konoha. Let's see what the future holds."
***
The doors of the Hokage building closed with a soft thud behind them.
K' and Yamata stepped into the daylight once more. The sun now sat higher in the sky, casting long beams over the village rooftops and scaffolding. The morning haze had cleared, and with it, much of the earlier tension.
"That went better than I expected," Yamata said, adjusting the straps on his flak vest.
K' glanced sideways. "Your Hokage… he's kind."
Yamata smirked faintly. "Hashirama-sama is a rare man. He truly believes in peace—foolishly so, some might say. But it's that same foolishness that brought warring clans under one banner."
K' nodded silently.
"Well, I've done my part. I'll be heading back to report to my squad." Yamata turned to face him directly. "You've been given a chance. Don't waste it."
"I won't," K' said firmly.
With a respectful nod, Yamata disappeared down the street, his figure soon swallowed by the movement of the village.
Now alone, K' stood still for a moment, letting the sounds of Konoha wash over him.
Children laughed in the distance. Vendors shouted out their daily offerings. Hammers struck nails, and shinobi leapt between rooftops.
It wasn't the world he had known, nor the world he belonged to—but for the first time since arriving, it didn't feel entirely foreign.
He adjusted the bag on his shoulder and began to walk. No goal, no destination—just a simple desire to explore.
He passed a bustling market square, where shopkeepers displayed fruits, cloth, and polished tools.
A pair of genin argued over the best way to hold a kunai. An elderly man swept the steps of a tea house, pausing only to give K' a curious glance.
At a quiet corner, he found a small dango stand. The sweet scent caught his attention.
He stopped and took a seat.
The vendor, a plump woman with kind eyes, tilted her head. "New around here, aren't you?"
K' gave a faint smile. "You could say that."
"First stick's on the house. You've got that tired look I see in most returning shinobi."
He accepted the dango with a nod of thanks and took a bite.
Warm. Sweet. Grounding.
For the first time since arriving in this world… he let himself breathe.
***
Several days passed quietly.
K' stayed in the Hidden Leaf Village as agreed, respecting the Hokage's trust. Though many eyes followed him wherever he went, no one challenged him.
The tale of his clash with Yamata's squad had circulated—whispers of his power now drifted through the ranks.
He explored the markets, studied the people, and even caught sight of a young Tobirama sparring within the training grounds. But with each passing day, a sense of restlessness grew.
Konoha was orderly. Too orderly.
And K' wasn't a man made for walls and rules.
One crisp morning, with the rising sun casting gold over the rooftops, K' stood at the main gate. His black jacket flared slightly with the breeze.
"You're cleared to leave," said a chunin stationed at the post. "But know this—you're still being watched."
K' didn't respond. He simply stepped forward, leaving the village behind.
By dusk, he was back at Waterside Town.
It welcomed him with noise, smoke, and chaos. The streets were alive with unchecked trade, drunken laughter, and quiet threats from shadowed corners. There were no patrols here. No eyes judging him.
K' moved through the crowd until he reached the rooftop of a crumbling inn. From there, he looked down at a wide, dust-covered square—once used for local markets, now neglected.
"This place," he muttered, "is exactly what I need."
He had made up his mind. The thought had lingered during his stay in Konoha, but now it was clear.
He would build something of his own.
Not a clan. Not a village.
An underground arena. A place for those who lived by strength, not by rules. Fighters, mercenaries, rogue ninja—anyone with something to prove or something to gain.
He had the muscle. He could earn.
Now he needed fighters. And soon, word would spread.
A new ring was forming in Waterside Town.
And K' would be its king.
"Let's try to earn money first. Bounties are getting pretty popular these days," K' muttered to himself, sipping on a warm cup of tea. "It's also the fastest way to make a lot of cash quickly."
He set the cup down, closing his eyes for a moment. His breath slowed as he calmed his thoughts. There was no need to rush. Planning came before movement.
"But… Waterside Town has no bounty collection office." His brow furrowed. "That means I'll have to travel a good distance."
He opened his eyes with a quiet resolve. There was no other choice.
"Tomorrow, I'll head out. I'll comb the Land of Fire… collect bounties wherever I can. It'll give me funds—and information."
But just as he began organizing his thoughts, another bitter concern surfaced.
"Now then… putting that aside—why the hell can't I feel chakra?"
K's expression darkened.
"Don't tell me… is it because I'm not from this world?"
A sudden surge of frustration broke free. He slammed his hand on the wooden table, the sharp crack echoing across the room.
His mind raced back to his first hope—the Shadow Clone Technique. The dream of mastering jutsu and rising through power like the characters he once watched from another life.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
The modest inn room shook with his anger as curses spilled from his lips, raw and bitter. His fists clenched, knuckles whitening.
The fire in him hadn't faded—but now, it burned alongside a cruel truth: he was in a world governed by chakra… yet possibly barred from ever wielding it.
And that realization stung deeper than any blade.
The next morning, under the pale light of dawn, K' packed only what was necessary.
A few rations, spare clothes, his jacket, and a worn map of the Land of Fire. He traveled light—he always had. Speed and awareness were his true weapons.
He stepped out of the inn, letting the morning breeze brush against his face.
Stray cats dart through alleys.
K' walked without haste, his steps steady and unbothered. He had no need to rush. Every move he made was deliberate.
And yet, he could still feel them.
The distant eyes. The occasional flicker of presence just beyond sight.
Konoha's surveillance hadn't let up—not since he left. They weren't sloppy. But they underestimated him.
He gave a faint smirk.
"Well… it won't be for long."
With the open road before him and the bounty ledger in mind, K' left the town behind.