This account was not perfect. If scrutinized carefully, there would certainly be loopholes.
But right now, Night Owl, who had just woken up and was severely injured and weak, was clearly unable to think about so many details.
She only heard that the Captain's severed arm was to protect a teammate, heard about the fierce chaotic battle, and heard that they had barely escaped with their lives.
A wave of relief at surviving a disaster and gratitude towards her teammates instantly overwhelmed her.
"So that's how it was. Thank you... thank you all..."
Night Owl's voice was choked with sobs, and she fell unconscious again. This time, it was a deep sleep caused by both mental and physical exhaustion.
Sora and Fox exchanged another glance and silently continued their journey.
Sora also knew in his heart that there were many loopholes, but for now, this was the only way.
The Third Great Ninja War was about to erupt in full force. The relationship between Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Konohagakure was already tense to the extreme. Scheming against each other was commonplace. A friction like this was nothing significant, and most likely, no one would investigate it deeply.
Moreover, for some reason, after making the decision "not to kill," Sora's mindset had quietly changed.
Before, he was constantly afraid of even the slightest leak of his secret, being cautious all day long.
But now... even if part of the truth were really exposed, it seemed... not so terrifying anymore.
Having gained the initial power to control his own destiny, his confidence had indeed grown much stronger.
If soldiers come, we will block them. If water comes, we will use earth to cover it!
...
Traveling swiftly all the way, crossing the Land of Rivers, they finally set foot on the border of the Land of Fire.
The familiar vegetation and air allowed Sora to relax slightly. After identifying themselves at the border outpost, they immediately received assistance from Konoha-nin.
Grey Wolf and Night Owl were immediately sent to Konoha Hospital at the fastest speed for emergency treatment, especially Grey Wolf, whose injuries were extremely severe and who had been hovering between life and death.
Although Fox was also quite seriously injured, he insisted on reporting the mission situation to the Hokage first.
...
Konohagakure, inside the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned tightly, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the desk.
Fox had already finished reporting on the mission in the Land of Wind, and Sora was also standing to the side, with some additional fake wounds on his body.
Fox reported exactly the account he and Sora had agreed upon.
After a while, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep puff from his pipe, slowly exhaled smoke, and said solemnly,
"You've worked hard, Fox, Green Snake. You have already done well enough. Being able to bring back intelligence and return alive under such circumstances is a success in itself. First, go to the hospital for treatment. I will carefully study the mission report. Regarding your compensation and rewards, they will be issued later."
"Later, I will have other squads investigate the intelligence in the Land of Wind. With the clues and direction you brought back, it should be much more convenient."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Fox bowed his head in acknowledgment and, supported by Sora, slowly withdrew from the Hokage's office.
After moving away from the Hokage Building, Fox tilted his head slightly and said in a low voice to Sora,
"He believed about seventy or eighty percent, but definitely still has doubts. However, for now, this is enough."
Sora nodded silently.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was a veteran Kage-level powerhouse who had governed for many years. He was meticulous and couldn't possibly completely believe a one-sided story.
But as long as there was no concrete evidence, and given that Konoha was currently in need of personnel, especially with the shadow of the Third Great Ninja War approaching, he would definitely not easily investigate deeply into an Anbu member who had made contributions and possessed considerable strength.
Moreover, Sora actually didn't care much about this account either. They were carrying out a mission for the village. At most, Sarutobi Hiruzen would find it strange that the members of Squad C Five managed to escape under such circumstances.
But who doesn't have some secrets?
As long as Fox didn't reveal Sora's true information, there was no need to worry about Sarutobi Hiruzen.
After sending Fox to the hospital as well, Sora then walked alone towards the direction of the orphanage.
Walking on the familiar streets, the impending war clouds did not affect the peaceful scene within Konoha. Children were playing, and vendors were hawking their wares.
Just as he passed a street corner, Sora's gaze was drawn to a few people walking from a distance.
The man at the lead had brilliant golden hair and a sunny smile. It was none other than Namikaze Minato, who would soon be known as the "Yellow Flash."
Beside him were three others—
Aburame Shibi, wrapped in a high-collared dark coat with light-blocking sunglasses on his face; Akimichi Chōza, who had a broad, sturdy build and a round face; and Hatake Kakashi, with his silver-white spiky hair and indifferent eyes.
They looked travel-worn, apparently having just returned from a mission.
'This combination... the timing...' Sora's mind stirred. 'Could they have just returned from completing the Dragon Vein mission in Loulan?'
Namikaze Minato seemed to notice Sora as well and smiled, nodding at him.
Kakashi's gaze also swept over, lingering slightly on Sora's silver-white short hair, which was the same as his own, before returning to his usual expression of indifference towards everything.
The two parties had no interaction and passed by each other.
But this chance encounter was like a key, unlocking thoughts long buried deep within Sora.
...
The Orphanage.
After having dinner with Miyamoto Ichirō and the others, Sora returned to his room, closed the door, and wearily lay down on the bed.
Today's meeting with Sarutobi Hiruzen, although he passed for now and Sora didn't care too much, the feeling of needing to carefully weave lies and be constantly vigilant was not pleasant.
In the end, it was because his own strength was not "absolute" enough.
The power of the Azure Dragon Fruit was certainly strong. In his fully transformed state, he even possessed strength at the threshold of the Kage-level.
But the development of the Azure Dragon Fruit had also hit a bottleneck.
The dragonification of his body, strength, defense, and elemental control were all steadily improving, but the progress was slow. It was a matter of gradual effort, unable to bring a rapid surge in combat power.
Unless... it awakened.
But "awakening" was something mysterious and elusive. Sora had no clue about it and simply didn't know where to start.
'It seems I need to start with the powers of the Naruto world.'
Lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling, Sora's thoughts raced.
His earliest idea was to use a "Tailed Beast Charger" to solve his problem of insufficient chakra, but how easy was it to get a tailed beast?
They were all strictly controlled by the major villages, completely out of reach for the current Sora.
So, were there other massive chakra sources in the Naruto world?
Yes!
Two choices immediately emerged in Sora's mind.
First, the Mōryō of the Land of Demons.
That massive chakra filled with darkness and negative energy was indeed tempting. But the problem was, this thing was too evil. Its energy was full of violent, destructive, and ominous aura.
Sora wasn't sure if his body, or rather the Azure Dragon Fruit, could withstand and transform this kind of energy. If his mind were to be corrupted by it, the consequences would be unthinkable. The risk was too high, so he ruled it out directly.
Second, the Dragon Vein of Loulan.
The energy of the Dragon Vein was vast and stable, and its nature seemed gentler. However, the biggest problem was—it had already been sealed by Namikaze Minato.
Moreover, the energy of the Dragon Vein wasn't something that could simply be absorbed into the body by opening one's mouth. It was more like a ley line energy, requiring special methods to guide and utilize it.
For example, technology similar to artificial tailed beasts, or at the very least, extremely advanced sealing techniques and energy conversion techniques.
But Sora knew neither of these.
Lying on the bed, Sora considered for a moment and chose his next direction—the Dragon Vein!
'It seems necessary to learn sealing techniques. And I must also find a way to get my hands on artificial tailed beast technology.'
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