Konoha: Becoming a God Starting with Aburame

Chapter 123 Heroes Return to the Village and the Welcome Ceremony

Konoha's western front camp.

"Lord Zhiyi, you've worked hard."

"Lord Shiitsu, your achievements have been recorded. As arranged by the village, you, along with Lord Orochimaru and Lady Tsunade, will be returning to the village for this rotation. Please prepare to assemble at the camp gate."

Shiichi's reputation was already high because he developed the Bio-Armor. His reputation grew even further after Cho'Gath, the Void Terror, defeated two tailed beasts from the Iwagakure ninja in a one-against-two battle.

Ordinary Konoha ninjas would address him as "Sir".

Shiichi went to the Konoha camp again to see Orochimaru. The ninjas on duty were about to return to the village and were all waiting for him, their commander.

In the final moments before the retreat, Orochimaru deployed a large number of Soul Insects to roam the battlefield, collecting soul energy.

The ninjas of Konoha all assumed it was a new species of snake developed by Orochimaru and didn't pay much attention.

After all, Lord Orochimaru is famous for his snake-based ninjutsu, so it's not surprising that he developed one or two new species of snakes.

Orochimaru was happy to accept this, and tacitly agreed to it without explanation.

A large number of Dead Soul Insects returned from the battlefield, injecting the collected soul energy into Orochimaru's Augmented Armor - Reaper.

The Bio-Armor - Reaper stores the collected soul energy, then removes the chaotic will, purifies it, and finally absorbs it from Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru, it's time for us to head back to the village."

"Yes, the old man has been urging me a lot these past few days, and I've been putting it off for a long time. Now, I've collected almost all the soul energy, and it's time to go back to the village."

Orochimaru watched as the last Dead Soul Insect infused its soul energy into the Guyver Armor - Reaper, and remarked with emotion.

In recent days, Orochimaru has harvested a large amount of soul energy through the Dead Soul Insects.

Who knows when we'll encounter another war like this?

Orochimaru arrived at the gate of the western camp. The ninjas who were to return to the village for their turn had already assembled, their faces beaming with joy.

The other Konoha ninjas who were still stationed on the western front were filled with envy and also with blessings for them.

"Minato, you'll have to work hard from now on. Your Flying Thunder God Technique will make things much easier for Konoha."

"It's all for Konoha, and the western front should be left to Sakumo Hatake-senpai. I'm going to the Land of Hot Springs to help Jiraiya-sensei."

"It's good that Senior Sakumo is on the western front. It's not appropriate for him to appear in the open. It's unlikely that there will be a war on the western front. He can take a good rest."

After saying their final goodbyes, Orochimaru looked at the smiling Konoha ninjas and a smile crept onto his lips.

Now that everyone is here, let's set off.

The Konoha troops quickly entered the Land of Fire and saw that the civilians there lived in peace and contentment.

This is because the Land of Fire is the most powerful country, and Konoha performed exceptionally well this time, preventing any enemy from invading the Land of Fire.

The Konoha ninja smiled even more brightly upon seeing this scene; it was all thanks to them, and their sacrifices had not been in vain.

When Orochimaru and his forces were far from Konoha, the welcoming party sent by Hiruzen Sarutobi came to meet them.

After mutual verification, Orochimaru led everyone to the gates of Konoha, following the welcoming party.

A welcoming crowd gathered in front of the Konoha gates, the villagers erupted in enthusiastic applause, and flowers floated in the air.

The villagers all knew that Konoha had won a great victory, and they gathered in front of the gate to welcome the heroes returning from the battlefield.

Orochimaru led his group through the road lined with welcoming villagers on both sides.

The triumphant heroes accepted the various gifts with a flustered but happy expression.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in a red and white divine robe, stood in the center of the crowd, smiling as he watched the victorious heroes return.

As the supreme leader, Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally had to show his attitude on such an occasion.

Of course, he didn't speak for very long; he just said a few nice words and then dismissed the crowd.

A speech that is too long will dampen the enthusiasm of the returning ninjas, and the welcoming ceremony will not be as effective.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's welcoming ceremony was not a meaningless formality, but a very important and indispensable procedure.

Ninjas are constantly in danger on the battlefield, which has honed their sharp reflexes.

This keen reflex allows them to survive well on the battlefield.

But if it happened in everyday life, it would be a huge disaster.

Can you imagine that a seemingly trivial everyday event could trigger a ninja battlefield stress response?

The significance of Hiruzen Sarutobi holding the welcoming ceremony was to tell the ninjas who were withdrawing from the battlefield that the war was over!

The villagers' cheers, applause, and flowers were meant to help them relax.

Let them feel the connection to the village and ease their tension.

In other words, it is to use the Will of Fire to eliminate the ninjas' war-related ailments.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly approached Shiki and took out his pipe.

"Zhiyi, you'll stay in the village for the next while."

"Now that Konoha has achieved such a great victory, it will surely arouse the vigilance of the four great ninja villages."

"If they have the chance to capture and kill you, the researcher of the bio-engineered armor, they will stop at nothing to achieve it."

"Hokage-sama, what is my mission in the village?"

"Training Department, your main task is to continue training the Bio-Armor, also known as the Giant Bio-Armor, which will be the guarantee of Konoha's future strength."

"I know that Danzo was responsible for the theft of the Titan armor from the Training Department. Don't feel pressured. The Training Department needs you, and I hope you can continue to work hard."

"I will, Hokage-sama. I will immediately return to the training department to research new Titan armor, so that Konoha can become even more prosperous."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Shiichi's words, took a puff of his pipe, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.

"Look at these smiling heroes. They can feel so safe because of your Bio-Armor. Shiichi, you are the true hero!"

Zhiyi couldn't help but sigh, the Third Hokage's brainwashing ability was indeed very strong, affirming him in person during such a grand and enthusiastic welcoming ceremony.

However, no matter how nice the words are, they can't compare to real benefits.

As Danzo-sensei said, as long as Shiichi devotes himself wholeheartedly to the experiment he is looking forward to, that will be fine.

Master Danzo would proactively lay out Konoha's rich history and resources for him to choose from.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi had many more considerations. He couldn't allow Shiitsu to learn forbidden techniques without restraint. Even if he could learn them, there would be many restrictions and conditions.

After the welcoming ceremony, Zhiyi walked through many streets and arrived at the Root Base with ease.

(End of this chapter)