Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

Two days later.

Konoha Gate.

The sunlight was a bit too bright.

Izumo Kamatsuki leaned against the guard post, bored, and yawned widely.

Being the gatekeeper of Konoha is a really boring job.

Apart from occasionally checking the customs documents for caravans entering and leaving.

They spent most of their time in a daze.

Meanwhile, Gang Zitie, standing next to him, was busy organizing the register.

"Hey, Zitie."

Izumo Kamitsu nudged his companion with his elbow.

"Want to grab a drink tonight? Same place as always?"

Gangzi Tie didn't even raise his head.

"I'm not going."

"I just lost money yesterday, how could I have the leisure to think about it?"

Just as the two were bickering as usual.

A series of rhythmic footsteps came from the main road outside the gate.

The sound wasn't loud.

But every step he took felt like stepping on the beat of a person's heart.

Izumo Kamitsu subconsciously raised his head, his gaze passing over the long fence.

At the end of the road, a young man walked towards him.

The other person was wearing a plain-colored robe without any markings, and their black hair fluttered slightly in the wind.

Even though it's just one person walking, it gives people an extremely strange feeling.

He seemed to blend into the surrounding wind, sunlight, and even the dust on the ground.

There was nothing abrupt about it.

It's so natural it's chilling.

"Feed..."

The voice of Izumo Kamitsu got stuck in his throat.

He instinctively straightened up and quietly reached for his ninja tool pouch on the outside of his thigh.

The person who came had a very unique aura.

That kind of profound and tranquil serenity is something that ordinary people can never possess.

Gangzi Tie noticed his companion's unusual behavior and suddenly looked up.

The young man didn't stop and soon arrived at the checkpoint.

"Show your identification."

Izumo Kamitsu forced himself to remain calm and extended his hand as required.

The young man remained calm, took out a slightly worn notebook from his pocket, and handed it over.

Izumo Shingetsu took the notebook.

He turned to the first page, his gaze sweeping over the photos and names.

then.

His eyes widened and widened until they almost bulged out.

"Chi...Chiba?"

The voice of Shingetsu Izumo instantly rose eight octaves.

Gang Zitie shuddered violently upon hearing the name.

He snatched the ninja certificate from Izumo's hand and stared intently at the information on it.

Name: Chiba.

Rank: Chunin.

Number: 012604.

That's right.

It's Chiba!

but……

How is that possible?

Gangzi Tie suddenly raised his head.

His gaze shifted back and forth between the young man in front of him and the photo on the ID.

The person in the photo has the restraint and timidity of a commoner ninja in his eyes and brows.

And the person in front of me.

Although his facial features still retain traces of his former appearance.

But the composure and indifference that emanated from his very bones were as if he had been given a completely different soul!

What terrified Gangzi Tie the most was not the change in his temperament.

It is a memory from more than a year ago.

At that time, he was compiling a list of people entering and leaving the village when he discovered a Chunin named Chiba.

The other party accepted a C-level escort mission and left the village, and hasn't returned for a whole month.

Logically speaking...

In cases where someone fails to return on time, it is highly likely that they have either defected or died.

Gangzi Tie rushed to the Hokage's office to report.

The results of it?

The Third Hokage simply gave a perfunctory reply.

He told Chiba that he had gone on another secret mission and that he didn't need to worry about it.

And now.

This guy, who was supposed to be on a "secret mission," actually came back!

"Is there a problem?"

Chiba looked at the two people who were dumbfounded in front of him and spoke calmly.

His voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable sense of pressure.

Gang Zitie felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were being stared at by some terrifying prehistoric beast.

"No...no problem!"

Gangzi Tie handed the ninja certificate back, his movements as stiff as a puppet.

Chiba took the documents and casually stuffed them into his pocket.

He didn't even glance at the two of them before walking straight into the gates of Konoha.

"Zitie, don't you think...?"

"The way he looked at us just now, like he was looking at two ants?"

Watching Chiba's departing figure.

Shinzuki Izumo swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

Gang Zitie did not answer.

He suddenly turned around and ran wildly toward the Hokage Building.

This must be reported immediately!

This Chiba is definitely not right!

……

The streets of Konoha Village remained as bustling as ever.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares and children playing mingled together.

Chiba walked through the crowd, her pace neither hurried nor slow.

With the blessing of a perfect immortal body.

He could sense everything within a hundred meters, down to the slightest rustling or movement.

This is the confidence that comes from strength.

over a year ago.

He was just a useless Chunin, a piece of cannon fodder.

Even when walking down the street, he had to be careful, for fear of offending a member of some powerful family.

And now.

He looked down at the village.

All the people here, all the conspiracies, all the schemes.

Everything seemed so laughable in the face of his overwhelming power.

soon.

He stopped at an intersection.

To the left is the main road leading to the bustling heart of Konoha.

To the right lies the edge of the village, a desolate area hidden by dense forest.

Chiba didn't hesitate for even a second.

He turned around and walked into the overgrown path on the right.

That was once the home of the Senju clan.

……

The Hokage's office.

The strong smell of tobacco filled the room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his large desk and took a deep drag on his pipe.

Amidst swirling smoke.

His face, covered with age spots, seemed to shift between light and shadow.

Before him knelt a member of the Dark Guard wearing a fox mask.

Are you sure it's him?

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a smoke ring, his voice low and deep.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"The guards at the gate have already verified my identity."

"The other party is indeed a Chunin who has been away from the village for almost two years, Chiba."

The officer in the shadows bowed his head and reported.

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, a complex light flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

Chiba.

He certainly hadn't forgotten that name.

The Chunin boy whom Tsunade valued and who was brought along by her.

At that time, Hiruzen Sarutobi reviewed all of Chiba's files but found nothing remarkable.

He assumed that Tsunade had lost money gambling or was drunk and made a foolish decision on a whim.

Anyway, he's just an insignificant Chunin.

Tsunade can take it away if she wants.

As long as nothing major happens, it's fine.

but.

He was gone for almost two years.

Now, this kid has suddenly run back to the village.

Where is Tsunade?

Why didn't Tsunade come back with them?

What annoyed Hiruzen Sarutobi even more was...

Now that this kid has returned to the village, why didn't he report to the Hokage's office immediately?

According to the rules of Konoha.

The ninja who has been away from the village for a long time must report to the Hokage immediately upon his return!

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the clock on the wall.

A full half hour had passed since the Anbu reported that Chiba had entered the room.

What is this kid dawdling about?

Could it be that spending too much time with Tsunade has picked up her bad habit of ignoring rules?

Just because he's a disciple of the Three Legendary Sannin, does he dare to disregard the Hokage?

A hint of displeasure flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.

He was Tsunade's teacher, so naturally he was this kid's grandmaster.

What exactly did Tsunade teach this kid in the past two years?

"go."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Bring him here."

"Tell him that this is the Hokage's order."

"..."