As the days passed, Namikaze Minato, serving as the Fourth Hokage, remained as busy as ever—leaving early in the morning and returning late at night, buried beneath endless affairs of the village.
By contrast, Namikaze Kirito's life was far more relaxed.
He had already established relationships with Tsunade and Kurenai Yūhi, visiting one or the other almost every day. His days were comfortable to the point of indulgence.
Uzumaki Kushina did not interfere.
She had already said everything that needed to be said. The rest was something her eldest son had to handle on his own.
As for Hatake Kakashi, after learning the truth about his father, he remained withdrawn for quite some time.
In the end, with Minato's guidance, he finally emerged from that shadow and began taking missions again—leading Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura.
That afternoon, Namikaze Kirito walked leisurely through the streets of Konoha.
Earlier, he had gone to the Hokage's office to meet his father and reported something important.
Since arriving in Konoha, the Sunagakure team had not taken a single mission.
The reason was simple—their instructor had never shown up.
Coupled with the villagers' subtle xenophobia toward outsiders, the three had been having a particularly difficult time.
Unfortunately, both Tsunade and Kurenai were busy that day.
With no other choice, Kirito had someone inform the three to gather in the forest outside the village.
He arrived at the woodland at an unhurried pace.
Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari were clearly growing impatient. When they finally saw the instructor who had been avoiding them, their expressions were anything but friendly.
"Everyone," Kirito said cheerfully as he approached, snapping his fingers.
Wood rose from the ground and formed a simple chair.
He sat down casually and smiled at the three of them.
"So—how have things been lately?"
The moment he spoke, the atmosphere grew heavier.
Their expressions darkened.
"Sensei," Temari said, barely hiding her irritation, "you're certainly responsible—leaving us in Konoha and then vanishing without a trace."
Gaara didn't say a word but the killing intent in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Ah, sorry, sorry," Kirito replied, scratching the back of his head.
Despite the apology, there wasn't the slightest hint of remorse on his face.
"Starting today, I'll be guiding you properly. That said, I've already looked over your records, so there's no need to begin with basic training."
"Today will just be for us to get acquainted. We'll officially start missions tomorrow. Sound good?"
Kankurō, who had been silent until now, spoke with a dry, almost bitter tone.
"What choice do we have? To Konoha, the three of us are nothing more than hostages. You can arrange us however you like."
"HAHAHAHA!"
Kirito laughed heartily.
"Brat, I like the look in your eyes—and Gaara's too. That anger suits you."
"Go on. Be angry. Because right now, you don't have the power to change your own fate."
"If you did… you wouldn't be standing here."
"You bastard!"
Gaara finally snapped.
The sand surged up around him, swirling violently.
"Hate is also a form of motivation," Kirito said calmly. "But killing me is still far beyond you."
"So how about this—"
"No matter if it's a sneak attack or an assassination attempt, as long as you can injure me—even slightly—I'll let you decide your own destiny."
"Of course," he added, smiling faintly, "this only applies if you don't involve anyone else. If you hurt someone by accident while attacking me… then even if I don't want to, I will kill you."
Hearing such words spoken so casually sent a chill through all three of them.
And yet...
They couldn't refuse.
If there was even a chance to return to their village, who would willingly remain here?
"…Fine."
"All right."
The three answered almost simultaneously.
Kirito nodded, clearly satisfied.
"Good. Then let's begin. All you need is patience."
Just as Kirito was about to let them act, his Observation Haki suddenly caught the presence of someone nearby.
Under the confused gazes of the three, Kirito's figure dissolved into a streak of black shadow—and vanished.
"What is that unreliable Sensei doing now…?" Temari muttered, her forehead twitching.
Before she could finish speaking, he was already gone.
Who knew when they would see him again?
A faint sense of loneliness lingered from the words spoken earlier.
Konan—code name Angel of the Akatsuki.
Her strength was not limited to combat alone. Intelligence gathering, infiltration, assassination, concealment—she excelled in them all.
After discussions with Uchiha Obito and Nagato, she decided to infiltrate Konoha alone to gather information.
"Konoha… it's just ahead."
Seeing the village in the distance, a trace of excitement flickered across her beautiful face.
At the moment, Konan was not wearing the Akatsuki's black cloak with red clouds.
Instead, she was dressed simply and neatly, her outfit outlining her well-proportioned figure.
Her short blue hair fluttered in the wind, a paper flower adorning her head, lending her an ethereal charm.
A stud rested beneath her lower lip—giving her an air both striking and dangerous.
The most captivating dark-haired woman in the shinobi world.
Though, in the original future, her fate would be a tragic one.
Lost in thought—
A figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
A black windbreaker. Red ponytail. A powerful chest and a handsome face.
"…Namikaze Kirito!"
Konan nearly exclaimed aloud, forcibly suppressing her shock through sheer discipline.
"Heh," Kirito greeted casually, raising a hand. "Miss, are you lost?"
"…Not at all," Konan replied calmly, shaking her head.
"I'm from the Land of Rain. Just traveling."
"The Land of Rain, huh," Kirito said, as if suddenly understanding.
"The weather there isn't exactly pleasant. Did you come to Konoha for sightseeing?"
"Yes," Konan answered smoothly. "I heard Konoha is the number one ninja village, so I wanted to see its prosperity for myself."
"In that regard, it really does live up to its reputation," Kirito said. "Why don't I show you around? I'm surprisingly fond of helping people."
As he spoke, he stepped closer.
The instant he did, Konan retreated sharply, her gaze turning vigilant.
"For a 'traveler,' your reflexes are impressive," Kirito said, clapping lightly, genuine admiration in his eyes.
"…When I was younger, I learned a bit of ninjutsu for self-defense," Konan replied. "Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have survived my journeys."
"Still," she added, "I don't need a guide. Am I allowed to enter Konoha? If not, I'll leave."
It was a flimsy excuse but her intention to withdraw was clear.
Konan had already committed Namikaze Kirito's information to memory.
She knew very well that the man before her was not someone to be messed with.
The fact that she had been detected the moment she approached Konoha and that he had immediately offered to guide her—meant one thing.
Her identity was already under suspicion.
As an intelligence operative, once a mission showed signs of failure, the correct course was simple.
Withdraw immediately.
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