After days of traveling, the familiar gates of Konoha finally came into view. The moment I saw it, a wave of relief washed over me. I was exhausted. We took longer than usual on our journey back.
A nearly tangible sense of relief coursed through my body. I hadn't realized just how drained I was until that moment. Even though a shinobi's life was full of risks, there's nothing compared to the feeling of returning home alive.
I was just grateful that Natsu's injuries hadn't worsened during the trip back, and Jimei seemed stable enough. Dekai-sensei led the way toward the two guards waiting at the gate.
Neither of them appeared to be the famous eternal gatekeepers that always showed up in the manga. Instead, they were just two chūnin I had never seen before, which made sense—they probably weren't much older than me at this point.
"Team Four, returning to the village after a C-rank mission." Dekai stated directly, wasting no time.
One of the guards, a tall man with dark hair and an utterly unremarkable appearance, nodded and glanced at his partner, a man with a shaved head who was busy writing something on his clipboard.
"Welcome back, Tatsumaki-san!"
Dekai simply nodded in acknowledgment and kept walking, and we followed. As we passed through the gates and officially entered the village, the afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the rooftops, painting Konoha in warm hues. The sense of security that came with being inside Konoha's walls was so overwhelming that I almost jumped for joy at that moment.
Call me a coward if you want, but my main goal in this world full of psychopaths is survival. And honestly, Konoha felt a hell of a lot safer compared to life outside the village.
We walked for only a few moments before Dekai-sensei turned his gaze toward us.
"Jimei, take Natsu to the hospital so you both can get your injuries treated. Kenshin, come with me. We need to report the mission!" He ordered firmly.
I glanced at Jimei—his bruised face doesn't look good, and he was limping slightly. His leg was probably in rough shape too. Jimei nodded, and beside him, Natsu looked visibly exhausted but relieved to know she'd receive medical attention soon.
"I'll see you later!" Natsu said, looking at me.
"I'll meet you guys at the hospital once I'm done!" I replied with a small smile.
Jimei simply raised his hand in a brief wave before starting to guide Natsu toward the hospital. Dekai, wasting no time, turned on his heel and resumed walking, and I followed him down the path leading to the administrative building.
"Whenever possible, mission reports must be given as soon as possible." Dekai explained as we walked. "In our case, since we encountered unexpected enemy shinobi, it is essential to report directly to the Hokage."
I nodded, but my mind immediately drifted to Jūzō Biwa. His mention of red clouds… Even though Jūzō wasn't a key figure in Naruto's main plot, he had been Itachi's partner in the Akatsuki. Just thinking about dealing with the mess of Zetsu, Obito, and Madara made me uneasy and reminded me that I needed to get stronger.
"In addition to the verbal report, the team leader must submit a written report within three days after the mission." Dekai continued, ignoring my silence. "There are other bureaucratic steps, but those are the main ones you should keep in mind."
"What if a mission involves highly classified information?" I asked curiously, thinking about the Uchiha massacre mission—an assignment so secret that I honestly doubted there was ever any written record of it. "How does that process work?"
Dekai gave me a look of approval for asking a relevant question.
"There are protocols for that. If a mission involves classified information, the primary report is given verbally to the Hokage. If a written report is necessary, it is sealed and accessible only to high-ranking village officials." He explained in his usual monotone voice.
We continued walking as Dekai explained more details about how missions functioned until we finally arrived at the Hokage's office. Dekai knocked lightly on the door.
"Enter!" Came the Third Hokage's raspy through the door.
We stepped inside and found the Third Hokage focused on a stack of documents. Ah, of course—the great villain that not even Naruto, during his time as Hokage, could defeat: paperwork.
Honestly, the Hokage position in Konoha seemed far more bureaucratic than martial, which made me question Danzo's insanity for wanting the job so badly. Just looking at all that paperwork made me want to stay as far away from that position as possible.
The Third Hokage lifted his gaze from the document in front of him, and his eyes shone warmly. "Dekai-kun, I wasn't aware that your team had alredy returned."
"We encountered unexpected complications." Dekai replied.
The Hokage's smile faded, and he set his papers aside, giving us his full attention.
"Report what happened."
Dekai began recounting the mission events in a methodical manner. I was surprised by how detailed his report was—even mentioning the weather and vegetation along the way.
"As soon as I recognized Jūzō Biwa's presence, I knew he was the biggest threat. An ex-Swordsman of the Mist cannot be underestimated. So, I decided to handle Jūzō Biwa alone while the rest of the team engaged Renga Shuro."
His tone didn't change at all throughout his report, and I was caught off guard when he turned to look at me.
"Kenshin, explain what happened on your side of the battle."
I swallowed hard. It wasn't every day that you reported directly to the Hokage. And honestly, that battle had been a wake-up call. But I did my best to clearly recount how we fought and defeated the nukenin.
Of course, I made sure to highlight my teammates' efforts to boost my image as a poster boy for the Will of Fire—not that it was difficult. If it weren't for Natsu and Jimei, I wouldn't have survived.
The Hokage listened attentively, stroking his beard.
"I see… Well done, Kenshin-kun. You and your team made excellent use of teamwork to defeat a stronger opponent." He praised, reaching for his pipe.
Honestly? He was right. Despite everything, we had survived. Sure, if Dekai-sensei hadn't arrived at the end, I wasn't sure we could've lasted another round against that lunatic, but in this ninja world, survival was what mattered most.
Dekai-sensei then resumed describing his battle against Jūzō, and I was finally able to hear what had really happened.
"That man truly lives up to his reputation as one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. His skill with the Kubikiribōchō is dangerous and I was only able to prevent him from landing a hit thanks to my summoning." Dekai said in the same monotone voice, as if he were describing a casual stroll through the village rather than a battle against a deadly enemy.
As he detailed the fight, I was surprised by the level of strategy involved in high-level combat. Fortunately, Dekai-sensei was meticulous, describing every little detail—it was slow and even a bit dull, but at least it helped me visualize the battle in my mind.
"He retreated after I landed a direct hit and damaged his sword. I was slightly concerned that he would try to regroup with Shuro, but he simply withdrew."
The Hokage let out a deep sigh, pausing for a moment as if in thought. Then, he lit his pipe, and a very familiar scent from my past life filled the room, surprising me.
What the hell? So the Hokage really does smoke weed?
Finding out that the Hokage was a bigger stoner than Snoop Dogg wasn't the important part—the important part was that I definitely needed to figure out where to get some weed in this damn village.
Seriously, screw the whole "you're too young, think about your brain cells" thing. I'm in a world where people have chakra, and a literal goddess was sealed on the moon. I wanted—no, needed—to get a little high just to take the edge off the stress I'd been under since transmigrating here.
I had the sudden urge to interrupt the entire meeting and ask where the Hokage got his stash, but yeah… probably not appropriate. Damn it. I'd figure it out.
"Jiraiya will return to the village in a few days."
The familiar name snapped me out of my fantasy of getting high on top of the Hokage Monument. I refocused on the Third Hokage.
"It's uncommon for nukenin to work together. I will ask him to investigate the situation."
I wasn't the only one who reacted to the name of the legendary Toad Sannin. The moment "Jiraiya" was spoken, Dekai-sensei's body visibly tensed.
That confused me. Jiraiya was… well, Jiraiya. But despite his personality, he was still widely respected by pretty much every shinobi in Konoha. So why did Dekai-sensei seem so bothered by his name?
Did he know Jiraiya personally?
Honestly, I was a little surprised to see that man show any strong emotions at all. I'd never seen him look this irritated, and mind you, just a few days ago, literal nukenin had been trying to kill us.
Dekai let out a heavy sigh and clenched his jaw. "Understood, Hokage-sama."
Huh. Something to investigate later.
The Hokage nodded and leaned back in his chair. "You can collect your mission payment at the mission office." He took another drag from his pipe before continue to speak "Due to the increased danger, I'll be granting an additional bonus."
My eyes lit up. Bonus was a beautiful word. Just hearing that lovely, wonderful word made me start thinking about what I could do with the extra cash. Maybe it was time to finally get that kunai set I'd been eyeing.
Dekai bowed slightly, shooting me a look that made it clear I should do the same. And obviously, with an incentive like that, there was no way I was skipping the chance to bow.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" we said in unison before heading toward the door.
As we exited the office, we walked through the corridors of the administrative building. As we moved forward, a man appeared in our path.
He was elderly, but there was nothing frail about him. Deep wrinkles lined his face, and his right eye was covered by bandages. He wore a dark kimono and leaned slightly on a cane. His gaze was cold, calculating, and his presence carried an oppressive weight.
I knew who he was.
One of the village's advisors, but also a man shrouded in mystery and rumors. Some claimed he was a true patriot, willing to do whatever it took for Konoha's sake. Others considered him dangerous—a man who would stop at nothing to gain power.
To me? Just one look at this guy was a giant red flag.
He was basically Konoha's equivalent of a creeper with hungry eyes—except instead of blowing things up, he just collected Uchiha eyeballs.
Almost every messed-up thing that had happened in Konoha had this guy's fingerprints all over it. It reminded me of an old joke from my past life:
If something shady is going on, it's probably Danzo's fault.
Dekai-sensei clearly knew Danzo too because he tensed up immediately. Subtly, he shifted slightly in front of me.
I mentally thanked him and did my best impression of an invisible man. The last thing I wanted was for that guy to take an interest in me.
Danzo simply observed us for a few moments before continuing on his way without a word.
A chill ran down my spine.
He hadn't done anything.
But just existing was enough to make my skin crawl.
Dekai let out a quiet sigh and started walking again.
I followed—just a little faster than before.