"Big Brother, Let Me Take You to See the Hokage"**
Morning in Konoha was cool and bustling.
People passed by, ninjas hurried off on missions, and villagers busily tended to their shops, filling the air with cheerful chatter.
Satoru and Eren walked down the paved road towards the Hokage's office.
Eren walked silently beside him, his eyes empty yet his mind carefully observing everything around him.
Suddenly, Satoru patted Eren's shoulder with a smug grin.
"Big brother, today I'm taking you to meet the Hokage so we can register you as a resident of Konoha."
Eren raised an eyebrow.
"The Hokage… is he a mix between the commander of the Scout Regiment and Eldian royalty?"
"He controls both military forces and holds the highest authority. This world truly is strange."
Satoru nodded as if he completely understood.
"Exactly! The Hokage is both the leader and the strongest warrior in the village. The Third Hokage is currently the strongest shinobi in Konoha!"
Eren remained silent, absorbing more about this world.
Although the system had provided him with some basic knowledge, seeing and hearing about it firsthand was an entirely different experience.
He also understood the necessity of reporting the presence of an outsider.
Back in Liberio, Eldians lived under Marley's strict surveillance.
Any unidentified person was immediately investigated.
He had once disguised himself as an injured soldier to infiltrate Marley's refugee settlements after leaving Paradis.
Even though he was in a different world now, politics remained the same everywhere.
He understood the importance of controlling immigration.
"Alright then, let's see what kind of person leads this place."
Eren didn't expect much from Konoha's leader. From his experience, politicians were rarely clean. Perhaps his little brother would be deceived, but he wouldn't be. Beneath their smiles, they always hid dirty calculations.
---
**Satoru: Deception is Second Nature**
While Eren was deep in thought, Satoru was preoccupied with something else.
How was he going to legalize Eren's residency?!
Telling the truth wasn't an option.
"Hello, Hokage, this is Eren, a guy from another world."
"He has no chakra but possesses a type of energy even weirder than chakra."
"Oh, and he used to be a 15-meter-tall Titan that punched monsters into oblivion."
Satoru imagined saying that and nearly burst out laughing.
The Hokage would either laugh it off or throw them straight into ANBU's interrogation room.
"No way, I need a more convincing cover story."
He frantically brainstormed a way to "paint" Eren into a believable identity.
Not only did he need to deceive convincingly, but he also had to add enough value to Eren so the Hokage would see keeping him in the village as a strategic benefit.
"Hmmm… Maybe I should show off a little first."
"I need to prove I'm a worthy investment so the conversation goes smoothly."
He smirked, walking with even more confidence.
Deception is an art!
---
**Entering the Hokage's Office**
The Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—sat behind his wooden desk, pipe in hand, his sharp yet kind gaze falling upon Satoru and Eren.
As usual, wisps of smoke curled through the air, adding to the atmosphere of authority.
"Come in," Hiruzen said calmly.
Satoru stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Hokage-sama, I have a few matters to report."
Before Hiruzen could ask, Satoru seized the moment.
Puffing out his chest with pride, he declared,
"First, I'd like to report that I've completely mastered the jutsu you assigned me!"
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, a glint of surprise in his eyes.
"So quickly?"
Satoru smirked and stepped back, forming hand seals at lightning speed.
"Raijin no Ken – Thunder God's Blade!"
*Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!*
A brilliant flash of lightning engulfed Yubashiri, the energy pulsing with raw power.
Sparks of blue electricity danced in the air, emitting a high-pitched hum like the song of a storm god.
Hiruzen leaned forward slightly, his expression showing clear approval.
Though it was only an A-rank jutsu, mastering it this quickly…
There was no denying that Satoru was a prodigy.
"Excellent…"
"It seems I underestimated you."
Hiruzen smiled gently, but internally, he had already marked Satoru as a talent worth nurturing.
---
**Masterful Deception, Flawless Execution**
After his performance, Satoru grinned inwardly.
"Step one: Impress the Hokage. Success."
Now, onto Eren.
Hiruzen turned his sharp gaze toward Eren.
"And this one?"
"He has a very… unique appearance."
"I can't sense chakra within him."
"But there is an unusual energy…"
Satoru took a deep breath and switched into full acting mode.
Scratching his head, he put on a sorrowful expression.
"Hokage-sama, during a B-rank mission, I happened to find him."
"Eren is the last survivor of the Yosei Clan—a small clan that once lived on the outskirts of the Fire Country."
"Their village… was destroyed by war. His family, his friends, all gone…"
"He's the only one left."
Eren's mouth twitched slightly.
"The Yosei Clan didn't have chakra. But from what I've learned, they possessed a unique kekkei genkai called 'Survival Instinct'."
"It allows them to endure extreme injuries and regenerate at an unnatural rate."
"Eren… is the last of his kind."
Hiruzen furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
"A new kekkei genkai?"
The Yosei Clan…
The name had never appeared in any records of the village.
But it wasn't impossible.
Many small clans had been wiped out during the Warring States Period, disappearing without a trace.
More importantly…
The energy radiating from Eren… wasn't something to be ignored. It wasn't fake. Chakra or not, his presence was undeniable. A shinobi of Hiruzen's caliber would not mistake such a thing.
He was the Third Hokage, known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, the student of the Second Hokage.
He had his own pride.
Hiruzen stared at Eren for a long moment, as if trying to see through him, silently delivering a wordless warning.
Then, he finally nodded and took a slow drag from his pipe.
"Very well. You may stay in Konoha for now. But Satoru…"
"You will be responsible for all of Eren's actions while he's here."
"Eren, welcome to Konoha. I hope you will come to see this place as your home."
There was a subtle implication in his words.
Satoru let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Haha! Deception successful!"
He turned to Eren and whispered,
"Big brother, you're officially a villager now!"
Eren: "…"
He said nothing.
Because…
He had nowhere else to go.
---