Chapter 45: The Return to Konoha
Kakashi frowned slightly, then gave a subtle nod to Kurenai. Understanding the signal, Kurenai's voice echoed within the confines of Ryouma's floral prison. "It will be Lord Hokage."
"Oh." Ryouma opened his eyes within the illusion, taking in the serene, fabricated landscape of birds and flowers. He couldn't see Kurenai herself. A dry laugh escaped him. "How is Hinata?"
"She is... physically fine. But..." Kurenai's voice hesitated.
"But what?" Ryouma's heart clenched.
"She has been placed under house arrest by the head of the Hyūga clan. Her father."
"Why?"
"Because of your defection."
Ryouma gave a slow, understanding nod. Inside the illusion, he shook his head involuntarily, a silent sigh of frustration and guilt welling up within him.
"I don't know if I'll even be able to see her when I get back this time..." The thought brought a wave of bitter disappointment. He knew his return would not be a simple homecoming. Neither the Hokage nor Danzō would let him off lightly. He was walking back into the lion's den, clinging only to the slimmest hope.
If the Third Hokage dies, Danzō will likely seize power. And Tsunade won't return for some time after that...
A fresh headache began to pulse behind his eyes. The missions the system gave him were truly a special kind of torture.
The journey back was slower with an injured prisoner, but the team maintained a steady pace. They encountered a Konoha ANBU squad along the way, to whom Kakashi reported the successful capture of Ryouma, officially concluding the hunt for the rogue ninja.
Elsewhere, the ninja dog, Pakkun, stopped in his tracks. "The mission to capture Ryouma is complete. We are no longer needed."
"Oh?" Uzuki Xiyan, who had been following the scent trail, nodded. A thought occurred to her. "That kid... is he...?"
Before she could finish, Pakkun interrupted, "They're here."
Several figures leaped into the clearing. Xiyan tensed, ready to move, but Pakkun calmly stated, "It's them."
As the figures drew closer, Xiyan recognized Kakashi's team. "Kakashi-senpai? You succeeded."
"In that case, I'll take my leave," Pakkun said to Kakashi before dispelling himself in a puff of smoke.
Xiyan's eyes immediately went to Ryouma, slumped over Kurenai's back. "Huh? His wound?" She stared at the heavily bandaged shoulder, then her gaze dropped to his stomach, and her voice filled with shock. "How is that possible?"
"What is it?" Kakashi asked, his forehead protector already back in place, covering his Sharingan.
"This kid's wound..." Xiyan pointed at Ryouma's shoulder, her words hesitant. "It's... gone."
"The wound on his shoulder was inflicted by my Chidori," Asuma explained, puzzled by the ANBU's reaction. "What's the issue?"
"Before you linked up with me, I engaged this brat in combat," Xiyan revealed.
"What?!" Kakashi and Asma exchanged startled glances. Even Kurenai looked over, her expression sharp with interest.
"More than that," Xiyan continued, her voice firming with certainty. "I exploited an opening in his defense. My katana pierced completely through his abdomen from behind. There is no mistake about it. A wound like that doesn't just vanish."
"Could it be...?!" Kakashi's pupils dilated. He strode quickly to Kurenai's side and pulled up the back of Ryouma's shirt, revealing unblemished, smooth skin where a grievous exit wound should have been.
"Impossible!" Xiyan gasped again.
"If what you say is true," Kakashi muttered, his mind racing, "then... is this person even really Ryouma?" The thought had a certain appeal. It would explain the impossible growth rate. But... he used the teleportation jutsu. And the sword style was the same...
"No," Kurenai Yūhi stated with absolute conviction. "This is Ryouma." She remembered his question about Hinata clearly.
Kakashi trusted Kurenai's judgment regarding her own student. He dismissed his own fleeting theory with a shake of his head. So it was certain. This was Akizuki Ryouma. But the ANBU's testimony was equally certain.
"Let's continue back to Konoha," Kakashi decided. "We'll hand him over to Lord Hokage. Morino Ibiki is far more skilled at interrogation than we are."
With that, the group resumed their journey. But Uzuki Xiyan's gaze on the unconscious Ryouma now held a new, intense light.
What a strange and baffling brat... No wonder he was classified as an S-Class rogue ninja. He is truly in a league of his own.
Bright sunlight streamed through the branches of Konoha, casting a warm, peaceful glow over the village. The faces of the four Hokage gazed serenely from the mountain. Yet, beneath the idyllic surface, darkness festered.
"Hayate..." Yugao Uzuki, now back in the village and on a different ANBU assignment, stood over a body alongside other masked operatives. It was the body of Moonlight Hayate.
"Who did this...?" Though her face was hidden by the mask, the tremor in her body betrayed her profound grief. Memories of her time with Hayate flashed before her eyes, and tears welled up, unseen.
"This must be reported to Lord Hokage immediately," one of the other ANBU stated. He looked at the others. "Secure Hayate's body. Let's move."
In an instant, the ANBU were gone, having erased even the bloodstains from the ground.
Hokage's Office.
"Release it," Hiruzen Sarutobi said softly, his voice weary as he looked at the motionless, eyes-closed Ryouma.
"Lord Hokage, if we release the genjutsu and Ryouma attempts to escape..." Kurenai began, her loyalty to the village overriding her personal feelings.
"I have already had ANBU erect a barrier outside."
"Understood. Release!"
The illusory realm of peach blossoms shattered before Ryouma's eyes, plunging him into momentary darkness.
The genjutsu is gone.
Slowly, his senses returned—the feel of the hard floor, the sound of his own breathing, the faint rustle of the Hokage's robes.
"Ryouma," Sarutobi Hiruzen began, a faint, unreadable smile on his aged face. "How have you been these past few days outside?"
It's just dawn. The final exam should be starting soon... They made good time, Ryouma thought. He glanced around, noting only Kakashi and the Hokage were present. Kakashi held his Divine Wind Sword.
Ryouma smiled. "Where is my sword?"
"What do you need it for?" Asuma, standing guard by the door, frowned.
"Give him his sword," Hiruzen instructed Kakashi.
Kakashi did not question the order. He stepped forward and handed the Divine Wind Sword back to Ryouma. The moment Ryouma's fingers closed around the familiar hilt, he could feel the atmosphere in the room grow several degrees colder, thick with unspoken tension and readiness.