"Hero, hero!"
"Welcome home, our hero!"
"Thank you, hero!"
…
The villagers flanking the gates of Konoha cheered enthusiastically. Amid their jubilation, Veigar landed behind Minato, smiling as he passed through the crowd and re-entered the village.
Afterward came a stirring speech from Hiruzen, laced with his characteristic "Will of Fire" rhetoric, motivating as ever, if a bit preachy. Finally, the wounded in the squad were rushed off to the hospital.
By sunset, the team was granted a rare half-day break. After a short rest, Veigar made his way to the Hokage Residence to report in.
Inside, he stood before Konoha's so-called "Four Heavenly Guardians." Unlike the Chūnin appointment, which only required the Hokage's presence, the Jōnin promotion demanded the attendance of Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado, witnesses to the rise of a new elite shinobi.
Seated at the head of the room, Hiruzen looked at Veigar with solemn authority and declared:
"Veigar Koshima, in recognition of your exceptional performance on the battlefield, I, as Hokage, hereby promote you to the rank of Jōnin.
"I trust that you will continue to serve the village with even greater dedication."
Kneeling before Hiruzen, Veigar responded with unwavering strength:
"Understood. Thank you, Lord Third."
Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction, swiftly concluding the ceremony.
From this moment on, Veigar was officially a Jōnin of Konoha, a title that came not only with prestige and authority, but with significantly greater responsibility.
After the formalities ended, Hiruzen returned to his seat, and the other three elders exited the room one by one.
As Danzo departed, Veigar caught a glimpse of smoldering fury and deeply buried hatred in his eyes.
But Veigar's expression didn't change in the slightest. He'd already anticipated this.
The old Veigar wasn't afraid of Danzo, and the new Veigar, now master of the Flying Raijin Technique, had even less to fear.
Danzo could try to block his path all he wanted, but could he stop him?
Now, only Hiruzen and Veigar remained in the Hokage's office.
And Veigar knew, the real conversation was about to begin.
Hiruzen took a deep breath, then spoke with quiet gravity:
"Veigar, do you truly understand your current situation?"
Veigar shook his head calmly:
"Not really, Lord Third."
Hiruzen removed his pipe and took two long drags before speaking slowly:
"There's a 130 million ryō bounty on your head right now. A fortune that would drive countless people to madness."
"Surely, you know what I'm getting at."
"That's why I recalled you from the battlefield so urgently."
Veigar didn't believe him, not entirely. Hiruzen wasn't lying, but he was definitely hiding something.
Still, Veigar feigned confusion:
"I'd appreciate it if you could speak plainly, Lord Third. I don't quite understand."
Hiruzen stared at him for a long moment, then chuckled and said:
"Before the day is out, word will spread across the entire shinobi world, Konoha's most renowned prodigy has returned and been promoted to Jōnin."
"Assassins and spies from every corner will infiltrate our walls just for a chance to eliminate you."
"So, I want you to return to the Anbu."
Inwardly, Veigar was already mocking him.
So this was the real reason you dragged me back in a rush, huh?
Of course, he didn't say that out loud, he wasn't foolish enough to voice everything he thought.
"So, what you're saying is… you want me to disappear, so they can't find me?"
Veigar asked, his tone serious.
Hiruzen nodded.
"Exactly. But more than that, I want you to come up with a way to ensure they never leave the village."
Never leave?
Veigar instantly saw through the ploy, Hiruzen wanted to use him as bait.
The plan? Kill them all.
And Veigar, utterly unfazed, let out a cold smirk.
"If they dare come, I'll dare to kill. They'll make perfect fuel for my Phenomenal Evil Power."
He already had the beginnings of a plan forming.
But return to the Anbu? Absolutely not.
"Lord Third, I don't want to go back to the Anbu."
He'd been there. Missions back to back, no time to breathe, no freedom.
Unless he'd lost his mind, he wouldn't say yes.
"Besides… I'm not afraid of them. If they come, they'd better be prepared to die."
Veigar's delivery was perfect, Oscar-worthy, if you asked him.
Hiruzen sighed inwardly. From Veigar's demeanor, he could tell, this man was beyond his reach now.
Though disappointed, there was little he could do. The matter was settled.
"You mentioned a plan. Care to share it?"
But Veigar didn't bite.
"It won't work if I say it aloud."
That made Hiruzen pause.
And then he understood, Veigar was refusing him outright.
"Do you need anything from us?"
Hiruzen asked with mock concern.
Still fishing for answers.
Still not giving up.
But Veigar stood firm. On his first day as a Jōnin, he was already making his stance clear:
He would not be controlled.
And that sent a warning bell ringing in Hiruzen's heart.
Changing the subject, Veigar asked:
"So… what's my reward for becoming a Jōnin?"
Hiruzen chuckled and slapped his forehead as if just remembering:
"Ah, look at me, so forgetful."
"Is there any jutsu you'd like to learn?"
Veigar looked at him, his kindly old face, so harmless on the surface, and answered:
"I want…"
Once he got a solid answer, Veigar left the Hokage Residence, never looking back.
In his mind, he scoffed.
Forget? Please. You didn't forget a damn thing.
Once alone in the office, Hiruzen muttered to the empty room:
"Danzo, proceed with the plan."
From the shadows, Danzo emerged.
"Hiruzen, all this was unnecessary. You should've followed my plan from the beginning."
And with that, Danzo turned and left.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]