After spending about half a day at the frontline camp of Konoha, getting a rough understanding of the ongoing war situation and visiting some of the wounded soldiers, Kaede left the camp and headed back toward Konoha.
Ten days later.
At the main gate of Konoha.
Looking at the familiar scenery ahead, Kaede stretched his body and allowed himself a small smile.
It had been nearly two years since he left Konoha to participate in the Third Great Ninja War, and for him personally, more than five years had actually passed.
When he left, he was already quite powerful, but at that time he had only opened the Third Gate of the Eight Gates, and he couldn't be confident in defeating any Jōnin-level opponent, let alone someone at the level of a Kage.
Both Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi were formidable threats to him then.
But,
After breaking through the Fourth Gate at the camp, his strength surged dramatically, propelling him into the ranks of Kage-level ninjas. Among the Kage-level, he had become an extremely formidable ninja.
Then, after opening the Fifth Gate, mastering Lightning Release secret techniques, and increasing his time-acceleration to five times normal speed… through all that, he had become someone no one could fear anymore!
Now, only Namikaze Minato remained in Konoha, wielding the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Reaper Death Seal, skills that were somewhat troublesome for Kaede, but just barely so.
As for countering Minato, Kaede's speed was now so overwhelming that Minato wouldn't even be able to touch him. The most Minato could do was to try to escape, and Kaede wouldn't be able to stop him.
The only real risk was Minato managing to stamp a Flying Thunder God Seal on him.
That was definitely a big problem.
Because with his current abilities, Kaede couldn't remove the Flying Thunder God Seal, so he couldn't even rest easy while sleeping, always wary of Minato suddenly teleporting over and applying a sealing jutsu.
But it wasn't that easy for Minato to leave that mark on him. As long as Kaede stayed alert and kept his five-times speed, it was almost impossible.
"Kaede-sama!"
The Konoha ninja guarding the gate had already sensed Kaede's presence and confirmed his identity through chakra sensing. As Kaede approached, they immediately saluted him.
Everyone's eyes carried respect when they looked at Kaede.
Though still young, Kaede had slain the Third Raikage and the Rain ninja Hanzō of the Salamander; he was already a well-known hero throughout Konoha.
"Hm."
Kaede smiled slightly and nodded to the ninja before walking inside.
As a time traveler, Kaede didn't feel a strong attachment to Konoha, but since he had lived here for many years, leaving Konoha had never been an option.
Now even less so. If, after the war, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo feared him and dared to make a move, he wouldn't hesitate to act first and cleanse Konoha.
Of course,
If Orochimaru became the Fourth Hokage, he would probably quickly eliminate the elder council. Even if he held old grudges and didn't directly harm Sarutobi, he would certainly consolidate all the power and remove Sarutobi's influence, letting the old man peacefully 'retire.'
Either way, things looked promising.
This was the ease that came with strength.
"Eh? So this is the opening day for this shop?"
After walking a bit down the street, Kaede suddenly stopped and looked toward a newly opened shop nearby, with a sign reading "Ichiraku Ramen."
A faint smile appeared on Kaede's lips as he headed toward the shop, saying, "Well then, let me see just how powerful this legendary 'Otsutsuki Ichiraku' really is."
At the entrance to Ichiraku Ramen,
A long line had formed. Among the crowd, Kaede recognized several familiar faces: Inuzuka Shiba from his class, and even Might Guy.
"Ah… Big Brother?"
Kakashi, also in line, spotted Kaede approaching from afar. He was surprised, thinking he'd missed, but quickly recovered.
Kaede nodded at Kakashi. "When did you get back?"
"A few days ago," Kakashi replied weakly.
A few months earlier, Kakashi had been promoted to Special Jōnin.
A ten-year-old Special Jōnin was quite a record in Konoha, Kaede himself had only achieved that rank at age ten.
But almost immediately after his promotion, Kakashi heard the news that Kaede had single-handedly raided Amegakure, slain Hanzō of the Salamander, and defeated the village's forces. The blow was devastating.
They were barely a year apart in age.
Yet somehow, the gap between them had become absurdly large.
He remembered back when they were little, though he couldn't beat Kaede, at least he could sometimes hold his own. He'd been confident he could catch up, but now his confidence was nearly gone.
"Why the long face?"
Kaede smiled. "I heard you've been promoted to Special Jōnin. Shouldn't be long before you become a full Jōnin, right?"
"Yeah…"
Kakashi still sounded tired and weak.
Inuzuka Shiba and Might Guy had quieted down by now. Even the fiery Might Guy felt the pressure standing before Kaede.
First, there was Kaede's appearance, looking about sixteen, much older than them. More importantly, it was his reputation: already a household name in Konoha.
The name "Silver Flash" was feared throughout the ninja world.
Though they were classmates, facing Kaede created an instinctive sense of distance, a gap in rank and ability.
Just as Kaede and Kakashi were chatting casually, planning to review Kakashi's recent training and give advice on his Lightning Release techniques,
Whoosh!
A dark-clad Anbu ninja suddenly appeared.
"Kaede-sama, the Hokage wishes to see you."
In the past, Anbu would deliver orders coldly and without ceremony. Now, they addressed him with respect, even honorifics.
"I understand."
Kaede waved the ninja off.
The Anbu nodded and disappeared in a flash.
Kaede casually turned back to Kakashi, continuing to answer his questions about Lightning Release jutsu.
Kakashi hesitated, then asked, "Big Brother… the Hokage wants to see you. Aren't you going?"
"Let me finish eating first. It's not urgent, probably nothing important."
Kaede smiled carelessly.
At another table, Might Guy and the others exchanged looks. If it were them, being summoned by the Hokage would mean dropping everything and rushing over immediately, no hesitation.
Kaede was truly on a different level.
After finishing three big bowls of ramen, Kaede wiped his mouth satisfiedly, patted Kakashi on the shoulder, and said, "I didn't bring any money. You cover the bill."
Whoosh!
Kaede vanished from sight, leaving a grim-faced Kakashi sitting there.
…
Hokage's office.
Kaede pushed the door open and stepped in, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen seated behind his desk.
"Hokage, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes."
Hiruzen wasn't bothered by Kaede not coming immediately upon summons. He set down the documents and said, "Our scouts have reported a small town named Rōran in the desert. There's a strong chakra presence there, deemed to be a major threat…"
"After careful investigation, we've learned that underground there lies a massive energy called the 'Ryūmyaku,' so powerful it seems capable of distorting space-time. Six years ago, someone suddenly appeared there and gradually took control. If left unchecked, it could become a grave threat. I've been considering who to send to handle it. Your return couldn't have come at a better time. Having you on this mission puts me at ease."
Listening to Hiruzen's explanation, Kaede tilted his head.
Wasn't this the storyline of the Lost Tower?
Thinking carefully, the timing seemed to match perfectly, but he recalled Minato was supposed to handle it, yet here Hiruzen was asking him instead.
"Ryūmyaku… hmm…"
Muttering to himself, Kaede felt a strange unease deep inside. His instincts told him he should go.
The Ryūmyaku involved a power that distorted space-time, and he wielded the Illusory Clock, the power of time itself… The Ryūmyaku's energy might affect the Illusory Clock!
With that thought, Kaede made his decision.
"Based on your description, Hokage-sama, it does sound dangerous and must be dealt with quickly. I'll go."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Hiruzen nodded, pulling out a file and handing it over.
==========
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