Walking through Konoha's streets in the afternoon, the weather was quite pleasant. The sun hung high, but the heat was mild.
With the Chunin Exams approaching and this being a joint event among multiple ninja villages, many outsiders had arrived, adding a lively buzz to the air.
Saitama and the three Genin behind him moved through the crowd, yet they drew attention.
It wasn't Saitama himself—it was the three Rain Ninja trailing him that made the group stand out.
Due to Konoha's geography, it was still the tail end of summer here, and many locals wore light, casual clothing.
The three Genin, however, hailed from Amegakure. Accustomed to their village's ever-damp, chilly climate, they wore full-body suits, and each had a breathing mask on—making them look all the more peculiar.
People stared, but no one approached or openly mocked them. Their glances, though, carried a subtle sense of sympathy.
"Sir Yufei, do we really look that strange?"
Baiu couldn't handle the pressure of so many eyes and leaned close to Saitama, whispering her question.
This was her first trip outside the Land of Rain to another country—and her very first visit to Konoha.
She'd left her village before for missions, but those had always been within the country's borders; this was the first time she stepped beyond.
"Different places have different customs," Saitama replied. "Don't you also find *them* fascinating? It's exactly the same thing."
He patted Baiu's shoulder. From his view, he could only see her pair of bright eyes—the rest of her face completely hidden by the respirator.
Her eyes were lively, expressive, and filled with youthful energy, just as a ninja her age should be.
"Oh!" Upon hearing Saitama's words, Baiu quickly processed the explanation, mentally filling in the blanks. A spark of realization flashed across her gaze.
She stopped worrying about the looks she was getting, reached behind to gently pat the umbrella-shaped weapon strapped to her back, then lifted her chest proudly.
The forehead protector of Amegakure gleamed under the sunlight resting on her brow.
Shigure and Shuwu had remained silent the whole time, yet their eyes constantly scanned the surroundings with curiosity.
...
Before long, the group arrived at their assigned lodging after registration. Thanks to the map, finding it wasn't too hard.
It was a standalone house with decent surroundings, although its location on the village outskirts made it somewhat distant from the bustling city center—not the best placement.
But as ninjas, physical stamina wasn't an issue. It posed no real problem.
Around them, Saitama sensed shifting chakra signatures of various elemental types—most likely from other examinees representing different hidden villages.
Each house came with its own yard. Beyond the yard, Saitama detected several faint presences hiding discreetly in corners.
Just as he expected—Konoha Anbu stationed around to "protect" foreign participants like themselves.
"Sir Yufei, the environment in Konoha really is amazing! No wonder it's hailed as the top ninja village—famed across the entire Shinobi World!"
The yard assigned to them was small but adequate, with complete living facilities. Since only a four-member team came from Amegakure Village this time," said Saitama.
After pushing open the gate, Shuwu couldn't help but let out an impressed sound when taking in their temporary accommodation for the coming days.
Thanks to the yard, there were plants here—flowers, grass, and trees. With the current season, many flowers were in full bloom, giving the place a gorgeous look.
"Indeed, Konoha is the village with the best natural conditions in all the shinobi world. This is part of the rewards of their strength."
Saitama strolled around the yard, scanning his surroundings. This house had a layout pretty similar to the Uchiha compound—a spacious yard right after the entrance before the living quarters.
However, this house had only two floors. The first floor contained a kitchen and living room, with the dining area connected to the kitchen.
The second floor had three twin-bedded rooms, each quite spacious.
"Put your stuff away, and let's find something to eat! After such a long journey, we deserve a good meal!"
With a wave of his hand, Saitama signaled the others to enter. The bedroom arrangement naturally had him and Baiu taking one room each, while Shigure and Shuwu shared the third.
As the leading jonin, Saitama had authority, and Baiu being female naturally warranted special consideration.
They didn't take long to settle in—since they didn't have much luggage to unpack anyway. Each simply entered their respective rooms to check things out before coming back out again.
"Are you going to eat like that?" Saitama looked at the three genin standing quietly before him, stroking the imaginary beard on his chin, noticing it was already slightly prickly.
"Is there any problem, Lord Yufei?" Shigure, the calmest of the three, spoke up first.
"No problem at all. I just think since we've come to Konoha Village, we should follow local customs. But honestly, keeping true to ourselves isn't bad either!"
Feeling he had made himself clear enough, Saitama thought adding more might make him seem overly authoritative.
The three exchanged glances, their eyes lingering briefly on each other's breathing apparatuses before simultaneously removing them with both hands.
"You're absolutely right, Lord Yufei. Adapting to local customs does make sense. Besides, considering Konoha's climate, we don't really need these breathing apparatuses all the time. We can put them back on when the exams begin!"
Shuwu narrowed his eyes and smiled. They were still young and knew that the breathing apparatus ruined their looks.
Yet wearing a breathing mask wasn't merely due to Ame's climate—it also served as a secondary weapon.
"Fine then! Let's head out for a stroll!"
Looking at the three youthful faces now free of their breathing devices, Saitama turned and walked outside.
Thus, the group left the yard, led by Saitama toward Konoha's Market Street.
The three weren't surprised by Saitama's familiarity with Konoha, naturally assuming that as a member of Amegakure's Anbu, he must have visited Konoha before and even completed missions here.
...
"Kakashi, come join us for dinner this weekend! Take some time off!"
Whoosh! Kakashi strode past Saitama without even glancing at him or his group—just business as usual.
Spotting someone from Amegakure among them, he felt no suspicion at all. Lately, many shinobi from other villages had entered Konoha, so nothing seemed particularly odd.
After chasing for a while and realizing Kakashi completely ignored him, Obito gave up pursuit and stopped walking.
As Kakashi walked farther away, Baiu approached Saitama closely.
"Lord Yufei, that masked Konoha ninja just now looked pretty cool! He looks pretty strong too. Do you know who he is?"
"He's Kakashi Hatake of Konoha, a promising young shinobi of this generation. If you don't recognize him, surely you've heard about his father—the Legend of the White Fang!"
Looking at Kakashi's retreating figure, Saitama then briefly glanced toward the now visibly dejected Obito who was slowly walking back. Crossing his arms, he gave Baiu a quick explanation.
"The Legend of the White Fang? That name sounds so familiar... Yet somehow I can't recall who exactly that refers to right now!"
Baiu lowered her head, frowning as she thought. She hadn't been in a classroom in years — most of what the teachers taught was long gone from her memory, except for the basics all ninjas were required to know.
"So he's the descendant of the Legend of the White Fang. Seems really impressive!"
When Baiu mentioned the Legend of the White Fang, Shigure's eyes grew serious. He definitely knew the fearsome legend behind the White Fang. Though his generation never met him, even academy instructors still spoke of him in class.
"Yeah, Kakashi may look young, but he's already a Jonin. He's the one who set most of Konoha's records for young ninjas!"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>