Chapter 38: Return to the Village and the Reward
Nan's route back to Konoha took him through the borders of the Land of Rain or the Land of Rivers, eventually leading into the Land of Fire. Fortunately, this region was firmly within Konoha's territory, so the journey posed no significant danger.
He politely declined Nara Takuma's offer to assign an escort and chose to travel alone. A few days later, he arrived safely at the Hidden Leaf Village.
Despite being away for several months, returning to Konoha didn't give Nan any particular sense of nostalgia or disorientation. There was no dramatic "has it really been that long?" moment like some people might experience.
That was because, even when he had been in the village, Nan frequently treated wounded soldiers returning from the battlefield. And while stationed at the front, he had never fought on the front lines himself—he remained in the rear as a medical ninja. Whether in the village or on the battlefield, his role had felt more or less the same.
This time, though, his return was part of an official mission. Not wanting to waste time, Nan headed straight for the Hokage's office. It was only his second visit—the first had been for ninja registration.
On the way, he couldn't help but think: I really made some major contributions this time. When I see the Third Hokage, I wonder what kind of reward I'll get.
Upon arriving at the Hokage building, Nan was led in to see the Third Hokage.
The last time they'd met, Nan had been just another face in a crowd of academy graduates. It was a formality. This time was different—he was here for a mission, and they would have time to talk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was also quite curious about Nan. He'd heard the name numerous times. Not only was Nan Orochimaru's disciple, he could also be considered Hiruzen's "grand-student."
The reports about Nan's actions on the battlefield had amazed the old Hokage. Yet when he looked at the boy before him—still just six years old—it was hard to reconcile the image of a decorated war contributor with the child in front of him.
They decided to postpone mission discussion until Shizune returned. For now, the Third Hokage saw this as a good opportunity to get to know the boy better—especially someone who had caught Orochimaru's interest as a disciple.
Speaking in a warm and grandfatherly tone, the Third said:
"Nan, you performed admirably on the battlefield.
Your method for neutralizing Sunagakure's new toxin was of tremendous help—it bought our forces valuable time and saved countless lives.
The village has decided to reward you. Think of it as payment for completing an S-rank mission.
You can take it as a monetary bonus, or if there's a specific jutsu you'd like to learn, I can personally teach you one."
The moment Nan heard the word reward, his heart lit up. Exactly what I was hoping for! Time to aim high.
But just as he was about to open his mouth and make an outrageous request, he hesitated.
Would appearing too greedy ruin his image? Would it lower his standing in the eyes of the Hokage and the other high-ranking officials?
Quickly adjusting his expression, Nan put on a modest front and said with a sincere tone:
"Lord Hokage, as a ninja of Konoha, everything I've done was simply my duty.
The village is my home, and its people are my family. Who asks for rewards just for helping their own family?"
In that moment, Nan looked exactly like a child being offered a red envelope during New Year's.
His words said "Oh no, I can't accept this",
but inwardly he was already imagining a sack wide open in front of him: "Here, just toss all the rewards in!"
In his past life, anyone with half a brain would've seen through this act in an instant.
But this was the world of the Hokage, and Nan was just a six-year-old child—no one suspected he was playing such a cunning game of reverse psychology.
Sure enough, the Third Hokage fell for it completely.
Hearing Nan's selfless words, and especially how he referred to the entire village as his family, Hiruzen felt this Uchiha child was different from the rest.
The Third had long wanted to ease tensions between Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
Unfortunately, powerful conservative voices like the two village advisors—and Danzo in particular—held deep suspicion toward the clan.
To make things worse, many in the Uchiha clan themselves were inward-looking, prioritizing family above village.
But today, seeing Nan, Hiruzen felt a glimmer of hope.
Here was a child who had already outgrown the narrow mindset of clan loyalty and embraced the whole village as his own.
Perhaps the future of the Uchiha—and the bridge to peace—lay in this one boy.
A boy named Uchiha Nan.
No wonder Orochimaru took a liking to this kid—he really is exceptional.
At this moment, the Third Hokage's gaze toward Nan grew increasingly approving.
Nan immediately picked up on that subtle shift in Sarutobi's expression. Yup, he thought to himself with satisfaction, he bought it completely.
Of course, Nan didn't actually not want the reward. Far from it.
But the secret to successful reverse psychology was this: the more desperately you want something, the less you can show it.
Only by pretending to decline, by making the other person feel indebted, could you maximize the benefits.
No one understands the art of playing hard to get better than I do.
Now that the Third had begun to seriously consider grooming Nan as a bridge between Konoha and the Uchiha clan, he started asking the boy all sorts of questions—his thoughts on the clan, the village, and the future.
Nan knew this was his moment to shine.
The more impressed the Hokage was with his answers, the greater the rewards would be.
So he pulled out everything he could remember from his previous life—national strategy, social development theories, and even the "24 Core Socialist Values" he'd once seen on TV.
He seamlessly repackaged them to fit the ninja world, spinning them into grand visions of peace and unity.
The result? He had the Third Hokage utterly stunned.
Hiruzen had already been impressed by Nan's ability to look beyond clan loyalty and think in terms of the village.
But now, listening to the boy speak of the entire shinobi world, of international cooperation and long-term vision—even if he couldn't fully understand half of it—it all sounded so profound and visionary.
By the time their conversation ended, the Third had no doubt in his mind:
Nan was different. Truly different.
Not only could this child serve as a vital link between the village and the Uchiha, he might even—just maybe—become Hokage someday.
Having made up his mind to invest in Nan's future, the Third Hokage decided not to hold back.
Not only would Nan receive the full S-rank mission bonus, he would also be granted access to one advanced jutsu from the village's sealed scrolls—normally reserved only for elite shinobi.
And more than that—
Because of his outstanding contributions on the battlefield as a medical ninja, the Third would bypass all formalities and immediately promote him to the rank of Special Jōnin.
The last person to rise through the ranks so quickly had been Kakashi, who became a Chūnin within a year of graduating.
But Nan? He hadn't even been out of the Academy for half a year—and he was about to become a Special Jōnin!
By now, everyone in Konoha had heard of the miracle child who discovered the counter to the deadly poison that had claimed the lives of so many of their comrades.
Thanks to Nan, no one had died from that poison since.
His reputation had soared. Even if he were officially promoted to full Jōnin, few would object.
But from the Hokage's perspective, promoting him straight to full Jōnin might draw unnecessary attention—and possibly even resentment or danger.
Special Jōnin was a safer, more measured approach.
When Nan heard that the reward had been increased, he grinned inwardly.
Clearly, all that eloquent bullshitting had paid off.
He had no idea how highly the Third now regarded him. He still thought the old man was simply touched by his humble, hardworking, loyal-to-the-village persona.
So, outwardly, he kept up the act, saying:
"Lord Hokage, I really don't deserve all this. I haven't done enough to merit such a generous reward…"
But this time, the Third was insistent.
No matter how Nan tried to decline, Sarutobi would not take no for an answer.
In the end, Nan could only reluctantly accept the reward—though inside, he was practically doing cartwheels.