"You...!"
Inuzuka Kiba was so angry he was about to charge forward, but Shino held him back tightly: "Calm down, don't let the guest laugh at us."
"Tch, damn it...!"
Hinata's body trembled even more violently, almost burying her head in her bowl.
"Destiny... huh?"
At this moment, a magnetic voice broke the tense atmosphere in the ramen shop.
Hansen faced the genius white-eyed youth who kept talking about destiny: "Kid, do you know what destiny is?"
Neji's gaze finally fell squarely on Hansen. When he saw those platinum pupils, so different from his own yet seemingly containing an entire starry sky, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
"Who are you? Our Hyuga clan's affairs are not for outsiders to meddle in."
Neji responded coldly, while also raising his guard, Chakra beginning to flow within him.
"Me?" Hansen smiled and walked towards him, "I'm just a traveler who can't stand twisted logic."
"Neji! Stop!"
Might Guy darted in front of Neji and Hansen, his expression incredibly solemn.
As a master of taijutsu, his beast-like intuition was screaming warnings.
The pressure this seemingly harmless black-haired young man brought upon him at this moment even surpassed what he felt when facing the Third Hokage.
"Teacher Guy!" Neji was puzzled.
However, Hansen's steps did not stop. He didn't even glance at Might Guy who was blocking his way, simply walking past him calmly.
A bizarre scene unfolded.
Might Guy maintained his defensive posture, veins bulging on his forehead, muscles tensed to the extreme, yet he watched helplessly as Hansen "passed through" him.
This was not a Body Flicker Technique, nor was it any kind of high-speed movement.
In Might Guy's perception, the opponent's body seemed to have turned into a void illusion, or perhaps was located in another dimension.
His accumulated strength simply couldn't find a target to act upon, and thus passed straight through.
When he came to his senses, Hansen had already used Dimensional Walk to bypass him and stood in front of Neji.
"You..." Neji's pupils constricted, and he instinctively struck out with a palm.
Hyuga Style Taijutsu Secret Art — Eight Trigrams Empty Palm!
A Chakra shockwave, condensed to the extreme, shot out from his hand, powerful enough to shatter stone.
However, this strike, which would be troublesome even for a Jonin, instantly dissipated less than a centimeter from Hansen's chest, as if hitting an invisible wall, failing to even stir a breeze.
"Interesting, your Gentle Fist almost hit me."
Hansen's comment was full of mischief.
He extended a finger, slowly, towards Neji's forehead.
Neji's hair stood on end. He wanted to dodge, but his body was frozen in place, unable to move an inch.
That finger magnified infinitely in his Byakugan, leaving him with no thought of resistance.
"A strong person's fist never actively strikes the weak."
Hansen, with an expression like "my foolish little brother," pointed a finger at Neji's forehead protector. "If you want to become a strong person capable of shattering destiny, you can come find me."
The worst-case scenario they had anticipated did not happen, and the Leaf ninjas present all breathed a sigh of relief.
Only Guy's heart sank, *Oh no!*
This mysterious and powerful man seemed to have designs on his disciple!
"Kurenai, weren't you going to take me to see the Hokage? We can go now."
Hansen, on his own, instilled a new goal into Kurenai, who was under his thought imprint control, and she paused.
Then, as if it were the most natural thing, she stood up, arranged for Team Eight to disband, and quickly followed him.
"No problem, Mr. Hansen, I'll take you there right away."
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Hyuga Neji emerged from the terror that felt like the brink of life and death, only then realizing his back was completely soaked with sweat.
He gritted his teeth, turned around, and stared intently at Hansen's retreating back, his pure white eyes filled with struggle... Below the Hokage Rock, the village's main thoroughfare was wide and clean.
Shops lined both sides, people came and went, full of the prosperity and tranquility unique to peaceful times.
Hansen walked beside Kurenai Yūhi, his pace unhurried, as if sightseeing, admiring this scene that was more real than in his memories.
Meanwhile, Kurenai Yūhi's heart was far from as calm as her exterior suggested.
The ninjutsu this man commanded were simply unheard of: genjutsu that controlled people's minds, and a secret technique that seemed to manipulate gravity!
Earlier at Ichiraku Ramen, he had also displayed advanced space-time ninjutsu.
The more intelligence she gathered, the more alarmed she became.
Kurenai Yūhi calmly analyzed and finally concluded.
No matter what, this terrifying man could not be allowed to become an enemy of the Leaf!
"Kurenai, what are you thinking?"
Hansen's voice suddenly sounded, interrupting her thoughts.
He had stopped at some point, turning his head, his platinum eyes holding a hint of playfulness as he watched her.
"No... nothing, Mr. Hansen."
Kurenai Yūhi answered subconsciously, then realized that in front of him, she seemed utterly unable to hide her thoughts.
Hansen smiled, not pressing further.
He looked up at the iconic red circular building ahead — the Hokage Office.
"Is this the center of power for your village?"
"Yes, the Hokage-sama works inside."
Kurenai Yūhi composed herself, regaining her professional demeanor as an elite Jonin.
"After returning to the village, I already reported your situation to the Anbu in advance, and the Hokage-sama is willing to see you."
Her wording was clever, expressing respect for Hansen while also outlining the official procedures of the Leaf.
A powerful person of unknown origin, wishing to meet the Hokage, would normally undergo layers of scrutiny.
But the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, after reading her report, almost without hesitation, issued the order for a meeting.
The title of 'Strongest Hokage' might have been a bit exaggerated, but this longest-serving Hokage possessed political acumen and judgment far beyond ordinary people.
He knew very well that a powerful person like Hansen could not be dealt with by conventional means.
Forceful interrogation and surveillance would only backfire; it was better to treat him with courtesy and then slowly ascertain his purpose.
The two walked into the Hokage Office, and ninjas along the way cast curious glances at the unfamiliar man beside Kurenai Yūhi.
Led by two masked Anbu ninjas, they finally arrived at the door of the Hokage's office.
"Hokage-sama, the person has been brought."
"Come in."
An old and gentle voice came from inside the door.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a faint scent of tobacco permeated the air.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing the Hokage's ceremonial robe and a straw hat, sat behind his desk, his characteristic pipe in his mouth.
He was not alone in the office.
On either side of the Hokage stood two advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
Their expressions were serious, their sharp gazes like hawks, locked tightly on Hansen.
"Welcome, esteemed guest from afar."
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