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July 7th, noon — Hokage Office
Hiruzen sat behind his desk, reviewing a stack of documents while quietly listening to Iruka's report. A trace of unease crept into his tone.
"…In short, Lord Hokage, I believe we should have a jōnin skilled in genjutsu examine Qingquan's condition. His behavior this morning was far too abnormal."
Hiruzen stopped writing, set down his pipe, and asked calmly,"What kind of person is Shiba Qingquan normally?"
"He's usually meticulous and conscientious in his work. He may be a bit old-fashioned, but he's extremely responsible and passionate toward both colleagues and students."
"Mm…" Hiruzen showed little reaction and instead tried to reassure Iruka."I'm aware of Qingquan's situation. I'll have someone handle it. As for you—don't be too nervous. This matter isn't small, but it's not large either."
Hearing this, Iruka was somewhat surprised by Hiruzen's unusual calmness, but he showed no doubt. He nodded respectfully.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
He turned and left the office.
Hiruzen lit his pipe again and fell into thought.
With the third Chūnin Exams approaching, wealthy nobles, ninja clans, and delegations from various countries were flooding into Konoha. The village's population had more than doubled.
During this period, incidents such as teachers being "assassinated" were not uncommon. In fact, how to deal with foreign spies had long been a point of fierce debate among Konoha's upper leadership.
Hiruzen did not want to escalate the situation. Recently, he had already clashed with Danzō multiple times over the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, and tensions between ANBU and Root had been simmering beneath the surface. He couldn't make a mountain out of a molehill—but he also had to find out who was targeting Qingquan.
After some thought, he waved his hand.
An ANBU operative hidden in the shadows slowly stepped forward and knelt on one knee before him.
"Call your captain to the office," Hiruzen said evenly.He was referring to the white-clad ANBU currently assigned to watch over Naruto.
"Yes, sir."
After the black-clad ANBU departed, Hiruzen took out the crystal ball and began locating Qingquan's position.
Elsewhere.
"Hey—back for dumplings again, guys~?"
The blond boy smiled as he greeted a nearly unnoticeable ANBU member in a white uniform hidden among the crowd.
"Haha, Naruto-kun, your eyesight is impressive. You actually spotted me among all these people."
The white-clad ANBU stepped forward expressionlessly. His heartbeat didn't quicken in the slightest as he laughed casually in response.
"No, no—mainly because your aura is just too distinctive, brother. Finding you is like spotting a firefly on a pitch-black night."
"Is that so? Personally, I think Naruto-kun is pretty handsome."
"I'm not worthy, haha."
The two exchanged hollow pleasantries. Neither of them actually liked dumplings, yet they still met here every day.
Naruto chatted with him as if he were a colleague—closing the distance, probing for information, and subtly lowering the man's guard.
ANBU must have already memorized my route by now, Naruto thought.From now on, I'll have shadow clones handle these distraction routines. That way, I'll gain more freedom to move.
As he was thinking this, Naruto noticed the white-clad ANBU's expression change ever so slightly.
Behind the mask, the man's eyes narrowed. His left hand instinctively covered his earpiece—then everything returned to normal.
"I enjoyed our chat today. I'll be leaving now."
The ANBU nodded to Naruto and slowly walked off in the opposite direction.
Naruto watched him go, a silent alarm ringing in his mind.
Anyone who could pull a white-clad ANBU away from monitoring him must be dealing with something more important than surveillance.
As a key figure at the center of the storm, even if Naruto didn't care about village politics, politics would still come looking for him. Waiting passively wasn't an option—better to act first.
Naruto followed at a distance, maintaining careful spacing. After walking a few steps, he paused for several seconds. When he saw the man heading toward the Hokage Tower, he roughly understood what was happening.
Sneak over and eavesdrop at the office door?
There was still time before his afternoon meeting with Hiruzen for training guidance. If he were caught spying now, it would be extremely difficult to explain himself.
To be safe, he needed another approach.
"Heh. Just because I'm bad at reconnaissance doesn't mean I can't find other help."
Naruto turned and ran toward the Hyūga clan compound.
Hokage Office
Hiruzen stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out the window. Beside him, a white-clad ANBU knelt on one knee.
"How has Naruto been lately?"Hiruzen did not immediately ask his main question, instead checking on Naruto first.
"Lord Hokage, Naruto has strictly followed the route of[home → Ichiraku Ramen → dango shop → Hokage Tower].Occasionally, he strolls near Haruno Sakura's home. Other than that, he's engaged in no recreational activities."
"Is that so…" Hiruzen relaxed slightly."From now on, you no longer need to personally watch over Naruto. Now, I have two tasks for you."
"First, secretly strengthen patrols throughout Konoha. Investigate all outsiders entering or leaving the village. Mark anyone suspected of espionage. If any spy activity is discovered, arrest them immediately."
"Second, personally lead two subordinates to monitor the chūnin Shiba Qingquan. If anyone is found casting genjutsu on him, execute them on the spot and bring the body back to ANBU. If Qingquan himself is acting as a spy, subdue him and bring him in for interrogation."
"Yes, sir."
The white-clad ANBU showed no hesitation and asked no questions.
That was the basic professionalism of ANBU under the Hokage.
Hyūga Clan Compound
Naruto informed the gate guard and asked him to call for Miss Hinata.
The guard nodded and hurried inside, careful not to make a mistake. He had overheard the adults' conversations earlier—Uzūmaki Naruto's standing was no longer what it once was.
After a short while, Hinata shyly stepped out. Her lovely face was tinged with red, and joy shimmered in her pale eyes. Naruto's sudden summons had clearly caught her off guard.
Naruto smiled and raised the dango in his hand, inviting Hinata to eat with him. She nodded bashfully.
"Let's find somewhere more suitable," Naruto said warmly."Eating here would ruin the atmosphere."
"O-okay~"
He led Hinata to a quiet corner of the dango shop and had her sit down. He wasn't in a rush to explain his intentions—asking for help outright would be awkward, and might even arouse suspicion.
Let's take it slow, Naruto thought as he handed her a tricolor dango.
"Is it good?"
"Mmm… it's really good."
A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
Naruto picked up one himself and chewed, savoring the gentle sweetness on his tongue.
The brain needs sugar, after all.