The Next Morning
Naruto rushed to Nagi's house at dawn.
What he didn't expect—
"Sasuke?! Why are you here?!"
Naruto stared in disbelief at Sasuke, who was calmly eating breakfast inside Nagi's home.
Sasuke replied coolly,
"What does that have to do with you?"
Naruto turned to Nagi.
"Nagi, why was Sasuke here this early?"
Nagi answered matter-of-factly,
"Sasuke and I returned late from a mission last night. It was too late for him to head back, so he stayed over."
"WHAT?!"
Naruto trembled, pointing at the two of them.
"Y-You… You two are that close now?!"
Sasuke replied with faint pride,
"Naruto, I probably understand Nagi better than you do."
"What did you say?! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Naruto folded his arms, clearly refusing to believe a word.
Then he declared confidently,
"Hmph! Once I become Hokage, I'll know everything about your jobs anyway!"
Sasuke gave him a strange look.
"As far as I know, you're still a Genin. Not even a Chūnin. And you're talking about becoming Hokage?"
Naruto deflated instantly—only to bounce back moments later.
"Hmph! Fine! What about you? Don't tell me you're still a Genin too!"
Sasuke replied casually,
"Sorry, Naruto. Due to our work, Nagi and I don't follow your ranking system anymore."
"Huh?"
Naruto blinked.
"To put it simply—my current position is roughly equivalent to a Jōnin. Possibly even higher."
"WHAT?! No way! Sasuke, you're already Jōnin-level?!"
Naruto refused to believe it.
"Hmph! I'll go to Granny Tsunade right now and demand an S-Rank mission! I'll become Hokage in no time! Just you wait, Sasuke!"
With that, Naruto stormed out.
[Naruto Uzumaki: Wait, Granny Tsunade… Are Nagi and Sasuke really equivalent to Jōnin?]
[Tsunade: Nagi currently serves as the head of Root. His authority surpasses even that of the elders.]
[Jiraiya: Sasuke functions as his right hand. In most cases, even Jōnin take orders from him.]
[Naruto Uzumaki: So I'm the lowest rank among us?!]
[Konohamaru Sarutobi: Hehehe, don't worry, Naruto-brother! You can take the Chūnin Exams with us next time!]
[Moegi Kazamatsuri: Yes, Naruto-brother, please guide us!]
[Udon Ise: Please take care of us.]
[Naruto Uzumaki: ...]
Wait… I have to take the Chūnin Exams with those three little kids?!
Hokage Tower
"What? Escorting a shipment of gold bars? That's a C-Rank mission! Don't you have anything more thrilling?"
Naruto complained loudly.
Tsunade shut him down immediately.
"Missions are assigned step by step. And this is for your safety."
Naruto continued grumbling—
When suddenly, a shinobi rushed in with an urgent document.
Tsunade accepted it without delay and began reading.
At first, her brows furrowed.
Then they relaxed slightly.
But by the end, her expression was solemn.
She looked at Kakashi and the others.
"The Akatsuki have begun moving."
Everyone stiffened.
Naruto blurted out first,
"The Akatsuki? The one Sasuke's brother joined?"
"Yes."
Kakashi narrowed his visible eye.
"Their target is the Tailed Beasts. So they've started capturing them."
Tsunade nodded.
"They attacked SunagaShiranui Kūre. Kazekage Gaara was nearly taken by two Akatsuki members. Fortunately, our people arrived in time."
Naruto let out a breath of relief.
"Thank goodness Gaara's okay."
Kakashi gazed out the window.
"So it begins…"
Tsunade corrected him.
"No. It began earlier."
Shiranui Kūra spoke up.
"Shishō… During the Chūnin Exams?"
"Yes. TakigaShiranui Kūre's leader contacted me about missing participants. At first, I assumed it was a simple disappearance. But when Gaara's letter confirmed that Fū was a Jinchūriki, everything became clear."
Shiranui Kūra asked,
"Was it Itachi Uchiha and his partner?"
"No. After attacking you, they left the Land of Wind. So it was likely someone else."
Naruto gasped.
"You ran into Sasuke's brother?! Shiranui Kūra, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine, Naruto. I was only lightly injured. We were lucky—a sandstorm suddenly hit, and Itachi and his partner withdrew."
Naruto laughed nervously.
"Wow, you've got great luck, Shiranui Kūra!"
Tsunade sighed inwardly.
(Luck? If that sandstorm hadn't occurred, Nagi would've dealt with them completely…)
She shook her head.
And that brat didn't even report to me before rushing off to SunagaShiranui Kūre.
In the end, Naruto reluctantly departed with Kakashi to complete the escort mission.
One Day Later
Temari, leisurely traveling back toward SunagaShiranui Kūre, unexpectedly encountered KanShiranui Kūrō and a delegation heading toward KonohagaShiranui Kūre.
"KanShiranui Kūrō? On a mission?"
"Something like that, sis. Since you're here, come along."
"Ah—alright."
Along the way, KanShiranui Kūrō explained everything that had happened.
Temari froze.
Gaara was attacked? Nearly taken by the Akatsuki?
So much happened while I was gone?!
But when she heard that someone from Konoha had saved Gaara, she finally relaxed.
She resolved to personally express her gratitude.
Hokage Tower
After reading Nagi's more detailed report, Tsunade nodded.
"Since you were the one who saved them, you'll handle accepting their gratitude."
Then she asked,
"But I still don't understand. Why do you insist on hiding your true identity? Theoretically speaking, there are few left who can threaten you."
Nagi paused.
"Don't be fooled by appearances. The waters run deep."
With that, he adjusted his fox mask and departed.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
complete fic (all chapters ) are already up on Patreon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789