Chapter 120: Good Advice is Wasted on the Doomed
Tsk, tsk, tsk, the quality isn't very good.
Looking at the chakra metal in his hand, Haruko curled his lips, "It's not as high quality as what I purify."
The goal of coming to Hidden Cloud Village had been achieved, but since this persona had been maintained for several days and might be useful later, Haruko decided to play the act to the end.
In the afternoon, Atsui came running to find him excitedly.
"Yoriichi-sensei! I passed the selection!" The boy waved his fist, his face overflowing with excitement, "And the team leader is Lord Darui! One of the most powerful Jonin in the Village!"
"Not only that, I heard that Lord Shi and Lord Nurui are also accompanying us. This is the strongest Chunin Exams lineup Kumogakure has sent out in recent years."
He added proudly, because he was also one of that "strongest lineup."
"I see... Congratulations. Lord Darui is very strong; you can learn swordsmanship from him."
Haruko nodded, his face remaining that stiff, poker-faced expression—but a strange feeling flashed through his heart.
Darui is a Kage-level candidate with great potential, Shi is an all-around sensory and medical expert, and Nurui specializes in setting traps.
This lineup is too comprehensive; it doesn't look like a team of instructors, but rather an elite squad going to execute some kind of mission.
'No wonder Kumogakure would accept the invitation..."
The Fourth Raikage seems to have a bad temper, but he is actually very shrewd.
If Konoha reveals a weakness, this squad could turn into man-eating beasts at any moment.
'Tsk, how annoying. They just have to come to Konoha to cause trouble. I need to hurry back and start creating the Barrier Ninjutsu."
"In that case, I wish you success in your martial endeavors." Haruko bowed slightly, striking a farewell pose.
"Yoriichi-sensei, are you leaving already?" Samui stepped forward, a hint of reluctance showing in her blue-green eyes.
"I have stayed for many days. As a practitioner, one should not remain in one place for too long."
Atsui was also a bit disappointed, but immediately changed his mood: "Yoriichi-sensei, if I make it to the finals, will you come to watch?"
"If you really make it to the finals, we will meet again. But I do not wish for you to push yourself too hard."
Haruko looked at Atsui with a calm gaze, "This joint Chunin Exams is likely not as simple as it appears on the surface. Please be extra careful. Especially... watch your mouth. Trouble comes from the mouth; I assume you understand that principle."
Although he didn't care much about Atsui's life or death, after all, they had spent a few days together, and he had helped him get the chakra metal, so Haruko still gave him a reminder.
Especially that loose mouth that dared to say anything.
"Oh! It's a deal then! I will definitely make it to the finals."
Atsui clearly hadn't taken the warning to heart; his attention was entirely focused on the first half of the sentence.
Haruko saw this and didn't try to persuade him further.
Good advice is wasted on the doomed. Some things can only be truly understood after suffering a loss.
Samui, on the side, lowered her head, deep in thought.
...
Yoriichi-sensei left the Village in a high-profile manner to continue his wandering practice, and many in the Kumogakure swordsmanship circle came to see him off.
After leaving the Village, Haruko didn't even wait to rendezvous with Asuma and Kurenai—though he had already greeted them—and immediately hurried back to Konoha Village, slipping into the Hokage Office.
"...The above is the intelligence I gathered in the identity of the Ronin Yoriichi."
Haruko briefly reported his itinerary.
Of course, he concealed the mining and "Yoriichi's" true combat power, only mentioning the strength and specialties of the three instructors, and emphasizing the status of Darui and Shi as the right and left hands of the Fourth Raikage.
"Hmm, thank you for your hard work, Haruko." The Third Hokage nodded, not asking for more details.
He clearly understood what Haruko meant—this team likely had other motives.
"The Village will handle Kumogakure's movements. You've been tired during this time, so go back and rest first. Keep your spirits up and prepare to deal with the upcoming Chunin Exams."
...
Walking on the road back to the Ramen Shop, Haruko keenly noticed some changes—the frequency of Patrol Guards patrolling around the Ichiraku Ramen Shop had noticeably increased.
Especially those Uchiha Clan Members with the fan emblem embroidered on their backs; when passing the Ramen Shop, they would always subconsciously slow their pace, their eyes scanning the suspicious corners around them.
'Sent by Fugaku?"
Although Uchiha no longer monopolized the Police Force, nearly half of the Patrol Guards were still Uchiha Clan Members, and Fugaku's influence remained.
Haruko looked at the serious faces of those Uchiha Clan Members, the corners of his mouth slightly rising.
He truly felt that his weight in this world was changing.
Pushing open the curtain of the Ramen Shop, the familiar aroma rushed to his face.
"Dear, you're back."
Kaguya Kaede was in the shop helping Teuchi clean up. Seeing Haruko enter, she put down the bowls and chopsticks and walked over.
Her eyes scanned Haruko, and after confirming he wasn't injured, her tense body relaxed slightly.
"Hmm, I'm back." Haruko gently hugged her.
"Oh! Haruko is back!" Teuchi poked his head out from the kitchen, revealing his signature smile, "This mission took quite a while. Sit down and rest for a bit; the ramen will be ready soon."
Perhaps wanting to leave space for Kaede, he greeted Haruko and returned to the kitchen.
"Is everything okay at the shop?"
Haruko sat down at the bar, and Kaede massaged his shoulders from behind.
"Hmm, nothing major happened. If there was even a small issue, Patrol Guards would rush over. We haven't had to use the Barrier Ninjutsu you left behind."
"Is that so? That's good..."
"Did the 'mission' go smoothly?"
"Very smoothly." Haruko touched the storage scroll in his ninja tool pouch, "The Fortress Project can begin."
Not long after, Teuchi placed a steaming bowl of ramen in front of Haruko.
"Old man, the shop can pretty much start expanding now." Haruko said while eating the noodles.
"Hmm..." Teuchi frowned, "But with the Joint Chunin Exams about to be held, it's the prime time for business..."
"Don't worry, old man, we can work on other areas first and remodel the current shop last. I will help, so the actual time we have to close the shop shouldn't exceed three days."
"...Alright, I'll listen to you."
Seeing Haruko's serious expression, Teuchi knew this matter was really important, so he agreed.
"Oh right, Haruko. In the two days you were away, someone came looking for you."
As if remembering something, Teuchi pulled a note from under the counter.
"Besides acquaintances, someone named " Kagero " came looking for you."
Teuchi frowned and recalled: "He said he would wait for you at a nearby inn, and if you're not in a rush, he wants you to go see him after you return. Is that a friend you met on a previous mission?"
Haruko took the note with the address on it, feeling somewhat surprised.
Kagero from the Fuma Clan?
They had interacted when searching for Jiraiya in the Land of Rice Fields, but they didn't have a deep friendship.
Several possibilities flashed through Haruko's mind, but none provided a definitive answer.
'She wouldn't be looking for me to catch up, would she... Forget it, I'll know once I meet her."
Stuffing the note into his chest, looking at the steaming ramen in front of him, Haruko decided to eat his fill first.
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