Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 192 Red Bean Cake, President Cat

The team took seventeen days to reach the Land of Owls, but only a moment to return. The aftermath of this matter couldn't be resolved within the Land of Owls' territory; both sides' ninjas had to return to report and await the final judgment of the two daimyo. Kashiwagi wasn't the type to sit idly by. When the Sand Village dispersed back to their homeland, he intercepted Gaara alone in a border city. Anyone with eyes could see the Sand Village's decline; after careful consideration, only Gaara, with his potential, was most likely to become Kazekage, or rather, he was destined to become Kazekage.

All the Kazekage throughout history have been Magnet Release ninjas. This bloodline, unique to Sunagakure, has become a spiritual symbol in a sense. As long as Gaara is the strongest Magnet Release ninja of this generation, he will inevitably be placed in that position. The only difference is whether he is merely a symbol or truly wields real power.

Even disregarding the strong affirmation from the leader, Jinlun, Gaara was one of Hui's targets. During this journey, he clearly felt the positive aspects of the new society and reciprocated with equal goodwill. This was a significant signal, and the reason Hui was willing to take a gamble on him.

As Bai Shan subtly revealed the details of the second Silk Road, Naruto, who was forced to act as a transit point off-site, tried to calm his overly nervous seniors.

No problem.

Izuna was utterly exasperated. "Are you even a ninja? Don't you have any precautions against outsiders?"

"I understand your sympathy for those in the same boat, but emotions cannot supersede official duties." Tobirama also felt this was inappropriate and chimed in.

Naruto couldn't reveal what Gaara would look like in the future, so he could only stubbornly insist: "This is the result of rational analysis!"

"Alright, alright, Tobirama, shut up. Isn't this going smoothly?" Hashirama began to smooth things over.

Fugaku then brought up a new topic, saying, "Speaking of which, wasn't there another dangerous person here? What should we do with that guy?"

"Isn't he going back to Konoha with Kakashi-sensei? I'm going to scare him a bit; it's his fault for always running off to Konoha." Naruto had already come up with a plausible reason to expose that guy—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a reason that the other party had offered up on him!

"Should we capture him?" Hashirama's interest was piqued; he had disliked this man for a long time.

Ordinary people wouldn't dare cause trouble using Madara Uchiha's name, so that guy is most likely Madara's successor. Only someone who has met the real Madara could imitate his tone and voice so perfectly, but his behavior and Sharingan power are completely different from Madara's. Ultimately, that guy is just a clumsy imitator. Hashirama had been curious about this masked man's identity for a long time. The only time he could think of the man was during the years Madara ran away from home. Perhaps the man was just a child then, well hidden by Madara, while Hashirama himself gradually lost control of his Wood Release chakra after that, his body declining and his mind failing as well, so he didn't notice anything unusual. If he could catch him, perhaps he could ask if the man had kept anything secret...

However, Naruto's voice ruthlessly shattered the illusion.

"Isn't it a bit too much to capture someone in the very first encounter? Will Akatsuki retaliate?"

"Let's focus on testing the waters first. The key is to get Kakashi to see him." As an Uchiha, Izuna understood his clan's logic all too well. Once the theft of the offerings was confirmed, the masked man would probably never set foot in Konoha again. Was this guy, who only dared to secretly spy, really raised by his brother? So cowardly! He should at least show up on some mission, get into a fight or something...

"Are you planning to tell Kakashi in advance?" Tobirama asked.

"Hmm, although I might not recognize her... just what if?"

"You mean, you sensed a chakra that frequently appears in Konoha from the Land of Owls?" Kakashi tried to understand Naruto's words, his expression gradually becoming serious. "'Appears'—is that what you mean?"

“Yes, he appears intermittently.” Naruto nodded affirmatively. “His location and time of appearance are unpredictable, so I always thought I was just overlooking him and that he was just an ANBU member on a long mission who returned a while before I noticed him. Now that I think about it, he clearly ‘appeared suddenly.’”

Why are you so sure?

"Because he suddenly appeared from the east to the west of the city in Savile, disappearing for a short time in between. And when we entered the city this time, he also appeared in the teahouse by the roadside. I observed him up close and found that his chakra was very strange, a bit like... your Wood Release friend."

Kakashi's heart skipped a beat. He knew all too well how Tenzo acquired his Wood Release. Could it be that the guy also had Hashirama's cells transplanted? It seemed that the seriousness of this matter needed to be raised to the highest level. But... why didn't Naruto mention this before submitting the report?

"Did you discover anything else?"

Naruto looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, but his eyes remained fixed on him.

"So, it's a discovery related to me." His heart was racing involuntarily; he didn't understand why he had suddenly become nervous.

"Yes, I think he has something to do with you, Kakashi-sensei, because he always appears when you are in the cemetery, and after you leave, he will wait a while before disappearing."

The cramped studio apartment was eerily quiet. Kakashi felt as if he had even slowed his breathing. Many thoughts raced through his mind, but he couldn't grasp any of them. When he came to his senses, his mind was still blank, as if he was instinctively avoiding some possibility.

“Since the other party’s appearances are patterned…” Kakashi managed to squeeze out the words from his throat, “we can try to catch him.”

Grab him! Once you have him, all your questions will be answered!

It was time for the usual grave-sweeping ceremony again. Kakashi, carrying flowers and red bean cakes, entered the cemetery. Long ago, he was just a child, with a strong urge to confide. Every time he came, he would recount his recent events in detail, enjoying it immensely. But from some point onward, standing here, he could only remain silent. As usual, he would visit his old friends, sweeping the dust from their tombstones, and then he could only stare silently at their glaring names, afraid that the two in the afterlife would know of his despair.

He is indeed still alive, but that's all.

"Sorry, I've been on a long mission lately and haven't been able to visit you all for a while," Kakashi said with a smile. "It seems like Lady Tsunade isn't going to let me off the hook, I can only squeeze in a visit to her grave. I brought flowers and freshly baked red bean cakes, remember to eat them while they're hot."

Then, he turned around and walked out step by step, neither fast nor slow, just like usual.