A bright moon hung high in the sky.
Seeing that his coworkers had more or less finished eating and drinking, Sawada Hagoromo got up and went straight to pay the bill.
After saying goodbye to his coworkers, Hagoromo headed home alone.
As soon as he entered, Hagoromo crouched to take off his shoes and used the motion to carefully sense what was happening inside his home.
What's this?
Though the difference was subtle, Hagoromo detected a tiny trace of Chakra on a ceiling beam.
It seems to be... a bug?
The Aburame Clan?
Hagoromo walked into the room with a calm expression, wondering who was behind it.
The Third?
Doesn't seem likely. The Third has plenty of other ways to plant something like this.
And if it isn't the Third, there's only one obvious possibility.
The leader of Root, the Pot Kage, Shimura Danzō!
As he thought, Hagoromo took a change of clothes from his bedroom wardrobe and headed to the washroom to clean up.
As for the bug, there was no rush.
Once inside the washroom, Hagoromo dropped his expression and pondered why Shimura Danzō had suddenly sent a subordinate to spy on him.
He didn't seem to have done anything out of line lately.
Hmm?
Something occurred to Hagoromo. He casually turned on the shower, filling the washroom with the sound of running water.
"Because of Naruto?"
The rhetorical question, certain of its answer, flashed through Hagoromo's mind, and his expression gradually turned cold.
He had lain low in this world for more than ten years before finally getting a system. If a piece of trash like that made him hold back,
then his trip to this world would have been for nothing.
I'm already here, so I might as well go for it! (I have a system anyway~)
Hagoromo turned off the shower, and the sound of water stopped. After changing into clean clothes, he opened the washroom door and stepped out.
When he saw the bug flying aimlessly around the room, having started while he was in the washroom, an idea occurred to him.
With a flip of his right hand, a Kunai appeared in his palm, and he hurled it out.
As he did, he said, "Looks like summer's almost here. The bugs are starting to come out and be a nuisance."
Bang~
As soon as he finished speaking, the Kunai pinned the bug to the ceiling beam with a sound.
After doing all that, Hagoromo rubbed his neck and prepared to return to his bedroom and go straight to sleep.
Being a teacher really wasn't easy, after all.
Underground in Konoha, at Root's headquarters.
Aburame Torune, who had been following Shimura Danzō, suddenly stopped. Seeing this, Yamanaka Fū, who was beside him, asked in confusion:
"Torune, what is it?"
Hearing him, Shimura Danzō, who was walking ahead, also stopped and turned around.
"Lord Danzo, the surveillance bug I sent out just died."
Aburame Torune, wearing a mask that left only his mouth exposed, bowed slightly and spoke respectfully to Shimura Danzō.
"Was it discovered?"
Shimura Danzō's eye, the one not covered by bandages, narrowed slightly as he frowned and asked.
"Probably not. The last information it sent indicated that the person under surveillance thought it was an ordinary bug."
Aburame Torune thought for a moment, then shook his head as he answered.
Aburame Torune possessed a special ability even among the Aburame Clan: his body hosted highly venomous, nano-sized poisonous insects.
That was why Shimura Danzō had taken an interest in him. As for his secret insect-controlling technique, he believed no one in his clan could match him.
He had already used this method to spy on no fewer than ten or so Jonin.
It made no sense that those Jonin hadn't noticed, yet an ordinary Chunin from the Ninja Academy would.
"Continue. Take care to remain hidden. I need to know his every move."
Shimura Danzō said nothing more, turning away as he spoke indifferently.
With that, he headed farther inside. He had plenty of other things to attend to.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't made Sawada Hagoromo the Nine-Tails' homeroom teacher, he wouldn't have given him a second glance.
"Yes, Lord Danzo!"
Behind him, Aburame Torune dropped to one knee and answered loudly.
After going upstairs and entering his bedroom, Hagoromo pushed the window open and leaned against it, looking outside.
In all the years since he had come to this world, when he was alone, he had mostly liked to sit somewhere high and watch the comings and goings below.
It was another way to relax.
He could also clear his mind and think about things.
Tap—
A barely noticeable footstep sounded on the neighboring roof.
It interrupted Hagoromo's thoughts. Putting them aside, he instinctively looked toward the sound.
A dark figure leaped lightly from the roof and raced ahead.
When the figure landed on another roof, Hagoromo got a clear look at his outfit.
He wore an Anbu uniform and a mask that looked somewhat like a cat. It didn't have many markings, though; a red inverted triangle was painted on its forehead.
Uchiha Itachi?
Judging by his build, it was probably him. If Hagoromo remembered correctly, Uchiha Itachi had been on a mission the day Sasuke enrolled.
And that mission had something to do with Uchiha Itachi's chance to join the Anbu?
As Hagoromo watched Uchiha Itachi recede into the distance, Uchiha Itachi seemed to sense him and glanced his way.
A flicker of emotion passed through the eyes beneath the mask, but he didn't stop, continuing toward his original destination.
Hagoromo roughly determined the direction. It was where the Hokage Building stood.
He thought no more about it and reached out to close the window. A moment later, the light in the room went out.
The night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre is probably coming soon, isn't it?
But first, the right course was to grow stronger himself.
With that thought, Hagoromo closed his eyes. Next, it remained to be seen how much of a surprise his students could bring him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the terrace of the Hokage Building, puffing on his pipe as he gazed up at the statues of the past Hokage.
At last, his gaze lingered on the somewhat younger statue of the Fourth, and his thoughts drifted away.
Tap—
The sound of a foot landing rang out. Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled himself from his thoughts and turned to look.
The mask he had been wearing was now removed, revealing an excessively young face before Hiruzen Sarutobi in the moonlight.
Looking at Uchiha Itachi, who was already kneeling on one knee and waiting respectfully for him, Hiruzen Sarutobi waited a long time before asking:
"Is the mission complete?"
"Lord Third, it is complete."
Uchiha Itachi spoke without a trace of emotion, as though nothing could catch his attention.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded at this, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked over to Uchiha Itachi.
"Today was your younger brother's first day at school. I saw him; he seemed very youthful."
Uchiha Itachi knelt on one knee, his face showing no reaction. Upon close observation, however, a trace of guilt could be seen flashing through his eyes, which had been like an abyss.
As a veteran ninja, the Third naturally noticed it, but said nothing.
Instead, he asked, "Itachi, do you remember that Chunin I asked you to observe half a year ago?"
Though the Third's question was somewhat vague, Uchiha Itachi understood at once.
"I remember, Lord Third."
"What do you think of him?"
Hearing this, the Third Hokage nodded slightly and asked.
"Very ordinary... but fairly alert."
Uchiha Itachi gave a brief answer. He had added the last part because of what he had just experienced.