"Hm?"
Hearing that hesitant sound, Chiba instinctively turned back, his gaze landing on one of the two guards stationed at the Hokage Building.
That hesitant sound had come from him.
Uh...
It was them!
As his gaze settled on them, a flash of recognition struck Chiba. The two guards looked very familiar—they were acquaintances. And they seemed rather fated; every time he came to the Hokage Building, he ran into these two brothers.
They were the two ninja guards of the Hokage Building who always liked to tease him whenever he arrived or left.
And now, as they looked at Chiba, both guard ninja wore hesitant expressions, as if afraid they had mistaken him for someone else.
"Chiba, are you really... Chiba?"
At that moment, as Chiba's gaze settled on them, the other guard ninja could not help taking a step forward and asking.
"Of course I am."
Seeing their movements and expressions, Chiba felt an inexplicable warmth in his chest. He stepped forward a few paces and replied.
The hesitation on their faces—the way they wanted to be happy yet feared they had identified the wrong person—was filled with sincere concern.
"Really?"
The first guard who had spoken still asked uncertainly.
"Of course!"
Chiba could not help walking a few steps closer, letting them get a better look at him.
"This... his skin got better? He looks a little like a girl. Was Chiba's skin always this good?"
Once he drew closer, the two surrounded him. After the second guard carefully examined him from top to bottom, some doubt still remained on his face. Stroking his chin, he asked the guard beside him.
"Mm... now that you mention it, you're right! Chiba never had skin this nice. It's like a girl's."
Hearing his old teammate, the guard who had