Arriving in Konoha

Chapter 11: Arriving in Konoha

Land of Fire, Konoha.

Shimiya Aoba, mixed in with a group of children, looked around curiously like everyone else. Compared to the other children, however, his eyes held slightly less numbness and unease.

But no one noticed this small difference.

"Thanks for the effort."

After verifying the identity of the jonin leading the group, the guard at the village gate let them pass and remarked with a sigh.

"If Minato hadn't turned the tide and foiled Iwagakure's plot, who knows how much longer this war would have lasted." The jonin leading the group sighed as well.

"By the way, you've only just returned, so you probably haven't heard yet. A few days ago, the defeated Sunagakure also signed a new peace treaty with us. Now only Kumogakure hasn't given us any news. But they're no cause for concern either. The war should end soon."

"Really? That's wonderful! Well, I'd better get these brats to report the completion of the mission. After your shift, drinks are on me!"

"Then it's a deal. Hahaha."

After entering the famous Konoha, Aoba did his best to keep a low profile and avoid standing out while recalling the news he had just heard.

It seemed that this was the point in time when Konoha had once again risen to the top of the shinobi world and forced the other great nations to sign treaties acknowledging their defeat.

Jiraiya and the other two of the Legendary Sannin should have already left one after another, but Konoha, this old camel, was still the final victor of the war.

The period ahead should be relatively peaceful, until that major incident occurred and forcibly dragged the Third Shinobi World War, which should have already ended, back into the mire...

As Aoba recalled the relevant plot from this period, he followed the other children all the way to Konoha Hospital.

"This is the last batch, right?"

After confirming the mission documents, a medical ninja wearing a Konoha forehead protector asked in a flat tone.

The jonin leading the group put away the mission scroll and nodded. "All the war orphans we could find are here. There are forty-two in total. My mission is over, so the rest is up to you."

The medical ninja nodded. Then several more people came out from inside and led the war orphans in.

Although all the major shinobi villages urgently needed to increase their populations, bringing back the war orphans was not the end of the matter. They still needed to undergo a series of examinations and receive both physical and psychological treatment. After all, most of those who had narrowly survived had suffered injuries and illnesses. They had also endured despair, such as witnessing their family members being killed. To claim they had no psychological problems at all would simply be self-deception.

So bringing them to the hospital for treatment first made it easier to win their goodwill. It also gave them a chance to relax and eliminated some potential trouble.

It also allowed the village to record their information and identify promising talents for specialized training. Kekkei Genkai, for example. They were rare, but among the war orphans gathered during the several Shinobi World Wars, there were always a few hidden gems. It was practically like drawing a lottery ticket.

After being put through the wringer for an entire afternoon, Aoba had to admit that Konoha was quite capable in this area. The medical ninja system established by Tsunade, in particular, was truly eye-opening.

For someone like him, whose young body housed an adult soul, being carefully treated by these gentle older sisters, then being given a bath and changed into clean new clothes, helped him relax considerably and develop a favorable impression of Konoha.

The other little brats needed no explanation. Their previously lifeless faces seemed to regain their vitality, and anticipation had returned to their eyes.

"Name."

"Shimiya Aoba."

"Do you remember which village you used to live in?"

"Mm. Tachibana Village."

"Who was in your family? Is anyone still alive?"

"Just my parents. They're both dead."

Aoba answered calmly, but the person asking the questions was used to it. There were simply too many children like him who had become numb after suffering tremendous upheaval and trauma. They would recover after some time.

"Have you ever received ninja training, or do you possess any special talents?"

He knew that this was the crucial question. It would determine what identity he would use to remain here in the future.

First of all, becoming a ninja was a necessity.

Since his mission was to infiltrate this place, and the reward was linked to the scale of the trouble he caused, an ordinary civilian identity would not suit him.

Second, as an undercover agent, being too conspicuous would not be wise. Otherwise, he would be easily exposed.

So after thinking it over, he decided to reveal part of his special nature and develop quietly in secret.

Although this would increase the risk of exposure and might even arouse suspicion, his identity could withstand investigation. As long as he maintained the right balance between mediocrity and excellence, there should be no problem.

Thus, he hesitantly glanced at the gentle older sister in front of him before lowering his head timidly.

She noticed every one of his reactions. Then he heard her ask in an even gentler voice, "Don't be afraid. Konoha is one harmonious family, and from now on, you're a member of that family too. We're only asking these questions because we want to help you. After all, special abilities often come with great risks, and you might accidentally hurt someone if you aren't careful. Don't you agree?"

Pretending to look convinced, Aoba mustered his courage and said, "I don't know if this counts as a special ability, but while I was hiding everywhere, I ran into danger once and discovered that my skin had suddenly become very hard."

The older sister listened intently while rapidly recording everything with her pen. Her eyes seemed to brighten, and she gently coaxed him, "Can you use it and let Big Sister take a look?"

After hesitating for a moment, Aoba nodded. He slowly extended his right hand while activating Hardening in his mind.

At LV0, Hardening merely caused an extra layer of callus-like tissue to form over his right hand.

But when the other person saw the change, she was quite surprised, and a hint of excitement appeared on her face. She probably had not expected to actually hit the jackpot.

Even if this ability was not a Kekkei Genkai, it should still be an extremely rare ability.

The gentle older sister nodded inwardly and reached out to touch his right hand. She found that it had indeed become somewhat harder. It was only harder than ordinary flesh and blood, not harder than stone or steel, but he was only four or five years old and had just awakened this ability. He certainly still had enormous potential to develop.

She then asked a few more questions about the ability and its details before finally putting down her pen with satisfaction.