"But what if I can't defeat Gaara, Teacher Chen Fan...?"
"Whatever. What a hassle." With that, Chen Fan turned and left.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Might Guy and Rock Lee bowed toward Chen Fan's departing back. Chen Fan merely waved his hand.
The Third Hokage, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu had witnessed all of this. This ninjutsu had been observing Chen Fan's movements the entire time. They could even read the expression on Chen Fan's face when he happened to pass by the hospital, then turned back to visit Rock Lee.
The three of them had also witnessed some of the things Chen Fan did afterward. Though he could be rather unreliable at times, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu had to admit that Chen Fan possessed tremendous personal charisma. He was the sort of person born to stand above others.
"I heard he made a deal with Orochimaru."
"Yes. He was bold yet meticulous, using his own strength and schemes to make Orochimaru remove Anko's Curse Mark. In truth, he barely paid anything at all."
"But his origins have always remained a mystery."
"Leave that matter to Kurenai and Anko. I believe they will produce an accurate result."
Time flew by. Chen Fan spent his days developing his brain, occasionally patrolling the village, dating Kurenai and Anko along the way. Whenever some Daimyo arrived, he would act as a bodyguard. At night, he indulged in revelry after revelry. Chen Fan had to admit that whoever had developed that Sealing Technique was a genius. His days were quite fulfilling.
Kakashi took Sasuke away to train while protecting him. Naruto also encountered Jiraiya at the hot springs and trained with him there. Hinata, Shino, and Kiba were all undergoing their respective training in preparation for the third stage of the Chunin Exam.