Konoha's Great Hero

Among the Five Great Ninja Villages, based on their construction and main purposes, they could roughly be divided into three categories.

Iwagakure and Kumogakure belonged to the first category. Both villages were built among towering mountains and deep valleys, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Their layouts and everyday atmosphere were much like military fortresses.

Of course, they had shops and a sense of everyday life, too—it was just that the military atmosphere was stronger.

Sunagakure and Kirigakure were ordinary villages, with a strong sense of everyday life and nothing particularly remarkable about them. They were simply towns where the village's Ninja, their families, and civilians lived.

What about Konoha?

Though it was called a village, Konoha was actually closer to a city with commercial and tourist attractions. It had a strong commercial atmosphere, and merchants coming to do business and tourists arriving to sightsee poured in year after year. It was always bustling.

Today, Konoha was even livelier than usual.

The reason was that Heavenly Flying Immortal Uchiha Jiang Feng, who had foiled Kumogakure's evil plot single-handedly, beaten the Son of the Raikage until he begged for mercy on his knees, and slain more than three hundred Kumogakure Jonin, was about to return in triumph.

At least, that was the rumor going around.

To demoralize Konoha, the shameless people of Kumogakure publicly announced that the Sannin, Princess Tsunade, had become an invalid, exposing Konoha as a hunter with a dead rat stuffed in his pocket.

Konoha immediately hit back with a fierce counteroffensive. First, it sternly condemned Kumogakure and denounced it for starting a war without warning in an attempt to destroy peace in the Ninja World, calling it a sinner of the Ninja World.

Then it emphasized the fact that the Son of the Raikage, Lao Da, had been defeated twice by Konoha Ninja in a short period, with particular focus on the battle in Tanzaku Town. That mere Lao Da was nothing but our village's Jiang Feng's Number One Son!

With the Hokage Office's tacit approval, and even encouragement, the news and literary professionals of the Land of Fire went all out. By the next morning, the streets and alleys were full of stories and legends about Uchiha Jiang Feng.

He was a peerless talent, capable of overpowering the Son of the Raikage and more than three hundred Jonin-level fighters at just sixteen.

He was loyal and righteous, finding friends wherever he went. He never had to pay for a meal; his friends always treated him.

He was handsome and charming, and all it took was a slight smile to win the hearts of countless young women and married ladies.

He was Konoha's great hero!

"This is ridiculous!"

Asuma squeezed through the thronging crowd and complained, "He killed more than three hundred Kumogakure Jonin in one battle? Are the Land of Fire's news reporters really that ignorant? Does Kumogakure even know it has that many Jonin?"

Konoha had only around four hundred Jonin and Special Jonin combined. Kumogakure certainly couldn't have more than Konoha.

"They're just rumors. It's understandable if they're a little exaggerated. The important thing is that Jiang Feng really did foil Kumogakure's plot."

The young Kurenai Yuhi cheerfully defended her big brother. She believed he deserved every bit of praise, even if some of it was a little exaggerated.

The past few days had been the happiest time for Kurenai in years.

The villagers and her friends found new ways to praise her big brother's great deeds every day. Just listening to them made Kurenai happy.

The only thing that bothered her was that some second-rate news and literary professionals, in an effort to emphasize her big brother's charm, had made up absurd stories about Tsunade falling in love with him at first sight. Worse, those stories were actually quite popular.

Everyone loved a hero-and-beauty story, and the hero naturally had to be paired with at least one beauty. Since Kurenai wasn't famous enough, the ignorant writers could only concoct tales of a young hero and an older big sister.

Kurenai was furious—furious enough to want to track down and beat those people spreading baseless, salacious rumors. Unfortunately, they knew the identity of the story's heroine was a sensitive matter, so they published their novels and stories under pseudonyms.

Since she couldn't track down the people spreading the rumors, she'd fight fire with fire. Kurenai decided to write a novel of her own. The protagonist would naturally be her big brother, and she would of course be the heroine.

She hadn't written a single word yet, but Kurenai was confident that her novel would be a hit as soon as it came out. Then everyone would know that she was her big brother's soon-to-be girlfriend.

Kakashi's sudden question interrupted the girl's daydream.

"So about how many Jonin were there that day?"

"Teacher Shinku said at least twenty or thirty. The rest were elite Chunin, bringing the total to nearly a hundred. Add the Raikage's son, and even the old man might not have been able to fight his way out."

The old man Asuma mentioned was the Third Generation Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Jiang Feng's strength and rate of progress really are absurdly impressive," Kakashi said with a shake of his head.

Naturally, he didn't believe the rumors that Jiang Feng had beaten the Son of the Raikage to his knees and killed three hundred Jonin.

But the fact that he could escape a hopeless encirclement like that while carrying Tsunade, who had become an invalid, meant his strength was still terrifying.

Jiang Feng had undoubtedly become a Ninja who could stand alongside Teacher Minato, the Sannin, and even a Village Leader. In short, he was a Kage Level powerhouse.

Kage Level, huh?

Kakashi had only just begun to edge into Jonin territory, while Jiang Feng was already Kage Level. He had known for a long time that the gap between them would be huge, but he hadn't expected it to be this vast.

Now, all he could do was play a supporting role in Jiang Feng's story.

"He's a few years older than us, and he's an Uchiha—plus, he's a genius. It's not impossible for him to be this strong. What matters is that we're still young. We still have a chance!"

Asuma clenched his fist, fired up with determination. He marveled at his friend's strength and success, but also felt inspired. He had to work twice as hard himself.

"Yeah."

Kakashi gave a slight nod.

He could marvel at his friend's strength and talent and clearly recognize the gap between them, but he would never sink into self-pity or give up because of their temporary difference in strength.

A worthy rival was more gratifying than a worthy friend.

Jiang Feng was both their friend and their formidable rival. Wasn't that all the more precious?

Suddenly, the crowd gathered at the village entrance grew noisy. A black-haired kid of eight or nine, with delicate features, came running from the end of the road outside the village, his short legs pumping.

Kurenai and the others recognized him. He was [Shisui, Jiang Feng's little brother who wasn't his biological brother], and he had a good relationship with Jiang Feng.

"Brother Jiang Feng and Lady Tsunade will reach Konoha in just one kilometer!"

Shisui called out as he ran, then dashed up to Kurenai and the others to claim his reward.

"Great!"

Young Kurenai cheered. "Go check again, go check again!"

"Ah, I have to go again?"

Shisui looked troubled. He'd already run back and forth five or six times. Why was it so hard to earn a little pocket money?

The villagers raised banners, ready to welcome the great hero who was about to arrive in Konoha. Kakashi stopped Shisui, whom Kurenai had just sent running off again.

"There's no need to check again when he's only a kilometer away. Go back to the Uchiha Clan Compound and tell Minister Fugaku and the others."

Jiang Feng's triumphant return wasn't just good news for Konoha; it was good news for the Uchiha, too. Even if the people of Konoha had never treated Jiang Feng as a typical Uchiha.

Shisui didn't say anything. He just stood there, looking at his big brother's soon-to-be girlfriend.

Kurenai counted out a handful of change and handed it to Shisui.

Shisui took the money and darted away. It wasn't safe to hang around here, because besides Lady Tsunade, there was also a beautiful woman beside his big brother.

It was hard to say whether that woman or Kurenai was prettier. Kurenai hadn't grown into her looks yet, but that woman was about the same age as his big brother. Standing beside him, she was definitely a better match for him than Kurenai.

Shisui didn't tell Kurenai about this. He knew his big brother would find a way to deal with it, but he was afraid that Kurenai would withhold the rest of his payment if she got angry.