Registration

"Huh, it's already this late?"

Naruto glanced up at the high-hanging moon.

"This is your first time in Konoha, right? You don't have anywhere to stay?"

"Now that you mention it, I really don't. I was planning to camp out here and head into Konoha to register tomorrow."

Jimo smiled.

"That won't do! Enemy ninjas show up around here all the time!"

Naruto recalled the time he'd been tricked into coming nearby to look for enemy ninjas and nearly got killed by a kunai. He quickly shook his head.

"How about I take you back to Konoha? You'll have to go through screening and registration, but at least it's safer there! As long as you're not a spy sent by another village, it's easy to pass."

Before Jimo could react, Naruto grabbed him and ran all the way back to Konoha.

Looking at the emerald-green gate before them, he could already faintly make out the Hokage Rock Carvings in the distance.

"Yo, Naruto! Out training again?"

A man with a bandage wrapped around his face called out from the guard booth, waving at Naruto.

Konoha's gate guardians—Kotetsu Hagane!

And the other one, with only one eye visible, had to be Izumo Kamizuki.

The two of them grew wary when they saw Naruto bringing an unfamiliar boy back into the village.

After all, they knew exactly who Naruto was. They just hoped this strange kid didn't have some other identity, deliberately getting close to the Nine-Tails...

"Oh, gatekeeper uncle! This is my new friend. He came from somewhere else to make a living in Konoha!"

Izumo Kamizuki vanished into the darkness without a trace, while Kotetsu Hagane smiled warmly and led Jimo into the guard booth.

Jimo could clearly sense dozens of unfamiliar presences gathering around him.

"Anbu, huh? So the Third is still secretly watching over Naruto's safety..."

Jimo muttered under his breath.

"Name?"

"Jimo."

"Age?"

"Twelve."

Kotetsu Hagane paused. Twelve years old... What enemy village would send a twelve-year-old spy?

"Where are you from?"

Jimo made up a remote village and reported it. After all, the Land of Fire was big enough that unknown settlements were perfectly normal.

Kotetsu Hagane asked a few more routine questions, then told Naruto to head home quickly while he himself took Jimo to Konoha's guesthouse.

"Kid, since this is your first time, you might not know. You'd better keep your distance from Naruto."

Kotetsu Hagane walked with Jimo down the street. Jimo could feel that about half of the Anbu had disappeared—probably to keep an eye on Naruto.

"What's wrong with him?"

Jimo pretended not to know, putting on an innocent face.

"Uh... just keep your distance, that's all."

Kotetsu Hagane couldn't reveal to someone of unknown identity that the Nine-Tails was sealed inside Naruto. He simply kept walking forward.

When Jimo spotted the vermillion building up ahead with a round plaque bearing the character "Fire," he understood that he was being taken for identity verification.

"Don't be nervous. Even though Konoha has lifted wartime martial law, ninjas from other villages still try to infiltrate from time to time. We're just taking you for an investigation—please understand."

Kotetsu Hagane spoke gently. Truth be told, he didn't want to see such a young kid being used as a spy.

Jimo was led into a spacious room. From the window, he had a perfect view of Konoha's main gate.

Konoha was bigger than he'd imagined. In his original timeline, it would have been at least the size of a county-level settlement.

"The scenery of Konoha is beautiful, isn't it?"

An old, rough voice came from behind Jimo.

An old man wearing a hat like a conical kasa and holding a pipe in his hand stood behind him, looking at him with a smile.

Jimo knew this was the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu." In his past life, many fans' opinions of him had shifted from admiration to criticism, from a hero who sacrificed himself for the village to a schemer. Jimo reserved his own judgment on that.

"It's beautiful. Just as beautiful as the stories say."

"Oh ho ho, is that so? I'm glad you like this place."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe and blew out a few smoke rings.

For some reason, Jimo's mind wavered for a moment.

"Old man, smoking is bad for your health, you know..."

"Oh, thanks for the concern." The Third Hokage put his pipe away.

"I heard you came to Konoha looking to make a living?"

"Yeah, because of the war, I'm the only one left from my village..." Jimo said, looking dejected. Fortunately, Bro System came through—he really could find a place like this without fear of being investigated.

"Is that so... My subordinates reported that your taijutsu is quite good, isn't it?"

"I guess so. I'm really strong!" With that, Jimo walked over to the wall and punched it, cracking the thick surface.

That made Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind drift to his own monstrous disciple...

"Uh... impressive..." Staring at the shattered wall, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided this kid absolutely couldn't be allowed to roam freely around Konoha. At the very least, he needed training to master this power... If such monstrous strength wasn't properly controlled, it could easily cause huge trouble.

He recalled how Tsunade had once punched Jiraiya so hard she broke six of his ribs, shattered both his arms, and ruptured his internal organs... He barely survived.

"Well... since you have nowhere to go and such talent, how would you like to become a ninja?"

Hearing this, Jimo's eyes lit up. Finally, this moment had come!

"Of course. I've heard people say ninjas are incredibly strong. I want to become strong too—to have the power to protect what I cherish."

"Oh-ho, you really think so?" The Third Hokage was surprised by the child's mindset. Protecting cherished people or things—that was the true source of great power.

"Then how about you go study at the Ninja Academy starting tomorrow? As long as you pass the exam, you can become a real ninja!"

The Third Hokage, like a kind old grandfather, affectionately patted Jimo's head.

"Isn't that a hassle?"

"No hassle at all!" The Third smiled on the surface, but inwardly he muttered: It's more of a hassle to let a monstrous kid like you—just like Tsunade—wander the streets... especially when you have no common sense about your own strength...

After getting his answer, Jimo was taken by Izumo Kamizuki to the Ninja Academy's student dormitory. Since most kids were from the village, the dorms were always empty. The vast room housed only Jimo.

"If you want hot water, go out the door, turn left, and walk to the end—there's a boiler room!" Izumo reminded Jimo considerately.

"Thanks, Bandage Uncle!"

"Don't just give people random nicknames!"

On the other side, Ibiki Morino, his face covered in scars, appeared in the Hokage's office with members of the Torture and Interrogation Division.

"Lord Third Hokage, that kid...?"

"That kid's fine. He's a good seedling. With proper guidance, he might just become the flame of Konoha's future."

Hiruzen Sarutobi blew out a ring of smoke, smiling as he gazed into the crystal ball at Jimo, who had already fallen asleep.