Found You

Ninja were scattered throughout the village, including ordinary shinobi and several members of the Anbu.

Some were there to capture the enemy who had appeared in the village. The rest had been sent by Danzo to keep an eye on Shen Ye.

The man standing in front of Shen Ye seemed unaware of what was happening in the village. He looked eager to make a move.

"Choza, if we start fighting now, do you think the shinobi nearby will arrest us?"

Choza scratched his head, unsure why Shen Ye had suddenly asked that. Still, he nodded instinctively.

"Why bring that up all of a sudden, kid? Are you trying to warn me? I appreciate the concern."

The man patted Shen Ye on the head, straightened up, and headed toward a less crowded part of the village. He planned to take on another identity and continue watching the village.

Shen Ye's expression shifted as he cursed inwardly. Damn it.

If that man were discovered now, Shen Ye wouldn't be able to clear his name, even if he jumped into the Yellow River. Patting someone on the head was far too familiar a gesture.

Choza asked curiously what had happened. Shen Ye shook his head, unwilling to tell the innocent Choza.

But Choza trusted Shen Ye without question. He knew in his heart that Shen Ye wouldn't hurt him, so he didn't press the matter.

After giving Choza a few reminders, Shen Ye saw that dusk was falling and decided to head home. Tsunade had probably already heard about the Anbu member's death.

Sure enough, when he pushed open the door, Tsunade was sitting at the table, leafing through one scroll after another.

"Big Sis Tsunade, Danzo almost took me away today."

"What? Are you hurt?"

Tsunade hurried to her feet and came over to Shen Ye, checking him over from head to toe.

"I'm fine. But an Anbu member was killed in the village. Does that mean we're about to go to war?"

As he spoke, Shen Ye's body trembled slightly, as if he had remembered something unpleasant.

Tsunade pulled Shen Ye into her arms. She knew what war meant to him, and all she wanted now was to comfort him.

"I'm fine, Big Sis Tsunade. I've become really strong now."

"I believe you. Our Shen Ye is the strongest person in the world, and I'll protect you too."

Without discussing the village any further, Tsunade carried Shen Ye back to his room and gently kissed his forehead.

In the faint moonlight streaming into the room, Shen Ye soon began to snore softly. He had enough to process from the day's events.

Several days passed before the man finally revealed himself. The Third Hokage sent out a large number of shinobi to capture him.

Shen Ye immediately joined the pursuit. If he could catch the man, he could put the village's suspicions about him to rest.

"Shen Ye, the Ninja Academy told us we don't have to go in for the next few days. Maybe they're worried we'd just get in the way."

"This is a great chance for us to prove ourselves."

Minato looked at Shen Ye in surprise. Seeing how eager he was for a fight, Minato seemed to understand what was going on.

Shen Ye took Minato straight to the Hokage Office. Many shinobi had already gathered there, including several familiar faces.

Jiraiya and Tsunade were among them.

"The man is in the forest not far from the village. I'm ordering you to form a temporary Shinobi Allied Force and bring him back."

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Everyone answered in unison, then leaped out of the office. Only Shen Ye and Minato remained, standing there and looking at each other.

The Third Hokage turned to them.

"Do you two need something? Given the circumstances, you'd be better off going straight home."

"How can there be a fight without us? We ask for your permission to join."

"It's too dangerous. We still don't know how strong that man is. He managed to stay hidden in the village for so long, so you two won't be able to handle him."

Shen Ye shrugged. He knew this would be the answer; it was exactly what he'd expected.

He had brought Minato here only so everyone would know he was involved. It would be even better if he could catch the man himself.

Shen Ye patted Minato on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Following the tracks the others had left behind, Shen Ye pulled Minato along as they chased after them out of the village. But Aoba Yamashiro stopped them at the gate.

"It's dangerous out there. You two can't just leave!"

"Brother Aoba, I can understand if others stop us, but are you really going to stop me too?"

Aoba Yamashiro furrowed his brow. He and Jiraiya had tested Shen Ye together before, and Jiraiya had already told him how it had gone.

"Be careful!"

After thinking it over, Aoba Yamashiro slowly stepped aside to let Shen Ye and Minato pass.

Without stopping, the two rushed into the depths of the forest, hoping to find the man as soon as possible.

Shen Ye was sure he would run into the man before Jiraiya and the others did. He had already sensed something; the man kept appearing in front of him.

The silent forest was full of hidden dangers. Minato and Shen Ye moved forward shoulder to shoulder, watching their surroundings intently.

Whoosh! A shuriken flew in from the side, heading straight for Shen Ye's head.

Minato gave a cold snort, leaped into the air, and kicked the shuriken aside. Their forces collided, and the shuriken sank deep into a tree trunk.

"You're here already."

Shen Ye stopped and stared in the direction the shuriken had come from.

A figure emerged slowly, walking at an unhurried pace. A mask covered his face, making it impossible to tell what he looked like.

The outfit made Minato freeze for a moment. The Forehead Protector on the man's head showed that he was a shinobi from Konoha.

"Is he an Anbu member from the village? Or is that man disguised as one?"

"We don't have time to worry about that now. Stay sharp, or neither of us will make it out of here."

Minato nodded. While the man across from them was still taking his time, Minato charged forward and flung several shuriken at him.

"Hmph. Don't embarrass yourself with such a childish trick."

The man didn't move. The shuriken stopped in midair, unable to advance even an inch.

Shen Ye frowned and hurried forward, grabbing Minato and pulling him back. If they had gone any farther, Minato might already have been badly hurt.