Of course, if the guards had been ordinary chunin rather than Uchiha, Zhong Hao could have used the invisible-to-the-naked-eye Soru to slip inside. There would have been no need for all this trouble.
He waited in place for about half an hour. Just as Zhong Hao was growing impatient, his eyes suddenly lit up when he saw three people emerge from the gates. One of them had a round, conspicuous figure that stood out wherever he went—it was Akimichi Choza. The three were the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
Just when I was worrying about finding someone to help me get into Konohagakure. Zhong Hao hurriedly followed them.
In the forest, Akimichi Choza, Nara Shikaku, and Yamanaka Inoichi leaped from tree trunk to tree trunk. Suddenly, Yamanaka Inoichi came to an abrupt halt and looked behind him. "Who's there?"
The three had grown up together, trained together, and fought together. Their coordination was already flawless. The instant Yamanaka Inoichi stopped, the other two immediately ceased moving as well. Akimichi Choza leaped in front of them, warily watching the path they had come from.
"As expected of Uncle Inoichi. I barely moved, and you noticed me."
Zhong Hao stepped out from behind a tree. At the sight of Yamanaka Inoichi, his thoughts stirred, and he thought of the plan he had made long ago. He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. The timing was not right; speaking rashly could easily ruin everything.
After staring for several seconds, Shikaku recognized who stood before him and exclaimed in surprise, "You... you're Zhong Hao?"
Zhong Hao held a blue longsword in his left hand. His white casual clothes were stretched taut over his well-built muscles, making his body appear lean and powerful. His cheeks were rosy and glowing, his expression vibrant, his gaze incomparably sharp. Even