Putting on a Show, Finally Leaving the Village

Inside Konoha's main gate, the two great "gate guardians," Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, were boredly trading jokes.

One of them was currently a chūnin, while the other was a genin who had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy. Thanks to their families' arrangements, they had begun enjoying the leisurely routine of clocking in and out early in life.

The village was currently enforcing strict controls over entry and exit, so not many people passed through Konoha's gates. Those who came and went were either familiar faces with the authority to do so or people on missions approved by the higher-ups. The two either could not question them or had no need to, making their jobs quite easy.

That was, until Uchiha Feng appeared at Konoha's gates with an exit permit from the Konoha Military Police Force, finally causing Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane to perk up a little.

"Hello, seniors. I'm Uchiha Feng. I need to leave the village for the nearby Valley of the End. Here is the Military Police Force's permit."

Uchiha Feng looked at the two and spoke with a smile.

At the same time, he could not help recalling a joke from his previous life: because Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane were Konoha's two great "gate guardians," even the Six Paths of Pain would not dare enter through the main gate and could only take a detour...

"Uchiha Feng? A Military Police Force permit? The village is under wartime security management lately. This permit is useless.

"If you want to leave the village, you need authorization from the Council of Elders or Lord Hokage."

Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane took the permit and looked Feng over. Then Izumo, who was slightly older and stricter by nature, spoke.

"Oh, all right. Then I'll go ask the elders." Upon hearing that, Feng turned and headed toward the Hokage Tower.

Feng had expected Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane's response. Besides, before coming here, the Military Police Force captain, Uchiha Yosuke, had reminded him about it. Going to find the elders had naturally been part of his plan.

The elders were all quite busy these days, so the real plan was this: after being turned away at the gate, he would tell the guards he was going to find the elders, but he would actually only make a round through the Hokage Tower before returning to Konoha's gates.

Thus, half an hour later, Uchiha Feng stood before Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane once more.

"Um, seniors, the elders are all very busy. If I want to see them, I'll have to queue until tonight.

"And I don't dare go see Lord Hokage right now.

"So, could you please make an exception? I only want to visit the Valley of the End and pay my respects to the statues of the First Hokage and my Uchiha ancestor.

"If I leave now, I'll be back this afternoon."

Wearing an expression that was half embarrassed and half ingratiating, Feng spoke to the two "gate guardians."

Of course, this was actually when he began showing off his acting skills.

"Hmm!?" The instant Feng finished speaking, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, who had been lounging around moments ago, immediately rose to their feet and stared at him with scrutinizing eyes.

The two had the same thought: Not wanting to queue was understandable, but not daring to meet Lord Hokage? This guy probably had a problem!

"Seniors, seniors, it's not what you think." Facing their scrutinizing gazes, Feng hurriedly explained, continuing his performance.

Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane relaxed slightly, but their scrutinizing looks did not change. They signaled for Feng to continue.

"Um, seniors, I only became a ninja a few months ago because of an accident.

"So, I... had many misunderstandings about the Will of Fire... and caused some unpleasant trouble.

"Because of that, Lord Hokage personally summoned me a month ago to reprimand me and gave me this copy of Will of Fire.

"Lord Hokage also said then that he would test my understanding of Will of Fire after one month.

"But this book takes six years to study at the Ninja Academy. How could I possibly understand it thoroughly in a month?

"So I thought of paying my respects to those heroes who sacrificed themselves for the village, learning about their pasts and their spirits, and helping myself understand the Will of Fire as much as possible.

"I've visited the village cemetery many times and learned a great deal about the heroes on the Memorial Stone.

"I found that most of them died on border battlefields. Those places are too dangerous. Though I want to learn about their pasts, I don't dare risk my life.

"Not long after that, I discovered there was a battlefield not far outside the village. It was where my Uchiha ancestor fought the village's First Hokage when the village was founded.

"So I thought I'd go take a look and see whether I could gain a deeper understanding of the Will of Fire from the First Hokage.

"Especially since Lord Hokage's inspection is only a few days away. If I still can't make sense of this book, sigh, I'm afraid I'll be in serious trouble."

Uchiha Feng rambled on at length and even took out the copy of Will of Fire in his hands.

"Misunderstanding the Will of Fire? An Uchiha who only became a ninja by accident not long ago?

"Oh!! I know who you are. You're that Uchiha Feng."

The moment Feng finished, Kotetsu Hagane, who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy and was more cheerful, fond of gossip, and eager to join the excitement, immediately picked up the conversation.

His response directly interrupted Izumo Kamizuki, who had been about to refuse Feng's request to leave the village.

It also left Feng baffled. He had introduced himself as Uchiha Feng from the start. Who was this "that Uchiha Feng" supposed to be??

In his original plan, after hearing about his predicament, the two guards would either coldly refuse or sympathetically agree. He would then take the corresponding prepared action based on their answer.

"Heh, I know who you are.

"You're the one who said, 'I hope to meet as many trash ninja as possible who would abandon missions to save their teammates. As for real ninja who would abandon teammates for missions, please stay far away from me.'

"And you're the Uchiha Feng who twisted the Will of Fire in all sorts of ways and caused such an uproar.

"Also, when you said you caused some unpleasant trouble just now, did you mean the whole 'Club Enforcement' incident that everyone in Konoha knows about?

"Hahaha!! Then you really did deserve Lord Hokage's reprimand. You should study Will of Fire properly."

Kotetsu Hagane laughed heartily as he recounted the chaotic incidents Uchiha Feng had caused recently.

After he finished, Izumo Kamizuki also remembered those messy affairs. The corners of his mouth curled up, and he began laughing as well.

Neither of them knew Uchiha Feng personally or knew what he looked like, since they had never met him before.

But the things Uchiha Feng had done were indeed known throughout the village. He could be considered one of Konoha's most talked-about figures lately.

Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane had naturally also heard that, after being reprimanded by Lord Hokage, he had turned over a new leaf and was studying Will of Fire diligently at home.

With that, the two basically had a clear understanding of Uchiha Feng's background. His family had lived in Konoha for three generations, so he could not possibly be a spy.

Moreover, no Uchiha had ever become a rogue ninja in Konoha thus far. Madara had openly walked out through the village's main gate, while Obito was considered dead by everyone else. Feng also had a permit from the Konoha Military Police Force.

So after Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane laughed for a while, they exchanged a glance, and Izumo Kamizuki spoke.

"Listen, without authorization from the Council of Elders or Lord Hokage, neither of us can watch you leave the village."

After saying that, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane tacitly turned sideways and raised their heads to look at the sky.

Upon hearing that, Uchiha Feng initially thought he would have to use his backup plan. But when he saw their movements, he understood.

He turned and walked toward Konoha's gates, but after only a few steps, he turned back.

If he really were only going to stroll around the Valley of the End and return, then Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane secretly letting him out would not cause any problems.

But his true goal was to escape Konoha—the kind of escape where he would leave and never return.

If the village discovered after his escape that the two had let him through without authorization, they would certainly receive no light punishment.

Feng might have been somewhat selfish, but he had basic decency toward those who helped him. He would not make them take the blame for him.

So Feng drew the katana at his waist and lightly struck both men on the neck with its sheath.

Then, as he turned and walked out of Konoha once more, he muttered quietly.

"Hmph! Two gate guards daring to stop me, an honorable Uchiha.

"This time, I'm only knocking you out to teach you a lesson. If you dare stop me again next time, it won't be as simple as knocking you out."

Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane had initially been somewhat displeased at being hit, but after hearing Uchiha Feng's muttering, they understood.

The two had pretended not to see him in order to let him leave the village, while he had pretended to knock them out so they would not possibly be punished later.

They were all actors... Fine, they should cooperate.

Having figured it out, the two smiled knowingly. Rubbing their necks, they naturally moved away the chairs beneath them, then sat down on the ground and lay down.

As they lay on the ground, the two chatted and praised Uchiha Feng for being a decent person.

As for pretending to be unconscious, come on, it was only acting. There was no need to take it so seriously. As long as it looked convincing and could be explained afterward, no one would nitpick.

However, that was only what they thought at the moment. A few days later, when Uchiha Feng had completely vanished without a trace, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane would regret it deeply and desperately wish they had truly been knocked unconscious then.