Inquiry

"Grrr..."

A strange sound echoed through the empty hospital room. Awakened by the hunger in his stomach, Samu Kokaze narrowed his eyes and glanced toward the window.

"Is it already afternoon?!"

Through the window, he could see a blazing red sun setting in the west. Rubbing his growling stomach, he picked up the fruit beside him and began eating.

"Conduct a full-body self-examination."

While chewing on an apple, he issued an order in his mind to the Nanobugs hidden within his brain.

The Nanobugs, which had been huddled inside his mind to avoid being discovered during treatment, began flowing through his blood vessels to every part of his body at Samu Kokaze's command. Having recorded all the characteristics of his healthy body, they began comparing them with his current condition.

Swallowing the last bite of apple, he sensed the information coming from his body and raised an eyebrow. "The injuries are that serious?!"

"Should I repair my body now? Forget it. I'll wait until I'm discharged."

After a brief thought, he gave up on repairing himself immediately. He grabbed another apple from the table beside him, stuffed it into his mouth, and began eating in large bites.

It was not as though Samu Kokaze truly did not care about the damage to his body.

The reason he had not been discouraged when Muzi said it would be difficult for him to extract chakra in the future was none other than the Nano Core within his body.

For Samu Kokaze, as long as he had sufficient energy, any injury could be repaired. Not to mention that such severe injuries had been his own decision.

Tap, tap, tap...

Just as Samu Kokaze was happily launching an assault on the fruit beside him, he heard footsteps outside and frowned. "There have really been a lot of visitors today."

Knock, knock, knock...

A series of knocks sounded outside the door. After a brief thought, Samu Kokaze put down the fruit in his hand and called out, "Come in!"

Click...

At the sound of his voice, the door opened gently, and the Third Hokage entered with a kindly smile, dressed in Hokage robes.

"Lord Hokage!"

Seeing the figure who had entered, Samu Kokaze cried out in surprise. He struggled to sit up, intending to get out of bed and bow.

"Don't move!"

The Third Hokage strode over and stopped Samu Kokaze from getting up.

Pressed back onto the bed by his outstretched hand, Samu Kokaze did not resist. He obediently remained lying down, deliberately showing a confused expression as he asked somewhat nervously, "Lord Hokage, are you here because of what happened yesterday? But I don't know much either."

"Relax, relax. It has nothing to do with that!"

Seeing Samu Kokaze's apparent nervousness, the Third Hokage spoke kindly.

"I came to see Konoha's little hero. I wanted to see what kind of little hero would stand alone against the enemy for his companions' safety, and be willing to give his life to protect them at a critical moment. Don't be nervous."

Seeing that Samu Kokaze still appeared somewhat tense, the Third Hokage chuckled and teased him.

"I'm not as great as you say!" Hearing the praise, Samu Kokaze's face suddenly reddened. He scratched the back of his head and gave a foolish laugh.

The Third Hokage was rendered speechless as he watched Samu Kokaze shamelessly accept being called a little hero. He took a stack of banknotes from his robes and placed it on the table. "Although I know a little fellow like you is not short of money, this incident occurred in Konoha, and as Hokage, I bear responsibility as well. Consider this money an apology."

After saying that, he paused before continuing, "You need not worry about the true culprit behind this incident. I, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, guarantee in my name that nothing like this will ever happen again in Konoha."

"Get some good rest." The Third Hokage patted Samu Kokaze on the shoulder and walked toward the door. Stopping at the doorway, he opened it and said with his back to Samu Kokaze, "As for the strength you displayed during this incident, it does not matter whether you developed it through your own training or acquired some special ninjutsu elsewhere. As long as Konoha is in your heart, that is enough."

Click...

The door slowly closed. Samu Kokaze's expression was somewhat blank as he watched the departing figure disappear. He rubbed his face. "It seems I really underestimated the Third Hokage, whom every nation calls the Professor of Ninjutsu."

"All those fanfics from my previous life made the Third Hokage seem so terrible. How could the man who kept Konoha dominant among the Five Great Nations for so long possibly be so petty?"

"Setting everything else aside, at the very least, he has no problem accommodating someone like me, someone who has shown the qualities of a genius. After all, Konoha lacks everything except geniuses."

He gave a bitter laugh and looked helplessly at the incomplete body-strengthening technique materials in his mind.

Originally, he had prepared those materials to explain himself to the Third Hokage. They contained the portion of Samu Kokaze's research in the Time Domain regarding the feasibility of using chakra to strengthen the body.

If the technique were truly used according to those materials, it could improve one's taijutsu ability, but only to the level of opening the second gate of the Eight Gates Formation. Moreover, the side effects were astonishingly severe. After using it once, one could be considered crippled.

"Come to think of it, the Third Hokage is different from what I imagined. Then Shimura Danzō of the Root probably isn't just someone who hides in the shadows, constantly waiting to cause trouble, either."

"He has controlled the Root for so many years and could even become Hokage later on. No matter how one looked at it, he was a true Owl."

"Before, I told Ino not to treat other people's words as fact, but I ended up making that same mistake myself. I really can't keep treating my impressions from my previous life as the truth."

Grrr...

The sound from his stomach interrupted Samu Kokaze's reflections. Feeling his stomach continuously protesting, he picked up the fruit beside him and began wolfing it down.

Tap... tap... tap...

Footsteps sounded outside once more. Hearing them, he swallowed the food in his mouth in one gulp, frowned, and looked over. "Who is it this time?!"

Knock, knock, knock...

The knocking sounded. Samu Kokaze cast a regretful look at the food beside him and called out helplessly, "Come in."

"Master Zuo Mu, pardon the intrusion!"

Click... The door opened, and a well-dressed middle-aged man walked in.

Seeing the figure before him, Samu Kokaze's pupils contracted. The Nanobugs throughout his body surged at high speed, ensuring that his weakened body still possessed the strength to resist.

The person who had entered was Tanaka Keishi, the Tanaka Clan member assigned to liaise specifically with him. But after what happened yesterday, Samu Kokaze was extremely wary of him.

After entering and greeting him, Tanaka Keishi suddenly dropped to his knees. His head struck the floor heavily with a dull thud, and bright red blood even seeped from where his forehead met the ground.

"I am truly sorry! But please believe me, Master Zuo Mu. What happened yesterday had absolutely nothing to do with the Tanaka Clan."

"What happened yesterday?" Samu Kokaze lowered his head and looked at the kneeling man. A trace of killing intent flashed through his eyes, but it quickly faded.

He revealed an innocent smile. "Uncle Keishi, please get up. I believe what happened yesterday definitely had nothing to do with the Tanaka Clan."

"But why would someone want to kill me through the Tanaka Clan? I shouldn't have any grudges with anyone else."

Tanaka Keishi, still kneeling on the ground, raised his head. Looking at Samu Kokaze, who still wore the face of a young child, he did not dare underestimate him in the slightest.

Even now, Tanaka Keishi remembered how, a year ago, he had come to Konoha with young master Yoshikado, who had not yet become clan head, and seen Samu Kokaze sitting at the entrance carving wooden figurines.

The presence he had displayed while negotiating with young master Yoshikado, his learning ability, and that terrifying maturity had all made it clear that he was no ordinary child. Even now, young master Yoshikado regarded him as his most powerful collaborator.