Chance Encounter at the Dango Shop

Blue fluorescence illuminated the entire pitch-black world, tinged with a chill.

Kato Xu sat cross-legged within it, as though he were on an ice field deep within an abyss where all living things had been slaughtered. The eternal glacier brought endless deathly silence.

The fluorescence suspended above the ice field scattered and melted away.

The faint ghostly light in bloom continuously spread outward, slowly transforming into pure soul energy that gradually entered Kato Xu's spiritual body as he sat cross-legged.

The soul energy of dozens of Cloud Shinobi shattered and dissolved into a river of blue energy, all of it flowing into his spiritual body. His spiritual body gradually became more solid, while the pitch-black longsword standing upright in the mental space slowly took on a complete outline.

When the last trace of faint fluorescence completely vanished, Kato Xu abruptly opened his eyes, and blue ghostly light surged from those of his spiritual body.

With a sharp cry, the longsword flew into his hand. The Soul-Extinguishing Blade, which he slowly swung, suddenly stirred up a storm within the mental space. Its blade gleamed with icy sharpness, as if it could split the entire space in two.

Still not enough...

His current spiritual body was like a towering soul reservoir. Pure soul energy entered it, yet could not fully become an inherent part of him like flesh and blood.

Although the gradual solidification of his spiritual body had enhanced his spiritual power and continuously deepened Kato Xu's understanding of genjutsu,

the soul energy within his spiritual body, the foundation he relied on most, would be endlessly depleted with each use. Even if he could sustain himself through battle, there would eventually be a limit.

It was only a pity that Kato Xu had yet to fully comprehend the mysteries of Yin Release...

Konoha's sunset seemed to possess a unique beauty.

The rosy sky set off the lush beauty of the forest, while golden light streamed through the trees and spread across every corner of the bamboo building.

Kato Xu withdrew from his mental space and slowly rose to his feet. The setting sun made him squint slightly. Across from the bamboo building stood Hokage Rock atop the mountain.

In the twilight, it gazed back at him, and both shone brightly together.

The last peaceful afternoon...

There was no need to think. Kato Xu knew Danzo would definitely summon him tonight.

Minato Namikaze's soaring reputation had brought not only an increase in his personal standing, but also growing momentum for Jiraiya's faction.

Even though the two men at the very center of the vortex did not show any particular emotion,

the communities of shared interests gathered around them would never abandon such a good opportunity.

Public opinion seemed useless, yet it also mattered. Although the succession of Hokage candidates would not depend on public opinion, it would never completely disregard it either.

He left the bamboo building along the forest path, and the clamor gradually grew louder.

Kato Xu did not want to think further about those tangled matters. He simply walked silently through the streets of Konoha alone.

Amid the surrounding noise, he carefully sensed the faint ripples emitted by the massive barrier enveloping all of Konoha.

The Konoha Barrier, usually hidden so completely within space that it showed no trace of itself, was extraordinary. Even now, he could only probe it covertly and did not dare make any unusual moves.

If he had a choice, Kato Xu would rather be on the battlefield than in Konoha.

He sighed softly, but then a familiar figure suddenly appeared within his senses. His steps paused slightly as he stopped and looked over.

It was a dango shop.

That seems to be Anko? It's really been a long time...

Something stirred in his eyes. Seeming to think of something, Kato Xu suddenly turned and entered the dango shop.

The dango shop was not large, with only a few somewhat worn tables and chairs, yet it was nearly full.

The young owner bustled about in the kitchen at the back. Only two young girls acted as servers, and they looked like ninja apprentices who had yet to graduate.

Kato Xu ignored the greeting from the young girl and walked straight toward Anko.

"Kato... little brother?"

Anko sat at an outer seat near the side, facing the half-open door. The moment she looked up, she saw Kato Xu walking toward her, surprise and uncertainty in her eyes.

"Anko... it's been a long time..."

Kato Xu spoke softly, causing the other two, whose backs were to him, to turn around as well.

The grayish-brown-haired girl had ruby-like eyes, like an autumn spring shrouded in misty moisture, carrying a hazy sense of unreality.

She looked at Kato Xu in confusion, her gaze carrying a question, then turned toward Anko.

At a glance, Kato Xu could roughly tell that this girl was like him. Either she excelled at genjutsu, or she possessed special sensory abilities.

Of the three of them, her spiritual fluctuations were the strongest.

The boy seated beside her looked somewhat unruly. He raised a brow and narrowed his eyes slightly, yet did not immediately speak.

"Kurenai, Asuma... this is Kato Xu... my junior brother, and also my little brother. Hahaha..."

Anko put her hands on her hips and grinned. A skewer of dango disappeared from her hand, leaving behind only the wooden stick.

"Anko is the junior sister."

With no intention of continuing to chat with them, Kato Xu merely glanced at the boy carrying a faint smell of tobacco, then turned away expressionlessly.

This was the second person he had encountered who was protected by ANBU...

"Anko, I need to talk to you..."

Kato Xu extended a hand and slowly adjusted his hood. Other ninja nearby seemed to have recognized him, and the veiled, peculiar looks around him made him somewhat uncomfortable.

The joint recommendation from Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya had also earned him a small measure of fame.

"Hey! Why are you acting so cold? Have you forgotten who brought you food every day so you wouldn't starve to death?!"

Anko shouted. Seeing that Kato Xu gave no response at all, she huffed and sat back down, viciously stuffing a skewer of dango into her mouth.

"Kurenai, Asuma, wait for me..."

Only when she saw Kato Xu about to leave the dango shop did she get up again and reluctantly chase after him.

"Asuma, do you know him?"

Kurenai liked dango as well, but unlike Anko, she did not practically treat dango as a meal. She gently placed the untouched dango before her into Anko's bowl.

"I think I heard that old man mention him once..."

Asuma thoughtfully glanced in the direction Kato Xu had left. Although his relationship with Hiruzen Sarutobi was far from harmonious, he was still the Hokage's son, and his information was much better than most people's.

"Asuma! How many times have I told you not to call your father 'that old man'? It's too disrespectful..."

Kurenai did not understand why Asuma's relationship with the Third Hokage had become so terrible. Asuma also almost never mentioned his father in front of them.

"Mm... got it..."

Somewhat silent, Asuma said nothing more and gave a muffled response. Kurenai seemed deeply dissatisfied with this cold silence. She gave a heavy snort, stopped speaking, and fiercely poked the dango in front of her until it became a mushy mess.

"He seems to be Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara's teammate now. After Kakashi Hatake was promoted to Jonin, he probably wanted to join the ANBU.

If it weren't for the war, Kakashi Hatake would have already left Minato Namikaze's Jonin squad..."

Sensing that Kurenai seemed somewhat unhappy, Asuma had no choice but to abandon his silent approach and take the initiative to break the strange atmosphere between them.

Kurenai always got angry for no apparent reason, leaving him completely baffled.