"Head home first. I'll report to Lord Hokage and hand in the mission," Maruboshi Kosuke said. With Konoha right before them, he wasn't worried about anything happening to Lin Chuan. Only Danzo would have his eye on the boy, and if anything happened to Lin Chuan, Danzo would certainly be involved. Besides, Lin Chuan was no longer so easy to take down.
"Okay, Grandpa Kosuke!" Lin Chuan rushed excitedly into Konoha. Maruboshi Kosuke would handle the paperwork for entering the village, while their departure had naturally been covered by a secret mission.
When he arrived home, his parents saw that he had grown much darker. His mother's heart ached at the thought of the hardships he had endured, but his father's eyes lit up. This was a necessary part of growing stronger.
"Chuan, why didn't Senior Kosuke come back with you?" His father put down his newspaper and asked.
"We came back together. Grandpa Kosuke had to go to the Hokage Tower to hand in the mission, so I came home first," Lin Chuan explained. He couldn't help looking at them and asking, "I'm starving. Is there anything to eat...?"
"Yes, yes, of course. I'll cook for you right away." His mother smiled and turned to leave, leaving father and son alone.
"Dad, I'm going to the backyard to see my crows. Did you take care of them while I was away these past two months?" Lin Chuan dashed toward the backyard. Those crows were important to his Summoning Technique.
"Your mother's been feeding them. Don't worry." His father followed him into the backyard. Looking at the flock of crows nesting in the branches and cawing every night gave him a real headache.
He had wanted to chase those crows away long ago, but his son said he wanted to