How the Bandage Freak Returned to the Village

The main entrance to Konoha.

Gorō Satoru scratched the bandage wrapped around his head, putting on an innocent look.

"We're here really to take the Chunin."

Bai and Hozuki Kagetsu stood behind him, one on his left and one on his right, nodding their heads like rattles.

I was in such a rush this time that I forgot my pass.

Even from a distance, Naruto's group noticed the commotion at the door.

"Kakashi-sensei, look over there!"

Naruto was the first to shout it out.

Kakashi closed the small book in his hand and glanced over at it.

What's going on?

Upon Sasuke also turned his gaze towards the village entrance.

He stopped in his tracks.

This person?

He is--

Just one glance.

The identity of the person beneath the bandages exploded in Sasuke's mind instantly.

His eyes widened as he stared at his second brother, who was standing not far away.

My second brother looked completely different from before, and he even disguised himself, but he still recognized him in a second.

His second brother used to torment him with this kind of behavior before.

That time, Gorō Satoru, whose body was wrapped in bandages, spoke quite seriously to Sasuke Uchiha.

"The person standing before you now is not the same person I used to be."

Now, I have sealed away the dark wings within my body.

"The Bandage Freak"

He had barely finished speaking when Sasuke coldly uttered five words to shut him up.

Sasuke never expected what would happen next.

To prove that the title of "Bandage Freak" was well-deserved, Gorō Satoru plunged into the water with a splash.

Water splashed high, and the person disappeared from sight.

That day, Sasuke touched him in the water for a very, very long time.

Anyone who has ever fished the Bandage Freak out of the river a few times will never forget that outfit.

"Sasuke? What's wrong?"

Sakura tilted her head and looked over, wondering to herself why Sasuke had that expression on his face.

What's wrong with him?

Sasuke back to reality by her voice and dashed towards the village entrance.

Just as Gorō Satoru was about to continue his arguing, he felt a chill run down his spine from being stared at from behind.

He rubbed his chin and slowly turned around.

Which eagle-eyed little fellow is spying on me?

Sasuke Uchiha's completely black face was instantly reflected in his eyes.

The rest of what he was going to say vanished in an instant.

This is not a good sign.

Seeing Sasuke emanating a chilling aura, Gorō Satoru's lips twitched.

Have they all forgotten about Sasuke?

Ha, how could that be?

I've been refraining from contacting them purely out of concern for Sasuke's safety.

Gorō Satoru mentally added a couple of sentences to himself, and a bright smile quickly appeared on his face.

He raised his hand and ruffled Sasuke's hair, his tone incredibly relaxed.

"Oh."

"I'm home."

Sasuke was stunned for a long time, his throat bobbed, and finally he squeezed out four words in a tearful voice. "It's good that we're home."

Naruto was stunned, watching from a distance.

"What kind of guy is this, covered in bandages?"

What is his relationship with Sasuke?

The man at the village entrance was wrapped up tightly from head to toe, not even his eyelids were spared.

What's this new trend?

Naruto was completely confused.

Sakura, standing next to her, also stared wide-eyed in that direction.

Who is this person?

How come she's getting so close to Sasuke?

She racked her brains but couldn't recall Sasuke having such a friend.

Kakashi also had the same question weighing on his mind.

Are you from another village?

Does Sasuke know them?

How did these two end up together?

This guy came to Konoha, and something just doesn't feel right.

"Let's go take a look."

Kakashi stuffed the book back into his pocket, started walking, and his face remained expressionless.

The group quickly gathered around.

"Genma, what's going on?"

Kakashi asked Genma Shiranui, who was in charge of questioning outsiders.

Genma Shiranui slowly turned his head upon hearing the sound.

The Senbon in his mouth wobbled, and he looked relieved.

"This person said they were there to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams."

He stood up, still chewing on Senbon needle, pointed at Gorō Satoru, and said he had a terrible headache.

"But he couldn't produce a pass or show any identification."

"And they claimed to be from Sweet Ninja Village."

Don't let the sweet-sounding name of the ninja village fool you; it's infamous in the black market.

These three don't look like potential members of Sweet Ninja Village at all.

Kakashi lowered his eyelids and listened to the gist of it, getting a general idea of what was going on.

"So, do you have any other ways to prove that you are yourself?"

Kakashi smiled at Gorō Satoru, appearing quite polite.

He had a sharp eye and immediately recognized that the bandaged man was the leader of the three.

"Identity verification?"

Gorō Satoru rubbed his chin and pondered for a while.

"Got it!"

"Take this; it's solid proof of our identities!"

Before he finished speaking, he pulled three pieces of paper from his pocket and slammed them on the table.

Gorō Satoru looked up and grinned at Kakashi across from him, revealing a mouthful of White Fang.

He's quick-witted!

Isn't this a ready-made way to prove identity?

What is this?

Kakashi reached out and scooped up the three pieces of paper from the table.

The first three large black characters on the paper immediately caught my eye.

Arrest warrant!

What's going on?

Is it really an arrest warrant?

The image of the Bandage Freak in front of him was clearly printed on the paper, arms crossed, looking as imposing as could be.

"You know what, this thing really does prove your identity."

Kakashi's lips twitched twice.

The last time he was speechless like this was with that white-haired brat.

That said, these breathless operations are practically identical.

Naruto standing nearby, also noticed the wanted poster.

"Hahaha, it really looks like a wanted poster!"

He scratched the back of his head and started shouting loudly.

???

His shout immediately drew everyone's attention to the three men.

The look in his eyes was indescribably strange.

Who exactly are these three deities?

Is he still carrying a bounty?

Which country posted this?

Sasuke had been silent for a while, also glanced over curiously.

How has my second brother managed all these years?

How did I end up on the black market's wanted list?

Besides, wasn't he killed by Itachi back then?

How do all these questions in my head connect?

Kakashi put the paper back on the table, his voice calm.

"Okay, no problem."

Genma Shiranui tilted his head and looked at Kakashi, his eyes full of question marks.

They'll let them through?

Kakashi nodded his chin at him.

The black market arrest warrants were ridiculous, but the information on them matched up, so they could barely be considered evidence.

As for why people from other villages end up with bounties, that's their own business and has nothing to do with Konoha.

I just hope nothing unexpected happens Chunin Ninja Exams.

Kakashi watched the trio and Sasuke walk away into the distance, slowly exhaled, and felt a mix of emotions.