Chapter 8

"My sister used to tell me how wonderful things were when Grandpa Hashirama and Grandpa Tobirama were Hokage, but I really can't feel any of that now..."

Nawaki's lips were a little dry. He downed a cup of liquor and gave a bitter laugh.

"Honestly, I'm starting to want to leave."

"Leave?" Xuan Zhe looked up at him.

Xuan Zhe laughed when he heard that.

"Who'd have to be out of their mind to defect?"

"Huh?"

Nawaki looked completely bewildered.

Xuan Zhe asked, "There have been two Shinobi World Wars. Have you ever seen the Land of Fire strike first? Other countries invaded every time. Konoha never started anything. Aren't you curious?"

Nawaki scratched his head. After struggling for a long time, he finally managed:

"Because... Lord Hokage loves peace?"

Smack!

Xuan Zhe rapped him on the forehead with his chopsticks, his face full of disdain.

"Bullshit! ** The Land of Fire has the richest land on the entire continent. It has no need to steal anyone else's stuff."

As for the territories of the Five Great Nations...

The Land of Water was just a lousy island, separated from the mainland by the sea. Even doing business was a hassle.

The Land of Lightning's elevation was absurdly high. Anyone with a weaker constitution would get sick there.

The Land of Earth had plenty of minerals, but so many mountains that there was nowhere to farm.

As for the Land of Wind, it wasn't even worth mentioning.

Through three Shinobi World Wars, no one had ever attacked it first.

The place was so lousy it wasn't even worth invading.

Only the Land of Fire enjoyed springlike weather all year, had everything anyone could want, and boasted fertile fields stretching as far as the eye could see.

That was why every time war broke out, the other countries all targeted Konoha.

"You couldn't find another place as good as Konoha in the whole Shinobi World. Everyone else is fighting tooth and nail to get in, and you want to leave? Is there something wrong with your head?"

Xuan Zhe spoke with a chuckle.

Nawaki covered his aching forehead, looking as though he understood.

But no matter how good the land was, it was useless if the people in charge were incompetent.

However substantial Konoha's reserves were, they couldn't withstand their reckless meddling.

The Senju Clan had already been the first unlucky victim.

Which clan would be next?

"Just wait. I'll have a surprise for you in a few days."

Xuan Zhe raised his bowl of liquor and clinked it against Nawaki's.

Early the next morning.

At Konoha's main gate.

"Morning, everyone. Same teams as last time?"

Xuan Zhe had made do with a night at Nawaki's place. By the time he leisurely arrived, his older brother and the squad led by Sarutobi Shinnosuke were already standing in neat formation.

To his surprise, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his wife, Biwako Sarutobi, had actually come to see them off.

Their younger son, Asuma Sarutobi, was with them too.

Honestly, without that big beard, Xuan Zhe had almost failed to recognize him.

Kakashi had come too, to see off his father and the uncle who never called him by his name.

Standing nearby were Rin Nohara, Obito Uchiha, and Kurenai Yuhi, future teachers of the Konoha 12.

Right now, though, they were only five or six, just a bunch of little brats.

"Xuan Zhe, I feel much more reassured with you coming along this time."

Seeing Xuan Zhe arrive, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with a chuckle.

He also took the opportunity to win some goodwill from newcomers like Rin Nohara and Kurenai Yuhi.

"Rest assured, Lord Hokage. I, Hatake Xuanzhe, will never be like my disappointing older brother."

Xuan Zhe thumped his chest loudly, his expression declaring that he would lay down his life for Konoha.

"Even if I have to watch my comrades die during a mission, I'll never lift a finger to save them. Completing the mission always comes first."

Everyone present froze at those words.

It took quite a while for them to recover.

Obito, who had yet to turn evil, was the first to jump out. Pointing at Xuan Zhe's nose, he shouted, "Mister! That's going way too far! Comrades matter more than anything! How can you abandon them for a mission?!"

Looking at this great villain who would one day turn the entire Shinobi World upside down, now acting like some hot-blooded **, Xuan Zhe couldn't help grinning.

"Runtu, you're far too naive. For a shinobi, the mission is everything. What's sacrificing a few comrades if it gets the mission done? Wouldn't you agree, Shinnosuke? Lord Hokage?"

As he spoke, Xuan Zhe turned toward Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"My name's Obito! Obito Uchiha! Not Runtu!"

Obito stamped his feet in anger.

Beside him, Kakashi looked at him with sympathy.

The idiot still didn't know that once his uncle gave someone a nickname, there was no changing it.

Just like his own "Fifty-Fifty."

Though Fifty-Fifty... did sound a tiny bit better than Runtu.

Hehe~

Meanwhile, the father and son Xuan Zhe had called out wore stiff expressions.

How were they supposed to answer that?

If they said Xuan Zhe was wrong, wouldn't they be slapping themselves in the face after viciously berating Hatake Sakumo?

But if they said Xuan Zhe was right...

What would people think of them from now on?

Would everyone think they were cold-blooded?

Sarutobi Shinnosuke agonized for a long time before finally biting the bullet. "Th-that's right! A shinobi should prioritize the mission! Even if it means sacrificing comrades, the mission must be completed!"

"Excellent! Just what I'd expect from Lord Hokage's son!"

Laughing loudly, Xuan Zhe slapped Sarutobi Shinnosuke on the shoulder, looking as though he had found a long-lost brother.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke and the several Sarutobi Clan shinobi behind him were all dumbfounded.

Since when were we this close?

Didn't this lunatic nearly cut us down with his sword the day before yesterday?

Hatake Sakumo and Kakashi silently swallowed.

Everyone who knew Xuan Zhe knew that when he smiled like that... nothing good could come of it.

Whenever Xuan Zhe wore that expression, someone was about to suffer.

"Lord Hokage, you think I'm right, don't you?"

He turned with a smile, his gaze settling on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Well... that depends on the circumstances. As long as it's for the village, there's no problem."

Hiruzen Sarutobi inwardly cursed the sly little fox for digging a pit for him. All he could do was give a vague answer.

He couldn't let his image as a kind, benevolent old man crumble.

He absolutely couldn't say anything like, "You can abandon your comrades for a mission."

"Abandoning your comrades to complete a mission is wrong in the first place..."

Obito was still muttering under his breath.

"Hmm? Little girl, do you like this boy of ours?"

Xuan Zhe suddenly noticed Rin Nohara behind Obito and asked with a smile.

"Huh?!"

Rin Nohara had never expected Xuan Zhe to suddenly speak to her.

And about such an embarrassing subject, too. Her little face instantly flushed red.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Rin would never like this jerk!"

Before Rin Nohara could speak, Obito bristled and jumped up, shouting.

"I'd advise you not to like him. Girls your age are easily drawn to little show-offs like him, but men like that are the least reliable."

Xuan Zhe grinned mischievously, unconsciously linking Obito with the future Uchiha Sasuke in his mind.

"And don't even get me started on looks. Even without his mask, this kid isn't as handsome as me."

Who could have imagined that Rin Nohara, the ordinary girl next door before him, with looks that could only be called cute and unremarkable talent...

Would one day become the butterfly that stirred up a storm across the Shinobi World.

Xuan Zhe had only said that to give her a warning.

At the end of the day, this girl was pretty unlucky too.

Obito?

Xuan Zhe maintained that he didn't have that much sympathy to spare for men.

"H-he really is handsome!"

The little girl beside Rin Nohara, Kurenai Yuhi, stared at Xuan Zhe's sharply defined face and his flowing long white hair-completely different from Hatake Sakumo's and Kakashi's spiky white hedgehog hair.

Her ruby-like eyes shone as she cupped her face in both hands.

Exactly my type!

"Hmm?!"

The future bearded man instantly went on alert, glaring at Xuan Zhe with hostility.

Looking at the somewhat lovestruck Kurenai Yuhi, Xuan Zhe felt helpless too.

Girl, why are you getting involved?

Though you had it pretty rough in the original story too.