Konoha: I Have a Gravity Training Room

If some ambitious Chinese person had come here instead, they would have overthrown all the daimyo. After all, aside from their so-called status and wealth, the daimyo had nothing—no formidable strength, no badass army. Whenever trouble arose, they still had to rely on the ninja villages. How could such people rule a country?

Overthrow them! Overthrow them all!

And unite the entire Shinobi World!

Then take Hinata, Ino, Kurotsuchi, Karin, Mei Terumi, and all the other girls!

The more ruthless ones would not even spare Chiyo!

Uh, those were the thoughts of ambitious schemers. Xia Mu found them exhausting just to look at. What was so fun about such a twisted world? In any case, he did not want to live that tiredly.

Xia Mu took a stroll around the city and bought a few small trinkets to bring back for Tenten. As for a gift for his future father-in-law, there was no need at all. Before leaving Konoha, when he had reported his trip to his future father-in-law, the man had said something:

"Xia Mu, do you know how many businesses our family owns? Since you're going to the capital of the Land of Fire this time, you can visit these shops and familiarize yourself with them..."

After making the rounds, Xia Mu really did find several of the shops his future father-in-law had mentioned: inns, restaurants, cloth shops, and more.

Heh, forget familiarizing himself with them. He would come back and do that with Tenten another time.

Still, since the family already had businesses in the capital of the Land of Fire, there was no need to bring his future father-in-law a gift. Xia Mu did not have much money anyway, and cheap goods might not even catch the man's eye.

But Tenten was different. Bringing her a few small trinkets would make her happy and let her know that her boyfriend was thinking of her.

After buying the gifts, Xia Mu headed back toward the inn.

However, after only a few steps, he spotted his two good teammates, Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato, walking back hand in hand in the distance. Megumi was even feeding Tatsuya a grilled sausage, and both wore shy smiles.

Very good. Those two really were just as he had suspected!

They were just too absorbed in their date to notice someone following them from behind!

Xia Mu's gaze sharpened. He noticed a person sneaking along behind them. Judging by their steps, they should have been a ninja, and he could sense faint Chakra fluctuations from them.

Who would dare follow Konoha's ninja?

And what was their goal?

Xia Mu immediately lightened his footsteps and silently followed the stalker. He tailed them all the way near the inn. Only after Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato shyly released each other's hands and entered the inn together did the stalker prepare to slip away.

But the moment the stalker turned around, they were startled by the figure that had suddenly appeared before them.

Without another word, Xia Mu slapped the stalker across the forehead, knocking them unconscious on the spot. He quickly searched their body and found a forehead protector.

"Hm? A musical note? Otogakure?! Was Orochimaru behind this?!"

The appearance of an Otogakure ninja forced Xia Mu to take the matter seriously.

Before, he had never considered anything related to Orochimaru while in the village, simply because the Konoha Crush was still far off. Even if Orochimaru secretly returned to the village, he would only make deals with Danzo and would basically not cause trouble. But now, it seemed that the Chunin Exams were not far away, and the Crush Plan was about to begin.

So why was this Otogakure ninja following Konoha ninja?

Was it merely an investigation? Or were they planning an abduction? Perhaps even an assassination?

Xia Mu could not figure it out, so he simply carried the man back to the inn. He knocked on Aoba Yamashiro's door, then used their signal to summon Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato as well.

"What happened?"

Aoba Yamashiro immediately opened the door. When he saw the person Xia Mu was carrying, his expression instantly turned serious.

Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato hurried over as well. They were confused by the scene for a moment, but they did not ask questions and simply followed them into Aoba Yamashiro's room.

Aoba Yamashiro specifically used Chakra to scan the surroundings. Only after confirming that no one else was listening did he turn back to Xia Mu.

Xia Mu took out the Otogakure forehead protector and said, "On my way back, I saw this man secretly following Tatsuya and Megumi, so I followed him too. When he tried to leave, I knocked him out and found this on him."

Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato's expressions changed.

They had not expected that two separate groups had been following them. It would have been one thing if their relationship had been discovered, but being followed by strangers without noticing was a much bigger problem.

Aoba Yamashiro glanced at his younger clansman but did not say anything.

Instead, he took the forehead protector and examined it. "Otogakure? I heard before that the Land of Sound had established Otogakure. Lord Hokage was curious, but he did not send anyone to investigate deeply. Yet now, an Otogakure ninja has suddenly followed Konoha ninja. What is their purpose?"

You should be asking that, Aoba-sensei!

You know the Mind Reading Technique!

Aoba Yamashiro also knew he had asked a pointless question. He formed several hand seals, pressed his large hand against the man's head, and began reading his memories.

Not long after, Aoba Yamashiro's expression stiffened. He blurted out, "Orochimaru..."

Fortunately, he shut his mouth in time, or his students would have heard.

Still, Aoba Yamashiro's expression was incomparably grave, completely unlike his usual self.

Badora

"A-Aoba..." Tatsuya Yamashiro called out uneasily.

Aoba Yamashiro forced his expression back under control before saying, "This is no small matter. You should not know about it. When I return, I will report it to Lord Hokage. This person must also be taken back."

As he spoke, he took out some rope and bound the Otogakure ninja tightly, then wrapped gauze around his mouth.

The severity of the situation made Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato even more worried.

To divert their attention, Xia Mu took the chance to scold them. "You two, it's fine to date, but don't get so carried away that you do not even realize you're being followed. Aoba-sensei and I noticed your little affair long ago, so why hide it? As punishment, every D-rank mission we take after returning will be done by the two of you!"

"...Boss, we understand."

The two lowered their heads, embarrassed and annoyed. Other than obediently accepting the punishment, they did not dare say anything else.

Aoba Yamashiro nodded at Xia Mu, clearly approving of his approach. Xia Mu neither asked further questions nor intended to let Tatsuya and Megumi ask more. After all, genin truly should not know about this matter.

Still, for safety's sake, it was better for the four of them not to separate for the time being.

"Make do in my room tonight. At dawn tomorrow, we'll rush back to the village at full speed!" Urgency filled Aoba Yamashiro's eyes.

"Aoba-sensei, my Summoning Beast is a Giant Mountain Eagle. It can carry seven people and flies extremely fast. How about we take the eagle back to the village tomorrow?"

Xia Mu was also worried that Orochimaru might be in the capital of the Land of Fire, so returning to the village as soon as possible was best.

Although his current strength allowed him to exchange a few moves with Orochimaru, and he and Aoba Yamashiro might have a chance of winning if they worked together, they were outside the village with no support. On top of that, Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato were not very strong. The risk of encountering an S-rank Rogue Ninja was simply too great.

It was best not to encounter him if possible. Clearly, Aoba Yamashiro thought the same.

As for a Summoning Beast like the Giant Mountain Eagle, Tenten had put out a bounty at the Bounty Exchange even before she graduated. Someone had actually delivered the contract scroll for the Giant Mountain Eagle. Xia Mu and Tenten had both signed the scroll and summoned the eagle to communicate with it, though they had not dared fly around recklessly inside the village.

Sure enough, contracting a Summoning Beast like the Giant Mountain Eagle had been a farsighted decision. Now was precisely the time to make use of this convenient form of transportation!

As for who had obtained the contract scroll, Xia Mu had every reason to suspect Kakuzu. The bounty Tenten had offered at the Bounty Exchange had truly been a bit high. Even Kakuzu, with five hearts, would have been tempted.

"A Giant Mountain Eagle Summoning Beast? Fine. I'll leave it to you tomorrow!"

Aoba Yamashiro did not object. He needed to return to the village as quickly as possible and report the memories he had read to Lord Hokage.

Soon, it was the next morning. After checking out, the group immediately left the city.

As soon as they reached the outskirts, Xia Mu bit his thumb and rapidly formed hand seals. Then he slammed a palm onto the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Bang! An incomparably huge eagle suddenly appeared. Its overwhelming presence made everyone's breathing hitch, while the dust kicked up by its beating wings made it difficult for them to breathe.

The Otogakure ninja had just woken up. Upon seeing this, he fainted again.

The giant eagle let out a long cry, greeting Xia Mu.

Though the giant eagle was enormous, it could not speak. Unless one had signed a contract with it, it was difficult to understand what it meant.

Xia Mu leaped straight onto its back. "Badora, carry us back to Konoha."

Badora was the name Xia Mu had given it. Seeing the eagle's imposing appearance and learning that it could breathe fire, he had instinctively thought of Birdramon from Digimon and named it accordingly. Fortunately, the giant eagle did not mind. It was even a little happy because it now had a name.

Aoba Yamashiro and the other two followed, carrying the Otogakure ninja with them. Only after landing on the eagle's back did they truly realize just how massive it was.

If not for the consideration of flight weight, it could have carried several more people on its back.

With a flap of its wings, Badora shot into the sky, and everyone on its back was instantly blown into a mess.

But the giant eagle truly was fast. In only two or three hours, the outline of Konoha appeared below them. Xia Mu hurriedly had the eagle land a kilometer outside the village.

The giant eagle was simply too large. If it landed too close to the village, it might be attacked.

Only after stepping down from the eagle's back did Aoba Yamashiro breathe a sigh of relief. "All right, quickly follow me back into the village. After that, you can dismiss yourselves. Rest tomorrow. If anything comes up, I'll notify you."

Xia Mu also waved at Badora. "Badora, go back first. Next time, I'll have Tenten prepare some delicious beef for you."

Badora let out another long cry, then vanished with a bang.

Team 9 did not dare delay and hurried back toward the village.

As soon as they reached the gate, the two gate guards hurriedly asked, "Aoba, you're back so quickly? That giant eagle just now was..."

Aoba Yamashiro only said, "I'll report to Lord Hokage. Xia Mu, you three register your return."

Then, carrying the Otogakure ninja, he vanished.

The two gate guards looked at Xia Mu and the others, but Xia Mu said nothing. He merely had them register their return. Then Team 9 disbanded, and each of them went home.

Inside the Hokage's office.

Aoba Yamashiro placed the Otogakure ninja on the floor, his tone somewhat urgent. "...After we arrived in the capital of the Land of Fire, Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato were followed by this man while shopping. Fortunately, Xia Mu noticed him in time and captured him. I used the Mind Reading Technique to read his memories and discovered that he truly is from Otogakure. And Otogakure's founder is Orochimaru!"

"What?! Orochimaru!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly rose to his feet. "I was wondering why Otogakure had been so mysterious. It turns out it is a ninja village established by Orochimaru?"

For a moment, the aged Third Hokage hesitated. Perhaps he could not understand Orochimaru's intentions, but his instincts told him that Orochimaru was planning to cause trouble.

The Land of Sound, where Otogakure had been established, bordered the northern part of the Land of Fire.

Furthermore, an Otogakure ninja had suddenly followed Konoha ninja this time. There might be some ulterior motive behind it.

"Aoba, why did this man follow Konoha's ninja?" Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly asked.

"According to his memories, Orochimaru is planning some kind of action against Konoha and needs information on Konoha's ninja. This man was assigned to infiltrate the capital of the Land of Fire. Yesterday, when he saw me bringing Team 9 into the city, he decided to follow us and investigate. But he seemed to be acting alone and did not appear to have any accomplices." Aoba Yamashiro's expression was solemn.

"An action? What kind of action?"

"I don't know! There was nothing in his memories. Clearly, he doesn't know either!"

It was precisely because he did not know that Aoba Yamashiro had rushed back to report.

Orochimaru had once been one of Konoha's Sannin and knew Konoha inside out. If he intended to target the village, then the village was in great danger. They had to prepare in advance!

The F4 Meeting

Hiruzen Sarutobi carefully asked about many more details, including Xia Mu's Giant Mountain Eagle Summoning Beast.

However, he did not pay much attention to Xia Mu. Orochimaru was the priority now. Until they figured out what Orochimaru intended to do, Konoha was truly in a passive position.

After learning roughly everything, Hiruzen Sarutobi had Aoba Yamashiro leave first.

Then, he had the Anbu notify Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu to attend a meeting.

As for Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not notify him because he suspected that Danzo still had ties to Orochimaru. Orochimaru's planned action might very well be connected to Danzo.

Oh, and the Otogakure ninja was handed over to the Interrogation Department. Hopefully, they could extract more information from him.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu arrived soon after. Yet before the meeting even began, Danzo pushed the door open and entered. Clearly, he had come uninvited.

"Hiruzen, I can overlook you disbanding Root, but you actually held a meeting without calling me. Have you already stopped treating me as the Hokage's Assistant? Or are you planning to completely abandon me, the darkness of Konoha?"

Danzo questioned him without any courtesy, clearly angry.

Hiruzen Sarutobi silently smoked his pipe before saying, "You still have secret ties with Orochimaru, don't you?"

Those words nearly made Danzo crush his cane. "Hiruzen, you suspect me?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi merely looked at Danzo without speaking. But from his expression, it was clear that this was more than mere suspicion. Even without evidence, he was convinced that his old comrade still had private dealings with that traitorous disciple.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu also understood. It seemed the meeting concerned Orochimaru. No wonder Danzo had not been summoned.

Danzo gritted his teeth. "I have not contacted Orochimaru for a long time. I can guarantee that. Besides, I am still the Hokage's Assistant. I have the right to participate in this meeting!"

But Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Then I will temporarily restrict your authority. This matter concerns Orochimaru. I believe we should be cautious!"

"You! Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"

Bang! Danzo slammed the door and left.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smoked his pipe. Only after a long while did he slowly say, "Homura, Koharu, Orochimaru is likely about to make a move..."

Meanwhile, Xia Mu went straight back to the Ninja Tool Shop. He happened to run into Tenten head-on. To his surprise, she had already finished her mission and returned, and she looked anxious.