Lakeside Cabin
After Sarutobi Hiruzen left, Haruto Saito went back to sleep.
All the blankets and quilts on the wooden bed had been replaced with brand-new ones. Dressed in a sleeping robe, Haruto burrowed into his bedding and quickly drifted into a deep sleep. Nightmares had plagued him for a long time, and he wondered if he would have another one this time.
It was unclear how much time had passed when three figures appeared outside Haruto's wooden cabin.
Because he was in a very deep sleep, his heightened perception was somewhat effective but not enough to immediately alert him to their presence.
"Shh, don't make a sound. This guy is asleep," a certain troublesome woman whispered while peering through the window.
The three figures silently entered the cabin and began searching through his belongings with extreme caution, making sure not to leave a trace. Under the woman's direction, they thoroughly rummaged through Haruto's home.
Finally, Haruto sensed something amiss. His consciousness rapidly awakened, and he slowly opened his eyes.
Three thieves!
Two of them were searching the outer room, while the troublesome woman had already made her way into the bedroom, carefully checking under the wooden bed for something specific.
Haruto sat up slowly.
The figure under the bed cautiously backed out and carefully stood up. As soon as she raised her head, her eyes met Haruto's. The atmosphere instantly became stiflingly awkward.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Haruto asked with dead-fish eyes.
A brief look of embarrassment flashed across Tsunade's face, but being utterly shameless, she quickly composed herself. She spread her arms, jumped slightly, and flashed a big grin at Haruto. With an exaggerated tone of surprise, she said, "Congratulations, little junior! We originally wanted to set something up in advance to give you a surprise! As expected, you truly are a peerless prodigy to have discovered us so quickly. Impressive, impressive!"
What an over-the-top performance!
"A surprise? Are you sure you don't mean a fright?" Haruto rolled his eyes and jumped off the bed. "Has the news already spread? I mean, about the Hokage accepting me as his direct disciple."
"Yes! Sensei made a brilliant decision! He finally realized what a once-in-a-century genius you are. What great foresight!" Tsunade's behavior was off. Under normal circumstances, she would never praise Haruto like this.
Haruto ignored her exaggerated flattery, stretching as he walked out of the bedroom. The sight that greeted him made his expression darken.
The outer room was in utter chaos. Things were scattered everywhere. The clothes and blankets he had purchased and neatly stored in the cabinet were now strewn across the floor. Even decorative items like vases had been moved.
He had been robbed!
At that moment, the front door was wide open. Jiraiya and Orochimaru stood just outside, both gazing at the sky as if admiring the stars. Their postures screamed innocence, as if they had nothing to do with the mess inside.
"Ah! Oh no, oh no!" Tsunade, following Haruto out of the bedroom, feigned shock. Then, with a sheepish grin, she said, "Hehe, those two idiots were too careless. We just wanted to give you a little surprise and celebrate, but who knew…"
"You were looking for the Black Armor, weren't you?" Haruto interrupted, his expression deadpan.
Tsunade froze.
Haruto had guessed correctly. She had indeed been searching for the Black Armor. But she would never find it because it was stored in his inventory space. Unless he took it out, no one could steal it.
"Don't even try to deny it. I don't own anything else valuable enough for you to steal! Shameless!" Haruto added.
Tsunade's lips twitched, her gaze sharpening with a hint of murderous intent.
"Wow, look at that beautiful scenery over there. Let's go take a look," Jiraiya suddenly said.
"Mhm," Orochimaru responded indifferently.
The two quickly walked away from the cabin, distancing themselves from the impending chaos.
Better not get caught in the crossfire!
"You little brat! I was doing this for your own good!" Tsunade finally exploded in rage, grabbing Haruto by his robe's collar and nearly lifting him off the ground. "Do you even know how many people are after the Black Armor? Now that Sensei has accepted you as his direct disciple, word has spread, and everyone is digging for inside information. The fact that you are the Black Samurai is all over Konoha! Do you realize how dangerous this is? If this news spreads across the ninja world, a flood of assassins will come for you. Those top-tier samurai will go crazy! Do you have enough heads to spare?"
"Oh, is that so? Well then, thank you! Thank you so much!" Haruto replied sarcastically.
Clearly, he didn't believe her. Given Tsunade's nature, she was more likely planning to steal the armor and sell it for a fortune. Everything else was just an excuse!
"You—!" Tsunade was furious. She raised her hand as if ready to hit him.
Although she did have some selfish motives, she genuinely cared about Haruto's safety. Danzo had his eyes on the Black Armor, and she couldn't openly warn him about it. Even though Haruto was about to become the Hokage's direct disciple, if Danzo truly wanted the armor, no one could stop him!
Danzo was the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, regardless of who stood in his way.
"My dear Tsunade-sama, if I remember correctly, you still owe me an unlimited favor. Plus… I have the right to beat you up. You'd better be careful, or you'll regret it," Haruto threatened.
"You! Go to hell!" Tsunade roared, swinging her arm and hurling Haruto away.
He shot out of the cabin like a cannonball, flying nearly a hundred meters before stabilizing himself midair. Forming hand seals, a burst of white smoke flashed around him…
When he landed on the lake's surface, he was fully armed—black robes on the outside, the Black Armor underneath.
"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!" Tsunade fumed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In just a few breaths, Haruto's already small wooden cabin was reduced to rubble, dust rising into the air.
"Damn you! You destroyed my house! I'm going to fight you!" Haruto was livid. He lunged toward Tsunade.
Before he could get close, a burly figure suddenly appeared behind him and grabbed him.
"Haruto-san, calm down! Calm down!" Jiraiya clung to him desperately, preventing him from getting himself killed.
"Let me go! She destroyed my house! No way! Let me go!" Haruto struggled fiercely.
Standing amid the ruins of the wooden cabin, Tsunade glared at him with fury before suddenly composing herself. Turning away, she scoffed, "Hmph! This place isn't safe anymore. You'll stay at my house."
Haruto immediately stopped struggling, blinking in surprise.
"Hmph! Good intentions wasted on an ungrateful brat!" Tsunade muttered, not looking at him as she walked toward the forest path.
"Uh…" Haruto squinted. He seemed to understand something.
"Hey, Tsunade, isn't this inappropriate? Haruto-san may be young, but he's still a guy. Living at your place… seems inconvenient, doesn't it?" Jiraiya called after her.
Haruto shot him a murderous glare.
Idiot!
Tsunade ignored him and kept walking.
Just then, five figures in black cloaks and masks suddenly appeared before the ruins—Konoha's ANBU.
Leading them was an ANBU Captain Haruto had seen twice before—Shinsuke, the second-in-command of Konoha's ANBU.
Why was he here?
Shinsuke stepped forward and handed Haruto a scroll. "By order of the Hokage, this is your reward for your exceptional performance during the mission in the Land of Rain."
Haruto's pupils shrank.
A scroll as a reward… It had to be a new jutsu!