As long as he could kill Terado, the reward for Haruto Saito would be far greater than completing a mission where he killed a hundred ordinary enemies. Someone of Terado's caliber—excluding powerhouses like Hiruzen Sarutobi—was among the absolute elites of the entire ninja world.
Having the chance to kill Terado was a rare opportunity. If one encountered someone of his level on a mission, the wiser choice would be to escape rather than engage in a fight that was unwinnable.
Now that Hiruzen Sarutobi had granted Haruto Saito the opportunity to execute Terado, his excitement was instantly ignited.
In front of the Hokage Building, Koharu Utatane had personally overseen and organized the formal ceremony where Haruto Saito officially became Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple. The ceremony was elaborate and serious, though the number of attendees wasn't too large—just over a hundred people. However, every one of them was an important figure in Konoha, including the heads and elders of major clans, as well as the high-ranking officials from various Konoha departments.
An event like this didn't require the entire village to attend. The purpose of holding the ceremony was to make an official declaration—because Haruto Saito was an outsider, a rogue ninja from Amegakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi needed to use this opportunity to formally announce that Haruto was fully accepted into Konoha.
With this public acknowledgment, doubts about Haruto's identity and loyalty within the village would significantly decrease.
Through this event, Haruto also had the chance to familiarize himself with Konoha's key figures. With his True Sight ability, he didn't need to ask anyone's name—he could immediately discern who they were, what their status was, and even gauge their strength.
It was worth noting that both Jiraiya and Orochimaru were present among the guests, but Tsunade was nowhere to be seen.
She hadn't appeared at all. For the past few days, she had been spending time with her grandmother, Mito Uzumaki, and for some reason, she hadn't found time to attend the ceremony.
As the twilight deepened and dusk faded into evening, the ceremony concluded. Haruto Saito was now officially recognized as the personal disciple of the Hokage.
Following the ceremony, a banquet was held on the seventh floor of the Hokage Building in the banquet hall. Hiruzen Sarutobi was one of the main figures of the evening, seated among Konoha's top officials, sharing drinks and conversations with individuals like the Uchiha and Hyuga clan leaders.
Many people at the banquet were searching for Haruto Saito. One such person was Fugaku Uchiha, who had attended the ceremony alongside his father, Uchiha Tokugawa. They had planned to take the opportunity to establish a connection with Haruto, only to realize that he had vanished.
Haruto had made an appearance at the start of the banquet, but after that, no one knew where he had gone.
The forest behind the Hokage Monument was officially under Konoha's direct jurisdiction and was considered an extension of the village itself. In fact, the forest was even larger than Konoha. When Haruto had first arrived in this world, he had traveled through this forest to reach the village. It was also where he had first encountered Kushina Uzumaki.
Notably, Konoha's mysterious elite Anbu operations and Mito Uzumaki's secluded residence were both hidden within this very forest.
Under the dim moonlight, shadows stretched through the dense woodland.
Along a narrow forest path, Haruto Saito walked with seven Anbu members. As per Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrangements, these elite shinobi were escorting him to meet Terado.
Leading the group was an Anbu operative known as "Ghostheart." His real name was Kiyoshi Nakayama, and Haruto had encountered him before—he was the captain of Anbu's Second Division, the same one who had once searched Haruto's memories. With a reputation score exceeding nineteen thousand points, he was a peak-level Jonin, slightly weaker than Tsunade but not by much.
"We're almost there. Put this on," Ghostheart suddenly said as the group halted in the middle of the forest. He handed Haruto a black blindfold.
Terado was being held in the Anbu's secure facility, and because Haruto was not an Anbu member, he was not allowed to know the exact location or entry method of the base.
Haruto took the blindfold and tied it over his eyes.
Ghostheart grabbed his shoulder, and in an instant, they vanished into the night. The other six Anbu operatives also accelerated, keeping pace.
Even though Haruto's vision was blocked, his sensory abilities were not affected. He could still form a rough understanding of the terrain around him. However, due to Ghostheart's extreme speed, the roaring wind in his ears disrupted his precise perception.
This continued for a full five minutes.
Suddenly, Haruto sensed the chakra fluctuations of the Anbu members around him. Immediately after, the rushing wind ceased, and the sounds of the forest disappeared entirely.
He was now in a tunnel.
They had entered the Anbu base!
Ghostheart continued leading Haruto forward. The path was long and winding, descending multiple staircases. Eventually, they stopped. Ghostheart removed Haruto's blindfold.
Haruto's vision gradually adjusted. He found himself in a dimly lit corridor, the stone walls lined with torches at regular intervals, casting flickering shadows.
The other Anbu members had already left, leaving only Ghostheart with him.
"It's just ahead," Ghostheart said before continuing to walk.
The corridor eventually opened into a spacious chamber resembling a grand hall. At the farthest end, a massive metal door loomed, covered in black seal markings resembling wriggling tadpoles. Two Anbu Jonin stood guard beside it.
Ghostheart approached the door and rasped, "Open it."
The two guards immediately formed hand seals, causing an eerie chakra fluctuation to ripple through the air. They then pressed their glowing hands against the door, making the black seals wriggle and fade away.
One of the guards took out a key and unlocked the heavy metal lock.
Creak.
The massive door slowly swung open.
At first, the cell was pitch black, but as the light from the corridor seeped in, Haruto saw a thin figure seated on a straw mat deep inside—Terado!
Haruto and Ghostheart stepped into the cell. One of the guards placed a burning torch on the wall inside, illuminating the room.
Terado had not moved throughout the entire process, as if he hadn't even heard the door open. He remained seated, eyes closed, as still as a meditating monk.
Haruto studied Terado carefully.
He was wearing a simple, grayish-blue robe made of rough fabric. His hair was neatly combed, and his entire appearance was astonishingly clean. This was not what Haruto had expected.
Considering that Terado had undergone interrogation, Haruto had assumed he would be covered in blood, bound in chains. But surprisingly, he looked completely unharmed.
Creak...Boom!
The heavy cell door shut behind them, and the black seals reappeared.
Ghostheart remained inside.
"Lord Ghostheart," Haruto turned to him. "Aren't you leaving?"
"Hokage-sama gave strict orders," Ghostheart rasped. "He said you might kill Terado, so I'm here to watch you."
"Fine," Haruto sighed in frustration. Hiruzen really thought he was that bloodthirsty, huh?
At that moment, Terado's eyes suddenly snapped open.
A flicker of surprise crossed his face as he stared directly at Haruto.
"You… it's you!"
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