"C-Rank Hunter":
-Victor Gonzalez
-Linh Q Tra
*
"B-Rank Hunter":
-Umar Jawed
*
"A-Rank Hunter":
-Joseph Stan
*
"S-Rank Hunter":
-Ken Kaza
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In the following days, the news of the Rock ninja's attack on Konoha inevitably spread like wildfire throughout the ninja world. Like a stone cast into a tranquil lake, the entire ninja world was abuzz with this news. Quickly, all the major ninja villages sought to understand the details of this battle, leading their spy and intelligence departments to spring into action to gather the most detailed and accurate information possible. With such extensive efforts, accurate intelligence was bound to surface.
When the detailed report of the attack reached the desks of the high-ranking officials of the major ninja villages, everyone was shocked by the news it contained.
The first point was that the 'Child of Konoha,' Sōsuke, had defected from the Leaf! Although Sōsuke's name was well-known in the Land of Rain battlefield and within Konoha, it was not so well-known externally. Initially, people might have thought he was just a regular defector, but the additional details provided in the message left everyone stunned and disbelieving their own eyes!
1. Before defecting, the 'Child of Konoha' Sōsuke was elected as the Fourth Hokage through a vote of candidates, enjoying all the rights of the Fourth Hokage.
2. It is rumored that Sōsuke carried Konoha's Seal Book with him when he defected.
3. Sōsuke had a brief encounter with the Third Tsuchikage, showing equal strength, intimidating countless Leaf ninjas with his prowess alone, making him an S-class defector and extremely dangerous.
This intelligence report left everyone speechless. Even without meeting him, one could imagine what a magnificent figure the young Fourth Hokage must have been. While everyone had to admire Konoha's depth of exceptional individuals, they also wondered what could have caused the 'Child of Konoha,' who was so highly anticipated, to defect from his village.
Then came the second piece of news: the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had fought in Konoha, resulting in injuries for both.
1. The Third Tsuchikage and a group of Rock ninjas left Konoha, and their whereabouts were unknown. The Rock Village temporarily closed its entrances and exits, making it impossible to confirm if the Third Tsuchikage had returned to the Rock Village.
2. The day after the battle, Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared before the villagers of Konoha in good spirits.
Although many details were not disclosed in the report, the rough information was enough to leave everyone who read it speechless.
The major ninja villages that received this news all had a momentary thought of taking advantage of the weakened states of both Konoha and the Rock Villages. However, after some consideration, they eventually abandoned such thoughts. After all, neither Konoha nor the Rock were weak villages, and their deep roots were not to be underestimated. This battle between two tigers did not mean that other ninja villages could bully them.
Observant individuals would notice that Konoha's ninja forces stationed near the border of the Land of Wind had not been withdrawn, indicating that even at such a time, Konoha still had enough manpower to resist the Sand ninjas. Clearly, the aging tiger of the ninja world had not lost much of its strength.
The news gradually spread across the continent, and for a time, a name was remembered by ninjas throughout the ninja world: Sōsuke, the first person in history to defect from a village while still holding the title of a Kage!
For the villagers of Konoha, this news was especially hard to accept. The village was slowly rebuilding and many villagers who had taken shelter were returning to their homes. Facing their ruined homes, no villager could feel happy.
And then, an even more unfortunate piece of news reached their ears: Sōsuke, beloved by the villagers and watched over as he grew up, had become a defector from Konoha, even after being named the Fourth Hokage.
No one wanted to believe the news; indeed, no one could associate Sōsuke with the term "defector."
Yet, the harsh reality was laid bare before them.
The young man who had always been modest, helpful, and wore a gentle smile had left Konoha.
Within the rebuilding Village of Konoha.
In front of a ruined house, a young man around twenty years old was laboriously clearing the debris and rubble from the ground.
Under the scorching sun, his body was soaked with sweat, yet he did not stop working.
Even as his hands bled from the effort, he silently and diligently continued his task.
An elderly man approached, observing him with a somewhat sorrowful expression.
"Teuchi, go back and help your father with the ramen shop; it's also been destroyed. Here... he probably won't come back..."
Hearing the elderly man, the young man wiped his sweat and replied softly,
"It's okay, Oda-san. The shop was almost cleaned up by noon. Here... I believe in Sōsuke."
With that, he bowed his head and continued to clear the collapsed building's debris, ignoring the blood seeping from his hands.
Seeing this, Oda-san's eyes reflected a complex emotion, and he sighed silently before leaving.
Hearing the receding footsteps of Oda-san, Teuchi, who had kept his head down, paused, his face tense and his eyes brimming with tears.
He slowly crouched down, burying his face in his bloodied hands, sobbing softly,
"Sōsuke... is it true..."
"Why..."
Memories slowly surfaced in Teuchi's mind.
In the warm sunlight by the river in Konoha, Teuchi lay on the grass, enjoying a moment of leisure.
"Teuchi, the ramen you make tastes really good, even better than your uncle's."
At that moment, by the river, a young man with glasses and a gentle smile said softly.
"Really... Sōsuke... I heard you're a genius from the ninja academy, really impressive."
Hearing this, the young Teuchi rolled over to look at Sōsuke, who was smiling by the river, and asked with wide, curious eyes.
Hearing the question, Sōsuke smiled gently and replied,
"Are you envious?"
A bit shy, Teuchi murmured,
"Yes, but I don't have the talent to become a ninja..."
To this, Sōsuke's smile didn't waver as he said,
"Being a ninja isn't all that great. Ninjas only bring death and sorrow, but your Ichiraku ramen brings joy and happiness to everyone."
Hearing this, the young Teuchi's face lit up, and he eagerly said,
"Really? Sōsuke... does my ramen really make everyone happy?"
Sōsuke looked at him seriously and assured,
"It truly brings happiness."
Since then, Teuchi gave up on his dream of becoming a ninja and devoted himself to studying ramen cuisine.
Eventually, he created a ramen that surpassed his father's, one that truly made everyone who ate it feel happy.
But the brother who always had a warm smile, who encouraged him and sometimes listened to his worries, had left the village to become the culprit destroying everyone's happiness...