"Welcome! Welcome back, heroes!"
"Tsunade-Sama! Thank you for saving my husband!"
"Tsunade-Sama! Jiraiya-Sama! You worked so hard!"
"That's the rumored Konoha Black fang! I heard he killed the Second Kazekage and ended this war once and for all."
"Really? Fantastic! Konoha has given birth to a strong individual, and our future safety is more assured."
At the main entrance of Konoha Village
Colored ribbons adorned the sky, strewn across the avenue.
The villagers from the entire village had gathered on both sides of the street, eagerly welcoming back the returning ninjas.
As Tatsuya, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the others emerged into view, a wave of cheers erupted into the air.
Among these, the villagers' shouts were the loudest.
Among all the Konoha shinobi who were on the battlefield, nine out of ten had been treated by Tsunade.
In the regular world, Tatsuya inhabited in his previous life, many influential figures did their best to avoid offending doctors and Policemen. And this was even more true in the ninja world.
After all, who could guarantee they wouldn't fall ill in the future?
Secondly, there was Jiraiya's name. Though it wasn't free from Orochimaru's yelling either. And if you listened closely, you could hear Tatsuya's name too.
The act of killing the Second Kazekage made the name "[Konoha Black Fang]" resonate throughout the Ninja World.
However, there was Sakumo, who had performed no less admirably than Orochimaru and Jiraiya in this ninja battle. As they made their way from the main entrance to the administrative building's entrance, hardly anyone's cheers seemed to include his name.
Was it solely because of that failed mission?
"Poor guy," Tatsuya teased.
"Konoha's White Fang! Konoha's White Fang!"
"Dad's the best!"
But then, in the midst of this national celebration,
An angered voice cut through the atmosphere, capturing everyone's attention. Observing from Kakashi's side, Asuma burst through the crowd, running toward Tatsuya, Jiraiya, and the others with tears in his eyes.
"Where's my older brother? And Sister Rie, where's the rest of the family?"
Asuma's behavior immediately piqued the interest of countless Konoha villagers, who began to murmur among themselves,
"Who's that kid? So rude..."
"Shhh, keep it down; that's the Hokage's youngest son."
"They say the Hokage's eldest son died in the war."
"Really? How tragic."
...
...
Jiraiya was left dumbfounded by Asuma's inquiry.
What? Elder brother?
Was he referring to Sarutobi Sensei's eldest son?
Sakumo let out a sigh, patting Asuma on the shoulder in a comforting gesture as he explained, "Shinnosuke-kun died at the hands of the Kazekage during a mission with Tatsuya. Unfortunately, he's one of our Konoha heroes now."
Tatsuya chimed in with a smile, "But don't worry, because I avenged him by killing the Second Kazekage Shamon."
Jiraiya was left utterly bewildered by what the two brothers said.
What?
Sarutobi Shinnosuke died during a mission to assassinate the Kazekage. To the Kingdom of Wind, where he and Tatsuya had gone together.
They jointly slew the Kazekage. And yet, Sarutobi Shinnosuke hadn't been seen at all by him.
So how did this person end up dead at the Kazekage's hands?
At this moment, Jiraiya was thoroughly perplexed.
"No, that can't be! It's absolutely impossible!"
Asuma angrily exclaimed, "My older brother is so strong, he can't possibly have died!"
Tatsuya was rendered speechless.
Your brother was an ordinary Jonin. Though he wasn't weak, the term "strong" doesn't quite fit.
"He was hit by a sand attack from Shamon and died gloriously defending the village. There's nothing we can do if you don't believe it."
Tatsuya said in a nonchalant tone.
"You—you're spouting nonsense!"
Asuma pointed angrily at Tatsuya, his voice raised, "Since you were on a mission with my older brother, why didn't you save him!? Did you watch him die?"
"Tsk tsk, young man, your words are quite harsh."
Tatsuya's smile grew wider and brighter as he continued, "Before, my elder brother saved young Shinnosuke, and for that, he received a lot of criticism from many ninjas, including your older brother. This time, I chose not to save him. Instead, I've granted him his wish."
"Otherwise, if I had saved him and he survived, what would he have done? Probably scolded me as trash in the future. Don't you think so?"
He looked around at the other Konoha shinobi present, seeking their opinions. The scene was met with collective speechlessness.
Asuma, the 16-year-old boy, was flushed with anger and found himself at a loss for a retort.
"That's right!!!!!"
Seeing no one was responding, Tatsuya suddenly raised his voice again and asked.
Numerous weak ninjas and ordinary villagers onlookers quivered at the outburst.
"Yes, yes, Tatsuya-sama is absolutely right!"
"This is all for the sake of Konoha's victory!"
"Tatsuya-sama is dedicated to the village's welfare and hasn't done anything wrong."
"Shinnosuke-sama must understand this and have great hope for it!"
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