Naruto: The Hidden Shadow Style

Haseo and the others had moved as fast as they could, but by the time they rushed back to the Third Hokage, all they saw was a battlefield left in complete chaos...

Standing in the center of the battlefield were the Third Hokage and his personal squad. The enemy Kakuzu, however, had completely vanished.

Fortunately, the Third Hokage seemed unharmed. As Haseo glanced at them, it wasn't just that the Third Hokage had escaped without even a scratch—he was still wearing perfectly straight the wide-brimmed hat bearing the kanji for "fire," symbolizing his official status as leader.

As for the three young apprentices behind him — Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade — they looked rather rough and disheveled.

"Hokage-sama, I sincerely apologize." The Anbu Commander knelt halfway on one knee before the Third Hokage, expressing his regret—it was entirely his failure that allowed the enemy to reach this area. Even though Konoha ninja held an overwhelming advantage, he had let the enemy escape right under their noses.

Then, the Anbu Commander continued, "Was the enemy dealt with by you, Hokage-sama?"

The answer was clearly no, since there was no trace of Kakuzu's body anywhere around. However, precisely because the Hokage had only driven away rather than killed the enemy, the Anbu still had a chance to make up for their failure.

"It's not your fault. The enemy was very powerful and extremely cunning… Once he missed his chance, he fled instantly without hesitation. I did not eliminate that rogue ninja from Takigakure. And if even me, the Hokage, could not accomplish such a task, then certainly I cannot hold any blame against you." The Third Hokage said calmly.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

The Anbu Commander nodded slightly. The Hokage's tolerance eased his inner tension. "Then, Third, shall we pursue the enemy now?"

The Hokage stood with his hands behind his back, glancing briefly at Jiraiya and the other two behind him, then slowly shook his head. "That won't be necessary. A guy like that won't try again after already failing once. Our current mission is more important—we must arrive at the Daimyo's Castle on schedule."

Just moments ago, it was exactly because he was accompanied by his three apprentices that the young Third Hokage couldn't fully unleash his strength in battle. Now, also because of them — his apprentices — he chose not to chase after the enemy.

"...I understand, Third."

At this moment, the Anbu ninja likely felt somewhat frustrated—an enemy had slipped away despite them holding overwhelming superiority. But since the Hokage had already made this decision, the Commander had no reason to object.

Moreover, what the Third Hokage said made perfect sense—right now, their top priority was the political mission of reaching the Daimyo's Castle on time.

So the enemy got away? This outcome didn't surprise Haseo in the slightest. From what he remembered, Kakuzu had always been a ninja remarkably skilled at surviving. Then, Haseo looked back at the Third Hokage again.

Looking at the current Third Hokage, Haseo simply couldn't imagine how decades later this man would become a kind-hearted, grandfatherly figure full of gentle smiles. Right now, the youthful Third Hokage carried himself with an air reminiscent of an aged leader—always smiling, eyes narrowed, calm and collected, yet utterly ruthless when needed.

When Kakuzu fought against the ninja on Hosheng's side, he hadn't seemed to show his full strength. In contrast, the battle involving the Hokage himself was shorter but left behind signs of greater intensity.

Kakuzu's tragedy was being underestimated—not just by the First Hokage, but apparently also by the current Third. Maybe this had something to do with the Hokage's special emphasis on the Daimyo's Castle mission?

Following the Hokage's orders, after a brief rest and regrouping, the bodyguards reformed their ranks and continued heading toward the Daimyo's Castle. Naturally, having already been ambushed once, the ninja were now far more cautious and alert.

As they passed through the earlier battlefield, the Konoha ninja quickly checked the bodies of the dead attackers but found no useful intelligence. They disposed of the corpses on the spot.

After spending another hour or so, the group encountered no further incidents for the remainder of the journey and arrived peacefully near an impressive-looking city.

Certainly far grander than the modestly built Hidden Leaf Village.

Through the wide-open gates, the Konoha ninja could see throngs of people lining the main road inside, waving brightly colored flags and banners.

The Hokage's guards exchanged glances before tightening into a tighter formation around him, leaving only the direct path ahead open.

There was simply no better place for assassins to hide than within such a massive crowd. Therefore, for shinobi like Haseo assigned to protection duties, such ostentatious outdoor displays were especially bothersome. Unfortunately, due to the political importance of this visit, they had no choice but to pass through the city gates and step right into that ocean of people.

Even Haseo and others had to follow the Hokage's lead—putting on fake smiles upon entering the city. If he'd known what was coming, he should've brought his Anbu mask along in the first place.

The guards followed closely behind the Hokage, staying alert and ready to react instantly. When the group passed through the gate and the Hokage emerged from the shadowed tunnel into view, cheers erupted from the crowd one after another. The enthusiastic roar almost seemed capable of lifting the entire city off its foundation.

Haseo flinched at the sudden cheer, nearly unleashing a [Water Release] out of reflex. Nearby Anbu ninjas were even tenser—one of them had already half-formed a hand seal. Honestly, the common folk should never have startled a group of already-frayed ninjas like that—who would be held accountable if someone actually died?

Still, this orchestrated welcome wasn't hard to understand. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the new Hokage, and the Daimyo needed to express goodwill toward him. Moreover, the citizens' excitement wasn't entirely faked—the newly appointed Fire Shadow had already brought victory to the Land of Fire, allowing the country to mostly pull free from the long and grueling Great Ninja War.

The Third Hokage walked calmly down the center of the road, smiling and waving to the crowd gathered on both sides near the Daimyo's Castle.

Even more composed than the Third Hokage were his three disciples within this small squad. Tsunade kept a stern face but her eyes wandered past the crowd to the street signs behind them. When she caught sight of the character "gambling," her lips twitched upward slightly, though she quickly tried to suppress her smile.

Her expression even looked a little flirty — anyone could've thought she'd just seen something she wasn't supposed to see.

Jiraiya stood with his hands behind his head, grinning slyly as he restlessly scanned the crowd.

As for the remaining member, Orochimaru, he at least didn't embarrass the Third Hokage by showing excitement — he genuinely appeared calm… Maybe he was thinking about some deep question, like why he was so different from all those normal folks.

The Third Hokage continued forward, while Haseo and others remained ready to unleash Ninjutsu at any moment. After walking a short distance ahead, a sudden flash of purplish-red light blurred their vision before fading away, revealing a young man wearing unusually extravagant clothes and a tall black crown atop his head.

Behind him stood a similarly dressed handmaiden holding an elegant black umbrella patterned with cherry blossoms.

This must be the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

When the Daimyo was about ten paces away, he actually stepped out from under the umbrella himself. He moved forward, then extended his right hand toward the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage also stretched out his hand, and thus the two leaders — one representing the nation, the other the Hidden Village — clasped hands firmly.

The cheers exploded, louder than ever before.

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>