Reborn in Konoha; I Think I’m Cultivating Immortality

They had arrived.

The reason why Hui had abruptly left behind the leaders of the various ninja villages was that someone very important to him had arrived at the gates of Konoha.

Standing at the familiar yet unfamiliar place, the white-haired young man's eyes shimmered with nostalgia and disbelief.

It had been a long time since he had returned...

Counting the years, it must have been seven or eight years by now.

"I'm back... I wonder what Konoha looks like now."

He murmured to himself, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

It was as though he was reminiscing about something precious.

His heart was filled with both anticipation and a trace of unease.

A typical feeling of a wanderer returning home.

At that moment, a soft hand gently held his.

A short-haired woman had quietly appeared by his side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

She was his wife.

"Daddy, Mommy, this gate looks so big!"

A child's innocent voice reached their ears.

The young man snapped back to reality at once.

"Hahaha, of course! This is your daddy's hometown."

The man spoke with a sense of pride and satisfaction.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought you had already forgotten that Konoha is your hometown."

Another voice sounded at that moment.

The young man immediately turned toward the sound, and his smile widened.

"We're both 29 years old, yet why do you still look so young, Hui? Have you created some kind of youth-preserving jutsu? Teach me already!"

The speaker was none other than Jiraiya.

As Jiraiya looked at Hui standing before him, he couldn't help but feel astonished.

Hui laughed. "Jiraiya, with that face of yours, it wouldn't matter how old you are, you're never going to look handsome, so stop dreaming."

Though Hui was genuinely delighted, he couldn't resist taking a jab at him.

The young man was indeed Jiraiya, who had been away from Konoha for seven or eight years.

He was someone who loved freedom and detested being tied down by the responsibilities of Konoha. 

So when Hui had assigned him a task back then, Jiraiya had taken it as an excuse to go "gather material" and disappeared without hesitation.

Who would've thought that his departure would last so long, seven or eight years?

If not for the occasional communication from the toads of Mount Myoboku assuring Hui that Jiraiya was alive, Hui might have scoured the entire ninja world looking for him.

Thankfully, Jiraiya had finally returned.

And he hadn't returned alone.

He now had a wife and even a daughter!

Hui couldn't help but feel emotional.

The last time he had awakened from his slumber, he had learned that Sakumo had married and was expecting a child.

Now, after seven or eight years, Jiraiya had returned, and his daughter was already four or five years old!

This made Hui wonder if it was time for him to consider marriage.

"You're still as merciless with your jabs, huh?"

Jiraiya's face darkened as he lamented. He had lost count of how many times he'd been roasted by Hui.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?"

After teasing Jiraiya, Hui turned his attention to the woman standing by Jiraiya's side.

She was a short-haired kunoichi. Hui didn't need to use any special abilities to recognize who she was as he had a good guess.

She was someone who had appeared in the original story, the village chief of Nadeshiko Village, a woman who had admired Jiraiya.

However, in the original timeline, Jiraiya had harbored feelings for Tsunade alone and had turned down the Nadeshiko chief's affections.

But this world was different.

In this world, Jiraiya had never developed romantic feelings for Tsunade.

Instead, after a period of emotional entanglement, he and the Nadeshiko chief had finally gotten together and even had a child together.

"She's called Fuhiko, my wife from Nadeshiko."

Jiraiya held Fuhiko's hand and spoke with a rare tenderness in his eyes.

He then picked up the little girl beside them and introduced her to Hui:

"She's Riko, my daughter."

Afterward, Jiraiya introduced Hui to Fuhiko and Riko:

"This guy is my good friend and the Third Hokage of the village, Mochizuki Hui."

"It's great to see you all. Come on, let's head into the village first," Hui said with a smile.

The group made their way into the village, and soon, Jiraiya's entire family wore expressions of astonishment.

Even Jiraiya himself widened his eyes in disbelief.

When he had left the village, Konoha had already been a bustling, prosperous place. But compared to how it looked now, it was like two entirely different worlds.

In just a few years, Konoha had developed at an astonishing pace, transforming dramatically.

"The village has grown quite a bit since you've been away. You should take a proper stroll tomorrow and see everything," Hui remarked as he noticed Jiraiya's shocked expression.

Indeed, compared to eight years ago, the changes were remarkable.

Hui led Jiraiya and his family to the house that had been allocated to them.

This house had been specially reserved by Hui when he was planning the village layout. Though it had remained unoccupied, it was cleaned regularly to keep it in good condition.

Meanwhile, the news of Jiraiya's return spread rapidly throughout Konoha, reaching the ears of many people.

Before long, Jiraiya's old acquaintances and friends began arriving.

Tsunade, Orochimaru, Hiruzen Sarutobi…

These three were some of the busiest people in the village, heavily involved in various projects, the Gerneral affairs department, Otsutsuki research, and medical development, among others.

Despite their hectic schedules, as soon as they heard about Jiraiya's return, they dropped everything and headed straight to his home.

"You brat! You actually came back, huh!"

Hiruzen greeted Jiraiya by knocking him lightly on the head.

To be honest, Hiruzen's relationship with Jiraiya went beyond that of a master and apprentice.

Jiraiya was an orphan, and Hiruzen had always treated him like his own son.

During the eight years that Jiraiya had been away, Hiruzen had often found himself murmuring Jiraiya's name in concern.

Now, Jiraiya had finally come home.

Tsunade and Orochimaru also scolded Jiraiya for being gone for so long.

If Fuhiko hadn't been present, Tsunade might not have been able to resist punching him.

Once again, the original members of the "Legendary Sannin" were reunited.

But it wasn't just them.

Sakumo, Uzuki Ryōsuke, Nawaki...

One after another, Jiraiya's friends and familiar faces gathered at his home.

After eight years apart, everyone had changed significantly, but the bonds between them remained as strong as ever.

Everyone was overjoyed, and there were so many stories to share.

Thus, a lively celebration that lasted late into the night began.

The next day, Hui and the others accompanied Jiraiya and his family as they toured Konoha, showing Fuhiko and Riko around the bustling village.

For Fuhiko and Riko, who came from Nadeshiko, a small and relatively isolated ninja village, the experience was overwhelming.

In their home village, life was monotonous, with nothing to do aside from training.

There were no exciting events, no delicious foods, no entertainment.

Coming to Konoha was like visiting a major city for the first time after living in a rural town.

Everything fascinated them, filling their eyes with wonder and their hearts with excitement.

They quickly fell in love with the place.

As a result, Jiraiya decided not to leave.

Nadeshiko had already chosen a new village chief, so their return was no longer necessary.

Moreover, it was only a matter of time before Nadeshiko would be integrated into Konoha.

With that in mind, they decided to settle in Konoha for good.

Another day passed, and soon, it was time for the Chūnin Exams.

Nawaki, who had long aspired to become the chief examiner, finally got his wish. He was determined to give the young Genin an unforgettable experience.

As a result, the Forest of Death became bustling with activity during the exams.

Nawaki's examination method combined elements from the original Heaven and Earth Scroll test, his previous faction-based system, and his own unique point-based evaluation system.

This method tested a wide range of skills.

It was not only a rigorous challenge but also an excellent way for the examiners to identify the strengths and talents of each participant.

Nawaki, acting as the chief examiner, made it clear to the young ninja that his strength was overwhelming, nearly invincible.

As for Hui, he sat comfortably in the guest lounge, sipping tea alongside the leaders of other villages and watching the exam footage on the screens with great interest.

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