Chapter 11 Lie

The sky quickly darkened. Logan pondered for a while and decided that there was no need to wait until tomorrow to return to Konoha Village. His presence outside was merely a facade, and as long as he kept up appearances, it would suffice. Moreover, the longer he stayed out of contact, the more likely Konoha's attitude towards him might change. It wouldn't be good if he ended up being branded a Missing-nin.

After having a simple dinner provided by the inn, Logan used the remaining money to buy a set of semi-old clothes from outside, Then, he returned to his room and focused on recovering his Chakra. When night fell and the village gradually quieted down, he got up, changed into the new clothes, left the inn, and rushed towards Konoha Village.

With renewed strength coursing through his body, Logan entered a dense forest. In the world of Ninja, where there was no industrial destruction, the forest resources were abundant. He leaped from one sturdy tree trunk to another, covering a distance of over ten meters with each blink of the eye. His speed had returned to its previous level, a feat only achievable in specific circumstances in this world.

'There's still one crucial question I haven't figured out yet...' Logan continued to leap from tree to tree.

This place is in the Land of Fire and close to Konoha Village, so it is an absolutely safe place.

In the dead of night, occasional fireflies lit up the swaying view, 'Whether I've truly been drawn into the manga...'

'Although the distant view seemed certain, the evidence was somewhat thin. However, to confirm the answer to this question, it wasn't difficult to do. I just need to keep in frequent contact with the original characters, especially Naruto. As the main character of the manga, if I keep staying around him and stole the spotlight, when I return to Earth, I will naturally be able to see myself in the manga.'

'But there was no rush to verify this matter. After all, it wasn't certain when he would return to Earth. It might be a long time, as there are still six years until Naruto and the others graduated.'

As Logan approached the edge of the forest, he paused and began to disguise himself meticulously. He adds details like dirt and dust to make himself appear as if he had been on a long journey.

He had gained some experience from his previous missions outside the village, as half of which usually involved him returning looking unkempt.

When everything is ready, Logan ran towards the distance, where the lights of Konoha Village could be vaguely seen.

…

"I am a Jonin of Konoha's ANBU, my name is Hattori, my Ninja number is XXXXXXX. I am performing a secret mission outside before, and only come back now."

Logan appeared directly on the main road outside Konoha's gate. The two Chunin on duty rushed out to stop him when they saw him. The night is sensitive, and one of the Chunin even took out a signal flare.

However, Logan deliberately speeded up his speech to make the other party stop.

The other Chunin stared at Logan, keeping a distance, "Where's your forehead protector and identification?"

The Chunin holding the signal flare remained on alert further away. Ignoring the latter, Logan said to the thirty-year-old Chunin in front of him in an indifferent tone: "Lost during the mission. Don't ask too many questions, just report it back quickly."

Although Logan's aloof and cool demeanor annoyed the Chunin on duty, he saw that Logan didn't look like he is lying. He couldn't bear the responsibility for any mistakes he made, so he slapped his companions behind him. He then told Logan to 'wait a moment', and then hurried back to the village.

Logan wasn't particularly nervous. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong, and he had served Konoha diligently for many years.

Facing the two Chunin, who had not seen through his Transformation Technique in the afternoon, Logan didn't care at all when he spoke in a bad manner. The level of ANBU is already much higher than theirs. And personally, the number and rank of completed missions on his resume are also something they can't match. His behavior was actually quite polite, as he had stopped to explain the situation immediately.

The Chunin came back immediately after reporting, followed by an ANBU wearing a white dog mask.

The ANBU who came was surprised when he saw Logan, and Logan nodded when he saw this colleague. The ANBU in the white dog mask explained to the two Chunin on duty, and then hesitated to speak to Logan, who looked unkempt.

In the end, he knew it was not a good time to talk, so the other party motioned for Logan to follow.

Utilizing the full speed of Jonin, the two rushed towards the ANBU's Headquarters.

Most of the lights in Konoha Village are still on, and the joy in the silence is what every Konoha's Ninja is protecting.

The ANBU is divided into two factions, one is the Root belonging to Danzo, and the other is the ordinary ANBU, who is directly under the Hokage and is currently lead by Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Root mostly engaged in activities that were kept in the shadows, while the missions of ordinary ANBU are relatively less dark, and Logan belongs to this category.

In fact, Logan had the opportunity to enter the more mysterious Root from the beginning, as he had met the requirements.

However, knowing the original work, he decisively rejected this path. Entering Root not only meant constant danger to his life but also likely severe restrictions on his personal freedom, which Logan could not accept.

The ANBU's Headquarters was not far from the Hokage Tower. After all, they serve the Hokage and the village. The headquarters is located underground under one building.

After passing through several inspection procedures, Logan and the white dog ANBU met their ANBU Commander, Seigawa Takeshi, a serious man with a scar on his face.

Compared to the dim and profound description of the Root's Headquarters described in the original work, Logan wasn't too dissatisfied with the ANBU's office environment. At least the lights are bright, without deliberately creating a gloomy and heavy atmosphere.

Logan has disappeared for so long, so he definitely needed to report to his superiors. Fortunately, Logan has always been clean in terms of his background, and his performance in missions had been flawless. Becoming a Jonin at the age of eighteen is already very good, and he is also well-regarded by the high-level officials of Konoha. Because of that, Takeshi looked at Logan with a normal expression.

However, what surprised Logan is that, shortly after, Aida also arrived in a hurry. After seeing that Logan is still intact, the man in his forties patted his shoulder. The expression in his white pupils was indiscernible, but the concern within was palpable, warming Logan's heart.

Logan also made many friends here, including Ninjas who were not mentioned in the original work but are all worthy of admiration.

Since arriving at the ANBU, he had managed to blend in well with humor. However, when it came to true confidants, he didn't have any.

Unfortunately, none of those friends who had experienced life and death in the Great Ninja War or during team missions were around anymore.

After seeing that Logan okay, Aida felt relieved. After gesturing to Takeshi, he stood aside, seemingly prepared to listen to Yu Xiaobai's story.

Seeing this, Logan scratched his head, 'Uncle Aida treated me sincerely, but I still have to continue with the lie.'