Chapter 27 Returning to the Village

The next day, Logan and Itachi cautiously cleared away any traces, then left the temporary shelter of the cave and headed eastward at a steady pace.

Because of their initial escape, they deviated from the planned route back to the village and ended up directly at the border of the Land of Grass. Fortunately, like the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass was just a small country. Although it had a Ninja Village, it seemed that the number of Ninjas was insufficient to fortify the winding border.

Logan and Itachi did not encounter any accidents along the way. First, they simply walked east. When they arrived to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass, they directly went southeast. By afternoon, they had once again set foot on the Land of Fire's soil.

"Phew, we're safe now." After passing through border checks, Logan stretched lazily on a small hill. Below, the yellow and green farmland and a bustling village can be seen.

'It seemed that Obito and the others didn't chase after us.' However, Logan didn't know whether they were genuinely intimidated by Amaterasu or just too disorganized, he simply couldn't be bothered to think about that at the moment.

"Hey, Itachi, we'll be back in the village in no more than two days. Why don't you look happy at all?" Logan looked back at Itachi and asked in confusion.

Itachi had slightly obvious dark circles on his eyes. Looking at Logan, who was looking relaxed and energetic, the corner of his mouth twitched.

"It's nothing, I just feel a little sleepy after the night watch yesterday." Itachi replied in a seemingly indifferent tone.

"Oh, I see. Itachi, you better step up your game the next time we play rock-paper-scissors. Hey, don't give me that look. Rock-paper-scissors is the fairest way to decide! If you have good luck, there's nothing I can do, hahaha..." Logan directly ignored the stress coming from Itachi, turned away without looking at him, and said nonchalantly.

Logan wasn't entirely sure if Rock-paper-scissors was a thing in this world, but judging by Itachi's anxious demeanor last night, he seemed unfamiliar with it. They had bet on who would keep watch first, and since they're both exhausted physically and mentally, they naturally hoped to be the one to sleep first, In the first round, Itachi simply lost outright. Perhaps he was quite dissatisfied, thinking how could the genius of Uchiha would be stumped by such a simple game? The stakes were raised to stand watch all night, and Itachi moved cautiously with great determination, but the results... were obvious.

"I'll definitely win next time, Senpai." Itachi murmured behind him, which made Logan speechless for a while.

Itachi can be said to be feeling uncomfortable all over last night. His eyelids battling for dominance, but there was a person sleeping comfortably in front of him. Under such circumstances, he has to stay up all night.

Of course, Itachi did get some rest, but it was shallow and of poor quality. Compared to Logan, it was indeed quite frustrating.

After resting for a while, the two of them continued to rush towards Konoha Village. Since they didn't have to maintain a tense mental state, and they also didn't have to be secretive along the way, this was also a kind of rest for Logan and Itachi.

As time passed and day turned into night, they returned to the path they had taken before, but this time, they didn't stop at Inazama City. There was an urgent anticipation in their heart as they neared Konoha. Under the stars and moon, they traveled through fields filled with carts and cities lit by lamplight, arriving at Konoha earlier than expected.

The conversation by the campfire on the night they escaped from Akatsuki seemed ordinary to Logan, but to Itachi, it carried a different meaning.

As they caught sight of the gates of Konoha, Logan couldn't help but glance a few more times. After all, their trip to Amegakure this time had a lot of twists and turns.

Looking at the cluster of buildings ahead, with the large Konoha's symbol prominently displayed, Logan felt a warmth in his heart. In the place where he has lived for many years, people are not just nameless NPC, so a sense of warmth floats in his heart.

In fact, every time he returned to the village from a mission, he would have a similar feeling. For Ninja from each village, who are floating aimlessly outside and walking on the edge of a blade, this sense of belonging is important.

"Itachi, let's go." Logan ended the poetic moment, and called out to Itachi, who was also gazing at Konoha Village. He jumped down from the tree and began walking slowly towards the gates.

A moment later, Logan heard the sound of Itachi landing and then the footsteps following behind.

Tap tap tap...

After spending nearly a week with Itachi, the relationship between Logan and him had improved. After they moved swiftly or leisurely, engaged in combat, and evaded capture, Logan couldn't help but ponder, 'What could Itachi be feeling?'

Logan believed it wouldn't all be sunshine and rainbows, and things might even get worse in the future.

The gate of Konoha was getting closer and closer, Logan clenched his fist, feeling a surge of excitement. The Ninjas on duty saw them and came forward to ask. After showing their identification, they returned to the village with no hindrance.

…

The first thing Logan and Itachi did after returning to the village was naturally to go back to the ANBU to report for the mission.

They were received by Takeshi, and when they were halfway through the mission report, Takeshi dismissed the redundant personnels with a serious face and asked his subordinates to increase the security of the surroundings.

Logan and Itachi gained quite a lot of information during their trip to Amegakure this time. Red clouds on a black background cloak, Akatsuki's control of Amegakure, quite noteworthy experts, and peculiar abilities... Every piece of information is very important, prompting Takeshi to categorize the report as top-secret, earmarked for the Hokage's eyes only.

Of course, the customary debriefing and recognition of their accomplishments were necessary. However, during the conversation, Logan couldn't shake the feeling that Takeshi's gaze lingered more on Itachi, 'Hey, hey, have you ever smiled at me so warmly before? Don't make the distinction so obvious, okay?'

After issuing the gag order, Takeshi hastily departed for the Hokage's Office, and Logan and Itachi were naturally given a temporary break.

The two exchanged their worn-out attire, received a new set of ANBU clothes, and then stepped out into the bustling village.

"Senpai, thank you for this time." Itachi said sincerely. He had received a lot of help during the mission, and the camaraderie they shared, were different from his previous experiences with arrogant superiors. Of course, the most important thing is that Logan promised to keep the Mangekyou Sharingan a secret.

Takeshi, being of high rank, was well-aware of Itachi's situation. Logan, as his subordinate, trusted Takeshi's judgment. So he won't do anything unnecessary.

"There's no need to thank me." Logan replied earnestly,

'I'm not that noble either. I have my own considerations.'

After a mission, especially a mission that lasts for a long time, the Ninja team will usually have a celebration after returning to the village, indulging in some drinks to unwind and relax, just like the gathering for company employees in modern society after completing a project. However, this time, Logan and Itachi had no plan to do such thing. After all, it was just the two of them, and Itachi seemed preoccupied with his clan's matters.

"I will definitely visit you when I have time in the future, Senpai..."

"Wow, you're too kind... Then, I won't, uh, come to the Uchiha Clan's settlement in the future. It's inconvenient hahaha..." Logan responded with a smile, and Itachi also rarely showed a smile. The two waved to each other, then said, "Goodbye."