Chapter 67

Chapter 67

"The Uchiha clan members we sent estimate that the Land of Waves could bring in about 100 million ryō per year," the clan leader said with satisfaction. "That's more than enough to cover the salaries of our people in the police force. Haneda, you've done a great service for the Uchiha."

"Yeah," Haneda responded, taking a sip of his tea. To be honest, he wasn't keen on discussing the affairs of the Land of Waves. What he had witnessed there showed him a different side of being a ninja.

Sensing Haneda's lack of interest, the clan leader swiftly shifted topics, asking about Haneda's recent mission.

"The enemies you encountered weren't too strong, right? With your abilities, it should have been easy."

"It was manageable, just a squad from Kirigakure led by a jōnin. Nothing too dangerous," Haneda replied casually.

"A jōnin?" The clan leader's eyes showed a flash of surprise. He knew Haneda was talented and had already reached the level of a jōnin, but judging from his tone, it seemed like defeating a jōnin was a trivial matter for him.

And this was a jōnin from the Bloody Mist Village, hardened from countless deadly battles, not some self-proclaimed ninja from a minor village.

However, remembering that Haneda had already taken down a Root jōnin five years ago, the clan leader's expression quickly returned to normal.

Haneda continued, "The jōnin from Kirigakure was too careless. All I did was make a small hand sign, and they fell right into my control."

"Haha... anyone facing an Uchiha's eyes would be foolish not to tread carefully."

Haneda recalled the battle, finding it a bit dull. Given the jōnin's skill, they should've put up more of a fight. But the Mist technique had obscured their vision, preventing them from noticing Haneda's three-tomoe Sharingan. Once they got close, they were immediately under his genjutsu.

The clan leader chuckled, "No wonder. Your youthful appearance is deceiving. Most shinobi who don't know your abilities would fall under your Sharingan's control right away."

At that moment, the sound of footsteps came from outside. Fugaku entered the room, noticing his father and Haneda deep in conversation. With a smile, he greeted them.

"You're back, Haneda."

"I returned to the village at noon, brother Fugaku. I was busy training with some friends, so I didn't get a chance to see you," Haneda replied.

"Haha, no worries. It's good that you're building teamwork with your squad," Fugaku said with a grin. "So, were you injured during the mission?"

"No, brother Fugaku. The enemies were too careless, and I didn't even have to go all out."

Compared to the clan leader, Haneda preferred talking with Fugaku. While Fugaku didn't have the same intelligence or authority as his father, he was much more straightforward. Fugaku's first concern was whether Haneda had been hurt, whereas the clan leader had focused on the affairs of the Land of Waves.

Seeing this, the clan leader quietly excused himself, leaving Haneda and Fugaku to chat.

"Fugaku, Haneda, you two talk. I'll head out and bring back dinner," the clan leader said. "Haneda, you haven't had dinner yet, right? Any preferences?"

"I'll have whatever Fugaku's having. I'm not too picky," Haneda replied.

After the clan leader left, both Haneda and Fugaku visibly relaxed.

"The clan leader, at his age, still has to run out and get dinner.Brother Fugaku, when are you going to finally win over Lady Mikoto?" Haneda teased.

"Ahem... we've already discussed it. We're planning to get engaged soon…" Fugaku, blushing slightly, waved his hand to change the subject. "Let's not talk about that now. I'll definitely invite you to the wedding. Anyway, how did your mission go?"

"It went fine. We encountered some Kirigakure shinobi. One jōnin, three chūnin."

"Did you handle the jōnin?"

"Yeah. He was from the Hōzuki clan. Once he faced my Sharingan, it was over," Haneda nodded.

"Impressive. The Hōzuki clan is one of the top families in Kirigakure. Their Hydrification Technique is famous throughout the ninja world."

"It can neutralize most physical attacks, but it's easily countered by my Lightning Release."

Fugaku praised Haneda, knowing full well the extent of his genjutsu, which he had taught him personally. Still, he hadn't expected Haneda to defeat a Hōzuki jōnin with just his illusions.

Haneda, slightly embarrassed by the compliment, added, "It wasn't too hard. Even without genjutsu, I could have taken him down with my Lightning Release."

"I've been thinking a lot lately," Haneda continued after a moment of contemplation. "I wanted to ask you something, brother Fugaku. What does being a ninja mean to you?"

"A ninja?" Fugaku paused, a little surprised by the question. Seeing Haneda's shift from casual to serious, he thought carefully before responding.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what being a ninja means," Fugaku said after some reflection. "To me, it's more of a profession. Ever since I was young, Father taught me to be an excellent ninja. My teachers and classmates had the same goal, and I just followed that path."

"Once I became a ninja, I joined the police force, handling village affairs every day. It felt more like a job. But one good thing about being a ninja is having the strength to protect the people you care about."

With that, Fugaku patted Haneda on the shoulder and smiled, "This question must be important to you, right? I'm sorry, but aside from talent and strength, I'm just an ordinary person. I don't have a profound answer."

Haneda smiled back, "It's okay, brother Fugaku. I'm just gathering different perspectives. I already have an answer in mind, but I want to explore it more deeply."

Not long after, the clan leader returned with dinner, and Haneda couldn't resist teasing again. "See? We still have to trouble the clan leader with dinner runs, Fugaku. You really need to step up!"

"I'll try, I'll try," Fugaku chuckled awkwardly. To be honest, he wanted to settle down with Mikoto as soon as possible too.

...

At the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage stared at the report Sakumo had submitted, lost in deep thought. He took a puff from his pipe and slowly exhaled the smoke.

"The new generation is growing strong," he mused. "Five years ago, Haneda and Kakashi worked together to take down a Root jōnin. Now, five years later, Haneda single-handedly defeated a jōnin from Kirigakure's Hōzuki clan, controlling him with a single genjutsu. Such talent and strength must be secured."

Images of various people flashed through his mind, as he mentally arranged them based on their connections and importance.

"Asuma, Kakashi, Obito, Guy, Rin, Kurenai. Minato, Orochimaru…" The Third Hokage's head throbbed when he thought of Orochimaru. Recently, his student had been elusive, only seen when training his pupils, though still more present than Tsunade and Jiraiya.

The Hokage decided to focus on Minato instead. Fortunately, Obito and Kakashi had close ties with Haneda.

"Let's have Team 7 and Team 9 work together on a mission. If Minato can strengthen the bond with Haneda, all the better," the Third Hokage concluded.

...

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