**Chapter 144: Return to the Village!**

By noon, Reiki had caught up with the group.

"Alright, it's safe for now," he announced, breathing a sigh of relief. "The traps I set behind us weren't triggered."

"Reiki, what exactly did you do?" Nozuki asked curiously, stopping to look at him. The group had initially been rushing toward Konoha, but at some point, Reiki had mysteriously disappeared.

"Oh… I, uh… I accidentally triggered one of the traps and lost my way for a bit," Reiki replied, rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed grin. "It took a while to get back."

"Haha, Reiki, you're such a hopeless case when it comes to directions!" Mitarashi chuckled, relieved that the threat behind them had dissipated. Everyone relaxed and started to joke around.

"Alright, enough fooling around," Reiki laughed. "Let's rest a bit, then get moving. Hopefully, we can make it back to the village by tonight. It's still risky for us out here."

Indeed, despite their strength, encountering a powerful jounin or someone with a unique bloodline ability could spell trouble. While Reiki had managed to defeat those recent enemies using Chomei's chakra, he knew that not all opponents would be as straightforward to handle.

…

As evening fell, the group entered the range of Konoha's patrol guards.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Three masked Konoha ninjas appeared, not from ANBU or the Root Organization, but from the village's patrolling guard.

"Honored Guards, we're the team that participated in the Chunin Exams," Mitarashi, the oldest among them, stepped forward. "This is our identification."

Handing over their IDs and scroll, he added, "Our lead jounin, Lady Senju Tsunade, returned to the village ahead of us. We came back on our own."

The patrol leader inspected their credentials and nodded approvingly. "Impressive! You're showing real courage, returning on your own after the Chunin Exams. You all have promising futures as shinobi. You may proceed."

"Thank you, sir," Mitarashi responded with a bow, and the group made their way back to the village.

Once inside Konoha, they stopped to say their goodbyes.

"Let's split up here for now," Mitarashi suggested. "Reiki, we'll catch up soon, especially if we get assigned a mission together. And if everyone's free tomorrow night, how about we celebrate with some tempura?"

"Sounds good! Tomorrow night, then!" Reiki replied, grinning. "I'll never turn down tempura."

"Yeah, like you ever say no to food…" Yamanaka Kaizo teased. "I'll let my family know. See you all tomorrow night!"

"Alright, see you tomorrow," Reiki said, feeling a warm camaraderie with his friends. He knew the value of maintaining connections with fellow shinobi from Konoha's powerful clans, as they would all grow into formidable allies one day.

After parting, Reiki, along with Shisui and Nozuki, headed toward Tsunade's residence. Both Shisui and Nozuki wanted to report to their teacher before heading home.

Upon reaching Tsunade's courtyard, they found her sitting outside with a bottle of sake.

"Teacher!" they greeted her respectfully.

"Welcome back," Tsunade said, acknowledging them with a nod. "You're Chunin now, which means you can accept missions and form your own teams. What are your plans?"

"Teacher, I'd like to go on more missions outside the village to improve my skills," Shisui replied earnestly.

"I'd like to team up with my older brother and take on missions outside the village," Nozuki added.

Reiki smiled and said, "I want to stay with you, Sensei."

Tsunade chuckled, not surprised by their responses. "Very well. Talk to your families first, and then you can begin your respective training. Also, here's a gift for you both." She handed two pieces of chakra metal to Shisui and Nozuki. "Use these to forge blades that suit you."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sensei!" The two took the chakra metal, their faces lighting up with gratitude.

"What about me?" Reiki looked up at Tsunade with hopeful eyes.

"You, my little medical ninja, don't need chakra metal," she laughed. "Instead, I'll teach you some advanced medical ninjutsu as your reward."

"Oh… okay," Reiki replied, a bit sheepish.

Everyone burst into laughter, their voices filling the courtyard with warmth and cheer.

After spending some time with Tsunade, Shisui and Nozuki eventually left, heading home. But as soon as they left, Tsunade's expression darkened.

"Sensei, about Brother Nawaki…" Reiki began.

"Come with me," Tsunade said, leading him inside. Lying on the bed was Nawaki, still unconscious.

"He was saved, but he hasn't regained consciousness," she explained. "The attack affected his soul, leaving him in this state."

Reiki immediately placed his hands on Nawaki's body, assessing his condition. His face grew somber.

*Kato Dan really went all out.* Reiki thought. If it hadn't been for Uchiha Sawa and Namikaze Minato's timely intervention, Nawaki's soul might have been lost to Dan's spirit transformation technique. Despite being saved, Nawaki's soul had sustained severe damage.

Using his healing skills, Reiki worked to restore Nawaki's soul, gradually stabilizing his breathing.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host…]

With a soft chime, the system notified him of the successful healing. Reiki withdrew his hand and administered a stamina potion to Nawaki.

"Let Brother Nawaki rest, and he should wake up by tonight," Reiki said, stepping back. He then looked at Tsunade, who wore a grateful smile.