Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic

Chapter 99, Zhang Village, another golden flash?

The third generation leader stayed on the northern border for half a month.

It wasn't until they received information that Onoki had returned to Iwagakure that the Third Hokage led two members of the Shadow Guard and the Anbu back to Konoha.

end of June.

There is less than a week left until the New Year.

More than a month later, Qingwu finally returned to Konoha.

When they left Konoha to carry out a guard mission in the Land of Tea last time, no one expected that so many things would happen afterward.

"Finally back."

Kakashi's tone carried a hint of weariness.

Even he felt physically and mentally exhausted from the fighting experience during this period.

The second snow of the year was falling from the sky, but the village already had a festive atmosphere.

Some decorations were hung on Konoha Street.

Merchants displayed their New Year's goods.

Children chased and played in the snow.

Occasionally, ninjas would move between the rooftops, carrying out routine patrols to maintain this peace.

News from the northwestern border has reached Konoha. The children don't understand, but the adults are filled with worry about the war.

After all, it hadn't been many years since World War III ended.

The Shadow Guard has become the hottest topic in Konoha recently.

The name Qingwu, in particular, spread throughout the streets and alleys.

The Third Hokage did not conceal Qingwu's achievements, but instead attempted to boost Konoha's morale by showcasing the formidable performance of the new generation.

"Have you heard? Lord Qingwu killed Kari, the Explosion Release ninja of Sunagakure, and Wenya, the commander of the Land of Grass, all by himself."

"Tsk tsk, those are all elite Jonin renowned throughout the ninja world."

"Not only that, I heard from my uncle's friend in the Anbu that even when the Tsuchikage Onoki personally took action, he still couldn't defeat Lord Seigo."

"Hiss~ Really? The Tsuchikage is an old monster, and Lord Seigo is only... a teenager?"

"It's absolutely true. The Hokage was also present at the time. It was Lord Qingwu who joined forces with the Hokage to drive the Tsuchikage away in a sorry state."

"Only a teenager... Is Konoha about to produce its second 'Yellow Flash'?"

The news spread like wildfire, becoming increasingly exaggerated.

From "Qingwu and the Tsuchikage fought to a draw", to "Qingwu defeated the Tsuchikage", and then to "Qingwu made the Tsuchikage vomit blood", the version updates were faster than the hand seals of ninjutsu.

In reality, Seigo only "cut" off a few strands of white hair from the Tsuchikage Onoki...

Of course, public opinion is never one-sided, and among these voices of praise, some people also expressed dissatisfaction with the Shadow Guard.

"Stop talking nonsense, 'Golden Flash' is a real achievement earned on the battlefield."

"And Lord Qingwu... if it weren't for the impulsive actions of their Shadow Guard, the war wouldn't have been so easily started."

"That makes sense. Because of the standoff with Iwagakure on the border, many ninja masters are unable to go home for the New Year."

"That's true. The Shadow Guard could have used much gentler methods, but their battle plan was clearly too impulsive."

"Yes, but... I heard it was the Hokage's order."

"Who told you that? It must be fake news. The Hokage has always been mild and restrained in his diplomacy. It's clearly the responsibility of those young people in the Shadow Guard."

"In short, many of us villagers do not want to see war break out again!"

At the center of the media storm, Qingwu was sitting in the corner of Ichiraku Ramen, quietly eating his tonkotsu ramen.

He changed into a plain dark coat and put on a hood.

Moreover, although he is very famous, he was relatively low-key in Konoha before, so not many people actually know him.

"Bang!"

Iruka slammed his ramen bowl down heavily beside him. "That's outrageous! How could they say that about you?"

"Iruka—"

Qingwu quietly slurped her noodles. "Don't let other people affect your mood. I've been away for so long, and all I've been thinking about is this hot food."

"The Shadow Guards are clearly the heroes."

Iruka retorted, "I heard from the teachers at school that if Iwagakure hadn't been severely punished for daring to assassinate the Hokage, a large-scale war might have broken out."

Qingwu was not surprised. The teachers at the Ninja Academy were all ninjas, and their knowledge was far superior to that of ordinary people.

"Moreover, you were trapped deep behind enemy lines and almost didn't make it back."

Iruka's eyes reddened. "They...they actually said that about the Shadow Guard who fought and bled for the village."

"Iruka," Qingwu said softly, taking a sip of ramen soup.

"There are ultimately more ordinary people in this world. If you care about everything they say, even a ninja will have a very tiring life."

For some reason, Qingwu suddenly thought of Kakashi's father at this moment.

The renowned Konoha ninja, known as "Konoha's White Fang," perished due to public opinion.

Just as I thought of "Konoha's White Fang," a figure sat down on the other side of Qingwu and beckoned to Uncle Teuchi to order a bowl of ramen.

Qingwu glanced at Kakashi, who had changed out of his Anbu uniform, and smiled, "Senior, didn't you say you were going back to get a good night's sleep?"

Kakashi looked around and said, "The Hokage has summoned us. Let's go together after we finish our ramen."

Qingwu's tone revealed a hint of annoyance: "We just got back today. Don't the Shadow Guards get any holidays?"

Iruka on the other side pricked up his ears.

Kakashi said in a rare flippant tone, "It's about the reward for the S-rank mission. If you don't want to go, go back and take a vacation."

"!!" Qingwu's expression immediately changed. "Hehe, the Shadow Guard was created specifically for the Hokage. How can we refuse when the Hokage summons us?"

Kakashi couldn't help but roll his eyes; he knew it.

Iruka chuckled to himself, relieved to see that his friend hadn't been affected by the public opinion.

Just then, several children ran in, playing around.

Iruka's eyes lit up when he saw him, and he called out, "Teacher, come here and bow!"

Iruka quickly stood up, wanting to treat the children to ramen.

The children cheered with joy.

Qingwu smiled as he watched the scene unfold before him. These little brats from the ninja academy actually represented the village's future better than the villagers.

Iruka whispered something to his student.

Qingwu and Kakashi turned away and ate their noodles in silence, not trying to eavesdrop.

"Lord Qingwu!"

A childish voice rang out.

Qingwu turned his head and saw a seven or eight-year-old girl wearing glasses looking at him with admiration.

"Did you really defeat the Tsuchikage all by yourself?"

"Uh..." Qingwu scratched his head, somewhat awkwardly saying, "Rumor has it that there was a fight, but the Tsuchikage retreated because the Hokage was present."

"Lord Qingwu, can you teach me ninjutsu?"

Another child came over.

"I want to join the Shadow Guard too!"

Another childish voice rang out.

Qingwu left his seat, squatted down, and looked at the children at eye level: "If you want to be a ninja, you must study hard and listen to Teacher Iruka."

"Iruka-sensei said you are the greatest genius in Konoha!"

"Even geniuses have to work hard." Qingwu smiled and winked at Iruka.

Iruka understood instantly because of their tacit understanding.

A bag of candy was quietly slipped into Qingwu's hand...