Chapter 32: Return to the Village

[Shinji's POV]

After burying Raiga, I carried Ranmaru on my back as I sprinted toward the forest where Yamato and the others were still locked in battle with Zabuza. As I neared the battlefield, the destruction became clear—trees were uprooted, fires raged across the clearing, and the ground was scarred from jutsu exchanges. In the middle of it all, Yamato was engaged in a relentless duel, his Wood Release spears clashing against Zabuza's monstrous blade.

Akira and Akane stood behind him, exhausted but still supporting with Wind and Fire Release jutsu whenever they found an opening.

Zabuza was wounded—cuts and burns marred his body—but Yamato wasn't in much better shape. He was bleeding from multiple wounds, likely from Zabuza's relentless precision. Akira and Akane, while fatigued, seemed mostly unharmed.

Then, Akane suddenly turned toward me. Her Sharingan spun to life, her expression shifting from exhaustion to shock.

Before I could react, she sprinted toward me, her eyes scanning my entire body in seconds. Akira wasn't far behind.

"Are you okay? You're not injured, are you?" Akane asked, her voice urgent as she inspected me from head to toe.

I blinked. "Yeah, I'm fine—"

Akira let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, cutting me off. "What the hell was that explosion? Everyone thought you were dead! I had to convince them you could escape using your shadows." He grinned, nudging me lightly. "Guess I was right."

I smirked. "Of course I escaped. You should have more faith in me."

Their relief was evident, but before we could continue, Yamato's voice interrupted.

"What happened to Raiga?" He didn't take his eyes off Zabuza, but his tone left no room for lies.

I adjusted Ranmaru's weight on my back, playing dumb. "Not sure. As soon as the blast happened, I got out with this kid—the only survivor I found."

Zabuza's sharp gaze flickered toward me and Ranmaru. His expression was unreadable, but I could feel the suspicion radiating off him.

Yamato narrowed his eyes at me, clearly unconvinced, but he didn't press further. "You made it out alive. That's all that matters. We're retreating—this fight is over." Then, his tone turned sharp. "And Shinji… You will follow orders this time. I'll deal with your insubordination once we return to Konoha."

I gave him a nonchalant shrug, knowing full well I was in for a long talk later.

Zabuza suddenly let out a low, amused chuckle.

"A ninja with Wood Release and another with strange shadow abilities… Konoha really does produce monsters." He placed Kubikiribōchō on his shoulder, his stance relaxing slightly.

It was a silent acknowledgment. Neither of us wanted to push this fight further.

With that, both sides retreated.

[In the Air – Aboard Nue]

As we soared through the skies, leaving the battlefield behind, the attention quickly shifted to the boy on my back.

Akira, lying flat on Nue's back, groaned. "Alright, someone explain. Who's the kid?"

I glanced at Ranmaru, who was curled up, exhausted. "His name's Ranmaru. He was the only survivor from the village."

Akane frowned. "What do you mean 'only survivor'? Didn't Raiga take him?"

I nodded. "Yeah, and he was helping Raiga fight. He has special eyes—kind of like your Sharingan."

That got both of their full attention.

Yamato, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. "What kind of abilities does he have?"

I hesitated before answering. "He can see chakra, like most dōjutsu. But his real ability is genjutsu—strong enough that even disrupting my chakra didn't break it."

That made Yamato's expression tighten. Genjutsu that can't be disrupted easily? Dangerous.

I deliberately left out one key detail—Ranmaru's ability to read emotions and possibly thoughts. If Danzo ever found out… that would be a nightmare.

"So, another visual prowess," Yamato murmured. "Do you know its origins?"

I shook my head. "No, but we'll figure it out once he's safe and has time to recover."

Yamato nodded, finally allowing himself to relax.

[Hokage's Office – Konoha]

Returning to Konoha took longer than expected since Nue's summoning time was limited, forcing us to travel much of the journey on foot. When we finally arrived, we headed straight to the Hokage's office to report… whatever this mission had turned into.

Inside, we found Hiruzen seated behind his desk, with Shikaku Nara beside him, drowning in paperwork.

I glanced at the towering stacks of documents and smirked. 'Just how much paperwork does Konoha even need?'

Hiruzen looked up, smiling. "Team 7, done with your first mission, I see."

There was a lot I wanted to say, but I kept quiet as Yamato stepped forward to explain. He gave a full breakdown—the intelligence leak, the unexpected encounter with two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and how we barely survived. To my surprise, he didn't dwell on my insubordination, though he didn't hide my actions either.

Instead, he framed it as a bold initiative rather than outright defiance.

Hiruzen steepled his fingers, nodding as he listened. "It's fortunate that no one died despite facing two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen." Then, he turned to Shikaku. "Adjust the mission's rank to A-rank. Team 7 will officially be the first Genin squad to complete an A-rank mission as their debut."

Shikaku sighed, clearly exhausted. "And what about the boy?"

Before Yamato could answer, I stepped forward. "I want to take care of him."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Shinji, you're young yourself. Taking care of a child isn't easy."

I had anticipated this. "That's why I want to open an orphanage."

That got their attention.

"A lot of children became orphans after the Nine-Tails attack," I continued. "In the Land of Water, I saw kids with nowhere to go, living on the streets. I don't want that to happen here. I have the resources—land, money—and I've already spoken with Mister Miyagi, who supports the idea."

Silence.

Then, Hiruzen smiled.

"This is a noble ambition, Shinji. The village will support this project." His gaze sharpened. "I will assign people to assist you. Do your best."

I smiled back, both of us knowing we had our own motives.