On the street.
Bai Ye led his team members leisurely forward.
He nodded kindly at the villagers, calmly accepting their respectful gazes.
This was his current status in the village.
Counting earlier years, he had already served as the Guard Captain for more than a decade.
Over those ten years, the changes in Konoha were visible to all.
Back when the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen held power, the village had just emerged from the Third Great Ninja War, and the Fourth Hokage's death had left Konoha at its lowest.
Now, without question, Konoha stood as the undisputed leader among the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
With him here, Konoha would always remain number one.
The Council system Tsunade had implemented was now fully operational.
The division of labor among talents under its command was clear-cut.
Top-tier combat power included Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin and Hatake Sakumo, who had returned, joined the Anbu, and even taken on the role of Anbu Instructor.
Kakashi, having matured, could now wield the Sharingan and swordsmanship with finesse.
Add the maniacs from the Guard to the mix—
No one dared to provoke Konoha.
Furthermore—
The village's level of technological development had taken a leap forward.
The blueprints for the Light Rail Project had long been finalized.
Konoha now extended in all directions, accessible and bustling.
The Ministry of Science and Technology still lacked a formal Minister.
More curiously—
The collaboration between the Guard and Orochimaru had ended in recent years.
Bai Ye had initially been puzzled.
But after spreading his senses, he realized what Orochimaru was planning.
Trying to test him?
Bai Ye laughed: "Go ahead and try."
It had to be said—Orochimaru's personality had undergone subtle changes.
But to Bai Ye, such childish provocation held no interest.
If Orochimaru dared to make a move, then he would be made to pay the price.
And that price wouldn't be one Orochimaru could afford.
Perhaps Leng-kun didn't realize that he had once had the chance to return to the village honorably, but thanks to his ambitions, would now be imprisoned for life.
Want to test me?
Who do you think you are, Orochimaru?
This was Bai Ye's true opinion.
Just keep tossing around.
You're bound to get hurt.
If Orochimaru hadn't declined cooperation with Black Zetsu, he might've abandoned his plans, returned to Konoha quietly, and let go of thoughts about the village—or Bai Ye.
Too bad.
Black Zetsu understood Bai Ye's power.
So did the deceased Fourth Mizukage Yagura in Kirigakure.
Raikage and high-ranking Cloud Shinobi leaders knew too.
Only Orochimaru remained ignorant.
He even dared dream of a god-vs-god war.
To see which god was the real god.
All one could say—
Orochimaru was asking for death.
"Father, I want that."
On the street.
Bai Ye still swaggered down the marketplace with the girls.
But in his arms was only Karin.
None of the others.
For now, he wasn't that close to anyone except Ino and Tenten.
Too much intimacy would feel like he was taking advantage.
Karin, however, was different.
She was Bai Ye's goddaughter.
More importantly—she was in the process of transitioning from "goddaughter" to something more.
Their relationship was progressing smoothly.
Following Karin's gaze, Bai Ye nodded, bought a dango skewer, and shared it with her and the others.
Soon.
They arrived at their destination for the day—
The Konoha Cinema.
The twisted technology tree of this world was never easy to understand.
Movies? Absolutely.
And the current screening was Legend of the Wind's Journey.
The protagonist: a female celebrity named Fujikaze Yukie.
To Bai Ye, she was a casual acquaintance.
Yes—acquaintance in terms of physical positioning, not emotional connection.
"These are your students?"
Inside the cinema, Fujikaze Yukie had just finished a signing event. She looked at the girls behind Bai Ye and paused.
A cluster of beauties.
Their prior meeting was two years ago, when Bai Ye took his "vacation group" to the Land of Snow.
A power struggle had erupted in Snow Country—nothing to do with Bai Ye.
But the flashy rebellion happened to disrupt his trip.
The outcome?
That rebel died a miserable death.
Fujikaze Yukie reclaimed her identity as Kazehana Koyuki. After things stabilized, she returned to acting.
Surprisingly—
After being "guided" by Konoha's Guard Captain, she settled permanently in Konoha.
"Godfather, you know her?"
Karin looked at Fujikaze Yukie suspiciously, obviously confused.
She rarely went to the cinema and wasn't familiar with movie stars.
Also, the Snow Country mission had happened while she was still studying at the academy.
"Godfather?"
Fujikaze Yukie's voice dripped with passive-aggressiveness.
Wasn't that what she used to call him too?
Looking at Karin, she pouted.
This guy… really knows how to play.
Getting involved with Uchiha Bai Ye at just twelve or thirteen… poor kids.
"Private screening."
Bai Ye's mouth twitched, reading her thoughts, but he didn't bother to clarify.
A clean man doesn't need to explain!
He came today to bond with his team.
Tsunade had laid out expectations.
Although the new generation had just graduated—
The Chūnin Exams were near.
Her direct students must succeed—or she'd cruelly rally the village and force Bai Ye to become Hokage!
That was too cruel.
When Bai Ye heard it, he couldn't help but click his tongue.
The most ruthless woman alive.
Hokage?
He'd rather die.
In that case, it was necessary to build relationships with Tenten and the others before starting formal training.
Watch a movie. Eat barbecue. Visit Konoha's new amusement park. Then relax at the co-ed hot springs.
After this circle, their team bonds would definitely improve.
But—
When the itinerary reached the last item—
The atmosphere turned subtle.
Konoha's most luxurious hot spring bath.
Bai Ye soaked comfortably, eating sakura mochi from Karin, eyebrows raised in satisfaction.
"I'm telling you, you went to the wrong bath."
Yes, it was a co-ed bath meant to build trust—
But even Uchiha Bai Ye couldn't shamelessly throw Hinata and the others into a shared bath on their first real mission together.
So he booked two separate pools.
Karin didn't mind, clinging to Bai Ye since childhood and used to scrubbing his back.
But the others…
Seeing Tenten and the others flee wrapped in towels, blushing to their ears, Bai Ye sighed.
He was not exactly a gentleman.
That said, with the Chūnin Exams approaching and Tsunade placing heavy importance on them, Bai Ye had to begin formal training tomorrow.
If he accidentally overdid it and made the girls unable to stand for three days…
He might miss this golden opportunity.
Yes, he was a pervert.
And utterly shameless.
All of Konoha—and even the rest of the ninja world—knew of his lechery.
So what if he admitted it?
---
"Want me to go get them back?"
Karin glanced at her godfather, noting his regretful expression, and asked seriously.
"What kind of brain do you have?"
Bai Ye looked exasperated.
"Godfather's just pretending. If those girls can't take it, I'll handle things personally."
Karin pouted.
She wasn't stupid. Even years ago, she had noticed her "aunties" secretly taking her away while she was asleep—then going off to "practice taijutsu" with her godfather.
"…"
Bai Ye was speechless for a long moment.
So—just what do you think I am?
---
The next morning.
At the familiar training ground.
After a night of "cooling off," the girls had all come to terms with what almost happened last night.
Their expressions were varied.
Hinata's bashfulness.
Sakura's curiosity.
Tenten's confusion.
Ino's teasing.
And Karin's usual smug glow.
A glorious mix of emotions.
Meanwhile, at the adjacent training ground, the newly reassembled Team Seven felt a little awkward.
Kakashi, with a short sword strapped to his back, stood before Naruto and Sasuke.
"So, in order to make sure I don't get beaten again, Tsunade-sama assigned a vice-captain. Even though you two already crushed me once."
Kakashi's face remained blank.
Tsunade-sama was insane.
What could he possibly teach Naruto and Sasuke?
What a joke.
If they disliked him, they could flatten him in an instant.
He knew Sasuke had undergone an eye transplant six years ago, and both he and Itachi had completed the transition to Eternal Mangekyō.
Thanks to Bai Ye's reincarnation prohibition.
Meanwhile—
He could barely activate Kamui with Obito's eye.
How was he supposed to teach these two monsters?
He wasn't slacking—he just couldn't compete.
Kakashi wanted to cry. What was he even doing here?
He had once been a genius—but compared to them?
"Kakashi-senpai can still teach them a lot."
Itachi and Shisui landed silently nearby.
It was Itachi who spoke, giving his brother a chilly glance.
It had been six years since Sasuke received new eyes and awakened the Eternal Mangekyō.
But mentoring his little brother?
Still exhausting.
And honestly—Sasuke was getting hard to beat.
"Yeah, Kakashi's experience can't be replicated."
Shisui, bald and mustached ever since regaining his eyes, wore sunglasses to remind himself not to rely on Kotoamatsukami.
He'd become… oddly humble.
"Can experience be eaten?"
Sasuke scoffed.
The next second, Kakashi was already before him, forming a certain recognizable stance.
Sasuke tensed.
Then—
Poof.
Kakashi vanished.
And with a jolt of immense pain—
A low voice sounded behind him.
"Secret Technique: Iron Rod… Thousand Years of Death!"
Holding a chakra-coated rod with ominous yellow etchings, Kakashi remained stoic.
"See? That's experience."
Silence.
Sasuke collapsed, twitching.
The girls in Bai Ye's group shook their heads.
"So gross… let's move away from them."
The Duel doesn't end here… it only gets more intense.
30+ chapters ahead are already waiting.
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