Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 263 Joint Chunin Exam 5

Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened his clothes to make them look neater, then sat down properly. He took a deep breath, trying to hide the smug look on his face and put on his kind and benevolent expression again. Once everything was ready, he slowly said, "Come in."

Hearing this, the people waiting outside gently pushed open the door and went in. After bowing respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi, they began to report the situation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, hands crossed under his chin, eyes slightly narrowed, seemingly deep in thought. He listened quietly, without speaking or showing any expression. However, after he finished listening to the report, a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes. This fleeting panic vanished without anyone noticing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, struggling to suppress his panic and maintain a composed expression. He knew that as the Third Hokage of Konoha, he had to remain calm and collected at all times, never showing any sign of panic in front of his subordinates. He needed to uphold the label of "Strongest Hokage" in their hearts to ensure the villagers' confidence in him. Hiruzen raised his head, looked at the ninjas before him, and gave a slight smile: "Thank you for your hard work. You may leave now." The ninjas exchanged glances and then replied in unison, "Yes, sir!" They turned and left the office, closing the door behind them.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slumped in his chair, leaning back slightly, looking utterly exhausted. He closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and kept replaying the news he had just received in his mind. His brows furrowed, and his mood grew increasingly heavy.

This news shocked and bewildered him. Based on the intelligence reports, it was certain the visitor was Hyuga Kanan. However, to his surprise, this man, who had always been indifferent to worldly affairs and lived in seclusion, would choose to return to Konoha at this time. What did this mean? Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

He secretly pondered the other party's intentions. Could it be that the other party had discovered his plan to scheme against Hyuga Neji? Was that why Hyuga Kanan had come specifically to support his disciple? Thinking this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened. If that were the case, then everything he had meticulously planned would likely have been in vain.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi was in a state of great inner turmoil. He pondered whether he should personally travel to the Hyuga clan's territory to speak with Hyuga Kanan, to ascertain his true purpose for returning to the village and prepare a countermeasure in advance. However, he also worried that this move might cause unnecessary trouble, given Hyuga Kanan's high prestige within Konoha Village; mishandling the situation could potentially lead to even greater problems.

However, judging from Hyuga Kanan's behavior upon returning to the village, he didn't exhibit any unusual actions. On the contrary, he quietly waited in line to enter the village. This suggests that Hyuga Kanan harbors no ill will towards the village. Perhaps he simply came back to visit, but other possibilities cannot be ruled out. Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that, in any case, this matter must be handled with utmost care and caution.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Kanan was still strolling through the streets of Konoha. It had been a long time since he had so completely let go of his worries and simply enjoyed the everyday life. The bustling streets and crowded streets brought Hyuga Kanan an unimaginable sense of relaxation, even elevating his state of mind.

Hyuga Kanan walked slowly down the street, observing the diverse people around him and feeling their joys and sorrows. He saw children playing and laughing in the street, their faces beaming with innocent smiles; he saw young ninjas hurrying about, shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting the village; he saw elderly people sitting in their doorways, basking in the sun and enjoying the peaceful moments. Everything felt so real and heartwarming.

Hyuga Kanan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, felt the warmth of the sunlight on his skin, and listened to the cheerful songs of the birds. He felt as if he had become one with the world, his heart filled with peace and tranquility. In this moment, he forgot all his worries and pressures, focusing only on the beauty of the present moment.

Hinata Kanan continued walking, stopping at a food stall. He bought a skewer of meatballs, took a bite, and the delicious flavor of the meatballs filled his mouth, bringing a satisfied smile to his face. He then walked to a flower shop, picked out a bouquet of flowers, and prepared to visit his mother's grave. These small gestures made him appreciate the little joys in life.

Hyuga Kanan didn't rush to the Hyuga clan's territory, but instead continued to stroll leisurely through the streets of Konoha Village. He wanted to savor this rare moment and truly appreciate every scene in the village. He knew that such days were incredibly precious to him.

This rare experience slightly loosened what had previously been a solid bottleneck. Hyuga Kanan felt that his decision to agree to Orochimaru's request to watch the grand spectacle Orochimaru had prepared was absolutely correct.

After wandering around for a long time, Hyuga Kanan slowly made his way towards the Hyuga clan's territory. When he reached the outskirts of the territory, his brow furrowed slightly. His keen senses detected that Konoha's Anbu ninjas were monitoring the area around the Hyuga clan's territory. This filled him with a sense of dissatisfaction and disappointment.

"Hmph!" Hyuga Kanan scoffed, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. He felt that Hiruzen Sarutobi, the so-called Hokage of Konoha, was utterly unworthy. His vision was too narrow, lacking ambition, yet he was overly obsessed with power. How could such a person become an excellent leader? This petty behavior only earned him contempt.

The future of Konoha Village seems destined for decline, and the root of all this lies in its leaders' lack of tolerance. Narrow-minded and intolerant of others, how can Konoha Village achieve development and progress with such a mentality? The Hyuga clan, one of Konoha Village's most important strategic forces, now faces such tight surveillance. This shows that if Konoha Village continues down this path, it will inevitably be eliminated from the chaotic ninja world sooner or later.

Hyuga Kanan didn't want to get involved in these trivial matters and went straight into the clan's territory. His arrival had already been notified to the clan head, Hyuga Hiashi, by members of the Hyuga clan.

Soon, Hyuga Neji brought Hinata to Hyuga Kanan's side to greet him.

Looking at Hyuga Neji, whom he hadn't seen for nearly half a year, and sensing his presence, Hyuga Kanan nodded with satisfaction and smiled, saying, "It seems that the decision to send you down the mountain for training was very correct. You've made considerable progress during this time. You must work even harder in the future."

"Yes, teacher, I will definitely work harder and live up to your expectations," Hyuga Neji replied firmly. In his heart, he needed to train even harder and break through to the Innate Realm as soon as possible so that he could truly face the dangers from the ninja world and protect his family and clan.

Looking into Hyuga Neji's determined eyes, Hyuga Kanan knew that he didn't need to put in too much effort. He only needed to point out the path, and Neji's personality would allow him to firmly follow it.

He then turned to look at Hinata standing next to Hyuga Neji. Hinata's face was slightly flushed, and she was fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, looking somewhat flustered. She instinctively felt shy and at a loss when facing unfamiliar people. Although Hyuga Kanan was her third uncle, this was only their second meeting since childhood, many years having passed since their last encounter. She had only mustered the courage to come along because Neji had brought her to greet him.

Hinata has been introverted since childhood and is not good at communicating with strangers. Although she respects the elders in her family, she still feels nervous and uneasy due to a long-term lack of contact and communication. In particular, when she meets someone as powerful and influential as Hyuga Kanan, her inner tension is even more difficult to suppress.

At this moment, Hinata's mind was filled with memories of her past experiences with Hyuga Kanan. She remembered seeing him once when she was little, but she was too young to remember much about this third uncle. Now, seeing him again, she found herself unable to face him with ease. Perhaps it was because she knew she was inferior to the other members of her clan, or perhaps it was because she feared disappointing her family by not performing well enough.

"Hinata, right? Still so shy and timid." Looking at the girl in front of him who blushed because of his words, Hyuga Kanan smiled wryly. He didn't expect that after so many years, this child would still blush so easily.

"Don't be nervous. You're a ninja now, so you should always keep a calm mind. Besides, I'm your family." Hyuga Kanan gently reached out and patted the other's head, softly comforting him. He knew that it was inevitable for a new ninja to feel nervous and uneasy when facing battles and missions, but as a qualified ninja, one must learn to overcome these emotions and maintain calm thinking and judgment.

Hyuga Kanan sighed inwardly, realizing that Hinata was truly unsuited to live in this turbulent ninja era. Despite possessing talent surpassing many, her overly kind and innocent nature made her seem out of place in this cruel world. If she could choose, Hyuga Kanan wished Hinata could stay away from war and killing, living a simple and happy life. However, reality is always harsh. As a member of the Hyuga clan's main branch, Hinata was destined to shoulder the clan's mission and face all sorts of hardships and dangers in the ninja world.

Hyuga Kanan didn't continue speaking. He believed that once Hyuga Hinata found her goal, she would definitely make changes and grow completely.