Three days later, Ishiki Kujo and his team arrived at Konoha.
But before stepping into the village proper, Ishiki quietly left a shadow clone hidden in the forest just outside.
Not out of fear or paranoia—he just preferred having an exit strategy. Matatabi might get bored and want to stretch her legs. And there were… certain things Ishiki needed to do beyond the village's prying eyes.
As he crossed the gates, he wasn't quite sure what he felt. Maybe it was relief. Maybe the tension finally left his shoulders. Maybe it was just the thought of Renge waiting at home that made his lips curve into a smile.
Home.
He hadn't been in this world long, but the word still felt distant. Alien. Like he was borrowing someone else's life.
But before he could even see Renge, ANBU arrived.
"Kujo Ishiki. The Third Hokage summons you," one of them said. Masked, but the tone was warm—nothing like the cold, mechanical voices of the last ANBU he'd dealt with.
"Understood." Ishiki followed without complaint.
He hadn't expected to be summoned the moment he stepped off the battlefield. He wondered what it could be about.
After a short wait outside the Hokage's office, the secretary brought him in.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was there, pipe in hand, smiling like a proud teacher looking at his favorite student. The warmth, however, was quickly replaced by a trace of steel.
"Ishiki," Sarutobi began, "did you know that on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, the Konoha Hospital treated seventeen shinobi who later forgot how to use ninjutsu… and some even lost their Kekkei Genkai?"
Ishiki's heart didn't skip a beat—he'd considered this possibility. But he hadn't expected Sarutobi to bring it up on day one.
"Yes, I've heard the rumors," he answered calmly.
The Hokage was referencing that night. The night Whitesnake had moved. The night two pairs of eyes vanished. Officially, one of them had been acknowledged as taken from the Uchiha.
It was only a matter of time before the case resurfaced. And since Ishiki had treated all those affected patients, his rapid rise to power would naturally draw suspicion.
That was the risk. The price of growth.
But Ishiki wasn't concerned. Not unless someone found the DISCs. And those were safely sealed in Mr. President's room. Untouchable. Undetectable.
A perfect deadlock.
Unless Sarutobi decided to ignore reason and pin everything on him without proof, Ishiki saw no path by which he could be caught.
But would Sarutobi go that far?
No. That wasn't his style. From the way Shikaku had spoken back in the Land of Frost, Ishiki already knew the Third's attitude—wary, but not hostile.
"Good," Hiruzen said, taking a drag from his pipe. "I've arranged a position for you at Konoha Hospital. You'll start work immediately. But aside from your normal duties… I want you to investigate this case quietly. Look for anything unusual."
He exhaled smoke, eyes sharp but kind. "You're well liked at the hospital. If anyone can handle this with discretion, it's you."
"I understand, Lord Third. I'll handle it thoroughly," Ishiki answered without hesitation.
Investigating himself? That was a god-tier assignment for slacking off. He'd hand in a nice clean report full of hearsay and testimonies, and that would be that.
Hiruzen nodded, seemingly unaware of the game being played. "Also, Tsunade will be returning to the hospital for a while. If you run into any challenges with medical ninjutsu, don't hesitate to consult her."
Ishiki froze for half a breath, then smiled wide. "Yes, sir."
That surprise was genuine.
He had a lot of questions on medical ninjutsu, and no one in the entire shinobi world could answer them better than Tsunade. He couldn't pass that up.
"She hasn't been back to the hospital since the end of the Third War," Ishiki thought. "Bringing her back now… this can't be coincidence."
Was Sarutobi trying to make her his mentor?
That seemed unlikely… but also not impossible. It was hard to get Tsunade to return to Konoha, let alone the hospital.
And now she was here.
Are you grooming me, old man? Ishiki wondered.
Sarutobi passed him a slip of paper. "Also, the Chūnin Exams are in five days. I've entered your name."
Ishiki glanced at the form—it was basically an exam admission ticket, detailing the date and venue. He pocketed it with a nod.
He left the Hokage's office more uncertain than when he'd entered.
The hospital job. The task to investigate the DISC victims. Tsunade's return. The exam registration.
There was definitely a pattern here. A slow, methodical drawing of Ishiki into the Hokage's circle.
The signs were clear. His path was no longer that of a rogue piece. He was being positioned.
"I'm home." Ishiki called as he opened the door, spotting a pair of familiar shoes at the entrance.
Renge was back.
Sure enough, she peeked her head from the kitchen. "Wash up. Food's almost done."
Her soft smile spread across her face, and Ishiki found himself smiling back. "God, I missed your cooking. You have no idea how terrible camp food is."
"You and your picky mouth. Don't worry—I made your favorites: ribs and shrimp," she called back.
"I knew you were the best!" Ishiki exaggerated, leaning into the kitchen doorway.
"Hmph, little brat." Renge laughed. "Looks like you've grown again—taller, stronger. You're looking more like a man."
"Of course I did! I've been training hard!" Ishiki flexed, showing off his arm with comical pride.
Renge laughed again. "Train all you want—you're still the younger one!"
"Ugh…" Ishiki flinched. "You're way too good at comebacks."
"Shoo! Go wait for dinner." She pushed him out of the kitchen.
The next morning, Ishiki skipped his usual workout and made breakfast instead. Then he walked with Renge to Konoha Hospital.
He knew that place inside out, and they were short on hands, so it wasn't long before he was officially back on the schedule.
As for Tsunade—he didn't see her.
"Hey sis, is it true Lady Tsunade's back?" he asked during lunch.
"I didn't tell you yesterday?" Renge blinked. "Yeah, she's back, but she rarely comes to the hospital. You can forget meeting your idol."
"She doesn't come in at all? What's the point of returning, then?" Ishiki frowned.
Sure, she was probably still struggling with hemophobia, but there were plenty of patients she could treat without seeing blood. Some conditions were only solvable by her.
"Who knows?" Renge shrugged. "But your other crush came back with her—Shizune. If you're that curious, I'll invite her over tonight. Ask her yourself."
Her voice turned sly. "Just don't stutter like an idiot when you see her."
Ishiki rolled his eyes. "I won't."
He remembered now. The old Ishiki had been obsessed with Tsunade and had practically worshipped Shizune like a puppy with a crush.
He couldn't quite figure it out. What kind of dumb hormonal kid had so many fixations at once? Must've been a side effect of growing up in Naruto World.
"You said it. I'm calling her."
"Call away."
"Good. On your way home after work, pick up some food—we'll skip cooking."
"Yeah yeah, I got it." Ishiki stood up and grabbed his tray. "Eat your lunch. I'm outta here."