Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Return To Konoha
Just as Sato mastered his own unique combination of ninjutsu and kekkei genkai secret techniques, Jiraiya and his group finally returned to Konoha.
"Master Jiraiya, welcome back," the two Chūnin guards at the gate greeted him, assisting Jiraiya with the necessary procedures. However, upon seeing Tsunade passing by, they felt a sense of familiarity but couldn't quite remember who she was.
After Sato and his companions entered the village, the two Chunin guards suddenly exchanged glances, then exclaimed, "That woman is... Master Tsunade!"
Having finally recollected Tsunade's identity, they turned their heads to catch a glimpse of her, but unfortunately, Sato and his group had already disappeared into the bustling streets. Feeling regretful, the two guards looked at each other once again, and their morale, previously dampened by Orochimaru's influence, suddenly soared.
Such was the impact of Tsunade, or rather, the influence of Senju Hashirama and the Senju clan in Konoha. As Jiraiya had mentioned, no one in Konoha was more suitable to become the Fifth Hokage than Tsunade. Senju Hashirama had founded Konoha at its zenith, and now, the descendant of Senju Hashirama had saved Konoha during its weakest moments.
If Jiraiya were to become the Fifth Hokage instead, the results would undoubtedly be inferior to those under Tsunade's leadership. Even if in terms of true strength, Jiraiya surpassed Tsunade on most days.
"Sato, come to my place on the day of the succession ceremony. I have something to discuss with you," Jiraiya instructed as they made their way to the Hokage building. Sato and Karin bid farewell to Jiraiya and the others, continuing on their own path.
Just as they were parting ways, Tsunade unexpectedly addressed Sato, "I see, sister Tsunade."
Sato was slightly puzzled but obediently nodded in response. Without delay, he took Karin straight to his home instead of purchasing daily necessities. Karin had already stored all their essentials in a scroll during their return to Konoha.
"Choose a room for yourself. I'll introduce you to some friends in a few days," he informed Karin excitedly, her cheeks flushed. "But until you receive your permanent residence permit, don't venture out alone. There may be dangerous people looking for you, understand?"
"yes..." Karin nodded repeatedly.
Gently patting her head and offering a reward, Sato took out a shoulder bag from his backpack. It contained seven small storage scrolls. He then set off to find members of Teams Eight and Ten.
His first stop was Ino.
"Sato, you're back!" Just as he reached the entrance of Ino's flower shop, before he could surprise her, a beautiful figure rushed out and embraced him tightly.
Holding the wild girl tightly with her legs wrapped around his waist, Sato didn't have much time to savor the passionate embrace. He quickly lowered her down and said helplessly, "Let's mind our image. This is the entrance. Aren't you worried that Aunt might see us?"
"Hee hee... My mom isn't in the flower shop, so don't worry," Ino replied, standing on tiptoe and whispering with a smile, "And here's a secret—I've already told my dad and mom about you."
"Well, when I meet your dad in the future, should I run away or will he drag me to the torture department?" Sato joked.
"Hee hee, I can't tell."
After their playful banter, Sato took out a small scroll and handed it to Ino. "This is a gift I got for you. And in a few days, I'll introduce a friend to you."
"Is it the person you met when you were away?" Ino asked, happily accepting the storage scroll, her beautiful eyes blinking curiously. "Is this friend around our age?"
"Yes, she's one of the candidates for the Chūnin exams. I happened to come across her..." Sato explained as they entered the flower shop. While assisting Ino with managing the shop, he shared the story of how he met Karin.
However, Sato didn't reveal the whole truth, opting for a mixture of fact and fabrication, similar to how he had dealt with Jiraiya and Tsunade. But his story was even more deceptive this time.
Because in Hinata and Shino's understanding, Sato had been with them the entire time during the second stage of the Chūnin exams.
So Sato didn't disclose that he personally saved Karin, but rather claimed that it was one of his Shadow Clones who rescued her while gathering information.
Trusting Sato wholeheartedly, Ino didn't have a hint of doubt.
After hearing Sato's account, Ino exclaimed, "The Uzumaki clan! I never imagined Naruto's family background was so significant. No wonder my parents used to look at Naruto strangely when they picked me up from school. I wonder what's really going on."
"Well, during my mission, I also encountered Master Jiraiya and Naruto, and there were many unexpected events and surprises," Sato briefly shared his recent experiences.
"Hey... Sato, have you awakened your kekkei genkai?" Ino eagerly asked upon learning that Sato had awakened his Bloodline Limit.
"Really? Which Bloodline Limit is it? Is it powerful?" she questioned three times, brimming with excitement.
"It's a highly potent Bloodline Limit. I'll tell you more once I've fully mastered it," Sato teased.
"Okay," Ino responded, not feeling disappointed but rather looking forward to it.
Setting down the tools he was using, Ino suddenly took hold of Sato's arm and exclaimed, "Let's go share this good news with Hinata and Shikamaru."
"Wait... Aunt hasn't returned yet. Why don't you stay and look after the shop?"
"Forget about it. There aren't many customers today anyway."
As the whimsical words were uttered, the flower shop displayed a "Closed" sign.
Sato and Ino first visited Shikamaru and Chōji, followed by Shino, the new generation of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio and a descendant of the Aburame clan, who went to visit Hinata.
Gazing at the gates of the Hyuga clan, a place he had never entered before, Sato's anticipation grew. After revealing his Wood Style, he wondered how the Hyuga Clan would treat him the next time he visited Hinata alone.
By then, he might have the opportunity to see his third favorite female character—the one who would become his sister-in-law and was five years his junior—Hyuga Hanabi.
To be more precise, a matured Hyuga Hanabi.
In Sato's eyes, Boruto's story was nothing but rubbish. But how could he resist getting involved with such a mess?
Sato only paid attention to the parts of Boruto that involved Hyuga Hanabi.
Similar to Hinata's impactful debut in Shippuden, Hanabi's debut in Boruto also surprised Sato. Hinata, Ino, and Hanabi were his three favorite female characters in the world of Naruto.
The Hyuga sisters, in particular, were his favorite duo. Thus, Sato eagerly anticipated the day he would meet Hanabi.
Hinata, blissfully unaware of Sato's perverse thoughts regarding her seven-year-old sister, would never have imagined such things. Who knows how she would react if she found out? But that was a matter for many years in the future.
In the present, Hinata was simply delighted to see Sato after such a long time.
Therefore, the Eighth and Tenth teams reconvened after the Konoha Crush event.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
5834
5834 Thanks for 4k collections!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone