Evan wasn’t grilling food outside Sunagakure as some kind of performance art, nor was he simply trying to satisfy his appetite.
He was waiting for news.
The tailed beasts had ways of passing messages between themselves.
The Three-Tails could be ignored, it hadn’t even had time to send a warning, but the Nine-Tails had definitely informed the others about what was happening.
As soon as Evan arrived near Sunagakure, he had asked Black Zetsu about the situation.
According to him, the One-Tail, Shukaku, was already on its way.
Yes, that was right.
Instead of running away, that stupid tanuki Shukaku was actually coming straight toward him.
That caught Evan’s interest.
He decided to sit tight and wait for the tanuki to come to him, curious to see what kind of stunt that neurotic idiot was trying to pull.
The desert was the One-Tail’s home turf.
Finding someone here was child’s play for it.
It wasn’t long before someone appeared in front of Evan.
The moment he saw Gaara, with the character for “love” tattooed on his forehead, dark rings around his eyes, and a huge gourd strapped to his back, Evan finally understood why that cowardly tanuki Shukaku hadn’t run.
Its jinchuriki wasn’t cooperating.
Even if Shukaku wanted to flee, it couldn’t.
Sometimes the real danger wasn’t a godlike enemy.
It was having an idiot for a teammate.
“How did you know I’d come to Sunagakure?” Evan asked curiously.
If Shukaku itself had been standing in front of him, he wouldn’t have bothered asking.
But Gaara couldn’t communicate directly with the other tailed beasts.
So how had he known Evan was coming?
“When the One-Tail told me someone was coming to capture it, I started using my Third Eye to watch the area around the village.”
A bloodthirsty grin spread across Gaara’s face, killing intent pouring from him.
“So I could kill you sooner.”
“Sand… Coffin!”
Chakra surged.
The golden sand around them heaved, then rushed toward Evan from every direction.
“Kaguya, handle it. Help our young friend calm down.”
Faced with the incoming jutsu, Evan’s expression didn’t change at all.
He merely raised his right hand and casually pressed his palm downward.
Otsutsuki Kaguya bit every last piece of grilled meat off her skewer in one bite.
Then she shot past Evan like a gust of wind.
Her slender palm landed against Gaara’s forehead.
In an instant, freezing air burst outward.
A brand new ice sculpture appeared in the middle of the desert.
Without Gaara controlling it, the surrounding sand immediately collapsed back to the ground.
“We’ve already wasted enough time. Pull the One-Tail out of him and let’s leave.”
ANBU were constantly assigned to watch Gaara.
Evan had no intention of repeating what happened in Konoha and wasting more time after getting surrounded by another huge crowd of shinobi.
“All right.”
Extract the tailed beast.
Use Yang Release to preserve the jinchuriki’s life.
Put the beast into storage.
Kaguya completed the entire process in one seamless sequence.
The instant the ANBU finally appeared, Evan opened a portal and stepped through with Kaguya.
With the enemy already beyond pursuit, the ANBU could only focus on freeing Gaara from the ice first.
Afterward, Evan visited the other shinobi villages one by one and captured the remaining tailed beasts.
It had run the farthest.
Once everything was finished, Evan and Kaguya returned to Konoha.
The two of them appeared directly inside the Hokage’s office, nearly frightening Sarutobi Hiruzen out of his chair.
“Oh, it’s you two! You scared me so badly I nearly spat out a Great Fireball.” Hiruzen patted his chest, trying to calm his startled heart.
“Good thing you didn’t,” Evan replied, equally startled by the idea.
“Otherwise, you’d probably be charcoal by now.”
If Hiruzen had attacked, Kaguya absolutely would have retaliated.
She wouldn’t care whether he’d done it intentionally or reflexively.
Hiruzen froze.
Then he thought about it.
Damn it.
He’s absolutely right.
The old man’s face twitched.
He immediately changed the subject.
“Let’s go look at the storefront. I picked out an excellent location for you.”
“Sure.” Evan raised an eyebrow and graciously followed Hiruzen’s attempt to move on.
There was no need to keep kicking the old monkey while he was down.
“Follow me.”
Hiruzen stood, hunched slightly with his hands clasped behind his back.
A pipe hung from his mouth, making him look less like the Hokage and more like an old farmer out for his daily walk.
The three of them left the Hokage Building.
The shinobi nearby immediately looked away.
Some stared up at the sky.
Some studied the ground.
Some suddenly became fascinated by counting their own fingers.
Whatever they chose, not one of them dared let their gaze linger on Evan or Kaguya.
One glance had been enough for everyone present to recognize the pair.
These were the terrifying monsters who had taken down the village before.
Conclusion?
Do not provoke.
Everyone instantly embraced the wisdom of self preservation and turned their eyes elsewhere, terrified that merely staring might annoy the two powerhouses.
Only after the trio had walked some distance away did the shinobi cautiously sneak glances after them and begin whispering among themselves.
“What’s going on? Why are those two with Lord Hokage?”
“No idea. You don’t think something happened, do you?”
“Should we… follow them and see?”
“You go. I’m scared. I’m not doing it.”
“Neither am I.”
“Same.”
“…”
Listening to the whispers drifting into his ears, Evan gave the old monkey a strange look.
Konoha truly was overflowing with talent.
“What?”
Seeing Evan’s odd expression, Hiruzen instinctively touched his face and glanced at his palm.
No ink.
Good.
He nearly gave himself a heart attack.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about how prosperous Konoha is. And how… talented its people are.”
The streets were lively and bustling.
People came and went beneath cheerful storefronts, and the entire village seemed peaceful and vibrant.
There was almost no sign that it had been attacked not long ago.
“Not bad, old mon—” Evan coughed.
“Ahem. Old Sarutobi. You’ve got quite a way with words.”
They were in public.
Might as well preserve a little of the old man’s dignity.
“As Hokage, naturally you have to develop a silver tongue,” Hiruzen replied as though it were obvious.
Come to think of it, among all the Kage throughout the history of the various villages, there probably wasn’t a single one who was bad at talking.
Some people even went on to refine talking into a finishing move all its own.
“Fair enough.” Evan suddenly felt that maybe he should ask the old monkey for a few pointers.
His own communication skills were practically a bottomless pit of failure.
Maybe I should research some kind of food that improves eloquence.
“We’re here.”
While Evan’s thoughts wandered, Hiruzen’s aged voice interrupted him.
Evan looked up.
A small two story building stood in front of him.
“Konoha Hospital is five hundred meters to the left. The Mission Assignment Desk is three hundred meters to the right. The commercial district is directly ahead…”
Hiruzen began explaining the surrounding area.
The longer Evan listened, the more he nodded.
Not bad.
Not bad at all.
This really was an excellent location.
Still…
Why did this building look so new?
Almost like it had just been constructed.
Yamato Construction, quality guaranteed.
For some inexplicable reason, an image suddenly surfaced in Evan’s mind, a square faced shinobi standing there completely drained, his face so pale he looked like he’d been rendered in black and white.
Evan entered the building and walked around inside.
After inspecting everything, he nodded in satisfaction, then headed back outside and stopped in front of the entrance.
“White Zetsu, make me a signboard.”
“As you command.” A White Zetsu rose from beneath the ground.
He clasped his hands together, and a wooden signboard rapidly took shape.
Hiruzen’s pupils contracted at the sight.
A moment later, however, his expression returned to normal.
Evan took the signboard and wrote four words across it,
Branch No. 1
Then he hung it above the entrance.
The instant the signboard was secured in place, Evan suddenly froze.
A moment later, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.
Seeing it, Hiruzen assumed Evan was simply pleased with the shop and finally released the breath he’d been holding.
The heart that had practically climbed into his throat settled safely back into his chest.
Evan certainly was satisfied with the two story building.
But not enough to make him smile like that.
The real reason was something else.
The instant the sign went up, a crisp chime rang inside his mind, a sound only he could hear.
[Ding…]