Gekkō Hayate stood frozen in the arena, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the aftermath of the battle.
Everything that had just unfolded felt surreal.
When he had first seen the massive wind blade unleashed by Baki, his heart had sunk into despair. The sheer scale and destructive force of that attack had made it clear—he stood no chance of surviving it. In that moment, Hayate had already resigned himself to death, determined to at least stand alongside Aoki Yoru and face it head-on.
Yet reality had completely overturned his expectations.
Aoki Yoru hadn't struggled. He hadn't even appeared pressured.
With a casual ease that defied logic, he had dispersed the terrifying wind blade as though it were nothing more than a passing breeze.
And Baki—the same elite Jonin who had pushed Hayate to the brink of despair—had been defeated just as effortlessly.
It was almost laughable.
Even a full Special Jonin squad might not have escaped unscathed from Baki, yet Aoki Yoru had dismantled him alone, without sustaining any visible injuries.
"…What kind of monster is he?" Hayate murmured under his breath, still unable to fully process what he had witnessed.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!!"
The violent disturbance from the battle had finally drawn attention. Figures clad in black flickered into existence one after another—the Anbu had arrived. Shortly after, members of the Konoha Military Police Force rushed in as well, swiftly sealing off the area.
Hayate snapped out of his daze as he was surrounded.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and began recounting everything that had just occurred, carefully explaining the sequence of events.
Meanwhile, at the Sarutobi Clan grounds…
The Third Hokage had been abruptly awakened from his rest. Now seated in his chamber, he listened quietly as the Anbu operative delivered the report.
As the details unfolded, his lips twitched slightly.
By the time the report ended, a faint smile had appeared on his aged face.
"I see… so Jonin Aoki stepped in and saved Hayate."
There was clear satisfaction in his tone.
"Since he has already returned, there's no need to disturb him further. We understand the situation well enough."
The Anbu operative hesitated before continuing.
"What about Baki? His injuries are severe. Our medical team is currently treating him."
At the mention of Baki, the Hokage's expression immediately darkened.
The previous warmth vanished, replaced by cold calculation.
"Ensure he receives full medical treatment," he said firmly. "Once stabilized, inform Yamanaka Inoichi. I want every piece of intelligence extracted from him."
His voice grew sharper.
"He is the Kazekage's confidant. We must squeeze him dry."
The Anbu hesitated again.
"There is a sealing technique placed within his mind. The core information cannot be accessed."
The Hokage nodded slowly, unsurprised.
"Extract whatever you can."
After a brief pause, the Anbu asked another question.
"What about the Chunin Exams? And the Ichibi Jinchūriki?"
The Hokage lifted his pipe, taking a slow, thoughtful puff before responding.
"The Chunin Exams will proceed as planned."
His tone was resolute.
"The Daimyo, nobles, and influential merchants are already on their way to observe the matches. Canceling now would severely damage Konoha's reputation."
He exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
"As for Gaara and his siblings… keep them under strict surveillance."
A faint glint flashed in his eyes.
"When the Fourth Kazekage arrives, I will speak with him personally."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The Anbu bowed and disappeared in an instant.
Left alone, the Third Hokage remained seated in silence.
The room felt heavier now.
His brows gradually furrowed as thoughts churned in his mind.
"…What exactly is Rasa planning?"
He muttered the question aloud, unable to find a satisfactory answer.
The Kazekage's actions were far too bold, far too reckless. There had to be a deeper motive behind them.
Yet no matter how he analyzed it, the puzzle remained incomplete.
After a moment, he shook his head, forcing the uncertainty aside.
"Whatever it is… we'll deal with it when the time comes."
A faint trace of confidence returned to his expression.
Konoha was no longer as vulnerable as it once was.
Aoki Yoru's rapid growth had already begun to shift the balance.
To defeat an elite Jonin so effortlessly…
It wouldn't be long before he stood among the village's top-tier combat forces.
When that time came, with both Aoki Yoru and Kakashi guarding the village, perhaps he could finally set aside some of his burdens.
A small, almost nostalgic smile appeared on his face.
It had been a long time since he felt this at ease…
Not since Minato and Kushina had passed away.
Deep within the Forest of Death, at the outskirts of Konoha…
Hidden beneath layers of dense foliage lay a crude underground chamber.
The space was simple—almost primitive.
Earthen walls. A roughly constructed platform.
Yet what truly defined it were the numerous sealing arrays etched into every surface, forming a tightly woven barrier.
At the center of the chamber, Aoki Yoru stood silently, focused on the faint, flickering energy hovering above his palm.
After his previous near-fatal experience, he had abandoned the idea of constructing a permanent laboratory.
Instead, he opted for something far more practical—a disposable underground base created using Earth Release.
If anything went wrong, he could simply abandon it without hesitation.
As for the sealing techniques surrounding the area…
He owed that to Uzumaki Ming.
The materials she had provided were not advanced, but they were invaluable.
They contained the most fundamental teachings of the Uzumaki Clan's sealing arts—clear, structured, and incredibly detailed.
From the composition of sealing runes…
To the perception of chakra flow…
To the underlying logic governing sealing techniques…
Everything was explained with such clarity that it felt as though a master was guiding him step by step.
Compared to Konoha's fragmented and disorganized materials, it was like the difference between chaos and order.
It perfectly compensated for his lack of foundational knowledge.
As for advanced techniques…
Those could come later.
With a solid foundation, he could eventually develop his own sealing methods tailored to his needs.
At that moment, his attention returned to the strange energy before him.
A faint, cold, and distorted aura lingered within it.
This was the so-called Evil God Energy—the same power that had nearly taken his life.
Aoki Yoru held his breath, focusing his entire consciousness.
His immense spiritual power surged forward, carefully probing the energy.
Layer by layer, he began to analyze its structure.
It was… wrong.
Everything about it defied normal understanding.
Its fluctuations were erratic, twisted in ways that ordinary chakra never was.
Even natural energy did not resemble this.
It felt alive.
Not in a natural sense—but in something darker, more sinister.
Aoki meticulously dissected its operational patterns, attempting to trace its origin and understand its essence.
Time passed unnoticed.
Finally, he exhaled slowly.
"…Still not enough."
With a sigh, he resealed the wisp of energy.
After nearly a month of research, his progress remained limited.
All he had managed to determine was this—
It was neither chakra nor natural energy.
It was a form of malicious life energy originating from an unknown entity.
And that alone made it dangerous.
Shaking his head, Aoki stood up.
There was no point forcing it further for now.
The third stage of the Chunin Exams was approaching, and as the chief examiner, he had responsibilities to fulfill.
Back in the village…
Aoki returned home briefly before heading out again, this time accompanied by Nao.
He hadn't forgotten his promise.
Today, he would finally make it up to her.
Their destination—
Ichiraku Ramen.
Lifting the curtain, Aoki stepped inside.
The familiar warmth and aroma greeted him instantly.
And so did two familiar figures.
At the counter, Naruto was hunched over a bowl, slurping noodles with unmatched enthusiasm.
Beside him sat Jiraiya, casually sipping broth.
"Jiraiya-sama, you're back?" Aoki said with a smile.
He led Nao to sit beside them.
"Boss, two bowls of super deluxe miso ramen."
Jiraiya glanced at him, a grin spreading across his face.
"Yoru, huh? You're looking pretty good. Seems like you've fully recovered."
His gaze then shifted briefly toward Naruto.
"I just got back to the village after a long time. Thought I'd take a look around… not much has changed."
"Yeah," Aoki replied casually. "Not much has."
But inwardly, he understood.
If not for Naruto, Jiraiya wouldn't have returned.
Among the Sannin, disappointment toward the higher-ups ran deep.
Sometimes, Aoki even wondered…
If not for their bond with the Third Hokage, would they have rebelled long ago?
Jiraiya suddenly broke into a mischievous grin.
"By the way, Yoru… you have no idea how popular those books are."
He pulled out a scroll and handed it over.
"Take a look."
Aoki opened it casually—
Then froze.
"…What?!"
His composure shattered instantly.
"156 million ryo?!"
Even though he had expected good sales…
This was beyond imagination.
Jiraiya crossed his arms proudly.
"Didn't I tell you? Once 'The Gatekeeper Grandpa' was released, it swept through the Land of Fire."
He chuckled.
"Demand was so high it even caused a paper shortage."
Aoki was speechless.
"And after I changed the title to 'The Gatekeeper Sarutobi Grandpa'…"
Jiraiya's grin widened.
"It spread across the entire ninja world."
Aoki's expression turned strange.
You renamed it after your own teacher?!
"No wonder it sold so well…" he muttered.
Jiraiya continued enthusiastically.
"The second book, 'The Young Wife Bai Jie,' sold out instantly. People were even offering higher prices just to get a copy."
Then he sighed dramatically.
"Too bad Tsunade took the royalties from the first book. Otherwise, you'd have earned at least another hundred million."
Aoki's heart clenched.
That hurt.
That really hurt.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.
Then glanced at Naruto.
"How's your preparation for the third exam? Neji isn't someone to underestimate."
Naruto swallowed his noodles and grinned confidently.
"Of course! The Pervy Sage taught me an awesome move!"
He thumped his chest.
"I'll definitely beat him!"
Aoki chuckled.
"Then I'll be looking forward to it."
Meanwhile…
The Third Hokage sat alone in his office.
A book lay open in his hands.
His face was flushed.
A thin trail of blood trickled from his nose.
And his eyes…
Were completely glued to the pages.
"Hehehe…"
A lecherous laugh escaped his lips.
"I knew Jiraiya understood me best…"
Completely immersed, he had already projected himself into the story—
As the one and only…
Gatekeeper Sarutobi Grandpa.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)