"Yo, Nawaki."
"Do you think it's more reasonable to grant you a new life in the name of the Hokage, or to assign you the status of a guard team member under my captaincy?"
The journey wasn't too long.
The moonlight was particularly beautiful that night.
Bai Ye had his arm around the blushing Uzuki Yugao, who clung tightly to his hand, preventing any mischief. It wasn't that she couldn't face him, but Tsunade's peculiar expression beside her made her feel deeply embarrassed.
However, Bai Ye's actions were discreet; apart from Tsunade, everyone else proceeded as usual.
"Captain Bai Ye, whatever you decide is fine with me."
Nawaki, straightforward as ever, responded without hesitation.
He was acutely aware that he had died.
And had been dead for a long time.
In his hazy memories, the face of someone he couldn't recall, twisted in a grimace, appeared, but everything after that was a blur.
"Don't call me 'big brother'; I haven't been one for many years. Address me as Captain Bai Ye."
Bai Ye said with a smile, extending his free hand to ruffle the chubby cheeks of the young boy.
This kid was sharp.
Indeed, Nawaki's death was problematic.
Official records stated he accidentally triggered an explosive trap and was killed instantly.
But according to Nawaki's vague recollections, it seemed their team hadn't advanced along that route. They were led into the trap, possibly by someone's deliberate guidance.
And when the trap detonated, he had a chance to escape but was seemingly held back by someone.
Ridiculous.
As a direct descendant of the Senju clan and Tsunade's younger brother, he wasn't entirely without skill. A mere explosive tag trap shouldn't have been so lethal.
The next steps were straightforward.
Find the person from back then, and the events of that year would naturally come to light.
Of course, a more direct approach would be to confront Orochimaru.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru had already defected and showed no concern over his disciple's earlier demise.
"I think 'brother-in-law Bai Ye' might be more appropriate."
The young man was astute, holding great admiration for someone who could control the life and death of others so effortlessly.
Nawaki was more courteous than Bai Ye had anticipated.
Quite the flatterer.
After Uchiha Satoshi, another talent had emerged in his guard.
Bai Ye nodded in satisfaction.
As for Uchiha Itachi?
He hadn't acted twice.
It was obviously impossible to expect Uchiha Itachi, known as the patricide, to be a sycophant.
"We're almost there."
Tsunade sighed softly, gazing at the silhouette of the village under the hazy night sky, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
Undoubtedly, she had deep feelings for this village.
But those feelings had been gradually worn down, almost to the point of vanishing.
It was like the emptiness she and Shizune felt after grinding glass late at night.
If it weren't for Bai Ye resurrecting her younger brother, she might never have returned for the rest of her life.
After pulling her younger brother aside and helping him with some final touches, Tsunade finally felt at ease.
"Yes, dressed like this, if we claim he's our illegitimate child, some might believe it."
Bai Ye ignored the dark lines forming on Tsunade's face and expressed his satisfaction.
Nawaki wasn't very old when he died.
Even though he had graduated from the ninja academy and gone to the battlefield.
But during the war, to compensate for Konoha's losses, it was common to send academy students to the front lines as cannon fodder.
Naruto, in the original story, was fortunate to have a good teacher and to live in a peaceful era, never experiencing the pain of war.
Additionally, after being resurrected, Nawaki appeared more youthful, making it plausible to claim he was their illegitimate child.
Of course, that was assuming Bai Ye's age wasn't considered; otherwise, people might think he had been involved with Tsunade when he was ten.
"You'd better not talk nonsense."
Tsunade's face was expressionless. After squinting at Bai Ye, she pulled her younger brother aside.
Near Konoha.
Bai Ye yawned and glanced at Uzuki Yugao, who was blushing beside him. He felt the time was ripe.
But just as he was about to speak, he suddenly frowned, and his immense sensory perception expanded instantly.
Enhanced Kagura Mind's Eye!
With Bai Ye's perception, it took only a thought to cover the entire Konoha Village within his sensory range.
Couldn't hold back any longer?
Bai Ye smiled slightly.
He had deliberately returned that night, not because he had to clock in for work the next day.
It was because he knew that once they left the village, some people would undoubtedly take action.
Especially knowing that night was the third birthday of the Byakugan princess, Hyuga Hinata, he knew he needed to return to witness the events.
But to his surprise, the actions of the Cloud Shinobi Village weren't limited to the Hyuga clan.
As expected of the Raikage.
If his pride was wounded, he couldn't wait to retaliate.
Bai Ye smiled faintly, and at the same time, a pleasant system prompt sounded in his ears.
"Ding!"
"The [Self-disciplined Guard Captain] related tasks have begun."
"Detected that the host is on holiday; please choose, host!"
"Option 1: Refuse to work overtime on rest days, take a good rest and sleep; your self-discipline captain reward for the day will be slightly reduced."
"Option 2: Urgently assemble the guard team! Fulfill the duties of the guard captain. Anyone who dares to challenge the authority of the guard captain must pay the price! The higher the degree of completion of this option, the higher the evaluation for the day, which will also affect the overall evaluation during the host's tenure."
Was this even a choice?
Wasn't this his own intention?
The system was quite considerate.
Bai Ye rolled his eyes. After all, as the captain of the guard, he couldn't tolerate such provocative behavior.
As for the promotion evaluation during his tenure and the daily evaluation, those were pleasant surprises.
One must know that the tasks of the self-disciplined captain would bring him rewards every day, and no one would refuse to become stronger.
"Tsunade."
About to enter the village, Bai Ye's expression turned cold.
"Yes?"
Tsunade looked at Bai Ye suspiciously, but when she glanced over, she was momentarily stunned, then frowned.
What was going on?
However, this man was quite charismatic when he was serious, even a bit handsome.
"Yugao will take you to the guard headquarters, and..."
Handing a token to Tsunade, Bai Ye continued.
"Give this token to Uchiha Shanyang, and have him assemble the guards to focus on patrolling the Hyuga clan's territory. Any suspicious individuals are to be arrested on the spot."
"Resisters