Stepping out of the sealing room, Zahayuan Wu couldn’t help but feel a sense of emotion as he recalled the figure he had just seen. Like many classmates who had gone their separate ways after graduation, despite the fact that Zahayuan Wu and Namikaze Minato were once classmates at the ninja academy, they had lost contact after graduating. Or perhaps, they were never meant to have any connection.

Unlike those who concealed their identities, Zahayuan Wu only maintained average grades during his time at the academy. In contrast, Namikaze Minato displayed extraordinary talent from a very young age. Before even graduating, he had been taken under the wing of Jiraiya, a direct disciple of the Hokage. Uzumaki Kushina, easily recognizable due to her exceptional background, had also unknowingly become a close friend of his; at just over ten years old, he had already demonstrated impressive strength by taking down two Cloud Village spies.

If there were online novels in the ninja world, many would probably exclaim, “terrifyingly impressive” or “heroic archetype!” Even Zahayuan Wu had once considered latching onto the golden thigh of the child of the era, hoping to at least play a supporting role that would help advance the plot, or even connect with the higher-ups of Konoha. But unfortunately, he had no qualifications to enter the genius club, merely playing the part of a passerby.

Among the people Namikaze Minato often associated with, some were at least two or three years older than him, and others seven or eight years older, all of whom were new-generation powerhouses known throughout Konoha for their strength and talent—Akimichi Chōza, Nara Shikaku, Uchiha Fugaku...

Clearly, from a young age, Namikaze Minato had consciously paved his own path toward becoming Hokage. This was a path he had chosen for himself. “So, how should my path unfold?” Zahayuan Wu pondered this question after leaving the sealing room. So far, survival remained his primary challenge, making the acquisition of bond points a top priority.

However, Zahayuan Wu had walked around since morning, and whether it was with familiar colleagues, long-time neighbors, or the sister at the breakfast shop he had admired for years, everyone’s heads seemed filled with blankness. This phenomenon inevitably reminded him of the specific words he had seen on the panel last night: “Bond level increased.” Zahayuan Wu gently stroked his chin, his brow slightly furrowed. “So, does this mean I need... people with a more ‘intimate’ relationship with me?”

“It seems like my time in the Mist Village will have to be prolonged.” “But that’s fine.” Zahayuan Wu murmured as he silently pulled out a piece of paper. This was the intelligence he prepared to send to the Mist Village. It detailed the S-rank mission that Tsunade’s team was currently undertaking: “Assassination of the Third Raikage.” Additionally, it recorded several key supply points they would stop at along the way.

Although Konoha’s sealing techniques were generally considered safe for most people, the intelligence hidden in the sealed cabinet was still vulnerable under the “Six Eyes,” which could decipher chakra flow and structure. With this, he could at least extend his developmental period by three months.

Just as he was thinking this, someone suddenly waved at him from the front: “Hey—!” “Zahayuan-kun! Come help me move the lunch boxes from your intelligence department!” “The delivery cart’s wheels are broken.” “Coming!” The paper in Zahayuan Wu’s hand abruptly vanished, and he turned to respond to the other person.

However, when he turned back to look at the person’s face, his footsteps involuntarily paused. The rich computational power brought by the “external brain” allowed him to recall the person’s features, but his brow furrowed slightly. If he remembered correctly, this should be Kojima-kun from the logistics office on the first floor? But that guy seemed a bit of a neat freak...

Observing the behavioral traits of strangers was an elective course for ninjas but a compulsory subject for spies. A glimpse of the faint mud specks on the other person's pant leg and the heavy dirt on their shoes contrasted sharply with his memory of the person, causing Zahayuan Wu to instinctively feel a bit of suspicion. With just a slight doubt, he didn’t hesitate to activate his “Six Eyes” and turned to look at the other person.

In this line of sight, he could see all the chakra flow. Luckily, beneath the chakra-constructed shell, there was a body that was completely inconsistent with the shape—this was a reaction of a special transformation technique. So, it turns out he’s one of us? I thought it was another Anbu testing me.

Seeing this, Zahayuan Wu finally relaxed a bit, and his smile became much more sincere. “Zahayuan-kun?” Kojima-kun seemed to notice that his footsteps had stopped and asked in apparent confusion, his fingers naturally brushing against the other side of his pants.

“Um, may I ask who you are...?” Zahayuan Wu looked at him with some confusion. “I’m Kojima, Kenta Kojima!” he muttered in dissatisfaction, but his hand resting on the pant leg loosened slightly, “I’ve been delivering lunch to your office all week; you wouldn’t completely forget me, would you?”

“Eh? Is that so... Sorry, sorry.” Zahayuan Wu scratched his head shyly like a typical big boy, smiling a bit awkwardly. “I’ve been working overtime too much lately; my head is a bit hazy... You guys in logistics shouldn’t be that busy, right?”

“Ha! Don’t mention it; we left later than you guys last night...” Perhaps to ease the previous awkwardness, he took the initiative to start a conversation, chatting with this Kojima-kun about small office topics as they walked toward the end of the corridor, each carrying a lunch box. Meanwhile, he was contemplating the other’s intentions.

Is he trying to extract information from me? Or is he attempting to infiltrate the intelligence department with me? Or perhaps... Years of undercover life had fostered his habit of suspicion and wariness, making him instinctively alert to any abnormal movements around him. However, it was only natural. After all, he was an undercover agent too.

Just as he was still considering, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the wall behind him. “Boom—!” The solid exterior wall of the Hokage building was blown open by a special explosive technique, revealing a large gap about five or six meters wide, with the hot wind from the explosion blowing debris, crashing against the corridor with a series of pops.

At the same time, several death squad members charged into the breach without hesitation, launching a desperate offensive toward a certain area on the third floor. However, they had barely entered the building when dozens of fully uniformed Anbu and Leaf Village ninjas rushed out from various directions to pursue and intercept them.

The moment he noticed this scene, Zahayuan Wu turned to his companion beside him and immediately understood their intentions. As long as he could penetrate the identity of the enemy spy, it would be easy to determine his intent to infiltrate certain key departments amidst the chaos. It seemed that the people wanting to obtain the intelligence in his hands were not just the Mist Village.

Zahayuan Wu’s gaze deepened. Since that’s the case... “Zahayuan-kun!” Sure enough, before he could speak, he saw this Kojima-kun beside him already throw down his lunch box, urgently urging, “Quick! Let’s go block those bastards!”

However, Zahayuan Wu unexpectedly protected his lunch box, extending a hand to stop him, calmly saying, “Don’t worry. There’s only the confidential sealing room over there; there’s also the Hokage guarding it, they can’t get in!” As he spoke, Zahayuan Wu revealed an incredibly confident smile.

“Hmm...?!” Just this one sentence instantly rooted ‘Kojima-kun,’ who was ready to spring into action, in place, even the kunai he had intended to use to capture him was pressed against his waist pouch, completely motionless. The weak point is up there? At that moment, he looked at Zahayuan Wu's back, his eyes shining.