When the Konoha front-line camp was raided and chaos erupted, Habara didn't panid rush to do anything. Instead, he remained vigint and stayed put in his tent.

  This, it must be said, was a correct decision. If he had run around frantically at that time, first, he might have been casually killed by a passing, powerful enemy; sed, as an unreliable "Konoha ninja," he might have been casually killed by a passing Konoha ninja.

  Not causing trouble was helping. Habara was pletely thinking of Konoha's best is.

  Fortunately, his tent was located in a secluded er of the Konoha camp, and the attag enemies had clear, prioritized targets. A surprise attack had to achieve its intended goals within a limited time, so operational efficy was crucial.

  No one would specifically e to deal with someone like Habara.

  In short, he wasn't worth the effort.

  So, this night's attack was, for Habara, a close call but ultimately uful. However, when dawn broke the day, he received some bad news.

  The Kumo forces had retreated after a sirike. At daybreak, the entire Konoha camp was filled with the smell of burning and blood. Some Konoha ninjas were ing up the battlefield, colleg and aiding their rades, and quickly assessing the losses from the previous night.

  When Habara, Daigo, and Izayo returo the Konoha front-line hospital, they saw Nobuyoshi's corpse.

  Nobuyoshi hadn't died during the dangerous mission, but instead died after returning to the retively safe Konoha camp. Saying it like this was a bit desding, but Habara felt that this enter, where he voluntarily gave up his power to protect himself and was then suddenly killed by the enemy, was somewhat ironic.

  He wondered if, st night, when Nobuyoshi faced the attag enemies and was uo form hand seals to fight, he had felt a. Or rather, before he could eve, he had already been killed.

  In a sense, Nobuyoshi's death could be sidered suicide.

  Having seen life ah, and experienced tless dangers, he then began to yearn for a peaceful life. Habara could uand this feeling. But in such a dangerous world, no matter what, a person should never give up the ability to protect themselves.

  Because when it came down to it, only you could protect yourself… Habara could only express his deep regret for Nobuyoshi's fate.

  However, his teammate's death wouldn't affect the team's steps.

  Sihe Konoha camp had been raided by Kumo, it was only natural that Konoha would un equivalealiation. In this situation, the battered and inplete Squad Z had o remain at the front lines.

  Three days ter, the remaining five members of Squad Z left the devastated front-line camp and began their return to Konoha.

  …………

  Habara finally figured out the current time period: it was Konoha Year 47, and the events that were supposed to happen seemed to have already happened.

  Soon, Namikaze Minato would succeed as the Fourth Hokage, and sidering that it was already he end of the year, the "Child of Prophecy," Naruto, might have already begun his development.

  Several days ter, the group of five arrived unhurriedly at Konohagakure.

  The two people Habara wasn't familiar with went directly to the camp outside the vilge that they had previously been at, while Habara himself was momentarily unsure where to go.

  "Habara, e with me," Izayo called out to him at this moment.

  So, without hesitation, Habara followed her, along with Daigo… This could be sidered a temporary stay with Izayo.

  The three of them then arrived at her home, an old two-story wooden house located in a er of Konoha. And unlike Habara's first arrival, Daigo seemed to have been living here all along.

  First, he was locked in Orochimaru's dungeon as a test subject, then he was suddenly thrown onto the battlefield. After so long in this world, Habara finally had the ce to rex a little.

  He took a thh bath, ged into some old clothes provided by Izayo, ate a proper meal, and the straight to bed.

  He slept from the afternoon all the way into the night. At two o'clo the m, Habara woke up, pletely refreshed, and couldn't fall back asleep.

  He opehe window beside him, propped himself up on the windowsill with one hand, and looked up at the sky outside.

  The weather was very good tonight. The moon and the starry sky were visible.

  The night was quiet. Habara seemed to faintly hear a soft sobbing sound… Once a person rexed, escaped danger, auro their most familiar enviro, all the suppressed emotions would burst out.

  After all, Izayo's brother had died otlefield. Ninjas were ultimately human, not true killing maes.

  At this time, it was best to remain silent and not disturb her.

  Since he couldn't sleep anyway, Habara began to think about what he should do tomorrow…

  In short, before he left Konoha again, he had to acquire some bat ability.

  The day.

  Ninjas woke up early, and Habara hadn't slept at all. He asked Izayo about a few pces and then leisurely left the house.

  pared to the of the front lines, Konoha Vilge was indeed prosperous and lively. Habara found a pce to eat breakfast and then headed straight for a certain location…

  The first thing he o do was go shopping, so he appeared at a ninja tool shop.

  Habara wasn't short on money. He now had 200,000 ryo in mission funds.

  "Shopkeeper, is the shopkeeper in?"

  The er had arrived a bit early. Only after Habara called out a few times did a middle-aged man appear in the shop.

  "Wele, er."

  The shopkeeper greeted Habara warmly while wiping his hands with an apron.

  "I'd like to order two ninja tools. Is that possible?" As he spoke, Habara took out a diagram from his pocket.

  "Of course, it's possible. No matter what kind of ninja tool, our shop…"

  The shopkeeper took the diagram and began his habitual self-praise. But when he saw what was drawn on the diagram, he immediately stopped talking.

  "er, is this… a ninja tool?"

  "Yes, is there a problem?"

  Of course, there was no problem, but there was no need for Habara to e to a ninja tool shop to buy this. He could have gone directly to a bcksmith, which would have been more appropriate.

  Habara ordered two 10x20x120 "sword boxes." One ecified to be solid steel, and the other ecified to be cast iron oside and filled with mercury on the inside.

  "er, I must remind you that the total weight of these two items will be just over half a ton…"

  So, this weight was simply impossible for any usable ninja tool. It was too heavy.

  "Just assume I'm buying them to weigh down pickle jars… How about it, will you take this order?"

  "…Yes!"

  Although the crude items Habara had ordered made the veteran shop owner feel a bit insulted, he absolutely wouldn't turn away business.

  After paying a deposit, they agreed that he would e to pick up the goods in one day. Just as Habara was about to step out the door, he suddenly stopped.

  "er, is there anything else you need?" the shopkeeper asked again. He was worried that this er would order something even more bizarre.

  Habara hesitated for a moment, and then stammered, "Well, um, do you sell elementary school textbooks for the Ninja Academy here?"

  Shopkeeper: "…"