He wore a long black cloak, tall and slender, his long dark hair flowing like silk. His ink-blue eyes gleamed faintly, and his handsome face looked as though he had stepped straight out of the silver screen.
Kakashi's visible eye widened in disbelief. He immediately stepped back, raising his guard.
"...You?"
Of all people, he never expected him to appear here.
Hyūga Shigeo.
And Shigeo himself was equally stunned. Of all the possibilities, he had never imagined he would encounter Team Kakashi—Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura—the future legends of the shinobi world.
His gaze swept over the film set, pausing finally on Fujikaze Yukie.
Her eyes shimmered with tears as she ran toward him, stopping awkwardly a few steps away.
"It's… it's been so long," she whispered, her voice trembling.
A faint smile touched Shigeo's lips. He remembered—years ago, he had given her a summoning charm. So she had finally used it.
"Yeah," he said softly. "It's been a while."
Judging by the Kamui coordinates, he realized they were not far from Konoha.
After so many years avoiding the region entirely, he'd been summoned back like this—unexpectedly, almost absurdly.
"Please, sit down! What do you want to drink—tea or juice? Have you eaten? I'll treat you to sushi at noon!"
Yukie's voice was almost giddy, overflowing with relief and excitement.
For years she had searched for him, following countless rumors—some calling him a hero, others a monster.
She had kept that summoning talisman as her last resort, waiting for the right moment.
Now, with the crew preparing to film in the Land of Snow—a place she had sworn never to return to—she had finally made her choice.
If he was by her side, perhaps it wouldn't be so frightening after all.
Around them, whispers rippled through the set. The staff had never seen their usually icy, untouchable star act this way toward a man.
Even her manager, Sandayū, looked shocked beyond words.
Shigeo's eyes scanned the curious faces around him; he understood the situation in an instant.
He tugged lightly at Yukie's sleeve and asked, "You're heading back to the Land of Snow?"
Her cheeks flushed as she nodded quickly. "You'll come with me, right?"
He hesitated briefly, considering his own plans, then nodded. "All right."
Her eyes lit up, and she practically jumped with joy.
The happiness on her face was impossible to miss.
Across the room, Naruto's mouth twisted in disbelief.
She's my favorite actress!
He stormed over, stepping between them, glaring up at the dark-haired stranger.
"Hey! Who do you think you are? Name yourself!"
Kakashi tensed instantly. He had expected a fight the moment Shigeo appeared, but the man merely glanced at them without hostility.
Even so, Kakashi knew what this man was capable of—he had once killed Shimura Danzō before the eyes of the entire village.
If Naruto provoked him…
"Naruto! Back off," Kakashi warned.
But Naruto wasn't listening. He stood his ground, chin raised defiantly.
Shigeo's lips curved in amusement. He leaned down slightly to meet the boy's eyes.
"Me? Everyone just calls me A-Mo."
"A-Mo?" Naruto blinked. "So you're the one Miss Fujikaze hired? Which village are you from? And where's your headband?"
Kakashi's hand hovered near his pouch, ready to react, but he dared not move hastily.
"I'm a wanderer," Shigeo said calmly. "I don't wear a headband."
The crew murmured quietly at that. At least now they had an idea of who he was—a rogue, but apparently not an enemy.
"Wanderer, huh? Then come here for a moment."
The director gestured toward him, clipboard in hand.
Yukie frowned. "Wait—"
But Shigeo motioned for her to relax and walked over.
"You'll need to fill out this form," the director said brusquely. "Without it, you can't join the crew's voyage to the Land of Snow. Miss Fujikaze is a top-tier celebrity—we can't just let some random man near her. For all we know, you could be a fraud."
As he droned on, Yukie's patience snapped. She snatched the papers from his hands, tore them in half, and glared.
"He's not someone you can treat like that! He's my friend."
Then she grabbed Shigeo's hand and marched him out of the studio.
From that moment on, Hyūga Shigeo was treated like royalty.
Aboard the grand merchant ship bound for the Land of Snow, Yukie made sure he wanted for nothing.
Every delicacy, every comfort, every luxury—she sent them all to him.
And Shigeo?
He simply reclined on a deck chair beneath the open sky, sipping juice through a straw, watching them film from a distance.
The director looked ready to faint.
Sandayū's expression was a mix of pride and despair.
Meanwhile, Team 7 stood nearby, watching with growing envy.
Shigeo tilted his sunglasses down, glancing at them with a teasing smile.
"This is really good juice," he said deliberately, swirling the glass. "Want some?"
Naruto's stomach growled audibly.
He turned away, arms crossed. "Tch!"
Sasuke stayed silent, staring out over the endless blue sea, frowning slightly.
Sakura, on the other hand, couldn't stop staring at the food spread on the table.
"You want some?" Shigeo asked again, raising an eyebrow.
Kakashi's hand tensed — always ready for trouble.
Naruto hesitated. "Really? You're not tricking us?"
Shigeo laughed softly. "Of course not. Help yourselves."
He stood and gestured graciously.
Half an hour later, the three genin were devouring the feast like starving wolves.
Even Sasuke, normally composed, was eating without restraint.
And on the deck, beneath the bright sea breeze, Hyūga Shigeo simply leaned back in his chair, smiling faintly — watching the next generation of Konoha's shinobi eat to their hearts' content.
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews = 5 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]