After a month, Aburame Shigeo met Hanzo again.
He immediately bowed respectfully.
"Lord Hanzo!"
"Mm."
Hanzo nodded, a smile playing on his face.
"I heard you've been buying land and shops in the village. The economy in Amegakure is so bleak right now—aren't you afraid of losing money?"
"Reporting to Lord Hanzo, no, I'm not!"
Aburame Shigeo shook his head and confidently shared his thoughts.
"Although the village's economy is struggling at the moment, I believe it will improve in the future. Buying now while it's cheap means I've profited already!"
"Hahaha! Well said!"
Hanzo laughed heartily, clearly satisfied with the answer. His gaze toward Aburame Shigeo was filled with approval.
"Shigeo, I knew I didn't misjudge you. From today onward, you are a *Special Jonin* of Amegakure!"
Special Jonin?
Aburame Shigeo was taken aback. But before he could respond, Hanzo continued.
"I understand your doubts, but I believe your conviction and musical talent make you perfectly suited for the position, Shigeo!"
"..."
Seeing Hanzo's firm stance, Aburame Shigeo knew he had no room to refuse. He dropped to one knee.
"Thank you, Lord Hanzo!"
As he spoke, he clenched his fists, his face displaying an expression of excitement, as if he had received the highest honor.
This performance earned Hanzo's further approval.
"Good. From now on, continue leading the Salamander Band to inspire the morale of Amegakure. Do not let me down. You may leave."
"Yes!"
Aburame Shigeo acknowledged the order and left with his head bowed.
Outside the door, Kuroki was already waiting for him. Seeing him emerge, Kuroki immediately handed over the rain-patterned headband and Jonin uniform he had prepared.
"Shigeo, congratulations! Not every ninja in Amegakure gets to enjoy such an honor."
"I know." Aburame Shigeo nodded and grinned. "Thank you, Brother Kuroki!"
"Heh, it's all by Lord Hanzo's orders."
Kuroki chuckled and extended a hand to pat Aburame Shigeo's shoulder, but midway, he awkwardly retracted it. He suddenly remembered that this boy now held a higher rank than him.
Understanding the gesture, Aburame Shigeo took the initiative to place Kuroki's hand on his shoulder.
"Brother Kuroki, I'm a Special Jonin in title only. Beyond the name, nothing has changed. If I ever trouble you, I hope you can forgive me."
"Uh... Shigeo, you're too polite."
Kuroki hadn't expected such humility from Aburame Shigeo. Touched, he immediately thumped his chest.
"Shigeo, if you ever need anything, just come to me!"
"Brother Kuroki, thank you so much!"
After exchanging polite words, Aburame Shigeo bid farewell to Kuroki and returned to his residence.
On the way back, he maintained a joyful demeanor, acting just like an ordinary ninja who had been recently promoted and given a raise.
However, as soon as he shut the door behind him, his smile faded quickly, replaced by a blank expression.
Seeing this, Konan emerged from another room, curious.
"Senior, what's wrong? And what's with those clothes you're holding?"
"As you can see."
Aburame Shigeo shrugged, tying the Amegakure headband he had just received around his left arm.
"Lord Hanzo has promoted me to *Special Jonin* of Amegakure. Although it doesn't come with any real authority, my identity issue is now resolved."
"But weren't you..."
Konan started to speak but was cut off by Aburame Shigeo's raised hand.
"No buts. This is the situation. We'll deal with the future when it comes. By the way, have you heard any news about Yahiko and Nagato?"
"Yes!"
At the mention of Yahiko and Nagato, Konan immediately perked up, her face lighting up with excitement.
"I've found out that Yahiko and Nagato have joined Amegakure's frontline forces. Both are performing excellently, and they should be promoted to Chunin in about six months."
"Good."
Aburame Shigeo nodded in satisfaction.
Though developments deviated slightly from the original plan, it was just a minor detail. The overall trajectory remained unaffected.
Given this, no changes were needed. They could stick to the plan—*and bide their time*.
...
Six months flew by.
Aburame Shigeo maintained the same routine as before, traveling daily between his residence and the Amegakure Theater.
At the end of each month, he would splurge his share of the band's high earnings on cheap, overlooked real estate and shops in the village.
This behavior earned him a reputation as a "wastrel," a title almost as famous as the Salamander Band itself.
Thanks to this reputation, Hanzo had fully let down his guard against him.
After two months of no surveillance from Amegakure's Anbu, Aburame Shigeo finally relaxed. He no longer had to act as cautiously outside.
Most importantly, he could now leave the village.
With his "Special Jonin" status, it was easy for Aburame Shigeo to slip away unnoticed.
In a secluded spot outside the village, he bit his thumb, formed seals, and performed a summoning technique.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a low shout, an orange-colored communication toad from Mount Myoboku appeared before him.
By now, he had become adept at summoning different toads from Mount Myoboku as needed.
After delivering a message through the toad, he requested the Great Toad Sages to reverse-summon him and Jiraiya to Mount Myoboku.
The purpose was to probe Jiraiya about Konoha's stance.
He had been in the Land of Rain for over three and a half years and was unsure if Konoha had officially labeled him a rogue ninja.
Although such a possibility was slim, given Jiraiya's endorsement, it was better to confirm.
Moments after the communication toad disappeared, spatial ripples appeared. Aburame Shigeo felt a sudden shift, and his surroundings changed dramatically.
He was now in Mount Myoboku.
Appearing alongside him was Jiraiya.
However, Jiraiya didn't look good—his entire body was wrapped in bandages, and his demeanor seemed dispirited.
Seeing Aburame Shigeo, Jiraiya spoke somberly.
"Shinju is dead—Tsunade's younger brother. He triggered an explosive tag trap during a battle with Sunagakure."
"..."
Aburame Shigeo remained silent for a long moment before muttering, "My condolences."
"Tsunade regrets it deeply."
Jiraiya's eyes reddened.
"She said if she could go back, she'd rather Shinju had been a coward like you."
"..."
What kind of insult was that?
Suppressing his irritation, Aburame Shigeo decided not to argue with Tsunade, given her grief. He changed the subject instead.
"Jiraiya-sensei, is the war between Konoha and Sunagakure this intense? Even you were severely injured?"
"*Cough cough cough cough*..."
Jiraiya coughed violently, waving his hand.
"No, my injuries aren't from fighting the Sand Ninja. It's... never mind."
Aburame Shigeo raised an eyebrow, suddenly recalling Jiraiya's two near-death experiences in the original story.
One was from Naruto's Four-Tails transformation.
The other? Tsunade beating him half to death after he spied on her bathing.
Since Naruto wasn't yet born, the cause seemed obvious.
With a meaningful tone, Aburame Shigeo advised, "Sensei, maybe don't spy on people bathing next time. It's immoral."
"...!"
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock.
*(End of Chapter)*