Chapter 32

Yesterday, when the squad returned to the village, everyone quietly dispersed to their respective homes, exhausted but relieved. The air was heavy with fatigue, and each member longed for rest after the long mission. However, while the others resumed their daily routines, Kakashi and Gai, ever the dutiful shinobi, made their way directly to Lady Tsunade’s office.

Without delay or hesitation, they pushed open the doors and stepped inside, ready to deliver their mission report. Their expressions were serious, a clear sign that the information they carried was of importance. Lady Tsunade, already anticipating their arrival, looked up from her desk, her gaze sharp and focused as she prepared to hear their account.


Tsunade listened carefully, her brows furrowed in thought. “So, let me get this straight,” she said, rubbing her temples.

“This Travis guy has some strange blue power. He can conjure powerful barriers that can withstand point-blank explosions and, on top of that, can transfer a blue ball into a dead person, bringing them back to life. Is that all?”

“That’s what we’ve seen for now,” Kakashi confirmed. “He’s also incredibly fast. Possibly even faster than my teacher.”

Tsunade’s fingers tapped against her desk as she pondered the information. ‘Good thing Sarutobi-sensei left that letter, i would have kicked him out, and he might’ve ended up as an ally to our enemies instead,’ she thought grimly.

“Alright,” she finally said. “ Where is he currently?" Tsunade asked.

" He decided to stay at Sunagakure for a few days. " Kakashi replied.

She sighed, then made a decision " We’ll just have to observe him carefully during missions. Kakashi, since he’s under your command, keep an eye on him. If we aren’t careful, he could become an even bigger threat than we realize. "

Kakashi nodded and left, but Tsunade found herself still unsettled. She leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling before exhaling sharply.

This wasn’t the kind of thing she could ignore. If he was as strong as they were starting to believe, she needed to understand exactly what he was capable of.

After a brief moment of deliberation, she made a decision.

“All ANBU, leave,” she ordered. The masked shinobi stationed around her office hesitated for only a second before vanishing into the shadows.

' I'll have to visit him when he's returns' she thought to herself.

...

The next day after Travis arrived in Konoha, the sun filtered softly through the blinds of his modest apartment. He stirred beneath the sheets, groaning as he sat up, running a hand through his messy hair.

"I'm bored as hell," he thought, lips pressing into a flat line as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

The floor was cold beneath his feet, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the blanket he’d just left behind. He dragged himself into the bathroom and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the drowsiness and lingering dust from the road.

As the steam filled the room, Travis found his mind wandering—specifically, back to Sunagakure.

He kind of wished he’d stayed another day.

Temari had invited him to stick around, and he’d been tempted. Really tempted. But he knew if he did, things between them would’ve gotten… physical. Not that he wasn’t into her—far from it. She was smart, gorgeous, and more than capable of keeping up with his sarcasm. But still… it just didn’t feel like the right time.

Why?

He didn’t know. He just wasn’t feeling it—yet.

Once he was dried off and dressed in a loose shirt and sweats, he wandered into the kitchen, slapped together a simple breakfast, and sat at the table staring blankly at the wall, chewing in silence.

The hours ticked by. Afternoon came and went. The sky turned gold, then crimson. And still, he hadn’t found anything worth doing.

"Maybe tomorrow’ll be more eventful," he thought, laying back on the couch with a sigh, one arm thrown over his eyes.

Night fell quietly over Konoha.

A few hours later, a firm knock at his door echoed through the apartment.

Travis blinked, sitting up with mild confusion. He’d just stepped out of the bath again, a towel thrown over his shoulders, his bare chest still glistening with heat. The steam still clung to his skin and hair like a cloak of warmth.

Another knock—sharper this time.

He crossed the room and opened the door.

Standing there, arms crossed and expression unreadable, was none other than Lady Tsunade.

Her golden eyes flickered—just for a moment—as she took in the sight before her. Travis stood confidently in the doorway, half-naked and unbothered, his trademark smirk already forming.

“Oh, Lady Hokage,” he drawled, one brow raised. “What a surprise. What brings you here at this hour?”

Tsunade blinked once, then cleared her throat, her tone brisk even as a slight smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. She crossed her arms. “May I come in? I need to speak to you about something important.”

Travis stepped aside with a casual shrug. “Sure. Don’t mind the mess—I wasn’t expecting visitors.”

Tsunade entered, glancing around. The room was surprisingly clean, aside from a few books and scrolls scattered on a small desk. She sighed, realizing he had been joking again.

‘I need to stop taking some of the things he says seriously,’ she thought, shaking her head as she took a seat on his bed.

Travis remained in the center of the room, arms folded, waiting for her to speak.

“I want to talk about your powers,” she said, cutting straight to the point. “Do you perhaps have a Kekkei Genkai?”

Travis tilted his head slightly. “I guess you could call it that.”

Tsunade frowned slightly. “I heard that you can create some kind of barrier. Do you mind showing me how it’s done?”

His relaxed expression disappeared in an instant. His jaw tightened slightly, and his eyes darkened—not with anger, but with something unreadable.

“Yes, I do mind,” he said flatly.

Tsunade blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Huh?”

“You heard me.” His voice was firm, his posture unyielding. Without another word, he walked toward the door and opened it, gesturing for her to leave.

Tsunade remained seated for a moment, still processing his sudden shift in demeanor.

“I wasn’t trying to interrogate you, you know,” she finally said, standing up.

Travis didn’t reply. He just watched her with an unreadable expression.

With a reluctant sigh, she stepped past him and out the door. Just as she opened her mouth to say something else, he closed the door in her face.

For a long moment, she simply stood there. Then, with a soft chuckle, she shook her head.

‘He’s more stubborn than I expected.’

Inside, Travis leaned against the door, staring at the ceiling.

‘ That will do. Honestly i could make a great actor,’ he thought. ‘Now that I think about it.’

TO BE CONTINUED