Chapter 36: I Didn't Expect You to Be Like This, Hyūga Hizashi!
Compared to Tanshō Street, Hinoko Town was much smaller in scale, with fewer outsiders due to the ongoing war.
Hizashi fabricated an identity for their group, posing as a wealthy merchant from the Land of Fire traveling with his family.
This mission was vastly different from their previous assassination. They didn't even have a confirmed target yet. Their first objective was investigation, screening potential suspects. This meant the mission would take significantly longer.
Hizashi rented a small courtyard for a month at the cost of 10,000 Ryō and took Yami and the others out to purchase supplies while familiarizing themselves with the town.
Over the next few days, everyone except Yami, who was too young to move freely went out early and returned late, working separately to identify suspicious individuals.
The intel had come from Konoha's spy in Kirigakure, indicating that reports were being sent from Wildfire Town every week. The earliest letter dated back three months ago.
Thus, Hizashi's primary focus was investigating people who had suddenly appeared in town during that timeframe, or locals whose behavior had recently changed.
Not all spies were strong ninjas with noticeable chakra levels, making this investigation especially difficult.
But after a few days, Yami and the others began noticing something off.
"I feel like something's not right with Sensei Hizashi..."
Sitting around the living room table, Kurenai propped her chin on one hand, murmuring thoughtfully.
"Every night when he comes back, he smells like alcohol."
"That's normal," Yugao replied calmly.
"The tavern is the best place for gathering information. It's expected that he'd drink while socializing."
"But he always comes back smiling, even when there's no progress," Kurenai argued.
"And that smile is very..."
She paused, struggling to find the right word.
Finally, Yami filled in the blank.
"Rippling."
"That's it!"
Kurenai clapped her hands and gave Yami a thumbs up.
"Not bad, Yami. Your vocabulary is pretty impressive."
Now even Yugao fell silent.
She also felt that Hizashi had been acting strange lately.
"Why overthink it?"
Yami rubbed his smooth chin.
"We'll know for sure if we follow him tomorrow."
"Following our sensei… isn't that a bit much?"
Kurenai hesitated.
"Besides, Yami, you're the best at stealth, so you should do it."
Yami shot her a disdainful look.
"You're just passing the job onto me."
But in the end, he agreed.
--
The next day, after Yugao, Kurenai, and Hizashi left as usual, Yami blended into the shadows.
He moved seamlessly between different figures in the town, finally merging with Hizashi's shadow.
During the day, Hizashi's actions were completely normal.
In the morning, he visited a local gathering spot where elderly men played shogi, smoothly integrating himself. While playing chess, he subtly extracted information from conversations.
In the afternoon, he hid and observed suspected targets.
But once night fell, Hizashi's demeanor changed completely.
Standing at the entrance of a shop with a flashing neon sign, Hizashi's face lit up with excitement.
He rubbed his hands together, grinning as he stepped inside.
A middle-aged woman, caked in heavy makeup, immediately greeted him with a warm smile.
She playfully scolded him as she walked alongside him.
"Mr. Hizashi, you're late today.
Ayame has been waiting for you~!"
"Something held me up," Hizashi replied smoothly, stuffing a few bills into her hands before eagerly entering a private room.
Yami: "..."
Alright, alright. I really didn't expect you to be this kind of person, Hyūga Hizashi.
The way he moved and the woman's familiarity made it painfully obvious.
In just a few days, he had already become a regular customer.
Meanwhile, I'm stuck practicing ninjutsu alone every night...
But you? You're off enjoying the nightlife?!
You even have two girls with you?! Playing drinking games?!
Inside the room, cheerful voices rang out.
"Hahaha! Meiko, you lost! Your turn to drink!"
"Hey, Ayame~ exchanging drinks is fun, but let's raise the stakes!"
If Yami had mastered Flying Thunder God, he would have teleported straight to Konoha, dragged Hyūga Hiashi over, and made him witness his little brother's shameful behavior firsthand.
Unfortunately, his spatial ninjutsu talent was still incomplete, so he had no way to teleport back.
Wait a Minute…
Just as Yami was contemplating how to expose Hizashi, something caught his eye.
He took a closer look at Ayame's face and immediately sensed that something was off.
In an instant, Yami leapt from the shadows, startling Hizashi, who was midway through a drinking game with two women.
"Yami?! WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"
[Bond with Hyūga Hizashi has reached the second stage. Reward received: Yang Attribute Chakra (Excellent).]
Good grief.
He was so shocked that he triggered a bond reward on the spot.
"Hizashi-Sensei, you're really something else."
Yami's smile was eerily cold.
Before Hizashi could react, Yami knocked out Meiko with a swift blow and tied up Ayame.
Hizashi was completely confused.
"Yami, what are you doing?!"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Yami crossed his arms and sneered.
"This girl is the Kirigakure spy we've been looking for."
"That's impossible!"
Hizashi's face paled in shock.
Yami scoffed.
"I overheard your conversation just now.
She's been probing your background, asking business-related questions to confirm if you were really a merchant."
A brief flicker of panic crossed Ayame's eyes.
Hizashi didn't notice it, but Yami did.
The alcohol-fueled haze in Hizashi's mind suddenly cleared.
"Is that all? But I already investigated her. Ayame has been in this town for half a year!"
"Sure. But there's one crucial flaw in your reasoning..."
Yami dramatically adjusted his non-existent glasses, then pointed at Ayame, who was still pretending to cry pitifully.
"Look at her.
A girl of this caliber would be top-tier even in the best custom houses in Konoha or Tanshō Street.
Are you telling me she'd willingly stay in a small, backwater town like this?"
Not a chance.
Yami had seen enough in his previous life to judge a place's quality based on its hostesses alone.
Hizashi's mouth fell open as realization hit him like a brick.
He slumped to the ground in defeat.
(To be continued.)
Chapter 37: Punishment, Sunagakure's Information
"Hizashi-Sensei, you wouldn't want the Hyūga clan leader to know about your glorious deeds, would you..."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong. Please don't tell him."
In the living room, Hizashi knelt in front of Yami in a full dogeza. Beside Yami sat Kurenai and Yugao, both wearing serious expressions, clearly ready to pass judgment on Hizashi.
They had already heard the whole story from Yami and were furious.
Although the capture of the spy had been an accident, it wasn't Hizashi's original intention at all. He'd simply fallen for a woman.
If Yami hadn't been smart enough, they would've wasted a lot more time before realizing the real mission.
"Hizashi-Sensei, this is a bit tricky," Yami said, shaking his head in apparent difficulty. "A verbal apology doesn't seem very sincere."
Hizashi understood the implication and quickly responded, "One meal—barbecue. Eat as much as you want."
Yami raised three fingers. "You wasted time for all three of us. So if you're going to compensate us, it should be three meals."
"Fuu..." Hizashi sucked in a breath.
Three meals... With the appetite Yami showed last time, he'd need to spend not only his entire mission pay but also the extra Ryō he'd earned on the side.
Not to mention what he already spent at the brothel these past few days... Damn it, does he have to fund the mission himself now?
"Does Hizashi-Sensei not agree?" Yami asked casually when he saw the man still hesitating. "Then there's no need to force it. I'll just have Grandpa pay a visit to the Hyūga clan leader when we get back."
"Please don't!"
Hizashi immediately bowed again. "It's all my fault. Three barbecue meals, no problem at all!"
"Great! Very enthusiastic!"
A smile lit up Yami's small face as he praised him. "Then I'll thank Hizashi-Sensei in advance."
"Of course, of course." Hizashi forced a smile and found an excuse. "I'll go monitor Ayame to keep her from running away."
With that, he fled the room in embarrassment.
"Pfft!"
Kurenai and Yugao, who had remained silent the whole time, looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Kurenai clapped her hands. "Yami, you're something else. You blackmailed Hizashi-Sensei for three barbecue meals again. This trip was a total loss for him. If we eat more, he might even go broke."
Yami grinned wickedly. "Then let's eat a little less for lunch one day so we can hit him hard at dinner."
"You're so evil."
Kurenai laughed until she nearly fell over. She understood exactly what Yami meant. If someone's too hungry, they can't eat much. But if they eat lightly at noon, they'll have a bigger appetite at night.
...
Since the spy Ayame was an ordinary civilian, strict supervision wasn't necessary. After Hizashi ensured she couldn't move, he told everyone to rest, taking on night watch duty himself.
However, Yami stood up and said he'd slept enough during the day and offered to take the night watch.
Hizashi didn't insist and handed over the responsibility to Yami.
In the dead of night, after confirming the others were asleep, Yami—seated by the door to Ayame room suddenly opened his eyes.
"Seiji, Ryo, come out."
At his soft call, Aburame Seiji and Yamanaka Ryo emerged from the shadows.
Since leaving Konoha, the two had been secretly following Yami, waiting for orders at any time or prepared to risk their lives to buy him time to escape if needed.
With the Root's concealment techniques, even Hizashi's Byakugan wouldn't detect them unless he actively searched.
"Master," Yamanaka Ryo whispered.
Yami closed his eyes again. "Get all the information and report back to my grandfather."
"Understood."
Yamanaka Ryo gently opened the wooden door without making a sound.
...
Konoha's Intelligence Analysis Division had always been managed by the Yamanaka clan. Their "analysis" involved using their clan's secret techniques to extract intel from the minds of spies or captives.
The strongest among them, Yamanaka Inoichi, could even retrieve information from corpses, provided they hadn't been dead too long.
Though Yamanaka Ryo wasn't on Inoichi's level, handling a civilian spy was simple.
Hizashi hadn't interrogated her because it wasn't his responsibility. If he learned classified information he wasn't authorized to know, it could cause problems.
So once he confirmed Ayame's identity and that there were no accomplices nearby, he simply locked her up without asking further.
But Yami didn't have such concerns.
It wasn't that he didn't plan to hand her over to Hiruzen, but he wanted to keep a backup for Root.
Half an hour later—
Yamanaka Ryo reappeared, holding a small booklet.
"Master, all the information is recorded here."
Yami took it and began flipping through.
Ayame's real name was Matsumoto Giku.
Yami was startled for a moment, but fortunately there was a character difference, so he didn't have to worry about getting stabbed by Shinsō.
Matsumoto Giku was a native of Kirigakure in the Land of Water. Although she had no talent to become a shinobi, her striking appearance led to her being recruited by the Mist's intelligence department.
Her role was similar to a transfer point. She wasn't responsible for any missions herself, only for receiving messages encoded in Kirigakure's cipher and forwarding them to her superiors—so she remained relatively safe.
She had been stationed in the Land of Fire for several years, moving frequently. About half a year ago, she was indeed sold by a merchant.
But the entire situation had been arranged by Kirigakure to allow her to more easily receive information from Sunagakure.
After Yami finished reading her background, he continued flipping through the intel. Much of it was outdated, so he skimmed those parts.
Most of what remained was Sunagakure-related and seemingly irrelevant to him.
Until he reached the last page—Yami's hand paused.
[The Sand Shinobi intend to reconcile with our village and offer concessions. Their prepared show of sincerity will appear in the Great Canyon of the Land of Water on the 15th of next month.]
A long-buried memory suddenly resurfaced.
Although most of this world's storyline focused on Konoha, there were still descriptions of other villages' shinobi and some of them had left strong impressions on Yami.
One of them was likely the very "sincerity" Sunagakure was referring to.
Scorch Release bloodline wielder—Pakura!
(To be continued.)
Chapter 38: Pakura, the Scorch Style Sacrifice
Pakura, the war hero of Sunagakure.
She made outstanding contributions to the village during the Third Great Ninja War. Her reputation within Sunagakure is second only to the Fourth Kazekage. She is also a formidable, Kage-level kunoichi.
Well, it's more accurate to say she's an elite jonin.
After all, her classification as Kage-level is purely based on the devastating destructive power of her Scorch Style. In other areas, Pakura is only on par with a standard elite jonin.
Even so, no matter which village she's in, she would be considered an invaluable asset, someone with the weight of a Kage.
There aren't many like her in the ninja world, but unfortunately, there are plenty of twisted thinkers.
Not only in Konoha—other villages are no different.
Sunagakure had been worn down completely by the prolonged war, and the daimyō was cutting spending by reducing the number of shinobi and missions.
To reconcile with Kirigakure and focus on the threat from Iwagakure, Pakura's life was the "sincerity" they offered.
Officially, she was sent on a confidential mission. In reality, she was sold out to Kirigakure and was killed, her back riddled with kunai and shuriken.
Such a pity for that perfect back... Ahem, no, such a waste of a powerful shinobi.
A thought surfaced in Yami's mind. Now that he knew the mission's time and location, could he intercept it?
It would be difficult, but there was room to maneuver. Root had more than enough resources to make it happen.
"Seiji, Ryo, can you tamper with Matsumoto Giku's memory?" Yami suddenly asked.
Yamanaka Ryo was briefly stunned, but quickly lowered his head and responded, "Yes. She's just a civilian, so it won't be hard."
"What about hiding it from Yamanaka Inoichi?" Yami glanced at him.
"This…" Yamanaka Ryo looked troubled. "Clan Head Inoichi is the strongest mind expert in the clan. His control over the brain is far beyond mine. It would be impossible to deceive him."
"Forget it." Yami waved his hand. "Just erase the memory about the reconciliation between Sunagakure and Kirigakure. It's fine if it gets discovered let her be handed over to the old man."
"As long as the memory isn't restored, it's fine."
With Danzō backing him, even if something was exposed, it wouldn't matter. It had nothing to do with him anyway.
"Yes." Yamanaka Ryo didn't ask any further and turned to enter the room to erase Matsumoto Kiku's memory.
...
The next day, Hizashi's team, having completed their mission, set out to return to Konoha.
Matsumoto Giku, in a dazed state, was being carried by Hizashi. She had no memory of what had happened the night before, and Hizashi and the others didn't notice anything unusual.
Three days later, the group returned to the village.
Seeing the fatigue on Yugao and Kurenai's faces, Hizashi showed concern and told them to head home and rest. He would handle the mission report alone.
After the three parted ways, Hizashi brought Matsumoto Giku to the Intelligence Interrogation Division, then headed to the Hokage's office to wait for the summons.
However, what Hizashi didn't know was that after the three had parted, they met up again not far away at Ichiraku Ramen.
After finishing three bowls of ramen in a row, Yami let out a satisfied sigh and said to Kurenai:
"Kurenai, before Hizashi-Sensei gets home, go to the Hyūga clan and tell the clan head all about his glorious actions."
Kurenai turned her head in surprise. "Didn't you promise Hizashi-Sensei not to tell the clan head about it?"
"Yes, I did say that.." Yami puffed up his chest righteously. "But I didn't say I would go. I asked you to go."
"Cough!!"
Yugao, who had been sipping tea, choked on it, looking at Yami in disbelief.
Aren't kids these days too sly?
Kurenai was the type who loved drama and chaos. She teased, "That's a big risk. Unless you call me 'Onee-san,' I won't help you with something so bad."
"Kurenai-Onee-san!" Yami immediately acted cute, making Kurenai burst into laughter.
"Let's go, if we wait any longer, Hizashi-Sensei might be back."
Kurenai left quickly after slapping the money on the table.
Yugao silently mourned for Hizashi for two seconds, but she didn't feel even a bit guilty.
She also believed Hizashi needed a little punishment. Even if he was already a hopeless middle-aged man, what if he led little Yami astray?
...
Elsewhere—
Hizashi, unaware of the trap being set for him, had been sitting outside the Hokage's office for about half an hour when a jonin from the Nara clan stepped out.
"Shikaya."
"Oh, Hizashi. Just got back from a mission?"
"Yes, I'm here to report to the Hokage."
"Haha, me too. Let's grab a drink sometime?"
"I've been leading a team recently, so I have some free time. I'll get in touch."
"Alright, see you around."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Nara Shikaya left. Shortly after, Hiruzen's voice came from inside the office.
This time, the other two elders weren't present. Only Hiruzen and a tall, white-haired man with vivid red face paint were in the room.
Hizashi bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama, Jiraiya-sama."
Jiraiya laughed heartily, walked over, and draped his arm around Hizashi's shoulders. "Hizashi, we've known each other for ages, no need for such formality."
Hizashi smiled as well. "I'm just genuinely happy to see Jiraiya-sama again."
Back during the wars in the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, Jiraiya had served as the frontline commander. They were quite familiar with each other from that time.
"Let's catch up later, after we finish business,"
Hiruzen said calmly, pipe in his mouth, exhaling a slow ring of smoke. "Tell me the details of this mission. How did the children perform?"
As soon as Yami's group returned to the village, the Anbu had already informed Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Jiraiya had been specially summoned to listen as well.
"Well, it went like this..." Hizashi began his report—
(To be continued.)
Chapter 39: Senju Clan Bloodline?
Hizashi's mind was as clear as a mirror. He understood very well that although Hiruzen asked about the "children's" performance, his real focus was only on one person.
So, Hizashi recounted the entire mission outside the village almost entirely from Shimura Yami's perspective.
Hiruzen listened intently without interrupting any part of Hizashi's account.
It wasn't until Hizashi spoke about Yami's actions during the assassination mission that Hiruzen finally spoke.
"What does that old man Danzō usually teach? A seven-year-old child thinking about killing everyone to silence them at any moment, how can he have such intense killing intent?"
Jiraiya said flatly, "If it's Danzō-related, even the most absurd things become normal, don't they?"
Hizashi lowered his head and didn't dare to speak. Their words went in one ear and out the other.
The two big names could casually speak about Danzō, but he, as a minor branch member of the Hyūga clan, neither had the qualifications nor the courage to comment.
"Hizashi, go on."
Yami's strategic judgment somewhat eased Hiruzen's worries. It showed the boy could still be guided, so he wasn't overly concerned.
Hizashi continued his report.
He had originally considered hiding some parts, but fearing it might come to light later, he chose to reveal his dark history and the full story of how Yami identified the spy.
At that moment, both Hiruzen and Jiraiya were at a loss for how to react.
No way… he really did that?
He used that method to identify a spy?
Jiraiya prided himself on his familiarity with women, having been in a sea of flowers and touched every petal, yet he had never thought to associate a location's environment with the quality of women.
Those words had opened a new door for him.
Truly—
Wonderful!
After a long silence, the awkward atmosphere was finally broken.
Hiruzen frowned and spoke in a serious tone. "Hizashi… you're an experienced jonin. How could you make such a rookie mistake? I won't punish you this time, but don't let there be a next."
"Yes, I'll be more careful," Hizashi replied, forehead damp with sweat.
"Hahaha, old man, don't be so uptight." Jiraiya laughed heartily and patted Hizashi on the shoulder comfortingly, adding with a wink, "Don't take it too seriously, Hizashi. You just made the kind of mistake any man could make."
"If beauty is your weakness, then let's face it head-on tonight. We can't have such vulnerabilities during missions."
Hearing this, Hizashi was actually moved.
What Jiraiya said… made sense!
A real man should confront his weaknesses. Once he becomes fully desensitized to beauty, wouldn't he become invincible?
"Nonsense!" Hiruzen scolded Jiraiya. "If you lead Hizashi astray, don't come to me when he hunts you down for answers."
After that, his expression softened a bit, and he said to Hizashi, "You may leave. I'll keep an eye on Yami's psychological condition so that he doesn't go astray."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Hizashi turned and left the Hokage's office with a sigh of relief, closing the door carefully behind him.
As he closed it, he caught sight of Jiraiya winking at him repeatedly.
With the tacit understanding shared by men, Hizashi immediately grasped the message and nodded solemnly.
Red-light district. 10 o'clock tonight.
...
Inside the office, Hiruzen was still puffing on his pipe. He didn't speak right away, only finishing the last bit of tobacco before asking, "Jiraiya, what do you think?"
"What do you mean, 'what do I think'?" Jiraiya tried to feign ignorance, but Hiruzen had brought him here specifically for his insight into people—there was no way he'd let him dodge it.
"Don't play dumb. If you won't give me your opinion, I'll assign Shinnosuke to follow you around every day. Forget about going near the red-light district."
"You're too cruel, old man."
Jiraiya's face collapsed instantly, and he slumped onto the sofa.
Hiruzen let out a long sigh and said earnestly, "Jiraiya, I don't want to see anyone walk the same path as Danzō… or Orochimaru."
At the mention of his old friend, Jiraiya fell silent. His usual carefree attitude vanished, replaced by seriousness.
"Old man, I haven't seen that kid myself yet, so I can't make a judgment. That wouldn't be fair, to him or to the village."
He stroked the armrest of the sofa and spoke in a low voice, "But judging from what Hizashi reported, that kid's talent is undeniable. He surpasses Kakashi, and even Minato wasn't this impressive at his age."
Mentioning his former disciple caused a shadow to fall over Jiraiya's heart again. Forcing a smile, he asked, "But is there something wrong with Hizashi's Byakugan? How could Yami have more chakra than him?"
Hiruzen shook his head slightly. "Shimura Arashi is nothing special, but his wife, Shimura Saki, once had another name—Senju Saki."
"Senju clan?"
Jiraiya was surprised. Since he didn't get along well with Danzō, he knew little about the Shimura family and wasn't aware of this.
"You mean… he awakened the Senju bloodline?"
"That's the only explanation." Sarutobi Hiruzen refilled his pipe and lit it again.
"I suspected it ever since his duel with Uchiha Itachi. His remarkable chakra control and nature transformation are characteristics of the Senju clan. After hearing Hizashi's report, I'm almost certain…"
"Shimura Yami has awakened the Senju bloodline and it's not a thin one."
Another moment of silence.
Then Jiraiya slowly stood up and suddenly laughed.
"Hahaha! So that's why you've been so concerned, old man."
"But it's not that big a deal. The Senju bloodline isn't the same as Wood Release. Let me go meet the kid myself and see what kind of person he is."
As he said that, he had already stepped onto the windowsill of the office.
"If possible, I hope you'll consider taking him as your student," Hiruzen said seriously. "There are very few in Konoha who can oppose Danzō's darkness. You're the best choice."
"I have no plans to take on a disciple for now."
Jiraiya had already leapt out the window, and his voice drifted in with the breeze.
(To be continued.)
Chapter 40: Do You Want To Be Listed As a Missing-nin?
The next day, Yami and the other two gathered under the Hokage building as usual, but instead of Hizashi, they were greeted by a messenger sent on his behalf.
Apparently, Hizashi had returned home too late the previous night, tripped over a stone, and broke his leg. As a result, his team was given a seven-day break, and the members were free to act as they pleased.
They could either take missions or train on their own.
After delivering the message, the Hyūga clan shinobi departed, leaving the three of them staring at each other in disbelief.
Tripped over a stone?
Only an idiot would believe that.
"Looks like the Hyūga clan head was pretty ruthless last night," Yami sighed, sounding like a little adult, which made the two girls laugh.
"So, what do we do now?" Kurenai asked. "Take a mission?"
Yami shook his head. "Low-level missions are boring, and advanced missions require the signature of the lead jōnin. Let's skip missions while Hizashi-sensei is resting."
"Of course, if either of you are short on money, go ahead."
Yami didn't take missions to slave away—he was after titles. If there was an opportunity to slack off, he'd gladly take it.
"Please, I'm a little rich lady," Kurenai snorted proudly, while Yugao smiled quietly, also clearly not strapped for cash.
Anyone with a surname in this chaotic world of shinobi likely came from a family with some wealth.
"Let's get breakfast first," Kurenai said, rubbing her stomach. "I was counting on Hizashi-sensei to treat us to a big meal today, but looks like that's not happening. Come on, my treat—let's get some dango."
Since someone was treating, neither Yami nor Yugao had any objections.
The three of them arrived at the dango shop, which happened to be owned by one of Yami's classmates' families.
Since it was morning, there weren't many customers. Only one woman sat at the counter, wolfing down more than ten skewers of dango.
Seeing the familiar figure, Kurenai blinked in surprise, then called out cheerfully, "Anko?"
Mitarashi Anko turned around instinctively when she heard her name and grinned. "Kurenai? You came for dango too? And this is... Uzuki Yugao?"
"Anko-senpai." Yugao greeted her politely.
Kurenai and Anko had been two grades above Yugao in the Academy, so they had met before.
As the three of them sat down next to Anko, she noticed Yami following behind and joked,
"What's this? Babysitting duty?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Yami's our teammate," Kurenai said, rolling her eyes. "Did you just come back from outside? Don't you know about the genius who's surpassed the Uchiha?"
Anko blinked and replied casually, "I just got out from the interrogation department. I couldn't get any intel from inside the village. It's normal that I haven't heard anything, right?"
Kurenai fell silent.
She knew the reason Anko was under investigation: simply because she was Orochimaru's student.
After Orochimaru defected, all his former subordinates were implicated, especially Anko, his only living disciple.
"Will it be okay from now on?" Kurenai asked softly.
"Who knows." Anko smiled indifferently and stuffed three dango into her mouth at once. Her cheeks bulged like a squirrel's as she mumbled, "Anyway, I can't take any missions for the next six months. I'm stuck doing clerical work."
"That's not so bad," Kurenai said, trying to comfort her. "At least you weren't locked up. The Third Hokage wouldn't wrongly accuse you."
"Forget about it."
Anko shook her head, then turned to Yami with interest. "You said this kid is a genius beyond the Uchiha... What's the story?"
Kurenai explained everything to her, including the story of how both she and Yugao had lost to Yami in the squad evaluation.
Anko listened intently, surprised, then turned to Yami with a curious look.
"Brat, you're pretty good. Want to spar with me sometime?"
Yami, who was munching on dango, rolled his eyes, put down the skewer, and summoned the Kusanagi Sword from his storage scroll, slamming it onto the table.
"If you call me a brat again, I'll have you exiled and list you as a missing-nin."
Anko's grin froze. "The Kusanagi Sword? Why do you have the Kusanagi Sword?"
"Obviously, your master Orochimaru gave it to me," Yami said without even looking up. "Jealous? He didn't even take you with him when he defected. Looks like you didn't mean much to him as a disciple."
"What did you just say?!"
Anko shot up in fury, startling the shop owner in the back.
[Host has formed a hostile bond with Mitarashi Anko. Reward: Fire Attribute Chakra (Excellent)]
Kurenai quickly held her back. "Anko, Yami's just a child. Don't take him seriously… kids say whatever, and his face is innocent too."
"If Advisor Danzō finds out you bullied his grandson, you might be back in the interrogation department before nightfall."
Danzō's name still carried weight. Whether among outsiders or villagers, the sentiment toward him was the same—stay the hell away.
Anko took a deep breath and calmed down. There was no point in bickering with a spoiled brat.
She glared fiercely at Yami and stuck her tongue out dramatically just to scare him.
It was so childish she might as well have been a kid herself.
"Kurenai, forget this little... little guy. Let's go drink tonight…"
"..."
The group dispersed quickly. Kurenai was dragged off by Anko to go shopping, and Yugao returned home to practice swordsmanship.
Yami was on his way home when he called Aburame Seiji to his side.
"Go tell the dango shop owner that from now on, all of Mitarashi Anko's dango are on the house."
"She can eat as much as she wants."
"No matter what coupon, discount, or lottery excuse she uses, as long as she leaves satisfied, I'll assign a jōnin as a tutor to her chubby little son."
There were only so many jōnin in Konoha. Most civilian shinobi had to settle for chūnin instructors after graduation.
Though Aburame Seiji didn't understand Yami's intention, he knew better than to ask. He quietly disappeared into the crowd to carry out the order.
Yami sneered.
Anko, huh? You dare to call me a brat? I'll fatten you up decades early!
(To be continued.)
...
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