Chapter 41: Goodbye, Itachi

"Yami, you're back!"

After school, Izumi spotted a familiar figure standing at the school gate. Her eyes lit up, and she rushed over to him like a butterfly, even using Chakra to speed up.

Seeing the bright smile on the straight-haired black-haired girl's face, Yami opened his arms and hugged the approaching Izumi. As usual, he rested his hands on her soft hair and gently stroked it.

His mood lifted as well.

"Yeah. Our squad's Jōnin instructor got severely punished by his brother, so he won't be leading us on missions for a while."

"Huh? He's already a Jōnin, and he's still getting scolded by his brother?"

"He had it coming. Who told him to go out and have fun without me? So I ratted him out."

"Wow, that's a bad uncle."

Izumi nodded, not fully understanding, but she quickly let it go. Holding Yami's hand, she walked home with him, chatting about the little things that had happened at school over the past few days.

Without Uchiha Itachi and Yami around, Izumi's talent stood out and was quickly noticed by the teachers.

If it had been any other Uchiha who stood out like this, they would've already been targeted by Danzō and Hiruzen. But since Yami had specifically instructed to protect her, Danzō couldn't make a move, and Hiruzen only kept a close eye on her without taking further action.

So, there was no need to worry about Izumi's safety.

After eating dinner at Izumi's house and helping her train her Fire Release for a bit, Yami said goodbye.

However, he didn't leave the Uchiha clan compound. Instead, he walked toward the forest behind it.

He had heard from Izumi that after losing to him, Itachi had become even more focused on training. Other than going on missions, he spent the rest of his time training in the forest behind the clan.

Sometimes, Izumi would go there to train too, and the two would occasionally run into each other. But besides exchanging nods, there wasn't much interaction.

One was the clan head's son. The other, a peripheral figure within the Uchiha. Their only real meeting during the Nine Tails' night had been interrupted by Yami. Izumi and Itachi were only classmates who happened to be acquainted.

Upon entering the woods, Yami realized a weakness of his own.

Without strong sensory ninjutsu, finding someone was extremely troublesome.

Originally, he had hoped to acquire the Byakugan bloodline from Hizashi. But the rewards from the two stages so far had all been body-related. It looked like he'd have to grind further to get the Byakugan he wanted.

It seemed he would need to find a sensory-type ninjutsu that suited him.

Yami darted through the forest while thinking about his future training plan.

Suddenly, a ball of fire lit up deep in the forest. The sky was already dark, so it stood out clearly.

Without hesitation, Yami rushed toward the light.

He didn't bother hiding his presence. Uchiha Itachi, who was training, noticed the movement as he approached. He raised his kunai warily and looked in the direction of the sound.

"An old classmate pointing a kunai at me right after we meet? What, want to spar again, Itachi?"

Yami's voice rang out, and in the next moment, he was already standing in front of him.

"Yami."

Itachi responded flatly, but he didn't lower his kunai. "Hardly anyone comes here. I thought it was a beast, or maybe a spy from another village sneaking in, so I acted on instinct."

"Forget the sparring. If we meet in the Chūnin Exams, we can have another match then."

Although he had made considerable progress under the guidance of Shisui and Fugaku lately, Itachi knew there was still a gap between him and Yami. At the very least… he would only be truly qualified to fight him once his Sharingan evolved again.

"I'm always available." Yami shrugged nonchalantly.

If Itachi had awakened the Mangekyō already, he might've been a threat. But if it was just the regular Sharingan, whether one tomoe or three, it made no difference to him.

"I came here specifically to see you today."

"To see me?" Itachi looked puzzled.

Yami smiled. "I noticed Shisui-senpai wasn't home. It's been a while since I last asked him for advice, and I'm getting a bit itchy. So, pass the word to him—I'll be home all day tomorrow. He can come by anytime."

Itachi gave a slight nod. "I'll let him know. Anything else, Yami?"

"Nope. Keep training. Try to last longer next time."

With a wave of his hand, Yami activated Body Flicker Technique and vanished in front of Itachi.

Itachi stared silently in the direction Yami had left, then turned back to his Fire Release training.

But this time, a small flame seemed to ignite in his eyes, and the temperature of his Fire Release grew even more intense.

Last longer… Hmph. Underestimating the Uchiha will come at a price!

Back at home, Yami began rummaging through boxes and cabinets. He gathered all the ninjutsu scrolls in the villa and spread them across the floor.

Then, he began flipping through them one by one.

"I already learned Multiple Shadow Clone… Water Barrier… got that too. Vacuum Sphere… I'll keep that around for now. Why are these all elemental ninjutsu?"

As he flipped through the scrolls, Yami frowned. There wasn't a single sensory-type ninjutsu at home, just various elemental jutsu and the swordsmanship scroll that Danzō had given him.

"Looks like I'll have to go borrow the Book of Sealing from the old man."

Setting down the final scroll of Earth Release, Yami gave up.

He remembered that Namikaze Minato had mastered a technique that allowed him to sense enemies by touching the ground with his fingers. It was likely recorded in the Book of Sealing.

But when Yami opened his [Status Panel] and checked his current stats, he still wasn't sure if he had any sensory talent.

That said, he felt it was unlikely that sensory ninjutsu required a specific talent. Otherwise, after grinding for over a year, he wouldn't still be missing even the most basic one.

"Forget it for now. Time to sleep."

After putting all the scrolls back into the bookshelf, Yami took a bath and returned to his bedroom to rest.

The next day, around ten in the morning, Uchiha Shisui arrived at Yami's house with a sword strapped to his back.

"Shisui-senpai."

"Yami, long time no see." Shisui smiled warmly.

Yami nodded. "Yeah, it's been a while. I've reserved the training ground, I wanted to learn from you and see how much I've improved lately."

Last night, when he returned home, Shisui had seen the note left by Itachi and wasn't surprised.

The two of them left the Shimura compound and headed toward the training ground.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 42: A Small Victory, Yami's Request

Although he had another reason for seeking out Shisui this time, Yami genuinely wanted to exercise his body.

So he took the sparring seriously.

Of course, his level of seriousness remained within the limits of what Shisui could perceive.

In this world, no one knew that he had already awakened five basic chakra natures along with the special attributes of Yin and Yang.

As far as the outside world was concerned, Yami only had Fire and Wind attributes, along with excellent swordsmanship.

That alone was enough to support his reputation as a genius.

--

[Status Panel]

[Name: Shimura Yami]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 7 and a half years old]

[Date of Birth: April 1, Year 46 (Konoha Calendar)]

[Chakra Attributes: Fire, Wind (Limit Break), Earth, Water, Thunder, Yin, Yang (Ultimate)]

[Total Chakra: 9.3 Cards (1 Card 5 Standard Jōnin Chakra)]

[Chakra Control Talent: Ultimate]

[Mastered Ninjutsu: Basic Three Techniques, numerous C-rank elemental jutsu, and a few B-rank elemental jutsu]

[Nature Transformation: Wind Release (Limit Break), Fire Release (Mastery), Earth Release (Proficient), Water Release (Proficient)]

[Special Talents: Father's Expectations, Mother's Love, Senju Bloodline (Ordinary, Developing), Stealth Mastery, Swordsmanship Genius, Ninja World Darkness, Mother-in-Law's Expectation, Space Ninjutsu Talent (2/3), Uchiha Bloodline (Rich)]

[Evaluation: Your age and physical development limit your current potential. Be patient and gradually turn talent into strength.]

--

The second stage of the Mother's Love bond reward had made Yami's talent panel exceedingly luxurious, but his strength had not significantly improved during this period.

As the system noted, even the greatest talent takes time to mature, and requires corresponding physical development to support it.

The gap between an ordinary shinobi and a Kage can't be bridged overnight.

...

Training Ground No. 18

In the open field, Yami and Shisui were locked in fierce combat. Under the effect of Body Flicker Technique, it looked as if the two of them were using Multiple Shadow Clones.

But in reality, they weren't. What appeared to be clones were merely afterimages left behind by Body Flicker.

Each afterimage had no mass or substance but every flicker was the real body.

At this point, Shisui had fully unleashed the power of his three-tomoe Sharingan. With his dynamic vision, even if his swordsmanship couldn't match Yami's, his reaction speed and sight were extraordinary.

Meanwhile, Yami kept his head slightly lowered, avoiding direct eye contact to prevent getting caught in genjutsu.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Shisui suddenly switched tactics, spewing a massive fireball from his mouth. Yami turned his blade, coating the Kusanagi sword with wind chakra and slashing forward.

The powerful sword energy split the fireball in two, but Shisui had already vanished behind its cover.

In the next moment, Yami abruptly swung his sword backward, colliding with Shisui's short sword.

All while keeping his head lowered.

But the next second, he cursed silently, "Crap!"

The gleaming blade of the Kusanagi had reflected Shisui's gaze, eyes filled with a subtle smile.

In that instant, Yami felt as though countless monsters lunged at him, baring their fangs and claws.

Just when Shisui thought the battle was over, Yami—who should have been caught in the genjutsu suddenly moved and kicked him away.

Shisui tumbled through the air several times before crashing to the ground more than ten meters away. He stood up in a bit of a mess, staring at Yami in disbelief.

"You weren't caught in the illusion?"

Yami sheathed his sword and replied modestly, "Almost. I was right on the edge of getting trapped."

"You acted that well, huh?" Shisui gave a bitter smile and slung his short sword back over his shoulder.

The fight had indeed ended but he was not the winner.

That kick Yami landed had been held back. If Yami had attacked with full strength in that moment of vulnerability, or even swung his sword instead of kicking, he might have been seriously injured—or worse.

"Your chakra's growing at an incredible rate," Shisui remarked as he took out two bamboo water tubes, tossing one to Yami and taking a sip from his own.

The essence of genjutsu is disrupting chakra flow. Shisui had misjudged the total amount of Yami's chakra, so the illusion failed.

But a loss was still a loss. Shisui didn't make excuses, only felt genuinely happy about Yami's progress.

After all, he was half his disciple too.

Yami took a sip of water and said calmly, "Everyone's good at something. I just happen to have more chakra."

"More?" Shisui looked at him strangely.

Yami's chakra was far more terrifying than his own, and that was even with the enhancement of his three-tomoe Sharingan. If this was "just a little," how could ordinary shinobi even survive?

Still, Shisui didn't press the matter. Tilting his head slightly, he asked, "You didn't call me out today just for sparring, did you?"

"There is something else." Yami nodded calmly. "But this isn't the right place to talk about it. Let's move somewhere more private."

Hearing that, Shisui was even more curious.

He leapt down from the stone and put away the bamboo tube.

"Follow me. There's a spot I often use for training. Not many people go there."

...

Fifteen minutes later, the two arrived deep in the forest on Konoha's eastern side. A cliff loomed ahead, with a waterfall roaring down below.

"How's this?" Shisui asked.

"It'll do."

Yami picked up a stone and tossed it back and forth in his hand. "Shisui-senpai, what's your opinion on Root?"

Shisui was taken aback. He hadn't expected Yami to ask something like that.

After thinking it over for a moment, he replied honestly, "Everyone works hard to protect Konoha, each following their own sense of justice. The methods may differ."

"Root may dwell in darkness and employ extreme methods, but I know there are missions only Root can complete. They do it for Konoha's safety."

"Exactly. Everyone acts for Konoha. You see things clearly, unlike some who hold deep prejudice against Root."

Yami looked up slowly, still playing with the stone in his hand. "There's a difficult mission right now. After searching the whole village, I found you to be the most suitable person for the job, Shisui-senpai."

"For the sake of the village, would you be willing to carry it out and promise not to inform the Third Hokage?"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 43: You Don't Want Itachi to Die Young, Do You?

At the top of the cliff, Yami and Shisui stood side by side.

From here, the entire view of Konoha stretched out before them—the faces of the Four Hokage carved into the mountain, and the domed Hokage building in the center of the village stood out prominently.

After Yami stated his purpose, Shisui fell silent.

Yami wasn't in a hurry. He simply admired the scenery. People moved about the crisscrossing roads below, so small and insignificant, like ants.

As the wind blew fiercely and the sound of the waterfall crashing against the rocks echoed beneath their feet, Shisui slowly drifted into deep thought.

Concealing this… is a kind of betrayal.

Was this a demand to take sides?

No. That wasn't possible.

Shisui immediately rejected the notion that had just crossed his mind.

Despite being called a genius, he was, in the end, still a mere Chūnin.

He had little real influence. At most, people praised his potential. In the eyes of Danzō and the Hokage, he was just a minor figure.

This had to be a highly confidential Root mission, so secretive that even the Hokage wasn't informed.

Things like this had happened before. With Root's authority, the Hokage didn't interfere in many of its actions.

"Yami-kun."

Shisui gathered his thoughts, turned slightly, and looked down at Yami beside him.

"Did Lord Danzō ask you to deliver this message?"

"No, this is my personal request."

Yami answered without hesitation, meeting Shisui's gaze openly.

"I see..." Shisui didn't believe it, but it only made him more certain of his assumption.

Smart people think independently. They don't blindly trust others, they form their own judgments.

But that's also their weakness.

They place too much trust in their own reasoning, and as a result, they lack trust in others.

To Shisui, Yami's words and behavior felt natural, as if he had been trained to say them. Which, in turn, made them feel unnatural.

So—

This must all be a message from Danzō.

Seeing Shisui's expression, a faint smile flickered in Yami's eyes.

Everything was progressing as expected.

His age, the identity of a child, the gravity that came with being a Root member, and the recognition he had already earned, these made Shisui think exactly as he wanted him to.

"Can I ask what the mission is, specifically?"

"No." Yami shook his head.

"Only if you accept it and promise not to inform the Third Hokage—will I tell you. But if you do tell him..."

A leaf blew over from the distance. Yami caught it and slowly tore it in half.

"Shisui, you've taught me before, so I won't do anything to you... but Itachi is different."

"You don't want Itachi to die young, do you?"

Shisui's eyes instantly sharpened.

[Host and Uchiha Shisui have reached the second stage of the Fear Bond. Reward: Talent 'Illusion Expertise']

Itachi held an irreplaceable place in Shisui's heart. He treated him like a younger brother and Itachi looked up to him the same way.

Yami—no, Danzō—was using Itachi to threaten him.

Shisui's once-gentle aura suddenly turned cold. The howling wind faded, and the world fell silent.

But Yami remained calm, still slowly tearing the leaf.

In terms of actual combat strength, he was no weaker than Shisui.

Yami was certain that Shisui hadn't awakened his Mangekyō yet.

There were still about four years left before his death. Only after obtaining Kotoamatsukami would Shisui develop the belief and confidence to resolve the village–Uchiha conflict.

Right now, he wasn't capable of that.

If he made a move now, he'd only die sooner.

Seeing that Yami remained unfazed, Shisui knew there was nothing he could do.

"Yami-kun… don't you think this is too despicable?"

Shisui said helplessly, "You're using Itachi to threaten me. He's a villager too, your comrade."

Yami remained unmoved. "Everything is for the greater good. Even villagers can be sacrificed."

"Everything is for the greater good..."

Shisui was stunned, carefully turning Yami's words over in his mind.

The more he thought about it, the more profound it sounded.

Could Danzō really have come up with something so philosophical?

Shisui couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. The image of Danzō in his heart instantly grew taller and his attitude softened as well.

This mission must be extremely important and confidential. Otherwise, it wouldn't be hidden from the Hokage.

As long as the Hokage doesn't ask, there's no problem with not reporting it, right?

Convincing himself, Shisui nodded and said seriously, "As long as it doesn't harm the village's interests, I'll accept the mission and keep it secret."

A smile appeared on Yami's young face. "A wise decision, Shisui-senpai."

"This mission won't harm the village. On the contrary, it will strengthen it."

Shisui finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Tell me the details, then."

"Shisui-senpai, do you know about Scorch Release user Pakura?" Yami asked.

Shisui nodded. "Of course. She's a hero of Sunagakure who possesses the Scorch Release kekkei genkai. I've never fought her, but her reputation is well-known."

At this, he looked at Yami a bit nervously. "Don't tell me… you want me to assassinate her?"

Facing a seasoned ninja like her, even with his Body Flicker Technique, Shisui felt uncertain.

"Of course not."

Yami shook his head. "On the contrary, someone else wants to kill her. I want you to save her."

"What?!" Shisui stared at him in disbelief. His Sharingan almost activated from the shock.

"Not long ago, Root received intel that Sunagakure plans to abandon Pakura in order to reconcile with Kirigakure. They intend to use her life to appease Kirigakure's anger."

"Next month—no, actually, it's the 15th of this month. She'll be heading to the Land of Water on a mission. Kirigakure has already received the intel and will ambush her in a canyon, killing her with arrows."

After explaining everything, Yami said seriously, "Being betrayed by her own village, Pakura will definitely be filled with resentment. Even if we can't persuade her to submit, Root can still make use of her."

"Shisui-senpai, your Body Flicker Technique and genjutsu are the strongest in the village. Most importantly, you're loyal to Konoha. That makes you the most suitable person for this mission."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 44: This Is How You Threaten Someone

Collusion, The Third Hokage's Tolerance of Danzō

Shisui had no choice but to accept the mission, but he was no longer as resistant as he had been at the beginning.

What Shimura said made sense. The value of a Kage-level shinobi was immeasurable.

Especially since she possessed Scorch Style, whether alive or dead, Pakura was of great significance to Konoha.

The only difficulty lay in rescuing her from the ambush set by the Mist Shinobi and the Sand Shinobi, without being discovered by either nation.

Shisui asked for more details, and Yami didn't hide anything, telling him everything he'd gathered from Matsumoto and his own analysis.

After listening, Shisui felt more confident and said decisively,

"I'll go to the Police Department to request leave now. I'll head out tomorrow."

Although there were still more than ten days left, Shisui needed time for thorough preparation. He couldn't afford to waste a single moment.

"Good luck on your mission, Shisui-senpai."

As he watched Shisui's figure weaving through the woods, Yami waved, his voice precisely carried to Shisui's ears.

"I'll be waiting for you with Itachi.."

Shisui landed on a large tree, only to lose his balance and crash through its thick trunk.

That kid's got a mean streak.

...

After leaving the cliffside, Yami thought it over and decided to inform the old man.

After all, once Pakura was brought back, she would be placed under Root's control. It wasn't something he could keep from him.

On Konoha's territory, the old man had more spies than Hiruzen.

When Yami arrived at Root's base, Danzō was, as usual, randomly choosing some poor souls in his office to manipulate.

Yami got straight to the point, explaining his plan and arrangements.

Danzō frowned but didn't interrupt until Yami finished speaking.

After a moment of contemplation, he stood up, pacing slowly as he spoke:

"Yami, you're still too idealistic."

"As shinobi, we are tools. Even if the higher-ups use us in exchange for benefits, someone like Pakura may be dissatisfied, but she must learn to understand."

Yami didn't refute, only nodded.

Not because he agreed, but because in this twisted world, that's how most people thought.

Take Shisui, for example. After Danzō gouged out his eyes, his first reaction wasn't revenge, he simply thought Danzō didn't trust him enough, and he tried to understand him.

Or Itachi—after Danzō killed his dear brother, he still acted as a spy for both Hiruzen and Danzō within the Uchiha clan, feeding them information, and ultimately wiped out his own clan for the sake of the village.

All this just proved that, after generations of brainwashing, many people's thoughts and behavior were no longer understandable to Yami.

But Pakura was different.

In her impure state, she clearly expressed hatred toward Sunagakure, though in the original plot, she was eventually persuaded to return to the Pure Land.

As long as she could be brought back and subjected to over a decade of brainwashing, there'd be nothing to worry about by then.

"Old man, don't be so absolute," Yami said with a smile. "She's a Kage-level shinobi, she's worth a try."

"If it doesn't work, we can just kill her. We won't lose anything."

"That's true." Danzō smiled. "So I'm not objecting."

"Let Uchiha Shisui give it a try. Whether it succeeds or not doesn't concern us."

"But..." Danzō's eyes gleamed coldly. "Your methods of threatening people are too soft. What's an Uchiha Itachi? Next time, if you want him to do something, use the entire Uchiha clan to pressure him."

"For example... Shisui. You don't want your clan assigned to high-mortality missions in the future, do you?"

"Understand?"

Yami: "..."

He had thought he was shameless enough, but it turned out he was still a novice in front of a master.

What else could he say?

--

Elsewhere, the Interrogation Division had finished gathering all the intel from Matsumoto Giku.

Holding the report in hand, Yamanaka Inoichi frowned deeply, as if grappling with a serious dilemma.

As the sun began to set and the warm red glow filled the room, he finally gritted his teeth, took the report, and headed for the Hokage Building to meet with Hiruzen.

"Third Hokage, the spy captured by Hizashi's team has been interrogated."

"Any important intel?" Hiruzen asked, still puffing on his pipe.

"This is the compiled report. Please take a look." Inoichi respectfully placed the information on the desk and stepped back.

Hiruzen quickly skimmed through it, marking several key points in red.

Seeing that Inoichi wasn't leaving, he asked in confusion,

"Inoichi, is there something else?"

"Hokage-sama..." Inoichi lowered his voice, "I found... someone tampered with part of the spy's memories. The method is very familiar, it resembles the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques."

Hiruzen paused and slowly set down his pipe.

"Can it be restored?"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't manage it," Inoichi replied helplessly.

"I see." Hiruzen didn't blame him, instead gently encouraged him:

"You've worked hard recently. Go home early today and spend time with your family."

"Protecting the village is important, but so is the bond with family."

Inoichi was deeply moved. He bowed again before leaving the office.

Once he left, the smile vanished from Hiruzen's face.

"Danzō..."

How could he not understand Inoichi's implication? The only ones capable of this, and with the nerve to do so, were people from Danzō's Root.

Still, Hiruzen wasn't worried about Danzō's intentions. The two had worked together and clashed for years, their political views dividing and merging again and again. Hiruzen was confident that Danzō would never betray the village.

Even if at times Danzō acted more like a pig teammate than a comrade and often caused more damage than a traitor might, at the end of the day, his intentions were rooted in loyalty.

So after noting the information, Hiruzen didn't give it much more attention and moved on to other matters.

The next document to catch his eye was news regarding the Uchiha clan.

[Uchiha Shisui was accidentally injured while training ninjutsu and requires half a month of rest. Leave has been reported to the Police Department.]

(To be continued.)

Chapter 45: Yugao's Request (BONUS)

Shimura clan compound, Yami's residence.

Yami sat cross-legged on the tatami, unrolling a scroll nearly as tall as he was.

It was a replica of the Scroll of Seals that countless shinobi dreamed of seeing with their own eyes… Danzō had tossed it to him after hearing Yami wanted to learn sensory ninjutsu.

It really paid to have connections. For ordinary shinobi to even qualify to learn a Forbidden Jutsu from the scroll, not only did their background have to be spotless, they also had to make major contributions to Konoha. As a reward, Hiruzen would let them select one jutsu to learn.

But for Yami, he could study as much as he wanted without restriction.

That said, Danzō had warned him: certain techniques marked as extremely dangerous required permission to learn, while others did not.

Well… the Scroll of Seals also contained regular ninjutsu.

It was likely that Senju Tobirama had created a jutsu, and Senju Hashirama, without even looking at it, ordered it sealed.

After Hashirama died, Tobirama seemed to develop a habit of sealing everything he made.

Water Style: Severing Wave (modified), Water Dragon Bullet (three-hand seal version), Water Dragon Bullet, Hard Vortex Water Blade, Water Riding Strike...

Looking at the long list of Water Release techniques, Yami was dazzled.

But he didn't forget his main purpose. Ignoring the techniques that would drive any Water Release user crazy, he focused on locating sensory-type jutsu.

Eventually, he found it at the very end of the scroll.

Spirit Wave Illusion Touch Super Sensory Tracking Ultimate Detection Shadow Style (crossed out) - Mind's Eye of the Kagura (Universal Version).

Yami's mouth twitched.

That naming style… it had to be Namikaze Minato.

The simplified name afterward was probably Kushina's doing.

By connecting the fingers to the ground and scattering a large number of chakra threads, it allowed the user to sense life energy within a certain range.

Compared to the original Mind's Eye of the Kagura, the range and precision were significantly weakened, but it was still a powerful sensory ninjutsu.

Most importantly, it didn't require the Uzumaki bloodline. As long as chakra control was accurate enough, it could be mastered making it very suitable for Yami.

After copying down the training method for Spirit Wave Illusion Tou—ahem, Mind's Eye of the Kagura (Universal Version),Yami started selecting other techniques.

To his surprise, Uchiha Madara's signature Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame was recorded in the scroll, as well as other Fire Style, which had already been lost within the Uchiha clan.

Copy it all. Just copy everything.

That way, he could learn whatever he wanted later without having to keep borrowing the Scroll of Seals from the old man.

After transcribing about twenty jutsu and their training methods, Yami stopped, rubbing his sore wrist.

He already had several jutsu from all five chakra natures, plus Bringer of Darkness Technique, Flying Thunder God Technique, and Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.

As for Wood Release, Dead Demon Consuming Seal, and Impure World Reincarnation, he either wasn't ready to learn them yet or couldn't use them even if he did, so he didn't pay them much mind.

He wasn't Orochimaru; he didn't have the urge to learn every jutsu in the world.

But with all five chakra attributes and high talent, why not?

Learning more jutsu wasn't just for combat, it was also important for experiencing chakra nature transformation during the learning process.

It was a shame that Kakashi's signature technique Raikiri and Minato's Rasengan weren't recorded in the scroll.

Rasengan was easy enough, it likely had the most detailed training instructions among any Hokage-developed jutsu, so he could learn it on his own.

Raikiri, though… he'd have to find a way to get it.

It had many derivatives, and its effectiveness was solid.

Well… he couldn't just feed enemies skewers of meatballs forever, could he?

As for Flying Thunder God Technique...

Although he was still one talent fragment short, Raidō Nimiashi and Shiranui Genma were on the frontlines. He'd definitely be able to get it once they returned.

If all else failed, he could forge a bond of life and death.

While choosing jutsu, Yami noticed something, Konoha had very few advanced Wind Release techniques. Only the A-rank jutsu Wind Scythe, which had been taken from Sunagakure.

A rough idea began to form in his mind. It seemed he would have to rely on himself to revive the glory of Wind Release.

--

The next day, Hizashi was still recovering from his injuries.

Just as Yami was preparing to go find a place to train his jutsu, someone came to find him again.

"Yugao?"

Seeing the purple-haired girl in front of him fiddling nervously with her fingers, Yami asked curiously, "Why are you here? Do you have a mission?"

"No, no mission." Yugao shook her head and bit her lip lightly.

Finally, she made up her mind, bowed deeply, and said sincerely, "Yami-kun, please teach me swordsmanship!"

Yami was taken aback. He hadn't expected Yugao to come for that.

In truth, what he didn't know was that Yugao had been wrestling with this for several days. The idea had actually taken root when she lost to him.

During their Journey, after receiving some of his guidance, she realized just how far apart they were in swordsmanship.

It wasn't just about strength, it was about vision and foundation.

The reason she hadn't come earlier wasn't because of pride. For the sake of improving her swordsmanship, pride didn't matter.

But swordsmanship transmission was a sensitive subject anywhere. Back then, her father had worked for years to earn the chance to study Dance of the Crescent Moon under Hayate's father before being accepted as a disciple.

Even though Yami was younger than her, if he agreed, she wouldn't hesitate to become his student.

Yugao knew this was impulsive, but she had her reasons.

"Sit down first. We can't talk properly like this."

Yami snapped out of it. After collecting his thoughts, he pulled Yugao inside and brought her into the tea room.

After a server delivered two cups of cold tea, he spoke slowly:

"Teaching swordsmanship is no big deal to me, but the old man always says, you shouldn't suffer any loss. You have to earn something for your effort."

"We can talk about the reward later. Can you tell me why you're so desperate to improve your swordsmanship?"

(To be continued.)

...

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