《Naruto: Chronicles of A Fire Ninja》 New Announcement ???? Hey guys! ???? Finally, every platform is at the same chapter level! While we still have some raw chapters left, my Patreon is currently at Chapter 436. Out of these, 411 chapters will be released on free platforms soon, while 25 extra chapters are exclusively available for my Patreon supporters! ????? I''m sharing this to let you know that a mass release is happening now! ???? But once we catch up with the raws, the release schedule will return to one chapter per day. Now, for the main announcement¡ªI was planning to share this after catching up with the raws, but I currently need financial support, so I have to do this now. ???? Let me introduce my Patreon tiers! ???? Chunin Tier ¨C $5 ?? Access to 12 chapters ahead of other platforms ???? ?? Exclusive character images of the MC and other important characters ???? ?? Support me in continuing the story & earn my eternal gratitude! ???? (^~^) ???? Jonin Tier ¨C $10 ?? Access to 25 chapters ahead of other platforms ???? ?? Exclusive character images of the MC and other important characters ???? ?? Support me in continuing the story & have a say in how the story progresses! (Though major plot changes won¡¯t be possible) ?? ? Kage Tier Coming Soon! ? If you can, please support me on Patreon while also getting early access to many chapters ahead! Plus, here''s a sneak peek¡ªan intense battle between S-rank powerhouses is happening in the latest chapters! ???????? Support me here:Patreon ¨C https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage (No space in patreon link) Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Your support means the world to me! ?????? Chapter 1: Transmigrated Konoha The morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the Hokage office, illuminating stacks of paperwork piled high on the desk. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, leaned back in his chair, a cloud of smoke rising lazily from his pipe. His gaze drifted toward the Hokage''s monument, etched into the mountain outside. Though he held the title of the most powerful and respected figure in the village, his face betrayed only sadness and weariness. Konoha had endured unspeakable losses. The Third Great Ninja War had strained their forces too much, forcing them to fight on every front against every ninja village out there, and after the war ended and the village was enjoying a time of peace. Barely a year later, the Nine-Tails rampaged through the village, leaving destruction and grief in its wake. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, had sacrificed his life to seal the beast and save the village, but the cost of that heroic act was staggering¡ªthe life of the Kage and the Jinchuriki of the village almost crippling the village''s strength. Ninjas, civilians, and their families¡ªall suffered during both of these events. The orphanages, once able to house a manageable number of children, were now bursting at the seams. New facilities had to be hastily established, yet even those were struggling to keep up. The increase in the number of orphans was really heart-wrenching. Hiruzen sighed deeply, his pipe resting momentarily on the desk. With a heavy heart, he turned his attention back to the endless paperwork, his day beginning as it always did. ________________________________________ In one of the overfilled orphanages, a young boy stirred in a dimly lit room. Bandages wrapped around his head, evidence of a recent injury. His small frame rested on a thin mattress, and a faint medicinal scent lingered in the air. As the boy''s eyelids fluttered open, a sharp, searing pain shot through his skull. "Argh, what is this headache?" he muttered under his breath, his voice weak. The pain was unlike anything he''d felt before. It wasn''t just pain¡ªit felt as though his very mind was being reshaped, and not just mind but even something deep inside too was going through the same procedure. He groaned and raised a trembling hand to his forehead, freezing mid-motion when his eyes caught sight of his own fingers. They were small. Too small. Panic surged through him. His wide eyes scanned his surroundings, taking in the unfamiliar room. ''This isn''t the hospital I was admitted in,'' he thought. ''Where am I? What... what happened to me?'' Forcing himself to sit up, he caught a glimpse of his legs beneath the blanket. They were shorter, his body smaller than he remembered. His heart pounded as a terrifying thought crept into his mind. ''Did I... go back in time? No, I don''t want to suffer through all that once again,'' he nearly cried. Before he could process further, the door creaked open. A middle-aged man with graying hair entered, his concerned gaze fixed on the boy. "Kaida, are you awake?" he asked gently, pulling a chair close to the bed. The boy frowned, confusion written all over his face. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice cautious. "And why are you calling me Kaida?" The man''s expression darkened. "It seems the injury affected your memory," he said, worry evident in his tone. "You don''t remember anything, do you?" Kaida shook his head, the movement causing another spike of pain. He clutched his temple, the headache he had been experiencing till now increasing further, as fragmented memories began flooding in¡ªmemories that weren''t his own. A young boy''s laughter, a pair of warm smiles, and then... darkness. Too much. His body couldn''t handle it. With a sharp gasp, he collapsed back onto the bed, unconscious. ________________________________________ When he next woke, it was to the soft hum of voices outside his room produced by the fan rotating above him. The headache had dulled to an ache, but his thoughts were clearer. He lay still, pretending to be asleep, as he pieced together the fragments in his mind. Memories¡ªnew, foreign memories¡ªwhich somehow felt personal like he himself had lived that life as well. But they weren''t his. They belonged to the boy this body once belonged to. Kaida Senju. A sharp intake of breath escaped him. ''Senju? No way...'' The realization hit like a lightning bolt. The names, the faces, the events, surroundings¡ªeverything pointed to one undeniable fact. ''I transmigrated. And into the Naruto world, of all places.'' His disbelief gave way to panic. ''How? Why? I don''t even remember dying. Isn''t that supposed to be a prerequisite? And why this world? A place filled with ninjas capable of ending lives with a flick of their fingers?'' Taking deep breaths, he forced himself to calm down. The memories continued to surface, offering him glimpses of Kaida Senju''s life. His parents, Asami Senju and Aiko Uchiha, were among the many who died during the Nine-Tails attack. Orphaned at just five years old, Kaida had been brought to this orphanage, narrowly escaping recruitment by Root. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Lucky me,'' he thought bitterly. ''At least Danzo didn''t get his hands on me. Otherwise I would have lived this life as a puppet of a deranged person till who knows how long.'' But the more he delved into these memories, the more he realized how dire his situation was. ''This isn''t a game. This is real. If I don''t take this seriously, I''ll be dead before I even hit puberty.'' The news of the death of a neighbor who had just become genin and went on a mission only to come back blown up because some bandits attacked the caravan they were protecting was present in the memories of the boy. Even though that little boy didn''t understand much of it, now they played an important role. A strange warmth stirred within him, interrupting his grim thoughts. It was subtle at first, like a gentle current, but it grew stronger, flowing through his body in a rhythmic pulse. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation. ''Is this... chakra?'' The realization brought a faint smile to his lips. ''So, this body''s chakra network is active. That''s something, at least.'' But he forcefully turned his thoughts into practical ones. ''All right, let''s assess. If I''m five years old now, that puts me four years ahead of Naruto''s generation. The Uchiha massacre will happen in about seven years, the Chunin Exams in twelve, and the Fourth Great Ninja War in sixteen. No, that is the amount of time I have for getting at least strong enough to handle myself in this dangerous world.'' The gravity of his situation settled over him. ''If I''m going to survive, I need to get stronger. Fast.'' Steeling himself, Kaida opened his eyes and sat up. It was time to embrace his new identity, his new life. "Kaida Senju, huh?" he muttered. The name felt foreign on his tongue, but it was his now. ''Let''s see what this world has in store for me.'' Chapter 2: Orphanage Chapter 2: Orphanage After waking up, Kaida realized it was already evening. The clock on the wall showed 6:30 p.m., and a pang of hunger hit him hard as his stomach growled audibly, reminding him that he hadn''t eaten anything all day. ''I haven''t eaten since this morning. No wonder I''m starving. I''d better get something to eat... Also I need to remember to act like a kid¡ªa five-year-old one at that, but how the hell am I going to do that? Let''s just follow how real Kaida acted in the memories. I just hope no one notices anything strange about me; otherwise, there is no shortage of crazy scientists in this world,'' he thought, steeling himself as he got out of bed. Kaida approached the door, pausing when he heard muffled voices outside. Just as his hand reached for the doorknob, the door creaked open, and the same old man who had visited him earlier stepped in. Kaida immediately recognized him from the recent memories as the caretaker of the orphanage and his legal guardian¡ªa kind-hearted man who, despite his busy responsibilities, often spent some time with children, playing with them and helping them with different things, especially toward Kaida. However, this extra attention sometimes drew the ire of the older kids¡ªseven or eight years old, older but still kids¡ªleading to bullying and confrontations. "Kaida, why are you standing here? Oh! Are you feeling better now? Does your head still hurt? Do you remember who I am?" the caretaker asked in a flurry of questions, his concern evident. Kaida offered a small smile, replying, "Yes, uncle, I''m all right. My headache is gone, and I remember you perfectly." Just as he finished speaking, his stomach growled loudly, betraying his hunger. The old man chuckled. "I see your appetite''s back. Come on, let''s get you something to eat." They headed to the dining hall, where Kaida eagerly devoured his meal. The simple food tasted like a feast to his famished body. After finishing, the caretaker asked, "So how is your head, is it still hurting?" "No uncle, I am fine now, though it still hurts a little, it is much better than before," Kaida replied. "Then, are you ready to head back to your room now?" Kaida hesitated, weighing his options. ''Even though I''m not the same Kaida who let some jealous kids bully him¡ªsince I could easily deal with them now¡ªbut if I stay in that room, I''ll have no privacy at all, and I will also have to act as a 5-year-old all the time, not to mention I can''t waste my time playing with some children when my life will be in danger in a decade or so, so to train or make plans for the future, I need a space of my own,'' Kaida thought, though he couldn''t tell this to the caretaker, could he? So, "Uncle," Kaida began, his voice tinged with hesitation, "I don''t want to go back to that room. The other kids... they''ll bully me again. They always say mean things about my parents. Can I... can I live in some other place, please?" He looked up at the old man with pleading eyes, hoping to sway his decision. The caretaker''s expression softened, but he hesitated. "I understand how you feel, Kaida, but there aren''t any empty rooms in the orphanage. This building is already packed to capacity." Kaida had expected this response. He knew the orphanage was overcrowded, with every available room occupied. But he had already an alternative in mind. "Uncle, can''t I stay in the basement? Nobody uses it," Kaida suggested, his tone hopeful. The old man frowned. "The basement? Kaida, that''s just a storage area. It''s not a proper living space. What if something happens to you while you''re down there all alone?" Kaida pressed on, determined. "I''ll call for help if anything happens. I can shout really loud, you know... so please, uncle, let me stay there. I''ll be fine, I promise." He put on his best "puppy dog" expression, shamelessly tugging at the old man''s heartstrings. The caretaker sighed, mulling over the request. "All right," he relented after a moment. "But only if you promise to call me immediately if there''s any trouble." Kaida''s face lit up with genuine happiness. "Thank you, uncle! I promise!" The caretaker led Kaida to the basement, a dimly lit space filled with old furniture and forgotten items. For a moment, Kaida''s enthusiasm wavered as he took in the cluttered room. But then the caretaker opened a side door, revealing a small, cozy room hidden away. Kaida''s eyes widened in surprise. "Uncle, why is there such a nice room down here? Why isn''t anyone using it?" The old man smiled. "This is an emergency shelter, built in case the village ever comes under attack. Every building in Konoha has one. Since it''s rarely needed and in such a difficult location, I didn''t assign it to any children, it''s been sitting empty. So, do you like it?" Kaida nodded eagerly, feeling like his wish came true. "Yes! It''s perfect. Can I really stay here?" "Of course. Why do you think I showed it to you?" the caretaker replied with a chuckle. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Kaida hugged the old man tightly. "Thank you so much, uncle." As Kaida looked around his new room, a sense of determination took root in his heart. This room wasn''t just a place to sleep¡ªit was a sanctuary, a private space where he could focus on growing stronger. The thought brought a small smile to his lips. ''In my previous life, I was confined to a hospital bed, unable to live freely. Now, I''ve been given a second chance, and I''m not wasting it. This world is dangerous, but it''s also filled with opportunities. If I want to survive and thrive, I need power. Because with only power will I be really free to live this life with freedom.'' His thoughts turned to his childhood dreams of flying, running faster than cars, and wielding incredible powers¡ªcompletely opposite of his scenario where he could barely walk for a few minutes without a world of pain because of his medical condition. But in this world of ninjas, those dreams were within reach¡ªif he worked hard enough. Kaida clenched his fists, his resolve solidifying. "Kaida," the caretaker''s voice interrupted his thoughts. "I want to ask you something." Kaida turned, curious about what the old man had to say. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 3: No need to hide Chapter 3: No Need to Hide Now that Kaida had his private room, a sense of accomplishment filled his heart. This space would be the foundation for his growth, a safe place where he could train, plan, and prepare for the dangerous world ahead. However, his thoughts were interrupted when the caretaker spoke in a serious tone, pulling Kaida back to reality. "Kaida, I want to ask you something." Kaida turned to face him, his expression cautious. "Yes, uncle?" The caretaker''s face was a little serious this time, different from his previous joyful expression. "Does your request to live alone have something to do with your chakra activation?" Kaida froze. A cold sweat ran down his back as panic set in. ''How does he know? Did I mess up already?'' He thought, already imagining being recruited into Root by Danzo for this reason and becoming a slave. That''s why he stammered, "I... I..." Whether it was his young age or the remnants of Kaida''s emotions from the memories he now carried, the old man could read him easily, his kind eyes softening as he saw that Kaida was very worried about it for some reason. "Don''t worry, Kaida," the old man said with a reassuring smile. "Chakra activation is not a bad thing. Many children of your age get this opportunity, don''t worry. In fact, I''m proud of you. Your parents would have been proud too." Hearing this, Kaida felt the weight of anxiety lift from his chest. If it was common, then Root would not target him¡ªat least he hoped that. Emboldened by the caretaker''s understanding, he decided to come clean, at least partially. "Yes, uncle. When I woke up earlier, I felt... something. It''s hard to explain, but it was warm and comforting, like a part of me I hadn''t noticed before." The old man chuckled softly. "That''s your chakra, Kaida. It means you''re ready to take the first steps toward becoming a ninja. I have no doubt you''ll be strong, just like your parents." At the mention of his parents, Kaida''s heart clenched. Even though they were not his parents, the pain he felt in his heart suggested otherwise, like they were really HIS parents¡ªit was a weird feeling to say the least. But aside from the feeling, he realized this was the perfect opportunity to ask the questions that had been gnawing at him. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Uncle," he began hesitantly, "can you tell me about my parents? I don''t remember much about them. What were they like?" The old man sighed. Kaida was just a child anyway, and the situation of losing his parents in front of his eyes surely took a toll on his mind. That''s why he decided to tell the boy a little about his parents, his eyes distant as he recalled the past. "Your father, Asami Senju, was a remarkable man¡ªa proud member of the Senju clan, though he was an orphan himself. Despite his struggles, he had a kind heart and unwavering determination. He himself had supported many orphans in his youth after he became a ninja, and he was my friend, my best friend." A look of nostalgia appeared on the caretaker''s face. After a moment, he continued. "He met your mother, Aiko Uchiha, when they were assigned to the same genin team along with me as well. They grew close, first with rivalry then friendship, and over time, they fell in love." The caretaker''s voice grew heavier as he continued. "But their love wasn''t without challenges. The Uchiha clan opposed their union harshly. They wanted Aiko to marry another Uchiha to ensure the continuation of their bloodline and that the secrets of the clan remained in the clan. But your mother defied them and their rules. She chose your father, even if it meant leaving her clan behind." Kaida listened intently, a mix of pride and sorrow welling up within him. "They were strong shinobi," the caretaker said, his voice tinged with admiration. "Your father had extraordinary chakra reserves, even for a Senju, and your mother had mastered her three-tomoe Sharingan at a young age. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with." "Then... why did they die?" Kaida asked softly, dreading the answer. The caretaker''s expression darkened. "They gave their lives to protect others, protect those who were unable to do so in front of a giant beast, those who froze at critical moments." A guilty look appeared on his face because he knew he was among the people they had rescued, even though he should have been helping them. But there was nothing he could do now other than taking care of the one thing they left behind. With a heavy tone, he continued, "during the Nine-Tails'' attack on the village. They had the chance to escape with you, but they chose to stay and protect others. They saved countless lives that day, becoming heroes of Konoha. But in the end..." Kaida clenched his fists. The memories he inherited made the pain of their loss feel all too real. But alongside the grief was a burning pride and determination. His mom and dad were stupidly heroic¡ªif he was the real Kaida, he would get angry at them for leaving him, but he would still admire them for what they did. And unknown to him, he was already doing that. "I''ll make you proud, Mom and Dad," Kaida whispered under his breath. The old man placed a hand on Kaida''s shoulder, offering a gentle squeeze. "They would already be proud of you, Kaida. You are a good kid. And now that you have awakened your chakra, with the right training and hard work, you will become a fine shinobi just like your parents. You''ll achieve great things." Kaida nodded, resolve shining in his eyes. "Uncle, will you train me? I want to become a ninja like my parents. No¡ªI want to become a ninja they would be proud of. I want to be the strongest ninja in the world," Kaida said, his emotions taking over him. The old man chuckled at Kaida''s bold declaration. "That''s quite a goal, young man. But if you''re serious, there won''t be anything able to stop you from achieving it, and I can most definitely help you get started. The academy''s admission test is in five months. Until then, I''ll train you. But you need to promise me one thing: no matter how tough it gets, you won''t give up." Kaida''s lips curled into a determined smile. "I promise, uncle." As the caretaker prepared to leave, Kaida hesitated. There was one more question gnawing at him¡ªnot the old Kaida, but the real one who knew how the world works. "Uncle," he asked cautiously, "do you think I''ll awaken the Sharingan like my mother?" The caretaker''s expression grew serious. "Kaida, awakening the Sharingan is... complicated. Even among full-blooded Uchiha, it requires strong luck to get it awakened, usually in life-or-death situations. For you, being half-Uchiha, it might be even harder." He gave the true details but at last added a little motivation. "But there''s a chance. If you work hard, you might unlock it one day." Kaida nodded, determination etched on his face. "Then I''ll work hard. I''ll make sure it happens." Though it was just on the surface because he also knew not everyone awakened Sharingan. The old man smiled warmly. "Good. But for now, get some rest. Training starts the day after tomorrow. And remember, meals are in the dining hall. Don''t expect room service. Since you are going to be a ninja, you can''t hide away in fear now." Kaida grinned. "Understood, uncle." As the caretaker left, Kaida flopped onto the bed, exhaustion finally catching up to him. ''This is the beginning,'' he thought. *** A.N.: Add to the library so that you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. ? Chapter 4: Hidden test Chapter 4: Children (After 9 hours...) ''Oh! I slept well, and this is my first sleep without painkillers. It sure feels nice,'' Kaida thought after waking up in the morning. After waking up, Kaida went to do his daily activities and took a quick bath. When he came out of the bathroom, it was already time for breakfast, so he went to the ground floor for breakfast. "Oh! Look, here comes the prince of Konoha. Wait, he''s also just an orphan like us with no parents," came a voice from behind. Hearing that, Kaida did feel embarrassed. Not because of what was said, but because there was a time when the real Kaida got angry after hearing such remarks. But technically, it wasn''t him, so he decided to ignore it, recalling a useful quote from his previous life: "Silence is the best answer for fools." Kaida just went to the breakfast table, took a hearty serving, and sat at a corner table. While eating, he heard it again. "Oh ho, look! Now the prince is also a pig, hahaha!" ''What do you want me to do? Fight you? Can''t you see I am already injured? Man, can''t I even eat in peace,'' he thought in his mind, sighing but still didn''t say anything. But the boy became increasingly angry and decided to push it further. He walked over to Kaida, shoved him, and said, "Hey, don''t you know it''s basic manners to reply when someone is speaking to you?" ''This is almost like the previous time,'' Kaida thought. In his mind, releasing a chuckle from his mouth, being a high school student he was not new to bullying. In fact, in his previous world, things were much more severe, but one thing he knew is if you let things go too much, it will become much worse. Just when he was going to speak, someone came between them. "Suri, don''t you remember the old man told you to stay away from Kaida?" a young girl almost the same age as Kaida, with complete black hair and eyes. If one doesn''t know, they may even consider her from the Uchiha clan. And yes, she was the reason this gorilla was so hell-bent on making my life miserable. She is the cutest girl I have seen so far in my life. This gorilla likes her, and since she is my "friend," he decided to take out his frustration on me. ''Why the hell does a seven-year-old boy even like someone? Shouldn''t he be out playing with his friends at this age?'' Kaida could only sigh. Just when he was thinking about these things, that gorilla suddenly pushed Yomi onto the floor. Before Kaida could think, he lifted the iron plate he was eating from and hit him on the head. Normally he would not go to such extreme measures, but the anger he felt when Suri pushed Yomi aside and she fell was unusually high. Like he REALLY was her friend, but now that the deed had been done, it was time to complete it. Since a similar incident had happened before, where real Kaida had also tried to hit him but only managed one hit, Suri was fine after taking the blow and had beaten Kaida quite badly afterward. So this time, just as he was about to turn his head, Kaida thought, ''I am not going to repeat the same mistake twice,'' and hit him on the head again at the same spot. This time, he was on the floor due to disorientation from the sudden impact. Since Kaida was just four and he was seven, and even bigger than his peers, hand-to-hand confrontation was out of the question. So the only option to such a confrontation was to always be the first one to hit and never give them chance to give that hit back to you. Being a weak boy for all his life, Kaida knew this clearly. After the second hit, he turned to Suri''s "friends" cum lackeys who were on their way to save their boss. Kaida looked toward them, arranged his weapon (the plate), and again hit the head of Suri, but at a different spot, since he didn''t want to kill him¡ªafter all, he was just a seven-year-old orphan boy, there was no need to bear any resentment toward him. Seeing the third attack, both of his lackeys stopped. With another bang, both of them turned their legs and ran in the opposite direction, calling the caretaker for help. While seeing them leave, Kaida could finally release a sigh of relief. Then, remembering something, he moved toward Yomi. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. (Kaida''s perspective...) "Are you all right, Yomi?" Kaida asked while bending a little, but Yomi didn''t reply for quite some time, and then: "You didn''t have to fight for me. What would have happened if he had beaten you again like yesterday?" Yomi asked, puffing her cheeks while still sitting on the ground. Kaida, too, sat on the ground and said, "So why did you jump in when he was trying to pick a fight with me then?" "Because we are friends," Yomi answered in a hurried voice. "Exactly. Since you are my friend, how can you think that I will sit still when someone bullies you?" Being a teen, it was almost too easy to win an argument against a five-year-old. When the incident was happening, Hiroshi (the caretaker of the orphanage) was just sitting and watching the whole scene unfold. When Suri''s friends went to call him, he acted like he was busy with something, and when they complained about Kaida to him, he went to Kaida and said, "Kaida, come to my office." Meanwhile, a nurse applied medicine to Suri''s injuries and tied a bandage around his head. Since there was not even blood, there was no need to take him to the hospital. Kaida just nodded and started to walk with the old man, but suddenly Yomi came in front of Hiroshi and said, "Uncle, it was not Kaida''s fault. Suri started the fight and even pushed me. You can ask anyone present here. Please don''t scold Kaida." "Don''t worry, I am not going to scold him, child. I have something important to discuss with him," the old man said while gently placing his hand on her head. Kaida smiled, seeing her trying to save him once again. At least now, he really had his first actual friend in both his lives. After coming to his office, Hiroshi sat on his chair and said, "Kaida, I know I said I would train you to become a ninja, but becoming a ninja is not as simple as you think. After you become a ninja, you will be many times more powerful than any average civilian." Kaida just kept on looking toward him for more explanation. "I have been watching this whole thing from the start, so that I can decide whether I should first teach you about morality and values or should we start with the physical training, and you excelled in the value department. You didn''t react to provocation even when you had the means to. You decided to fight to save someone against all odds, though that anger could get a little management work, but nothing too big of a problem, so we are good to start with your main training." Kaida just smiled back at him, even though his reason for not reacting was the opposite of what Hiroshi was thinking. The result was very good. "So, uncle, can we start our training tomorrow?" "Yes, come to the east section of the forest garden behind the orphanage at 5 a.m. tomorrow. And please go and tell your friend at the door that she doesn''t have to worry about you," Hiroshi said with a smile. *** A.N.: Add to the library so that you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 5: Chakra Chapter 5: Chakra Training Exercise "Yes, come to the east section of the forest garden behind the orphanage at 5 a.m. tomorrow. And please go and tell your friend at the door that she doesn''t have to worry about you," Hiroshi said with a smile. Kaida was a little confused by what Hiroshi meant, but he soon understood as he took his leave from the caretaker''s office and opened the gate. Yomi fell forward, her face as red as a tomato. With a soft chuckle escaping his mouth, Kaida offered his hand again. "Let''s go. I have something important to tell you." This time, Yomi took his hand, too sheepish to say anything after being found eavesdropping. They made their way toward the general playground and sat on a bench under the shadow of a tree. "So, why were you eavesdropping on us? Were you worried about me?" Kaida said in a playful tone. "Who was worried about you, idiot... I was just checking whether you would put the whole blame on me." Being asked a question she was hoping would not come, Yomi reacted aggressively, which only amused Kaida. Seeing this little girl worrying about him so much made him feel happy. "So why did you try to save me when Suri was trying to bully me? If you don''t trust me, then there was no reason for doing that?" Kaida asked, which Yomi couldn''t reply to. Finally deciding to stop teasing the girl, Kaida continued. "Well, putting that aside, I have something to tell you..." Kaida paused, looked toward her eyes, and continued. "I already unlocked my chakra yesterday when I woke up. It is the thing we sort of need to become a ninja. When Hiroshi-san found out about that, he promised to train me so that I could become a ninja too, and you know what? I will become the strongest ninja in the world!" Kaida said. Since he was already a child, there was no need to maintain any pretense and he could speak his mind. Kaida expected a shocked, curious, or happy reaction from Yomi, but when he looked at her, he became worried¡­ Because in place of those expressions, he saw tears in her eyes. Before he could ask what was wrong, she started speaking. "You liar... When... we promised each other that we would become ninjas together. But now you''re going to become one alone and leave me like everyone else. I hate you!" ''Ah, I don''t know why, but this is more painful than yesterday''s headache. This pain was in my chest.'' And before I could think of anything, my mouth started to speak on its own. "Who said that I am going to become a ninja alone? I am telling you this because you are also going to get training from Hiroshi-san with me, so we can both go to the Ninja academy together." Hearing this, she asked with a smile, "Really? You''re not lying, right?" Now, with just a smile from Yomi, the pain went away like it never existed in the first place. But now I had to ask the old man for another favor. Well, that aside... "Of course, I am not lying. After all, I am a man." "No, you are just a boy," she said with a laugh. ... After playing for some time, they both went back to the orphanage where Kaida showed his room to Yomi, and both of them decided to use it as their training area. (No dirty thoughts, guys. They are both just five-year-old children...) When Yomi went back to her room, Kaida made a run toward Hiroshi''s office to ask for another favor. On his way, he remembered advice from his father: ''Son, boys make the worst decisions of their life not for themselves but for a girl, and no matter how much you try to stop yourself, you couldn''t change that fact. So if that ever happens to you, live with that decision with a smile.'' "So true," Kaida said. Knock, knock... "Uncle, it''s me, Kaida. Can I come in?" "Come in, Kaida. I was waiting for you, and before you ask, yes, you can also bring Yomi with you to training." For some time, Kaida couldn''t speak. When he understood what had happened, he asked, "How did you know that I was going to ask you about this?" "Hah, boy, I have seen more of life than you. And trust me, your life is going to be a roller coaster ride from now on. Now, if you don''t have anything else to ask, you can go back to your work. I am busy." Kaida simply thanked the old man and went back to his room. The rest of the day went normally. Suri, after being treated by the nurse, kept avoiding Kaida, but Yomi started to act more friendly, not that Kaida hated it. ¡­ (At night...) ''Hmm, I was interested in how this chakra would feel, and since I now have access to it, I don''t think I can stop myself from trying to use it. So, let''s just use it,'' Kaida thought and sat in a lotus position and began to concentrate on his breathing while trying to find the position of chakra in his body. After nearly 10 minutes... Somewhere near the solar plexus, there was a warm feeling. ''I think this is where chakra is stored in our body, so the details of anime were true, and I can trust them to a certain extent. Well, coming back to our main topic, let''s try to move it,'' he thought. (After 15 minutes...) ''Hmm, it''s more difficult than I thought. Why doesn''t it move, even a little? Maybe my method is wrong. I was trying to move my muscles in that area to indirectly move my chakra, but since it is not working, let''s try a different approach. Hmm, I can''t think of it as a body part since it gets used up and refilled in our body. It is safer to assume it as air? Let''s try it this way. This time, let''s try to move it as I am breathing.'' Kaida thought and started working toward this idea. This time there was some movement in his chakra reserve¡ªnot much, but it was there. After some time... ''Hmm, there is some movement in my chakra reserve, but it is more like a vibration than actual movement. Well, since I tried everything I could think of, tomorrow I''ll just ask the old man about this,'' he thought and went for his much-needed sleep. *** A.N.: Add to the library so that you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 6: Training Chapter 6: Training ''Hmm, there is some movement in my chakra reserve, but it is more like a vibration than actual movement. Well, since I tried everything I could think of, tomorrow I''ll just ask the old man about this,'' he thought and went for his much-needed sleep. (Next morning...) At 4:30 A.M., Kaida woke up and thought: ''Oh! Sleeping without constant pain is nice. I feel fresh and energetic. Let''s get up now since I have to go for training in half an hour.'' Just as he came out of the bathroom after taking a bath, there was a knock at the door. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Kaida, wake up! We have to go for training!" ''Yomi is already here. Well, that''s great, I don''t have to go fetch her,'' Kaida thought. Kaida opened the door and said, "What do you mean wake up? I am already ready. Let''s go; we only have 5 minutes left." "Yeah, good morning to you too, jerk," Yomi said. "Who the hell is teaching you these words? I thought you were the nice and good kid among the two of us," Kaida said with a cheeky smile on his face. "We don''t have time for your useless questions, let''s go otherwise we will be late," she said and ran toward the backyard of the orphanage. ... When they both reached their destination, they found that Hiroshi was already present there and looked like he was waiting for them. He turned to them and said, "You guys are late by 10 minutes." "We are on time, Uncle. You asked us to come here at 5:00 A.M.," Kaida said with a puzzled look on his face. "This is your first lesson Kaida, so listen carefully. If you are on time, then you are already 10 minutes late. A ninja should always arrive at their destination early so they can study their surroundings and make plans for future or possible confrontations. Am I clear?" Hiroshi said, now in a serious demeanor different from his usual joyful and easygoing nature. "Yes, sir," they both replied, now completely alert. "Okay, now to make a training plan for you, first I want both of you to run around this area until you can''t run anymore," Hiroshi said with a military sergeant tone. The circumference of that area was nearly 150 meters. They both nodded their heads without a single question and started running. After only 8 rounds, Yomi stopped running, panting heavily. Kaida went for 8 more rounds and then he stopped running. Seeing the dejected expression on Yomi''s face, Hiroshi said, "Don''t worry, Yomi. According to the standard of a 5-year-old child, your performance was great too. It''s just that Kaida has already unlocked his chakra, which indirectly makes his body more powerful." "Uncle, I also want to unlock my chakra. Can you please teach me how to do that?" Yomi asked. Though she may not look like it, she was a really competitive person. "Of course, I will teach you. But first, let''s continue with our physical testing," Hiroshi said. After running, they both had to do push-ups, pull-ups, and squats, with Kaida''s score being more or less around 25-30 and Yomi''s score being 10-15 at max, and that was after pushing herself to limits. "Hmm, okay. Both of you are in great physical condition. Now, first, Yomi, come forward. I will check if you can unlock your chakra now or if you have to wait for some time." Hearing that, Yomi became excited and hurried toward the old man. He placed his hand on her back, and a blue aura could be seen on his hand. After nearly 5 minutes, the old man removed his hand, stood back, and said, "Congratulations, Yomi. You are close to unlocking your chakra too. You just have to do meditation until you unlock your chakra. The meditation technique is..." *(a/n: Hey guys, I could just write any simple or complex meditation technique that will be copied from the internet, but I decided to leave it blank since that meditation technique will not be a real one. I have come up with a meditation technique of my own for this, and it will be discussed in the future, not now :-p)* "Yomi, you can go back. Kaida, now it''s your turn. Come forward." When Kaida approached the old man, he performed the same task, covering his hand with chakra and placing it on Kaida''s back. After 5 minutes, he removed his hand, stood up again, and said, "Kaida, you already have quite a good amount of chakra, so you can skip the meditation part and directly jump into an exercise related to chakra control. Though I''m not saying that you don''t have to meditate, but that you have to do two exercises at the same time." "Uncle, I have a question related to chakra," Kaida asked, since the topic of chakra was already going this was the perfect time to ask his doubts anyway. "What is it?" Hiroshi asked. "Yesterday, I tried to move my chakra like it was my hand or foot, but it never worked even though I tried really hard. So, I decided to change my approach and treat chakra as air, which did move it a little but not like how I wanted it to move. It was more like a vibration than a movement," Kaida explained his doubt and experience. "Well, you are half right about treating chakra as air. Chakra is the energy in our body, which circulates in rhythm with the ninja''s heartbeat, pulsing through their veins and energy pathways, syncing with their physical and spiritual essence. To move your chakra, all you need is to think about the area you want to move your chakra to, and it will be spiritually guided to that area. This is one of the exercises you have to do to increase your chakra control, where you have to place a leaf on your head and try to stick it there. The longer you can maintain it, the greater your chakra control will be. Anything else?" "No, thank you, Uncle," Kaida bowed and went back to his position. "Now, both of you can go back and take some rest, come back tomorrow. By then, I will have a personal training plan for both of you," Hiroshi said. Hearing that, both of them sighed in relief. Even though the idea of training was exciting in the beginning, after pushing themselves to their limit for so long they were exhausted and couldn''t continue anymore, so the end of training was a very big relief to them. They went back to the orphanage dining area since they were super hungry due to all the physical exercise they had done. They took a hearty amount of food on their plates and went to the corner table to sit. This time, Suri maintained his distance from them while eating. Yomi asked, "Kaida, what will you do for the whole day?" "I am thinking of trying the exercise the old man just taught me." "Well, I was also thinking of doing the same. But since I will not get any privacy in my room to meditate, I will also come to your room to do my meditation practice." "Okay," Kaida replied, understanding the need for it, as this was one of the reasons he asked for a separate room for himself. *** A.N.: Add to the library so that you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week, and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. ? Chapter 7: More Training Chapter 7: More Training "Well, I was also thinking of doing the same. But since I will not get any privacy in my room to meditate, I will also come to your room to do my meditation practice." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Okay," Kaida replied, understanding the need for it, as this was one of the reasons he asked for a separate room for himself. ¡­ Both Kaida and Yomi went to Kaida''s room after eating and, without discussing anything, sat in the lotus position to begin their respective training. Yomi just had to meditate since she had not unlocked her chakra, but it was by no means easy since her full concentration had to be on her breathing all the time. Maintaining a constant rate of breathing in a fixed sequence was not easy. Even a little distraction would interrupt and reset the whole progress. At first, Yomi could only maintain her concentration for 5 minutes at max, and that was when she was in a quiet environment where there was no one to disturb her, but the duration steadily increased as time passed. On the other hand, Kaida was having much more difficulty doing his training. The exercise he was doing was known as leaf concentration, the all-time famous exercise which everyone with a little knowledge of Naruto knew about, in which you have to stick a leaf on your forehead with the help of chakra while sitting in a lotus position. When Kaida started to practice the exercise, he thought, ''Hmm, Uncle said that chakra has both physical and spiritual nature. So, if I want to move my chakra, I just have to will it to move in that direction with full concentration. Let''s try doing that.'' And the process really worked, though he had to try it for half an hour, but it still worked. ''Wow, my whole chakra started to move in the direction I wanted it to move, and as Uncle said, I have to get a stream-like flow from my solar plexus to my forehead for the leaf to stick on my forehead. Okay, let''s try to imagine it as a river or a stream and see if it helps,'' he thought. When he started imagining it as a river, the chakra did start to move in the form of a stream, but it was by no means a small amount. If we calculate the rate at which his chakra was flowing out of his chakra reserve, it would be around 20% of his whole chakra reserve per minute. So, at most, he could maintain this for 4 to 4 and a half minutes since he couldn''t fully exhaust his chakra, as it is harmful for anyone to empty their chakra. Kaida still decided to continue with the exercise while trying to limit the amount coming out of his chakra reserve. It was by no means an easy task as whenever he tried to slow down or reduce the amount, the chakra flow stopped immediately. He continued to try, and after 5 minutes, his chakra became dangerously low. That''s when he decided to meditate, as the old man had advised. Since it would take nearly 7-8 hours to completely refill his chakra, he decided to continue meditating as well. They both kept practicing and only came out of their room to eat, but for different reasons. Kaida wanted to become strong and felt too old to play with some 5 to 8-year-old children. Though the age gap wasn''t that big - he was nearly 13 in his previous life - but that doesn''t mean he would play with them, especially since now he could train and become strong. It was an exhilarating feeling which kept him focused on training. As for Yomi, she wanted to catch up with Kaida''s progress as soon as she could. With Kaida practicing for all the time, she thought if she took more breaks, the gap would only increase, so she also stuck with her training. In the evening, when his chakra reserve was full, Kaida once again started leaf concentration with nearly the same result. Though there was a little improvement - the leaf fell a lot less from his forehead as he was able to maintain a steady flow of chakra for a little longer, only by 10 seconds, but it was still some improvement. After that, he again started meditating until it was time for dinner. After that, both of them went to their respective rooms to sleep as they had to go for training tomorrow at 5:00 A.M. **(Next morning...)** Kaida and Yomi met at the orphanage door and went to their training area 15 minutes early. The old man was already there and said, "Great to know that my lesson did not fall on deaf ears. Now I hope both of you have done the exercise I suggested. Come forward one by one so I can examine if there were any problems." Even though the chances of anything going wrong were low in these beginner exercises, Hiroshi still decided to take no risks with the children at all. First, Yomi went forward. The old man again covered his hand with chakra and placed it at her back near the solar plexus. After 2 minutes, he removed his hand, stood back, and said, "Yomi, I can easily see that you have been diligent in your exercise, so if you keep doing it like this, I am sure you will unlock your chakra in a week or less." With a full day of exercise, the rewards were great. Normally it would have taken months with the training time a child would invest in such exercise, but since she had done it for so long, her improvements were faster. After hearing that, Yomi''s face bloomed like a flower. She thanked Hiroshi and went back to her position, knowing that she was close to bridging the gap. Obviously, she was happy. Then Kaida came forward. Hiroshi once again followed the same procedure. And he was surprised by the result - there was little, very little, but increase in Kaida''s chakra reserve and that was in just one day. He asked Kaida what he had done yesterday. A look of understanding came over his face when Kaida told him about his complete routine of yesterday, which was mostly training. Hiroshi nodded and said, "Kaida, it is already great that you were able to stick the leaf on your head on your first try. Don''t worry, you will get better at it as you keep practicing the same exercise. So keep up the hard work." Kaida also thanked Hiroshi and went back to his position. Hiroshi nodded his head after changing few things in his plans he had made for his two new students and said, "I can see both of you are serious about your training, so I am just going to give both of you your training plans. You can come to me if you face any problems during your exercise. This damn office work doesn''t give me much free time." After that, he passed both of them a paper with full instructions about which exercises to do, specified for each day of the week, with running, stretching, and meditation being common for all days and one day of rest per week. Reading his training plan, Kaida asked, "Uncle, why is there one day empty, without any training to do?" "Kaida, giving rest to your body is as important as doing exercise. In fact, it is even more important to do so if you are exercising daily, so don''t do any exercise on that day. Just enjoy and play, you guys are still young," Hiroshi said with a smile. Seeing that neither of them had any more doubts, the old man went back to his office, and Kaida and Yomi started their exercises. ************************************************************************************************ Next Chapter: Improvements A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. ? Chapter 8: Improvements Chapter 8: Improvements Kaida and Yomi followed the training plan to the ''T,'' with physical exercise in the morning for 2-3 hours, then meditation for the whole day, with Kaida practicing an extra training of leaf concentration twice a day. After 6 days of following the same boring and gruelling routine, and pushing through every discomfort, Yomi finally activated her chakra at the evening of the last day of their week''s training. During meditation, she felt a warm liquid-like feeling going inside her body, energizing her whole body. Since she knew about chakra, she immediately jumped from her seat. "Yay!" she shouted. Kaida was also meditating in the same room. Even though this sudden shout disturbed his meditation, when he learned the reason for her happiness, Kaida also became happy for his friend. "Congratulations, Yomi," he said. "Thank you," Yomi replied with a smile so bright that it was almost infectious. After their own small celebration, they both ran towards Hiroshi''s office, wanting to share the good news with their sensei. When Hiroshi found out about Yomi''s chakra activation, he was not much surprised since he had already predicted this outcome, but nonetheless, he was happy and satisfied with the result after seeing that the first students of his life were training seriously. With Yomi''s new achievement in front of him, he updated Yomi''s training plan to be nearly identical to Kaida''s, with obviously a little less intensity. After thanking the old man, they both went back to their room and decided to take a break from training for an hour and take a walk around the orphanage. After that day, their training went as usual. They had small competitions between them, like who could run more or who could perform leaf concentration exercises for a longer period, which Kaida won due to his bloodline, a mixture of the Senju and Uchiha clans and higher time of training. The Senju clan has a high amount of chakra and a stronger body than any average ninja, and even though Kaida was still just a 5-year-old, the difference had started to become a deciding factor between the potential of growth. They both trained for four and a half months according to the schedule, which had to be updated twice for Yomi and three times for Kaida, as they could easily perform their previous exercises without any challenge and needed more rigorous training to see more gains. **(One week before the academy test...) ** Just when Kaida and Yomi were about to begin their training for the day, they had to stop because of the sudden appearance of Hiroshi in the training area. He approached both of them and said, "We have just a week remaining for the ninja academy entrance exam. I advise both of you to stop training and take some rest to be in your optimal conditions." "But Uncle, the exam is still one week away. Can''t we train for some more days?" Kaida asked. "No, Kaida. Your body will need at least that much time to really go back to its optimal state," Hiroshi strictly turned down his proposal. "Now come here. Let me just check if you have any problems with your body or chakra networks." Both of them nodded, as his words made sense. Yomi went forward and sat in front of the old man while he once again coated his hand in chakra and placed it on Yomi''s back. He was greatly surprised by the discovery but didn''t show it. He just said that everything was all right and moved to Kaida for his check-up. This time, he could not hide his surprise anymore but still replied that everything was all right and then said, "You guys can go back to the orphanage and rest. Both of you can meditate, but there is no need to do leaf concentration, as it will also put a strain on your chakra reserves." With that, he left the area. The reason for his surprise was the fast growth of Kaida and Yomi''s chakra reserves, but he didn''t tell them that because he didn''t want them to increase their gains more by doing extra exercise in the meantime. "Okay, Uncle, but when are we going to go to the academy for the test?" Kaida asked, his curiosity piqued as a former otaku and Naruto fan wanting to experience what he had watched. "The exact date of the test has not been given yet, but it will be within a week. Whenever they release the dates, I will let you know," the old man replied. Both of them nodded after listening to his reply. "Now, if you don''t have any more questions, you guys can go back." Both thanked him and went back to the orphanage, but the old man stood there, deep in thought. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''At the start, I was thinking of training them for 1 or 2 years and then allowing them to take the entrance test, since they are just 5 years old, but they have already grown so much that the only thing they need is their Jutsu training. Their chakra is already high, compared to an average academy student, and there is no need to talk about their physical condition. This is my first time seeing 6-year-olds running for 10 km and doing 50 push-ups after running that much. I should report this to Lord Hokage, as their talent is high, and talent is something our village is in desperate need of after both calamities struck us. Our ninja numbers are at an all-time low. I am sure Lord Hokage will be delighted to hear about them.'' Hiroshi thought and then made his way toward the most important building in Konoha, the Hokage building. At the gate, Hiroshi asked the receptionist, "Is Lord Hokage free? I have some important information that I need to report." "Please wait for some time. Lord Hokage is in a meeting. I will notify him about your request," said the receptionist with a business smile on her face. "Okay, sure," Hiroshi replied and quietly made his way toward the sofa. After 10 minutes, the receptionist called him, saying that Lord Hokage was free and calling him. Hiroshi made his way to Hokage''s office. *Knock Knock* "Come in," came the voice from inside. "Good morning, Lord Hokage. I hope you are doing well," said Hiroshi while bowing slightly. "Well, as you can see, I am not doing great with the paperwork. Let''s leave that aside. Tell me, Hiroshi, how is your orphanage doing? Are you facing any problems running it?" asked the Hokage. "No, Lord Hokage, the orphanage is doing well. Actually, I am here to report about my two students," said Hiroshi with joy in his voice. "Oh! So, you are also training ninjas while running an orphanage. Well, go on. I do have some time before the next meeting," said Hokage. "Lord, nearly 5 months ago, Kaida Senju, the son of Asami Senju and Aiko Uchiha, unlocked chakra on his own. When I sensed it, I confronted him about it. At that time, he asked me about his parents. After knowing the heroic deeds of his parents, he asked if I could teach him how to become a ninja. Actually, he asked me to train him so that he could become the most powerful ninja in the world," Hiroshi said with a chuckle and then continued. "After learning about this, his friend Yomi also asked me if I could teach her the ways of the ninja. I taught her a simple meditation technique, and she too unlocked her chakra, and that too in just one week." "Well, it''s great that they are talented. Konoha is in desperate need of capable ninjas." "Lord Third, my report doesn''t end here; it begins from here. After unlocking their chakra, neither of them has slacked off a single day and trained continuously for 5 months. Yomi already has a chakra reserve comparable to a low-level genin, whereas Kaida has a chakra reserve that can even be compared to a trained genin and even a chunin from some other village. While they don''t know any jutsu as I don''t have permission to teach them until they become Konoha ninjas, their chakra control is excellent. Both of them can maintain a leaf on their forehead for more than 45 minutes. If we consider physical fitness, both of them can run more than 10 km nonstop while doing reps of 50 push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. And last but not least, they are both only 6 years old." A look of a proud father could be seen on Hiroshi''s face, whereas a look of complete disbelief could be seen on Hiruzen''s face. "Hiroshi, I know that you are a capable sensor ninja, so your prediction must be accurate, but it is too unbelievable. If what you are saying is correct, then they are both capable of becoming elite Jonin rank ninjas in the future, while Jonin is confirmed. Now you have greatly piqued my interest, Hiroshi. I assume they will be participating in the entrance test of the academy?" Hiruzen asked, getting a nod in return. "Well, according to their performance, I will reward them for sure." Hiroshi thanked the Hokage and left. --- Next Chapter: Entrance Test A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. ? Chapter 9: Entrance test **(After 4 days in the orphanage...)** Hiroshi called both Kaida and Yomi into his office. When they arrived, he started speaking, "The dates of the entrance exam are out. It will be held in 2 days, so be mentally prepared. And one more thing: I have reported your progress to Lord Hokage, and he said that if your performance is up to the mark in the test, he will reward you guys personally. The reason I am telling you this is that there is no need for you guys to hold back¡ªshow your full capabilities in the entrance exam." "Okay, old man, but what should we do in the remaining 2 days?" Kaida asked. "Well, consider them your holiday. You guys can play, eat, dance, or do anything you want. Just don''t start practicing for the remaining 2 days." "Okay, old man," both of them replied and went back. Kaida was very frustrated at the start since he had to stop his training. Given the apparent results of the training, he wanted to continue without wasting time. In just 5 months, his physique had grown by leaps and bounds. Now he could even be compared with Suri, who was 3 years older than him, and his chakra reserve had also grown. With increased chakra control, multiple ways of utilizing chakra had opened for him. In the first month, he stuck with the leaf concentration exercise, but when he was able to maintain the leaf for more than 20 minutes¡ªwhich was 5 times his initial limit¡ªhe began experimenting with chakra, like covering his whole body with it or trying to focus it in his hand. Though he was not successful in doing so, his chakra control increased with each attempt. Daily, he would exhaust his chakra at night trying different experiments and practice leaf concentration in the morning. And now, when he was stopped from practicing his exercises, he was frustrated. But as the days passed, he began to realize what the old man was saying. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was overexerting himself by training daily. Since his chakra reserve expanded a little and his body felt much better after the rest, he realized his body was sore from all the constant practice. This little break had helped him. When he heard that Hiroshi had reported their progress to the Hokage, his feelings were mixed. *I can''t say whether the Hokage is a good person or not, as Naruto had to suffer his whole childhood because of him, and his reason was to hide his identity, which even a low-level spy knows. If he cared that much about Naruto, he should have adopted him and trained him to become strong from the start. Well, he even sacrificed his life for the safety of Konoha, so I can give him the benefit of the doubt. But I am sure of one thing: if he ever tries to use me or Yomi as a sacrifice, I would not think twice about betraying Konoha and joining another village. Heck, even becoming a rogue ninja would be better than sacrificing our lives.* **(Yomi''s POV)** When I first unlocked my chakra, I was really happy that I could also become a ninja with Kaida. But there was a gap in our strength. At first, I thought it was due to his early chakra activation, but as we continued our training, I came to know that he was taking the training very seriously, and our gap kept increasing. So, I also decided to focus completely on the training, and now I think it was a great decision, as Lord Hokage himself is going to see our performance and may even reward us. Well, it''s all thanks to Kaida. Even though there is still some gap in our strength, if I had not trained like I did, it would have been insurmountable. In the blink of an eye, 2 days passed, and the day of the entrance exam arrived. Four other students, along with Kaida and Yomi from the orphanage, also decided to take the exam, and to no surprise, Suri was among them. They were on their own in the test, so Kaida paid no attention to them. They all left together along with Hiroshi (the caretaker of the orphanage). Once they reached the academy, all the kids were surprised at the vast number of children gathered there to take the exam. A girl named Hana from Kaida''s group exclaimed, "Why are there hundreds of participants here?" Hiroshi explained, "Due to a recent event¡ªor we should say tragedy¡ªin our village, the number of children who want to become ninjas and take revenge for their parents has increased many times, and they have all gathered here to do so. According to me, there are more than 1500 students present here this time, but there is no need for you guys to be tense, as this is your first try. I am sure you guys will be able to clear it, and even if somehow you are unable to do so, you will get another chance next year." Looking around, Kaida found a group of people wearing similar uniforms and Konoha headbands on their heads. When Hiroshi noticed where Kaida was looking, he said, "They are trained ninjas, and I am sure they will be taking your entrance exam today, so best of luck, guys." All students thanked the old man. At that time, someone wearing a chunin vest came forward and announced that the entrance exam would begin shortly and that all kids taking the exam should gather at the training ground behind the academy. After coming to the back of the academy, Kaida''s whole group took a look at the Hokage Rock. Even though they could see it from their orphanage, they had never been able to get a clear view of it. Everyone was awestruck by its magnificence. Inside the academy, in a conference room, a few chunin were discussing the final preparations for the entrance exam, as they were the teachers at the academy. A chunin then got up and gave a report to the one leading the meeting. Kishio looked at that report and sighed. After the 3rd Great Ninja War, the 3rd Hokage had assigned him to supervise the entrance exams, and he was told to pass as many students as possible, as Konoha had recently lost thousands of ninjas. --- **Next Chapter: Entrance Test Begins** **A.N.:** Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. ? Chapter 10: Entrance Test Begins A chunin then got up and gave a report to the one leading the meeting. Kishio looked at that report and sighed. After the 3rd Great Ninja War, the 3rd Hokage had assigned him to supervise the entrance exams, and he was told to pass as many students as possible, as Konoha had recently lost thousands of ninja. Looking at the report, he found out that 1652 students were participating this time, which was quite a large number. He said, "We will proceed as planned. First, we will take the physical test, which will eliminate the physically unfit students." Kenji Masashi, who was assigned to take the physical exam, shouted when he got the confirmation to start the test, "Everyone, the first phase of our exam will begin now. You have to run 10 laps around the training ground on the path that has been marked. 10 laps are the minimum, but you can continue further as each extra lap will give you more points." When the group of students first heard that they had to run 10 laps around the field, more than half of them sucked in a cold breath, as it would be around 5 km. Even with stronger physiques than normal people from Earth, they still could not run that much without putting in a serious amount of practice. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kenji blew the whistle, indicating the start of the test. At that time, everyone started running. Kaida turned to Yomi and said, "Let''s run at a normal pace, as this is more like a test of endurance than speed. Let''s see how much we can run after resting for 1 week." To this, Yomi just nodded. Around 500 students stopped running after 4 to 5 laps, and 400 stopped after 8 laps, but the remaining students, numbering around 700, were still running, even though some looked like they were in the last moments of their lives. The children who completed all 10 laps were just 452. All other children were eliminated and asked to return, with advice to train more and take the test next year. All the students from the orphanage were eliminated except for Kaida, Yomi, and Suri. Even though Suri was unable to run anymore, he had completed 10 laps. Still, some children decided to continue running, which amounted to 64 students. Most of them belonged to some reputable clans and had been given special training from early on. But after another 10 laps, the number reduced to half, and after another 10 laps, it reduced further to 10. Two of them being Kaida and Yomi, but the difference could be seen easily as even those students who were from reputable clans were now out of breath. Yomi, after seeing this, turned toward Kaida and asked, "It seems like even they are considering stopping now. Should we also stop for now?" "No need. The old man said that we have to perform our best. Don''t tell me you are tired and using them as an excuse," Kaida replied. Hearing the taunt, Yomi responded, "I am not tired, BAKA. Let''s make a bet about who can run more." "What''s at stake?" Kaida asked. "Hmm, the winner will get a massage from the loser," Yomi said. Hearing that, Kaida instantly agreed while other children who were still running looked at both of them and thought, *How are they better than us? I am sure they are not from any clan I know.* They had a pride of their own, being from reputable clans, and it was stopping them from losing against someone with no background. But now they too were at their limit. They stopped after 30 rounds, assuming that Kaida and Yomi were also at their limit and would stop soon. What awaited didn''t only surprise them but also some teachers who were watching the test. Yomi had run for 58 rounds in total, but Kaida had gone beyond his capacity and ran 62 rounds to win the bet. Kenji came to them to tell them about their scores, but he was shocked to see the dejected expression on Yomi. It became clear when he heard Kaida''s words, "You lost, but it''s not your fault. I am simply too awesome to lose." Seeing the tears in Yomi''s eyes, Kaida did a 180-degree turn and started saying, "Hey, I am just joking. You were super good. Don''t be sad. Oh, I will buy you something when we become ninjas." "Do you even remember how many times you have said this to me?" Yomi asked. "Yes, a total of 12 times, and I am a man of my word. Just wait till I become a ninja," Kaida replied. Kenji decided to step in and said, "Well, now that you guys have completed your physical test, only the chakra evaluation is left. And seeing your excellent results, Hokage himself has decided that he will check your chakra levels. Congratulations." Both of them nodded and simply followed Kenji. "Congratulations on passing the entrance exam, both of you," Hokage said with a fatherly smile on his face. But Kaida became confused and said, "Lord Hokage, we have just taken our physical test. Our chakra examination is still remaining." "Well, both of your scores in the physical exam are so high that you don''t even need to take a chakra examination, as the feat of running 30 km is not something any child can achieve without constant training. But don''t worry, I will do your chakra examination, so you can come forward one by one." Listening to that, Yomi went forward, but Hokage didn''t even need to make any physical contact. He easily examined Yomi''s chakra, which surprised him a little, as it was 5 times the amount a normal awakened child had, and some early genin had a similar amount of chakra to her. After Yomi, Kaida went forward, but this time the Hokage was doubly shocked, as the amount of chakra Kaida possessed was nearly 2 times that of Yomi and 10 times the initial amount everyone unlocks. Hiruzen thought, *Well, now it''s clear that he is the same as his father in terms of chakra.* --- **Next Chapter: Test Results** **A.N.:** Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. ? Chapter 11: Test Result "Well, both of you have exceeded my expectations in both the physical test and chakra evaluation. Has Hiroshi said anything about a reward?" Hearing about the reward, both of their ears perked up. Yomi replied, "Yes, Lord Hokage, the old man said that you will give us some rewards, but only if our performance is satisfactory." Hiruzen was happy with the enthusiastic reply, but he decided to take one last step. The reward he had in mind was something every ninja in the world would kill for. He asked, "Well, I have two options for you. First, I can give your orphanage enough resources so they don''t have to worry about anything at all. Or, I can give you both a special jutsu that will make you powerful. You guys can discuss this and tell me what you want." Even though Kaida could easily see through Hiruzen''s little act, he would have still chosen the same. He was not an ungrateful person who didn''t know how to return favors. "Lord Hokage, we don''t need to discuss this. We would like to choose the first reward. Please give our orphanage the resources you mentioned," Kaida said, and Yomi nodded her head with full confidence too. With a real smile on his face, Hiruzen said, "Power as well as character at such a young age. It is great for our village that we have talents like both of you. I will give the reward I promised, but you guys will also get to learn a jutsu from me when you graduate from the academy. Since my work here is done, I should get back to my duties." Both of them smiled and waved back to him. Kenji, still shocked by what he had seen, said, "You guys are selected for a special class and will get special accommodation. So you can pack your belongings and come in front of the academy in five hours. From there, we will take you to your new accommodation." The orphans who passed the entrance exam would no longer live in the orphanage. They were provided with small apartments in the residential areas, rent-free until they became ninjas, along with a small stipend to support themselves. They were not surprised about this as old man Hiroshi had already told them. They had already packed their belongings but still went back to the orphanage to say their last farewells and thank the old man for all his care and support. "Thank you, old man," both Kaida and Yomi bowed and thanked the old man for everything he had done for them. "Well, I already knew you guys were going to be selected for the ninja academy, but still stay the same as you were here. Do your best, and one day you will make your parents and the whole village proud of you." Both Kaida and Yomi nodded. Yomi went to say her goodbyes to her friends, and Kaida waited at the entrance of the orphanage where he met Suri. "Oh! Congratulations on the selection," Kaida said. "You too. I heard you guys will be in a special class. Well, I am happy for you," Suri said with a smile. After a short conversation, Suri went on his way to the academy. After half an hour, Yomi also came out of the orphanage, and both of them made their way toward the academy. When they reached the academy, Kenji was the one to take them to their new apartments, which were close to each other. When Kaida went inside his apartment, he was happy because it was properly cleaned and very neat. While the rooms were small, they were more than enough for him. It had a small living room, a bedroom, a very compact kitchen, and a washroom. There weren''t many gadgets in the home apart from a fridge, cooking stove, and other stuff needed for cooking. There was also a sofa in the living room and a bed with an alarm clock in the bedroom. He also saw a first-aid kit. They both were told that they would be given around 2000 Ryo each month. Kaida found out that one dozen eggs cost 24 Ryo, one liter of milk cost 9 Ryo, and a packet of bread slices cost 5 Ryo. One kilogram of meat cost 60 Ryo. Various vegetables and fruits ranged from 10-20 Ryo. He used to go to the market around the orphanage. He was really happy with the amount as it was enough for them to live without any tension about finances. Kenji also told them that they had two days before the academy would start and they would have to attend the entrance ceremony where Lord Hokage himself would give a welcome speech to all the new students. ********** Next Chapter: Academy Starts A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week, and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments; both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 12: Academy Starts In the two days they had before the academy started, Kaida and Yomi decided to explore their surroundings. They discovered a market nearby, and the academy was about 20 minutes away from their homes. They decided to spend some of their free time in the library to study various techniques about chakra manipulation, which is required for performing any jutsu. In the library, they read multiple books about chakra manipulation. Kaida did most of the reading as Yomi became bored and went back to her room, but Kaida continued because he knew how important it was to build strong basics. The more he read, the more he learned about the powers of chakra. In one book titled "Uses of Chakra," he read that: "Chakra can be used for many things like sensing the surroundings, strengthening the body, healing others, summoning, and even manipulating nature." The more he read, the more fascinated he became with chakra, but since it was getting late, he decided to return to the library when the academy started. The next day, both Kaida and Yomi decided to roam around the village, but they couldn''t buy anything as they would receive their stipends once they started attending the academy. Today was the day the academy finally started. Kaida woke up at 4:30 as always, and Yomi woke up at the same time. They completed their morning workout and ate food, which was nothing but a nutrient bar provided by Kenji on the day they arrived. After eating the tasteless food, they both ran toward the academy. The academy started at 8 am. Both of them were assigned to 3A, which was a large hall on the 3rd floor. Its structure was a little similar to college classrooms on Earth. There were already some students present, most of them from special clans. There was a boy from the Inuzuka clan with his cute dog, two Uchiha children who seemed to be twins, and a boy from the Hyuga clan. There were a total of 24 students assigned to this special class. Both Kaida and Yomi sat on the first bench. At 8 am, Kenji came to their class and introduced himself. "Hello, everyone. My name is Kenji Asuka. I am an elite chunin, and I will be your class teacher for this year. This is a special class, and we expect great results from you. In this class, we will not teach everything from basics like in other classes. Here, you have to do extra work since you will receive the most resources. You can access the library anytime you want and even go to section D after two months. We expect great results from you. "There will be a test conducted every six months, and the top scorer will be rewarded accordingly. However, if someone''s performance is not satisfactory, they will be transferred to normal classes, and some students from other classes may be transferred here according to their performance." After hearing this, all the students got a little nervous and excited about the special treatment they would receive. Since this was the first day, Kenji gave them a tour of the academy. They were shown all the classrooms, the library, the training grounds, and the canteen area. At the training grounds, various areas were shown like a running track, obstacle race track, shooting area, and balancing area with a lot of poles, among others. There was also a small pond at the far end of the training grounds. After the tour, they returned to the class. Kenji explained what they''d be learning this year. It seemed that most of the basics would be covered, but they would be taught in one month rather than a whole year. They were supposed to learn about chakra, hand signs, chakra control, Taijutsu, the theory of Genjutsu, shuriken throwing, along with normal subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Language, History, Geography, and Civics. For the first month, and after that, they would be taught actual jutsus. Most of the students were around 6 to 7 years old, with Kaida and Yomi being just 5 years old (5 and a half to be exact). The course was designed in such a way that they would require a minimum of 2 years to graduate from the academy. They would not just be taught the three basic jutsus like everyone else but also some E and D rank jutsus according to their attributes. After that, class was dismissed, and they were told they were free to do anything they wanted with the remaining time. Kaida decided to go back with Yomi since there was something really important for him to find. As they had received their allowance for the month, Kaida told Yomi about chakra paper, and they both decided to buy one to find their special chakra attribute. When they reached the shop, they were shocked to learn the price of the chakra paper was 500 Ryo. It was an amount they would never have paid if they were not in the special class, but now that they were getting 2000 Ryo, they could afford it. The shop owner decided to explain the chakra paper to them. "All shinobi know that chakra comes in the form of five basic elements: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Lightning. Most people have chakra that has an affinity to one of these elements. To find out what affinity someone has, pieces of paper made from a special type of tree are used to react to the slightest hint of chakra in various ways, depending on the nature latent in the chakra. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The chakra paper reactions are as follows: - Fire: The paper will catch on fire and turn to ash. - Wind: The paper will split in half. - Lightning: The paper will wrinkle. - Earth: The paper will turn to dirt and crumble away. - Water: The paper will become damp." Seeing them pay so much attention, the shop owner decided to give them a "cuteness discount," allowing them to get the chakra paper for 910 Ryo. After purchasing the chakra paper, both of them went back to their rooms. ************ Next Chapter: Chakra Attribute and Party A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week, with an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments; both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 13: Chakra Attribute and party After purchasing the chakra paper, both of them went back to their rooms. Both were anxious about their results but for different reasons. Yomi just wanted similar attributes to Kaida so they would remain together, whereas Kaida wanted lightning or air attributes since both increase the speed of a ninja, making a ninja very powerful. A sneak attack from a fast chunin can even damage or kill a jonin. since ninja are different from warrior, the person who remained alive till last will be the who is more powerful and speed can increase survival chance to a very high degree Yomi decided to go first. She picked up a chakra paper, and it wrinkled when she passed a little chakra into it. Kaida became so happy that he began celebrating. Yomi was confused about why it was so great to have lightning chakra, so she asked, "Why are you so happy? Is lightning chakra so great?" "Great? It is one of the strongest attributes you can possess. It is so rare that no more than three lightning users are ever present in Konoha, according to the library book. You will become powerful if you learn all lightning-related jutsus," Kaida said. "Well great, you don''t have to worry about anything now. Even if your attribute is not very strong, I will protect you," Yomi said, puffing her non-existent chest. Kaida just shook his head and decided to check his chakra attribute. He picked up a chakra paper and passed his chakra through it. The paper caught fire and turned to ash. Though disheartened, Kaida consoled himself. Even though the fire attribute doesn''t make you faster than others, it is a powerful and destructive attribute. All fire-related jutsus are known for their destructiveness. Seeing his face, Yomi tried to cheer him up. "Don''t worry, Kaida. I am sure those book writers didn''t know anything, and you will also become super strong." Seeing her try to cheer him up, Kaida''s mood improved. He decided to celebrate today as the start of the academy and Yomi''s lightning chakra attribute. "Well, I am not particularly sad, as my jutsus, though not fast, will do more damage than yours. But since we haven''t celebrated our academy selection and have just learned this great news, why don''t we celebrate today?" "Oh! So we are going to eat outside. I was getting fed up with those nutrient bars." "Well, no, we are not going to eat outside. Rather, I will cook something for us." "Hah, no thanks. I don''t want to attend the academy with an upset stomach tomorrow. And when did you learn about cooking?" Kaida thought, ''Well, I can''t say that I had cooking as my hobby in my previous life, can I?'' "I read about cooking in the library. Well, if you don''t want to, you can eat your nutrient bar," Kaida said. "Well, if you are that desperate, then I can''t help it. I will help you by tasting your food," Yomi said. "Thank you for your generosity, Yomi-sama," Kaida said while bowing slightly. "Shishishishsi," Yomi laughed at Kaida''s antics. Kaida went to the market to get the ingredients for cooking. The kitchen in their house was designed for kids, so Kaida could easily cook there. Since they were still growing, the food he decided to prepare was rich in protein and all required vitamins while still maintaining flavor. The dishes were fried bacon, steak, a full-size sandwich with a meat patty, some veggies and pickles, and pudding as a dessert. He also bought some carbonated drinks from the shop. Seeing all the prepared food shocked Yomi, but after smelling the delicious aroma, she wiped the drool off her face and they both sat down to eat. The steak, marinated with spices for an hour and roasted on coal to give it a smoky flavor, was splashed with bacon fat and rivaled steaks from famous restaurants. Other foods were also great, and after eating just nutrient bars with no taste for two days, this food tasted even better. After eating everything available, both of them sat with their backs against the wall. "Wow, I didn''t know you could cook this good. I appoint you as our chef," Yomi said, patting her bloated belly. "We will stick with the nutrient bar as cooking takes too much time," Kaida said, but after seeing tears building in Yomi''s big round eyes, he added, "But I can make breakfast daily as it doesn''t take much time. But you have to do the dishes, and no, those eyes will not work on me this time." "Tsk," Yomi clicked her tongue. Kaida could always see through her acts, but she was too cute to say no to. "OK, you can go back to your room and make sure you complete your leaf concentration exercise." "Ok, sensei," Yomi said playfully and left for her house. With free time for himself, Kaida decided to stick with the leaf concentration exercise since they hadn''t been taught any jutsu yet. After learning any jutsu, he would divide his time between leaf concentration and practicing jutsu. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "But first, clean this mess," he said after seeing the dishes and utensils he had to clean. After finishing all the chores, Kaida sat down and started practicing leaf concentration for the whole night, shifting between meditation and leaf concentration. This is the reason behind his high amount of chakra. Due to meditation, he didn''t have to sleep compulsorily. The meditation technique he was taught had a similar relaxation effect to sleeping, and chakra also energized him. Due to this, he only slept once a week, practicing the same exercise daily. He would have even more chakra if he focused more on its amount rather than its control. But his bloodline and constant practice rapidly increased his chakra even without trying. ********* Next Chapter: Hand signs A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments; both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 14: Hand Signs (A.N: Hi there! I would be super grateful if you could take just two minutes to write a small review. It would mean the world to me! Thank you so much for your support! ?) After practicing leaf concentration and meditation for the whole night, Kaida and Yomi began their morning exercise at 5 am. It was just a modified version of what they used to do at the orphanage. When they went back to the orphanage after the entrance exam, Hiroshi gave them a new training plan since their previous one would become useless in a month or two. Hiroshi strictly ordered them not to use weights as they were still growing, and it might hinder their development. After completing the exercise, they took a bath and went towards the academy after eating a breakfast Kaida made using eggs, which was a variation of a normal omelette. They reached the academy five minutes before Kenji came, so they decided to get to know their classmates. "Hi, my name is Kaida and this is Yomi. We are also in this class. I hope we will get along with each other," Kaida said with a smile. "Screw off, show-off. Who wants to be friends with you guys?" said a boy from the Hyuga clan, and everyone started laughing. They weren''t bad by nature, but since two orphans had performed better than them in the entrance exam, their clans doubled their training. Seeing their reaction, Yomi felt angry and was about to say something, but Kaida stopped her. Yomi thought he didn''t want to fight, but Kaida said, "Leave them, Yomi. Their little egos took a hit because they were defeated by five-year-old children, and a girl at that." "Shishishishi," Yomi laughed, and they both went towards a corner seat away from the other students. Some students wanted to say something, but their class teacher Kenji arrived at that moment, so they had to stay silent. Though Kaida was soft towards people he cared about or respected, he had no qualms in showing everyone who stood in his way that he was not someone they could bully easily. Seeing the tension in the class, Kenji made a ''bam'' sound with his hand on the desk, and all students turned towards him. "I don''t think you guys have time to play like children. You people are in the elite class, so the expectations from you guys are higher than normal. If you have time, focus more on training than useless stuff." Kenji saw the tension between others and Kaida and Yomi, but he decided to ignore it since friendship can''t be forced. He started teaching normally. "Well, as I said yesterday, you guys will also learn the basics. So today, we will learn about hand signs and chakra control. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The hand signs help shinobi correctly gather and shape their chakra to perform Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or any techniques. A technique is carried out by effectively executing the necessary fundamental hand signs in a certain order. To perform each technique successfully in combat, a specific set of hand signs must be memorized and summoned. So, let''s look at the 12 basic hand signs that every shinobi must learn. Now concentrate, I will perform all 12 hand signs." He performed all of them in this order: - Boar - Dog - Dragon - Hare - Horse - Monkey - Ox - Ram - Rat - Serpent - Tiger - Snake After performing all hand signs twice slowly so everyone could easily follow his hand movements and memorize them, he continued, "We will teach you guys basic jutsu, which are the Transformation Technique and the Clone Technique. But first, you guys have to memorize all the hand signs. Now let''s learn about what each hand sign is used for... (A.N- I am not writing each hand sign use as it is not important and just extra unnecessary knowledge.) They continued the class for two hours. After that, they were given a 10-minute break followed by a two-hour theory class. At the end of the class, Kenji said, "Our class is now over. You guys can go and eat your lunch, but I advise you to eat a little less since we will start our taijutsu classes. Even though we are not starting duels now, the physical exercises are still not going to be easy." Kenji left after the class, and both Kaida and Yomi went towards the garden to eat their lunch. While they were simply eating their nutrient bars, a boy from the Inuzuka clan, known for having dogs as their partners, approached them. "Hi, my name is Ryota Inuzuka. Sorry for this morning''s incident. Everyone has to go through very hard training because they lost to you guys. That''s why their mood is off." "It''s not like we are angry or anything. If they don''t want to be friends with us, we are okay with it. Let''s leave them aside. How about you join us for lunch? I always wanted to pat this cute gentleman ever since I saw him at the entrance exam," Kaida said, moving towards Kiba with a treat in his hand. Yes, he carried the treat since he was a dog lover even in his previous life. Kiba, seeing the treat and not sensing any bad feelings from Kaida, jumped towards him, which shocked Ryota a lot since Kiba normally avoided strangers and only trusted his family members to be this friendly. This drastically improved Kaida''s image in Ryota''s mind. "It''s not fair, I also want to play with him," Yomi shouted, but this shocked Kiba, and he ran back towards Ryota. "You scared him. He is still young, so you have to be gentle around him," Kaida said. "How do you know so much about dogs, Kaida?" Ryota asked. "Well, I read about them in the library after seeing him during the entrance exam." "Woof woof," came the response from Kiba, wagging his tail left and right. ********* Next Chapter: Taijutsu A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments; both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 15: Taijutsu "Woof woof," came the response from Kiba with his tail wagging left and right. Kaida and Yomi ate their lunch with Ryota; well, they only had an energy bar for their lunch. After eating, Kaida and Yomi played with Kiba for the remaining time. The bell rang, and they moved toward the training ground as it was time for their taijutsu class. It was a really important class for Kaida and Yomi as they did not have a clan like the Hyuga clan that could teach them about taijutsu. Even though what the academy taught about taijutsu couldn''t compete with taijutsu of other clans, it was still better than nothing. When they reached the training ground, Kenji was already present there. Seeing the last students arrived, he began speaking: "We are going to learn about taijutsu now. Taijutsu is a basic form of technique and refers to any techniques involving martial arts or the optimization of natural human abilities. Taijutsu is executed by directly accessing the user''s physical and mental energies, relying on the stamina and strength gained through training. It typically does not require chakra, though chakra may be used to enhance its techniques. Taijutsu generally requires no hand seals to perform, occasionally making use of certain stances or poses, and is far quicker to use than ninjutsu or genjutsu. Taijutsu is, simply put, hand-to-hand combat. Although it is used by nearly all shinobi, only a few of them use it as their primary fighting style. Here you are not going to learn any advanced form of taijutsu, but we will focus on basics and building a foundation as it is very difficult to change or learn a new type of taijutsu after learning one type of taijutsu. Now everyone, I hope you have understood what I have said." "Yes, sensei," everyone replied. "Now get ready. First, you all have to run 2 laps around the training ground for the warm-up." After listening to Kenji''s words, everyone began running. While running, Kaida was thinking, ''Finally, I can start learning taijutsu. I am not sure I will even be able to reach Rock Lee or Guy''s level, but still, taijutsu is important if I want to become strong. And just doing the same exercise daily was getting boring. Now we can start learning something new.'' When they finished running, Kenji started teaching them about the correct posture of punching and kicking. "In taijutsu, everything comes from your stance. Your power, your mobility, your strikes, and grapples and defenses, all begin with your stance. We will be learning the Four Prerequisites of Proper Foundation: 1. Angles 2. Balance 3. Posture 4. Continuity The angle, balance, and posture of your body while performing any form of taijutsu are important. Now watch carefully. I will show you proper postures of some basic moves, so watch carefully and learn." Kenji began performing some basic punches and kicks. Everyone was focusing on his every move, but the person focusing most was Kaida as everyone else had already learned about this in their clan. After performing a total of 10 forms of punches and kicks, Kenji stopped, and now it was the turn of the students to follow through. Only the boy from the Hyuga clan and the twins from the Uchiha clan were able to replicate it completely. Kaida and Yomi were having some problems performing those moves. Seeing this, a smirk emerged on their faces which irked Kaida to no end, but he couldn''t do anything to them, so he focused on his posture. Kenji corrected their mistakes from time to time, and after 2 hours of continuous practice, Kaida was able to perform those moves to a satisfactory level. Yomi was still having some problems with some moves, but since time was over for the class, Kenji dismissed the class. Ryota, along with his cute companion, Kiba, walked alongside Kaida and Yomi, escorting them partway towards their home. As they journeyed together, sharing stories and laughter, the bonds of their friendship grew stronger. However, they eventually reached a point where they bid each other farewell. Kaida and Yomi went toward their homes. Since they had nothing important to do, they decided to simply practice till night and go for dinner, since eating an energy bar, though it provided all the nutrients for the body, did not provide the satisfaction of having a full belly. Kaida entered his house and began training his chakra control. Even though he was still just a child, his chakra control could be compared to elite chunins at least due to constant practice and his unique bloodline. He could now easily pass chakra from any part of his body as well as maintain the flow and amount of chakra he wanted to pass. After one round of practice, it was already night, so Yomi and Kaida went to a local restaurant for dinner. Even though Kaida wanted to try Ichiraku ramen, the shop was quite a distance away from their house and it took some time to get there, that''s why he decided to try it after some time. After eating, they went back to their rooms where Kaida slept today as he had already gone 5 days without sleeping. Both of them woke up at 4:30 and after completing their morning work, they went towards the training area. This time they had only done physical exercise for 2 hours and for the remaining time, they practiced the moves Kenji had taught them yesterday. Kaida corrected Yomi''s posture and mistakes from time to time. By the time they had to stop their training, Yomi was also able to perform all the moves without any major issues. Yes, there were some minor issues, but they would be rectified after practice. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Both of them took a bath (in their own house) and went towards the academy. This time Ryota sat with them; of course, Kiba was also there. When Kenji came to class, he began teaching about hand signs followed by chakra control and taijutsu as this was their schedule for a whole week. Kaida and Yomi''s days became monotonous for 1 week with their schedule being morning workout and taijutsu in the morning, academy till 3:00 PM, Then practicing what they were taught in the class for the rest of the day, with only dinner being something interesting as they decided to try all the local restaurants in their area ************************************** (Hey guys, if you like what you''re reading, then please Support this fanfic, recommend it to your friend may be ^~^) Next Chapter: Jutsu Training Starts A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter for Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. : - ) Chapter 16: Jutsu training starts (Hey guys, if you like what you''re reading, then please Support this fanfic, recommend it to your friend may be ^~^) *** After one week, their class became purely focused on the theory section provided by Kenji. "Since you guys have only two years to study in the academy rather than three like every other student, you will be taught all the theories related to the shinobi world and their traditions. You will also learn about geography and politics since most of the missions you will get will be related to outside the village. So, it is important to learn about our surroundings. Normal classes like mathematics and science will also take place. You guys will have six whole months to focus on theory. After six months, an exam will be held where if your score is not satisfactory, you may be transferred to normal classes." Listening to Kenji''s warning, every student became worried and decided to focus on theory a lot more than they initially thought. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For six months, Kaida and Yomi decided to do physical exercise and leaf concentration in the morning and academic practice in the evening. Kaida didn''t have any major problems with theory since his mental age was 14-15 rather than 6-7, but this led him to think there was some problem with ninjas. Who teaches a 6-7-year-old child algebra, calculus, and thermodynamics? But seeing everyone else learning without any major problems, he concluded that everyone in the ninja world not only has a physical advantage over people in his previous life, but their minds are also more adaptable. Thanking God that quantum physics is not explored in this world yet, Kaida began to focus on theory and also helped Yomi with her study. Though she was not on the genius side, considering normal standards, she was above average. Sometimes Ryota also joined them in their study time, and this was how they spent most of their six months. (On the day of the exam...) "Kaida, are you not even a little worried about the exam?" Yomi asked while nervously biting her nails. "Calm down, Yomi. Take a deep breath. We have practiced so much that forget about failing, I think we are going to get the top score in the exam. So don''t worry," Kaida said. They skipped their morning exercise and went towards the academy. They didn''t have to take the exam for all the subjects; rather, a single question paper had questions related to all the subjects they were taught. Every student sat at their designated location and started writing answers. The duration of the test was three hours, so everyone was focused on the test, and no one was even trying to cheat as two elite chunins were supervising the exam. After three hours, the invigilators announced the end of the exam time and started collecting the answer sheets. After submitting their answer sheets, the students left the examination hall. "How was your exam, guys?" Ryota asked. "I was feeling so much tension in the morning, but the question paper was surprisingly easy. It went well," Yomi said with a grin on her face. "Same here. What about you, Ryota?" Kaida asked. "Well, thanks to you guys, I will at least not fail this exam." After a small discussion, they went back to their houses. The results were disclosed the next day, and without any surprise, Kaida had the highest score with 196/200, followed by the Uchiha twins with 194/200. Yomi scored a little less with 193/200, but she was happy with her score. Ryota also managed to pass the exam, but he was not among the top scorers in the class. The next day, Kaida and Yomi began their morning training, which had now been modified into a form of duel where they practiced taijutsu moves against each other, though not to the extent of actually hurting each other. After finishing their exercise, both of them took a bath and went toward the academy. When they entered the class, Ryota went towards them with Kiba. "Hey guys, congratulations on your results! Is there anything you guys can''t do?" Ryota said. But Kaida looked past him; everyone in the class was giving them angry looks. "What happened to them? Why does it feel like they are angrier than before?" Kaida asked Ryota. "Actually, after the entrance exam, their training was doubled, not only physically but also in theory. But since you were again the top scorer, let''s just say their clan''s response was not very good," Ryota replied with an awkward smile on his face. "Well, it''s their fault if they are not as smart as Kaida. Why are we paying attention to them when we have our cute little Kiba here who deserves all our attention?" Yomi said. "Woof," Kiba barked in affirmation. Both Kaida and Yomi sat with Ryota at the side of the class and began playing with Kiba. After 10 minutes, Kenji entered the class. "Good morning, everyone. It''s great that everyone in my class passed the exam, though some of you barely managed a passing score. But still, since everyone passed, now that your theory part is completed, we will focus on the practical side. From today, you guys will be taught about Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and some Taijutsu. What I told you guys about two years in the academy was just a rough estimate. Mainly, you guys have to complete three tasks to graduate from the academy. The sooner you finish these tasks, the sooner you''ll be able to embark on your journey as a ninja. Coming to the tasks, your first task is to learn basic jutsu which are taught to all the students in the academy. That jutsu is the Clone Technique. This is a basic technique that every shinobi can use. For this technique, users create one or more afterimages of themselves to move alongside them. Unlike most other clone techniques, these afterimages have no substance and thus are incapable of damaging opponents. Because of this, it is only useful for distracting enemies while other attacks are prepared. But don''t underestimate this jutsu just because it is an E-rank. A momentary distraction is what an experienced ninja needs to change the direction of the fight. The hand sign for performing this jutsu is... Now, the next jutsu will be the Transformation Jutsu. This technique is most often used to disguise the user as another person, but they can also turn into an animal, plant, or inanimate object. It is most difficult for users to transform into inanimate objects, and users are shown familiarizing themselves with an object''s weight and feel before assuming its form. Users will gain the attributes and physical features of whatever they transform into, such as a weapon''s sharpness or an animal''s fangs. To be able to assume so many different forms makes this technique invaluable for not just combat but intelligence gathering and diversionary tactics as well. If you guys can master this jutsu, it can be compared to B or some low A-rank jutsu. But in its initial phase, it is also an E-rank jutsu. The hand sign for this jutsu is... And the last jutsu you guys are going to learn is the Substitution Jutsu. With this jutsu, one replaces their own body with a block of wood or some other object the moment an attack lands. This creates an optical illusion, making the enemy think the attack was successful. From this, the user can use the lapse in the enemy''s attention to attack or flee from the battlefield. With the enemy''s guard down, you can take advantage of that and change the results of the fight. This is also an E-rank jutsu, and the hand sign for this jutsu is... Do you guys understand what I taught? If not, you can ask your doubts." "Sensei," Kaida raised his hand. "Yes, Kaida?" "Are just hand signs enough to perform any jutsu?" Kaida asked. "No, Kaida. Even though you can learn low-rank jutsu from hand signs, higher-rank jutsu are not only based on hand signs but you also have to understand the principle behind that technique. Anything else?" "No, sensei. Thank you," Kaida said and sat down in his seat. "With jutsu classes, we will also begin your shuriken throwing lectures now, so you guys can collect your practice weapons from the weapon department on the 4th floor tomorrow. That''s it for today; we will begin the practice tomorrow," Kenji said and dismissed the class. ***** **Next Chapter: Feeling like a Ninja** **Author''s Note:** Add this to your library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments; both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 17: Feeling like a NINJA "With jutsu classes, we will also begin your shuriken throwing lectures now. You can collect your practice weapons from the weapon department on the fourth floor. That''s it for today; we will begin practice tomorrow," Kenji said and dismissed the class. Kaida decided to go to the library since they were now allowed to access the D section, which stored D-rank jutsu. However, his purpose for visiting was not for the jutsu but for something else. Yomi decided to go home as she was not a big fan of reading. Kaida told her before heading to the library, "Don''t practice any jutsu alone when I''m not there. You can continue with the leaf concentration until I come back, and then we''ll practice those jutsus together." Yomi nodded and went back home while Kaida made his way to the library. Upon entering the library, he showed his ID to the librarian, an old man with a long beard and some white hair. A wise look was always on his face. Seeing Kaida''s ID card, the librarian allowed him access to the D section but warned that if he tried to sneak into any other area, he would be banned from the library for a year and a complaint would be registered at the Hokage''s office. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida went straight to the D section but didn''t pick up any scrolls. Instead, he went to the books section and started reading the book "Hand Sign Real Meaning." After reading the book, he concluded, "So I was correct. Hand signs are not essential for performing any jutsu. They just help in molding chakra forcefully. But if we can mold our chakra on our own, we don''t have to use hand signs. Hand signs are one of the biggest weaknesses of any jutsu because they tell the opponent which move you''re going to use next. One can eliminate the hand sign process with good chakra control and enough knowledge and experience with the jutsu. This means every jutsu that may be valuable in the future has to be practiced thoroughly so that I can use it without hand signs. Since chakra control is also important, let''s search for some chakra control exercises since the leaf concentration has become stale and super easy for both of us." Kaida began searching for chakra control exercises, and after going through all the books in the D section, he found three exercises: 1. Tree Climbing Practice: This training method helps improve chakra control by focusing a fixed amount of chakra on the bottom of one''s feet to climb a tree without using hands. 2. Water Walking: Similar to tree climbing, this exercise involves using chakra on the feet in a controlled manner to walk on water. 3. Leaf Floating Exercise: In this exercise, a person must maintain a leaf above their palm with a constant release of chakra. Satisfied with his findings, Kaida went back home. It was already 5 PM. He told Yomi about everything he found in the library. They decided to switch from the leaf concentration exercise to the leaf floating exercise and practice tree climbing and water walking during their morning training. Finally, they began training the jutsu they were taught that day, starting with the Substitution Jutsu. Since it was the easiest, they focused on moving at high speed and using chakra to swap something with themselves. Initially, it was messy; sometimes the object they tried to swap with didn''t move, and sometimes they were too slow, making their movements easily detectable. Kaida performed a little better than Yomi due to his superior chakra control and higher chakra reserves. After an hour, Yomi stopped practicing as her chakra was nearly depleted. She was able to perform the Substitution Jutsu to some extent but needed to improve her timing. Kaida continued practicing until his chakra was almost empty, then meditated with Yomi for four hours. When their chakra reserves were replenished, they went to the Kakariki restaurant near their house for dinner. They greeted the owner, who greeted them back and confirmed their regular order. After eating, they went back home. Suddenly, Yomi said, "Kaida, don''t you think we''re training a little too much? We haven''t gone outside aside from eating since we became academy students. I know training is important, but let''s take some breaks too. As the old man said, breaks are also part of the training." That''s when it clicked for Kaida. He had never considered Yomi''s feelings when planning everything. He forgot that Yomi was still just a child who sometimes wanted to play like other children. He thought she would also enjoy getting stronger like him, but now he realized his mistake. Seeing him silent for some time, Yomi thought he was angry after hearing her request, so she said, "On second thought, we don''t need a break. Don''t be angry; we can continue our training as usual." Hearing this increased Kaida''s guilt. He said, "I''m sorry, Yomi. I''m not angry, and you''re right. I was too focused on training and forgot how important breaks are and how much you like to go outside. But it''s never too late. Starting today, we won''t train on our weekly holiday and will do all the things you want. Okay?" "Yes, let''s have a tour of the village this time!" Kaida nodded, and they started discussing all the things they would do on their holiday. After discussing for 15 minutes, they went back home. Kaida decided to practice the leaf floating exercise. After trying it for the first time, he was shocked by his findings. The leaf floating exercise required more than five times the chakra of the leaf concentration exercise. If he tried to rotate the leaf, the chakra consumption increased to six times. According to his calculations, he could do the exercise for a maximum of one hour with his full chakra reserves. Since he was not in optimal condition, he decided to meditate and replenish his chakra reserves. After four hours, he started the leaf floating exercise again. Unlike the leaf concentration exercise, it was mentally taxing. After completing the exercise, Kaida decided to get a full night''s sleep. --- **Next Chapter: First Outing Preparation** **Author''s Note:** Add this story to your library to get notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week, and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. Chapter 18: First outing preparation (Hey guys, if you like what you''re reading, then please Support this fanfic, recommend it to your friend may be ^~^) In the morning, Kaida woke up fully refreshed. He completed his morning routine and went to Yomi''s house to take her to training. They both went to their training area and started their morning workout. After two hours, they began the tree climbing exercise. Yomi tried first, and she was able to climb some distance, but after reaching five meters, her concentration wavered, and she fell. Kaida, already on alert, jumped and caught her mid-air, bringing her down in a princess carry. Yomi blushed and silently wished time would stop so she could stay like that, but Kaida gently put her down and said, "It''s all right, Yomi. I''ll wait until you can do this without any major problems, so don''t worry." Yomi nodded and started climbing the tree again. This time, she maintained her full concentration on the chakra flow in her legs. She reached the highest point possible, but when she turned to come back down, she became nervous, and her concentration wavered again. She fell and landed in Kaida''s arms once more. After practicing for an hour and falling four times, Yomi was finally able to climb and return four times in a row. Kaida then began his tree climbing exercise, and Yomi stood guard for him, knowing firsthand the consequences of a momentary distraction. Kaida didn''t say anything and started climbing. He reached the top on his first try, but when he turned to come back down, his chakra flow wavered, and he nearly fell. However, he managed to stabilize himself and came back down. He repeated the process a few more times to reassure Yomi that he didn''t need help with this exercise. Once Yomi was assured, she resumed her own exercise. After completing the exercise, they both went back to their houses, took a bath, and left for the academy. The first thing they did was get their weapons, as Kenji had mentioned. Upon reaching the weapon room on the fourth floor, they were taken aback by the variety of weapons available: kunai, shurikens, different types of swords, and more. They made their way to the receptionist and showed their ID cards. The receptionist made their entry and gave them a packet containing two kunai and six shurikens. Though not as sharp as those carried by other ninja, the weapons were not dull either. Their sharpness was reduced slightly to prevent severe injuries during practice. After collecting their packages, they went to their class where everyone was already present. Kaida and Yomi joined Ryota and Kiba, but before they could talk, Kenji entered the class and began teaching. "I hope everyone has started practicing the jutsu I taught yesterday. Today, we will discuss various uses of the jutsu." He began teaching various standard uses of the jutsu, and everyone listened attentively, some even taking notes. After the class, they were asked to come to the training ground where another teacher was present. Seeing the doubt on their faces, Kenji explained, "Some things are easier to learn by seeing them in practice, and weapon training is one of them. So, Kaito-sensei and I will demonstrate the usage of kunai and shurikens in a fight. Watch carefully." After everyone was seated, the demonstration began. Kaito started running around Kenji at high speed, throwing shurikens at him, which Kenji deflected with his kunai. After throwing 12 shurikens, they engaged in close combat with kunai as their main weapons. The demonstration lasted for 10 minutes, with occasional separations where they threw shurikens at each other, deflected by kunai. Since both were elite chunin, they toned down their speed and limited chakra use so students could see and learn. After completing the demonstration, Kenji addressed the students, "As you have seen, shurikens and kunai can be used in multiple ways during a fight. You should practice them efficiently as proficiency will be graded in your next assignment. Now, stand in batches of 15 and start throwing shurikens at the target as I taught in class." Kaida, Yomi, and Ryota stood together and began their practice. Their accuracy was poor initially, with none of their shurikens hitting the target. Other students didn''t fare much better, except for the Uchiha twins who managed to hit the target board. After several rounds and corrections from Kenji, Kaida and his group were able to hit the target, though not the center. Seeing their improvement, Kenji said, "Everyone has done well. You don''t have to learn everything in a day. Your accuracy will increase with time and practice, so continue training hard. Once you are confident in your accuracy, you can move to an area with a moving target. Now, the class is dismissed for today." After thanking Kenji for the lecture, everyone went home. Kaida and Yomi continued their practice like the previous day. With their daily schedule already packed with training, they decided not to include shuriken practice since they had time for it at the academy. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Three days passed similarly, and the day of the holiday arrived. --- **Yomi''s Point of View:** Finally, the day is here. Even though I like training with Kaida, constant training was getting boring. He mostly focused on training until we did something dangerous. But when we did, he put most of his focus on me so that I wouldn''t get hurt. That''s what I like about him¡ªhe always cares for others and tries to protect them, even getting hurt sometimes in the process. I''m glad I asked him to take a break, even though I was anxious about him getting angry over it. At first, I thought he had changed after that day when he was hurt badly by Suri, but I''m glad to know he hasn''t changed much¡ªjust became a little more handsome. Why does he have to be so handsome? Even during class, other girls try to steal glances at him. I''m just glad he doesn''t pay them any attention; otherwise, he would be the most popular boy in the class. After ranting in her mind for some time, Yomi decided to choose what she was going to wear for the outing today. --- **Kaida''s Point of View:** ''Hmm, since I said we wouldn''t do any practice today, I can''t do any chakra control exercises either. Even though Yomi wouldn''t find out if I did, I don''t like the idea of breaking a promise to a friend. But since I don''t have a hobby, how am I going to pass the time? Let''s just clean the house and arrange the furniture to pass some time.'' --- Since most shops opened after 7 AM, they decided to go out at 7:30 AM. --- Next Chapter: First Outing Author''s Note: Add this story to your library to get notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week, with an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 19: First outing Yomi decided on a white long sleeveless frock with a flowery border and an open hair look. She had grown more than her age suggested. In the ninja world, children grow up a lot earlier than you might assume, as they are considered adults at the age of 14-15, the age when students normally become genin. Due to early chakra activation and constant physical exercise, she had grown to a height of 5.0 feet with a slightly curvy figure, easily confused with girls of 12 or 13 years old. Kaida also didn''t lack in this part. He had gone to extra lengths during physical and chakra control exercises, passing chakra through every part of his body. He attained a height of 5.3 feet with a muscular build, maintaining both speed and strength. With his already handsome looks, his personality was now enough to turn heads when he crossed any street. Kaida decided to wear a simple red t-shirt with black patterns to complement his hair, paired with blue jeans and a simple pair of black shoes. At 7:30, he went towards Yomi''s house to pick her up. He knocked on the door twice and waited. When Yomi opened the door, Kaida stood still for a full 30 seconds. When he realized this, a blush appeared on his face. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You are looking gorgeous, Yomi. I think I should have brought a bouquet for you," Kaida said with an awkward laugh to hide his embarrassment. This brought Yomi out of her stance too, and she said with a blush, "You are also looking handsome, Kaida." They started walking towards the market area, with their first destination being Ichiraku''s shop for breakfast. After hearing so much about his noodles, Yomi too wanted to try them. After some time, they arrived in front of the old-looking small shop. Though Yomi had some doubts about the rumors, Kaida was extremely happy to finally try Ichiraku ramen. They went inside where Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame, were present. Ayame, just a child the same age as Kaida and Yomi, helped her father manage the shop. When she saw Kaida and Yomi, she was stunned and stared at them for 10 seconds. Not hearing his daughter''s usual greeting, Teuchi asked, "What happened, Ayame? Who is there?" This brought Ayame back, and she exclaimed, "Two customers are here, Dad. Good morning! What would you like to have?" Kaida was happy to see one of his favorite characters from the anime, as they were among the few who didn''t hate Naruto for being a jinchuriki and even helped him. Coming out of his thoughts, he said, "We don''t have any pre-decided dish as we have never eaten ramen before. Can you recommend one of the famous ramen dishes?" "Oh! If it''s your first time, I highly recommend you go for one with all the toppings. Though it''s a bit expensive, I guarantee the taste," Ayame said proudly. "Well, we''ll have two bowls of that," Yomi said, feeling happy after seeing Ayame''s cheerful personality. Ayame ran back to her father, and after about 20 minutes, they were served a fragrant bowl of ramen. They started eating as soon as it was presented to them. With the first sip of the soup, an explosion of flavors occurred in their mouths. Kaida thought, ''No wonder Naruto liked this ramen so much; it''s so tasty that one could kill for it.'' After eating the ramen bowl in record time, both of them shouted for seconds, which Teuchi presented in an instant. Seeing their confused faces, Teuchi said, "I''ve run this shop for more than two decades, so I have enough experience to judge how many times a person will ask for another bowl." They were too focused on the ramen to think of anything else. After eating five bowls each, they left the establishment. Though a little expensive, they decided they could eat this ramen once a week, even if they had to survive on energy bars for the rest of the week. After eating, they went to the park, sat on a bench, and talked about various topics related and unrelated to ninjas or the academy. At noon, they decided to eat at a restaurant as it was their first holiday in nearly seven months. They had enough savings to not think about money, at least for today. After eating, they went toward Hokage Rock, where they sat at the top of the mountain and watched the whole village from the top. To say the sight was mesmerizing would be an understatement. A large village surrounded by forest, with many small forests and playgrounds and numerous buildings of different sizes and structures placed together masterfully. It was beautiful. After some time, they decided to go back home. On their way back, they saw an old man sitting in the park with a crowd of children surrounding him. Curious, they went to find out what was happening. It turned out that this old man was a retired ninja telling stories about his missions, exaggerating them a little to make them interesting for the children. Both Kaida and Yomi became interested and sat with the children to listen. After some time, the old man decided to wrap up for the day. All the children requested him to continue, but he said he had something important to do and went towards the Hokage building. Everyone left for their homes, including Kaida and Yomi. On the other hand, the old man released his transformation jutsu. Yes, he was none other than Hiruzen, enjoying a little break from all the paperwork. Seeing Kaida and Yomi in the crowd, he decided to continue for a bit longer while silently analyzing their growth, which shocked him. Their chakra reserves had expanded again, with Yomi having 13 times that of any beginner and Kaida having 28 times a beginner. He went back to his office with a smile on his face. ***** Next Chapter: Clone Jutsu (A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week, and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments; both positive and negative feedback are appreciated. :-) Chapter 20: Clone jutsu After coming back to their houses, it was already time for dinner, so they ate at their usual restaurant and then went back to sleep. Kaida, after a long time, felt happy and satisfied with the day. When he woke up the next day, he was surprised to feel that his chakra reserves had increased¡ªnot by much, but there was an improvement. If one were to estimate, it was around 2 percent bigger than before. He got up from bed, completed his bathroom needs, and then went to call Yomi for morning training. They both completed their morning training with 2 hours of physical exercise and spent the rest of the time practicing tree climbing. Kaida decided to add a leaf-floating exercise into the mix, as they needed to practice jutsus in the evening. After completing their practice, they went back to their houses to get ready for the academy. After taking a bath, they went towards the academy, where their normal classes were now over, and they had to focus completely on their jutsu and weapons training. As they didn''t have any doubts related to jutsus, they went directly towards the training area to practice shuriken throwing. Their accuracy had reached 100 percent with still targets, so they decided to move to the area with moving targets. Trying their luck, they found themselves back at level 1, unable to land a single hit. They not only had to adjust their throwing but also calculate the expected position of the moving target, the time it would take to reach the target, and consider the airflow in the equation. They began training diligently until Kenji arrived to tell them that they could go back since class time was over. Of course, they could continue if they wanted, but Kaida decided to go back as they had made rapid improvements. They were now able to hit the target without any issue, though their aim was a bit off. It could be improved with practice, and he was not in a hurry. So, both of them left for their houses. After reaching home, they decided to take a break of 1 hour before starting their jutsu training. Since they could now perform substitution jutsu without major problems, they decided to start with another jutsu: the clone jutsu. Unlike the substitution jutsu, which required actual movement and focused more on the physical aspect of chakra, the clone jutsu mainly focused on the spiritual aspect. They had to use their chakra to make an exact copy of themselves while thinking about what that copy should do, with hand signs helping to manipulate the chakra. Since there was no actual harm involved in practicing this jutsu other than wasting chakra, Kaida and Yomi began their practice at the same time. Surprisingly, Yomi was able to form a clone on her first try, though it did not look much like her. Seeing this, Kaida started his jutsu practice by imagining an exact copy of himself and thinking about it performing a basic punch. With a puff, a clone appeared in front of him and performed a basic punch in his direction, though it had no eyes and mouth. They continued practicing as it didn''t take a large amount of chakra, stopping whenever they found something important about the jutsu. After 1 hour of practice, they were able to make a clone do anything they wanted. They also discovered that they could only make a clone of themselves; it didn''t work if they tried to imagine someone else. The difficult part began when they had to imagine two different versions of themselves doing different tasks. This was like going from level 1 to level 10 in a game suddenly. Most of the time, their clones came out with missing body parts or connected in strange ways. They continued practicing until dinner time and were able to make two clones perform simple tasks like walking in a straight line or moving their heads up and down. They went to eat dinner as usual, and after that, they went directly to their houses to sleep. Kaida first decided to empty his chakra reserves by doing the leaf-floating exercise, managing to do it for 1 hour. This was a big improvement as he was not in peak condition. After that, he went back to sleep. For the next three days, they followed the same steps: morning training, shuriken throwing at the academy, and clone jutsu training in the evening. By the end of the third day, they were able to form 6 clones each, performing different tasks. Since the academy only required them to form 3 clones, they decided this was enough and moved on to the next jutsu, which Kaida was most excited for. Talking about the transformation jutsu, it was a mixture of both physical and spiritual aspects of chakra. They had to modify the chakra according to the image in their minds, ensuring that every part of the image was clear. First, they decided to transform into a boy and a girl since they were taught about human anatomy in the academy. Both of them were able to copy the features of the person they were trying to mimic, with Kaida copying Ryota and Yomi copying a friend from the orphanage. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Though there were some dissimilarities, they could be countered with practice. Next, they decided to copy each other''s appearance, which also worked well, as they knew about the differences between male and female anatomy. However, when Kaida tried to transform into a wolf, he was unable to do so, and the chakra was wasted. He expected this result as he didn''t know anything about wolf anatomy, so he decided to visit the library after tomorrow''s academy classes. They practiced the jutsu some more and then went back to sleep after eating dinner. ***** Next Chapter: Transformation Jutsu (A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments; both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 21: Transformation jutsu After waking up at 4:30, Kaida completed his daily routine and then went to pick up Yomi for morning practice. After doing morning training and tree climbing exercises, in which they were proficient enough, they could sometimes afford to divert their concentration elsewhere and still maintain the correct amount of chakra to avoid falling from the tree. They went to their houses, took a bath, and then headed to the academy. Since they didn¡¯t have to attend theory classes, they went straight to the training ground and began their weapon training. Their accuracy in hitting moving targets had reached an acceptable level. They started practicing hitting moving targets while running, which was not easy by any means. You need full motor control of your body to execute this, as the number of things you have to focus on increases. Now, not only do you have to find the location of the target after some time and account for air resistance, but you also have to focus on where you are going and how your momentum will affect the direction of the shuriken. However, this time they didn¡¯t have to start from level 1. Due to constant morning training, their motor control was already really good. The only thing they needed to focus on more was their aim and the shift in direction that comes with the momentum of their motion. At lunch, while they were eating, Ryota came over and sat beside Kaida, with Kiba going towards Kaida to get his daily dose of treats. After Kaida gave treats to Kiba with lots of head pats, Ryota asked, "Guys, how is your jutsu training going? Actually, if you¡¯re having any problems with the practice, you can come with me after class. I can convince my old man to teach you guys too." "Thanks for the offer, Ryota, but we¡¯re doing pretty well on our own. We¡¯ve already learned two jutsus, more than the academy requires of us, and the Transformation Jutsu is going to take some time as I have some ideas I want to try," Kaida replied. Ryota¡¯s mouth hung open for a moment. After processing what he had heard, he asked, "You¡¯re saying that you¡¯ve already learned two jutsus and are training on your third one within two weeks? Do you guys even do anything other than training? Forget that, do you guys even sleep?" S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Hahahaha, we do, Ryota. We¡¯re planning to explore the village tomorrow. Do you want to join us?" Kaida took his question as a joke, but the growth and learning speed they had achieved was enough to put some geniuses to shame. The reason was simple: they had been training for chakra control for more than a year now. Their bodies were completely adapted to chakra, and they could even control the amount of chakra they wanted to use. Because of this, they were able to learn these jutsus so easily. However, jutsus starting from D-rank can¡¯t be learned like this; they are more difficult to master. With each increase in rank of the jutsu, the difficulty also increases many times. Ryota just stopped thinking about it and accepted that they were geniuses. With a sigh, he said, "No, my old man is going to teach me how to do the remaining jutsus, as I¡¯ve only been able to learn the Substitution Jutsu so far. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll catch up in no time." "I¡¯m sure you will. Best of luck," Yomi said while playing with Kiba. After eating, they went back to their training and continued until Kenji arrived and told them that class time was over. As decided earlier, Kaida went towards the library and Yomi went towards her house. At the library, Kaida went straight to the D section where he found the book he wanted to read. The book¡¯s title was "True Power of Transformation Jutsu." In this book, the author gave detailed descriptions of what you can and can¡¯t do with this jutsu, such as: ¡­ It is possible to change into a non-living thing, but your chakra can be detected by someone if they are trying to find you. Second, it is possible to change into an animal, but you can¡¯t merge two animals, and animals like birds should be avoided as their memory has some issues. Let¡¯s just say those who tried don¡¯t recommend transforming into birds. If you want to change into any animal, you have to learn the details about their anatomy completely so that you can imitate it with the help of chakra. Imagine if you don¡¯t know how breathing works in an animal and you transform into that animal¡ªyou will die a very funny death. That¡¯s why it is made in such a way that you can only transform if you know full details about it. It is also advised to familiarize yourself with the feeling of transforming into a said animal, as the sudden change in perspective can be dangerous in battles. Now, one may ask, how can we transform into a non-living thing if we have to breathe during the transformation period? Well, that¡¯s the second part of this jutsu; it helps you survive during that period with the help of chakra. Because of this, the chakra expenditure is also very high if you transform into any non-living thing, and it is advised not to try this unless necessary. ¡­ After all the details, several images and descriptions of different animals were given in the book. This was the main reason Kaida was reading it. He took some scrolls and started writing details about some animals he wanted to transform into. After writing down the details of four animals¡ªdog, cat, monkey (to blend into the environment in the future), and lastly, lion (just for fun)¡ªhe placed the book back where he had taken it from and went toward his home. He then headed straight to Yomi''s house to start their practice for the day. They made their way to the training ground where Yomi started to try and transform into Kenji while Kaida watched and gave feedback where he could see differences. At one point, it became awkward when Yomi transformed into Kenji with boobs. Kaida just turned his head away because he didn¡¯t want to see his sensei in that form. When Yomi realized her mistake, she canceled the jutsu, and both of them laughed their heads off. When Yomi was able to copy Kenji to an acceptable level, Kaida started his training. The first animal he decided to transform into was a monkey. As the book had mentioned the sudden shift in perspective, he decided to transform into an animal that somewhat resembled a human. ***** (A.N.: Add this to your library so you¡¯ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week, and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments¡ªboth positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 22: Mighty Roar When Yomi was able to copy Kenji to an acceptable level, Kaida started his training. The first animal he decided to transform into was a monkey, as the book had said about the sudden shift in perspective, he first decided to transform into an animal that somewhat looked like a human. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida imagined a complete image of a monkey with all the body parts he had read about today. As a die-hard fan of Ben 10, he visualized himself transforming like an alien, with each cell changing into something different. When he performed the hand sign, at first nothing happened. He thought it didn''t work, but just as he was about to stop, white smoke started to emerge from his leg and slowly covered his head. With a puff, all the smoke dispersed, and Kaida was transformed into a monkey. Yomi, seeing that Kaida was able to perform this difficult task, wanted to congratulate him. He looked just like a normal monkey, a little fit one, but nothing out of the ordinary. On the other hand, it was getting awkward for Kaida, as his clothes had not transformed with him, so he was standing there naked. Coming out of his pile of clothes, he started to walk but fell head first. That was when it clicked to him what the book meant when it said it would take some time to get used to the change in perspective. He went over his memory for details about monkeys and then remembered that monkeys use their tails to balance themselves. He began his practice again. The first thing he did was forget how to walk and started to find the best way to walk according to his new body. After some time, Kaida was able to walk on all fours as well as on two legs, though it felt more natural to walk on all fours. After walking, he decided to try something that is a specialty of monkeys: tree climbing. When he went to the tree, he subconsciously transferred his chakra into his legs and walked on the tree. After reaching the peak, Kaida noticed what he had done. The book said that controlling chakra while transformed into an animal is very difficult since they just imitate the physical nature, not the chakra veins. But since he imagined his whole body transforming from cell to cell, he was able to modify the chakra veins to suit his new body, though subconsciously. He jumped from one tree to another with the help of both his instinct and chakra. He was able to perfectly jump from one tree to another and even swing on his tail sometimes. While Kaida was doing this, Yomi was standing on the ground, watching Kaida practice the jutsu. When he first fell, she became worried and was about to help him but stopped when she noticed he was thinking. Whenever Kaida thought about something like this, he came up with a simple and easy solution to their problem. This time, too, after just 10 minutes, he was able to walk like a monkey and do all the things a monkey would normally do. She was watching Kaida, but suddenly he gestured for her to go somewhere. At first, she didn''t understand what he was saying, but then he pointed to his clothes, and everything became clear. He was not wearing anything, so if he transformed back, he would be completely naked. With a blush on her face, she ran back toward her house as it clicked to her that she was continuously watching him naked. A thought came to her mind about watching him transform back while hiding, but this made her face even redder. Now she could have competed with a tomato. She swiftly went back to her house. Seeing this, Kaida laughed a little at the girl''s antics and went down, removed the transformation, and just when he was about to get dressed, he thought, "Since I still have some time, why not try to transform into all of those animals?" Then he transformed into a dog and a cat for half an hour each and became familiar with their specialties, like the smelling sense of dogs and the full-body flexibility of a cat. At last, he decided to transform into a lion, the one he was most excited about. Once again, he imagined the transformation like the animation of Ben 10, with a modification that his transformation starts from the legs rather than the hands, as the jutsu starts from the legs. He did the hand sign again. When the smoke faded, a majestic lion was standing around 6 feet tall with a light golden mane and golden fur. All of its muscles were well-defined. Since he had already transformed into a four-legged creature, he didn''t have any problems due to the change in perspective. The first thing he did was try to run, which surprised him as he was able to attain the speed of 40 km per hour for 5 minutes. But that seemed to be the limit as he was unable to continue running after that. After running, he decided to try the roar that lions are famous for. Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his vocal muscles a little and ROOOOOARRRRRRRR! Kaida was so stunned by this that he stood there for some time. His roar created sound waves that shook the trees. He was pretty sure many people in the village had heard it and that many would be heading in his direction to check the source of the sound. He quickly ran back toward his clothes. Fortunately, he had decided to run in a circle, so he was not far from his clothes. He quickly transformed back and started putting on his clothes. Just as he had finished putting on his pants, some Anbu ninja arrived at his location. "Boy, are you the one who produced that sound earlier?" an Anbu ninja asked in an authoritative tone. "I am sorry, sir. I was practicing transformation jutsu and accidentally produced that sound. I will be more careful from now on," Kaida said with a calm expression. After asking for some of his details, the Anbu ninja left, with a warning not to disturb the villagers with his practice. Even though Kaida maintained a calm front in front of the Anbu ninja, in reality, he was super excited. The roar was awesome, though it had no practical use for a ninja as most powerful ninja work requires stealth and all, but why should he always do everything the ninja way? With a smile on his face, Kaida went back to his house. Halfway there, he met with Yomi, who was going toward the training area to find him after hearing the sound. Kaida explained to her that there was nothing to worry about, that he had only made that sound, but secretly he was smiling inside, seeing his little savior who was on her way to save him with great determination on her face. They both went to their houses. ***** A.N.: Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter for Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. : - ) Chapter 23: 2nd exam of Academy The next day, early morning, Kaida woke up as usual at 4:30. However, he was again in the dilemma of what to do. He even tried to sleep some more, but due to his daily habits, he was unable to. After some thinking, he decided to do the same thing he did on his previous holiday: cleaning and organizing the house. Due to the house already being relatively clean, this was done within an hour. --- **Kaida''s POV** Now that I had already cleaned the house, what should I do? Hmm, now that I have time, I think I should sort out my plans and goals. First, now that we have already learned all three jutsu, I think we should take the second-semester exam too. Since most of the other students just have to learn this much to pass the exam, I think what we are going to learn in the other two semesters is advanced stuff, so there is no point in wasting time. Another thing is I should think of finding some ways to earn money since it has been seven months since we enrolled in the academy. We were given around 28,000 RYO, out of which we somehow managed to save 22,000 RYO. But now that we have decided to go out and enjoy our holiday, it will end in no time, as on the previous holiday our spending reached around 800 RYO. After that, the most important thing is that I should somehow find a way to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu. It was one of the most important jutsu in the Naruto series, as it not only helps to create an extra helper during a fight who knows all your jutsu but is also very useful in learning stuff. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This is one of the reasons I am not thinking of mastering those jutsu and reducing their hand signs, as it will be easier when I learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu. --- After thinking for some time about immediate issues, he wrote down all of those in the scroll in the language from his previous life so that if somehow anyone wanted to check him, they would not find anything. After writing, it was already 7:00 AM. He took a bath and got ready for today''s outing. After getting ready, he went toward Yomi''s house to pick her up. **Knock knock** When Yomi heard the knock, she went toward the gate and opened it as she knew the person who would come at this time would be Kaida. When she saw him, instant happiness could be seen on her face. On the other hand, Kaida was once again mesmerized by her beauty, as she was again looking gorgeous. As there was no major shift in the plan from the previous outing, they decided to first go to Ichiraku Ramen for breakfast. There, they once again ordered ten bowls. Though expensive, its taste made it worth it. After eating, they went toward the park and sat in the same spot they sat last time. Then Kaida decided to tell Yomi about the decision he made in the morning. "Yomi, I think we should take the exam as Kenji-sensei had said that the condition for passing the exam will be learning those three jutsu and we have already done more than enough. What do you think?" "Well, I don''t have any problem, but since you have previously told me that to master a technique we have to work on reducing the hand signs used to do that technique, and it can only be done with practice, so I was thinking we will have to do more practice for that jutsu," Yomi asked. "And we have to, but the academy doesn''t want us to master that jutsu, and we will have enough time to master that jutsu after qualifying for the exam." "OK, I don''t have any problem taking the exam," Yomi said with a smile. The rest of the day went the same as the previous holiday. At night, they both went back. The next day, they did a light workout as they had decided to take the exam for the second part of their academy today. They also decided not to practice the tree climbing exercise today to keep their chakra reserves full. After completing the light exercise, they took a bath and went toward the academy. But this time, they did not make their way straight toward the training area like always but went towards Kenji. Seeing them approaching him, Kenji thought that they had finally reached a bottleneck, as there are some things in which you will need help no matter how much of a genius you are. When they stood in front of his desk, Kenji said: "Welcome both of you. What do you want to ask?" Kaida and Yomi bowed respectfully, and Kaida said, "We would like to take our second exam, sensei." Kenji thought he heard them wrong, so he asked again, "Both of you want to take your second exam this early?" Seeing them nod, Kenji sighed and said, "You guys don''t have to hurry in these things. I know I said that the village has high expectations from you guys, but it has just been two weeks since you guys started learning jutsu. You guys can take your time and learn them perfectly, as Lord Hokage himself will be present there, and if you fail to perform the jutsu, you will be removed from the special class and placed in normal classes." He thought that due to this, they would hesitate and take their time in practicing the jutsu rather than rushing to take the exam. But the kids still said, "We are confident enough about our practice, sensei, so we would still like to take the exam." Kenji let out an audible sigh and said, "Well, I tried to warn you guys. I will tell Lord Hokage about this and he will decide the date of the exam. You guys can go to the training area if you want." "Thank you, sensei," both of them said. Kenji just nodded and went towards the Hokage''s office to inform Hiruzen about this. He went to the receptionist and said, "I have something important to discuss with Lord Hokage." The receptionist smiled and said, "I will inform Lord Hokage about this. Please wait for some time." Kenji nodded and went to sit on the sofa present in the corner. After some time, the receptionist informed Kenji that Lord Hokage was calling him. --- **A.N.:** Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week and an extra chapter for Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. ? Chapter 24: Taking 2nd Exam Kenji went towards the Hokage''s office. After reaching the front of his room, he knocked. **Knock knock** "Come in." Kenji entered after listening to the command. He bowed and greeted, "Lord Hokage." "Good morning, Kenji. So, what do you want to say?" "Sir, two of my students think that they are ready to take the second exam. Even though I tried to tell them that they should take their time in learning this jutsu, they kept saying they are confident enough to take the exam," Kenji said with frustration in his voice. Hiruzen smiled and asked, "Are those students Kaida and Yomi?" Kenji was surprised by this sudden question. How did Lord Hokage know about their names since this incident had just occurred? Seeing his face, Hiruzen replied, "They both are quite hardworking and talented, so it was not difficult to guess their names. You can go back and tell them they will have to take their exam in one hour in training area 13." Kenji just nodded respectfully and left. Hiruzen had a smile on his face thinking about how Konoha would have two more talented ninjas in the future. He called his secretary and told her that he would be busy for 2 or 3 hours. He then told Shikaku to handle the work in his absence after one hour. The secretary just nodded and went back. Shikaku, from the Nara clan, the father of Shikamaru Nara, and the current Jonin commander of Konoha, had a great mind but a lazy personality. When he heard that Hiruzen transferred all his work to him, he couldn''t help but curse under his breath. --- Kenji went back to the academy and called Kaida and Yomi. He told them that they would have to take the exam in training area 13 in one hour, and that Lord Hokage himself would be watching. Kaida just nodded, but Yomi got tense hearing that they would have to take the exam in one hour and that Lord Hokage himself was watching. But remembering their training and Kaida''s confidence in their ability when he was talking to Kenji, she calmed down. They swiftly made their way toward training area 13. Konoha has many forests inside the village, with varying lengths named as training areas for ninjas. One can pay and book a training ground if they want to practice something new or dangerous. Training area 13 was in the west of the academy. It was a flat ground the size of four football fields, surrounded by a thick layer of trees. Kaida and Yomi went to the training area and started doing warm-up exercises. After around half an hour, Kenji and Hokage came to the training area. Seeing both of them doing some light exercises, Hiruzen smiled a little. "Both of you come here, it''s time to begin the test," Kenji said. When they heard the command, both of them went toward Kenji. Seeing that Hokage was present, both of them bowed their heads. "It has been so long, how are you guys doing?" Hokage asked. "We have been practicing hard, just as you said last time," Yomi replied with a wide smile on her face. "Very well. I heard that you guys want to take your second exam. Are you guys confident in your use of shuriken and those three jutsu?" "Yes, Hokage," Kaida replied. "Very well, you guys have to show your skills in shuriken throwing. Hit those targets first." When he said that, three targets emerged from the ground at a distance of 250 meters. First, Yomi decided to take this test. She went forward and threw three shuriken back to back, and all of them hit the dead center of the target. Similarly, Kaida took the test, and with similar speed, he hit the target back to back at dead center. Seeing this, Hiruzen smiled and said, "Very good. Now I will throw a target in the air at the same distance. You guys have to hit the target before it reaches the ground." This time, Kaida decided to take the exam first. Hiruzen used his chakra to make a target like the previous time but tossed it in the air. When it was in the middle of the air, Kaida took out a shuriken and threw it at the target, hitting the dead center again. This was enough to pass any student, but Hiruzen decided to check the limit of Kaida, so this time he tossed three targets at once in the air. Seeing this, Kaida took out three shuriken and threw them one by one. All of them hit the target at the center. This time, he threw five targets in the air. Seeing Kaida quickly shifted toward Yomi and shouted, "Yomi, give me your weapon bag!" Yomi threw her bag as fast as she could. Kaida caught the bag and swiftly took out five shuriken from it and threw them at the target one by one. But due to time constraints, one shuriken missed the center by a little. Hiruzen was surprised by the quick decision-making capability of Kaida, as he forgot that academy students had only six shurikens allotted to them and increased the number of targets. He turned toward Kenji and asked, "Can you please retrieve those shurikens?" "Yes, Lord Hokage," Kenji quickly used the body flicker jutsu and brought all those shurikens back. Hiruzen pointed toward Yomi, and Kenji gave all those shuriken to Yomi. Yomi quickly understood what that meant. This was her time for the test, so she got ready. Hiruzen once again did the same thing, and Yomi was able to hit all the targets. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After Yomi hit her last target, Hiruzen said, "Very good, both of you. That''s enough. Now let''s proceed toward jutsu." Kaida and Yomi became ready to show their progress in ninjutsu. The Hokage said... --- **A.N.:** Add to the library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week and an extra chapter for Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. ? Chapter 25: Done Something amazing Kaida and Yomi stood ready to demonstrate their progress in ninjutsu. The Hokage turned to Kaida. "Kaida, I want to confirm something first. One of my Anbu ninjas mentioned that a student caused a deafening roar two days ago, and the description he gave matches you. Did you create that sound?" "Yes, Lord Hokage," Kaida replied, bowing slightly. "I apologize for the disturbance. I was practicing my transformation jutsu and made the sound by mistake." "No harm done, Kaida," Hiruzen responded with a gentle smile. "But can you show me that jutsu?" "Lord Hokage, there is a slight issue with that," Kaida hesitated, glancing at Yomi, who blushed slightly. "If I use the jutsu with my clothes on, they''ll get ruined..." Hiruzen chuckled warmly. "No problem at all. Let''s have Yomi take her second test first, and then we can proceed with yours." Yomi nodded, determined. Hiruzen instructed her, "Alright, Yomi, show me all three jutsu, one by one." "Yes, sir," Yomi replied. She quickly formed the hand signs for the first jutsu, and in an instant, a cloud of smoke enveloped her. When it cleared, a wooden log had taken her place, and she was now standing 50 meters away. Both the Hokage and Kenji nodded in approval, acknowledging her proficiency in the substitution jutsu. Without missing a beat, Yomi began sprinting toward them, performing hand signs for her next jutsu. Another small explosion followed, and five clones appeared, running towards the Hokage and Kenji from different directions. Despite the clever tactic, both experienced ninjas could easily distinguish the real Yomi from her clones. After surrounding them, she dispelled the clones and seamlessly transitioned into the hand signs for her final jutsu, transforming into a perfect replica of Kenji. Hiruzen laughed, impressed by how flawless the transformation was. "Excellent, Yomi! You''ve mastered all three jutsu. You may return to the academy now; we''ll follow after Kaida completes his test." "Thank you, Lord Hokage," Yomi said with a bow before heading back to the academy. Now, only Kenji, Hiruzen, and Kaida remained on the training ground. The Hokage looked at Kaida and said, "Alright, Kaida, you may begin." Kaida nodded and swiftly performed the substitution jutsu, reappearing 100 meters away¡ªdouble the distance Yomi had covered, showcasing his superior chakra control. He then ran back, forming hand signs for the clone jutsu. *Puff* Nine clones materialized, each armed with a kunai, rushing towards the Hokage and Kenji at full speed. Once they had surrounded the two, Kaida dispelled the jutsu, knowing full well that the experienced ninjas had been tracking his real form all along. After these two jutsu, Kaida did something unexpected. He began to remove his clothes, leaving only his underwear. Neither Hiruzen nor Kenji reacted, remembering Kaida''s earlier warning about the jutsu''s effect on his clothing. Kaida started forming the hand signs for the transformation jutsu. Although he could have performed a standard transformation like Yomi, he knew the Hokage wanted to see the jutsu that had caused the uproar in the village. As he completed the hand signs, a white mist rose from the ground, enveloping his entire body. The mist swirled and expanded, growing larger and more defined. *Puff* When the mist cleared, Kaida had transformed into a majestic golden lion with a dark golden mane. He adjusted his vocal cords and let out a powerful roar. **ROOOAAARRRRR!** The roar was even louder than the one before, sending shockwaves into the forest. Kenji was stunned, realizing that while transforming into an animal wasn''t unheard of, Kaida''s transformation was extraordinarily detailed and realistic. Even the Hokage was taken aback by the display. After finishing the roar that had caused the previous uproar, Kaida dispelled the jutsu and quickly dressed himself. Once he was fully clothed, Hiruzen spoke, his voice serious. "Kaida, do you realize what you just did?" S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, Lord Hokage," Kaida replied. "I transformed into a lion using the transformation jutsu. I''ve studied in the library and can also transform into a monkey, a dog, and a cat." He assumed their surprise was due to his ability to transform into an animal. Hiruzen sighed, then began to explain, "Kaida, in the standard transformation jutsu, you don''t actually become the figure you transform into. It''s more like wearing an illusionary skin, which limits chakra use. But you... you fully transformed into that lion and could still use chakra naturally to enhance the roar. This ability, if developed further, could make Konoha the most powerful shinobi village in the world. So tell me, how did you do it?" "I didn''t do anything special, Lord Hokage. I just thought about the anatomy of a lion as we were taught, and this happened naturally," Kaida answered. But he thought to himself, *So just thinking about transforming like Ben 10 can bring such results? I should probably keep this to myself for now since I''ve already shown more than enough to attract the village''s attention.* --- A.N.: Add this to your library to get notified when the next chapter is released! I''ll update daily for five days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is strong. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments¡ªboth positive and negative feedback are welcome! ? Chapter 26: Yomi’s reward "I did nothing out of the ordinary, Lord Hokage. Just like we were taught, I focused on the anatomy of a lion, and the transformation happened automatically," Kaida explained, though he was thinking, *So just by focusing on transforming like Ben 10, I can achieve such results? I should probably keep this to myself for now, as I''ve already shown more than enough to make the village invest in us.* Even after looking into Kaida''s eyes, Hiruzen couldn''t detect any deception. After all, Kaida was just a 6-year-old child¡ªwhat could he possibly gain by hiding something? The Hokage assumed it was simply a special talent Kaida possessed. After a moment, he said: "Very good, Kaida. You can return to the academy now. We will come by shortly to announce the results." "Thank you, Lord Hokage," Kaida replied, bowing respectfully before heading back to the academy. As Hiruzen turned to Kenji, he asked, "What was decided for the elite class students in the third and fourth parts of the academy?" "Sir, it was decided that after learning basic jutsu in the second part, they will learn elemental jutsu based on their chakra affinities in the third part and then gain experience in a specific field of ninjutsu in the fourth part." "Hmm... exclude Kaida and Yomi from this plan. I will personally oversee their future training," Hiruzen instructed. Kenji didn''t doubt this decision, having witnessed the monstrous talent of both students firsthand. Learning all three basic jutsu in just two weeks was an impressive feat in itself, though he didn''t realize it was made possible by their relentless hard work in improving their chakra control. "As you wish, Lord Hokage." They then made their way back to the academy. Kaida and Yomi were sitting in the training area, discussing their exam when they saw Kenji enter the grounds. He approached them and said, "Your exam is now over. Head to the Hokage''s office¡ªhe will inform you of your results." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Both of them nodded respectfully and made their way to the Hokage''s office. Since Hiruzen was already expecting them, they didn''t have to wait and were allowed to enter directly. *Knock knock* "Come in." "Lord Hokage," they both greeted him with a bow. Hiruzen gestured for them to stand normally with a smile and said, "Both of your performances in the exams were remarkable¡ªso remarkable that I have decided you two have graduated from the Ninja Academy. From now on, you are officially Genin." Kaida and Yomi were shocked upon hearing this, as they had expected more time before becoming Genin. Seeing their confusion, Hiruzen added, "Of course, you will still learn what you would have during the remaining time at the academy. I''ll explain more in a week. Now, let''s talk about the reward you both wanted." "The reward you promised us at the entrance exam?" Yomi asked. "Oh! So you remember. Yes, I''m talking about that reward. Is there anything special you''d like to learn?" Yomi, as if waiting for this moment, quickly said, "Yes, Lord Hokage. Kaida has much more chakra than I do, which allows him to practice more. Can you teach me some ways to increase my chakra reserves?" Hiruzen smiled, amused. The last time he checked, both of them had more chakra than any other academy student, but Kaida did indeed have nearly double the amount of chakra compared to Yomi. He nodded and explained: "Yomi, do you know what chakra is?" "Chakra refers to the essential life force energy that exists within every living being in the world. It''s depicted as a form of spiritual and physical energy that can be harnessed and manipulated by individuals with the appropriate training and abilities," Yomi recited the definition they had learned at the academy. "That''s correct. Chakra is made up of both physical and spiritual energy. To increase your chakra reserves, you need to enhance both types of energy in your body. Since both of you already have strong physiques, the physical aspect is covered. However, you need to focus on increasing your spiritual energy to create a better balance between the two," Hiruzen explained. Yomi tilted her head in thought. "Do we have to pray to increase our spiritual energy?" Hiruzen chuckled, "No, Yomi. Shinobi don''t believe in gods; they believe in themselves. Spiritual energy is related to your brain''s capabilities and knowledge. To increase it, engage in activities that challenge your mind, such as playing Shogi, which requires strategic thinking. Some people use special pills to boost their chakra reserves, but those often have negative effects on the body and can stunt natural growth." Yomi pondered this for a moment, sorting through the information Hiruzen had provided. She then bowed deeply and said, "Thank you very much, Lord Hokage." Hiruzen then turned to Kaida and asked, "Kaida, what do you want as your reward?" Kaida fell into deep thought. He had many desires but hadn''t yet sorted out what to ask of the Hokage, especially since he still had nearly a year left before graduating from the academy. However, there was one thing he knew would greatly accelerate his growth and help him achieve many of his future plans. --- **A.N.:** Add this to your library to get notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update daily for five days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is strong. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments¡ªboth positive and negative feedback are welcome! Chapter 27: Kaida’s reward Kaida fell into deep thought. There were many things he desired at the moment, and he hadn''t yet sorted out what to ask from the Hokage, especially since he still had nearly a year left before graduating from the academy. However, there was one thing he knew would significantly accelerate his growth and help him achieve many of his future plans. Looking towards the Hokage, Kaida said: "Hokage-sama, I read about a jutsu in the library, created by the Second Hokage himself. It''s a technique that greatly aids in both learning and combat. The jutsu is called the ''Shadow Clone Jutsu.'' But no matter how much I searched, I couldn''t find it in the library. Could you please teach me that jutsu?" Hiruzen was surprised by this request. The knowledge about the Shadow Clone Jutsu was indeed present in the library, but he hadn''t expected Kaida to ask about it. Silently praising the boy''s luck for discovering such a technique, Hiruzen replied: "Kaida, you couldn''t find the jutsu in the library because it''s classified as a B-rank jutsu, and your current access is limited to D-rank techniques. However, teaching you this jutsu can be arranged. Since I have some free time now, I''ll explain the theory behind the jutsu. Tomorrow, I''ll teach you how to perform it." Kaida was thrilled at the prospect of learning the jutsu so easily. He had considered trying to steal the scroll like Naruto did in the original story but had wisely dismissed the idea, knowing he didn''t have plot armor to save him if caught. Yomi, on the other hand, fidgeted nervously. The jutsu they were discussing would undoubtedly make Kaida even more powerful. Sensing her unease, Hiruzen smiled in amusement and said with a light laugh: "Haha, Yomi, you can also learn this jutsu alongside Kaida. Since he got to hear about your reward, it''s only fair that you share his, right?" "Yes!" Yomi shouted, but then, realizing her outburst, she blushed deeply and tried to shrink into herself, wishing she knew a jutsu that could make her invisible. Hiruzen, still smiling, began to explain the jutsu to them. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The Shadow Clone Jutsu is quite different from the basic Clone Jutsu you already know. As you''re aware, the basic Clone Jutsu creates an illusion meant to distract, but it can''t physically interact with anything. In contrast, a shadow clone is a tangible copy that can fight, use jutsu, and even take damage." He continued, "Many elemental clone techniques, like the Earth Clone used by Iwagakure, are physically robust and can perform earth-related jutsu. The Shadow Clone, however, is unique because it retains the memories and experiences of the clone, which are transferred back to the caster upon the clone''s dispelling. This feature is what makes the Shadow Clone Jutsu so valuable for training." Kaida listened intently but couldn''t help asking, "Hokage-sama, if this jutsu is so superior to the basic Clone Jutsu, why isn''t it taught at the academy?" "The answer is simple," Hiruzen replied. "The chakra cost of this jutsu is quite high. Most academy students, or even Genin, don''t have the chakra reserves necessary to perform it. Even some Chunin struggle with it. The Shadow Clone Jutsu requires a significant amount of chakra because the clone needs to carry all your memories and instructions, as well as enough chakra to sustain itself. If the clone''s chakra depletes below a certain threshold, it disperses, and you receive its memories. If it self-disperses before running out of chakra, some of the chakra is returned to you along with the memories." Hiruzen had covered the essential points of the jutsu, and after explaining this, he asked if they had any questions. Yomi timidly raised her hand. "Yes, Yomi?" "Hokage-sama, if even some Chunin can''t perform this jutsu, will I be able to?" "That''s what I was about to check," Hiruzen said kindly. "Come here, both of you. I''ll see if you have enough chakra to perform the jutsu." Both of them stepped forward, and Hiruzen extended his chakra to assess theirs. After a moment, he smiled. "Congratulations, you both have enough chakra to learn the jutsu and create at least one shadow clone. Kaida, you can create two, but they won''t have much chakra left for other jutsu." Both Kaida and Yomi smiled at this news, but then Kaida raised his hand. Hiruzen nodded for him to speak. "Hokage-sama, could you tell us how much chakra we possess compared to others?" Hiruzen thought for a moment, considering the best way to explain, and then decided on a simple approach. "If we consider the chakra of a civilian at one unit upon awakening, Yomi, you have about 15 units of chakra. As for you, Kaida, you have approximately 32 units. The Shadow Clone Jutsu consumes around 10-11 units of chakra per clone, though with practice, you can reduce that to about 7-8 units." Seeing that neither of them had any more questions, Hiruzen concluded, "You can go back for now. Come to Training Area 13 at 6 AM tomorrow. I''ll teach you how to create a shadow clone there." --- **A.N.:** Add this to your library to get notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update daily for five days a week, and there''ll be an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is strong. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments¡ªboth positive and negative feedback are welcome! ? Chapter 28: Shadow Clone jutsu "You can go back for now. Come to Training Area 13 at 6 AM tomorrow, and I''ll teach you how to make a shadow clone there," the Hokage said. Both Kaida and Yomi bowed their heads slightly and left. Upon reaching their home, they decided to rest for the day, as it had been mentally exhausting. They changed their clothes, took a walk around the village, and returned home after having dinner. ¡­ Kaida lay in bed, deep in thought. ''Hmm, what Hiruzen told us about the Shadow Clone Jutsu mostly matches what I know from my previous life. Though some technicalities were new and a little disappointing. I thought maybe, not the same amount as Naruto, but I''d be able to make at least 20-30 shadow clones and learn every jutsu. Reality sucks... But the most surprising discovery today was the method for chakra growth. The connection between chakra and intellectual growth was unexpected. It looks like the first use of the Shadow Clone Jutsu won''t be for learning jutsu but to learn new things. Since Hiruzen said that shogi can help with this, I''ll find a partner to play with¡ªsomeone from the Nara clan would be perfect. Hahaha.'' With that, Kaida drifted off into slumber. ¡­ The next morning, both of them woke up at 4:30 AM out of habit. However, instead of training, they decided to meditate to clear their minds and prepare for the upcoming training session. At 5:30 AM, they headed toward Training Area 13, arriving at 5:50 AM. They recalled the old man from the orphanage''s teaching that for a ninja, arriving at the appointed time means being 10 minutes late. At exactly 6:00 AM, the Hokage entered the training area. Both of them bowed toward him. Hiruzen smiled, seeing that they had a solid foundation and the habits of a true ninja. He began his lesson. "We''ll skip the pleasantries and get straight to business as I have very little free time today. First, let''s see how chakra is molded in this jutsu." With a flick of his hand, a dummy made of earth emerged from the ground. He marked various points on the dummy, representing the chakra points all over the body that assist in chakra flow. He then began teaching them how chakra behaves during the jutsu, what to think, and how to give orders to the jutsu. This was relatively simple: you just have to think about what you want the clone to do. Since the clone possesses all your memories up to that point, it will also carry out the order you were thinking. After that, he moved on to the hand signs. "Now, the hand sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu is¡­ This is simple yet complex at the same time. One last piece of advice: if you plan to use this jutsu to learn new things, be prepared for the headaches that come with the sudden surge of a large amount of information." With that, Hiruzen completed his lecture. Kaida now understood why he was known as the ''Professor.'' It was truly a waste that someone so knowledgeable wasn''t teaching the new generation but instead wasting time on paperwork. Pushing those thoughts aside, both of them began trying to perform the jutsu they had just learned. Hiruzen stood by, watching in case any problems arose during their initial practice. Kaida first tried to move his chakra as Hiruzen had instructed, which caught the Hokage''s attention since this was something very difficult for an academy student to do. After failing to achieve the desired result through just chakra manipulation (A.N.: obviously), Kaida began forming the hand signs. When the last seal was formed, a clone appeared on his left. Since this jutsu is difficult mainly due to its chakra requirements rather than its concept, which is somewhat similar to the basic Clone Jutsu, Kaida''s clone immediately began testing its physical capabilities. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It ran, jumped, crawled, and even started channeling chakra into its legs to perform tree-walking exercises. Then, just as quickly, it dispersed itself. As Hiruzen had mentioned, Kaida received the clone''s memories. Since the memories weren''t extensive, Kaida didn''t experience any headaches or disorientation. From the memories, he concluded, ''The clone doesn''t have a very strong body¡ªit''s around 70% of my fitness¡ªbut its chakra manipulation is as good as mine, if not a little better. Well, since it''s made of chakra itself¡­'' On the other hand, Yomi was on her knees, not because she couldn''t perform the jutsu, but because performing it had drained more than two-thirds of her energy. The sudden chakra depletion left her physically and mentally exhausted. After taking a few deep breaths, she sat on the ground, watching her clone. Unlike Kaida''s, her clone didn''t perform tree-walking exercises. It did some basic physical exercises, but then it did something different: it walked over to Yomi and said, "Yes, I think I can talk." Hearing this, Yomi became happy, and her clone dispersed itself. Seeing their progress, Hiruzen smiled and said, "Very good. You both were able to perform the jutsu on your first try. Excellent work. Now, continue to practice for a week and come to my office next Monday. We''ll discuss what to do next." "Thank you, Lord Hokage," they both said, bowing. Hiruzen then returned to his office using the Body Flicker Jutsu. --- **A.N.:** Some of you might wonder how they were able to learn the jutsu in one day. Well, Naruto managed to learn the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu in couple of hours all by himself, which is a more difficult jutsu than the regular Shadow Clone Jutsu. Also, they were taught by the man known as the ''God of Shinobi'' and the ''Professor.'' If they couldn''t learn it on their first try, they''d likely be extremely dumb, which I assure you they are not. That''s all from my side :p **A.N.:** Please leave a comment if you like this book, I would really like to now you views about the book ^~^ Chapter 29: Uncertain future Since they had nothing left to do, they went back to their house and decided to start training after two hours. Kaida just realized that he was in big trouble. Since they will be graduating from the academy this early, Root or Danzo may take an interest in them and try to recruit them. Yes, the Root¡ªa crazy organization controlled solely by Danzo. They have to do anything he says, even if they know it''s suicidal, and they even have a seal on them so they can never betray him. Well, if someone is in Root, it can be said that they are FUCKED UP. At first, he was sure that Hiruzen would protect them since the village was in dire need of ninjas and all, but now if Danzo tries a little harder, Hiruzen may give two orphan ninjas to him, as he has a soft spot for Danzo. But then a spark emerged in Kaida''s eyes. He was not just some random orphan; he had Uchiha blood in him. The Uchiha are strict about the secrets of their kekkei genkai; the Sharingan is their closely guarded secret. Even though the chances of him unlocking a Sharingan are low, it''s still possible. So, he''s pretty sure he''s safe until the Uchiha massacre. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That means he has roughly six years to build his strength to the point where he doesn''t have to worry about Danzo or Root. But this leads to another major problem: if they try to kill all the Uchiha after six years, he may be their target. This means he has to be strong enough to at least escape from someone of Itachi''s caliber. After sorting out his current problems in his mind, he began meditating and formed a plan to effectively use the week while staying low-key. (A.N: Don''t worry, he won''t be like, "Even though I''m powerful, I should hide my powers." No, it''s just that he won''t go around flaunting his growth and power :-) ) ¡­ After two hours, they started their training for the Shadow Clone Jutsu, though only Kaida was able to train properly. Yomi was not able to make shadow clones easily; she had to wait some time after making one shadow clone to rest. If we go by Hiruzen''s way of evaluating chakra, she has 15 units of chakra and uses 11 units to make a shadow clone. This sudden use of a massive portion of her chakra is taxing for her mind and body. Even when her chakra returns after the clone disperses and she gets 7 units back, the mental strain remains, so she can''t continuously practice this jutsu. She still decides to practice and try to reduce the chakra cost of the Jutsu. Kaida, on the other hand, can make two shadow clones and, after some time, even a third. After making the third clone, Kaida noticed something: you recover the chakra you lost after making a shadow clone. But there is a certain amount that you can''t recover until the clone disperses. Also, there is a maximum number of clones you can make at a time, as it also depends on your mental capacity, not just chakra. (A.N: THIS IS MY THEORY: EVEN AFTER PERFORMING SHADOW CLONE JUTSU, YOU WILL RECOVER SOME CHAKRA. SO, WHAT WILL STOP YOU FROM BECOMING A SHADOW CLONE-MAKING FACTORY? YES, IT ALSO DEPENDS ON YOUR MENTAL CAPACITY. SO, THE MORE CHAKRA YOU HAVE, THE MORE YOUR MENTAL CAPACITY, AND THE MORE CLONES YOU CAN MAKE. ALSO, CLONES LOSE SOME CHAKRA OVER TIME, SO AFTER A WHILE, THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY DISPERSE. Since this clone is too OP, I decided to nerf it down a little :-p) ¡­ For two days, they only trained in the Shadow Clone Jutsu. They didn''t just keep performing the jutsu; rather, after performing it, they and their clones would sit and try to come up with ways to reduce the chakra usage of the Jutsu. Kaida had the upper hand since he had four brains thinking for him compared to Yomi, who only had two. But since it wasn''t a competition, Kaida and Yomi shared their findings from time to time. Because of this, they were somehow able to reduce the cost of the Shadow Clone Jutsu to 9 units of chakra. Sadly, Kaida and Yomi''s max number of clones didn''t increase. Yomi, however, was still happy that they were training like this. They decided to focus mainly on the Shadow Clone Jutsu and put a hold on chakra control exercises, though they still did physical exercises as they had already decided not to stop doing that. Being physically fit was very important for a ninja. It also helps increase chakra reserves, so physical exercise is constant. But now that they don''t have to go to the academy, they have sufficient time to practice the Jutsu. They even decided to stop eating out and just eat nutrition bars for a week, focusing solely on their jutsu training. By investing nearly 28 hours in Shadow Clone Jutsu training, they were able to achieve something that would have taken them months. When Hiruzen said they could perform this jutsu with just 6-7 units of chakra, he was talking about Jonin who have years of experience and training. ¡­ On the morning of the third day: "Yomi, I think the max number of clones somehow depends on the size of your chakra reserves. So, if we want to increase the max number of clones we can make, we should work on increasing our chakra reserves," Kaida said. "Hmm, I think so too, and I''m in dire need of increasing my chakra reserves. But that means we have to focus on learning boring stuff now. Well, since it''s important, let''s do it," Yomi said with great reluctance. But the main reason she wanted to increase her chakra reserves was so that she could always stay with Kaida. ***** (A.N.: Add this to your library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week and an extra chapter for Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments. Both positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 30: Close Call Yomi was a neighbor of Kaida. As Kaida''s parents were out on missions most of the time, he usually stayed at Yomi''s house. Needless to say, they became friends during that time. When the Nine-Tails attacked the village, both of their parents died. However, before Kaida''s parents died, they were able to save Kaida, Yomi, and many more civilians. Unfortunately, they were not able to save Yomi''s parents. When they were brought to the orphanage, Kaida became a supporting pillar for Yomi, who cried for many weeks after the incident. Kaida tried to stay strong for her and cried alone so that Yomi would not see him and remember those bad feelings. Before his death due to that fight, Kaida always tried to make Yomi smile. On the other hand, Yomi was devastated after her parents died, and the only person who remained with her was Kaida. That''s why when he said that he would become a ninja, she became downhearted. Only when he said that she would also become a ninja with him did her heart stop aching. He was the reason she continued the grueling training daily, so that she could always be with him and protect him from danger, as he was the last person she could call family. Slowly but continuously, this became an obsession for Yomi. On the other hand, when Kaida first came into the body, he thought he had just inherited the body of the boy. But the reality was different¡ªhe not only received the memories but also the feelings and emotions of Kaida. So, it was more like Kaida received the memories of a 13-year-old boy from Earth, but since a person is just a collection of different memories, it would be more correct to say that somehow two people merged on that day. So, he felt genuine care for Yomi and felt the same way for her as she felt for him, except for the obsession. ¡­ Since they had decided to focus on increasing their chakra reserves, Kaida and Yomi made three and one clones, respectively, and all six of them went to the library to learn about many things, such as the world and its geography, tactics to use in fights, and even biographies of various ninjas, mainly written by elite Jonins and above. Most importantly, they studied shogi. Each of them went to a different section and started reading. Each of Kaida''s clones went to Yomi and explained the topic they read, and Yomi''s clones did the same. They dispersed themselves before the information became too overwhelming and caused severe headaches from receiving memories. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At lunch, they just went out for a stroll as by then, all the clones had dispersed. After eating a nutrient bar, they went back to the library and started absorbing knowledge again. They repeated this for four days, and by the end of the fourth day, they had already read and understood most of the books in the civilian section. Now, they had a basic understanding of many things in the world. They also started playing shogi at night¡ªone game with each other and another between their clones. On the fourth day, when they were reading books in the E and D sections of the library, they discovered a book on the topic of spiritual energy. When they read the book, they understood that what Hiruzen had told them was right: spiritual energy increases with an increase in knowledge and the thinking capacity of the mind. But at some point, it will stop increasing with just knowledge and will fully depend on experience. This means it will also increase gradually, like physical energy¡ªthrough experiences of friendship, helping others, using others, or being betrayed. Everything counts and increases your spiritual energy. Since they still had quite a large margin where they could increase their chakra by increasing knowledge, they decided to continue increasing their chakra/knowledge for the time being. While they were learning in the library, another debate was taking place between some of the most powerful people in Konoha. "The work in the shadows requires specialty and talent; I need those two so that our village will remain peaceful." "Don''t try to persuade me like with other orphans, Danzo. I know how most of them don''t even have a say left in their own lives¡ªyou control them like puppets. And using the same reason, you have already added many young talents to Root. Don''t forget, one of them has Uchiha blood. I don''t want the ire of a full clan just to satisfy someone''s greed for talent." "No one will know about their disappearance, so you don''t have to worry about the Uchiha." "I already said no¡ªend of the topic. Just like the dark, some talented ninjas should also be present in the light of Konoha." Danzo just stood up and left, as Hiruzen was dead set on not giving him those two new bloods. One of the reasons Hiruzen decided to keep them from Danzo was because it was Kaida''s father''s dying wish that Kaida should become one of the most respected shinobi of Konoha. ***** (A.N.: Add this to your library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week, and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments¡ªboth positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 31: Monday meeting (A.N: I want to ask for help, especially from you guys. As you can see, we have more than 30 chapters now, but we still don''t have many reviews/comments, Please if you could take just 2 minute a give it a quick review it will be a huge help, Thanks in advance for your help ^~^) ********* So this is a request: if you like this novel, please write a review. :D) Since it was an important week for them, they decided to learn as much as they could. Both of them agreed to postpone their holiday for this week. After constant practice of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, they were able to reduce the jutsu''s cost to a maximum of 9 units of energy, though Kaida can sometimes manage it with 8 units of energy¡ªalthough these occurrences were rare. Leaving that aside, the major change due to their training was a sudden increase in their chakra reserves. They couldn''t measure theirs as accurately as Hiruzen, but they could feel that they had somehow doubled their chakra reserves in one week. Whether it was due to increasing their spiritual energy like Hiruzen said, or always emptying their chakra reserves and filling them back to back using Shadow Clones, or the combination of both. Because of this, their learning speed doubled. Yomi was now able to make three Shadow Clones, and Kaida was able to make six Shadow Clones, with a feeling that very soon he would be able to create a seventh clone. On Sunday, 11 brains were working on increasing their knowledge as much as possible. At night, they played shogi with four matches at the same time. They had reached the beginner level in shogi, having played close to 100 matches against each other in the last week. Kaida was playing to increase his tactical thinking and ability to think several moves ahead. On the other hand, Yomi was just playing because she got to spend time with Kaida. She didn''t have much interest in tactics, but since the growth was apparent with this method, she decided to stick with it till the end¡ªat least she got some alone time with Kaida. Since they didn''t know the exact time they had to report to the Hokage, as he had only said to come to his office on Monday, they decided to go to his office at 6 AM to inquire further. (On Monday¡­) Kaida and Yomi woke up and got ready. Ever since they had learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, their house had been very clean and organized. One of Kaida''s clones cleaned the room while the other made breakfast for them. Yomi was really happy that they got to learn this awesome jutsu. Now they could eat breakfast made by Kaida without him wasting time. Breakfast was the only meal of the day in which they didn''t eat a nutrient bar and instead had an actual meal for the last week. After eating breakfast, they went toward the Hokage''s office. Upon reaching the office, Kaida went to the receptionist and said: "Good morning, miss. Lord Hokage asked us to come to his office on Monday, though he hasn''t provided a specific meeting time. Could you please inquire about the timing when we should come?" "Of course, little gentleman. Both of you can sit there; I will ask Lord Hokage about this." She said this while ruffling Kaida''s hair. Yomi made a pout when she saw this but kept her mouth shut. They both sat on the sofa, and after 10 minutes, the receptionist came to them and said: sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Lord Hokage is free now and is asking both of you to go to his office." In reality, he was going to do some work, but when he heard that both of them were here, he remembered that he had indeed forgotten to tell them the time. So, he postponed his work a little to meet them. "Lord Hokage," both Kaida and Yomi greeted Hiruzen while bowing. "So, how is your training going? Have you made any progress with the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" "Yes, Lord Hokage. We were able to reduce the cost of the Shadow Clone Jutsu to some extent." "Oh, very well. Make a Shadow Clone with the least amount of chakra you can." Both of them nodded to each other and performed the hand sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. *Poof* Two clones were formed near them, but Hiruzen was dumbfounded that they were able to reduce the cost this much in just one week, which would take most ninjas months of practice. And that wasn''t even the most shocking part¡ªthey had somehow doubled their chakra reserves. He asked both of them: "Tell me exactly what you guys were doing for the whole week." They could tell by Hiruzen''s tone that he was serious for some reason. So they told him about their full schedule, and as he listened, understanding dawned on Hiruzen''s face. They had not used one week as just one week; in reality, due to using Shadow Clones, they were able to learn what a ninja would learn in 2-3 months. They somehow trained for 18 hours daily for the last week and used 4-8 Shadow Clones for learning. They had just somehow managed to do the work of 3 months in 1 week. He remembered the teachings of Hashirama Senju: "Talent is just working harder than working hard," and these two ninjas in front of him were proof of this. He smiled and said: "Very good, both of you. If you continue to work this hard, I am sure both of your parents will be very proud of you in heaven. Now, the most important thing for which I called you is this." He took out two chakra papers and put them on the table. Seeing this, Yomi suddenly said: "Lord Hokage, we have already checked our chakra nature. Mine is lightning, and Kaida''s is fire. You don''t have to waste that chakra paper," and then as a whisper, "It is costly." "Hahaha, no problem, my child. This much is nothing for you guys. As for your chakra nature, it is wonderful news that you have a lightning attribute. It is very rare and hard to tame, but this attribute can make you strong if mastered properly. As for Kaida, there is no element as destructive as fire, so you too can become strong. But this chakra paper is special¡ªyou will see once you pass your chakra through it." Both of them nodded and passed their chakra through the papers. Kaida''s paper was divided into three different parts: the largest one burned, the medium-sized one got bisected into two, and the last one turned into dust. As for Yomi, her chakra paper was divided into two parts: the last one crumbled, and the second one became wet. Hiruzen was very happy with the result. It wasn''t every day that you got to see such a combination, especially in such talented children. He said: "Very good. The details you just got tell us about all of your chakra natures. Since both of you have such a great combination of chakra attributes, I will arrange a teacher for both of you to learn from. As you may know, in the third part of your academy training, you will learn elemental jutsu." ***** (A.N.: Add this to your library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week, and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments¡ªboth positive and negative ones are appreciated. :-) Chapter 32: Manipulation and ICHA ICHA NOVEL (A.N: HEY GUYS, I WILL ONCE AGAIN SHAMELESSLY ASK FOR A REVIEW AS IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW FOR THE NOVEL; IT WILL TAKE 2 MINUTES AND BE A GREAT HELP TO ME ?.) --- "Very good, the details you just gave us. Tell us about all of your chakra natures. Since both of you have such a great combination of chakra attributes, as you may know, in the 3rd part of your academy training, you were going to learn elemental jutsu. But since you have already graduated, I will arrange a teacher for both of you so that you will be trained in your elements. We are having a shortage of ninjas and will continue to have one for some time. And since I am thinking of getting you the best instructors, you have to prove that you guys are worthy of learning from them. Otherwise, if they want, they can decline to teach you guys. Any questions?" "Yes, Lord Hokage, when will our new sensei start teaching us, and will we get the same sensei or different ones?" Kaida asked. "First of all, from now on, you guys will call me Grandpa. As for your question: They will both come back to the village after one month, and you two will be taught by different sensei. Kaida, you will be taught by Yukihiro Senju; he shares two of your attributes, fire and wind, and he is also very skilled at kenjutsu. As for Yomi, your teacher will be Daichi Tanabe. She has a lightning chakra attribute too, though it is not her major attribute, but still, she should be more than enough to teach you for now." Kaida quickly understood that Hiruzen was trying to play the same trick he used on Naruto, which made him loyal to Konoha even after all that bullying. But still, Kaida did not have any problem with this. It was clear in his mind that he would remain in Konoha as long as he and Yomi were safe and didn''t sacrifice themselves for the village. Screw that¡ªtheir lives are more important. So as soon as Konoha asks for anything remotely similar to this, he will take Yomi and go look for somewhere else to live. Making a living is not that difficult if you are a decent ninja. Though Konoha will be on their tail from then on, it is still much better than dying. Yomi was sad that they would be taught by different teachers but decided to bear it and go with it. Seeing that they didn''t have any more doubts, Hiruzen said, "Very well, you can go back. When your sensei comes back, I will call you guys." Both of them bowed and left, leaving a smiling old man behind. After reaching home, they decided to rest for one day. The previous week had been mentally taxing for them, and they spent the whole day just roaming here and there or sleeping and lazing around. In the evening, they went back to their house. Kaida decided to meditate and relax his brain, but the same couldn''t be said for Yomi. ... During one of their library visits, one of Yomi''s clones was looking for something interesting to read, as reading tactics and politics books all the time was boring. While searching, she came across a novel¡ª*Icha Icha* by Jiraiya. She at first thought it was a biography of one of the three legendary Sannin, but as she started reading it, a new world slowly opened up for Yomi. The more she read, the more her face resembled a well-ripened tomato. Her clone dispersed itself and didn''t decide to share this knowledge with Kaida, as she wasn''t even sure what she would say. When Yomi got the memory of her clone, her mind was sullied for good, but she still decided to keep quiet about this. If she went around telling Kaida about such things, he would think of her as some pervert. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But still, her feelings toward Kaida changed, or you could say matured, from that day. However, it wasn''t only Yomi who read those novels; Kaida himself read that novel too, and he also decided to keep quiet about it for the same reason. Since he was just a sick 13-year-old boy in his previous life, he didn''t know anything about erotic things either, so these novels also opened a new horizon for him. Even the porn videos didn''t have such details like this novel. But knowing that they were just 7 years old, he decided to keep things to himself for at least 10 more years. He was thinking from Earth''s standards, as in the ninja world, kids mature quickly. Just like in the wild, a cub doesn''t take as much time as humans to mature since life is not safe for a small child in the wild. Similarly, ninja children don''t have the luxury of taking their sweet time. Their bodies mature in 12-13 years, but their minds mature earlier, as killing and doing complicated missions is the norm for a ninja. Due to early chakra activation, their bodies were already getting closer to their perfect condition day by day, and their daily exercise helped the cause. Even now, they had the bodies of some 14-15 year teenagers from Kaida''s previous world. ¡­ The next day, they woke up and went to their training area, where Kaida said something before they started their training: "Yomi, as Grandpa said, our new sensei may reject us if we are not up to their expectations, so let''s step up our training a little so they will not have any reason to reject us." Yomi, being the cute little follower, just agreed with Kaida. From then on, their training schedule intensified. In the morning, they trained for 4 hours, doing all the physical exercises many times until their bodies couldn''t move anymore, then took some rest and started once again. While they were doing this, they would create shadow clones who would duel each other in normal taijutsu and shuriken-throwing format. After that, they would go eat breakfast, which could be compared to a sumo wrestler''s dinner. Due to physical and chakra exertion, they had to eat a lot more. They would then go to the library to learn new things and stay there until 8 PM, eating nutrient bars in between for lunch. At night, they practiced chakra control exercises. This was their schedule for one month, with just one break in between, where they just rested as they were too tired to go on an outing. After a month, Hiruzen called them, and to say he was shocked to see them would be an understatement. --- **A.N.:** Add this to your library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for 5 days a week, with an extra chapter for Saturday and Sunday ^~^ Chapter 33: New Sensei This was their schedule for one month, with just one break in between where they simply rested as they were too tired to go on an outing. After a month, Hiruzen called them, and to say he was shocked to see them would be an understatement. He called them to his office to tell them about their sensei, as both of them were back in the village. But when they entered his office, he immediately felt that they had improved significantly. He quickly spread his chakra and was stunned. Yomi now had 72 units of chakra, which was very good as it was the normal amount for some elite Chunin. However, the person who shocked Hiruzen the most was Kaida, who had a staggering amount of 154 units. He already had Jonin-level chakra. Hiruzen looked toward them and asked, "Is your chakra still increasing from reading?" "No, Grandpa. The increase stopped three weeks ago and remained stagnant for the last week. Do you know why?" Kaida asked. "Hmm, it''s pretty simple. Your physical and spiritual energy were unbalanced, and due to the increase in spiritual energy, your chakra grew at a very fast rate. But now that you have found the balance between both of your energies, your chakra has stopped increasing at the same speed. However, it hasn''t stagnated; it will just increase at a normal pace like every other ninja. The more you practice, the more it will grow." "Oh! Thanks, Grandpa," Yomi said. "Now, leave that aside. The main thing is that your new sensei are back in the village. They should be here any minute." As if on cue, the door to his office banged open, and a girl, looking around 20 years old, entered the office, followed by a middle-aged but strong-looking man. "Old man, we just returned. At least let us take a day off before giving us the ''responsibility'' of some twerps," the girl said. "Just as I was saying. Kaida, Yomi, meet your new sensei. She is Daichi Tanabe, and he is Yukihiro Senju. Both of them are elite Jonin, so try to learn from them the best you can," Hiruzen said while ignoring what Daichi had just said. Daichi is a 5.6-foot-tall girl, still in her 20s, with an ample blossom and a cute face, but her fiery personality is something that keeps her from becoming popular among boys. The number of boys she has admitted to the Konoha Hospital crosses 30. Yukihiro is a 6.3-foot-tall giant man from the Senju clan. He is married and has children. Due to his large build and facial features, he looks older than he actually is. He is in his early 30s, and since he has two newborn children and wanted to take a break from missions, this teaching duty provided him the chance, so he was more than happy to teach them. "Good morning, sensei," both of them bowed toward them and greeted them. Daichi turned toward them, and after looking for some time, she said, "Tsk, don''t go calling people ''sensei'' before they agree to teach you, brats." Yukihiro just laughed and spoke, "Hahaha, good morning to you as well. I don''t know about her, but I''m happy to teach you guys." "Well, at first, you guys will be teaching each of your students elemental jutsu. As I said, they share your elemental affinity. After that, you can start with the extra things you want to teach them," Hiruzen said to Yukihiro and Daichi, then turned to Kaida and Yomi and said, "Daichi is very proficient in genjutsu and ninjutsu. As for Yukihiro, he is very good in kenjutsu and ninjutsu, so make sure to learn all you can from them." Seeing that there was no saving it, Daichi turned toward Kaida and Yomi and asked, S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Which one of you has lightning affinity?" Yomi came forward, with a smile on her face, and said, "I do, sensei. I have lightning and water affinity." "OK, since we have been allocated training ground 20, come there at 10 AM," Daichi said and left. "So, I will be teaching you, boy. As she said, we have been allocated training ground 20. You, too, come there at 10 AM," Yukihiro said and left. Now only three of them remained in the office. "Both of you may go back now." "OK, Grandpa." Both Kaida and Yomi left for the training ground directly. They reached training ground 20 in 30 minutes. Since there was no hurry, both of them just walked there. If they had run all the way, they might have reached it in 5-10 minutes. On reaching the training ground, both of them made a Shadow Clone and then began meditating. Their clones started to scan the surroundings and make a rough map of the training area. After they had scanned the whole training area, they dispersed themselves, and Kaida and Yomi got the memories of their clones. While they were doing this, Daichi and Yukihiro were secretly following them. If Kaida and Yomi had gone back to their house to rest and then come to the training area at 10 AM, neither Daichi nor Yukihiro would have accepted to teach them, as no one wanted to teach lazy students. On the other hand, both of them were now impressed. Not only did their new students come to the training area early, but they also performed one of the basic and most important tasks that every ninja should do: gain complete knowledge of their surroundings. They waited until 10 AM and then used the Body Flicker Jutsu to appear in the training ground. By this time, both Kaida and Yomi had stopped meditating and had started doing light warm-ups. When they saw their new sensei appear in front of them, they bowed. "No need for such formalities from now on. Yomi, right? Come with me," Daichi said and took Yomi to a corner of the training ground. Kaida was standing alone, watching Yomi leave with Daichi. Then Yukihiro said, "Well, brat, let''s start with the introduction. I''ll go first. My name is Yukihiro Senju, and as you can tell, I''m from the Senju clan, the same clan as your father. He was a friend of mine," Yukihiro said with a sad smile on his face. "But don''t expect any leniency because of this. We will be doing very hard training for some time." "Yes, sensei. As you know, my name is Kaida Senju. I have just graduated from the academy, so I only know three basic jutsu and the Shadow Clone Jutsu, which Grandpa taught us." ***** (A.N.: Add this to your library so you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments¡ªboth positive and negative ones are appreciated.) :-) Chapter 34: Atrribute Training ¡°Yes, sensei. As you know, my name is Kaida Senju. I have just graduated from the academy, so I only know three basic jutsu and the Shadow Clone Jutsu, which Grandpa taught us.¡± ¡°Kaida, it¡¯s never about how many jutsu you know. A powerful ninja doesn¡¯t have to know thousands of jutsu; rather, he should be proficient in the jutsu he knows. Even a C-rank jutsu, if executed perfectly, can kill an A-rank ninja,¡± Yukihiro said. ¡°Yes, sensei,¡± Kaida replied after thinking for some time. Seeing that his student was not some dumb ninja who just accepts whatever is taught to them without thinking and understanding it, but someone who tries to make a judgment himself, Yukihiro smiled and then asked, ¡°Kaida, your main chakra attribute is Fire, right?¡± Receiving a nod in return, he continued, ¡°So let¡¯s start with training your control over that attribute.¡± ¡°Sensei, what do you mean by control over the chakra attribute? Can¡¯t I just learn fire-related jutsu, like we learned the other four jutsu?¡± ¡°No, Kaida. Elemental jutsu is different from those jutsu because, in those jutsu, you are using chakra in its raw form, so you aren¡¯t required to focus on the attribute. But for elemental jutsu, you have to focus on a specific part or type of chakra inside you. It is just your chakra, but in a different form. Once you mold your chakra into the attribute you want, you can do many things with it, like this.¡± Yukihiro moved his hand in front of Kaida and started flowing his chakra into his hand, then slowly coated his hand in chakra, which caused a light blue glow to emerge from his hand. Seeing Kaida completely focused on his hand, Yukihiro said, ¡°This is chakra in its pure form. You can see it because I have concentrated it a little. Try to touch it.¡± He moved his hand in front of Kaida. Doing as he was told, Kaida moved his hand to touch the chakra. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, Kaida didn¡¯t feel anything, just like a wind flow; it was nothing extraordinary. ¡°Sensei, it felt like just a normal gust of wind, nothing too different,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Yes, Kaida. Normal chakra is like that; it is the purest form of energy and has no offensive or defensive capability in itself. Now, what do you think will happen when I mold it into elemental chakra?¡± Suddenly, the blue chakra started to change its color, and this time Kaida didn¡¯t have to touch the chakra to feel the change¡ªhe could feel the heat from 5 meters away. After looking at the red chakra for some time, Kaida said, ¡°Chakra will gain offensive or defensive properties after we mold it into elemental chakra.¡± ¡°Yes. Now you understand why you need to train to increase your control over your chakra attribute,¡± Yukihiro said. ¡°Yes, sensei. What should I do to increase my control over my attribute?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Since your main chakra attribute is fire, just start making fire. Pick a dry leaf to make fire for starters, and try to burn it with the help of your chakra. Once you start a fire, try to control it with the help of chakra.¡± ¡°Yes, sensei.¡± Kaida created ten shadow clones one by one, and all of them began practicing the exercise. He could easily make fifteen shadow clones now, but since the practice would require chakra, he made clones with some additional chakra so they could practice for some time. Meanwhile, he began meditating to refill his chakra reserves so that once his clones ran out of chakra, he could make new ones quickly. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yukihiro nodded, seeing this. He was initially surprised at the amount of chakra Kaida possessed, but remembering his father, he just accepted it, as his father also somehow possessed a monstrous amount of chakra. From the look of it, his son might even surpass him in terms of chakra. After 30 minutes, one of Kaida¡¯s clones successfully burned his leaf. He quickly dispersed himself, and Kaida and all of his clones received the memory of the clone and how he was able to burn the leaf. Now every clone began trying to control the fire, which was a lot harder than starting the fire. After another 30 minutes, Kaida stopped meditating and made six more shadow clones. Now, with fifteen shadow clones, Kaida began practicing. On the other side, Yomi received the same lecture and training plan. Instead of burning the leaf, she had to crumble it using the lightning attribute of her chakra. Since she could make only six clones at most, her progress was not as fast as Kaida¡¯s. After three hours of continuous practice, their chakra reserves hit rock bottom, so they were asked to go home and come back at 5 AM tomorrow. Since it was just 2 PM, both of them decided to practice one more time today. So after meditating for three hours straight, they once again started their training. Before exhausting her chakra once again, Yomi was able to successfully crumble leaves. As for Kaida, he was able to control the fire to some extent but still not to a satisfactory level. He wanted to control the fire to an extent where he could make a leaf burn for more than a minute, as it was getting burnt in 10 seconds at most, even when Kaida was trying to slow it down. ***** (A.N.: Add this to your library so you¡¯ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! I will update a chapter daily for five days a week and an extra chapter on Saturday and Sunday if your support is good. Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments¡ªboth positive and negative ones are appreciated.) :-) Chapter 35: A simple Thanks to You(Readers) Hey everyone, it''s your author here! This isn''t an actual chapter, so feel free to skip it if you like. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for sticking with this novel up to this point. As a beginner writer, I''m still learning how to bring the awesome story in my mind to life in the best way possible. I do make mistakes sometimes, but I''m fortunate to have such amazing readers who point them out so I can improve. I''m really grateful for that! I hope you''ll continue to share your thoughts and help me grow. Once again, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you''ll keep enjoying the story! ?? S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 36: Second part Before exhausting her chakra once again, Yomi was able to successfully crumble leaves. As for Kaida, he was able to control the fire to some extent, but still not to a satisfactory level, as he wanted to control the fire to the point where he could make a leaf burn for more than one minute. However, it was getting burned in 10 seconds at most, even when Kaida was trying to slow the burning process. After exhausting their chakra once again, they went to sleep. Waking up at 4 AM, they completed their morning routine and swiftly headed toward the training area. Since the training area was 10 km away from their house, they ran there as a warm-up. After reaching it in 10 minutes, they completed some physical workouts until 5 AM. At 5 AM, their new sensei arrived at the training ground. Seeing them, they both bowed and greeted him. Both Daichi and Yukihiro nodded their heads and took their respective students to different parts of the training ground. Yukihiro took Kaida to the same place where they had been practicing before and asked him to show how much he had progressed. Kaida took a leaf in his hand, and it suddenly started burning, but after one minute, the speed of burning slowed down, and it burned for 10 seconds before suddenly starting to burn faster. Yukihiro''s eyes widened. He knew that Kaida had a very high affinity for the fire chakra attribute, but such growth was shocking, to say the least. Normally, a ninja has to try for a month to control fire to such a degree. Burning a leaf is easy, but the problem arises when you try to control the fire, as you have to continuously mold your chakra and command it to do your bidding. But remembering that Kaida had the help of 15 shadow clones, Yukihiro nodded in understanding as Kaida had done the work of 15 days in one day. Though 15 days is still a little time, it was acceptable, given Kaida''s growth rate. Yukihiro thought: *"Hmm, now I have to rethink the schedule I had planned for the next 3 months. If he maintains this dedication, he will complete the previous schedule in 2 weeks max. Well, no problem. It''s always good to have a promising student rather than a dull one."* He looked toward Kaida and spoke: "Very good, Kaida. You have completed the first part of the exercise. Now, let''s move on to the next step. This is what you have to do now." He tossed a leaf in the air, and before the leaf reached halfway to the ground, it started burning and burned completely before it touched the ground. "Since you can now burn and control the fire of the leaf you are in contact with, in the second step, you have to burn the leaf without physical contact. At the start, you don''t have to toss the leaf in the air, but this step will be completed only after you can do what I just did." "Yes, Sensei," Kaida said and got back to work. He once again made 10 shadow clones. As soon as they were formed, they each took a leaf, put it in front of them, and started their training. Kaida, on the other hand, started meditating. After 30 minutes, he made 5 more clones, but this time he did not stop meditating. There isn''t a big difference between 15 and 16 minds, so he decided to continue meditating so that he would not exhaust his chakra like the previous time. All of his clones continued practicing for 2 hours without much success, and one of his clones thought: *"In the first step, due to direct contact, my chakra was in direct contact with the leaf, but this time, since it was not in direct contact, the chakra was unable to reach the leaf. Even when I tried to release the chakra, it was normal chakra without any attribute. If we want to burn this leaf, we have to release fire chakra somehow."* But due to its earlier attempt to release chakra in the surroundings, the clone was low on chakra, so it dispersed itself, and all other clones got its memory. They all began trying to release fire chakra. As soon as any of Kaida''s clones made a discovery, they dispersed themselves. After 30 minutes, only 7 clones remained. Kaida stopped meditating and made 7 more clones with his full chakra reserve, so they would be able to train longer than the previous clones. After 1 hour, a clone was able to release fire chakra successfully, but it was not directed at the leaf and released into the whole surrounding. So a fire broke out in its surroundings. Though it was just green grass, the fire did not spread. The clone dispersed itself. When the other clones got its memory, they began trying to direct their chakra toward the leaf only, which was not that difficult since Kaida was already practicing the leaf floating exercise. **A.N.: Leaf floating exercise: trying to float a leaf above your hand with the help of chakra, and rotating it.** So after training for around 5 hours, Kaida was successful in burning the leaf without touching it. He woke up from his meditation since he had a full reserve except for the amount used to maintain the clones. Once his clones dispersed themselves, Kaida''s reserves would be full. He picked up a leaf and placed it in front of him. When he looked in its direction, the leaf started burning, and a smirk found its way to Kaida''s mouth as it was cool to just start a fire by looking at something. --- S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After telling Kaida his next training, Yukihiro made two shadow clones to look after Kaida and went toward his home to play with his little princess. When Yukihiro''s clone saw that one of Kaida''s clones had started a fire somehow, they were shocked as they expected it would take at least one day before Kaida would be able to release fire chakra. Their shock kept increasing as they observed Kaida''s rapid progress. After every clone was able to burn the leaf in front of them, one of Yukihiro''s clones dispersed itself. When Yukihiro got the memory of his clone, he was as surprised as the clone had been. But since there was no emergency, he just made 3 more shadow clones and sent them to the training ground to be safe, as now the dangerous part of the training would start. --- Seeing that 7 of his clones were low on chakra, Kaida dispersed them and made 7 more clones. They began throwing a leaf in the air and burning it midway, though the results were a little... unexpected. One of his clones tried to release fire chakra toward the leaf, but he missed the leaf and hit another clone. "Hey, why are you attacking me?" "I''m sorry." Watching himself apologizing to himself was awkward. The clone who missed the target dispersed itself. Once every clone got its memory, they increased their distance and continued their training. --- **A.N.:** Add this to your library so that you''ll be notified as soon as I update the next chapter! Also, please share your reviews about the chapter in the comments¡ªboth positive and negative ones are appreciated! : - ) Chapter 37: FireBall Watching himself apologizing to himself was awkward. The clone who missed the target dispersed itself. Once every clone got its memory, they increased their distance and continued their training. After training for 3 more hours, Kaida was able to successfully start a fire before the leaf reached the ground, but it was not completely burned. Since his chakra was low and all of his clones had already dispersed, Kaida decided to take some much-needed rest as he was both physically and mentally tired. He went toward Yukihiro to ask if he could take a rest. Seeing Kaida coming toward them, Yukihiro''s clone thought that Kaida wanted their help with something since he had not asked a single question from the start. They were more than happy to help him. "Sensei, my chakra and stamina are very low due to constant practice. Can I take some rest?" After looking in his direction for some time, Yukihiro''s clone said awkwardly, "Right, you can take some rest. Do you want to go and eat outside?" "No, thank you, Sensei. I have already eaten nutrient bars," Kaida bowed and left. Kaida went back to his previous location and started meditating. After 30 minutes, he fell asleep there, as mental exhaustion requires sleep, and only meditation can help with it to a certain extent. After sleeping for 2 hours, he woke up on his own. It was already 3 PM. Kaida again started practicing. Since he was already able to burn the leaf mid-air, he began practicing to perfect the timing. This time he only made 5 shadow clones, as his chakra reserves were not full. After practicing for 2 more hours, Kaida was able to completely imitate Yukihiro. He went to Yukihiro''s clone and spoke. "Sensei, I was able to perform the second step." "Very good, Kaida. You can take a rest for today. We will start the third and last part of the chakra control exercise tomorrow." "Yes, Sensei." Saying farewell to Yukihiro''s clone, Kaida went toward the exit gate and waited there for Yomi. However, he did not have to wait long, as Yomi soon came to the gate. Her face said it all, as she had not even completed her first step completely, where she had to control the rate of shrinking of the leaf. So, she just meditated for the whole day while 5 clones practiced the entire time. Though she somehow managed to do it, her mental exhaustion was significant. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing this, Kaida suggested that they just walk toward their house. On the way, he asked, "How was your progress, Yomi?" "Don''t remind me of that. I have not even completed my first step of chakra control training, though Sensei said that my speed was great, and lightning chakra is the hardest to control. You were able to do this in one day," Yomi said with a pout. "Hahaha, do you think lightning and fire chakra are the same? No, Yomi. Once you master lightning chakra, you will become overpowered. It is known as the strongest chakra nature for a reason, so mastering it will take time, but I am sure it will be worth it." After a little pep talk, they headed to their house, stopping at a restaurant to eat an early dinner. Afterward, they went to their house and both of them went straight to bed, falling asleep in record time. The next day, they once again woke up at 4 AM, completely refreshed. Sleeping for 10 hours did wonders for them. They completed their morning routine and once again ran to the training area, doing physical exercise until 5 AM. Once again, their Sensei arrived at the same time and took their respective students to the previous training locations. Yukihiro looked toward Kaida and sighed. *''This boy is a monster, completing this exercise at such a speed. A normal ninja would have taken 3-4 months to reach this stage. For God''s sake, you don''t have to go to war in 10 days! Why are you in such a hurry?''* "Sensei, what is the third part of the training?" "Hah! It''s simple. You just have to do this." Yukihiro moved his hand in front of him, and a fireball the size of a cricket ball emerged in his hand. "The longer and larger you can maintain it, the more your control will increase." Kaida''s eyes were shining at this point, but suddenly he realized something. "But Sensei, what should I burn? There''s nothing in your hand, so how are you able to maintain this fire?" "Well, Kaida, you have the best fuel inside you. This time, instead of burning a leaf, you have to burn your attribute-less normal chakra." Remembering that Kaida wouldn''t ask any questions after he was told what to do, Yukihiro decided to give a more detailed explanation this time. "You have to release both normal chakra and fire chakra at the same time, and by using fire chakra, ignite your normal chakra like you have done with leaves. You have to constantly maintain a steady stream of both chakra. I would advise that at first, you use each hand for a different type of chakra, and once you become familiar with the process, then try to release it with one hand. Directly going with one hand is risky." Kaida nodded and went toward his training area. As Yukihiro said, he tried to release normal chakra from his left hand and fire chakra from his right hand. Suddenly, a fire erupted between his hands, but it suddenly died as his fire chakra stopped for a second. He nodded and, just as he was about to create shadow clones to practice like usual, he came up with an interesting idea. He made 3 shadow clones, one with double the amount of chakra the other two possessed. The 3 shadow clones took most of his chakra, but this time he didn''t quickly go to meditate but watched them do the exercise. The clone with double the amount of chakra sat in the middle, and the other two clones stood at his left and right. The middle clone started emitting normal chakra from its hand, while the other two clones emitted fire chakra. Their chakra met in the middle, and a fireball was formed. Since both of their chakra signatures were the same, meaning it was the chakra of the same person, it easily mixed, and a fireball was formed. Though its size was larger than what Yukihiro formed, Kaida reduced the amount of chakra it was providing, and the size reduced. This time, it didn''t go out, and the fireball kept on burning. Kaida nodded his head, sat on the ground, and started meditating. After 1 hour, the chakra of his clone became low, so they dispersed themselves, and Kaida got their memory. He continued his meditation, though, as his chakra reserve was still not full. After two more hours of meditation, his chakra reserves were full. This time, he only created one shadow clone with 80% of his chakra. The clone did the same thing Kaida did in the beginning, releasing different types of chakra from each hand and forming a fireball in the middle. This time, it did not disperse immediately and stayed like that for some time. After 5 minutes, the clone made a small mistake, and the fireball extinguished. --- **A.N.:** Without Your help the story will be dead in no time, please show you support guys, a simple review or rating can help this story so much, please it will only take 2 minute, Thank you for your efforts in advance ^~^ Chapter 38: Recklessness (A.N: you guys have to agree the image is fire right?) **** After two more hours of meditation, his chakra reserves were full. This time, he only created one shadow clone with 80% of his chakra. The clone did the same thing Kaida did initially¡ªreleasing different types of chakra from each hand and forming a fireball in the middle. Though it didn''t disperse immediately and stayed like that for some time, after five minutes, the clone made a small mistake, and the fireball extinguished. The clone continued the exercise again and again, eventually succeeding in making the fireball stable for more than 30 minutes. Due to the low amount of chakra, it dispersed itself. When Kaida received the memory, he had around 60% chakra, so he continued his meditation. Afterward, he created another clone once his chakra reserves were full again. This time, the clone had to make a fireball with one hand. Kaida decided to play it safe, as Yukihiro had said it might be risky. He made a clone with only 10% of his chakra. As soon as the clone started releasing both chakras from a single hand, its whole hand caught fire. The clone swiftly stopped the chakra release, and the fire died down. However, due to the damage it had suffered from the fire, the clone was on its last legs, and one more such accident would have forcefully dispersed it. So, it dispersed itself, and Kaida received the memory. ''Since I am releasing normal chakra from my whole hand, when fire chakra was released, my whole hand caught fire. So, I have to try to release chakra only from my palm and avoid covering my palm with it.'' He made five more clones with 50% of his chakra, and all five of them began trying to release chakra from a single point in their hand. After some more minor accidents, they were able to make a fireball from their hand, though its size and shape left a lot to be desired. Kaida was just happy that he had learned shadow clone before this; otherwise, he would have been admitted to the hospital by now. Leaving depressing thoughts behind, he made five more clones, and they all resumed training while Kaida started meditating. For the entire day, he kept making clones as they continued to take damage from minor accidents during the training period. At 5 PM, Yukihiro approached Kaida and said, "Kaida, you can stop for today. It''s already 5 PM. You are making very fast progress, so there''s no need to rush. You should also take appropriate rest." "Yes, sensei," Kaida said. He dispersed all of his clones and headed toward the gate, where Yomi was already waiting for him. "So, Kaida, how was your day? Did you make any progress in training?" "Yeah, I''m on the third part of the training. I think I''ll be able to complete it by tomorrow. What about you?" "Well, I barely completed my first step and started the second one today. But the problem is lightning chakra is very random and hard to control. The more I try to project it toward a particular direction, the harder it becomes. I wish I had the fire attribute," Yomi said. "Hahaha, and I wish I had lightning chakra, as it would have made me super powerful. Yomi, we''ve already discussed this multiple times. The results of the training will make the effort worth it, so do your best." "YES, SIR," Yomi said with a mock salute. After repeating the same routine as yesterday, they woke up at 4 AM again, fully refreshed after 10 hours of sleep. After completing their morning routine, they ran toward the training area, followed by morning exercise until 5 AM. At 5 AM, their sensei arrived, and they started their training again. Since Kaida already had some training in making a fireball with one hand, he simply made 10 shadow clones and began meditating. All of his shadow clones started the training. After three hours, he dispersed all of his clones and made a single clone with 90% of his chakra. Since the goal of the exercise was not to make the fireball but to sustain it for the longest time possible, he meditated while his clone concentrated on making a fireball and reducing any slip-ups. After 30 hours of practice using 10 shadow clones for 3 hours each, Kaida had enough experience to know the different ways mistakes could occur during this exercise. So now, his clone was trying not to make any of those mistakes, which was difficult in itself since the number of potential errors was in the triple digits. After another two hours, Kaida dispersed the clone and made a new one with 80% of his chakra. By the time this clone dispersed itself, Kaida was pretty confident that he would no longer make any major mistakes. He came into direct view of Yukihiro and made a fireball using only one hand. This was his first time making a fireball by himself and not using a clone, but due to the memory transfer, it felt like he had practiced this countless times. A fireball the size of a cricket ball formed in Kaida''s hand, which he slowly increased in size until it resembled a football. After some time, he once again reduced the size of the fireball until it resembled a cricket ball and maintained it at that size for an hour straight. After that, he made a slip-up, causing a small blast, which slightly burned his palm. Yukihiro used the Body Flicker Jutsu and arrived in front of Kaida. With a wave of his hand, he sent a wind wave that extinguished all residual fire and took a close look at Kaida''s hand. "Hoh! Luckily, it didn''t get burned seriously," Yukihiro said as his hand started glowing green. He placed it above Kaida''s hand, and the burn injuries healed at a rapid pace. Seeing this, Kaida asked, "Sensei, what is this?" "Well, it''s a handy medical jutsu known as the Mystical Palm Technique. It can be learned by any ninja, but if you want to learn more, you''ll have to become a medical ninja. But that''s not important right now. Kaida, I already told you there''s no need to rush. You can take your time and practice slowly. You''ve made significant progress in just two days, but this act was simply reckless. You should stick with using shadow clones until you''re sure there''s no chance of any mistakes. This applies not just to this training, but to all future training as well. There''s no need to hurry, okay?" "Yes, sensei," Kaida said, this time truly serious, as even though his injuries were healed, the pain from the burn was pretty bad. Just the thought of what could have happened if the fireball had exploded in his hand when it was the size of a football... "Good. That''s enough for today. You can go back," Yukihiro said and left. Kaida made his way toward the exit gate, where Yomi was already standing. "Why are you looking so down, Kaida?" "Well, I had a minor accident today. You should also be careful while practicing something new. Ugh! I can''t believe I was telling you not to rush, but I was recklessly trying to do something myself just because it looked cool." Seeing Kaida so down, Yomi understood that something bad must have happened. "Kaida, tell me exactly what happened." Kaida told her exactly what had happened and how he tried to make a fireball when he wasn''t ready. After hearing that he was all healed up now, Yomi sighed in relief. Afterward, they both promised to support each other so that they wouldn''t be reckless anymore. For the next three days, Kaida and Yomi stuck with their current exercises. After three days, Yomi was able to successfully shrink the leaf before it touched the ground. In the next step, she had to produce lightning from her hand without getting zapped by it¡ªthe most important and hardest part of her training. On the other hand, Kaida was able to make and maintain a fireball on the second day but still trained for an extra day using shadow clones to be sure. Now, he could make a fireball as easily as he could perform the tree-walking exercise, though he still had to concentrate on it. However, it became significantly easier to maintain a fireball. On the fourth day, he went to Yukihiro and said, "Sensei, I think I''m ready." "OK, you can show me." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida once again moved his hand forward, and a fireball emerged in his hand. After changing its size twice, Kaida maintained that fireball for three and a half hours. After that, his chakra became very low, so he had to stop. "Very good. Your fire chakra control has improved to a satisfactory level. Now we can start with wind chakra control." ***** (A.N: Thanks for reading ^~^) Chapter 39: Elemental Training Ends "Very good. Your fire chakra control has improved to a satisfactory level. Now we can start with wind chakra control. It will be a little more difficult than the fire exercise because your primary affinity is fire, not wind. Still, it''s more than enough to make it your major element. It is very rare for someone to have three elemental affinities of such a high degree. It can even rival some Kekkei Genkai power. Though first, you have to master all three elements, I''m sure you can do it easily. You were able to learn fire chakra control in one week. Even I had to train for two months for that," Yukihiro said. "OK, Sensei, what should I do for the next exercise?" "It''s simple, you just have to do this." Yukihiro picked a leaf, and suddenly it was bisected down the middle. "This exercise is different from the previous one where you burned the leaf. At that time, you just had to release fire chakra, and the leaf would start burning due to the nature of the fire chakra. On the other hand, wind chakra is not sharp in itself, but it can be easily molded into sharp blades. However, you''ll have to learn that on your own." "Sensei, what does wind chakra feel like?" Kaida asked, as it was important to know how to mold the chakra. Yukihiro nodded and formed a ball of chakra in his hand. "Pass your hand through this ball." Kaida did as instructed. What he felt was something similar to a morning breeze with a soothing effect. He passed his hand through the ball multiple times to get a proper feel for the wind chakra. After that, he went to his practice area, made 10 shadow clones, and started meditating. After 30 minutes, he made 5 more shadow clones. While his clones were trying to mold normal chakra into wind chakra, Kaida spent 3 hours meditating. One by one, he dispersed his clones at intervals of 10 minutes and made new ones. This helped in two ways: the other clones got memories and ideas about how to proceed further, and the new clones, with more chakra, continued the practice. The new clones were nearly able to mold the chakra into wind chakra. It was just a matter of time before they would succeed. Just as Kaida was about to go back to meditate, one of his clones dispersed itself, having successfully molded its chakra into wind chakra. Kaida quickly dispersed all of his clones, and his chakra was back to 80%. He then made three shadow clones, and they began trying to mold their wind chakra into wind blades. He went back to meditate again, but just after one hour, one of his clones dispersed itself, having successfully made a wind blade. Kaida dispersed his other two clones, picked a leaf, and bisected it in two. But then a thought occurred to him: why should he make a blade of wind chakra? Couldn''t it be made of normal chakra? He tried to make a blade from normal chakra, but the problem was that the blade was very dull and passed through the leaf without cutting it. Seeing this, he thought: ''Wind chakra is easy to mold into a sharp object, but normal chakra is not suitable for attacking due to its ethereal nature.'' He then picked up a leaf and threw it into the air. Before it could reach the ground, it was bisected into two pieces. With a smile on his face, he went toward Yukihiro to show him that he had successfully bisected the leaf. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Sensei, I have completed the task you gave me." Saying this, Kaida picked up a leaf and bisected it down the middle. Expecting the second step to be the same as the previous one, he was happy that he had already completed it. But Yukihiro''s words completely crushed his expectations. "Very good, Kaida. Now, you have to bisect a piece of wood." "But Sensei, where will I find enough wood so that I can practice with my shadow clones?" "Don''t worry, I''ve got you covered," Yukihiro laughed and placed a bag full of wooden pieces, each 2 cm thick and 15 x 15 cm in length and breadth. Kaida picked up a wooden board, half-expecting that he would be able to bisect it. But when he tried to bisect it using a normal wind blade, all he managed was a small scratch. "Hahaha, did you think you would be able to bisect it right away? Kaida, to bisect it, you have to make your wind blade sharper and tougher. But I''m sure you''ll be able to do it with enough practice, as it''s not something different from what you did with the leaf¡ªjust a ''little'' more powerful." Kaida nodded his head and went back to training. Using his shadow clones, he continued training until 5 PM. After that, their training time normally ended. Returning home, Kaida and Yomi discussed their progress. After repeating the same thing for three more days, Kaida was able to bisect the wooden plates too. But when he went to Yukihiro to tell him about his success, his target was changed to stone plates of the same size. Bisecting them took nearly 10 days. But when he was able to bisect the stone plates, Kaida was sure that he could easily kill a normal person without them having a chance to react, as he could project a wind blade powerful enough to bisect stone. Though his range was not much, only 5 meters, it was still enough for any civilian¡ªthough ninja were a different story altogether. After 10 days of continuous practice, he went to Yukihiro to show the completion of the third and last step of the wind chakra control exercise. After bisecting the stone plate in front of Yukihiro, his wind chakra control exercise was also over. Now, only earth chakra control remained. "Very good, Kaida. Now we are at the last part of your elemental chakra control training. Earth chakra control is not divided into three parts, but only one. In this, you just have to mold earth into various shapes. Your training will be over once you can make a replica of yourself." Yukihiro then picked up some mud from the ground, and it transformed into a sculpture of Kaida. Kaida once again requested to feel the earth chakra. This time, it felt like a hard object, almost solid, though it was also soft and malleable at the same time. After that, he went back to training, and after a full day of practice, Kaida was able to mold normal chakra into earth chakra. After that, he took one step at a time. At first, he made simple shapes from mud, like spheres, cubes, and cuboids. But by the third day, he started making more complex objects, like star shapes or wheels. After two weeks, Kaida was finally able to make a sculpture of himself. With this, his chakra control training was finally over. --- **Author''s Note:** Yes, now''s its time to leave a comment and a like, or else your chakra will be sealed for eternity! * in your mind, insert maniacal laughter here* Chapter 40: 5 JUTSU IN ONE DAY By the time Kaida had completed his elemental chakra training for all three of his chakra attributes, Yomi had also completed her lightning chakra training. Though it may seem slow compared to Kaida, by normal standards, she could easily be considered a genius. It''s just that she only had the help of five shadow clones, and lightning chakra itself is not easy to learn. This is why she fell behind Kaida to such a degree. Also, Kaida''s fire attribute is high, so he mastered its control very swiftly. The next day at 5 AM: "Okay, now that you have some mastery over elemental chakra, let''s learn some new jutsu. Since your main chakra attribute is fire, we should start with fire-related jutsu. Hmm, the first one should be easy for you. Let me show you," Yukihiro said. He performed a series of hand signs, and a fireball formed in his hand, which he then launched toward a boulder. The boulder was obliterated, leaving only a crack where it once stood. Kaida quickly understood why Yukihiro said it would be easy for him; he already knew how to create a fireball, so the rest of the process should be straightforward. Yukihiro looked toward Kaida and said, "You have three hours to learn this jutsu. The theory behind it is..." After explaining the theory, he performed the hand signs in slow motion so that Kaida could memorize them. Kaida made 15 shadow clones, and they all began training while he meditated. When the training started, Kaida could make a maximum of 15 shadow clones, but the constant chakra drain from molding it into different natures, coupled with daily 10-hour sleeps, had done wonders for his chakra reserves. He could now create 23 shadow clones at once. If he had to guess, he had around 230 units of chakra, but he only made 15 clones so they would have enough chakra to practice for a while. Only after 20 minutes, one of his clones successfully performed the jutsu, though its aim was slightly off. It dispersed itself, and the remaining 14 clones began working on improving their aim. By the time three hours had passed, Kaida was confident that he had successfully learned the jutsu. He went to Yukihiro and demonstrated his fireball jutsu. Though it wasn''t as destructive as Yukihiro''s, he was still able to form some cracks on the boulder. "Very good. Though it''s not as powerful as mine, after some more practice, your proficiency will increase, and so will the power behind this jutsu. Now, let''s move on to the next jutsu. We''ll practice until you''re exhausted, as we only have 15 more days before I need to leave for a mission. Our three-month training period is coming to an end, so I need to teach you as much as possible. You can tell me whenever you want to stop, okay?" Yukihiro said. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida nodded, then added, "Sensei, Grandpa said that you''re very proficient in Kenjutsu. If I can learn Ninjutsu quickly, can you please teach me Kenjutsu in the remaining time?" Yukihiro smiled and said, "Okay, if that''s what you wish for. But you need to learn at least five elemental jutsu before we start Kenjutsu training." As a teacher, he was happy to have a student so eager to learn. Yukihiro then showed Kaida how to perform the Fire Breath Jutsu. In this jutsu, a stream of fire is released from the user''s mouth, and its length varies based on the amount of chakra used. It''s a very destructive jutsu in close-range fights. Kaida swiftly went back to practice and made 20 clones this time, not wanting to waste any time mastering this jutsu. He knew he would have enough time to perfect it after 15 days. Right now, he just wanted to learn as much as he could. After chiding himself for wasting so much time learning chakra control, since he could have completed it in two months, Kaida went into 100% concentration mode. Two of his clones sat down to discuss what the other clones were doing wrong. If any of the clones made progress, they would share it with the others while discussing how to advance further. By doing this, Kaida was able to learn the jutsu in two hours. He quickly dispersed his clones and went to show Yukihiro. Yukihiro was surprised to see him perform the jutsu in just two hours. "Very good, Kaida, but remember to prioritize your safety. We can learn after some time, but life is something we don''t get back. Now that you''ve learned two fire elemental jutsu, it''s time for wind." Yukihiro performed four hand signs, and a wind blade formed, which swiftly launched toward a tree branch, cutting it cleanly. Without wasting any time, Kaida quickly went to practice the Wind Blade Jutsu. Following the same technique, he made 20 clones. He was surprised when, after only 30 minutes, his clones dispersed themselves because they had already learned the jutsu. Since he was already able to form a wind blade capable of bisecting rocks, he just needed to learn how to launch them and control their direction. Yukihiro had expected Kaida to return early, so when Kaida demonstrated the jutsu, he said, "Okay, now that you have three jutsu under your belt that you can use for attacking, let''s learn two movement jutsu. Outside the village, the chances are high that you may encounter someone stronger than you, so it''s essential to learn fast movement jutsu to save your life. Always remember, unless the safety of the village is on the line, your life is the most important thing." ''Well, for me, my life and the lives of those close to me come before the safety of the village, but I''ll still try to protect it as it''s done so much for me and hasn''t treated me like a monster like Naruto,'' Kaida thought, but didn''t say anything, just nodded. Yukihiro performed a series of hand signs, and swiftly his entire body was covered in wind chakra. With a burst of wind from his back, he disappeared from his position and reappeared 50 meters ahead. After making a complete square, he returned to his original position and showed Kaida the hand signs in slow motion, followed by the theory behind the jutsu. Since this jutsu required a large amount of chakra, Kaida made only 10 shadow clones and went into meditation for an hour. His clones continued practicing with no results. Eventually, one of his clones managed to perform the technique, though its direction was off and it collided with a tree just 30 meters ahead, dispersing on impact. Kaida was jolted out of his meditative state by the sudden memory. The rest of his clones also received the memory and proceeded with caution. After three hours of practice, they were able to somewhat control their direction. This jutsu took a total of four hours to learn. Since it was already 2 PM, Kaida quickly ate a nutrient bar and went to Yukihiro to demonstrate the jutsu and learn the final one. The last jutsu he had to learn was Earth Release: Earth Military Movement Technique. This jutsu allows the user to enter the ground and "swim" in it for a limited time. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida knew this would take time since Earth wasn''t his forte, but he made 20 clones and began practicing. By 5 PM, he still hadn''t mastered the jutsu. He expected Yukihiro to come and tell him he could leave, but he never came. Kaida suddenly remembered that Yukihiro had said they would practice until he was exhausted, so he made a shadow clone and sent it to the gate to inform Yomi. Kaida continued meditating, and after practicing until 10 PM, he finally mastered the fifth and last jutsu. He went to Yukihiro and demonstrated it. Seeing his dedication, Yukihiro smiled and said... ***** (A.N: Yes, here comes the time to leave a comment and a like, or else your chakra will be sealed for eternity *insert maniacal laughter here*) Chapter 41: Kenjutsu Is Super deadly? Kaida meditated and practiced until 10 PM, finally mastering his fifth and last jutsu. He went to Yukihiro and demonstrated the jutsu. Seeing Kaida''s dedication, Yukihiro smiled and said, "Well done, Kaida. Learning five jutsu in one day is no small feat. You can take a day off to rest. I know you want to learn kenjutsu from me, but to truly learn something, your mind must be in optimal condition. You''ve just accomplished a month''s work in one day. Don''t overexert yourself, Kaida. After a day of rest, we can start our training." Kaida reluctantly nodded, eager to start his training but unable to argue with Yukihiro''s reasoning. "Yes, Sensei, but will you personally teach me kenjutsu, or will it be one of your shadow clones?" Yukihiro smiled, amused. "How did you know I''m a shadow clone, Kaida?" "Once, you dispersed yourself before I left the training ground, and one of my clones saw you. Not that I mind¡ªI''m perfectly fine learning from a shadow clone." "Hahaha, as you guessed, I''ve been using shadow clones to teach you so I can spend time with my cute little daughter. She''s just 5 months old and already started crawling. I don''t want to miss such an important moment in her life. Alas, the life of a ninja is not so simple. I have to go on long missions frequently, which is why, when Lord Hokage asked me to train you, I eagerly accepted. Though at first, I trained you so I could spend time with my daughter, slowly, seeing your dedication, I wanted to teach you seriously. For the next 10 days, prepare yourself for some intense training." "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied, more like he was accepting an invitation to an amusement park rather than training hell. Then, he went back home, surprised to see Yomi waiting outside, asleep. "What are you doing out so late at night?" Kaida asked. Hearing Kaida''s voice, Yomi jumped like a spring and turned around. "Why were you training so late? And why did you scare me like that?" "Sensei has to go on a mission after 15 days, and since our training period is only three months, I have just 15 days left to learn from Yukihiro-sensei. I want to learn kenjutsu from him, but he said he would only teach me after I learned five elemental jutsu," Kaida explained. "So?" "So, I was learning those jutsu. That''s why I got so late, Miss So-Smart." "You learned five jutsu in just one day? How?" "I''ve only learned the basics. They can''t be used in an actual fight yet, but I''ll have enough time to master them after 15 days." "Still, that''s great¡­" *GROWL* Her sentence was interrupted by her stomach growling. Kaida laughed and said, "Hahaha, I haven''t eaten dinner either, so let''s eat something nice. My treat." "Okay," Yomi whispered. After eating, they both went home and slept for 10 hours straight. Though it was a holiday for Kaida, he still accompanied Yomi to the training ground. After dropping her off, he went to the market and bought 20 pieces of wood. He returned home, made five shadow clones, and began carving swords out of the wood using wind chakra. Since they could now bisect stone, carving wood was easy. It was time-consuming, but he had the whole day, and the task had a therapeutic effect on him. It felt more like relaxing than working. While Kaida was doing this, Yukihiro was talking to the Hokage about him. "Lord Hokage, my student has completed his elemental training and has asked to learn kenjutsu from me. He said you told him about my kenjutsu." "Yes, it''s true. You''re famous in all five villages for your kenjutsu and are considered S-rank if only kenjutsu is considered. So, I don''t think he could find a better teacher than you." "But Lord Hokage, my kenjutsu technique is only focused on killing. I don''t think I should teach such a technique to a child." "Hmm, do you think Kaida won''t be able to handle your technique and might go on a killing rampage?" "No, Lord Hokage. I believe Kaida has a good head on his shoulders. He always thinks and understands what I teach him rather than just following it mindlessly. But still, I thought I should ask for your permission before teaching him my technique." "You have my permission, Yuki. Our village is in dire need of a new, powerful, and capable ninja. Training someone of your caliber will help stabilize the village." "Yes, Lord Hokage." Yukihiro bowed and returned, planning to enjoy his last full day with his family before taking Kaida''s training extra seriously. Oblivious to all this, Kaida had made 20 wooden swords and 40 shurikens from the wood he bought. At 5, Yomi returned from training. When she saw what Kaida had been doing all day, she was excited. Though she wasn''t particularly interested in swords, she was thrilled about the shurikens. Even though they were just made of wood, they were sharp enough to be compared to metal ones. Though Kaida wasn''t particularly tired, he still went with Yomi for an early dinner and slept early, knowing that the following days would be tough. The next day, they went to the training area at 4:30 AM. Yukihiro was already there, waiting for Kaida. Kaida found it odd and approached Yukihiro. "Good morning, Sensei. Why are you here so early today?" Ignoring Kaida, Yukihiro turned to Yomi and said, "Yomi, Kaida won''t be returning for three days, so you should continue your training on your own, okay?" Though she wanted to ask why she assumed it was related to their training and simply nodded. Kaida was confused, but Yukihiro just looked at him and motioned for him to follow. They arrived at a new training area, different from their usual one. Yukihiro looked at Kaida and asked, "Kaida, what''s in the bag you''re carrying?" Kaida opened his bag, and 20 wooden swords fell out. "Sensei, I made these wooden swords so I can practice kenjutsu with the help of my clones." "Well thought, Kaida, but kenjutsu also depends on muscle memory, so you''ll have to practice on your own as well. The technique will be useless if you can''t execute it at the perfect time." "Yes, Sensei." "Seeing your dedication, here''s something from me." Yukihiro handed Kaida a long rectangular box. When Kaida opened it, he was surprised, happy, and shocked at the same time. Inside was a beautiful Japanese katana, similar to Yukihiro''s, but the stark difference was that it was made of normal metal, whereas Yukihiro''s swords were made of chakra metal. Kaida took out the sword and instinctively felt that it was a true masterpiece. Even though it wasn''t made of chakra metal, it was still made of a very sturdy alloy that rivaled the strength of chakra metal. "Thank you very much, Sensei," Kaida said, bowing deeply to Yukihiro. "Okay, now let''s talk about training." **** (A.N: Yes, here comes the time to Leave a comment and add this to your library, or your chakra will be sealed for eternity, and your lover will start behaving like Sakura did to Naruto *insert super maniacal laughter here*) S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 42: Kenjustu hell 1 "Thank you very much, Sensei," Kaida said, bowing a full 90 degrees to Yukihiro. "Okay, now let''s talk about your training plan. First, take this pill," Yukihiro handed a black pill to Kaida, which smelled like plants and insects. "What is this, Sensei?" "This is a soldier pill. It''s mostly eaten by ninjas on missions because of its effects. This pill forcefully keeps you awake for three days straight and increases your chakra regeneration by four times during this period. Although it comes with the side effect of a full day of exhaustion, it doesn''t tamper with your future potential or harm your body in any way. So, we are going to train continuously for three days, then rest for one day, and repeat." Kaida was surprised by the pill. He casually watched anime in his previous life, so aside from the major plot points, he didn''t remember many small details. Even if he had remembered this pill, its real-life effects would still have surprised him. The pill increased a ninja''s strength fourfold for three days straight. Although their chakra reserves would remain low, if replenished, they could effectively engage in guerrilla tactics. He thanked Yukihiro and quickly swallowed the pill, feeling its effects instantly. It was as if every cell in his body was absorbing energy, banishing any exhaustion. "Since you''ve taken the pill, let''s begin immediately. Make as many shadow clones as you can." Kaida began performing the hand signs for Shadow Clone Jutsu at a rapid pace. One by one, new clones formed. He made them with just enough energy to sustain themselves without performing any jutsu, so they didn''t have much chakra. In just 10 minutes, Kaida had created 24 shadow clones. Even he was surprised by his progress. Since Yukihiro had instructed him to make shadow clones and nothing else, they all stood still, waiting for further instructions. Yukihiro also made a hand sign, and suddenly 12 shadow clones appeared. Kaida easily recognized this jutsu as one of Naruto''s signature moves: the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. "All of you, pair up and follow the clone in front of you with a wooden sword each," Yukihiro instructed. As ordered, each shadow clone picked up a wooden sword and went with a clone. Yukihiro turned to Kaida and said, "My clones will teach them the basic stances and make them practice until they disperse. As for you, I have something else planned." Yukihiro drew his sword. "Pick your sword and attack me." Kaida picked up his sword. Although it weighed around 2 kg, constant practice made it feel quite light in his hand. But being an amateur, his attack was simple¡ªa horizontal slash aimed at Yukihiro''s waist. Yukihiro barely moved his wrist to parry the sword with ease. The sudden change in direction caused Kaida to fall, but he quickly got back up and attacked again, this time with a vertical slash. Yukihiro parried this one as well. This continued for a full hour before Yukihiro signaled for Kaida to stop. "Okay, your strength and stamina are enough for learning. I can see that you''ve been diligent with your physical training. Good, now we don''t have to waste any time on your physique. Now, disperse your clones one by one." Kaida understood that Yukihiro wanted him to learn every basic move the clones had been taught. He did as he was told. After a brief headache, he managed to sort out 12 basic moves in his mind. "Good. Once again, make shadow clones." Kaida created 24 shadow clones within 10 minutes and sent them back to training. "We''re starting again," Yukihiro said. Once again, Kaida and Yukihiro began their duel¡ªor rather, Kaida''s one-sided beating. However, this time, Kaida''s moves were slightly more versatile. With 12 basic moves under his belt, he could get a little more creative in his attacks, though the results were always the same. After five hours of continuous trial and error, Kaida was given another break. "Okay, Kaida, you can stop for now. Rest for 10 minutes, then disperse your clones. By now, they should have learned the rest of the basic kenjutsu moves." Though Kaida wasn''t overly tired from the five-hour training session, due to his constant physical exercise and the effects of the pill, mental exhaustion was starting to accumulate. For the next 10 minutes, he did nothing. Afterward, he stood up and began releasing his clones one by one. This time, the influx of information was significant, so he had to take longer breaks between dispersing each clone. By the time he had released all his clones, 30 minutes had passed. He sat in a lotus position and started organizing his memories. After another 30 minutes, he opened his eyes. Yukihiro was sitting on a nearby boulder. Seeing Kaida awake, he said, "Took you long enough. Now, what are you waiting for? Start making shadow clones." Kaida was surprised to see Yukihiro sitting next to him, but when he heard his command, Kaida quickly began making shadow clones. By this time, he started thinking of ways to learn the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, as making clones the normal way was too time-consuming. He decided to ask the simplest question. "Sensei, how did you make all 12 of your shadow clones at once? No matter how much I try, I can''t do that." "Well, that was a different jutsu from what you''ve learned. It''s a forbidden jutsu," Yukihiro replied. But seeing Kaida''s demotivated expression, he continued, "But I can teach you this jutsu¡ªonce you''ve mastered kenjutsu to a satisfactory level, meaning you can land a hit on me." Kaida smiled and said, "Don''t forget your promise, Sensei." After making his shadow clones, Kaida and Yukihiro resumed their sparring session. This time, Kaida lasted a bit longer. By now, he had learned how to link his attacks and retain his balance, though these were basic skills. However, they were the foundation of any kenjutsu style. While Yukihiro and Kaida sparred, their clones were also training with each other. For mastering any kenjutsu style, a strong foundation is essential. After five hours, Kaida was given another break. This time, he took two hours to disperse his clones and organize the memories from their training. They had been sparring with each other or against Yukihiro''s clones, making countless mistakes and learning from them. This cycle continued for three days straight. Every five hours, Kaida was given a break, during which he would disperse his clones and absorb new kenjutsu knowledge. His progress was promising; while Yukihiro could easily overpower him, Kaida was steadily improving. By 4 AM on the third day, Yukihiro said, "Kaida, that''s enough for today. You can go home now. Remember to eat twice as much as you usually do before going to sleep." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida was too tired to question the reason behind this, so he simply thanked Yukihiro and headed toward his house. Since he had already dispersed his clones, he didn''t have to wait two more hours. At the gate, he came up with a genius idea. He created two shadow clones; one used the Transformation Jutsu to transform into a cart with a seat, while the other pulled the cart. Kaida sat on the cart and made his way home. On the way, he stopped at his usual restaurant and ordered twice his usual serving. He devoured it like a beggar who had been starving for weeks, then ordered another serving and ate it the same way. Now he was sure he couldn''t eat another grain of rice. He paid the bill and left for his house, where he met Yomi, who was just about to leave for her training. --- **(A.N: Yes, here comes the time to Leave your likes and comments, also add this to your library, otherwise your chakra will be sealed for eternity *insert maniacal laughter here*)** Chapter 43: Kenjutsu hell 2 Kaida paid the bill and left for home, where he met Yomi, who was just about to leave for her training. "Hi, Yomi. How''s your training going?" Kaida asked. "Leave that aside. You actually trained for three days straight! What about your health? Didn''t we promise each other that we wouldn''t be reckless anymore?" Yomi''s face was full of concern as she spoke. "Don''t worry, Yomi. Sensei gave me a pill that keeps a person awake and full of energy for three days straight, with only one downside: a full day of exhaustion. Because of this, today is my holiday." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Who said I was worried about you, IDIOT!" Yomi retorted before storming off. ''I will never understand her,'' Kaida thought as he headed toward his bed for some much-needed sleep. Kaida fell asleep at 5 AM, and when he woke up, the clock showed 1. He assumed it was 1 PM and that he had slept for eight hours straight. But when he got out of bed to stretch, he was shocked to see that it was dark outside. He hadn''t slept for just eight hours¡ªhe had been asleep for a full 20 hours! This was surprising, as in both of his lives, he had never slept that long. Now he understood why Yukihiro Sensei told him to eat twice his normal serving¡ªbecause he knew Kaida would be out for such a long time. It made sense now; the 20 hours of sleep was due to the compound exhaustion of three days of exercise. Kaida went to his fridge, unsurprised to find only nutrient bars inside. He took out a few and ate them. With nothing else to do, he meditated for two and a half hours, then sent his clones in different directions to buy things for breakfast. At 4 AM, Yomi woke up, not because of her alarm but because of the smell of breakfast coming from Kaida''s house. She quickly completed her morning routine, and just as she was about to open the gate, the bell rang. "Yomi, I made breakfast for both of us, so don''t eat a nutrient bar right now. After you freshen up, come to my room for breakfast." "I''m ready now, let''s go," Yomi replied, excitement apparent on her face. Kaida just nodded, and they went to his house. One of Kaida''s clones opened the door and served breakfast while another cleaned the kitchen utensils. "I''m really glad you learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu. This is the best way to use it," Yomi said. Kaida just laughed at this. After breakfast, they headed to the training area. Yukihiro was once again waiting for them. He handed Kaida another soldier pill, and another three-day sparring session began. Kaida could feel the improvement in himself. Yukihiro was surprised that Kaida hadn''t complained about his teaching methods. It wasn''t the first time he had taught someone, and most of his students would usually complain about only learning the basics, which they could have learned on their own. But Kaida was different; he did exactly what he was told without question. Occasionally, he would ask for clarification, but it was mostly about their duels and how he could rectify his mistakes. Yukihiro was also impressed by Kaida''s talent. He was now confident that Kaida could handle any non-ninja swordsman on his own. Although ninjas were a different case, Kaida had only been practicing for six days. Yukihiro was starting to believe that Kaida might not only reach his level in the future but might even surpass him. After another three days of continuous practice, Kaida slept for 21 hours straight. After a hearty breakfast, he made his way back to the training area with Yomi. This time, the training was different. Yukihiro''s clone taught Kaida how to parry and defend against attacks. They spent a full day on this before resuming their duels. But this time, it was more interesting. Yukihiro started attacking Kaida, so Kaida had to block his attacks as well as launch his own. For two days straight, they sparred against each other, day and night. On the last day, with only ten hours left before Kaida had to rest for a day, Yukihiro gave him a break. Kaida realized that while his growth was apparent, he still hadn''t learned what he originally wanted to when he asked to learn kenjutsu. He wanted to learn chakra flow, the technique of coating your weapon in chakra to make it super deadly. He only had 15 days with Yukihiro at the start, and now only one more round of three days of training was left before Yukihiro would leave for a mission. Kaida decided to ask if he was ready to learn chakra flow or if there was something else he needed to do. He approached Yukihiro and asked, "Sensei, I read about chakra flow in the library, and I was curious about it. It was written that chakra flow makes kenjutsu capable of competing against ninjutsu and genjutsu, but you haven''t taught me anything about it yet. Am I not qualified enough to learn it?" "Kaida, I think you have a misunderstanding. It''s not chakra flow that makes kenjutsu powerful; it''s the user. No matter how powerful or sharp a sword is, it can''t kill the opponent if the wielder isn''t strong enough. As for chakra flow, it''s not that difficult, but the problem is your sword. Let me give you an example." Yukihiro picked up Kaida''s sword but paused just before channeling his chakra into it, remembering the sword''s price. He set the sword down and, with a *poof*, two swords emerged from the bracelet he was wearing. He picked one up and passed his chakra into it. Slowly, the sword started glowing red. Yukihiro swung the sword at a boulder, slicing through it like a hot knife through butter. But as it exited the boulder, the sword began to melt down. "The reason you can''t learn chakra flow is because¡­" **** (A.N: Thanks for reading^~^) Chapter 44: Person with cheats "The reason you can''t learn chakra flow is that a normal sword resists the flow of chakra. It''s a minor nuisance with other elemental chakra, which can be overcome by flowing more chakra into the sword. However, with fire chakra, the resistance causes the sword to start melting due to the excess heat produced by the fire chakra." "So, Sensei, you don''t use chakra flow in your kenjutsu?" Kaida asked. "No, I do use chakra flow in my fights, but as I said, normal swords can''t handle fire chakra. That''s why I use a special sword," Yukihiro explained, taking out his sword. "This sword is made of chakra metal. It''s more expensive than gold due to its special properties¡ªit doesn''t restrict chakra flow at all; in fact, it aids it. I had to complete many life-threatening missions to afford this, but it was worth it," Yukihiro said, a hint of pride in his voice. "But Sensei, what is so different about chakra metal compared to normal metal?" Kaida asked, genuinely curious. "Swords made of chakra metal contain chakra veins, which help the chakra flow through the sword¡ªsomething normal metal swords lack." Hearing this, Kaida remembered something. He could easily transform into another person or animal with chakra veins, so if he could transform into animals with chakra veins, why not transform into a chakra metal sword with chakra veins? "Sensei, can you please give me that sword?" Kaida asked. Seeing no problem with the request, Yukihiro handed his sword to Kaida. Kaida took the sword and passed his chakra through it. It was just normal chakra, but he was surprised by how easily it flowed through the sword. Then, he made a shadow clone, which transformed into a sword. Yukihiro saw this and smiled¡ªKaida wasn''t the first to try this. Many other ninjas had tried and failed. The Transformation Jutsu may form a sword, but it can''t replicate the chakra veins. Yukihiro decided to explain this to Kaida. "Kaida, it''s not possible to replicate a chakra metal sword with the Transformation Jutsu. Many have tried before¡­" But just as he was in the middle of explaining, Kaida picked up the transformed sword. When he passed his chakra through it, a smile formed on his face. He handed the sword to Yukihiro. Not understanding why Kaida was doing this, Yukihiro took the sword and asked, "Why are you giving me this sword?" Displeasure was apparent in his voice, as Kaida had not listened to his explanation. "Sensei, please try to flow your chakra through the sword," Kaida said, the smile never fading from his face. Puzzled by Kaida''s actions, Yukihiro still decided to flow his chakra into the sword. "Huh?" He couldn''t form the words. He even disrupted his chakra to confirm he wasn''t in a genjutsu, but the result was just as unbelievable. A chakra metal sword costs millions of Ryu¡ªthe amount a ninja earns after completing many S-rank missions, each time risking their life. Even then, the Hokage himself has to commission a sword to get one. And Kaida just made a sword in one second. How could he believe this? Yukihiro looked at Kaida and then back at the sword in his hand. He passed his chakra through it again, and the result was the same. This time, he passed fire chakra into the sword, and once again, it behaved like a sword made of chakra metal. He continued to flow his fire chakra into the sword, even increasing the input to see if it would be destroyed, but the sword held up¡ªno matter how much fire chakra he channeled into it, it didn''t melt, just like any chakra metal sword. He then sliced the same boulder again and again, and the sword held up. Yukihiro returned the sword to Kaida and looked up at the sky. "Fuck you," he muttered, cursing his luck. He had to suffer so much to get his sword, but the boy in front of him could get one practically for free. And not just one¡ªKaida was a walking factory of chakra metal weapons, able to make them anytime he wanted. To say Yukihiro wasn''t jealous would be a lie. He looked at Kaida and said, "We are going to meet Lord Hokage." Kaida, seeing Yukihiro''s reaction, said nothing. After 30 minutes, two swords were placed on Hiruzen''s table. "Can anyone at least explain to me what happened?" Hiruzen asked. Seeing Yukihiro''s sullen face was new, even for him. "Please flow your chakra into both of these swords, Lord Hokage." Hiruzen did as asked, but he didn''t find anything wrong with the swords, except that one was leaking a little chakra¡ªunusual, but nothing too big to disturb him like this. But then he remembered that Yukihiro only had a single chakra metal sword. "Yukihiro, where did you get this second chakra metal sword?" With a firm expression, Yukihiro replied, "Hokage, I would like to discuss this in private." Hiruzen nodded and waved his hand, and suddenly four ANBU ninjas left his office, closing the door behind them. Hiruzen activated a silence seal so that their discussion couldn''t be overheard by anyone else. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yukihiro then looked at Kaida and said, "Kaida, disperse your clone." *Poof* Immediately, one of the swords on Hiruzen''s table disappeared. Hiruzen wasn''t an idiot¡ªfar from it. He quickly understood what had happened. He had been surprised when he first saw Kaida transform into animals with well-defined chakra veins. But this was different. Even though these swords would disperse in 10-24 hours, depending on how much chakra a clone was made of, and couldn''t be given to a ninja for a mission that might take weeks to complete, during a time of war, Kaida alone could change the direction of the conflict with this ability. "This will be a secret, and you are not allowed to share it with anyone else," Hiruzen said in a serious tone. Kaida didn''t understand at first why they were making such a big deal out of it. Seeing his confusion, Hiruzen chuckled and said, "Kaida, our village has 3,000 ninjas right now, and 1,000 of them use weapons in their fights. How many do you think have a weapon made of chakra metal?" Kaida thought for a moment, considering how expensive chakra metal was. "Maybe around 100 or so?" "No, only 12 ninjas have weapons made of chakra metal. Now tell me, how many weapons can you make that work the same as chakra metal weapons?" Kaida paused for a moment, understanding the implications of Hiruzen''s words. Then he said, "24." "Right. You alone can increase Konoha''s strength many times over in a war. Now, what do you think other villages would do if they heard about this?" Kaida quickly understood why Hiruzen had said to keep it a secret. "I understand, Grandpa. I will keep it a secret." Hiruzen nodded and ordered them to return to their training. Hiruzen had initially considered reading Kaida''s memories to check if he was hiding anything, but he quickly discarded the thought. Reading memories could be dangerous and cause mental harm. Kaida had now become too valuable to risk losing such a powerful card. ***** ((A.N.): Hey, if you liked this new theory I came up with, please leave a comment. Or if you have any doubts or problems with it, I''m open for discussion ^~^) Chapter 45: Deadly Training **Author''s Note (A.N.):** Hey guys, our power ranking is now live! If you like what you''re reading, please vote for this fanfic. ***** Hiruzen initially wanted to read Kaida''s memories to check if he was hiding something, but he quickly discarded the thought. Reading memories can be dangerous and harmful to a person mentally. Kaida had now become too valuable to risk losing, and Hiruzen didn''t want to jeopardize such a powerful card. While Hiruzen was pondering this, Kaida and Yukihiro arrived at the training area, though they hadn''t yet started their training. "Kaida, I think we need to change our plan now. Since you have access to a chakra metal sword, we need to start different training," Yukihiro said. "You''re going to teach me chakra flow now?" Kaida asked, his eyes practically glowing with excitement. "Yes, but chakra flow is quite deadly, so you won''t be doing the training yourself. We''ll sit and watch your clone practice while I guide you on how to correct any mistakes it makes." Kaida nodded, too excited to argue. Chakra flow had become too powerful in his mind, to ignore, especially with his fire chakra. Kaida quickly made 24 shadow clones, and half of them used the Transformation Jutsu to become swords¡ªneedless to say, chakra metal swords. But this time, their design was different from Yukihiro''s sword. It was based on memories from his previous life, from a game he used to play as a child. A completely black sword with a wavy pattern, truly a beauty. Even Yukihiro was impressed by the sword. He took one and passed his fire chakra through it. Not seeing any problem with the sword heck it was even better than his sword, since he wasn''t able to afford to have pure chakra metal sword, and only had one made up of alloy While Kaida''s sword also a copy of alloy one, the chakra flow was better due to lower number of irregularity which arise during mixing 2 metal, Yukihiro used that sword for 5 minute to perform various slash and then they moved on to the next phase of the training. Each of Kaida''s clones picked up a sword and began trying to pass fire chakra through it. This wasn''t very difficult due to their constant training during fire chakra control exercises. The real problem started during their sparring session. Just a small scratch or even a graze from the sword would disperse the clone. It got to the point where, within just 10 minutes, only six clones remained. Since Kaida only had eight hours before the effects of the soldier pill would wear off, he continuously made new clones one by one for seven hours. Finally, Yukihiro stopped him from continuing any further. Kaida returned home, eating four times his usual serving due to the extreme exhaustion he felt this time. After a solid 22-hour sleep, he woke up feeling as fresh as a daisy. For the first time, Kaida woke up with a peaceful smile instead of the usual urgency to train. When he first came into this world, he was extremely happy at the prospect of living a life free of the constant pain that haunted every second of his previous life. But living a normal life was never an option in the ninja world. If you don''t have the power to protect it, you could be sacrificed for the ''greater good'', and you''re supposed to feel happy about that. F**k that. But if you have enough power, nothing can stop you from living the way you want. Though he hasn''t reached that level of power yet, Kaida had gained something more¡ªhe had become important to Konoha. Now, at least, he didn''t have to worry about Konoha''s higher-ups screwing over his life anymore... not openly at least As for power, he could now see that if he continued his training at this pace, he could reach Jonin level in three to four years at most. Sorting out his thoughts, Kaida got up from his bed and once again sent his clone shopping. After having a hearty breakfast with Yomi, they returned to training. Yomi had also completed her elemental training, and she would take a soldier pill today so she could learn five elemental jutsu in the three days she had with her sensei. Upon reaching the training area, Kaida wasn''t surprised to find Yukihiro waiting for him. Recently, their bond had deepened. Before, Kaida would train on his own and only talk to Yukihiro after completing his training. Now, things were different. Yukihiro was actively teaching him, and due to the miraculous effects of the soldier pill, Kaida had almost spent a year with Yukihiro by the end of 15 days, if you took the clone memories into account. No doubt, ninjas grow up fast due to chakra¡ªtheir bodies mature quickly and remain in their prime for a long time. As for mental age, Kaida thought he was already 14-15 years old, considering the time his clones were active. This thought was a little frightening. For the next three days, Kaida kept creating new clones to practice chakra flow. Since they couldn''t even afford a single scratch on their bodies, the clones were developing extreme defense. Their offense was already high due to fire chakra flow. As stated previously, no other elemental chakra is as destructive as fire chakra. Slowly, Kaida was becoming a very scary opponent in kenjutsu, without even realizing it. At the end of the third day, Kaida''s clones were able to spar for 30 minutes before dispersing. Though the time may not seem much, during that period, they didn''t even get a scratch on their bodies. When only two hours remained, Yukihiro called Kaida over and said¡­ ***** **Author''s Note (A.N.):** Hey, if you liked this new theory I came up with, please leave a comment. I love it when you guys share your views with me :-D Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 46: Training ends At the end of the third day, Kaida''s clones were able to spar for 30 minutes before they got dispersed. Though the time may not seem like much, it was enough for them to avoid even a single scratch on their bodies. With two hours remaining, Yukihiro called Kaida over and said, "Kaida, you have outperformed my expectations, and I am really happy to have you as my student¡­" "Umm, Sensei, please don''t say it completely¡ªit sounds like a total death flag." *Smack!* Yukihiro smacked Kaida''s head and said, "Don''t joke around and listen carefully. Even though you''ve done great in training so far, and I''m sure none of your friends can compete with you in terms of strength, you''re still nothing compared to a veteran ninja. So don''t get cocky and get yourself killed, okay?" "Yes, Sensei." Kaida had never once gotten cocky, as even though he had chakra reserves similar to a Jonin, his strength was nowhere near that level. For example, if a truck and a motorbike have the same amount of fuel and they collide with each other, the motorbike will be thoroughly crushed, not the truck. Even though Kaida had the same amount of fuel (chakra) as some Jonin, he was nowhere near their strength level. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. "Sensei, how many shadow clones can you make at most?" With a cheeky smile, Yukihiro answered, "I can make 85-plus shadow clones at a time." "Can every Jonin make that many shadow clones?" "If you want to compare your chakra reserves to theirs, no. Many can make 40 at most. Some Jonin can only make 25-30, but they shouldn''t be underestimated. Their strength lies in different areas than just chakra reserves. As for your father, he had so much chakra that he could easily make 150 shadow clones. He should have been promoted to Jonin, but due to some clans, he was held back. Hah!" Listening to his father, Kaida felt a bitter twinge, but he was sure the clan Yukihiro was talking about was the Uchiha clan. Knowing that his father was so strong made Kaida very happy, and a desire to surpass even his father emerged within him. "Anything else you want to ask?" "Sensei, will you teach me again after your mission, or is this our last training session?" Kaida asked. "Well, you can always ask me any questions you have whenever I''m in the village. As for training like this, it will be difficult because Lord Hokage keeps giving me one mission after another since our village is currently lacking in ninja population. But nobody knows the future, so let''s see what happens. Anything else?" "No, Sensei." "You don''t want to learn the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu?" "No, Sensei. When I can land a hit on you, then I''ll learn that jutsu. That was the deal, and I''ll follow it." "Hahaha, great! Now come here and take off your shirt." Kaida watched Yukihiro with suspicious eyes. "Don''t look at me like that, brat. I don''t swing that way. I have something for you." Kaida nodded and took off his shirt. Yukihiro took out a seal from his pocket and placed it on Kaida''s back. "Now, pass your chakra into the seal and don''t resist the mental pull you''ll feel." "Yes, Sensei." If anyone other than Yukihiro had said that to Kaida, he would have run away. But he had started to trust Yukihiro, so he did as he was told. Slowly, the seal dissolved into his back. Kaida could feel in his mind that he now had control over the seal. Confused, he looked to Yukihiro for an explanation. "This is a training seal. Since you''re still in your growing phase, you shouldn''t use weights for your training, as it may hinder your growth. That''s where this seal comes into play. You can increase gravity on your body, making it feel like you''re carrying some weight around. The max weight this can produce is 350kg, but you''ll have to start with 10kg and gradually increase the weight day by day while doing physical exercise. You can control the weight with your mind¡ªjust channel your chakra into the seal, and you can adjust it. This will help you get stronger. It''s my parting gift for you." Though Kaida was mostly unaware of the market value of the seal, he knew it was costly. "Sensei, how much did it cost?" "You don''t have to worry about that, brat. When your elder gives you something, just accept it. Now, why don''t we go out to eat?" "No, wait, Sensei, I''ll also prepare a parting gift for you." "Haha, okay." Kaida quickly made 10 clones and sent them to his house. They used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to get there. After half an hour, one of Kaida''s clones dispersed. Kaida was listening to stories about different missions Yukihiro had gone on when he received the memory and said, "Sensei, it''s ready. Please come with me." They both made their way to Kaida''s house. Yukihiro was surprised to see what Kaida had prepared. He had made many dishes for them, including steak, burgers, pudding, biryani, and even beer for Yukihiro. "You can cook?" Yukihiro asked. "Yes, Sensei, I learned a little." Since both of them were hungry, they started eating. After 10 minutes, the bell rang. One of Kaida''s clones went to answer it. "Hey! How dare you eat alone, you bastard! I was waiting for you to call me, you scoundrel¡ª" Yomi''s curse came to a sudden halt when she saw that Yukihiro was also sitting there. "Hahaha, we''re sorry for not calling you earlier. Please, come join us," Yukihiro said. With a face as red as a ripe tomato, Yomi sat on the same side as Kaida. "Now that I think about it, are you guys planning on getting married?" Yomi''s face somehow turned even redder. She looked to Kaida for an answer. Kaida, with a similar blush, said, "Is the beer affecting your mind, Sensei? How can you ask such things to children?" "Hey, you guys are now Genin. Though you''re younger, you''re considered adults in the ninja world. While no one usually marries at such a young age as it may hinder future growth, no one can stop you if you want to." **Author''s Note (A.N.):** If anyone doubts this, think about it: Genin can kill on their missions, but you think they can''t marry because they''re too young? Of course not. If they''re allowed to kill, then who''s going to stop them from being with someone they love? "But if you think otherwise, feel free to share your thoughts. :P" Yukihiro said while drinking beer from his cup. Seeing that no one was going to reply, he continued, "Well, it depends on you guys. But since your training is now over, report to Lord Hokage the day after tomorrow, okay?" Both of them nodded their heads without saying anything. After that, they finished their meal, and Yukihiro left after another farewell. Yomi left for her house without saying anything. Kaida, too, was tired and fell asleep after thinking for a while about what Yukihiro had said. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After sleeping for 22 hours, Kaida woke up at 3 AM. Without wasting any time, he headed toward his previous training location to try out the new seal he had been given. ***** **Author''s Note (A.N.):** Hey, if you liked this story, please leave a comment. I love it when you guys share your views with me :-D Chapter 47: D Rank missions After sleeping for 22 hours, Kaida woke up at 3 AM. Without wasting any time, he went to his previous training location to try out the new seal Yukihiro had given him. First, as instructed, he set the weight to 10 kg and started doing push-ups. After just a few reps, he began to feel the effects of the weight, and a question arose in his mind: *How much weight is my limit?* To answer that, Kaida started to slowly increase the weight. At 25 kg, the effect of the weight became apparent; he walked around a little bit and continued to increase it. At 50 kg, he started having difficulty walking. At 75 kg, he was walking at a literal crawling pace. 100 kg was his limit. In the end, he coated his whole body in chakra, and with its help, he was able to move with 100 kg, though it was at the same pace as when he was carrying 50 kg. Kaida continued his exercise like this, and after one hour, his chakra reserve was halved. He stopped using chakra and reduced the weight to 10 kg. *Pain.* A huge amount of pain assaulted his body. Even though the chakra had allowed him to exercise while carrying 100 kg, it wasn''t something his body could normally handle. His body was taking all the damage, while chakra was providing enough power to do the exercise as well as slowly healing the damage. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida coated his body in chakra again and just lay there. Now that the chakra was only working on healing his body, his recovery sped up, and in 30 minutes, he was good to go. (A/N: No, he doesn''t know any medical jutsu; it''s just one of the properties of chakra that increases the natural healing of the body. This is why ninjas heal faster than civilians.) --- Kaida went back to his house. Since they had a huge feast the day before, he decided to just eat a nutrient bar. Due to constant eating out and other expenses, their balance had dropped to 9,540 Ryo from 24,000 Ryo. They hadn''t received their monthly allowance for this month, so he decided to stick with the nutrient bar for now. Since their training had just ended, Yomi didn''t come to call Kaida for morning training, and Kaida did the same. At 6 AM, both of them got ready and went to the Hokage''s office. Since Hiruzen was expecting them, they didn''t have to wait long. "Congratulations to both of you! You''ve completed your elemental training, and Kaida, you even learned kenjutsu too. Very good, very good." "Thank you, Grandpa," both of them said. "As you know, there was a plan to have four parts in your academy training, after which you would become genin. You''ve already completed three parts. But for the fourth part, where you would learn a specialization, you''ll have to wait. After you complete some missions and gain practical experience, then you can choose your specialization." Before both of them could fully comprehend it, Hiruzen started speaking again. "You were already promoted to genin earlier, remember?" With sudden realization, both of them said, "Yes, Grandpa." "Being a genin means you are now adults, so you will no longer receive a stipend like before. On the other hand, you can take missions from the assignment desk at the academy. Though you can only take D-rank missions for now, when there''s another ready to be promoted to genin, and your team can get a third member, I''ll assign you a sensei, and you can take C-rank missions too. Oh! I forgot to ask if you even want to be in a team or not." Yomi swiftly said, "We want to be on the same team, Lord Hokage." Kaida just nodded his head. "Hahaha, okay." Hiruzen knew this, but due to his manipulative habits, he had to make himself look like a loving grandpa to the children. Hence, such antics, which Kaida understood. Kaida was always more careful around Hiruzen than even Danzo because of these manipulative tendencies. "Also, you can only take missions together¡ªno solo missions allowed." "Yes, Grandpa." After talking about some nonsense about the ''Will of Fire'' for a while, they were allowed to leave. When they were outside the Hokage''s office, Kaida turned to Yomi. "Yomi, let''s check out some missions now. Our balance is very low, so let''s earn some money," Kaida said, and Yomi could have sworn there was money written in his eyes. "Okay." She had never once asked about money; Kaida managed the expenses for both of them. They went to the academy desk and presented their genin cards. Normally, they wouldn''t be able to take any missions without a chunin or jonin as their sensei, but due to special permission from the Hokage, they could. "How many maximum missions can we take at a time?" Kaida asked. Normally, such a question wasn''t asked, since new genin usually didn''t want to do D-rank missions as they were normal chores. "At max, you can take eight missions, and after completing them, you can take more." "Okay." Kaida went ahead and picked eight normal missions like transporting things, cutting trees, and even cleaning cows. "Yomi, make seven shadow clones," Kaida said. Yomi instantly understood why Kaida had taken eight missions. Normally, they wouldn''t be allowed to use any jutsu during D-rank missions, but since there was no one to stop them, they decided to use it to their heart''s content. Kaida also made seven shadow clones but with double the amount of chakra so that if they needed to use chakra during the mission, his clones could handle it. After sending the clones off to their respective missions, Kaida and Yomi each went on one mission themselves to avoid any objections about misusing their jutsu to earn money. The mission they chose involved transporting objects from one place to another. It paid the most, and upon reaching the location, they understood why. There were so many items that they would have to make multiple trips to transfer everything¡ªIF they weren''t allowed to use chakra. Kaida quickly made four shadow clones. Two used the Transformation Jutsu to turn into a cart and a buffalo, and the other two started loading the items. Kaida went to inform the contractor that they would be transferring all the objects at once. The contractor was a middle-aged man with an average face and build¡ªhe looked like a typical next-door neighbor. Kaida showed him the request paper and said, "Sir, we''ll be transferring all the items at once. You may check to ensure nothing is left behind." The man didn''t quite understand what Kaida was saying, as there were so many items that he had to hire a ninja. Otherwise, the only other option was a more expensive cart. When he reached the loading area, he was shocked to see someone who looked exactly like Kaida loading the items onto the cart. However, he wasn''t new to the ninja world and quickly understood that the person must have used some jutsu. "Umm, sir, we can''t afford the cart." "My name is Kaida, and you don''t have to worry about the cart; the price is the same." "Oh, okay. My name is Shomi." When all the items were loaded, the contractor came to Kaida and asked, "Kaida-san, can we sit on the cart with the items?" Not seeing any problem with that, Kaida agreed. Then, a girl peeked out from behind the man. "Oh, this is my daughter, Amaya. She''s 12 this year." Both Kaida and Yomi were shocked to hear this, as they were just 8, and they looked older than her. "Hey, my name is Yomi, and I''m 8 this year." Seeing the confused look on his daughter''s face, Shomi explained that ninjas grow up quickly. After a small introduction, they departed for their destination. Along the way, Ayame kept stealing glances at Kaida, but he ignored her. Yomi, seeing this, became happy. When they reached the location, they unloaded the items and got the contractor''s signature to confirm the mission''s completion. By then, all their clones had completed their missions. They all met in front of the academy, and Kaida collected all the papers that signified the completion of the missions. He went ahead and submitted all the papers, then took on new missions. The instructor was baffled, as he had expected them to complete these missions in at least three days. Similarly, they completed the next eight missions as well. Since it was 6 PM by the time they finished, Kaida didn''t take on any more missions. --- A.N: Thanks for Reading ^~^ Chapter 48: Love? (A.N: Your review can make a huge difference for this novel, and it only takes a couple of minutes! I would be incredibly grateful if you could take a moment to leave a simple review. Your support means the world to me! Thank you in advance!) They had already earned 6,500 Ryo from 16 missions. They could have earned more, but the village took a large percentage of the mission fees. Still, 6,500 Ryo was not a small amount¡ªit was already more than 1.5 times their monthly stipend. After returning to their house, they received a notice stating that the duration for which their house had been allotted for free was over. Starting next month, if they wanted to continue living in the house, they would have to pay 2,000 Ryo each month for each house. "What should we do now?" Yomi asked Kaida. "Well, we have eight days to think about it since we''ll have to pay rent from next month. Let''s continue doing missions for now, and in between, we''ll search for another house. If we find a better one, we''ll move out; otherwise, we''ll have to pay 4,000 Ryo per month. In both cases, there''s nothing to worry about." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After that, they went to the training area to practice their new jutsu. Though they had learned it, to make it battle-ready, they had to master all five jutsu. After practicing for three hours straight, they both went back to their house and slept. For the next three days, this became their daily routine: - In the morning, they would do physical exercise for four hours, during which Kaida would increase his exercise weight by 3 kg. - After that, they would complete D-rank missions, a total of 16 per day, earning them 6,000-6,500 Ryo. In the evening, they would focus on jutsu training. On the fourth day, while choosing a mission, Kaida was surprised to see the payment for one mission. The task was simple¡ªcutting the grass in a garden¡ªbut the payment was five times that of a normal D-rank mission. "Sir, why does this mission pay so much?" "Oh, this is a mission from a noble. They always pay more, but their completion requirements are also tougher. If you''re planning to take this mission, be wary of whatever they say. Nobles have silver tongues and can be very manipulative." Kaida nodded and took the mission, along with seven others. He decided to do the noble''s mission himself and send clones to complete the others. When they reached the mission location, it was a large bungalow that could be described as a mini-palace. They rang the bell, and a butler answered. "We''re here for the mission." "Please wait a minute," the butler said in a very respectful tone. After checking the paperwork, he nodded and asked them to follow him. He then took them to a garden the size of a football field. "You just have to cut the grass and place it in that corner." Kaida and Yomi were pleasantly surprised. Though the garden was a bit large, they could complete the work quickly using chakra. But the butler added: "You are not allowed to use any jutsu for this, according to my lady." He pointed toward the balcony where a blonde girl sat under an umbrella, watching them. Kaida understood that this mission had been posted by her purely for entertainment. But since they had already accepted the mission, Kaida and Yomi simply nodded and got to work. What could have been completed in 20 to 30 minutes took three hours because the princess demanded perfection in her garden. When they finished, she came to the garden. "What is your name?" she asked Kaida. "My name is Kaida, and she is Yomi." She didn''t even look at Yomi and said, "You completed the work very early. Very good. As a reward, I will double the payment." Just as they were about to be happy, she continued, "But on one condition." She pointed toward her red lips. "I want a kiss," she said, looking at Kaida. Kaida''s brain stopped working for a moment¡ªthe request was that ridiculous. He looked at the lady again. She was around 18-19 years old, with a fit body, a slightly heart-shaped face, and her lips being the most striking feature. With an ample blossom, she looked gorgeous in her blue dress. For a moment, Kaida even thought of accepting the request and going for the kiss, but he suddenly remembered the instructor''s warning: "Be wary of the nobles." "I''m sorry, I can''t do that." She was almost sure Kaida would accept her request, but when he said no, she turned to her butler. "Give them the sign and throw them out of my property." "Yes, my lady." The butler signed the paper and sent them on their way. Kaida looked at Yomi, only to find her a bit gloomy. "Don''t take her words to heart. Nobles are just like that. We still got so much money¡ªlet''s eat something nice." Kaida tried to cheer her up. "Let''s go for a walk." "Okay, once we submit this report, we''ll go for a walk." Once again, all of their clones were waiting at the academy gate for them. Kaida submitted the paper and dispersed all the clones. "Let''s go." They walked in total silence for an hour, slowly reaching the top of the Hokage Rock. Yomi sat in the corner, and Kaida sat beside her. "Why did you take so long to say no to her?" Kaida understood she was talking about the recent incident, but he couldn''t exactly say that he wanted to kiss her¡­ could he? "Umm¡­ yeah, I was just thinking of how to say no politely," he lied through his teeth. "You wanted to kiss her," Yomi said angrily. When she heard the request for a kiss, Yomi was 100% sure that Kaida would reject her. But when he didn''t reply immediately, she looked at him and saw he was staring at the noble girl''s lips. Yomi felt insecure, jealous, and angry, even though he denied it in the end. Kaida wanted to kiss her. "Am I right?" "Hah! Yes, I''m sorry." Seeing that he couldn''t lie, he outright accepted it. "You moron, asshole, fatass," Yomi said, looking away. After five minutes, she mumbled something inaudible. "What?" Kaida asked. "..." Again, something inaudible. "Can you please say it a little louder?" "I LOVE YOU, YOU MORON, AND I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU KISS SOMEONE BEFORE ME!" she shouted. "...¡­" This time, Kaida was silent. He didn''t know Yomi was so brave. He had wanted to say that he loved her too, but he didn''t have the courage. "I love you too," Kaida said. Didn''t know what to do in the moment, he just let go of his body and his mind went off, He moved his face closer to hers until they could feel each other''s breath. Yomi closed her eyes. Kaida slowly placed his lips on hers and remained like that for some time. Then he began gently sucking her lower lip, then her upper lip. Yomi was too shy to move. The kiss lasted one minutes. Though it was the first kiss for both of them, When they separated, Yomi was completely red, and Kaida was on cloud nine, too happy to think of anything else. He had just had his first kiss. He hugged Yomi, and they sat like that for quite some time. There Relationship has finally became official, till now they both knew that they liked each other but never told each other that, now everything changes (A.N: or will it?) ***** (A.N: Hey, if you liked this story I came up with, please leave a comment. I like it when you guys share your views with me :-D) Chapter 49: Training is important Kaida lay in bed after reaching his house, lost in thought. ''Till now, I was only focusing on getting stronger so that I could live a happy life this time. I was quite happy to get a second chance. My first life was¡­ miserable. I was a burden on my parents; they could have lived happily if they didn''t have to pay my constant hospital bills. Living with constant pain in my whole body was worse. I''m sure Mom and Dad would have been sad after hearing about my death, but it was good for both of them. When I got a second life, no matter if it was in a world where you can be killed just because someone''s mood was off, still I was happy to get a second chance. That''s why I wanted to get stronger, so I could live a happy and long life this time. But I think ''living in the moment'' is something I have never done in either of my lives. Hahaha. Yomi is my girlfriend now, right? Should I treat her differently? I never had a girlfriend, and is it even right to have a 8-year-old girlfriend? Even if it is acceptable in this world, we are still children, so we can''t do any naughty things. Surely not, but since we already kissed, kissing should be alright, right?'' While Kaida was having such thoughts, Yomi was doing the same. ''I was planning to say this for so long, and I said it in such a way. Who says ''I love you'' when they''re angry? What will he think about me? And now that we are in a relationship, will we do all those things in the ICHA ICHA novel?'' They both slept that night with a blush on their faces. The next morning¡­ "Hey, Kaida." "Hey, Yomi." ¡­ ¡­ awkward silence. "Yomi, let''s stay like we were before until we grow up. We''re just 8. Let''s wait until we become adults before doing anything," Kaida said in one breath. "But we already kissed," Yomi said, looking away. "Yes¡­ but let''s just stop at kissing. We won''t do anything else until we''re adults, okay?" "So, kissing is okay?" Yomi asked, her face turning beet red. "I guess," Kaida thought. ''At least I''m not the only pervert here.'' After agreeing to wait until they were at least physically older than 18 years, they resumed their daily routine. After a 4-hour long physical exercise session, they went to take missions from the mission assignment desk. After completing 16 missions for the day, they didn''t return to their house but rather went to search for a new one. Without any discussion, it was already decided that they were searching for one house, not two. For the sake of it, they were searching for a house with 2 bedrooms. After some time, they found a 2 BHK flat ready to move in at 4,000 Ryo. Although the price was the same, this flat was a lot better than their previous house and had a cozy feel to it. They decided on this flat and planned to move in at the end of the month. This flat, besides having a nice feel, was also in a good location¡ª15 minutes walking distance from the academy, where they had to go continuously to take missions. It also had a training area nearby. Training areas were usually free and anyone could use them until someone booked them for their training, which was much better than some small forests where they used to train. On the morning of the first day of the next month¡­ Kaida woke up and made five shadow clones, each assigned to a different chore from cleaning to cooking breakfast, while he completed his morning routine. Yomi woke up after some time and also made two shadow clones to clean her room before she started her morning routine. After taking care of their bathroom needs and brushing their teeth, they both went to the hall to eat breakfast. After kissing each other for a good five minutes, they started eating. "Yomi, I think we should take our training seriously." "But we are training daily," Yomi replied. "Yes, but the training we did after eating the soldier pill was many times better than this. All I''m saying is, let''s take a four-day break from missions twice a month and train after eating a chakra pill. At the rate we''re earning money, we can make 200,000 Ryo a month, which is a lot. We don''t need that much. Heck, even 100,000 Ryo is too much for us for now." "wok, I dwon''t ¡­" "First, eat, then speak," Kaida said. "Okay. I don''t have any problem with this, but where will we get soldier pills?" Yomi asked, filling her mouth with more food. "Oh! Don''t worry about them; they can be arranged at the mission assignment desk. I''ve seen him giving them to other ninjas." After finishing their food, they completed their morning exercise, then took a bath and went to take the mission. "Sir, I would like to buy some soldier pills." "Why do you want soldier pills?" the mission distributor asked. "I would like them for training." "Oh! Okay, which ones do you want?" "Are there different types of soldier pills?" Kaida asked, confused. "Soldier pills range between 1,500 Ryo to 50,000 Ryo, depending on the amount of chakra you have and your needs." Seeing that kaida was just a little boy, the distributor, didn''t told him about more potent one, which only jonin used S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Sorry sir, but I don''t know which one I should choose. Can you please recommend one?" Kaida asked, trying to hide his shock after hearing the price. "Okay, come here." The distributor placed his hand on Kaida''s chest, trying to sense his chakra. Needless to say, he was surprised by the amount. ''How does such a small boy have so much chakra? That''s why Lord Hokage shows him favor. This boy is surely a genius.'' "Seeing your chakra, you''ll need at least the one costing 3,000 Ryo, though the 2,000 Ryo one will work too, but the exhaustion will be worse." "Okay sir, I would like two soldier pills then." "Alright, wait a minute." He went in and came out with a box containing two soldier pills. Kaida took the pills as well as the mission, deciding to take the soldier pill tomorrow in a fully active state. "How much is the booking fee for Training Area 33 for three days?" Kaida asked. "It''s 10,000 Ryo." "Then I would like to book it for three days starting tomorrow." "Okay, I''ll have the paperwork ready by the time you return from your mission." Kaida and Yomi completed 16 missions, did their training, and then went to sleep. ***** (A.N: Hey, if you liked this story I came up with, please leave a comment. I love hearing your reviews! :-D) Chapter 50: More effort, more reward The Next Day... "Pack your nutrient bar, Yomi. We''re not coming back to eat." "Really? Can''t we just take some time off, even to eat?" "No, it will break the flow and concentration. We can eat all we want after training is over. Now hurry up." "Okay, coming." They went straight to Training Area 33 at 3 AM. Since they had booked the area, they were the only ones there. "Here''s your soldier pill. Eat it and start your practice. You can call me if you have any problems, okay?" "Yes," Yomi replied. Kaida went to a different part of the training area and consumed his soldier pill. ''This is the same soldier pill that Yukihiro-sensei gave me, but I do wonder what the effect of a 50,000 Ryo soldier pill would be. Well, I can always find out in the future. Now, let''s make as many shadow clones as I can.'' He started making shadow clones. When he made the 24th shadow clone, he felt like he could make more, so he made one more, and another, and another. He made 27 shadow clones. In just one month, his chakra reserves had grown again. Happy with this discovery, Kaida started his training. ''Since I have two things to train, and we''re going to train twice a month, let''s focus on kenjutsu one time and ninjutsu the other time.'' Kaida sent one of his clones to look after Yomi. The remaining shadow clones were split into two groups: half used the transformation jutsu to transform into swords made of chakra metal, while the other half took the swords and started kenjutsu training. Seeing that one shadow clone was without a partner, as there were 13 clones, Kaida dispersed that clone and made a new one with more chakra. "You''ll fight with two shadow clones at the same time so that we can gain experience in fighting multiple opponents." "Okay." Kaida didn''t participate in the sparring himself. Instead, he decided to use this time differently. He coated his whole body in chakra from head to foot and started increasing the weight of the seal. Every 10 minutes, he increased the weight by 10 kg while running simultaneously. When he reached 120 kg, he finally stopped and continued to exercise with that weight. After 3 hours of continuous exercise, he lay on the ground and started circulating chakra in every part of his body while maintaining the chakra coating. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Since he had pushed his body far beyond its capability, he was sure that once he stopped the chakra coating and circulation, the pain would be unbearable. Because of this, he continued his chakra coating and circulation for an hour straight. By now, all of his clones had been dispersed, some due to damage and others due to chakra exhaustion. Kaida once again made 27 shadow clones, and they started their sparring session again, while Kaida resumed his weight training, this time with a weight of 130 kg. While Kaida was doing his torture-cum-training, his clones were sparring with each other, maintaining chakra flow in the swords. Due to the lethality of the attacks in this state, a clone would be dispersed even with a scratch from the sword, even though shadow clones can usually take some damage unlike normal clones. So Kaida''s clones instinctively began using a very advanced kenjutsu technique where you spread your chakra around you and feel through it, acting like a sixth sense. Normally, a ninja has to master kenjutsu and become a good sensor ninja to learn this technique, but out of necessity, Kaida learned a tamer version of it. Thanks to this, his clones were able to dodge most of the attacks, and Kaida''s defense kept improving. For the full three days, Kaida repeated this same pattern. When only 4 hours were left, Kaida stopped his training and focused on recovery. Since the damage was too much and he knew that after 4 hours he would be unable to do anything, he halted his training and focused entirely on healing. He sent four shadow clones to make food for them. ¡­ When Yomi first started her training, she only did it because Kaida said so. She was satisfied with her growth. As they had to continuously go to the academy to take missions, Yomi found out that many of her previous classmates in the so-called elite class were still on the second part of their training, while she was already a genin. But Kaida was never satisfied, so she decided to train with him. Aside from this, another reason she didn''t want to train was that lightning jutsu was really hard. She was only able to learn one lightning jutsu in three days, while the other four jutsus she learned were water jutsu. Her sensei told her that she had to master this jutsu first before moving on to other lightning jutsus. This jutsu wasn''t anything flashy, just throwing a spark from her hand. She could do that, but to master the jutsu, her attack had to travel more than 30 meters, and she could only reach 5 meters. Yomi decided to focus on this jutsu first and learn other jutsu afterward. She could only make 14 shadow clones at most, but since she had to practice a jutsu that required a lot of chakra, she made 10 shadow clones and started practicing. By the end of the three-day training, she was able to attack from 12 meters away, which was a major achievement. She decided to take this training seriously, as her daily training showed only fractional growth compared to this. ¡­ "Yomi, let''s go. The three days are almost over," Kaida called to Yomi. "Okay." They both went back to their flat. After taking a much-needed bath¡­ alone, they ate the meal already prepared by Kaida''s clones. Up to this point, Kaida had not stopped circulating chakra, fully devoted to healing his body. After eating, they went to sleep. This time, Kaida slept for a full 24 hours. The exhaustion from such intense training was overwhelming. When he woke up, he stretched his body a little. *Tat tat tat tat tatat* A very relaxing sound of bone cracking came from every stretch. His body was so stiff after that torture-cum-exercise. By the end of the three days, he was doing exercises while maintaining a weight of 230 kg. He decided to check whether it had any benefit or not, so he increased the weight of the seal from 0 to 35 kg and was able to move without much difficulty. Slowly, he increased the weight, and by the time he reached 180 kg, it became too difficult to move. Seeing the improvement, he was very satisfied. He made 10 shadow clones to clean the house and cook food. After completing his bathroom routine and brushing his teeth, he went to the hall to eat breakfast and found Yomi already waiting at the dinner table. "Good morning, Yomi." "Good morning. Now hurry up; I''m dying of hunger here!" "Hahaha, okay." After that, they ate their breakfast in silence. "So, was there any improvement after the training?" Kaida asked after eating. "Yes, these training sessions are more useful than I initially thought. I think I''ll master my lightning jutsu in the next two sessions." "Oh! That''s great." Since they had already done enough training, Kaida and Yomi skipped their morning exercise and went straight to take missions at 6 AM after resting some more. That day, they completed 24 missions, followed by some light training, and then went to sleep. ***** (A.N: Thanks for reading, finally half century is complete ^~^) Chapter 51: Training ends For the next two weeks, Kaida and Yomi followed a similar routine: four hours of physical exercise, then 16 missions. They could rush and complete 24 missions, but since there was no urgent need for money, both decided to take their time. After that, it was three to four hours of ninjutsu training, followed by sleep¡ªof course, with many kisses in between. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After two weeks, Kaida once again bought two soldier pills and booked Training Area 33 for three days. --- "You remember the drill¡ªcall me if you have any problems, okay?" "Oh, are you free to listen to my problems? I thought you only talked with Ayame now." "Okay, come on, we''ve already talked about this. How long are you going to keep bringing it up?" "Humph." This was because, on one of their missions, they once again met with the same father-daughter pair. On the way to transporting their items, Ayame kept talking to Kaida. Although Kaida found nothing wrong with it, Yomi could smell a rival, so she kept pestering Kaida about talking to another girl. However, she was never serious about it, and Kaida knew that too. After a bit of bickering, Kaida went to a different area and ate his soldier pill. Since this time he had to focus on ninjutsu, he made 20 shadow clones after taking breaks in between, each with 10% of his chakra. The goal of the training was to reduce the hand signs and timing of his elemental jutsu. The first jutsu he focused on was the Fireball Jutsu. Since he already knew how to create a fireball, he just needed to learn how to throw it out without hand signs. All of his clones kept performing the jutsu to get a feel for how to mold it without hand signs. By the end of the day, while Kaida was doing his weight training, a clone dispersed. Kaida had succeeded in creating his first signless jutsu. He moved his hand in front of him, formed a fireball in five seconds, and threw it at a boulder 40 meters away. "Okay, now it''s time to move on to Fire Release: Fire Breath Jutsu." He once again made 20 shadow clones, who began training in the Fire Breath Jutsu. This jutsu would be super effective in ranged fights if he could make it signless and fast. This jutsu was more difficult, as he had to work on it from the basics, but in one and a half days, he managed to make this jutsu signless as well. Since only half a day remained, Kaida focused on the Wind Blade Jutsu, as it was the easiest for him to learn. He already knew how to create a wind blade and cut rocks with it. In half a day, this jutsu was also successfully learned. "With these three jutsu, my offense is solid for now. Though I still need to work on reducing the time it takes to perform them, that can come later. But the problem is that there''s always someone stronger in this world, so I need to perfect my remaining two jutsu. Other than making them signless, I need to make them as swift as possible. Now that I think about it, this is more important than other training. I should complete this first before working on any new jutsu." Kaida had already sent a clone to prepare food and went toward Yomi. "Yomi, it''s enough. Let''s go back." "Are three days already over?" "Yes, now hurry; we need to go back." "Coming." After eating the food, they talked for a while before going to sleep. "So, how''s your progress, Yomi?" "Not good. I thought I''d be able to reach 30 meters today, but by the end of the third day, I only managed to reach 26 meters. Just four meters more to go." "Don''t worry. Next time, you''ll master it completely." "How were your results?" Yomi asked. "I''ve made three of my jutsu signless, but I need to work on decreasing the casting time for each. For now, though, I''m thinking of focusing on my other two jutsu. They''ll be useful in dangerous situations. You should also focus more on your defensive jutsu." "But I''m close to fully learning this jutsu. Once I complete it, then I''ll focus on the Water Shield." "Obviously." After that, they went back to their rooms and fell into a deep sleep. --- Two more weeks of missions followed, and they returned for another round of training. --- "Yomi, once you learn your Lightning Jutsu, focus on the Water Shield. I have a feeling that we''ll have to go on more dangerous missions soon." "Okay." This wasn''t just a gut feeling. Kaida had recently heard news that many students were ready to be promoted to genin at the academy. As Hiruzen had mentioned, they''d be assigned a new teammate when a student graduated from the academy. Kaida wanted to perfect his remaining jutsu as soon as possible. He went to a different side of the training area and made 28 shadow clones (another increase in chakra reserve), each with 10% of his chakra, while taking breaks in between to recover. All of them started practicing the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu while he continued his weight training. The Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu was on the harder side compared to other C-rank jutsu, so Kaida had to invest a lot of time in making it signless. After three days of continuous training, he was barely able to make the jutsu signless, but it still took him 10 seconds to activate. In a battle where half a second could mean the difference between life and death, 10 seconds was far too long. However, since time was already up, they returned home and slept for 24 hours straight. This time, they decided to do another three-day training session, as both were sure that they didn''t have much training time left. --- Yomi was able to reach 30 meters with her lightning attack and make the Water Shield Jutsu signless, but the time to create the shield was still too long, and its defensive capabilities were lower than the Water Wall. She had to work on these in the next session. As for Kaida, he focused solely on the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to make it faster and reduce the activation time. He even stopped his weight training to practice this jutsu so that his body would get used to it. After another three days, their jutsu reached an acceptable level. Satisfied, they headed back to their flat. "Finally, my Lightning Jutsu and Water Shield Jutsu are somewhat usable in fights." "Yes, my Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu is also ready to be used in fight-or-flight situations. Now we can focus on other jutsu." They ate a meal fit for eight people all by themselves and went to sleep. When the sun rose the next day, Kaida and Yomi decided to rest for the day and start doing missions tomorrow. Just as they were about to go out, an Anbu ninja appeared at their door. *ding ding* "Lord Hokage has summoned you to his office at 10 AM," the ninja said, then used the Body Flicker Jutsu to disappear. Kaida and Yomi looked at each other. "Looks like our training days are coming to an end now, huh?" --- (A.N: Thank You for reading ^~^) Chapter 52: Team 13 Since they had four hours before they had to report to the Hokage''s office, Kaida and Yomi decided to enjoy some Ichiraku ramen in the meantime. They headed straight toward the shop. Ayame came to see who had arrived so early in the morning and was elated to find them. "Oh! Kaida-san, Yomi-san, welcome back! Where have you been for the last three months?" "We were training under our new sensei, and we''ve become super powerful now," Yomi said. "Also, we were doing some missions. We''re now genin," Kaida added with a proud smile. "Oh, that''s great! So, what do you guys want to eat?" Ayame asked. "The usual." "Coming right up." ''Now that I think about it, Ayame is the name shared by both her and the girl from the D-rank transport mission. Maybe that''s why Kaida was talking to her so much,'' Yomi thought. After 30 minutes, Ayame and Teuchi came out with a hot bowl of miso ramen with all the toppings. They served it, and Kaida and Yomi ate until their stomachs were about to burst. They paid the bill and then headed toward the Hokage building, walking leisurely. On the way, they both wondered who would be their new teammate. They only had a single friend in the academy; everyone else just used to give them the cold shoulder. At 9:50, they reached the Hokage building and were surprised to find Ryota waiting there. "Hey, Ryota, how are you?" Kaida asked. Ryota, upon hearing Kaida, stood up from his seat, walked over to him, and punched him straight in the gut. "I''m fine, you asshole. You never visited us after your sudden graduation, and here I thought we were friends." Kaida thought, ''Ryota''s words hurt more than his punch.'' "I''m sorry, bro. We were really busy¡ªheck, we didn''t even have time to sleep during our training under our new sensei," Kaida said with a sad face. *bark bark* Kiba also showed his displeasure at not receiving his treats and pats for such a long time. "Sorry to you too, buddy," Kaida said, patting Kiba. Since he was expecting to meet them, Kaida had brought some treats with him, which he gave Kiba as an apology. "Hey, Yomi." "Hey, Ryota." Yomi and Ryota had a normal interaction since Ryota''s anger was already over. This was one of the best things about members of the Inuzuka clan: they didn''t hide their feelings. "Lord Third is calling you guys," the receptionist said, interrupting their reunion. They headed toward the Hokage''s office. "Greetings, Lord Hokage," Ryota bowed to Hiruzen. "Good morning, Grandpa," Kaida and Yomi said, bowing slightly. "Good morning to all of you. Hmm, it seems Kenji''s words were true¡ªyou three are well acquainted with each other," Hiruzen said, then looked toward Kaida and Yomi before continuing. "As you may have guessed already, Ryota will be your new teammate. He graduated from the academy in one week and completed his necessary D-rank missions to go on C-rank missions." "Yes, Grandpa, but who will be our team leader and new sensei?" Kaida asked. "Oh, you know him very well," Hiruzen said. As if on cue, the office door opened, and Yukihiro walked in. "How are you doing, kids?" "Yukihiro-sensei!" Kaida said, pleasantly surprised. "Yes, he will be your new sensei," Hiruzen confirmed. "That''s great!" Kaida exclaimed, while Yomi was happy but thought it would have been even better if Daichi were there. Ryota was the most surprised by this news. "The famous Fire Sword is going to be our sensei?" Ryota exclaimed. "Hahaha, yes. Now, you three wait outside; I have something to discuss with Yukihiro," Hiruzen said. The three of them went outside of the office. "Hey, what was that about the Fire Sword?" Kaida asked. "You don''t even know about that? He''s one of the most powerful swordsmen in Konoha and had a bounty of 35 million Ryo on his head in the Bingo Book. The higher your bounty, the more powerful you are. Some even say he''s S-rank in terms of kenjutsu. How do you guys know him?" "Umm, he''s the one who taught me elemental jutsu and kenjutsu," Kaida said sheepishly, ashamed of not even knowing about his sensei. "Now I''m not even angry about you not visiting me¡ªjust too jealous of you," Ryota said. "Me too," Yomi added. While they were discussing this, Hiruzen and Yukihiro were having a different conversation. "Yukihiro, I had some Anbu ninja watch Kaida''s and Yomi''s progress, and the results were astounding. If we talk about Yomi, she has enough strength to go toe to toe with any chunin. As for Kaida, his growth is monstrous. He can be compared to an elite chunin, and I''m not saying jonin only because of his inexperience." "I don''t see any problem with this, Lord Third." "There is a very big problem with this. They have enough power but no experience and haven''t even had their first kill. A ninja of their strength is being wasted doing nothing in such a turbulent time. I want you to take whichever mission you want and make sure they gain enough experience, including their first kill." "Yes, Lord Third." Yukihiro left the office after that. ¡­ "Sensei, I didn''t know you were so famous," Kaida said when he saw Yukihiro coming toward them. "Yes, yes, I''m super cool. Now, leave that aside. We''re all going to meet in Training Area 55 in 30 minutes. Don''t be late." Yukihiro said and moved away using Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu. "We better hurry if we don''t want to be late," Ryota said. Though Kaida could reach there within a minute using Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu, he decided to walk with his friend. They reached Training Area 55 ten minutes before the required time and were not shocked to find Yukihiro already standing there. "Now that you guys are here, let''s begin with our introductions. My name is Senju Yukihiro. I am a kenjutsu and ninjutsu user. I dislike people who don''t value time. What I like is none of your business." "I am Senju Kaida. I am also a kenjutsu and ninjutsu user. I dislike wasting my time. I like utilizing my time most efficiently." "I am Yomi. I am a ninjutsu user. I like spending time with my friends and dislike staying away from them." "I am Ryota Inuzuka. I am a ninjutsu and taijutsu user. I like spending time with my friend Kiba, and I dislike people with double faces." "Good, but from now on, you also have one more identity: a member of Team 13. Since you guys already know each other, let''s not waste time on team bonding. Doing missions together is the best team bonding exercise, according to me. Now, come here and take your mission kit." Yukihiro handed each of them a handguard with a symbol on it. "Wear it and channel your chakra into it." They wore the handguards and channelled their chakra, surprised to find that the guards contained 12 shurikens, 4 kunai, ninja wire, and 60 nutrient bars. "These handguards have storage seals in them. You can store ten times the amount already present. Whenever you go on a mission, this is the basic requirement: your weapon and food for at least twice the duration of the mission." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, Sensei." "I hope you guys are ready because we''re going on a mission right now," Yukihiro said with a full grin on his face. Since Kaida and Yomi didn''t have any problem with that, they agreed, but Ryota mentioned he had to notify his family. "Okay, Ryota, tell them you''ll be out for three days on an escort mission, and we''ll all meet at the village gate in two hours." They all went back after that. ********* Next Chapter: Sharingan (A.N: Guys, this is the last chapter without any fights. From now on, there will be fights and killing (brutal killing), so stay tuned. Also, don''t forget my Power Stones!) Chapter 53: Actual Mission After two hours, they all arrived at the village gate, where a caravan was ready to head out. It was different from the usual caravans Kaida was used to seeing; it had many carts filled with items and even two carts for some people to sit in. Yukihiro arrived after them. Seeing them watching the caravan, he said, "This is the caravan of a very wealthy merchant. Only they can afford to post a mission for a full ninja squad. Most small merchants only hire small-time ninjas as their escort; they don''t have enough money to issue an escort mission." Kaida remembered hearing something similar from Ayame''s dad. Since it was a well-organized caravan where everyone was doing their job, Team 13 didn''t have much interaction with anyone. They just showed the papers that confirmed they would be escorting them, and that was it. "Kaida, you''ll be in front. Yomi and Ryota, you''ll be on the left and right. I''ll handle the back. If you find any problems, try to handle them on your own. I''ll interfere if you need my help. Any objections?" "No, Sensei," they all replied. Yukihiro was not planning on spoon-feeding them on how to behave during a mission; they should have gained theoretical knowledge during their time at the academy. As for practical knowledge, that couldn''t be taught¡ªthey had to learn by doing things on their own. This was the first time Kaida had stepped out of Konoha since coming to this world, and he felt a little happy. Though Konoha was not a bad place to be, the best thing about having power is freedom¡ªthe freedom to go wherever you want without worrying about anything, to explore the world and all that. This was like the first step toward every man''s dream: adventure. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They traveled for half a day without any stops. When the night was slowly approaching, Ryota came to Kaida and said, "There are 10 people hiding ahead of us. I can smell blood on them." "An ambush, huh? How far are they?" Kaida asked while thinking of a plan, but deep down, he was hoping they wouldn''t have any confrontation. Killing someone was not a small matter for him, and he hoped he wouldn''t have to do that so soon. "They''re 1 km away from us. Wait, they''re moving away. I think they''re running." Kaida quickly made a shadow clone and sent it in the direction Ryota pointed out. His clone found 10 fully armed bandits running away. ''Hmm, they must have seen the size of the caravan and fled, thinking that a ninja must be escorting it.'' After confirming this, the clone dispersed itself. Kaida received its memory and sighed in relief. He didn''t have to kill anyone, but there was one person who was not happy about this. Yukihiro had sent his clone to follow Kaida''s clone. When he saw the bandits, he was expecting Kaida to fight them, but instead of seeing him getting ready for a fight, Yukihiro saw Kaida sighing in relief. Even though there was no immediate need to handle those bandits, since they wouldn''t have caused any problems for their mission, those people were bandits, and if they lived in the Land of Fire, they would cause harm one way or another. It is a ninja''s duty to handle them; otherwise, civilians will suffer. Kaida knew that, but his aversion to killing made him ignore this detail. Yukihiro now understood what the Hokage was saying. Kaida and Yomi don''t know the consequences of their actions. Even if they have power, they don''t have the resolve to use that power for good. Though Yukihiro could have killed them, it was Kaida''s decision, not his. Kaida had to face the consequences of his decision. The rest of the mission was completed with no more problems, and they returned to the village on the third day. When they entered the village, Kaida was shocked to find a familiar face there. Ayame''s father was running toward the Hokage Building. Kaida used Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu and appeared in front of him, then he saw it¡ªa face full of tears and grief. Kaida had a bad feeling about this. "What happened, mister? Why are you crying?" Kaida asked as all his team members arrived. "Kaida-san, my daughter... my daughter has been kidnapped! Those bandits kidnapped her. Please save her! Please save my daughter!" "Calm down first and tell us what happened," Yukihiro came forward and asked. "We were going back to our village after selling our goods, but we were attacked on our way back. The ninja who was protecting us died during the attack. They kidnapped all the girls, killed most of the men who tried to stop them. I somehow survived by hiding under the corpse of my friend¡­ SOB SOB¡­ Please, save my daughter." Yukihiro looked toward his team and said, "This is a rescue mission; time is of the essence. I am going to the Academy to register the mission. Kaida, take him to the hospital and patch him up a little. He is going to lead us to the location." There was a large wound on the old man''s shoulder, but in his grief, he didn''t even seem to be in pain. Yukihiro pointed toward the injury and then disappeared. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida said, then picked up Ayame''s father and took him to the hospital using Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu. In just 20 minutes, they were back at the village gate. The medical ninja only had time to bandage the wound and give some painkillers to Ayame''s father. Yukihiro said, "Yomi, since you don''t have any movement jutsu, you''ll stay here, and I won''t hear any objections." "Yes, Sensei," Yomi said begrudgingly, completely deciding to learn a movement jutsu as soon as possible. "Kaida, I am taking him, and you''ll take Ryota and Kiba on your shoulders. We will need him to find those bandits. Old man, point us in the direction where you were attacked." "Okay." The old man kept pointing in the direction, and Yukihiro and Kaida kept using Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to travel. Both of them had eaten a soldier pill by now. In half an hour, they reached the attack location. There were still bodies lying there¡ªtwo ninjas and the rest were men who were killed by the bandits just for fun. "Old man, you will stay here," Yukihiro said, then looked toward Ryota and said, "Find the direction they went." Without wasting any time, Ryota and Kiba got to work and started running in a direction. After 20 minutes, they were in front of a hideout in a cave. There were some bandits outside, laughing. *** Next Chapter: Sharingan Chapter 54: Sharingan Kaida was shocked to see that they were the same bandits he had encountered during his previous mission. Now he was angry with himself; if he had killed them then and there, none of this would have happened. "We are going to silently kill these bandits so they won''t alarm the others and harm the hostages," Yukihiro instructed. ''Kill¡­ We are going to kill them? Can''t we capture them and bring them back to the village for punishment?'' Kaida thought, still holding on to the mentality and innocence from his previous life, where he lived in a peaceful world. While this was going through his mind, and Yukihiro was making plans to save the captives, Kaida saw something. He looked toward the entrance of the cave and saw a bandit dragging a half-naked girl out of the cave. Her clothes were torn in many places. "Throw her in the hole," the bandit said as he tossed her body aside and went back inside. Kaida was stunned by what he saw. His anger and hatred grew to an astronomical level because that girl looked like Ayame. The anger wasn''t just toward the bandit; it was toward himself. If he had killed those monsters before, she wouldn''t have had to go through that. And then something inside him broke, like a thin film of glass, shattering his last remnants of innocence. His aversion to killing was almost gone, replaced by pure rage. His anger grew to such an extent that he started feeling pain in his eyes. Drops of blood began to fall from them. His already red eyes became even more crimson, and a single tomoe emerged in his pupils. Suddenly, the whole world became clearer to him. He could see every little detail now. *Sharingan.* With the help of his newly awakened Sharingan, Kaida noticed that the girl was still alive. Kaida was about to rush toward the cave when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Kaida, you will put everyone''s life in danger if you let your anger get the best of you. There are still hostages inside," Yukihiro cautioned. Kaida understood what Yukihiro was saying. He took a deep breath and said, "Sensei, I will save everyone. Not a single person will die. Can I go now?" Yukihiro looked into Kaida''s eyes for a moment. He could see the boy''s anger and the newly awakened Sharingan. He wanted Kaida to stay out of the fight, but he knew that stopping him now would be a huge loss for his growth. So, he decided to let Kaida go and only help if necessary. After all, Yukihiro was an elite Jonin, capable of handling a hundred bandits on his own, but the captives were still a concern. He decided to trust his student and nodded. Without wasting any time, Kaida ran in the opposite direction and created 20 shadow clones. Each one used Earth Release: Earth Military Movement Technique and went underground, slowly making their way toward the cave. Inside the cave, there were three rooms. In the first, they stored the items they had stolen. In the second, they kept the five women they had captured. In the last room, 12 bandits were eating and laughing. Since only two bandits were in the second room, two of Kaida''s clones emerged from the earth from their blind spots and covered the bandits'' mouths while the other two clones emerged and sliced their throats. The bandits died without anyone knowing how. One of Kaida''s clones dispersed, relaying to him that the hostages were safe. Along with the memory, Kaida felt the weight of having killed two people so easily. It was shockingly simple to end a life, but he pushed those thoughts aside, letting his anger guide him once again. Meanwhile, outside the cave, Kaida saw two bandits fighting over who would be the first to "enjoy" the girl''s body. It became increasingly difficult for Kaida to control himself. He used Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu and appeared right behind one of the bandits, delivering a punch to his head. Kaida had been doing physical exercises while carrying a weight of 330 kg for quite some time, but he had never had the chance to test his strength, so even he didn''t know how powerful he had become. When he punched with full force, the bandit''s head exploded, sending brain matter and blood flying in every direction. Some of it even splattered onto Kaida. The other bandit, who had just witnessed his friend''s head burst open, was about to shout and attack Kaida when Kaida appeared right in front of him, gripping his neck. With a twist of his hand, he snapped the bandit''s neck, letting the lifeless body fall to the ground. Kaida then ran toward the girl, took off his jacket, and placed it over Ayame''s upper body. Feeling Ayame stir and open her eyes, she saw Kaida''s face and a look of relief washed over her. "Thank you," she whispered before closing her eyes again. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not knowing how to describe his feelings, Kaida simply sat there, holding Ayame in his lap. Then, his clone emerged from the cave with the remaining five hostages. One of them, an older woman, ran toward Kaida. "Ayame, are you alright? Ayame," the woman cried out. "She''s just unconscious. Please take her with you. My clone will escort you to a safe location," Kaida said, passing Ayame to one of his clones. Five of them then escorted the hostages to Yukihiro''s location. Hearing the commotion outside, a bandit came to check the situation. He was the same one who had thrown Ayame out. Kaida could have easily killed him without giving him a chance to alert his comrades, but he was too angry to grant him such an easy death. The bandit saw that all of the captives were running away with some ninja. Since he couldn''t see the faces of the ninjas, he couldn''t guess that they were clones. "Come out, you bastards! Some twerp here is trying to be a hero!" the bandit shouted. By now, Kaida had dispersed all of his remaining clones, except those escorting the captives and two others who had transformed into chakra weapons¡ªnot swords, but tiger-claw-like weapons, which Kaida now wore on both hands. He had studied many things in the library, including weaponry. (*Author''s Note: Something like Wolverine''s adamantium claws.*) Hearing the bandit''s shouts, the remaining bandits emerged from the cave, each carrying some type of weapon, from swords to axes. Yukihiro observed this and prepared to assist Kaida if necessary. Although Ryota wanted to help his friend, Yukihiro had assigned him the task of guarding the hostages along with Kaida''s clones. On Kaida''s side, one of the bandits, a grunt, decided to handle the kid alone. "Hey, kid, you shouldn''t have come here. We were already in a bad mood because of a bitch who kept resisting, and now you''ve freed the remaining ones. We weren''t even able to enjoy her before she went nuts and committed suicide. Just you wait¡ªafter I deal with you, we''ll find the rest of them and f**k them crazy." Unaware that each word was sealing his fate, the grunt finished speaking, licked his dagger, and ran toward Kaida. *** Next chapter: Blood-bath Chapter 55: Blood-Bath With a blur, Kaida disappeared from his position and appeared behind the grunt. Both of the bandit''s hands fell to the ground, cleanly cut from his shoulders, with burn marks from his shoulders to his waist on both sides. Even though he should have been soaked in blood by now, no blood came from his wounds; they were burned and sealed due to the fire chakra Kaida had coated his claws with. The bandit fell to the ground and started shouting for help. Kaida lifted his leg and crushed the bandit''s legs into the ground. His cry became a source of fear for the other bandits. The bandit who had thrown Ayame out ordered another, "Go call the boss here." Kaida ignored him and kept walking toward the other bandit. With each of Kaida''s steps, every bandit took a step back. "What are you terrified of, you bastards? He''s just a single kid, and there are so many of us. Go kill him!" the bandit shouted again. Hearing this, the bandits ran toward Kaida¡ªnot because they were motivated by the command, but because they knew there was no way they would survive if they ran; the ninja was far too fast. They prepared to fight for their lives. But the problem was that Kaida''s kenjutsu defense was so strong that even veteran ninjas would have struggled to land an attack on him. These half-assed bandits didn''t stand a chance. Now that he had the Sharingan, he could see every minute detail and movement of the bandits. Kaida kept walking, and with each step, one bandit would fall to the ground with holes in various body parts¡ªsome burned and sealed, others missing limbs. Each one was left barely alive, suffering from a slow and painful death. With each passing second, the intensity of the screams on the battlefield increased. Yukihiro watched as Kaida easily handled every bandit. Though he didn''t want to admit it, he even felt pity for the bandits, seeing them in this condition. After just 20 seconds, only Kaida and the bandit who had thrown Ayame remained standing. Seeing that he had no other choice, the bandit picked up his battle axe and slashed at Kaida. Kaida easily dodged, then simply bisected the axe in two with his claw. He followed up with an attack on the bandit''s hands and legs, leaving only the torso behind. The last bandit simply joined the rest in increasing the screams in the area. By this time, the bandit who had gone to call the ''boss'' returned with a ninja dressed in bandit attire. Yukihiro tensed up once again, just as he was about to go and help Kaida. Kaida disappeared from his location again and appeared behind the ninja, slashing his claw toward him. Though the ninja tried to block the attack with his kunai, the claws, made of chakra metal and coated with fire chakra, easily sliced through the kunai. One of the ninja''s arms fell to the ground. Yukihiro appeared behind the ninja and knocked him unconscious with a strike to the neck. "He''s a ninja, Kaida. We should take him back to the village for interrogation," Yukihiro said. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida nodded, then turned to see the hostages he had rescued. Seeing that they were frightened by all the screams, he simply used Wind Blade Jutsu to kill every bandit on the ground. Afterward, he sat down on the ground, his spirit completely broken. Seeing him so down, Yukihiro approached and said, "Kaida, don''t worry. It wasn''t your fault. These were bandits. There are much worse people in the world doing things we can''t even imagine. And we can''t save everybody. The only thing we can do is our best every day." "Sensei, I had a chance to kill these bandits during a previous mission. If I had done that, none of this would have happened." "I know, Kaida. But even if you had killed these bastards, someone else would have taken their place. As I said, it wasn''t your fault. Just do the right thing from now on. No need to blame yourself." Kaida nodded, and Yukihiro left him alone for a while and went to clean up the mess Kaida had made. First, he buried every bandit in the ground using Earth Jutsu, then stored everything inside the cave in a storage scroll. He restrained the ninja with ninja rope and a paper seal that would keep him unconscious for the entire journey. By now, Kaida was up and ready to move. They went to where Ryota and Kiba were handling the hostages. Kaida made three shadow clones¡ªone transformed into a cart with enough seats for everyone, while the other two transformed into two bulls. They headed toward Ayame''s father, who was coming in their direction with a kunai from the dead ninja in his hand, ready to fight for his life to save his daughter if necessary. Kaida picked him up onto the carriage too, and they headed toward Konoha. For the entire ride, Ayame was unconscious. Kaida carried her on his lap, while Yukihiro stored the body of a fallen party member and the ninja in a scroll. Upon reaching Konoha after four hours, Ryota and Kiba got down from the cart with Yukihiro. "I''m going to report this to Lord Hokage. You can take them to Konoha Hospital," Yukihiro said. "I''ll tell Yomi about our return. You can go on," Kaida replied. Kaida nodded and went toward the hospital, while Yukihiro, Ryota, and Kiba went in a different direction. --- **At the Hokage''s office:** "You''re saying that on his first mission, Kaida was so against killing that he left the bandits alive. But when you returned to the village, you learned that some bandits had attacked someone Kaida knew, and you went on a rescue mission to save the hostages. And there, Kaida killed all the bandits in such a brutal way that you felt pity for them. He also unlocked his Sharingan when he saw a girl he knew thrown out by a bandit in a very bad state, right?" the Hokage asked. "Yes, Lord Hokage." "He even handled a Chunin-ranked ninja alone?" "Yes, Lord Hokage." "Are you sure?" "Yes, Lord Hokage," Yukihiro repeated. "Argh, I''m getting a headache just thinking about the Uchiha''s reaction to this. They won''t leave Kaida alone now that he''s unlocked his Sharingan. They''re very strict about this. Well, send that ninja to the T&I department for interrogation." "As you wish. I''d like to request a week off for my team, Lord Hokage." "Approved." Hiruzen said without any delay. The first kill is always difficult to handle, especially when you''ve lived in a place like Konoha where everything is relatively peaceful. After submitting his report, Yukihiro took the ninja to Konoha''s T&I department. Just after 30 minutes of torture and investigation, the ninja started singing like a parrot. The result was something every higher-up in Konoha had been expecting. Given Konoha''s current state, every village is trying to exploit the situation. They are sending their ninjas disguised as bandits to attack Konoha''s economy. This particular ninja was from Sunagakure, in the Land of Wind. The Hokage was already aware of this but couldn''t do much as every ninja in Konoha was already stretched thin with their duties. They were doing missions back-to-back. Though he was sending ninjas from time to time to exterminate bandits, they kept increasing, no matter how many were killed. --- (A.N: For this chapter. Just tell me if you liked the chapter or not. Though you can still vote for this fanfic, I would primarily like to know your review of the chapter.) Chapter 56: Killer While Yukihiro was submitting his report to the Hokage, Ryota went to find Yomi, who was waiting near the gate for their arrival. "Yomi, we''re back. We were able to save all the hostages. Well, most of the work was done by Kaida." "Where is Kaida? Is he alright? What happened on the mission? Is he hurt?" Yomi started asking all the questions running through her mind. "Kaida is taking the hostages to the hospital, and yes, he''s fine. But I can''t say the same for the bandits." Ryota began recounting everything that happened on the mission to Yomi¡ªhow Kaida became enraged seeing Ayame thrown out, how he brutally killed everyone, and how he single-handedly saved all the captives without their help. Yomi listened intently, but she didn''t share Ryota''s enthusiasm. While Ryota thought Kaida was impressive during the mission, Yomi knew how soft-hearted Kaida was. Killing someone for the first time, especially in such a brutal manner, would surely affect him. Not to mention the guilt of not killing the bandits earlier and blaming himself for what happened to Ayame. She was deeply worried for Kaida and wanted to be near him, so she went straight to the hospital. ¡­ Kaida admitted everyone to the hospital. Ayame was in particular need of medical treatment; she had banged her head on a stone in a suicide attempt. Ryota had tied a bandage on the wound as soon as Kaida''s clone escorted everyone to safety. If not for the quick action, Ayame would have definitely died from blood loss. Medical ninjas took her to the emergency room while Kaida sat outside, waiting. Everyone else was also receiving treatment, as none of them were without injuries. Kaida had been sitting there for an hour when a small hand gently squeezed his shoulder, jolting him to full alertness, ready to attack. "It''s me," Yomi said with a gentle smile, not the least bit afraid that Kaida might have attacked her; she knew that would never happen. "What are you doing here, Yomi? Are you here to check on Ayame''s condition? She''s in the emergency room right now," Kaida said, his voice filled with guilt. Yomi gave Kaida a tight hug. "It wasn''t your fault. You can''t predict the future, and most importantly, you saved her. She''s alive thanks to you, so don''t blame yourself." "No, Yomi, get away from me. I''m a monster. You know how I killed those men. Even you will hate me like I hate myself now. They were begging to be saved or even killed, but I... I let them live and die a slow, painful death. I failed twice¡ªfirst, by not saving those people who died because of those bandits, and then, to calm my mind, I tortured those bandits," Kaida said, pushing Yomi away. "They deserved much more than what you did to them. You did nothing wrong; don''t blame yourself," Yomi insisted, continuing to hug him. Kaida needed to hear that, and the emotions he had been suppressing for so long broke free like a dam giving way. He sat down on the chair and started crying. Yomi stood beside him, letting him cry out his guilt. After about ten minutes, Kaida calmed down. "Take this," Yomi said, handing Kaida a pill. "What is this?" "Sensei said you''d need some sleep. This will remove the effects of the soldier pill, though you''ll feel extremely sleepy afterward," Yomi explained. This was why she had been late to the hospital. "But, I¡­" "I know. I meant after she recovers," Yomi said, knowing full well that Kaida wouldn''t leave until he was sure Ayame was safe. After waiting for another half hour, they finally saw the doctor come out of the emergency room. "Sir, how is she?" Kaida asked as soon as the doctor opened the door. "She''s out of danger now, but we still need to keep her here to monitor her condition," the doctor said. Even though medical ninjas can heal a person much faster, that''s usually for ninjas. In the case of a civilian, they can''t use any major jutsu suddenly since their bodies aren''t accustomed to chakra. Even mild chakra, like medical chakra, might harm their bodies. "Can we see her now?" Kaida asked without missing a beat. "Yes, but make sure she doesn''t talk too much. She''s just out of danger, not healthy," the head doctor said before leaving. Kaida nodded and went inside, while Yomi stayed behind for a moment. "Thank you for saving our friend, Doctor," she said before following Kaida. The doctor just smiled and went on his way. *** "Ayame, how are you?" Kaida asked. "I''m fine, Kaida-san. Thank you for saving me. But what happened to the others? What about¡­ what about my father?" Ayame asked, still worried about the others from the caravan, especially her father, who had been wounded while trying to protect her. "All the women captured by the bandits are safe now, and your father is alive. He''s getting treated in this hospital and is actually in better condition than you," Yomi said, as Kaida once again fell into guilt, thinking about the people from the caravan who died. "Thank God. Thank you for saving us," Ayame said to Yomi. "I wasn''t the one who saved them; he was," Yomi said, pointing to Kaida. "Yomi, I''m sorry for what I''m about to say," Ayame said and then looked at Kaida. "Kaida, every time you helped me and my father in the past month, I started to like you more and more. And when you came to save me today, those feelings became permanent. I know you love Yomi, and it''s shameless of me to tell you this now, but when I was about to die, it was my last regret. I don''t want to have it anymore, so¡­ I love you." Both Kaida and Yomi were speechless. Neither of them had expected this. Yomi''s mood suddenly shifted, her thoughts racing: ''What the heck? I came here to meet a friend at the hospital and am leaving with a love rival?'' But it was nowhere near as chaotic as Kaida''s feelings. Already burdened by the guilt of thinking everything that happened was because of his indecisiveness, and after his first time killing someone so brutally, Ayame''s confession was just too much for him to handle. "I''m not sure what to say, Ayame, but I know one thing: if you knew the truth, you''d hate me. I''m the reason you suffered this. I could have killed those bastards a day before yesterday, but just because I didn''t want to kill anyone, I left them alive, and they did this to you," Kaida said, almost on the verge of crying again. Ayame looked at Kaida with a confused expression, unable to make sense of what he was saying. Yomi understood and clarified, "During our previous mission, we had to escort a large caravan. Those bandits tried to ambush it, but seeing the size of the caravan, they ran away. Kaida went ahead to check if the path was safe and saw those bandits fleeing. He feels guilty that if he had killed those bandits, this wouldn''t have happened." "No, Kaida-san, it wasn''t your fault. You might have killed those bandits, but others would have taken their place. It was our fault. We had a very bad sale this week and couldn''t make much money, so our village elder decided to save some money on our escort and hired only genins. Otherwise, this wouldn''t have happened," Ayame said, trying to lift Kaida from his unnecessary guilt. Yomi smiled, seeing Ayame trying to cheer Kaida up, but she wasn''t about to share Kaida. So what if you love him? I love him more, and if she shared him with every girl who liked him, well, with Kaida''s looks and kind personality, that number could easily reach a hundred in the future. But there was no need to make a scene, especially when Ayame was still in the hospital. Just as Kaida was about to respond, the nurse in the room interjected, "The patient is getting too riled up; she''s still not healthy. So please, you two, leave. You can continue your conversation after she''s recovered. And boy, I know the first kill is always the hardest, but remember, they deserved it. You didn''t just kill someone; you saved tens, if not hundreds, of civilians from getting killed." He patted Kaida''s shoulder reassuringly. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Thank you. Take care, Ayame. We''ll come back to see you," Kaida said to the nurse and Ayame. "Kaida-san, don''t think too much about what I said. I don''t expect a reply from you; I just wanted to let you know," Ayame said with a smile. Kaida nodded and left the room. Now, only Yomi, Ayame, and the nurse were left in the room. "I don''t know why you said that, but if you love him, feel free to try to win him. But let me tell you, I love him more, and I will make sure I''m the one who becomes his wife. But I''m not going to hate you if you win; that would just mean you loved him more than I do," Yomi said, not liking how Ayame seemed to give up when she said she loved Kaida. "I don''t think I have time for that, Yomi. I have to go back to my village and handle many things after this¡­ but in the future, you may find me constantly pestering you and Kaida," Ayame said with a smile so big that it was hard to believe she had been injured. "As you wish," Yomi replied as she walked towards the door but then stopped and said, "Get well soon," before leaving. "She''s a good girl," the nurse commented. "I know, and that''s why I don''t have much confidence in my love life," Ayame said with a sad smile. "It''s so good to be young," the nurse said with a chuckle before returning to his seat. *** Kaida went home and took the pill as Yomi had instructed. The effects were immediate, and he felt overwhelmingly drowsy. He collapsed onto the bed like a log. Yomi returned about ten minutes later and shook her head at the sight of Kaida. She adjusted his posture, placed a pillow under his head, and then went to her room, also exhausted, and fell asleep immediately. *** After sleeping for an entire day, Kaida finally woke up. "This is new. Even after training for three days straight, I''ve never felt this tired," Kaida thought. It was true; normally, he would have woken up much earlier, but many things had piled up¡ªhis anger, the Sharingan, guilt, and finally the medicine¡ªall of which resulted in him getting much more rest than usual. But the good thing was his mind was now clear. Though he still felt a bit guilty about killing someone, he now understood the price of dwelling on the past. He wasn''t on Earth anymore; he had to change, or else¡­ "You finally woke up," Yomi said, coming into the room to check on him. "Yeah, I needed that sleep," Kaida said with a small smile. "Great! I''ve already ordered food. You get freshened up; Sensei asked us to come to the training area in two hours," Yomi said, wanting to keep Kaida busy so he wouldn''t dwell too much on the recent incident. Kaida noticed this and was grateful to have someone so caring by his side. "Okay," Kaida agreed. After they ate, they headed toward the training area. **** (A.N: Please please please just one review ) Chapter 57: Preparation for missions Yukihiro saw All member of team 13 in front of him especially Kaida, who looked much more relaxed and ''mature?'', completely opposite of the gloomy version Yukihiro had last seen yesterday "Kaida, are you fine now?" Yukihiro asked. "Yes, sensei." "Good. As you may know, Kaida has already had his first kill, which is a very important part of a ninja''s life. We kill people not to show our power or superiority, but to protect those we care about and love. You might not know, but there are many bandit camps like the one Kaida just cleared in the Land of Fire. Due to our lack of ninja, we''re short on manpower to remove them, and some other villages are using this as a chance to weaken our village''s economy. This is a top secret, and you are not allowed to share it with anyone else. The reason I''m telling you is that I plan on taking every bandit extermination mission available in Konoha from now on, as it will be like killing two birds with one stone. If any of you have an objection, you can tell me now." (A.N: top secret, to not cause stress among civilians) Though Ryota and Yomi were a little terrified by the idea of killing someone, they understood why they had to do it. Unlike Kaida they didn''t had the moral compass of someone from a peaceful world, and in this world Killing someone was not too unnatural even for civilian let alone ninjas, there main job was killing "No, sensei, we don''t have any objections," Ryota said, and Yomi nodded. Kaida was still thinking. But after a sec he asked "Sensei, when will we have to depart for the mission?" Seeing that none of his students had any problems with this, Yukihiro smiled a little and said, "We have to complete some preparations before that. Two of you don''t know any movement jutsu, so you will learn that in one week. As for Kaida, you have something much more important to master. So here, eat a soldier pill each." He handed soldier pills to Ryota and Yomi since Kaida had already taken one during the mission to save Ayame. Yukihiro made two shadow clones and took Ryota and Yomi to a different area of the training ground to teach them Body Flicker Jutsu. Since they didn''t have Wind Chakra affinity, Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu would be difficult to learn; Body Flicker Jutsu was the second-best option. Then he turned toward Kaida and asked, "Do you feel anything different after killing those bandits?" Kaida thought Yukihiro was asking if he felt guilty about killing them. "No, sensei, I don''t feel any guilt killing those bastards." "I''m not talking about that, brat. You activated the Sharingan during that time." Kaida was shocked upon hearing this. ''What? I activated the ultimate cheat-like ability, the Sharingan? Me, who had the least chance of awakening it due to mixed blood? How the hell¡ª'' "What?" Despite thinking so much, only this word came out of Kaida''s mouth. "Yes, you''ve awakened your Sharingan. Now, the Uchiha Clan won''t leave you alone like before. There''s a chance they''ll try to bring you back under their command. So, what do you want to do?" Kaida was stunned by the sudden flood of information, but one thing was certain. "Hell no, I''m not going there. Just because I''ve awakened the Sharingan, they want me back? Before this, I was just an orphan to them. I''ll continue living as I always have," Kaida said firmly. ''Besides, the Uchiha compound isn''t exactly the safest place for those who know about the Uchiha massacre.'' Yukihiro had anticipated this response. "But they''re the only ones who can help you reach your full potential with the Sharingan, you know." "I don''t even need the Sharingan," Kaida said, thinking, ''My life is more important than any cheat-like ability.'' "Huh, even if you say that, the Sharingan is too powerful to ignore. So, even though I can''t train you like an Uchiha would, I''ll still help you learn how to use your Sharingan." Kaida''s eyes sparkled at this. He bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Sensei." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "No problem, boy. Let''s start with activating your Sharingan. Transfer chakra into your eyes and focus on awakening it." "Huh, that''s it?" Kaida asked. "Well, I''m not an Uchiha, so how would I know? Your chakra control is good, so I''m sure it won''t be difficult for you," Yukihiro scoffed. For the first time, Kaida felt that having a goofy teacher might not be the best, but he decided to give it a try. He channeled his chakra into his eyes and tried to activate the Sharingan. Suddenly, his vision became clearer, as if he had been looking at the world through a veil and someone had just lifted it. He could now see every small detail around him, from the falling leaves of a tree to the insects crawling on the ground. One thing he noticed was that he could see something ethereal in the air. "Congratulations, Kaida! You succeeded on your first try." "But, Sensei, why am I seeing colorful air now?" "That''s not air, my boy; it''s chakra. With the Sharingan, you can easily see chakra. With practice, you''ll be able to see a person''s chakra and the chakra path of a jutsu being performed. This greatly aids in learning jutsu. That''s why the Uchiha are the most feared ninjas¡ªthey can easily copy most of an enemy''s jutsu, which is a nightmare for other villages." "That''s so cool." "Yes, but you''re still miles away from achieving that level. Your eyes will help you learn jutsu faster, but copying a jutsu will require practice and luck. You''ve unlocked the one-tomoe Sharingan, which consumes the most chakra. As you upgrade to the three-tomoe Sharingan, chakra consumption decreases. For most ninjas, that''s the limit, although there''s also the Mangeky¨­ Sharingan, which is way above your current league." "Sensei, how can I upgrade my Sharingan further?" Kaida asked, even though he already knew the answer. "Well, upgrading to the two-tomoe Sharingan is simple. This version is awakened after maturing or through continued usage of the Sharingan. It automatically upgrades whenever the user experiences strong emotions, so you can''t force the upgrade. But even the one-tomoe Sharingan is powerful enough to kill for, so you should focus on mastering its powers." "Okay, Sensei, but what can I do with the one-tomoe Sharingan?" "The one-tomoe Sharingan has many powers, with the major one being analysis. It will help you see every minor detail in your environment, including your opponent. With enough practice, you can predict your opponent''s moves. The Sharingan also helps you cast Genjutsu and prevents you from falling into one. Lastly, it allows you to see chakra movements, which ultimately helps in copying a jutsu just by observing it." "Sensei, if the one-tomoe Sharingan can do this much, what can the two or three-tomoe Sharingan do?" "Well, the powers are pretty much the same, but your chakra control will increase, and your existing powers will strengthen with each upgrade. Now enough with the questions¡ªwe don''t have all day. Let''s begin our practice." Yukihiro drew his sword after saying that. Kaida understood the meaning behind this and created a shadow clone, which used the Transformation Jutsu to transform into a chakra blade. They began their sparring match. At first, their speed was slow, and anyone could easily follow their moves. But gradually, Yukihiro increased his speed, and Kaida continued to defend. As time passed, Yukihiro''s speed continued to escalate. After ten minutes, they were fighting at such a speed that many of their attacks would have been invisible to a normal civilian. Kaida was just barely able to keep up with the help of the Sharingan; his body struggled to match his reaction speed. Though Yukihiro hadn''t planned on taking the match seriously, Kaida kept defending against his attacks, so Yukihiro increased the speed even further. Even when Yukihiro was going at his top speed without using chakra, Kaida somehow managed to keep up. Though the Sharingan helped him see the attacks, it would have been less effective if his body weren''t fit enough to react to his enhanced perception. They sparred for an hour straight, and much to Yukihiro''s surprise, he wasn''t able to land a single cut on Kaida. Although he wasn''t attacking with full force, the speed was enough to put many J¨­nin under pressure, and Kaida was able to match that speed. After an hour, Kaida started feeling the strain on his chakra reserves. The Sharingan did consume chakra at an alarming rate, but thanks to the soldier pill he had taken earlier, he could continue after a brief rest. Yukihiro and Kaida sparred many times over the next two days. By the end, Kaida had somewhat mastered predicting his opponent''s moves with the Sharingan. During their final spar, Kaida even managed to land a small hit on Yukihiro, though he shouldn''t have smirked afterward. Seeing that smirk, Yukihiro got angry and used chakra to enhance his speed and strength. Kaida only managed to block the attack because he predicted it, but the force behind it still sent him flying backward. His hand went numb as he looked at Yukihiro and thought, ''No wonder he''s considered an S-rank ninja in kenjutsu. Even predicting his attacks isn''t enough to fight him.'' "That''s enough, Kaida. I think we''ve analyzed your Sharingan''s potential enough. Now, try to observe the chakra of the ninjutsu I''m about to perform." Yukihiro quickly performed a series of hand signs. While any normal person might not have been able to follow his movements, a Sharingan user like Kaida saw every hand sign clearly. Then he noticed chakra emanating from various parts of Yukihiro''s body before Yukihiro suddenly vanished. Kaida recognized the jutsu from the hand signs¡ªit was the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu¡ªbut seeing the wind chakra flowing from every part of Yukihiro''s body and coating him like a protective barrier was fascinating. "Were you able to follow that jutsu?" Yukihiro asked, appearing next to Kaida. "Yes, Sensei." "Good. Now create a shadow clone and try to predict its every move. That way, you''ll be able to practice your Sharingan and see the true nature of your jutsu." Kaida nodded and created a shadow clone with 70% of his chakra, instructing it to randomly perform any jutsu. At first, the clone used the Fire Breath Jutsu. Kaida observed two different chakras moving from the clone''s solar plexus to its throat, mixing there, and then emerging from its mouth as a stream of fire. Similarly, he watched the clone perform all of his jutsu and gained a better understanding of each one. When Yukihiro saw that Kaida could perform four out of five jutsu without hand signs, he was speechless. Even though the jutsu were just C-rank, mastering them in such a short time was impressive. Yukihiro became certain that Kaida was a genius. Though this was partly true, the main reason Kaida could master the jutsu so quickly was his excellent chakra control. Through daily practice, including leaf concentration and other exercises, he had developed chakra control comparable to that of a medical ninja. This control was further enhanced by the Sharingan. After a full day of practice, Kaida was also able to predict ninjutsu attacks from his opponents. *** (A.N: Thank you for reading ^~^) Chapter 58: Hidden benefits of sharingan While Kaida was practicing his Sharingan powers, Ryota and Yomi were training hard to learn the Body Flicker Jutsu. Ryota also discovered the special use of the Shadow Clone Jutsu from Yukihiro. Since his clan didn''t learn many techniques and relied on instinct in battle, they never really focused on such jutsu. Though Yukihiro advised not to share this with anyone, it''s one of Konoha''s trump cards for training powerful ninjas quickly. Realizing the benefits, Ryota spent an entire day mastering the Shadow Clone Jutsu before starting on the Body Flicker Jutsu. By that time, Yomi had already learned it and was getting familiar with the technique. She often used it to check on Kaida, only to find him sparring with Yukihiro at speeds she could hardly follow. Understanding that Kaida was advancing faster than she was, Yomi resolved not to be left behind and continued her training with renewed determination. By the end of the third day, both Ryota and Yomi had learned the Body Flicker Jutsu. Two hours before their training session ended, Kaida''s clone informed them that the training time was over and that he had prepared food for them. Yukihiro and Ryota also joined them for the feast. "So, you guys have moved in together?" Yukihiro asked teasingly. "It was a good flat near the Training Area and the Academy, that''s all," Kaida replied, his face turning red. "Oh, sure," Yukihiro continued with a stupid smirk on his face. But by then, the food was served. From steaks and burgers to fruit salad and juice, everything was laid out. Everyone enjoyed the food before Yukihiro took out three envelopes and said, "I nearly forgot. This is the payment for the two missions we did¡ª20,000 Ryo each." Everyone took an envelope. Kaida thought, ''We''d have to do 24 D-rank missions to earn this much, and we got it from just two C-rank missions. How much does a higher-rank mission pay?'' "You guys can take some rest. We''ll meet at 7 AM the day after tomorrow." "Bye, guys. See you soon." *Bark bark* All of the guests left after eating. Since it was late, Kaida and Yomi also went back to their room. ''Hmm, my clones can''t use Sharingan like me. Well, that was expected. Otherwise, this broken ability would have become too overpowered. Life is going to get more hectic from now on, and I don''t want to think about it right now. Good night.'' As Kaida drifted into sleep, something surprising happened. With both Senju and Uchiha blood, but only his Senju blood active so far, Kaida had been using only half of his true potential. Now that his Sharingan was awakened, he could fully utilize his potential, increasing his chakra growth further. The most significant change was the expansion of his chakra reserve. To put it simply, if he had 30 units of chakra before, he now had 45, due to the activation of his Sharingan. (A.N: I can explain this, guys. Izumi Uchiha was the youngest person to awaken the Sharingan. When her father was killed by Kurama (Nine Tails) during Obito''s assault, Izumi was able to awaken her Sharingan at just five years old. But as a five-year-old, she shouldn''t have had any chakra to use Sharingan, yet somehow, she managed. I think awakening your Sharingan also increases your chakra. Also, for convenience, I''m writing chakra in units so that there''s no confusion. One unit of chakra means he can make one Shadow Clone. I''m open to suggestions ?) Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now Kaida had 45 units of chakra, compared to Ryota''s 11 units. Kaida already had a massive amount of chakra, though it was still not even 1/5th of what an A-rank ninja possessed. As for S-rank ninjas, there was no comparison. The next day, Kaida woke up from his sleep, the exhaustion from the mission and training gone. After a satisfying stretch and the sound of cracking bones, he was heading toward the bathroom but suddenly stopped and sat down in a lotus position. ''I wasn''t wrong; my chakra has increased. It''s at least 1.5 times what it was before. How does Sharingan increase chakra? This is too OP. I''m really lucky to have these cheats in my transmigration. Though it comes with a death sentence, if I become powerful enough before that, I think I can at least run from Itachi.'' Happy with his discovery, Kaida created ten Shadow Clones to clean the house and cook food while he went to take care of his morning routine. When he returned to the hall, Yomi was already waiting¡ªnot for him, but for breakfast to be prepared. "Hey Yomi, how was your practice this time?" "Well, what do you expect? I''ve already learned the Body Flicker Jutsu. Though it takes some time and chakra consumption is high, I can travel half a kilometer every time I use it." "That''s great!" "What were you training with Yukihiro-sensei this time?" Yomi asked. Kaida smiled and activated his Sharingan. "What?" Yomi exclaimed. No one in Konoha was unfamiliar with the Sharingan, as the Uchiha were responsible for the village''s safety and managed the police department. Yomi was shocked to see Kaida''s Sharingan. "Hahaha, I awakened my Sharingan during the mission, so Sensei wanted to train me to use its power," Kaida explained. "Damn, you were already more powerful than me, and now you even have Sharingan. Life sure is unfair, huh?" "Says the girl with Lightning chakra." "Umm, now will you go to the Uchiha compound?" Yomi asked, her voice barely audible. "Of course not. They didn''t want me when I didn''t have Sharingan, and now I don''t want them." Yomi sighed in relief at Kaida''s reply. "So what should we do now? Since Yukihiro-sensei told us to meet him at 7 AM, we still have 2 hours." "Did you meet Ayame after that time?" "Yes, I sent a clone to the hospital. She was with her father, and when I met her," "Well, that was expected. Let''s go for a walk around the village." "Okay." After eating a breakfast that could compare to a sumo diet, they went out for a walk. After roaming around the whole village, they arrived at Training Area 55 before 7 AM, only to find Ryota and Kiba already waiting there. *Bark* Kiba saw Kaida and became happy. Kaida went to him and started scratching behind his ears, treating him as usual. "Hey Ryota, how are you?" Kaida asked. "Great, but Kaida, why do you smell more powerful now?" Kaida once again activated his Sharingan. with a smug smile on his face "What? Now you even have Sharingan?" Ryota had a similar reaction to Yomi, as it was the first time he noticed Kaida''s Sharingan. During the mission, Ryota had been focused on saving hostages and later worrying about his friends'' safety. Because Kaida''s eyes were already red, Ryota had missed his Sharingan during the mission. ******** (A.N:follow for more updates ^~^) Chapter 59: Bandit extermination part-1 "What, now you even have the Sharingan?" Ryota reacted similarly to Yomi, as it was the first time he noticed Kaida''s Sharingan. During the mission, he had been focused on saving hostages and later on the safety of his friends. Due to Kaida''s eyes already being red, Ryota had missed his Sharingan during the mission. "Kaida, I think you should stop showing off your Sharingan if you don''t want to deal with the Uchiha clan for now," Yukihiro said after appearing. Everyone stood up after hearing Yukihiro''s voice. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied. "I called you all because I want to discuss something. I applied for a one-week break for our team because I thought you guys would require that much time to learn those jutsus. But since you''ve already learned them, we have two choices: we can take a three-day break, or we can start taking missions immediately. What do you guys want?" Everyone looked at each other, and with a smile, Kaida said, "Let''s start taking missions, Sensei. We''re ready for it." "Well, I was expecting that. Okay, we''ll start doing missions now. Ryota and Yomi, be prepared. This time, you two will also have your first kill," Yukihiro said. "Yes, Sensei," both of them replied. "Okay then, I''ll go and take a mission. Meet me at the village gate in one hour, and don''t forget to make the necessary preparations." Yukihiro said this and then used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu. Since none of them had used any supplies from their storage seals other than nutrient bars, they simply replenished those and headed towards the village gate. After an hour, Yukihiro arrived as well. "Are you guys ready?" "Yes, Sensei." "Then let''s go. I''ve taken a bandit extermination mission. We''ll reach the location in one day at full speed." "Sensei, we can use Movement Jutsu to get there," Ryota suggested. "No, Ryota. We have a limited amount of chakra. If you waste your chakra like that, you won''t have enough when you need it the most. The reason I taught you Body Flicker Jutsu was so you could use it in emergencies." "Okay, Sensei," Ryota said. "Let''s go." They all started running towards the mission location, with Yukihiro leading. After running for six hours, they took a break near a brook for one hour before resuming their journey and arriving at the location before sunset. Ten kilometers away from the bandit camp, Yukihiro spoke. "We''ll rest for now and attack in the morning." He saw that everyone on his team was out of breath, including himself. "We have information that there''s a bandit camp in the forest ahead, but we don''t know its exact location. Our first goal is to find the camp. Ryota and Kiba will be responsible for that, but they can''t search the whole forest alone. So, make five shadow clones each and search for any traces of bandits. Once you find them, let Ryota and Kiba know. Also, don''t engage in a fight with the bandits alone, even if you find their location. They''re like rats, and once they run away, it''ll become very difficult to find them." Everyone nodded and started making shadow clones. Since they only needed to make five shadow clones, Kaida decided to give them sufficient chakra to search for the entire night. After sending their clones to search the forest, they set up a tent and took some rest. ¡­ While they were resting, one of Kaida''s clones found two people heading deep into the forest. Suspecting them to be bandits, the clone started following them silently. After following them for two hours, the clone reached a normal-looking cave where both individuals entered. Kaida''s clone used Earth Release: Earth Military Movement Technique to go underground and search the cave for bandits. The findings surprised the clone. The cave was filled to the brim with bandits. It was a very large cave with many sections. After searching the cave, the clone discovered that there were 30 bandits inside. The clone dispersed itself, and Kaida received the clone''s memories. "Sensei, I found the location of the bandit camp. One of my clones spotted some bandits heading back to their camp and followed them," Kaida reported. "Do you have any more information about the bandits?" Yukihiro asked. "Yes, Sensei. There are at least 30 bandits, and I didn''t find any hostages there." "Good. We''ll attack at 5 AM when there''s enough light, and they''ll still be drowsy from sleep," Yukihiro said. Everyone nodded in agreement, understanding the plan. They rested a bit more and then got ready for the mission. "This mission will be carried out by you guys. I''ll only intervene if there''s something you can''t handle," Yukihiro stated. "Okay, Sensei." Kaida took the lead, and everyone arrived at the bandit camp. "Since there might be some ninjas there, let''s avoid direct confrontation. We''ll try to reduce their numbers first," Kaida suggested. "First, let''s check for another exit in case we''re discovered and they try to run," Ryota said. "Good idea," Yomi agreed. All three of them dispersed and searched for another exit from the cave. Kaida even made three clones that used the Earth Release: Earth Military Movement Technique to search the cave from the inside for any exits. They found another exit half a kilometer away from the first one. Kaida used earth chakra manipulation to seal the exit and left two shadow clones in case the bandits somehow managed to unseal it. After that, everyone returned to the bandit camp. "Since it''s your first kill, don''t worry. These guys fully deserve it," Kaida tried to console them. "I know, bro. There''s a thick smell of blood in this area; they''ve killed many people," Ryota said while Kiba growled. Yomi listened to this and steeled her resolve to kill. Everyone got ready. Just as they were about to attack, Ryota spoke up. "Guys, two people are coming out of the cave." "That''s great. Let them come," Kaida said with a smile. When the bandits came out of the cave and reached 100 meters away from the exit, Ryota used an Earth Bullet, and Yomi used a Water Bullet to kill them. "Use Transformation Jutsu and kill as many as you can silently," Kaida instructed. Ryota and Yomi used Transformation Jutsu and transformed into bandits. They entered the cave and reached the first room. "Hey, why did you come back so early? Where''s the alcohol you were supposed to bring?" one of the bandits asked. "We left our money here," Ryota replied. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hahaha. Everyone started laughing. "Since when do we need money to get things?" one of the bandits asked while laughing. Yomi realized the situation was getting worse and shouted, "Hey, what''s that on the wall?" All four bandits turned towards the wall. She quickly took out four shurikens and threw them at the bandits'' necks. All three of them dropped dead without being able to say anything. "Sorry," Ryota said. After that, they continued to kill bandits from the shadows using shuriken and kunai, ensuring the bandits didn''t have a chance to make any noise. When they killed the 12th bandit, the others noticed and alerted the entire camp. Realizing their chance to kill silently was ruined, they dispelled their Transformation Jutsu and used Body Flicker Jutsu to exit the cave. "They''re alerted. We only managed to kill 12 of them," Yomi informed Kaida. "That''s great. Let them come out. Prepare your long-range jutsus," Kaida said and made 10 shadow clones. Yomi and Ryota prepared their Water and Earth Bullet Jutsus. After a minute, when the bandits thought the attackers had fled, they decided to pursue them. All 18 bandits came out of the cave. Kaida''s clones had already prepared Wind Blade Jutsu and launched 10 wind blades from different directions toward the bandits while Ryota and Yomi also attacked. All 17 of the bandits died before they could comprehend what was happening, but one of them used the Substitution Jutsu to evade the attack. Everyone realized he was a ninja. Yukihiro also prepared to assist. Chapter 60: Bandit Extermination Part-2 Kaida had activated his Sharingan and quickly located the enemy ninja 70 meters away. Using his Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu, He appeared behind the ninja, sword in hand, aiming for a fatal blow. The ninja, sensing the danger, managed to leap forward, but not without receiving a cut on the back of his neck. Realizing he was cornered, the ninja crushed the poison capsule hidden in his mouth and died instantly. Yukihiro appeared beside Kaida, his expression somber. "Most ninja are very loyal to their village and choose the village over their life most of the time," Yukihiro explained. "Go handle your friends; I''ll take care of the rest." "Okay, Sensei," Kaida replied before using his Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to return to Ryota and Yomi. He found them both in distress, vomiting as the reality of their actions set in. Kaida, though also feeling nauseous, managed to maintain his composure. Kiba was barking, trying to comfort Ryota and Yomi. "Let them be, buddy," Kaida said softly to Kiba, giving the dog a reassuring pat. They then sat quietly in a corner, waiting for the others to finish. Meanwhile, Yukihiro efficiently stored the ninja''s body in a scroll and buried the bandits, before joining Kaida. "Killing never gets any easier. It''s us who get stronger," Yukihiro said with a sorrowful expression. Once Ryota and Yomi had recovered, Kaida offered them some water, and they all returned to their camp for a brief rest. During this time, Kaida and Yomi had a quiet conversation. "Are you all right?" Kaida asked gently. Yomi sighed. "Yeah, I''m okay... It''s just... I didn''t expect it to be like this." "I know, it''s tough," Kaida said, understanding. "But we did what we had to do." "I know, but... taking a life, even if they were bandits... it''s never easy." "Remember what Sensei said? Sometimes, as ninjas, we must make difficult choices to protect the ones we care about." "I know, but it doesn''t make it any less painful," Yomi replied, her hands clenched into fists. "Yeah, it is painful. But we''re a team, and we''ll always have each other''s backs," Kaida reassured her. "Thanks. Let''s focus on protecting the village and keeping everyone safe." "That''s the spirit. Now go and take some rest." Yomi nodded and went into the tent to nap. Yukihiro, who had been observing the exchange, sat down next to Kaida. "Nice motivational speech, Kaida," Yukihiro said with a small smile. Kaida chuckled. "Thanks, Sensei." "When they wake up, we''ll head back to the village. We''ll rest for today and take another mission tomorrow. Kaida, there''s something I need to tell you. The Land of Fire is infested with bandits not just because our village is short on ninjas, but also because other villages are using this as an opportunity to weaken Konoha''s economy. Most of our trade routes are plagued with bandits. Since these bandits have support from other villages, they''ve become more brazen, attacking and killing innocent people. We have to keep taking missions; we don''t have a choice." "I understand, Sensei. And I''m sure they''ll be alright by tomorrow." After resting, the team returned to the village, this time using movement jutsu to cover the distance in just three hours. They parted ways, with Yukihiro going to submit the mission report, while Kaida and Yomi headed home. Ryota and Kiba returned to the Inuzuka compound to recount their mission. That day, none of them trained; instead, they took a much-needed rest. The mission had been mentally exhausting for Yomi, and Kaida decided to stay with her. They spent the day indoors, then went for an evening walk, had dinner, and returned home. By then, Yomi seemed to have recovered. Kaida, reflecting on the day, thought to himself, ''This time killing was much more easier on my mind, I don''t feel the same guilt I felt that day, is it because of Sharingan or am I getting used to this world?'' That night, one of Yukihiro''s clones visited Kaida''s house to inform them that they had to meet at the village gate at 5 AM the next day. --- The next morning, Kaida and Yomi woke up at 4 AM, got ready, and headed to the village gate. Yukihiro was already there, and Ryota arrived shortly after using Body Flicker Jutsu. "So, how are you guys feeling?" Yukihiro asked, his gaze focused on Yomi and Ryota. "We''re fine, Sensei," Ryota replied, with Yomi nodding in agreement. "That''s good. We have another bandit extermination mission. This time, it''s near a village where the bandits have been harassing the villagers. The chances of ninja involvement are low, but stay on guard." "Yes, Sensei," all three of them responded in unison. The team set off, and by 4 PM, they arrived at the village where the mission request had originated. An elderly village guard greeted them at the gate and escorted them to the village chief''s house. "Thank God you arrived," the village chief said, visibly relieved. "The bandits gave us three days to hand over half of our crops and 1 million ryo, or they would kidnap every girl in the village. Today is the last day." "Don''t worry, old man. We''ll take care of it," Yukihiro assured him. "Do you know where their camp is?" "Unfortunately, no one who has gone to their camp has ever returned, so we don''t know its exact location," the village chief admitted sadly. "We''ll handle it," Yukihiro said confidently. He then turned to Ryota. "Can you find the bandits'' tracks?" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, Sensei." Ryota and Kiba began searching, with Kaida activating his Sharingan to assist. After a few moments, Ryota paused and looked at the village chief. "Sir, do the bandits come to the village on horses?" "Yes, three bandits came on horses yesterday to remind us of the deadline," the chief confirmed. "That makes it easier. Sensei, I can track them," Ryota said. "Okay, we''ll follow you," Yukihiro replied. The team followed Ryota, with Kaida also tracing the horses'' tracks, though he conserved his chakra by letting Ryota take the lead. Soon, they arrived at the bandit camp, located in a bamboo forest. The camp consisted of three makeshift huts and a larger central building, likely where the leader resided. Yukihiro decided to assist this time. He spread his chakra field, scanning the camp. "There are 27 bandits in total¡ª24 in the huts and three in the central building. No ninjas," Yukihiro reported. "Sensei, how were you able to find that out?" Kaida asked, voicing the curiosity of the others. "Chakra can do many things, Kaida. Sensing is one of them," Yukihiro explained. "Now that I remember, you all need to choose a specialization soon. Becoming a sensor ninja is one option. But let''s focus on the mission for now. You guys know the drill." The team nodded, preparing to execute their plan. Chapter 61: Uchiha summon (A.N: Sorry for all this delays, my days are getting more and more hectic because of many things, but I will try to keep up with updates (chapters), tomorrow I will release 5-6 chapters^~^) --- Since there were no ninja and no hostages in the bandit camp, they didn''t have to worry too much. Kaida made 10 shadow clones, Yomi made 5, and Ryota made 3. All of them went toward different bandits and killed more than 15 at the same time. The rest of the bandits were small fry and were easily defeated. When the boss heard the noise and came outside, all the other bandits were dead. Seeing this, he knew that whoever killed his men was not weak at all, so he decided to run. But before he could even go 10 meters, a shuriken passed through his neck. ''Ninja powers are scary. Those bandits were moderately strong for civilians, and they stood no chance against us. And we''re not even chunin yet,'' Kaida thought. After killing the bandits, they buried the bodies and stored all the valuables in a storage scroll. Lastly, they found three horses in one of the houses. "Sensei, what should we do about the horses?" Kaida asked. "Everything found on the mission has to be submitted to the village. They will handle the rest. We will take the horses back to the village. Do you guys know how to ride?" Yukihiro asked. "No, Sensei," all three of them replied. "That''s good. You guys will learn horse riding during this mission. These are good horses," Yukihiro said while patting the neck of one of the horses. After that, they took the horses and headed back to Konoha since the mission was already over. On the way, Yukihiro started his lessons. "The first thing you need to learn is how to mount a horse. It''s all about timing and technique. You approach from the side, gently place your hand on the horse''s back, and smoothly swing yourself onto the saddle. Remember, practice makes perfect. As for controlling the horse, it requires patience and understanding. You communicate with the horse through gentle nudges, using your legs and reins. Mastering this art ensures a smooth ride and builds trust between you and the horse." He then showed them how to do it. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Their travel time increased by two days due to learning horse riding, but it was worth it. They arrived in the village on the morning of the fourth day at 10 AM. They submitted the horses to the village stable, and Yukihiro went to submit the report, instructing them to meet at the village gate tomorrow at 5 AM. Kaida and Yomi decided to go to the training area near their house since they hadn''t practiced for a week. Yomi started practicing the Body Flicker Jutsu, while Kaida made 20 clones who began practicing kenjutsu. He activated his Sharingan and seal at the same time and started doing physical exercises. He was now able to exercise with a weight of 300 kg, which was a significant improvement. When his chakra was about to run out, he began meditating while coating his body in chakra. After some time, Yomi''s chakra also became low, and both of them went back to their flat to get some rest. Kaida made some shadow clones to clean the house and cook food, and they both went to their rooms to take a bath. After bathing, they went to the hall to eat. "Horse riding is fun, right?" Kaida asked while eating. "Yup, and that white horse was really cute. I wish we could have kept him," Yomi said. "Yup, let''s adopt one when we decide to retire." "So we''ll add a horse to our pets. We already have a dog on the list; let''s see how many more we''ll have as pets. Shishishishi," Yomi laughed, and Kaida joined her. After that, they went back to their rooms to get some sleep. (After 1 month¡­) Kaida was running from an Iwa ninja. This time there were two ninjas in the bandit camp. Kaida was fighting one, while Yomi and Ryota were fighting the second one. This was not an easy fight, as this time the ninjas were expecting them and were ready for them. Kaida didn''t have the benefit of a surprise attack and had to go one-on-one with a chunin-ranked ninja. It would have been impressive just to hold his own against such a ninja, but Kaida was putting considerable pressure on him. The fight would have ended quickly, but Yukihiro had instructed him not to use chakra and to rely only on his kenjutsu techniques. To enhance their kenjutsu skills, Yomi and Ryota also had to fight in close quarters, but since their opponent was only a genin, it was doable. Kaida and the chunin fought for half an hour before Kaida won with a slash to the chunin''s neck. By then, Yomi and Ryota had also won their fight and were watching his. "Fighting without chakra is a lot more difficult than I thought," Kaida said. "Well, it''s okay, genius, you don''t have to show off," Ryota said with a huff. "Shishishishishishi," Yomi just laughed at this. "That''s enough, guys. Complete the mission before talking," Yukihiro said. All three of them went back to work. Yomi stored the body of the ninja in a storage scroll, while Kaida and Ryota buried the bodies of the bandits in the ground. After completing the mission, they returned to the village. "Good job, everyone. You can take a break as promised, but we will meet at the village gate on the morning of the fourth day. Don''t forget," Yukihiro said. "Yes, Sensei," all three of them replied. Yukihiro went to submit the mission report while Kaida and the others went to the training area near their flat. They had already booked it for three days. "What are you guys going to train for?" Kaida asked. "Well, my old man has finally decided to teach me some of my clan''s jutsu, so I''m going to perfect those. I can only train for them after eating a soldier pill, as these jutsu are too chakra-consuming," Ryota said while he and Kiba ate a soldier pill each. "I''m going to train to coat my blade with lightning chakra. Yukihiro-sensei gave me a short blade to practice with too," Yomi said, showing her new blade. "Oh, that''s good. I''ll also train my jutsu a little," Kaida said, while he and Yomi ate a soldier pill each. These soldier pills were expensive, but since they had completed many C-rank and even some B-rank missions in the previous month, they didn''t lack money. They bought soldier pills worth 20,000 Ryo each, which was the payment for two C-rank missions or a single B-rank mission. But the effects of the pill were worth it. It increased their chakra regeneration speed by 10 times and reduced fatigue and mental exhaustion, all for three days. After discussing a little more, all three of them went in different directions to practice. Kaida started making shadow clones. Due to the 10-times speed of chakra regeneration, Kaida could restore his chakra from low to full in half an hour, so he started making shadow clones with 10% of his chakra, which in itself was comparable to some chunin. After making 52 clones in three hours, Kaida divided them into five equal teams and instructed them to practice each of his elemental jutsu. ''Man, now I know why Kakashi never used many jutsu in the anime. Knowing 1000 jutsu is one thing, but mastering them is completely different, haha.'' After making shadow clones to practice his ninjutsu, he started working on his physique, with his Sharingan activated. Even during missions, Kaida always kept his Sharingan on, as the requirement to upgrade to a 2-tomoe Sharingan is to have enough experience with it, and he could see the benefits in real life. Even without the genjutsu for which it''s famous, its analytical abilities and the power to see chakra were already enough to upgrade it further. While Kaida was training, an important discussion was going on in the Uchiha compound¡­ Three ninjas were present in a clean office. One of the elders sat on a chair while two ninjas stood in front of him. "Elder, are you sure we should call him back when we had exiled his mother before?" one of the ninjas asked. "He is a child prodigy, and Saturo, the child has nothing to do with the wrongdoing of his mother," the elder said with a smile. ''So why are we bringing him back now that he has activated his Sharingan and not when he was in the orphanage?'' the second ninja thought but didn''t say anything. "Go tell him that I want to meet him, so come to my office in half an hour." They nodded and used the Body Flicker Jutsu to disappear from the office. ¡­ Kaida was doing push-ups with 320 kg of weight while coating his whole body in chakra and maintaining his Sharingan. Suddenly, two ninjas appeared in front of him, both with their Sharingan activated. "Sorry, but we booked this training area. If you want to practice, you can go somewhere else," Kaida said with a smile. "Our elder is calling you. Come to the Uchiha compound in 30 minutes," Saturo said. --- (A.N: Thanks for reading :D) Chapter 62: Shisui Uchiha "Why?" Kaida asked in a cold tone, his demeanor shifting dramatically. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That''s something you''ll have to discuss with him," Saturo replied, amused by the sudden change in the boy''s behavior. "What if I don''t want to meet him?" "This isn''t a request, boy. It''s an order from an elder of Konoha," Saturo replied. "Hah! Okay, I''ll come in 30 minutes," Kaida sighed and replied. Both of them once again used the Body Flicker Technique to disappear but continued to keep an eye on Kaida from a distance. Kaida used Wind Release to dry off his sweat, put his clothes back on, and used wind instantaneous movement jutsu to head toward the Hokage''s office. The two Uchiha ninja used the Body Flicker Technique to follow him. "Why is the brat going toward the Hokage''s office?" Saturo asked. "Don''t know, but that boy is interesting, that''s for sure," the second ninja said. ... "Miss, I want to meet with Grandpa. Please tell him I have something important to tell him. It''s urgent," Kaida told the receptionist. "Okay, I''ll inform Lord Hokage." After five minutes, Kaida was standing in front of Hiruzen. "Grandpa, I want to talk to you in private," Kaida said. Hiruzen nodded his head, and four ANBU ninja left the gate. "So, Kaida, tell me what you want to discuss," Hiruzen asked. "Grandpa, an elder from the Uchiha compound is calling me." "So?" Hiruzen asked. "Since I awakened my Sharingan, they may ask me to stay in the Uchiha compound, and I don''t want to stay there. They exiled my mother and didn''t even care to ask about me when I was in an orphanage. And now that I have awakened the Sharingan, they want me back. Hell no! But I can''t go against a powerful clan''s wishes on my own," Kaida said. "So, you want me to give you support and protection, huh?" Hiruzen asked. "Yes, Grandpa," Kaida said. "And why do you think I''ll help you?" Hiruzen asked. "Because if the Uchiha find out about my Transformation Technique, they''ll have 50 ninjas with Sharingan and chakra blades exclusive to them only. This will disturb the delicate power balance of Konoha, which I''m sure you don''t want," Kaida said. One can even see this as a threat, but Hiruzen knew that it was a very great reason presented to get the support he needs "Hahaha, well said, my boy. Don''t worry, you have my support. If you don''t want to stay there, no one will be able to force you to do so," Hiruzen said with a smile. But suddenly, his smile vanished, and he said, "But try not to make enemies out of them, as I can''t protect you 24/7." "Don''t worry, Grandpa. I understand. Then I''ll take my leave," Kaida said and left the office. ''Hmph, it''s great that this boy has a good brain with talent. I can consider him as a Hokage candidate as well, but let''s wait and see first.'' ... Kaida used Wind Release: Instantaneous Movement Technique to reach the Uchiha compound. When he was about to enter the compound, he stopped using any jutsu and walked toward the gates so that he wouldn''t appear rude. Just when he entered the compound gate, those two ninja once again came in front of him. "Follow us, boy. We''ll take you to the elder''s office," Saturo said. "Sir, my name is Kaida, Senju Kaida. You can call me by my name," Kaida said. The two looked at each other and laughed. "He''s just like Aunt Aiko. She was also this rebellious, just like my father said," the second ninja laughed. "Don''t get so tense, Kaida, right? I''m Shisui Uchiha, your cousin. Sorry for not finding you before, but I didn''t even know you survived the attack. Otherwise, I would have come for you sooner," Shisui said. Removing his mask and showing his face for the first time "You, the Shisui, the Shisui of the Body Flicker Technique, right? Wow, I''m a huge fan! Can you please give me your autograph?" Kaida said. Shisui and Kaida both became a little awkward after that. Kaida quickly realized that he had talked like a fan because he was meeting one of his favorite characters from the anime. "I mean, nice to meet you," Kaida said, looking away. "It''s too late now to act cool, brat. By the way, my name is Saturo Uchiha, and I can give you my autograph, hahaha," Saturo said. "I don''t want it, sorry," Kaida said with a straight face. "Hahaha, looks like you''re not as famous as me, Saturo," Shisui said. Since they had to report to the elder in 30 minutes and only 10 minutes were remaining, the three of them decided to talk after the meeting. Kaida followed both of them to the elder''s office. "Good morning, elder," Kaida said. "Good morning. I assume you know why I called you." "I''m sorry to disappoint you, but no one told me the reason," Kaida said with a straight face. "It was because the reason was pretty obvious. You have awakened your Sharingan, so you are now a part of our clan. Pack your belongings and come live in this compound from tomorrow. Shisui will show you your house," the elder said, sure that no one would say no to this. "I''m sorry to disappoint you once again, Elder, but my name is Kaida Senju, and I want to live with my friend where I''m living now." "You have Sharingan from the Uchiha clan, and it is your responsibility to return the favor by living your life for the clan," the elder said with hints of anger in his voice. "I think there''s a misunderstanding. I have Sharingan because of my mother. And she was exiled from the clan by the time she gave birth to me. So, my Sharingan has nothing to do with a clan that left me in an orphanage when I needed it. And now, when I don''t need it, it came to ask me to perform my duties, which I''m sure I don''t have any. Sorry, elder. I think you''re talking to the wrong person." This was the first time someone had been this disrespectful toward him. No one usually asked him any questions and followed his orders, but there was a brat who had the audacity to not only go against his order but also raise his voice in front of him. The elder activated his three-tomoe Sharingan and unleashed his chakra to put pressure on Kaida. Kaida also activated his Sharingan and unleashed his chakra, though he was not able to compete against the chakra of an elder who had years to increase his chakra. At least he was able to resist the pressure of the chakra. For a minute, they didn''t say anything and looked at each other in the eyes. Though on the surface it may have looked like they were doing nothing, in reality, Kaida was constantly disrupting his chakra flow so that he would not fall under any genjutsu. After a minute, the Elder spoke. "Okay, I leave the decision to you, but remember if you don''t take this chance now, you may regret this for your whole life." "I''m completely sure about my decision, Elder. Thank you for meeting me," Kaida said and went out of the office. ''That brat already has chakra reserves of a Jonin and is very near to upgrading his Sharingan too. He is too talented to leave behind. I have to talk with the clan leader about this.'' ... Kaida went out of the office only to find Shisui and Saturo waiting for him. "So, are you moving in already?" Saturo asked. "No, I''m sorry, but I won''t come to live in the Uchiha compound," Kaida said. "Told you," Shisui said, and Saturo took out a 2000 Ryo bill and gave it to Shisui. Kaida understood that they had placed a bet on whether he would come to the Uchiha compound or not. "So, Kaida, do you have something to do? If not, we can go out to eat something. My treat," Shisui said while waving the 2000 Ryo note. "I''m sorry, I''ve just eaten a soldier pill, so I''ll continue to practice for now. But we can go out after I come back from my next mission," Kaida said. "No problem, sorry we disturbed your training. Oh yes, if you have any questions related to Sharingan or any training in particular you want to ask, you can always come to me," Shisui said. "Thank you very much," Kaida said, bowing. "No need to be so formal. We''re brothers after all." Shisui said ''Brothers huh!'' Chapter 63: New Mission (A.N: please vote for this fanfic.) *** "No need to be so formal. We are brothers, after all," Shisui said. "Can I ask how you''re my brother, if you don''t mind?" Kaida asked Shisui. "Of course, you can. My mother and yours were cousins and best friends. She was one of the few people who supported your mother during her marriage to your father," Shisui explained. "Oh," Kaida said, then fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. ''Shisui is my brother now. What is this, some kind of cheat greater than the Sharingan? As I remember, Shisui was the strongest Uchiha of the younger generation, even ahead of Itachi. He wasn''t affected by the Uchiha''s curse of hatred. But he died trying to prevent the Uchiha massacre, killed by none other than Danzo for his eyes. Should I try to save him? Even though he was my favorite character, is it worth it to change the future? If I do, my trump card¡ªknowledge of future events¡ªwill be completely lost.'' Kaida had a serious look on his face while thinking this, and Shisui mistook it as sadness from remembering his parents. "Don''t worry, little bro. You still have me as your family. Whenever you have any problems, just come and find me. Your brother is super strong, you know!" Shisui said with a smile, flexing his biceps. Listening to him, Kaida smiled and decided on his future actions but didn''t say anything other than, "Yes, Brother," before leaving. Kaida returned to the training ground. Since he hadn''t dispersed his clones, all 50 of them were still practicing different jutsus. He continued his training, creating more clones during his breaks. For three days straight, Kaida kept his Sharingan activated. This slowed down his training slightly since he had to continuously invest chakra into the Sharingan. However, after keeping it active for 72 hours straight, he could feel he was very close to upgrading his Sharingan. Any normal Uchiha wouldn''t have been able to keep their eyes active for so long like Kaida did, and might have even bled from their eyes. But due to his Senju bloodline, Kaida''s body was stronger than most ninjas and able to handle the load of the Sharingan. When the time was almost up, Kaida sent some of his clones back to his house to cook food and clean. "Hey guys, the time is almost up. Let''s go back," Kaida said. "Okay, just give me 10 minutes," Ryota said as he stopped rotating. "This chakra flow is too difficult. The most I can maintain my chakra in the blade is for 1 hour, and that''s with the help of a soldier pill. Without it, my chakra would be exhausted within 30 minutes or less," Yomi said. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yomi, can you show me how you''re practicing the chakra flow?" Yomi nodded and flowed her chakra into the sword. The sword started releasing lightning, and a yellow aura surrounded it in a 5 cm radius. "You''re using too much chakra for this. With just 50% of that amount, you can coat your sword. Try to reduce the chakra usage next time." While Kaida and Yomi were discussing this, Ryota approached Kaida. "It''s alright, Sensei. Let''s go; we''ve completed our training for today. By the way, who was that ninja who came to meet you during training?" "Some Uchiha clan elder wanted to meet me. It was some bullshit about it being my responsibility to serve the clan and all. Of course, I denied it. I also met with Shisui Uchiha. He''s my cousin brother and said I can ask him for any help," Kaida said. "Dude, that''s so awesome! Shisui of the Body Flicker is your brother? I heard he''s super strong and can defeat an entire enemy squad alone." "Yup," Kaida said. "That''s great and all, but can we go back now? We don''t have all day, and I''m hungry," Yomi said. "Okay, let''s go." They went to their flat and ate the food prepared by Kaida''s clones. After eating, Ryota went back to his home with Kiba, while Kaida and Yomi went to their rooms to get some much-needed sleep. ¡­ Waking up after 24 hours, Kaida and Yomi completed their morning routines, ate breakfast, and headed to the village gate where Ryota and Kiba were already waiting. "Good morning, guys," Ryota said. *Bark* "Good morning to both of you," Kaida said, followed by Yomi. "What do you think our next mission will be? A bandit extermination or a rescue mission?" Ryota asked. "Neither," Yukihiro said, appearing suddenly using the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu. "Good morning, Sensei," all three of them said. "Good morning. Our next mission is a B-rank mission. We need to escort two members of the civilian council to the Land of Noodles. There may be an attack from some ninjas, so you guys need to stay vigilant." "Sensei, when will we depart for the mission?" Kaida asked. "In two hours. The journey will take a week to get there and another week to return. The pay for this mission is also good¡ªyou''ll each get 200,000 Ryo. So go and make all the necessary preparations." All three of them left to prepare. Each of them had already bought two soldier pills in case of an emergency. They bought some nutrient bars and shuriken and were fully ready to go. With two hours left before the mission, they took a stroll in the area and returned to the village gate before the designated time. When they reached the village gate, Yukihiro was talking to two old men, both of whom had bloated bellies and obvious greed in their eyes¡ªtypical politician types. Yukihiro saw them and called out, "Sir, these are my team members. We will be responsible for your safety during the mission." Both of them just nodded and didn''t say a word. Since their status was akin to nobles, they didn''t want to converse with "low lives." The journey started with two luxury carts, each for one council member, accompanied by two personal servants. "We''ll follow the same formation as before. Kaida, you''ll be in front¡ªalways remain vigilant. Ryota and Yomi, you''ll be on the left and right, and I''ll be at the back. Try to handle any problems on your own; I''ll assist if necessary, so don''t worry," Yukihiro instructed. Normally, they wouldn''t have been given this mission, but due to a shortage of ninjas and Team 13''s experience with many C and B-rank missions, they were chosen. With Yukihiro present, the security was as tight as it could be. All three of them took their positions, and the journey began. Due to traveling alone with his team, Kaida wasn''t used to the slow pace required for this mission. Knowing the distance they had to cover, Kaida wasn''t even sure they would reach their destination in a week. They could have traveled faster, but since the elderly council members wanted comfort, the carts had to move at a slower pace, and they even took more breaks than necessary. "Sensei, is it really necessary to travel with these carts? Can''t we just carry them to the Land of Noodles much faster?" Ryota asked. "Ryota, this is a diplomatic mission. We can''t do that. In such discussions, they have to maintain a certain image to exert pressure or something. I''m not that interested in politics, but even by those standards, they''re moving at a snail''s pace. But it''s not like we can force these old men to do anything different, so let''s just complete the mission," Yukihiro explained. They continued traveling for two days, but when they were resting, Ryota suddenly stood up and ran toward Yukihiro. He should have run toward Kaida and Yomi since it was their duty to handle things they could, but if Ryota ran to Yukihiro, it meant there was something they couldn''t handle. Kaida and Yomi created a shadow clone each to follow Ryota and became alert. "Sensei, 20 ninjas are approaching us," Ryota reported. "How far are they?" "1 km, and they''re moving fast." "Follow Plan 1. Kaida, you''ll handle the chunin-level ninjas. Ryota and Yomi, you''ll handle the genin-level ninjas. I''ll take care of the jonin. Try to stall for as much time as you can. I''ll finish my fight as quickly as possible and come to your aid," Yukihiro instructed. All three of them became quite nervous. Though they had already fought ninjas before, this was the first time their life would be in actual danger, in a Sense this was their actual true fight as a ninja Chapter 64: Yomi and Ryota vs Chunins Kaida was ready for the fight, certain that it couldn''t be avoided, but his instructions to Yomi were clear: "During the fight, if you feel that your life is in danger, use the Body Flicker Jutsu and run. Don''t even think about continuing the fight. I''ll follow you after that, OK?" Yomi just nodded her head, mentally preparing herself for the fight. All of them took Soldier Pills to maximize their efficiency. ¡­ Twenty ninjas were running toward the carriage. They were ninjas from Iwagakure, only rogue in name. They mostly did the work that villages didn''t want their name associated with. This time, they were hired to kill a Konoha council member who was about to make a deal with the Land of Noodles, as the client didn''t want Konoha''s financial condition to stabilize. Since they had to attack a council member, the group included two Jonin, seven Chunin, and the remaining eleven were Genin. Knowing that a Jonin would likely be guarding the council members, they planned to sneak attack them, staying 500 meters away to catch them off guard. The main goal of the surprise attack was to kill the Jonin or at least injure him, making the fight easier. As they ran toward the location, a firewall suddenly appeared in front of them. The Genin couldn''t react in time, but the Chunin, being veterans, quickly created an earth wall to protect themselves. However, the fire was so strong that it burned them even around the wall''s edges. All the Chunin and Jonin used the Body Flicker Jutsu to evade the firewall. Though some were slightly burned, they could still fight, while the Jonin were relatively unharmed as they reacted faster than the Chunin. The Genin, however, took the most damage. Most were either critically injured or dead. Just as they were recovering from the shock of the attack, a barrage of ranged attacks¡ªfireballs, wind blades, earth bullets, and water bullets¡ªcame at them. Sensing the danger, the Jonin quickly erected earth walls around the team. Unfortunately, one of the Chunin was out of range of the wall. Before he could move or do anything, a wind blade sliced through his head, and his body was then riddled with bullets. The rest of his teammates didn''t have time to mourn his death, as they were too busy trying to protect themselves. One of the Jonin commanded, "Disperse in pairs and search for the enemy," as it was too difficult to fight while protecting everyone. ¡­ (Ten minutes earlier¡­) All four members of Team 13 were hidden among the trees. Yukihiro looked at Kaida and said, "Kaida, make three clones and have them use the Fire Stream Jutsu¡ªthe most powerful one you can manage." "Okay, Sensei." Kaida created three clones. He and his clones stood side by side, ready to use the Fire Stream Jutsu on command. "Sensei, they''re 100 meters away from us," Ryota reported. Yukihiro nodded at Kaida, who took the cue. All four of them unleashed the Fire Breath Jutsu in the direction of the approaching ninjas. Yukihiro appeared behind Kaida and used the Wind Release: Infinite Breakthrough Jutsu. *Fwoosh* The fire, initially 80 meters wide and reaching 40 meters ahead of Kaida, was empowered by the strong wind, increasing its range to more than 200 meters and its width to 100 meters. All the enemy ninjas were nearly engulfed in the attack. Their blood-curdling screams were audible to Team 13, distracting the three Genin as they heard the ninjas being burned alive. "Focus! They''re not going to die from just this," Yukihiro reminded them. Just as he said that, multiple earth walls appeared within the fiery ocean. Yukihiro pointed in a direction, knowing that this attack wouldn''t kill all of them. Many enemy ninjas had used long-range travel jutsu to evade the attack. Soon after, the enemy ninjas dispersed in different directions. Yukihiro looked at his team and said, "There are only Chunin and Jonin left in their ranks. Ryota and Yomi, you will handle the Chunin. Try to stall them, but don''t take any unnecessary risks. Since they''re dispersed, take one batch at a time. I''ll finish my fight as quickly as I can and come to your aid. Kaida, you''ll face a Jonin-level ninja. Don''t do anything reckless¡ªjust stall for as long as you can. And most importantly, DO NOT DIE." They all nodded. Yukihiro then pointed in the direction where the enemy ninjas were. Ryota and Yomi used the Body Flicker Jutsu and went after the Chunin, while Kaida headed toward the Jonin. ¡­ Ryota and Yomi both knew they were still Genin, even though they had killed Chunin before¡ªusually in a 2-on-1 situation with Yukihiro always ready to protect them if they made a mistake. But this time was different. The fight would be 2-on-2, and a single mistake could cost them their lives. They looked at each other, understanding that they had to prioritize each other''s safety, or they would both die. "Yomi, I''ll focus more on close combat, but I''m not sure I can stall two Chunin alone for long. Try to deal with one of them from a distance as quickly as you can," Ryota said. "Okay, but don''t be reckless. If you feel you can''t handle them alone, fall back. We only need to stall for time, remember?" Yomi replied. "Okay. Are you ready, buddy?" Ryota asked, looking at Kiba. *Bark* Kiba, too, understood the gravity of the situation. They used the Body Flicker Jutsu and appeared on the tree Yukihiro had pointed to. Two Chunin were on the ground, fully alert. Ryota and Kiba silently jumped toward them, each holding a kunai. The Chunin on the ground sensed danger and evaded in the nick of time. It seemed Ryota''s attack had failed, but as the Chunin dodged, Ryota threw his kunai at them. Both Chunin deflected the kunai, but Ryota wasn''t the only one attacking. Yomi had charged her shuriken while Ryota made his first surprise attack. When the Chunin evaded, she threw her shuriken at their legs. She could have aimed for their heads, but Yukihiro had taught them that experienced ninjas develop a sixth sense for detecting fatal attacks. So, in every surprise attack, they were to aim for small but critical damage. In fast-paced fights, minor hindrances could prove fatal. When the Chunin blocked Ryota''s kunai, the shuriken embedded itself in their legs. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. *Buzz buzz* The shuriken, charged with lightning chakra, paralyzed them for a fraction of a second. Ryota didn''t waste the opportunity and fired a barrage of earth bullets at them. Within just a minute, both enemy Chunin were critically injured. Their hands were useless from the earth and water bullets, and their legs were in critical condition from the shuriken. Not wanting to give them a chance to recover, Yomi used the Body Flicker Jutsu, appearing behind them. With one clean slash, their heads were on the ground. Ryota and Yomi breathed a sigh of relief, but Kiba suddenly started barking. Ryota turned to Yomi, and they both used the Body Flicker Jutsu to escape. Just as they vanished, the spot where they had been standing was bombarded with kunai, shuriken, and even some earth bullets. "Shit, all four of them are on our backs! We don''t stand a chance now. Let''s keep running until Kaida and Yukihiro-sensei finish their fights. We''ll handle these four if we get the chance," Ryota said. "Okay," Yomi agreed, but she was already thinking of running away, as Kaida had instructed. The only thing stopping her was that she didn''t want to leave Ryota and Kiba alone. Still, the situation wasn''t that bad. They had already killed two Chunin, and now they only had to stall for time, which was doable since they had spent a month practicing the Body Flicker Jutsu to use it as efficiently as possible. --- (A.N: Thanks for reading ^~^) Chapter 65: Yukihiro Vs Jonin (A.N: Sorry this chapter is on shorter side TT) --- Yukihiro appeared in front of the Jonin with the highest chakra among the enemy ranks. Knowing he didn''t have much time, he went straight for the kill with his trusted sword. However, the Jonin Yukihiro attacked was also a sensor ninja. Sensing the danger, he predicted the attack. Feeling the immense chakra emanating from the sword, he didn''t even attempt to block it; instead, he quickly evaded and left a Rock Clone behind to attack Yukihiro with taijutsu. Earth clones, unlike other clones, are very hard and excel in close combat. Although Yukihiro managed to slash the clone in half with his fire-coated chakra blade, the sword was so hot that it cut through the clone effortlessly. ''Damn it, why is my luck so bad? This was supposed to be an easy mission, but now I have to fight *Fire Sword* all by myself. I''m 100% sure that in one-on-one combat, I''ll die. I need to stall for time. Once my subordinates finish off those brats, we can take on Yukihiro together,'' the Jonin thought as he quickly used an earth spike jutsu to attack Yukihiro. Sensing chakra from the ground, Yukihiro jumped and retaliated with a fire breath jutsu aimed at the Jonin. Both attacks missed their marks as the two shinobi continued their deadly dance, each trying to gain the upper hand. Yukihiro kept trying to close the distance to use his kenjutsu, intending to finish the fight quickly. The Jonin knew that the moment Yukihiro got close, he would die. Yukihiro''s kenjutsu skills were infamous, considered S-rank by many. The Jonin fought desperately to maintain distance, using advanced earth-style techniques that altered the terrain, making the ground slippery or sandy to hinder Yukihiro''s movements. ''Damn, this guy is as resilient as a cockroach, and his movement jutsu is not only helping him escape but also hindering me. I have to end this fast, or those three will be in danger,'' Yukihiro thought. For five continuous minutes, they exchanged blows, the Jonin managing to maintain his distance and keep Yukihiro at bay. But the Jonin made a critical error when he became momentarily distracted after sensing his subordinate summoning a beast. Yukihiro seized this golden opportunity. He poured as much chakra as he could into his legs, boosting his speed, and went straight for the Jonin''s head. Realizing his mistake, the Jonin cursed himself. He knew he couldn''t dodge or block the attack in time. He shifted the direction of the attack using his iron skin-hardened hand, sacrificing it to save his life. Though he managed to deflect the attack, he lost his right hand¡ªhis dominant hand. Knowing that completing the mission was now impossible, the Jonin used a red smoke bomb to signal retreat and prepared to stall Yukihiro to buy time for his subordinates to escape. In a last-ditch effort, he created 40 earth clones to stop Yukihiro, while he used his movement jutsu to flee. Yukihiro expected this and fired several wind blades at the clones, dispelling most of them. The remaining clones were easily dealt with by another barrage of wind blades. Yukihiro then pursued the Jonin. After a 2-kilometer chase, Yukihiro confronted the Jonin again. The Jonin, exhausted from using so many jutsus back-to-back, was quickly killed with a simple slash to the neck. ''Huh, he was a tough one. I hope my students were able to hold on until now. Let''s hope I''m not too late,'' Yukihiro thought. --- **(At the start of the fight¡­)** The Jonin Kaida was about to face was on high alert. His leader had warned him that there were two individuals with Jonin-level chakra among the enemy ranks. Even though he was a sensor ninja, his abilities in this area were limited, giving him a smaller sensing range. Fully alert due to the warning, the Jonin sensed a chakra-enhanced kunai heading toward him. Thanks to his heightened awareness, he easily dodged the kunai. However, in the split second it took him to regain his footing, a sword came toward his neck from behind. With no time to react, he activated his iron skin jutsu and body flicker jutsu simultaneously. If it had been a normal sword attack, iron skin jutsu would have been sufficient. But the Jonin could sense chakra flowing through the sword, and every instinct told him he would die if he took that attack, even with iron skin. The fear for his life pushed him to achieve a speed he had never reached before, allowing him to barely dodge the sword with the help of body flicker jutsu. *Slash* --- **(A.N: Thank you for reading ^.^)** S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 66: Kaida vs jonin **(10 minutes earlier¡­)** Kaida stared intently at his enemy, knowing that Ryota and Yomi would struggle to handle six Chunin by themselves. Despite telling Yomi to run in times of danger, the numerous variables at play worried him. He didn''t want to imagine what would happen if she couldn''t escape or if an enemy ninja managed a surprise attack. Although Kaida was up against a Jonin with far more battle experience, his mind was focused on one thing: *Finish the fight as fast as possible and go help your friends.* But The moment he spotted the enemy from his perch in the tree he forcefully supressed all extra thoughts going in his mind and decided to fully focus on the battle ahead, After formulating a simple plan in his mind, he threw a kunai fully coated in fire chakra, the aim was directly at the centre of the heart, something which would surely kill the jonin if landed. but His intent wasn''t to land a hit but to create a distraction, an opportunity for a real attack. As expected, the ninja sensed the kunai and dodged it. Kaida used that split second to appear behind the ninja with a wind-enhanced instantaneous movement and slashed downward with his fire chakra-coated sword. the attack was so fast and unexpected that Kaida was sure it would land, because even he himself will not be able to dodge such an attack, if the situation were reversed, But, He was shocked to see the ninja dodge the attack with astonishing speed. What could have been a lethal blow only left a single wound on the Jonin. ''Well, he is a Jonin; I shouldn''t have expected to kill him in one strike,'' Kaida thought. He began forming a fireball, and that''s when he made eye contact with his enemy. The ninja suddenly started making hand signs. Although Kaida didn''t need hand signs to create a fireball, it still took him two seconds to fully form and release it. He quickly completed the fireball and hurled it at the ninja. Though the Jonin saw the fireball heading his way, he didn''t evade or stop his hand signs. Just before the fireball was about to hit him, a *puff* of smoke appeared, and a massive smoke wall emerged in front of him, revealing an armadillo-like creature as the smoke cleared. ''Damn, now he has a defense-type summon too. This just got trickier,'' Kaida thought. "Ugh, that hurts. Why the hell did you summon me, Kazuki?" the summoned creature grumbled. "Toshi, this is important. The boy in front of us is strong; he''s already injured me. We have to get rid of him at any cost. Just protect me the best you can, and I''ll focus on offense," Kazuki replied. Kaida wasn''t about to let them form a plan. He quickly used wind instantaneous movement jutsu and appeared behind Kazuki. Knowing that a fireball was too predictable and that the enemy now had a shield in the form of his summon, Kaida unleashed several wind blades aimed at both Toshi and Kazuki. He was confident they would be hit since both were distracted. But Toshi sensed the attack and used his shell to protect both himself and Kazuki. Kaida''s wind blades were strong enough to slice through a one-inch-thick steel plate, but they couldn''t penetrate Toshi''s chakra-hardened scales. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Realizing that Toshi was hardening his scales with chakra, seeing such a defensive move, Kaida clicked his tongue as he anticipated a prolonged fight. He used wind instantaneous movement jutsu to create some distance between them. He quickly made a shadow clone and sent it toward Ryota and Yomi''s location. Since the clone had 15% of his chakra, Kaida was confident it could handle the situation. Or at least become distraction in case the situation became too dire Now, he could fully focus on his own fight. He used wind instantaneous movement jutsu once more to close the distance to Toshi. Knowing that his jutsu couldn''t penetrate Toshi''s defense, Kaida decided to rely on kenjutsu instead. He coated his sword with fire chakra and engaged Toshi in close combat. Toshi defended with his claws but couldn''t fend off all of Kaida''s attacks and was slowly accumulating wounds. Kazuki wanted to attack Kaida, but Kaida always positioned himself so that Toshi remained between them. Whenever Kazuki tried to create some distance, Kaida seized the opportunity to attack him. Within just five minutes, Toshi was covered in minor injuries, even if he was covered in scales all over his body and was using Chakra to harden them further, Kaida was somehow able to chip those scales slowly, and during all this Kazuki hadn''t landed a single blow on Kaida. Kazuki was certain that if Toshi weren''t there, Kaida would have killed him already. *Boom.* Suddenly, a red smoke signal rose in the distance¡ªa clear order to retreat from their leader. And since it was red, it meant their leader had no chance to escape himself. "Toshi, I''m retreating. Just hold him off for a while, and I''ll unsummon you once I''m at a safe distance," Kazuki said. "Okay, but don''t expect me to sacrifice my life to stop him," Toshi replied. "Don''t worry; I have no intention of killing you now that you''re running with your tail between your legs. If you want to run, then run fast," Kaida taunted with a smirk. And a condescending look on his face, like he was looking a worm wriggling to save his life Kazuki was angered by Kaida''s words. It was a massive blow to his ego to run away from a boy One third of his age, especially that look making him feel like shit, he was very much tempted to show why he was a jonin, but he wasn''t going to let his pride endanger his life. Even though Kaida said he wouldn''t attack, Kazuki kept Toshi summoned as he ran 2 kilometers away from Kaida. Meanwhile, Kaida and Toshi remained locked in a standoff, both ready to attack or defend at a moment''s notice. Once Kazuki was at a safe distance, he unsummoned Toshi, not wanting to lose his partner. He then continued running toward their temporary base. Now that their mission had failed, they needed to report back as quickly as possible. --- Chapter 67: Rudeness can be a silent assassin (A.N: Sorry for such a long delay, I was super busy with a lot of things, but now updates will be regular, and I will also do a mass release ^~^) *** When Toshi was unsummoned, Kaida quickly made a shadow clone and dispersed it. The clone that Kaida had sent to help Yomi received the memory of Kaida and an order: *If Yomi and Ryota are safe, tell them to stay there and disperse yourself to inform me of your location.* The clone looked toward Yomi and Ryota. They had run quite a distance and were now 10 kilometers away from their initial position. The clone appeared in front of them and said, "It looks like Yukihiro-sensei''s fight is over, and the remaining enemy ninjas were ordered to retreat. Kaida asked you guys to stay here; he will be coming any minute." After saying that, the clone dispersed itself. Kaida received the location of Yomi and Ryota and used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to reach their location as fast as he could, covering the distance of 10 kilometers in just one minute. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "It''s great that you guys are safe. Did any of you suffer any injuries during the fight?" Kaida asked as soon as he arrived in front of Yomi and Ryota. "We''re okay, just a little exhausted. Running for this long while evading attacks is very difficult," Yomi said with a laugh. Kaida looked toward Ryota, and both nodded at each other. *bark bark* "Oh! Looks like Kiba, you were able to save both of them, huh?" Kaida said to Kiba while patting his head. Since they were quite a distance away, Yukihiro wouldn''t be able to sense them and come to their position, so they headed back to the caravan, which was currently being protected by two samurai from the Land of Iron, who were acting as bodyguards for the council members. Yukihiro and Kaida''s clones were also present there to protect their client in case someone from the enemy ranks managed to reach them. Seeing Kaida and the team returning, Yukihiro''s clone dispersed itself, and Yukihiro received the memory of his clone. "Great, it looks like all of them are alright. Also, I don''t have to look for them now. Let''s just store his body first." Yukihiro stored the body of the Jonin he had killed and then went back to the location where they had first killed some Chunin and Genin during their initial attack. Even though their bodies were badly damaged due to the fire attack, Yukihiro still stored them. Then he also used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to return to the caravan. Just as he arrived in front of his students and was about to ask them about their well-being, one of the councilmen came out of the caravan and said, "Yukihiro, what took you so long? I expected better from you." "I am sorry, sir, but the enemy numbered 20 and even had 2 Jonin-level ninjas. We were able to kill many of them, but not all. Due to such a huge disadvantage in numbers, some of them managed to escape. So, I think we can''t continue to travel at such a slow pace. Since we had to eat soldier pills to counter them, we will be unable to fight after 3 days. I suggest that we carry you to the Land of Noodles as fast as we can, while the caravan continues to travel as it is now. This way, it may act as a distraction while we reach the Land of Noodles," Yukihiro said. The councilman looked visibly pissed, with a frown on his face as he replied, "Why should we suffer due to your incompetence? You should have killed those damn pests. Now that you failed to do your job properly, it is your responsibility to protect us if they come again." Kaida was very angered after hearing such a remark. He thought, ''We were fighting with our lives on the line for such a fool. Was that worth it? I''m pretty sure that if any of us had died during the fight, he wouldn''t have even batted an eye and would have just blamed us as incompetent.'' But he controlled his anger and tried to argue reasonably. "Sir, we just told you that we fought 20 ninjas, including 2 Jonin, Chunin, and Genin, while we were just 1 Jonin and 3 Genin. We had to put our lives on the line to save you. And in the end, we were able to save you, so I think we completed our job perfectly." "How dare a brat talk in between us! And do you think I will be in your debt for saving my life? It is your job to die for me. Our lives are more important than hundreds of yours," the councilman said to Kaida, his frown deepening. This was the limit of what Kaida could tolerate. He used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu and appeared just behind the councilman, with his sword at the man''s neck. "Sensei, I think I''m fine with having some failed missions on my resume. Can we just kill him and say we were unable to save him?" Kaida asked Yukihiro, pressing his sword against the councilman''s neck, causing a small cut. Both of the samurai drew their weapons, ready to attack. Yomi and Ryota also took out their weapons and appeared on the left and right of Kaida, prepared to defend him against any attack from the samurai. "Unfortunately, Kaida, we can''t always take the easy way. The deal with the Land of Noodles is important¡ªit''s crucial for stabilizing our village''s economic condition. We can''t put our village in danger just because of some fools. However, if he keeps blabbering such nonsense, you can kill him, and I''ll handle the rest. I''m pretty sure Lord Third will be able to finalize the deal with or without them," Yukihiro said, sounding increasingly sinister with each word. The councilman could tell from his tone that Yukihiro was completely serious. Kaida nodded after hearing this, removed his sword from the man''s neck, and all three of them used movement jutsu to appear behind Yukihiro. Yukihiro then put a business smile on his face and said, "Dear elder, you can wait in the carriage for a while. Once we''ve rested a bit, we will continue our journey." The councilman nodded his head so fast that he might have gotten neck cramps. Seeing the tension subside, the bodyguards put away their weapons. After that, Yukihiro and the team moved a little away from the carriage. "I''m sorry, sensei. I lost my cool there," Kaida apologized to Yukihiro. "Well, you did a great job, because thanks to you, I was able to control myself. Otherwise, I might have killed him outright. This is why I don''t do escort missions, or rather, why Lord Third doesn''t give me such missions. But now that I''m getting these missions, you can guess how bad our village''s condition is. But let''s leave that aside. I don''t think that fool will speak out again, at least not until we return to the village. Now, tell me, are you guys alright?" "Yes, sensei. We managed to kill 2 ninjas during our initial surprise attack, but the sound of fighting drew other ninjas to our position. We weren''t sure about going up against 4 Chunin by ourselves, so we decided to run and keep them distracted," Ryota said. "Good choice. Were you guys able to store the bodies of the ninjas you killed?" Yukihiro asked. "No, sensei. We didn''t have enough time," Yomi said. "No problem. Now, Kaida, what about you?" Yukihiro asked. "I was able to injure the enemy, but he summoned a defense-type summon that looked like an armadillo, and because of that, I couldn''t kill him. After that, the red smoke allowed him to escape. I think his name was Kazuki." ******* (A.N: Thanks for reading ^~^) Chapter 68: Journey (part1) "I was able to injure the enemy, but he summoned a defense-type creature, which looked like an armadillo. Because of that, I couldn''t finish him off. After that red smoke, he escaped. I think his name was Kazuki," Kaida said. "Even fighting a Jonin-level ninja and surviving is a great feat for a Genin. You even made him summon his partner¡ªgood job," Yukihiro praised. "Sensei, during the fight, I realized how important having a summon is. When will we be able to get one?" Kaida asked, his eyes shining with curiosity. "Kaida, I understand you''re fascinated by the idea of having a powerful partner. But first, you need to make a contract with the animal, and for that, you have to go to the dimension where they reside. On the surface, it doesn''t seem too problematic, but from experience, I can tell you that not all animals are friendly. Once you enter that dimension, you may have to fight countless animals with various abilities. And since you''ll be alone in that dimension, no one will be there to help you. That''s why, even though the chakra requirement for making the initial contract isn''t high, it''s recommended to attempt it only when you''re strong enough to be considered a Jonin." "Sensei, since I was able to hold my own against a Jonin, can I try to make a summoning contract?" Kaida asked, his voice full of expectation. "You can try, but I recommend mastering all the abilities your Sharingan offers first. Even though you can now see and notice minor movements of the enemy, as well as chakra movements, you''re still not using the Sharingan for what it''s most famous for," Yukihiro explained. "Genjutsu," Kaida said thoughtfully. "Yes. Once you learn some powerful genjutsu, your chances of getting a good summon will increase. You can choose genjutsu as the field you want to specialize in when Lord Third asks about it. I''m sure with your Sharingan and excellent chakra control, you''ll become a force to be reckoned with," Yukihiro encouraged. "But, Sensei, I''m considering choosing something else as my specialization," Kaida said. "Well, it''s your decision. If you already have something in mind, go with that. But you still need to learn genjutsu. Having such potential and not exploring it would be a crime against yourself." "Yes, Sensei." "Now, guys, get ready. We still have a mission to complete. We''ll resume our journey in half an hour, so take some rest." After saying that, Yukihiro leaned against a tree to rest. Ryota and Kiba also found a corner to rest. Even though they had eaten a soldier pill, which prevented physical exhaustion, they were mentally drained. Fighting against stronger opponents, outnumbered, and trying to save their lives and their friends''¡ªif that isn''t mentally exhausting, you''re just not human. When Yomi and Kaida were alone, Kaida asked, "Are you truly alright? Are you sure you''re not hurt? Are you exhausted?" "Shhh, Kaida, I''m fine. Calm down. Let''s rest a bit. I have a feeling we won''t have time to rest properly until we reach the Land of Noodles," Yomi said, reassuring him. After that, both of them leaned against a tree to rest. Since they had all taken a soldier pill, none of them could sleep, so they meditated lightly, trying to alleviate their mental exhaustion as much as possible. Meanwhile, another discussion was going on in the carriage... "Renji, I''ve always told you that in this world, strength reigns supreme. No matter your position in the village, if you keep disrespecting ninjas, one day you''ll die without knowing who killed you," Hiroto warned. "Just wait and see, Hiroto. I''ll prove to you that I''m much more powerful than some lousy brat. Once we successfully complete the deal with the Land of Noodles, our value will increase tremendously. Then I''ll complain about them to Lord Third and make sure they get the punishment they deserve," Renji said, his voice filled with spite. "Well, we''ll see when the time comes. For now, let''s focus on the deal we have to complete," Hiroto said, knowing full well that he couldn''t change Renji''s mind, no matter what. ''The only good thing is that Renji is truly afraid for his life now, so at least he won''t do anything more stupid. But now that our village is facing a shortage of ninjas, I''m not sure Renji will even be able to make them get any punishment,'' Hiroto thought. For most of the ride, Hiroto stayed inside the carriage, checking all the documents and reviewing the plans for the deal. Hiroto was the one Hokage had trusted to make a deal with the Land of Noodles, as Renji had gotten his position through connections and money. And since the village was in dire need of funds, Hiruzen had to turn a blind eye to this. But one thing was certain: once the village''s condition stabilized, Renji was going to face some "unfortunate accident." After half an hour, the four of them gathered. "Kaida, you will carry Hiroto-sama on your back, and I will carry the other one, for your information, Hiroto-sama''s life is our top priority. He''s not like the one we dealt with before, so don''t worry about facing a similar situation. I don''t think Renji will behave like that again, at least until we get back to Konoha," Yukihiro instructed. --- S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. (A.N.: Thanks for reading ^~^) Chapter 69 : Land of noodles "He is not like the one we talked about before, so don''t worry about facing another situation similar to what we faced before. I don''t think Renji is going to behave like that again, at least until we reach Konoha," Yukihiro said. "Yes, sensei," Kaida replied. All of them went to the carriage. Yukihiro knocked on the door twice. Hiroto opened it and asked, "Oh! Yukihiro, long time no see. Renji told me that due to some complications, we have to travel with you guys. Thanks for doing this for us." "The pleasure is all ours, Hiroto-sama. We are ready. Please gather all the necessary items so we can start the journey as soon as you are ready," Yukihiro said. "Okay, just give us 10 minutes," Hiroto replied and went back to the carriage. Seeing the conversation between Hiroto and Yukihiro, all three genin became sure that Hiroto was worth protecting. As for Renji, he could be used as a meat shield during an enemy attack. While thinking that, an evil smirk appeared on their faces. If Renji had seen this, he would have felt an extreme sense of danger in his life. After 10 minutes, Hiroto came out of the carriage, followed by Renji. Yukihiro told them that he would carry Renji while Kaida would carry Hiroto on his back. Renji, knowing that Yukihiro was the strongest person, felt that they were doing this to gain his forgiveness, but he couldn''t be more wrong. Kaida was strong and fast enough to save Hiroto in most cases, while Yukihiro was right behind Kaida to defend against any attack. However, since Yukihiro traveled at the back of the formation, if a surprise attack came from the rear (which is often the case), there was a high chance that Renji might not even survive, as none of the ninjas present had any thought of saving him. After instructing the bodyguards and the rest of the people to continue the ride as normal, Yukihiro and Kaida each made a shadow clone to travel with the caravan. Their clones had enough chakra to last at least four days before dispersing. After that, they carried Hiroto and Renji on their backs, and all four of them started using Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu and Body Flicker Jutsu to travel large distances, occasionally running to refill their chakra before using movement-related jutsu again. ... While they traveled, Kazuki was able to reunite with the remaining ninja. He sighed when he saw that only five of them had survived out of their original twenty. "Were you guys able to kill any of them?" Kazuki asked the chunin. One of them stepped forward and said, "No, when we found them, they had already dealt with our two brothers. Since they were distracted, we decided to go directly for the kill, but suddenly their ninja dog started barking, and they were alerted. Another problem was that, unlike other Konoha ninjas who fight bravely till their last breath, they used their brains and started to flee. Seeing two such young ninjas run, we thought we could catch and kill them and come to your aid. But they had quite a large amount of chakra and were also quite proficient in Body Flicker, so we were unable to catch them. While we were chasing them, the leader used the signal to retreat, so we had to stop the chase. What about you, sir? Were you able to kill that jonin?" "He was not a jonin¡ªwell, at least not officially. He was also a brat, but an unusually strong one. It looks like Konoha has another genius among their ranks. We have to send our report to Tsuchikage-sama. Even though we failed this mission, these details are much more important than killing some civilians, as this genius of Konoha can''t be underestimated," Kazuki said, and then thought, ''I still remember the Yellow Flash of Konoha. That guy was truly a beast, and from the looks of it, this one is going to be too. I just hope Kage-sama will be able to find some solution for this problem.'' After that, they all went toward their temporary base, where Kazuki made a detailed report about the mission and their losses and sent it to Iwagakure using a messenger hawk. "Kazuki-sama, what should we do now?" one of the chunin asked. "There is nothing we can do. Since they were able to prepare a trap for us, it means their sensing capabilities are higher than our captain''s¡ªmuch higher than ours. So we can''t even follow them. Let''s just wait for orders. Until then, focus on your recovery. Yuzi, you know some medical jutsu, right?" Kazuki asked another chunin. "Yes, Kazuki-sama. Do you need some help?" Yuzi asked. Kazuki nodded and showed the deep cut he had suffered during Kaida''s first attack. All of the chunin were surprised that Kazuki was even alive after suffering such a lethal wound. "Kazuki-sama, please take a seat. I will try to heal it as much as I can," Yuzi said hurriedly. Kazuki nodded and took a seat, but he was deep in thought. ''I am lucky that he used fire chakra in that attack. Otherwise, even if I had escaped from the fight with Toshi''s help, surviving after so much blood loss wouldn''t have been possible.'' Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... While they waited for orders from Iwagakure, Kaida and the team were running at full speed toward the Land of Noodles. They had to stop at night since Hiroto was old and couldn''t sleep while moving, so at night they made a makeshift camp using earth-related jutsu. Two people guarded the camp while the others rested. Throughout the journey, Kaida remained completely alert. Even though the mission was important, the most important thing for him was still his and Yomi''s lives. Now that he had spent so much time with Yukihiro, Ryota, and the Kiba duo, he couldn''t rule them out from his priority list. But they were too devoted to Konoha, and making them prioritize their lives over a mission would be foolish. They were from a village where even White Fang, Kakashi''s father, was criticized to the point of suicide just because he chose his teammates'' lives over a mission. So he wasn''t going to die trying to change their minds, but if he could, he would try to save them as well. By doing the same thing for two days (running + movement jutsu), they were able to complete a 2-week journey in 2 days. If they hadn''t had a statue of complaints in human clothing named Renji, they might have arrived earlier. After reaching the city, they went straight to the daimyo''s place. Now that they were inside the city and in front of the daimyo''s palace, they could finally relax. Even though they hadn''t faced any attacks during their travel, they still maintained complete vigilance. Upon reaching the daimyo''s place, they stopped a little way off so Hiroto and Renji could prepare for the deal. From then on, it was their job. After fixing their appearance and taking a little rest, they approached the guards. "We are Konoha representatives for our latest collaboration. We had to arrive early due to some circumstances. Could you please pass this message to Lord Daimyo?" Hiroto said with a polite smile. "Can we please first see your identification papers?" the guard asked. In the ninja world, it is not difficult to change your appearance and pose as someone else. After checking their papers, the guard passed their message to the daimyo''s office, while Hiroto and Renji were asked to wait in the palace''s guest area. ******** (A.N: Thanks for reading ^~^. You can add this novel to your library if you like the story.) Chapter 70: Nowhere Safe While they were resting, Ryota said, "Hah, finally we can rest now." "No, Ryota, this is a very important lesson, so listen carefully. You are not allowed to let your guard down anywhere else but in Konoha. Even though we are here for a business deal, it doesn''t mean we are an ally. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After three great ninja wars, no country will bat an eye to protect someone else. They may even help others kill another ninja if they can," Yukihiro said. "So, Sensei, what are we going to do? Due to the effect of the soldier pill, we''re going to pass out tomorrow. We have no other choice but to trust the Daimyo to protect us," Kaida said. "Hahaha, Kaida, like I already said, we can only trust our village to protect us. Come, follow me," Yukihiro said and went to the guards. "Excuse me, I would like to send a message to Konoha that we have reached here safely. Can you please lead us to the communication center?" Yukihiro asked. "Yes, sir, this way please." The guard bowed slightly and showed them the way. After reaching the center, Yukihiro wrote a letter: *Lord Third, we have safely reached the Land of Noodles and are in the Daimyo''s palace. We were attacked during our journey, so we had to eat soldier pills. All of us are fine. We were able to reach here in two days; we still have one day before we pass out. We will send another message before leaving the palace.* At the end of the letter, Yukihiro made a seal, implying it was sent by him alone. All three of his students read the letter, but they were still confused about how this letter would ensure their safety. Yukihiro then gave the letter to an office worker, who copied its contents onto another letter and sent it to Konoha using a messenger hawk. If everything went correctly, they should get a response from Konoha within 10 hours. After that, they went back to the waiting area, where Hiroto and Renji were preparing for the meeting, which would happen soon. However, for an official meeting, they would have to wait a little longer, as they had arrived earlier than the scheduled time. All three of them sat on the sofa. Then Yomi asked, "Sensei, due to your letter, now the Daimyo''s forces will know that we will be vulnerable after one day. How is this going to help us?" "Yomi, when I said that the Daimyo''s palace is not safe because they may try to kill us, it was only the case if they could be completely sure that Konoha couldn''t blame them for it. Even though Konoha is weak after the Third Great Ninja War, we are still strong enough that these small villages can''t openly offend us. Now that we have sent a message to Konoha stating we are in the Land of Noodles and in the Daimyo''s palace, if we suddenly go missing, the Land of Noodles will be in serious trouble. That''s why I sent the message using the official method. Now, it will be the Daimyo''s job to protect us." Hearing this reasoning, all three of them went into deep thought. Afterward, they looked at Yukihiro with admiration. "Sensei, you''re different from what I imagined," Ryota said. "Oh! How did you actually think I was?" Yukihiro asked with a smile. "All brawn and no brain." *Smack* `Hahahahaha` After a smack to the head from Yukihiro, Ryota quietly sat down. "It''s your first time in the Land of Noodles, right?" Yukihiro asked. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida said. "Then since we still have one day, you''re free to go sightseeing. But come back here after 12 hours." "Thanks, Sensei!" Yomi shouted, clearly excited. ... After coming out of the Daimyo''s palace, "Since we''re safe after such an incident, why don''t you treat us to a meal, Ryota?" Kaida asked. "Hey, why should I be the one to treat? You''re the one who fought a Jonin and almost won. You should be treating us," Ryota shouted. "Why is my only friend so stingy?" Kaida said in a depressed voice. *Bark bark* Kiba also supported Kaida, shaking his head. "Okay, okay, I''ll give the treat. Don''t start your acting now," Ryota said, rolling his eyes. "Yay, let''s try all the noodles this village has to offer!" Yomi said, running toward a noodle shop, followed by Kaida and Kiba. "Hah! Looks like my purse is the only one that''s going to suffer during this mission," Ryota said, then followed after his teammates. In the shop, they tried various types of noodles, which were delicious, though they paled a little in comparison to Teuchi''s noodles. After eating, which only Ryota felt was too much, they asked the locals for the best shop for noodles. Since they had just eaten, they decided to explore the village a little and try the noodles from the most famous shop later. The village wasn''t extraordinary¡ªjust too many noodle shops. Still, the noodles from the famous shops lived up to the village''s reputation, and Ryota''s purse took a critical hit there. But all in all the outing was really enjoyable for all four of them, eating and exploring an foreign place like tourist was very rare for them though they have gone out of the village for missions many times, but this was the first time they could enjoy it, and they used this opportunity to its fullest Afterward, they went back to the palace. ... "So, how was your day?" Yukihiro asked. "It was great, Sensei. There are hundreds of different types of noodles here. Though we weren''t able to try them all, the ones we did try were awesome," Kaida said, patting his belly. "Hahaha, it''s good that you enjoyed your food. The official meeting has been decided for the day after tomorrow." Chapter 71: Meeting "Hahaha, it''s good that you enjoyed your food. The official meeting has been decided to be held the day after tomorrow, though you guys will not participate in the meeting since only one guard is allowed. For now, let''s go and rest a little. The effect of the soldier pill may end anytime now," Yukihiro said. "Okay, Sensei," everyone replied. Yukihiro then led all three of them to a room in the palace, normally used by guards, since guest rooms were for nobles. The room contained four beds and a small cabinet near each bed for keeping belongings. There was also an almirah meant to be shared by the people staying in the room. Since all of them had already had their fill, they went to bed and started meditating while waiting for the effect of the soldier pill to end. While the three of them meditated, Yukihiro made a shadow clone with more than 70% of his chakra. Though the chances of an attack during their stay in the daimyo''s palace were close to none, you can never be sure. With that amount of chakra, the clone should be able to easily hold on for three days and deal with any ninja up to low Jonin rank. However, mid- or high-level Jonin might handle the clone due to its weakness of dispersing after taking even a little damage. No village would be foolish enough to attack the daimyo''s palace. So, the chances of such an encounter were also close to none. After seeing Yukihiro make a shadow clone, Kaida also made a shadow clone with 80% of his chakra. Though Kaida''s clone was significantly weaker than Yukihiro''s, in one-on-one combat, it could easily win against any normal Chunin. After some time, they went to sleep. Due to such high-level fighting and maintaining constant vigilance for two days, they were already at their limit, so for 24 hours, none of them woke up. The first person to wake up was Yukihiro. He was accustomed to such scenarios, so his body adapted to it. After one more hour, everyone else also woke up. "Good morning, Sensei," Ryota said. "It''s already 1:00 PM, Ryota, so good afternoon. Since we have to stay here for two more days for the meeting, you guys are free to explore the village or train in the training area at the back of the palace. I would personally recommend exploring the city a little bit. You never know when it may come in handy." "Okay, Sensei, but what are you going to do for these two days?" Kaida asked. "I will accompany Renji and Hiroto-sama to see if they need anything or if they have to contact Konoha. So, you guys enjoy yourselves," Yukihiro said and left the room. "So, what are we going to do today?" Yomi asked. *grrr* Before anyone could say anything, Ryota''s stomach answered for him, while Kiba distanced himself from Ryota like he didn''t even know him. "You traitor," Ryota muttered under his breath. "Let''s go to that shop from yesterday first. There are still many noodles we haven''t tried," Kaida said with a smile. "But I''m not paying this time. My purse is empty," Ryota said in a hurry. "It''s okay, Ryota. This time it will be my treat, so let''s eat first and discuss what to do next after that," Kaida said. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After agreeing, they all took some time to freshen up and then headed to the shop. ¡­ While they were sleeping, an important meeting was going on in Konoha. Upon receiving the message from Yukihiro that they were attacked, Hiruzen called Shikaku Nara, the Jonin commander and one of the most intelligent ninjas in the world. After half an hour, Shikaku arrived at Hiruzen''s office. "Lord Third, I am still working on the task you gave me yesterday. Please don''t give me any other tasks for now," Shikaku said as soon as he entered the Hokage''s office. "This is important, Shikaku, so pay attention," Hiruzen said in a serious voice. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Shikaku became serious as well. Seeing that, Hiruzen began speaking again. "The squad that went to the Land of Noodles was attacked by 20 rogue ninjas from Iwa. Their ranks included two Jonin, seven Chunin, and the rest were Genin. Our team of four was able to defend themselves and even killed 15 enemy ninjas, including a Jonin. The rest of them managed to escape," Hiruzen explained, knowing this from the letter Yukihiro had sent unofficially. "Who were the Jonins sent on the mission?" Shikaku asked. Naturally, he was assuming that the squad consisted only of Jonin, which would explain such a result. "Only Yukihiro, and the rest were his Genin squad. Even I don''t know how they pulled that off. We will know more when they arrive back in the village," Hiruzen clarified, noting Shikaku''s stupefied expression. After his initial surprise, Shikaku''s face became serious once again as he began thinking through various possible scenarios. Hiruzen waited silently for Shikaku to finish processing. After some time, Shikaku spoke. "The most likely scenario is that those ninjas were not really rogue but were just pretending to be so that Iwa could attack us without giving us a chance to retaliate. And it seems they knew about the deal between Konoha and the Land of Noodles, and even the exact timing of the meeting. Most likely, someone from the Land of Noodles leaked the info. But we can''t rule out the possibility that there may be a mole within Konoha''s council or someone related to them." This was the reason Hiruzen had called Shikaku. Even though he had already concluded that the ninjas were merely pretending to be rogue, Shikaku''s insight was invaluable. Shikaku could easily deduce a situation from limited information. After listening to his deduction, Hiruzen said: "We can search for that mole later. For now, let''s focus on the problem at hand. Should we send reinforcements to Yukihiro''s squad or not?" "Why would we do something so pointless? I''m pretty sure Iwa doesn''t want the life of our civil council member. The attack was most likely an attempt to stop Konoha from making any deal with the Land of Noodles. It was probably an economic attack. Since they''ve already reached the Land of Noodles, Iwa won''t send more ninjas just to kill them. Even 20 ninjas weren''t enough to complete the mission, and they took such losses. I don''t think Onoki will send a bigger force just to take revenge. But please order Yukihiro''s squad to take a different route back to Konoha and not use a caravan. The rest will be fine." Hiruzen nodded, and they continued discussing how to search for the mole who leaked the information to the enemy. (A.N: Thanks for reading ^~^) Chapter 72: Iwagakure’s Fate While Konoha was holding a meeting to discuss how to proceed after being attacked during such an important mission, Iwa was also having a meeting in the Kage''s Office. Onoki, the Kage of Iwa, hunched over, said to one of his consultants, "How the hell did we fail such a simple mission? We knew the path they would take, the number of ninjas they would deploy, the timing of the mission¡ªeverything about them was taken into consideration. So how the hell did we end up taking the loss?" "We don''t know, sir. According to the report, they were unlucky because they encountered Yukihiro on this mission. He is considered an S-rank ninja, at least when it comes to kenjutsu, and his ninjutsu is also nothing to scoff at." "They had only one Jonin, and we sent 20 ninjas. Are you saying one Jonin managed to kill 15 of our men and save everyone too?" Another consultant spoke up, "Sir, the report mentions they fell for an ambush, which is why they suffered such a loss." "Are you a fool? That¡¯s exactly why I''m so angry! We made so many preparations to ambush them, not the other way around!" "Sir, Konoha has many clans that excel in sensing and tracking techniques. I believe it was the Inuzuka brat on the team who somehow sensed them. Also, according to Kazuki''s statement, one of the genin, who we hadn''t taken into consideration, was more powerful than him. He alone managed to hold Kazuki off until Yukihiro handled our Jonin. Even the other genin were somehow able to compete against our chunin." Onoki''s expression stiffened upon hearing this. With a serious demeanor, he said, "How the hell is Konoha able to produce such geniuses again and again? First, that Yellow Flash was able to handle thousands of our ninjas, and now these brats can hold their ground against a trained Jonin. Hah! I''m getting too old for this shit." Even though Onoki was visibly pissed, one of the consultants gathered the courage to ask the question that was on everyone''s mind. "Sir, what should we do about them now?" "What the fuck are you talking about? Obviously, we have to deal with them as soon as we can; otherwise, the future of Iwagakure will be even darker than now." "But sir, if we want to successfully eliminate them, we will have to send at least 30 more ninjas, with three or four of them being Jonin. And even though we¡¯re in better condition than Konoha, we are still facing a shortage of ninjas. It will take at least three days to assemble the team, and even more time for them to reach the Land of Noodles. I don¡¯t think we have that much time for this." "What if we set another ambush on their way back? Can we manage to send our ninjas there at least?" Onoki asked. "Sir, we can manage that, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be stupid enough to use the same path again. There¡¯s a very high chance we¡¯ll just waste manpower without results." "So, we don¡¯t have any way to deal with some brats and a single Jonin? How did Iwagakure become so weak?" Onoki said, his anger rising. "Sir, there are ways we can handle the situation, but in most cases, we would lose more than we would gain. If you make a move yourself, we could easily eliminate them, but Iwagakure would become a laughingstock among the other villages. Alternatively, we could recall some Jonin from other missions early, but that would also damage our reputation." "Leave it. It''s not worth it. We''ve already taken too many losses for such a simple mission. But make our spies in Konoha active and have them find out more about this f***ing team. Now, you can go." Onoki sat deep in thought. For three consecutive Great Ninja Wars, Iwagakure had always been on the losing end. Their single goal during each war was to acquire fertile land so that the village could become self-sufficient. Not only had they failed to obtain fertile land, but they had also lost a significant number of shinobi. Despite Onoki¡¯s power, he hadn¡¯t been able to secure what his village needed most¡ªfertile land. The main reason for this was Konoha''s ability to consistently produce geniuses capable of single-handedly changing the course of battles. Since the founding of the village, Konoha had been the only one to produce multiple S-rank ninjas at the same time. Onoki had a sinking feeling that it was Iwagakure¡¯s fate to be stuck with infertile land. Despite being one of the most united hidden villages, Iwa still struggled with shortages, from fertile land to finances. Onoki was sure that if he left this team alone, they would no doubt grow into Jonin of those same genius ranks. He was determined to eliminate them as soon as possible, to avoid dealing with unknown variables in the next Great Ninja War. ¡­ While higher-ups were racking their brains over the mission Team 13 had faced, Team 13 was enjoying their time in the Land of Noodles, trying various types of noodles. By the time the meeting ended, they had already tasted most of the noodle varieties available in the village. Afterward, Yukihiro called the team for a meeting. "So, did you guys enjoy your stay here?" Yukihiro asked. "Yes, sensei. The village isn¡¯t as large as Konoha, but the variety of noodles is unimaginable. I didn¡¯t even know some of them were edible," Kaida said. "Hahaha, I know! The first time I tried them, I had the same reaction. Have you tried the noodles with stone toppings?" "Yes, sensei," Ryota said, patting his pocket. "Well, I¡¯m glad you enjoyed your stay, but it¡¯s time for us to head back. I got a letter from the Hokage''s office stating that we need to carry those two back just as we brought them. The village doesn¡¯t want to take any risks this time. Also, we have to take a different route on our way back, and since we¡¯re ordered to return as soon as possible, we¡¯ll be leaving in 30 minutes. You¡¯ll need to take a soldier pill." "But we¡¯ll still have to stop so *Renji-sama* can take his much-needed rest," Ryota said with clear disdain. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Hahaha, don¡¯t worry, Ryota. This time, we won¡¯t be taking any breaks. They¡¯re going to take soldier pills too," Yukihiro said, laughing. "They¡¯re ninjas? I thought they were part of the Civil Council," Kaida said, surprised. "Well, calling them ninjas is a bit of a stretch. They barely have enough chakra to qualify as genin, but their political skills are very high, especially Hiroto-sama. He¡¯s made many deals with other villages that have benefited us greatly during peacetime. Due to their low chakra, they can¡¯t use movement jutsu, so even if they had taken the soldier pill before, we still would have had to carry them. Plus, they¡¯d have needed a full day''s rest afterward, which is why they hadn¡¯t taken it." "And now they can take the soldier pill because they can rest all they want in the village," Kaida finished Yukihiro''s sentence. "Exactly. Now, get ready. We leave in 30 minutes." Thirty minutes later, they set off for the village. Since both Renji and Hiroto had already taken their soldier pills, they didn¡¯t have to stop for breaks. Despite taking a longer route, they reached the village in just a day and a half. ******** (A.N.: Thank you for reading! If you liked the chapter, please don¡¯t forget to vote for the novel ^~^) Chapter 73: Nephew is alive While Kaida was away on his mission, Shisui went to his mother to share the good news he had. "Mom, where are you? I have great news for you!" Shisui called out as he entered his house. "I''m in the kitchen, honey. Just wait in the hall, I''ll be there in two minutes," Hae Uchiha, Shisui''s mother, replied. But Shisui, too eager to wait, went straight to the kitchen. "I told you to wait in the hall. Why did you come in here?" Hae asked, putting the pot down from the fire. "Mom, leave all this. I have something really important to tell you," Shisui said. "Okay, come here, sit, and tell me what you think is so important," Hae replied, sitting on a small chair in the kitchen. "Mom, today the Third Elder gave me a mission to escort a boy to his office. He¡¯s an Uchiha who awakened his Sharingan at the age of 7¡ªwell, almost 8¡ªbut still, he''s a genius to awaken it so early." "It¡¯s great that the clan has found another genius, but I still don¡¯t get why you couldn¡¯t wait two minutes to tell me this," Hae asked, a little puzzled. "Mom, that boy is none other than Kaida Senju," Shisui said with a wide smile. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For a moment, Hae was silent, trying to connect the name Kaida Senju to the boy Shisui was talking about. She first thought of ''Kaida Uchiha,'' but then she remembered her long-lost friend, Aiko Uchiha. Since Aiko was disowned by the clan, Hae had only met her a few times. Aiko always talked about her son¡ªhow cute and good he was. Hae had met the boy a few times herself. When the Nine-Tails attacked, the clan believed Aiko and her husband had died, and naturally assumed their child perished with them since their home was destroyed. But now, her son was telling her that her nephew was alive, and not only alive but a ninja. Though she was sceptical, she knew Shisui wouldn¡¯t joke about something so serious. Still, she had to ask: "You¡¯re not joking, are you?" Hae asked, her voice trembling. "No, Mom. I even invited him to meet you, but he was in a bit of a hurry. I think he left on a mission, so he declined and said he¡¯d visit after completing it," Shisui explained with a calm smile. "Oh my god... he¡¯s alive. Thank the heavens! But if he¡¯s alive, where has he been all this time?" Hae asked. "He lived in an orphanage. But don¡¯t worry, Mom, I checked into it. It¡¯s a good orphanage, so I don¡¯t think Kaida had too many problems living there," Shisui replied. "That poor boy had to live like an orphan, even though he had family. The world is too cruel." "I think because of that, he holds some resentment towards the Uchiha clan. He even declined the Third Elder''s proposal to come back to the Uchiha compound. But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s particularly angry with us. He seems quite mature for his age. Let¡¯s try to make him feel more comfortable with us when he returns." "Yes, just bring him here as soon as he¡¯s back from his mission." "Okay, Mom." After that, they continued talking about Kaida and Shisui''s other missions that weren¡¯t confidential. ... After Renji and Hiroto packed their belongings, they stepped out of the palace, where Yukihiro and the team were waiting. ''Just you wait, brat. Once we return to the village, your whole ninja career will end. You¡¯ll learn the consequences of threatening me,'' Renji thought, glaring at Kaida. "Yukihiro, are you all ready to leave?" Hiroto asked with a smile. "Yes, Hiroto-sama. We will follow the same arrangements as before. As per Lord Third''s orders, you will also need to take a soldier pill since we can¡¯t take any risks with your safety." Hiroto nodded and took the soldier pill given to him by Yukihiro, followed by Renji. Once they were out of the Land of Noodles, the team used a carriage to maintain the village''s reputation. After exiting, Kaida carried Hiroto while Yukihiro carried Renji. Just as they were about to take a different route, Ryota approached Yukihiro and said, "Sensei, someone is following us." Yukihiro, hearing this, gave a simple order to his team. "Follow me." After traveling 10 kilometers in a different direction from the original path, Yukihiro suddenly stopped and turned to Ryota. "How many people are following us?" "Only two, Sensei." "I assume they are taking the same path we did to get here?" "Yes, Sensei." "Okay, Kaida, make a shadow clone and send it with mine a little ahead. We will set an ambush. If the clones can deal with them, great. If not, at least we¡¯ll buy time to shake them off and head back to the village as soon as possible." Kaida nodded and made a shadow clone, thinking, ''So Sensei doesn''t want to face them directly unless necessary. Smart. Judging by the fact that only two are following us, they are either elite Jonin or Chunin specializing in tracking. We''ll find out soon enough.'' Both made shadow clones with 50% of their chakra and sent them one kilometre ahead while continuing to move. Two kilometres later, the two ninjas following their path arrived. Completely clueless about the ambush, they were caught off guard by a barrage of wind blades from the shadow clones and were impaled before they could react... ************ (A.N: Konoha is planning a little surprise for Kaida! Let''s see what he gets and how it changes his life from now on!) Chapter 74: Returning Home After killing the pursuing ninjas, the clones stayed in position for ten more minutes. When no additional enemies showed up, they dispersed. Kaida and Yukihiro received the memories and chakra of their clones. ... The group was running at full speed, managing to cover 43 kilometers in just ten minutes. Suddenly, Yukihiro raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop as he processed the clones'' memories. "What happened, Yukihiro? Is there a problem?" Hiroto asked. "No, Hiroto-sama, the enemy has been dealt with. Let¡¯s take a 10-minute break before we resume our journey." Hiroto and Renji nodded, taking a brief rest while Yukihiro and the team exchanged words. "Sensei, it looks like we only had two pursuers, so we don¡¯t have to worry about an ambush. Still, we should change direction¡ªthey might have sent a signal about our route," Kaida suggested. "I was thinking the same. Now that the issue is resolved, we no longer need to take this longer path. Let''s return to the pre-planned route provided by Hokage-sama. Ryota, if you sense anything unusual along the way, let me know immediately. And if there¡¯s no time to alert me, use the secret code we established during our stay in the Land of Noodles," Yukihiro instructed. Everyone nodded. Yukihiro went over to inform Hiroto and Renji of the change in plans while Kaida and his team discussed their situation. "Do you think we¡¯ll face another group of enemies like before?" Ryota asked. "Nope, not a chance. If they attacked us again, it would be purely out of revenge. I doubt they¡¯d send powerful ninjas for that. Besides, they don¡¯t know our exact route," Kaida replied. "Plus, we¡¯re strong enough to defend ourselves if a similar attack happens," Yomi added, confident. "No, Yomi, you''re wrong there. The only reason we won that last fight was because of Ryota. If he hadn¡¯t sensed the enemy¡¯s approach early, we wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to ambush them. Sure, we would¡¯ve sensed them eventually, but by then, there¡¯d have been little we could do. Fighting 20 experienced ninjas would¡¯ve been a nightmare, and I doubt we¡¯d have escaped uninjured," Kaida explained. Yomi and Ryota both reflected on the consequences they could¡¯ve faced had the enemy ambush caught them unprepared, especially considering the mix of Chunin and Jonin-level opponents. Kiba stood smugly, clearly proud of having detected the enemy¡¯s approach, convinced he was the MVP of that battle. As their conversation wrapped up, Yukihiro returned from speaking with Hiroto and Renji. Overhearing Kaida''s explanation, he felt proud that his students, despite being geniuses, weren¡¯t arrogant¡ªa common trait that leads many talented ninjas to their deaths on the battlefield. After giving Yomi and Ryota a moment to think over Kaida''s words, Yukihiro spoke. "Alright, team, break¡¯s over. Time to get back to work. Let¡¯s move." They resumed their journey, carrying Hiroto and Renji once again. This time, they didn¡¯t encounter any further ambushes and arrived at Konoha before sunset. Hiroto and Renji decided to walk the last kilometer, ensuring they maintained their image as village elders. Upon reaching the village entrance, they sat in the carriage already waiting for them. "You all can go and rest for a bit. I¡¯ll report the mission, but be ready¡ªyou may be called to the Hokage¡¯s office for your reports. The mission has been upgraded to an A-rank, thanks to the ambush, and your input may be required. Don¡¯t worry, though. The payment will increase to match the new mission level," Yukihiro informed them. Everyone nodded in acknowledgment. "Sensei, we still have two days before the effects of the soldier pill wear off, so we¡¯ll be at the training ground until then," Kaida said. "Alright. I¡¯ll send for you if you''re needed," Yukihiro said, before heading off to the Hokage¡¯s office. After Yukihiro left, Ryota spoke up. "You guys go ahead to the training field. I¡¯ll meet you there in half an hour¡ªI want to visit my family." "Okay, but remember not to talk about the mission until the report is complete," Kaida reminded him. "Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Of course, I won¡¯t talk about it. I studied the same rules as you did, and my parents are aware as well," Ryota said, slightly offended. "I know, bro, but you seem a little too excited to brag about it," Kaida teased with a small smile. "Which I am, but don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯m not dumb enough to do that. See you later," Ryota said with an awkward laugh before using a body flicker jutsu to head home. Kaida¡¯s caution wasn¡¯t misplaced. Sharing details of a mission could lead to it being classified, and discussing classified missions carried the risk of being labeled a traitor. Even if the mistake was forgiven, it would still damage one''s career, potentially limiting a ninja to the rank of Chunin for life. ... Kaida and Yomi arrived at the training ground and immediately began working on their movement jutsu. Though physical strength is important, they both realized they couldn¡¯t always be the strongest ninja in the world¡ªat least not right away. Even if they somehow became the most powerful, there would still be countless ways to die, such as ambushes, poison, or assassinations. Stronger ninjas may be resistant to such threats, but they¡¯re not immune. Movement jutsu, therefore, was crucial. In any fight they couldn¡¯t win, they needed to be able to run away. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 75: Meeting again Most ninjas in the Narutoverse are prideful, and because of this, they rarely consider retreating from battles where the chances of defeat and death are high. They prefer to fight and die for their village, rather than strategically withdraw. Kaida might have done the same had he been originally from this world. But being a transmigrator, he understood the broader picture¡ªliving to fight another day is more important than dying for the illusion of peace in this world. This perspective also influenced Yomi. After hearing Kaida''s views on the world, she too became more practical, focusing on survival over blind devotion to the village. Now, they were training to master movement jutsu. Every jutsu in the Naruto world can become deadly if mastered enough. Shisui Uchiha, for instance, was famous for his movement jutsu, earning him the title "Shisui the Teleporter" or "Shisui of the Body Flicker." Shisui¡¯s mastery of the Body Flicker Jutsu was so advanced that he could create afterimages of himself. While some might argue that this can be replicated with the Clone Jutsu, they''re wrong. Clone Jutsu is basic and can easily be nullified if the enemy knows basic sensing techniques or can notice small details¡ªsomething experienced ninjas excel at. Movement jutsu like the Body Flicker Jutsu, however, is different. When used at high speeds, like Shisui¡¯s, it creates afterimages, making it nearly impossible for the enemy to predict the user''s actual location. Sensor ninjas would struggle even more, as they¡¯d sense the user in multiple places at once. Because of this, Kaida and Yomi both decided to focus on mastering movement jutsu. Kaida, despite knowing the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu, which was superior to Body Flicker Jutsu in terms of the distance covered, decided to learn Body Flicker as well. Body Flicker is faster to execute and more practical in battle. Kaida also planned to ask Shisui to teach him how to master the technique, as it would significantly boost his power. Kaida wasn¡¯t foolish¡ªhe knew his current strength was comparable to that of a Jonin, but he couldn¡¯t yet face an elite Jonin. Still, reaching Jonin-level strength before the age of nine was a sign of genius. If Kaida hadn¡¯t known about the future events, he might have been proud of this achievement. However, knowing that even elite Jonin would be mere cannon fodder in the upcoming conflicts like the Pain Arc or the Fourth Great Ninja War, he strove harder. He now had people in this world he needed to protect, and to do so, he needed to reach at least S-Rank strength. ... While they were practicing in the training ground, Shisui Uchiha received news that Kaida had returned from his mission. Pestered by his mother to check on Kaida, Shisui asked the guards for a favor, and being a respected ninja, they had no problem helping him. Upon hearing that Kaida was back, Shisui immediately went to Kaida''s house, only to find it locked. A thought crossed his mind: *¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯s training right after a mission, right?¡¯* But remembering his previous encounters with Kaida, he decided to check the training ground just in case. ... When Shisui arrived at the training ground, he couldn¡¯t believe his suspicions were correct. Kaida and Yomi were indeed practicing movement jutsu. With his Mangekyo Sharingan and mastery of the Body Flicker Jutsu, Shisui easily recognized the techniques they were using. *¡®They must have encountered something on the mission that motivated them to train this hard,¡¯* Shisui thought. But being an experienced ninja, he decided not to ask about the mission. Instead, he used Body Flicker to appear directly in front of Kaida. ... Kaida was practicing Body Flicker Jutsu as hard as he could, his Sharingan activated. He felt his Sharingan was on the verge of evolving, which is why he had only created three shadow clones¡ªthe training required a large amount of chakra. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just as he was about to use the Body Flicker Jutsu again, he sensed someone was about to appear in front of him. Due to the constant vigilance required during their mission, Kaida had become sensitive to sudden movements. Without time to prepare a jutsu, Kaida instinctively launched a chakra-enhanced punch toward the person about to appear. However, the person teleported just before the punch connected, reappearing only a few steps back. Kaida immediately recognized him. ¡°Hello, brother! Long time no see,¡± Shisui greeted with a smile. But inside, Shisui was thinking, *¡®How is a kid his age this strong? That punch would have hurt even if I used Iron Skin Jutsu. And the speed... It¡¯s great that my brother is this powerful.¡¯* "You scared me there, brother!" Kaida said, laughing awkwardly. "Hahahaha! Well, I didn¡¯t expect you to react like that. But let¡¯s leave that aside. Do you remember what you said the last time we met?" Shisui asked. ¡°Are you talking about visiting your house or the treat part?¡± Kaida asked. "First, let''s go to my house. Then we can talk about the treat," Shisui said, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother, but I can¡¯t visit right now. Sensei said we might be called to the Hokage¡¯s office to submit our mission reports,¡± Kaida apologized. ¡°No problem. But can you tell me when you¡¯ll visit? My mother is nagging me about meeting her nephew,¡± Shisui asked. ¡°I can come in three days. I could come after we submit our reports, but I¡¯m still under the effects of the soldier pill. I want to meet my aunt when I¡¯m fully refreshed. But if it¡¯s urgent, I can visit after the reports,¡± Kaida offered. ¡°Oh, no, three days is fine. I¡¯ll let Mom know. By the way, do you need my help with anything?¡± Shisui asked, hoping Kaida would ask for tips on mastering the Body Flicker Jutsu. ¡°No, brother. For now, I don¡¯t need anything. But I¡¯ll come to you if I do.¡± "Alright, but don¡¯t forget to rest properly. Resting is also part of training," Shisui reminded him. ¡°Yes, brother,¡± Kaida replied. With that, Shisui used the Body Flicker Jutsu to vanish from the training ground. Normally, Kaida wouldn¡¯t trust anyone so easily. But Shisui was portrayed as a very nice character in Naruto, and since Shisui was his cousin (which Kaida confirmed from the family records in Konoha), he felt comfortable trusting him. *(A.N.: YUP, I made this up, but come on¡ªthey must have something like that in Konoha, right?)* Chapter 76: Report Shisui went back to his house. He also had a mission tomorrow, but since it was a routine mission, he would most likely be back within three days. ... For the next three hours, Kaida and Yomi trained their movement jutsu while taking small breaks in between. After three hours, Ryota came to the training ground. "Took you long enough to just meet your parents," Kaida said to Ryota. "What can I say? I¡¯m not here to train, but to call you guys. When I was coming here, a ninja told me we were called to the Hokage''s office." "Hah, I don¡¯t know what Lord Third will ask us about. What do you guys think?" Yomi asked, slightly unnerved. "I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ask us anything serious. It¡¯s most likely just a formality for A-rank missions. Otherwise, Sensei would¡¯ve given us some warning or something," Kaida said. "Yes, I also think we¡¯ll just have to answer some basic questions about the mission, that¡¯s it. But let¡¯s hurry up; I don¡¯t think Lord Third will like waiting for us," Ryota said. All of them used Body Flicker Jutsu and headed toward the Hokage''s office. ... Upon reaching the reception at the Hokage¡¯s office, Kaida approached the receptionist and asked, "We were called here to present the mission report." "Oh, are you Yukihiro-sama''s squad?" the receptionist asked. As she was newly appointed, she didn¡¯t know much about this squad, as they weren¡¯t that famous by face until now. "Yes, we are," Ryota said. "Then you should hurry; Lord Third is waiting for you in his office," the receptionist said with a smile. Hearing that, all of them headed straight to the Hokage''s office. You can¡¯t keep someone like the Hokage waiting. *Knock knock* "Come in." "Greetings, Lord Third," Ryota said, bowing slightly. "Good morning, Grandpa," Kaida and Yomi said. They were surprised to see Yukihiro also present there. Sensing their confusion, Hiruzen began speaking. "Yukihiro has reported about your mission, and I must say I¡¯m both impressed and shocked. It¡¯s great to have such talented ninjas in Konoha. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But, Kaida, I have a question for you. Yukihiro mentioned that not only were you able to hold your own against a jonin alone, but you also forced him to summon his animal during the fight. Is that true?" "Yes, Grandpa, everything I told Yukihiro-sensei about my fight is true. I also know the jonin¡¯s name and the name of his summoned animal," Kaida said with a serious face. "Oh? Then why didn¡¯t you mention it to your sensei?" Hiruzen asked. "I did, Grandpa," Kaida said with an awkward smile. Hearing that, Hiruzen glanced at Yukihiro for further explanation. "Oh, I forgot to tell him the names. Sorry," Yukihiro said nonchalantly. "Hah, Kaida, just tell me the name of the ninja you faced," Hiruzen said, shaking his head slightly. "His summoned animal called him Kazuki," Kaida said. Hiruzen was surprised after hearing the name. Kazuki might not be famous, but Hiruzen knew many ninjas from other villages, and Kazuki was well-known for his excellent defense and formidable strength. If Kaida had been able to force him to summon his animal, it meant Kaida was strong enough to be considered a jonin. But he was still less than 9 years old, and there was no way Hiruzen would promote him and make him a target for other villages¡ªat least not for another 2¨C3 years. Konoha was slowly regaining its strength, and it was estimated that in a few years, Konoha would achieve its former glory. If only two of the three legendary Sannin were still present in Konoha, the village wouldn¡¯t have to feel any tension. Now, seeing such a talented ninja, Hiruzen was certain Konoha would not only reach its former level but also surpass it, ensuring peace in the village for much longer. Even though Yomi and Ryota weren¡¯t at jonin level, they were still able to fight and hold off multiple chunin by themselves. They, too, were geniuses. After meeting them, Hiruzen was sure Yukihiro¡¯s suggestion was right¡ªit was time to groom this team to become a future supporting pillar of Konoha. Hiruzen then remembered that he had been so shocked by the news that he forgot to congratulate them. "You guys did a great job. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to become so powerful in such a short time. But now that you¡¯ve shown your talents to me, my expectations have increased. I hope you can meet them in the future." If Hiruzen could get even one Elite Jonin from this team (which he was pretty sure he would), he¡¯d feel satisfied. He wasn¡¯t even expecting an S-rank ninja, as one couldn¡¯t reach S-rank status through hard work alone; it also required a huge amount of talent and luck. Seeing the proud expressions on their faces, Hiruzen smiled and continued. "I have good news for you. Your sensei said you¡¯re ready for chunin promotion, but I don¡¯t want to promote you yet. It would put your names on the hit list of every other ninja village. So, your sensei and I have come up with another idea for you. Well, technically, it was a previously discussed plan. You¡¯ll now focus on a specialization for at least two years. You can choose any specialization, and the village will provide all the resources for your learning. So, do you have any specializations in mind?" Hiruzen asked, expecting them to ask for time to think about it, but... Chapter 77: Choosing Specialization (A.N: Thank you all for supporting this novel, and I am very grateful for that. I hope you guys like this chapter ^~^) ¡°So, your sensei and I have come up with another idea for you. Well, technically it was previously discussed¡ªa plan where you guys will now focus on a specialization for at least two years. You can select any specialization, and the village will provide all the resources for your learning. So, do you guys have any specialization you want?¡± Hiruzen asked, expecting them to ask for some time to think about it, but... ¡°Yes, Lord Hokage, I want to specialize in sensing and tracking techniques. But since my clan specializes in this, I want to go with a ninjutsu specialization,¡± Ryota said after some time. Hiruzen was impressed by this. It was a nice decision since Ryota was from the Inuzuka clan. He would undoubtedly learn about his clan¡¯s technique, which is one of the best in sensing and tracking. Other clans famous for this are the Hyuga and Uchiha clans. And since Ryota couldn¡¯t learn their techniques because he didn¡¯t have their dojutsu, there was very little the village could provide him that he didn¡¯t already have if he wanted to learn sensing and tracking techniques. But since Ryota chose ninjutsu, the village could help him in a much better way by providing experienced teachers and techniques. Choosing ninjutsu was the best choice. Hiruzen smiled and said, ¡°Good, I will arrange everything for you. You can come back here after two days to receive all the details.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Hokage,¡± Ryota said, bowing slightly. After nodding his head, Hiruzen looked toward Yomi and asked, ¡°So, Yomi, do you also have something planned in your mind about specialization?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa, but first I want to confirm something. By chance, will we three have to do missions as a team or with someone else in the future?¡± ¡°Yes, my child. When you reach the level of chunin, you will have to do many missions with various other people to gain experience. When you are promoted to jonin, there may be many missions where you will have to go alone,¡± Hiruzen answered Yomi¡¯s question with elderly patience. ¡°Then I also want to learn sensing and tracking techniques.¡± ¡°Can you tell me the reason for this?¡± Hiruzen asked with an amused smile. It was beneficial to have at least basic sensing techniques, but he wanted to know Yomi¡¯s reason for choosing this specialization. ¡°Grandpa, when we were coming back from the mission, Kaida told us that we were able to complete it safely because Ryota was able to sense the ninjas beforehand. So, according to him, we would have been in serious trouble if Ryota hadn¡¯t sensed the enemy ninja. That¡¯s when it came to my mind: ''What will happen when I¡¯m in a similar position but don¡¯t have someone as good as Ryota in sensing and tracking techniques?'' That¡¯s why I want to learn this.¡± ¡°Very good. Even though you can¡¯t learn the same techniques as Ryota, you can still become a very good sensor ninja, maybe even better than Ryota if you put enough practice into it. You will have to come here after three days, as making arrangements for you may take some time.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandpa.¡± In a good mood, Hiruzen turned toward Kaida and asked, ¡°Do you also want to learn sensing and tracking techniques, Kaida?¡± ¡°No, Grandpa. I know that sensing and tracking techniques are extremely important and beneficial for a ninja, but I¡¯ve seen Yukihiro-sensei using this technique and also read about it in the library. I realized I could learn it myself with enough practice. The specialization I want to pursue is something I¡¯m sure I can¡¯t learn without help.¡± ¡°Oh? What is that?¡± Hiruzen asked, thinking Kaida might ask to master his Sharingan like an Uchiha. ¡°I want to learn medical ninjutsu, Grandpa.¡± ¡°What? Are you sure? You have such great potential to become a powerful ninja. Why do you want to be a medical ninja?¡± Hiruzen asked in a slightly raised voice. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought when I first heard about it,¡± Yukihiro said, shaking his head. ¡°Umm, Grandpa, I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something. I don¡¯t want to be a medical ninja; I just want to learn some medical ninjutsu. Also, you can¡¯t say one can¡¯t be a powerful ninja if they are a medical ninja. After all, we have Lady Tsunade¡ªshe is both.¡± This logic was something Hiruzen and Yukihiro couldn¡¯t deny. Also, learning medical jutsu would help Kaida improve his chakra control, which would ultimately benefit him in the future. Kaida was less than nine years old, so he had plenty of time to try different things and choose what was best for him. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hah! Now, this will be difficult. I can¡¯t provide you with a personal teacher like these two. You will have to go to the village hospital to learn. Also, the medical ninjas there are a little angry because after Tsunade left, their workload increased by more than two-fold, so you will have to be on your best behavior at all times. Also, they may refuse to teach you if you¡¯re untalented in this field,¡± Hiruzen said. Chapter 78: Hierarchy of hospital "Also, they may refuse to teach you if you are untalented in this field," Hiruzen said. "I don''t have any problem with that, Grandpa. If I am untalented in this field, it will be better that I don¡¯t waste my time learning it," Kaida said. "But remember, I will arrange only one chance for you to learn a specialization. If for any reason you are not given another chance, you will still have to wait for at least two years as a genin. Now, are you fine with selecting medical ninjutsu as your specialization?" Hiruzen asked, checking if Kaida was serious about this. After two minutes, Kaida said, "No problem, Grandpa. I am serious about learning this, and even if I am rejected, I can focus on other things for two years, so I don¡¯t think it will be a bad deal to choose this specialization." "Hah! Well, if you are this confident in your decision, then go to the hospital after four days. I will make sure they at least give you a chance," Hiruzen said, and then dismissed all three of them. After the three of them left, Yukihiro looked toward Hiruzen and said, "Lord Third, are you thinking about asking the senior doctors to take Kaida as their apprentice?" "Yes. You may not understand, but normally all Uchiha focus on Sharingan, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. No one understands how much a Sharingan can help a medical ninja. It can allow them to see things more clearly and follow small movements with the help of the Sharingan. Also, the Sharingan will help in increasing his chakra control, which will also assist in medical ninjutsu. With his already monstrous talent and Sharingan, he could become a great medical ninja¡ªmaybe even comparable to Tsunade. But I don¡¯t want to set my expectations too high, so I will be happy if he can become a specialist within two years." "Aren¡¯t you expecting him to become a specialist medical ninja in just two years a bit much, considering he doesn¡¯t even have basic knowledge in this field?" Yukihiro said with an awkward smile. "Well, when you suggest that someone could be a jonin-level ninja before they reach nine years old, people will call you mad, right?" Hiruzen said with a knowing smile. "Hah, if you put it like that, then I don¡¯t have anything to say. Now, since you¡¯ve taken all my students under your care, what should I do? Do I have to go back to doing solo missions?" Yukihiro asked, thinking about his daughter. "No need. Since you were able to bring them to such a level this early, you can take a break for two months. But after that, you¡¯ll need to continue going on missions. You know we still have a shortage of ninjas, so I can¡¯t give you a break longer than that," Hiruzen said. "Thank you, Lord Third," Yukihiro said with a cheerful smile on his face. He was very happy to have some time with his daughter, and he also knew the condition of Konoha. Even though it was stable right now, it was nowhere near its former glory, so Yukihiro was very happy to spend some time with his family. After that, Yukihiro also left the office and went toward his home. ... Kaida decided to research the ranks in Konoha Hospital so he wouldn¡¯t be completely clueless when he got there, so he sent one shadow clone with 30% of his chakra to the Konoha library to look into it. Normally, the books available to the general public don¡¯t have much detail, but in the section for ninjas, they do have information about the basic hierarchy of the Konoha Village Hospital. After reading for quite some time, his clone was able to get a basic understanding of the hierarchy, which was: **Hospital Director:** Tsunade -> Responsible for the overall management and administration of the hospital. -> Oversees all medical and ninja personnel. -> Reports directly to the village''s leader or council. **Chief Medical Ninjas:** -> Head of the medical ninja staff. -> Leads medical research, development, and training programs. -> Coordinates with the Hospital Director on operational matters. -> Expert in advanced medical ninjutsu and surgery. **Medical Ninjas:** **Specialists:** -> Surgeons: Perform complex surgeries using medical ninjutsu. -> Trauma Specialists: Handle emergency cases and critical injuries. -> Diagnostic Specialists: Conduct in-depth medical examinations and diagnostics. -> Genjutsu Specialists: Treat patients affected by genjutsu-induced illnesses. **General Practitioners:** -> Provide primary medical care to patients. -> Treat common ailments, injuries, and illnesses. -> Administer basic medical ninjutsu and herbal remedies. **Nursing Ninjas:** -> Assist medical ninjas during surgeries and treatments. -> Monitor patients'' conditions and administer medication. -> Provide emotional support to patients and their families. **Rehabilitation Ninjas:** -> Design and implement rehabilitation programs for injured ninjas. -> Utilize physical therapy and specialized ninjutsu to aid in recovery. -> Help patients regain strength, mobility, and combat readiness. There were also additional staff present in the hospital, such as: **Support Staff:** **Administrative Personnel:** -> Manage appointments, medical records, and billing. -> Coordinate hospital logistics and resources. **Maintenance Ninjas:** -> Maintain hospital facilities and equipment. -> Ensure a clean and safe environment for patients and staff. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. **Security Ninjas:** -> Protect the hospital from external threats and intruders. -> Maintain order and safety within the hospital premises. For those who don¡¯t have sufficient skills to perform medical techniques on actual ninjas, they are placed in the division: **Medical Research Division:** -> Research new medical techniques, treatments, and medicines. -> Collaborate with other medical institutions and ninja villages. -> Develop strategies to combat new illnesses, poisons, and injuries. Lastly, there¡¯s a division that specializes in medical ninjutsu and participates in everyday operations but is trained to handle emergency situations, such as unexpected attacks or wars. They are also trained in combat and can be mobilized to the battlefield. **Emergency Response Team:** -> Specialized unit trained to handle medical emergencies and disasters. -> Mobilizes quickly to provide aid during natural disasters, ninja conflicts, or large-scale emergencies. -> Equipped with advanced medical ninjutsu and emergency supplies for rapid deployment. After gathering all the details, the clone left the library and went toward the training area. The reason it didn¡¯t simply disperse was because it was carrying Kaida¡¯s identification card, which he needed to enter the library. After reaching the training ground, the clone handed Kaida his identification card and then dispersed. ¡®So I will most likely be trained as a General Practitioner or Nursing Ninja at the start, and I will have to gradually rise in rank from Specialist to Chief Medical Ninja.¡¯ ¡®Well, training is sure going to be fun,¡¯ Kaida thought with a smile on his face. After that, he went back to training his Body Flicker Jutsu. After two days of training, they made some improvements, but nothing too massive¡ªjust reducing the time it took to use the jutsu, and they gained better control over where they would appear after using it. Kaida was now able to appear on top of tree branches and uneven rocks easily, thanks to his Sharingan. Yomi and Ryota were still unable to do that, but on the ground, they were able to choose their exact landing spot with ease. But Kaida was facing a problem... *********************** (A.N: With this chapter, we have exceeded 100,000 words! ^~^) Chapter 79: Kaida’s Problems Kaida was now able to appear on top of tree branches and uneven rocks easily due to his Sharingan. Yomi and Ryota were still unable to do that, but on the ground, they were easily able to decide the exact location they were going to appear. But Kaida was facing a problem. He had a feeling that his Sharingan was on the verge of evolving into two-tomoe Sharingan. It was like an itch in his eyes that would not go away no matter what he did. Yukihiro had said that a two-tomoe Sharingan could be achieved with enough use of the one-tomoe Sharingan, but it wasn¡¯t evolving no matter how much Kaida used it. When it was nearly time for the effect of the soldier pill to wear off, Kaida sat down and began meditating while thinking, ''Why is this not evolving? I am pretty sure it is on the verge of evolving. Initially, I didn¡¯t have any plans to have the Sharingan, but now that I have it, I¡¯d be a fool not to use it in the best way. But the problem is, I don¡¯t have someone I can ask why I¡¯m facing such a hurdle. Wait a minute... I do have someone, a person who has Mangekyo Sharingan! Why the hell wasn¡¯t I thinking of asking Shisui about this? I think this overexertion is hampering my thinking capabilities. Well, now it¡¯s almost time to take a break, and since I have to meet him the day after tomorrow, I can ask him about this then.'' He stood up after thinking this and made 20 shadow clones to clean the house and make food for Yomi and himself. After completing their training, Ryota and Kiba went toward their houses, while Kaida and Yomi headed to theirs. Since Kaida had already prepared everything, they just had to eat the food made by the clones and then go to bed. ¡­ Normally, they would sleep for 20-24 hours after eating a soldier pill, depending on the exercise they had done. But due to all the stress and extra exercise, all four of them slept for nearly 30 hours. Kaida, however, only slept for 25 hours. Due to his Senju bloodline, his body was naturally stronger than others, and his recovery was also faster, so he was able to wake up earlier than the rest. When he woke up, he found that his whole body was completely stiff. After some stretching and light exercise, he went to the bathroom to take care of his needs. He then took a bath and got ready to head to the Uchiha residence. Since he had promised Shisui that he would come to meet her so-called aunt, he had to go without any excuse. Initially, he didn¡¯t want anything to do with the Uchiha clan so that during the Uchiha massacre, he could stay safe. Well, a boy can dream, right? But now that he had gotten to know Shisui and had once been officially called to the Uchiha compound by an elder of the clan, Danzo would surely eliminate him too. Danzo wasn¡¯t someone who would leave any loose ends in his plans. Since everything was clear now, Kaida didn¡¯t have any reason not to go to the Uchiha compound. On his way, Kaida met Shisui, who was coming toward him with a big smile on his face. "Hey, brother! I hope you were coming to see me." "Yes, brother, it would be rude of me not to come when you¡¯ve invited me." "You do remember that you turned down my first invitation, right?" Shisui said with a silly smile. "Hah! We have such short lives, so we shouldn¡¯t dwell on the past¡ªjust live in the present, brother," Kaida said, trying to change the subject. "Oh, so you¡¯re forgetting the past? Does that mean you¡¯re going to become an Uchiha and come live with us?" Shisui once again hit right on the point. "No, and I can¡¯t even if I wanted to. When I turned down the elder¡¯s proposal, he said that it was my last chance to join the Uchiha clan. Leave that aside and let¡¯s go to your house. I want to meet my aunt." With that, Shisui decided not to pester Kaida anymore. He didn¡¯t want Kaida to think he was only doing this to make him join the Uchiha clan. And the thing about the elder saying it was Kaida¡¯s last chance? That was nonsense. With Kaida¡¯s talent, just one letter to the clan leader, and Kaida could join the clan. "Okay, but we¡¯re not going to use any jutsu to get there. Let¡¯s walk," Shisui said. Since Kaida had already been using the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to get near the Uchiha compound, they were already close to Shisui¡¯s house. "Okay, brother." They started walking toward Shisui¡¯s house. On the way, Shisui asked many things, like, "Kaida, why do you train so much?" "So that no one can take away the people I love from me again." "Don¡¯t worry, nothing like that is going to happen again." Shisui thought Kaida was talking about his parents, which was true in some sense, but Kaida was thinking about his parents from his previous life. He still missed them. He also knew that in this world, death was a very simple thing. If you weren¡¯t powerful enough, your life was at the mercy of others, and they could kill you whenever they wanted. "Brother, I also want to ask something," Kaida said. "Oh! What is it?" "For some time, I¡¯ve had this feeling that my Sharingan is on the verge of evolving, but no matter how much I use it, it just doesn¡¯t evolve." "Hmm, for how long have you had this feeling?" Shisui asked, suddenly becoming serious. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Umm... around one week. Is there a problem? I thought it was normal," Kaida asked, feeling a little tense. "One thing I can say for sure is that it¡¯s not normal. Normally, your Sharingan evolves to a two-tomoe Sharingan within one or two hours after you get that feeling. But you¡¯re saying you¡¯ve had it for a week? Tell me, how do you train your Sharingan?" "Umm, I focus on noticing small movements and predicting trajectories of things far away. I also try to see the chakra of the jutsu my clones use and sometimes try to copy the jutsu Sensei uses." "That¡¯s good training, but what about Genjutsu? How do you practice that?" Shisui asked. "Umm, actually, I haven¡¯t learned any Genjutsu techniques yet. I was planning to learn them soon." Hearing this, Shisui¡¯s eyes widened a little. He put his hand on his head and said, "That¡¯s the reason your Sharingan isn¡¯t evolving. Your Sharingan evolves to a two-tomoe Sharingan when you master its power. But you haven¡¯t even started to master one of its most powerful abilities: Genjutsu. I think the reason you¡¯re getting that feeling is that you¡¯ve trained the other aspects of your Sharingan to their limit, and some of them may have crossed those limits. It might be a good thing, but I advise you to learn Genjutsu as fast as you can. Do you have someone who can teach you?" "No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve chosen medical jutsu for specialization, so I don¡¯t have anyone to teach me Genjutsu." "Quite a peculiar choice. Leaving that aside, I¡¯ll teach you Genjutsu from now on." Chapter 80: Golden Opportunity "What? Are you going to teach me genjutsu?" Kaida asked. The reason Kaida was so shocked to hear this was because of the knowledge he had from his previous life. Shisui¡¯s Mangekyo Sharingan ability was "Kotoamatsukami." This was the strongest genjutsu ability known in *Naruto*. It was so powerful that the writer had to nerf it by giving it the longest cooldown time of ten years. If Shisui had this Sharingan ability, it meant his normal genjutsu was also extremely strong. Even if Shisui didn¡¯t have the strongest genjutsu, just being an Uchiha jonin meant his genjutsu would be more powerful than most other ninjas''. Also, since Shisui had the Sharingan, he could teach genjutsu in the most efficient way for a Sharingan user. "Well, I did say that, didn¡¯t I?" Shisui said with a knowing smile. "No, but this is too good to be true," Kaida said, shaking his head with a smile. "Hey, what¡¯s so special about a brother helping his brother?" "There¡¯s nothing special about that, but learning genjutsu from a jonin, and an Uchiha at that, is special enough for me," Kaida replied. "You can put it that way too," Shisui said. As they continued to talk while walking, they arrived in front of Shisui¡¯s house in no time. Kaida became a little nervous about meeting his aunt. The nephew she thought she was meeting was, more or less, gone. Though Kaida had the memories of the real Kaida, how much could a four-year-old remember? Most of the memories were of him spending time with his parents or playing with Yomi and other friends¡ªfriends who mostly died during the Nine-Tails attack. Some of them might still be alive, but they weren¡¯t in the same orphanage as Kaida, and he had no plans to look for them. Despite his best efforts, Kaida couldn¡¯t recall anyone resembling an aunt. At first, he was skeptical about this "brother" business, but he had decided to come and visit at least once. He was sure Shisui was a good person. Even if this turned out to be a lie, the only reason Shisui would go through this whole act would be to bring Kaida into the Uchiha clan. Since Kaida now had to face the same danger as the Uchiha clan, he had no problem joining them. However, he would definitely not join if it was all based on a lie. While Kaida was lost in thought, he stared at the entrance of Shisui¡¯s house. "You don¡¯t have to worry that much. My mom¡¯s not going to eat you," Shisui said, laughing, before ringing the bell. The sound of someone running toward the gate quickly followed. Kaida tensed up even more. A woman soon opened the gate and looked directly at Kaida. "You look like Aiko," Hae said before pulling him into a bear hug. Kaida was shocked to see her. While he couldn¡¯t remember an aunt earlier, the woman in front of him was someone he remembered quite clearly. "Candy Aunty... is that you? You¡¯re my aunt?" "Hahaha, you used to call my mom Candy Aunty? Why?" "Well, whenever she met me, she always gave me lots of candy, and my mom didn¡¯t have any problem with that. But why didn¡¯t you ever tell me you were my aunt?" Kaida asked Hae. "The reason isn¡¯t a pleasant one, dear. Why don¡¯t we leave the past in the past?" Hae said, looking a little sad. "No, Aunty, I want to know the reason for that. Please," Kaida insisted. "Okay, but don¡¯t take it to heart. Due to the order of the elders, everyone from the Uchiha clan had to treat your mother as a stranger because she married outside the clan. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But it wasn¡¯t entirely their fault. They were very serious about maintaining the purity of the Uchiha bloodline and keeping the secrets of the Sharingan within the clan. The only reason your mother was allowed to marry your father was because she signed a contract saying she wouldn¡¯t share anything about the Sharingan with anyone. If she did, her entire family¡ªincluding you and your father¡ªwould be held responsible." Kaida felt anger rise within him again. He knew, deep down, that the Uchiha weren¡¯t entirely wrong in this. They just wanted to protect their power, in which the Sharingan played a vital role. This was why the clan was so protective of its secrets. And the chances of someone who married outside the clan revealing something about the Sharingan to their partner were high. The Uchiha didn¡¯t want anyone marrying outside the clan. Maintaining the purity of the bloodline was just an added benefit. But knowing the reason didn¡¯t help ease the anger Kaida was feeling. He even thought, for a moment, that maybe the Uchiha massacre wasn¡¯t entirely unjustified. However, this changed when Hae continued her story. "But not all of the elders were against it. If they were, no matter what your mother did, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to marry your father. Many elders allowed her to marry after her repeated requests, but since they didn¡¯t want it to become a norm, they had to give her some punishment." "Hah! Let¡¯s leave this depressing talk for another time. Mom, you¡¯ve met your nephew after so many years, are you not going to at least invite him inside?" Shisui said. At that moment, Hae realized they had been standing outside the whole time. "Yes, come in, Kaida. This is your own home," Hae said. Kaida was able to calm down after hearing the full story from Hae. He knew that while the Uchiha clan might be infamous for their curse of hatred, they were like family to each other. Treating his mother that way was definitely due to another reason. "Okay, Aunty," Kaida said, following her inside. Once inside, Hae took Kaida to the dining room. The table was filled with all kinds of food¡ªsandwiches, milk, fruits, juice, and more. Seeing so much food just for breakfast was unusual for Kaida. "Is someone else joining us?" Kaida asked Shisui in a hushed tone. "No, this is all for you. Mom was so happy to meet you after all these years that she made all this just for you," Shisui replied. "What are you two whispering about? Come eat before the food gets cold!" Hae scolded the two of them. Chapter 81: Change? All of them sat and started eating. Kaida, after so many years, tasted food that reminded him of what his mom used to make for him. In the hospital, the only thing he used to look forward to was the food prepared by his mother. When he came to this world, he had to eat food provided by the orphanage. After that, he mostly ate nutrient bars and sometimes prepared food himself. But none of it tasted like this. Don¡¯t get the wrong idea¡ªthe food tasted great¡ªbut nothing can compare to what your mom prepares for you, and this food was very close to what his mom used to make for him. "Kaida, why are you crying? What happened?" Hae asked worriedly. "Oh! It¡¯s nothing. Something must have gotten into my eyes. I¡¯m alright. But Aunty, the food tastes great. Can I get another serving?" "Of course, you can eat as much as you want. I¡¯ve prepared plenty more," Hae said while filling Kaida''s plate with more food. "Mom, please don¡¯t forget about me. I¡¯m a little hungry too." "Come on, you¡¯re not a child, Shisui. You can serve yourself," Hae said as she served more food to Kaida. After eating, they went to the drawing room and started talking. "Kaida, why don¡¯t you come and live with us here in this house?" Hae asked. "Aunty, I live with Yomi, and I can¡¯t leave her behind." "I know about that, and I¡¯m saying you should bring her over with you." "Aunty, I think my brother must have told you that some time ago, an elder asked me to come to the Uchiha compound and live here. At that time, I was angry that no one came to ask me to live here when I was in the orphanage. But now that I¡¯ve awakened the Sharingan, they want me to live here, so I refused the proposal. During that time, the elder said it was my last chance to join the Uchiha clan, and if I refused, I wouldn¡¯t be allowed to come here in the future, even if I wanted to." "You don¡¯t have to worry about that. My father was also an elder of this clan, and we have a very good relationship with the clan leader. So if you want to come here, no one will be able to stop you¡ªnot even Lord Third himself in most cases," Shisui said reassuringly. Kaida began thinking about the proposal. There weren¡¯t any downsides to living here, and if he started living here, he would be able to learn from Shisui very easily. And let¡¯s not forget about the food, which was one of the main reasons why Kaida was actually considering coming here. After some thought, he said, "I will ask Yomi about this. If she agrees, then we¡¯ll move here, Aunty, if it¡¯s not inconvenient for you." "Of course not, silly child. This is your own house. Also, why don¡¯t we ask Yomi now? Shisui can bring her here in no time." "Mom, don¡¯t be so impatient. Kaida¡¯s not going to run away from Konoha. Just give him some time. He can tell us about this in the evening or something," Shisui said to his mother. "Yes, you¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t hurry. Kaida, you can take your time. Just tell me whenever you¡¯re ready, and we¡¯ll ask the clan leader for permission." "Okay, Aunty," Kaida said. After that, they discussed more things. Kaida had to tell Hae about many aspects of his life, ranging from his habits to his friends and much more. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She was like an anxious mother who had met her child after many years. After nearly two hours, Kaida bid farewell to both of them and headed toward his house. But on his way, he took a detour to the training area near his house and began planning for the future. ''I¡¯ve gotten myself into some deep trouble, huh? Initially, I planned not to have any connection with the Uchiha, hoping to be spared during the Uchiha massacre, but now the chance of that is almost zero. Also, I can¡¯t run away. There¡¯s no way in hell I can convince Brother and Aunty to leave with me. If it were just Yomi and me, I¡¯m pretty sure I could convince her to run away with me. Hah, now I have to think of some way to save the Uchiha, or at least my new family... Argh! I can¡¯t even do that! Shisui¡¯s such a good guy; he¡¯ll try to save the Uchiha and get himself killed. Itachi¡¯s not my concern now. Even though he was powerful when he fought Sasuke in their final battle, a 13-year-old Itachi is still manageable. The person I¡¯m worried about is Obito. He¡¯s strong enough to go against anyone in Konoha without batting an eye, maybe even Hiruzen and Jiraiya. But I still have nearly four to five years to prepare, and since I was able to achieve jonin level in just three or four years, things are a little more doable now. But there are very few things I can do alone. I should find some powerful allies who will help, not just in this case but in the future too. Since the future will change if something as big as the Uchiha massacre is prevented, I only have four years to use my future knowledge as best as I can. Let¡¯s start by finding some new friends soon.'' With most things set in his mind, Kaida went home to ask Yomi if she wanted to live in the Uchiha compound. ... "How was your visit? Did you meet your aunt? How is she? Were you happy to see her?" Yomi bombarded Kaida with questions as soon as he entered the house. "The visit was fine. Yes, I met my aunt, and she was very happy to see me. Now, have you eaten breakfast?" Kaida asked after answering all of Yomi''s questions. "Yes, I ate breakfast, but don¡¯t change the topic. I want to know how the visit went." "I¡¯m not changing the topic. Actually, I have something to discuss with you," Kaida said and then told her everything that happened today. "So you¡¯re saying that the nice aunty who used to give us candies is your aunt, and she wants both of us to live with her¡ªnot just you alone¡ªand she won¡¯t mind us living there?" "Yes, but you don¡¯t have to go. If you want, we can stay here and just visit her from time to time." "And why would I have any problem with that? This is awesome! Now I don¡¯t have to survive on nutrient bars, and we¡¯ll have someone to keep your training instincts in check," Yomi said, laughing. "Yeah, yeah, very funny. So, if you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll tell them we can move whenever they¡¯re ready," Kaida asked once again. "Yes, sure," Yomi confirmed without a second thought. Chapter 82: Uchiha’s Headquarters "Yeah, yeah, very funny. So if you''re ready, I''ll let them know we can move whenever they are ready," Kaida asked once again. "Yes, sure," Yomi confirmed without a second thought. After getting Yomi''s confirmation, Kaida decided to go directly to Shisui and tell him that they were ready to move to the Uchiha compound. ... Kaida headed straight for Shisui''s house and rang the doorbell. After a short while, Shisui opened the door. "What happened, Kaida? You''re back quite soon. Were you missing your brother?" Shisui asked, jokingly. "Yes, brother, how could I not miss such an awesome brother of mine?" Kaida replied in the same playful tone. "Hahaha! But I feel there''s another reason for your visit besides just seeing me, right?" "Yes, brother. I talked with Yomi about moving in with you, like Aunty said, and she agreed." "You''ve got perfect timing, Kaida. I had to meet with the clan leader today anyway regarding a mission. Now I can also bring this up about you." "You know what? Just come with me. The clan leader may want to meet you when I tell him about you," Shisui said. "Okay, brother. Do I need to behave a certain way in front of the clan leader?" Kaida asked, not wanting to offend Fugaku Uchiha on their first meeting. "No, you don''t need to act differently from your usual self. Just one thing¡ªdon''t lie to him. He''s more than capable of detecting lies." "Okay, brother," Kaida nodded. They made their way toward Fugaku''s office. In the anime, the Uchiha compound had been depicted as a normal-looking area in Konoha, but the reality was quite different. The Uchiha compound, unlike the rest of Konoha, was very well constructed, more modern in appearance than any other parts of the village Kaida had visited before. He had never been to the Hyuga Clan compound or any other clan''s compounds, but he imagined those would be even grander than the Uchiha''s, considering the Uchiha had been relocated to the outskirts of Konoha after the Nine-Tails attack. This meant they had to rebuild from scratch, while other clans had decades of time and resources to improve their compounds. As Kaida observed everything around the Uchiha compound with keen interest, Shisui watched him with a smile on his face, seeing Kaida act his age for the first time. Normally, Kaida wore a stoic expression and hid his emotions from others. But with Shisui, he felt safe enough to lower his guard without realizing it. After some time, they arrived at the Clan Headquarters. The clan head''s office was located in the same building. When Kaida saw it, he was shocked¡ªit was comparable to the Hokage Building, though slightly smaller, perhaps about two-thirds the size. Various ninja were coming and going. The building had three floors and four visible entrances. Shisui approached the central gate where guards were posted. They glanced at Shisui and then at Kaida, a hint of doubt in their eyes. One of the guards politely asked, "Sir, who is this with you?" His tone was especially respectful since Shisui, being an elite Jonin of the Uchiha clan, was highly regarded by the elders and even the clan leader. "He''s my brother. Don''t worry, I''m here to see the clan leader about him," Shisui replied with a smile. "Okay, sir. Please, go ahead," the guard said, not wanting to take up more of Shisui''s time. They entered the building, and Shisui went straight to the reception desk. "I need to report my mission to the clan head. Could you check if he''s available?" "Yes, sir. Just give me a moment. You can wait over there," the receptionist said, gesturing toward a sofa in the corner. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shisui nodded and went to sit down with Kaida. "Brother, why are you reporting your mission to the clan head and not Lord Third?" Kaida asked, a question that had been on his mind for a while. "Ah, right. You were just a civilian ninja, so you might not know this, but while civilian ninjas take missions from the Hokage''s office, clan ninjas also have their own mission department." "What do you mean?" Kaida asked, intrigued. "Some missions that come to Konoha are more suited for specific clans, so they get directed to us. Also, to maintain our ninja forces, we have to take on certain missions for Konoha as a clan responsibility." "So clan ninjas don¡¯t take missions from the Hokage¡¯s office?" Kaida asked, recalling seeing them there when he had collected D-rank missions. "No, we can take missions from both places. The Hokage¡¯s office tends to give better monetary rewards, though." "Why is that?" "Haha, well, do you think the clan won''t take a share of your reward? Even when taking a mission from the Hokage¡¯s office, they take a percentage, ranging from 5 to 15%, but clans take more, around 20 to 40%." "So why would any ninja take a mission from the clan when they could get a better reward from the Hokage¡¯s office?" "It¡¯s not that simple, Kaida. Clan missions offer more than just money. You also earn contribution points, which can be used to access clan resources that are essential for getting stronger." "What kind of resources?" Kaida asked, curious about the power-enhancing tools Shisui mentioned. Just as Shisui was about to explain, the receptionist returned and said, "Sir, the clan leader will see you now." "Looks like we¡¯ll have to continue this conversation later. For now, just wait here. I¡¯ll call you if the clan leader wants to see you," Shisui said. Kaida nodded, watching Shisui head upstairs while he remained in the waiting area, observing the other ninja entering and exiting the building. ... **Knock knock.** "Come in," came a deep voice from within when Shisui knocked on the door. "Good afternoon, Uncle," Shisui greeted with a smile. "How many times do I have to remind you to be formal when addressing me in official matters?" Fugaku said, massaging his temples. "I''m sorry, Fugaku-sama. I''ll remember next time," Shisui replied in an overly serious tone. "Just give me your report and be gone, you brat." "I¡¯m sorry, Fugaku-sama, but I have something else to discuss after my report," Shisui said, still maintaining the exaggerated seriousness. "Fine, but stop with that tone, or we¡¯ll have a taijutsu spar later," Fugaku warned, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "Okay, Uncle, I¡¯ll stop. So, about the mission..." Shisui proceeded to brief Fugaku on the details. "Hmph. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have sent you on that mission. You¡¯re too soft-hearted for tasks like these." "But Uncle, why kill someone when there¡¯s a peaceful alternative?" "Alright, now, what¡¯s the other thing you wanted to discuss?" Fugaku asked, shifting gears. "Uncle, do you remember Aunt Aiko...?" Chapter 83: Meeting the Clan Head "Okay, now what is the other thing you want to talk about?" Fugaku asked. "Uncle, do you remember Aunt Aiko?" Shisui asked, once again becoming serious. This time, Fugaku could tell that he was not joking. "Of course, I remember that dumb girl. She left everything for that Senju. Why do you think I would ever forget her?" Fugaku said. "Are you still angry about that?" Shisui asked, his head dropping slightly. "I was never angry, just sad that we had to lose such a genius because of clan politics. But why are you asking about her all of a sudden?" Fugaku said, his voice tinged with frustration. "As I expected, you do not know about Kaida," Shisui said, shaking his head. "Are you just going to talk to yourself? I don''t have all day, you know," Fugaku said. "Kaida is the son of Aiko Uchiha and Asami Senju. He not only awakened his Sharingan but is very close to evolving it to a two-tomoe Sharingan. Also, he has enough chakra to be considered a Jonin in the clan," Shisui said in one breath. "What? Why the hell am I just finding out about this now?" Fugaku asked angrily, already having some idea of the answer. "I only found out when the third elder called him to join the clan, most likely trying to recruit him into his faction. But since Kaida was in the orphanage after his parents'' deaths and was only brought to the Uchiha compound when he awakened his Sharingan, he refused the offer." "Those fools, still only thinking about increasing their power and nothing else. Now we¡¯ve lost another talent because of them," Fugaku said, his voice even more frustrated. "No, Uncle, we haven''t lost him. As you know, he''s my brother, and when I told my mom about him, she made me bring him to our house. After knowing about my mom and me, he agreed to stay here with his friend, a civilian ninja named Yomi. So, for that, I want your permission." "Hmm, that¡¯s a relief, but I want to meet him first. I just want to check if what you''re saying is true or if you¡¯re exaggerating his strength. You can set up a meeting with my secretary." "But Uncle, he''s already here, so if you want, you can meet him now." "Okay, go call him. Also, tell the secretary to shift my next meeting by half an hour." "Thank you, Uncle," Shisui said with a small smile and went to call Kaida. ¡­ Kaida was sitting on the sofa, waiting for Shisui to return. Shisui went to Kaida and said, "Let''s go, brother. The clan head wants to meet you." Kaida simply nodded and followed Shisui. On the way, he noticed the contrast between the ground floor and the first floor. It was more modern and secure. In front of some of the rooms, ninjas stood guard. From what Kaida could feel, he knew he wouldn''t be able to win against the duo guarding the rooms. If it were a one-on-one fight, he might stand a chance, but Kaida was wrong about that too. Those ninjas were Jonin-level with three-tomoe Sharingan. They had both experience and power, so even though Kaida had a similar amount of chakra, he wasn''t as strong as them. Also, because they had three-tomoe Sharingan, they had copied many jutsus throughout their lives, making them more versatile in ninjutsu. This further increased the strength gap between Kaida and the guards on the first and second floors. "Brother, why are such powerful ninjas guarding these rooms?" Kaida asked Shisui. "You''re not qualified to know such details yet, Kaida. I''ll tell you when you become an integral part of the Uchiha Clan and your strength increases a little more." "Okay, brother." They reached Fugaku''s office and knocked on the door. "Come in," came a deep voice. Kaida could feel the authority in it. He had never met someone with such a leadership aura since coming to this world. Although he had met Hiruzen many times, Hiruzen always portrayed himself as a grandfather figure to talented children. In the normal world, leaders often have an air of authority around them. Now imagine how much more intense that aura would be in a world where they were far more powerful than normal humans. They would subconsciously release an aura of authority, warning others not to mess with them. This was the feeling Kaida got when he heard Fugaku''s voice. Shisui opened the door, and both of them entered. Kaida noticed that Fugaku looked much younger than he did in the anime. In just 4-5 years, the Uchiha massacre was supposed to happen, but looking at Fugaku now, he seemed at least 10 years younger than he was in his last moments. Coming out of his thoughts, Kaida remembered that he was standing in front of one of the most powerful people in Konoha. "Good afternoon, Clan Leader," Kaida said, bowing slightly. He wasn''t afraid, as he had the backing of both Hiruzen and Yukihiro, and somewhat Shisui too, so there wasn''t much Fugaku could do against him. Not that Kaida was looking to offend such a powerful ninja. Also, no one in Konoha knew that he had a Mangekyo Sharingan, which was why he was considered just an elite Jonin-level ninja. He might even be low Kage level, but if you considered the fact that he also had the Mangekyo Sharingan, he could be classified as a low S-Rank ninja. "Good afternoon," Fugaku said in the same serious tone before continuing, "Shisui said that you want to join the Uchiha clan. Is that true?" "I want to live with my brother and aunt, and if I have to join the Uchiha clan for that, I don¡¯t have any problem with it," Kaida said, trying not to offend Fugaku, but at the same time not wanting to seem desperate to join the clan. "Oh! So you''re saying that you only want to join the Uchiha clan because of Shisui and your aunt? So, if I allow you to stay with them without joining the clan, you''re perfectly fine with that?" Fugaku asked, intrigued by Kaida''s response. "Will I still have permission to learn genjutsu from my brother and ask questions about the Sharingan if I face any issues in the future?" Kaida asked after thinking for a moment. "I can allow Shisui to teach you basic genjutsu, but not any techniques unique to the Uchiha clan. Also, you won¡¯t be allowed to ask anything about the Sharingan, as you won¡¯t be a part of the clan in that case." Kaida became silent for a moment, then replied with a determined voice¡­ S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 84: Joining Uchiha Clan "In that case, I would like to request to join the Uchiha clan, but if there are some problems with that, then I am perfectly okay with just permission to live with my brother and Aunt." "Hahaha, good. There is no problem allowing you to join the Uchiha clan. You can fill out all the forms and take the identification from the reception by tomorrow. Also, Shisui, keep him away from those elders. I like the honesty of this boy, and I don''t want him to change after facing the politics of the clan. By the way, boy, what is your age?" "I am eight and a half years old, Clan Leader." "Oh, so you¡¯re the same age as Itachi, huh? You two may become sparring partners for each other. Don¡¯t worry, my son will not disappoint you," Fugaku said, smiling while talking about Itachi. "As you wish, Clan Leader," Kaida replied. "Now, you guys may go back. I have some meetings to attend." Kaida and Shisui made their way toward their house. Now that they had permission from the Clan Head, no one could stop Kaida from coming to the Uchiha compound. As for moving his belongings to Shisui''s house, it was a straightforward task¡ªhe only had to make some shadow clones, and all the work would be done in no time. "Now that you¡¯re part of the Uchiha compound, you should know what benefits you¡¯ll get," Shisui said. "What do you mean?" Kaida asked. "Kaida, why do you think ninjas from certain clans are more powerful than normal civilian ninjas?" "Because they work hard and have the right guidance, also secret techniques of their clans," Kaida said, voicing what he used to think was the reason for the strength gap between normal ninjas and those from certain clans. "Well, that¡¯s one reason, but not the complete one. Clans have many resources that can help you increase your strength in a short amount of time, at least compared to civilian ninjas. The resources start with the meditation room, which not only helps you refill your chakra faster but also helps you increase your chakra control. Then, there are pills that contain concentrated nutrients and supplements to boost recovery after hard physical exercise and increase your strength a bit more while rebuilding your torn muscles. There¡¯s also a special room that helps you increase your mastery of the chakra nature you¡¯re proficient in." Shisui went silent for a moment, allowing Kaida to process all the information he had just received. After some time, Kaida asked, "So, any ninja from the clan can use these resources whenever they want?" "Of course not. These resources cost a lot to acquire or build, so even our clan, which is one of the wealthiest and most powerful, doesn¡¯t have them in excess." "Then who gets to use these resources?" Kaida asked, looking a little confused. "Do you remember what I told you about the rewards from the missions we take from the clan?" "Yes, you get contribution points along with money..." Kaida trailed off, seemingly realizing what Shisui was getting at. Shisui smiled and continued, "Yes, with those contribution points, you can access those resources. This is why most of the ninjas from the clan take missions from the clan rather than the Hokage building. You get both money and resources here." "Then there¡¯s no chance for civilian ninjas to access those resources?" Kaida asked, feeling that this system was unfair to civilian ninjas. "They can, but in two ways. First, if they join the Anbu forces, or second, once they become Jonin-level ninjas, they can request access to those resources, though it costs much more for them than what we pay." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing Shisui''s reply, Kaida still felt it was unfair, but at least civilian ninjas had some access. He reminded himself that this world was never fair to everyone. If you want something for yourself, you have to work hard for it. Sometimes, you even have to fight for it. The higher your expectations, the harder you have to work. "Brother, can I see these rooms you¡¯re talking about?" Kaida asked, at least wanting to see what these special rooms looked like. "Of course you can. You know what, you can even use the meditation room if you want. I can pay for the chakra room right now, as I¡¯ve just bought a very expensive pill." "You don¡¯t have to. I just wanted to take a quick look," Kaida said, not wanting to burden Shisui. "Don¡¯t worry. Meditation rooms aren¡¯t that expensive. You can use one for two hours for just five contribution points. Oh right, you don¡¯t know¡ªcompleting any D-rank mission from the clan earns you ten contribution points." Kaida then agreed to use the meditation room, knowing the cost wasn¡¯t much for Shisui. But one question popped into his mind. "Then what¡¯s the cost of using the chakra room you were talking about?" "They¡¯re costly¡ª200 contribution points per hour. You can use them for a maximum of five hours a day. Completing a B-rank mission barely earns you enough to use it for three hours," Shisui said, shaking his head reluctantly. After that, they headed to the meditation room, not far from the Clan headquarters. The building didn¡¯t look much different from other buildings in the area, except it was a big, three-story structure, with each floor having at least 20 rooms. Both of them entered the building. "I want to book a room for two hours," Shisui said to the receptionist. "Yes, sir. What level would you like?" "Level 3," Shisui said, glancing at Kaida. The receptionist looked at Kaida, then back at Shisui, and asked, "Level 3, sir?" "Yes," Shisui confirmed. "That will be 20 points, sir," the receptionist said after checking the register. "Brother, you said it would only take 5 contribution points," Kaida asked, feeling confused. "I forgot to take your chakra level into consideration. For a normal genin, Level 1 would be enough, but since your chakra level is already high, you require a better room for it to be effective," Shisui explained with a smile. Now the receptionist was shocked. How could this boy have so much chakra? Out of curiosity, she activated her Sharingan and was stunned by how much chakra Kaida possessed. He was at most 9 or 10 years old but had as much chakra as an experienced Jonin. Shisui suddenly activated his Sharingan, looked toward the receptionist, and said... Chapter 85: Meditation Room "It is not a good idea to do this without others'' consent," Shisui warned. "I-I¡¯m s-sorry, sir. I won¡¯t d-do it again," she stammered, a bit intimidated by Shisui¡¯s Mangekyo Sharingan. "It''s okay, just don¡¯t do it from now on." Shisui deactivated his Sharingan and paid the 20 contribution points. "Your room is F36, sir," she said, regaining her composure, indicating her experience. "Let¡¯s go, brother," Shisui said as he headed to the first floor. Upon reaching room F36, Shisui asked, "Do you have full chakra reserves now?" "More or less, yes," Kaida answered. "You should empty your reserve a little first; that way, you¡¯ll be able to feel the efficiency of the room." "No problem. Can I use a jutsu here?" Kaida asked. "Yes, but only if that jutsu won¡¯t damage the property," Shisui replied. Kaida nodded and created a shadow clone with 90% of his chakra. The large chakra usage made his knees weak, and he had to sit for a moment to recover. Smiling a little, he said, "I¡¯m ready to use the room now, brother." "Okay. Just go in and try normal meditation. You¡¯ll have to make some adjustments as you go." "What do you mean?" Kaida asked, confused. "You¡¯ll understand once you enter. You¡¯ve got two hours; I¡¯ll come back to get you then." Kaida nodded and entered the room. As soon as the door closed behind him, it felt like the engine of a rocket had just started. Activating his Sharingan, Kaida saw that a 1m2 area marked as the meditation spot was growing more and more unusual. It appeared as if all the chakra in the room was concentrating there. Kaida understood the benefits of this setup. He sat on the mat and began meditating, but soon felt uncomfortable. It was like swimming in a pool of honey instead of water¡ªthe chakra was dense. Deciding to ignore the discomfort, Kaida continued meditating. When he tried absorbing chakra as usual, only 20% of it was stored in his reserves. ''So, this is what he meant by adjustments. I need to take in less chakra and circulate it longer to fully absorb it. And as he said, this will also improve my chakra control. Let¡¯s get to it¡ªI only have two hours.'' Kaida started his new, modified meditation, completely forgetting the outside world. After two hours, Shisui returned to the meditation center to pick Kaida up. By that time, Kaida¡¯s clone and Yomi had already moved all his belongings to Shisui¡¯s house. *Knock, knock.* Kaida opened his eyes, finding his clothes drenched in sweat and his chakra reserves not only replenished but slightly increased¡ªby about 1%. Given how much chakra Kaida already had, this was significant. If it continued at this rate, he could potentially double his chakra in about 50 sessions, which would be massive for a 9-year-old. Standing up, Kaida dried his clothes with air and fire chakra, using both simultaneously. Five minutes later, Kaida opened the door and found Shisui patiently waiting outside. "Sorry for the delay, brother," Kaida apologized. "No problem. It seems like the meditation session was successful. Now let¡¯s head back. All your belongings are already at the house." Kaida nodded, and both of them walked back home. On the way, Shisui turned to Kaida and asked, "Do you know how to mask your chakra?" "No, brother." "Then you¡¯ll need to learn that along with Genjutsu. Showing your chakra in a fight is foolish¡ªthe enemy could just wait for you to exhaust yourself or analyze your chakra usage patterns." Kaida nodded. He¡¯d already considered this problem and had planned to learn a technique from the library to address it, but it seemed like Shisui would be teaching him instead. After a short walk, they arrived at their house. Shisui entered first, and they found all of Kaida¡¯s belongings in the hall. They proceeded to the drawing room, where Yomi and Hae were talking. As soon as they entered, Hae said, "Why are you two standing there? Can¡¯t you see the things in the hall? Hurry up and put them in the rooms." "But which room should they go in?" Shisui asked. "Yomi is in the room next to mine. Kaida can pick any room he wants." "Yomi, put your things in your room," Kaida said. "Is that how you treat a lady, Kaida? Go and place her things in her room," Hae said. "Shishishishi," Yomi laughed in the background. In such a short time, she had already become Aunt Hae¡¯s favorite. Kaida smiled at the thought. "Okay, you two carry on, and we¡¯ll do all the manual labor," Kaida said dramatically. "You know, you have a talent for this. Maybe I should add acting lessons to the things I¡¯m going to teach you," Shisui said, patting Kaida on the back. "Now hurry up, we don¡¯t have all day," Hae urged. Both of them shook their heads and went to the hall to complete their task. Kaida made a shadow clone to help put Yomi¡¯s things in her room. "Since you need to choose a room, let me give you a tour of the house," Shisui said with a smile. After the tour, Kaida understood how large the house was. It was a two-story building with a 140-square-foot garden and a small pond. The house had one hall, one drawing room, one kitchen, one dining room, and eight bedrooms. On the first floor, Hae and Yomi occupied their rooms, with one more room available. Kaida decided to take a room on the ground floor, next to Shisui¡¯s room, which offered a perfect view of the garden. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Half an hour later, everything was in its proper place. The more Kaida used Shadow Clone Jutsu, the more he realized that while it might not be the most powerful jutsu, it was certainly the most versatile and useful. After organizing everything, Kaida sat in his room, gazing at the garden and resting a little when Hae called out. "Both of you, come to the dining room! Lunch is ready!" Kaida headed to the dining room, followed by Shisui... Chapter 86: Genjutsu Training Starts After placing everything in their rooms, Kaida was sitting in his room, gazing at the garden and resting, when Hae called out, "Both of you, come out of your rooms, lunch is ready." Kaida went to the dining room, followed by Shisui, where he found Yomi helping his aunt place the food on the table. Since everything was already set, Kaida and Shisui sat down at the table to eat. "So, Kaida, what are your plans now?" Hae asked while sitting down. "Nothing, Aunt. Since I have nothing to do, I was thinking about going to the training ground to train a little..." Kaida trailed off as he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. "Listen here, gentlemen," Hae said with a smile¡ªone that looked as normal as always but gave Kaida the sense that it was anything but ordinary. "Yomi told me you''re a training freak. You train for 12 to 16 hours a day, is that correct?" "Sometimes," Kaida answered, glancing in the opposite direction. "I won¡¯t comment on how you''ve lived until now, but from now on, you¡¯re not allowed to train for 16 hours straight under any condition. I know training is important, but enjoying life is equally important. I can''t watch you all the time, and I don¡¯t want to restrict your freedom, but this kind of training will have a negative impact on your mental health as you grow up. You¡¯ll miss this time, so try to enjoy it a little more." Hae¡¯s smile now resembled the gentle, motherly expression Kaida remembered his own mother giving him when trying to explain something important. "Okay, Aunt. I won''t train that hard, so don¡¯t worry," Kaida replied. "Good. Now, eat your fill, and let me know if you want something special for dinner." "No, Auntie, whatever you make is delicious," Kaida said, smiling as he ate. Hae smiled, then turned to Shisui. "You¡¯re going to stay for a while, right? I¡¯m not allowing you to go on another month-long mission before at least two weeks of rest." "Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I have a little student here I need to teach, so I¡¯m planning to take some time off." Shisui said, pointing toward Kaida. "Oh! What are you going to teach him, brother?" Yomi asked Shisui. "Brother?" Kaida asked, confused. "Aunt said I can call him ''Brother'' and her ''Aunt,''" Yomi said, grinning from ear to ear. "Nothing too big. Some Genjutsu and basic chakra hiding techniques," Shisui replied. "Oh! Can I also learn this Genjutsu?" Yomi asked, sounding competitive. "I¡¯m sorry, but you won¡¯t be able to learn the same Genjutsu as Kaida. However, I can teach you some different ones," Shisui explained. "Why can¡¯t I learn the same Genjutsu as him?" she asked again, determined not to fall behind. She knew Kaida was already stronger than her and suspected that even if she, Ryota, and Kiba attacked him together, Kaida would still win. She didn¡¯t want Kaida to become so much more powerful than her that they couldn¡¯t stay on the same level. "Kaida will learn Genjutsu specifically for Sharingan users, and since you don¡¯t have one, you can¡¯t learn those. But don¡¯t worry¡ªwith enough practice, regular Genjutsu can reach a similar level to those techniques," Shisui explained, trying to be fair. Yomi understood, but it didn¡¯t stop her from feeling competitive. She knew that even if she and Kaida learned techniques of equal power, he would eventually surpass her. No matter how hard she tried to train, she couldn¡¯t match Kaida¡¯s intensity. What she didn¡¯t know was that Kaida¡¯s unique bloodline was not only strengthening his body but also increasing his chakra reserves. With the additional powers of the Sharingan, no ordinary ninja could keep up with his growth rate. She looked at Shisui and said, "Thank you, brother, but I¡¯m going to focus on sensing and tracking techniques for my specialization starting tomorrow. So I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have time for Genjutsu training." Shisui understood what she was feeling, so he added, "No problem, but you should still learn how to defend against Genjutsu. It¡¯s an essential skill for any ninja." "Okay, brother," Yomi said with a cheerful smile. "Alright, enough about training¡ªlet¡¯s focus on the food," Hae said, redirecting the conversation. Everyone resumed eating while Hae chatted about small topics, like how the food tasted and what types of dishes Yomi and Kaida liked. After the meal, Hae announced, "You can all go back to your rooms and rest, but don¡¯t even think about training for at least an hour." There was no room for argument. They all nodded, and Shisui turned to Kaida. "When are you starting your specialization training?" "Oh! Grandpa told me to go to Konoha Hospital in three days, so hopefully, I¡¯ll begin the day after tomorrow." "Okay, so we¡¯ve got two days to get you through the basics of Genjutsu. If I¡¯m correct, as soon as you grasp the basics to a satisfactory level, your Sharingan will evolve into a two-tomoe Sharingan." "How long do you think it¡¯ll take me to learn Genjutsu basics to that level?" Kaida asked. "For a normal ninja, learning even the basics takes about two to six months, but for a Uchiha, it usually takes one to two months," Shisui answered. Kaida nodded, eager to start learning. He¡¯d been feeling a constant itching in his eyes, a strange sensation he couldn¡¯t explain, but it felt as though his eyes were becoming more powerful day by day. "Now, go rest for an hour. After that, we¡¯ll begin your Genjutsu training. Yomi, you can start after you¡¯re comfortable with your specialization training." Both of them nodded. Yomi offered to help Hae clean up, which Hae gladly accepted since she now had someone to chat with. Kaida also volunteered to help, but Hae declined, reminding him that he¡¯d be training later and needed to rest while he could. With no other choice, Kaida went to his room and took a short nap. An hour later, Shisui knocked on Kaida¡¯s door. "Kaida, it¡¯s time to start our training." "Coming," Kaida replied, waking up from his afternoon nap. The two headed out to the garden, as Genjutsu training wouldn¡¯t damage the property. Shisui looked at Kaida and asked, "Now, Kaida, tell me what you know about Genjutsu." "Not much, just the basics they taught us at the academy, like how it attacks the nervous system and how our chakra flow gets disturbed. We can break out of it by disrupting our chakra flow," Kaida explained. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Hah! It seems I¡¯ll have to start from the very basics. Even though you¡¯ve been taught about Genjutsu, all your knowledge is superficial¡ªnothing practical. For instance, you¡¯re already in a Genjutsu, and you didn¡¯t even notice," Shisui said, then vanished into thin air, reappearing behind Kaida. Kaida was shocked. He had excellent chakra control, so if even he couldn¡¯t tell he was in a Genjutsu, normal genin and even some chunin wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. The ability to appear behind an enemy without them noticing was overwhelmingly powerful. Kaida was beginning to grasp just how formidable Genjutsu truly was¡­ Chapter 87: Basics Are Not Simple Kaida was shocked by that. He had very good chakra control, so if he was unable to deduce that he was in a genjutsu, then normal Genin and even some Chunin didn''t stand a chance of knowing about it. Also, just the implication of appearing behind the back of the enemy without them noticing was too powerful. He was slowly understanding how truly powerful genjutsu was. But just to be on the safe side, Kaida disrupted his chakra. As he had guessed, Shisui disappeared from his back and appeared sitting in a chair in the garden. Seeing Kaida had come out of the genjutsu, Shisui stood up and said, "At least you have a good brain. Now let me first remind you of the basics of genjutsu. Genjutsu is like a mental trick; in this, we''re messing with someone''s mind. Here''s how it works in ninja terms: Chakra Manipulation: Ninjas use chakra, which is their inner energy, to cast genjutsu. They focus their chakra and project it outward to create illusions. It''s like using your mental strength to create a powerful illusion that affects someone else''s mind. Sensory Deception: Imagine you''re seeing something, hearing something, or feeling something, but it''s not real. That''s what genjutsu does. It messes with your senses, making you perceive things that aren''t happening. It''s like a really convincing dream that you can''t wake up from. Mind Games: When you''re caught in genjutsu, your brain believes the illusion is real. So even though nothing is happening, your body reacts as if it is. It''s like your mind is playing tricks on you, and you can''t tell what''s real and what''s not. Chakra Influence: Advanced genjutsu techniques can mess with your chakra directly. Chakra is your inner energy, and if someone messes with it, it can affect you mentally. It''s like someone tampering with the signals in your brain, making you see things that aren''t there or feel things that aren''t real. Now, how do you think one can attack another''s mind?" "By somehow passing our chakra into their brain and trying to control their thoughts," Kaida replied, though he was not sure. "You are correct in some ways, but if you go with this approach, you will never be able to use genjutsu. There is a key point you are missing here. Can you guess what it is?" Shisui asked. He could have directly told him the process of using genjutsu, but that would have been the worst way to teach someone. If you just tell them everything, then they are not learning anything; they''re just memorizing what has already been discovered and fed to them. But what Shisui was doing was making Kaida think about how he could achieve his goal and helping him when something would take a large amount of time or be extremely difficult to find on his own. Kaida, after thinking for some time, said, "Since our chakra is poisonous to others, if we send it to another''s mind, it will likely damage their brain rather than putting them in genjutsu. So simply sending our chakra is not an option, as everyone can feel that, and their bodies will naturally reject that chakra. It is not possible to just send our chakra and alter their thoughts. This means we have to modify our chakra to make it useful for genjutsu." "Very good! I knew you were talented," Shisui said, laughing, and then continued, "Kaida, as you know, chakra is made up of two types of energy: physical and spiritual energy, but that is just the basics everyone knows. We ninjas have classified this energy as yin and yang; yin is the spiritual part, and yang is the physical one. For casting genjutsu, you only have to use the spiritual part of your chakra, which is Yin Release." "But if the chakra is made up of physical and spiritual power together, how will it retain its state if we break it down into its components? If it can remain in its components, then strong civilians should be able to become at least¡­ pseudo-ninja or something." "What is this pseudo-ninja thing? You have a creative mind. Yes, your deduction is correct; you can completely break chakra into its components. But for genjutsu, you have to make your chakra consist mostly of your spiritual energy while using physical energy as little as possible." "So, we have to find a perfect ratio for this?" Kaida asked. "No, there is no perfect ratio for this. When you are barely able to use your chakra in a ratio of 85:15, then you will be able to use rudimentary genjutsu. At this stage, even a genin can discern that they are under some form of genjutsu because even with just 15 percent of your physical chakra, the enemy''s brain will take some damage, and the genjutsu will be very unstable." "So, is this yang chakra responsible for all the offensive power of the jutsu?" Kaida asked after listening that Yang Release is what damages the enemy''s brain. "No, you are getting it all wrong. It is not chakra that is responsible for damage; it is your intent that does the damage. When you use fire or lightning chakra around you, you will not get injured by the chakra itself. Its effects, like fire or lightning, can damage you, but your chakra will do you no harm. That is because you don''t want it to. In the same way, yin and yang releases have different intents. You can use Yang Release to enhance your strength as well as for medical ninjutsu. The same goes for Yin Release; you can use it for genjutsu as well as shadow techniques, which the Nara clan uses. And not just these, there are various other implications of this. More Yin chakra in your normal jutsu even allows you to somewhat control your jutsu even after you release it, but that''s high-level stuff. For now, let''s focus on the basics, okay?" Kaida nodded his head, thinking it was the right decision to join the Uchiha compound. "Now activate your Sharingan and see how I divide my normal chakra into yin and yang," Shisui said while taking chakra out of his hand and making a ball out of it. It eerily resembled one of the famous jutsu of the Naruto series. Kaida, though shocked, understood that it was easy to do with enough chakra control and practice. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida activated his Sharingan as Shisui said. Seeing this, Shisui started manipulating his chakra, and it began to get divided into two parts: one being hot and bright, while the other was cold and dark. They started revolving around each other. "So I have to do that?" Kaida asked, finding the task quite difficult. "Hahaha, no, you don''t have to do this. You technically have to do it, but you don''t have to make it as showy; you just have to do this inside your body." "Oh! Okay." Then Kaida began concentrating on the difference between Yin and Yang chakra. After five minutes, Shisui stopped the magic show and said, "Now, how do you think the Sharingan helps us in genjutsu?" Shisui asked again. "Maybe the Sharingan helps us separate the yin chakra and make it more stable, or helps in projecting it out of our body." Chapter 88: Training in Basics "Maybe Sharingan helps us in separating Yin chakra and making it more stable, or helps in projecting it out of our body." "Both of your hypotheses are correct, but a slight modification is required. Sharingan not only helps us in sending Yin chakra out of our body but also helps in sending our intent in that chakra, which allows us to show the enemy whatever we want them to see. With this, you know enough basics to start your Sharingan training. Start with your first phase of training, in which you have to separate Yin chakra from Yang chakra in the ratio of 85:15 while making it stable enough to project it out of your body and maintain it for some time. And you have to do this while your Sharingan is deactivated¡ªdon''t even think about activating it, okay?" Shisui said. "Yes, brother," Kaida replied and began his training. Seeing this, Shisui smiled and then went toward his room, knowing this was going to take time. Kaida sat in a meditative pose and started trying to divide his chakra into two parts. He smiled, remembering his training about changing his normal chakra to fire chakra during his ninjutsu training with Yukihiro. Following his past experience, he decided to use Shadow Clones for this. Since he was now able to make many clones, Kaida was sure he would learn this much faster. He quickly made 40 Shadow Clones and started his training. At first, his clones divided into groups of five and began discussing various ways to accomplish the task, ranging from trying to follow the same method as changing normal chakra to fire chakra or vibrating it to divide it. After applying all the shortcut methods, they decided to use the longer way of dividing their chakra using intent while meditating. All of his 40 clones began meditating. Since they had just had lunch, Kaida had around 7-8 hours before dinner. Shisui asked his mother not to disturb Kaida while he was meditating. Slowly but surely, Kaida and his clones were able to divide their chakra into Yin and Yang. However, as soon as they divided the chakra, it began to disperse, causing the chakra to be wasted. Normally, Kaida''s clones could easily perform this exercise for 5-6 hours, but due to the loss of chakra whenever they were successful in dividing it, Kaida had to disperse his 40 clones and then create 10 new clones with more chakra. After that, he began meditating to refill his chakra, knowing that even with approximately 10% of his chakra, his clones would not be able to continue this exercise for more than 3-4 hours. To his surprise, after 4 hours, his clones still had 30% of their chakra remaining. The reason for this was that they were able to stabilize their chakra enough to prevent it from dispersing and restore it to normal before it dispersed completely. He made 10 more clones with 8-9% of his chakra and then dispersed his previous clones, so he regained all the memories along with some of his chakra. ''So intent does play a major role in dividing the chakra, but that alone is not enough. If we just divide the chakra, it gets dispersed into the surroundings. But if we rotate it and try to dissolve it back, Yin and Yang chakra will be able to maintain their form longer. But that is also not enough. Even though I can maintain Yin chakra for a little longer duration, it is still getting dispersed after 2-3 minutes. Maybe I¡¯m missing something; let¡¯s continue training. Maybe I will get some new ideas.'' ¡­ While Kaida was training, Hiruzen received some interesting news. In the Hokage office, a ninja bowed his head and left the office. Hiruzen then opened the scroll given by that ninja and started reading it. After reading the content twice, he put down the scroll and thought, At last, Kaida decided to join the Uchiha clan. Who would have thought Kaida would find his long-lost aunt and change his heart? Hiruzen said while shaking his head. Naturally, he already knew about this. Since Kaida was a valuable asset for the village, Hiruzen had conducted a background check to explore all variables that might arise. Even though he knew that Kaida still had his family, he decided not to share this information with him. The major reason for this was that he didn''t like the possibility of the Uchiha clan gaining such a power boost. They were already powerful enough, and if they discovered Kaida''s ability to make chakra weapons, their power would multiply many times. They already had many kenjutsu masters, and with Sharingan, it would be deadly. With this, they would have enough power to rival an entire ninja village. Adding to the fact that Konoha was suppressing the Uchiha clan, and their relations were getting sour day by day, this outcome was the last thing Hiruzen wanted. ''I just hope that he is still following my advice of not telling others about his talent. If he decides otherwise, then I will have to let Danzo handle this matter. The life of one talented ninja can''t be compared to the peace of the whole village; it is all for the village.'' Hiruzen said and then rang the bell once again. Two Anbu ninjas appeared before him. "Tell all the ninjas assigned around the Uchiha compound to meet me in 30 minutes." "Yes, Lord Third," they both said before dispersing. After 30 minutes, 40 ninjas were standing in front of Hiruzen, all bowing before him. "You guys have a new task. This is Kaida Senju; he has just joined the Uchiha clan. All of you have to remain alert for any news about him. If you find anything, report it directly to me. Also, Bear and Boar, you will only focus on him at all times. He will most likely join the Village Hospital the day after tomorrow; the rest of the details will be provided to you. This is a village-level mission; no mistakes will be tolerated." Hiruzen remained serious throughout. Everyone nodded and looked at the image provided by Hiruzen before returning to their posts. The ninjas with bear and boar masks went to the mission hall to get the full details of their missions. Hiruzen didn''t want to take the step just yet. Talented ninjas were very necessary for the village. In the younger generation, there were very few ninjas who could take on the mantle of his position. Even though Kakashi was once a decade¡¯s genius with many achievements, he had become very unmotivated after the death of everyone related to him and now only focused on missions. Since he had joined Root, he had become increasingly dark, and even though Might Guy was powerful enough, he was very na?ve at heart and couldn''t become the Hokage. Hiruzen hoped he would be able to find someone talented enough in the future. Though there was no way he was going to make an Uchiha a Hokage, if trained properly, they could be great assets for the village. Having some Kage-level ninjas aside from the Hokage was essential for the village, especially since all four ninja villages jointly attacked Konoha in every great ninja war. If the village lacked Kage-level ninjas, the future would be very bleak. This was why Hiruzen didn''t want to eliminate Kaida, at least until there was an apparent threat from him. Now that Kaida was under the protection of an elite Jonin¡ªor even a low Kage-level ninja, Shisui Uchiha, who was also loyal to Konoha¡ªHiruzen didn''t want to take the risk of losing two great assets of the village. ¡­ Unknown to all the dangers in his life, Kaida was practicing in the garden of his new house. At 7 PM, Shisui came to Kaida and said, "That''s enough, Kaida. You just promised Mom that you wouldn''t overdo it. Come take some rest." "I am sorry, brother; I forgot to keep track of the time," Kaida replied while standing up and dispersing all of his Shadow Clones. With most of his chakra back to full, Shisui nodded and then asked, "How was your progress? Have you made any advancements?" Initially, he had thought that Kaida would take at least 4-5 days to show any improvement in the exercise, but he hadn''t accounted for the effect of training with so many Shadow Clones. "Yes, I can divide my chakra into Yin and Yang chakra, but maintaining it for more than 10 minutes, even inside my body, is still out of my reach. Maybe it will take some time." "Your speed of learning this is very fast, Kaida, so don''t hurry. At this rate, you''ll be able to learn the basics in just one week," Shisui said, smiling. "Okay, brother." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. *Grrr grr* came the sound from Kaida''s belly. "Hahaha, that''s why you should also focus on your body while training. Let''s go; Mom was worried that you hadn''t eaten anything since lunch, so she made dinner a little early. Come on, let''s go." "Okay, brother," Kaida replied with a silly smile on his face. Chapter 89: Specialization Start (Yomi) They both went to the dining room, where food was already placed on the table, and both Yomi and Hae were waiting for Kaida and Shisui. "I am sorry for the wait," Kaida apologized to Hae. "Habits do take time to change. Just try to take some time off in between and spend time with family. Since you are in such a crucial year, I don¡¯t want to neglect your training, so sometimes this type of training is allowed," Hae said with a smile. Kaida nodded and sat down. They ate the food while discussing various things. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After eating, Kaida turned to Yomi and asked, "Tomorrow you have to go to the Hokage office to get info regarding your specialization, right?" "Yes, I hope my sensei will not be too strict," Yomi said with a sigh. "I will also come with you. Let''s see who is going to teach you," Kaida said. "Okay," Yomi replied, her face blooming like a flower. *It''s good to be young,* both Shisui and Hae thought at the same time. "You are going to learn sensing and tracking, right?" Shisui asked Yomi. "Yes. Do you have any idea who is going to be my sensei?" Yomi asked Shisui. "Well, if the village wants to train you, then most likely you will get a sensei from the Yamanaka clan. They are quite famous for their sensing and tracking techniques. Even though you will not be able to learn their clan''s hidden jutsus, even the normal sensing and tracking techniques of that clan are better than what civilian ninjas use," Shisui replied. "I am sure Grandpa will arrange someone from the Yamanaka clan," Yomi said, trying to be positive. "Yes, so don''t worry," Kaida said, trying to reduce her tension. "There is no need to worry about something you can''t control. If your sensei is good, then that¡¯s great, and if you have bad luck, then we will arrange a sensei for you. So don¡¯t worry. Now, all of you go back to your rooms. You have all done enough for today, so go and take your much-needed rest," Hae said while picking up the dishes. All of them nodded, but rather than going to their rooms, they helped in picking and washing the dishes. After that, Kaida asked Hae, "Aunt, can I at least leave some of my shadow clones? This will not trouble anyone." Hae then looked toward Shisui, who just smiled awkwardly. "Hah! Okay, but you are going to sleep for the whole night. You are not allowed to meditate for the entire night, is that clear?" "Yes, Hae-sama," Kaida said while bowing a little. "Enough with your acting! I thought you were going to learn genjutsu from Shisui, but it looks like he is also teaching you his weird acting habits," Hae said, shaking her head. "How did I get involved in this?" Shisui asked as if he had been blamed for a murder. "Hah! My headache is going to increase," Hae said, but there was a slight smile on her face. After that, all of them went back to their rooms while Kaida made five shadow clones with 20% of his chakra, and they started practicing. ¡­ **In the morning** Kaida woke up and was surprised to see that his clones still had some of their chakra left. This could only mean that they were able to successfully divide normal chakra into Yin and Yang chakra without dispersing it. At least it was better than before. He quickly dispersed his clones. With an influx of memories, he had to meditate for some time to sort through all of these memories. According to what his clones did, he should be able to divide his chakra into Yin and Yang. The major problem, which was to change its ratio from 50:50 to 85:15, could be done with mental power. Somehow every Uchiha had this ability, so he was able to do it too. During that phase, the chakra began to disperse rapidly. To tackle that, Kaida began to circulate the chakra in a cycle, which somehow helped stop it from getting dispersed. Now, while following this technique, he was able to maintain that chakra for 30 minutes. However, the task given by Shisui¡ªto take out that chakra from his body¡ªwas proving to be very difficult. As soon as Kaida took that chakra out of his body, it dispersed into the surroundings. ''At least I was able to make it stable enough. Now I just have to project it out of my body for some time, though I don¡¯t know how much. First, I have to ask brother about this,'' Kaida thought as he went to the bathroom attached to his room. After completing his morning duties and taking a bath, Kaida went to the hall, where he found Shisui and Hae sitting. "Good morning, Aunty. Good morning, brother. Do you guys wake up this early daily?" Kaida greeted them, a little shocked to see them awake so early, as it was just 5 AM. "Yes. Father was strict about discipline, so now it has become a habit," Shisui replied. "Do you want to drink some tea?" Hae offered. "Yes," Kaida replied, holding out his glass for Hae to pour tea for him. The herbal tea was very refreshing and was the perfect start to the day. "This is so refreshing! Where did you get this tea?" Kaida asked after taking his first sip. "You can''t find this tea in Konoha. When I went to the Land of Tea for a mission, I liked this tea, so I bought it in bulk," Shisui said proudly. "Oh!" Yomi also came down after some time, and after Hae urged her, she took a cup for herself. "I needed that," Yomi said while taking a sip. "When are you going to the Hokage office?" Hae asked. "I have to reach there at 7:00 AM." "We have enough time for breakfast," Hae said as she stood up. "Wait, Aunty, I will cook breakfast," Kaida offered. "No need, Kaida. Just sit here; I will cook it in no time." "Aunty, I feel like a freeloader like this! Please let me do something," Kaida insisted. "There is no need to feel like this in your own house, Kaida. Okay, you can cook breakfast," Hae relented. "Thank you, Aunty," Kaida said while running toward the kitchen. In the kitchen, he made five shadow clones, each assigned a different task. In just 30 minutes, a simple breakfast was ready. "Breakfast is ready! Please come here!" All three of them came to the dining room to find all the food placed on the table. The food ranged from omelets, fruit salad, bacon, sausage, to fruit juice. After a hearty breakfast, Kaida and Yomi headed toward the Hokage office. They were quite a distance away from the Hokage building, which would take around two hours to reach by foot. However, since both of them were proficient in movement jutsu, they were able to arrive before the appointed time. "I think you should go there alone. Your sensei might not like the two of us going there together," Kaida said in front of the Hokage building. "Okay. Are you going back?" Yomi asked. "Yes, I have to take my new ID from the clan head and train in genjutsu," Kaida replied. "Okay, bye," Yomi said with a smile. Both of them then went their separate ways. Yomi entered the Hokage building and approached the receptionist. "Lord Third asked me to come here to meet my sensei for specialization." "Are you Yomi?" "Yes." "Please wait for some time; your sensei is still not here. I will inform you as soon as he arrives." "Okay." Yomi then went to the sofa and sat there. After 15 minutes, a middle-aged man arrived at the Hokage building and asked, "Has my student arrived?" "Yes, sir. She is waiting for you," the receptionist said, pointing toward Yomi. "Thanks," the man replied and went to Yomi. "Hey, are you Yomi?" he asked. "Yes, sir! Good morning!" Yomi greeted, knowing he must be her new sensei. "Good morning! My name is Isao Yamanaka. I will teach you sensing and tracking techniques from now on," Isao said with a smile. Chapter 90: Fire Room "Yes, sir. Good morning," Yomi greeted, knowing that he must be her new sensei. "Good morning. My name is Isao Yamanaka, and I will teach you sensing and tracking techniques from now on," Isao said with a smile. "Nice to meet you, sir," Yomi said, a broad smile on her face. She was visibly relieved to have someone from the Yamanaka clan as her sensei. "It''s good that you''re happy. Now, should we go to the training ground for further discussion?" Isao asked. "Yes, sensei," Yomi replied, and then both of them headed toward Training Area 33. This training area was near the Hokage building, so they chose it for their session. "Okay, I am going to check the amount of chakra you have. To become a good sensor, you should have at least a decent amount of chakra. Also, your chakra control should be above average." Saying that, Isao spread his chakra toward Yomi. If anyone from the Hyuga or Uchiha clan were present, they might have seen a rectangular chakra moving toward her. As soon as that chakra touched Yomi, Isao felt how much chakra she had. He was satisfied with the amount; it was rare for someone from a civilian background to have this much chakra at the age of eight. "You have enough chakra to learn this," Isao said with a smile. "Thank you, sensei! I will try my best to learn everything you teach me." "Okay, to train in sensing and tracking techniques, you should have very good senses. This is the first thing you are going to work on." Isao took out five round balls from his special bag along with a black cloth. "These are the instruments we are going to use to enhance your senses. They can produce vibrations and small sounds on their own, like this." Isao inserted a little chakra into the ball, and it started vibrating. He passed the ball to Yomi, and when she took it in her hand, she could also hear the sound. "I am going to tie this cloth around your eyes and then place these balls within a radius of 10 meters. You have to find them with your eyes closed. After that, we will go to the next part of our training." "Yes, sensei," Yomi said. Isao tied the cloth around her eyes. When Yomi tried to sense the balls, she was completely unable to do it. Even after trying hard, she could not locate a single ball. She remembered that a ball emitted both sound and vibration, and since the sound was very low, the chances of hearing it were much less. So she decided to go with the second option. Yomi sat in a meditative pose and began to sense the vibrations around her. After some time, she felt a slight vibration from her left side. She stood up and went in that direction, finding one of the balls. Similarly, she was able to find all the balls in 30 minutes. After finding the fifth ball, she removed the cloth from her eyes. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Good. Now I will place these balls in a 20-meter area. This will continue until you can sense them in a 100-meter radius." This was how Yomi''s training began, but it would take time, as the difficulty increased exponentially with each increase in distance. ¡­ Meanwhile, Kaida went back to the Uchiha compound using the Wind Instantaneous Movement jutsu, which was still perfect for long-distance travel. After reaching the Uchiha compound, he went to Shisui. "Brother, when will we go to take my ID?" Kaida asked Shisui. "I think it should be ready by now. We can go whenever you want," Shisui replied. "Then can we go now?" "Sure." They both went to the Uchiha clan headquarters. At the reception, Shisui asked if Kaida''s identification card was ready. "Yes, sir. He just has to sign here," the receptionist replied. Kaida signed and then took his card. "Where can I take missions?" Kaida asked the receptionist. "Oh! So that''s why you wanted to get your ID. Come here; I will tell you how you can get missions." Kaida thanked the receptionist and then followed Shisui. They went outside the clan headquarters and entered another gate. There were many missions posted on boards, with several boards for D-rank missions, some for C-rank missions, and only one for B-rank missions. "Here you can get up to B-rank missions. Higher missions are only provided by the clan head himself," Shisui said. "So anyone can take any mission they want?" Kaida asked. "Of course not. Your identity card has a rank; you can only take missions up to your rank," Shisui explained. Kaida quickly checked his identity card and found it was a C rank. "So I can take C-rank missions. But I heard only elite Chunin are allowed to take C-rank missions alone." "The clan itself evaluates your strength and assigns you ranks. Many times, some ninjas may have Chunin-level skills but remain Chunin for one reason or another." Kaida nodded his head and then asked, "Is there any limit on how many missions we can take?" "No, you can take as many missions as you want, but if you are unable to complete them in the given time, you will be penalized." "Great!" "You know you can ask me if you want to use any resources, right?" Shisui said. "Yes, but I still want to try and earn those resources," Kaida replied. "As you wish. Just call me if you face any problems," Shisui said before going back toward his house. Kaida then looked for D-rank missions he could complete easily. After skimming through all of the missions, he selected 20, each with a reward of 4,000-6,000 Ryo and 10 contribution points each. He went to the desk and applied for all the missions. "Are you sure you want to take all of these missions?" "Yes." "You know that if you are unable to complete all of them before noon tomorrow, you will be fined twice the amount, right?" "Yes." "Okay, then." The receptionist assigned all of the missions to Kaida. Most of the missions were transport missions, some involved gathering wood from the forest within the village, and others were miscellaneous tasks. Kaida quickly made 50 shadow clones, which was his limit if he wanted them to remain for some time. If he just used the minimum amount of chakra, he could easily make around 65 shadow clones, which was a considerable number for a nine-year-old. After making 50 shadow clones, he sent them on different missions. In just two hours, all of his clones completed their missions and submitted the reports. Kaida collected the money and contribution points and then asked, "Can you tell me where the elemental training room is?" "That is in this building, sir. Go to the last door, and you will find the room you want." "Thank you." Kaida went toward the elemental training room. *Since just the meditation room had such an effect on me, I wonder what this elemental room will do to me, especially since it costs nearly 20 times more.* These were the thoughts Kaida had throughout the day. He went inside the last door and asked, "I want to train my elemental chakra." "Sir, which specific elemental chakra do you want to train?" "Umm, fire chakra." "That will cost 200 contribution points per hour." "Yes, here." Kaida gave 200 contribution points to the receptionist. "You can use room 33 for one hour. After that, one of the staff members will notify you when your time is up." "Okay, can you tell me how to utilize this room to its maximum capacity?" "Is it your first time?" "Yes." "To utilize it completely, you should take out your fire chakra and try to strengthen it while meditating. From time to time, use D-rank fire jutsu to see the results." "But if I use jutsu inside the room, it will get destroyed." The receptionist chuckled a little and said, "You don''t have to worry about that, sir. The room is packed with strengthening and defense seals. It will take considerable effort for even Hokage-sama to damage the room." "Oh! Thank you for telling me this," Kaida said while bowing slightly. He then went to the room. As soon as he entered, Kaida felt that it was hotter than normal, and many crystals were embedded in the walls, surrounded by various seals. Kaida sat in a meditative pose and began to extract his fire chakra. Luckily, he had read the instructions to take off his clothes; otherwise, they would surely have caught fire after releasing his fire chakra. It was much hotter than usual, at least twice as hot as before. Kaida focused on increasing the intensity of the heat slowly. After 10 minutes, he used the Fireball jutsu. Normally, Kaida could create a fireball with a diameter of 30 cm, but this time its size was 40 cm, and the fire was more densely packed within the fireball. Kaida threw the ball, and it exploded against the wall. Some of the seals lit up, but aside from that, nothing major happened. *Good, I can practice to my heart''s content!* Kaida then once again focused on increasing the intensity of his fire chakra. For the entire hour, he concentrated on enhancing the intensity of the chakra. By the end of the hour, he had increased the intensity to three times that of his normal fire chakra. Knock knock. "Sir, your time is over." "Okay, I''m leaving," Kaida said and went to pick up his clothes. After leaving the building, he once again used fire chakra in his hand. *As I thought, it was not three times; maybe that was the effect of all those seals. But still, it was at least 1.3 times more than before. In just one hour, I was able to increase it this much. What will happen after training in that room for months?* Kaida thought with a silly smile on his face. But he didn''t know how wrong he was. After some time, the effect of this room would diminish, which he would discover in the future. Chapter 91: 2 Tomoe Sharingan ''As I thought, it was not three times; maybe that was the effect of all those seals. But still, it was at least 1.3 times more than before. In just one hour, I was able to increase it this much. What will happen after training in that room for months?'' Kaida thought with a silly smile on his face. But he didn''t know how wrong he was. After some time, the effect of this room would reduce, which he would find out in the future. But a man can dream, right? ''I should probably go back. Even though this is very beneficial for me, I currently don''t have any need to increase my firepower. I should primarily focus on Genjutsu and medical jutsu.'' So Kaida decided to head back and practice Genjutsu for now. He used Body Flicker Jutsu to reach his house. Why not? It wasn''t like using this jutsu would make any noticeable change in his chakra reserves, and it would save time. "So you''re back. What mission took so long?" Shisui asked, thinking Kaida had taken a longer D-rank mission. "I took some D-rank missions so that I could try the elemental room," Kaida said with a smile. "How many missions did you take to use the elemental room?" Shisui asked. "Twenty missions. I used shadow clones to complete all of them," Kaida explained after seeing the confusion on Shisui''s face. "Anyways, how was your experience in the elemental room? Did you notice any changes?" Shisui asked. "That room is awesome! My fire chakra got such a boost in just one hour. If this continues, my fire jutsu will be much deadlier in the future than they are now," Kaida said with a smile. "I hate to break it to you, but the changes you felt today are the result of using the elemental room for the first time. The benefits will diminish in the future," Shisui said. "I knew this was too good to be true," Kaida said while shaking his head in disappointment. "I think you''re now underestimating this. Even though the effect will reduce over time, by then your strength will be at least three times what it is now," Shisui said. "I know, and I''m not underestimating that. But for now, I can''t focus on this. I need to learn Genjutsu and medical jutsu first. Since I don''t have to take any missions outside of Konoha, there''s very little chance that I will require fire jutsu shortly," Kaida said. "Yes, I was also going to advise you on the same. So how is your practice going?" Shisui asked. "It''s going just fine. Actually, I have a doubt. How much time do I need to maintain Yin chakra outside my body?" Kaida asked. "You''re already at that stage?" This time Shisui was truly shocked; this was way too fast. "Sort of," Kaida said. "Hah! You just have to maintain the Yin chakra for 30 seconds. After that, I will teach you some real stuff," Shisui said. "Okay, brother. I''ll go and train in the garden," Kaida said while running toward the garden. Shisui just stood there shaking his head, thinking, ''Mom is right; he truly is a training freak.'' Kaida went to the garden and made 15 shadow clones while he started meditating. Kaida wanted to learn this as soon as possible, since, according to Shisui, the opposite of Yin release, Yang release, is used in medical jutsu. Since there was a chance he might be rejected by his new sensei for his lack of talent, he wanted to prepare as much as he could. By lunchtime, Kaida had made a second batch of shadow clones and was meditating when one of his clones came to him and said, "Hey, wake up! It''s time for lunch." "Okay, you guys continue doing this. I''ll come back after eating," Kaida said. All of his clones nodded their heads. Kaida went inside. "Just wait for a moment, Kaida. Lunch is almost ready," Hae said, seeing Kaida coming toward the dining area. "Do you need any help, Aunty?" Kaida asked. "No, everything is almost done; just sit there quietly," Hae said strictly. "Okay, Aunty," Kaida said with a smile. "What about Yomi? Should I pack some lunch for her?" Hae thought aloud. "No, Mom. She is most likely training with her new sensei, so we should not disturb her. Today she can eat outside," Shisui said while entering the dining area. "Yeah, right," Hae said. After that, they ate lunch, and Kaida took a rest for half an hour, per Hae''s order. But afterward, he quickly went to the garden. Now that he had gotten the hang of it, it was just a matter of time before he could maintain the chakra for half a minute. He truly wanted to learn Genjutsu today, and the chances were high since he was now able to maintain Yin chakra for more than 20 seconds. For countless times, Kaida thought about trying to activate his Sharingan, but due to Shisui''s warning, he controlled his urges. ''Okay, this is hopefully the last time,'' Kaida thought and dispersed all of his clones. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After meditating for some time and rearranging all the memories he got from the clones, he once again made 15 shadow clones and started practicing. ¡­ At 3 PM, one of his clones was able to maintain Yin chakra for 35 seconds. He quickly dispersed himself. Kaida and the other clones received the memories of the clone, and then rapidly another clone dispersed itself while Kaida tried to maintain Yin chakra in his body. After successfully doing that, he went to Shisui and said, "Brother, I have completed the exercise you gave me. Now I can maintain a chakra ratio of 85:15 for more than 30 seconds outside my body." "Good job! Now you are ready. Here comes the easy part: activate your Sharingan and then once again try to do the same thing. Just this time, do not guide that chakra; let your body do it, okay?" Shisui instructed. Kaida nodded and activated his one-tomoe Sharingan. As soon as he activated his Sharingan and tried to separate his chakra into Yin and Yang, he was shocked. If normally it felt like he was trying to tear a wooden plate with his hand, it now felt like he was tearing a piece of paper. It became ridiculously easy for him to separate Yin and Yang chakra. He maintained the ratio of 85:15, feeling he could do better than this, but he decided to focus on what Shisui said. He let the chakra flow normally. Yin chakra started making its way toward his eyes, and Shisui saw Kaida''s Sharingan start revolving slowly. Yin chakra began to flow out of his eyes without any direction. It just formed a barrier around Kaida''s eyes that had no effect, but the chakra was very stable. For a full minute, Kaida was able to maintain the chakra in front of his eyes. Afterward, he suddenly felt the soft itch he always felt around his eyes intensify. He still didn''t stop the chakra flow in his eyes. After two minutes, the world became more vibrant for Kaida. He could see more clearly, as if someone had removed a plastic cover from his eyes. Kaida was sure that his Sharingan had evolved to two-tomoe Sharingan. Chapter 92: Fatigue "Congratulations, Kaida! You have finally gotten 2 Tomoe. I didn''t know that with just this much, your Sharingan would evolve. Hell, you haven''t even cast a single Genjutsu, and now you have 2 Tomoe Sharingan! Every Uchiha will question their life choices after hearing this," Shisui said while smiling. "Thanks, brother," Kaida said, then stopped the chakra flow in his eyes. "But since you have already awakened 2 Tomoe, do you still want to learn Genjutsu, or do you want to completely focus on Medical Jutsu?" Shisui asked. "After seeing how easy the Sharingan makes it to cast Genjutsu, I would be a fool not to learn this," Kaida said, smiling. "Right. Now you can take some rest and familiarize yourself with the upgrades. We will continue training tomorrow," Shisui said while patting Kaida on the back and pushing him toward his room. Kaida just nodded and went to his room. There, he sat in a meditative pose and started examining his chakra reserve to confirm the theory he had come up with. After 5 minutes, he thought, ''Sharingan does increase your chakra reserve. When I awakened my Sharingan, my chakra reserves increased by 1.5 times. Now, though the effect has reduced and it has only increased by 1.3 times, with my chakra reserve, it is still a very huge amount. Now I can make 85 Shadow Clones, and my learning speed will increase by leaps and bounds. Also, with this upgrade, the chakra required for using the Sharingan is reduced, so it is also much more beneficial now.'' Normally, neither a Senju nor an Uchiha would have this much chakra. Maybe someone with protagonist luck may have more chakra than even Kaida, but aside from them, no normal ninja will have this much chakra. But since Kaida had both bloodlines, he luckily benefited much more than one could imagine. Normally, a Uchiha has only enough chakra to make 2-4 Shadow Clones when they awaken their Sharingan. So, the enhancing effect of Sharingan is not very apparent, but it was completely different for Kaida. With him having enough chakra to make around 40 Shadow Clones, he was able to make the most out of this effect. Kaida once again activated his Sharingan to check something. He started dividing his chakra into Yin and Yang Chakra, then he let the chakra flow normally. Yin Chakra moved toward his eyes; before, the only difference was that the movement became more stable and steady. But Kaida''s focus was not on this Yin Chakra but on the Yang chakra that was left behind. That chakra got dispersed in the surroundings since it was very unstable after removing Yin Chakra from that. The ratio of the chakra left behind was also 85:15¡ªjust 85 percent was Yang Chakra. Since Kaida was not focusing on maintaining it, it naturally got dispersed. ''Sharingan normally focuses on Yin chakra and its stability. So I can''t use it to make Yang Chakra stable,'' Kaida thought after trying to do so. I can still use Sharingan to easily divide my chakra into Yin and Yang, but the rest of the process has to be done by me only. This is going to be a little difficult, but let''s try it anyway. He once again used Sharingan and divided his chakra; the Yin part automatically moved toward his eyes since his Sharingan was activated. But Kaida''s main focus was on Yang Chakra; he tried to maintain its form the same way he was doing for Yin Chakra. Luckily, Yang Chakra was not as volatile as Yin Chakra, so maintaining its form was easier than maintaining Yin Chakra. Then he stretched his hand, ejected Yang Chakra from his hand, and formed it like a ball just like Shisui. The difference was that it didn''t look like a ball but more like chewed gum. Kaida was still happy with this. ''With this, I should be able to qualify for learning Medical Jutsu. Let''s see till which ratio I can maintain Yin Chakra with the help of Sharingan.'' He once again started dividing the chakra, and when it reached the ratio of 85:15, he didn''t stop and continued to divide the chakra. Slowly it reached 90:10, but from here, the chakra started to become unstable, and with each rise of 1%, it became increasingly unstable. ''Looks like 90:10 is my limit for now,'' Kaida thought. After that, he continued using Sharingan to get a better feel of all the new and enhanced uses of Sharingan, like the distance he could see. Now Kaida could read from a paper placed 150m away from him and even count the legs of a centipede more than 100m away from him. He also felt that colors became more vibrant now; he tried to look at chakra, but he couldn''t use any jutsu in the house, so he didn''t try that. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''No doubt Uchiha were feared that much. Just 2 Tomoe Sharingan is this awesome. What will 3 Tomoe Sharingan bring to my arsenal?'' Kaida thought with a smile, then decided to take a nap. After updating his Sharingan, the mental fatigue Kaida felt was very high. It was around 4 PM; normally, Hae would have called him for a snack, but Shisui had already told her about Kaida. She was very happy, and she also knew that he would better rest for now. So Hae didn''t disturb Kaida, and he slept until 8 PM. After a short nap of 4 hours, he woke up, surprised by the fact that he had slept for so long and was still feeling sleepy. ''Looks like I underestimated the fatigue caused by the upgrade of Sharingan. Even though the fatigue was not this much in the beginning, it kept increasing with time. Well, it makes sense; the sudden changes my body faced can''t come without any consequence,'' Kaida thought after waking up. He went to the hall, only to find Yomi sitting there. "Come, Kaida! Yomi just arrived. We were just about to ask her about her day," Hae said. Kaida nodded and sat there. Yomi was able to see that Kaida looked very exhausted, but she just thought that he had practiced very hard for the whole day, which was normal for Kaida. "Now Yomi, tell us about your day," Hae said. "Okay, I will start from the beginning. At the Hokage building, I was waiting for my new sensei. After some time, he came to me and asked if I was Yomi, then introduced himself as Isao Yamanaka. I was very happy that my sensei from the Yamanaka clan was very polite, so I was thrilled. I thought he was a very nice person, which he is, but I think he has a double personality because when he started teaching me, his whole personality changed from polite to strict. I had to practice for the whole day with just a break for eating. But one thing is for sure; he is a very good teacher, and I was able to learn very much. Even though I had just worked on increasing my senses, I am sure I will learn many things in these 2 years," Yomi told the whole story to everyone. "It''s great that you got a good sensei. Now we have two things to celebrate," Hae said. "Two things?" Yomi asked. Hae looked toward Kaida and asked, "Well, do you want to tell her yourself?" Kaida nodded his head, looked toward Yomi, and activated his Sharingan. "You f*cking upgraded your Sharingan! Did you learn Genjutsu in just 2 days?" Yomi said in shock, then remembered that she was in front of Hae and Shisui and whispered, "Sorry¡­" while hiding her face. "No problem. I was also shocked about this, but he has still not learned Genjutsu; just the basics were enough to upgrade his Sharingan," Shisui said while laughing. "Now he has once again gotten an upgrade. Will I ever be able to catch up to him?" Yomi muttered to herself. "Don''t compare yourself with others, Yomi. Also, you are comparing yourself with the wrong person. Kaida is an anomaly here. If you compare yourself with an average civilian ninja, you are already more powerful than 98% of them at your age, so don''t belittle yourself," Shisui said after hearing what she said. "Okay," Yomi replied, but she was still a little sad about the increasing gap between her and Kaida. "Now, since we have two reasons for celebration, let''s go out to eat something different," Hae said, trying to lift everyone''s mood. Kaida was just too tired to say anything, but looking toward Yomi, he couldn''t remain silent, so he asked, "What do you want to eat, Yomi? My achievement is just a normal one, and it is not as great as yours, so tell us what you want to eat." Yomi felt guilty for bringing down such a joyous mood just because of her selfishness. "I am sorry for acting like this. I am not sad anymore," Yomi said, smiling. "Okay, let''s go! You guys have still not tried the restaurant in the Uchiha compound, right? Let''s go; I am sure you will like it," Shisui said. Then they went to one of the most famous restaurants in the Uchiha compound, even though it was on a little expensive side, but Since Shisui was an elite jonin money was never an issue for them After eating to their heart''s content all of them went back to the house, both Kaida and Yomi directly went to their room Since they were very tired for different reasons Also, Kaida wanted to be in perfect shape tomorrow. Chapter 93: Konoha Hospital After eating to their heart''s content, all of them went back to the house. Both Kaida and Yomi directly went to their rooms, as they were very tired for different reasons. Kaida wanted to be in perfect shape tomorrow, as the chances of him being rejected were quite high. Even if he got rejected by the village hospital, he could still learn medical jutsu with the help of the Uchiha clan. However, the Uchiha clan did not specialize in medical jutsu, so what he would learn there would mostly be subpar. ¡­ At 6:00 AM *Yawn* ''This is the first time I have slept this much, if we don¡¯t count the time when I ate soldier pills,'' Kaida thought after waking up. Then he looked at the time. ''Since the hospital opens at 8 AM, I still have 2 hours to get ready.'' He went to the bathroom and completed his morning duties. After taking a bath, he went to the hall, only to find everyone sitting there and Yomi preparing to leave for her training. "Good morning, everyone," Kaida said. He then looked at Yomi and asked, "You¡¯re leaving this early?" "Yes, my sensei said that morning is the perfect time to train your senses, so until I master the first task, I have to go there before 7," Yomi said, sighing a little. "Okay, I¡¯ll come to drop you off," Kaida said, going toward the gate. "No need. I can go there myself. You should focus on your task. Best of luck with your interview," Yomi said, laughing. "I am going to get accepted; you don¡¯t have to worry about me," Kaida said. "Okay, bye! Bye, aunty! Bye, brother!" Yomi said, then left for her training. "Nervous?" Shisui asked, looking at Kaida. "A little. Grandpa said he was going to arrange someone with a high post. Maybe he is going to send some specialist ninja, and he may refuse to teach me if my talent is not satisfactory enough." "Well, someone with that post is mostly cranky, but at least you are not getting any chief medical ninja as your sensei. They are always angry for some reason and only handle Jonin and above ninjas. They are the real arrogant bunch, but they have qualifications to be arrogant. After Lady Tsunade, they are the most proficient in medical ninjutsu," Shisui said. "Are you trying to increase my pressure?" Kaida asked, looking at Shisui. "If you want to be a successful ninja, this much pressure should be child¡¯s play for you," Shisui said like a sage advising his disciple. *Smack* "Don¡¯t listen to his banter, Kaida. Do you know what he did when he was going to take the Chunin exam¡­?" "MOM, let¡¯s forget about the past. Kaida has to get ready; go get your preparation done," Shisui said, cutting Hae off. "I have already done all the preparation," Kaida said. "Then come, let¡¯s eat breakfast. You need energy for such a hectic day," Shisui said, dragging Kaida toward the dining area. Hae just stood there shaking her head. After eating breakfast, Kaida and Shisui sat in the garden. "Brother, when we use Genjutsu, all that Yang chakra simply goes to waste. Is there some way we can use that chakra?" Kaida asked. "You haven¡¯t even cast your first Genjutsu yet, and you want to learn such an advanced technique? Take one step at a time, my little brother. If you rush it too much, you may harm yourself. Once you¡¯re ready, I will teach you that too," Shisui said. "Okay, brother, but can you at least tell me by which ratio you can divide your chakra?" Kaida asked, wanting to compare himself with Shisui. "Well, normally, I can go till 96:4, but with this, I can even go approximately 100:0," Shisui said while activating his Mangeky¨­ Sharingan. Kaida already knew that Shisui had Mangeky¨­ Sharingan, but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes. In front of these eyes, Kaida felt like he was standing naked and Shisui could read him like an open book. It was like he was in front of an apex predator, and no matter what he did, he could not evade those eyes. Shisui, understanding this, deactivated his Mangeky¨­ Sharingan, looked at Kaida with a gentle smile, and asked, "So, what was your score? I know you¡¯ve tried your limit; that is the only reason you¡¯ll ask me such a question." Kaida took a moment to stabilize his breath and then answered, "Only till 90:10. After that, it started to become unstable, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn''t increase that ratio." "That is a very good number, Kaida. With each percentage, your Genjutsu quality will increase exponentially, but the difficulty will also increase in the same way." "Figured," Kaida said with a disappointed sigh. "No need to be disappointed. With this ratio and 2 Tomoe Sharingan, you can even cast Genjutsu on a Jonin, with enough practice, of course," Shisui said. "Okay, brother," Kaida said while standing up. "Hey, this is not the time to start practicing," Shisui said hurriedly. "What do you take me for? Obviously, I am not going to practice now. It is already 7:30. I am leaving early for the hospital. I don¡¯t want to be late at any cost," Kaida said with mock anger. Shisui just laughed a little and then asked, "Should I come to drop you?" "No, thanks," Kaida replied, fearing Shisui might pull a prank on his new sensei. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Okay, take care," Shisui said. "Thanks," Kaida said and then went toward the Village Hospital. The distance between the Village Hospital and the Uchiha compound was not small by any means, and it was not possible to reach there in 30 minutes, even if someone ran at their full speed. But Kaida used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to get there, so he easily reached in just 10 minutes. He could have reached even sooner, but since he had ample time, Kaida didn¡¯t have to hurry. This was the second time he had come to the Village Hospital. During his first visit, he was very busy and worried due to Ayomi, but this time he had time to see this magnificent building completely. It was not like the hospital shown in the anime¡ªa small building that only had 30 to 40 rooms. No, it was a massive building designed to tend to the thousands of ninjas in Konoha. *(A.N.: The image of the hospital is here, but the rest of the images are on my Patreon page ?)* Upon reaching the hospital, Kaida went to the receptionist and said, "Good morning, ma¡¯am. My name is Kaida Uchiha. Lord Third asked me to come here today to meet my new sensei." "Oh, you¡¯re a little early. Most doctors come here after 8:00 AM. You can wait or come back after some time," the receptionist replied. "I will wait. Ah¡­ can you please tell me the name of my sensei?" Kaida asked. "You will be taught by Mitsuru-sama. I envy you," the receptionist replied. "Oh! Is she a specialist here?" Kaida asked, full of expectation. He may not have been assigned to a specialist, but after hearing the receptionist''s reply, he was sure that his sensei must be a specialist. "You don¡¯t know Mitsuru-sama, and you want to be a medical ninja? Life sure is unfair," the receptionist said, shaking her head. "I am sorry," Kaida apologized, even though he had done nothing wrong. Listening to her reply made him feel that maybe it was his mistake. "Hah! Mitsuru-sama is not just any specialist here; she is the chief medical ninja and is in charge of the emergency response team. She is one of the youngest medical ninjas to become chief medical ninja. She is just 35 years old, though she does get angry quite easily," the receptionist explained. Kaida''s eyes lost their light for a moment. ''Really? How can my luck be this good and bad at the same time?'' Kaida thought, but didn¡¯t say anything. He just nodded and went to sit on the sofa. Chapter 94: Test? ''really, how can my luck be this good and bad at the same time?'' Kaida thought but didn''t say anything. He just nodded his head and went to sit on the sofa. After 15 minutes, medical ninjas started to arrive at the hospital. Some went to their rooms while others went to check on patients. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Konoha Hospital was never still; due to constant clashes between ninjas, it was always full of patients. Kaida patiently waited for his new sensei to arrive. After 10 more minutes, a lady entered the hospital, followed by two men in their mid-twenties, and directly went to the receptionist. "Is that brat here?" "Yes, Mitsuru-sama, he is sitting there waiting for you," the receptionist replied. Mitsuru looked in the direction the receptionist had pointed. Kaida, seeing that the receptionist had pointed toward him, understood that the lady next to her was his new sensei. So when she looked toward him, Kaida quickly stood up and bowed his head a little. "Come to my office, brat." Mitsuru didn¡¯t return the greeting and just told him to meet her in her office. ''Looks like the rumor about her being angry all the time was true,'' Kaida thought as he followed her. When they entered an office on the third floor, Mitsuru took her seat while everyone else remained standing. "So, you want to become a medical ninja?" she asked. "No, ma''am. I just want to learn some medical jutsu so that I can help my team in their time of need." "So you don¡¯t want to specialize in this field?" Mitsuru asked, frustration apparent in her voice. "No, ma''am. I want to specialize in this field," Kaida said hurriedly. "Then you will become a medical ninja. Can''t you understand this simple thing?" Mitsuru asked. "I¡¯m sorry." Kaida decided not to argue with her. From her tone, it looked like she was looking for a reason to reject him. Kaida resolved to do his best to avoid that outcome, as no matter what her personality was, she was undoubtedly very proficient in medical jutsu. "You should know that I am very busy, so I¡¯m not going to teach you anything if you are not talented in medical jutsu. You will have to show me that your talent is enough for me." "What should I do, ma''am?" Kaida asked, not using "sensei" since she had yet to agree to teach him. "Why are you in such a hurry? Let me finish," she said with a smile. "You now have two choices: either take a test and pass it to become my disciple, but if you fail this test, you will not be able to learn medical jutsu from anyone in this hospital, or you can choose not to be my disciple, and I will arrange a new sensei for you. Don¡¯t worry; he will at least be a specialist here, so you won¡¯t lose much." Now Kaida understood the reason behind her smile. Previously, he had been just happy to get someone as proficient as a medical ninja for a sensei, but now that Hiruzen had arranged for someone so skilled to teach him, he felt more pressure. However, even if he failed the test, he could still learn medical jutsu from the Uchiha clan. After some consideration, he made his choice. "I would like to take the test, ma''am," Kaida said respectfully. "A brave one, are you?" Mitsuru said, an amused smile on her face. She had not expected him to choose that. ''Are you thinking that you will easily pass my test? Uchiha are arrogant, huh? Let¡¯s see how you react after failing the test,'' Mitsuru thought. "Okay, the test is simple. You have the Sharingan, right?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, ma''am," Kaida replied. Since it was not a secret and Hiruzen must have told her when he asked her to teach Kaida, he didn¡¯t find it difficult that she already knew he had the Sharingan. "Good. Then your task is simple: you just have to learn a very basic medical jutsu in one hour. With your Sharingan, copying a jutsu should be child''s play for you, right? But since I¡¯m so generous, I decided to give you some extra time so you can learn it easily." The two men standing behind Mitsuru shook their heads in disappointment, both sharing the same thought: *Boy, you should have chosen the second option. Even with the Sharingan, you can''t learn a medical jutsu, as it uses chakra very differently. You can¡¯t copy that with the Sharingan, even if you see it. Only with practice and hard work can one learn medical jutsu. So learning a medical jutsu for the first time from scratch is close to impossible.* Kaida also thought the same. *If I had not practiced dividing and maintaining my chakra in Yin and Yang format, then this would have been impossible, but now I do stand a chance to pass this test.* "Are you ready?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, ma''am," Kaida said while activating his Sharingan. ''This brat has a two-tomoe Sharingan, most likely upgraded recently, since Lord Third didn¡¯t mention anything about it. Maybe because of this, he is so confident, as he is very close to becoming a Jonin in terms of strength. No doubt this boy is talented, but having talent in ninjutsu doesn''t mean you are also talented in medical jutsu. Since he doesn¡¯t even know genjutsu, learning this in one hour would be impossible, and I would be free from this extra burden,'' Mitsuru thought. She took out a scroll from one of the seals and passed her chakra into the scroll. Suddenly, a fish came out of the scroll. The fish had a big cut on its stomach. Mitsuru didn¡¯t perform any hand signs and just manipulated her yang chakra in her body. First, it circled a specific path in her body and then went toward her hand. The path the chakra took was very complex, and Kaida didn¡¯t even remember the accurate route the chakra took. The peculiar thing that happened after circulating the chakra along that path was that it became docile, like the turbulent water of the sea suddenly converting into the stable and peaceful water of a lake. Then, when it reached her hand, it started to glow a green color, and slowly the cut on the fish began to heal. Within a minute, the fish returned to full health, and even its dried skin looked more lively. "See? Simple task. Do you want to try?" Mitsuru said, looking toward Kaida. "I¡¯m sorry, ma''am, but can you please do it once again?" *Sigh.* "Okay, but it will be the last time I do it. After that, you can learn from the scroll. You will have a full hour for it," Mitsuru said, as if she were doing him a huge favor. She once again passed her chakra into the scroll, and another fish came out of the scroll. It was a little less injured than before but still had a deep cut. Just like before, Mitsuru used the jutsu and healed the fish, but this time, Kaida''s focus was entirely on the path Mitsuru passed her chakra. "Now are you ready?" Mitsuru asked. Chapter 95: Is he telling the truth? Just like before, Mitsuru used the jutsu and healed the fish, but this time, Kaida''s whole focus was on the path Mitsuru had taken with her chakra. "Now, are you ready?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, ma''am," Kaida said. "Okay, you can try it now. Even if you fail, you can do it after one hour," Mitsuru said, then passed her chakra into the scroll. Once again, an injured fish came out of the scroll. Kaida stepped in front of the fish. Since he had already activated his Sharingan, he easily divided his chakra into Yin and Yang, then used the Yang chakra in his body, which was in a ratio of 88:12, and guided it along a similar path that he had memorized. After the circulation was complete, he directed that chakra toward his hand and placed it above the fish. Slowly, his hand started glowing green, and the wound on the fish''s stomach began to close. But then something completely different happened. The wound, which was closing normally, started to form a very disgusting tumor, and the wound became more deadly than before, causing the fish to die. Kaida''s mood drooped. Seeing this, he felt that Mitsuru might directly reject him. Not being able to perform that jutsu was one thing, but killing someone while trying to save them was very bad for any medical ninja. Kaida looked toward Mitsuru while bowing his head slightly and said, "I am sorry, ma''am. I don''t know what mistake I made, but I will learn it in one hour." Then he looked up, only to find the shocked faces of all three of them. "Lord Third said that you don''t have any prior knowledge of medical ninjutsu or genjutsu. Were you hiding this from him?" Mitsuru asked. "No, ma''am. I didn''t know anything about genjutsu or medical jutsu until the day before yesterday. But since I just joined the Uchiha Clan, my big brother started teaching me about genjutsu. Due to that, I knew the basics of dividing my chakra into Yin and Yang," Kaida replied with a smile. All three of them thought the same thing: *Is this boy telling the truth?* But thinking it through, there was not much he would gain by lying to them. Yes, he could be accepted as a disciple, but eventually, he would be unable to maintain his genius persona. Mitsuru sighed and said, "Do you know what you did wrong in the treatment?" Kaida thought for a moment and then said, "Ma''am, unlike your chakra, which was calm and steady, mine was a little aggressive, and I was not able to move my chakra inside my body accurately; there were some inconsistencies. Maybe due to that, this happened," he said, pointing toward the lump at the belly of the fish. "You are right and wrong at the same time. It wasn''t that your chakra had any problem; although it was very turbulent, the main reason this happened was the amount of chakra you poured all of a sudden. The jutsu you just used is known as Mystic Palm Jutsu. This jutsu helps increase the repairing capacity of the body. In other words, a wound that would take weeks to heal can be mended in minutes with this jutsu if used correctly. But we can''t produce tissue, veins, bones, blood, etc., from the air. Due to this, when you use this jutsu, the body uses all of its extra nutrients to form the required part. What you did was provide an excess amount of chakra than necessary, causing the tissue formation to increase more than it should have. This lump is the extra tissue created due to that excess chakra," Mitsuru explained, no longer treating the situation as a joke. Kaida went into deep thought and then asked, "Did this fish die because of the excessive use of those nutrients?" "Correct," Mitsuru said with an approving nod. The doctors behind her were shocked when they heard Mitsuru teaching Kaida. She had complained for half an hour after coming from the Hokage office about increasing her burden once again, and now she was teaching like nothing had happened. But they could understand the reason behind this: the boy in front of them was a genius. If what he said was correct, even those considered very talented in this field took two days to learn this jutsu. From the looks of it, this boy would most likely learn it within one hour, and he had already completed the most difficult task. Now, he just had to control the amount of chakra he used during the treatment. Both of them also gave an approving nod to Kaida in their minds. After listening to Mitsuru''s reply, Kaida asked, "Can I try once again?" "Of course," Mitsuru said and once again passed chakra into the scroll. Once again, a fish came out of the scroll. Unluckily, this one was more injured than the others. Mitsuru thought of trying to change the fish, but Kaida had already placed his hand above it. With full concentration, he divided his chakra into Yin and Yang with the help of his Sharingan and then moved his Yang chakra along the same path. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After one circulation, which was similar to before but with some minor improvements, he directed his Yang chakra toward his hand. This time, he kept the chakra emission slow. Combined with his Sharingan, which was able to see the minute details in the tissue, he was able to direct the chakra where it was needed. After two minutes of precise chakra emission, the fish was healed. Though there was once again a lump at its belly, it was significantly smaller, and the fish was still alive. Seeing this, Mitsuru smiled a little. She was just going to say that Kaida had passed the test, but before she could say anything, Kaida began speaking. "I am still unable to calm my chakra completely like yours, ma''am, but in one hour, I should be able to produce a satisfactory result. Can you please give me one of these scrolls? I will return it in one hour." Now she couldn''t say that she was satisfied with just this much, right? She was the Chief Medical Ninja of Konoha Hospital, and her standard couldn''t be lower than that of someone who was not even a beginner in this field. "You can take this scroll. I will provide you with a training area. This scroll contains 200 fish. If by any chance you want more, just ask any staff present in the surroundings and tell them that it is my order; they will provide you with more fish. After one hour from now, come back and show me your performance," Mitsuru said. "Yes, ma''am." Kaida sensed a subtle shift in her tone, which was now more approving. Mitsuru then nodded toward one of her subordinates. He understood and said, "Follow me." "Yes, sir." Kaida quietly followed him. Once they were out of range, the remaining subordinate of Mitsuru asked, "Mitsuru-sama, are you thinking about taking him as your disciple?" "You saw his talent, right? I would be a fool not to teach him. But it will depend on whether he is worthy enough to learn my signature jutsu or not. Now why are you still standing here? Go to your duties." He quickly went toward the gate, a smile on his face. Mitsuru then started her day. The table in her office was full of paperwork for her reviews. Since she was the Chief Medical Ninja and in charge of the response team, the amount of paperwork she had to do was similar to that of any clan leader. This was one of the reasons she didn''t want to take on any disciples; she simply had too much work to do. ¡­ Kaida went with the subordinate to a room that was more or less empty. Aside from some tables and chairs, there was nothing else. "This room is normally empty; you can use it for training. Also, if you have any doubts, you can ask me," the subordinate said. "Thank you, sir. If I come up with any during my practice, I will surely come to you for advice," Kaida said respectfully. The person in front of him was not just anybody but a specialist in the hospital, someone who had a similar level of respect as an elite Jonin. "Good," the person said and left after telling Kaida the room where he could find him. Since Kaida only had one hour, he started practicing by making ten shadow clones, each taking a fish to practice on. His shadow clones couldn''t use that jutsu as quickly as Kaida could because they didn''t have Sharingan to easily divide their chakra into Yin and Yang. However, since Kaida had already practiced dividing his chakra without the help of Sharingan, his clones could still use the technique but just a little slower. For half an hour, Kaida and his clones kept healing one fish after another. There were visible improvements in the healing as the lump kept decreasing in size, and the Yang chakra also became more stable and calm than before. He dispersed all of his shadow clones to gather their experiences. After sorting through their memories, Kaida started practicing on his own without any clones. Even though it may not have looked like it, this jutsu was using his chakra like crazy. Kaida was sure that if he hadn''t received the boost from getting two tomoe in his Sharingan, he might have fainted from chakra exhaustion after one hour of practice. The jutsu itself was not overly chakra-consuming; it was just that a massive amount of chakra was being dispersed into the surrounding area. Kaida was not training to reduce that wastage, as his main goal for now was to heal the fish as Mitsuru did. It never occurred to him that Mitsuru was a very experienced medical ninja and that he couldn''t reach her level in just one hour. (A.N: Sorry for the long break there will be a mass release tomorrow as an apology ^~^) Chapter 96: Disciple Privilege It never clicked in his mind that Mitsuru was a very experienced medical ninja, and he couldn''t reach her level in just one hour. **** (After one hour of continuous practice) Kaida was practicing the jutsu for the last time. He passed his chakra into the scroll, and an injured fish came out of the scroll. Kaida placed his hand on the fish and started circulating his Yang chakra. His eyes were red (the white part) because of all the veins that had popped up due to overuse of the Sharingan. If not for his Senju bloodline, which had made his body stronger than the average Uchiha, he would have bled from his eyes by now. After circulating the Yang chakra, he directed it toward his hand. His hand started to glow with a soft green light. With accurate precision, he kept passing only the required amount of chakra into the fish, fully concentrating on not producing that lump one more time. After some time, the fish was healed. Due to continuous hard work and training, there was no lump on the belly of the fish, though there was a hideous-looking scar. ''This much should suffice. I don''t think I can accurately replicate what she (Mitsuru) did,'' Kaida thought and went toward Mitsuru''s office. *** *Knock knock* Hearing the knock on the door, Mitsuru looked toward the clock. "Come in." Kaida entered the office. "So, are you ready now?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, ma''am." "Then what are you waiting for? Show me what progress you''ve made," Mitsuru said. Her expectations were low this time. Kaida was able to heal the fish in just two tries. Though it couldn''t be said that the fish was fully healed, at least it was alive. Improving after that would be a matter of time and practice, which Kaida didn¡¯t have. So, Mitsuru had decided to accept him as her disciple, even if he hadn''t made any new progress. Kaida just nodded and placed the scroll on the table, a little away from where Mitsuru was sitting. He passed chakra into the scroll, and an injured fish popped out. With accurate precision, Kaida began circulating his Yang chakra. His eyes were still red¡ªhe had not deactivated his Sharingan because he knew that with the amount of exhaustion he was feeling in his eyes, if he deactivated his Sharingan now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to activate them again anytime soon. So, Kaida decided to keep them activated until the end of the test. After circulating his chakra, he directed it toward his hand. With a soft green glow emitting from his hand, Kaida placed it over the belly of the fish. With the help of the Sharingan, he began healing the fish. After some time, the fish was healed completely. Mitsuru sat in her chair with a shocked expression after seeing the result, thinking, ''He more or less reached the level of a general practitioner in just one hour. If those guys find out that a boy reached the same level as them in just one hour whereas they invested years of their lives into it, I wonder what type of faces they¡¯ll make.'' "Good job, you passed the test," Mitsuru said with a smile and then continued, "Though I don''t think you have any stamina left to learn something new. So go back and rest. We will start your training tomorrow morning." "Yes, ma''am," Kaida said, completely agreeing with her statement. "You are my disciple from now on. So, from today, call me ''Sensei,'' okay?" "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied with a smile on his face. "Okay, you can go back now," Mitsuru said, returning to her mountain of paperwork. Kaida did a 90-degree bow and said, "Thank you for choosing me as your disciple, Sensei," and then left the office. ''With talent, he also has modesty¡ªa rare combination,'' Mitsuru thought. *** Kaida deactivated his Sharingan as soon as he came out of the office. He went to the receptionist and asked, "Can I have a pack of ice for my eyes, please?" "Yes, just wait a sec," she said and told a nursing ninja to bring an ice pack. "So, did you get selected?" the receptionist asked, anticipation in her eyes. "Yes," Kaida replied with a smile. "You got selected? Congratulations! You don¡¯t know how many people have tried to become her disciple, but all of them were rejected," the receptionist said. "Why? She wasn''t that strict," Kaida said. "Well, there were different reasons. Some weren¡¯t talented enough, while those who did have some talent were too arrogant for their own good," the receptionist replied. Kaida nodded in understanding. By then, the ice pack was delivered. Kaida gratefully took the ice pack and placed it on his eyes, feeling a little relieved. He then asked, "How much for this?" "Hahaha, you¡¯re joking, right?" the receptionist asked. But, seeing Kaida wasn¡¯t laughing, she said, "You¡¯re now a disciple of Mitsuru-sama. You may not know, but you¡¯re at the same level as a general practitioner in this hospital. You¡¯ll also get many perks, like full access to the hospital library, training materials, and more. So, there¡¯s no way you have to pay for such things." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida nodded, too tired to continue the conversation. "Okay, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow," Kaida said, then left. *** (Uchiha Clan, Shisui¡¯s house) "So, you finally can¡¯t control yourself and want to go on missions again? I thought I made myself clear that you were going to rest for at least one month," Hae said angrily. "I was planning to, Mom, but the Clan Leader personally gave me a mission. Don¡¯t worry, this mission won¡¯t take much time. I¡¯ll be back in two days," Shisui reassured her. "It¡¯s not like I can stop you. Just be safe." "Okay, Mom. Bye. Tell Kaida and Yomi I¡¯ll be back soon," Shisui said. "Where are you going, brother?" Kaida asked, entering the house. "Oh! You¡¯re quite early. Don¡¯t tell me they rejected you," Shisui asked dramatically. "No, brother. I now have a very famous Sensei for medical jutsu," Kaida said with a mischievous smile. "Oh? And who is he?" Shisui asked, intrigued. "Chief Medical Ninja of the Emergency Rescue Department, Mitsuru Nara," Kaida said with a proud look on his face. "What? You got accepted by that devil of a woman?" Shisui asked. *Smack* "Congratulations, Kaida," Hae said, smacking Shisui on the head. "Thanks, Aunty. Brother, do you know my Sensei?" "Yes, she treated me once. I don¡¯t want to remember that. Just know my condolences are with you for your happy life," Shisui said. "Hahaha. That aside, are you going anywhere, brother?" Kaida asked. "Yeah. The Clan Head gave me an urgent mission. I¡¯ll be back in two days." "Oh! Okay, best of luck, brother." "Same to you." And Shisui left, while Kaida thought, ''Why do I feel like brother wasn¡¯t joking about the last part? Anyways, there may have been some misunderstanding. Mitsuru-sensei was quite nice today, and unlike other Nara clan members, she wasn¡¯t lazy but rather hardworking. Maybe she was adopted into the clan?'' "So, Kaida, why are you home so early?" "Oh, actually, Aunty, I overexerted myself during the test, so Sensei said to rest today, and we¡¯ll start training tomorrow." "Oh! That¡¯s great. Do you want to eat anything?" Hae asked. "No, Aunty, I¡¯d like to take a short nap," Kaida said, still feeling a little pain in his eyes. "Okay, go and rest. I¡¯ll wake you up at lunchtime." "Thank you, Aunty," Kaida said and went to his room. After an hour''s nap, Kaida¡¯s eyes had recovered. ''I still have two hours before lunch. I should complete some missions to use those resources. It would be a waste to be in the clan and not use them.'' Kaida thought and went toward the clan headquarters after informing Hae. Kaida directly took a D-rank mission. Even though D-rank missions only give 10 contribution points, while C-rank missions give 50-80 contribution points, Kaida still chose D-rank missions because they were easy and quick to complete. He could spam shadow clones to complete them. Kaida took 25 D-rank missions and made 50 shadow clones. Even though he could now make nearly 90 shadow clones, Kaida decided to take it easy and made shadow clones with more than the required chakra. Now, he only had 10% of his chakra left, which meant he was once again exhausted. So Kaida decided not to do any hard labor for now. He went to the receptionist and asked, "Can I get a list of resources and their price with contribution points?" The receptionist looked around, and seeing there wasn¡¯t much of a crowd, said, "Looks like I¡¯m free for some time. So yes, I can give you that list, but it¡¯s not free." "Do I have to pay in contribution points?" "No, regular money will suffice. The list will cost 2000Ryo, and with an extra 500 Ryo I will tell you all of the doubts you may have about those resources" "Okay here" Kaida directly paid 2500 Ryo, the price was similar to the reward of any low D rank mission, So Kaida had no problem paying that price The receptionist took the money went inside a room and then came out with 2 pages containing the list of resources and their price Chapter 97: Resource The receptionist took the money and went inside a room, then came out with two pages, handing them to Kaida. "This is a list of all the resources you can get using contribution points." "Thanks." Kaida took the list and started reading it. The first page consisted of all the consumable items with their prices: **Chakra Enhancing Elixirs** (80 CP): Potions or elixirs crafted from rare herbs and ingredients that naturally boost chakra reserves and increase physical strength temporarily. These elixirs are brewed by skilled medical ninjas and consumed before battles or training sessions to enhance performance. **Endurance Tonics** (150 CP): Specialized tonics formulated to improve stamina and endurance without causing fatigue or exhaustion. These tonics contain ginseng, royal jelly, and special mushrooms known for their energy-boosting properties. **Muscle Enhancing Salves** (120 CP): Topical ointments or salves infused with herbal extracts and chakra-infused compounds that stimulate muscle growth and increase physical strength. Applied directly to the skin, these salves temporarily boost strength during combat or training. **Focus Pills** (300 CP): Concentrated pills or extracts derived from rare plants or animals that enhance mental focus, concentration, and reaction times. These pills improve combat prowess and strategic thinking without negative side effects by sharpening the mind and heightening awareness. **Adrenaline Stimulants** (120 CP): Synthetic compounds or extracts derived from natural sources that mimic the effects of adrenaline, increasing adrenaline production to enhance strength, speed, and agility. These stimulants are administered through injections or inhalants and provide a temporary surge in physical performance. **Regenerative Elixirs** (100 CP): Healing potions or elixirs infused with regenerative properties that accelerate tissue repair and recovery from injuries. By speeding up the body''s natural healing processes, these elixirs allow ninjas to train harder and recover faster, increasing overall strength and resilience. **Enhanced Nutrition Supplements** (60 CP, 30,000 Ryo): Specialized dietary supplements fortified with vitamins, minerals, and chakra-infused nutrients that promote muscle growth, bone density, and overall physical health. These supplements are tailored to ninjas undergoing intense training or combat situations, providing essential nutrients for optimal performance. Can be consumed daily. **Vitality Infusion Brew** (150 CP): A potent brew crafted from rare herbs and chakra-infused ingredients that revitalizes the body and boosts vitality. Consuming this brew before battles or intense training sessions replenishes energy reserves, increases physical strength, and enhances performance without negative side effects. **Spiritual Empowerment Tonic** (500 CP): A mystical tonic brewed from sacred plants and imbued with spiritual energy that fortifies the mind and body. Drinking this tonic heightens spiritual awareness, strengthens mental resolve, and amplifies chakra flow, resulting in significant increases in strength and resilience during combat or meditation. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. **Harmony Restoration Elixir** (250 CP): An elixir formulated from harmonizing herbs and energy-balancing compounds that restore balance to the body''s internal energies. By aligning chakra pathways and harmonizing elemental affinities, this elixir enhances physical strength, agility, and elemental control, allowing ninjas to unleash their full potential without the risk of imbalance or strain. After reading the list, Kaida turned to the receptionist and asked, "Why are these two resources so expensive?" pointing to the **Spiritual Empowerment Tonic** and **Focus Pills**. "You know why the Uchiha clan is so powerful, right? It''s because of our Sharingan. The power of your Sharingan depends on two things: your spiritual energy, which increases with chakra, and your mental power. The problem with mental power is that it grows very slowly, and if your mental power is weak, your brain will be damaged from all the extra information the Sharingan provides. Now, as you can see, these two medicines help increase that mental power, so obviously, they''re going to be expensive." Kaida nodded in understanding and once again shifted his focus to the list. After some consideration, he asked, "Is there a limit on how many times we can take these medicines?" "Yes, every medicine that''s consumable and only has a temporary effect should only be used once a day. Medicines with permanent effects strain your body a little, so people usually take them twice or thrice a week. But those medicines you asked about should only be taken once a week. The **Harmony Restoration Elixir** is crucial if you plan on taking other medicines. It helps maintain balance in your body''s energy and should be taken once a month." "Thanks," Kaida said, making plans for resource gathering. ''I don¡¯t need consumables, so I can focus on endurance tonics and enhanced nutrition supplements to increase my physical power. For every two days, it¡¯ll cost 280 CP. I can earn around 250 CP in two hours by doing D-rank missions, so that''s manageable. The real challenge comes with the focus pills and spiritual empowerment tonic¡ª800 CP a week in total, but they¡¯re mandatory. If I calculate, I can earn 1,750 CP a week, and I¡¯ll need 870 CP for physical supplements and 800 for mental ones, leaving me with about 80 CP. I can use the meditation room for some extra missions to save for the Fire Room. With that, I¡¯ll need to complete at least 25 D-rank missions daily and take time for physical workouts. So much to do.'' Kaida sighed at the thought of his workload, but then, with a wicked smile, he thought, ''If I can stick to this routine for a year, I''ll be at least at the level of an elite jonin.'' With his plan set, Kaida folded the list, put it in his pocket, and left the counter. "I still need to complete five more missions today. You know what, let¡¯s do ten more. Then I¡¯ll try the focus pill and see if it¡¯s worth the effort." Kaida selected 10 more missions but waited to start, as he''d promised Hae to be back by lunchtime. To his surprise, his clones returned within an hour. "What happened? Why are you back so early?" "We completed the missions. What did you expect us to do¡ªplay?" one clone said. "That extra chakra was very helpful. We spammed a lot of jutsu and finished quickly," another clone said. "Great, now we can complete these 10 more missions before lunch," Kaida said with a smile. "Aren¡¯t you being too greedy now?" a clone asked. "You''ll be too when you find out what you can get with contribution points," Kaida said, dispersing his clones. With the chakra restored from his clones and the hour of waiting, Kaida¡¯s reserves were nearly full again. This time, he made 20 shadow clones with 60% of his chakra, intent on speeding things up. The clones knew the plan, divided into teams, and set off. Kaida submitted his mission reports, received his rewards, and asked, "Can I get the focus pill now?" "You¡¯re at the right place. Do you want one?" "Not right now. I only have 200 CP, so I¡¯ll have to wait a bit." "Take your time," the receptionist said with a smile. Kaida sat down, thinking, ''The more chakra I give to my clones, the faster they can complete missions.'' He reflected on how his clones had used wind techniques and chakra enhancements to speed up tasks. It consumed more chakra, but the efficiency was undeniable. Kaida went to receive the rest of his rewards, as the receptionist asked, "Do you want the focus pill now?" Chapter 98: Focus Pill "Yes," Kaida replied. "Then just give me 200 Contribution points," the receptionist said, trying to be efficient. Kaida nodded and gave him 200 Contribution points. The receptionist put an entry in the register and then went inside to get the pill. After some time, he came out with a white bottle, which had various symbols on it. "Do you know how and when to take this?" the receptionist asked, handing the bottle to Kaida. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "No," Kaida replied. "It''s nothing too complicated. Just take this medicine one hour before you go to sleep. After taking it, meditate for one hour normally, and then go to sleep. And under no circumstances should you use your Sharingan after taking the medicine for at least 8-10 hours. Your brain will need time to adjust to the effects." "Thank you," Kaida said, heading home as it was time for lunch. *** "Welcome back. Food is almost ready. Go wash your hands and mouth while I serve," Hae said as she saw Kaida return. "Okay, Aunty," Kaida said, and he went to wash up, then joined her at the table where the food was already served. After eating, Kaida went to his room and began practicing Healing Palm Jutsu. Though he''d passed the test, his technique was far from perfect. Time flew by as he practiced, and evening came. Kaida continued circulating his Yang chakra along the same pathway he''d learned. Since he wasn''t projecting it outside his body, the chakra expenditure was low. With his reserves and their replenishing rate, Kaida could continue indefinitely without issue (aside from old age, of course). During his practice, he heard voices. "Welcome back, Yomi. How was your day?" "Exhausting beyond belief. My sensei is a demon. He doesn¡¯t even let me rest for a few minutes during training. He said that if I want to be a good sensor in two years, I have to practice like this. Now I''m rethinking my life choices." "I didn''t know you¡¯d get scared of a little exercise," Kaida said, coming out of his room. "I never said I was going to stop training! Also, why are you here? Don¡¯t tell me you got rejected!" Yomi asked, her face showing mock shock. "What can I do? My sensei was very strict and said I could be anything in the world... except a medical ninja," Kaida said, slumping his shoulders a little. Yomi, thinking Kaida was genuinely upset, patted his back. "Don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯ll ask my sensei to teach us both. He¡¯s really nice. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll agree." "Hah! Looks like living with Shisui has rubbed off on you more than I thought. How could you learn so much in just 3-4 days?" Hae remarked, shaking her head. Yomi realized Kaida had been joking. "You scoundrel! I was worried for you!" she exclaimed, slapping Kaida on the back. "I¡¯m sorry, but it was such a perfect chance. How could I resist?" Kaida said, laughing. "So, you got selected. Why are you here then? Shouldn''t you be training?" Yomi asked. "I got exhausted, so my sensei told me to come home. We¡¯ll start again tomorrow." "You got such a caring sensei. Why are you so lucky?" Yomi muttered. "What can I do?" Kaida shrugged. "Enough, you two. Yomi, you must be hungry. Go freshen up, and I¡¯ll prepare some snacks," Hae said. "No, Aunty, you should rest. I¡¯ll prepare the snacks," Kaida offered, heading to the kitchen. Hae, understanding that Kaida wanted to feel more like family, didn''t object. "Aunty, could you teach me how to cook?" Yomi asked shyly. "Of course, I can," Hae replied with a smile. Yomi nodded and went to her room while Kaida prepared French fries with mayonnaise and simple burgers. Once the snacks were ready, Hae and Yomi joined him in the dining area. "This is good! Kaida, you have the talent to become a famous chef," Hae complimented. "I agree," Yomi added. "Thanks, but I¡¯m happy being a ninja," Kaida said, continuing to eat his burger while thinking, ''If a normal burger tastes this good, I wonder how the one with caramelized onions and barbecue sauce will taste.'' "I¡¯ll make a better version of this when Brother comes back from his mission," Kaida said. "Brother went on a mission?" Yomi asked. "Yes, an ''urgent'' mission from the clan head," Hae explained. "Oh! When will he come back?" Yomi asked. "He said in two days," Kaida answered. After finishing their food, Yomi and Kaida went to their rooms, while Hae went to talk to a friend. Kaida resumed practicing, and Yomi, mentally exhausted from training, went straight to bed. They both only came out for dinner before returning to their rooms. Kaida was particularly excited. ''The fire room only costs 200 Contribution points, and it was so beneficial. Now, there¡¯s this¡ªa single pill for 300 Contribution points. If the Uchiha clan isn¡¯t swindling its young ones, this pill should noticeably increase my strength,'' he thought, looking at the red pill inside the white bottle. Sitting in a meditative position, Kaida swallowed the pill. It dissolved quickly in his mouth, leaving a bitter aftertaste. Kaida endured the bitterness and began meditating. He felt warmth in his stomach, which soon spread and was absorbed by his body, like a dry sponge soaking up water. After meditating for an hour, Kaida went straight to sleep without even opening his eyes. *** The next morning, Kaida woke up feeling completely relaxed, as if he had no worries at all. His mind was calm, without any stray thoughts. Then he remembered he¡¯d taken the Focus Pill the previous night. ''Is this one of the effects of the Focus Pill? Well, my focus has definitely increased. But what about my Sharingan''s power?'' Kaida thought, activating his Sharingan. Everything looked the same. ''Hah! Of course, the pill wasn''t meant to increase the power of my Sharingan, but rather to enhance my mental capacity and ability to process its input.'' Kaida went to the garden and looked at the sky. He saw birds flying high overhead, and to his surprise, he could predict their movements, even if just by a fraction of a second, without trying. ''Holy¡­ this is overpowered! If this pill has such an effect, what will the others do?'' Kaida thought excitedly. After satisfying his curiosity, he checked the time¡ªit was already 6:30 AM. ''Oh no, I should hurry!'' he thought, rushing to get ready. Chapter 99: Medical Jutsu Seeing the time, Kaida got ready and went to the dining area for breakfast. Yomi and Hae were already there. Seeing Kaida, Hae spoke, "What happened, Kaida? Why were you in the garden so early this morning?" "Aunty, I took the Focus Pill yesterday, so I wanted to see its effects," Kaida replied honestly. "How did you get that pill? If I remember correctly, you would need around 300 Contribution points for that, and you''ve only been with the clan for three days. Did Shisui buy it for you?" Hae asked worriedly. "No, I earned the points myself. I did some D-rank missions with the help of my clones and was able to get those Contribution points. But why are you so worried?" Kaida asked. "Oh, it''s nothing," Hae said, trying to act like she wasn''t worried. Kaida grew a little suspicious. ''There''s something they''re hiding from me, and it''s related to my brother. He''s a Jonin and mostly does A-rank missions, which reward 3000 Contribution points each. So how was he low on Contribution points when he showed me the resources room? I know 200 Contribution points is a big amount, but it shouldn''t be much for him. The only thing I can guess is that there''s something ridiculously expensive my brother needs from those points,'' Kaida thought, deciding to leave the matter aside for now and wait for them to tell him. Yomi, unaware of everything, asked, "What is this medicine you''re talking about?" "Oh, you don''t know? Actually, just like the Hokage''s office, you can do missions for the clan too, but only if you''re a part of it. When you complete those missions, you not only get money but also something called Contribution points, which can be used to get various resources. The Focus Pill is one of those resources. The receptionist said it would help me utilize my Sharingan better," Kaida explained. "Oh! Does that mean I can''t do those missions or get those resources?" Yomi asked. "From what I know, you need to be part of the clan to do those missions. Also, many of the resources won''t even work on you. But for those that will, I can get them for you," Kaida offered. "No, I don''t want to rely on your help every time I need something. I want to increase my strength by myself," Yomi said. "You know, there is a way Yomi can do those missions without being part of the Uchiha clan," Hae said. "Really?" Yomi asked. "Yes, but you''ll have to wait for Shisui to come back. He knows more about it than I do," Hae replied. "Oh, okay," Yomi said. After eating breakfast, Kaida and Yomi headed toward their respective destinations. Kaida was quite early, as it was only 7:10 AM and the hospital didn''t open until 8 AM. His sensei usually arrived at 8:15 AM, so he had around an hour. He could use the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu and Body Flicker Jutsu to get there in just 10 minutes, but the reason he was early was that¡­ ''I won''t have much time for physical training now, so I''ll train whenever I get the chance,'' Kaida thought. He activated the weight seal to 100 kilograms and started running toward the hospital. Running, especially with extra weight, was a great exercise to develop full-body muscles and endurance. Despite the challenge, Kaida was used to intense workouts, so it wasn''t too hard for him. However, this time was different. He wasn''t flowing normal chakra through his body but Yang chakra, and he kept the ratio at 70:30, with 70% Yang chakra. This helped him increase his strength, control over Yang chakra, and rebuild muscles torn from the weight training. After running for 50 minutes, Kaida was still some distance away from the hospital, so he deactivated the weight seal and used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to reach his destination. Seeing the hospital still closed, Kaida thought, ''That was a good workout. I''ll do the same on my way back, and train while my clone handles those D-rank missions.'' His plan was solid, but Kaida hadn''t considered how much chakra he''d need to use for the Shadow Clones. After some time, the hospital opened, and Kaida headed straight to Mitsuru''s office, sitting in the chairs outside. After 15 minutes of waiting and meditating, Mitsuru finally arrived. "Good morning, Sensei," Kaida greeted. "Oh! How long have you been here?" Mitsuru asked while unlocking her office door. "Come inside." Kaida entered the office. "As you can see, I have a mountain of paperwork to do. How will I ever find time to teach you?" Mitsuru said dramatically. "Sorry, Sensei, but I''ve been wondering since yesterday¡ªwhy don''t you use Shadow Clones to finish all this paperwork quickly?" Kaida asked. "You have a sharp mind, but lack experience. If I finish all the paperwork quickly, it''s not like I''d get free time. I''d just get more work. Plus, when I dispel the Shadow Clones, the mental fatigue transfers to me," Mitsuru explained. Kaida now understood why such a convenient jutsu wasn''t used by all the leaders in Konoha. "But don''t worry. Now that I''ve accepted you as my disciple, I won''t compromise on your training," Mitsuru said, and then *poof*¡ªa Shadow Clone appeared in the room. Kaida thought the clone would be teaching him, and he was fine with that since his progress would depend on his own effort. But to his surprise, the clone went to the desk and started doing the paperwork. "What are you waiting for? Let''s go," Mitsuru said as she walked out of the office. Kaida quietly followed her. Instead of heading toward the area with injured patients, Mitsuru led him to a different section of the hospital. "This is the area where trainees practice. I''ve booked a room for us so that no one can disturb our training," Mitsuru explained. "Oh! We''re training inside the hospital? I thought we were going to use a training area," Kaida asked. "Why would we? Medical jutsu isn''t destructive¡ªat least, not in most cases. We can easily train here. Also, training in medical jutsu isn''t as simple as other types of training. You need various resources to train properly," Mitsuru replied. They entered the room Mitsuru had booked, which was larger than many lecture halls in universities. She pointed to a chart on the wall and said, "You''ll start by learning these basic jutsu." Kaida looked at the chart and read the descriptions: S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. **Bandage Skill** *Description:* Medical-nin can create temporary bandages from their surroundings. Objects such as grass, sand, or water can be woven together over a wound. The bandage lasts about five minutes without chakra supply. **Oxygen Supply** *Description:* This technique improves CPR. By holding their hands over a patient''s chest, a shinobi can use chakra to carefully massage the heart and lungs. This technique doesn''t work if the airway is blocked, and is effective only on unconscious patients. **Blood Coagulation** *Description:* A healing technique that makes blood coagulate to stop bleeding. It''s mainly used as preliminary treatment. Superficial wounds can be stopped quickly, but deep wounds may take several minutes. **Poison Removal** *Description:* This technique extracts a portion of poison to prevent immediate death, buying time to prepare an antidote. It slows the effects of poison, but patients will still die from lethal poisons if not treated. It''s less effective against advanced poisons. Chapter 100: Future Medical After reading the list, Kaida had a doubtful expression on his face. "I''m sorry, Sensei, but can I ask you something?" Kaida asked. "Of course, you can," Mitsuru replied. "Even though these jutsu seem important, they are less effective than the Healing Palm you taught me yesterday. So why should I learn the 1st and 3rd jutsu?" Kaida asked. "Because normally, when someone starts their journey as a medical ninja, they begin here. It was just a ridiculous test I set up so no one could pass, and I wouldn''t have to waste my time. But you passed it, so I can''t stay lazy and focus on my comfort. You have monstrous potential in this field. Maybe a little less than Lady Tsunade, but still enough to be the chief medical ninja in this hospital in five years. You could become the youngest chief medical ninja in Konoha''s history," Mitsuru said. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I''m sorry, Sensei, but I plan on becoming an elite jonin in the future, not a medical ninja," Kaida said. Though he aimed for kage-level strength, he knew saying it out loud might make people think he was mad. "Why would you want to do that? Even a specialist doctor here earns more than an elite jonin, without risking their life. Plus, the respect you''ll get as a chief medical ninja is incomparable," Mitsuru said, unable to comprehend why someone would choose such a difficult path over an easier, more successful one. "But if a specialist somehow offends an elite jonin and has to leave the village, they won''t even know how they died if they were lucky," Kaida said. Mitsuru was shocked, thinking, *¡®Why is the world so cruel that children have to mature this early?¡¯* Even though what Kaida said was true, she decided to keep persuading him to become a medical ninja¡ªhe was too talented to do something else. "Haha, so you think medical ninjas aren''t powerful? Want to have a friendly spar with me?" Mitsuru asked. "I''m sorry, Sensei, I didn''t mean it that way. Medical ninjas are certainly more powerful than normal ones. But what I meant is that they can''t compare to combat-focused ninjas of the same rank. A specialist might be stronger than a normal chunin, but they''re no match for an experienced jonin or elite jonin," Kaida explained, knowing that his statement, though harsh, was true. "And what about a chief medical ninja?" Mitsuru asked, still not offended. "I don¡¯t know much about them, since there wasn¡¯t a lot of information in the library. But from what my brother told me, they have a similar level of respect to any clan head, right?" Kaida asked. Mitsuru nodded, though she knew they often held more respect than some smaller clan heads. "Then, Sensei, can you name any chief medical ninja stronger than our clan head, Fugaku Uchiha?" Kaida asked. Mitsuru was stunned by the question. "Haha, you¡¯ve got a silver tongue, boy. No, there isn¡¯t a chief medical ninja more powerful than the great Fugaku Uchiha. In fact, some of them are so engrossed in medical jutsu that they might be weaker than Konoha¡¯s elite jonin," Mitsuru admitted. Kaida smiled back in response. "So, are you saying you want strength over prestige and reputation?" Mitsuru asked. "No, ma''am. I¡¯m saying that in the ninja world, reputation can¡¯t be maintained without strength," Kaida responded. "What you''re saying is true in wartime, but we¡¯re in peacetime now. You don¡¯t have to worry about that," Mitsuru said. "Sensei, I¡¯m sure you know peace is a myth in the ninja world. It¡¯s either direct war or indirect conflict between villages, but war is always happening," Kaida said. "You know far too much for your age," Mitsuru sighed. Kaida realized he was talking as if his previous knowledge was common, but luckily, he hadn¡¯t said anything too dangerous yet. ''How could I let my guard down so easily?'' Kaida thought. "So, you¡¯re not going to be a medical ninja?" Mitsuru asked one last time, deciding she wouldn¡¯t bring it up again after this. "Ma''am, I just said I want to be an elite jonin first. After that, I¡¯ll pursue this field," Kaida said. "Alright, that¡¯s good enough for now. You¡¯ve got about two years to learn the basics and become a decent medical ninja. Now, enough chit-chat. Get ready; we''re starting these jutsu. They¡¯re necessary for building your foundation." "Sensei, are these jutsu chakra exhausting?" Kaida asked. "No, they¡¯re designed to use very little chakra so even genin can perform them. But your chakra control must be excellent, which you already have. So don''t worry," Mitsuru said, assuming Kaida was concerned about his chakra reserves. "Then, can you show me all of these jutsu at the same time?" Kaida asked. Mitsuru was surprised by the request but decided to see why he wanted to watch all the jutsu at once. She took out a scroll from her special bracelet and channeled her chakra into it. Various items appeared: bandages, water, grass, leaves, soil, sand, and a fake hand. Kaida had already activated his Sharingan. "The first jutsu is simple, you just do this," Mitsuru said, making a series of hand signs. All the elements present began to transform, becoming suitable to use as bandages. Soil and sand combined with water to form a clay-like substance, while leaves and grass became strong enough to tie around wounds. The bandages, of course, didn¡¯t change much. "Do you want to see it again, or try it yourself?" Mitsuru asked. "I¡¯d like to try it," Kaida said. Mitsuru nodded and reset the materials. Kaida followed the hand signs, which he easily copied with his Sharingan. Thanks to his enhanced mental ability, he remembered the sequence completely. After he finished, the materials did change, but not as dramatically as when Mitsuru had done it¡ªthey still couldn¡¯t be used as bandages. "Good job. Just practice some more and you¡¯ll master it," Mitsuru said. "Thanks, Sensei," Kaida said, stepping aside to learn the next jutsu. Since Mitsuru had agreed to show them all at once, she pulled out another scroll. This time, a mouse with a small cut on its paw appeared, unconscious. "I¡¯ll show you the next two jutsu together," she said. First, she made the hand signs for *Blood Coagulation* and held her hand over the cut. The blood soon clotted and stopped flowing. Then she made another set of hand signs, placing her hands on the mouse again. After a moment, the mouse¡¯s heart and lungs were massaged by her chakra, and it regained consciousness. She had performed *Oxygen Supply* and *Blood Coagulation* together. "Want to see it again?" "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied. Since it involved a life, he didn¡¯t want to fail¡ªit would be devastating to accidentally harm someone while trying to heal them. Mitsuru showed him the process again. Kaida mimicked the hand signs without using the jutsu on the mouse. After a few moments, he said, "I''m ready." Mitsuru nodded, bringing out another mouse. Kaida performed *Blood Coagulation* without any issue. But when he used *Oxygen Supply*, he accidentally pushed too much chakra into the heart and lungs, causing the mouse to jolt awake. Kaida quickly stopped the jutsu, looking nervously at the mouse. "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s alive¡ªjust startled," Mitsuru assured him. Kaida nodded, and they moved on to the last jutsu. "This one¡¯s tricky. It doesn¡¯t have any hand signs. You have to use your chakra to sense and extract as much poison as you can from the body," Mitsuru explained. 100 Chapters Completed! Yayyy! I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your support so far, and I hope it continues in the future! I also want to share an exciting detail: I¡¯ve been writing this novel on the NovelFire platform for quite some time, and if we include Patreon, I¡¯ve actually completed around 285 chapters. Initially, this was just a hobby, which is why there were many grammatical and punctuation errors in those earlier chapters. However, I¡¯ve become serious about the story, so I¡¯ve been working hard to remove those errors and upload the chapters on other platforms as well. Now that I¡¯m receiving so much support from you all, I¡¯m really glad I took that step! Let¡¯s catch up on the remaining chapters in the next 8-10 days! I¡¯ll be uploading around 15-25 chapters a day from now on until we align with NovelFire. I¡¯d love for you all to read here since I¡¯m correcting errors and uploading improved versions, making them better than the existing chapters. Once we¡¯re caught up, I¡¯ll switch to a schedule of one chapter a day with weekends off. ^~^ Thank you again for your amazing support! sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 101: Poison Removal Jutsu Potential "This is a tricky one. It doesn''t have any hand signs, and you have to use your chakra to sense and extract as much poison as you can from the body," Mitsuru said. "Even though this jutsu doesn''t have hand signs, it''s not like we don''t need them at all. We have to use a hand sign that makes our Yang chakra more solid, but still ethereal enough to pass through blood without causing any blockage," Mitsuru continued. Kaida nodded in understanding. Then Mitsuru divided her chakra into yin and yang, dispersing the dome of yin chakra. After her chakra was in a 70:30 ratio, she started performing hand signs. By observing with his Sharingan, Kaida could tell the chakra became slightly denser. After performing the hand signs, Mitsuru manipulated her chakra and transferred it into the mouse''s body. With the help of her chakra, she pushed the infected blood and poison out of the infected part of the mouse. She then looked at Kaida and said, "This is what you have to do for now, but with enough experience and practice, you can do something like this." Her chakra, which had only been present in the infected area, began traveling throughout the mouse''s body. She concentrated the poison, which had been dispersed in various parts of the body, at specific points. Then, using a scalpel, she made small cuts and removed the poison from the mouse''s body. With the help of Healing Palm Jutsu, she healed the cuts and the initial injury. After some time, the mouse opened its eyes. "This is the advanced form of this jutsu. If you want to become a powerful ninja in the future, you should focus on mastering this jutsu," Mitsuru said. "Just like I removed the poison from this mouse, you can remove poison that affects you," she added. "Does that mean every ninja knows this jutsu? It seems way more efficient than Healing Palm," Kaida asked. "We can use pills and other methods to aid our healing, but if we get poisoned, we''d have to rely on this jutsu to save our lives." "Do you think mastering it to that level is so easy?" Mitsuru replied. "It took me nearly two years to reach the point where I can use it on myself without side effects. What you said is true, though. Even if they experience some side effects, ninjas could save their lives if they practice for just 5-6 months. But the reason they don''t is that it requires excellent chakra control, excessive practice, and some talent in medical jutsu. Even if a ninja meets all those conditions, many still choose not to learn this jutsu." "Why don''t they learn it?" Kaida asked. "The reason is simple. For most ninjas, offense is the best defense. They focus on offensive jutsu in their early years, and by the time they become Jonin or elite Jonin, they''re too busy with missions to learn medical jutsu from scratch," Mitsuru explained. "That makes sense," Kaida replied. "Enough chit-chat. Do you want to see it again, or are you ready to try it yourself?" Mitsuru asked. "I''d like to see it once more," Kaida said. "Okay, watch carefully," Mitsuru said, performing the jutsu on another mouse. "Are you ready now?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida said. Mitsuru sat down and watched as Kaida practiced the hand signs for the jutsu. Kaida practiced many times, and when he felt confident, he passed his chakra into the scroll. Once again, a mouse came out of the scroll, also poisoned. Focusing on the mouse, Kaida saw the infected area, and he knew the poison wasn''t immediately life-threatening. It gave him time to learn without pressure. Kaida passed his chakra into the mouse, attempting to push the blood and poison out. However, it wasn''t as easy as he thought. The veins and arteries were fragile due to the poison, and when he applied force, the veins were damaged, causing blood to gush inside the body. "Don''t panic. Think about how to tackle this," Mitsuru advised from her seat. Kaida thought for a moment, then used Healing Palm Jutsu to heal the damaged vein. After healing it, he started pushing the infected blood out again. Slowly, the poison and blood began to flow out from the wound, which he enlarged slightly. After removing as much blood as he could, Kaida used Healing Palm Jutsu to close the wound. "How do you think you did?" Mitsuru asked. "Not well. Because of my initial mistake, the infected blood mixed with other parts of the body, along with some poison I couldn''t remove. Also, when I tried what you did¡ªmoving chakra through different parts of the body¡ªI realized it was an advanced technique. Not only was I unable to sense the poison inside the mouse, but I was also blocking the blood flow with my chakra," Kaida admitted. "Good, you know your mistakes. Now, start practicing one jutsu at a time. Once you master this one, I''ll teach you a more difficult technique. I''ll be in my office, so if you have any doubts during your practice, come see me," Mitsuru said. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied. Mitsuru headed back to her office, while Kaida thought, ''Hmm, none of these jutsu are that hard. With my enhanced chakra control and the ability to see chakra with the Sharingan, I was able to learn them quickly. Now I just need to practice. Luckily, I have the perfect jutsu for that.'' *Poof, poof, poof¡­ poof!* Nearly fifty shadow clones appeared around Kaida. They divided into groups and began practicing the top three jutsu, while Kaida continued focusing on the Poison Removal Jutsu. This jutsu required extreme chakra control and the Sharingan''s ability to see minute changes in both muscles and chakra. Kaida decided to practice it himself. ****** While Kaida practiced, Mitsuru sat in her office, thinking, ''This is straight-up cheating. He learned the jutsu by seeing them just once or twice, and at this rate, he''ll master them in 1-2 weeks, enough to use them for basic treatment. The Sharingan is truly overpowered. If not for the time it takes to master these techniques, this boy could reach my level in just months. Combined with his medical jutsu talent, it would be a great loss for Konoha if he dies on some stupid mission. I need to talk to Lord Third about this.'' She continued her paperwork. (Seven hours later¡­) ''It''s been so long¡­ has he not come up with a single doubt?'' Mitsuru thought. As if on cue... *Knock, knock.* "Sensei, I''ve learned the jutsu," Kaida said, entering the office. "WHAT?!" S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 102: Monstrous Talent "Sensei, I''ve learned those jutsu," Kaida said as he entered the office. "WHAT?!" Mitsuru was shocked by what she heard, but she composed herself and said, "Kaida, you shouldn''t rush. Take your time. Only when you can replicate what I did can we say you''ve mastered those jutsu." "I know, Sensei. That''s why I came here after I was able to replicate what you did," Kaida replied. "So you''re saying you learned those four jutsu in just seven hours? Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds? It takes ninjas months, sometimes years, to master these jutsu. Once they do, they''re considered support medics and can start treating patients. And you''re telling me you did that in seven hours and expect me to believe it?" Mitsuru said, a little angrily, unable to believe someone could be this talented. "I''m not lying, Sensei. I was able to learn them with the help of Shadow Clones," Kaida explained. "How can three or four Shadow Clones help you learn the jutsu this quickly?" Mitsuru asked, knowing Kaida was just a genin. Even three or four Shadow Clones would be a lot for him. But since he was a prodigy and from the Senju clan, Mitsuru thought he might be able to manage that many clones. "Umm, Sensei, I can make more than four Shadow Clones," Kaida said shyly. "Oh? How many can you make?" Mitsuru asked. "Around eighty-five if I try my hardest," Kaida replied. ... "How the hell can you make that many Shadow Clones? That''s more than twice what I can make! Come here," Mitsuru demanded, standing up after hearing his answer. She walked over to Kaida and placed her hand on his back to check his chakra reserves. ''What the hell? I knew the Senju had more chakra than most clans, but how can this brat have *this* much chakra? He could easily be considered a Jonin, maybe even an elite Jonin, based on his reserves¡ªand he still has over twenty years to increase his chakra. This world is too unfair,'' Mitsuru thought. *Cough.* "So, you''ve actually mastered all those jutsu. Let me check your progress," Mitsuru said, composing herself once again. Kaida nodded and took out all the scrolls Mitsuru had given him, thinking, ''Sensei looked kind of cute when she got flustered. She can only make 40-45 Shadow Clones, but I guess my chakra reserves really are something.'' After that, Kaida began performing the medical jutsu. For the first three jutsu, he perfectly replicated everything Mitsuru had done, like making bandages from soil, sand, water, grass, and leaves, stopping blood, and using the oxygen supply jutsu on the mouse. "Good, these are perfect enough to use. Now, the last one," Mitsuru said, nodding her head. Kaida nodded and passed his chakra into the last scroll. *Poof.* A poisoned mouse appeared from the scroll. Kaida used his Sharingan to divide his chakra in a 70:30 ratio, with 70% yang chakra. Then, with precise and efficient control, he used his chakra to push out the infected blood and poison from the mouse''s body. After most of the poison was out, Kaida used Healing Palm Jutsu to close the wound. *Sigh.* Kaida sighed in relief. After seven hours of practice, the strain on his Sharingan was high. Even though he hadn''t kept it activated the entire time and took breaks, the total time it had been active was about an hour and a half. "You still left some poison inside. If you were any normal ninja training to become a low-level medical ninja, I might have considered this jutsu mastered. But since you''re my disciple, I can''t overlook that mistake. You need to work on this jutsu more and try to remove all the infected blood and poison from the major infected area. You can extract some normal blood too if it means getting more poison out. Removing a bit of normal blood isn''t a problem," Mitsuru said after taking a closer look at the mouse. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied, understanding his mistake. He had been too focused on not removing any uninfected blood, which caused him to leave some poison inside. "Can I try again, Sensei?" Kaida asked. "Go ahead," Mitsuru replied. Kaida once again passed his chakra into the scroll, and another poisoned mouse appeared. He performed the jutsu again, but this time, he aimed to extract as much poison as possible. This time, he was able to remove most of the poison, but the amount of blood that came out with it was concerning. "Good, you managed to get out most of the poison this time, but I''m sure you noticed the other problem," Mitsuru said. "Yes, Sensei. I''ll keep working on this jutsu until I master it," Kaida said. "No need. I was going to give you two weeks to master these jutsu, but you managed to learn them in just one day. There''s no need to rush like this. I can see you''ve put a lot of strain on your chakra reserves and your eyes, so take some rest and continue tomorrow," Mitsuru advised. "Okay, Sensei. Should I go home?" Kaida asked. "You can, but given your speed, there''s something I need to tell you. Initially, I planned to tell you after two weeks when you mastered the jutsu, but since you did it in one day, this is the perfect time," Mitsuru said. "If you learn this jutsu, you''ll be ready to treat normal patients in the hospital. But for that, you''ll also need basic knowledge of bandaging and some general medical knowledge. You want to treat normal patients, right?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied. "So, you''ll have to learn these things too. For basic medical care and bandaging, you can ask any nurse. For medicines and other knowledge, you''ll need to study at least eight books from the hospital library. After you learn these things and the jutsu, you''ll have to pass a test. It''s usually an interview where a specialist medical ninja checks if you''re ready to treat patients. So, practice both the jutsu and the theory," Mitsuru explained. "Okay, Sensei," Kaida said. "You can ask the receptionist for help if you need anything. Just tell them I sent you," Mitsuru said before returning to her paperwork. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Thank you, Sensei," Kaida said. Chapter 103: Back to the Orphanage ¡°You can ask the receptionist for any help you need. Just tell them I asked for it,¡± Mitsuru said before going back to her paperwork. ¡°Thank you, Sensei,¡± Kaida said as he left the office. ¡®Initially, I wasn¡¯t feeling that tired, but now that I¡¯ve shown my progress, all the exhaustion is hitting me. Let¡¯s just rest for today¡ªI''m not tight on schedule,¡¯ Kaida thought as he headed towards the market. It was still 3 p.m., and he would normally train until 6 p.m., so he had some extra time. Normally, he would complete clan missions to earn Contribution Points, but after the mental strain from learning so many jutsus, he didn¡¯t feel up to it. ¡®I¡¯ve never explored Konoha on my own. Maybe I¡¯ve been too focused on training. I¡¯ve visited a lot of places with Yomi, but we were mostly talking or going to parks and restaurants. Maybe I should explore a little,¡¯ Kaida thought. He began walking through the village, occasionally using the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to travel between different spots. Eventually, he found himself standing in front of his old home, the orphanage where he first arrived in this world. Seeing the building filled him with nostalgia. ¡®Since I¡¯m already here, I might as well visit the old man,¡¯ Kaida thought, entering the orphanage. Seeing someone enter, the caretaker approached him. ¡°Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to the Home Orphanage,¡± she said. ¡°Good afternoon. Are you new here?¡± Kaida asked, noticing her unfamiliar face. From what he remembered, when he lived here, there were only two caretakers and a chef, and she wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°Oh! You used to live here?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, about 3-4 years ago,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Oh, great! I started working around that time. Apparently, someone from this orphanage asked Lord Hokage to support the place as a reward, so the orphanage began receiving more funding from the village. They hired more staff to take care of the children,¡± she explained. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s good to hear. Is the old man in his office?¡± Kaida asked with a smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go ask if he¡¯s free to meet you. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Kaida. Senju Kaida,¡± he said. She nodded and went toward Hiroshi¡¯s office, thinking to herself, ¡®That name sounds familiar. Why was a Senju in our orphanage?¡¯ After a short while, she returned and said, ¡°Hiroshi-sama is free and asked you to go to his office.¡± Kaida nodded and made his way to Hiroshi¡¯s office. --- **Knock knock** ¡°Come in,¡± Hiroshi called out. ¡°Good afternoon, old man. How have you been?¡± Kaida asked as he entered. ¡°So, you finally remembered me after all these years, you brat,¡± Hiroshi said with a smirk. ¡°I have no excuse for that. I¡¯ve been too busy with training and barely had time for anything else,¡± Kaida admitted. ¡°Never mind that. Take a seat,¡± Hiroshi said, pointing to a chair. ¡°So, how are you and Yomi doing?¡± Hiroshi asked. ¡°We¡¯re doing fine. Both of us are already genin and have completed many missions. Now, Lord Third has arranged for us to have new sensei to focus on the fields we want to specialize in,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°And what did you two choose for your specialization?¡± Hiroshi asked expectantly. ¡°Yomi chose tracking and sensing techniques,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Excellent choice. Every ninja should have that knowledge if they plan to go on missions,¡± Hiroshi said with approval. ¡°And I chose medical jutsu,¡± Kaida added with a smile. ¡°Medical jutsu? Are you planning to become a medical ninja?¡± Hiroshi asked, surprised. He remembered Kaida¡¯s ambition to become an elite jonin. It wasn¡¯t unusual for ninjas to change their path after experiencing the harshness of the world. ¡°No, old man. I just feel like it¡¯s important for every ninja to know, and it¡¯s something I couldn¡¯t teach myself,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°That makes sense. So, who¡¯s teaching you?¡± Hiroshi asked. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yomi got Isao Yamanaka as her sensei. According to her, he¡¯s very talented and takes training seriously,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Well, Yomi¡¯s lucky to have Isao as her sensei. He¡¯s much younger than me, but he¡¯s exceptionally gifted in sensing techniques, even among the Yamanaka clan. She¡¯ll become one of the best sensor ninjas if she keeps at it,¡± Hiroshi said, nodding. ¡°That would be great,¡± Kaida said. ¡°And who¡¯s your sensei?¡± Hiroshi asked. ¡°I got Mitsuru Nara as my sensei,¡± Kaida replied with an ear-to-ear smile. ¡°Mitsuru Nara? The chief medical ninja at Konoha Hospital?¡± Hiroshi asked, his face showing clear shock. ¡°Yep,¡± Kaida confirmed. ¡°How on earth did Lord Third get her to accept you as her disciple? She¡¯s turned down ninjas from powerful and noble clans,¡± Hiroshi asked in disbelief. ¡°Oh, right, you don¡¯t know yet,¡± Kaida said with a mischievous smile. ¡°What are you hiding from me?¡± Hiroshi asked, intrigued. ¡°I became part of the Uchiha clan,¡± Kaida said while activating his Sharingan. ¡°Is that a two-tomoe Sharingan? How did you awaken it so young?¡± Hiroshi asked, disrupting his chakra to check if he was caught in a genjutsu. Kaida, still using his Sharingan, could see Hiroshi¡¯s reaction and chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got some time. I can tell you the whole story if you want.¡± ¡°Of course, I want to know!¡± Hiroshi exclaimed. Kaida¡¯s explanation didn¡¯t take long, as most of the story involved his training. Since he couldn¡¯t discuss missions in detail, he kept those parts vague and focused on his progress. ¡°That¡¯s one heck of an adventure since you left the orphanage. But I can¡¯t say joining the Uchiha clan was the best decision for you,¡± Hiroshi said, frowning slightly. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Kaida asked, curious. ¡°You might not know this, but when the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha, there were signs it was controlled by a Uchiha. Add to that the fact that the Uchiha clan was relocated to the outskirts of the village, and their reputation as a noble, founding clan has been fading. They¡¯re becoming more isolated, and their behavior towards others isn¡¯t helping. If things keep going this way, the Uchiha clan might become enemies of the entire village,¡± Hiroshi explained grimly. Chapter 104: Resolve ¡°They are becoming the public enemy day by day, though this is still at a very low level for now. If things continue as they are, the Uchiha clan might become the enemy of every other clan in Konoha,¡± Hiroshi said. ¡®Oh, shit! I thought I still had some time to work on this, but now that I think about it... If Danzo wanted to eliminate a founding clan like the Uchiha, he couldn¡¯t do it in just a year or two. The Uchiha are the backbone of the village. With their ability to copy jutsu so easily, their Sharingan¡¯s power in genjutsu, and their exceptional skills in kenjutsu, the Uchiha are an asset Konoha wouldn¡¯t want to lose. So, Danzo started sowing seeds of hatred in the hearts of Konoha¡¯s people early. And because it¡¯s still subtle, most of the Uchiha won¡¯t even notice it. By the time they realize the gravity of the situation, they¡¯ll have become a clan that no one wants in Konoha. After doing so much for Konoha, when Uchiha ninjas feel the contemptuous stares wherever they go, they¡¯ll obviously start planning a coup. But there¡¯s still one question in my mind¡­¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡°When did people start talking about this?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but I first heard it a few months ago. Slowly, more and more people are discussing it,¡± Hiroshi said. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it suspicious that this is only being talked about years after the Nine-Tails attack?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°This is just how life is, Kaida. When there¡¯s an external enemy, like during the Great Ninja Wars, the village unites like a family. But in times of peace, everyone shows their true colors,¡± Hiroshi said, his expression revealing a bitter memory. ¡®Right, that¡¯s the point. Danzo waited for the village to stabilize. Since the Uchiha were already angry about their relocation to the outskirts of the village, he didn¡¯t act immediately¡ªhe waited for the right opportunity.¡¯ ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a big deal for now, so don¡¯t worry too much. Focus on your specialization. You¡¯re really lucky to learn from someone like Mitsuru-sama. Try to absorb as much as you can,¡± Hiroshi said, noticing Kaida¡¯s tense expression. ¡°Okay,¡± Kaida replied with a light smile, then continued, ¡°So, how¡¯s the orphanage doing now?¡± ¡°Much better than I anticipated when I started it. We have enough food and clothes for everyone. The kids get regular check-ups and are treated by medical ninjas from time to time. The rooms have new beds, and overall, the orphanage provides everything a child needs. It¡¯s all thanks to you and Yomi. Many of the younger kids want to be like you two. Do you want to meet them?¡± Hiroshi asked. ¡°Maybe another time. I have some things I need to take care of,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Alright, but make sure to come back with Yomi later,¡± Hiroshi said. Kaida nodded and left. --- Sitting in a park, Kaida pondered, ¡®If I want to save the Uchiha clan from their fate, I need to start now. But I can¡¯t go against Danzo, not yet. This is before Hiruzen disbanded Root. Right now, they have hundreds of trained ninjas specialized in spying and killing. I can¡¯t fight them yet, so what I need is strength. I need to be at least at the level of a jonin before I can take action to save the clan. But one thing is for sure: the Uchiha massacre won¡¯t happen this time, even if I have to assassinate Danzo.¡¯ Then he stood up and headed home. ¡°Aunty, I¡¯m home,¡± Kaida called out. ¡°Welcome back! How was your day?¡± Hae asked, coming out of the living room. ¡°Great. But, Aunt, I have something important to tell you,¡± Kaida said seriously. ¡°Are you in some kind of trouble? Are you hurt?¡± Hae asked worriedly. Kaida smiled slightly and said, ¡°No, Aunty, I¡¯m perfectly fine. It¡¯s about my training.¡± ¡°Okay, come to the hall, and let¡¯s sit and talk,¡± Hae said. They both went to the hall, and Kaida began to speak. ¡°Aunty, I know I said I wouldn¡¯t train as hard as before, but I don¡¯t think I can keep that promise,¡± Kaida said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hae asked. ¡°I¡¯m planning on training, training hard. I have so much to learn, and learning it all at a normal pace will take too long,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°Did something happen that made you think this way?¡± Hae asked. ¡°On my way back, I heard that a family lost a member during a mission. It made me realize that I¡¯m nowhere near strong enough to protect myself, let alone the people close to me. The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became with my lack of strength. The only solution I could think of is more training,¡± Kaida said. Hae¡¯s expression turned sad. ¡®He must miss his parents a lot. That¡¯s probably why he used to spend so much time training. And now that he has a new family, the fear of losing them must be weighing on him,¡¯ Hae thought. She understood that feeling well. After losing many of her own family members, she had felt the same way for a long time until time had helped ease that pain. After a long sigh, she said, ¡°Alright, you can train as much as you want, but always remember¡ªfamily is not a burden, but a source of strength. You can always depend on us.¡± ¡°Thank you, Aunty,¡± Kaida said, then left the house. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He went directly to the Hokage building. ¡°Hey, Uncle, how are you?¡± Kaida asked the ninja in charge of missions and other tasks. ¡°Long time no see, Kaida. How are you doing?¡± he asked. ¡°Fine. I¡¯d like some soldier pills,¡± Kaida requested. Chapter 105: Getting Serious "Which one? As you know, they come in various price ranges," the receptionist asked. ¡®I¡¯ve earned around 120k Ryo from the 30 missions I did. For now, let¡¯s use it for Focus Pills,¡¯ Kaida thought and asked, "Is there a soldier pill around 100k?" "Yes, there¡¯s one for 80k and one for 110k." "What¡¯s the difference in their benefits?" Kaida asked. "The 80k pill is good enough for elite jonin. It can replenish chakra 6 to 8 times faster than the normal recovery speed, and it also boosts the body¡¯s natural recovery for a while. As for the 110k pill, it gives the same benefits, except the chakra recovery speed is 12 times faster." "I¡¯ll take the 110k one," Kaida said, handing over the money. The receptionist nodded and gave him the soldier pill. After taking the pill, Kaida went directly to the training area in the Uchiha compound and consumed it. As soon as he took the pill, Kaida felt his chakra pathways expand, and his body became ready to absorb chakra from his surroundings at a rapid pace. He quickly made 9 shadow clones with 10 percent of his chakra, then meditated for 10 minutes. He repeated the process, making 9 more shadow clones until he had created 80 in total. After that, he went to the Uchiha clan headquarters and took on 100 D-rank missions. "Are you sure? I know your track record for completing these missions is good, but 100 is a little too much for you alone," the receptionist in charge of missions asked. "I know my limits. If I can¡¯t complete them on time, I can always ask my brother for help," Kaida said. The receptionist remembered that Kaida was Shisui¡¯s brother, so he nodded and assigned all the missions to him. After taking the missions, Kaida returned to the training area, where his clones were waiting. He created one more shadow clone using 50% of his chakra and gave it all the mission details. "You¡¯ll be in charge of submitting the missions and taking on more. Here¡¯s my ID," Kaida said to the clone. Then, turning to the rest of the clones, he continued, "As for you guys, complete these missions as fast as you can. Once done, come to him and take more missions. Do this until your chakra runs low." The clones nodded and went off to complete the missions. With 10% of Kaida¡¯s full chakra reserves, each clone had the same amount of chakra as a chunin, which meant mission completion would be very fast. Satisfied that his training resources were covered, Kaida returned to the training area and created 5 shadow clones. Three of them used the Transformation Jutsu to turn into swords. "Now, let¡¯s focus on kenjutsu," Kaida said as he picked up a sword. The other two clones also grabbed swords. Since they shared Kaida¡¯s memories, they knew what he had in mind: a 2 vs. 1 sparring match. Kaida activated his Sharingan and got into a stance. His clones took the cue and began attacking him. Thanks to his already high defense and the power of his 2-tomoe Sharingan, defending against the two clones wasn¡¯t much of a problem for Kaida. After practicing for an hour, Kaida said, "Warm-up is over." He then made 10 more shadow clones, 5 of which transformed into swords. This time, it was 1 vs. 7, with Kaida aiming not just for defense but also offense. To be on the safe side, they didn¡¯t use chakra flow, which could be deadly. After a 5-minute break, the sparring resumed. Fifteen minutes later, Kaida was standing alone on the ground. ¡®Looks like I underestimated the power of the Sharingan again. It was like I could see the future. After some more practice, their attacks won¡¯t even touch me,¡¯ Kaida thought. Even though he had won the sparring match, his clones had managed to land a few hits on him. However, since it was just training, they stopped before the attacks connected. If this had been a real fight, Kaida would have had 10 to 12 cuts on his body. ¡®This is good practice. Let¡¯s continue this until my brother comes back,¡¯ Kaida thought as he created 14 more shadow clones. Once again, the sparring resumed, but this time, Kaida didn¡¯t use his Sharingan. He wanted to see how much he relied on it in kenjutsu. After half an hour, Kaida stood alone on the ground again. ¡®This time, I almost took 40+ hits, which is four times more than when I used the Sharingan. I need to focus on improving my kenjutsu without relying on the Sharingan, in case I¡¯m unable to use it.¡¯ Kaida continued practicing kenjutsu until midnight. However, his clones, which had been completing missions, began dispersing one by one. Kaida stopped his practice and started meditating to avoid a headache from the incoming memories. After half an hour, all of his clones had dispersed except for the one holding 50% of his chakra. That clone used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to reach Kaida. Since Kaida had already received the clones'' memories, he had a rough idea of how many missions they had completed, but he still asked for the report. "We completed 240 D-rank missions, and the clan leader wants to meet you," the clone reported. "Did we break any rules by doing the missions this way?" Kaida asked. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I don¡¯t think so. If we had, the order would have been more serious," the clone answered. "Looks like I¡¯ll have to go there to find out the problem," Kaida said, dispersing the clone. Using the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu, he quickly reached the Uchiha clan headquarters. He approached the receptionist and said, "The clan head asked to see me." "He¡¯s waiting for you in his office," the receptionist replied, pointing toward the stairs. Kaida nodded and headed to Fugaku¡¯s office. --- *Knock Knock* "Come in," Fugaku said. "You called for me, Fugaku-sama?" Kaida asked, bowing slightly. Fugaku nodded. "Yes. I wanted to ask why you¡¯ve been doing so many D-rank missions. According to the reports, you¡¯ve completed around 300 D-rank missions. If you had done that many C-rank missions, you could¡¯ve been promoted to B-rank," Fugaku said. "As you may know, I¡¯ve completed most of those missions with the help of shadow clones. I selected D-rank missions because clones can easily handle them. Even if they fail, no one gets hurt. I can¡¯t send clones on C-rank missions alone, since most are escort missions, and if a clone fails, someone¡¯s life could be in danger," Kaida explained. "You still haven¡¯t answered why you¡¯re doing so many D-rank missions," Fugaku pressed. "The reason is simple, Fugaku-sama. I want resources for my training, and D-rank missions are the fastest way to earn them," Kaida said. ¡®That may be true for you, brat. Who else has chakra reserves large enough to do D-rank missions in bulk?¡¯ Fugaku thought, sensing Kaida¡¯s immense chakra. "So, you plan to keep doing D-rank missions?" Fugaku asked. Chapter 106: Shisui is Back "So you are planning to do those D-rank missions continuously?¡± Fugaku asked. ¡°That was my initial plan, but if this causes any problem for the clan, I will not do that many missions by myself,¡± Kaida said. ¡°It¡¯s quite the opposite. We¡¯ve been getting many D-rank missions from the village for some time, but the problem is that normal Uchiha clan ninjas don¡¯t do D-rank missions. So, we had to return those missions to the village with some fines. Now that you¡¯re completing those missions, one of my problems is solved,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask you a question?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°You may,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°If you had one Jonin assigned to these missions, they could have completed them in no time. So why did you pay a fine instead of assigning some ninjas to do these tasks?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Do you think becoming a Jonin is easy?¡± Fugaku asked. ¡°No, sir, not at all,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Yes, every ninja who wants to become a Jonin has to train very hard, and after years of that grueling training, they become a Jonin. So, a Jonin is naturally a little arrogant. As for Jonin from the Uchiha clan, their arrogance is higher than normal Jonin. Now, tell me, do you think they would do tasks like tending animals, maintaining the garden, and moving boxes?¡± Fugaku asked. ¡°No,¡± Kaida replied with an awkward smile. ¡°So, you¡¯re completing these missions because you want resources. Which type of resources are you talking about?¡± Fugaku asked, bringing the conversation back to the topic. ¡°All the consumable resources that help in training,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°So you¡¯re not planning to learn jutsus using Contribution Points?¡± Fugaku asked. ¡°We can learn jutsus using Contribution Points?¡± Kaida asked, a little shocked. ¡°So you don¡¯t even know what types of resources you can get using Contribution Points. Aside from those consumables, you can also learn different jutsus using Contribution Points.¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°But why would I use Contribution Points to learn jutsu when I can learn them from the village library for free?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°You¡¯re an Uchiha. Why would you take the longer route? If you use your Sharingan and see the jutsu being performed in front of you, you can learn that jutsu in no time. Also, since you¡¯re just a Genin, you can only learn C-rank jutsu from the library. But by using Contribution Points, you can learn any jutsu you want,¡± Fugaku explained. ¡°Even S-rank jutsu?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°You can, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to pay its price any time soon,¡± Fugaku said with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s the price for an S-rank jutsu?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°You can ask the receptionist for the list of resources,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°Oh! I already have that, but I never checked the second page because even affording the resources on the first page was difficult for me,¡± Kaida said with an awkward smile. ¡°You can read it now,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°Thank you,¡± Kaida said, taking out a list from his pocket and turning directly to the second page. **Taijutsu** - Genin level ¨C 5,000 Contribution Points - Chunin level ¨C 40,000 Contribution Points - Jonin level ¨C 90,000 Contribution Points **Kenjutsu** - Genin level ¨C 10,000 Contribution Points - Chunin level ¨C 80,000 Contribution Points - Jonin level ¨C 150,000 Contribution Points **Ninjutsu** - C-rank ¨C 15,000 Contribution Points - B-rank ¨C 50,000 Contribution Points - A-rank ¨C 100,000 Contribution Points - S-rank ¨C 500,000 Contribution Points After reading the price for Ninjutsu, Kaida¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°How can someone gather 500,000 Contribution Points?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°By doing just D-rank missions, it¡¯s difficult. But those doing D-rank missions usually don¡¯t want to learn these jutsu,¡± Fugaku said with a smile, seeing Kaida¡¯s childish expression. He continued, ¡°The reward for an A-rank mission is 20,000 Contribution Points, and for an S-rank mission, it''s 50,000 Contribution Points. So, by doing 10 S-rank missions, anyone can learn an S-rank jutsu. The price isn¡¯t that high if you understand what an S-rank jutsu is.¡± Kaida remembered the power of S-rank jutsu¡ªhow they could change landscapes when used. ¡°So, if I choose to learn this jutsu, someone will show me how to perform it once?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°No, for a full day, a ninja will teach you how to perform that jutsu,¡± Fugaku explained. ¡®This is a really good deal. Being an Uchiha, it would be a waste not to learn various jutsus. If my jutsu repertoire is high, it will be difficult for anyone to strategize against me in the future,¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡°Now I have one more thing to spend my Contribution Points on,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s why I asked if you wanted to learn jutsu using Contribution Points. Since you¡¯re helping the clan by doing those D-rank missions, I have a reward for you. If you complete 1,000 missions in one week, you can learn a C-rank jutsu for free,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°And by chance, if I want to learn a higher-rank jutsu, will its price be reduced?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°If you want, I can give you 15,000 Contribution Points directly,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll get 15,000 Contribution Points for every 1,000 D-rank missions I complete?¡± Kaida asked. ¡®This boy is a little too greedy,¡¯ Fugaku thought. ¡°I can¡¯t give you too much for free. Let¡¯s say the max you¡¯ll get is 30,000 Contribution Points,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°Thank you very much, Fugaku-sama,¡± Kaida said with a wide smile. ¡°I can see you were training. You can go back now. Just come to me when you complete 1,000 missions,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°As you command, sir,¡± Kaida replied and left. After reaching the training area, Kaida sat down and started planning. ¡®At this speed, I can complete 1,000 missions in three days, so by the end of my training, I should have 25,000 Contribution Points. For a B-rank jutsu, I¡¯ll need 50,000 Contribution Points. I can learn it from my brother¡ªit¡¯s not being shameless, it¡¯s just cost-effective that way. Plus, I can give Contribution Points directly to him so he can use them for his needs. Of course, he might give me some discounts,¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡°Well, one thing is for sure. With this many Contribution Points, I shouldn¡¯t have any problem getting those resources,¡± Kaida said out loud, then went back to training his kenjutsu. ¡­ The next morning at 6:00 AM ¡°You¡¯re so hard to find,¡± Shisui said, looking at Kaida, who was lying on the ground, completely exhausted. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re back! How was your mission?¡± Kaida asked, trying to stand up. Chapter 107: Learning Efficiency The next morning at 6:00 AM: ¡°You''re so hard to find,¡± Shisui said, looking at Kaida, who was lying on the ground, completely exhausted. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re back! How was your mission?¡± Kaida asked while trying to stand up. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this was a little excessive?¡± Shisui asked, helping Kaida sit. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± Kaida asked, circulating yang chakra through his body to aid recovery. ¡°Long enough to see you fighting 10 shadow clones alone,¡± Shisui said, shaking his head. ¡°I was trying to check my limits,¡± Kaida said shyly. ¡°And why weren¡¯t you using the Sharingan?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to be overly dependent on it. Initially, I used it while sparring, but when I tried sparring at the same difficulty without it, my efficiency dropped by four times,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°That just means that even an underdeveloped Sharingan enhances your efficiency by 400%. And the more you train with it, the better it¡¯ll become. So don¡¯t treat the Sharingan as a handicap,¡± Shisui said simply, sitting down beside him. ¡°Since the Sharingan increases my base efficiency, doesn¡¯t that mean this kind of training is still beneficial for me?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Of course. Normal training is crucial. Without a strong foundation, even the Mangekyo Sharingan won¡¯t help you. I¡¯m just saying you should also focus on training your Sharingan,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°Okay, brother. But why are you here this early?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Oh! When I got home, I found Mom worried about someone¡¯s well-being. So, being the responsible child I am, how could I rest? I had to find that ¡®someone¡¯ so Mom wouldn¡¯t stress anymore,¡± Shisui said dramatically. ¡°But I already told Aunt that I¡¯d be training using a soldier pill,¡± Kaida said doubtfully. ¡°And I¡¯m an elite jonin strong enough to protect myself, yet she still worries every time I go on a mission. That¡¯s just how moms are,¡± Shisui replied with a smile. ¡°Right,¡± Kaida said, remembering how his own mother visited him at the hospital every morning, despite his constant pleas for her to rest. ¡°So, I know you¡¯re not ¡®feeling hungry,¡¯ but how about we head back for a quick bite?¡± Shisui suggested. ¡°Okay, brother,¡± Kaida agreed. As they walked home, Kaida told Shisui about his meeting with Fugaku. ¡°You lucky brat! For that many Contribution points, some of us jonin have to stay away from the village for weeks, sometimes months. And you¡¯re going to earn them so easily. The world truly is unfair,¡± Shisui said, shaking his head. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask¡ªare you saving Contribution points for something?¡± ¡°Yes, I originally wanted to buy an S-rank jutsu, but now I¡¯m saving for medicine for my eyes,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Are you having trouble with your vision?¡± Kaida asked, concerned. ¡°Not yet, but I had to use my Mangekyo Sharingan during a few missions, so my vision¡¯s starting to blur. The clan head said it¡¯s treatable and should clear up soon, though he¡¯s overcharging me for the medicine,¡± Shisui joked. ¡°Have you visited the hospital about it?¡± Kaida pressed. ¡°No, it¡¯s not at a critical stage yet. I can still see better than a normal person. This is just a precaution to prevent problems down the line,¡± Shisui assured him. ¡°Are you sure? If you want, I can ask Sensei to check it out,¡± Kaida offered. ¡°You brat, I said I¡¯m fine! Stop worrying,¡± Shisui said, flicking Kaida¡¯s forehead. ¡°Okay,¡± Kaida said, rubbing his head. By then, they had reached home and entered together. ¡°Mom, I brought him back,¡± Shisui called. ¡°Welcome back, Kaida. You¡¯re going to eat breakfast, right? Then go take a bath first,¡± Hae said, wrinkling her nose at the smell of sweat from Kaida¡¯s constant training. ¡°Yes, Aunt,¡± Kaida said and headed to his room. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After some time, they all sat down at the dining table. ¡°Hey, how come you decided to train alone without me?¡± Yomi asked when she saw Kaida. ¡°You¡¯re already training hard, Yomi. How could you make time to train with me?¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Did you forget I¡¯m not the only one training?¡± Yomi asked with a smirk. ¡°No, but I¡¯ve exceeded my training schedule, so I can fit in more time for this,¡± Kaida said casually. ¡°Show off,¡± Yomi muttered, focusing on her food while thinking, *¡®Just wait, I¡¯ll catch up to you.¡¯* Kaida turned to Shisui and asked, ¡°Brother, can we continue our genjutsu training after you rest, or do you have more missions?¡± ¡°Nope, I¡¯m taking some time off. I already told the clan head before my last mission. We can continue your training after you¡¯re back from the hospital,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°Just don¡¯t overdo it,¡± Hae said, shaking her head. After breakfast, Kaida and Yomi left for their respective destinations, while Shisui went to his room to get some much-needed sleep. --- Kaida took a small detour to the training area. *¡®I could send shadow clones to the hospital for training... but that¡¯d be disrespectful to Sensei. Still, I could use shadow clones to complete missions while I train there,¡¯* Kaida thought. He began making shadow clones, taking his time since he still had an hour and a half before he had to go to the hospital. After making 60 clones with 15% of his chakra each, he made a final clone with 50% of his chakra. His plan was simple: the stronger clone would retrieve missions from the clan headquarters, and the others would complete them quickly. Then he headed to the hospital. ¡­ Kaida arrived exactly on time. Mitsuru had instructed him to first learn the basics of treatment from a nurse and study the first-level medical books, along with perfecting the poison removal jutsu. His plan for the day was already set. Kaida approached the receptionist and said, ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am. Sensei said to arrange for someone to teach me the basics of treatment and to provide me with the first-level medical books.¡± ¡°Okay, just give me a minute,¡± the receptionist replied and went to take care of it. A minute later, she returned with a middle-aged man and introduced him: ¡°Kaida, this is the chief of all the medical nurses here. He¡¯s agreed to teach you. Chief, this is Kaida Uchiha, Mitsuru-sama¡¯s student.¡± Kaida bowed and said, ¡°Good morning, sir. I¡¯m Kaida Uchiha, and I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯ll be making my rounds in 30 minutes. You can follow me today and learn by watching,¡± the chief said, then left, telling Kaida where his office was. The receptionist added, ¡°Since Mitsuru-sama has already booked a training room for you, I¡¯ll send the books there so you can study them during your free time.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Kaida said and went to the room where he¡¯d trained yesterday. There, he made 30 shadow clones. Half practiced the poison removal jutsu, while the others waited for the books. With this, Kaida had almost reached the maximum number of clones he could create. Kaida then went to the chief¡¯s office and followed him on his rounds for the rest of the day. He watched the chief perform various tasks like plastering, bandaging, administering medicine, and checking civilians with minor conditions. Kaida learned a lot from him while his clones worked hard on their respective tasks. Chapter 108: Real Genjutsu *(At 4 PM)* After following the Chief for the whole day, Kaida asked, ¡°Chief, I carefully watched you perform your tasks. Can I get some practical experience now?¡± ¡°Kids these days are so impatient,¡± the Chief replied. ¡°Normally, you''d train for at least a month before getting near any patients. But since you''re Mitsuru-sama¡¯s student, I¡¯ll cut that time down to a week.¡± The Chief then added, ¡°My shift is over, so you can head back or go read some books,¡± before leaving. ¡®Since my brother promised to teach me Genjutsu after this, I¡¯ll let my shadow clones handle the reading,¡¯ Kaida thought, using the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to quickly head home. ... Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shisui, having rested, was training in the garden. Despite being an elite jonin at only 12, he was still far from his prime. This made him a prodigy both within the Uchiha clan and in Konoha. Kaida entered the house, saw Shisui, and walked toward him. With his Sharingan active, Shisui noticed Kaida as soon as he entered. ¡°How was your day?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Boring. I have to shadow the Chief for a whole week without doing anything,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Observation is important for learning, Kaida. Take it seriously,¡± Shisui advised. ¡°Okay, brother. Now can we start our Genjutsu training?¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s head to the training area,¡± Shisui said, using the Body Flicker Jutsu to disappear. ¡®Even with my Sharingan, I can¡¯t follow his movement. He¡¯s so fast,¡¯ Kaida thought as he activated his own Sharingan and used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to follow. When Kaida arrived, Shisui was casually standing near a tree. Kaida disrupted his chakra flow to check if he was under any illusion. Shisui vanished and reappeared behind him. ¡°Good, at least you remember the basics. Now, try to divide your chakra between Yin and Yang as much as possible,¡± Shisui instructed. Activating his Sharingan, Kaida began dividing his chakra, and after five minutes, he projected a ratio of 91:9, with 91% Yin chakra. ¡°That¡¯s good enough. Now stop,¡± Shisui said. ¡°We¡¯re moving to the next phase, which is both easy and tricky.¡± Kaida nodded and deactivated his Sharingan. ¡°You just need to target the eyes of your opponent and send your chakra to their brain, specifically to the cerebral nervous system where the spine connects to the brain. Once you¡¯ve established a chakra pathway, think of what you want them to see. The closer it is to reality, the easier it will be to fool them,¡± Shisui explained. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®closer to reality¡¯?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Like earlier, I made it seem like I was standing here. Since you expected me to be here, your brain didn¡¯t need to be forced to accept something unusual. With enough control and chakra, you can even do something like this.¡± Shisui snapped his fingers, and the day turned to night. Crows surrounded them, and Shisui grew black wings from his back. Kaida¡¯s immediate thought was, *¡®So cool.¡¯* He tried to disrupt his chakra but was shocked when the illusion didn¡¯t break. Shisui chuckled at Kaida¡¯s expression before stopping the Genjutsu. ¡°How did you do that, brother? I couldn¡¯t break the illusion even after knowing it was Genjutsu,¡± Kaida asked in amazement. ¡°I made it seem like you dispersed your chakra when, in reality, you didn¡¯t,¡± Shisui explained, smiling. ¡°Will I be able to do that someday?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°You will, but only when your Yin chakra is at least 96% pure. For now, let¡¯s focus on the basics,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°Who am I going to practice on?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Use your shadow clones,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Will Genjutsu even work on shadow clones? They don¡¯t have cerebral nervous systems, right?¡± Kaida questioned. ¡°Yes, they don¡¯t have a true nervous system, but they have something similar. Otherwise, how could they learn and help you train? They need some form of ¡®brain,¡¯¡± Shisui explained. ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Kaida said, thinking, *¡®If shadow clones could resist Uchiha Genjutsu, they¡¯d be the perfect counter, and the Uchiha¡¯s power wouldn¡¯t be so feared.¡¯* ¡°Now, start your training,¡± Shisui urged. Kaida created a shadow clone and tried projecting his Yin chakra to its eyes, which was easier with his Sharingan active. He connected his chakra to the clone¡¯s ¡°brain¡± and made it see a rabbit nearby. ¡°Did you see a rabbit?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a rabbit. It was something terrifying. Let me show you,¡± the clone said before dispersing. Kaida received the memory and realized he¡¯d accidentally made the clone see a flesh monster instead of a rabbit. ¡°Were you hoping to get it right on your first try? Keep practicing. Once you master this, I¡¯ll teach you a jutsu that will improve your understanding of Genjutsu,¡± Shisui said, using the Body Flicker Jutsu to rest in a tree. Kaida created another clone and continued practicing. After two hours, Shisui called out, ¡°I¡¯m heading back. Come find me when you¡¯ve either succeeded or run into trouble.¡± Kaida nodded and continued practicing. Controlling chakra outside his body was difficult due to the imbalance between Yin and Yang, but he persisted. Chapter 109: False Surroundings Technique Kaida made another shadow clone and continued practicing. After two hours, Shisui said, ¡°Since it¡¯s just repetitive training, I¡¯m heading back. Come to me if you succeed or face any problems.¡± Kaida nodded and kept practicing. Due to an imbalance in his chakra, it was tough to control it since it wasn''t inside his body. *¡®The rate of progress is quite slow. At this rate, it will take days to get it done¡­ alone,¡¯* Kaida thought. He made five shadow clones, each with 20% of his chakra, and five more with just 5%. All of them began training together. Kaida took a break to create a new batch of shadow clones responsible for completing missions, as the previous ones were low on chakra from working throughout the day. *¡®We¡¯ve completed 348 missions so far. Combined with previous ones, that makes roughly 600 missions. Now I just need to complete 400 more to claim a reward from the clan head,¡¯* Kaida noted after receiving a report from the clone in charge of missions. After making 50 more clones, he returned to his Genjutsu training. Since it was new for him and required significant time, Kaida decided to focus on it for the time being. *¡®Luckily, I have two more days. I¡¯m sure I can learn the basics by then,¡¯* Kaida thought, continuing his training through the night. For the next two days, Kaida¡¯s routine involved learning medical knowledge at the hospital from 8 AM to 4 PM and training in Genjutsu from 5 PM to 7 AM. With the help of his shadow clones, he was able to meet both of his goals. He completed 2,000 missions, earning an extra 30,000 Contribution points from Fugaku, while also mastering the basics of Genjutsu, enabling him to make his shadow clone see what he wanted. Since he still had some time, Kaida went to the Uchiha clan headquarters to claim his rewards. ¡°Good evening, Fugaku-sama,¡± Kaida said, bowing slightly in front of him. ¡°How the hell were you able to complete 2,000 D-rank missions in just three days?¡± Fugaku asked. ¡°Thanks to the Soldier Pills, I was able to expend more chakra on my shadow clones. They completed the necessary tasks swiftly,¡± Kaida replied. Fugaku sighed. ¡°Here is the promised reward. This is the maximum amount I¡¯ll give you this week.¡± He handed Kaida a stack of papers signifying 30,000 Contribution points. ¡°Thank you, Fugaku-sama,¡± Kaida said, taking the papers. ¡°Fugaku-sama, I wanted to ask something,¡± Kaida continued after receiving the Contribution points. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Since we have so much unused land, can¡¯t we also use that for rewards that we can claim with Contribution points?¡± Kaida asked. When the Uchiha were relocated to the outskirts of Konoha, they received land equal to what they had in the village center. Due to the price difference, they now had four times the land they needed, most of which was unoccupied. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Most ninjas have their own houses in the Uchiha compound. Why would you think they need more land?¡± Fugaku asked, noting that no one had attempted to buy the land for years. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to add it. Maybe someone will find a use for it,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Do you have any ideas for that land?¡± Fugaku asked, sensing the reason behind Kaida''s question. ¡°I do have some ideas, but nothing major,¡± Kaida said nonchalantly. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Is there anything else you want?¡± Fugaku asked. ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°Then you may leave,¡± Fugaku said, returning to his paperwork. Kaida took his leave and headed toward his next destination. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve learned the basics,¡± Kaida said to Shisui, who was resting in the garden after a training session. ¡°Good! How much more time do you have?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Four more hours,¡± Kaida replied, understanding what Shisui meant. ¡°That¡¯s enough time. Let¡¯s go.¡± Shisui used the Body Flicker Jutsu to reach the training area, with Kaida following using Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu. ¡°This is a simple D-rank jutsu, but its use is anything but small. If it weren¡¯t easily detected, it could even be B-rank or A-rank Genjutsu,¡± Shisui explained. Kaida nodded. ¡°It¡¯s known as the False Surroundings Technique. It creates a horrifying illusion in the victim''s mind, typically tailored to exploit their fears or weaknesses. In some cases, this weakness may be something they¡¯re unaware of,¡± Shisui continued. Listening to the explanation, Kaida thought, *¡®Isn¡¯t this just like what Kakashi used on Sakura during the bell test?¡¯* ¡°Are you ready?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Kaida said, creating a shadow clone. ¡°No, this time you¡¯re not going to use shadow clones for this. Use them for training,¡± Shisui said, pointing toward a rat. ¡°Why is there a problem with using shadow clones?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Because you should never use any Genjutsu that requires hand signs on your shadow clones. It may damage your eyes due to a chakra loop,¡± Shisui replied seriously. Kaida nodded and caught a rat for training. After having killed people, he felt no remorse about using rats for practice, as it was necessary. First, Shisui showed Kaida the hand signs, then used them to cast the Genjutsu on the rat. Seeing the horrified expression on the rat''s face, Kaida understood that the jutsu was successful. ¡°Do you want me to show it again?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°No, I can continue on my own. Thank you, brother.¡± ¡°Okay. Come find me if you have any doubts, and return before the Soldier Pill''s effects wear off; otherwise, I¡¯ll have to come find you,¡± Shisui said, ruffling Kaida¡¯s hair a bit. ¡°Okay, brother,¡± Kaida said. Shisui used Body Flicker Jutsu to return home. *¡®Since I only have four hours, let¡¯s make it count,¡¯* Kaida thought, starting to make shadow clones. After creating 80 shadow clones, each went off to search for a rat to practice the jutsu. After four hours of practice, Kaida achieved two things: partial mastery of the D-rank jutsu and a gratitude for reducing the number of rats in the Uchiha compound. After that, he returned home. Hae had prepared food for him, knowing he would be back after three days of training. The amount was enough to feed six or seven people. ... While Kaida rested, Hiruzen received the first report about him after sending an Anbu to find him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hiruzen asked, looking toward the Anbu guard. Chapter 110: Goal to Accomplish While Kaida was resting, Hiruzen received the first report about him after sending an Anbu to track him down. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hiruzen asked, looking toward the Anbu guard. ¡°Yes, sir. That boy is just training. I believe he is talented in Genjutsu and is hard-working. He used Soldier Pills to train and utilized his time very efficiently. In terms of potential threat, I would rate him as D-rank (LOW). His future potential can be rated as A, bordering S-rank,¡± the Anbu replied. ¡°Has he used any particular jutsu in front of anyone?¡± Hiruzen inquired. ¡°No, sir. He did use shadow clones in a very peculiar way to complete many D-rank missions and increase his learning efficiency. With his high chakra reserves, it was feasible. He was called by the Uchiha clan head, but I believe it was mainly because he completed an unusually high number of D-rank missions. After the meeting, he even increased the number of missions he was completing,¡± the Anbu explained. ¡°Good. You may go back and keep an eye on him for a bit longer. I¡¯ll let you know when to stop,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the Anbu replied before disappearing from the office using Body Flicker Jutsu. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hiruzen remained alone in his office, deep in thought. *¡®Looks like I don¡¯t have to dispose of him. Even Bear was able to see his potential. He will at the very least become an elite Jonin, and according to Mitsuru, he will most likely be a great medical ninja too.¡¯* Then he recalled how Mitsuru had barged into his office two days prior. --- **(Two Days Ago...)** ¡°Old man, my disciple should be a medical ninja! He¡¯s too talented in this field to be sent to his death on some mission,¡± Mitsuru said, entering Hokage''s office without knocking. ¡°I know he¡¯s talented; that¡¯s why I recommended him to be your disciple,¡± Hiruzen replied, maintaining a calm demeanor, well aware of Mitsuru''s nature. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand his talent in this field. He¡¯s even slightly more talented than I am, but not by much,¡± Mitsuru insisted. Hiruzen''s eyes widened for a split second. He knew Mitsuru too well; she was too prideful to accept anyone as more talented than her. There were only a handful of people she would acknowledge, including Tsunade. The fact that Kaida had made the cut spoke volumes. ¡°So why don¡¯t you just ask him to become a medical ninja? Why are you asking me about this?¡± Hiruzen questioned. ¡°Do you think I haven''t tried? He¡¯s adamant about becoming an elite Jonin, saying strength is more important in this world than respect and position,¡± Mitsuru replied, frustrated. ¡°Well, as much as he is talented in medical jutsu, the same applies to his fighting skills. He is already powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with a Jonin,¡± Hiruzen countered. ¡°But if he became a medical ninja, he could save multiple Jonin. What¡¯s the cost of exchanging the life of many Jonin for the career of a particular ninja?¡± Mitsuru argued, her frustration mounting. ¡°I¡¯m the leader of this village, Mitsuru. I won¡¯t control the lives of the ninjas here¡­¡± Hiruzen said, but upon seeing Mitsuru¡¯s accusing gaze, he added, ¡°¡­unless necessary.¡± ¡°Okay, do what you like,¡± Mitsuru said, leaving the office. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to sway Hiruzen to her side; her main goal had been to give him a relative idea of Kaida¡¯s potential in medical jutsu. --- **(Present Time...)** One day passed after the effects of the Soldier Pill wore off. Kaida slept for 20 hours. Since he used resources to enhance his physique during training, which helped him reduce the burden on his body, he wasn¡¯t out cold for 24 hours like before. As soon as he woke up, Kaida glanced at the clock; it showed 2:47. Noticing it was dark outside, he realized it was morning. *¡®I needed much less sleep this time, which means those resources were not a waste of Contribution points. Now that I know this training will help me strengthen myself, I can make my plans. First, I need to find ways to improve the image of the Uchiha clan in Konoha. For now, the best thing I can do is become a medical ninja and help the poor people of Konoha for free. During that process, I should clarify that the Uchihas were not behind the tail attack. That should be relatively simple since public doubt is still in its early phase. Also, I can¡¯t let my knowledge of the future go to waste. I know some talented individuals who were on the wrong side due to circumstances, and I can add them to my team. This will not only increase my chances of stopping the Uchiha massacre but also help in future events like the Konoha Crush, Pain''s attack, or the Fourth Great Ninja War. The people who come to mind are Karin Uzumaki, Haku, and Kimimaro Kaguya. These three were powerful and still aren¡¯t under anyone¡¯s control since Naruto is only four years old. Their ages should be around that as well. I should quickly ¡®rescue¡¯ them,* Kaida thought, getting out of bed and making a mental note of what he had to do shortly. After completing his morning routine, he went to the kitchen to find a meal prepared on the table. *This is for you, Kaida. Eat it when you wake up. I don¡¯t want anything left behind. ¡ª Your Aunt* Kaida smiled and ate all the food present. He then went to the meditation room and the fire room for one hour each. With enough Contribution points in hand, the only thing he needed to worry about was time. Since he still had two hours before everyone else would wake up, he decided to use them efficiently. --- **(At 6:00 AM)** Kaida returned home. ¡°The first thing you did after waking up was train? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little excessive?¡± Shisui remarked, looking at Kaida. Hae, Shisui, and Yomi were enjoying morning tea while waiting for Kaida. ¡°I woke up quite early, so I decided to meditate a little. I didn¡¯t do any hard training,¡± Kaida explained, sitting next to them. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s your tea,¡± Hae said, handing Kaida a cup. ¡°You missed yesterday''s training at the hospital. Will you face any problems because of that?¡± Yomi asked. ¡°No, I already asked for leave yesterday, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll face any issues,¡± Kaida replied, taking a sip. "Are you going to use another Soldier Pill again?¡± Shisui inquired. ¡°No, brother. Even though Soldier Pills are known to have no side effects other than fatigue, I don¡¯t want to take any risks. So I plan to use Soldier Pills only once a week for training,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°Good choice,¡± Shisui said, nodding in approval. Chapter 111: Entrusted with Patient Care After that, they went to eat breakfast. "How is your training going, Yomi?" Kaida asked. "Fine, I think I will be able to complete my first phase of training within a week. You will be surprised when you see the result of my training. Shishishishi," Yomi replied with her signature laugh. "You will complete the first phase within two weeks? Are you sure?" Shisui asked. "Yes, brother. I am using Shadow clones to increase my speed. With the help of five Shadow clones, my speed is really fast," Yomi said. Though she could make around 14 Shadow clones, she was only using five because she had to maintain them for quite a large amount of time. Extra chakra was required to make a Shadow clone that could sustain itself for some time while maintaining enough chakra to not feel tired. "Good," Shisui said. "So what is this first phase you''re talking about?" Kaida asked, intrigued by Shisui''s comment. "You see, before you learn¡ª" "No, brother, don''t tell him!" Yomi interrupted just as Shisui was about to answer Kaida. "First, I will show him the result of my training," Yomi said shyly. "Hahaha, okay," Shisui said, laughing along with Hae and Kaida. Kaida decided not to search for answers and let her give him the surprise she wanted. After eating, Yomi went out for training while Kaida remained at the house until 7:00 a.m. Then he also went toward the hospital. After consuming various resources he got using contribution points for physical enhancement, he ran to the hospital while using a weight seal to apply 100 kg to his body. At 8:00 a.m., he reached the hospital, following the same schedule of shadowing the chief medical ninja and using Shadow clones to learn poison removal jutsu and medical techniques. By now, he had already completed the books Mitsuru had asked him to read and was now reading books related to medical nursing, as he would be allowed to start some hands-on work in a week. After leaving the hospital, he continued his genjutsu training, returning home by 6:00 p.m. while sending 50 Shadow clones to complete some missions. This was his schedule for three days. ... After three days, Kaida decided to eat the soldier pill once again. "So, you¡¯ve learned False Surroundings Jutsu, huh?" Shisui asked, looking toward Kaida. "Yes, brother. Now I can see the weaknesses of my target, and the success rate of the jutsu is also 100 percent," Kaida said. "Good. After you come back from the hospital, I will teach you something new," Shisui said. They were discussing this while sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast. "So you¡¯re going to use the soldier pill again?" Yomi asked. "Yes," Kaida said. "Lucky you. My Sensei isn''t even allowing me to take a single day off, so I can¡¯t use those pills," Yomi said, sighing. "Don''t worry, Yomi, you''re doing fine," Shisui said. "Thanks, brother," Yomi said. After eating, Yomi went for her training while Kaida went to the hospital. He was particularly excited today, as it had been a week since he started following the chief, and today he would be allowed to practice by himself. Though most of what he could do was apply bandages, set fractures, and give some simple medicine, it was a start. When he reached the hospital, he eagerly waited for the chief. When the chief arrived, he looked toward Kaida and said, "Follow me," and took Kaida to a room where several dummies were present. "Before I allow you to treat an actual patient, I need to check whether you''re ready or not. Your task is to treat those three," the chief said, pointing to three dummies. Kaida nodded and approached the dummies. The first one had a cut on its forearm. Kaida skillfully cleaned the wound and applied a proper bandage, then wrote the name of some medicine the patient should take for a swift recovery. Next, he moved to the second dummy, which showed symptoms of a peculiar bacterial disease. Kaida prescribed some medicine and then went to the last dummy. It had one of its legs bent at an unusual angle¡ªa clear case of a fracture. Following the procedure, Kaida first gave the dummy a painkiller, then turned to the chief nurse and asked, "Can I use Shadow clones, or do I have to do it alone?" sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "This is your test. Use whatever means you have to do it successfully," the chief said, maintaining his strict demeanor. Kaida quickly made three Shadow clones and swiftly aligned the bone. He applied the plaster, prescribed one week of rest while eating a calcium-rich diet, and recommended some medicine with a constant check-up over a month to ensure proper healing. After treating all three dummies, Kaida stood aside as the chief examined them. After checking all three, he turned to Kaida and asked, "How did you know the medicines you listed for the second dummy?" "I read some books about nursing and common diseases. The symptoms in the report matched a disease I had studied, so I prescribed the medicine I knew," Kaida explained politely. "Good. You¡¯re ready to treat normal patients now. After one month, you can take your license exam," the chief said with a smile. Kaida nodded but asked, "Do I have to wait for a whole month?" "Kids these days. Normally, it would take a year to become eligible for the license, and you''re getting it within two months, and you''re complaining! Just so you know, if you weren''t Mitsuru-sama''s disciple, you would have had to be under my supervision for at least three months before getting the chance to apply for a license," the chief replied. Kaida just laughed nervously. After getting permission, Kaida''s work at the hospital became more lively. He treated patients here and there, not charging them anything. While nurses charged a small fee for their services, Kaida decided not to take any payment. For a full day''s work, it was like doing a D-rank mission. This simple gesture created a positive image of Kaida in the eyes of the villagers. At 4 p.m., Kaida went to the training area after purchasing a soldier pill for 100,000 Ryo. Although this amount was too high for even a chunin, it was small change for Kaida, as he had earned a lot by completing D-rank missions. After completing 1,000 D-rank missions, Kaida had earned around 600,000 Ryo. So spending on a soldier pill wasn¡¯t much for him. After buying it, he headed straight to the training area, where Shisui was waiting. "You seem to be in a good mood," Shisui asked. Chapter 112: Memory Extraction "You seem to be in a good mood," Shisui asked. "I sure am. I''m finally allowed to treat patients. Now I¡¯m feeling like a real medical ninja," Kaida replied. "Good for you, mate. Do you want to take a rest or start training?" Shisui asked. "Training, of course," Kaida said, taking out the soldier pill and eating it. "Okay. Since you''ve learned the False Surroundings Jutsu, you should know that genjutsu can also be used to extract information from enemies. This jutsu can reveal weaknesses or fears that the target may not even be aware of. Similarly, it can be used to gather intel, but it''s not often used because it''s easier to just hypnotize the enemy and ask them directly. But if you can master this, your control over genjutsu will greatly improve. I¡¯ll also teach you how to hypnotize your opponent, but only after you¡¯ve learned this," Shisui explained. "Do I have to use rats for this again?" Kaida asked. "Of course. Extracting memories from a shadow clone is much easier, so even if you learn how to do it with a clone, it won¡¯t be the same as with a real target," Shisui said. "Normally, this jutsu works better on humanoid targets, like monkeys, but since you use so many clones and I don¡¯t want to lower the monkey population, stick with using rats for now," Shisui added. There was a reason he mentioned humanoid targets, and Kaida, with his experience clearing out bandit camps, understood immediately. A wide grin appeared on Kaida''s face. Seeing this, Shisui thought, *I should also teach him how to mask his emotions* and asked, "Do you have the mice you captured before?" "No, brother. They were a nuisance, so I got rid of them," Kaida replied, but he had made sure they didn¡¯t feel any pain. "No problem. Go catch some more," Shisui said, using the Body Flicker Jutsu to rest on a nearby tree. Following the command, Kaida made 60 shadow clones and sent them out to find mice. After half an hour, many returned with one or two mice each. Shisui descended from the tree and said, "Since we''re dealing with the brain here, try not to force the jutsu or you''ll make your target brain-dead." Kaida nodded in understanding. Shisui continued, "Good. Now, do you remember how you were able to extract the fear from your target using the False Surroundings Jutsu?" "Yes, brother. My chakra went to a specific part of the brain. After circulating my chakra there, I got the memory, and the target saw it too," Kaida replied. "The circulation is the key. Our memories are stored in the hippocampus and other related structures in the brain¡¯s temporal lobe. Your goal is to completely cover that part of the brain with your yin chakra, then circulate it in a specific pattern. Different circulations will give you different memories. I¡¯ll teach you the basic ones first," Shisui explained. "Okay, brother," Kaida said, activating his Sharingan. Shisui split his chakra into yin and yang in a 91:9 ratio, matching Kaida''s capacity. He directed the chakra toward the rat¡¯s brain, circulating it in various patterns while explaining each one to Kaida. After several repetitions, Shisui asked, "Any doubts?" "No, brother," Kaida said, beginning his training. Shisui supervised for a while, then returned to the house. Having taken a soldier pill, Kaida had more energy for training. He trained with 60 shadow clones for two hours. Once he got the hang of the technique, he sent 50 clones to complete missions, leaving 30 to continue genjutsu training. Kaida himself decided to use his excess contribution points. With 30,000 points, he booked the Fire Room for 10 hours. While his clones handled missions, he trained his chakra nature. The next morning, Kaida arrived at the training area where most of his clones were running low on chakra after 10 hours of training. The mission clones had already dispersed due to chakra depletion. In that time, Kaida had completed 312 D-rank missions, enough to finish 2,000 missions within three days. He created 50 new clones and sent them out again. Then, he dispersed the genjutsu training clones. *¡®So I can extract recent memories, but the older memories I try to reach, the more damage I cause to the brain. I¡¯ll have to be careful with how I circulate my chakra. Since I don¡¯t need many clones at the hospital, I¡¯ll keep some for genjutsu training,¡¯* Kaida thought, creating 10 more clones to continue practicing while he returned home. Normally, he¡¯d eat nutrient bars for efficiency, but knowing his aunt would worry if he didn¡¯t eat properly, Kaida decided to have breakfast at home. At 6:00 AM, he arrived to find his family sitting together drinking tea, and he joined them. "Were you able to make any progress?" Shisui asked, sipping his tea. "Yes, brother. I can read recent memories, but the further back I try to go, the harder it becomes," Kaida replied. "Can you two not talk about training for a while?" Hae teased. They chatted about smaller things, and Kaida was forced to eat a hearty meal since he wouldn¡¯t be back until the next morning. After breakfast, Kaida went to the hospital, took his supplements, and treated patients. Since he wasn¡¯t charging for his services, the number of patients continued to increase. After 4:00 PM, Kaida returned to the Fire Room, dispersed the old clones, and created new ones. This was his routine for the next three days. Since Kaida was focusing on ninjutsu, he didn¡¯t measure his progress, only aiming to increase his fire chakra. By the time he realized just how much it had grown, both he and everyone around him would be shocked¡ªbut that was for the future. --- **(3 hours before the soldier pill''s effect ends)** One of Kaida¡¯s clones tasked with taking missions arrived at the training area and said, "We¡¯ve completed 2,000 missions. Should we continue?" "No, this is enough," Kaida replied, dispersing all the mission clones. Then, he headed to clan headquarters to claim his contribution points. There, he learned that Fugaku had considered his idea, and after a month, the land might be included in the reward list. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida was thrilled. With three hours remaining, he returned to the training area and created as many shadow clones as he could. For the next two hours, 83 clones practiced genjutsu. One by one, they began dispersing after the training was complete. Since they had similar memories, Kaida didn¡¯t suffer any headaches. Afterward, he returned home, ate the food prepared for him, and rested for 20 hours. The next day, Kaida woke up at 5:00 AM. After completing his morning routine, he meditated until it was time for morning tea. After tea and breakfast, he went to the hospital, only to find... Chapter 113: Spiritual Empowerment Tonic After a day of rest, Kaida went to the hospital. When he arrived at the area where he normally treated patients¡ªwhich was also where the Chief worked¡ªhe was shocked to see the long line of patients waiting for him. Sure, there were many professional nurses in the hospital, and Kaida was just a new one, not as experienced as them, but since he wasn''t charging much, the number of people coming to him was significant. And since he had taken a day off, the line had only grown longer. Seeing the Chief smiling at him, Kaida smiled wryly, greeted him, and then made three shadow clones to help treat the patients. It was easily the most hectic day Kaida had experienced in the hospital. After treating patients until 4:00 PM, Kaida returned to the Uchiha compound with a question on his mind. ¡®Why haven¡¯t I tried all the spiritual medicines by now?¡¯ Kaida went to the clan headquarters and bought all the spiritual medicines available, such as the Focus Pill, Spiritual Empowerment Tonic, and Harmony Restoration Elixir. For the Focus Pill and Spiritual Empowerment Tonic, Kaida only needed to take them before sleep, but for the Harmony Restoration Elixir, he had to take a medicinal bath after consuming the elixir. The medicines for the bath came along with the elixir. Today, he decided to use the old and trusted Focus Pill. After some light training and dinner, he took the pill, meditated for an hour, and went to bed. The next day, Kaida woke up at 6:00 AM feeling great. After completing his morning routine, he went to the garden to check whether he had made any improvements. Satisfied with the results, noting that the Focus Pill¡¯s efficiency hadn¡¯t decreased and his mental capacity had increased, he went to get his tea and breakfast before heading to the hospital. With his rising popularity, the number of patients Kaida had to treat daily kept increasing. Some of them even came just for a free check-up or for minor injuries. Without the option of free treatment, these individuals likely wouldn¡¯t have sought medical care at all. But Kaida''s main goal wasn¡¯t earning money¡ªit was building his reputation¡ªso he treated everyone who came to him. To save time and energy, he made a shadow clone to handle patients without major problems, while he personally treated those who needed more attention. While typical nurses handled 10-12 patients daily, Kaida found himself treating over 70 each day. After treating patients until 4:00 PM, Kaida returned home. He found Shisui training in the garden, using the Body Flicker Jutsu repeatedly. Seeing this, Kaida recalled a famous saying from his past life: ¡®I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.¡¯ Kaida went to the garden and sat there, watching. ¡°Do you have something you want to ask?¡± Shisui inquired after noticing Kaida observing him. ¡°Yes, brother. I wanted to ask if you still use supplements like the Focus Pill and Spiritual Empowerment Tonic,¡± Kaida asked. ¡°No, they don¡¯t have any effect on me now, though there was a time when I used them weekly like many other Uchihas. However, I still use the Harmony Restoration Elixir, which helps improve the coordination between mind and body,¡± Shisui explained. ¡°After how long did the medicines stop working for you?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Maybe after about two years. Though their effect started to decrease after 10 uses, I think. Why do you ask? Are you starting to use them?¡± Shisui responded. ¡°Yes, brother. So far, I¡¯ve only taken a Focus Pill, but I plan to drink the Spiritual Empowerment Tonic tonight,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Oh! Then you¡¯ll be in for quite a surprise tomorrow,¡± Shisui remarked with a mysterious laugh. Kaida knew that Shisui wouldn¡¯t reveal anything more, so he left him to train and headed to his room to rest. On his way back, Kaida made shadow clones to continue training on Memory Extraction. He meditated at home until nightfall. After eating dinner, Kaida drank the Spiritual Empowerment Tonic and meditated for an hour before going to sleep. ... The next morning, Kaida woke up and noticed something different¡ªjust like when his Sharingan was active. ¡®Why did it activate on its own?¡¯ Kaida thought, then remembered Shisui¡¯s words: ¡®You¡¯ll be in for quite a surprise tomorrow.¡¯ ¡®Does that mean my Sharingan activated on its own because my spiritual power increased? Well, since activating it requires increasing the spiritual power around my eyes, this does make sense. But now, how do I deactivate it?¡¯ Kaida wondered, as no matter how much he tried, it remained active. At last, he decided to go to Shisui¡¯s room. Since it was only 5:00 AM, Shisui should still be in his room. *Knock knock.* ¡°What happened, Kaida?¡± Shisui asked with a mischievous smile. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You already knew about this, right? Sigh... Can you please tell me how to deactivate my Sharingan?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°There¡¯s no special way. Just give it some time to adjust, and it will deactivate automatically,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kaida asked again. ¡°You¡¯re asking a professional. Don¡¯t question my advice,¡± Shisui said, pretending to be angry about Kaida¡¯s doubt. Kaida shook his head, thanked Shisui, and returned to his room. He began meditating to help his body adjust to the increase in spiritual power, but he was surprised once again. ¡®My chakra reserves have increased too. This medicine is amazing,¡¯ Kaida thought, feeling the boost in both his chakra reserves and mental capacity. After meditating for an hour, Kaida¡¯s Sharingan deactivated on its own. He finished his morning routine and headed downstairs. ¡°You can stabilize your Sharingan this early? Looks like starting later has its benefits,¡± Shisui commented. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kaida asked, sipping his tea. ¡°Well, when I first took that medicine, I had a one-tomoe Sharingan, and it remained active for four hours. It was still active even when my eyes started hurting. You sure had it easy,¡± Shisui sighed. ¡°Oh! Did you use the Spiritual Tonic?¡± Hae asked, joining the conversation. ¡°Yes, Aunt,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Then you must be quite hungry. Let me make you something nutritious,¡± Hae said, heading to the kitchen early to prepare something extra. Kaida knew he couldn¡¯t stop her, so he didn¡¯t even try. ¡°So, are you planning to take the Harmony Restoration Elixir today?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, brother. I asked the receptionist about it, and he said it won¡¯t cause any problems,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Problems? It¡¯s actually recommended to use it after the Spiritual Empowerment Tonic. It¡¯ll be most beneficial now,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be sure to take it after coming back from the hospital,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Great,¡± Shisui responded. Chapter 114: Harmony Restoration Elixir After the conversation, Kaida ate the special breakfast prepared for him by Hae and headed toward the hospital. As usual, he ate some physical supplements, then increased the weight on his body to 150 kg using a weight seal, and ran to the hospital. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But when he arrived, the receptionist told him, ¡°Kaida, Mitsuru-sama asked you to go to her office.¡± ¡°Oh! Did I do something wrong?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Maybe it¡¯s not something bad¡ªyou might even be getting praised for your progress,¡± the receptionist said with a smile, as Kaida''s progress was no secret in the hospital. Kaida nodded and headed to Mitsuru¡¯s office. *Knock knock.* ¡°Come in,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°Good morning, Sensei,¡± Kaida said after entering the office. ¡°Oh! You remember that you have a sensei. So why am I hearing about your progress from someone else?¡± Mitsuru asked, smiling in a way that didn¡¯t seem very kind. ¡°Sensei, I didn¡¯t think I had made any significant progress, so I didn¡¯t report it to you,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°You and your absurd standards. So, tell me about the *significant* progress you¡¯ve made in these past two weeks,¡± Mitsuru replied. ¡°I¡¯ve learned the poison removal jutsu, studied all the books you assigned me, along with some books related to a medical nurse¡¯s regular duties and common diseases. I¡¯ve also begun practicing under the Chief Medical Ninja,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Good. If you want, I can arrange the certification exam for you,¡± Mitsuru offered. ¡°No, Sensei. The Chief asked me to continue treating patients for at least a month, and I¡¯ve already agreed to that. So, if possible, I¡¯d like to stick to my word,¡± Kaida said. ¡°As you wish. I¡¯ll arrange the exam after a month. Now you can go back¡ªjust keep me updated about your progress from time to time,¡± Mitsuru said, returning to her paperwork. Kaida nodded and went to treat the patients, who were eagerly waiting for him. Seeing the growing number of patients, Kaida had to make three shadow clones and then began treating them. After 4:00 PM, Kaida returned home. Since he had decided to use the Harmony Restoration Elixir, which required a five-hour-long medicinal bath, Kaida prepared everything so that he would be done by dinner. He quickly made two shadow clones whose only task was to maintain the bath¡¯s optimal temperature. After preparing the bath, Kaida submerged himself and ate the Harmony Restoration Elixir. As soon as he consumed the elixir, it felt like millions of ants were crawling on his skin, biting him from time to time. ¡®Why the heck did no one tell me this was going to hurt so much?¡¯ Kaida thought, but he kept his body submerged. The elixir had to be taken in five batches, one each hour, and the pain gradually lessened with each dose. After five hours, Kaida emerged from the bath, his whole body red as if someone had painted him. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating anything,¡± Kaida murmured, heading straight to bed for some much-needed sleep. Hae wanted to call him for dinner, but Shisui stopped her, reminding her about the Harmony Restoration Elixir¡¯s effects. Thus, only the three of them ate dinner that night, though Yomi seemed a bit spaced out, thinking that she should start training in areas beyond her specialization. ¡­ Kaida woke up at 6:00 AM the next morning, feeling something he had never experienced before. It was like he had been using a rusted machine, and now someone had just oiled it. The machine was as good as new. Kaida went straight to the training area and began testing various activities like running, jumping, and footwork. ¡®It feels like the lag between my thoughts and my body¡¯s movements has decreased,¡¯ Kaida thought. He then made 30 shadow clones, 15 of whom used the Transformation Jutsu to turn into different swords. Kaida picked up one of the swords and activated his Sharingan. The edge of each sword was dull, so the clones didn¡¯t have to hold back¡ªthey attacked him with all they had. But the result was something even Kaida hadn¡¯t anticipated. Thanks to the enhanced power of his Sharingan after taking those two medicines, Kaida could predict all of their attacks simultaneously, and this time, he could move his body much faster than before. Even after sparring for 10 minutes, Kaida¡¯s clones hadn¡¯t managed to land a single hit. Satisfied, Kaida dispersed his clones and thought, ¡®Joining the Uchiha clan was one of the best decisions of my life.¡¯ He then returned to his house, where everyone was enjoying morning tea. ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± Kaida said, grabbing a cup for himself. ¡°Good morning, Kaida. Did you enjoy the effects of the Harmony Restoration Elixir?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°It was definitely worth suffering through all that pain,¡± Kaida replied with an ear-to-ear smile. ¡°Pain? Are you alright?¡± Yomi asked. ¡°Nothing serious. The medicine I took yesterday just had a painful side effect, but its benefits were worth it. I feel much more in control of my body,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good then,¡± Yomi said. After chatting a bit more, they had breakfast, and Kaida and Yomi went to their respective classes. Kaida reached the hospital after completing his morning training and once again treated a large number of patients. He returned home after 4:00 PM. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve learned the Memory Extraction Jutsu. What will you teach me tomorrow?¡± Kaida asked, finding Shisui relaxing in the hall. ¡°Are you planning to use a soldier pill again?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, brother. It¡¯s been four days since I last used one,¡± Kaida said. ¡°You know you can rest sometimes too, right?¡± Shisui remarked. ¡°The four days in between are rest for me, brother,¡± Kaida replied with a smile. ¡°As you wish. And for your question, since you¡¯ve already learned the Memory Extraction Jutsu, the next thing I¡¯m going to teach you is¡­¡± Chapter 115: Kenjutsu Spar (Part 1) ¡°As you wish. Since you¡¯ve already learned the Memory Extraction Jutsu, the next thing I¡¯ll teach you is memory feeding and hypnotizing your opponent using genjutsu. So be prepared¡ªtomorrow¡¯s going to be fun,¡± Shisui said with a smile. ¡°Okay, brother,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°I had something to ask you about. Recently, I heard rumors about a young doctor in Konoha Hospital who¡¯s treating civilians for free. Do you know about him?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, brother, I¡¯ve also heard about him. Apparently, he¡¯s super handsome and hardworking. Some people are even saying he¡¯s the best medical ninja in the hospital,¡± Kaida replied with a serious look on his face. ¡°How can someone be so self-centered? You shameless brat,¡± Shisui said, smacking Kaida¡¯s head. ¡°Now tell me, why are you doing this?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have a big reason for it. I¡¯m just learning medical jutsu for now, and I don¡¯t have my certification to treat civilians yet. I¡¯m only allowed to treat them under the supervision of experienced staff. Since those people are already helping me practice my basics, why should I charge them? That¡¯s how I see it. Also, the amount wouldn¡¯t be that much¡ªjust 20,000 to 40,000 ryo per day,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°40,000 ryo isn¡¯t much for you? How?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Because when I complete those D-rank missions every week, I earn 600,000 to 700,000 ryo. And currently, even that¡¯s more than enough for me,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you. But remember, being kind is admirable¡ªjust don¡¯t let anyone exploit your kindness,¡± Shisui said earnestly. Kaida nodded, thinking, ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing this out of kindness. I need to increase the Uchiha clan¡¯s reputation so they don¡¯t start planning a coup like in the anime.¡¯ ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Nothing much. I was thinking of using the meditation room today,¡± Kaida said. ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Shisui replied. Kaida nodded, then went to his room. After resting for a while, he went to the dining area when Hae called him for a snack. After lunch, he booked the most expensive meditation room, which only elite jonins of the Uchiha clan used, for four hours. Any longer, and he¡¯d miss dinner at home. After creating some shadow clones and depleting his chakra, Kaida headed to the meditation room, while his clones went to complete some missions. Kaida decided to take a break from training for the day. After spending four hours in the meditation room, Kaida returned home. ¡°Hey, Yomi, how was your day?¡± Kaida asked, noticing Yomi sitting in the hall, looking exhausted. ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t know why I asked my sensei to increase my training intensity. Thanks to my foolishness, my already hard training just got harder. But at least the results were worth it,¡± Yomi replied with a sigh. ¡°We have two years¡ªyou don¡¯t have to push yourself so hard, you know,¡± Kaida said, thinking Yomi was overexerting herself. ¡°So can you kindly explain why you¡¯re using a soldier pill every week if we have plenty of time to train?¡± Yomi asked. ¡®Even though I said we have time, the reality is different. The number of events I know of where we could lose our lives is greater than you can imagine¡ªthe latest being the Uchiha massacre. But I can¡¯t tell you that, can I?¡¯ Kaida thought, then said, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m doing it because my training isn¡¯t that hard, and I want to learn genjutsu. Wait¡ªare you trying to match my training rate, thinking you¡¯re doing less?¡± ¡°¡­No, why would you even think that?¡± Yomi asked, turning her head away. *Tap.* Kaida flicked her forehead. ¡°You silly girl. The reason I decided to train extra is because you train until 7 PM, while I only train until 4 PM. And even then, I¡¯m not training that hard. Now you want to increase your training intensity? What are you trying to do, kill me?¡± Kaida said. ¡°Really?¡± Yomi asked. ¡°Of course,¡± Kaida replied, using the *Dao of Lies and Shamelessness* to make Yomi feel better and not push herself to match his progress speed. He knew that, no matter how much she tried, the gap between them would keep increasing. Right now, Kaida already had almost four times the chakra Yomi had, thanks to his bloodline and Sharingan. After persuading Yomi not to increase her training intensity further, they enjoyed the meal Hae had prepared and headed to bed. The next day, Kaida followed his usual routine until 4:00 PM. After treating many patients, he went to the training area, only to find Shisui waiting for him. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®I¡¯m getting a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu,¡¯ Kaida thought, remembering the same thing happened last week. Kaida took out the soldier pill he had bought before coming and ate it. ¡°So, are you ready for genjutsu practice?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°I¡¯m ready, brother, but there¡¯s something else I want to do before we start genjutsu training,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°What is it?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°I want to have a kenjutsu spar with you,¡± Kaida said. Since he had been able to hold his ground against many shadow clones easily, he wanted to know his power level against an elite jonin. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, brother,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you want. Let me get some blunt swords before we start,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother¡ªI already have them,¡± Kaida said, pointing to the swords piled in a corner. ¡°Good job,¡± Shisui said, picking up a sword similar to his own. He then asked, ¡°Do you want me to use genjutsu during the spar?¡± ¡°No, brother. I just want to test my level in kenjutsu, so let¡¯s not use genjutsu during the spar,¡± Kaida said, picking up a sword himself. Chapter 116: Kenjutsu Spar (Part 2) ¡°No, brother, I just want to know my level in kenjutsu, so let¡¯s not use genjutsu in our spar,¡± Kaida said after picking up a sword. ¡°Okay, since you want to know your level, I¡¯ll help you with that. First, come and attack me with everything you¡¯ve got,¡± Shisui said, activating his Mangeky¨­ Sharingan. Kaida nodded and went to attack Shisui, activating his two-tomoe Sharingan. His first attack was a feint toward the head, which he quickly redirected toward the ribs. However, Shisui didn¡¯t even try to stop the feint and easily deflected the actual attack without using much force. This repeated several times, but Kaida couldn¡¯t land a single strike on Shisui. After 10 minutes, Kaida stopped. ¡°Your attacks are at the level of a chunin and might work against a jonin, but now let''s see about your defense. I¡¯m going to attack you¡ªtry to defend as best you can.¡± Kaida nodded and got ready. Shisui seemed to disappear from his spot and reappear near Kaida. This was his base speed without using any jutsu, though he did use chakra to strengthen his legs. Without his Sharingan activated, Kaida wouldn¡¯t have been able to follow Shisui¡¯s movements. Shisui attacked Kaida from various angles and positions¡ªany normal person would have failed to block those strikes. But since Kaida had been practicing kenjutsu against 15 clones at once, he was able to react. He coated his body in chakra to boost his speed and strength to match Shisui. After 10 minutes, Shisui had only landed two hits on Kaida. ¡°Good job, brother. Your defense is at the level of an elite jonin. I doubt anyone your age has a better defense than you,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Thank you, brother,¡± Kaida replied. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°But there¡¯s one problem with your kenjutsu style. It¡¯s very basic. While it¡¯s good to have strong fundamentals, there¡¯s a limit to what you can achieve with just the basics. Also, you¡¯re not using your Sharingan to its full capacity for your kenjutsu,¡± Shisui said. ¡°What do you mean by that, brother? I kept my Sharingan active the entire time and was able to follow your movements,¡± Kaida asked, confused. ¡°That¡¯s the issue. You can see your enemy¡¯s movements with the Sharingan, but you¡¯re not using that to your advantage. When we defended against each other¡¯s attacks, did you notice any difference in how we did that?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, brother. You used much less force to defend against my attacks. Most of the time, you just deflected my strikes with a touch of your sword, while I had to use much more effort to defend against yours,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Exactly. Since I could see your muscle movements, I could predict where to apply just enough force to deflect your attack with minimal effort. This is the Uchiha kenjutsu technique, where we push the Sharingan to its limit,¡± Shisui explained. ¡°I thought I was using my Sharingan skillfully, but now I realize I wasn¡¯t. Looks like I have to add this to my to-do list,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Well, since you use your shadow clones for genjutsu practice, you have some free time during these three days, right?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, brother,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Then I can teach you some of this if you¡¯d like,¡± Shisui offered. ¡°You¡¯re the best brother in the world!¡± Kaida shouted, his face lighting up with a big smile. ¡°I know that, but for now, let¡¯s focus on genjutsu,¡± Shisui said. Kaida nodded and created 80 shadow clones, each of them sent to catch a mouse for practice. After a while, they returned with over 150 mice. At this point, the mice in the Uchiha compound feared Kaida more than they feared the cats. With everything ready, Shisui began his explanation. ¡°As you already know how to extract memories from enemies'' brains, and you¡¯ve learned the basics of making them see things that don¡¯t exist, now we¡¯re going to target the area of the brain that controls conscious thought. Just like with memory extraction, but this time, you¡¯ll slow its function by covering that part with your chakra and circulating it like this. This will make them unable to think for a second, and in that moment, you¡¯ll feed the information you want into their brain. Keep in mind, this won¡¯t work on someone with equal or greater strength than you. If you¡¯re a jonin, the best you could manage might be a chunin,¡± Shisui explained. ¡°Then is this even useful in real life?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°In combat, not much on its own. But if you want to gather information, make someone attack their allies to create an opening, or tame some ruffians on the street, this technique is perfect,¡± Shisui said. Kaida nodded in understanding, and Shisui continued. ¡°Now, here¡¯s how you do it,¡± Shisui said, performing the genjutsu on a rat. Kaida watched closely. After the process was complete, Shisui said, ¡°I¡¯ve implanted a memory in this rat that you¡¯ve cared for it since its childhood. Now let¡¯s see how it behaves.¡± Shisui released the rat, and it ran toward Kaida, rubbing its head against his leg. ¡°See? That¡¯s the power of this genjutsu. Now let me undo this, or you¡¯ll have to make it your pet,¡± Shisui said, reversing the memory he had implanted. ¡°There are so many ways we could use this jutsu!¡± Kaida exclaimed, impressed. ¡°Yep. Only your imagination is the limit,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Should I start practicing now?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°No, there¡¯s one last thing to teach you. Even though I said this won¡¯t work on someone powerful, you can still try to make them unconscious. Here, let me show you,¡± Shisui said, using a rat to demonstrate how to knock out an enemy. ¡°This can also be done on allies if they¡¯re wounded and in too much pain, as it doesn¡¯t have any lasting effects. Now, do you have any questions?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°No, brother,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Good. Start practicing, and I¡¯ll come back at 4 AM. Then I¡¯ll teach you kenjutsu too,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Thanks, brother,¡± Kaida said. Shisui nodded and used the Body Flicker Jutsu to return home. Chapter 117: Uchiha Kenjutsu Techniques Kaida was left alone in the training area. He decided to first master memory implantation and hypnotism before moving on to other tasks. All 80 shadow clones, including Kaida, began training in hypnotism. During practice, many rats fainted, though not intentionally. ''Looks like there are many ways to make your enemy faint. The technique brother taught me must be for allies, so they won''t suffer any lasting injuries to their brain,'' Kaida thought as he continued practicing. His goal was to achieve something similar to what Shisui did, but the problem was the rats saw him as their nemesis. So, his objective was to make them believe the opposite of what they currently believed. Though difficult, this was the most practical training Kaida could do, since a similar scenario would likely occur with an enemy. ¡­ Kaida continued training until midnight, and after seven hours of practice, he finally achieved a single success. ''That took way longer than I expected. Well, now that I''ve grasped the basics, the only thing left is to practice this repeatedly,'' Kaida thought. He dispersed his clones, as most of them were low on chakra by now. He then created 85 shadow clones. Ten out of the 85 continued to practice genjutsu, while the rest went off to complete some missions. These D-rank missions took time. When Kaida first started doing missions, he chose ones that took the least time. But now that he had to complete 2,000 missions every week¡ªnearly 70 percent of all D-rank missions assigned to the Uchiha clan¡ªhe couldn''t be picky. He had to complete many time-consuming missions. Because of this, Kaida had to constantly use at least 50 shadow clones for three days straight to meet the 2,000-mission quota. On the positive side, since his shadow clones used a myriad of jutsu to complete these missions as fast as possible, Kaida''s ninjutsu proficiency improved along with his contribution points. It was like hitting two birds with one stone. Seeing all of his clones busy with their tasks, Kaida decided to use the fire room until 4 AM, knowing he had a kenjutsu practice session with Shisui afterward. ¡­ (At 4 AM) Both Kaida and Shisui arrived at the training area at the same time. "Good morning, brother," Kaida greeted. "Good morning, Kaida. How''s your training going?" Shisui asked. "I''ve grasped the basics of what you taught me yesterday, though the success rate of memory implantation is only 10 percent for now. I''m training to improve that," Kaida replied. "Great. Now, are you ready for some kenjutsu practice?" Shisui asked, drawing his sword. "Absolutely," Kaida said, drawing his own sword. "First, I want you to work on your offense, as that''s the weaker part of your kenjutsu," Shisui said. "Yes, brother," Kaida replied. "Okay, now try to follow me as best you can," Shisui said. Kaida nodded and began copying the moves Shisui demonstrated. After completing all the stances, Shisui asked, "Were you able to find the difference between this and the basic stances you''ve learned?" "Yes, brother. What you just showed me is much more complex and harder to predict," Kaida answered. "Correct. This is the Uchiha way of fighting on the battlefield. With our Sharingan, we can predict everything that''s going to happen, while we become an unpredictable variable. For us, the battlefield is a stage where everyone moves according to our instruction. An experienced Uchiha can control the battlefield like no one else," Shisui explained. Kaida nodded, having experienced the power of the Sharingan and understanding that what Shisui said was completely possible. "Now, your task is to use the various stances you''ve just learned in a spar," Shisui said, pointing his sword at Kaida. "We''re going to spar already?" Kaida asked. "Yes, there''s no better way to learn than through practice. Don''t worry, I''ll only be defending," Shisui reassured him. "Okay, brother," Kaida said. He then began using the new, complex stances against Shisui. Since he had only seen them once, Kaida couldn''t use them perfectly, but Shisui hadn''t expected him to. After practicing until 6:30 AM, Kaida was panting in a corner. "You monstrous brat, at this rate, you''ll master this in just a month," Shisui said. "It''s all thanks to you, brother," Kaida replied. "Maybe I''m a genius at teaching too," Shisui said with a smug expression. Kaida just shook his head. "Now, let''s head back before we find out just how dangerous Mom can be," Shisui joked. Kaida nodded, and both returned home. After eating breakfast, Kaida created a new batch of shadow clones and went to the hospital. He treated patients until 4 PM, then returned to the training area to practice the new kenjutsu stances with five shadow clones. He practiced for hours, stopping only at 11 PM before heading to the fire room. At 4 AM, he returned to the training area, just in time to meet Shisui. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Brother, I think I''m getting addicted to this fire room," Kaida said when he saw Shisui waiting for him. "Yeah, feeling your elemental chakra affinity grow is pretty great, but sadly, that feeling fades after a while," Shisui replied. "Right," Kaida said with a hint of sadness. "Leave that aside. Are you ready to learn something new?" Shisui asked. "Yes, brother," Kaida answered. "Since we worked on offense yesterday, today I''m going to teach you about defense," Shisui said. Seeing Kaida nod, he continued, "Your defense is already really good, but it''s not efficient. You''re using way too much power to block attacks. What I''m going to teach you is not to block, but to change the direction of the attack. Since you can see the muscle movements of your enemy, you can guess which direction they''re putting most of their power into, right?" Shisui asked. "Yes, brother," Kaida replied. "Once you see that, all you need to do is apply a small amount of force at the right time to deflect the attack away from you. This will also give you an opening." "How will I know where and when to apply the force?" Kaida asked. "Simple. Keep practicing. With time and experience, you''ll learn those things naturally," Shisui said, pointing his sword at Kaida. "Are you ready?" "Yes, brother." This time, it was Kaida''s turn to defend. Since he was trying something new, he took a lot of hits, but he kept improving, slowly figuring out the timing and spots to apply force. Even after two hours of training, Kaida saw little improvement. Seeing his dejected expression, Shisui said, "Do you know why you''re not making rapid progress like you usually do?" "No, brother," Kaida replied. "That''s because your defense is already very good. It''s become part of your muscle memory, and now you''re trying to do the opposite, so it''ll take time. Don''t worry, you''ll improve with time. From today onward, we''ll spar every morning. I''m sure that''ll help," Shisui said. "Okay, brother," Kaida replied. Chapter 118: After One Month "Hurry up, Mom must be waiting for us," Shisui said. Both of them went back to eat breakfast, and afterward, Kaida returned to the hospital to treat more patients, working until 4 PM. Today marked the last day of the soldier pill¡¯s effect. Fortunately, with the help of 75 shadow clones for over 50 hours, Kaida had already completed 2000 D-rank missions. After receiving his reward for completing the missions, earning 40,000 contribution points, Kaida decided to focus solely on kenjutsu training. He left 10 shadow clones to practice genjutsu, while the remaining 75 clones began practicing Uchiha-style offense and defense techniques. Kaida himself sparred with five of his shadow clones, focusing mainly on defense. After 12 hours of non-stop training, he began to grasp the technique Shisui had been teaching him. At 4 AM, Shisui arrived at the training area and found Kaida¡¯s clones engaged in intense practice. Kaida noticed his arrival and dispersed the clones before walking over. "Looks like you''re taking this seriously," Shisui said, observing Kaida. "Yes, brother. This is much harder than it looks. Blocking an attack doesn''t require much technique, but this form of defense is far more complex," Kaida replied. "Exactly. That¡¯s why it can be trained to a much higher level than regular blocking," Shisui said. Without further discussion, they began sparring. By the time their training ended, the soldier pill¡¯s effect was nearly gone, so they returned home. There, Hae had prepared a massive meal for Kaida. After eating to the point where his stomach resembled a balloon, Kaida went to his room for some much-needed sleep, resting for 20 hours straight. ¡­ With nothing new to learn, Kaida settled into a repetitive routine: spending his mornings at the hospital from 7 AM to 4 PM, then training in either kenjutsu or genjutsu into the night. Every day, he consumed spiritual resources like focus pills, spiritual empowerment tonic, and harmony restoration elixirs three days a week. On the fourth day, he would take a soldier pill and train intensely while completing 2000 D-rank missions. This cycle continued for three weeks. ¡­ Clank, clash, clang. The sounds of steel echoed in one of the Uchiha clan¡¯s training areas, where two figures darted back and forth at blinding speed, appearing in one spot for a second before vanishing to another. After 30 minutes of fighting, they finally stopped. Shisui¡¯s sword rested on Kaida¡¯s neck. "Looks like I win again. That¡¯s 92 wins for me and 0 losses," Shisui said. "As if I can compete when you''re using your signature body flicker jutsu," Kaida grumbled. "This gives you experience. Do you think your enemies will only use kenjutsu in a fight?" Shisui asked. "Not at all. That''s why I agreed to this. But can you stop counting your wins? It''s getting a little embarrassing," Kaida said. "Nope. It¡¯ll motivate you to try harder," Shisui replied with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying himself. "Fine, do as you wish. We should head back now; the soldier pill¡¯s effect is about to wear off," Kaida said. "Yep, let¡¯s go. I need to update Yomi on our new score," Shisui said, his grin widening. Kaida shook his head, using the wind instantaneous movement jutsu to return home. Shisui followed suit with his body flicker jutsu. Yomi was waiting in the hall when they arrived. "What¡¯s the score, brother?" Yomi asked. "What do you think?" Shisui teased. "92 wins and 0 losses," Yomi guessed. "Correct," Shisui said proudly. "Can you two leave him alone?" Hae said, coming toward them. "At least Aunt¡¯s on my side," Kaida said, acting pitiful. "Shisui, no dinner for you tonight," Hae said sternly. "I shouldn¡¯t have taught him to act. Now he¡¯s using it against me," Shisui sighed, shaking his head. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yomi wisely chose to stay quiet, not wanting to face any punishment like her brother. They ate the meal Hae prepared, except for Shisui, who was stuck with bread and milk for dinner. Afterward, Kaida went to his room for more rest and slept for 18 hours. Thanks to consuming various resources, his physical and mental stamina had greatly improved, meaning he no longer needed 24 hours of sleep after using a soldier pill¡ªjust 18 hours was enough. Kaida woke up at 2 AM and decided to meditate until it was time for his next sparring session with Shisui. By the end of that session, the score had updated: Shisui 93, Kaida 0. "Why are you keeping count? Is there even a chance I¡¯ll defeat you?" Kaida asked in frustration. "Do you realize how ridiculous you sound? Just a month ago, you didn¡¯t even know how to attack properly. Now I have to use my Sharingan just to deflect your strikes. If anyone heard you complain about your progress, they¡¯d beat the crap out of you," Shisui said. "But I still haven¡¯t managed to land a hit on you after a whole month," Kaida said, exasperated. "I don¡¯t want to brag, but do you know how many people across the five great ninja villages can land a hit on me in kenjutsu alone?" Shisui asked. Kaida remained silent, unsure of the answer. "Less than 10," Shisui said, ruffling Kaida¡¯s hair. "And you want to be at that level in just one month?" "No... but I will be someday," Kaida replied with determination. "I have no doubt. Now, let¡¯s go home," Shisui said. The two headed back home for breakfast. Afterward, Kaida went to the hospital while an Anbu operative, who had been watching him, reported to Hiruzen with the final update. Chapter 119: Konoha Higher-ups Move (At Hokage''s office) Bear appeared in front of Hiruzen. "Good morning, Lord Third," Bear said, bowing slightly. "Oh! Good morning. Did something happen?" Hiruzen asked. "Lord Third, I know you asked me to keep watching him, but it''s becoming increasingly difficult. Kaida has been training with Shisui Uchiha for a month, and Shisui''s sudden appearances have made it harder to stay hidden. A few times, I¡¯ve slipped up, and Shisui spotted me. However, for some reason, he hasn¡¯t told Kaida about my presence. Also, the boy hasn¡¯t shown any suspicious behavior in the entire month. I can¡¯t think of any reason to keep monitoring him. I apologize if I¡¯m overstepping," Bear said, continuing to kneel. "No, you''re correct. The suspicion I had was cleared within the first week. I only asked you to keep watch as an extra precaution, but there''s no need to take further risks. You don¡¯t have to follow him anymore. Anything else?" Hiruzen said. "Yes, Lord Third. In my previous report, I mentioned that his future potential was nearing S-rank. I was wrong. After seeing his progress in just one month, I can confidently say he *will* reach S-rank in the future," Bear replied. "What did you see this month that leads you to say this?" Hiruzen asked. "He¡¯s already learned jonin-level genjutsu and mastered the Uchiha kenjutsu technique, enough to spar evenly with Shisui Uchiha. He also treated hundreds of patients and completed thousands of D-rank missions daily," Bear reported. Hiruzen¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. Impressive achievements for a nine-year-old, he thought. ''He¡¯s already at jonin level. Elite jonin might be a stretch, but he could probably take the chunin exams this year. However, with Iwagakure hosting this year, they might try something shady if they see such a talented individual. No matter. Konoha is not in desperate need of ninja like before. Kaida should be nurtured as a future pillar of the village.'' "That¡¯s excellent. You may go unless you have anything else to report," Hiruzen said. With that, Bear disappeared from the office, leaving Hiruzen to consider the report. ... (At Root headquarters) "Sir, we¡¯ve been spreading rumors about the Uchiha clan, but the impact has been minimal. We can''t push further without raising suspicion among the Uchihas. Additionally, an Uchiha is treating patients freely at Konoha Hospital, Improving their reputation among civilians. He also casually dismisses our rumors with logical counterarguments, like, ¡®If the Uchiha wanted to attack Konoha, why didn¡¯t they strike when they had the perfect opportunity?¡¯ Because of this, the rumors are slowly fading," the Root ninja reported. "What¡¯s the likelihood that he¡¯s doing this intentionally?" Danzo asked in his heavy voice. "Very low, sir. No other Uchiha seems to care about these rumors, as you predicted. He claims he¡¯s doing this because he¡¯s not yet certified," the ninja replied. "Then why is he allowed to treat patients?" Danzo asked. "Sir, he¡¯s Mitsuru Nara¡¯s disciple. He could easily get certified whenever he wants," the ninja responded. "Is he worth it?" Danzo asked. "Yes, sir. He already has jonin-level strength, and he¡¯s only nine years old," the ninja confirmed. "Bring me his file," Danzo ordered. The ninja handed it over. "Hmm, Kaida Uchiha... this name sounds familiar," Danzo said, trying to recall. "Yes, sir. You attempted to recruit him when he was in the academy, but Lord Third rejected your proposal," the Root ninja reminded him. "Wasn¡¯t he an orphan at that time?" Danzo asked rhetorically, though the ninja knew better than to respond. Danzo continued reading the file. "I knew that was the perfect time to recruit him into Root. Now that he¡¯s back with the Uchiha clan, it¡¯ll be much harder. But with his potential, it¡¯s worth trying. If not, I¡¯ll have to eliminate him. I can¡¯t let him interfere with my plan to stabilize Konoha," Danzo muttered and left to meet Hiruzen. ... (Hokage''s office) *Knock, knock.* "What is it?" Hiruzen asked. "Sir, Danzo-sama is requesting to meet you," the receptionist said. "I¡¯ve been expecting him. Let him in," Hiruzen replied. Two minutes later, Danzo was seated in front of Hiruzen. "Before you say anything, I¡¯m not giving you Kaida," Hiruzen said firmly, cutting Danzo off before he could speak. "Then I¡¯ll have to eliminate him. He¡¯s interfering with my plans to stabilize the village," Danzo said, his tone calm, as though he were discussing the weather instead of someone¡¯s life. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "If a nine-year-old boy can understand that the Uchiha had nothing to do with the Nine-Tails attack, why can¡¯t you?" Hiruzen said. "You know as well as I do that the Nine-Tails was being controlled by an Uchiha," Danzo replied. "Yes, *an* Uchiha. Not the entire clan. You can¡¯t accuse an entire clan based on suspicion. Stop spreading those rumors," Hiruzen said. "You¡¯ve become too soft, Hiruzen. We need to take action so future generations won¡¯t have to live in fear," Danzo countered. "The Uchiha clan is one of Konoha¡¯s pillars. Eliminating them would cripple the village. Our future generations *would* live in fear if we destroy one of our own," Hiruzen said. "Konoha won¡¯t be crippled as long as we have Root," Danzo snapped, anger briefly surfacing in his voice. "I don¡¯t want to argue about this. You will not target the Uchiha clan again," Hiruzen said with finality. Danzo stared at Hiruzen for several minutes before standing up to leave without another word. "One last thing, Danzo. If anything happens to Kaida, you won¡¯t like the outcome," Hiruzen warned. Danzo paused for a second but then continued walking. He had survived an assassination attempt on Hiruzen before; a simple warning wasn¡¯t going to deter his plans. Chapter 120: General Practitioner (Part 1) Unknown to everyone, Kaida went to the hospital as usual, but today he didn¡¯t go directly to treat patients. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Are Sensei free right now?" Kaida asked Mitsuru¡¯s secretary. "Yes, she doesn¡¯t have any meetings scheduled for quite some time," the secretary replied. Kaida nodded and headed to meet his Sensei. Ever since he was scolded for not updating her on his progress, he had made it a point to report every week. *Knock knock.* "Come in," Mitsuru said. "Good morning, Sensei," Kaida said as he entered the office. "Good morning. What¡¯s going on? You usually report your progress at the end of the day," Mitsuru observed. "Sensei, I¡¯ve completed my one month of practice. Can I take my certification exam now?" Kaida asked eagerly. "Oh! So you¡¯re finally ready for the exam. But let me tell you something: after you get your certificate, you won¡¯t be allowed to treat patients for free like you¡¯ve been doing. Do you still want to take the certification exam? I sense you have another reason for providing free treatment," Mitsuru said, resting her chin on her hand. Kaida was taken aback but then chuckled. Underestimating Mitsuru Nara was a mistake he wouldn¡¯t make. "You¡¯re right, Sensei. I do have another reason for treating patients for free, but it¡¯s not shady. About a month ago, I noticed the Uchiha clan''s reputation was unexpectedly declining. I wanted to help my new clan a little. Although those rumors won¡¯t affect the Uchiha clan much, I didn¡¯t want our name to be tarnished," Kaida explained. "Well, it¡¯s your money; you can decide what to do with it. But I need to know if you still want to take the certification exam or focus on improving your clan''s reputation," Mitsuru said. "Before I answer, I want to confirm something: will I be prohibited from treating patients for free altogether or just in the hospital?" Kaida inquired. "There¡¯s no rule stopping you from treating patients for free, but your actions over the past month have made many medical ninjas complain to me. They feel it¡¯s reducing their patient load and that they¡¯re being vilified for charging fees. I didn¡¯t mind, but once you¡¯re certified, you¡¯ll lose the excuse you¡¯ve been using. If you try to use another one, they might complain to Lord Third. I want to avoid that escalation; that¡¯s why I don¡¯t want you treating any more patients for free in the hospital. However, you can still treat patients for free outside the hospital¡ªthen they won¡¯t have a valid reason to complain," Mitsuru explained. "Then I would like to take the certification exam, Sensei," Kaida replied. "As you wish. I will arrange it by tomorrow, so prepare yourself well. If you fail this exam, I won¡¯t consider you my disciple anymore, as my reputation will be on the line," Mitsuru warned. "Trust me, Sensei. I¡¯ve prepared hard for this exam. There¡¯s no way I will fail it," Kaida said with a confident smile. "Okay, I¡¯ll send someone to inform you about the exam timing. If you don¡¯t have anything else, you can go. Also, inform your patients that their free medical service is ending soon," Mitsuru said, returning her focus to her paperwork. "Thank you, Sensei," Kaida said before leaving to attend to his patients. ¡­ As Kaida informed the patients leaving his office that he would no longer be able to provide free treatment at the hospital due to his upcoming certification exam, their expressions turned somber for the first time in a month. Though the free treatment was ending, Kaida assured them he would keep his fees as low as possible. Many patients were disappointed to hear that Kaida would stop offering free services, but they understood there was little they could do. Knowing it was the last day for free treatment, more people than usual flocked to Kaida¡¯s office, even those who were mostly healthy. He had to use many shadow clones to handle the influx, treating over 500 patients by the end of the day, of which only about 100 were genuinely ill. Afterward, he returned home, deciding to take a day of rest and prepare. ¡­ While Kaida was resting at home, an important meeting was happening at Konoha Hospital. "That damned brat has finally decided to take the certification exam. I can¡¯t even remember how many medical ninjas from my department have complained about him," Tetsushi, head of the nursing department, grumbled. "While I¡¯d love to see him fail the exam to show Mitsuru the difference between experience and talent, it¡¯s not worth the trouble. Let¡¯s just allow him to get the certificate," Masayuki, head of the general practitioner department, agreed. The others in attendance simply nodded, uninterested in the topic. ¡­ That night, Kaida received a notice that his exam was scheduled for 10 AM. "I didn¡¯t realize this was such a big deal," Kaida said, looking at the official letter in his hand. "Well, if you were a normal medical ninja, it wouldn¡¯t be such a big deal. But since you¡¯re the disciple of the chief medical ninja of Konoha Hospital, they¡¯re not going to treat this as a routine exam," Shisui explained, understanding the significance of the situation. "I didn¡¯t think there was any chance I could fail this test, but according to this letter, various department heads will be present. This may be more intense than I initially thought," Kaida admitted. "Are you scared?" Shisui asked, raising an eyebrow. "Nope! I¡¯m just excited for tomorrow," Kaida replied with a grin. Chapter 121: General Practitioner (Part 2) "Are you scared?" Shisui asked. "Nope, just excited for tomorrow," Kaida said with a smile. "That''s the spirit. What will worrying give you? Just keep your mind calm, and you will surely pass this test," Shisui said. "Okay, brother," Kaida replied. "Do you want us to come with you?" Hae asked. "I don''t think that will be necessary, Aunt. Also, I¡¯m sure they will not allow anyone to accompany me," Kaida said. "Okay then, do your best tomorrow. For now, let''s eat dinner," Hae said. "That''s a good suggestion," Yomi said, patting her belly. Everyone laughed and then went to eat dinner. ¡­ The next day, Kaida went to the training area and performed all the jutsu Mitsuru had taught him. After performing all of them, he sighed. "Good, everything is ready. I don''t think there should be any problem with the test," Kaida said. Then, he meditated for some time. At 9:00 AM, he went toward the hospital, and the receptionist asked him to go to a particular room that was prepared for the test. When he went to the designated room, he found that not much was arranged in the room¡ªjust some circular chairs around the stage. ''This is quite a letdown. I was expecting something grander than this when I learned that many department heads would be present as well,'' Kaida thought. Since Kaida arrived quite early, he had to wait for the department heads to arrive. Being professionals, they all arrived at 10:00 AM sharp. "Good morning, sensei," Kaida said, slightly bowing toward her. Then, he looked toward the others and bowed a little as well. Others replied similarly. Mitsuru took the seat in the center, and the others also took their seats. After everyone sat down, Mitsuru said, "Kaida, are you ready?" "Yes, sensei," Kaida said with full confidence. "Okay then, the table in front of you has all the things necessary to perform basic medical-level jutsu. You can start from the left," Mitsuru continued. Kaida nodded and went toward the first scroll. As expected, the elements that came out of the scroll were necessary for the first jutsu, Bandage Skill, and he easily made various bandages using things like leaves, grass, earth, water, etc. Everyone present nodded their heads in acknowledgment, and then Kaida went toward the second scroll, from which came out a fish with a cut. Kaida performed two jutsu¡ªa blood coagulation jutsu and an oxygen supply jutsu at the same time. After he performed those jutsu, the fish regained consciousness and started moving around the table. After placing the fish in the fishbowl, Kaida went toward the last scroll, from which came out a poisoned rat. This was the jutsu Kaida had practiced the most. He carefully used Poison Removal to remove most of the poison from the infected part, then copied what Mitsuru had done during the demonstration of this jutsu. He moved his chakra around the mouse¡¯s body, and though it wasn''t as effective as Mitsuru¡¯s, he was able to expel more poison from the rat¡¯s body. After removing as much poison as he could, Kaida used Healing Palm Jutsu to close all the wounds on the rat¡¯s body. After performing the jutsu, Kaida looked toward the examiners. Apart from Mitsuru, everyone else had their mouths open, thinking the same thing: ''Do you expect us to believe that this individual began learning medical jutsu just a month ago?'' Sensing their shock, Mitsuru chuckled a little, completely understanding their feelings. When Kaida had shown his improvement in the Poison Removal jutsu to her, she was shocked too, even though she knew Kaida was extremely talented. But these guys didn¡¯t even have an idea of Kaida¡¯s complete talent. "Good, you passed the first round. Does anyone have any objections?" Mitsuru asked. But after seeing Kaida¡¯s performance, no one raised their hand. He was already at the level of an experienced general practitioner. "Then we can begin the second round," Mitsuru said. This time, it was a test of theoretical knowledge. "Boy, you have a great understanding of basic medical jutsus, but that alone will not be enough in this round. We will ask you some questions, and you are expected to answer at least 70% of them correctly," Tetsushi, the head of the nursing department, said. "Okay, sir," Kaida replied with a confident smile. Then everyone, except for Mitsuru, started asking various questions from the book Mitsuru had recommended Kaida to read. Kaida, who had read them more than three times, answered all the questions correctly. They even tried to twist the questions to make them tricky, but Kaida was still able to answer them. Some of the department heads didn¡¯t want Kaida to have a perfect score, so they decided to ask questions out of the norm. When Mitsuru heard those questions, she decided to intervene, but before she could say anything, Kaida started answering those questions as well. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Due to having an extra month, Kaida was able to read many more books than he had initially been asked to. Because of this, his medical knowledge was no longer at a beginner''s level, and he answered those questions as well. It was only when they asked questions so advanced that only specialized medical ninja could answer them that Kaida finally said he didn¡¯t know the answer. At that point, Mitsuru didn¡¯t say anything except giving a confident smirk. By asking such a question, they had admitted that he was more than qualified to become a general practitioner. *Cough.* Tetsushi coughed a little and then said, "This is enough. You passed the second test as well. Since you also have enough experience, you are now promoted to the level of general practitioner," and then sat back in his seat. Kaida bowed a little and thanked him. Then Mitsuru stood up and said, "The test is now over. Follow me." Kaida just nodded and followed her. After reaching her office, she sat on the sofa and said, laughing a little, "Good job. Their faces were worth millions of Ryo when they realized they couldn¡¯t reduce your score in any way." "Why would they try to lower my score?" Kaida asked, bewildered. "Oh! I forgot to tell you¡ªI made a bet about you. If you had failed this test, I would have had to resign from this position," Mitsuru said like it was no big deal. "Why would you do that¡­" Chapter 122: Reward? "Oh! I forgot to tell you¡ªI made a bet about you. If you had failed this test, I would have had to resign from this position," Mitsuru said, as if it were no big deal. "Why would you do that?" Kaida asked, shocked after hearing that. "What do you mean, ¡®why would you do that¡¯? I knew you were going to pass, and the stakes were so good that I couldn¡¯t stop myself," Mitsuru said with a smile on her face. "May I ask what you got after winning this bet?" Kaida asked, curious about what made Mitsuru bet her position. "They have to do all of my paperwork for three months," Mitsuru said with a silly smile on her face. "You think three months of paperwork is worth betting your position?" Kaida asked in bewilderment. "Absolutely," Mitsuru replied without a second thought. Kaida decided to leave this topic, to save his brain cells, and to change the subject, he asked, "When will I get my certificate?" "Tomorrow. Your card has to be signed by Lord Third. It will take at least the full day before you get your general practitioner card," Mitsuru said. "Lord Third has to do these types of things too?" Kaida asked, not understanding why Hiruzen had to handle such tasks. "Normally, it would have been done by the head of the hospital, but since Tsunade-sama is not here and no new head is designated, Lord Third became responsible for these tasks. But since it¡¯s not a common occurrence, it doesn¡¯t matter," Mitsuru explained. Kaida nodded his head, understanding the reason. "Since you performed much better in the test than I expected, I¡¯ll allow you to ask for one thing¡ªany jutsu, resources, etc.¡ªand I will try to give it to you, if it is reasonable," Mitsuru said. "Sensei, can I ask for time before I decide what I want?" Kaida asked. "Okay, you can go back home for today. Use this time to think about the reward you want. By tomorrow, your card should arrive, so you can collect your card and tell me what you want," Mitsuru said. The reason Kaida asked for time wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t know what he wanted, but because he didn¡¯t know how to explain the reason for his knowledge. ''Naruto and Sasuke had insane power-ups in the story, including Nine-Tails, Mangekyo Sharingan, Asura and Indra chakra, Sage Mode, and whatnot. But my least favorite character was still able to fight alongside them. Even though she wasn¡¯t at their level, just being strong enough to fight alongside them is a testament to her strength. The only reason Sakura was able to do that was Mitotic Regeneration, the special jutsu Tsunade taught her. There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m not going to learn that jutsu, but the problem is, I don¡¯t know how. But now that Sensei has given me such a good opportunity, I can¡¯t let it go to waste. First, though, I have to search the library to see if this jutsu is mentioned somewhere. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to explain how I know about it,'' Kaida thought. Kaida bowed his head and then left Mitsuru''s office. Instead of going home, Kaida headed directly to the library. Two Jonin-level ninjas were guarding the library. Kaida felt that he was scanned by them even before he reached the entrance. ''One of them must be a sensor-type ninja,'' Kaida thought. "Hello, Kaida. How was your test?" one of the guards asked. "Fine, I luckily passed it," Kaida replied. "Don¡¯t be too modest, you deserved that," another guard said. "Thank you. Can I go inside? I have something I want to look for," Kaida said. "You just passed the test. Don¡¯t you want to take some rest and celebrate with your family?" the same guard asked. "I do, but there is something I must find first," Kaida said. "Oh! What is it? Tell us, we may be able to help you," the guard offered. "Thanks, but I don¡¯t think that will be necessary. Sensei asked me if I wanted to learn any particular jutsu, so I¡¯m planning to look for a suitable one in the library," Kaida said. "Okay then, go ahead," the guard said and opened the gate of the library. Kaida went directly to the librarian and said, "Good morning, ma¡¯am. How are you?" "Good morning, Kaida. I¡¯m fine. How was your test?" she asked. "You also know about that?" Kaida asked, not expecting it. "Do you think I don¡¯t know anything other than the books in the library?" she replied mockingly. "Of course not. I was able to pass the test, ma¡¯am," Kaida replied, answering both of her questions. "Congratulations, then. You are now a general practitioner¡ªand at the age of nine! That¡¯s an achievement to be proud of," she said with a smile. "Thank you, ma¡¯am. But I have a favor to ask," Kaida said. "What is it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "I¡¯m searching for a jutsu to ask for as a reward, but I don¡¯t have much time. So, can I use shadow clones to read some of the books?" Kaida asked sincerely. "No. You know this is not allowed. The library isn¡¯t very big, and if people started using shadow clones to read here, it would become too crowded. I told you this on the first day," she replied sternly. "I know, but please take a look around. There aren¡¯t many people here at this time. Can¡¯t you make an exception just this once? Please," Kaida said, using puppy eyes. Kaida knew that even though the librarian appeared strict, she was soft-hearted. "Okay, but just for today. Don¡¯t make this a habit," she said, sighing. "Thank you, ma¡¯am! You¡¯re the best!" Kaida said, then ran toward the book section. The librarian just shook her head and went back to reading the book she was holding. Kaida went to a quiet corner in the library and started making shadow clones. He made around 50 clones. Even though the librarian had said the library wasn¡¯t big, it still contained thousands of books. It was impossible to read them all in months, let alone a day, but since his focus was on finding something about Mitotic Regeneration, the search range was quite narrowed down. All 50 of his shadow clones went to different sections to search for the book. Kaida himself went to the section that contained details about various medical ninjas'' discoveries. Though most of the books there detailed various diseases or difficult injuries, occasionally they contained hints about particular jutsu those medical ninjas used to treat such cases. Kaida activated his Sharingan and started skimming through many books. His main goal was to find any mention of Mitotic Regeneration or any jutsu Tsunade had used. After searching through various books for the whole afternoon, Kaida was starting to lose hope. He and his clones had read through nearly a thousand books but still hadn¡¯t found anything about Mitotic Regeneration. Some clones did find books written by Tsunade herself, but she never mentioned Mitotic Regeneration in any of them. Kaida was starting to lose hope when one of his clones approached him with a book. After giving the book to Kaida, the clone dispersed. Because of this, Kaida and the rest of his clones received the memory of that clone. (A.N: I will try to post the rest of the chapters as soon as I can ^~^) Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 123: Secret Though some of them found books written by Tsunade herself, she never mentioned Mitotic Regeneration in any of them. Kaida was starting to lose hope when one of his clones brought him a book. After handing the book to Kaida, the clone dispersed. With the clone''s memory now shared, Kaida and the rest of his clones smiled and began dispersing as well. Normally, with the number of books they had read, Kaida would have suffered a terrible headache from receiving all the memories at once. But thanks to the various resources he''d consumed over the past month to increase his mental power, all he felt was mild discomfort. ¡®These resources are working wonders for me. Without the Uchiha clan''s resources, I doubt I would have progressed this quickly,¡¯ Kaida thought as he took the book to the librarian and asked, ¡°Mam, can I check this book out?¡± The librarian examined the book thoroughly, then registered it in her log under Kaida¡¯s name and position, listed as Mitsuru¡¯s disciple¡ªstill a higher rank than General Practitioner. Handing the book back, she asked, ¡°So, did you find anything interesting?¡± Kaida nodded. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not sure if I should even ask sensei. Still, it¡¯s worth a try.¡± A bit surprised, she asked, ¡°What did you find that makes you say that?¡± ¡°This book contains information on jutsu used by various medical ninjas. The one used by Lady Tsunade is really interesting, so I want to ask sensei if I can learn it,¡± Kaida replied. The librarian nodded, understanding that a jutsu used by Tsunade herself would be important. Kaida then said goodbye and headed home, but his thoughts were still uneasy. ¡®For the past month, I''ve been on high alert, fully expecting Danzo to make a move. The effects of my free treatment are showing¡ªpeople aren¡¯t paying much attention to the rumors anymore since I gave them a reasonable explanation. But even though things seem calm, I¡¯ve painted a target on my back. And for some reason, Danzo hasn¡¯t made any preventative moves against me. Sure, the complaints from the other medical ninjas could be his doing, but this is Danzo we¡¯re talking about. He wouldn¡¯t do something so simple. Sigh¡­ this constant vigilance is wearing me out,¡¯ Kaida thought as he arrived home with a smile on his face. ¡°Welcome back! How was your test?¡± Shisui asked as soon as Kaida stepped through the door. Smack. ¡°At least let him come inside first,¡± Hae said, smacking Shisui on the back of the head. ¡°The test was easy, brother. I¡¯m now a General Practitioner,¡± Kaida replied, smiling. ¡°Easy? It took six hours, and you¡¯re calling it easy?¡± Yomi asked angrily. Kaida blinked in shock. ¡®Six hours? The test only took 40 minutes¡­ oh, they must think it took longer because I went to the library afterward.¡¯ Although he could let them continue thinking that, he decided to be honest. ¡°Actually, the test only took 40 minutes. I spent the rest of the time in the library, searching for what I could ask as a reward.¡± ¡°You¡­ do you even know how worried Aunt was? She hasn¡¯t eaten since this morning!¡± Yomi said, clearly upset. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I got too caught up thinking about the reward,¡± Kaida said, bowing his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kaida. Yomi is exaggerating. It wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Hae said, trying to lift the mood. She then glanced at Shisui. Understanding her look, Shisui said, ¡°Yes, since you¡¯ve achieved something so remarkable, let¡¯s go eat out tonight.¡± Everyone knew why Shisui was suggesting this, and the topic wasn¡¯t brought up again. Yomi, feeling guilty for yelling at Kaida, snuck over to him when no one was looking, kissed his cheek, and whispered, ¡°Congratulations on becoming a General Practitioner,¡± before running back to her room. Even though they¡¯d kissed before, doing it with Hae and Shisui around felt different. Kaida smiled at Yomi¡¯s antics and went to his room to freshen up for dinner. ... After returning from the restaurant, Shisui looked at Kaida and said, ¡°Kaida, since I ate a bit too much, how about we go for a walk?¡± Kaida nodded and followed him outside. ¡°So, why are we out here?¡± Kaida asked after they¡¯d walked a fair distance from home. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me why you¡¯ve been so tense this past month?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°What are you talking about, brother? I¡¯m not tense,¡± Kaida replied with a smile. ¡°I think you¡¯re forgetting that I also have a Sharingan, and a much stronger one than yours. I can easily sense someone¡¯s mood from their movements. At first, I thought you were nervous about the test, but even after that, you¡¯ve stayed tense, like you¡¯re on constant alert,¡± Shisui said, stopping to look Kaida in the eyes. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida sighed. ¡°Brother, may I speak?¡± The way Kaida phrased it was odd, but Shisui understood. He activated his Sharingan and scanned the area. He spotted a shadow moving and, before it could get away, used Body Flicker to appear behind it. With his sword at the shadow¡¯s neck, Shisui said, ¡°Who are you?¡± Chapter 124: Predicament Suddenly, Shisui noticed a shadow move, but before the figure could get out of range, he used Body Flicker Jutsu and appeared right behind it. With a sword at the shadow''s neck, Shisui demanded, ¡°Who are you?¡± Since Hiruzen had called back his Anbu, the only person bold enough to spy on a Uchiha in the Uchiha compound was Danzo. The problem was that unlike Anbu ninjas, who were loyal to the village with their hearts, Root ninjas were more like slaves. Though completely loyal to Danzo, unlike Anbu who could betray the Hokage to save their own lives, Root ninjas had no such privileges. Their only option when captured was death. The Root ninja spying on Kaida was only a chunin, with no chance of fighting Shisui. So, he did what he was trained for¡ªhe swallowed the poison pill hidden in his mouth. Foaming at the mouth, his body quickly went limp. Shisui frowned at the sight, already knowing who was behind this. Root was no secret to ninjas in higher positions. Leaving the body, Shisui flickered back in front of Kaida and asked, ¡°What did you get involved in?¡± His face was stern. Kaida remained calm. He had already suspected someone was watching him, even back when Anbu were spying on him. But he hadn¡¯t acted because he wasn¡¯t ready to make a move yet. From the beginning, he believed it was Danzo, not Hiruzen, who had been spying on him, and Kaida didn¡¯t want Danzo to become more suspicious than he already was. So, he spent the last month focused on growing stronger. Now, both his genjutsu and kenjutsu were at a jonin level, and his ninjutsu had improved drastically due to his training in the fire room. Kaida decided it was time to stop being so low-key. Although he wasn¡¯t strong enough to face many elite jonin alone, handling one would not be difficult. Root might have power, but even the Uchiha clan, which had been in Konoha since the village''s formation, only had a dozen ninjas barely considered elite jonin. The strength of an elite jonin couldn¡¯t be underestimated¡ªthey were just below Kage-level ninjas like Hiruzen and Danzo. A team of well-balanced elite jonin could even take on a Kage-level ninja. Since Kaida had already reached this level of strength, he decided he could be a bit more open about his plans. Still, it wasn¡¯t time to go against Danzo... not yet. ¡°Brother, have you left the compound in the past couple of months?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°No, but why are you changing the subject?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother, I¡¯m going to tell you everything. A month ago, I went back to my old orphanage. There, I met the caretaker, and during our conversation, he mentioned something interesting.¡± Kaida looked at Shisui. ¡°Go on,¡± Shisui urged. ¡°According to him, the Uchiha clan''s image has been declining in the eyes of civilians and civilian ninjas. People have been talking about how the Uchiha were behind the Nine-Tails attack, and that we don¡¯t consider the village our own,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°Bullshit! If the Uchiha were behind the Nine-Tails attack, why would we have helped during that time? We¡¯re the village founders¡ªno one considers this place their home more than we do,¡± Shisui said, clearly frustrated. ¡°I know, brother. But the civilians don¡¯t see it that way. And the attitude of some Uchiha ninjas toward civilians hasn¡¯t helped¡ªit''s only fueled the rumors,¡± Kaida said. Shisui thought about this for a moment before nodding. ¡°Okay, I understand that. But what does that have to do with this?¡± he asked, pointing at the dead body. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s suspicious how, after so many years since the Nine-Tails attack, these rumors suddenly started spreading on their own? Obviously, someone intentionally spread them. At first, I thought it was a small group dissatisfied with the Uchiha. So, I started treating patients for free at the hospital, trying to improve the Uchiha''s image and dispel the rumors. It worked¡ªthe rumors started dying down. But around that time, I began to feel like someone was watching me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t find them. And it even continued when I was in the compound.¡± ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Shisui asked angrily, concerned for Kaida''s safety. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother. I thought it was just a small group, and I wanted to handle it myself,¡± Kaida said, bowing his head slightly. Sigh. ¡°You know that was reckless, right?¡± Shisui asked calmly. ¡°Yes, brother,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Then go back to the house. Don¡¯t get involved in this anymore. I¡¯ll take care of it from here,¡± Shisui said in a tone that made it clear he wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. Kaida nodded and turned to leave. As he walked away, Shisui called after him, ¡°Don¡¯t tell mom or Yomi about this.¡± ¡°I know, brother,¡± Kaida said before using Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to head back. Shisui thought for a moment, then took the body directly to Hiruzen¡¯s office. He didn¡¯t enter through the main gate and had sealed the body in a storage scroll. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Shisui? Why did you want to see me suddenly?¡± Hiruzen asked. Without saying a word, Shisui placed the storage scroll on the desk. Hiruzen understood that this wasn¡¯t something for others to hear. He glanced at the ceiling, and four Anbu ninjas quickly left the room. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± Hiruzen asked. ¡°The dead body of a ninja who was spying on my brother. He committed suicide as soon as I caught him,¡± Shisui said. Hiruzen''s expression darkened as he realized what this meant. ¡°Who else knows about this?¡± he asked seriously. ¡°No one but me and Kaida,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to Fugaku?¡± Hiruzen asked, curious about Shisui¡¯s reasoning. Chapter 125: Clan and Village ¡°TILL NOW, no one except me and Kaida,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to Fugaku?¡± Hiruzen asked, wanting to know what was on Shisui¡¯s mind. ¡°I don¡¯t want the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village to deteriorate any further than it already has. I know the consequences would be disastrous, not just for my clan, but for the village as well,¡± Shisui said solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll see this through. You have my word,¡± Hiruzen replied. Normally, someone in his position didn¡¯t need to be polite, but the ninja in front of him was not only an elite jonin but also the son of his old friend, Kagami Uchiha. (A.N: They were in the same squad under Tobirama Senju.) Shisui was also one of the few Uchiha who had inherited the Will of Fire rather than the Curse of Hatred. Shisui visibly relaxed after hearing Hiruzen''s reassurance. Thanks to his father, Shisui knew a thing or two about Danzo. There was a reason he was called the Darkness of Konoha. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that Danzo had been instrumental in keeping Konoha safe during two great ninja wars. Every time all four major ninja villages tried to attack Konoha together, it was Danzo who used his Root ninjas as disposable tools, forcing those villages to fight amongst themselves and giving Konoha room to breathe. This was one of the reasons why Hiruzen often turned a blind eye to Danzo¡¯s darker deeds, though those deeds were now slowly weakening the village. Hiruzen looked at Shisui and said, ¡°You can go back now. Rest assured, I¡¯ll make sure this doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± Shisui nodded and left, but instead of going home, he headed to the Uchiha Clan headquarters. ¡°Hello, Uncle. How are you?¡± Shisui asked as he entered Fugaku¡¯s office. ¡°This better be important, Shisui. I¡¯m not in the mood for jokes,¡± Fugaku said without looking up. ¡°Does the clan know about the rumors spreading around the village about us?¡± Shisui asked. Fugaku stopped working and looked at him. ¡°What rumors, exactly?¡± ¡°A rumor has been spreading that the Uchiha were involved in the Nine-Tails attack, and that we don¡¯t see Konoha as our home,¡± Shisui explained. Fugaku, an experienced politician, quickly grasped the implications. His expression darkened as he thought about the possible reasons behind it. Seeing this, Shisui quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle. Lord Third has assured me that he will stop this.¡± ¡°I want to know all the details,¡± Fugaku said in a serious tone. Shisui nodded and told him how Kaida had discovered the rumor, how he nearly got into trouble, how a Root ninja was involved, and how Hiruzen had dealt with it. ¡°You should have come to me with that body,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°You know the relationship between the clan and the village isn¡¯t good right now, Uncle, and much of that tension stems from our relocation to the outskirts,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°I can¡¯t blame them. We have every right to be angry. The village is punishing us for a crime we didn¡¯t commit. And you expect our ninjas to smile and just let them do whatever they want?¡± Fugaku said, a hint of anger in his voice. ¡°Then do you want to leave the village, Uncle? With our strength, we could,¡± Shisui said. Even though they couldn¡¯t establish a new ninja village, there were many ways for them to survive as ninjas. ¡°We would only have two options after leaving the village: either create a small ninja village or join forces with the daimyo. I¡¯m not going to let the Uchiha clan become hunting dogs for the daimyo, and creating a small ninja village isn¡¯t an option either. We¡¯d become targets for every other village during times of war. Plus, we can¡¯t leave Konoha¡ªwe¡¯ve invested too much into it. The situation hasn¡¯t reached that point yet,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t bring you the body. I don¡¯t want things to escalate. Going against the village wouldn¡¯t be a good decision. We might win, but the cost would be too high,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t understand that? Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t want our relationship with the village to worsen either,¡± Fugaku said. Then he added, ¡°Tell that brat I¡¯ll give him five acres of land as a reward for discovering this so early. I can only imagine what would¡¯ve happened if this continued for a year. Knowing Danzo, we wouldn¡¯t have known about it until it was too late.¡± Shisui nodded but found something odd. ¡°Since when do you give out land as rewards, Uncle?¡± ¡°Ask your brother. He suggested we start using the unused land we have as rewards, so we put it to good use.¡± Shisui nodded again, liking the idea. ¡°Fine, you can go,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°Uncle, please don¡¯t take any action for now. Let¡¯s give Lord Third some time to handle the issue,¡± Shisui requested. Fugaku simply nodded, and Shisui used Body Flicker Jutsu to head back home. After Shisui left, Fugaku muttered to himself, ¡°I just hope this situation doesn¡¯t escalate any further,¡± before returning to his paperwork. --- **At the Hokage¡¯s Office** Hiruzen took the Root ninja¡¯s body out of the scroll and examined it. He quickly found a seal on the body¡¯s head¡ªthe kind used to prevent anyone from reading a clone¡¯s memories. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hiruzen sighed. He recognized the seal immediately. It was a Root ninja. ¡®I¡¯ve stopped you, Danzo, but it seems your ambitions are at their limit now that we¡¯re getting older. I was planning to let you continue for a while longer, but your actions are now putting the integrity of Konoha at risk. Looks like the time for us old-timers to retire is drawing near,¡¯ Hiruzen thought, before calling in an Anbu ninja. Chapter 126: Taking a Step Back ¡®Even though I was planning to let you play for some more time, your actions are now putting the integrity of Konoha at risk. Looks like the time for us old-timers to retire is coming soon,¡¯ Hiruzen thought, then called for an Anbu ninja. ¡°Summon Danzo. Tell him I want him here within 15 minutes.¡± The Anbu ninja nodded and left to call Danzo. When Danzo received the news, he was already aware that one of his ninjas had died. A seal in the brains of Root ninjas sent a signal to him when it activated. However, he didn¡¯t yet know which of his subordinates had died, as many were out of the village on various missions. But being summoned by Hiruzen right after receiving that signal, he had a good idea of why. Fifteen minutes later, Danzo was sitting in front of Hiruzen. ¡°What happened? I was swamped,¡± Danzo said in a frustrated tone. ¡°Huh! I know you¡¯re acting, Danzo, so drop the charade,¡± Hiruzen said, seeing through Danzo¡¯s expression. Hearing this, Danzo¡¯s face became neutral as he looked toward Hiruzen. ¡°Are you getting old, my friend?¡± Hiruzen asked somberly. ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush. I don¡¯t have time to waste,¡± Danzo replied. ¡°I specifically told you not to target Kaida and to stop your plans against the Uchiha clan. But not only did you continue, you also sent someone to spy on Kaida,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°That boy was meddling in my affairs. I had to check if it was intentional or not,¡± Danzo said, his expression unchanged. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know you? Every talent you¡¯ve spied on has either ended up in Root or died during training. More than 30% of them don¡¯t survive your harsh methods. The ones who do are turned into emotionless tools,¡± Hiruzen said. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that those tools are the reason Konoha is still standing,¡± Danzo replied arrogantly. ¡°I know, my friend. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve turned a blind eye to so many of your deeds. But now, you¡¯re going too far. This is affecting Konoha internally, leaving us vulnerable to external threats,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Evil deeds? Everything I did was for Konoha,¡± Danzo retorted. ¡°How is killing village ninjas and using their bodies for experimentation good for Konoha?¡± Hiruzen shouted angrily. Danzo thought to himself, ¡®Just that? What will you do when you find out what I did with Orochimaru to strengthen my Root ninjas?¡¯ (A.N: Even though it¡¯s unclear exactly when Orochimaru left the village, by rough estimation, it was when Naruto was 3¨C4 years old, which is around now in the story.) ¡°That was a necessary sacrifice,¡± Danzo said as if it were nothing. *sigh* ¡°From now on, you¡¯re prohibited from using Root ninjas to spy on anyone in Konoha. Your right to vote in the elder meetings is also revoked for six months. If I find out you¡¯ve done something unacceptable again, I¡¯ll disband Root for good. This is your last warning. You can leave,¡± Hiruzen said. Danzo stared at Hiruzen, anger boiling inside him, but being the crafty old man he was, he knew it wasn¡¯t the right time to act. So, he stood up to leave, but before exiting, he added, ¡°The Uchiha can¡¯t be left alone. They will destroy the village one day,¡± and then left the office. Hiruzen sighed and looked at another report on his desk. It was about another group of children missing from slums and small villages around Konoha. Hiruzen sighed again and muttered, ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t overlook this anymore.¡± --- **At Root Headquarters** ¡°Call back all the ninjas who were sent to spy in the village,¡± Danzo ordered. ¡°Even from the Uchiha clan?¡± one of Danzo¡¯s subordinates asked in shock. Since they¡¯d started targeting the Uchiha clan, more than 20 highly skilled spies had been deployed to monitor them, with reports being analyzed daily. But now, Danzo was ordering a retreat, which confused the subordinate. ¡°Yes. We need to lay low for a while. Hiruzen will act soon, and I don¡¯t want his attention on us. Cut all ties with Orochimaru, remove all evidence of our cooperation, and make sure no clues link us,¡± Danzo instructed. The Root ninja quickly bowed and left to carry out the orders, leaving Danzo alone in his office. ¡®I wonder what kind of face you¡¯ll make when you discover what your favorite student has been up to,¡¯ Danzo thought, taking a sip of alcohol. --- Unaware of the undercurrents at play, Kaida was peacefully sleeping in his room. Even if he knew about the recent events, there was little he could do to benefit from them. He was nowhere near Orochimaru''s level, so he had no intention of interfering, even though he knew it was coming. (Event: Hiruzen and Orochimaru confrontation.) Kaida woke up at 5:00 AM, feeling fully refreshed. After completing his morning routine, he headed to the training area¡ªnot to train, but to see if he was still being watched. After confirming that he was safe, Kaida sighed. ¡®Looks like I can move more freely now. I can finally focus on gaining real-life experience with different jutsu,¡¯ Kaida thought, then headed back home. After enjoying tea and breakfast with his family, Kaida went to the hospital with Shisui. Naturally, they didn¡¯t talk about yesterday¡¯s events in front of Yomi and Hae. Outside, Shisui said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about being spied on anymore, but stay vigilant for a little while longer. If you ever feel like someone¡¯s watching or following you, come to me immediately. If I¡¯m not in the village, go to the clan headquarters and report to the clan head.¡± ¡°Even the clan head knows about this?¡± Kaida asked. (A.N: I hope you guys are enjoying this arc ^~^) Chapter 127: New Task (Part 1) "Even the clan head knows about this?" Kaida asked. "This is bigger than you think. For now, you don''t need to know more," Shisui replied. Kaida made an expression of deep thought, even though he knew exactly who he was going up against. After a moment, Kaida said, "Okay, brother, I''ll keep your warning in mind." "But now that you''re safe, try not to be tense all the time. Relax a bit," Shisui said, patting Kaida''s back with a smile. "Okay, brother," Kaida replied with a smile as well. "Oh! Today''s your first day as a general practitioner at the hospital, right?" Shisui asked. "Yes, brother," Kaida confirmed. "Don''t be nervous. You''ve got such a genius brother¡ªno doubt you''ve inherited some of my qualities since we''re related," Shisui said with a silly grin. "Right. I should be worried about this disease of overconfidence. I might catch it," Kaida said with a serious expression. "Exactly! You''d better watch out, or one day someone might beat you for mocking them," Shisui said, twisting Kaida''s ear. "Ow, ow, ow! I''m sorry, brother!" Kaida said hurriedly. "Hahaha, now go, or you''ll be late! I''m sure your sensei won''t appreciate that," Shisui said. "Right!" Kaida responded, dashing off toward the hospital. Since Kaida had spent time strolling with Shisui, he was already running late. With only five minutes left before the hospital opened, he decided to use the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to get there on time. Fortunately, he made it just in time. "Good morning, ma''am," Kaida greeted the receptionist. "Good morning, Kaida. Congratulations on your first day as a general practitioner," the receptionist replied. "Thank you. Has sensei arrived?" Kaida asked. "No, you know how she is. She''ll take her time getting here," the receptionist replied. "Then I''ll wait for her," Kaida said. "Okay, see you later," the receptionist said before returning to her work. Kaida headed to Mitsuru''s office and waited silently. Normally, she would arrive 15¨C20 minutes after the regular time (typical for a Nara). But by 9:00 AM, she still hadn''t arrived, and Kaida was starting to get a little restless. Fortunately, she walked in at that moment. "Oh! How long were you waiting?" Mitsuru asked, glancing at Kaida. "Not long. Good morning, sensei," Kaida said, standing up. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Well, I was busy doing something for you, so you could wait a little longer," Mitsuru said as she entered her office, gesturing for Kaida to follow. "What do you mean by doing something for me, sensei?" Kaida asked. "I was at the Hokage''s office getting your certificate ready," Mitsuru said, looking tired. "Why did you go there personally? Someone else could''ve done that," Kaida asked, surprised. Since Mitsuru was the chief medical ninja at the hospital, she didn''t need to handle such tasks, as she held power equal to that of a clan head. "Normally, I wouldn''t have to go, but the old man was busy. He didn''t even look at your certificate, so the chances of you getting it today were very low," Mitsuru explained. "So?" Kaida asked. "I promised I''d give you both your card and reward today," Mitsuru said. "You went to the Hokage''s office just for that?" Kaida asked in surprise. "Yes. Now, tell me what you want," Mitsuru said, placing Kaida''s card on the table. "Thank you very much, sensei," Kaida said, picking up the card. "It''s nothing. Now, what''s your reward?" Mitsuru asked, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Sensei, yesterday I went to the library to look for a reward, and I found out about a jutsu used by Tsunade-sama. I was fascinated by it," Kaida said. "What''s the name of the jutsu?" Mitsuru asked. "Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu," Kaida replied. "Nope. Go find something else," Mitsuru said, returning to her paperwork. Kaida was baffled by her sudden change in behavior. He looked confused and asked, "Sensei, can you at least tell me why I can''t learn it?" "Simple. You don''t have the necessary foundation. To learn that jutsu, you need to master both medical jutsu and fuinjutsu¡ªnot just the basics, but at a specialist level in medical jutsu and as a seal master in fuinjutsu. Both will take time, so it''s better to focus on something else for now," Mitsuru explained. Kaida sighed in relief, understanding the reason. At least the jutsu wasn''t forbidden, just extremely difficult to learn. "Sensei, if I meet those requirements, can I learn it?" Kaida asked. "Why are you so fixated on that jutsu? It''s great, but not many people can learn it. Even I don''t know it fully, just the basics. Maybe only Lord Third can teach you the full jutsu, as he knows more about it than I do," Mitsuru said. "I''d be satisfied just learning the basics," Kaida said. "Fine, but I''m not teaching you fuinjutsu," Mitsuru said. "Thank you, sensei," Kaida replied. "Don''t count your chickens before they hatch, Kaida. It''s still not guaranteed you''ll be able to learn that jutsu," Mitsuru said, shaking her head. "Just getting the chance to learn it is enough for me, sensei," Kaida said with a broad smile. Mitsuru nodded. "Sensei, why are you still doing paperwork? Didn''t you say you won the bet and don''t have to do paperwork for the next three months?" Kaida asked. "I''m not doing paperwork. I''m just sorting the work they''ll be doing. No way I''m letting them off the hook! I finally have time to refine my medical jutsu, and I''m going to make the most of it," Mitsuru said with a devilish smile. Chapter 128: Learning "I''m not doing any paperwork. I''m just sorting the work they''ll be doing. There''s no way I''m letting them get away with this. I finally have the time to further refine my medical jutsu, and I''m going to make the most of it," Mitsuru said with a devilish smile. All the other chief medical ninja suddenly felt a chill, a shiver running down their spines. "Sensei, now that I''ve become a general practitioner, what should I do next?" Kaida asked. "Normally, any ninja who becomes a chief medical ninja would continue treating patients for several years while training daily in their free time. After a few years of training, they''d take an exam to become a specialist or even a special specialist in fields like mental trauma, limb attachment, and more. But since you only have two years to learn medical jutsu, let''s focus on training for now. I''ve got three months of free time, so for the next three months, you''ll be following me and learning directly from me," Mitsuru said. "Okay, sensei," Kaida agreed. "Now that you''ve become a general practitioner, your real training begins. Follow me," Mitsuru said, leaving her office. Kaida followed her in silence. After moving to the opposite section of the hospital, they arrived at a room adjacent to the morgue. Several human bodies lay on tables, and Kaida was unsure why they had come here all of a sudden. "Sensei, why are we here?" Kaida asked. "Up until now, you''ve been practicing your jutsu on animals, but you''re not going to be using these jutsu on animals, are you?" Mitsuru replied. Kaida understood that he was here to learn about the human body and improve his medical knowledge. It wasn''t strange, considering that even in his previous world, people donated their bodies to hospitals to help new doctors learn. "Are you ready?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, sensei," Kaida said, walking over to where Mitsuru stood in front of a table. Mitsuru nodded and removed the white cloth covering the body. Kaida was shocked. The body wasn''t that of a normal civilian; it bore many cuts, and its face looked especially menacing. Seeing Kaida focus on the scars, Mitsuru explained, "This was the body of a bandit." There was no way this bandit had donated his body to Konoha, so it seemed the bodies Team 13 brought back from missions were put to use this way. After thinking for a while, Kaida saw nothing wrong with it. These people hadn''t done any good while alive, so if their bodies could be of use after death, it wasn''t a bad thing. Seeing that Kaida was more at ease, Mitsuru smiled and said, "Today, I''m just going to teach you the basics of human anatomy from the outside. It should take about an hour. Afterward, go learn as much as you can about human anatomy. Starting tomorrow, we''ll go into the internal structures." "Sensei, can I use shadow clones in the library?" Kaida asked. "That''s not a big deal. Just tell them I''ve given you permission. If anyone has a problem, they can come directly to me," Mitsuru said. Kaida nodded with a smile, and then Mitsuru began teaching about various joints in the human body, how they move, which muscles are delicate and which are powerful, and where the most sensitive areas are¡ªinjuries to those areas would require extra care. After an hour, Kaida headed to the library. He informed the librarian that Mitsuru had given him permission to use shadow clones, and naturally, there were no issues with that. Kaida went to the anatomy section of the library and created 90 shadow clones. Due to using so many resources daily, his spiritual power was growing rapidly, and with it, his chakra reserves. He could now easily make 95 shadow clones, so creating 90 was no problem. However, since he hadn''t taken a soldier pill, he did feel weak after using nearly 90% of his chakra. But it was worth it. The 90 shadow clones each grabbed a book, some even choosing from other sections that were remotely related to anatomy. Even though the hospital library had many books, there weren''t 90 books purely on anatomy. For hours, the clones continued reading. Once they felt they had a satisfactory understanding, they dispersed, transferring all their memories and knowledge to Kaida. Thanking himself for using resources that had boosted his mental powers, Kaida processed the information. When almost all his clones had dispersed, he created five more and went to a room in the library where medical ninja could discuss their findings. He booked the room for himself, and all six of them¡ªKaida and his five clones¡ªbegan discussing the knowledge they had gained about anatomy, even making notes. By 4 PM, Kaida had a solid understanding of anatomy. He could point to any part of the human body and explain its name and function. Satisfied with his progress, he left for the Uchiha compound. He went straight to his house and met with Shisui. "Hello, brother," Kaida greeted. "You''ve got something to ask, don''t you?" Shisui asked, looking at Kaida. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Why do you say that?" Kaida asked, a little surprised. "You''ve been living here for over a month. Don''t you think if I didn''t know you by now, I''d be unqualified to be a Jonin? The only time you come straight to me after getting back from the hospital is when you have something to ask," Shisui said. Chapter 129: Deal "So smart! You''re truly my brother, not some adopted brute," Kaida said, nodding his head. "Ow, ow, ow!" "I''m sorry," Kaida apologized after getting another ear twist from Shisui. "So, what do you want to ask?" Shisui inquired. "Brother, I got the list of resources we can access using Contribution points. It includes kenjutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu we can learn through Contribution points," Kaida explained. Shisui nodded in approval, and Kaida continued. "Then why isn''t Fuinjutsu on the list? Can''t we learn Fuinjutsu using Contribution points?" Kaida asked. "Hahaha, you think Fuinjutsu should be that accessible? Tell me, Kaida, how many Fuinjutsu experts do we have in our village?" Shisui asked. Knowing the population of ninjas in Konoha was over 100,000, Kaida guessed, "Fifty?" "Only five. Now do you understand how tricky it is to learn Fuinjutsu? You can only learn it from an expert. But it''s not like you can''t learn it using Contribution points," Shisui said. "So there is a way?" Kaida asked. "Yes, but you can''t just go and learn it like other jutsu. First, you have to ask the clan head for permission. Only he can instruct Fuinjutsu masters to teach it. And let me tell you, it won''t be cheap," Shisui replied. Kaida nodded before asking, "Brother, could you ask the clan head for a favor? I want to learn Fuinjutsu, but I don''t think he''ll allow me to learn something so important." "Why would you think that?" Shisui asked, intrigued. "I''ve only been part of the clan for a little over a month. I don''t think he''ll trust me that much," Kaida said, sounding disappointed. "You''re overthinking. Once you''re part of the clan, you''re part of the clan¡ªno ''ifs'' or ''buts.'' Also, I forgot to tell you: since you wanted to improve the clan''s image all on your own and have done so much work, the clan head asked me to inform you that you''ll be given five acres of land in the Uchiha compound as a reward," Shisui revealed. "Really?" Kaida asked, surprised. "Yup. He also told me it was your idea to offer land as a reward in exchange for Contribution points. Can you tell me how you came up with that idea? Do you have any plans for the land?" Shisui asked. "Nothing special, brother. When I found out the Uchiha clan had a lot of unused land, I thought it was a waste. Why not use it for something useful?" Kaida said, shrugging. "Good thinking," Shisui said, patting Kaida on the head. "But brother, I don''t want the land. I just want to learn Fuinjutsu. Do you think I could ask Fugaku-sama to let me learn it in exchange for the land?" Kaida asked. "You can ask him yourself," Shisui replied. "Then I''ll go ask him right away," Kaida said, rushing toward the Uchiha clan''s headquarters. ... Upon entering the headquarters, Kaida approached the receptionist and asked, "Can I meet the clan head? I have something important to discuss with him." "I''m sorry, Kaida, but you''re out of luck. Fugaku-sama just left for a meeting," the receptionist replied. Due to Kaida completing an impressive number of missions, he and the receptionist had become quite friendly. "Any idea when he''ll be back?" Kaida asked, debating whether to wait or return tomorrow. "He should be back in about half an hour," the receptionist replied. "Then I''ll wait. Please let me know when he returns," Kaida said, heading to the waiting area. Since this was the Uchiha headquarters, it naturally had a room for ninjas to rest while waiting. Kaida sat in the resting area, thinking, ''Looks like all the higher-ups are busy with something. This morning I heard that Hiruzen was busy, and now Fugaku-sama is in a meeting. It could be a coincidence, but since it''s almost time for Hiruzen to find out about Orochimaru''s experiments, it must be related to that. Too bad I''m still too weak to get involved in this. I''ll have to sit on the sidelines for now.'' While Kaida was lost in thought, the receptionist came over and said, "Kaida, the clan head is back. You can meet him now." "Thanks, bro," Kaida said, heading to Fugaku''s office. *Knock, knock.* "Come in," Fugaku''s authoritative voice called out. "Good evening, Fugaku-sama," Kaida greeted, bowing slightly. "Good evening, Kaida. Why are you here? I don''t think you''ve completed another 2,000 missions," Fugaku said. "No, sir. I wanted to ask you about something important," Kaida replied. "Go ahead." "Brother told me you''ve given me five acres of land as a reward," Kaida said. Fugaku nodded. "Can I exchange that for something else?" Kaida asked. "That depends on what you want," Fugaku replied. "I want to learn Fuinjutsu and need your permission to do so," Kaida said. Fugaku raised an eyebrow at Kaida''s request. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Why do you want to learn Fuinjutsu?" Fugaku asked, growing more serious. "Sir, I want to learn a medical jutsu, but the requirement is that I must be at least a seal master in Fuinjutsu, as well as a specialist in medical ninjutsu," Kaida explained. "What''s the name of the jutsu you want to learn?" Fugaku asked, although he had a good idea. "Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu," Kaida said. Fugaku was surprised. He knew the power of that jutsu well¡ªit was Tsunade''s signature technique, making her not only the greatest medical ninja in the world but also one of the most powerful kunoichi. If the Uchiha clan could acquire this jutsu, their power would skyrocket. However, Fugaku knew Hiruzen wouldn''t allow Kaida to learn such a powerful technique easily. Still, even just having a ninja who knew that jutsu would significantly boost the Uchiha clan''s influence. Despite this, Fugaku couldn''t let Kaida learn Fuinjutsu for free¡ªit was too important. He looked at Kaida and said... Request "I know this is an unusual request, but the chapter numbering will now start from 134, even though it¡¯s currently at 130. I removed many unnecessary parts from the original story, which caused a mismatch between platforms, like Patreon. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll be continuing from Chapter 134 and onward. Please ignore this change." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 134: Things are getting expensive (A.N: Yesterday¡¯s chapter) But just having our ninja know that jutsu will increase the Uchiha''s power by a huge margin. Even knowing all that, he can''t let Kaida learn fuinjutsu for free. Fuinjutsu is too important for that, so he looked toward Kaida and said, "You can keep that land; it is your reward. Now, about the fuinjutsu, I can allow you to learn that, but I am not going to reduce its price, okay?" "Thank you, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said. "You don''t want to know about the price?" Fugaku asked with a slight smile on his face. "Yes, sir." "200,000 Contribution points for the basics, 500,000 Contribution points for seal master level, and 1 million Contribution points for grandmaster level," Fugaku said, maintaining that smile on his face. "Are you trying to rip me off? Even S-rank jutsu doesn''t cost that much. Just the seal master level is equal to an S-rank jutsu. How does it even make sense?" Kaida said. "Do you even know what it means to be a seal master? You will be able to earn millions of Ryo a month by doing almost next to nothing if you compare it to ninjas who have to complete various missions to earn that amount. Also, you will be a valuable resource to the clan, so you will get better treatment too, and if by chance you become a grandmaster, even the Hokage can''t take you lightly and will have to listen to your opinion about various topics. No amount of S-rank jutsu can give you these privileges," Fugaku said, with a facial expression like he was giving that valuable knowledge for free. Also, the thing he said about S-rank jutsu was completely wrong. If a ninja learned more than two or three S-rank jutsu, he would become a Kage-level ninja. Obviously, that ninja would have more respect than a grandmaster-level fuinjutsu master, but even he would not have such an easy life that a grandmaster has. But Kaida had no way of knowing that, as this information was not shown in the anime. But there was one thing he was sure about: fuinjutsu was really overpowered in this world. The Uzumaki clan were proficient in fuinjutsu, and they were so powerful that the four great ninja villages had to attack together to eliminate them. But the problem was this was still too expensive. Even after completing so many D-rank missions and getting 2.5 times the reward for completing those missions, Kaida only had 250,000 Contribution points. (A.N: 2000 D-rank missions per week, so 20,000 Contribution points for those missions and 30,000 Contribution points from Fugaku as an extra reward. Kaida had done those missions for 5 weeks, so he now had 250,000 Contribution points.) ''I only have a little more than 200,000 Contribution points left after paying for all those resources. I can barely pay for the basics, even though I have such a huge advantage of getting Contribution points easily. No wonder the village doesn''t have many fuinjutsu experts; this is too costly to learn,'' Kaida thought, then looked toward Fugaku and asked, "Sir, can I pay with money instead of Contribution points? I don''t think I will be able to earn 500,000 Contribution points anytime soon." "Don''t worry, even the basics are going to take time. With your speed, you will be able to earn that much by the time you learn the basics of fuinjutsu," Fugaku said. "I understand, sir, but what if I can learn the basics quite early? Can I pay with money then?" Kaida asked. "Hahaha, you think you can learn fuinjutsu so easily? Okay, let''s do it this way: if you can completely learn the basics in under one month, you can exchange 100,000 Contribution points for 600,000 Ryo. If you take two months, then 100,000 Contribution points will be exchanged for 1 million Ryo, okay?" Fugaku said. "How could I prove that I have completely mastered the basics?" Kaida asked. "Once you can make basic seals without your surroundings blowing up, and you get your master''s approval, then I will consider them mastered," Fugaku said while thinking, ''Kids these days, they think they can do anything. Even a genius takes at least 6 months to master the basics of fuinjutsu completely, and this kid thinks he can do it in one month. Well, there is nothing wrong with having big dreams. He will understand how difficult it is once he tries to learn it.'' "Okay, sir, I will try to learn it as fast as I can. Umm, when can I start?" Kaida asked. Fugaku took out a file and checked something, then said, "After one week. I have to assign at least a seal master to teach you, and all of them are busy with different missions. So you have to wait for one week at the very least." "Thank you, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said. "Then you can go back." Kaida nodded and went toward the door, but suddenly turned and asked, "Sir, who do I have to pay those Contribution points to?" "Just give them to your sensei," Fugaku said and then went back to complete some paperwork. Kaida went out of the clan headquarters and went to the clan''s library, where he had to pay 2000 Contribution points to book a large room for himself to study. The reason he did that was so that he could use shadow clones to read many books in a limited time, and the reason he wanted to read many books was simple: he didn''t have much time. After one week, he had to start learning fuinjutsu, and if he wanted to learn that within one week, he had to make some preparations beforehand so that he would not be an absolute beginner when training started. Kaida went and picked all the books he could about fuinjutsu and took them to his room. After leaving 15 shadow clones to study those books, which was the limit of the room, he had used enough chakra in making those clones so that they could maintain themselves for 3 days, the time limit of that room, to get the most out of this week. After that was done, he went back to his house. Since it was around 6:30 PM, Yomi had also come back from her training. She was particularly happy today. "Welcome back," Yomi said with a smile. "Did something good happen?" Kaida asked after entering the house. "Yes, I got tomorrow off from training. He said he had something important to do," Yomi said. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida understood why she was happy. Yomi hadn''t had any day off in the 5 weeks they had started training. ''No matter how motivated one is, if they work continuously like that, they will burn out sooner or later. No wonder she was happy after getting her first day off,'' Kaida thought. "So what are you going to do tomorrow?" Kaida asked while sitting on the sofa. "Nothing, absolutely nothing. Tomorrow I am just going to take a rest," Yomi said. "That''s a good plan," Kaida said with a smile. "Yup, but why are you so late? Did something happen?" Yomi asked. Chapter 135: Business plan "I went to the clan headquarters after coming back from the hospital," Kaida said. "Why?" "I want to learn a jutsu used by Lady Tsunade as a reward. Sensei had promised me, but to learn that jutsu, I have to be at the level of a seal master in fuinjutsu first," Kaida said. "So you went to the headquarters to learn that?" Yomi asked. "Yes and no, actually it''s not that simple. Learning fuinjutsu is both difficult and expensive, not everyone can learn that. I had to ask the clan for permission and then had to pay a huge amount to learn just the basics," Kaida said after sighing. "Now you''re even learning fuinjutsu, is there anything left that you''re not going to learn?" Yomi said after rolling her eyes. "I can''t do anything about it, I have to learn this," Kaida said. "Well, best of luck. From the looks of it, you have to try really hard to learn this fuinjutsu if it''s that expensive," Yomi said. "Yes, but I will try my best," Kaida said. "I''m sure you will," Hae said after coming to the hall with some snacks in her hand, followed by Shisui, who was also carrying some snacks. "So you succeeded in convincing him to allow you to learn fuinjutsu?" Shisui said. "Actually, it wasn''t even hard to convince him. I just asked him once, and he agreed," Kaida said. "That''s nice," Shisui said while eating some snacks. "Go wash your hands and then come back," Hae said to Kaida. "Okay, aunty," Kaida said. After eating the snacks and chatting with each other, everyone went to do different things, while Kaida and Shisui went out for a simple kenjutsu spar. Since Kaida was improving rapidly, Shisui started to enjoy those spars as well, as they were helping him to refine his skills too, so Kaida and Shisui now sparred regularly. "How much is he charging you?" Shisui asked. "200,000 for the basics, 500,000 for seal master level, 1 million for grandmaster level," Kaida said. "That scammer, he''s such a shrewd man," Shisui cursed Fugaku. "I know this is expensive, brother, but it''s not to the point that you have to curse him," Kaida said. "Expensive? This is nothing. When I asked him if I could learn fuinjutsu or not, he allowed me to learn that, but the price he told me was more than twice what he told you," Shisui roared. "This doesn''t make sense. Why would a newcomer like me get a better offer than you?" Kaida said. "Well, you have a better reason to learn this. I just wanted to learn it because I somehow got to know how much a seal master earns a month, hahaha," Shisui said with an awkward laugh. Kaida just shook his head at that. After a simple spar, they went back to their house, ate dinner, and went back to their rooms. In his room, Kaida was thinking, ''Until now, I didn''t have to worry about money since I was getting more than enough from just completing those D-rank missions, but now that I''m learning so many things, I don''t think I will have much time to do missions to earn money other than those 2000 D-rank missions I have to complete weekly. And in the future, the need for money will keep increasing. I have to start thinking about making money. This should be easy since I know quite a few things about the future, but at first, let''s put this land I got to some good use.'' While he was opening the land deed he got from Fugaku, The land he got was at quite a good location, not only for a ninja but for a businessman. The land was near the civilian area. Even though it was very far from the market, it was not a problem for Kaida since he was not planning on opening a shop or something. ''The best use for this land will be opening a hot steam bathhouse. There are only two in the whole of Konoha. Also, it will be perfect to come into contact with one of the most powerful ninja in Konoha, who is also a pervert. I should talk about this with brother,'' Kaida thought with a mischievous smile on his face. (A.N: ?) After that, he went to sleep. The next morning, he went downstairs after completing his morning routine. Shisui and Hae were already sitting in the main hall, enjoying morning tea. Kaida also joined them. "Good morning, aunt. Good morning, brother." "Good morning," both of them replied. "Yomi isn''t joining us?" Kaida asked. "No, she said that today she''s going to sleep until afternoon to fully enjoy her holiday," Hae said. Both Kaida and Shisui laughed at that. "Brother, I wanted to ask you something," Kaida said while taking a sip of his coffee. "What is it?" "Do we own a business?" "No, but we do own three shops," Shisui said. "Oh! What do we sell in those shops?" Kaida asked. "Weapons in one, clothes in the other two, but why are you asking?" This time, Hae replied. "Aunt, I was planning to put my reward to some good use," Kaida said. "Which reward?" Hae asked. "I just got 5 acres of land, near the border, just where the civilian area starts," Kaida replied. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Why would you get 5 acres of land as a reward?" Hae asked since it was not common to get such a reward. "I simply asked for it," Kaida lied without batting an eye, since telling her about the Danzo incident would just make her worry unnecessarily. Hae nodded her head and then asked, "Can you show me exactly where you got that land?" "Yes, aunty," Kaida said and then showed her the land on the map. Hae thought for some time and then said, "This land is really worthless if you want to open a shop there. Both the Uchiha shopping district and the civilian shopping district are quite far away from that position." Kaida understood that Hae was the one responsible for operating the shops in this house, so he decided to discuss his plan with her rather than Shisui. "Aunt, I''m not planning on opening a shop, but a hot steam bathhouse," Kaida said. Hae''s eyebrows went up a little, then she went silent for some time, thinking about various aspects of this business plan. After some time, she looked toward Kaida and said, "There are already two bathhouses in Konoha. Why do you think people will come to your bathhouse?" Kaida had a feeling that he was sitting in front of a sponsor and pitching an idea for a startup, with the same seriousness he replied, "Aunt, I''m planning to open both a regular bathhouse and a luxurious bathhouse. Also, both of them will have medicinal properties. I''ve explored the benefits of certain herbs and plants renowned for their dual abilities to aid in bodily recovery and enhance skin texture, as well as adding a glow to the skin." Hae''s eyes shined for a moment, and Kaida was sure he saw Ryo symbols in her eyes. "This is a great idea. If we promote those beauty effects, then I''m sure that the bathhouse will be a super hit, at least in the female population of Konoha. But others could steal this idea. Not only do you have competition with two other bathhouses, but others may also open similar bathhouses in the future," Hae said. ''She is definitely a businesswoman, as she is already thinking about future problems which may arise,'' Kaida thought. Chapter 136: Business plan (part-2) ''She is definitely a businesswoman, as she is already thinking about future problems which may arise,'' Kaida thought. And then said, "Don''t worry, aunty. I don''t think the other two bathhouses will be able to copy this idea because the herbs and plants I''m talking about are found in the Land of Rice. Also, not many merchants are into that business, so acquiring those herbs will be quite difficult for them. But we can do that easily; with me and brother, we can easily get those herbs within a day. Also, by the time others find out about the success of this idea, we would already have established our bathhouse firmly, and I don''t think other major clans will copy this idea, so there won''t be much competition to begin with," Kaida said. Hae nodded her head and then said, "Good, but the bathhouse you''re talking about is going to need a very big initial investment," Hae said. "Aunty, do you have any idea how much it''s going to cost me?" Kaida asked. "Just building that bathhouse is going to cost you roughly around 2-3 million Ryo, then employing seal masters to make those seals for keeping the water warm and cold, as well as keeping the air clean and other seals, will cost you another 1 million. After adding other miscellaneous costs like promotion, initial free deals, and staff salaries, it will cost you around another half a million Ryo. In total, it will cost 5 million Ryo at the very least. Do you think you can afford it?" Hae asked. Since each D-rank mission gave around 5-6 thousand Ryo, and Kaida had completed more than 10,000 D-rank missions, he should now have had 50 million Ryo, but sadly, he was not that lucky. Since not all the missions he completed paid such a high amount, the Uchiha clan was mostly getting those missions which didn''t pay much, like removing grass from the lawn, cleaning cattle, fixing leaking roofs, and other small tasks. No one is going to pay 5000 Ryo for such tasks. Sometimes, Kaida only got 200 Ryo for some missions. But still, those amounts stacked up, and now he had 3.5 million in his pocket. Kaida looked into Hae''s eyes and said, "I only have 3.5 million Ryo, Aunty, but I will earn the rest of the amount in 1-2 months." "That will be enough. With that much amount, we can start the construction work very soon, since construction will at least take 1 month even with the best workers. You will have more than enough time. And if you are unable to earn that much within that timeframe, we can invest in your business. Don''t worry, I will not take any share from you," Hae said with a smile. "Why would you need a share in your own business, aunty?" Kaida asked. "Hahaha, right, since it is my own business, just 3.5 million Ryo will be enough. I will make it ready within 2 months," Hae said. "Thank you, aunty. All that money is in this account," Kaida gave his card to Hae. Hae also accepted that card without any hesitation, and then asked, "Before we begin construction, we have to register this. Whose name do you want to be on the papers?" After thinking for some seconds, Kaida said, "Yours." "Okay, then I will get the paperwork done within three days," Hae said. After that, they enjoyed the food and discussed some more things about the business. During the discussion, Kaida found out that Shisui, though powerful, had no idea how to handle a business. ''Heck, this guy just knows how to handle things which require power, and no idea about things that require politics and plans. No wonder he went to Danzo, saying he was going to use his ability to stop the coup and fucked his whole plan up. Well, this time I have to stop him from doing so,'' Kaida thought. After that, they ate breakfast. Kaida left for the hospital, while Hae went to start the paperwork for the bathhouse. "It looks like I''m the only one who doesn''t have anything to do now," Shisui thought. ... Kaida went to the hospital and was going toward Mitsuru''s office when the receptionist called him, "Kaida, Mitsuru-sama is not in her office. She has asked you to go back to the previous room where she was teaching you." "Okay, thanks," Kaida said and ran toward the same room which had the dead body of the bandits. "Good morning, sensei," Kaida said after entering the room. Mitsuru was sitting on a chair next to the dead body. Normal people would have a problem sitting next to a dead body, but medical ninjas had to deal with them on a daily basis, so any aversion they had toward dead bodies got removed over time. "Good morning. Did you read enough about human anatomy?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, sensei. I have read all the books in the libraries related to the topic of human anatomy," Kaida said. "Good, then tell me about this." "These primary muscle groups that support the shoulder joint are the rotator cuff muscles. The four rotator cuff muscles are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Together, the rotator cuff muscles form a musculotendinous cuff as they insert on the proximal humerus..." Kaida explained about various parts Mitsuru pointed out. "Good, this much is enough. Now I''m going to teach you how these muscles actually work," Mitsuru said and started cutting open the skin of the dead body. "See, these muscles are responsible for your leg movement, though these are present at the hip. If someone gets a tear here, it will be next to impossible for them to move their legs. Also, this part is connected to the spine, so you have to be careful here..." Mitsuru started teaching Kaida about every muscle once again, but this time it was practical knowledge, much more important than the theoretical knowledge he got from the library. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After teaching for 2 hours, Mitsuru gave Kaida the knives and asked, "Now it''s your turn. Cut that body, cut open every muscle I had shown you, and stitch them back just like me." Kaida nodded his head and went into business, but obviously, he failed at the first attempt. Killing someone is actually not difficult, just a matter of seconds, but such operations are actually way more difficult, not only physically but mentally too. Kaida had to get used to all that goo and slippery feeling. It took him a full day to complete the task perfectly. After he was done with the operation, the dead body looked more dead than before, if that makes sense. Chapter 137: Uchiha Sora "Not bad for your first day. For next week, we are going to focus on this only, so that you can get used to these operations," Mitsuru said. "But sensei, can''t we just use the Healing Palm jutsu to heal these injuries? Why do we have to learn to do these operations?" Kaida asked. "The Healing Palm jutsu is actually not omnipotent, Kaida. It just increases the natural recovery of your body, but if someone has an injury like torn muscles, and those muscles get folded at unnatural angles inside the body, then the Healing Palm will do more harm than good. In such cases, you first have to operate on the patient and then use the Healing Palm to increase the recovery speed to increase the operation''s chances of success," Mitsuru said. Kaida nodded his head in understanding. ''Right, I should not completely believe the scenes in the anime. This is real life, not some fictional anime,'' Kaida thought, remembering various scenes from the anime where characters just used the Healing Palm jutsu to treat their teammates (Sakura). "Now you can go back," Mitsuru said and then went out of the room. Kaida also followed her and went out of the room. Before leaving, he looked toward Mitsuru and said, "Thank you for teaching me, sensei," and then went back to the Uchiha compound. By this time, all of the shadow clones Kaida had left in the Uchiha library had dispersed themselves, not because they were out of chakra but because they had already learned all the books present in the library. And every book they read had an instruction, ''Don''t try this on your own,'' the reason being that even a simple seal may blow up in your face and can even kill you if the explosion is big enough. Due to this, Kaida decided not to try it until before meeting with his new sensei, so now he didn''t have much to do. So Kaida decided to use this time more effectively, completing missions using his clones and spending his time in the fire room to increase his fire chakra''s effectiveness. After using the fire room for more than one month, he had already increased the temperature of his flames in fire jutsu by twice the amount. And even the range of his jutsu was increasing day by day, so Kaida decided to only focus on the fire room for one more week. But this plan had to shift by one more day as when he went back to his house to tell them about his plan to use the fire room, Yomi and Hae were waiting for him. "Welcome back, Kaida," Hae said. Kaida smiled toward her, but just as he was about to tell them that he was planning to use the fire room for the rest of the day, he suddenly felt cold, and his instinct stopped him from saying those words. "It''s good that you''re on time, since Yomi finally got a free day. Don''t you two want to go out for a little outing?" Hae said, and Yomi smiled after hearing that. Kaida understood why he felt that he should not tell them about his plan for today. He thanked his instinct. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Okay, just let me get freshened up a little, then we can go out." After taking a bath and changing his clothes, Kaida and Yomi went on their first outing after coming to the Uchiha compound. Yomi was super happy to do that after so long. They tried various restaurants in the Uchiha district, though all of them were great, but none of them were better than Ichiraku Ramen. So after trying various restaurants, they went to Ichiraku to eat ramen, and they visited various parks in Konoha, only returning to their house after 10 PM. ... (After one week) For the whole week, Kaida had spent his mornings in the hospital, learning about the anatomy of the human body from Mitsuru, then the rest of his day in the fire room, only going back to his house after 10 PM. The only major incident that happened in that week was that Hae and Kaida planned the basic layout of the bathhouse, and then the detailing was left to the experts. They would get the complete plan in the next two days. After waiting for a full one week, Kaida finally got a summon from Fugaku. ... "Come in," Fugaku said in his usual authoritative tone. "Good morning, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said as soon as he went inside the office, but this time, Fugaku was not alone in the office. There was another young person in the office. He should be around the age of 24-26 years, had a youthful face without any sign of a beard, had a decent height of 5''9", and was more on the handsome side. And most importantly, he didn''t have the arrogant look on his face like other ninjas of the Uchiha clan. Seeing Kaida was looking toward him, he smiled back. Just then, Fugaku said, "Kaida, meet your new sensei. He is going to teach you fuinjutsu from now on," Fugaku said. "Hi, Kaida. My name is Uchiha Sora. Nice to meet you," Sora said with a cheerful smile on his face. "Good morning, Sensei. My name is Kaida Uchiha. I will be in your care from now on," Kaida said while bowing a little. "So you want to learn fuinjutsu. Do you know the basic knowledge of fuinjutsu?" Sora asked. "Yes, sensei. I had read most of the books about fuinjutsu in the library, but I don''t have any practical knowledge as it was strictly written in all of the books that we should not try that on our own," Kaida said. "Yes, this can be very dangerous if done without any guidance," Sora said. "Okay, you guys can discuss out of my office," Fugaku said to both of them who were ignoring him in his own office. "Also, here is your reward for this week," Fugaku said as he gave Kaida his 30,000 Contribution points for completing 2000 D-rank missions. "Thank you, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said, and then he and Sora went out of the office. After leaving the clan headquarters, Sora said, "Uncle is always so cranky. If he keeps on maintaining this, he will get old way before he reaches that age." "Hahaha," Kaida laughed a little. "Okay, let''s go to my house. I have the perfect training area to train fuinjutsu," Sora said. Kaida nodded his head and followed Sora. Chapter 138: A little impossible goal "Okay, let''s go to my house. I have the perfect training area to train fuinjutsu," Sora said. Kaida nodded his head and followed Sora. After walking for some time, Sora asked, "I forgot to ask before, Kaida, why do you want to learn fuinjutsu?" "Sensei, I am currently learning medical jutsu under Mitsuru-sama." "The chief medical ninja?" "Yes, sensei, and I was recently promoted to general practitioner. At that time, sensei told me that I could ask for any reward. So, I searched for some special jutsu in the library. At that time, I was really fascinated by a jutsu, but to learn that jutsu, one has to be at least a seal master, as well as a specialist in medical jutsu. That''s why I need to learn fuinjutsu," Kaida said. "Oh! Such a high requirement. Can you tell me the name of that jutsu?" Sora asked. "Yes, sensei, the jutsu used by Lady Tsunade herself, Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu." "Hmm, I''ve never heard of that, but if this was used by Lady Tsunade herself, then this jutsu must be really good. Anyway, that means you are serious about learning fuinjutsu, right?" "Yes, sensei," Kaida said. Sora smiled, listening to his reply. While they were talking, they reached a very big house. Sora entered that building. "You live in this house?" Kaida said with a shocked expression. "Yup, a seal master earns quite a lot, you know," Sora said with a smug face, but then continued, "But this house was built by my father. He was a grandmaster in fuinjutsu, so he was quite reputed not only in our clan but in the full village as well. When we were shifted here, Lord Third specially arranged the transfer of our house to this place. We were even allowed to live where we were living, but my father decided to live where his clan is," Sora said. From the sadness on Sora''s face, Kaida understood that his father is no longer with him, so he didn''t ask any further questions on this topic. "Leave that aside, are you surprised by just the outside appearance of my house? Then you may get a bigger surprise when you will see it from inside," Sora said, going inside. Kaida followed him inside the house, but as soon as he entered inside the building, he lost control over his chakra. When he felt that, he tried to move his chakra but was unable to do that. Seeing the expression on Kaida''s face, Sora chuckled and said, "Don''t worry, that is because you are not registered in the arrays protecting this house. Just give me a minute." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He went to the gate and applied his chakra at a seal present there, then went inside and did the same at two more seals which were present at different locations. After he did that, Kaida felt that someone or something had just scanned him from head to toe. After which he was once again able to control his chakra. "What was that?" Kaida asked as soon as he started to feel normal. "A seal array designed by my father. If someone who is not registered in this array gets inside my house, their chakra will be sealed, and they will be partially paralyzed. Awesome, right?" "Totally, will I be learning this too?" Kaida asked with starry eyes. "Even I don''t know this until now. How can I teach it to you? You have to be at the level of a grandmaster to understand and make arrays." "Oh, okay," Kaida said. "Now follow me," Sora said and took Kaida to the back of his house. They passed through a very large garden which had various aesthetic and herbal plants in it. After that, they went to a platform which had various seals overlapping each other. "This is the platform designed by my father, so that I can learn fuinjutsu. It helps in preventing damaged seals from exploding. I don''t even remember how many times this had saved my life," Sora said. "So, I am also going to practice here?" Kaida asked. "Yes, now tell me when are you free, since you are learning under Mitsuru-sama. I don''t think you have much free time, do you?" Sora asked. "Yes, I have to go to the hospital from 8 AM to 4 PM, but I can come here after 4 PM." "Okay, I will teach you 6 hours daily, since for some reason Fugaku-sama said not to slack off while teaching you for 2 months. Otherwise, I would have only taught you 2 hours daily. Alas, we can''t do everything we want." "Sensei, you don''t have to worry about that. Fugaku-sama sort of challenged me that if I can learn the basics in 1 month, I can pay a little less for the teaching of seal master level knowledge. Maybe that''s why he told you to do that, but you don''t have to. I can pay a little extra," Kaida said. "What? You actually challenged that old man? Good job, he is always so strict. I didn''t think he would even do something like that. But sadly, you were fooled by him. It is next to impossible to learn the basics in 1 month. Even I took 5 months to learn them when I had so many resources and my father teaching me." "I can at least try." "Of course, you can, and don''t worry, I will also work hard in teaching you," Sora said while patting his chest. "Thank you, sensei." "Now since you already know the basics, I am not going to teach you boring stuff. We are directly going to start with something interesting," Sora said while both he and Kaida went to the platform. The platform didn''t contain much, just a large table and some chairs. The rest of it was empty. Sora took out a yellow paper and a bottle of ink, then he took out some brushes with various brush sizes. "The first thing you have to know to make seals is how to use the perfect amount of chakra and ink during various strokes while writing. After you learn that, we will start with making actual seals," Sora said. Kaida nodded his head. "This is the brush you are going to use. The stuff I am giving you now is the cheapest. First, practice your strokes using these, then we can gradually increase the quality. Now let me show you some basic strokes," Sora said. And he started making various strokes on that yellow paper, some straight, some curved, some bent at various angles. Each stroke he made contained a specific amount of chakra, which Kaida could see using his Sharingan. After making 113 such strokes, he turned to Kaida and said... Chapter 139: Stepping into the Emergency Room These strokes will maintain their chakra for three days. Try to copy these strokes within that time limit. "Sensei, can I get some more of these papers and brushes?" Kaida asked. "No, it means I only bought one since I am only going to teach one student." "Oh! Then can I get these things from the headquarters?" Kaida asked. "Yes, they are actually cheap, but why do you want more supplies?" Sora asked. "I am planning on using shadow clones to learn these strokes a little more easily." "Oh! That''s a good idea, but there is a problem with that idea. Even though I had said that this stuff is cheap, it still cost 1000 Contribution points, so using shadow clones will cost you quite a lot," Sora said. "No problem, sensei," Kaida said and made a shadow clone and sent it to the clan headquarters to buy the supplies, since he had just gotten another 50,000 Contribution points. Kaida could easily afford those supplies. But he still decided to only use 10 shadow clones to learn these strokes. After half an hour, the clone came back with 10 sets of the same supplies. Kaida slowly made 10 shadow clones, each with 10 percent of his chakra. After that, he had to take a rest for 1 hour since he had used too much of his chakra. After one hour, he stood up and went to Sora. "Sensei, I have to go to the hospital now." "Okay, make sure to come back by 4:30, because even though shadow clones can help you learn it, you still require performing it yourself to get the experience." "Don''t worry, sensei, I am not going to slack off," Kaida said. "Good." Then Kaida went to the hospital. ... Similarly, one more week passed with monotonous days, Learning about anatomy and operations from Mitsuru from 8 AM to 4 PM, then learning Fuinjutsu from Sora from 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM. During one week, Kaida not only learned how to make simple strokes but also learned how to combine various strokes together without reducing the efficiency of each stroke. Apparently, this was the most difficult part of making a seal, and it should have taken him one month at the very least. But since he used 10 shadow clones daily for practice, as well as used a soldier pill to train for three full days, Kaida was easily able to learn it. After taking a sleep for 16 hours when the effect of the soldier pill ended, Kaida woke up at 6:15 AM. He completed his morning routine and then went down to enjoy his morning tea with his family. "Good morning, everyone," Kaida said, and everyone except him was already sitting in the hall enjoying their tea. "Good morning, Kaida. Did you sleep well?" Hae asked. "Yes, aunty." "Good. I have prepared a good meal for you. Do you want to drink tea or directly eat the breakfast?" "No, I will eat with you guys," Kaida said, taking a tea cup for himself. "So how is your training going?" Shisui asked. "Fuinjutsu is way harder than it looks, brother. Even a little mistake may blow the seal in your face. But thanks to Sora sensei, I am doing quite well in it," Kaida said. "Good, but don''t neglect your genjutsu training. It is very important for an Uchiha," Shisui said. "Yes, brother," Kaida said while taking a sip. "Kaida, the designer we hired for the bathhouse had sent a message yesterday that the design is ready, so come a little early today. I will call him at 4 PM with the design." "Okay, Aunty," Kaida said. After enjoying their tea, all of them went to eat breakfast and then went out, each heading towards their own destinations. ... At Konoha hospital "Good morning, sensei," Kaida said, entering Mitsuru''s office. "Good morning," Mitsuru replied. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Sensei, why did you call me here? Are we not going to continue anatomy training?" Kaida asked. "You have already learned what you should know. Now all you need is practice, so from today onward, you will take part in actual operations," Mitsuru said. Kaida became a little tense after hearing that. "Don''t worry, I will also be present there. So for now, keep practicing the healing palm jutsu. It will play an important role in the treatments. Also, always be on alert. You will be called as soon as any case which requires an operation arrives in the hospital," Mitsuru said. "Okay, sensei," Kaida said. "Okay, I have arranged room no. 402 for you. You can use that as your office," Mitsuru said. "The room next to this office?" Kaida asked. "Yes, do you want to waste your time finding me whenever you have any doubt during your training?" Mitsuru said frustratedly, even though she was acting like that, Kaida knew she was really serious about teaching him, that''s why she was doing this much. "Thank you very much, sensei," Kaida said while bowing a little. "No problem. Now you can go now," Mitsuru said. "Okay, sensei," Kaida said and went to his room. It already had a bookshelf which contained some books related to further medical knowledge Kaida needed. At another corner, there was a chair and table placed, then a training place which contained some scrolls for practicing medical jutsu. ''Since I have nothing much to do, let''s just focus on the healing palm jutsu,'' Kaida thought and started practicing the healing palm jutsu on the fishes from the scroll. After 4 hours, a nurse came to Kaida''s office and said, "Sir, Mitsuru-sama is calling you in the emergency room. There is an emergency case." "Okay, I will be there in 2 minutes," Kaida said, quickly changing his clothes and going to the emergency room. That room contained a person lying on the bed. Mitsuru was standing near him, and 2 other nurses were preparing for the operation. "What happened to him?" Kaida asked. "Clash between ninjas, bones in his legs are broken, a slash on his back, and high amount of blood loss." Kaida nodded his head quickly, turned the ninja to check his back. There was a big cut mark on his back. "Give me a 60 percent alcohol solution," Kaida said to a nurse. Listening to this, she swiftly gave him the cleaner. After cleaning the wound, Kaida checked if there was any foreign material in the wound, then used the healing palm jutsu to heal the wound. Then he turned to the nurse and asked, "Give me the blood pill." After getting the pill, he quickly mixed it with water and gave it to that ninja. After that, he waited for some time so that the pill could show its effect. While he was waiting, Kaida checked the injuries in the legs. When the ninja gained his complexion back, Kaida turned to the nurse and asked, "Give him a huge dose of anesthesia." After the ninja was given anesthesia, Kaida sliced the legs and removed the broken shards of the bones, and then aligned the leg bones back. After that, he used the healing palm jutsu to heal them. After doing all that, Kaida sighed in relief while thinking, ''Now I feel like a real doctor.'' "Good job, you didn''t even require my help. Keep this up for one month, then I will teach you the next set of medical jutsu," Mitsuru said. "Thank you... Sensei," Kaida said, panting from the fatigue. "You can go back for now. From tomorrow, you will handle many more operations," Mitsuru said. "Okay, sensei," Kaida said and went out of the emergency room and went back to his house. Chapter 140: Finalizing the Bathhouse Blueprint "Welcome back, Kaida. You are quite early today," Hae said. "Thanks, aunty. Since you had said to come early, I completed my work early today," Kaida said, as if he had specially made arrangements to come home early. "You are learning quite a lot from your brother, huh? Well, it''s good that you are back this early. I will call the designer now," Hae said, easily seeing through Kaida''s words. "Okay, aunty. I will wait in my room," Kaida said. "No, go wash your hands and come eat lunch with us. I am sure you wouldn''t have eaten by now," Hae said. "Okay, aunty," Kaida said and went to wash his hands. While Hae sent someone to call the designer, by the time they had eaten lunch, the designer came with the model of the hot steam bathhouse. Apparently, the designer was also a ninja who had a very high earth affinity but was only at the genin level in strength. When he was unable to increase his strength even after training for years, he dropped his ninja career altogether and started a small business on his own. With the help of his earth chakra affinity, he could easily make small models for the infrastructure he designed. This, combined with his artistic mind, had made him quite a famous designer in Konoha. "Hello, Lady Hae. Hello, Shisui-san. Hello, Kaida-san," Daiki said. "Hello, Daiki-san. Thank you for coming here," Hae said, while the other two nodded their heads. "It''s my pleasure. I have already made the model. Do you want to take a look now?" Daiki asked. "Yes, but first, please make yourself comfortable. I will make some tea for you," Hae said. "No, ma''am. I would really appreciate if we can get this done before anything else," Daiki said pleadingly, since this was a commission from a member of the Uchiha clan. Daiki had given his best to make it as best as he could. "Okay, Daiki-san, since you are in such a hurry, let''s first check the design," Kaida said. "Thank you, sir," Daiki said, looking toward Kaida. He knew that even though Kaida looked young, he was one of the owners of this project. Being a professional, he knew how to talk to his client. Daiki took out a miniature model of the bathhouse from the storage seal. Seeing the miniature model, both Hae and Kaida smiled. From the looks of the model, the bathhouse was looking extremely luxurious and traditional at the same time. Seeing their smile, Daiki sighed in relief and started explaining, "As we had discussed earlier, I have included a group steam bath, a hot spring bath, a normal bath, three medicine bath chambers, and a medicine steam bath chamber. On the second floor, there is a massage center, a small restaurant, and some small waiting rooms for people to wait." "This is awesome, Daiki-san. You did a great job. I will increase the pay by an extra 10%," Hae said with a smile. Kaida too agreed with her. If the bathhouse came out the same as this model, then without a doubt, it would become a money-making machine in the future. "Thank you, Hae-sama," Daiki said while bowing a little. "Aunty, with this, we can start the construction now, right?" Kaida asked. "Yes, Kaida. Daiki-san, please explain this design to Kojiro-san. Also, make sure there is no misunderstanding. I want the bathhouse to look exactly the same as this model," Hae said. "Don''t worry, Hae-sama. I will make sure that everything is correct," Daiki said and left the house. "Aunty, are you sure this can be built under 5 million Ryo?" Kaida asked, because the model Daiki presented was looking quite luxurious. "Honestly speaking, no. Just the construction cost of this building will take around 5 million Ryo, and the total cost to make the business ready to open will be around 8 million Ryo. But don''t worry, we can sell one of the shops if the need arises. I can see quite a potential in this business. If everything is right, this will be much more productive than those three shops combined," Hae said. "This is becoming quite a big project, but from the looks of it, I am sure it will be worth it," Shisui said. "No, Aunty, please don''t sell the shop. I will try to arrange the money somehow," Kaida said. "Didn''t you listen clearly, Kaida? I said if the need arises. Don''t forget your brother is also a jonin. He earns quite a lot too, and the income from those shops is also not something you can scoff at. I just have to check if we have that much liquid fund or not, and I am pretty sure we should be able to manage 8 million Ryo somehow," Hae said. "Also, if the need arises, earning 8 million in 2 months is not that much difficult for me," Shisui said. "I would also have an extra 2.5 million Ryo after next month," Kaida said. "That''s great. Let''s finish the construction first. From the new estimation, it may take 2 months at the very least. By then, we should be able to arrange all the money somehow," Hae said. "Yes, we will definitely be able to arrange the money by then," Kaida said calmly. "Okay, now don''t you have to go for your fuinjutsu lesson?" Hae asked. "Oh! Yes, aunty. I will be back by dinnertime," Kaida said and went toward Sora''s house. After Kaida left, Shisui turned to his mother and said, "Mom, I am also just getting bored sitting all day along. I think I should start taking some missions now." "I was just telling you a possibility, Shisui. We actually don''t have any need to sell the shop. If we take out the emergency fund, we alone can fund this whole construction," Hae said. "I know, mom, but I am really getting bored doing nothing all day," Shisui said. "Okay, as you wish, but still take missions in moderation. I don''t want to see the face of my child once a week, okay?" Hae said. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, mom," Shisui said and then went to his room. Since it was already so late, he decided to take a mission tomorrow morning. ... At Sora''s house, Kaida was sitting outside for half an hour, since he came there at 3:30 PM, whereas normally he came there at 4:30 PM. Since he was quite early, Sora was not at home, so Kaida decided to wait for him. At 4 pm, "Kaida, you are quite early today," Sora asked as soon as he saw Kaida standing next to his house. ''D¨¦j¨¤ vu.'' "Yes, I finished my work early today, that''s why I am here this early," Kaida said. "Well, it''s good that you are early because we are going to start the topic of seals from today," Sora said. Chapter 141: The Sealing Techniques: Basic Seals "Well, it''s good that you are early because we are going to start the topic of seals from today," Sora said while opening the gate of his house. "Come in," Sora said to Kaida. They both went to the practice area. "So, Kaida, tell me what you know about Fuinjutsu," Sora asked. This was the first time Sora had asked a question; until now, he had just been teaching Kaida how to make strokes on paper perfectly. "Fuinjutsu, or ''Sealing Techniques,'' is a specialized category of jutsu that focuses on the use of seals to manipulate objects, living beings, or chakra. These seals are intricate patterns or symbols that are applied to surfaces or objects using chakra. Fuinjutsu practitioners can create seals for a variety of purposes, including containment, transportation, protection, and restriction. The fundamental concept of fuinjutsu involves imbuing these seals with specific instructions or effects, which are activated when certain conditions are met. This is basically the summary of what I read about fuinjutsu from various books in the library." "Well, it is still better than nothing. Now let me tell you the basics from the beginning. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As you have said, fuinjutsu is also known as sealing techniques. In this, we seal some things to get the desired effect. For example, if you want to produce heat, then simply seal every other chakra nature from the surrounding around the seal except fire chakra since only fire chakra will be remaining in the environment, it will automatically become hot," Sora said. Kaida nodded his head in understanding. "Now, can you tell me various uses of fuinjutsu you have actually seen till now?" Sora asked. "Yes, sensei, the storage seal we use, the weight seal I have, and the heat seal in the hall of our house. But if I have to tell the most impressive one, it will be the security seal of your house," Kaida said. "Yup, I also think that this seal is the best one I had seen in my life too," Sora said with a smile. "But sensei, I have a question, since this seal is so effective, do we have this seal around the whole of Konoha?" "No." "Why not, sensei? This seal will be so effective in increasing the security of our village by many times," Kaida asked. "This seal is not so simple. It not only requires chakra but also the maker''s life force too. Just covering the area of this house, my father had to take a rest of one month, and then also, he looked like he had aged a few months from just doing this much. That''s why covering the whole of Konoha in this seal is simply impossible," Sora explained. "I see," Kaida said. "We have once again deviated from our topic. We were talking about seals you have seen, right? Luckily, you know every type of seal you have to learn. The heat seal in your house is the basics of fuinjutsu and can be built by beginners, then the storage seal you use is an application of space-time jutsu and can only be made by a seal master. Then comes the last seal, this security array made by my father. This can only be made by a grand master. For now, you will focus on the beginner part only." "Okay, sensei," Kaida said. "Then we will start with the hardening seal, heat seal, cool seal, concealment seal. All of them are easy to learn, though the concealment seal may be a little tricky one, but nothing you can''t do. First, the hardening seal..." Sora started explaining all of these seals to Kaida. From 4 to 10 pm, Kaida just listened and memorized how to make those seals. Then at 10 pm, Sora said, "That''s it for today. From tomorrow, you can start practicing these seals on your own. Now you can go back." "Thank you, sensei," Kaida said and went back to his house, where others were waiting for him to eat dinner. "I have said so many times, please don''t wait for me. You guys should eat your dinner at the usual time," Kaida said. "And we have also said that it is our choice. We don''t have any problem in waiting for you. Now go and wash your hands before the food gets cold," Hae said. Kaida just smiled and then joined them after washing his hands. "Now that everyone is here, let me tell you that I am going to once again take missions. I think I have taken enough breaks," Shisui said. "Why did you decide to do this so suddenly?" Yomi asked, apparently the most shocked out of the three. "It is not that sudden. I am the only one who is sitting at home doing nothing all day. All of you guys are doing something," Shisui said. Yomi couldn''t say anything against that, not that she wanted Shisui to stay home all the time. It was just that due to the last mission (the escort mission), she came to realize the truth of the missions a ninja takes. Nothing is fixed in those missions; you can die without even knowing how. Not that Shisui was weak, it was just a simple worry for the well-being of your family members. The same worry Hae was feeling, but Kaida was actually not feeling anything, maybe because he knew Shisui''s power, or maybe because he had knowledge from the anime in which Shisui was alive until the Uchiha massacre. Anyhow, Shisui was going to start taking various missions from now on, which is the duty of every ninja, so there was not much they could say. "Just be safe, bro," Kaida said. "Who do you think has the power to hurt your brother?" Shisui boasted. "Do you want me to read the list in alphabetical order, or on the basis of their age?" Kaida asked. "You brat," Shisui said while twisting Kaida''s ear. "Ow, ow, ow!" "That''s enough. Now everyone, focus on your food," Hae said. After that, everyone just ate their food and went to their rooms. The next morning, everyone went to their respective destinations after eating breakfast. Yomi went for her sensor training, Kaida went to the hospital, Hae went to the construction company to supervise the bathhouse construction, and Shisui went to the Clan headquarters to take a mission. Chapter 142: Orochimaru’s Betrayal and the Aftermath (After 3 weeks...) The next few weeks were busy for everyone. Kaida spent most of his time after the hospital at Sora''s house, practicing various sealing techniques under his guidance. The hardening seal was the first one he mastered, allowing him to increase the hardness of an object. Like making paper as hard as wood or making wood as hard as steel, doing things like making wool as hard as stone was still not possible for him. The heat and cool seals followed, enabling him to manipulate temperatures in a localized area. Also, Kaida found that if he applied those seals on a living person, their body temperature would be altered. Due to this, the mouse population in the Uchiha clan once again reduced in numbers. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At last, the concealment seal proved to be the trickiest, as Sora had warned. It required precise chakra control and a deep understanding of the seal''s intricacies. Kaida struggled with it initially, but after weeks of practice and help from many shadow clones, he was finally able to learn the concealment seal as well, though it was not as effective as he had guessed. The smell and noise of a person were not masked by this seal. The concealment seal just masked the chakra of the person or persons present in a specific area. According to Sora, that really helped in hiding from a sensor. Meanwhile, Yomi''s sensor training was progressing well under her mentor''s tutelage. After more than two months of rigorous training, she could now detect chakra signatures from impressive distances and differentiate between various types of chakra natures. Her ability to pinpoint the exact location of multiple targets simultaneously was also improving steadily. According to her sensei, she was ready for the next part of the training, and she could finally move to the next part. The first stage of her training was finally over. As for Hae, her involvement with the bathhouse construction kept her occupied. She meticulously supervised every aspect, ensuring the work was up to her high standards. This was a really big project for her family, so she was really serious and strict about everything related to the construction. As for Shisui, he had taken on several missions ranging from escort duties to reconnaissance tasks and much more. In just three weeks, he had completed more than ten missions, which included three A-rank missions as well. Due to this, he himself was able to earn more than 1.5 million Ryo. This is one of the reasons why high-ranking ninjas never had to care about money. They could earn quite a bit of money in such a little time. This, combined with the money Kaida earned, was enough to fund the construction of the bathhouse fully. Everything was going perfectly in Konoha, especially for Kaida and his family, until news circulated in Konoha. *************************************************************************** ENEMY OF THE VILLAGE ALERT By decree of the Hokage and Konoha Council, Orochimaru of the legendary Sannin is hereby declared a rogue ninja and enemy of the Hidden Leaf Village. Orochimaru has committed grave crimes against Konoha and its people through unethical and inhumane experimentation on residents, including children. His betrayal and violation of the ninja code cannot be tolerated. Therefore, a bounty of 50,000,000 Ryo is placed on Orochimaru''s head, effective immediately. All jonin, Anbu, and hunter-nin are authorized to use any means necessary to subdue or eliminate this S-rank threat on sight. Civilians are strongly cautioned to avoid any contact with Orochimaru, as he is considered extremely dangerous. Any information leading to his capture must be reported directly to Konoha security forces. Orochimaru''s unforgivable actions against the Leaf have severed all ties. He is an enemy to the village''s values and way of life. Bringing this traitorous criminal to justice is of the highest priority to preserve the safety of the people. Issued by order of the Third Hokage Threat Level: S-Class Do not attempt to engage alone *************************************************************************** While civilians are only aware of the basic facts, clan heads and village officials have been briefed on the horrific extent of Orochimaru''s acts against Konoha and its people. The former Sannin conducted depraved genetic experiments and tortured human trials on dozens of subjects, many of them vulnerable children and infants abducted from orphanages. His twisted goal was to pervert the human genome to induce accelerated evolution and manifest kekkei genkai abilities through unnatural means. Interrogation of Orochimaru''s accomplices revealed his obsession with achieving immortality and learning every ninja technique, no matter how unethical the methods. During the investigation, Root ninja also tried to benefit from this situation. They shifted the blame of many of their own acts against various clans of Konoha onto Orochimaru. Obviously, that was Danzo''s plan, due to which many clans had generated an intense hatred against Orochimaru. However, the man himself didn''t have any problem taking those blames since he didn''t have to be in the good books of those clans. Now that the whole of Konoha was his enemy, he didn''t care if someone was a little more thirsty for his blood. And the person who knew most about this incident didn''t have anything to do with the incident itself other than getting a day off. Since every high-level ninja had to search for traces of Orochimaru''s bases in Konoha, due to which both Kaida''s and Yomi''s teachers were busy for one day, even though both of them got a day off, they couldn''t enjoy it because the environment of the village was not suitable for an outing at that time. After one day, when most of Orochimaru''s bases had been found out, Kaida and Yomi could once again continue their training. Meanwhile, in the Hokage''s office... "You were also responsible for these experiments, right?" Hiruzen asked the only other person in the office. "No," Danzo replied without any delay. "You want me to believe that? So many children got abducted from the orphanages and slums, and Root didn''t even have an idea about this?" Hiruzen asked. "Just like how Root didn''t have any idea how the Sarutobi clan developed so much in the last decade and how the businesses of so many smaller clans have been absorbed by them. Or how the bandits have increased in our surrounding when our village needed funds," Danzo said. "Are you trying to blackmail me?" Hiruzen asked angrily. "Of course not. Listen, Hiruzen, ideals and reality didn''t go hand in hand. Like you, I also had to do things which are important for the village but can be morally wrong," Danzo said. "I have already told you once, and I am telling you once again, don''t lay your hands on Konoha''s citizens once again. Even though you have deviated the clans'' anger onto Orochimaru for now, they are not fools. If you keep on these morally wrong acts, the internal condition of Konoha may get similar to that of Kirigakure," Hiruzen said. "Don''t worry, I am not planning to do anything anytime soon," Danzo said while standing up and leaving the office. Hiruzen just shook his head and took out his smoking pipe and started smoking. Chapter 143: The Next Stage of Medical Training The next day, Kaida went to the hospital and was heading toward his office when the receptionist stopped him and said, ¡°Kaida, Mitsuru-sama asked you to go and meet her in her office.¡± ¡°Thanks for letting me know,¡± Kaida said and went toward Mitsuru¡¯s office. knock knock ¡°Come in,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°Good morning, Sensei,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Good morning,¡± Mitsuru said while she was checking a file. After some time, she looked up and said, ¡°In the previous month, you have completed more than 50 operations and treated many patients too. Good job, I think you are ready to learn the next part of the jutsus. Here is the list of jutsus you are going to learn. Read about these jutsus today, and I will start to teach you these jutsus from tomorrow.¡± Kaida checked the book he was given. The first page contained the name and a small description of each jutsu he had to learn, followed by detailed information on each jutsu on the following pages. The first page was: *************************************************************************** (Temperature Control) - Restores normal body temperature by infusing or siphoning off heat using chakra. (Medicine Creation) - Combines naturally occurring compounds to create medicines for various purposes like antidotes, ointments, etc. (Blood Transfusion Skill) - Transfers blood from a donor to a recipient while matching their blood types using chakra. (Advanced Healing Palm Technique) - An advanced version that allows healing of deep, serious injuries using concentrated healing chakra. (Chakra Scalpel) - Creates a chakra blade for field surgery or combat by concentrating chakra around the hand. (Poison Creation) - Uses knowledge of plants and minerals to mix various disabling or deadly poisons. *************************************************************************** Even though all of these jutsus looked great, one caught Kaida¡¯s attention the most: the Chakra Scalpel, the one Kabuto used. Kaida thanked Mitsuru and went to his office to read the book. Obviously, he first checked the detailed description of the Chakra Scalpel. **** This medical technique forms one¡¯s chakra into a small, sharp blade. This can then be used for highly accurate incisions necessary for surgeries and anatomical dissections. Unlike regular scalpels, the chakra scalpel can make cuts inside the body without actually creating an open wound, limiting the risks of infection. The chakra scalpel can also be used offensively to inflict internal damage, although it requires great precision to be effective. Because of this requirement, using the chakra scalpel offensively is highly unusual. In heated combat, even the greatest medical-nin won¡¯t be able to exert the precision needed to target the vital spots, but it can still effectively cut muscle tissues and tendons, rendering the target immobile. **** ¡¯Yup, this jutsu is the same one Kabuto used during his fight against Tsunade and Naruto. This will be a really fine addition to my ninjutsu rank. With this jutsu, we can cut the chakra pathways of Jinchuriki, due to which they will be unable to harness the near-unlimited chakra reserves of the tailed beasts. And since those Jinchuriki are disgustingly powerful, a jutsu that can work against them is quite rare. Luckily, I know how great this jutsu is, otherwise, I may have just learned it for medical purposes. But now I have to focus on its application in normal fights too,¡ä Kaida thought, and then he read the descriptions of the other jutsus as well. (A.N: Don¡¯t worry, I am not going to write about the descriptions of all those jutsus as well. Those short descriptions should be sufficient enough to tell about the usage of those jutsus. But if you want the full description of those jutsus as well, just let me know ^~^) While Kaida was reading about the jutsus, the day went by, and all of a sudden, it was 4:00 PM. ¡®These are some interesting jutsus. If I learn these jutsus completely, then they will not only help in the medical field but will also make my fighting style more versatile,¡¯ Kaida thought while he was going toward Sora¡¯s house. ... ¡°Good evening, Sensei,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Good evening, let¡¯s go to the Clan headquarters now,¡± Sora said without even letting Kaida inside the house. ¡°Why, Sensei? Did something happen?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Did you forget? You had made a bet against the Clan head, and you f*cking learned the basics of Fuinjutsu in one month. You know how jealous I am. The only good thing about this is that I can brag about being a good teacher. Well, leave that aside; we first have to go to the Clan headquarters. I want to see his face once we tell him that you were able to completely learn the basics of Fuinjutsu in one month, and he lost the bet,¡± Sora said excitedly. ¡¯This person is only serious when Fuinjutsu is discussed. Other than that, he always acts like a child. Sometimes, even more childish than a child itself. Maybe because no one discriminated against him and gave him the proper respect which a Fuinjutsu master should get, that he was able to maintain his good personality. While other ninjas of the Uchiha clan were constantly subjected to the questioning gaze of Konoha residents and were discriminated against, that they developed the mean personality to cope up with the discrimination,¡ä Kaida thought. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What are you thinking so hard about? Don¡¯t worry; he will not get angry. He may seem very strict on the outside, but inside, he is actually a very nice person,¡± Sora said. ¡°But, Sensei, are you sure that only that much is enough for the basics?¡± Kaida asked since he had only learned four seals in total, which should not be enough for the complete basics of Fuinjutsu, right? ¡°Of course not, you have to learn many more seals to be considered to have mastered the basics,¡± Sora said. ¡°Then why do you want to go to the Clan headquarters when I had only learned the basics?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Kaida, do you really think that just by paying 200,000 Contribution points, you will employ a Fuinjutsu master to teach you all the basic seals?¡± Sora asked. ¡®Right, even though I first thought that the price the Clan head gave me was too high, but now that I am learning it, 200,000 is nowhere near enough to learn the basics,¡¯ Kaida thought. Seeing Kaida thinking hard, Sora laughed and said, ¡°Money and Contribution points don¡¯t matter much to a seal master or grand master of Fuinjutsu since we can earn so much more than any beginner can provide in a way much less effort and time. The only reason we teach youngsters is to pass our knowledge and help the clan in getting more talent. With the seals I taught you, you should be able to learn more basic seals on your own. This is how any Fuinjutsu master normally teaches their students.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sensei. I am really thankful to you for teaching me the basics,¡± Kaida said, bowing a little as if this was his last day of learning from Sora. Chapter 144: Surprising Fugaku "Thank you, Sensei. I am really thankful to you for teaching me the basics," Kaida said, bowing a little as if this was his last day of learning from Sora. Sora laughed, seeing Kaida acting like that. ???? "Do you think I am going to stop teaching you or something? I was just saying that since normally a beginner only learns this much, it should be enough to complete the condition of your bet. Don''t worry, since you are such a quick learner, I am planning on teaching you some more things before letting you go. Think of it as a favor from the great me," Sora said while raising his chin up. "Thank you, Sensei. I am honored that you would continue teaching me further," Kaida shook his head and went with the flow. "Of course, of course," Sora said with a wave of his hand. "Now let''s go. I can''t wait to see another expression on that old man''s face other than that serious expression he always makes," Sora said. "Okay, Sensei," Kaida said and followed Sora to the clan headquarters. ... "I want to meet the Clan Head. Is he free?" Sora went to the receptionist and asked. "Yes, Sora-sama, the Clan Head is in his office. Let me just confirm if he is free or not," the receptionist said and went to Fugaku''s office. After 5 minutes, he came back with a smile on his face. "Fugaku-sama is free and asking you to come to his office," the receptionist said. "Okay," Sora said and gestured for Kaida to follow him. "Come in," Fugaku said in his characteristic serious and authoritative voice. "Good evening, Fugaku-sama," Sora said as soon as he went inside the office, followed by Kaida, who also said the same thing. "Good evening, both of you. Did something happen? Why are you guys here?" Fugaku asked. "Nothing special. My student told me that you had made a bet with him about whether he could learn the basics in one month or not," Sora said. "It was not a bet. We just had a simple deal that if he could master it in one month, the price of his next training would be reduced," Fugaku said, maintaining his serious expression, but deep down, he had a thought, ''There is no way in hell that this boy had actually learned the basics in one month, right?'' "Guess what? He was actually able to do that," Sora said with a smile, not minding the details. According to what he knew about Fugaku, he would never make a direct bet against someone like Kaida, who was the same age as his child. So that deal was the closest thing possible to a bet between Kaida and Fugaku. "Are you here to do another prank? Then this time, I am not going to end it with a simple warning. You will be under house arrest for one month this time," Fugaku said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Another?" Kaida asked. "Long story, I''ll tell you some other time," Sora winked toward Kaida after saying that. Kaida just shook his head. "Fugaku-sama, I am not here for that reason at all. My student had actually learned the basics of Fuinjutsu. If you have any doubts, you can check yourself," Sora said with a smug smile on his face. Fugaku looked toward Sora for some time and then sighed. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Fine, let''s just check directly," He said and rang the bell on his desk. "Yes, sir?" Fugaku''s secretary asked. "Bring a complete set of Fuinjutsu equipment," Fugaku said. "Okay, sir," The secretary replied and went to bring the set. After 5 minutes, a set of papers, a brush, and ink was placed on Fugaku''s desk. "Now, Kaida, show me all the seals you can make," Fugaku said. "Okay, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said and picked up the brush. One by one, he made four seals: the Hardening Seal, the Heat Seal, the Cold Seal, and the Concealment Seal. After making the last seal, he looked toward Fugaku and said, "Sir, till now, I only know these four seals." Fugaku was really shocked this time. His eyes also went wide a little after seeing Kaida making a Concealment Seal. Seeing this, Sora was really happy, as it was not easy to surprise someone who was the head of one of the most powerful clans in the world. The amount of talent he had seen was not small. The only reason he was shocked was that Uchihas were not very talented in Fuinjutsu, and to be exact, no one was more talented in Fuinjutsu than the Uzumaki clan. The most talented person in Konoha who was not an Uzumaki took 4-5 months to learn the basics of Fuinjutsu. But the catch was he didn''t have as much chakra as Kaida had, so he was not able to spam shadow clones to increase his speed of learning, which Kaida did. Though it didn''t change the fact that Kaida was able to learn the basics in one month. "Good job. As I had promised, the price of your next lesson is reduced. If you want, I will arrange for someone to teach you the knowledge to the seal master level of Fuinjutsu," Fugaku said after recomposing himself just after a few seconds. "What do you mean finding someone to teach him? The person is sitting right in front of you, Fugaku-sama," Sora said, pointing toward himself. "I am planning on arranging a grandmaster to teach him, Sora," Fugaku said. "And I am almost a grandmaster," Sora said. "Yes, you are ALMOST a grandmaster," Fugaku said. "Umm, Fugaku-sama, I would really like it if I can continue learning under Sora-sensei," Kaida said. "Okay, you can directly pay the amount to him just like before, and Sora, you can take the rest of your payment from the office afterward," Fugaku said and then went back to do his paperwork. "What are you guys waiting for? If you don''t have anything more to say, then you guys can leave," Fugaku said. "Thank you, Fugaku-sama," both of them said and went out of the office. "That hard work was totally worth it. He was really surprised after seeing you making that Concealment Seal," Sora said. "You are enjoying it too much, Sensei," Kaida said while shaking his head. "Of course, I am. Do you even know how much my father used to scold me when he complained about my pranks to him?" Sora said with a pout. ''I am sure you will get along with a particular boy in the future,'' Kaida thought with a smile on his face. Chapter 145: Back to missions (part-1) After leaving Fugaku''s office, Sora was in an exceptionally good mood. He couldn''t stop grinning at the memory of the Clan Head''s shocked expression upon seeing Kaida''s sealing prowess. "You should have seen the look on his face!" Sora exclaimed gleefully as they walked back home. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen Fugaku-sama so surprised before." Kaida chuckled, amused by his teacher''s childlike enthusiasm. "I''m just glad I could meet his expectations. Though I have to admit, I wouldn''t have been able to learn so quickly without your guidance, Sensei." Sora waved a dismissive hand. "Nonsense, you''re a prodigy. With or without me, you would have mastered the basics eventually." He shot Kaida a sly grin. "But I certainly helped speed things along, didn''t I?" "Yes, but Sensei, I don''t have the contribution points or the money to pay you right now, so can I start my next part of the training after 2-3 months? By then, I should be able to get that amount," Kaida asked. Normally, he should have been able to pay the amount until the seal master level by now, but since he had invested all of his money, Including what they had saved from completing all those missions with Yukihiro, Kaida was penniless at the moment. He only had 200,000 contribution points for now due to completing so many D-rank missions for the last month. Even though he could have chosen to start the business after some time, there were two reasons why he didn''t. Firstly, he himself didn''t think that he would be able to complete the basics class within a month. Secondly, there was actually no hurry for him to rush things too much, even though he needed to increase his strength. The Uchiha massacre would take 3-4 more years according to the normal timeline. If his strength keeps on increasing at the same rate, Then Kaida will be at Kage level by then. So, there was no actual need to focus too much on training, especially when he could invest his money in something much more important. "Huh! Are you dumb or something? I already told you the amount of money or contribution points you give to a fuinjutsu master is not much for him. You are going to give me 3 million Ryo or something, right?" Sora asked after listening to Kaida''s request. "Yes, Sensei." "I can easily earn that amount in 3-4 days, so you don''t have to worry about paying me. Just give me the amount whenever you have it. We can continue our training as it is," Sora said. "Thank you, Sensei," Kaida said, bowing a little. Sora just waved his hand dismissively. After some time, they reached Sora''s house. "Since you have to learn many more seals to start learning the next level of fuinjutsu, we can''t directly start your training. Just wait here; I have just the right thing for you," Sora said and went inside the house. "Okay, Sensei," Kaida replied and just sat at the chair on the training platform. After some time, Sora came out of the house with a book in his hand. "This is the book written by my father. It contains many seals perfect for beginners. You can continue learning seals from this book, and you can always come to me whenever you have any doubts," Sora said while giving that book to Kaida. ''This is the second book of the day. Is it my lucky day or something?'' Kaida thought and then said, "Thank you, Sensei. I will take good care of it." "Okay, since there is nothing more for me to do, I am going back to my study. You can practice on your own. If you encounter any doubts or problems, come and find me in the study," Sora said. "Okay, Sensei," Kaida said and made 10 shadow clones to start training on different seals each. Sora saw this and went back to his house. After training until 10 PM, Kaida went back to his house, ate dinner with his family, and then went to sleep. From the next day, Mitsuru started teaching Kaida various advanced medical jutsu. This time, they were a little trickier, especially the Chakra Scalpel. Cutting someone from the inside without damaging their skin or chakra pathway was extremely difficult for Kaida, but knowing the importance of the jutsu, Kaida paid special attention to learning it while also learning many seals at the same time. Doing this, two more months passed. ... (At Konoha hospital) "Sensei, I have finally learned the Chakra Scalpel jutsu completely," Kaida said. "I have said this before too; there was no need to use that jutsu while moving. Your training was futile as it is not like you are going to use this jutsu for fighting. Since it is used during operations, why would you train for using it while moving? I am still saying, don''t use this jutsu during a fight; the level of precise control of chakra it will need is too high for you. Heck, even I could barely do it," Mitsuru said. ''This means Kabuto was already at the level of chief medical ninja during the Tsunade retrieval arc,'' Kaida thought, but since he couldn''t tell that he knew more about this jutsu''s potential than Mitsuru herself, he just made up an excuse. "This was the reason I was training for using the Chakra Scalpel while moving, since that will also improve my chakra control too." "Well, it is your choice. With this, you could take the exam to become a specialist, but there is another condition to become a specialist which you have not fulfilled until now, so you will have to wait for a little more time before taking the exam." "Which condition, Sensei?" Kaida asked. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Before taking the exam for a specialist, a medical ninja should have a minimum of 6 months of experience as a general practitioner. Since you only have experience of 3 months, you have to continue treating patients for 3 more months before you can apply to take the specialist exam." "That''s great. According to Sora Sensei, I should be able to learn fuinjutsu to be barely considered a seal master. Then you can teach me the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu, right?" Kaida asked. "Kaida, it is not possible for you to become a Seal Master in just 6 months. That shit takes time..." Mitsuru stopped when she remembered how Kaida learned the basics of fuinjutsu in just a month. "Okay, if you become a Seal Master by then, then we can definitely start your training in that jutsu, but I will say it once again. I don''t know the complete jutsu, only Tsunade-sama does," Mitsuru said. "Not even Grandpa knows that jutsu?" Kaida asked. "No, he also only knows as much as I do. Since we don''t have the complete version of that jutsu, we can only use it at 30% of its full efficiency," Mitsuru said. ''It makes sense. If Hiruzen knew about such a powerful jutsu, there should have been some ninja trained in this jutsu. This jutsu is way too useful to be forgotten in history,'' Kaida thought and then said, "Then I would be happy to just learn that much, Sensei." Mitsuru saw the smile on Kaida''s face and sighed, ''This boy is way too dedicated and talented. I really hope he didn''t die on some stupid missions he is so obsessed with,'' Mitsuru thought, remembering how many geniuses she saw or heard dying on the battlefield. "Okay, but be careful and don''t bite more than you can chew," Mitsuru said. "Thank you, Sensei," Kaida said and went out of the hospital. Since it was already 4 pm, after leaving the hospital, he directly went toward Sora''s house... Chapter 146: promotional plan ¡°Thank you, Sensei,¡± Kaida said and went out of the hospital. Since it was already 4 pm, after leaving the hospital, he directly went toward Sora¡¯s house. ¡°Good evening, Sensei,¡± Kaida said to Sora as soon as he entered his house. ¡°Good evening, so how is your training going?¡± Sora asked, as in the last 2 months, Kaida had rarely asked any doubts; he was mainly focusing on figuring things out by himself. ¡°The training is coming along well, Sensei. I have more or less mastered the seals from the book you have given me. I just need one more week to completely master some of those seals because there is too much loss of chakra when I am making those seals,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°You know you can always come to me whenever you have any doubts or problems, right?¡± Sora said. ¡°Yes, Sensei, but Sensei, I want to take next week off,¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Sensei, I have been focusing on medical jutsu and fuinjutsu for more than 4 months now, so I am planning to take some missions out of the village for a change,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°As you wish, just be safe and don¡¯t do anything reckless,¡± Sora repeated the same things as Mitsuru, as he also felt that Kaida was not made for such types of missions; he was too talented in fuinjutsu and medical jutsu. ¡°I will be careful, Sensei,¡± Kaida replied with a smile and went back towards his house, while Sora also got back to his training. ... ¡°You are home quite early,¡± Shisui said, looking toward Kaida. ¡°Brother, you are back.¡± ¡°Yup, but why are you home so early?¡± ¡°I asked both of my senseis for one week off. I want to focus on the inauguration of our bathhouse as well as complete some missions out of the village. Anyways, did you bring back those herbs I talked about?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Here,¡± Shisui said, tossing a storage scroll toward Kaida. Kaida caught the scroll and took out the herbs from that. After checking that all the herbs were present and his brother was not tricked by some merchant, Kaida sighed in relief. He did that because even though Shisui was powerful and kind-natured, he was not shrewd like a businessman, and people could use him for their advantage. Though he is not a complete moron either, and to really use him, you have to be a manipulator close to the level of Hiruzen and Danzo. But there is no risk in being extra cautious, but that was actually unnecessary. There were no merchants in the ninja world who would do something as stupid as making an enemy out of a Jonin and that too someone from Konoha for some extra money. ¡°With this, we can finally start the bathhouse,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Not really, we have invested way too much to just do things randomly. I had already sent various letters to many important people. When we get back all the replies, we will finalize a date on which we will open the bathhouse,¡± Hae said, entering the hall. ¡°Till when do you think you will get the answers, mom?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Well, most of them had already answered. Only some higher-ups are remaining, but I think we should get their reply by this evening as well. For now, Kaida, go wash your hands; I will prepare some small snacks for you,¡± Hae said. ¡°Mom, I am also back,¡± Shisui said, like he is the forgotten child of the house. ¡°Who? Oh wait, you are back? Sorry, it totally slipped my mind that we had another child. My bad! I will prepare something for you as well, honey,¡± Hae said and went toward the kitchen. ¡°Aunt is getting better at this,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Nope, she was always this good; she just doesn¡¯t give many savage replies nowadays,¡± Shisui said, shaking his head. ¡°We always discover something new every day,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Yup.¡± Then they went to wash their hands and had some snacks and discussed various strategies to promote the bathhouse. ¡°I think that giving a day of free trial is the best idea,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Hae asked. ¡°Aunt, our main target customers are going to be the ladies of our village who will visit the bathhouse for its beauty-enhancing quality, but the problem is it is difficult to tell them that the bathhouse has such quality. So I have been thinking that we give a day of free trial after the inauguration ceremony and pay some ladies to spread the effects of the bathhouse. When those ladies will hear those details after actually experiencing them, they will be fully convinced about the effects of our bathhouse,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Yup, and the only loss we are going to make is just 40,000 Ryo, which will be the operational cost excluding the salary of the staff. The investment far outweighs the result, let¡¯s do it,¡± Hae said. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Are we only going to focus on women? I think we also made a medicinal bath for ninjas for their physical recovery and stuff, right? What about that?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Son, we are currently focusing on the part which will bring a steady stream of income really soon. As for the medicinal bath, which is for ninjas, that will also be free, and we will also promote that one too. But from what we are estimating, the amount we will get from that bath will be less than 20% of what we will get from the bath focused on the beauty aspect,¡± Hae said. Hae had personally experienced the effect of that bath. Kaida had especially secured a batch of medicines for the trial, and after experiencing the effect of the bath, Hae was 100% sure that this bath would be a super hit among the ladies. The only downside is that the effect is not permanent and will slowly wear off in 2-3 days, but this downside is from the customer¡¯s side. For Kaida and family, this is excellent as when the effect wears off, the ladies will have to come back to get their ¡®Natural Glow¡¯ back. ¡°Okay,¡± Shisui said, understanding why they were focusing on women more than men. ¡®Is it just me, or are they becoming more and more money-minded day by day?¡¯ Shisui thought. After that, Hae and Kaida discussed some more tricks to promote the bathhouse and specified firsthand that the effects are not permanent so that no Karen would come to their door, blaming them for being scammers. At 7:00 pm, Yomi also came back from her training. ¡°Welcome back, Yomi,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Thank you, brother. Umm, what are they discussing?¡± Yomi asked, pointing towards Kaida and Hae, who were still discussing the bathhouse. ¡°Business and stuff,¡± Shisui said, as this was enough to remove Yomi¡¯s interest from the topic, as just like Shisui, she also didn¡¯t have any interest in money. Even when she and Kaida were not part of the Uchiha clan, Kaida was the only one who used to manage all the expenses, not Yomi. ¡°So tell me, Yomi, how was your training?¡± Shisui said, pointing toward the sofa. ¡°My Sensor training is over today, brother. I had successfully made my chakra field today,¡± Yomi said. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s very great; I knew you were very talented,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Me too,¡± Kaida said, coming toward them, followed by Hae, who had a glass of juice in her hand. ¡°Good job, honey, now is your training over?¡± Hae asked, handing the glass to Yomi. ¡°No, Aunty, only my sensing training is over. From tomorrow, we are going to start my Tracking training, but according to what my sensei told me, that is going to be easier and way less time-consuming. So my training should be over in 2-3 months,¡± Yomi said. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Since you had already made your chakra field, let¡¯s have a celebration; let¡¯s eat today¡¯s dinner at a restaurant,¡± Shisui said. Chapter 147: All ready "Yeah, that''s a good idea..." Hae was saying when "I''ll check," Shisui said and went to the door. "Sir, I am here to deliver these letters," the boy in front of the door said as he presented few letters to Shisui. "Oh! Thanks, buddy, here," Shisui said as he took the letters and gave the delivery boy a 1000 Ryo bill. "Thank you, sir," the delivery boy bowed, and then left. "Mom, the letters you were waiting for are here," Shisui said as he gave those letters to Hae. Hae took the letters and read them one by one. "As expected, Lord Third will be unable to attend the ceremony; he is busy, but luckily, many council members are attending the ceremony." "Mom, how much did you give them?" Shisui asked. "Not much, just a 100,000 Ryo worth of gifts each; it is quite cheap, you know," Hae replied, smiling. "I still don''t understand why we have to call those people. Can''t we do these things normally?" Shisui asked. "We had invested more than 10 million Ryo in this bathhouse. That is too much to do things normally. Also, we just have to bear them for some minutes with the amount I have spent on their gifts. I am sure they will leave a few minutes after the inauguration," Hae replied. "I understand," Shisui said and went back to his seat. "So, aunt, can we finalize the dates when we are going to open the bathhouse now?" Kaida asked. "Yes, just give me a second," Hae said and picked up a calendar which was marked at various dates. She once again checked the new letters and marked new dates on the calendar. "We have two options: either Wednesday or Friday. Which one do you want to choose?" Hae asked all three of them. "Wednesday," Kaida and Shisui replied, while Yomi also nodded her head. "Guessed it, then I will start the promotion work now. The bathhouse inauguration ceremony will be on Wednesday, right after 4 days. So make sure all of you will be at home on that day, okay?" Hae said, especially looking toward Kaida and Shisui. "Don''t worry, Aunt. I am planning to take some small missions around the village only. I should be back within two or three days easily," Kaida said. "You are going on missions?" Yomi asked. "Yup, I will tell you later," Kaida said. "I am not even planning on going on any mission this week, so relax, mom," Shisui said. "Well, I can''t go even if I want to, so you don''t have to worry about me either," Yomi said with a smile. "Good, everyone go and get some rest. We will go out for dinner after some time," Hae said. "Okay, aunty," Kaida and Yomi said and went towards their room. "Mom, do you need any help about any council member? I can talk to uncle about that if you want," Shisui said, the thing on his mind which he didn''t want to discuss in front of Kaida and Yomi. "Don''t worry, just your and your father''s name was enough to remove any wicked plan they might have. We now have each and every document, and even the patent of this bathhouse, though it is for just six months. But that is enough; in six months, that bathhouse will be well-established, and even if someone wants to copy us, it will be too late," Hae said. "That''s good," Shisui said with a smile. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... While going toward their room, Yomi asked, "So when are you going to tell me?" "I am planning on taking some bandits'' extermination missions to train a little," Kaida said. "You are already training under two senseis who are literally super famous in the village for their expertise, and you think that is not enough?" Yomi asked; this time, there was no jealousy in her voice, just a genuine doubt. "I didn''t mean it that way. The training I meant was something practical, like I learned genjutsu quite well in the past 3 months, but I haven''t tried it even once. As for medical jutsu, there are some jutsu ideas I have which I can''t try on patients without actually testing them, as well as I have not been in an actual fight over the past 3 months. That''s why I want to take those missions," Kaida said. "Do you want to use bandits for human experimentation?" Yomi asked with a shocked expression. "Hey, if you put it that way, people will think I am some evil scientist. I am not doing anything similar to human experimentation, well, maybe a little bit, but those bandits don''t even deserve to live, so if there is no loss in using them as test subjects for medical jutsu which may save many lives in the future, right?" Kaida said. "I also didn''t mean it that way. I know you, so who are your team members?" Yomi asked, since she didn''t know about these missions until now, she was not part of the team for sure, though a little sad, she still wanted to know who the new team members were. "Team? I am going on solo missions," Kaida said. "Are you mad? What are you going to do if something happens during the mission?" Yomi asked angrily. "Yomi, I am only taking some bandit extermination missions, and that too in areas near the village. There is no way anything is going to happen to me," Kaida said. "Still, you should not go alone. At least take big brother with you," Yomi said. Hearing that, Kaida thought, ''This is actually a nice idea, even though Danzo is silent for now, there is no guarantee that he will not take this opportunity to eliminate me, since I was one of the major reasons why his plan had to be stopped. But taking big brother directly will just be a one-time thing. I can''t take big brother with me every time I want to take some missions... but we can do it this way.'' Kaida thought, and there was a slight smile on his face. "What''s so funny?" Yomi asked, seeing the smile on Kaida''s face. "Nothing, I was just thinking that it was a great idea. I will ask brother about this," Kaida said. "So when are you going?" Yomi asked. "Tomorrow morning," Kaida said. "Best of luck then," with a kiss on the cheeks, Yomi said this and went toward her room. ''She is getting cuter day by day,'' Kaida thought. After sometime, they went out for dinner, though at that time, Kaida didn''t talk to Shisui about his missions. After they ate dinner and were going back to their home, Kaida asked Shisui if he wanted to take a walk. "So what do you want to talk about?" Shisui asked. Chapter 148: Backup "So what do you want to talk about?" Shisui asked. "Brother, I am going to take a mission tomorrow." "I don''t have a bad memory, Kaida. I remember that you just told me this in the evening." "Brother, do you remember that time someone was spying on me around two and a half months ago?" Kaida asked. Shisui became more alert after hearing that and activated his Sharingan to look all around. He even spread his chakra field to sense if someone was spying on them right now, like the last time. "I don''t think someone is here, brother. I am just telling you this because this is the first time I am going out of the village after that incident. So if they want to do something, this will be the perfect time," Kaida said. "So, you want me to go with you," Shisui asked directly. "Yes, but no." "What do you mean?" Shisui asked. "Brother, if you directly come with me on the mission, those people will not do anything because of you, which may be a good thing for now, but you can''t be with me all the time. So I want you to secretly follow me. So that if there was someone who is planning to attack me, they will do it, and I will be safe since you will be there to protect me." "That''s quite a risky plan you have there. What will happen if I am late?" Shisui asked. "Brother, I may not be as strong as you are, but I am not some small child anyone can bully. You even agreed that my strength had reached the level of a Jonin, right?" "Huh, you are right. Fine, I will follow along with your plan, but be alert all the time," Shisui said. "Sure, brother," Kaida said, and then they went back to their house. The next day, Kaida woke up, completed his morning routine, and they went to the clan headquarters after eating breakfast. ... After selecting some bandit extermination missions which were close to each other, Kaida went to the counter to take those missions. "So you have finally decided to take C-rank missions, huh," the receptionist said. "Yes, but I am still going to continue doing those D-rank missions as well; these are just for some change in pace," Kaida said. "Even though what you are doing is also great for the clan as well, but I will advise you to reduce the number of D-rank missions you are doing. Your reputation is taking a hit due to that." "What do you mean?" Kaida asked. "Well, you got a nickname due to completing so many D-rank missions: ''Servant Ninja'' and ''Uchiha''s dog,''" the receptionist replied. Kaida thought, ''Since I am from the Uchiha clan now, there is no way some normal civilian will be this brave to come up with such a nickname for me. It must be the work of someone to stop the person who is completing the D-rank missions from the Uchiha, which were assigned to them, so that they will have to pay a fine for not completing those missions. Well, it''s not like it affects me in any way.'' "Well, they can call me anything they want, but the amount I am making for just doing D-rank missions is not something a servant will make, and I am not going to lose it just because some jobless person who doesn''t have something more productive to do than making fun of someone," Kaida said. "You have quite a nice attitude, kid," the receptionist said while he was registering new missions in Kaida''s name at his register. "Good, now you are good to go. The deadline for these missions is one week. If you are unable to complete these missions within that time limit, you would have to pay ten times the reward money and will be unable to take any missions for the next one month, okay?" the receptionist said. "Yes," Kaida said, as he already knew these rules were made so that the loss of innocent lives will be minimal. He nodded and went back to his house to say goodbye. ... While Kaida was finally planning on leaving the village, a report was sent to the Root headquarters. Danzo read the report and said in his grumpy, menacing voice, "Finally, that rat decided to come out of his hole. Send one Jonin and six Chunin after him. Their main priority will be to capture him alive. I want to interrogate him, and if everything is correct, then we can recruit him into our organization as well." "Yes, sir..." the Root ninja replied. "Do you have any doubt?" Danzo asked. "Sir, why are you sending so many ninjas to just capture a Genin? I am sure just two Chunins should be enough for this task," the ninja replied. "Hahaha, you think that he is just some normal Genin? Then why would I want to recruit him into Root? From the report I got about one of their missions, that boy was able to hold his own against an Iwagakure Jonin in one-on-one combat, and he was without a scratch after the fight. Even though he was not able to kill that Jonin, just this much is enough to show that he is at least at the level of an elite Chunin, and that too at the age of 9 years. Though sending a Jonin is really overkill, but I don''t want to take any risks this time. Hiruzen is unusually protective about this child. Now go and make sure no one makes any mistakes," Danzo said. "Yes, sir," that ninja said and vanished from the room. ... At Kaida''s house, "Be safe. Bye," Hae and Yomi said. "Bye, aunty. Bye, Yomi," Kaida said and went toward the village gate. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Bye," Shisui said and followed Kaida. After moving some distance away, Shisui said, "Kaida, you are sure that this paper will work, right?" Shisui said, taking out a fuinjutsu paper from his storage seal. "Don''t worry, brother. This was made by Sensei himself, and we had already tried it once," Kaida said. "Fine, make sure to send the signal as soon as things get even a little dangerous," Shisui said. "Okay, brother," Kaida said, and then used the Body Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to go towards the direction of his missions, which was near the villages situated near the sea. Chapter 149: Exciting? "Okay, brother," Kaida said and then used the Body Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to go towards the direction of his missions, which was near the villages situated near the sea. Shisui didn''t go out of the village from the main gate but from a different location. With the seal Kaida had given him, Shisui could easily track him in a radius of 3 km. This way, they could maintain a safe distance from each other and not alert the ninjas. Using that seal, Shisui was following Kaida when suddenly the seal glowed green, which was the sign for someone actually following. Shisui became completely alert, ready to go in the direction of Kaida as soon as he could, but the second signal didn''t come. ''This boy is trying to take on Root ninjas by himself. I should have told him about Danzo sooner,'' Shisui said while going towards the location of Kaida at full speed. ... Kaida was going towards his location while constantly maintaining a state of alertness, activating his Sharingan from time to time. But even when he was doing that, he was unable to find anyone following him. The reason for this was simple: Root ninjas were specially trained for stealth and assassination missions, and this time they knew that their target had a Sharingan, so they were especially careful during the mission. When Kaida had traveled more than 80 kilometers, he thought, ''I am not feeling well about this, like I am missing something.'' He made a shadow clone with the least amount of chakra and left it in his path while continuing his journey. Normally, the Root ninjas could sense Kaida, but during the last 2 months, Kaida had learned how to hide his chakra signature from Shisui. That, along with the lesser chakra of the clone, made it easier for it to hide from the Root ninjas. When they passed from the area where the clone was hiding, the shadow clone saw seven ninjas running towards Kaida. When they reached some distance, the clone dispersed itself, and Kaida got its memories. ''As expected, seven of them are following me. Now, should I call brother, as this situation is quite dangerous? But why am I suddenly feeling so excited? Huh, maybe I am becoming more of a battle maniac as my strength is increasing,'' Kaida thought, then a wicked smile appeared on his face. ''Let''s try to handle this alone first. If by any chance I am unable to handle them myself, I can just directly run towards brother.'' Kaida thought, then he made 2 more shadow clones with 30 percent of his chakra each, since he had eaten a soldier pill before coming out of the village. This 60 percent could be recovered in 1 hour easily. But Kaida was not so patient. He just slowed down for 10 minutes before he and his shadow clones went in three different directions. ... The Root ninjas were following Kaida''s trail stealthily when suddenly the trail got divided into three different directions. "Did he notice us?" one of the Chunin asked. "No, the chances of that are low. Maybe he is planning on using shadow clones for completing those missions," the Jonin said. "But what should we do now?" another Chunin asked. "Simple, we will also divide into three groups and follow him," the Jonin said. "But Lord Shadow said that we would need all of us to capture him," the Chunin countered. "Yes, but we don''t have a choice now. So we will divide into three teams. Two teams will have 3 Chunin each, and I will go alone. Now our priority changes from capturing him alive to bringing his body back. Also, make sure not to damage his eyes," the Jonin said. Even though the other Chunin had doubts about whether they would be able to capture Kaida or not, they didn''t have an ounce of doubt that they would be able to kill him, as this was what they specialized in. After listening to the order, the Chunin teams went on the left and right trails, while the Jonin went straight. (A.N: Team 1 consists of Chunin who went to the left trail, Team 2 consists of Chunin who went to the right trail, while the last one is only a Jonin, so we will not call him Team 3, okay? ?) ... Team 1 was following the trail when suddenly they heard a loud blast from their left side. All of them looked towards that direction. But the last thing they saw was two red eyes with 2 tomoe rotating in them, then their world went black. ''Huh, it was way easier than I initially thought. Now I can see why Danzo is so afraid of the Uchihas,'' Kaida thought. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yup, this was the real Kaida. He went on the left side and hid himself in a corner while sending a shadow clone on the straight path to keep the trail going, then he hid his chakra as much as he could. Then he sent a signal to Shisui that someone was following. He knew Shisui would rush to him as soon as he saw this signal, that''s why he did it at the last moment. After that, he started looking towards the path he was taking. When he saw three ninjas running towards his clone''s direction, he quickly used the Fireball Jutsu to make the ninjas look towards him, and he successfully cast a genjutsu on them. Though he didn''t actually make them see any illusion, Kaida just directly severed the connection between mind and body for some time. "Let''s bind them first," Kaida said to himself and took out a rope from his storage seal. He had just tied one person when Shisui arrived near him. "You are way too reckless, you know that," Shisui said and then sighed in relief that Kaida was safe. "I am sorry, brother. I just wanted to check my progress," Kaida said while rubbing his head where Shisui had hit him. "Well, it''s alright since you are safe. So there were only three of them?" Shisui asked while helping Kaida bind the other two ninjas. "No, there were seven of them. I divided them using shadow clones. Since I didn''t get their memories back, they must be fighting against those ninjas," Kaida said. "You should have said this sooner," Shisui said while giving Kaida another smack on his head. "Now let''s go, otherwise, the other ninjas may run and hide after dealing with your clone," Shisui said. Kaida nodded and got ready to go towards the direction of his clones. Just as they heard these sounds, Kaida got the memory of his clone back. "Brother, let''s hurry. One of my clones just got dispersed because the ninja used poison on it," Kaida said while using the Body Flicker Jutsu to go towards the place his clone and the Jonin were fighting. Shisui didn''t say anything and just followed Kaida. When they reached the location, Shisui was a little shocked seeing the result of the fight between Kaida''s clone and the Jonin. Chapter 150: When the Hunters Become the Hunted When the jonin was following the trails, he suddenly sensed that someone was hiding near the path. Apparently, Kaida''s clone was also planning on using the same trick as him, but the problem was his enemy was not some inexperienced chunin but a jonin. As soon as he sensed that someone was hiding, he used earth bullet jutsu in that direction. Though Kaida''s clone was easily able to dodge that using body flicker jutsu and then used fireball jutsu he had prepared on the jonin, which he also dodged using body flicker jutsu. ''Fireball is not fast enough to hit him, and fire breath jutsu is going to take time for preparation. I don''t think I can use that either. Well, let''s use the second one,'' the clone thought and used wind blade jutsu at the jonin. The jonin was able to sense the danger of the jutsu even though he didn''t know which jutsu Kaida used, since he only made two hand signs. But since his instincts were telling him that he was in danger, he used earth style mud wall jutsu to make a dome around him. Then he kept on using the same jutsu to make the dome thicker when he saw many slash marks appear on the walls of the dome. ''This boy is dangerous. No wonder Danzo sama sent us all just for him, but even if he is powerful, he doesn''t have much experience. Let''s see how you are going to deal with this,'' the ninja thought. And he took out a bottle of poison and then spread it on the ground while making another layer on the dome, which was formed from the soil and poison that was spread on the soil. Then he started sensing where Kaida was, but Kaida''s clone maintained a safe distance from the dome. Sensing this, the jonin made a small opening on the dome to create a false opening and lure ''Kaida'' near the dome. Unluckily, the clone threw a kunai with many explosion tags attached to it into the dome through that opening. ''Fuck,'' the jonin didn''t have much time to use any movement jutsu. He just used iron skin jutsu in hope that he could reduce the amount of damage. Hearing the sound of the explosion, Kaida''s clone became a little relaxed, but unfortunately, the jonin was not dead. Even though bones in his legs were broken, he kept on sensing Kaida''s position. After sensing that he was within his attack range, he used Earth spike jutsu on the dome wall and launched them at Kaida''s clone. Even though the clone was able to see the incoming attack clearly, he couldn''t dodge them all since the number of projectiles exceeded a hundred. Though he skillfully defended against many of the spikes using his sword, at last, one of the spikes was able to penetrate his defense and made a cut on his leg. Due to the cut and poison in it, the clone got dispersed swiftly, and Kaida got the memory of the clone back. As soon as that jonin saw that the opponent he was fighting was just a Shadow clone, all the plans of killing or capturing Kaida got expelled from his mind. ''I was not a match for his clones at my full strength. Now that I have a broken leg and half-depleted chakra reserves, there is no way I will be able to match him. I need to run,'' he thought. Then he started using movement jutsu to run toward one of the secret bases of Root. He had no plan of regrouping or helping his subordinates, as he knew that would be futile. Even he, a jonin, had to run after confronting just a clone. What were the chances that some chunin would be able to hold on to their lives till he went to their location... 0%? So he simply chose the best option and ran towards the nearest root base. ... "I will take the lead from here," Shisui said while checking for the path that the jonin took while running away. Normally, any other ninja would have problems finding that path since root specialized in such tasks, but with the help of the mangekyo sharingan''s observational power, Shisui found the path within seconds. "Should I check my other clone? Maybe he will need my help?" Kaida asked. "Good idea, I will follow this person. You go for those three," Shisui said, as from what he could guess, those three should also be at chunin level and should not be able to harm Kaida. Only this guy who ran away should have had any worthy strength. So there was no harm in sending Kaida to capture those three as well. Kaida was just about to leave in that direction when he got the memories of his next clone as well. "Brother, I don''t think I have to go there now," Kaida said. "Why?" Shisui asked, thinking that maybe those three ninja may have also been successful in fleeing. "My clone had already killed them," Kaida said. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Though Shisui wanted to hear the full details about this, for now, his priority was to catch the jonin who was fleeing. "Then just follow me," Shisui said, and then used body flicker jutsu to go towards the direction accurately tracing the same path the jonin had taken. Kaida also followed Shisui closely. ... (10 minutes before) Just like the other clone and Kaida, this clone was also hiding on the path, waiting to ambush the root ninjas. Just as he saw the root ninja coming toward his direction, he also used fireball jutsu to turn their eyes toward him. And just like Kaida, he also tried to cast a genjutsu on those three ninja. But the only difference in his case and what happened to Kaida was that the clone didn''t have the sharingan. When Kaida tried to cast multiple genjutsu at the same time, he used the sharingan for that. Since the clone didn''t have that, the chance of successful casting got reduced from 100% to 60%. Due to which, even though two chunin were successfully put under genjutsu, one of the three was able to resist the genjutsu. As soon as Kaida''s clone felt that his casting had failed, it took out its sword, ready to slash. Seeing that, the chunin jumped back, ready to defend itself. The clone took advantage of that and used body flicker jutsu to appear in front of the other two ninja. With a clean slash, two heads fell on the ground. Since the clone had also used chakra flow of fire nature, the wound was burned, and not a single drop of blood fell either from the head or the body. When the remaining chunin saw that, he dispersed his chakra, suspecting whether he was actually in some genjutsu. But when the situation remained the same even after dispersing his chakra, he became ready to stall for time. He didn''t even think that he would be able to win. His only chance for survival was if he could stall for enough time until their leader could come to their rescue¡­ Chapter 151: Not a child He didn''t even think that he would be able to win. His only chance for survival was if he could stall for enough time until their leader could come to their rescue. The only thought running in his mind was, ''What kind of monster?... This kid is not human.'' The reason Kaida''s shadow clone quickly killed those two chunin was because if they somehow came out of the genjutsu, then the clone would be outnumbered by those chunin. Since the shadow clones have a very big disadvantage when it comes to taking hits, just a single successful attack is enough to disperse them. So by killing those two, the clone had increased its winning chance by a huge margin. "Are you thinking about running away?" Kaida''s clone asked, seeing that the chunin was looking around for a way out. "Run away from whom, you are just a brat. We were just caught off guard; otherwise, it would have been impossible for a brat like you to even lay a finger on us," the chunin said, trying to act tough. "Well, how about now, since you are now fully alert? Should we try this once again?" the clone said with a smile on his face. The smile which sent a shiver down the spine of that chunin. "Don''t underestimate me, you brat," the chunin said angrily. Then he ran toward Kaida at full speed, holding a kunai in his hand. While running, he also sent some shuriken flying toward ''Kaida,'' which were deflected without any problem. But then, out of a sudden, that chunin took out a smoke bomb from his pocket and threw it on the ground. It was not a normal smoke bomb but one with some very corrosive chemicals which could make it impossible for anyone to see for a while once it hit their eyes. Thinking his attack was successful, the ninja went back and started making hand signs, and within seconds, the area in the smoke was bombarded with tens of fire bullets. "Did you really think I would fall for that?" the clone said from behind of that chunin. At that moment, the chunin knew that if he didn''t do anything right now, he would die. As no one would lose such a good chance to attack just for a punch line (A.N: ?). The chunin just quickly used the iron skin jutsu, but before that jutsu could show any effect, he was slashed by a wind blade on his leg. Luckily, he had used the iron skin jutsu, which made his skin harder even though it had not activated completely. Just as he thought that he saved himself, he felt an intense amount of heat coming from his back. And before he could turn, all of his vision was engulfed in red-hot fire. After shouting for 10 seconds, he went silent. "This is too brutal. I should learn some new jutsu, as winning like this didn''t feel great," the clone said to himself. Then he began extinguishing the fire he had caused. Just as he was in the middle of his job, he also heard a loud sound coming from a little away. ''Someone got a tough one, huh?'' the clone thought, right after which he also got the memory of that clone. He quickly finished his work of extinguishing the fire and then dispersed itself. He knew that Kaida might come to look for him as well since one of the clones had messed up, so there were chances that something might go wrong with his mission too. ... Shisui, who was continuously moving following the trail of the jonin, suddenly made a hand gesture for Kaida to stop. And both of them stopped all of a sudden; they were on the top of a tree, and Shisui was looking forward. "No need to hide, I know you are there," Shisui said. "You are Shisui Uchiha, right?" the jonin came out of the bush and then continued. "Don''t attack, I am also from Konoha. I don''t know why, but all of a sudden, the boy with you attacked me. I think there must be some misunderstanding; let''s talk things out." ''Well, it is true that ''my clone'' was the first one to attack him, but to think he is actually so shameless that he is now using the ally card to save his neck,'' Kaida thought. "I also think there is some misunderstanding because from our perspective, you have been following my brother right from when he left the village," Shisui said. "That must be a coincidence. I was going on a mission with my team," the jonin said without an ounce of hesitation. "So you want me to believe that you coincidentally followed my brother all the way from Konoha till here and then coincidentally divided your team to follow the same path he and his clones had taken..." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shisui said this much and then suddenly appeared right behind the jonin with his katana right at the jonin''s neck and then continued, "And you are slowly building your chakra to attack us." Before the jonin could give a reply, Shisui sliced off his neck. Right after that, Kaida appeared beside Shisui and asked, "Why did you kill him, brother? We should have caught him alive for interrogation." "Kaida, from what I know, the person behind them is not someone you can mess with. Even our whole clan can''t directly go against him, let alone you. For now, he doesn''t know your power level, but if we took this person with us alive who had seen your true power level, then you will lose a very good trump card since if that person forced us to release his subordinate, we would have to do that," Shisui said. "Brother, do you think I am some little child? Why are you not telling me the name of their leader?" Kaida asked. "No particular reason, I just don''t want you to get into the politics of Konoha from such a young age," Shisui said. "But brother, I think I am already involved in that said politics," Kaida said, pointing toward the dead body of the jonin. "You are right, but remember what I am going to tell you is a secret very few know, so don''t go around telling people about this," Shisui said. (A.N: Please write a comment if you have any problems ^~^) Chapter 152: Reason for everything "You are right, but remember what I am going to tell you is a secret very few know, so don''t go around telling people about this," Shisui said. "Don''t worry, brother, I understand," Kaida said. "Do you know about the Anbu forces in Konoha?" Shisui asked. "Yes, they are covert operatives of capable ninja that are dispatched by the Lord Third himself. Everybody knows about them," Kaida said. "Yes, but there is one more organization in Konoha that very few people know about. That is known as Root. The ninja in this organization work in the shadows and are responsible for tasks which are dirty but important. The leader of this organization is Danzo. He was in the same squad with the Lord Third and my dad. He is also an S-rank ninja, and from what I can guess, these ninjas are from that organization," Shisui said. "Wait, if they are actually from Konoha, why are they targeting me or the Uchiha clan in general?" Kaida asked, fully serious. "Did you read the history of the creation of our Village?" Shisui asked. "Yes, brother, like how the Lord First and Madara Sama allied together and made this village and all, right?" Kaida asked. "Yes, but before they allied together, the Uchiha and Senju were mortal enemies of each other. There was so much bloodshed that happened between our clan that it is weird how both Hashirama Sama and Madara Sama allied together. Due to that much bloodshed, even though the First Hokage never discriminated against us, the Lord Second did, but even though Tobirama Sama was still not able to forget the animosity between us, he still never openly done anything against us other than giving us the most worthless post in Konoha, making us handle the police department of Konoha. Since Danzo was his student, he also has the same ideals as him and considers all Uchiha as evil. Even our relocation to the outskirts of Konoha was also majorly his doing," Shisui said. "But brother, don''t you think we Uchiha are the perfect choice for the police force? I mean, with the Sharingan, finding evidence and reading minds to find the true story is child''s play, and we are the most efficient clan for this, even according to me," Kaida asked. "I know, Kaida, and every higher-up of our Clan knows about this, but this doesn''t change the fact that the Police department doesn''t make much. If we didn''t have any other ways to acquire funds, we Uchiha would have been the poorest clan in Konoha," Shisui said. Kaida nodded his head, completely agreeing with Shisui, but Tobirama was not the main topic here. "But brother, if we know that Danzo is actually showing such hostility towards us, why did we never do anything against him?" Kaida asked the question which was really on his mind even when he watched this anime in his previous life. Sure, Danzo was powerful and had a powerful organization full of trained killers under his nose, but the Uchihas were also not something to scoff at, and even had the power to go toe-to-toe against the most powerful ninja village alone. So why did they never do anything against him? S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Kaida, you know many of our Uchiha ''coincidentally'' went missing even though we did a full search until we found their bodies back. Similarly, many Root ninjas also get ''coincidentally'' missing time to time," Shisui replied. Kaida''s eyes went wide open when he heard that. Like many times, this was also not shown in the anime he watched; this is the actual world. This doesn''t have those plot holes like the anime. Everything which happened here was because of a reason. Since both parties were more or less equally strong, they couldn''t attack each other, otherwise both sides would have losses. So they used another way for the fight, the fight in the shadows. "I understand, brother. So should we kill those three ninjas as well?" Kaida asked, remembering the three chunin he had put under genjutsu. "No need, since he had attacked you directly, we had to make this big so that he will not try this once again. Don''t worry, no matter how much the Lord Third wants to support his old friend, even he would have to take action against him when we will present enough evidence," Shisui said. "What about hiding my power level and all?" Kaida asked. "When I first arrived at the scene, there was no sign of fighting, and neither you nor those ninjas had any injuries on their bodies. Seeing all three of them were unconscious, you must have used genjutsu on them. Though casting a genjutsu on three chunin at the same time is impressive, it is still doable for any competent Uchiha with the Sharingan activated, so that much information is enough for an exchange of getting an upper hand during the negotiation against Danzo," Shisui said. Even though Shisui didn''t have much talent for business, when it came to fighting and combat experience and talent, very few people could claim that they were better than Shisui in that. He accurately analyzed what had happened during the fight between Kaida and those three chunin, even when he was only at the spot for a few minutes. "I understand, brother. Then let''s bring them back to the clan," Kaida said, taking out a storage seal to save the bodies of those deceased chunins and jonin. "No, we had to hide them out of Konoha for some time. If we directly take them back to Konoha, Danzo will be alerted before we could actually do anything, and this whole thing could backfire on us. I have to inform Uncle (Fugaku) about this before we take them back to Konoha," Shisui said. "Then where do you plan on taking them if not to Konoha?" Kaida asked. "The Fire Country is very big, my brother, and every clan had one or two secret bases around the country. Come, let me show you the one we Uchiha have," Shisui said with a wink, and then they went and picked up the bodies of all the dead ninjas in the storage scroll. Chapter 153: The Hidden Base "Come, let me show you the one we Uchiha have," Shisui said with a wink, and then they went and picked up the bodies of all the dead ninjas in the storage scroll. They went to the place where they had tied those chunin. Since quite some time had passed, all three of them were wide awake by now, but they were unable to free themselves because of the chakra-restraining seals placed on them. ''Being a disciple of a seal master comes with many privileges, one of them being the chance to buy various seals at a discount,'' Kaida thought when he saw how effective those seals actually were. Without them, there was a chance that those ninjas may have used some jutsu to free themselves. Shisui saw that those three were wide awake. When they saw Shisui standing there, they knew none of them had any chance to run now, let alone complete their mission. When they understood this, there was no movement in their bodies; they had lost their will to live, and if not for the cloth in their mouths, they may have actually committed suicide by now. Shisui activated his Sharingan and once again put them under his genjutsu. The only difference was that this time, they would be out cold for much more time than when Kaida did the same. Since there were three chunins, Kaida made a shadow clone to carry one, then three of them carried the three chunin on their shoulders and went toward the same direction Kaida had the missions. Shisui was taking the lead the whole time, while Kaida and his clone were following him. Due to the tense moment they had just faced, no one was in any mood for small talk. After traveling for some time and taking various turns, Shisui and Kaida were standing in front of a forest. "Is our hideout inside the forest?" Kaida asked. ''Hahaha, no," Shisui laughed a little and then went to a tree and peeled its bark, then placed his ring on a mark on the tree. As soon as he did that, the ground near them began shaking, the ground parted, and then something similar to a door became visible to them. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That was so fucking cool, brother," Kaida said. "But brother, we brought them to our hideout. What if they had any tracking seals on them and Root finds about this base?" Kaida asked. "If tracking someone so far away was possible, then we would not lose a single ninja during various missions. It is almost impossible to track someone from such a long distance, so don''t worry," Shisui said, and then opened the door. As Kaida had expected, there were stairs leading downwards. After going down for some time, they came in front of a door. Shisui knocked and said, "Bull''s eye is never red." "Why?" "Because we have those eyes." "Shisui, my boy, long time no see," a middle-aged man came out of the door, then gestured for both Shisui and Kaida to follow him inside. After some more walking, they went to a cozy-looking room. The middle-aged man sat on a chair and gestured for both Kaida and Shisui to do the same. Kaida''s clone placed the chunin on the ground, just like Shisui and Kaida, and then dispersed itself. Then Kaida and Shisui also took a seat each. "So, now do you want to tell me about these four little surprises you got for me?" the middle-aged man asked. "Yes, let me first introduce my little brother to you, Minoru Sama. He is the son of Aunt Aiko," Shisui said. As soon as Minoru heard this, he suddenly turned toward Kaida and then scanned him from head to toe. "I can certainly see her image in this boy," Minoru said. "Kaida, he is Minoru Sama, one of the elders of the Uchiha clan and an old friend of your grandfather. After her parents passed away, he was the one who took care of your mother," Shisui said. Kaida did a 90-degree bow and then said, "Nice to meet you, Grandpa." "Hahaha, even though he looks like Aiko, his personality is exactly opposite of hers. He must take this from his father," Minoru said, and then stood up from his seat and went to Kaida. Kaida thought that he wanted to say something to him, but Minoru just pinched his cheeks. "My grandchild is so cute." Kaida didn''t speak anything; he also had a grandpa in his previous life who used to pinch his cheeks all the time while saying the same things. After some time, Minoru went back to his seat and asked, "But I don''t think you are here for a family reunion, right?" "Yes, Minoru Sama, actually..." Shisui told the whole story to Minoru, about how Kaida tried to save the Uchiha''s reputation, then coming onto Danzo''s radar, to the latest attack. "That fucker is actually trying to put his hand on my child. It looks like we have been silent for way too much time. I think it''s time for us to show him why the Uchihas were once the most feared clan in the whole world. Are these fuckers the ones that attacked him?" Minoru asked, his grandfatherly aura completely gone, what remained was a fierce aura of a general who is about to go to war. ''It is not just the mistreatment the Uchiha got, almost all Uchihas are war-hungry people,'' Kaida thought, easily forgetting about the excitement he had at the thought of having a good fight just some time before. "Yes, Minoru Sama, but please refrain yourself from killing them. It was really hard for Kaida to capture them alive. We could use them against Danzo this time." "I don''t want to listen about your schemes. Just come and tell me if things go south," Minoru said, and then looked toward Kaida. "You have grown quite well, boy, fighting and even winning against so many Root ninjas at such a young age. Your future is limitless. I am sure Aiko would be very happy for you in heaven," Minoru said once again, focusing on Kaida since he can''t do anything to those chunins. Chapter 154: Danzo’s Dilemma "You have grown quite well, boy, fighting and even winning against so many Root ninjas at such a young age. Your future is limitless. I am sure Aiko would be very happy for you in heaven," Minoru said once again, focusing on Kaida since he can''t do anything to those chunins. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Thanks, Grandpa. I learned it from my big brother," Kaida said. "Well, I was the one who taught him, so you indirectly learned from me," Minoru said. "Please tell him the full detail, sir. I learned Taijutsu from Minoru Sama," Shisui said. "But brother, you never use Taijutsu," Kaida asked, a little confused. "Exactly," Shisui said, nodding his head. "I only taught you that because your genius father had already taught you most things. Also, why would you focus on Taijutsu when Kenjutsu is superior?" Minoru said after giving Shisui a smack for his funny remark. (Kaida) "Now tell me what you want me to do with these people," Minoru asked. "Uncle, we will go back to Konoha and talk about how to proceed with the clan head. Until then, please keep them here," Shisui said. "We? Am I also supposed to go back?" Kaida asked. "Of course, or do you want to live with your grandpa now?" Shisui asked. "I would love to, but I have some missions to complete before that," Kaida said. "Are you out of your mind? One of the most deadly organizations in the world is after your life, and you want to go on some bandit extermination mission?" Shisui asked, and then continued, "I thought you were the intelligent one among us." "Brother, Danzo sent a Jonin and six chunin after me. This team should be able to handle a Jonin, let alone me, so there is no chance that he would have sent a bigger team than this. Since they are dead, I should be safe for now. Also, if I go back to the village, doesn''t it more or less inform them that the ninja they had sent after us are in trouble or dead?" Kaida asked. "Well, I can now see why you think he is the smarter between you two," Minoru said with a smile. "Kaida, Danzo is a grandmaster in Fuinjutsu, and from what we have deduced from such a long fight against him, he has developed some type of seal from which he can get informed if any of his subordinates die. As soon as we kill them, there is a search party sent to search for them. But if we just capture them alive, Danzo waits for some time before releasing a search party," Shisui said. "That means when we capture them alive, Danzo doesn''t know that his subordinate is missing until he doesn''t report, even when his time limit for the mission is exceeded," Kaida said. "Correct, so by now, Danzo should know that his subordinates are dead, and since they were sent after you, you would be their first suspect already. That''s why you should come back to Konoha with me," Shisui said. "Brother, I think you have given me more reason to remain out of the village. If they think I am after the death of their ninja and am still out of the village, they may think I may have killed most of them using some underhanded tactic, and that those three chunin who are alive must be chasing after me. So we will get more time to plot a good plan," Kaida said. "Hahaha, are you really Aiko''s child? If she was in your shoes, she wouldn''t have been this cool-headed until now, but you are analyzing the situation quite skillfully. Good job," Minoru said, and then turned to Shisui and said, "Don''t worry about the boy; his security will be my responsibility until you come back." Shisui became visibly relaxed after hearing that. Since Minoru was an elite jonin himself and an Uchiha, there were very few people in Konoha who could go toe-to-toe against him in a fight. "Then I will leave him in your care," Shisui said, and then turned to Kaida and said, "Don''t get carried away and make things difficult for Minoru Sama." Kaida nodded his head, and then Shisui went back the way he came. "So you are planning to continue your mission, right?" Minoru asked. "Yes, Grandpa. Since that was the main reason I came out of the village, I want to practice some of the things I learned in the last few months," Kaida said. "As you wish. Just wait for some time; I will quickly lock these guys up," Minoru said and picked up two of the chunin, dragging them inside the hideout. "Do you need any help, Grandpa?" Kaida asked, planning on carrying the last chunin inside. "No, boy. I can do it myself. Also, nobody is allowed to come inside this base without the clan head''s permission," Minoru said. "Oh! Then I will wait here," Kaida said and sat back at his chair. After locking the chunin and informing the ninjas in the base that he would be out of the base for some time, Minoru came out of the base and asked, "Do you want to take some more rest, or are you ready to leave?" "I am very much ready to leave, Grandpa, but Grandpa, can you please don''t help me during my mission and only interfere if Root makes a move?" Kaida asked. "Don''t worry; if you want that, you will be even unable to see me during your mission. Let''s go," Minoru said, and then they both left the base and went on their way. As soon as they started moving, Minoru silently vanished into the shadows, and even though Kaida could feel that someone was looking at him, he couldn''t sense Minoru at all. ''I still have a long way to go,'' Kaida thought. ... (Root headquarters just after the Jonin died) ''What? How can even Hiro die? I refuse to believe that a nine-year-old child can fight and win against a Jonin who is personally trained by me,'' Danzo thought, then it clicked to him. There was a case in which this situation would make perfect sense. He quickly called his assistant ninja and asked, "Does Shisui also left the village with Kaida?" "No sir, we have been keeping an eye on the Uchiha compound as you have ordered. Shisui is still in his house, most likely sleeping," the Root ninja replied. Danzo dismissed the ninja. "This doesn''t make sense. How can a nine-year-old actually kill four Root ninja? Either they encountered someone else during their mission, or that boy used some sort of trap to kill my ninjas. But since three of them are alive, they must have avoided the trap. Should I send reinforcement?" Danzo said to himself, then shook his head. "If they want any help, they could easily get it from any nearby base. Let''s wait for some time before taking any action," Danzo thought, but his day was ruined. Losing a Jonin was huge, even during wartime. No matter how many ninja Konoha had, Jonin were not in abundance; they were the peak of power among ninjas, just below Kage-level ninjas. And very few could reach that level in their lifetime. Chapter 155: Uchiha’s Trump Card Losing a Jonin was a huge loss, even during wartime. No matter how many ninja Konoha had, Jonin were not in abundance; they were the peak of power among ninjas, just below Kage-level ninjas. Very few could reach that level in their lifetime. ''Something doesn''t feel right. I feel like I''m missing something,'' Danzo thought, but he still refused to believe that a nine-year-old could kill his Root ninjas. ''Well, it will be worth it if we can recruit that boy into Root. Though I have to hide him from both Hiruzen and the Uchihas, but when the time comes for me to make a move for the Hokage position, he will be a trump card for me,'' Danzo thought, as from what he had read, Kaida had the potential of becoming an Elite Jonin. Even becoming Kage-level was not off-limits for him. So, getting his hands on such a perfect tool at the cost of a Jonin was acceptable for him, but he still couldn''t shake off the bad feeling he was getting. Due to that, he once again called a Root ninja and said, "Increase the surveillance of the Uchiha clan by twofold for now." "But sir, we don''t have many ninjas who specialize in stealth to the extent that they can be deployed to the Uchiha clan compounds," the Root ninja said. "It doesn''t matter if you have to call some of them back from other clan compounds, but for the next week, I want to know every detail of everything that happens in that compound, no matter how small it is." "Yes, sir," the Root ninja said and went on his way to follow the order he had received. ... Shisui went back to Konoha in just 2 hours, then he stealthily went back to his house while hiding from the spy who was keeping an eye on his house. This was the reason the Uchiha had left the spies in their territory even after knowing about their identity. Since feeding wrong information to the enemy is much easier that way, after some time, Shisui went toward the clan headquarters. He went to the reception and said, Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I want to talk to the clan head about my three shops. Can you please ask him if he is free or not?" Shisui said this with a smile on his face, like he wasn''t in any hurry and had some casual business with the clan head. The receptionist nodded and went to Fugaku''s office to ask him this. As soon as Fugaku heard that Shisui wanted to talk about his three shops, which was a code word for something important, especially related to Root, he said, "I am free right now. Ask him to come to my office," and then went back to his paperwork. The receptionist relayed the order back to Shisui, and he went to Fugaku''s office. "What happened?" Fugaku asked as soon as Shisui entered the office, while he also activated the concealment seal in his office, making spying on them impossible. "Kaida went out to complete some bandit extermination mission, but he was attacked by Root ninjas: one Jonin and six Chunin." "I want all the details. Don''t leave anything out of your report," Fugaku said. He was not worried that something had happened to Kaida because he could see that Shisui, though angry, was not sad. Shisui nodded his head and told Fugaku everything that had happened, from Kaida''s plan to lure the attackers and Shisui following him, hiding to keep him safe, as well as him killing the Jonin and Kaida killing three Chunin while capturing three more, who are now kept at one of their bases. "That boy is both talented and smart. Many young ninjas will let power get to their heads if they reach the stage he has reached so early. Since he has captured three of them, we can easily pin the blame on Danzo." "But he can easily deny our claim and say that we attacked his ninjas without any reason." "That would be the case if we didn''t have someone under our custody, but now we have three of his ninjas captured. We can just ask him to remove his seal and let us read their memory to make things clear." "We tried this one more time, and he just said that those ninjas know top secrets of the village, and he can''t allow anyone to know them. And if by chance we are able to use this to corner him, Lord Third will just give him some light punishment and dismiss this matter like always," Shisui said. "Then what do you want us to do, directly attack Danzo?" Fugaku said with a little annoyance and anger in his voice. "Fugaku-sama, I think we just needed to think out of the box. We always had a simple solution for our problems," Shisui said with a smile. "What do you mean?" Fugaku became confused, hearing Shisui''s words. "This is the letter given to me by my nine-year-old brother for you when I told him about Danzo," Shisui said, giving Fugaku a letter. Fugaku took the letter and began reading it. *** "Good evening, Fugaku-sama. Even though I am not as knowledgeable as you, I came up with a basic understanding of our situation from our brother. From what I could understand, Root is trying to make us the enemy of Konoha, firstly by accusing us of the Nine-Tails attack, then spreading bad rumours about us in the whole of Konoha. If things went according to their plan, they would have made the Uchiha''s reputation hit rock bottom in a span of a few months or at most some years. When that would have happened, we would have been discriminated against in our own village, and no matter how powerful we are, I don''t think we can go against the whole village just by ourselves. And since Lord Third is on Danzo''s side, we couldn''t do anything against him either... But brother said that we had a trump card up our sleeves with which we could easily change the mind of a person, their thoughts, even their personality could be changed¡­ ¡­ Reading this, Fugaku''s eyes went wide open, and he asked, "You told him about Kotoamatsukami?" "Of course not, I promised not to share about my Mangekyo ability unless absolutely necessary to my father. Till this date, you are the only person who knows about my Mangekyo ability other than my father," Shisui said. Chapter 156: Uchiha’s trump card (part2) "Of course not, I promised not to share about my Mangekyo ability unless absolutely necessary to my father. Till this date, you are the only person who knows about my Mangekyo ability other than my father. Just as it is written in the letter, I had just told him that we had a trump card which can do those things," Shisui said. "But you can only use that once a decade. We can''t use that ability without much thinking," Fugaku said. "Please read that letter fully," Shisui said. Fugaku nodded his head and started reading the letter once again. ... "But brother said that we had a trump card up our sleeves with which we could easily change the mind of a person, their thoughts, even their personality.Since we have such a powerful trump card, why don''t we remove the problem from its root? The reason why Danzo could be so openly offensive to many clans is that he has full support from Lord Third. So if we use our trump card and make Lord Third a little more reasonable, just enough to find Danzo''s wrongdoings bad and actually punish him rather than giving him a false punishment. And since all of the clans also have problems with Danzo, we can also use the same tactic as him and turn the whole village against him, just like he tried to do with us. This is just a simple idea of mine. I am sure you have better plans to tackle the situation, but I think this is the most efficient and swift way to handle the situation. Kaida Uchiha" *** "You were right, Shisui. The method was so simple, but because of our big egos, we could never have thought of such a method. Allying with other clans and taking the Hokage on our side too using your Kotoamatsukami, we can easily corner Danzo," Fugaku said with a chuckle, which was a way different from his usual stern behavior. "But to make preparations for this plan, we need time. I don''t think Danzo will sit still when we will do that," Shisui said. "Yes, that''s why we have to first target the main objective for this plan to be successful," Fugaku said. "Using Kotoamatsukami on the Hokage himself." "Increase the Hokage''s animosity and distrust toward Danzo while reducing his sense of alliance with Danzo, but ensure that the change in his personality remains barely noticeable. Even if your ability can''t be traced, the change in behavior may point many fingers at us if this happens when we make our move," Fugaku said. "Don''t worry, Fugaku-sama, I understand," Shisui said. "Also, ask Kaida and your family to shift to my house until everything settles down," Fugaku said. "Umm, there is a slight problem in doing that," Shisui said. "What is it?" "Kaida is not in the village," Shisui said."What do you mean he is not in the village... No, tell me that he didn''t actually decide to continue the mission," Fugaku asked. "He is one stubborn fellow. Once he decides to do something, he completes that thing," Shisui said, shrugging his shoulders. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Are you insane? The whole Root may go after him if they find out what happened. How can that boy be smart and dumb at the same time?" Fugaku said. "Well, that will only happen if Root finds out what had happened. According to them, Kaida left the village alone. I was in my house, and no one from the clan went with him. So even if they somehow learn about the death of those four ninjas, Root may think that they fell into an ambush and died, while the remaining three ninjas are chasing Kaida since they are alive. This may give us some time for the preparations. It was Kaida''s plan, also Minoru-sama had taken responsibility for Kaida''s security, so there is nothing to worry about," Shisui said. "Just complete your task as soon as you can, then take two Jonins with you to bring back your smart-ass brother. Even if Minoru is powerful, he will not be able to save Kaida if Danzo becomes serious," Fugaku said. "Yes, Fugaku-sama, I will go to the Hokage''s office after sending my mom and Yomi to your house," Shisui said. "Okay," Fugaku said. Shisui then went out of the headquarters like he had only talked about weather conditions with Fugaku. After Shisui left, Fugaku rang the bell on his desk three times. Suddenly, two ninjas with their faces hidden by masks appeared in front of him."Initiate plan Illusion now," Fugaku said. "To which extent, sir?" one of the ninjas asked. Fugaku went silent for some time, then said, "At full capacity." The ninja became shocked and then looked toward Fugaku like he wanted to ask something. "Don''t worry, we are not going to fight directly. I have some other plans, but make sure no mistakes are made. This is an S-level mission," Fugaku said. "Yes, Fugaku-sama," the ninjas said and then disappeared from the office. Fugaku then came out of his office and went to the underground basement. After scanning his hand on the seal and placing a tag full of seals on the door afterward, if someone tried to open the door without doing this, the seals in the room would activate and remove the ability of every person in there to use chakra while paralyzing them as well. After Fugaku performed all these things, the door opened, and he went inside. ... Shisui went out of the clan headquarters and saw many Jonin going out of the headquarters as soon as he left. "Why did I bother to act?" Shisui said, shaking his head, then used the Body Flicker Jutsu to go where Yomi was getting her classes. "Isao, long time no see, brother," Shisui said to Isao, Yomi''s teacher, as soon as he went to the training area where Yomi was training. "Shisui, what are you doing here?" Isao asked. "Is that something you should say when you meet an old friend after so much time?" Shisui asked as if he was hurt. "I am not in the mood for jokes right now. You are disturbing my student," Isao said. "Sorry, I will be serious now. I am here to take Yomi back, also she will be unable to come for the classes for some time. I will tell you when she can come back afterward," Shisui said, completely serious. "Did something happen?" Isao asked. "Just a small clan matter, nothing serious," Shisui replied, but when he said it was a clan matter, it was enough indication for Isao not to ask anything further. He turned to Yomi and said... Chapter 157: Family’s Safety "Just a small clan matter, nothing serious," Shisui replied, but when he said it was a clan matter, it was enough indication for Isao not to ask anything further. He turned to Yomi and said, "It seems you will be getting your much-wanted break now, but don''t slack off and keep increasing your chakra field. I want it to be at least half a kilometer wide after two weeks." "Yes, sensei," Yomi said. "Let''s go, Yomi," Shisui said and used the Body Flicker Jutsu to go back to his house, followed by Yomi. On their way back, Yomi was tense after such a turn of events. Never in the last three to four months of her training had she ever been disturbed by Shisui or Kaida. This tension increased after remembering that Shisui went on a mission with Kaida. ''Did something actually happen?'' she thought, but she couldn''t ask Shisui about it because he was moving very fast, and she didn''t have time to ask anything. So Yomi just kept following Shisui. After reaching home, she asked, "What happened, brother? Why did you suddenly ask me to come back? Did something happen to Kaida?" "No, Kaida is safe. Just wait inside the house for a little bit, and while you''re at it, please pack your and mom''s clothes. We are changing our house for some renovations," Shisui said and once again went out to bring his mom back too. ''Renovation?'' This was such a stupid excuse that even a kid would not believe it, let alone a genin. But since Kaida was safe, Yomi became a little more relaxed as her worst fear didn''t become a reality. She simply went inside the house and started packing her luggage because no matter how carefree Shisui normally was, when he got serious, he started to release an air of seriousness around him. ... Shisui went to the construction site where the bathhouse was under construction. It was almost ready, with only some finishing touches being done now, which were some last-minute changes done by Hae herself. ''This will have to wait,'' Shisui thought, looking towards the bathhouse, as even though this was a big project for his family, it was nothing compared to their security. He silently went to his mother. "Mom, I have something important to discuss with you," Shisui said. "Wait a minute, Shisui. I am a little busy right now," Hae replied. She was in a meeting with the construction company''s manager, discussing the maintenance charges for the future. "Mom, it''s urgent," Shisui said. Hae looked toward Shisui and then turned toward the managers and said, "We will continue this meeting tomorrow..." "We will notify you about the timing of the meeting, also your payment will be done today only. Please take your workers back. We will notify you when you can start working once again," Shisui said. "Sir, did we make any mistakes? Please tell us, sir. We will try to rectify it as soon as we can," the manager said worriedly, thinking that they had made some mistake and may lose one of their very big clients. "You guys haven''t made any mistakes, sir. It''s just that something really important came up, and we will have to wait for some time before the inauguration of this bathhouse. But rest assured, you did a marvelous job," Shisui said, easing the stress the managers were feeling. "Thank you, sir. We will wait for your word to resume our work," the manager said and left the area to tell the workers the news. As soon as they left, Hae turned to Shisui and asked, "What happened?" "Nothing, mom. Let''s go back to our home first. Yomi is waiting there for us." Hae nodded her head, and both of them went back to their house. As soon as they entered the house, Hae was a little shocked, seeing her luggage placed in the hall along with Yomi''s luggage. "What the hell is happening?" Hae asked. "Yomi, come and sit down on the sofa with mom. I have something important to tell both of you," Shisui said. Both Yomi and Hae sat down on the sofa, waiting for Shisui to start. "Mom, this is about Uncle Danzo. He has crossed all lines now, and the clan has decided to make its move now. That''s why the clan leader has asked you to move to his house along with his family for some time," Shisui said in one breath. "What has he done this time, and why are you so angry all of a sudden?" Hae asked, as this was not the first time Danzo had done something against the Uchiha clan. Even when her husband lost his legs during the Great Ninja War, it was mostly because he trusted Danzo way too much, then he should have, and left his back to him. Due to which he had to suffer heavy losses during the war and became paralyzed after that, which ultimately led to his demise. Even though he never openly criticized Danzo for his condition, deep down, he never forgave Danzo too, and Hae, being his wife, was fully aware of his thoughts. That''s why she too didn''t have any good opinion of Danzo either. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shisui decided to come clean this time, as the matter had gotten way out of his hands, and now he would be unable to hide everything from his mother. So he told both Yomi and Hae everything, from how Kaida tried to improve the clan''s reputation, then being spied on by Root ninjas, after which being attacked by a team of Root ninjas. "That fucker, he decided to lay his hand on my nephew. I want to talk to the clan head right now. We have to take this in front of Lord Third this time. I don''t want that old swine to roam around the village carefree after trying to do something like that to my nephew," Hae said, anger tangible in her voice. Being the wife of someone who was in the same squad with Hiruzen and Danzo, Hae had some great political connections around the village. That''s why she wanted to see Fugaku and directly go to the Hokage''s office regarding this matter. Chapter 158: Blinding Danzo’s Eyes Within the Clan "Don''t worry, mom. We are not planning to keep tolerating Danzo too. That''s why I''m taking you guys to the clan head''s house, as you may be in danger since we are going to use this incident to reduce Danzo''s powers and influence to zero," Shisui said. "Are you going to personally make a move against him?" Hae asked, easily guessing the reason why she had to take refuge. "Yes, mom, but don''t worry. I will not fight anyone," Shisui said with a smile. Hae sighed after hearing that, though her stress level didn''t come down much, as she knew about Danzo''s scheming powers better than anyone in the Uchiha clan. Her own husband''s demise was because of that. But being an elite Jonin of a clan came with many responsibilities, which Shisui had to follow. "Just be safe always. Also, bring Kaida back before you do anything. I don''t want that reckless fellow to put his life at stake when he is so young himself," Hae said. "Yes," Yomi supported her completely. "I was going to do that anyway. Don''t worry, mom. He will be with me by the end of tomorrow''s evening," Shisui said. "You are really going to let him do those missions for one whole day, even though his life is in danger?" Hae asked. "Mom, practically, he is more safe out there than coming back to Konoha. He is under the protection of Minoru-sama. Even I would have to think thrice before attacking someone under his protection. Also, Konoha is the base of the person who sent ninjas after him, so he is safer out there than in the village. But don''t worry, I will bring him back before tomorrow evening," Shisui said. Both Hae and Yomi became visibly more relaxed after hearing that, even though they were worried about the clan. Family always came first. If all three of them were in the clan head''s house, their safety would be more or less guaranteed. Also, since there were very few people in Konoha who could actually hold their ground against Shisui, they were not worried about him, at least not as much as Kaida, who is still just a child and is trying to fight against a whole organization all alone. "Mom, please take all the stuff you guys will need there. We will leave in 30 minutes," Shisui said. "Okay, but where are you going now?" Hae said, seeing Shisui leaving the house. "Nowhere, I''m just going to see something funny," Shisui said with a smile and left the house. "These boys," Hae said after shaking her head at her son''s casual behavior just after having such a serious task. "Come, Yomi, let me help you with packing." They both went inside and started packing, while Shisui went to the roof of their house, after which he activated his Sharingan. There is one thing that most people didn''t know about the Sharingan and Byakugan. If we compare the basic one-tomoe Sharingan with the Byakugan, then the Byakugan will win 10 out of 10 times, but that is the case only in the initial phase of the Sharingan. As the Sharingan continues to evolve, the power difference continues to reduce. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When we compare the three-tomoe Sharingan with a Byakugan, it becomes almost equal. The three-tomoe Sharingan actually gives a similar range of vision, and an untrained Byakugan, even when range is not its best part, with an addition of extra powerful genjutsu and the ability to copy various jutsu, makes the Sharingan very overpowered, almost at the same level as the Byakugan. (A.N: According to Kakashi, the Sharingan is inferior to the Byakugan, that''s why I took so much time explaining this ^~^) Now, if we compare a Mangekyo Sharingan with a Byakugan, then the story changes completely. The Mangekyo Sharingan has nearly the same level of vision range as the Byakugan, as well as the perception and reaction speed of the user, which is increased exponentially by the Sharingan. With increasing the power of already overpowered genjutsu to a new level and giving the user the power he really wished for, the Mangekyo Sharingan is way above the Byakugan, and Shisui possessed those eyes. When he went to the roof, Shisui quickly activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and started looking around the Uchiha clan compound. At many places, a ninja would appear and suddenly make a person fall under a genjutsu, which would leave that person in a blank state for a minute before going back to doing what they were doing. All of those ninjas were at least Jonin and possessed the three-tomoe Sharingan. This was a secret team of the clan head himself, consisting of 10 trained Jonin, who only took his orders, just like ANBU ninjas take only the Hokage''s orders. When Fugaku said to begin the plan "Illusion" at full force, all of those 10 Jonin went out to target all the known spies in the Uchiha compound. Even though there were some normal people on that list who were suspected of being spies, they were also targeted by those Jonin as well, since the only thing they were doing was making them fall under a genjutsu that everything was alright and nothing big was happening in the Uchiha compound. It didn''t matter if the person was not a spy and a normal civilian; they wouldn''t be harmed in reality, so everyone was a target of this attack. This plan was used to give the Uchiha clan some precious days for planning their next move. From the day Fugaku came to know that many spies had infiltrated his clan, he began making a plan to counter those spies. Though he could easily take care of those spies, that would make the sender more alert, and they may then employ someone as a spy who is very hard to detect. (A.N: Maybe someone like Fugaku''s own son ?) That''s why he let those spies roam in his compound while keeping an eye on them, though this had resulted in losing some valuable information of the clan and even costing the life of one of his Chunin one time when one of those spies somehow got the information of a secret mission that the Chunin had to complete. But these were some necessary sacrifices he made himself because he wanted his enemies to believe that they had successfully placed their spies in the Uchiha clan''s compound. Shisui was sitting on the roof of his house, enjoying the show, when he saw that an Uchiha ninja came near his house and used a genjutsu on a person who was a stall owner of a nearby stall. Seeing that, Shisui thought, ''At least he could have warned me about the spy near my house.'' Chapter 159: Should be best But then Shisui just shook his head since it was not a big deal. The spy must have been monitored by Fugaku''s squad himself, and if by any chance he would have made any move against him or his family, they would have taken action for sure. After enjoying the show of many Jonin appearing in front of the spies all of a sudden and placing them under a genjutsu while there was an expression of shock and fear on the faces of those spies, Shisui went inside the house. "Mom, Yomi, are you guys ready?" Shisui asked. "Yes, just wait a minute," Hae said and came out of her house with a suitcase full of clothes and other stuff she would need during her stay at Fugaku''s house. After a second, Yomi also came out with a similar suitcase. Looking at the huge suitcases both of them were carrying, Shisui sarcastically asked, "Is that all?" "Yeah, at least for now. Also, it''s not like we are going very far, and if we need anything other than this, then you could always come and get it for us," Hae replied. "Of course, mom. Now, can we leave for Fugaku-sama''s house? Aunt must be waiting for our arrival," Shisui said while putting their bags in a storage seal. "You are the one who took his time. We were ready for half an hour," Hae said. "Yes," Yomi also supported her. "Fine, it was my fault. Now, can we leave?" Shisui asked. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Sure," Hae said, taking the lead toward Fugaku''s house, followed by Yomi and then Shisui. After reaching Fugaku''s house, Shisui said, "Yomi, wait at the door for some time." Then he and Hae went inside ahead and rang the bell. "Coming," came a sweet voice from inside. After some seconds, a middle-aged lady opened the gate, with dark black hair and eyes of the same color, which were highlighted because of her extra fair skin color. She was the definition of a perfect Uchiha Kunoichi. "Hae, you are finally here. Shisui too, welcome," Mikoto said, opening the gate for them. "Umm, can you please let Yomi enter the house too?" Shisui asked. "Oh! I am sorry, I totally forgot about that. Just give me a second," Hae said and went inside the house, and then an array around the house scanned Yomi, who was standing at the main gate. Yes, these were the same arrays Kaida had felt when he first entered Sora''s house. Being the clan head''s home, this house was also secured with many arrays and seals and could easily withstand the barrage of ninjutsu from a Jonin-rank ninja if needed. After the array scanned Yomi, Mikoto came out of her house and said, "Don''t just stand there, darling. Come inside." Hearing that, Yomi also came inside and then said while bowing a little, "Thanks for letting me in, Mikoto-sama." "Just ''Aunt'' is fine. If you are Hae''s family, then you are my family too," Mikoto said with a motherly smile. "Thank you, Aunty," Yomi replied with a smile. And all three of them entered the house. There were two boys sitting in the hall reading some books, though only the boy of the age of around 9 years was reading the book, and the boy who was around 4 years old was listening to his brother''s recitation. "Itachi, Sasuke, see who came," Hae said in an excited tone. "Aunt Hae, you are finally here. You are going to live with us now, right?" Sasuke said while jumping from the sofa. "Hey, how about we start with a greeting first," Itachi said, catching Sasuke mid-air. Both of them bowed a little and said, "Welcome to our house, Aunt Hae." "My cute little pumpkin, how are you?" Hae said while picking up Sasuke and then turned to Itachi and said, "You are growing quite fast. In just a few months since I didn''t see you, you have already grown this much." Hae said this while ruffling Itachi''s hair. Itachi just smiled in return. "How about greeting me like that too?" Shisui said to Itachi. "Sure, once you start behaving like an adult, I will start treating you like one," Itachi said. "Nah, I don''t wanna," Shisui said nonchalantly. Hae saw that Sasuke was looking towards Yomi, not knowing who she was. "Sasuke, meet your big sister. Her name is Yomi. Go say hi," Hae said. Sasuke went to Yomi shyly and said, "Hello, big sister. Nice to meet you." "Same here, little brother," Yomi said, ruffling Sasuke''s hair. "Someone else was also going to come with you guys, right?" Itachi asked, remembering the message of four people coming to live with them. "You must be looking forward to meeting with Kaida, huh?" Shisui said. "Well, yes. I want to meet him after listening to his praise from both your and father''s mouths. My father even said that he is more talented than me. Is that right?" Itachi asked a little curiously, which was his usual attitude before he was swept into clan politics by Danzo and Hiruzen. Even though he was a little cold on the outside, he had a very warm and curious personality inside him. Shisui listened to Itachi''s question and then went into some thinking. After some time, he said, "If we compare you guys based on Genjutsu, then you are more powerful than him. In Kenjutsu, he is more powerful than you. In Ninjutsu, you are more versatile than him since he doesn''t know many jutsu, but those he knew, he has already mastered them and can perform them with minimum hand seals. "Now, he has some extra points in versatility which you don''t have since he also knows medical jutsu and fuinjutsu as well, which you don''t. But if I have to compare you guys, you are equally talented, just that you both excel in different fields," Shisui said. Even though Shisui didn''t say that Kaida was better than Itachi, Itachi still felt that he lost against Kaida. Being the clan head''s son, he was supposed to be the best among his peers, and with the amount of resources he got every day, it should have been easy for him to do so. So, becoming equal to his peer was actually not a compliment for him. "I want to have a spar against him," Itachi said. Chapter 160: The Bandit Purge Begins While these events were unfolding in Konoha, Kaida was focusing on solidifying his knowledge.(Just after Shisui departed for Konoha) "Let''s get moving, boy, because from what I can see, you don''t have much time. As soon as they make preparations for using this situation to its full potential, your brother will come back to take you to your home," Minoru said. "Okay, Uncle," Kaida replied as both of them went out of the base and headed in the direction of the bandit camps. Kaida had taken a total of four bandit extermination missions because they were all very close to each other, only 10-15 km apart from one another. The reason for this was simple - they were near the villages which were connected to the sea, due to which they had become a hub for merchants to stop before going to different places in the Fire Country. The bandits decided to set up their bases around the various routes those merchants would take, since this was the most profitable place for bandits. There were many bases present within a small area. Konoha had not taken any action until now because those bandits didn''t cause many problems. They were just taking some protection money from merchants before allowing them to proceed. But lately, they had been going out of control, killing the merchant caravans and looting their supplies. This may have been the work of other villages since it would greatly affect the economy of the Fire Country if the sea route for merchants was not safe. That''s why this mission was given priority, though there was a chance that those who took these missions may face some enemy ninjas. However, the chances of facing someone of Jonin rank were low since none of the enemy villages would take the risk of sending their Jonin to the remote parts of the Fire Country from where running would be impossible. And someone of Chunin rank was no problem for Kaida at all, who could easily hold his ground against a Jonin. When Kaida and Minoru came out of the base, Minoru suddenly disappeared. Even when Kaida tried to activate his Sharingan to find him, he was unable to sense Minoru with the help of his Sharingan. ''He is better at hiding his chakra even when compared to brother. I wonder how strong a 13-year-old Itachi was to kill a clan of such powerful ninjas,'' Kaida thought. Then he continued his journey to the bandits'' base since it was his request that Minoru would not interfere in his mission. Kaida was happy that he was unable to sense Minoru''s presence. After traveling for two hours while periodically using the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu, Kaida reached the first bandits'' base. Looking at it from a tree, Kaida could easily see that there were 10 huts in this base with the center one being the biggest, so it must be the one where the leader of those bandits lived. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida silently waited at the tree while keeping a strict watch on the base. As soon as he saw two bandits leaving the base and going toward the jungle, he quickly used the Body Flicker Jutsu and appeared in front of them. Then, with the help of his Sharingan, he placed them under a genjutsu. After which, he took both of them away from the base. After reaching a safe distance, Kaida began to read the memories of both bandits. After confirming that there were no captives in the camp, he sighed in relief, as this would make his task much easier. Kaida then used the Chakra Scalpel and cut off the connection between the central nervous system and the brain of those bandits. Now, even if they came out of the genjutsu, they would be unable to move a single part of their body, including their mouth. He then made four shadow clones and sent them in all four directions surrounding the camp, so that none of those bandits could run away from the camp. After all the preparations were done, Kaida used a Fireball Jutsu and made it as big as he could, then threw it at a little distance from the camp. Listening to the sound, all the bandits came out of their houses, only to find a teenage boy standing in front of the main gate of the camp. Normally, they would have laughed after seeing a child daring to go against 15 bandits all alone. However, that boy was wearing a Konoha ninja uniform, and his hands were coated in blue chakra which was rotating just like a chainsaw. Now the story changed completely - the boy in front of them was a ninja, and even a young ninja can easily kill an adult. But since they had an advantage in numbers, the chief gave his order, "Bring that f**king boy in front of me. He should know that we are not some normal bandits any milk-sucking brat can mess with!" Hearing the anger and authority in their leader''s voice, all the bandits also came out of their fear and ran towards Kaida with their swords and axes in their hands. Kaida just stood at the gate with his Chakra Scalpel activated in his hands. He activated his Sharingan and sliced the spine of the first bandit. But before he could scream in agony, Kaida used a genjutsu on him, making that bandit fall into a state of false coma. The same incident happened with all the other bandits who tried to attack him. Since Kaida used the Chakra Scalpel, which didn''t cause any external injury, and then immediately used a genjutsu to make them shut their mouths, the morale of the bandits was high until the last of them fell under the genjutsu. If Kaida had allowed them to scream, all fourteen bandits would have been screaming their lungs out by now. After defeating them, Kaida reached in front of the leader of the bandits. But he didn''t use any jutsu to harm him. From the memories he read from those two bandits, Kaida came to know the crimes this f**ker had committed, ranging from killing many merchants to raping many women in those caravans. He didn''t even spare small children. When the leader saw all of his subordinates falling on the ground with their eyes open and not moving, he easily guessed that he could not win against this boy in a fight. He then chose the second-best option for his survival. "I am sorry, sir. I couldn''t recognize you. Please spare my life. I will give you all my savings. I have more than 2 million Ryo with me," the leader said while lying on the ground in front of Kaida. Kaida pulled his head up using his hair and looked directly into his eyes. All that bandit saw before falling unconscious was two red eyes with two tomoe rotating in them. Chapter 161: Ruthless mercy Kaida pulled the bandit leader''s head up by his hair and looked directly into his eyes. All that bandit saw before falling unconscious were two red eyes with two tomoe rotating in them. When the bandit woke up, he was in a hole inside the ground with lava coming up from the bottom. He tried to climb up the hole only to fall back because the walls were too steep for climbing. The lava was building up slowly, and he tried to scream for help, but when he opened his mouth to scream, he felt that someone forcefully closed it. The lava continued to rise and fill the pit as he was trying to get any help. He felt the extreme heat at his back, but the bandit leader didn''t look back at all, fearing the extremely painful death that awaited him. Slowly, the lava continued to fill the hole and touched the feet of the bandit''s leader. The pain of getting continuously burned and the fear of it getting only worse almost made him lose consciousness, but once again, he was not allowed to do what he wanted and was jolted awake by a sharp pain in his head He was left alone in a hole filling up with lava, neither allowed to scream nor fall unconscious, only to feel the agony until he died ... Kaida was looking toward the body of the bandit leader who was spasming on the floor. Yes, he was actually not inside a hole but under Kaida''s genjutsu. ''Genjutsu is much more useful than I initially thought. This f**ker didn''t deserve a peaceful death at all. Now he can actually know the consequence of his actions before he will die,'' Kaida thought. Then he turned toward the bandits and freed them from the genjutsu one by one, only to hypnotize them once again into believing they were good people who were injured during a bandit attack, and Kaida was there to help them. After training both genjutsu and the Chakra Scalpel, it was now time to perform an operation to reconnect the severed tendons. Within just 90 minutes, Kaida was done with that, since he was the one who had caused those injuries; treating them back was easier. "Grandpa, I want to ask for a little help," Kaida shouted after treating those bandits. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Within a second, Minoru appeared in front of Kaida. "What happened, boy?" Minoru asked. Kaida used a privacy barrier around them so that none of those bandits could listen to his talk, and then he asked, "Grandpa, can we put them to some good use, like working their whole life and giving their earnings to those families they had harmed until now or something?" "That will be a very difficult task. Keeping an eye on these many bandits and expecting them to peacefully do something good will be a dumb idea," Minoru said. "But what if we hypnotize them into believing that they are really good people and had harmed those families unintentionally? Then they will work without causing any problems," Kaida said. "Hmm, that may work, but boy, why do you want to go through so much work just to let them live?" Minoru asked "I read the memories of the leader of this bandit camp. From that, I learned that those three bandits who are just 12-13 years old were abducted from a village when they were just 5-6 years old and were forced to become bandits because the leader wanted trusted subordinates. I want to give them another chance at life," Kaida said. ''This boy is much more mature for his age. Maybe living without parents for that long forced him to mature early,'' Minoru thought. "That''s a good idea, but what will happen when they get their memories back? It''s not like they will always remain hypnotized. Even if I hypnotize them, they will come out of that within 5-6 months," Minoru said "That is because their brain will heal itself in that time frame, but what if I remove their memories, and then you use genjutsu to make new memories?" Kaida asked. "Then they will not have any suppressed memories to remember, and their brain itself will not be able to come out of hypnotism," Minoru said with a shocked expression, though this was not a new discovery. It was not public either; only a few people in the Uchiha clan knew about this, and it was not widely used since they couldn''t use it on a ninja anyway. Chakra has many capabilities, one of them being healing the body with time. That''s why even if they remove the memories of a ninja, even of Genin rank, they will get their memories back with time. But this changed completely if the target of this procedure was not a ninja. "Who told you about this method?" Minoru asked. "I was thinking about various ways to use Genjutsu, and I came up with this idea," Kaida said. "Good job, you have quite a bright future ahead of you," Minoru said, since he had also activated his Sharingan. He could easily see the movement of Kaida''s muscles and tell that he was not lying. "Then I will remove their memories for you, and then you can hypnotize them to live their life working for those they had harmed until now," Kaida said. "I have a better idea than this. You yourself will hypnotize them, and I will periodically check them if anyone comes out of that hypnosis, since you wanted to practice your genjutsu. This will be an excellent opportunity to do so," Minoru said. "Thank you, Grandpa," Kaida said, knowing that Minoru was going the extra mile for him. Kaida then began to completely erase the memories of the bandits. Since it was his first time doing that, he started with those who had committed more crimes. Even though he failed in his first two tries and made those bandits into living vegetables, after that, he got a hang of the procedure and swiftly completed it. While Kaida was doing that, Minoru went to the bandit leader, intrigued by his condition, and used his Sharingan to see what type of genjutsu Kaida had used on this man. After seeing the situation of the bandit leader, Minoru became shocked once again. ''Hahaha, he can be brutal too. Good, I was worried about him when he wanted to give these bandits a second chance because this world is not nice to good people. They often get stabbed in their back. Luckily, he is not among those people,'' Minoru thought. After an hour, Kaida finally erased the memories of 12 bandits, and the remaining two were killed by him. After erasing their memories, Kaida implanted new memories in which they were very good people but had harmed many families due to the fear of the bandit leader and his crew, and now they wanted to work for their whole life to support those families. Chapter 162: Rehabilitation After an hour, Kaida finally erased the memories of 12 bandits, and the remaining two were killed by him. After erasing their memories, Kaida implanted new memories in which they were very good people but had harmed many families due to the fear of the bandit leader and his crew. And now they wanted to work for the rest of their lives to support those families. Seeing the result of Kaida''s hard work, Minoru nodded his head. "Good job, now what do you want to do with this thing?" Minoru asked, pointing towards the bandit leader. He had been under that genjutsu for the last 2 hours, his mentality had been completely crushed due to suffering unimaginable pain for the last 2 hours. Even though his life could still be saved, Kaida just looked at his body like he was looking at an unrecyclable waste which had no use on the planet. "Let''s just dispose of him; he doesn''t deserve a second chance," Kaida said. "Good choice," Minoru said, and in an instant, the head of the bandit leader got separated from his body. All Kaida saw was a clean, fast sword strike because his sharingan was activated at that time. "Now, what do you want to do about the money?" Minoru asked. Kaida understood what he was talking about. When the bandit leader offered Kaida 2 million Ryo in exchange for his life, Kaida realized that he had purged too much money from the merchants. So, he once again searched his memories and found that he had stored a total of 3.5 million Ryo in this base. Even Jonin would not have this much liquid money with them. Alas! It is true that earning money through illegal means is the fastest way, but that money will not give peace to anyone, no matter how much you have. "Since this was a clan''s mission, we would have to submit that money to the clan," Kaida said. "Good, very good. Since I am an elder in the clan, I use my authority and give the loot of this mission to you as a reward," Minoru said. Kaida was a little shocked hearing that. 3.5 million Ryo was by no means a small amount, but when he remembered how that money was earned, he lost any will to take that money. Kaida looked toward the bandits sitting in a corner, thinking about the families they had harmed. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "In that case, Grandpa, can you use this money and arrange some means for them to earn a livelihood, like boats or land, etc.? So that these guys can start earning money for themselves and those families through legal means "As you wish, but are you sure you want to use all that money for them? You can keep something for yourself too," Minoru asked. "No thanks, I don''t like the feeling of getting money painted in red," Kaida said, shaking his head Minoru nodded his head in approval. After knowing that Kaida had to live a life of an orphan, he wanted to see whether he had become greedy for money like many other orphans, which is one of the main reasons a ninja becomes a rogue ninja, even at the cost of making an enemy out of an entire village. A rogue ninja can earn many times what a normal ninja of the same rank would earn. Even these bandits, with no real power, had more than 3 million Ryo with them. A rogue Chunin can easily earn twice as much with the least bit of effort. Seeing that Kaida had maintained a solid character and had not become greedy for money, Minoru became less burdened by the fact that he was unable to become a guardian for Kaida after the death of his parents, even when he considered Aiko his daughter. He looked towards the bandits and asked, "Are you planning on adding some more people with them?" Kaida understood that Minoru was talking about those three more missions he had to complete. "Maybe that will depend on the crimes they would have committed till then. If the crimes are at the same level as this, then they will face the same punishment," Kaida said, pointing towards the dead body of the bandit leader. "Okay, so until then, we should leave them here. After you complete your missions and finalize the number of bandits you want to give a second chance, I will arrange their living and earning place," Minoru said. Kaida found the sentence quite sarcastic, as a single person deciding whether a person would live or not was unimaginable in his previous world, but here it was considered normal. Just to satisfy his curiosity, Kaida asked, "Grandpa, don''t you think it is quite absurd how a teen boy can decide whether a person would live or not?" Minoru looked toward Kaida for 2 seconds before he started speaking. "Kaida, we live in a world where the strong get to decide the fate of the weaker person. These bandits were stronger than normal people, so they killed them and looted their belongings. Similarly, you are stronger than them, so you could do whatever you want to them. This is how our world works. There is nothing right or wrong about this, but there are still some strong people in our world who believe in things like equality and safety of the weak, that''s why there is a little amount of order maintained in our world," Minoru said. Kaida nodded his head in understanding, then Minoru continued, "Also, these bandits are not normal people in my eyes; they are just beasts who should be killed. So if you decide to give some of them a second chance, it is their good luck. If I had taken those missions, all of them would have lost their lives by now." ''Being a ninja for so long will change the mentality of a person completely, for sure. Even me, who has become a ninja for just a couple of years, had killed more than 50 people. So, Grandpa, with decades of experience, should have killed many more than me. Also, he must have participated in the 3rd great ninja war, maybe even the 2nd one too. So it is understandable why he thinks killing these bandits is the best choice. Even I think the same, but that will be such a waste and will not change a f**king thing. But if my plan gets executed perfectly, then the families of those who suffered from the wrongdoings of these bandits will have a little easier life, and since it will not cost me anything, let''s go with this plan,'' Kaida was thinking these things when Minoru spoke once again. "Let''s go, boy. You don''t have much time." "Okay, Grandpa," Kaida said, then locked those former bandits inside a house ''for their safety'' and closed the door while also applying many seals so that they could not run away. After which they went to all the other three bandit bases, where similar events happened. First, Kaida used bandits for his chakra scalpel fight training, then genjutsu training, and at last, medical jutsu training. After that, he read each bandit''s memory and decided whether they should be given a second chance or not. At the end of the day, Kaida had selected a total of 40 bandits who were going to live a second life, helping the families of those people they had harmed during their life as bandits. Rest of them including leader of each base died after suffering under genjutsu for hours. Though some arrangements were made for this, like switching the bandit''s victim details with each other in their minds , so that those victims didn''t have to see the faces of bandits that turned their lives miserable. Like if a bandit killed the only son of a family, other bandits would take his place and take care of that family for the rest of his life. Though in the grand scheme of things, this small act would not change anything, thinking about the lives of those 40 families which would become a little easier now, Kaida felt a sense of accomplishment. Chapter 163: Calming exercise After completing all of his missions, Kaida and Minoru grouped all of the remaining 40 bandits at the first bandit''s base. "You guys will stay here until we make some arrangements for you," Minoru said to them, while Kaida made a 2-meter-long wall all around the base ''for their protection,'' not because he wanted to make sure that they would not run away while they were gone. Well, it was just some extra precaution because according to Minoru, even if by one in a million chance these bandits could regain their memories back, that would happen after 1-2 years at the very least. Heck, even with the help of medical professionals, regaining their memories would be hard. After making all the necessary preparations, Kaida and Minoru went back to the base. They both were waiting in the same first room in which they were before going out. When they returned, Kaida found that this room now had a big bed, a cabinet full of books, and a study chair and table. Kaida looked toward Minoru, wanting to know the explanation. "What, did you think that I would let my grandchild sit on a sofa all day, waiting for his brother? Even though I can''t allow you inside the base without the clan head''s permission, I am still in charge of this base. Making your stay a bit more comfortable is not that hard for me," Minoru said. "Thank you, Grandpa," Kaida said with an ear-to-ear smile on his face. "It''s all right, now go and take some rest. I have to check on some things," Minoru said and went inside the hidden base. ''I wonder what they are hiding inside that they can''t even allow allies to enter the base,'' Kaida thought, finding it ridiculous how he couldn''t even enter the base when he had done so much for the clan. But then he remembered something. "This is the real world, not some anime a kid can watch. There are many dark things happening in this world which I didn''t know from the anime. So, the Uchiha, being a clan older than Konoha itself, may not be very clean, too. They must be doing something like that here which could not be shared even with the clan members, as they may not handle the knowledge well," Kaida thought. Then, to pass his time, he started looking for books in the cabinet because he could not take a rest even if he wanted to. He had already eaten a soldier pill and had to stay awake for a total of three days, with 2 more days remaining. Kaida was full of energy at the moment, which was very awkward for his body because even though he was physically full of energy, mentally, he was super exhausted. With the events he had faced in just a single day, like facing 7 root ninjas who were after his life, knowing about the Uchiha hidden base and his grandpa, completing 4 missions while reading some of the worst memories of his life, this had taken a toll on Hiruzen''s mind. But since he could not sleep due to the effect of the soldier pill, Kaida decided to do the second-best thing which would help him calm his mind: reading books. Even in his previous life, due to his medical condition, he couldn''t do many things like normal children, so to pass his time, he started reading books from an early age of 6 years. Due to which by the age of 13, he came to like reading books so much that he started reading for more than 12 hours a day, even when he was admitted to the hospital. That''s why even in this world, Kaida read so much. When he picked up a book about genjutsu, since he had already read all the books about genjutsu from the village library as well as from the Uchiha library too, at least those he was allowed to read. But when he opened the book, he was once again surprised. This was not a normal book but a type of diary written by a jonin about his daily findings about genjutsu, how he trained, which type of mistakes he made, what he could have done better in his early days to improve his genjutsu. Even though the name of this ninja was not famous, getting this type of knowledge was luckier than finding a box filled with gold. The complete life experience of someone, their achievements, mistakes, and possible ideas may literally save days or even months of Kaida''s hard work. So without wasting any more time, Kaida began reading that book. After completing it once, he reread that book twice, thrice. When he was rereading the book the second time, Minoru came out of the base to check on him, but seeing how concentrated Kaida was, he didn''t disturb him. After reading the book four times, Kaida closed the book and decided to check the other books as well.The other books, though interesting, were not as good as the first one, mainly because they didn''t contain something completely new which Kaida already didn''t know. Some of them were about various tactics one could use in a war, others were about how a single jutsu could be used in multiple ways, while others covered other basic topics. So after skimming through all the other books, Kaida once again went back to the first book, trying to completely understand each and every word of that book. "I think this much should be enough, my boy. It has already been 10 hours since you started reading books. I asked you to take a little rest, not to overexert yourself more," Minoru said, entering the room. "I am kind of taking a rest, Grandpa. Reading is a very calming exercise for me. Oh! Grandpa, do you know the person who wrote this book?" Kaida asked. "Not personally. This book was written by a ninja who died in the first great ninja war. From what I know, he was very proficient in genjutsu and kenjutsu, one of the most deadly combinations to exist. There is a story about how a team of 50 ninjas was assembled just to ambush him on his way back after completing an A-rank mission, and before dying, he killed 40 ninjas of that team," Minoru said. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That is so awesome," Kaida said, picturing that scene in his mind, how cool such a death would be. But it was not like he wanted to have such a death, but it could be at second place on his list about how he wanted to die. The first one being death from old age, after a happy and fulfilling life. (A.N: I personally like the second option more, such a death will be something people will remember even after many years of your death.) But after thinking for some time, Kaida asked, "But Grandpa, if he was that great, why is he not famous in our village?" "Because he was an Uchiha, and at that time, Tobirama was our Hokage. Since he didn''t actually have a positive image of the Uchiha clan, the achievements of the Uchiha clan were not publicized at that time, so that our clan would not gain fame from their achievements in the war," Minoru said. Chapter 164: THE Plan Kaida was not even shocked after hearing that. Life was not fair, and this statement can''t be more true in the ninja world. Even though the Uchiha did all they could for the village, they couldn''t truly become a part of the village even after sacrificing so many ninjas for the clan. "Uncle, do you have any other books such as this?" Kaida asked the main question on his mind because even though the Uchiha clan had faced many injustices in its past, there was nothing Kaida could do to make things right. It would be better to focus on increasing his strength now so that such things could be stopped from happening in the future. For example, if Uchiha Madara was alive at the time when Tobirama became the Hokage, the village wouldn''t have hidden the actual credits of the Uchihas, no matter how much they wanted to do so. Because from what I remember about Uchiha Madara, he wouldn''t have allowed his clan members to face any injustice, even at the cost of going to war against Konoha. Which eventually happened, but only because the village started thinking the Uchiha would not fight back like a dog that would only bark and not bite. In case the coup had been successfully implemented, half of Konoha would have been burned, no matter whether the Uchiha won or lost. They currently have enough power to go against any great ninja village except Konoha because the number of S-rank Ninjas the Uchiha have is similar to the amount any other village has. With Shisui and Fugaku leading, and many jonin with 3 tomoe sharingan following them, they could easily go against other ninja villages. If we compare them with the rest of Konoha, the situation will change. With 2 Sannin, Hiruzen, Danzo, Kakashi, Might Guy, and other clan leaders, they could easily outmatch the Uchihas. But even in that case, the losses Konoha will suffer will be many times greater than what they will suffer in a full-blown ninja war. Minoru looked toward Kaida and said, "No, but Fugaku does have similar books. If you want, you can directly ask him for them. Just tell him that I gave you permission." "Do you also have any personal relation with the Clan head?" Kaida asked because of how casually Minoru took Fugaku''s name. "No, but I am the clan elder of the Uchiha clan, and my order should have some weightage in the clan, right?" Minoru asked. Kaida nodded his head, then asked, "Um, Grandpa, did you have any particular reason for coming here?" "Yes, I just got a message that all the preparations are completed, and Shisui is coming to pick you up," Minoru replied. ''I just hope Brother had used his chance to its full potential,'' Kaida thought after remembering his conversation with Shisui after he told Kaida about Danzo. ... (right after Shisui told Kaida about Danzo)"Brother, can''t we somehow access and change someone''s thoughts like in genjutsu, but the effect should be permanent instead of temporary, and no one could detect it?" Kaida asked. Shisui was shocked after hearing this question as it was the perfect description of what his mangekyo sharingan ability, Kotoamatsukami, does. Since he had not told Kaida about this and only the other person who knew about this was Fugaku himself, there was no way Kaida would know about his Kotoamatsukami. Since he didn''t want to tell Kaida about his Kotoamatsukami, Shisui just said, "Yes, we Uchiha do have a trump card that could achieve something similar. Why are you asking that?" Even though he trusted his little brother, he didn''t trust other people. What if someone got this information from Kaida? It would be very lethal. The ability is very dangerous, so Shisui wanted to keep the people who knew about his mangekyo ability to a minimum. "Brother, the only reason Danzo had an upper hand against us is that he had the full support of Lord Third, right?" Kaida asked. "Yes." "Then if we use that trump card on Lord Third and just make him a little less partial and let him see what Danzo is doing can lead to the partition of the village, then Danzo will lose his most powerful support, and we will get a very strong ally," Kaida said. Listening to this, Shisui went into some deep thinking. Since he could only use the ability once a decade, he had some reservations about using it. But thinking about what this single move could achieve actually removed all reservations from Shisui''s mind. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You are right; we could totally use this method," Shisui said. "Yes, but we have to make it look as natural as possible. Even if others could not detect the changes, they would get suspicious of us if a huge change appeared in the Hokage''s behavior just before we decided to make our move against Danzo." "Don''t worry; we will plan this perfectly. If this idea is executed perfectly, then the Uchihas can actually become a part of Konoha and not remain a part of Konoha in name only," Shisui said. "Brother, while you are at it, can you also fulfill a selfish request of mine?" Kaida asked, acting all cute. "Stop it, it''s gross when someone tries to act cute," Shisui said, making a face like he wanted to vomit. "I know," Kaida said with a red face. Shisui laughed at Kaida''s red face. "So what do you want?" Shisui asked after laughing for some time. "While you are changing the Hokage''s thoughts using that TRUMP CARD, can you also add an idea of nurturing me to the best he can by giving me jutsu like the Flying Thunder God and Spirit Transformation technique," Kaida said, after which he began thinking. ''There is not much I need to ask Hiruzen about, only these two jutsu are the limit of the best things I can get from him. There is no way in hell that he will teach me the Reaper Death Seal or Edo Tensei, and the rest of the jutsu are much easier to learn for other ninjas. Like, the Eight Gates can easily be learned from Guy, so why would I waste my time pursuing Hiruzen about teaching me these jutsu?'' "Okay, I will try, but make sure to teach me those jutsu as well," Shisui said. "Why would you need the Flying Thunder God jutsu? You are already known as Shisui the Teleporter," Kaida asked with a face one would make seeing a pampered child crying that he is not loved enough. "That is different from actual teleportation. Also, one can''t be too powerful in our world," Shisui said with a genuine smile. Chapter 165: Evolve? "That is different from actual teleportation. Also, one can''t be too powerful in our world," Shisui said with a genuine smile. "Right, fine. I will share those jutsu with you since I will get them with your help only," Kaida said. "Okay, I will go and share this plan with the clan head," Shisui said. "Yes, brother. I have written a basic plan in this letter; you can share this as well," Kaida said. And he gave a letter to Shisui. After taking the letter, Shisui read it and was satisfied with the plan. "Good job, I will give this letter to the clan head as well," Shisui said and then left for Konoha. ... After half an hour from when Minoru told Kaida that Shisui was coming to pick him up, Shisui arrived at the base. "Why the hell did you use the messenger bird if you could easily come here before that? Such a waste of resources," Minoru said to Shisui. "Sorry, uncle. It was the clan head''s idea to inform you beforehand," Shisui said. "So are all the preparations done?" Minoru asked. "Most of them are completed now. The only thing left is to bring all the clan together in removing Danzo from his post. Fugaku-sama is handling that part," Shisui said. "Are you sure this will work? Even if all of the clan heads protest against Danzo, there is a very low chance that Hiruzen will give Danzo any big punishment," Minoru said. "This time, it will be different," Shisui said with a smile. "And I assume that you are not going to tell me how, right?" Minoru asked. "I am sorry," Shisui said while bowing a little. "No problem, boy. Just getting the news that Danzo has faced some retribution will be more than enough for me. You just make sure that you don''t get overconfident and ruin this all up because Danzo will make full use of that opportunity against us," Minoru said. "Don''t worry, Minoru-sama. We are taking this very seriously; there will not be any mistakes in this," Shisui said. Kaida was just listening to their conversation from the side, but from what Shisui said, one thing was certain: he had already used Kotoamatsukami on Hiruzen. ''This ability is too overpowered, maybe that was the only reason why he was killed by the writer in the manga. Like, just imagine, if Shisui was present at the time of the 4th great ninja war and used his Kotoamatsukami on Madara or Obito, the whole war would have become one-sided at that time. Also, if he had used Kotoamatsukami on Kaguya herself, the whole Sage of Six Paths thing would have become meaningless at that time. Even though the chances of that were low since Kaguya was an Otsutsuki, so Kotoamatsukami may not work on her. But since it is known as the strongest genjutsu ability in the whole ninja world, the chances of Kotoamatsukami affecting Kaguya were 50-50. Now that this had become a real world, brother had become a very valuable resource for the whole world. The only reason I wanted him to use his Kotoamatsukami on Hiruzen was that the event of the fourth great ninja war will take place after a decade. By then, his ability should have been recharged,'' Kaida thought. "Since the preparations are still incomplete, why do you want to take him back?" Minoru asked, pointing toward Kaida. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Most of the important parts of the preparation are done, and Mom is really worried about him. If I don''t bring him back, then I will not get to do anything," Shisui said, laughing awkwardly. "Hahaha, I understand. Okay, boys, have a safe journey. I assume that you don''t have to bring those chunins with you, right?" Minoru asked. "Yes, Minoru-sama. Fugaku-sama will send a message when everything is completed, and we will need you to bring them back to Konoha," Shisui said. Minoru just nodded his head. Kaida then turned to Minoru. "It was really nice meeting you, Grandpa. I hope to meet again soon," Kaida said, bowing a little. "Same here, boy. I am sure we will meet very soon," Minoru said. After saying their goodbyes, Kaida and Shisui went back toward Konoha. On their way, Shisui said, "Oh! I forgot to tell you; we have moved out of our house until this whole thing settles down. Until then, we are going to live in the Clan head''s house." "In one of his houses or in his actual house where he lives?" Kaida asked. "His actual one. We are going to live with him. Mom and Yomi are already there, waiting for you. Also, there is another surprise waiting for you at that house," Shisui said. "What surprise?" Kaida asked. "If I tell you now, how will it be a surprise? Be patient, brother. I am sure you will like your surprise," Shisui said with a mischievous smile on his face. ''As if living with Itachi and Sasuke was not a surprise, now he even had a bigger surprise,'' Kaida thought. "Kaida, why is your sharingan active?" Shisui asked. "Huh?" Kaida said before confirming that his sharingan was active. He quickly deactivated it. "I don''t know how it got activated on its own. Do you have any idea about this, brother?" Kaida asked. "Yeah, this happens from time to time. Don''t worry about it," Shisui said, and then increased his speed. Kaida also left the matter behind and started following Shisui using his full speed. ''This brat has already reached the limit of the 2 tomoe, and his sharingan is on the verge of evolving once again. But I can''t tell him that; otherwise, he will become alert, and the smooth way of upgrading his sharingan couldn''t be used,'' Shisui thought. For upgrading the sharingan from one tomoe to two tomoe, one just has to train their eyes enough, and they will evolve after some time. But the case is different when one has to upgrade their eyes from two tomoe sharingan to three tomoe sharingan. Just training is not enough for that; one has to suffer a strong feeling, which is mostly achieved after losing someone important. But this is not a rule. If someone has another emotion as strong as the feeling of losing someone, then the sharingan could also evolve. But most Uchiha usually encounter the emotion of losing someone important much more easily in the ninja world, so they couldn''t evolve their sharingan in other ways before that. Since the higher-ups of the Uchiha clan can''t just leave the upgrade of the sharingan to fate, they have developed a method to help Uchiha evolve their sharingan once they are ready. And Kaida is going to face that same method. (A.N: Can you guys guess the method, if yes than write it in comment section ^~^) Chapter 166: Attack? (A.N: I have invested a lot of effort in this chapter. Please tell me your views about this chapter in the comment section ^~^) S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They both went back to Konoha at full speed. On their way, Shisui turned and said, "The Uchiha Clan head''s house has an array set up that prevents anyone from entering. Once we reach there, I will go inside and ask Aunt Mikoto to register you in the array too." At that moment, Kaida felt that something had happened, but he was unable to pinpoint exactly what it was. Since he was with Shisui and his senses were also calm, he didn''t think much of it and just nodded his head. After that, they went at full speed towards Konoha. After reaching Konoha, they directly went through the main gate. Both of them could feel many eyes scanning them. "It looks like Danzo is going to know we are back in Konoha," Kaida said in a hushed voice. "Yes, but there is nothing he could do. It''s not like he could come to us and ask about his subordinates who went after your life, right?" Shisui said with a wink. Kaida also smiled, thinking about the angry expression on Danzo''s face. As they went back to the Uchiha clan''s compound, two people who had shops near the village gate sent a message to the Root headquarters. ... Danzo was sitting in his office, reading various reports that were lying on his table. "How is everything this peaceful? Every report from the Uchiha clan is saying that everything is still, and there is no movement among the clan. Then why the hell am I getting this bad feeling? Am I targeting the wrong group? Maybe someone other than the Uchiha is plotting something against me, but there is no other clan in Konoha I have targeted in the last few months, and other ninja villages are already under my radar. Then why the hell am I getting this uneasy feeling? Also, how much longer are those fools going to take to capture that brat?" Danzo said, voicing the thoughts that had been on his mind for quite some time. Just as he was thinking all this, a report came in, marked urgent. He quickly read it, and his eyes went wide after reading the contents. ''That boy came back, and he was with Shisui... Was Shisui the one who killed my ninjas? No, he was in the village when those four died (1 jonin and 3 chunin), and the rest of them (3 chunin) are still alive. Maybe Shisui went to find Kaida, and those three ran away after seeing Shisui. Since the others died quite a long time ago, I''m sure their bodies wouldn''t have been with Shisui, so they can''t put the blame on me. And if they try to put any blame on me, I will just say that my ninjas were going on a secret mission for the village and were attacked by Shisui and Kaida without any reason.'' Danzo was already making plans for the counter-attack against any of the Uchiha''s allegations against him. However, those counters were based on the condition that only the Uchiha would be against him and Hiruzen would support him as always. Unfortunately, Kaida had changed many of those conditions with some simple words, and now the whole of Konoha would be against him in a couple of days. Unknown to the undercurrent, the shadow of Konoha calmed his mind and started waiting for the Uchiha to make their move. ...... Both Kaida and Shisui went to the Uchiha compound and directly made their way towards Fugaku''s house. As discussed before, Kaida waited in front of the gate, and Shisui went inside. But as soon as he went inside, the sound of clashing swords started coming from within, as if two swords were clashing with each other. Within seconds, the number of clashing sounds Kaida heard started increasing, indicating that one person was fighting against multiple opponents. "Someone is trying to fight my brother in the Uchiha Clan head''s house. How is that possible?" Kaida was thinking when a fireball exploded inside the house, and from inside came a shout from Shisui. "Kaida, run and call Fugaku-sama here! We are under attack!" Before Kaida could think about what was happening inside, the array inside the house turned off. Although practically, Kaida should have gone to call for reinforcements, he did the most foolish thing possible. He ran directly inside the house. Normally, one would think that was a bad decision, but any analyst would praise that decision. The array inside the clan head''s house went off, of course, he would get this signal. Also, the fireball explosion was heard by many ninjas who could inform Fugaku instead of Kaida. But his whole family was inside that house, and his brother was fighting against multiple opponents. Things might get worse if reinforcements arrived a little late. So Kaida decided to directly go inside and help his brother defend against the attack until reinforcements arrived. But when he went inside, his eyes went wide in horror. There was a lot of blood on the ground, and at the corner of the corridor, Kaida could see a hand, a hand of a teenage girl. Since his Sharingan was activated, he could easily identify that it was Yomi''s hand. He quickly ran toward her, only to find her lying lifeless in front of Hae''s body. Due to the activated Sharingan, Kaida painfully noticed all the small pieces of evidence lying there. Yomi died trying to protect Hae with her life. Then he heard another explosion at the back of the house, but Kaida was not able to process that sound since blood was leaking from his eyes. Slowly, two tomoe in his eyes started rotating, their speed increasing each second. Gradually, they came close to each other and merged, only to be separated once again, but this time, there were three tomoe in his eyes. With the turmoil of emotions Kaida was feeling, ranging from anger at himself for continuing that mission and not coming back to his family at the right time, to hatred for the person responsible for this, to helplessness at being unable to help his family now, he lost control over his chakra, and it released like a flood in all his surroundings. Due to his chakra nature being fire, the chakra he subconsciously released was fire chakra, burning everything around Kaida, except for the place where Hae and Yomi''s bodies were present. With a voice full of hatred and anger, Kaida shouted, "DANZO, YOU ARE DEAD!" Once again, the sound of an explosion came, this time Kaida heard it loud and clear, remembering that his brother was still fighting his enemies. Kaida was so enraged that he vowed to either kill those enemies or die fighting against them since they were the people who had killed his family. He blasted the wall in front of him using the biggest fireball he could make and then rushed toward the sound of fighting. But suddenly, everything in front of him changed, and he was now standing in a training area, with Shisui standing in front of him. Chapter 167: Evolution Through Illusion But suddenly, everything in front of him changed, and he was now standing in a training area, with Shisui standing in front of him. The emotions in Kaida''s mind were still in turmoil, even though his mind was telling him that everything was a lie. But just to be sure, he dispersed his chakra many times, only to confirm that the enemy had not placed him in a genjutsu to keep him out of their fight with his brother. "Everything is fine, you can take a rest now," Shisui said, appearing in front of Kaida all of a sudden. Due to his highly alert state, Kaida threw a punch straight at Shisui''s face as soon as he appeared in front of him. But since his mind was not stable and Shisui had kept his sharingan activated until now, the punch didn''t connect with Shisui''s face. Dodging the punch easily, Shisui hugged Kaida. Feeling the warmth of the hug, Kaida''s mind finally returned to a calmer state, at least calm enough to process the information his eyes were seeing. A large area around him was burned black, maybe done by him, and with his brother in front of him, Kaida knew that he was the one who had put him under genjutsu. ''But when, and why?'' these were Kaida''s last thoughts before he succumbed to the fatigue his mind and body had experienced. Shisui easily lifted him up and brought him in front of Fugaku''s house, this time really. "Aunt Mikoto, I need your help, can you please add him too?" Shisui shouted while standing in front of the house. Listening to the shout, Mikoto came out of the house along with Hae. Seeing Kaida''s condition, Hae ran to Shisui and asked while checking on Kaida''s body for any sign of injury, "Don''t worry, mom, he is not injured, just tired from achieving something great," Shisui said with a wide smile. "What does that mean?" Hae asked, now both confused and worried. "Why don''t you wait until he wakes up and ask him directly," Shisui said. As they were having this conversation outside the house, the arrays inside the house scanned Kaida and registered him as an ally, due to which now he could also come inside the house. Mikoto quickly came outside and said, "Why are you still standing there? Bring him inside quickly." Shisui nodded and brought Kaida inside the house. By now, everyone in the house came to know that something had happened from the commotion. Both Itachi and Yomi came out of their rooms in fighting stances, while young Sasuke just came out, simply curious about what was happening. Seeing Kaida in that state, Yomi had a similar reaction as Hae, if not a little more intense, only calming down after repeatedly hearing that Kaida was fine from Shisui. After that, Kaida was put on a bed, and everyone left, giving him some peace to rest properly, with Yomi and Hae checking his condition from time to time. After sleeping for more than 23 hours, Kaida woke up. It has to be noted that both his mind and body had been trained so much that even the effect of eating a soldier pill only took him 16-18 hours. But now he had to sleep for more than 23 hours, both Yomi and Hae were worried about him, and Shisui''s silence about this situation didn''t help in reducing their worry at all. After 23 hours, Kaida woke up. As soon as he woke up, he once again became completely alert. At that time, Hae was in the room, waiting for Kaida to wake up. She and Yomi had been taking turns to take care of him. "You finally woke up, are you all right? Are you feeling any pain inside your body? Wait, you should be hungry, right? Do you want to eat something......" Kaida laughed, interrupting Hae''s streak of questions. Seeing the worried expression on Hae''s face, Kaida finally calmed down and said, "I am fine, aunt, but can I meet brother for a second? I also want to know the reason for this, like you, but only brother knows why I was like that." "Okay, wait a second," Hae said and went out. After a few minutes, she came back with both Shisui and Yomi. Seeing Kaida was awake, Yomi also sighed in relief, just like Hae. "Why did you call me for such a simple thing? Can''t you figure out the reason yourself?" Shisui said before Kaida could ask anything. "What reason?" Kaida asked, confused. Shisui just shook his head and said, "Just try to sense your chakra reserves." Kaida nodded and tried to sense his chakra reserves. Also, hearing that, Yomi became curious about the reason too, and she also activated her chakra field and tried to sense Kaida''s chakra reserves. "WHAT THE...." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Both of them shouted at the same time. Kaida already had huge chakra reserves before this incident, comparable to most of the jonins in Konoha, but at this moment, his chakra reserves were around 2.5 times what he possessed before. His chakra reserves size easily outclassed many elite jonin. Even Shisui, who already had activated the mangekyo sharingan, had the same amount of chakra as Kaida, if not a little less. The reason for this was pretty simple. Kaida possessed the bloodline of both the Senju and Uchiha clans, making him closer to the Otsutsuki, due to which his potential was quite high, easily reflecting on his chakra reserves. Kaida, still confused, looked toward Shisui for the explanation. Shisui just smiled and activated his sharingan, and three tomoe were rotating in them. Seeing that, Kaida became super excited and jumped out of the bed, standing in front of the mirror. After taking a deep breath, he activated his sharingan, only for his smile to widen upon seeing three tomoe rotating in them. "Yes, you have finally activated the 3 tomoe sharingan. Now, with this, you could easily call yourself strong enough to be called a Jonin, though officially you are still a genin," Shisui said with a smile. Listening to this, Kaida remembered a certain eternal genin who eventually possessed enough strength to go against the gods of this world and still win. But coming back to the current moment, he asked, "Was this the reason I had to go through all that?" "Yup, that was the best method for achieving 3 tomoe, much better than actually going through such a thing in real life before activating that," Shisui replied. Chapter 168: Forging Alliances "But did you have to be so extreme? I nearly went mad after seeing that genjutsu," Kaida said in a frustrated voice. "You already have very strong resistance to genjutsu. I had to use my full power to put you under a genjutsu, even had to use the mangekyo for that, so that it would appear real. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have fallen for that genjutsu. Due to that, I was unable to control the things you would see during the genjutsu, and simply made it so that you would see your worst fear, due to which you saw those things," Shisui said. "Do you know what I actually saw?" Kaida asked. "Some of it. Your mind has advanced too much to see your memories without destroying your mind," Shisui said with a shrug of his shoulders. "You are the worst and best brother I could hope for at the same time," Kaida said while shaking his head. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Don''t praise me so much, I may become arrogant," Shisui said while raising his head high. "Too late, you are already very arrogant," Hae said while giving Shisui a slap on the back of his head. "Can I come in?" came a calm and gentle voice from the door. "Yes, aunt, please come in," Yomi said while opening the door. This was the first time Kaida saw Mikoto Uchiha, the most talented kunoichi of the Uchiha clan, and wife of Fugaku Uchiha. ''Damn, she is way too beautiful than shown in the anime and manga,'' Kaida thought. As in front of him stood a lady with dark black hair like the night sky and eyes of the same color, her complexion was super white, making those black eyes and hair extra beautiful. And even though she was the mother of two children, no one would say she was a day older than 25 years. Heck, she was even more beautiful than Hae. After seeing her, another thought came into Kaida''s mind. ''If even she, who was now shown as a beautiful character in the anime, is this beautiful, then how gorgeous will the likes of Tsunade and others be?'' Then he shook his head to forget those thoughts. (A.N: No, he is not into older women, this is just an admiration of beauty, nothing more, nothing less ?) "So, how are you feeling now?" Mikoto asked, placing the tray of food at the table near Kaida''s bed. Since he was standing in front of the mirror with his sharingan active, Mikoto could see three tomoe inside them. "Oh! Congratulations, Kaida," she said with a motherly smile. "Thanks, Lady Mikoto," Kaida said, bowing a little as Mikoto was the wife of the clan head and held the second-greatest position in the clan, at least in name. "Come on, you are like my own son, you can call me aunt like them," Mikoto said, pointing her hand toward Shisui and Yomi. "Okay, aunt," Kaida replied cheerfully. "Also, even though you are fine, still take some rest. Your mind and body need some time to form a balance after such changes," Mikoto said, and then turned to Hae and Yomi and said, "Also, both of you are coming with me, it''s time you guys also take some rest." While dragging both Yomi and Hae back, Hae turned and said, "Kaida, if you need anything, just call me, think of this as your home only," and then took them both out of the room. Kaida felt the reason why Mikoto said that he needed to rest so that his body and mind could find a balance, since now he was even having some difficulty in walking, like his body was reacting a tad bit slower than his mind would expect it to. Even though the lag was of only a few milliseconds, it was registered by his mind due to the sharingan. Seeing Kaida''s confusion, Shisui said, "Don''t worry, your mind has become more powerful due to the 3 tomoe sharingan, and even though your body also improved, it was not at the same level as your mind. Just give it some time; after some time, you will be back to normal." "Brother, can I use the Harmony Restoration Elixir for that?" Kaida asked. "No, your sharingan growth will be inhibited by that, so that your mind and body would maintain a similar level of power. Normally, it is important, but if you do it now, you will only get an underdeveloped 3 tomoe sharingan and a little bit more powerful body. So you have to rest for your recovery," Shisui said. "Okay, brother," Kaida said, then he remembered something and turned to Shisui. "Is this what the surprise you were talking about during our travel was?" "Nope, it was an unexpected surprise even for me. The surprise I was talking about... I will tell you tomorrow. By then, you should have recovered enough," Shisui said. "Seriously, you''re not going to tell me even now?" Kaida asked. "Just wait for one more day," Shisui said and went off from the house. With nothing left to do, Kaida went to bed and started meditating, to make himself familiar with all the changes in his body while circulating a little amount of yang chakra in all of his body to make it develop a little faster and keep up with his mind. It was just like a cultivation manga protagonist who had to maintain a balance of various overpowered energies in his body so that his body would not be destroyed. Just the difference was, Kaida didn''t have any such danger. ... While Kaida was taking his sweet time resting, Fugaku was working the most he had done in his life. With many of his shadow clones all around him, he was making a report for all of the various clans all around Konoha. This report contained details of all the ''accidents'' that happened in their businesses or during some of their most talented ninjas died during a mission without even finding their bodies. Even though they all suspected the Uchiha clan had done their best in finding the cause of all such incidents, with the help of the sharingan, they were able to find many clues. They had not only inspected the cases involving their clan but also those that involved other clans as well, all in the shadows. Now Fugaku was compiling all that data. It contained various clues indicating Danzo''s role behind all those incidents. Due to this, he had not slept for the past two days, but finally, the compilation was complete. He then quickly sent a sample of those reports to those clans with a request to come to the Uchiha clan to discuss further. Within 3-4 hours, their replies came back that all the clan heads of those clans would come in 2 hours, as Fugaku had specially written that he had a plan but not time, so he wanted their reply as soon as they could. After 2 hours, more than 15 clan heads came to the Uchiha headquarters. Fugaku had only called the leaders of major clans who could support him during his allegation, as smaller clans don''t have much say in such matters. He had also not called the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clan''s clan heads since they support Hiruzen fully, so they would not go against his decision most of the time. But just to be on the safe side, he had sent a report to each of those clans too, so that they would not oppose him during his political attack against Danzo. Chapter 169: Forging Alliances(Part2) "Fugaku, you know that what you are going to do will directly put you against Danzo, and if you fail to eliminate him this time, the Uchiha clan will directly be against him. He will stop targeting you in the dark and will openly go against you," Hiashi, the clan head of the Hyuga clan, said. After the Uchiha clan, this was the clan that had contributed the most in building this village along with the Senju clan, which is why they were called the noble clan of Konoha. "I know, but he has already done so much harm in the dark that I would rather make a move against him than keep on suffering. The number of ninja we have lost is almost 1.5 times as many as yours," Fugaku said. Kiba Inuzuka, the clan head of the Inuzuka clan, asked, "Fugaku, are you sure that what you have reported in your report is true?" "That was just two incidents. Don''t tell me you actually believed that the 10-year-old chunin from your clan died fighting against some bandits when a rogue ninja ambushed him. How absurd would it be for a rogue ninja to successfully ambush an Inuzuka clan member if they are not a jonin? And do you think a rogue jonin would come that deep into our territory and also be able to take the bodies of him and his dog while the bandits were killed to hide the traces? Try telling this to the children of your clan and see if even they believe this bullshit," Fugaku said with an annoyed voice. "You know what I''m talking about," Kiba continued. "Yes, and you also know that Root is the only organization capable of pulling that stunt off," Fugaku said while passing all of the complete files to the clan heads. They took the files and began reading them, with their chakra flaring time to time. Many of their young talents who were ''accidentally'' killed or kidnapped during their missions were under Root. There was ample proof present in the files to validate those claims. Shibi Aburame, the leader of the Aburame clan, became increasingly angry about this because it was his clan that had suffered the most after the Uchiha clan. It was easier to kidnap the ninjas of other clans, but not his, therefore, most of them were killed and used as research material by Root. Then he remembered how Danzo came to his office a month before, taking a batch of young ninja from his clan to become a part of Root. No matter how much he wanted to deny him, knowing the high casualty rate of Root training, he didn''t have the authority to do so and had to give Danzo many young children from his clan, but only on the condition that these ninja would not have the same training as other Root ninja and die during training. But according to the report in his hand, only 2 out of 10 ninja were able to survive the training. Knowing that Danzo now had his eyes on his own son, Shibi became a complete supporter of the Uchiha clan in removing Danzo. "I will support you completely." This was his only statement, but it was enough because all the clan heads understood from his statement that even if the Uchiha failed in this attack, the Aburame clan would still support them. Slowly, every clan head gave their support to Fugaku, even though not to the extent of the Aburame clan, but they were going to support him completely this time. Having so many clan heads as his supporters, Fugaku could easily make Danzo take a break from his position for more than a couple of years, even if Hiruzen supported him as usual. But the whole situation had changed, and with his lips slightly curling up, Fugaku became apparently happy thinking about the face Danzo would make after he understood how messed up his situation had become. "Then I will raise a complaint against Danzo tomorrow with an official request for a council meeting. I would be expecting your approval for that," Fugaku said. Everyone present nodded their heads, hearing that, and went back to their clan compounds after that, but they didn''t go back alone. Each one of them had a shadow tailing them back to their clan. They were all jonin under Fugaku, tasked to keep an eye on those clan heads because any one of them may leak his plans to Danzo for some extra benefits. Fugaku didn''t want to take any risks at this point in time. Then he called a ninja and told him to bring Shisui to his office, going back to his office to complete some other preparations required for this task. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... "Good evening, Fugaku-sama," Shisui said, entering Fugaku''s office. "What happened to you? Why are there two black balloons under your eyes? Did someone try to poison you?" Shisui asked, trying to act concerned. "For fuck''s sake, can you be serious for once in your life? Here I am working non-stop to make this plan successful, and you are resting your ass off for the last two days," Fugaku said angrily. "I''m sorry, sir, but I respectfully remind you that I am the one you sacrificed the most and completed the task given to me," Shisui became serious once again. "Yes, I want a full report about that. Tell me everything in detail," Fugaku said. ... Shisui directly went to the Hokage''s office after dropping his mom and Yomi at Fugaku''s house. "I want to discuss something very important with Lord Third," Shisui said to the Receptionist. The Receptionist just nodded her head and went to the Hokage''s office to relay the information. ''Danzo, what have you done this time?'' Hiruzen thought and told her secretary to call Shisui. Chapter 170: Kotoamatsukami Gambit The Receptionist just nodded her head and went to the Hokage''s office to relay the information. ''Danzo, what have you done this time?'' Hiruzen thought and told his secretary to call Shisui. ... "Good evening, Lord Third," Shisui said, bowing a little. "Good morning, Shisui. Why did you want to meet me?" Hiruzen directly went to the main point, not wasting time with pleasantries. Shisui once again put a scroll on the table. Hiruzen sighed and sent all of his Anbu guards outside since Shisui didn''t speak after putting the scroll on the table. After all the guards left, Shisui activated his sharingan and looked around. Seeing him activate his sharingan, Hiruzen was intrigued rather than becoming angry, thinking, ''He is making such a thorough check. It looks like this time, Danzo went way overboard. Fine, I will use this chance to reduce his power to such a level that he will only be useful during wartime and will remain inactive the rest of the time.'' This was the reason Hiruzen was unable to actually punish Danzo, no matter what he did. Danzo was the reason Konoha was able to hold its own against all other ninja villages during war times. Since Konoha had the most amount of fertile land, during every great ninja war, all other ninja villages targeted Konoha unilaterally. It was Danzo''s schemes that made them fight internally, so that Konoha didn''t have to face all other villages alone. Because no matter how powerful Konoha was during that time, it could not hold its own against all other ninja villages alone. And since a new war might happen again, Hiruzen didn''t want to lose his most powerful weapon, at least not until he could get someone at the same level of scheming as Danzo. Because Danzo had become way too greedy in the last decade and had done many questionable things. After Shisui confirmed scanning the room, he looked toward Hiruzen and said, "Lord Third, this scroll contains the bodies of a jonin and three chunin belonging to Konoha." Hiruzen''s eyes went wide. ''Jonin, really? Are you planning on going to war against the Uchiha clan, Danzo? Maybe age is really affecting your mind now.'' Hiruzen thought, but he didn''t say anything, allowing Shisui to continue speaking. "Lord Third, I hope you remember my brother, Kaida Uchiha, right?" Shisui asked. Hiruzen just nodded his head. "He is once-in-a-generation talent of our clan, on par with Itachi. He is just 9 years old and has already evolved his sharingan to the level of 2 tomoe, and his kenjutsu is almost at my level." This was the second time there was a movement on Hiruzen''s face, small enough that Shisui wouldn''t have noticed it if his sharingan wasn''t activated. ''I was right, that boy does have the potential of becoming an S-rank ninja. Too bad he is an Uchiha, otherwise I would have groomed him for the Hokage''s position, but still, he could become a valuable part of Konoha in the future...'' Hiruzen thought. Shisui continued after giving Hiruzen time to completely understand the situation. "Don''t tell me..." Hiruzen said. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, Lord Third. Maybe because Kaida had pointed us in the direction of his scheme, he wanted to eliminate him. Danzo wanted to eliminate MY BROTHER," Shisui said angrily, with his mangekyo activating naturally. Hiruzen was about to curse Danzo in his mind when his mind went blank for a second. Shisui had already activated his mangekyo Sharingan, using anger as his excuse. When Hiruzen looked into his eyes during the conversation, Shisui activated his Kotoamatsukami with his full strength because his target was none other than Hiruzen, the most powerful man present in Konoha at the moment. Within 1 second, Shisui was able to amplify Hiruzen''s thoughts. Both his anger towards Danzo and his favor towards Kaida were improved by 5 times. As Fugaku had continuously said not to make the effect visible, he stopped at 5 times. Otherwise, Shisui was more than capable of making Hiruzen Danzo''s sworn enemy. But that would have been the most idiotic thing to do. Also, the reason Shisui brought both dead bodies and Kaida''s latest achievement in front of Hiruzen before using Kotoamatsukami was so that the thoughts would be active in Hiruzen''s mind when Shisui used his ability, making it easier for him to use. But no matter how much Shisui had prepared, his target was Hiruzen, so even his mangekyo ability was strained while working on Hiruzen''s mind. Even though he had only required one second to complete his work, that one second felt like eternity to Shisui since even a single mistake, and he would have to become a rogue ninja at that moment. Attacking the Hokage was not a simple matter, which is why when he successfully completed his task, Shisui sighed in relief in his mind, but not showing any emotion on his face. Since Hiruzen was already thinking of removing Danzo''s power for some time, when Shisui activated his Kotoamatsukami and strengthened his feelings 5 times, those thoughts became similar to, ''Danzo has done more harm to the village than good in the past decade. Now, even if he works his ass off, Konoha will still suffer during the next ninja war since he has taken so many talented ninja into Root and killed them in the name of training, a sacrifice for peace.'' ''The strength of the village is now nowhere near the level it should be if all of those talents were allowed to show their potential. Maybe we would have become strong enough to stand against all those villages without using any schemes at all.'' Though this was just his excessive thinking, which would become meaningless if Hiruzen decided to focus on this logically since not many of those talents would have become elite jonin, let alone Kage-level ninja. But still, they would have been better than dead bodies, so it was true that the strength of Konoha may have been 1.5 times what it was now, but it was nowhere near enough to go against all four great ninja villages alone. After using his ability, Shisui said, "Sir, now this has become too big of an issue for our clan, and we will officially raise our complaint after some time." Shisui said and left the Hokage''s office. Normally, Hiruzen would have called Danzo at this moment to ''talk'' to him about this and give him a little scolding not to do this in the future and handle this situation before it became big. But now, he just sat on his chair, with a smoke pipe in his mouth and his eyes looking towards the Hokage''s rock. ''Sensei, the load of this position is becoming increasingly heavy.'' ....... Shisui told everything from start to finish without missing a single detail to Fugaku. "How sure are you that Hiruzen would not feel anything about your genjutsu?" Fugaku asked because no matter how much he trusted Shisui and his ability, this task was way too dangerous. If any mistake was made, he either had to disown Shisui or directly go against the whole of Konoha with his clan, both of which were unacceptable for him. "I am 100% sure, otherwise I wouldn''t have been standing in front of you at this moment and would have run to the Land of Waterfalls or something," Shisui said with a smile. (A.N: It was Shisui''s death which resulted in the breaking final straw and initiating the Coup at full phase) Chapter 171 : Start of plan "Then it''s all good," Fugaku sighed in relief. "Uncle, I was serious about your appearance. You''re looking way too exhausted. Since you''re going to represent our clan tomorrow, you should focus on recovery too. You wouldn''t want to look like that at the meeting," Shisui said. Fugaku nodded his head in understanding. It wasn''t like he hadn''t looked at his face once in the last three days, but the sheer amount of work he had was overwhelming, which resulted in his state being like that. "I''m going to take rest tonight," Fugaku said after looking at the mirror once again. "Respectfully, uncle, a single night''s sleep may not do much. I would recommend you take a bath at our new bathhouse, which is equipped with all the things necessary for your speedy recovery," Shisui said with a businessman-like smile. "Hahaha, when did you become this good with business? Fine, I''ll use it, but from what I know, it''s still not opened, right?" Fugaku said, laughing at Shisui''s attempt to help his family''s business. He was truly not cut out for this job, but just the effort he put in showed how much he valued his family. In the anime, Shisui was the most pitiful character. His father died during the Nine-Tails attack, and he had to kill his mother after 5-6 years due to the mission he was given. Since his mother was suspected of running away with an enemy shinobi from another ninja village, Shisui was tasked with killing his mother to show his loyalty to the village. Which, in the end, broke Shisui''s mind and cheerful personality. If not for his friendship with Itachi, he would have remained in his depression all along. But that didn''t happen this time. Even though Hae was not the kind of woman to do anything like that, the mental strain of losing her husband and seeing her son falling into despair may have resulted in breaking her mentality, which a spy could have used to rope her in, or they may have used something like that. But this time, she had a family, and Shisui was also not that depressed, so there was no chance of the same thing happening now. Shisui''s family was safe, and he was trying to help them the best he could, just like his role model - his father. "Even though the bathhouse is not open at the moment, we could easily give you a small sample of its effects," Shisui said with a smile. "Have you asked your mom about this?" Fugaku asked the main question since he knew she was the one responsible for running Shisui''s family''s business, just like how his wife was responsible for all the businesses he ran. Being a clan head doesn''t mean you can use all the resources and money of the clan for yourself. You get something like a salary too, just the difference is that you get paid a percentage of what the clan makes. That was done so that they will work for the clan not just because they are loyal to the clan but also because it will get them a better pay too. This was a very good strategy for maintaining someone''s loyal nature, like a person may be a patriot for a country that helped them grow as an adult without facing much difficulty, and they will continue to do so. But just imagine if, in the future, the country decides to use its population to increase its military power, resulting in many deaths. Now, that person will lose their loyalty because they are not getting anything out of it. Maybe some people will still remain patriots so that their future generations will have a better life in a bigger country, but the number of such people is very low. That''s why the best way to maintain someone''s loyalty was to tie their benefits with the benefits of the organization. But this arrangement doesn''t mean that the clan heads will be satisfied with the money they are getting from the clan, so they normally maintain side businesses, like owning many shops or hotels, etc., in their name too. Listening to Fugaku''s question, Shisui smiled and said, "She would be more than happy to give you a sample, uncle, but since the main bathhouse still needs some slight modifications, you''ll have to bear with the smaller one." "Fine, I''ll notify you when I have any free time from all this," Fugaku said. "Okay, Uncle. I would be waiting for your message," Shisui said and went back to Fugaku''s house since there wasn''t much for him to do there. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When Shisui went back, Yomi came to him and said, "Brother, Kaida had something important he wants to ask you." "Oh, is he having any problem during his recovery?" Shisui asked, a little worried. "No, brother. He''s saying that he has already recovered enough. Only after Aunt scolded him did he agree to stay in his room resting," Yomi said with an awkward smile. "Okay, I''ll go to him," Shisui patted Yomi''s head and went toward Kaida''s room. ... "So, what do you want to ask?" Shisui asked as soon as he entered the room, since seeing Kaida''s restless nature, he knew there was something gnawing at his mind. "Brother, does the thing we talked about is in progress?" Kaida asked. "You can talk freely, Kaida. This is the clan head''s house; there is no way that Danzo can spy on this place," Shisui said with a smile. "Is our plan against Danzo in motion?" Kaida asked once again. "Yes, there is a meeting tomorrow where we would attack him with our full power," Shisui said. "TOMORROW..." Kaida shouted. ''How the hell were they able to make all those preparations in just 3 days? Shit, my plan for using this will blow up if I don''t move soon,'' Kaida thought in his mind. "Why are you so shocked? Wait..." Shisui eyed Kaida suspiciously. "You''re planning something?" "Yes, brother. I want to use this opportunity to get a genius for our clan," Kaida said. "I''m all ears," Shisui said. "Brother, do you know about Kakashi Hatake?" (A.N: One of my most favorite characters from Naruto, what about you guys?) Chapter 172: Opportunity Kaida had many plans, like recruiting various talented ninjas like Karin and Haku, but the problem was he couldn''t go to those areas yet. Maybe he could go near Karin, but Haku''s area was still off-limits. He didn''t want to put his life in danger. In the starting years, Kaida didn''t want to change the plot much, that''s why he didn''t make many plans for changing many characters'' personalities from the original story. But now that he had planned to save the Uchiha massacre, the complete story would mess up in the future. Like during the Chunin Exams, Sunagakure only attacked Konoha because it had become increasingly weak after the death of all the Uchihas in the village. Now that the Uchihas would remain in this village, including two more S-rank ninjas ¨C Itachi and Shisui, the chances of Sunagakure attacking Konoha on their own would be very slim. Either they would form an alliance with any other village for the attack, or Orochimaru would completely change his plans, both of which would increase the danger level of that attack many times over. That''s why Kaida wanted to increase the chances of Konoha''s survival in the future while reducing the chances of suffering losses to a minimum, and this could only be done by increasing the current strength of Konoha''s shinobi. Well, increasing the number of jonin would not do much at least not in short time. The best way would be to increase the strength of the cream of the crop - ninjas like Kakashi, Might Guy, Shisui, and Itachi - to reach the level of the Sannin, that is, Kage-level. This was Kaida''s plan for the future, and if his plan became successful, then he would be safe in all cases, even if he had civilian-level strength. With ninjas like Shisui protecting him, and Itachi, Kakashi, and Might Guy attacking the enemy, even jinchuriki may face problems harming Konoha and, in turn, Kaida and his family. Not that he was going to stop his training. With his plan in motion, getting the Flying Thunder God Jutsu from Hiruzen would not be very difficult, and after getting that, combining its speed with the Sharingan''s reaction speed, Kaida would easily become one of the most difficult-to-kill S-rank ninjas. Even the likes of Pain and Konan would have problems targeting Kaida, but a single person couldn''t do much, that''s why Kaida was planning to increase the strength of others as well. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shisui could be removed from the plan. He was not considered a once-in-a-century genius without reason. Just by saving his life was enough; the rest could be left on Shisui''s shoulders. With enough time, he may even surpass Jiraiya and Orochimaru. The same goes for Itachi; just by getting a safe environment for training and not having the task of spying on the most dangerous organization in the world, Itachi would become a force more powerful than his anime counterpart. ''That will be exciting.'' Now the two other remaining ninjas, Kakashi and Guy, both of them required some help. Guy, on his own, was just an elite Jonin. It was not a weak strength from any angle, but if he opened his inner gates, then he would easily become an S-rank ninja. Not to mention the Eighth Inner Gate, that would make him the strongest person on Earth for some minutes, but that is where his weakness lies. Guy couldn''t go around opening his inner gates all the time when the village faced any problem because for getting so much power, he had to pay a steep price too. His body gets damaged every time Guy opened the Fifth Inner Gate, with the damage increasing with each additional gate. Though there was not much Kaida could do to help Might Guy at the moment, just imagine a jonin going to an elite Jonin saying that he could increase his strength to Kage-level. Might Guy may be a bit simple in nature, but he was by no means a fool. No fool can ever become an elite jonin in the ninja world. But there is another person on the list who very much needed help at the moment, the most dark moment of his life was at this moment. Yes, I am talking about the burned genius of Konoha, the son of the White Fang and student of the Yellow Flash, the person who was considered a once-in-a-century genius of Konoha. Also, the person who was able to make an S-rank jutsu without even being an elite jonin at that moment, the person who used the Sharingan better than many Uchihas and became famous all over the ninja world for that. The person who was considered a Hokage candidate, and the list goes on. Kakashi Hatake Kakashi could have single-handedly become powerful enough to overcome the humungous achievements of his father and teacher. But after the death of his father, he took a blow to his motivation to train, and after the ''death'' of his friend and partner, Obito, once again, his mentality took a hit. Before he could overcome that, he himself had to kill his other partner, followed by the death of his sensei/father figure, he mostly lost all motivation in his life and went on a killing spree while completing Anbu missions to forget about the pain. "Everyone you''re talking about has already been killed." This was a line said by Kakashi, and when he said this with his famous eye-smile, every reader of the manga or watcher of the anime could clearly feel the depth of pain in Kakashi''s heart. That''s why Kaida thought of him as the burned genius of Konoha who could not achieve his full potential in the story and still contribute quite a bit in the final fight against Obito, Madara, and even Kaguya. Now just imagine what would happen when he achieved his full potential. He would be a much more terrifying ninja than any Kage at the moment, Onoki included. And now Kaida wanted to do so, but the problem was how. There were thousands of things Kaida could use against Kakashi at the moment to make him go back to train like a crazy maniac, but the problem was how would he show the base of his knowledge? Like he could use Naruto to motivate Kakashi as the son of his Sensei. There was still some relation between them. But what would Kaida tell if someone asked how Kaida knew Naruto''s identity, as that was supposed to be ''hidden'' from everyone by Hiruzen? These were the thoughts going in Kaida''s mind when he heard a conversation in the hall. Which the opportunity he was waiting for. "What happened, Mikoto? Why are you so sad?" Hae asked. "Hae, you remember Kushina, right?" "Yes, how would I forget such a cheerful lady? I also miss her," Hae said, thinking that Mikoto was missing her old friend. "She had a baby, who has now become a political tool in Konoha. The boy whose parents died protecting our village is living a miserable life. He is around the same age as my Sasuke, but he has not eaten a full meal for a week. I used to provide him with some food from time to time, but lately, the ninja keeping an eye on him has become very vigilant. They don''t allow anyone to go near him." Mikoto said sobbing a little "Are they still humans? How could they do something like that to a child?" Hae said with a shaking voice. (A.N: Please tell me how was this chapter ^~^ ) Chapter 173: What do you take me for "She had a baby, who has now become a political tool in Konoha. The boy whose parents died protecting our village is living a miserable life. He is around the same age as my Sasuke, but he has not eaten a full meal for a week. I used to provide him with some food from time to time, but lately, the ninja keeping an eye on him has become very vigilant. They don''t allow anyone to go near him." Mikoto said, sobbing a little. "Are they still humans? How could they do something like that to a child?" Hae said with a shaking voice. Both of them continued their discussion, but Kaida was too happy to continue listening to that, like any other fan. How could he not know the condition Naruto was living in? The food was as much a luxury for him as anything else. Due to that, he had to learn how to catch fish, taught by Hiruzen himself. ''She had a baby, who has now become a political tool in Konoha. The boy whose parents died protecting our village is living a miserable life. He is around the same age as my Sasuke, but he has not eaten a full meal for a week. I used to provide him with some food from time to time, but lately, the ninja keeping an eye on him has become very vigilant. They don''t allow anyone to go near him.'' Mikoto said, sobbing a little. Kaida couldn''t help but think, ''How could a kid Naruto''s age, whose parents had sacrificed everything to protect the village, not be given proper food and care? The treatment he was getting was shameful.'' Both Mikoto and Hae continued their discussion, but Kaida was too happy to continue listening to that, like any other fan. How could he not know Naruto''s condition? The food was as much a luxury for him as anything else. Due to that, he had to learn how to catch fish, taught by Hiruzen himself. In Kaida''s previous life, many people speculated why Hiruzen never helped Naruto. With theories like, he was Hokage and was too busy to care about Naruto, then how the hell could he have time to teach a kid how to fish? So people speculated that he did that so that by going through such hardship, Naruto would become strong. Such people may have had a screw or two loose in their head. Keeping a 3-4 year old boy hungry was by no means training. It would just stunt his growth, with many physical disadvantages in the future. If not for his high chakra reserves, Naruto may have died from malnutrition. Though chances were that someone may have saved him at a critical moment and got a jinchuriki in their hands. The reason Kaida had not done anything for Naruto was that Naruto was the person who had the most Root ninja spying on him. Going anywhere near him, while being an Uchiha, would be almost like putting a target on his back. But now that the plan against Root was already in motion, Kaida would have more freedom in the future to do things. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now with an excuse for the knowledge about Naruto''s real identity, Kaida could finally take action. That''s why he wanted to see Shisui as soon as he could, so that he could plan things in a better way. ...... "Brother, do you know about Kakashi Hatake?" Kaida asked. "Who doesn''t know him? Wait, are you planning on recruiting him into our clan?" Shisui asked with a slightly shocked expression on his face. "Not in our clan, I know even though he is the last member of his clan, there is no way he would leave the Hatake clan and join the Uchiha clan. But that doesn''t mean that the Hatake and Uchiha clans can''t be allies, right?" Kaida asked. Shisui nodded his head and then asked, "But how are you planning on getting him to help us, since we actually had kind of bad blood among us?" "Bad blood?" "Well, since he had the Sharingan of our clan, our elders tried to take it back from him instead, and only by letting us read his memory was he allowed to keep that Sharingan," Shisui said, laughing awkwardly. "Our clan tried to make an enemy out of a genius ninja why?" Kaida asked. "Do you know how many geniuses die an early death in our world? The elders thought that Kakashi would be like them, but now even they regret their decision," Shisui said, shaking his head. "Don''t worry, brother. I am sure he will understand that we had our reasons to do that," Kaida said, knowing full well that Kakashi didn''t have any ill feelings towards the Uchiha, otherwise he wouldn''t have taught Sasuke his signature jutsu in the anime. "I hope so, so how are you trying to make him our ally?" Shisui asked. "I heard a talk between Aunt Hae and Aunt Mikoto. They were talking about a boy named Naruto, he is the son of the Fourth Hokage," Kaida said. "Nope, don''t even think about using that boy. That will not only be morally incorrect but will also be an extremely foolish decision. The number of ninja watching over him is more than 10, most of them are Jonin too," Shisui said. ''Danzo doesn''t want to take any risks, huh! Well, with the treatment Naruto was getting, there should have been another Nine-Tails rampage in Konoha. This should be one of Danzo''s concerns, with the fact that no one from the village should get close to Naruto.'' Kaida thought. "I''m not planning on doing anything to him, brother. What do you take me for? I heard how he was being mistreated in the village, which deeply affected Aunt Mikoto. And since Naruto was Kakashi''s sensei''s son, he too should be troubled by his living condition, with how bad they are. The reason behind that had to be Danzo. I''m planning on using our attack against Danzo to increase comfort in Naruto''s life a little and using that as an excuse for allying with Kakashi." "That''s why you was in such a hurry, huh!" Shisui understood what Kaida was planning and continued, "Okay, I will go check if Kakashi is in the village or not. If he is, I will call him for a meeting in a restaurant." "A restaurant, not in the Uchiha clan. Also, I will meet him alone," Kaida said. "Why?" "He may get intimidated seeing you in the meeting. Also, if by chance he doesn''t want to come for the meeting, tell him that it is about his sensei''s son," Kaida said. "Okay, also are you feeling well now?" Shisui asked, remembering the burden Kaida''s mind has faced recently. "Yes, brother, not just well, I am feeling awesome brother, sharingan is really awesome," Kaida said with an ear-to-ear smile. Obviously, the Sharingan was awesome, and the 3 tomoe was on another level. There was a reason a ninja with the 3 tomoe Sharingan was considered to be a jonin level ninja in Konoha. Not only did it help increase a ninja''s mental capabilities, but it also had one more benefit. When a ninja evolved his Sharingan to the 3 tomoe Sharingan, his base chakra reserve at that moment got increased by 2.5 times the original amount. Normally it didn''t make a huge difference for an Uchiha since they didn''t have a high amount of base chakra reserves, but the condition becomes totally different when you have high amounts of chakra like Kaida did. "Fine then, I will go and check on Kakashi," Shisui said and went out of the room. Chapter 174: first meeting (Kakashi) "Fine then, I will go and check on Kakashi," Shisui said and went out of the room. After Shisui left, Kaida began thinking about the best way to approach Kakashi. He knew gaining Kakashi''s trust would not be easy, especially given the Uchiha clan''s history with him. However, Kaida was determined to make him his ally as soon as possible, even if he had to use Naruto''s mistreatment as a way to find common ground. ''Kakashi may have issues with the Uchiha, but he can''t possibly ignore the misery of his sensei''s son,'' Kaida thought. ''If I can convince him that I want to help Naruto, that I''m disgusted by how he''s been treated, then maybe he''ll be willing to hear me out.'' Kaida spent the next few hours going over different conversation scenarios in his head. With the additional mental capacity provided by his 3 tomoe sharingan, Kaida''s mind was working better than normal, like a regular car modified into a racing car. He used that enhanced processing power while trying to anticipate Kakashi''s potential reactions and responses. He knew he''d have to tread carefully, as Kakashi was one of the smartest characters in the anime and would not be fooled easily. That''s why Kaida was not planning on lying to him extensively, following the simple principle of ''The best lie contains an element of truth.'' This was his plan for the meeting, and one thing he was sure about was that no matter how much he prepared, the end result would be quite different, and he would have to make many changes on the day. When Shisui returned after 1 hour, he informed Kaida that Kakashi was indeed in the village and had agreed to meet, albeit reluctantly. "He didn''t seem too enthused about it..." Shisui said with a pause, trying to build suspense, but seeing no change in Kaida''s expression, he clicked his tongue and continued, "But mentioning it involved the Fourth Hokage''s son piqued his interest enough to say yes. He asked you to meet him at the restaurant near the Hatake clan compound at 4 PM." "Okay brother, what are you going to do now?" Kaida asked. "Obviously, I am going to escort you to that restaurant. The village is almost at its boiling point. I don''t want to take any risk with your safety, especially when you are going out of the clan''s compound. Also, you can complete this meeting in 2 hours, right?" Shisui asked. "Yeah, but why?" "Oh, I managed to get the clan head to come to our bathhouse today for a trial. Since we would need to make some preparations for the bathhouse, we would need to come back by 6 PM so that by 8, all the preparations are done." "Wow brother, how did you accomplish something so impressive?" "Talent. Now focus on one thing at a time. After your meeting is done, we will talk about the bathhouse," Shisui said. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "No need, brother," Kaida said and quickly made a shadow clone with 30 percent of his chakra. Even though the clone only contained 30 percent of Kaida''s chakra, it was almost the same amount as many jonins. With this much chakra, sustaining the shadow clone for 1-2 days was no problem at all, though the mental burden when he would get those memories would be quite a lot. For this reason, Kaida had never done something like that until now. "Fine," Shisui said and also made a shadow clone, but it only contained half the amount of chakra compared to Kaida''s clone. Seeing the questioning look in Kaida''s eyes, Shisui said, "It''s not like the clones are going to fight. No one is stupid enough to attack me in the Uchiha compound. No one." "Okay, brother," Kaida nodded. So while his and Shisui''s clones were discussing and planning about the bathhouse, Kaida prepared to head out for the meeting. Before half an hour from the time of the meeting, Kaida went over his mental preparations once more, refining his approach. Finally, it was time to head out. With Shisui by his side, the two made their way across the village towards the designated restaurant near the Hatake compound. When they were 100 meters away from the restaurant, Shisui said, "Okay, since you want to talk to him alone, I will be staying here. If anything happens, don''t forget to send a signal, and this time, the moment you sense something is off, you will send the signal. Am I clear?" "Yes, sir," Kaida said while bowing respectfully like a soldier in front of his senior. Shisui smiled and patted Kaida''s shoulder. "Go." Upon arrival, Kaida took a calming breath before entering. He spotted Kakashi''s unmistakable silver hair, one dark black eye visible while the other was covered with a headband, and the famous mask covering his face until his nose, almost immediately in one of the corner booths. As expected, the jonin had chosen a location that gave him sightlines on all exits - the hallmark of an ever-vigilant shinobi. Kaida made the best possible smile he could while suppressing his excitement at meeting Kakashi in real life. "Kakashi Hatake," Kaida greeted calmly. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."The jonin''s single visible eye narrowed slightly. "I''m only here because you mentioned this having to do with Minato-sensei''s son. Out with it - what''s this about?" ''Yup, this version of him is not the cold and collected one we saw in the anime. Until now, he is still not mentally stable enough, that''s why Danzo was able to control him until now,'' Kaida thought, listening to Kakashi''s reply. While maintaining the smile on his face, Kaida sat on the chair in front of Kakashi. While sitting, Kaida thought, ''Now that I''m looking closely, he is not that strong at the moment. Well, he still has 8-10 years to increase his strength before he becomes the sensei of Naruto and the gang. Even though he doesn''t train enough, since he possesses such monstrous talent, getting an elite jonin rank even without being serious is not difficult for him.'' Kaida mentally clicked his tongue in annoyance. ''Some people have everything others would kill for and still don''t care about it,'' Kaida thought, remembering how difficult it was for him to get to this level of strength, and this boy in front of him became a jonin even without giving his best. Life is totally unfair. But without any change in his facial muscles, keeping his expression earnest, Kaida sat down. ''Here we go...'' Chapter 175: Shattered Illusion Kaida mentally clicked his tongue in annoyance. ''Some people have everything others would kill for and still don''t care about it,'' Kaida thought, remembering how difficult it was for him to get to this level of strength, and this boy in front of him became a Jonin even without giving his best. Life is totally unfair. But without any change in his facial muscles, keeping his expression earnest, Kaida sat down. ''Here we go...'' "I am thrilled to see that you will take your precious time out for your sensei''s son," Kaida said, but this time, the smile on his face looked obviously fake. "I don''t have time for silly games. If you have something important to say, say it now, or I am leaving," Kakashi replied. "Oh! I don''t have anything important to say. I was just curious why a genius who cherished his companions so much that their loss made him lose all his motivation, will not take care of his Sensei''s most precious memory. But now that I''m seeing your condition, I can see that you are in no condition to help him. It looks like I will have to take it into my own hands to help that boy," Kaida said, and even the fake smile vanished from his face. "ARE YOU TRYING TO USE HIM FOR YOUR PLANS?" Kakashi said, his tone becoming ice-cold. "HAHAHA, do you think if I wanted to make use of him, I would come to you to talk about how miserable his life is? No, I would make his life miserable from the shadows, and then when he is at his lowest point, I would swoop in. ''WOW, now I have the most powerful weapon of our village in my hands.'' Does this ring a bell?" Kaida asked. At first, Kakashi was really angry, of course, not to the extent he had shown. Seeing the other party was trying to make him angry, he just decided to go with the flow. But after listening to Kaida''s reply, Kakashi went silent, his mind started working overtime. It is not like he was an idiot; he got that the village was not treating Naruto well, but since his security was maintained all the time, Kakashi just thought that the villagers ware also sad about the death of their loved ones, just like him. When you are going through so much, it is easier to miss out on little details, like how difficult it would have been for Konoha higher ups to hide about Naruto being a Jinchuriki or giving him better living conditions. All of this just doesn''t make sense unless someone was really trying to do what Kaida just said. Since the Hokage can easily adopt Naruto, the chances of him doing this were slim. The only person in Konoha who could make use of the Hokage''s name in doing something like that was... Kakashi''s eyes went wide after thinking of the reason and the person behind all this. (A.N: Whenever someone tried to help Naruto, ''Anbu'' Ninjas would stop them from doing so at the ''Hokage''s'' order) Seeing Kakashi''s shocked expression, Kaida understood that Kakashi had got the clear picture of what was happening in Konoha. "It looks like you get what is happening. This was the reason why I wanted to meet you, but this meeting was nothing but an utter disappointment. I should just leave," Kaida sighed. "What do you mean?" Kakashi was actually surprised at the moment. The boy in front of him casually shared so much information with him, and now he just wanted to leave without even discussing the reason behind the meeting. "The reason I wanted to meet you is because I had heard many things about you, like the once-in-a-century genius, the most talented student of the Fourth Hokage, and all. But now that I am seeing your real strength, it is not that impressive, at least not at a level where you could do anything," Kaida said after shaking his head in disappointment. "Hey kid, what do you mean by that? Do you think I am not strong enough, really?" Kakashi asked. With his Chidori, an S-rank jutsu, and the reaction speed of the Sharingan, Kakashi''s attack power even exceeded many elite jonins at the moment, so strength was something Kakashi was not lacking at all. But when he said that, his eyes went wide as the scene in front of him changed. Mainly, the boy standing in front of him vanished, and a kunai appeared on his neck, but in the next second, the boy once again appeared in front of him. However, there was a little scratch mark on his neck, indicating that he could have lost his life at that moment. Which was far from the truth. The only reason Kaida could put Kakashi in a genjutsu was that he had the 3 tomoe Sharingan, and Kakashi''s mind was still a little unstable after processing such unusual information about Naruto''s condition. Also, Kaida had not a shred of killing intent in his attack; otherwise, his chest may have had a hole, and his heart could have been lying in Kakashi''s hands. There was ever a slight electric flicker on Kakashi''s hand when Kaida placed his kunai at Kakashi''s neck, which is why he used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Kakashi as soon as he proved his point. "See, I am at least 8-9 years Younger than you, and still, I could deal with you. That is not the level of strength you would expect from a once-in-a-century genius. There is literally nothing you could do to help Naruto, the last hope of your sensei, why? Because you are stuck in your past and can''t focus on training, sigh," Kaida sighed. "Why do you want to help Naruto?" Kakashi asked the most important question on his mind, totally ignoring the fact that a brat was insulting his strength. "I am Shisui Uchiha''s younger brother. My parents died during the Nine-Tails attack, and if not for the Fourth Lord, I may have died on that day too. He and his wife sacrificed their lives for the village. I could bet that their last thought while dying was that at least the village would take care of their son, the village for which they gave their lives. I lived as an orphan for quite some time. I know what kind of lives orphans live, and Naruto is living a worse life than even a normal orphan, just so that a schemer can get his hands on a very powerful weapon. And the person who could do this to a savior''s only child should not have that kind of power; otherwise, there will be no more peace that every ninja in our village died protecting," Kaida said. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kakashi once again began thinking about how he lost his father, his teammates, his sensei, and many others during the war, just so that peace could remain in Konoha. "What are you planning to do? You know that I could help you with many things, right?" Kakashi said with a fully serious tone. ''BULLSEYE,'' Kaida cheered in his mind. Chapter 176: Rekindling the Flames ''BULLSEYE,'' Kaida cheered in his mind. There was a reason Kaida was a little aggressive from the start during the meeting. Kakashi was a genius, that everyone knew. So what do you think would have happened when he stopped training and increasing his strength due to the loss of his loved ones? Yes, many people all over Konoha would have given him advice on how to cope with the loss and how to move on. But he was not able to do that, and there were two reasons for that. The first one lies in the same line: ''Everyone you''re talking about has already been killed.'' He simply thinks that since all his loved ones are already dead, what does increasing his strength will achieve? It is not like he could save them now. The second reason being that he had already achieved every much a final goal of many ninjas, that is attaining Jonin-level strength. The rank too is around the corner, that''s why he never did anything to increase his strength anymore. At least these were the reasons Kaida could think of, that''s why his plan was simple: give Kakashi two new reasons to once again work hard to increase his strength. And these two reasons should counter his other two reasons for not doing any exercise. 1st reason: Naruto, his sensei''s son, may need his help. So now Kakashi will not be alone; he will have the responsibility of protecting his sensei''s child, who is a jinchuriki and is at constant risk even inside the village. 2nd reason, which Kaida gave to Kakashi, was hurting his ego a little. Just imagine you are a boy who everyone considers a genius, who had achieved something that many twice, even thrice your age, may not achieve even by practicing hard (Jonin-level strength). There is bound to be an ego inside you, especially when you are still in your teenage years. Kaida used that and showed Kakashi that an unknown Uchiha child, who is almost 8-9 years younger, is more powerful than him (Showed, not proved). With this, Kakashi will know that he is not as powerful as he thought he was, and he will need to increase his strength in the future. Why? So that he could protect his sensei''s son from both external and internal threats. ...... "What are you planning to do? You know that I could help you with many things, right?" Kakashi said with a fully serious tone. "Of course, that''s why I came to you, but now that we have actually met, I don''t think further discussion is necessary. I wanted your strength also your support on helping Naruto, but it looks like I have to do it on my own," Kaida said. "You can stop this facade. If you actually believed what you are saying, then you would have left without saying this rubbish," Kakashi said. ''That''s Kakashi for you,'' Kaida thought and then smiled, but this time it was a real smile. "At least you are smart. Okay, I will tell you the full plan, but you have to insert your chakra into this seal," Kaida said, taking out a paper from his pocket. "Let''s take this discussion somewhere else," Kakashi said since they were in a restaurant, which by no means a safe place to discuss these types of things. Kaida nodded his head with a smile. This was the reason Kaida had chosen the restaurant for the discussion because it would easily specify whether Kakashi was interested in the talk or not. "Let''s go to my house," Kakashi said. "I''m not into boys, sorry," Kaida said while raising his head. With a vein bulging on his forehead, Kakashi said, "I don''t think it is time for jokes." "Okay, I''m sorry," Kaida said and followed Kakashi to his house, only to find Guy waiting for Kakashi in front of his house. "Yo! Kakashi, how are you?" Might Guy said as soon as he saw Kakashi, but seeing the extra serious look on Kakashi''s face and Kaida accompanying him, Guy also changed his goofy behavior and became serious. "Are you in any problem, Kakashi?" Guy said, standing in his position with the same stance he was standing in before. But suddenly, Kaida felt that he was in danger. The back of his neck got a little wet from the sweat, even though there was a distance of 20 meters between him and Guy. For him, it felt like a punch was just a few millimeters away from his face. "No, Guy, I have to discuss something with him," Kakashi said with a calm voice, and suddenly, all the pressure Kaida was feeling vanished. ''I am sure that in ninjutsu, kenjutsu, and genjutsu, I am above Guy, but the problem is his taijutsu skills are so developed that I instinctively felt danger from him. I am hundred percent sure that in an actual fight, Guy can wipe the floor with my face if he becomes serious and opens even three out of eight inner gates,'' Kaida thought. "Who are you, boy? I don''t remember seeing you in the village." "Yeah, I am just a newly promoted genin. My name is Kaida Uchiha, and I am currently doing my specialization on medical jutsu at the Konoha hospital," Kaida introduced himself. Guy nodded his head, hearing Kaida''s introduction and deducing that he was not a threat since he had heard about a young Uchiha who is doing quite well in the hospital. But one thing about Kaida''s introduction bugged him: ''A newly promoted genin and already possesses this level of strength.'' But stopping his thought, he looked toward Kakashi and asked, "Okay, then can I also join you guys in the discussion?" Kakashi gave this idea a thought but then shook his head, saying, "No, Guy, if I need your help, then I will directly come to you." Guy looked at both Kakashi and Kaida for some time, then said, "Okay, try to complete whatever you are on to. Our challenge was not completed last time; we have to start that once again." "Okay," Kakashi said with his eye smile. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Guy nodded toward Kaida and then left toward a Training area to continue his training. Kakashi looked toward Kaida and said, "You were unusually respectful towards him but not towards me. Why?" Kakashi had easily sensed that Kaida was more respectful towards Guy. "When he became serious for a second, I was sure that if he attacked me, my only choice would have been to flee, not fight. Since I was able to sense his strength, I had to give him the respect," Kaida said, shrugging his shoulders. "What about me? I am pretty sure my and his strength are at a similar level," Kakashi asked. "It is not that you are weak or something, but from the rumors I had heard about you, you were not that impressive. That''s why I was a little rude at that time," Kaida replied. "No problem, let''s continue. We have more important things to discuss." And both Kakashi and Kaida went inside the Hatake compound. Well, calling it a compound would be an overstatement since Kakashi was the last member of his clan. Most of his compound had been used for other purposes by the village. Kakashi was getting a monthly rent for that property. Chapter 177: Making plan full proof Kakashi led Kaida through the living quarters that made up the remaining Hatake compound. It was clear the place had seen better days, with an air of melancholy hanging over the slightly dilapidated buildings. But looking at the various buildings, Kaida could conclude that this clan used to be a really powerful one at the time of its peak. Since we know only about 2 members of the Hatake clan, and both of them - the White Fang (Kakashi''s father) and Kakashi - are proof that this clan had a lot of potential to rival bigger clans like the Senju and Uchiha, maybe that''s why their clan has been reduced to this state. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Once they were inside Kakashi''s private residence, Kakashi turned to Kaida. "Alright, we''re alone now. Explain to me exactly what you''re talking about the plan of helping Naruto." Kaida nodded and took out the paper again. "What is that?" Kakashi asked. "What I am about to tell you must not be leaked, that''s why we will both pass our chakra into this seal. It was made by a fuinjutsu grandmaster and will confirm that our conversation will not be leaked." "And what if one of us leaks our discussion?" Kakashi asked. "Our ability to wield chakra will be lost, and we will feel the gut-wrenching pain," Kaida said while passing his chakra into the seal. Kakashi looked at the seal for some time. Since he was not even a fuinjutsu master, there was no chance that he could understand that seal, but seeing Kaida passing his chakra into it, he also passed his chakra. He didn''t know why, but Kakashi could feel that he could trust this person. There was not a hint of jealousy in Kaida''s eyes, but rather excitement, so Kakashi subconsciously let his guard down. Luckily for him, Kaida didn''t plan to take advantage of this opportunity. After passing his chakra, he looked at Kakashi and said, "Can we continue now?" Kaida nodded solemnly. "To start, have you noticed anything unusual about how the village treats Naruto? Beyond just ignoring or resenting him for being the Nine-Tails jinchuriki?" Kakashi''s eye narrowed as he considered this. "Now that you mention it, there have been a few strange incidents over the years. Caretakers being abruptly reassigned, supplies going missing, that sort of thing. I chalked it up to human error or sabotage by those blinded by hatred towards him being a jinchuriki." Kaida stated grimly, "That may have been the case, even if those people sabotage the supplies assigned to a 4-year-old boy due to hatred. Lord Third and others should be aware of that, right? He should have assigned Anbu to provide necessities like food and clothes, but he never did anything like that." Kakashi''s face showed anger as he said, "Who could be behind something like that? And why?" But by now, he had already guessed who was behind this. "Think about it, Kakashi. Who in this village has the authority and connections to orchestrate such a widespread conspiracy? And who might view an incredibly powerful jinchuriki like Naruto as a potential weapon to be controlled?" Realization dawned on Kakashi''s face. "Danzo..." Kaida nodded grimly. "From what I''ve pieced together, Danzo aims to completely break Naruto''s spirit and support system. Once he is isolated and dependent, Danzo will likely attempt to manipulate him into becoming a powerful weapon solely under Root''s control." Kakashi felt a surge of anger and protectiveness rise within him at Kaida''s words. To think that Danzo would stoop so low as to deliberately make Naruto''s childhood a living hell, all to try to gain control over the Nine-Tails'' power - it was sickening. "That cannot be allowed to continue," Kakashi stated, his voice hard. "Naruto is the legacy of the Fourth Hokage, my sensei. But I also know that I can''t do anything against him at the moment." Kaida nodded solemnly. "I know that since Danzo has the full support of Lord Third, it is very difficult for anyone in Konoha to go against him. But our clan has taken too many hits from his schemes to not do anything, that''s why tomorrow we are going to launch a full-scale political attack against him." Kakashi said, "There is nothing new in that. In the last 4-5 years, many clans have raised many complaints against him, and the only punishment he got from those complaints was a vacation of 1-2 weeks. Why do you think that this time it will be different?" "Because when I said ''full scale'', I meant it. There will be no going back in that attack. We have already allied with most of the major clans. Due to the nature of Danzo''s work, he has made many enemies both outside and inside the village," Kaida said. "If you were so sure, why did you come to me for help?" Kakashi asked. "Because even with this much preparation, I am sure that the punishment Danzo will get will be mostly a 6-month vacation, which is not enough. I want to at least take his power away from him," Kaida said. Though in his mind, he knew that with Kotoamatsukami in play, Danzo''s downfall was just around the corner, but there was no reason for Kaida to tell Kakashi about that. He just continued, "And for that, I need your help," Kaida said. "Which help could I provide you?" Kakashi asked. "You worked in Root for some time, right?" "Yes." "I want to know the location of some of the Root headquarters where they are conducting experiments on Konoha''s ninjas," Kaida said. "They''re doing what?" Kakashi asked, shocked. "Are you saying that you worked for Root and don''t even know this?" Kaida asked, genuinely shocked this time. "Even though I worked in Root, I was never a part of it, so Danzo never put his seal on my head. Since that seal is one of the reasons Root ninjas can''t disclose any secrets, and I don''t have that seal, I was never told any secrets and only given elimination missions," Kakashi explained. "Well, you should still know about some of the Root bases where they do experiments, right?" Kaida asked. "Only one. It is near the Konoha hospital. I was once assigned to guard some scientists from that base to the Fire Capital, but I''m not sure that this is the base you''re looking for," Kakashi said. "That''s fine. I''ll figure it out. Is there any other base where such acts may happen?" Kaida asked. "Does Lord Third know about this?" Kakashi asked after thinking for some time. "It would be a shame if he didn''t even know what Danzo had done to Konoha''s shinobi. That would just confirm that he is not fit to continue being the Hokage. I''m pretty sure that he knows about this, but he just turned a blind eye to it," Kaida said. "If that''s the case, then there may be two more bases where such things could happen. Those bases would require a huge amount of funding, which must be for continuing the research," Kakashi said. Chapter 178: Seeds of change "If that''s the case, then there may be two more bases where such things could happen. Those bases would require a huge amount of funding, which must be for continuing the research," Kakashi said. "Okay, give me the locations of those two bases as well. With these three bases, I am sure that we can gather substantial evidence against Danzo," Kaida said. "How sure are you about this?" Kakashi asked. "If we are talking about removing Danzo from his position for 1-2 years, then I am 100% sure. However, if you want him to resign from his position, that will be difficult; the chances are around 30%. But just getting him removed for 2 years will be enough for us. We can plan something better in that time. These were the possibilities when I didn''t know about those three bases. Now, the chances of increasing the punishment will increase," Kaida said. Kakashi nodded his head. "Last question: what do you want to do with Naruto after this?" "Nice question. Do you know that Aunt Mikoto and Aunt Kushina were friends? So, she wants to help Naruto. I can promise you that we will not use Naruto as a weapon. Also, truthfully speaking, we don''t need Naruto to increase our power. We, the Uchiha, have the most number of Jonin and elite Jonin among other clans. Maybe the Hyuga will come close, but no one else. Then, if we count my brother and Fugaku-sama, who can go toe-to-toe against most of the higher-ups, we already have enough power. However, I know that others will not easily agree with this condition, so I will look into something else. But one thing is for sure, his living conditions will improve," Kaida said. "Can I take him under my care? I am sure other clans will not react badly since the Hatake clan is now just a shell of what it used to be, so they will not face a problem of one clan breaking the power balance of Konoha," Kakashi said. ''Brother Shisui, Itachi, Sasuke, Fugaku, and me ¨C the power balance is bound to break in the future, but we still have some time to reach that stage,'' Kaida thought. Then he went back to the question Kakashi asked. "I am sorry, Kakashi. You alone would not be enough. Naruto now possesses power which makes him a target of all enemy villages, including the fact that Naruto will need a parental figure since he is still four years old. You make a bad choice for that role. Since you have still not sorted out your feelings, once you do that, you can take Naruto with you. Until then, let''s think of something else," Kaida said. Kakashi''s eye narrowed as Kaida mentioned being unable to take Naruto under his care for now. "Don''t jerk me around on this, Kaida. That boy is all I have left of my sensei." He slammed his fist on the table. "I won''t let him be treated like a weapon or worse by anyone, even your clan." Now that Kakashi had gotten a picture of what was happening with Naruto, he wanted to stop that. Kaida met Kakashi''s intense gaze steadily. "And we won''t. You have my word on that, Kakashi. But you''re in no position to be a father to him yet." His eyes flicked up and down Kakashi''s disheveled appearance. "I''m not trying to insult you. We''re the same in that regard - both wanting to help Naruto." His expression softened slightly. "Once you''ve found your purpose again, then we can revisit this. But protecting Naruto''s safety and raising him properly has to come first." Kakashi stared at him hard for a long moment, then gave a curt nod. "Fine. Just...keep me updated, like you said." He turned and strode out, his form tense. Kaida watched him go, jaw clenched as he fought his own rising emotions. "That''s a promise," he murmured. ''That was a successful meeting. Now that Kakashi and I are acquainted, I can further increase our friendship and his strength steadily,'' Kaida thought. "You took your sweet time in that meeting, huh?" Shisui said, appearing in front of him using the Body Flicker Jutsu. "I got something interesting from that meeting, so the time was worth it," Kaida said, grinning. "What is this interesting thing you got?" Shisui asked. "I will tell you about that after we complete our second task," Kaida said. "Right, let''s go and check if the preparations are complete or not," Shisui said, and both of them used a movement jutsu to go toward the bathhouse. After reaching the Uchiha compound, both of them stopped. "So, now do you mind telling me?" Shisui asked. "Yes, brother, I found out about three Root bases in Konoha where they are researching, most likely on the stolen bodies of enemies and allies. We can use that against him during the meeting," Kaida said. "What are the chances that those bases are just a fake lead?" Shisui asked. "Very low. I don''t think Kakashi will side with Danzo even after knowing Danzo is making his sensei''s son''s life miserable. Also, the plan I am thinking will make it worth taking the risk even if the bases are the wrong ones. But we would need help from someone in the Aburame clan..." Then Kaida told Shisui the full plan he had made after getting the information about the Root bases. Well, he already had the plan; he just made some slight changes to it. "That''s a good plan. I will tell Fugaku-sama about this. Until then, you can go back to Fugaku-sama''s house. Mom is super angry that you are not resting in your room," Shisui said. Kaida nodded his head and went back toward Fugaku''s house. There was no need to worry about the plan since Fugaku had enough political knowledge to keep the Uchiha clan going for decades, even when facing unjust treatment from the village. Now that it was his time to make a move, there was no way he was going to mess this up. Kakashi was sitting in his room, looking at his father''s picture hanging on the wall. ''Father, if you were alive, things would have been different. After losing my teammates, I understand now why you chose your teammates'' lives over the mission,'' Kakashi thought. His mind was still going in a loop, regretting not having any strength when it mattered most, feeling sadness at losing his loved ones over time, and finding motivation to never face this feeling again. "Father, I will try to become just like you," Kakashi said with determination in his voice. This was the time when the once-in-a-century genius began his comeback. Since it was already 6:30, and Fugaku was going to come to the bathhouse at 7 pm, Shisui went to the bathhouse to check if all the preparations were complete or not. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing that one of the pools was ready to use, he sighed in relief. There were still some areas of the bathhouse that were not visible due to all the covers placed during construction, but everything was almost ready. That''s why Shisui and Kaida''s clones were able to prepare a bath in such little time. Kaida''s clone came to Shisui and said, "We have prepared a medicinal bath for physical recovery since I don''t think the clan head would want the bath with enhancing beauty features." "Good job, you can now disperse yourself." After some time, Fugaku came to the bathhouse. Shisui could also sense about five jonin-level ninja following him from the shadows. ''I will tell him about the Root bases after he takes the bath. I am sure once I tell him about that, he will once again pull an all-nighter to make plans,'' Shisui thought and went to Fugaku. "Welcome, Uncle. Please ignore the exterior; we had to stop the construction immediately due to this incident, but the bathhouse is almost ready, and we have already prepared a bath for you. Let me guide you to that." "You are sounding more and more like a businessman. Are you planning on stopping being a ninja and starting to focus on business?" Fugaku asked with a smile. "Not for now, Uncle," Shisui replied. Chapter 179: A random Variable "You are sounding more and more like a businessman. Are you planning on stopping being a ninja and starting to focus on business?" Fugaku asked with a smile. "Not for now, Uncle," Shisui replied. Then Shisui guided Fugaku to the bath that his and Kaida''s clone had prepared. They had arranged the most luxurious pool in the bathhouse for Fugaku. After showing him the location, Shisui came out of the pool and took a seat at the hall in the bathhouse, placing a map on the table in front of him. Fugaku had been working non-stop for 3 days. The fatigue from that hard work hit him like a train when he entered the pool, which contained a highly concentrated mixture of all herbs that would help in physical and mental recovery. ''Hah! This is actually quite good. Maybe I should use this bathhouse occasionally when it officially opens,'' Fugaku thought while all the muscles in his body, along with his brain, relaxed. After taking a short nap in the bath, Fugaku came out, only to find Shisui sitting at the table with a map opened in front of him. "You want to discuss it here?" Fugaku easily understood that Shisui had something important to discuss. "With five Uchiha Jonin guarding this bathhouse, and you and me inside, do you think any spy had the guts to try and spy on this conversation?" Shisui said, raising his eyebrows a little. "Fine, what do you want to discuss?" Fugaku said, sitting in front of Shisui. "Just how amazing my brother is," Shisui said. Fugaku didn''t say anything and waited for Shisui to continue. "Do you remember Kakashi Hatake?" "Of course. If not for those foolish elders, I would have loved to help that boy. He was considered a genius on par with you for a reason," Fugaku said. "Well, he is older than me, so I should be the one compared to him, not the other way around. But that''s not important at the moment. The thing is, my brother was somehow able to rope him in on our side against Danzo, using the living condition of his sensei''s son as a reason," Shisui explained. "How was Kaida able to prove that it was Danzo''s doing?" Fugaku asked. "Nothing fancy. He just used the fact that Kakashi was a genius. He just gave him some clues about who could be behind it all, and Kakashi himself found out that Danzo was behind Naruto''s miserable life. Since it was Kakashi who found out that information himself, there was nothing to prove," Shisui said. Fugaku nodded his head and waited for Shisui to continue. "After roping him in, Kaida proposed a deal. We will somehow let Naruto have better living conditions from now on, and he will provide us the address of the Root bases where the experiments may be happening." Fugaku was visibly happy hearing that. It was a jackpot at the moment. "But since Kakashi was never a true member of Root, he was not allowed to know the deep secrets of Root, like the location of those bases. But being the genius he was, he was able to deduce the actual true location and two most likely locations where these experimental bases of Root may be in Konoha using his memories. That''s why Kaida wants to use the expertise of an Aburame clan member and spy on those three bases, and use them for..." Shisui then began to explain the plan Kaida and he had come up with to Fugaku. "This is a good backup plan, though I would need to make some big preparations and arrange quite a few Jonin. I''m sure it will be worth it. But we would not use this unless the chance of removing Danzo from his position becomes slim, as doing this will reduce the civilian trust in their own village shinobi," Fugaku said. ''Truly a peace-loving leader,'' Shisui thought in his head, as from his experience, Fugaku had left many opportunities to seriously harm Root because it may lead to an all-out war against Danzo. He chose peace over resources many times. But now that Danzo had begun targeting the clan shinobi, the wicked eye Fugaku was going to take charge of things on his own hand, and the peaceful Fugaku was going to take a back seat for some time. ... While Shisui and Fugaku were discussing their backup plan against Danzo, the person the plan was against was not sitting idle at all. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You''re saying that all of the spies in the Uchiha clan are still giving the same report, nothing unusual?" Danzo said after reading the report in front of him, which had been presented an hour ago by the spies. One of the Root ninjas in front of him bowed and said, "Yes, Danzo-sama, but there is an unusual event. I tried to call a spy out to check if he was under some genjutsu, but when he was about to reach the meeting destination, two Jonin suddenly attacked him for being a spy in the Uchiha compound and took him with them. They even tried to look for the Root ninja waiting at the meeting location, but he was able to flee in time." "When did this happen? Why am I only knowing such important information now?" Danzo said, his face visibly a few shades darker. "This incident happened just half an hour ago, Danzo-sama. I had tried to call one more spy out, but apparently, the Uchiha compound is locked until a search for all spies is completed." "I knew it; those bastards from that cursed clan were up to something. There''s no way they wouldn''t do something after that f**king brat came back crying about the attack," Danzo said while his brain went through various plans the Uchihas might have made against him. "There was a report about many clan heads visiting the Uchiha clan, right?" Danzo said. "Yes, sir, it was about a trade for genjutsu scrolls with elemental jutsu scrolls," the Root ninja said, since these types of meetings were quite common, it didn''t ring any danger bell in that ninja''s mind at that moment. But Danzo was different. He knew this couldn''t be a normal meeting. ''Huh, so they''re planning to rile up all of the clans against me, quite a bold move for that peace-loving clan head. There will most likely be a council meeting tomorrow, and I will most likely face some setbacks. Fine, if you want a war, we will have a war,'' Danzo thought, easily getting most of Fugaku''s plan with so little clue. This was the reason many clan heads, including Fugaku, never actually went against Danzo. Aside from having the full support of the Hokage, he was also the best schemer in Konoha or one could say in the Ninja world if you exclude two or three people from the list. After ''understanding'' the Uchiha plan, Danzo turned to the Root ninja and said, "This is an S-rank order. Send the message to all the Jonins under me: target all Uchihas out of the village; none of them should return home tomorrow." Danzo said. Though it would be glaringly obvious that Danzo was behind this incident, no one would be able to put the blame on him, not even Hiruzen, and this would be a perfect message for those red rats and other clan heads not to mess with him again - or so Danzo was thinking. ... Though it was true that Danzo was the best schemer in Konoha and would come up with perfect schemes and solutions for schemes against him after processing all the variables in his hands, this time he got it wrong. It was true that he would make perfect solutions with all of the variables accounted for, but this time he missed one of the most dangerous variables from his calculations - Shisui Uchiha. There was a reason in the anime that Danzo killed Shisui as soon as he knew about his Kotoamatsukami. This was the variable that had the power to fuck all his schemes in the most brutal way possible, which it had done now. He had taken Hiruzen''s blind favor for him for granted in his schemes, which is why he thought he wouldn''t get any punishment and would be able to do anything he wanted after the meeting ended... Chapter 180: Calm Before the Storm He had taken Hiruzen''s blind favor for granted in his schemes. That''s why he thought he wouldn''t get any punishment and would be able to do anything he wanted after the meeting ended. Just like Danzo, Hiruzen also received a report on his table about the meeting of all the clan heads in the Uchiha compound. "They are serious about this, huh. Well, Danzo has crossed the line many times, but this time he has enraged the genius of the Uchiha clan, at least one of them, and threatened the life of the second one. I can easily assume that Shisui, going full-on with the rebelling threat, told Fugaku about doing something about it this time. And I am also at fault here. I have allowed Danzo too many things I shouldn''t have. He has done enough damage to Konoha until now. It seems I have to manage both the light and dark side of Konoha on my own for now until I find someone to take this burden from me." Hiruzen sighed. However, there was a soft spot in his mind for Danzo. Hiruzen still remembered that he was once a teammate, and at least he considered Danzo his teammate. With the contribution Danzo had made in keeping the village peaceful and safe all this time, Hiruzen was not going to give him the death penalty. Even imprisonment would be off the table, considering how many ''loyal'' underlings he had. Just the possibility of them going rogue and selling village secrets to enemy nations was enough to remove any idea of giving Danzo any punishment further than home imprisonment, like Hiruzen did in the anime after the Uchiha massacre. Even when Hiruzen''s mind was under Shisui''s genjutsu to hate Danzo, he still thought of the village before his hate. And when we are talking about hate, it is not a small amount. The dissatisfaction he had towards how Danzo did things was not small, and he would have punished Danzo many times by now if not for his important role in keeping the village safe from the shadows. For that, Danzo had done many questionable things, like killing many civilians of other nations to put the blame on someone else so that their enemy would fight among themselves, and Konoha would get some precious years to build their strength back. The number of innocent people Danzo had killed in his lifetime would have been enough to make a small nation like the Land of Noodles, but Hiruzen knew it was important if they didn''t want all other enemy nations to form an alliance once again and attack Konoha when it was at its weakest. But in recent years, Danzo had gone beyond that, crazily increasing the intensity of training of the Root ninja under him, forcefully recruiting many talented ninja from both Konoha clans and civilian ninja, with the death rate of training being as high as 60 to 70%. Which is what he showed on paper. Hiruzen knew the actual stats were much worse than that. And even doing that didn''t give any massively great result. The ninja who completed their training just became very efficient killing machines, effectively losing their emotions, which severely affected their potential (mostly like Sai). Hiruzen was sure if Danzo had been stopped before, Konoha would have had many more Jonin than they had at the moment. These thoughts already made it difficult for Hiruzen to stop himself from doing anything against Danzo. But since Shisui didn''t know that and thought that since Hiruzen was always in favor of Danzo, he would at least have to make his hatred and dissatisfaction five times stronger to have some effect. Which would have been right, but now it worked wonders since his emotions were now so enhanced. Hiruzen started making plans to effectively remove Danzo from his position and make it so that they would not face any consequences from this. Since Danzo was investing all of his focus and resources on finding the Uchihas'' next move, he wasn''t able to sense his impending doom. With Hiruzen, the Uchiha, and other clans planning on attacking him head-on, the chances of Danzo turning the tables in his favor in tomorrow''s meeting were close to none. Since Hiruzen knew that he had one last night before the Uchiha initiated a council meeting to raise their complaints, Hiruzen was making sure that all of the preparations from his side were complete. Luckily for the Uchiha, there was no major change in his behavior, so others may not guess that something other than a simple complaint was behind Hiruzen''s actions, but there was no way they would be able to find out what, no matter how much they tried. ... After listening and improving Kaida''s plan on how to use those Root base locations, Fugaku said, "This is a very important role, that''s why I am giving you all the responsibility and power. Go to the Aburame clan head and ask for his help. With this seal, you would represent me. Make him move his best ninja for information gathering, heck, move him if you have to. We have to find out what is in those bases. Also, your top-most priority will be to not get detected at any cost." Fugaku said. "Don''t worry, Fugaku-sama. I will make sure everything happens as planned. I am sure Danzo would be keeping tight eyes on us by now, but there is little he could do to change anything now." Shisui said with a smile and then left using the Body Flicker Jutsu. Time was of the essence. He directly went to the Aburame clan headquarters, which was much smaller than the Uchiha''s but the surveillance of that headquarters was top-notch. Shisui could easily sense that there were thousands of bugs all around the vicinity of the headquarters, and all of them contained a little amount of chakra. Since Shisui appeared all of a sudden, all of the bugs in the surrounding became active and ready to attack at a moment''s notice. But after a second, a chakra wave was released from the Aburame clan''s head office, and all of the bugs once again became docile. "Great," Shisui said and made his way to the reception, but before he could ask anything, the receptionist said, "The clan head is waiting for you in his office." Shisui looked at the bug on the table in front of the receptionist and understood that Shibi Aburame, the clan head of the Aburame clan, already knew about his arrival and was waiting for him. "Okay," he said and made his way toward Shibi''s office. "Come in," came a serious voice, a voice that contained the authority and seriousness of a leader. "Good evening, Shibi-sama. I am sorry I have to come here in such a hurry, but we are in urgent need of your help," Shisui said. "I already guessed that much, boy. As I had already promised your clan head, I am going to fully support you, so tell me what you need," Shibi said. Shisui nodded and began telling all the details about the locations of Root they got, to what they expected to find on those bases. "How sure are you about this information?" Shibi asked. "Almost 80%, but the only doubt we have is that they are normal bases and not bases where Root is doing experimentation. There is no chance of any trap," Shisui said. "Fine, I will personally join you. There is no one better than me for this job," Shibi said. "That would be really helpful. We would never forget this," Shisui said while bowing a little. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 181: Aburame-Uchiha Alliance "Don''t worry, boy. I am actually doing it for myself. If what you and your clan head said is true, that any other ninja I send with you may see something they should never see," Shibi said, shaking his head. From what he remembered about the information Fugaku gave, many Aburame ninja who went missing during missions were under Root. And even though Shibi already knew what lay ahead of them, when Shisui brought up the topic of Root bases where they may have been conducting experimentation, Shibi became sure that no one other than him should see this. Otherwise, he would not be able to meet the eyes of his ninjas when they confronted him about this and sought revenge for them. Shisui nodded his head and said, "I am sorry, Shibi-sama, but we have to move now. We have to get all the information before the morning sun rises." "Fine." Both Shisui and Shibi went out of the Aburame clan headquarters while Shisui helped with the movement jutsu. Since with his expertise in the Body Flicker Jutsu, it would be almost impossible to detect him in the dark when he decided to move secretly, as he would be long gone before anyone could turn their head to look for him. There was a reason Shisui was known as Shisui the Teleporter. Within 40 minutes, Shisui and Shibi came back to the Aburame clan headquarters, both of them able to successfully complete their mission without any problems. With Shisui''s speed, they reached every location within seconds, and the only time needed was for Shibi to secretly send his bugs inside those Root bases. He had to make ways for them from underground paths so that none of the seals would become active, which took most of the time. Also, Shibi used the bugs that were good at digging and didn''t use chakra for it, since he didn''t want any sensor inside the bases to sense his bugs. After he used poison to melt the walls of the Root bases and sent some of his bugs inside, once his bugs were inside, it didn''t take long for them to find out most of the information about the bases. The same thing was repeated at the other two bases before they went back. But even though they had completed their mission, none of them were happy about it because of what they found inside those Root bases. Only two of the three Root bases were used for experimentation. In those bases, they found many containers containing eyes of dead Uchiha, brains of Nara clan ninja, skeletons of ninja from the Aburame clan, a complete skull of a Hyuga clan ninja with his eyes damaged, and much more. It took every ounce of discipline and sheer willpower not to attack and kill every single ninja and researcher present in those bases, just from sheer anger at seeing the condition of their clan''s shinobi. After dropping Shibi at his office, Shisui said, "Thank you very much, Shibi-sama. With this, Danzo will definitely not leave without any consequences now." "Let''s just hope that is the case. Otherwise, I would have to personally kill him by my own hand and go rogue the day after tomorrow. Otherwise, I will not be able to sleep," Shibi said. "That makes two of us, Shibi-sama. I will definitely join you on that noble mission," Shisui said while bowing a little. "Hahaha, let''s just hope that situation never arises," Shibi laughed, but Shisui could feel an immense amount of guilt behind it, having been in the dark about the condition of his clan''s ninja for so long. Giving the man some alone time, which he was in desperate need of, Shisui took his leave and went back to the Uchiha clan. Fugaku had already gone back to his office. Knowing this, Shisui directly went to his office and told him about everything they found about the bases. "Don''t react like that. We already knew that Danzo had eyes of our ninja. With the number of corpses that went missing from their missions and the completely clear memories of those they went after, it was clear as day that someone else was behind that," Fugaku said, seeing Shisui''s condition when he was telling about the containers containing eyes of dead Uchiha. "But Fugaku-sama, just two bases contained nearly 10 pairs of eyes. We don''t even know how many more of our ninja can''t even rest in pure lands because of the condition of their bodies. They are being treated as test subjects. I am sure they would have been happy if they died as warriors and ninjas during the mission, but due to that fucking cyclops, they died as lab rats and were being experimented on even after their death," Shisui said with anger apparent in his voice. "I know, and I am almost as angry as you, if not more. I am supposed to protect my clan''s ninja from such things. This was my responsibility, which I failed to complete. But I will try to rectify my mistake tomorrow," Fugaku said, and these words were like a promise to himself and to those ninja who died such a miserable death. "Fugaku-sama, I want to personally blow up one of those bases tomorrow," Shisui said. "Okay, I will assign you five Jonin proficient in such jutsu, and the next one will be left to Minoru-sama," Fugaku said. Shisui nodded his head. "Now go back and rest. Tomorrow is going to be the longest day of our lives." ... With three of the most powerful forces in motion inside Konoha, things were super turbulent in the shadows of Konoha, and the person responsible for all this was having his fan moment at the moment. Kaida and Itachi were standing on the roof, looking at the moon, when Itachi said, "Do you want to make a bet on who would win in our spar?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Okay, what do you want to bet?" Kaida asked. "The loser would have to follow the winner''s orders for a full whole week," Itachi said. "And we''re only going to use kenjutsu and genjutsu, right?" Kaida asked. "Yeah, I will not use ninjutsu," Itachi said, as if he was giving the biggest handicap to Kaida. "Fine by me, be ready to follow my orders for a full week," Kaida said with an ear-to-ear smile. (This conversation was the result of what happened when Kaida came back after the meeting with Kakashi.) (flashback) Chapter 182: Itachi Uchiha Kaida went back to his temporary house, or one could say a mansion, because in real life, the house of Fugaku Uchiha looked fitting for the clan head and leader of one of the, if not the biggest and most powerful clan of Konoha. After entering the house, Kaida went to the hall where Hae and Mikoto were sitting, watching television. Yes, there was a television in Fugaku''s house, but not the same as the televisions we are familiar with. The television was completely wired and worked in a very close range, meaning if one show was broadcasted on those wires, the maximum distance it could be transmitted was 10 km, which was itself a technological marvel in Naruto''s world. Due to that reason, it was extremely expensive, and since there weren''t many interesting shows broadcast on television, not many people were fans of getting one. "So you''re finally back. I''m pretty sure I told you to rest for a day," Hae said with a smile that wasn''t actually a smile. "Aunt, I was just out for a walk with brother, and I''m perfectly fine, rather than fine, I''m feeling much better than ever," Kaida said. "Okay, okay, I know how much you hate resting, but still refrain yourself from doing any training for some time. Even Mikoto said that you should take some rest, and she is a veteran Jonin, so you should listen to her advice," Hae said. "ME? When..." Mikoto was saying when Hae gave her a stern look, and she changed her sentence. "Oh! I remember, yes Kaida, try to take a rest for some time and let your body get adjusted to your new condition. After that, you can train as much as you want," Mikoto said. "As you say, aunt, I will rest for some time," Kaida said. "Meaning he won''t spar against brother?" came a small little voice from the corner of the hall where the door was located. The door was half-open, and from behind, a small boy was peeking. With dark black eyes and hair of the same color, with looks from his mother''s side, the boy looked so cute that no one would have believed that this boy was going to become one of the most badass characters of this world. Kaida looked toward Sasuke and asked, "You want me to spar against your brother?" There was a small smile on his face. "My brother is super strong, but brother Shisui said that you are stronger in something, which is obviously a lie, and that''s why my brother will fight you and show you that he is more powerful than you," Sasuke said, as if he were stating a universal truth like the sun rising from the east or the Nine-Tails being the most powerful among all the tailed beasts. "Brother actually said that, really?" Kaida couldn''t believe his eyes. He was actually stronger than THE ITACHI Uchiha? HOW? As far as the Naruto anime goes, Itachi was a genius no one could compare to. He was the most powerful ninja from the Uchiha side, much more powerful than Shisui himself, and if I dare say, even Sasuke with Indra''s chakra. The reason was that even when Itachi was dying, he was able to fight Sasuke with the same level of Mangekyou Sharingan as well as years of training under Orochimaru, and could have won by all means if not for his guilt. That Itachi Uchiha was weaker than him at something was impossible. Also, like many others, Kaida was a fan of Itachi Uchiha, which didn''t help. "I think he said the right thing, Sasuke. Kaida is very powerful at kenjutsu," Yomi added when Kaida was thinking those thoughts. "I''m sure I''m not better at it than Itachi. He is the son of Fugaku-sama, as well as one year older than me. There is no way I could be better than him. There is a reason he is said to be a genius on par with his brother," Kaida said. "And so are you. I don''t remember how many times my husband talked about how quickly you were progressing, Kaida. Don''t sell yourself short," Mikoto said, but the pride from listening to the compliment about her son was visible on her face. "Well, a simple spar won''t hurt, I guess," Hae said with a smile, but Kaida could tell that she wanted him to win the spar, for some reason. (A.N: Asian parents compare their children a lot, but they always want them to be the better one ?) "For the record, I don''t doubt that goofy head''s judgment. No matter how much he tends to fool around, when he is serious, I could not compare to him... still, until then, I believe in his assessment," Itachi said, entering the hall right behind Sasuke. "What are you saying, brother? I''m sure you are more powerful than him and will beat him in minutes," young Sasuke said with a huff from his nose. "Have this confidence in yourself, not others, you brat," Itachi said, giving Sasuke a classic forehead flick. ''Good lord, Itachi is handsome. With his position and being the oldest son of the Uchiha clan head, he could easily qualify for the role of a second-generation young master from a cultivation novel. The only difference being this young master will beat the crap out of a person who would offend him,'' Kaida went into a spiral of thoughts, seeing Itachi for the first time. "Hey, I''m Itachi Uchiha. Nice to meet you," Itachi said, extending his hand for a handshake. Kaida had to use his willpower not to come across as a dumb fan and ask for an autograph. "Hey, I''m Kaida Uchiha. Nice to meet you too," Kaida said. "So, are you up for a quick spar?" Itachi asked. Since Kaida had already gotten approval from Hae, he could easily agree with him, but he asked, "I''m not that good at fighting. My ninjutsu is also not that good." "No problem, we would only have a spar in Kenjutsu and Genjutsu combined," Itachi said. "Fine, let''s have this spar tomorrow," Kaida said with a sigh at the end. ''It seems like Itachi himself wanted this spar. Is he jealous... no, there''s no way, right?'' Kaida thought. "You boys can go to the roof to discuss the details of that," Mikoto said. (flashback ends) ... After finalizing the rules of the duel, Kaida and Itachi went back to their rooms. While Kaida was told to take rest and Itachi didn''t have anything else to do, both went to sleep. The next day, Kaida woke up only to find Shisui sleeping next to him. "I didn''t know we were going to share this room," Kaida said. "Well, we''re not at our house, and I came back late. Since this was the room assigned to me before, and I didn''t want to wake Aunt Mikoto in the middle of the night, I slept here. I''m sure my awesomeness may have kept bad dreams away from you last night," Shisui said with a wink. "Leaving that bad joke aside, I have something important to ask you, brother," Kaida said. "I''m all ears." "Did you really say I''m better at kenjutsu than Itachi?" Shisui nodded his head. "Why does this not make sense? I''m not that good," Kaida asked. "I think you''re misunderstanding something here. I was talking about pure kenjutsu at that time. Itachi had not focused on that part as much as you, and do you know the reason for that Because he is already so good at mixing Genjutsu with Kenjutsu that even an elite non-Uchiha Jonin may face problems against him. That''s why you are better than him at pure Kenjutsu," Shisui explained. Kaida understood what he meant. "What about Ninjutsu?" Kaida asked, remembering the previous night when Itachi specifically told him that he wouldn''t use Ninjutsu during the spar, as if he were giving Kaida a handicap. "What do you mean by Ninjutsu?" Shisui asked. "How do I compare to him in Ninjutsu?" Kaida asked, clarifying his question. "Brother, it would be better if you don''t know," Shisui said. "I want to know now," Kaida said, now more than interested in knowing the answer. "The answer is really simple, you know. You use that fire room a lot, right? Itachi has never used that once in his life. Can you guess why?" Shisui asked. "Because he used something better?" "No, he never had to use something like that. Itachi had the highest level of Fire nature possible; there is nothing to improve. You know he learned the Fireball Jutsu by seeing it just one time, without the Sharingan at that, and he didn''t even have basic elemental chakra training at that time. He was only five years old. And not only that, this brat''s first fireball was bigger than what Fugaku-sama had shown him, which is what normal Chunin use. In other words, on his first attempt, Itachi made a fireball bigger than many Chunin. Now, could you compare your ninjutsu with him? Heck, I''m sure that at my age, he would almost be more powerful than me," Shisui said, as if he were telling someone how much of a cheater his friend was, who took first place in the exam of life. Kaida was beyond shocked at that point. He knew how much of a help the fire room was, and according to Shisui, he would have to spend the next 3-4 years for its effect to stop working on him, and Itachi was at that level from birth. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Life truly is not fair,'' Kaida thought. Chapter 183: Enhanced Mind? "Aside from your interest in Itachi, don''t you want to know what''s happening with the plan you proposed about the information you got from Kakashi?" Shisui asked. "No, I''m confident in Fugaku-sama''s capability to use that information as best as he could. Also, a shinobi doesn''t need to know more than the required information," Kaida replied with a smile, while he thought, ''Given that Fugaku is the clan head of the Uchiha clan, he is bound to have good political and scheming capabilities since he was able to fend off Danzo''s schemes for nearly 7 years. After those 7 years, he had to plan a coup against Konoha because their treatment toward the Uchiha had become so unreasonable. If he cannot even use this information to eliminate Danzo''s threat now, I will have to plan on leaving Konoha with Yomi, aunty, and brother somehow, because then the doom of the Uchiha clan would be confirmed.'' "It''s good that you don''t care, but I''m still going to tell you what we found out about those bases and how we''re going to proceed with that," Shisui said. "Why?" "Because you somehow come up with very interesting ideas many times, which are crude most of the time, but they sure are effective," Shisui said. ''Well, we could thank the thousands of fan theories I heard in my past life,'' Kaida thought and just nodded his head. "We found out that two out of those three bases were used as facilities to experiment on the bodies of our Village ninjas. We found that one contained many containers with Sharingan in them, some contained brains of Nara and Yamanaka shinobi, while some contained full skeletons of ninjas from the Aburame clan," Shisui told him, summarizing what they had found. "I assume we had used the Aburame clan''s expertise in finding out what was inside those bases," Kaida asked, his demeanor changing completely, which Shisui noticed quite easily. ''It looks like the effect of the 3 tomoe is finally kicking in,'' Shisui thought. The thing with the 3 tomoe Sharingan is that it affects the mentality of the person who wields it, not like trying to control their mind, but differently. It brings out the true desires of the person, making them more practical and calculative, while at the same time increasing their emotions to a higher level as well, due to which the hidden desires of ninjas become difficult to control. Also, the thing that caused the evolution of the Sharingan to the 3 tomoe Sharingan plays a little role in how the personality of the ninja will change. In ancient times, before villages were established, the main reason Uchiha used to get the 3 tomoe Sharingan was war, due to which their personality became centered around hating their enemies to the core, and people began considering the Uchiha as heartless killing machines. But the truth couldn''t be further from this. Uchiha actually suffered from the reverse of emotionlessness; they had too much emotion and love in them, otherwise getting the Sharingan would not be possible, and evolving it would be almost impossible. With Kaida, things were a ''little'' different. Due to having memories of his previous life, his mind already worked differently, always thinking about how much danger he was in and how he had to move to save himself and his family. With the 3 tomoe Sharingan in play, these thoughts became much more concrete and repetitive. With the trauma of losing his family, which evolved his Sharingan to 3 tomoe, in play, Kaida was in full-blown protective mode, now more than ever wanting to protect his family. Also, with the enhanced mental capability of the 3 tomoe Sharingan, the plans he had made started to become more detailed and executable, much better than what he had done before, where he just gave basic ideas and expected others to make plans themselves. Though Kaida himself didn''t know about that, and Shisui was not going to tell him because in 1 week or so, these effects would subside by themselves, not completely but to an acceptable level, and it was not like Kaida was going to hurt anyone with these thoughts, well, at least not someone who was an ally. "Yes, and the person who helped me was not happy knowing what we know now," Shisui replied. "You directly went to check those bases, right? And since you were on the move, someone high among the Aburame clan hierarchy must have accompanied you, a leader or someone?" Kaida asked. "Do you have to know that?" Shisui asked. "You actually worked with the clan head of the Aburame clan for this, then the plan has to be changed. This is going to be an all-out war against Danzo, and we''re going to use these bases during the meeting, right?" Kaida asked with his hand covering his mouth, like he was thinking deeply. "Hahaha, and you didn''t even want to know about the plan. Yes, what you deduced is all true," Shisui said with a small laugh. ''His mind is working much more clearly than I initially thought, not like it''s a bad thing,'' Shisui thought. "You yourself wanted to tell me. Now, since Danzo will never allow someone to search those bases, our only option is to blow them up at the time of the meeting and let every clan head see that scene. That will be enough to remove Danzo from our threat list," Kaida said. "Yup, we''re going to share about this with the clan heads before the meeting to get them on our side too," Shisui said. "You know what, brother... don''t tell them anything to the clan heads. When they see this first-hand, the rage will be enough to force the Third Lord to remove Danzo from his position, even if we hadn''t used our ''Trump card.'' Now that we have used it, Danzo''s fall is confirmed," Kaida said. "Okay, I will tell this to Fugaku-sama, and since the meeting is going to happen at 10 AM, I think I should take my leave now," Shisui said. "Best of luck, brother," Kaida said. "Don''t start your spar until I come back," Shisui said and used the Body Flicker technique to leave. Kaida didn''t ask how Shisui knew about the spar. Now that he knew about the brain-enhancing capability of the Sharingan, he didn''t even have a shred of doubt that Shisui was much smarter than him, with the Mangekyou Sharingan. There was no way he wouldn''t be. With that out of his mind, Kaida stood up and went to the bathroom to start his day. He was not going to worry about the mission now; with how much they had planned and how much they had in their favor, messing the whole thing up was now almost impossible, unless God decided to have a mood swing and decided to screw him over. At that time, there was nothing he could do. After freshening up, Kaida went downstairs to eat breakfast. "Good morning, aunts. Do you guys need some help?" Kaida said, seeing Mikoto and Hae bringing dishes to the table. "No, Kaida, come sit down. Everyone must be coming soon," Mikoto said, pointing toward a chair at the dining table. Kaida nodded his head and sat down. As Mikoto said, within 5 minutes, everyone came downstairs, including Itachi and his little shadow, Sasuke. ''I nearly forgot how much of a bro-con Sasuke was before that whole Uchiha massacre incident,'' Kaida thought, seeing Sasuke always trying to remain close to Itachi. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 184: Meeting Starts "So, are you ready for the spar?" Itachi asked when Mikoto and Hae brought the last dish and sat at the table. "Considering the event that is going to take place in a few hours, I think we should postpone this until that settles," Kaida said with a simple smile. "You know what''s happening around these days?" Itachi asked. Though he masked most of his shock, Kaida could sense a little surprise in Itachi''s voice. "Due to some circumstances, I am the reason for these events," Kaida said with an awkward smile. From this conversation, Kaida confirmed one thing: ''Fugaku hasn''t even told his son about this plan. Is it for security reasons? Considering there''s little Itachi could do to help in this situation since he also has around Jonin level strength at the moment, just like me and many others in the Uchiha clan. Though impressive, or one can say utterly impressive feat to attain at his age, the feat in itself was nothing big. Fugaku could command more than a hundred Jonin level ninja; there''s no way he''s going to send his prodigious son on such a mission.'' "None of you is going anywhere for some time, so you guys don''t have to hurry about that spar anyway," Mikoto said, trying to change the mood. "Okay," Itachi said and then focused on his food. Kaida did the same, and no particularly interesting talk happened at the breakfast table other than Mikoto, Hae, and Yomi discussing something which Kaida didn''t find the need to pay attention to. The only thing on his mind was the council meeting that was going to happen soon. This was one of the easiest and most effective plans against Danzo, for which Kaida had even used one of Shisui''s most powerful abilities. If Danzo came out of this easily, then the only way to remove him would be to effectively kill him, because even after upgrades with the 3 tomoe Sharingan, Kaida couldn''t find any other way to remove Danzo''s power. Since he wasn''t strong enough to face an S-rank ninja yet, let alone an S-rank who had many Jonins under him, there was no way Kaida would be able to do anything against Danzo for some years. And since he had taken such a major step against Danzo, there was no way Danzo would wait four more years like in the anime to do something like the Uchiha massacre. This meant this was the first and last chance to effectively take care of Danzo without any bloodshed. Kaida was understandably tense at the moment, and his increasingly analytical mind wasn''t helping at all. ... Fugaku was fully prepared for the council meeting, but there was still visible stress as well as anger on his face. This was like declaring Danzo an enemy of the Uchiha and Aburame clans. Yes, they had also decided to become completely offensive after seeing the contents in the Root base. If they succeeded this time, then it would be well and good, and if not, there would be a full-blown war against Danzo. But at least Fugaku didn''t have to deal with going against the whole of Konoha like he was planning before. Just Root was within the range of enemies the Uchiha alone could take care of. Heck, if not for those legendary Sannin, they could even go toe-to-toe against the whole village with enough preparation, of course. So now there was no need for Fugaku to ignore the atrocities Danzo had committed against ninjas from his clan. Due to this, the anger he had suppressed till now erupted, and the current plan came into action. Because now, Fugaku was ready to kill Danzo even if he had to use his trump card, his Mangekyou Sharingan, which he had kept hidden till now. After storing all the files related to the meeting in the storage seal, Fugaku went toward the Hokage building, only to find that most of the clan heads were already at the meeting hall, sitting in their respective positions. Some of the clan heads were still not there, but Fugaku was sure that they would be here within the next 10 minutes, since this was not a normal council meeting. It was a feud resolution meeting, but it was not as simple as the name represented. This type of meeting only took place when the only other option remaining was direct confrontation ¨C a feud that would only end when one of the two parties was dead. Since directly going for the kill would destroy the peace within the village, Tobirama came up with this idea. This meeting was called not only by one clan head but two, and both of them were from prominent clans of Konoha. That''s why this had become a hot topic among Konoha''s high-level shinobi, and even those clan heads who were not invited by Fugaku were also interested in this meeting and were already present. The meeting hall contained a semi-circle made up of chairs with 3 chairs in between, all of them pointing toward a single chair in the room which was the grandest, most likely belonging to the Hokage himself. Fugaku solemnly took his seat, and just after him, Shibi entered the hall, a little weary, most likely from not sleeping at all the previous night. But being an experienced ninja, he could easily shrug off not sleeping for a night or two. However, if the reason behind that was as horrific as seeing the remains of your close ones being defiled, the situation changes. Mind and body get tired after trying to control oneself from not going to the perpetrator and submerging him with so many bugs that even in his afterlife, he''d be born with a fear of bugs. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shibi didn''t make any eye contact and just took the seat right next to Fugaku. Since it was they who had requested this meeting, they were given a single seat. After every clan head arrived, Danzo made his appearance. Without making any eye contact himself, he also took his seat, which was opposite Fugaku''s and Shibi''s seats. With his calm behavior and relaxed mood, no one would be able to tell that he was the person accused by two clan heads. But reality was a little different from what it appeared. ''Even after 4 hours, they were unable to find out why Shibi joined forces with the Uchiha against me,'' Danzo was thinking, with his brain coming up with many theories and discarding them along the way. Danzo was anything but calm. At first, one of his capable Jonin died on a simple mission, and even his body was unfound. The Uchiha took full advantage of his slip and went against him with a resolution meeting, and even the Aburame clan joined them for some reason. But Danzo was sure that he wasn''t going to receive any noteworthy punishment for this, like every other time. While he was thinking these things, Hiruzen entered the room. But he wasn''t the neighborhood grandpa type Hiruzen who usually talked with young ninja and tried to act like a grandpa. No, this Hiruzen was the leader of thousands of trained ninja who was not only respected by each one of them but also feared for his strength. When he entered the hall, it became quiet. Everyone could feel some type of pressure on their shoulders. Hiruzen took his seat and looked toward each and every clan head''s face, ending with Danzo. After that, he looked toward Fugaku and said, "Let''s start the meeting." Chapter 185: The Uchiha’s Accusation As soon as Hiruzen spoke those words, the hall became much quieter than before. Fugaku stood up from his seat and said: "Lord Third, as you know, we Uchiha have lost many young geniuses of our clan, just like everyone else present here. I''m sure those who died fighting enemies and protecting the peace of our village and their families would have a peaceful afterlife in the pure lands. But recently, the number of deaths has been increasing. We have our doubts that these deaths were not because of enemy encounters, and something more suspicious is going on. Recently, we got proof of what is actually happening. Kaida Uchiha, one of the most promising youngsters in my clan, was ambushed by Root ninja on his way to complete a bandit extermination mission. I assume I don''t have to point out who is the only person capable of deploying Root ninja." "Do you have anything to say about this, Danzo?" Hiruzen turned to Danzo and asked, his tone neutral, not taking any sides. "Yes, I have been very concerned about one of my teams I had sent on a secret mission to Iwagakure. They never reached their destination, and I don''t even have their bodies. I was thinking it was the work of enemy ninja, but it looks like someone became extra paranoid and harmed allies. I am especially concerned about the death of my jonin, who had a very promising future ahead of him," Danzo said, completely making the Uchiha seem like they were in the wrong. "So you''re saying that a team of 7 Root ninja, including a jonin and 6 chunin, followed Kaida for half an hour even when he tried to run from his pursuers, and when he used shadow clone jutsu, they split up and followed him on their way to their mission for Iwagakure?" Fugaku asked. "You know, Fugaku, with the number of years I have lived, I could come up with better stories than what you just narrated. But they wouldn''t have any weight since I wouldn''t have any proof, just like you, who don''t have any proof," Danzo said. "And who said that? Lord Third, I would like to present the proof I have to back my claims," Fugaku responded. "Proceed," Hiruzen said. Fugaku would have normally taken out the bodies, but using storage seals inside the meeting hall without permission was not allowed. After getting permission, he took out a scroll from his pocket and passed his chakra through it. Suddenly, four bodies emerged from the storage seal. "I would like to ask Danzo-sama to remove the seals from their bodies so that we could access their memories and determine who is making up a story here," Fugaku said with a smile that could freeze a lake in summer. "You wish. I made those seals so that no one, not even me, could remove them once my ninja are dead. This ensures that secret information of our village never falls into enemy hands," Danzo said. Hiruzen knew that Danzo was making this up, and Danzo knew that Hiruzen was aware of his little lie. But he was sure that Hiruzen wouldn''t say anything about it. To his dismay, Fugaku''s smile didn''t waver, and he continued with that smile. "In that case, you should be able to remove those seals from the ninja who are alive, right?" Fugaku asked. ''Those fools got caught alive. Are my subordinates becoming this incompetent?'' Danzo thought. But since there was no way he could refuse, Danzo just nodded his head. Fugaku turned to Hiruzen, who nodded in agreement. After a minute, an Uchiha jonin came inside the hall, followed by three Root ninja who were tied in such a way that there was no way they could commit suicide. "Danzo-sama," Fugaku said, gesturing toward the chunin. "I can''t. They know classified information which cannot be disclosed to anyone," Danzo said. "I''m sure you trust Inoichi not to share those secrets with anyone. He would be the one to read their minds," Fugaku said and then turned to Inoichi Yamanaka. "I hope you don''t have any problem with that." Inoichi nodded his head in affirmation. With no more excuses to make, since he couldn''t say that he didn''t trust Inoichi, who was in charge of handling the Intelligence Division of Konoha, Danzo''s brain started working at full power to come up with a plan to minimize the damage as much as he could. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "There''s no need for that. I agree that they were after ''your'' little prodigy, but not to kill him¡ªrather to bring him to me. He''s not just an Uchiha; he belongs to the Senju clan too, and I wanted him to have a chance to help the village rather than just a clan. I may have done something wrong in thinking about the village," Danzo said while looking toward the bodies of 4 Root ninja present in the hall. "And they paid the price for that." From Danzo''s tone, one might think that he was grieving for his son who had just died, and civilians or even normal ninja might have believed that was actually the case. But none present were amateurs; they could easily sense that Danzo had played the victim card, using which Hiruzen could reduce his punishment, and no one would say anything. "I''m sorry for your loss, Danzo-sama, but could you still remove that seal? There are many other ninja who have suddenly gone missing during simple missions. I want to know if those too were under your care for the sake of the village," Fugaku said, his face now as serious as it could be. "Know your place, boy. I agree that your accusation this time was right, but other cases have nothing to do with me. I''m not going to remove that seal. They know many things about my organization which under no circumstance will fall into anyone else''s hands," Danzo said, his presence becoming more oppressive. Fugaku didn''t take that lying down; his presence also became equally oppressive, joined by Shibi. "I also want to know about the various Aburame clan ninja who were recruited into Root and those who suddenly ''died'' during missions. If they are dead, I want to know the location of their bodies," Shibi said. The message was clear and concise: he was not going to play the game like Fugaku. Either remove the seal or fight¡ªonly two options. "Quiet! Do you people think this is some battlefield?" Hiruzen said, with his chakra flaring out of his body, once again showing why he was Hokage. Even when Danzo heard that, a smirk came to his face, thinking Hiruzen had come to his rescue. If everything Danzo had done came to light, then a civil war might break out in Konoha, just like in Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist Village. But to his surprise, Hiruzen appeared behind one of the chunin and placed his hand on his head. After 5 seconds, the chunin was screaming and writhing on the floor. "You made changes to the seal without telling me, huh?" Hiruzen said with an amused smile on his face. Danzo felt that something was off, but considering the dire situation he was in, he knew that coming out of it without any punishment was impossible. He thought Hiruzen was trying to save him, so he kept his mouth shut. Hiruzen then placed his hand on the head of another chunin, who also started screaming and writhing on the floor, but by then, Hiruzen was able to crack the seal. Chapter 186: Operation: Expose/Explode Root Hiruzen placed his hand on the last chunin and easily removed the seal on his head. As a grandmaster in fuinjutsu just like Danzo, and already knowing the structure of the seal, breaking it forcefully was not difficult for him. However, if someone else had attempted this, the seal would have burned the chunin''s brain and attacked the mind of the person trying to remove it. After removing the seal, Hiruzen began reading the chunin''s memories. "You wanted them to bring him alive ''if possible,''" Hiruzen said, looking toward Danzo. "I now declare that Danzo has committed grave crimes not only against the Uchiha clan but also against the village by trying to kill one of our youngsters, and will be punished for that," Hiruzen announced. Shibi looked toward Fugaku and nodded. Hiruzen noticed this exchange and spread his chakra around the hall, but he was a second late. Fugaku had already sent the signal to Shisui to begin the plan. The signal was sent using a simple seal developed by the previous grandmaster of the Uchiha clan. Its only function was to send a simple message across a distance of 10 km. While any seal master could create such a seal, what made this one special was its untraceability. Even if Hiruzen had deployed his chakra field earlier, he wouldn''t have been able to detect the start or end of that signal. ''Please don''t do anything stupid. I don''t want to make this matter bigger than it should be,'' Hiruzen thought. He was already planning to remove Danzo from his position, so there was no need for Fugaku and Shibi to blow up those bases. But after confirming what was inside those bases, both Fugaku and Shibi wanted nothing less than to kill Danzo in the most painful way possible. They also knew how chaotic the village''s condition would become if someone killed Danzo. Who knows what those hundreds of Root ninja would do to avenge their leader? Leaking sensitive information about the village was the least dangerous thing they could do, with going on a killing spree in the village and surrounding areas being among the worst possibilities. Even though Hiruzen didn''t sense anything from his chakra field, he was sure something was going to happen. Since there was nothing he could do, Hiruzen just went back to his seat and began speaking: "The complaint raised by the Uchiha clan is valid. Danzo really tried to forcefully abduct and even attempted to kill one of the young geniuses of the clan. Due to committing this crime¡ª" Everyone in the room fell silent after hearing the sound of explosions coming from somewhere within the village. But before they could think further¡ª Another set of explosions occurred. Fugaku and Shibi looked toward Danzo. "Looks like there''s a rat inside the village. We should go and find it before it does any more damage," Fugaku said, maintaining eye contact with Danzo as he and Shibi stood up, followed by all other clan heads. Only Danzo and Hiruzen remained seated in the hall. Danzo looked toward Hiruzen, expecting him to stop them, because just by listening to the sound of the explosions, Danzo could tell that they came from somewhere around his base. Though Hiruzen also understood what had happened, there was nothing he could do now. He decided to follow the clan heads and assess the damage caused by his negligence. ... Shisui was present at the location of the Root base. Though from the surface no one could tell that there was anything remotely similar to an experimental facility present underground, they knew better. From an initial survey with the help of his Sharingan, Shisui was able to identify 20 Root ninja guarding the base in civilian disguise. It was difficult to hide years of training and the killer instinct they had developed. Due to subtle clues in their movements, Shisui was able to guess who the Root ninjas were. But it was only because of the Sharingan that he was able to find them. If it were that easy to identify Root ninjas, there was no way they would have been able to complete the thousands of missions Danzo had given them. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After identifying these Root ninja, Shisui went back to the team following him. Fifteen veteran Uchiha jonin and three jonins from the Aburame clan were waiting for him. He went to the center of the group and started speaking: "I have identified most of the Root ninjas in that area. Our job is to subdue them¡ªdon''t kill them unless necessary. But if it''s out of your hands to capture them alive, make sure to kill them in the most painful way possible. Fugaku and Shibi-sama have asked us not to kill unless necessary, but if it is, there is no order to give them a painless death." Everyone present nodded. Since their faces were covered by masks like Kakashi''s, with only their eyes visible, it was difficult to see their facial expressions. But Shisui could easily see the immense rage they were feeling just from their eyes. This feeling was shared by him too. Everyone present had been briefed about what was in the base so they would know why they were doing this and not lose their cool after seeing the contents of the base and do something foolish. With a simple signal from Shisui, every jonin went into action. Shisui just pointed at the Root ninja, and a jonin would take care of them. Since most of the guards were of chunin rank, they were small fry for Uchiha jonin with the power of Sharingan. A simple genjutsu attack and they were out cold. One jonin was unlucky enough to resist the genjutsu attack from a Uchiha jonin, though the reason for that was the Uchiha jonin intentionally used a weaker attack. As soon as the Root ninja came out of the genjutsu, his throat was slit by a kunai containing a poison that suppressed chakra flow in the area. The cut was made so precisely that the Root jonin would not die from respiratory failure and would be alive for quite a long time. Just after slicing the throat, the Uchiha jonin took out some senbon coated in a special poison designed not to kill but to cause unbearable pain, and planted these senbon in various parts of the Root ninja''s body. If his throat hadn''t been sliced open, the Root ninja would have screamed until his throat burst. The pain was truly unbearable, but he could neither move nor scream. That ninja died a slow and painful death. Shisui appeared next to that Uchiha jonin and said, "You can take some rest. We''ll handle it from here." That jonin was the father of one of the ninja who went missing during a simple escort mission. Knowing what had happened to his son, the rage he was feeling was like no other. "Don''t worry, boy. I won''t make any rookie mistakes just because of anger," the jonin replied, his face calm. Shisui just nodded and went back to his position. There were more important things to do than consoling a jonin, and if a ninja can''t control his emotions, there''s no way he would ever become a jonin. Well, not unless you''re a person born with cheats like Asura and Indra reincarnation, Sharingan, and Uzumaki''s absurd chakra reserves and a tailed beast inside your body. Within a couple of minutes, all of the Root ninjas were either dead or unconscious. Shisui then once again gathered all the jonin. "All of the Uchiha jonin will be in charge of civilian security. Move them away from this position and make sure no one comes near this area. All Aburame jonin will begin the task of planting explosion tags around the base. Make sure to accurately place them at pre-calculated locations. We don''t want this base to collapse completely." All of the jonin nodded their heads and went about their business. Chapter 187: Danzo’s Downfall All of the jonin nodded their heads and went about their business. All of the Uchiha had a simple role: they made every civilian in the area fall under a genjutsu and leave the area for some urgent business. Some went to their houses to sleep, some went to check about an announcement at the completely opposite end of Konoha, some even suddenly fell ill and went to the hospital for a checkup. But no one had a single thought of coming back in the next 6 hours. After that, all of the jonin created an encirclement around the base to prevent anyone from entering. While Uchiha jonin were doing that, Aburame jonin also started their task. With the help of their bugs, they started placing explosion tags in such a way that once the blast happened, the roof of the base would disappear and the contents of the base would be visible to everyone in the area. A similar thing happened at the other base, the only difference being that the number of Root ninja who died there was 3 times higher. Minoru was already angry at both Danzo for his actions and Fugaku for tolerating this and letting his clan''s ninja die for some fake peace. So when he got the chance to take out that frustration, Minoru took full advantage of the situation. After placing the bombs, they once again started to wait for the signal from Fugaku. After half an hour, they got the signal everyone was waiting for. As soon as Minoru got the signal, he sent the jonin inside the base with a command: "This is not a spy mission, no need to be stealthy. Go in with a blast and subdue everyone who tries to resist." All of the jonin raided the base like hungry beasts, subduing every scientist they came across and killing the ninja who tried to resist or call for help. After that, they quickly retreated and gave a green signal to Minoru. Just as Minoru was about to give the orders for the blast: ''I am losing to a brat, huh!'' The sound came from the first base; apparently, Shisui''s team was faster than his. After hearing the sound of explosion, Minoru also gave the signal to set off the explosion: "Now we wait for their arrival. Which base do you think they would go to first?" Minoru said. The jonin next to him replied, "Sir, since the other base is nearer to the meeting hall, they would most likely go there first." "Yeah, normally," Minoru said, as there was nothing certain in this scenario. ... There was a reason that the clan heads of the various clans were respected by every ninja of their clan: they were way beyond the league of any average ninja in Konoha. That''s why when they moved toward the sound of explosion, they were able to reach there before even ANBU and Root ninjas could arrive at that location. "What is the meaning of this? Are the Uchiha planning on going against the whole village?" Danzo said as soon as they reached the location. They had arrived so fast that even the dust had not settled completely. Danzo thought that the base was buried below the rubble and decided to attack Fugaku to not give anyone a chance to explore the contents of that base. As soon as he said those words, he began making vacuum bullets in his mouth. But Fugaku had already activated his Sharingan and was able to sense the attack Danzo was preparing to make. Since he was already serious about the whole operation, he was also about to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan. There was no need for him to hide his trump card anymore. Just as Danzo was about to launch his attack and Fugaku was going to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan, Hiruzen appeared between them. Danzo had to bitterly stop his attack and Fugaku also refrained from activating his Mangekyo. "Fugaku, what is the meaning of this?" Hiruzen turned to Fugaku and asked. The reason behind that was because the site was surrounded by a dozen jonin from the Uchiha clan, led by Shisui Uchiha, the golden goose of the Uchiha clan. "Lord Third, why don''t we ask Danzo-sama what this location is?" Fugaku said. "This is one of Root''s bases, and you decided to harm shinobi of your own village. Have you gone mad?" Danzo replied, almost ready to attack. After Danzo said that, Shisui used a simple D-rank jutsu, Wind Gale, to remove all the dust from the surroundings. Once the contents inside the base became visible to everyone, Danzo''s face became many shades paler, but he soon regained his cool, his brain thinking of all possible ways to save himself. He even had an idea of running away right now, but with the presence of all the top-level powerhouses of Konoha, running was nothing but a child''s good dream. By then, many other ninja had also arrived there, some of them even from the Hyuga and Uchiha clans. With Sharingan and Byakugan, they were able to see what was present inside the base: many containers containing skulls of Hyuga clan ninjas, some containing pairs of Sharingan placed inside them, most of them containing 1 tomoe. There was a separate chamber for full skeletons of members from the Aburame clan, Akimichi clan, and even the Kurama clan. Then a section contained brains of ninjas from the Nara and Yamanaka clans, and some of them contained names of ninja from which those body parts were taken out. When clan heads read the names, the anger they felt multiplied by a huge amount. They were from the ninja they themselves had sent to Root and who had gone missing during missions. All of them looked toward Danzo, and if eyes could kill, Danzo would have died a death that even Death itself would fear. "Danzo, you''ve fallen so low," Hiruzen said while shaking his head. Then with a blur, he disappeared from his position and appeared behind Danzo. Danzo tried to flicker away but was surrounded by all of the clan heads of Konoha. Hiruzen used a precise chakra-enhanced strike on Danzo''s neck, and he was out cold. Then he turned toward Fugaku and asked, "I assume the site of the second explosion also contains something similar?" Fugaku just nodded his head, and the clan heads were now shaking from anger. ''This f**ker not only killed our young ones but was even experimenting on their bodies, and this is not even the last location. There may be many more such locations.'' This was the thought going around the mind of every clan head. But at least they had some idea of what was going on. The ninjas who came around after hearing the sound of explosion had no idea why the body parts of Konoha ninja were in such a state inside the village. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Looking at their expression, Hiruzen sighed and raised his hand. Suddenly, 10 ANBU ninja appeared next to him, and none of them were below jonin rank. Two of them were even at elite jonin rank. "Make sure the word doesn''t circulate around the village. Also, begin the second part of the plan. Directly ask the Uchiha clan and Aburame clan for assistance; they will be more than happy to help. These are the lists of Root bases in Konoha and near the village too," Hiruzen said, giving a paper to one of the ANBU guards. "I hope you guys don''t have any problem with that, right?" Hiruzen said, turning toward Fugaku and Shibi. Both of them looked toward Hiruzen for some time before turning toward the jonin of their clan. "Cooperate with ANBU guards," Shibi said to one of the jonin assisting Shisui during the explosion mission. Fugaku also turned to Shisui and said, "Make sure everything belonging to us is within the Uchiha compound." Shisui nodded his head and turned to one of the ANBU guards who was an Elite Jonin. "Follow me," he said, and with that, he and the rest of the Uchiha jonin went toward the Uchiha compound, while the second ANBU ninja went to the Aburame clan compound. The rest of the ANBU guards began grouping all the ninja around the area and asking them to wait at the Hokage building until further notice. Since it was the Hokage''s order, everyone complied quietly, but the doubt in their minds was making them very restless. After that, Hiruzen turned to all of the clan heads and said, "I don''t think this is the right place to discuss anything further. Let''s go back to the meeting hall." He said that while lifting Danzo''s unconscious body by the neck. Despite the anger boiling inside them, the clan heads nodded their heads and went back to the meeting hall, while the two elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, also made their way to the meeting hall. They knew that Danzo had to face retribution for his actions now, and they also knew that Hiruzen would try to ''save'' him as much as he could. But hearing about the anger of the clan heads, Hiruzen didn''t have much choice. If he didn''t punish Danzo appropriately, a civil war might break out. That''s why those two elders were making their way toward the meeting hall, to save their teammate and find a middle ground. When they arrived, they were stunned by what they saw in the meeting hall. Danzo was bound with ropes and was kneeling in front of all of the clan heads. Seeing the two elders enter, Hiruzen began speaking: "As you guys know, I can''t give the order for his death. The Root ninja will make a very big mess after that. So until I absorb Root into ANBU, Elder Danzo, or Danzo, will be under house arrest. After that, we will decide how he will die." This was Hiruzen''s last statement. Hearing that, those two elders dispersed their chakra to dispel whichever genjutsu they thought they were in. Chapter 188: Not a Request "What is the meaning of this, Hiruzen?" Koharu demanded as both she and Homura made their way toward the center of the hall. Hiruzen sighed, losing count of how many times he had done so already. This was precisely why he hadn''t included them in the meeting from the start. Since he was already planning to remove Danzo from his position and dissolve Root, these two would have likely opposed it. But now there was nothing he could do; either Danzo would die, or Konoha would face a deadly civil war, just like the Blood Mist Village. "We know what he did was wrong, but you can''t forget all the things he has done for the village. The death penalty is too harsh, Hiruzen," Homura said in the most serious voice he could muster, trying to act as impartial as possible. "I agree with Elder Homura, Lord Third," Fugaku interjected. "It would be unwise to know only one side of the story. I would like to once again use the Yamanaka clan''s expertise to show us what Danzo has done and the reasons behind his actions. However, I strongly request to be part of the group. The number of Sharingan we recovered from the Root base is very concerning. From the count, it seems that more than 50 percent of the Uchiha shinobi who died during missions have had their Sharingan stored in Root bases." This was the last thing Kaida had asked Fugaku to complete. According to him, there might be a chance that Danzo had kept some captives alive for live experiments. Even if Kaida hadn''t pointed this out, Fugaku was already planning to investigate. The problem was getting Hiruzen''s permission, but now the situation was so much in his favor that it would be utterly foolish not to pursue it. Both Koharu and Homura''s faces went pale. If this investigation happened, they would also have to face punishment too, because they already knew about some of Danzo''s experiments and had decided to keep quiet, while also receiving gifts from their old friend. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Do you even know what you''re saying? You want to violate the mind of an elder of Konoha?" Koharu shouted, as if she had heard the most offensive thing in the world. "Ex-elder, who had killed hundreds of my allies," Shibi retorted, his voice filled with killing intent. "Forget violating his mind; if I were to do what I actually want, he would plead for death himself after I''m done with him." The main reason for Shibi''s anger was that just a couple of days before Fugaku called for the meeting, Danzo had asked for Shibi''s son, who had shown many qualities of a genius to be recruited in Root. Shibi was sure that given time and proper training, his son would easily surpass him and might even become an S-rank ninja. When Danzo requested him, Shibi wanted to refuse, but Danzo forced him with his authority, spouting rhetoric about sacrifice for the village. Shibi had asked for some time before giving a reply, trying to figure out a way to protect his son. After seeing what had happened to other Aburame clan ninja who were under Root or captured by them, the thought of his son facing the same fate made Shibi want to kill Danzo in a way that would shred even his soul from the pain. "There is no need for that," Hiruzen interrupted, not wanting to drag things out further. "As I have already said, Danzo is going to die for what he has done to the village''s shinobi." "I apologize, Lord Third, but I must insist on my request," Fugaku persisted. "The reason for this is crucial for me and everyone else here..." Though he called it a request, there was no possibility that he would accept a refusal. "Fine. Inoichi, can you help us?" Seeing no chances of Fugaku backing down Hiruzen conceded. "Lord Third, can you please remove the seal from Danzo''s brain first?" Inoichi asked, already sensing a seal similar to the one Root ninja had, only this one was much more deadly for anyone attempting to read Danzo''s mind. Hiruzen nodded and placed his hand on Danzo''s head. After five minutes, when he had almost removed the seal, he was surprised to find a message embedded within it: "Hiruzen, I know this is you. No other person would be able to remove this seal this far. Since you''re doing this, it means I''m going to die. Looks like I really screwed up, huh? Well, sorry for everything, and thank you for believing in me until now." Hiruzen knew this could very well be Danzo''s last-ditch effort to manipulate his emotions, but the situation had progressed to a point where, even if he wanted to, there was nothing he could do now. ''It''s all for the village, my friend,'' Hiruzen thought as he removed his hand and nodded to Inoichi to proceed. Inoichi got straight to business. "I will be able to share the memories with five people," he said, sitting directly in front of Danzo. Hiruzen looked toward Fugaku and Shibi, knowing he would have to include them. "I will be part of the group as well," Homura said, hoping to see the memories firsthand and come up with excuses if anything related to him surfaced. "Shikaku, join us as well," Hiruzen added, knowing he would need a capable person to help him make rational decisions after seeing the memories. With the group of Hiruzen, Homura, Shikaku, Shibi, and Fugaku surrounding Inoichi, everyone else remained seated. The tension was so high that one might have thought the Fourth Great Ninja War had already begun. Everyone touched Inoichi as he began making many hand signs, then declared: "Yin Release: Memory Share Jutsu!" All six of them closed their eyes as they began to see Danzo''s most impactful memories, which were the easiest to access and share. Inoichi could access complete memories too, but he wasn''t doing so at the moment because it would require an enormous amount of concentration and chakra, which he couldn''t manage while sharing memories with five other people. The first scene they witnessed was of Danzo on a team led by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Everyone could feel the deep respect Danzo had for Tobirama. They saw many scenes of Danzo being trained alongside his teammates, with two individuals particularly highlighted in these memories: The first was a boy with dark brown hair, all of it pointing upward, possessing unparalleled talent. This person absorbed every teaching of Tobirama Senju like a sponge yet remained humble, helping his teammates who struggled to grasp the lessons. This was Hiruzen Sarutobi. The second was an anomaly: a handsome young boy with dark black hair and eyes of the same color. Though not as naturally talented as Hiruzen, he possessed something that made his learning speed comparable - a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan. Even though Tobirama never fully trusted the Uchihas, this person was different. With a pure heart and a will to protect the village, he had found a place in Tobirama''s team - Kagami Uchiha. Although they were all friends, Danzo was quite jealous of both of them. Even though he was talented in his own right, they were simply better than him. There was no denying it, but he still considered them his friends. The memory shifted, and they saw various missions where Kagami saved Danzo''s and Hiruzen''s lives many times with the help of his Sharingan. Though Danzo was grateful for Kagami''s help, he began to think that if he had those eyes, he would be just as good as Kagami. Finally, the memory that had the biggest impact on Danzo''s mind played out: Tobirama and his guard squad were sitting in a jungle, alert and ready to attack at a moment''s notice. Tobirama said, "We will not be able to shake them off. It''s impossible for all of us to reach the village." The meaning behind his words was clear. A team of S-rank ninja, including the Gold and Silver Brothers, had been sent after Tobirama''s life. This was a carefully planned attack. Someone had to stall the enemy so the Hokage and others could reach the village safely. Danzo wanted to volunteer for the sacrifice. ''Come on, don''t be afraid... You can do it,'' he thought to himself. But before he could act, he saw Kagami starting to raise his hand. Before Kagami could fully volunteer, Hiruzen spoke up: "Lord Second, I will stall them for some time. Please return as quickly as you can." There was a smile on Hiruzen''s face, as if he was happy to give his life for the village. "Good," Tobirama replied. "Hiruzen, I appoint you as the next Hokage of Konohagakure. All of you will support Hiruzen from now on." Chapter 189: Betrayal "Good, Hiruzen. I appoint you as the next Hokage of Konohagakure. All of you will support Hiruzen from now on," Tobirama said. To say everyone was shocked would be an understatement. Hiruzen quickly responded, "No, Sensei! Your life is much more important. If I am not sufficient, Kagami and I will both try to stall for some time." "Even if all six of you try, the most you could stall is 1 or 2 minutes. They will not stop at anything before killing me, and even if I reach back to the village, we will have to face a very fierce battle against them. The chance of losing many jonin and elite jonin is very high. That will weaken Konoha to the point that we may lose the war. Only I can prevent that outcome. That''s why my previous order is final. Hiruzen, go back and stabilize Konoha. You are now responsible for the safety of our village," Tobirama said, placing his hand on Hiruzen''s shoulder and giving a nod to Kagami, signaling that he knew Kagami was also ready to give his life. With heavy hearts, everyone made their way back to Konoha. Everyone was sad about the confirmed death of Tobirama, but the person who was most distraught was Danzo, constantly cursing himself for not raising his hand at that time. The memory changed, and Danzo and the others completed many missions. Kagami became Hiruzen''s right-hand man along with Danzo, but Danzo knew Hiruzen trusted Kagami more since he was the only other person nominated to be a sacrifice. Slowly, Danzo became more and more jealous of the duo. The war ended, and Konoha emerged victorious. Hiruzen had done a very good job, and everything was going well. Danzo and his team kept doing various missions. With Hiruzen becoming the Hokage, they got the chance to learn many new jutsu. The person who benefited most from this, after Hiruzen, was Kagami. With his Sharingan, things were easy for Kagami. Combined with his talent, he was becoming a very important resource for Konoha. The next memory showed Danzo and Kagami on a mission. It was an S-rank mission to uncover Kumogakure''s schemes against Konoha. Unfortunately, they were discovered by an enemy and had to flee. They were chased by a group of jonin and an almost Kage-rank ninja. By then, both Danzo and Kagami were also pseudo-Kage level ninja (almost Kage level), so they decided to confront the enemies. After a brutal fight, both Kagami and Danzo emerged victorious, but not without a price. Both were badly injured, with Kagami in worse condition. He had to fight the Kage-rank ninja along with three jonin, which was not easy. If not for his Sharingan and amazing reaction speed, he would have surely died. Kagami simply asked Danzo to heal the injuries on his back. Then, everyone felt a strong emotion of doubt, and Hiruzen had a very bad feeling. ''No, Danzo, you surely didn''t do that,'' Hiruzen thought. But the memory continued, and he saw what he feared most. Danzo took out his sword and directly impaled Kagami''s heart. With a confused face, Kagami turned and tried to remove any genjutsu from Danzo, only to find he was not under any illusion. "Why?" was the only question Kagami asked. "You''re going soft, Kagami. We could have killed them before and been done with it, but you decided to follow orders, and we nearly lost our lives. Don''t worry, I will use your eyes for the village," Danzo said, as if he had done it for the village''s sake. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone was shocked by what happened next. Kagami smiled and said, "Tell my son his father loved him, and make sure he grows up well." He placed his hand on Danzo''s shoulder. With immense guilt for killing his friend, Danzo returned to the village with Kagami''s eyes in storage, claiming that Kagami had died during the mission and he had to flee. After that, he tried to implant Kagami''s eyes, only to find it impractical. They consumed too much chakra, and he couldn''t turn them off like Kagami could. From then on, he started experimenting on Sharingan. Since he couldn''t lose Kagami''s eyes, he began experimenting on the eyes of other Uchihas. Everyone could feel a deep killing intent in the air, and they knew the only person capable of releasing such dense killing intent was Hiruzen. Knowing the reason for his friend''s death, his anger was reaching a level even he didn''t know was possible. Hiruzen''s intense killing intent overshadowed Fugaku''s, though he too was releasing a considerable amount. The clan heads sitting in the office felt their scalps tingle, with cold sweat running down their backs. Koharu had to leave the room, as she was incapable of handling that amount of bloodlust. Inoichi also felt it and waited for a while to see if anyone wanted him to stop, but receiving no such order, he continued. The memories became increasingly cruel, from kidnapping young civilian children to various village shinobi. They also discovered some bases with living test subjects, including Konoha shinobi. Everyone was fuming with rage by now. It was difficult to determine who was angrier, Hiruzen or Fugaku. Danzo had harmed the Uchiha clan so much that even a war might have been less dangerous than this. Uchiha ninja, with or without Sharingan, were kidnapped by Danzo and subjected to mental and physical torture to see how they awakened and evolved their Sharingan. For years, he had been doing this along with experimenting on others as well. Much to Homura''s relief, memories related to him didn''t surface, because Danzo never cared about them at all. After reviewing most of the memories, everyone removed their hands from Inoichi''s shoulders. Fugaku turned to Hiruzen with red eyes, not because of the Sharingan, but because of blood, and said, "Lord Third, please use the Yamanaka clan''s jutsu to find the bases you want. After today, we Uchiha need Danzo... alive." Homura, unable to read the room, asked, "And what will you do if we provide you with his body? I know what he did was wrong, and he will be punished by the village." Fugaku closed his eyes and then opened them again with his Sharingan active. The typical three-tomoe pattern of his Sharingan morphed into a mesmerizing and fearsome design. His Mangekyo Sharingan unfurled like a blooming flower of darkness. Three thick, black lines emerged from the deep crimson of his iris, extending outward in perfect symmetry. These lines curved elegantly, creating the illusion of motion, as if they were alive, swirling around the central point of his gaze. Each line looped back inwards, forming a triad of sharp, blade-like shapes that converged at the center, reminiscent of a lethal shuriken poised to strike. ''Mangekyo Sharingan,'' everyone thought after seeing those eyes. These eyes were proof that the ninja before them was already at Kage level. "If we don''t get Danzo alive, then the Uchiha clan and Konoha will have nothing to do with each other from tomorrow," Fugaku said, focusing his killing intent on Homura. Homura nearly passed out from the intensity, but Hiruzen shielded him at the last moment. "I will send him to the Uchiha clan compound after getting the location of all the Root headquarters," Hiruzen said, showing the composure of a leader even though he was just as angry as anyone else present. Fugaku finally calmed down and deactivated his Sharingan, then bowed slightly. "The Uchiha clan will fully support ANBU in capturing all of the Root ninja." "We will too," every other clan head joined with Fugaku, as Shikaku had already briefed them about Danzo''s memories, sufficiently informing them of the reason for such high levels of killing intent. Hiruzen nodded and turned to Inoichi. "Extract the location of EVERY Root base from his mind." "But don''t harm his mind. He should be perfectly sane after this," Fugaku added. Inoichi nodded and got to work. No one had any thought of returning to their clan compounds. ''Today is going to be a long day,'' Shikaku thought. Chapter 190: Handling the mess It was a normal morning in Konoha, peaceful and simple, but the day was going to be anything but ordinary. At 10 AM, half of Konoha heard an ear-shattering explosion followed by another, as if competing to cause the bigger blast. Afterward, all the ninja who went to check the site were sent to the Hokage building while the people of Konoha were flustered and afraid. Those near the Hokage building felt something akin to the presence of death. Even genin with little strength fainted after being subjected to the dense killing intent, let alone civilians who had no chakra to protect themselves. Konoha hospital was flooded with unconscious people. Luckily, the killing intent was removed before any permanent harm could occur. Hiruzen and Fugaku had nearly killed civilians of Konoha in their anger. Normally, killing intent doesn''t cause this much harm, but they unintentionally mixed a portion of their chakra into it. (A.N: This was similar to what happened when Sasuke summoned all four Hokage using Edo Tensei during the Fourth Great Ninja War in the anime, and Tobirama and Hashirama released their chakra (with killing intent?), which was sufficient to shatter the building they were in.) Considering the amount of chakra both of them possessed, the killing intent was decently powerful and could even be compared to a C or lower B rank jutsu. Inoichi began locating Root bases both inside Konoha and in the Land of Fire. The main surprise came when he discovered that Root also had bases in other lands. The Land of Wind, Earth, and Lightning each had two Root bases hidden under the enemies'' noses, and the number increased in smaller hidden villages like the Land of Noodles, Iron, and Lakes. He quickly informed Hiruzen and the council members about these details. "The good thing is that these bases are quite far from Konoha, and they have to cross one of the great ninja villages to reach Konoha. I don''t think there should be frequent communication between those bases and Root headquarters, right Inoichi?" Shikaku said, analyzing the situation from the basic knowledge. "Yes, from the memories, Danzo normally gets reports from those bases once a month. The last report he got was 12 days ago," Inoichi replied. "Then we have around 17-18 days to handle those bases, because they will become very high-risk targets once they learn about Danzo. The chance of leaking sensitive information about the village to other enemy villages will become very high," Shikaku said. Hiruzen nodded, already predicting this issue. The problem was he didn''t know about all of Root''s hidden bases and couldn''t make necessary preparations for each one. That''s why he had kept a group of ANBU ninjas on standby in case he learned of any new base and had to take care of it. But he didn''t have nearly enough ANBU to send to every base. Luckily, this was no longer a hidden mission, and he could use clan ninja for that too. While this was going on in Hiruzen''s mind and Shikaku was making plans to handle those bases, Fugaku turned to Inoichi and asked, "Inoichi, what is the purpose of those bases?" Knowing what Danzo had done to Konoha shinobi, Fugaku was sure that there was no way those bases wouldn''t have some deep, dark secrets. "Wait a moment," Inoichi said and once again placed his hand on Danzo''s head. After some time, he said, "Some of them are just for keeping an eye on enemy villages. Others are experimental facilities, just like we had seen, but with many live targets being tortured for the sake of ''experiments''. The content is enough to start a war; we have to handle this with caution." "This is getting troublesome," Shikaku said, already thinking of thousands of ways this could lead to catastrophic scenarios. "But not unexpected. We will need to prioritize those bases. The experimental bases should remain hidden; they could lead to a war we are not ready for," Shikaku added. Hiruzen, his face etched with grief and fury, nodded curtly. The council members, however, remained silent, their faces pale and sweat clinging to their brows. The weight of Danzo''s crimes had finally settled upon them. This was no longer just about the death of their old shinobi. If a war broke out, the number of losses would be enormous. "Shikaku," Hiruzen said, his voice hoarse, "mobilize all available ANBU. We need a swift and coordinated takedown of these bases. Clan heads, we will need your assistance as well. This is not just about Konoha''s internal security anymore; it''s about preventing a potential disaster." A murmur rippled through the room. Some, like Fugaku, Shibi, and Shikaku, were already ready to help. Other clan leaders exchanged glances, but ultimately, nods of agreement began to appear. The mission would be dangerous, but nowhere near as dangerous as a war. The revelation of Root''s expansive network had shifted the situation. This wasn''t just about Danzo''s betrayal of Konoha; it was about the potential for sensitive information to fall into enemy hands. "We''ll need a detailed map of these bases," Shikaku said, his voice sharp with urgency. "Inoichi, can you extract that information from Danzo?" Inoichi hesitated, his brow furrowed. "It''s possible, but... his mind is in a fragile state. He has been resisting my technique for quite some time, and since I have been forcing it, there are chances that he will suffer some mental injuries," Inoichi said while looking toward Fugaku, who had asked to keep Danzo''s mind intact. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Will that damage be curable?" Fugaku asked. "With time, it should be," Inoichi replied. "Then go ahead and take out as much information as you want, just make sure he can be cured afterward," Fugaku said with a stoic face, but everyone present knew that something very sinister awaited Danzo after this. Inoichi, sensing the collective desperation in the room, nodded grimly. He placed a hand on Danzo''s head once more and began collecting the information. The air in the Hokage''s office crackled with tension as Inoichi strained against Danzo''s mental resistance. "There are... three... high-security facilities... where main experiments are being done. One near the border with Wind Country, another in the Land of Rivers, and... the last one... it''s hidden deep within the Land of Iron." A collective gasp filled the room. The Land of Iron, a neutral nation known for its skilled samurai, was a potential hornet''s nest. This was the land responsible for the security of all the Daimyo, naturally having good connections with them. This was one of the reasons no Ninja war had affected that land. Hiruzen''s brow furrowed. "The Land of Iron? Danzo, the fool, has he considered the potential consequences of this?" Even the Nara clan head, Shikaku, let out a frustrated sigh. "This just got infinitely more complicated. Entering the Land of Iron without authorization could be seen as an act of aggression. And he had set a hidden base there; we have to take care of that first." Chapter 191: Handling the mess (Part 2) Shikaku let out a frustrated sigh. "This just got infinitely more complicated. Entering the Land of Iron without authorization could be seen as an act of aggression. And he had set a hidden base there; we have to take care of that first." "Yes, that base in itself could damage Konoha''s economy more than all other bases combined," Hiruzen said, no longer letting his mind be controlled by emotion. "I recommend sending Shisui for that mission, obviously not alone, but a group of highly agile jonin led by Shisui should be able to deal with that base swiftly," Fugaku suggested. "Good idea. We have an ANBU squad full of jonin-level ninja and some more highly agile jonin from other squads on standby. Lord Third, we should send all of them to that base first. Considering their mobility, all of them should return in 3 days at most, so they could handle other situations as well after this one," Shikaku added. "Fugaku, call Shisui to my office now. Other bases can be handled by other ninja. Everyone else, go back to your clans. We will send a message if we need your assistance. Fugaku, Shikaku, Inoichi, and Hiashi Hyuga, come to my office," Hiruzen said. The situation was so critical that there was no more time for meetings. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone nodded and did as asked. In such times, the orders from the Hokage were absolute. Not having to do anything from the shadows was actually very helpful for Hiruzen. Now he could employ thousands of clan ninjas for handling this issue. In just 5 minutes, all four were in Hiruzen''s office. "Inoichi, how many Root ninjas are present in that Root base in the Land of Iron?" Hiruzen asked. "That base is the most guarded one, protected by 40 Root ninjas. Ten of them are jonin, and the rest are chunin. The base also has 50 scientists and around 100 captives ¨C some civilians, some ninjas, and some samurai. Apparently, Danzo was trying to find some way to make civilians as powerful as ninja using ninja blood, and also how that technique affects samurai. So far, there have been no significant achievements," Inoichi reported. ''That insane bastard. Not only did he set a hidden base in the Land of Iron, but he was also experimenting on samurai. I don''t even know whether to consider him brave or foolish,'' Shikaku thought, a sentiment shared by all five ninja present in the office. "Shikaku, how many ninja do we need to send for handling the Land of Iron base?" Hiruzen turned to Shikaku for the plan. "Considering the general level of strength of Land of Iron samurai, I''m sure the Root ninja placed there are not the top strength of Root. Since we''re already sending Shisui, an elite jonin, I think sending just 8 more jonin-level ninja should be able to handle that base. Since they will have all of the information and an element of surprise, they should be able to manage. I also think we should send a jonin specializing in Earth-related jutsu. We will have to remove every trace of the Root base and any connection of that area with Konoha," Shikaku said. "We will also need a Hyuga jonin. Byakugan range will come in handy during this mission," Hiruzen added. "I will arrange an elite jonin as fast as I can, Lord Third," Hiashi said, maintaining a noble-like attitude as the leader of the noble clan of Konoha. "We would need many more than just one Hyuga ninja, Lord Third. I mean, one for every base is the bare minimum," Shikaku pointed out. "I understand, Shikaku. I will send every chunin and above ninja for those missions to ANBU Headquarters. You can handle the assignment of the missions to them. I just hope they will be compensated by the village for their trouble," Hiashi said. Even though he was angry at Danzo for what he had done to Konoha shinobi, especially Hyuga ninja, since all of them were from the Branch family and their Byakugan were destroyed, there was little Danzo could have done. That''s why Hiashi didn''t have the same level of hate for Danzo as Fugaku and the Uchiha in general. He wasn''t going to give his ninja for free, even if he wouldn''t take advantage of the situation. There was no way he was going to spend clan money for this. "Don''t worry, Hiashi. They will be paid according to the difficulty of the mission," Hiruzen assured. Shibi and Fugaku still didn''t ask for any monetary reward; just getting rid of Danzo was enough for them. "I expect you two will do the same?" Hiruzen asked Fugaku and Shibi. "Yes, Lord Third. I will also send all of the available ninjas to ANBU Headquarters," Fugaku said. Since the Uchiha were responsible for village security, he couldn''t send many Uchiha all of a sudden for missions, but Fugaku still had quite a reserve of jonin he could deploy. Shibi also agreed. After that, they went toward their clans. "What do you think will happen next?" Hiruzen asked. "After we take care of this whole mess, the council will start pointing fingers at you too, Lord Third. As you know, you had given way too many powers to Danzo and covered up for him many times. If you had taken action against him before, many lives could have been saved. Though those claims will not affect your position other than reducing your reputation among the clans, we can handle that for civilians and civilian ninja by placing all of the blame on Danzo," Shikaku said. "You also think it was my fault, right?" Hiruzen said, leaning back in his chair and taking a puff from his tobacco pipe. "With all due respect, Lord Third, yes. I know Danzo was important for the village, but you had forgiven him way too many times and had given him more power than necessary, like making it compulsory to join Root if asked and not requiring him to share information about his organization completely. These were the main reasons Danzo had the courage to do those reckless stunts," Shikaku said. (A.N: Kind of like how Naruto wanted to bring Sasuke back even when he went rogue and killed so many ninjas... friends) "I think you''re right. I am not fit for this position anymore and should pass it on now," Hiruzen said with a sigh, exhaling smoke. "I don''t see that happening unless Lady Tsunade or Master Jiraiya agree to take this position," Shikaku said with a smile. "Let''s handle the situation at hand first, and then we can discuss other things," Hiruzen said, and Shikaku nodded his head in agreement. (A.N: The story will not have Kaida for some time, since next chapter will have some high level shit where a genin can¡¯t get involved, but they will be interesting for sure ^~^) Chapter 192: Pain of Truth (part 1) Shisui was moving from one base to another with ANBU ninjas. With a team of many Jonin and some elite Jonin, it was almost impossible for Root ninjas to put up any resistance. Since they didn''t know about Danzo''s arrest, they didn''t try to fight back either, thinking it was some kind of misunderstanding and Danzo would save them in due time. When they were heading towards the 7th base, an ANBU ninja appeared near them and said, "Shisui Uchiha, here''s a message for you." The Root ninja gave a scroll to Shisui and then turned to the rest of the group. "I am the replacement for Shisui. Let''s go." Leaving Shisui behind, the rest of the ANBU ninjas went on their way to subdue the remaining Root bases. Shisui read the scroll, which simply stated "Come to my office" and had Fugaku''s seal at the end. ''Did something else happen?'' Shisui had a very bad premonition. ''Was Danzo able to turn the tables even from this situation? How is that even possible?'' Just thinking about the consequences, Shisui returned to the clan compound in record time. "What happened, Fugaku-sama? Was Danzo able to come up with something to save himself?" Shisui asked as soon as he entered Fugaku''s office. "No, but I have something to tell you. Before that, take a seat," Fugaku said, his voice containing a tinge of sorrow. "What happened, Fugaku-sama?" Shisui asked, finally sitting down and calming a little. "We went through Danzo''s memories to find out about all the crimes he had committed. Among many of them, there was one where he crossed all boundaries," Fugaku said. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "What did he do?" For some reason, Shisui knew he wasn''t going to like the answer. "He backstabbed his friend during a mission, just because he was jealous of his talent," Fugaku said and went silent. Hearing this, Shisui also went silent. He wasn''t an Elite Jonin at the age of 12 for no reason; he already deduced that Fugaku was talking about his father, Kagami Uchiha. Danzo''s friend, talented enough to get into Tobirama''s squad even though he was an Uchiha. When the truth hit him, Shisui''s chakra went haywire. Fugaku''s guards, worried about what was happening inside the office, entered to check. Fugaku gestured that everything was fine and they should wait outside, but the amount of chakra Shisui was releasing was not only simple chakra¡ªit was a dense chakra stream with even denser killing intent. The killing intent was powerful enough to rival what Hiruzen released. To Shisui, his father was everything¡ªthe hero he always looked up to. He was the person who taught Shisui to always love the village and be nice, the nicest person in the Uchiha compound. And he died not due to an enemy, but because of a friend who was jealous of his talent. "Sit down, Shisui," Fugaku said, releasing his own pressure. Shisui then came to his senses. He was already standing, facing towards the Hokage building, and was pretty sure he was going to raid that building and pummel Danzo into a paste. "Is he alive?" Shisui asked. "Yes, I asked Lord Third to hand him over to us alive and stable, after we clear up the mess he has created." Shisui''s fury had morphed into a suffocating silence. The news of his father''s betrayal by Danzo created a gaping hole in his world. His hero, his inspiration, reduced to a victim of petty jealousy. Rage flickered in his eyes, a dangerous ember threatening to erupt. But knowing that he would get his chance to get answers to thousands of questions in his mind, Shisui forcefully calmed himself down to think reasonably. "I want to know the whole truth," Shisui said. Fugaku, understanding the turmoil of emotions in Shisui''s heart, just nodded his head and started telling about the memories he had seen. When he told Kagami''s last words to Shisui¡ª"Tell my son his father loved him, and make sure he grows up well"¡ªthe dam Shisui had built to keep his tears from flowing broke, and a stream of tears started flowing down his face. Fugaku waited silently, giving Shisui some time to handle his emotions. "Danzo actually buried Kagami''s body as a sign of their last friendship. We now know the location of that place," Fugaku said after Shisui calmed down a little. "Where?" "It''s near Kumogakure. There''s a mountain 100 km southwest of Kumogakure; at the top of that mountain, he buried his body," Fugaku said. "I''ll come back in some time," Shisui said, standing up. "You can''t go there, at least not alone. The location is very near to one of Kumogakure''s bases¡ªthe same base your father destroyed during his last mission. The security is very high in that area. I''ll arrange a team to accompany you," Fugaku said. "No need. If it''s just a simple base, I can easily take care of that," Shisui said. "I know what you''re feeling, but you''re not some child, Shisui. You''re an elite Jonin, the son of Kagami Uchiha. How could you let your emotions cloud your judgment? Sit down and think calmly. Going against a major village base near their hidden village is almost the same as suicide," Fugaku said. "With due respect, Fugaku-sama, if I had let my emotions cloud my judgment, I would have already been fighting ANBU ninjas to kill Danzo in the most gruesome way possible. I''m already using all my willpower not to do that. Also, I don''t think a base will be a problem for me. By the time they know I''m there, I''ll already be on my way back," Shisui said. "Okay, let me complete what happened after reading those memories, then you can go," Fugaku said. Shisui nodded his head. "After that..." Fugaku told him everything, including how he was ordered to go to the Land of Iron to take care of the Root base present there. "So I have to go there first," Shisui said with a sigh. He knew it was the most practical decision; that base was basically a time bomb¡ªa time bomb that could destroy the peace of Konoha. "Don''t worry, you''ll be the leader of a team consisting of 7 Jonin and 1 Elite Jonin, plus yourself. After you take care of that base, you can take that team to Kumogakure. I don''t think that base will have any power to handle that team, considering there''s nothing very important for them there," Fugaku said. Shisui nodded and said, "I''ll be with my family. Call me when the team arrives." He walked to the door, only to find Hae and Kaida standing there. Shisui turned to Fugaku for an explanation. "I didn''t think you''d be this calm after hearing that. I thought you''d surely go for Danzo right now, which is why I called them to calm you down in that case," Fugaku said. Shisui sighed and then once again turned to Hae and Kaida. As soon as he turned, Hae hugged him tightly. She was also crying; the truth was too heavy for her to bear, and she knew if Shisui had done something in anger after hearing that, he would have had no other option than going rogue. Chapter 193: Pain of Truth (part 2) There was no way someone would be able to kill Shisui if he decided to run away, but that didn''t mean Hae wasn''t worried. To calm Shisui down, she had tried to keep a tough appearance. But when she saw that he was fine, all of the tough act she was putting on crumbled like a sandcastle, and a wave of emotion hit her. Shisui gently patted her shoulder. "It''s all right, Mom. Don''t cry," he said, but he was also crying with her. Kaida was just standing there, doing nothing. There was no way he could say anything that would calm them down, and honestly, he wanted them to cry to let the emotions flow. If they suppressed these emotions, it would be much more painful. ''That bastard,'' Kaida thought. ''Until now, I was thinking he was just a moron who did those awful things because he thought it was important for the village. But that bastard actually did all that because he was jealous of his own teammates. And if things had gone as they did in the anime, that bastard would have killed the son of his best friend without even thinking about his friend''s last words. Why? Because he wanted his eyes.'' Seeing his family crying increased the anger inside him. After some time, they both calmed down. "Let''s go to our house," Shisui said. Since there was no way Danzo or Root in general could even try to do anything now, there was no reason for them to keep living in Fugaku''s house. "I''ll send Yomi with someone," Fugaku said. Shisui nodded his head, and all of them went on their way. After reaching their home, Shisui used genjutsu on his mother and put her to sleep. Because of crying so much and the strain of those hard emotions, she was exhausted. Shisui could handle it a little better because of being an elite jonin and seeing worse things in his career. But Hae was just a civilian and was devastated thinking about the betrayal her husband would have felt in his last moments. That''s why Shisui put her to sleep so that she could get some rest. After that, he and Kaida went to the hall. Kaida had already made a shadow clone which brought herbal tea to the hall. "Here," Kaida said, giving Shisui a diary. "What''s this?" Shisui asked, taking and reading the book. "This book contains hundreds of ways to torture someone, and this is a solution which increases a person''s pain tolerance capabilities so that they can''t die from extreme pain," Kaida said while taking out a potion from his pocket. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Don''t be a nice guy and use three or four of those methods when you get your chance on that bastard. Don''t even think about giving a swift death to that bastard. All that talk about forgiveness is just bullshit," Kaida said. "I wasn''t planning on going easy on him either," Shisui replied. "Brother, can I join you on your mission?" Kaida asked. He was genuinely worried about Shisui''s safety; with his current emotional state, it would be difficult to make rational decisions. Shisui just turned to Kaida and said, "Are you worried about me? Don''t be. There''s literally no one who would be able to catch me if I decide to run away, and I''m still sane enough to know the fights I can''t win." He ruffled Kaida''s hair. Just then, he sensed someone coming near the gate. "Take care of Mom and Yomi till I come back," Shisui said. "Don''t worry," Kaida replied. But he noticed how Shisui took both the book and the potion, knowing Danzo was going to face something worse than hell. Shisui went to the gate and opened it, only to find an ANBU ninja standing there. "Sir, the team is ready and will leave as soon as you are. We have the location," the ANBU ninja said. Clearly, he was part of the team. "I''m ready. Let''s go," Shisui said, and both of them disappeared from the house. Kaida thought to himself, ''Even though the plan was successful, it still feels awful. That bastard actually killed his comrade, his friend, and still thinks he''s the most suitable candidate for becoming Hokage? The only good thing is that we don''t have to worry about Danzo and ultimately the Uchiha massacre anymore. Even though this will change the story completely, I will now have the dream team: Shisui Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy are sure shots. Then Fugaku Uchiha, Jiraiya, Tsunade, maybe Hiruzen too. Let alone Akatsuki, even people like Tobi and Madara without Rinnegan will struggle against this team in the future. Obviously, currently, they''re not strong enough to compete against Akatsuki, let alone Madara Uchiha.'' When Kaida was thinking about the changes he had caused in the future, a knock on the door happened. "What happened?" Yomi asked, entering the house as the Uchiha jonin who escorted her took his leave. Since both Kaida and Hae were abruptly called by Fugaku, she was worried if something bad had happened. "First, take a seat," Kaida said, pointing toward the sofa. Then he proceeded to tell the story. "How can such a person be an elder of Konoha, betraying his friend, killing children, experimenting on allies?" Yomi said. "I don''t know, but for now, please be with Aunt Hae. Brother put her to sleep for now, but when she wakes up, she''ll need someone to support her," Kaida said. "Don''t worry, I''ll be with her," Yomi said and went to Hae''s room while Kaida went to the kitchen. He took out some herbs and pork bones and started making a herbal soup for everyone to calm their minds. Meanwhile, Shisui was present in a room with 8 other ninjas. "All eight of you have a single job: save as many innocent people as you can, then run away from the base. I will handle the rest, and I will not take any objections," Shisui said. "Yes, sir." Since 7 of them were ANBU ninja, they knew how to follow orders, and the last person, an elite Jonin from the Hyuga clan''s branch family, was not that arrogant and also agreed to the orders. Chapter 194: Into Enemy Territory "Sir what will be the name of over team?" an Anbu ninja asked. "Shadow," Shisui said, not at all thinking about it, just saying the first thing in his mind. After discussing the ''plan,'' team shadow went out of the village. Their location was land of iron. There are two ways to reach there: either they have to cross land of Earth and evade Iwagakure and one minor village, which is shorter but more dangerous route; or going through land of sand and many more minor villages. Since Sunagakure is an ally of Konoha, this path is relatively safer, but since they have to cross the largest country and many minor villages, this is the longer route. Normally a team would choose the second option since it was safer, but since the mission was very urgent, no one in team shadow had a plan to take that route. They just directly moved toward Iwagakure. And even if they had any such plan, they would have still taken the same path since Shisui was their leader, and it was mandatory to follow orders of your leader during a mission. Failing to do so may result in termination of your ninja career. That is, if you are able to come back alive. Team shadow had not eaten soldier pills till now since it was not certain how much time they would need to complete the mission, and if they take the pill and had a fight on the third day, it would be disastrous. That''s why they kept on running toward their location, occasionally using movement jutsu like body flicker and then once again running till they recovered their chakra. Since the complete team consisted of ninja who were specialized in movement jutsu or agility in general, they were already moving very fast without the use of any jutsu. After 12 hours, they reached the border of land of fire. "Sir, there is an outpost near this area. I think we should take a rest there before moving further," an Anbu ninja said. Shisui nodded his head. Even though they were jonins and elite jonin, running at their full speed as well as using movement jutsu so many times would drain energy and chakra like a hole in a pot. After seeing Shisui nod, everyone sighed in relief. From the urgency and anger they had seen in Shisui''s voice, they almost expected Shisui to order them to keep on moving till they reached the location of the mission. "We still have 4-5 hours of daylight. It will be foolish to go to land of earth now; Iwagakure will surely be active now. Let''s wait and take a rest for 8 hours and then continue our journey," Shisui said, easily showing his subordinates why he was appointed as their leader. With experience of war and hundreds of shinobi missions, Shisui already knew how to control his emotions and not let them alter his decision-making capabilities. They went to the outpost. After seeing Shisui and the Hyuga, there was no need for a thorough check-up as it was very difficult to transform into someone with a working kekkei genkai. All of the members directly went to sleep except Shisui. It was customary for a ninja to always be on guard when on a mission, especially if that mission is an S-rank mission. No matter how secure of a place you have found for the rest, a Ninja should always be on guard. Since all of his team members were tired, Shisui asked them to take a rest first while he stood guard, and they could change roles after some time. After a sleep of 4-5 hours, the ninja switched the role and Shisui also rested. The food was arranged for them before leaving. At 9:30 PM, team shadow entered the land of Earth. They naturally chose the farthest location from Iwagakure; there was no need for them to make any move against Iwa Shinobi without any reason. "There is a squad 15 km to our left. From the amount of chakra they possess, they all are chunin, most likely a patrol squad," said Satoshi Hyuga with his byakugan active. "Are they moving toward us?" Shisui asked. "In our general direction, but I don''t think they know about us," Satoshi said. "Everyone, hide your chakra signature and follow me," Shisui said. Since everyone present there was an Anbu ninja, they were masters at hiding their chakra, and the other two were elite jonin. So there was no way they would get spotted by a team consisting of chunin. With their chakra hidden, team shadow started running away from the path of the patrol squad of Iwa. With the help of Byakugan, there was no chance any Iwa Shinobi not particularly searching for them would be able to find even their traces, let alone like the team. With the help of the darkness of the night, they swiftly crossed the land of earth. By the morning, all of them were almost out of the country, but considering the amount of distance they had travelled, which was more than 17,000 km, they were more than tired. "We will take rest here. Satoshi, you will keep watch for any enemy. These two will be with you. Till then, we will take rest. After 3 hours, we will change our position," Shisui said. "Yes sir," Satoshi replied. With him and Shisui being elite Jonin along with their Dojutsu, they were the most suitable ones for keeping the watch. Since it was still night, the responsibility lies on Satoshi''s Byakugan. Naturally, no one objected to Shisui''s orders. After taking the rest, they continued their journey. As soon as they covered the border of land of earth, the change in terrain became visible. The rocky terrain of land of earth started to get covered in a thin layer of snow. The vegetation, which was already sparse in land of earth, became sparser. This was land of iron. If not for its mineral-rich soil, this would have been named as land of Snow, due to being covered in Snow all year long. The vegetation was very sparse in the region; they mainly bought food from other countries. Due to the terrain, team shadow changed their clothes, now wearing completely white clothes. "Luckily the root base is on the outskirts. So this part should be easy," one of the fairly young Anbu Ninja said. "This is an S-Rank Mission, boy. This is never going to be easy. Always be on guard during such missions, no matter how good a situation looks," Satoshi said, slightly revealing a slash mark on his hands. The Anbu Ninja nodded his head. "Enough talking. We are directly going to the base. According to Inoichi, there should be no outpost near the base, but since it is Lord Third''s order, we will first check for any outpost in the area of 100 Kotoamatsukami around the base before taking any action." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes sir," the team replied. And they started moving toward the root base. After one hour, they successfully reached the location. "Satoshi, take three Anbu with you. You will be responsible for searching the east side completely. I will search on the west side. If you find anything, don''t engage in the fight unless they have spotted you, and if necessary, make sure no evidence is left behind. We will meet here in 2 hours. If any of us is not present at that time, we will search for that team, but one order is absolute: don''t get captured at any price. Even though they don''t have strength necessary to do so, if they managed to capture you guys, Konoha will be in a very bad spot," Shisui said. "Don''t worry," Satoshi said and took a team with him. Shisui did the same, and they searched the area around the root base thoroughly. After 2 hours, both teams met at the same spot. "All clear in the east." "Same for the west." With the preparation complete, it was now time to complete the mission. Chapter 195: Shadows in the Land of Iron With all of the members standing in front of the root base, Shisui said, "Satoshi, can you draw the map of this base? I want the precise location of each and every person inside this." "Okay," Satoshi said and started making the map of the base. Even though Byakugan and Mangekyo Sharingan have nearly the same visual power and range, there was one thing that Byakugan excelled at. The capability of Byakugan was very much perfect, whereas the Sharingan could see through some objects like armor and earth walls, but nowhere at the level of Byakugan, which could see through thousands of kilometers. Neji Hyuga and Hinata were able to see more than 10 kilometers with their Byakugan, and Satoshi, being an elite jonin, could also do the same. After half an hour, a detailed map was present in front of team Shadow, with the location of each root ninja and the places where they had kept the captives. The location of the experiment room and the room where they had kept the reports of the experiments were also marked. Everything of any value had to be transported back to Konoha, whereas everything else had to be removed without any trace. With 40 root ninja on the watch, it would be foolish to do anything even remotely related to saving the captives. Since this base was this deep in the Land of Iron, Danzo must have made some preparations to handle any situations where someone may attack this base and point fingers at Konoha. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So the most important part of this mission would be to silently subdue the root ninja, as according to the orders, not all of the root ninja were enemies. They were just ordered to do those things and would go through a series of mental and physical training by Lord Third himself and ultimately get recruited in ANBU. That''s why team Shadow couldn''t just kill all of the root ninja in the base; they had to somehow transfer them back to Konoha alive. But considering the location of the mission, this condition was a little lax. They had to try to do it, but if they couldn''t do it without alerting the Land of Iron, then they could proceed as they wished. "Here is a plan. I will..." Shisui started sharing the plan he came up with after meticulously analyzing the map Satoshi had drawn. "Any doubts?" Shisui asked. "No sir," all other members of team Shadow said and dispersed themselves. Shisui made a shadow clone, and that shadow clone used transformation jutsu to transform into a wolf and went in the direction of the entrance of the root base. Since the base was inside a naturally hidden cave and most of it was underground, Shisui planned to use the wolf for luring out the root ninja guarding the entrance of the cave from inside. After reaching 25 meters away from the entrance, the same distance from which the whole land was covered in seals to sense any intruder, the wolf started circling the area like it had sensed someone inside the cave. Two root Ninja were on guard duty like always. If there was someone else at their post, he or she may grow complacent after years of watching the same scenery and not getting a single intruder in that time. But due to the training the root ninja had received, which almost killed all the emotions in them and made them something akin to a machine, there was no room for slacking in their life. They completed all of their missions with complete dedication and preciseness. If we compare them to a normal ninja from any major village, they would be winners 10 out of 10 times considering their efficiency in completing any mission. A textbook example of Ninja, cold and merciless killers. If not for their high death rate and high talent requirement, which only a village like Konoha could afford, every village would most definitely have a division similar to root in their ranks. Those Seals present around were very particular in their working. At first, only the guard would be notified of any intruder. Once they checked if they could handle that intruder or not, they could either take care of the intruder themselves or activate the second part of the seal, calling each and every root ninja for the fight. When the guards sensed that there was movement near the entrance, both disappeared from their position and appeared at the opening of the cave. Both of them were still hidden and would not be noticed by someone unless they knew what to search for. Seeing that there was only a wolf circling around the cave, they let their guard down a little. Though rare, such situations happened from time to time. Many wild animals wanted to make such a well-hidden cave their home, only to die without knowing how. "I will take care of that. You go back to your location," the one on the left said. The wolf started growling as soon as he heard the voice of that ninja. With the growl, a small amount of chakra also started coming out of its body. "No, that wolf is not normal. I think it will be better if we both handle it. There is no need to take any unnecessary risks." After getting agreement, both of them used body flicker jutsu to appear to the left and right of the wolf, with their kunai pointing at vital points of the wolf. When they were about to make a move, someone suddenly appeared a little away from them. They looked up to check who was the second intruder, only to find deep red glowing eyes with a revolving shuriken inside them. Before they could do anything or even think about their next move, they both lost consciousness. Seeing that, the shadow clone dispersed itself. Shisui picked up both of the unconscious root ninja and disappeared from the area. Team Shadow was waiting for him a little away from the base, mainly an ANBU ninja who was a seal master in fuinjutsu. Though he was still not a grandmaster, he was very close to that level. After Shisui and Satoshi, he was the most powerful person in the team, both politically and physically. "Shingi, it''s your turn now," Shisui said. Shingi nodded and placed his hands on the head of a root ninja. Even though removing the Root seal would be impossible for a Grandmaster, Shingi could now do that to an extent thanks to the methods Hiruzen had taught him before he went out for the mission. Even though getting information out of their heads was still not possible, Hiruzen had made sure that Genjutsu could affect them now. This was specially done because Shisui was the one in charge of the operation. Shingi removed his hand after 5 minutes and then did the same for the next root ninja as well. "Sir, I have weakened the seal. You can proceed," Shingi said. "Okay," Shisui said and released his genjutsu. Both of them woke up from their slumber ready to attack, but to their bad luck, once again they only saw a pair of dark red glowing eyes. (A.N: Last three days of practical, after that the release Schedule will be back to normal ^~^) Chapter 196: Deception and Strategy "Okay," Shisui said and released his genjutsu. Both of them woke up from their slumber ready to attack, but to their bad luck, they only saw a pair of dark red glowing eyes once again. Their eyes became completely white, as if there were no pupils in their eyes in the first place. If they didn¡¯t know better, Team Shadow would have thought that Shisui killed those two root members. But what Shisui was doing was entirely different; he was reading the memories of those two root members. With his Mangekyo Sharingan, this could be done in seconds, but he was at it for 10 minutes. The reason being, reading someone¡¯s mind forcefully may end up damaging that person¡¯s brain, even making them brain dead if the force was too much. Since Shisui still had very important use for them, he was making sure that their brains would not be harmed during the procedure. After reading the memories, he woke them up again, only to place them in a genjutsu once again, after which he sent them back to their post as if nothing had happened. ... Both of them were once again standing in their positions with the memories of the last 10 minutes erased from their minds, but there were some new memories in their heads, like their post was now changed. They now had to guard the captives'' room, and since they had invested so much in those captives, their security was top priority. In case of any emergency, they had to be transported to Konoha alive. Both of these were complete opposites of what the actual orders were, but due to the genjutsu capabilities of Mangekyo Sharingan, there was no way these two chunin rank ninjas could guess that. So, according to their new orders, they went to the room where the captives were kept. ¡°We are ordered to switch over positions; you guys are on guard duty till further notice,¡± one of the root ninjas said. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Are you sure? We didn¡¯t get any such order,¡± the ninja who was guarding the room said. ¡°Yes, there is some unusual movement in the Land of Iron for some time. The leader asked for some stronger guards to be placed for the time being,¡± the guard confirmed. Though the ninja who was guarding the room was suspicious, once he sensed that both of them still had their seals intact, his doubts vanished. It was almost impossible for someone to place them in genjutsu, and even if someone somehow did, root ninjas could sense that from their seals. After confirming that, the guard swapped. ... ¡°Sir, new guards are here,¡± Satoshi said. ¡°Good, our plan is working. Let''s make sure all of the root ninjas guarding the civilians are under genjutsu before we make any move,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the others said. And Shisui once again repeated the same procedure, sending a clone as a wolf, making the root ninjas unconscious, and then placing them under genjutsu once again. Though time-consuming, by using this method, it was easy for them to accomplish both tasks: saving the captives and subduing as many root ninjas as possible without killing them. But even the higher-ups of Konoha knew the most they could do was bring back the chunin rank root ninjas. The ninjas at the jonin rank are specially trained against genjutsu and mind control, and had to be eliminated swiftly before someone from the Land of Iron got an inkling of what was happening under their nose. After repeating the same thing for some time, almost 25 chunin were under genjutsu and they were tasked to protect the captives in case an attack occurred. After doing that, Shisui returned to the temporary base of Team Shadow. ¡°It is time to begin part 2 of our plan,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Sir, there are still 15 ninjas left in the base and they will surely attack us. Since they are trained for efficient killing, I think we should do the same,¡± one of the Anbu ninjas said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Satoshi and I will try to handle as many jonin as we can. You guys will mostly have to take care of chunin. Mainly focus on subduing them without killing them, but if you can¡¯t, then kill them directly without a second thought. If you have to fight against a jonin, try to stall for some time. There is no need to even think about subduing them; either kill them or stall enough for either me or Satoshi to come to your aid. Any doubts?¡± Shisui said. ¡°No, sir.¡± The plan was already discussed; everyone knew their role. But the battlefield contains way too many variables to account for. One wrong move and the whole plan may fall into ruin. That¡¯s why the tension was understandable. But having two elite jonin, full knowledge of the enemy, and a surprise factor, victory was almost certain. As per plan, Shisui went to the gate and unleashed all of his chakra. The alarm at the gate went off like crazy. The new guards didn¡¯t even think about checking the source and just called for reinforcement because they felt the enormous amount of chakra Shisui had released. Within seconds, all of the 10 jonin were at the gate. Their leader was a ninja from the Yamanaka Clan. With his mind-controlling power and ability to read minds effortlessly, he was the perfect candidate for becoming the leader of such a base where privacy and secrecy were of utmost importance. He was the person Shisui was warned about. Even though controlling the mind of an Uchiha, especially one with a Mangekyo Sharingan, was almost impossible, this couldn¡¯t be said for his teammates. If Satoshi somehow became mind-controlled and lost his life to a jonin, it would be a very big loss for Konoha. The same goes for Shingi and others. After those 10 jonin, 3 other chunin also arrived at the gate. ¡°Where are the rest of our members?¡± Toshiro Yamanaka asked. ¡°We don¡¯t know, sir, but we sensed a very high amount of chakra. Even though it was from a single individual, the amount was twice your chakra reserve.¡± Since Toshiro was a Yamanaka, who were not particularly famous for having a high amount of chakra, anyone else may not think having twice the amount of chakra than a Yamanaka is a great feat. But those present knew how much chakra Toshiro possessed, second only to F¨± Yamanaka, right-hand man of Danzo and greatest talent of the Yamanaka clan. Having a lineage of both the Senju and Yamanaka clans, Toshiro had a huge chakra reserve among jonin. If someone had twice the amount of chakra than him, then that person is sure to be an elite jonin. There is no such person in the Land of Snow, so either a great ninja village found out about this base, or someone from Konoha arrived here. Both of these situations are bad, and seeing how that person didn¡¯t barge inside the base, he/she must be aware of the safety seals inside the base. ¡°Ryohei Nakamura, go and check the situation. Don¡¯t resort to fighting directly; the person may be from Konoha,¡± Toshiro said to his second in command. Ryohei Nakamura is a civilian ninja who specializes in agility, complemented well with his lightning release, making him the perfect person for such a task. With his speed, evading an attack and calling for help should be child¡¯s play. Ryohei nodded his head and disappeared from his position, appearing 40 meters away from Shisui, who was standing in front of the gate just outside the range of the seals. ¡°Shisui Uchiha, why are you here?¡± Ryohei was momentarily surprised, then raised his guard completely. Either the person in front of him is Shisui Uchiha or an imposter. And there was no way he could guess the truth unless Shisui used his Sharingan, because imitating a kekkei genkai, and that too a dojutsu, is very difficult. Shisui also understood that and activated his Sharingan all the way to Mangekyo Sharingan. Seeing that, Ryohei at least became certain that the person in front of him was Shisui Uchiha, the real one. ¡°I want to have a talk with Toshiro Yamanaka. I have urgent orders from Lord Third,¡± Shisui said, maintaining a calm composure. ¡°Okay, you can come inside,¡± Ryohei said. ¡°No, ask your leader to come outside,¡± Shisui said, not hostile but in a firm tone, with no-nonsense attached to it. Ryohei sighed in his mind. Shisui clearly knew about the seal and was wary of them too. Since he was on an official mission, the result is not going to be good for sure. Chapter 197: Orders ¡°No, ask your leader to come outside,¡± Shisui said firmly, his tone carrying no hostility but leaving no room for nonsense. Ryohei sighed inwardly. Shisui clearly knew about the seal and was wary of it. Since he was on an official mission, the outcome was unlikely to be favorable. Ryohei nodded, acknowledging Shisui''s firm stance. He vanished from his spot, reappearing before Toshiro and the other Jonin, who were anxiously waiting for an update. "Sir, it''s Shisui Uchiha," Ryohei reported. "He wants to speak with you outside the gate. He claims to have urgent orders from Lord Third." Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "Shisui Uchiha? Here? Are you sure it''s him?" ¡°Yes, sir. He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan before speaking,¡± Ryohei replied. This was proof enough for both Ryohei and Toshiro. Toshiro pondered for a moment, weighing the risks. Shisui''s presence outside the gate was a clear indication of his awareness of the safety seals within the base. This was a calculated move. "Very well," Toshiro finally said. "I''ll go meet him. The rest of you, stay alert." Toshiro made his way to the gate, his mind racing with possibilities. As he approached, he could see Shisui standing calmly, his Mangekyo Sharingan still activated. Toshiro stopped a few meters away, close enough for a conversation but far enough to react if things went south. "Shisui Uchiha," Toshiro greeted, his voice steady. "What brings you here?" Shisui kept his gaze steady, locking eyes with Toshiro. "Toshiro Yamanaka, I have urgent orders from Lord Third. Your presence here is no longer required. The operation in the Land of Snow is to be shut down immediately." Toshiro''s eyes widened in surprise. "Shut down? On whose authority?" Shisui didn''t blink. "I already said on the authority of the Third Hokage. This base can compromise our diplomatic efforts with the Land of Iron. You are to stand down and return to Konoha. These orders are final and non-negotiable," Shisui said, and he stopped emitting the huge amount of chakra. As soon as he did that, Toshiro could sense that Shisui was not alone. There was another elite Jonin and seven Jonin with him. This team was strong enough to rival the strength of every ninja present in the base combined. The numerical advantage would be meaningless against the strength of two elite Jonin. Toshiro''s mind raced. If Shisui was telling the truth, disobeying an order from the Hokage could lead to severe consequences. But what if this was a ruse? He needed to be certain. "And what proof do you have of these orders?" Shisui reached into his pouch and pulled out a scroll bearing the Hokage''s seal. He tossed it to Toshiro, who caught it and quickly scanned its contents. His eyes flickered with doubt but eventually settled on a decision. ¡°This only contains Lord Third¡¯s seal. Where are the orders from Danzo-sama?¡± Toshiro asked. ¡°We were only given orders to deliver this command to this base and shut it down before anyone from the Land of Iron could get any inkling about this base and its connection with Konoha,¡± Shisui said. ¡°But Root bases are under Danzo-sama''s authority. We can¡¯t close it without his orders,¡± Toshiro said, making his point clear. He was relieved that the situation was looking rather peaceful. It would be great if they didn¡¯t have to fight. ¡°From what I know, Elder Danzo is under house arrest for operating such a base in the Land of Iron without notifying Lord Third or any other council member about it,¡± Shisui lied through his teeth. Since there was some truth in it, like if it were somehow revealed in the council meeting about this base, Danzo would likely face similar consequences. Toshiro¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°House arrest? I wasn¡¯t informed of this. What proof do you have?¡± Shisui remained calm, knowing the delicate balance of this situation. ¡°Proof will be provided upon your return to Konoha. For now, your priority should be to follow the Hokage¡¯s orders. If you¡¯re concerned about Danzo, then returning will allow you to clear things up.¡± Toshiro hesitated. The logic made sense, but the risk of deception was still present. He knew he couldn¡¯t ignore a direct order from the Hokage, especially with the possibility of diplomatic fallout with the Land of Iron. ¡°Very well, Shisui. We will prepare to leave. But if this is a trick¡­¡± Shisui interrupted, ¡°I assure you, it is not. We don¡¯t have time to waste. So please, start the evacuation and demolition of this base.¡± Toshiro turned to his subordinates, giving the signal to begin preparations for departure. ¡°Ryohei, inform the others. We¡¯re shutting down the base and returning to Konoha. Make sure the captives are secure and prepare them for transport.¡± Ryohei nodded and swiftly moved to relay the orders. Meanwhile, Toshiro kept his eyes on Shisui, still wary of any sudden moves. ¡°We¡¯ll need some time to gather everything and secure the captives. Any interference from your side will be seen as hostile.¡± Even though the orders were genuine, Toshiro still had a bad feeling about the situation. Something seemed off. However, since the orders were clear to return to Konoha as soon as they received them, there was no time for Toshiro to check the validity and get follow-up orders from Danzo. Still, he decided to remain vigilant until they reached Konoha and had a direct conversation with Danzo. Shisui nodded in agreement. ¡°We¡¯ll stand by and ensure no one from the Land of Iron interferes. Your cooperation is appreciated.¡± As the Root ninja began dismantling the base and preparing the captives for transport, Shisui and his team kept watch from a distance. The tension was palpable, but the operation was proceeding smoothly. Danzo had already planned for a situation where information about this base might get leaked. He had made some plans for such scenarios. Using one of these plans, the Root ninja gathered all the captives in a nobles'' carriage, a perfect vehicle to transport these people. Since they couldn¡¯t move stealthily like ninjas, they would move right under the noses of the Land of Iron''s ninjas. But the number of scientists and captives exceeded 150, so they had to prepare two caravans for the travel. While this was happening, everyone in Team Shadow was happy. This was the best-case scenario. Considering how loyal Root ninjas were to Danzo, it was difficult to make them do anything without his orders. But when Shikaku got the information that the leader of that base was Toshiro Yamanaka, he made this plan. As everyone with a little brain knows, fooling an intelligent person is easier than fooling a dumb person. If there had been any other ninja, he or she would have demanded Danzo¡¯s orders before following the instructions. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But Toshiro analyzed that doing so would harm Danzo more than anything. Seeing Shisui on the mission, the Uchiha would surely use this to reduce Danzo¡¯s influence. After analyzing these things, Toshiro decided to follow the orders for now. It would not be difficult to rebuild this base once everything settled down. Since he was the one who came up with this conclusion, he had no reason to doubt it, a true show of the brilliance of Shikaku¡¯s mind. Chapter 198: definite Loss Toshiro decided to follow the orders for now. It would not be difficult to rebuild this base once everything settled down. Since he was the one who came up with this conclusion, he had no reason to doubt it, a true show of the brilliance of Shikaku''s mind. A ninja from Team Shadow sent a hawk to Konoha informing about partial success of plan A, and that no one died. As the Root ninja finished preparations, two large caravans stood ready to depart. The captives and scientists were securely loaded inside, guarded by the Root operatives. Toshiro approached Shisui one last time before their departure. "I assume we have to destroy the base, right?" Toshiro asked. "Those are the orders. And being a capable ninja you are, I don''t think you would have to ask this question. Why would we leave anything behind that could lead anyone from Land of Iron to Konoha?" Shisui asked back. "I think you are underestimating Root too much. We have made enough preparation for such a case. Even if we leave everything, I mean everything behind, no one from Land of Iron or any other ninja village would be able to guess that we are from Konoha. Even those scientists working on those experiments didn''t know who they were working for. So it is not mandatory for us to destroy the base, but since those are the orders, we would do so," Toshiro said. Even though he was arrogant and a little angry in his tone, he knew no capable ninja would buy his act. The reason he was doing that was to give Danzo a way out. Since his words have to be reported in the report and also since the base is going to be destroyed, those words will be the last clue about the base and how that could have affected Konoha. With those words getting out, if any mess created by reveal of the base information will be child''s play for Danzo, in any other case that is, but Toshiro didn''t know that. Shisui controlled his smirk very skillfully, knowing what Toshiro was trying to do, and all the political play that would have been going on in his mind only for all of them to shatter when he would return to Konoha. Maintaining his composure, he went to Shingi and said, "Take a close look. We don''t want any, not a single seal to be left behind. Satoshi, you will be with him too. Please make sure no clue will be left behind." Both of them nodded their heads and went to the base along with Toshiro and team, with the rest of the team members going to the captive location to make sure they would remain safe. With an addition of 9 Jonin, 50 Root ninja, and nobles'' caravan, the group was as safe as it could be in the world. Well, except if you are traveling with some S-rank ninja, or the protagonist, that is. After around 1 hour, there was no trace of any base at that location. Everything under the ground was either stored or destroyed. Toshiro and team were sure that now no one would be able to put a single finger on Danzo. With a positive attitude, both teams and the caravan started their journey. It was a long journey, but since they took the shorter route, the same one Team Shadow used to come to the base, the journey was not going to be that big. If they had taken the route going through Land of Snow, the time would have been enough to increase the blood pressure of many people in Konoha. With so many ninja, the journey was obviously safe, and other ninja, even ninja from Iwagakure, thought that someone closely related to the Fire Daimyo was using the caravan and didn''t decide to do anything about it. Though it was certainly not because they didn''t want to, but the team had 19 Jonin and 40 Chunin, a team that would be deadly even at the time of war. Any capable ninja with a little bit of sensory technique would not want to mess with a group like that. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The one who actually tried to do something didn''t go very far, with both Byakugan and Mangekyo Sharingan, it was almost impossible to make a successful sneak attack. ... (After 5 hours when the discussion about the closing of the base happened between Shisui and Toshiro) A hawk landed at the information collection center at the Hokage''s building. The message was swiftly delivered to Hiruzen. "Finally, a piece of good news," Hiruzen said, reading the message. "I assume that my plan worked, Lord Third," Shikaku said, with a smile on his face. One could also call that a smirk, a smirk that would make your face very much punchable. But Hiruzen was in a happy mood from the news and just decided to go with the flow. "Yes, the start was good. Now let''s make sure that nothing bad will happen when they reach Konoha," Hiruzen said. "Don''t worry, Lord Third. We have planned a 3 to 1 ratio for immediate welcome of the guests. Along with thousands of ninja in Konoha, I don''t think those ninja would even try something," Shikaku, the Jonin Commander of Konoha, said. "It''s your task. Make sure nothing goes wrong. I already had many bad news on my table," Hiruzen said. "Don''t worry, sir. I will make sure to not make any mistake, even though this is a drag," Shikaku said. ... Within one week, Team Shadow and company reached Konoha. A hawk landed on Shisui''s shoulder. Shisui checked the letter and said, "We have to drop all the captives and scientists at the Hokage building." Obviously, his target was Toshiro Yamanaka. "We are already at Konoha. So I think you could handle things for now," Toshiro said. Chapter 199: Hostility A hawk landed on Shisui''s shoulder. Shisui checked the letter and said, "We have to drop all the captives and scientists at the Hokage building." Obviously, his target was Toshiro Yamanaka. "We are already at Konoha, so I think you could handle things for now," Toshiro said. Toshiro didn¡¯t want to do anything before discussing it with Danzo. Knowing he was under house arrest, he decided to go directly to him and then follow the ¡®orders¡¯ he had received, but... ¡°I don¡¯t think you have the leverage to think, Toshiro-sama. These are direct orders from Lord Third,¡± Shisui said with an obvious smile on his face. ¡°I know what to do, boy. I will go there just after reporting to the person who is in charge of our organization and the person to whom we report, like always. These arrangements were also made by Lord Third,¡± Toshiro said, his voice showing no emotion at all, like a robot speaking. But that also meant he was back to his Root ninja attitude, and everything until now had been a calculated move to bring the best outcome for Danzo and ¡®KONOHA.¡¯ ¡°Toshiro-sama, until now, you had a numerical advantage over us, but the reason we didn¡¯t fight was that you knew we were more powerful. Oh, and you wanted to protect your boss from any further trouble. I respect that, but the thing is, you have even lost your numerical advantage too,¡± Shisui said. As soon as Shisui said that, more than 50 ninja came out of the main gate and surrounded the caravan. There were some Jonin, many Chunin, and some Genin, but all of them were almost ready to attack. Toshiro''s eyes were now full of killing intent as he looked at Shisui. If he had the power to kill through looks, Shisui would have died many times. ¡°I already told you, boy, if this was a trick, you will pay,¡± Toshiro said. ¡°Oh, believe me, this was not a trick. Those were the orders from Lord Third. You can ask him when you meet him soon. But I did lie about the house arrest thing. He is at the Hokage building. You will be filled in on the details by others. Now let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t have time to discuss this all day. I have many more Root bases to close,¡± Shisui said, obviously taunting. Both sides were ready to attack at the slightest hostility from the other side. Root ninja, both those under Shisui¡¯s genjutsu and those who were not, were ready to attack, and they would do so without any doubt. Toshiro was weighing all the possibilities in his mind, but at the end of every possibility where he decided to fight, it resulted in the death of most of the Root ninja and the likely capture of the others. With the tension increasing every moment, both parties were at a standstill. ¡°Stand down. We will follow Lord Third¡¯s order,¡± Toshiro said. Shisui was visibly disappointed hearing that, with the anger he was feeling from knowing about his father¡¯s death and Toshiro and his party''s affiliation with his father¡¯s killer. Shisui was hoping the plan would not go this smoothly, but to his dismay, the fight he was expecting didn¡¯t happen, and everyone went to the Hokage building swiftly. Captives and scientists were both sent to the hospital, and the rest of the ninja were asked to stay in the Anbu headquarters under strict watch. They were going to go through a very long brainwashing session with Hiruzen himself, the person who was capable of making a child a hero when the whole world was set on making him the biggest villain. And what did he use? Just words. (A.N: When people say that Naruto¡¯s talk-no-jutsu is powerful, I think they underestimate Hiruzen a little. He was also a strong competitor, but since he was not able to make a Kage-level villain change sides with his words, I assume Naruto did have a more powerful version of that jutsu.) Team Shadow went back to their homes as they returned from a very big mission, but Shisui and Satoshi both had to file the reports of the mission. While they were doing that, an Anbu ninja came to them and said, ¡°Sir, you both are called to the Hokage¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Satoshi asked, as he was very close to completing his mission report. A few more minutes, and the paperwork would be done. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the Anbu ninja replied respectfully. No one in their right mind would want to offend an elite Jonin, especially someone from a powerful clan like Hyuga or Uchiha. ¡°Okay,¡± Shisui replied. He was done with his paperwork anyway. Satoshi also sighed and nodded his head. ¡­ ¡°Good evening, Lord Third,¡± Shisui and Satoshi said. ¡°Well done, both of you. Not losing a single ninja and safely closing a potential explosion tag, which would have blown Konoha¡¯s peace to smithereens, and that too in so little time. I expect nothing less from you guys,¡± Hiruzen said with a smile on his face. ¡°We only did as we were ordered, Lord Third,¡± Satoshi replied. ¡°Don¡¯t be modest, Satoshi. Now here is a question. As you guys already know our situation, do you want to take another mission, or do you want to take some time off for some rest? Though let me tell you, there is no urgent danger anymore. Most of the high-danger bases are already closed, and the rest will be done with or without your help. So you guys can take some rest if you want,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Lord Third, I would like to spend some time with my family. I will report back after two days for a mission,¡± Satoshi said. ¡°No problem. You can go now, Satoshi. Your reward will be sent to your house,¡± Hiruzen said. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Thank you, Lord Third,¡± Satoshi bowed a little and then left for his residence. ¡°What about you, Shisui?¡± Hiruzen asked Shisui. ¡°I have some urgent work. After completing that, I will take another mission, Lord Third,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Kagami was both an asset to the village as well as my friend, boy. I also want to complete that urgent work of yours, but I am far too busy to do so. Here,¡± Hiruzen threw a scroll to Shisui and continued, ¡°This is a mission of closing a Root base at Kumogakure. The base is just 20 km away from ¡®that¡¯ place. You and Team Shadow are assigned to this mission for now. You will have two missions: first, close the Root base; second, retrieve the body of Kagami Uchiha,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Yes, Lord Third,¡± Shisui said, bowing a little and continued, ¡°We will depart right now.¡± ¡°Let those poor souls have some rest, Shisui. You will go on the mission in 12 hours. Go back to your house and have some rest,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Yes, Lord Third,¡± Shisui said and left for the Uchiha compound. Remaining in a continuous vigilant state for so long and not getting an ounce of sleep had taken a toll on everyone, including Shisui. That¡¯s why Hiruzen had given them half a day of rest time. Shisui directly went to Fugaku to give him the report about the mission. Even though this was an S-rank mission, it was not mandatory to keep it a secret from your clan head, since there was no way this whole situation could now be concealed from them anyway. That¡¯s why Hiruzen had not even decided to ask everyone to keep the mission secret, though spreading the details to the general public was still not allowed. ¡­ ¡°So there was no fight,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°Yes, the plan went well, but I don¡¯t think the same will happen to this base as well. There are only Chunin present at Kumogakure, all of them very loyal to Danzo and will not take any orders from anyone else other than him. That¡¯s why the mission is to just eliminate everyone at that base,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Fugaku asked. ¡°Yes, I am finally able to think clearly, but I will meet Danzo after this mess settles down,¡± Shisui said. ¡°I know, and I am not going to say otherwise. Even though I also want to have a ¡®talk¡¯ with him, you will get the first chance,¡± Fugaku said. Both of them were angry. Fugaku was angry because of the number of Uchiha who lost their lives just because of the jealousy and foolishness of an old man, while Shisui was angry because his father faced the worst kind of death a ninja could face: a death through betrayal. Fugaku understood that Shisui had to get over this anger; otherwise, this anger would eat him from the inside. Chapter 200: Peace (A.N: YooHooo 200 chapters complete ^~^) After discussing everything, Shisui went back to his house. ¡°Welcome, brother,¡± Kaida said. He was sitting in the hall, and Shisui could easily see how vigilant Kaida was. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so alert, Kaida. No one is going to attack our house, and Fugaku-sama has also made arrangements for our protection,¡± Shisui said, remembering how he had instructed Kaida to protect everyone when he was going out on the mission. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. I also know about those two Jonin; they came to introduce themselves,¡± Kaida said with a smile. It was not that he was tense because of the situation. With the mess he had created for Danzo, it was almost impossible for him to come out of this. But the reason he was worried was because of how this whole situation started. He just decided to improve the image of the Uchiha, which Danzo was purposely ruining. It was a simple move, checking and curing some patients for free, just to improve the image, but that somehow escalated to Danzo coming after his life and the complete removal of the Root organization. Even though this was a good thing, the implications were what worried Kaida for his future. The knowledge of the future was such an overpowered cheat for Kaida that by just using that, he was able to make such an impossible feat possible. But if a single small move could make such a big impact, there was no way things were going to remain the same in the future. The Uchiha massacre was not going to happen, Konoha was not going to face a sudden loss of strength, and Sunagakure would not be able to attack Konoha like in the average story. Or it would not be Sunagakure alone, as other villages might get wary of the increase in Konoha''s strength and may attack Konoha way before the Chunin exams. There was also a chance of a fourth great ninja war starting due to the rise in Konoha¡¯s strength. In the original story, due to the Uchiha massacre, the general strength of Konoha was not that high. That¡¯s why other villages focused on increasing their strength and not on attacking Konoha to keep its strength in check. But now the situation would change. With Shisui, Itachi, and Fugaku, three Kage-level ninja in the future, and so many Uchiha, the strength of Konoha would be enough to make the other four great ninja villages move. And with this, the most powerful cheat Kaida had would be for nothing. ¡®Would I change any of my actions if I got a second chance? ¡­ NO. Then there is nothing to worry about. Even if the future may change, what I get in return is worth it,¡¯ Kaida thought and let go of his worries and went towards Shisui. ¡°So, how was your mission, brother?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°It went well, though I have to go on another mission in 12 hours,¡± Shisui said with a smile. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Are you going alone?¡± Kaida asked, knowing fully well what Shisui would want to do at this moment. Shisui understood why Kaida asked that. ¡°No, this is an official mission. We have to close a Root base in Kumogakure. After that, I will bring back father to our home,¡± Shisui said. Kaida could feel an immense amount of sadness and anger in Shisui¡¯s voice. ¡°Aunt Hae was asking about you when she woke up. She is super duper angry about how you went on a mission without even telling her,¡± Kaida said, trying to change the topic. Even if he had become much more intelligent and sharp after getting the three tomoe Sharingan, he still didn¡¯t know how to console a person effectively, so changing the topic was the best he could do at that moment. Kaida''s attempt to change the topic worked, and Shisui let out a small, genuine laugh. It had been a while since he felt at ease, and he appreciated Kaida''s effort to lift his mood. "Well, I guess I better prepare myself for mom¡¯s scolding," Shisui said, a faint smile lingering on his face. "Yeah, good luck with that. You''ll need it," Kaida said with the same smile. After their brief exchange, Shisui took a moment to appreciate the tranquility of his home. The Uchiha compound, usually bustling with activity, felt unusually quiet and peaceful. It was a stark contrast to the turmoil he had just experienced. Shisui headed towards Hae¡¯s room. He knocked gently on the door and waited. The door swung open, revealing Hae''s weary face and swollen eyes, proof of the sadness she had felt. "Shisui, where have you been? You had me worried sick!" she scolded, pulling him into a tight hug. "I''m sorry, Mom. It was an urgent mission," Shisui replied, hugging her back. "But I''m here now." Both of them didn¡¯t mention anything to open the slightly closed wounds. After some time, they pulled back. ¡°Come inside, and let''s get you something to eat. You look exhausted," Hae said. Shisui followed her inside, the familiar scent of home-cooked food comforting him. He took a seat at the table as Hae busied herself in the kitchen. The simple act of being home, surrounded by family, was a balm to his weary soul. After finishing his meal and spending some quality time with his mom, Shisui made his way back to his room. He needed to rest and recharge before the next mission. But getting sleep was a totally different thing; the anger and frustration were not allowing him to get the sleep he needed. While Shisui was trying his best to get some sleep, he suddenly remembered the time he had spent with his father, how they played together, how his father used to train him and teach him to be loyal to the village. With a peaceful smile on his face, Shisui went to sleep. --- The next morning, Shisui woke up feeling a little refreshed from all the tenseness he had felt during the mission. He went out of his room only to find everyone sitting in the hall enjoying tea. ¡°Good morning, brother,¡± Kaida and Yomi said. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Hae asked. ¡°Yes, Mom, and good morning to both of you,¡± Shisui said while sitting on the sofa and taking a cup for himself. ¡°Mom, I have to go on another mission, but this one will be the last one for some time,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Shisui, you are my whole world. I know you will go on this mission no matter what I say, but understand that if anything happened to you, I would not be able to live,¡± Hae said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I will be careful,¡± Shisui said with a smile. ¡°You are needlessly worrying, Aunt. There is no one in Kumogakure who could even catch brother, let alone harm him,¡± Kaida said. Though it was not true, and Raikage could easily catch Shisui in his lightning cloak, there is no way someone as important as the Kage of a village would be roaming around. ¡°I know, after all, whose son is he,¡± Hae said. After drinking the tea, Shisui went out of the house since it was now time for the meeting with his new team. Chapter 201: Turmoil of emotion (part1) After drinking the tea, Shisui went out of the house since it was now time for the meeting with his new team. He arrived at the designated location, where three of the fastest Anbu Jonin were waiting for him. This elite team had been handpicked from his previous team for their speed and combat skills, making them the perfect choice for this high-stakes mission. Their combined strength would be more than enough to handle the Root base, which only housed Chunin-level ninja. The team also included Shingi, who, while not as fast as the rest of them, was necessary due to his fuinjutsu expertise. ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± Shisui greeted, his voice calm but resolute. ¡°Good morning, Shisui-san,¡± the three Anbu Jonin responded in unison, each of them nodding respectfully. ¡°Everyone read the plan Shikaku-sama had sent, right?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± everyone said. ¡°We have a clear objective: remove the Root base in Kumogakure and eliminate everyone inside. So this mission is going to be an easy one, since the base only has 12 Chunin and 15 Genin. This should be quick work for us,¡± Shisui said, wasting no time. ¡°Yes, sir, but we have to go to the Land of Lightning, so I think the danger is still very high,¡± one of the Anbu ninja said. ¡°This is an A-rank mission. Of course, this is going to be difficult, but if we maintain proper alertness, this will be a piece of cake for us. And what to worry about? We were able to complete a mission in the Land of Iron without getting detected. The Land of Lightning is not going to be that difficult,¡± Shisui said. (A.N: The Land of Iron has Samurai, and Samurai are much higher in number than Ninjas in any single ninja village. Also, the Land of Iron is much smaller in area compared to the Land of Lightning, so there is a larger density of Samurai in the Land of Iron than the density of ninja in the Land of Lightning. That¡¯s why Shisui said those things ^~^) ¡°Any more doubts?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°No, sir,¡± everyone said. ¡°Great. Then we will modify anything needed in the plan after reaching our destination,¡± Shisui said. The team set off immediately, their movements swift and silent. They traveled at top speed, reaching the outskirts of Kumogakure in record time. ¡°From here on, we will remain on full alert. Even though the patrols are very relaxed in this area, there is still some risk of us getting detected. So follow my lead without making any sound,¡± Shisui said, activating his Sharingan, though only to the 3-tomoe level. There was no need to tire himself before any major incident. They once again started moving. Luckily, this base was also on the outskirts of the Land of Lightning, quite far away from Kumogakure. There was no way Danzo was going to take such a big risk of sending his ninjas, even though they were Chunin, very deep into enemy territory. As they approached the Root base, they quickly assessed the situation. The base was well-hidden and was guarded by a ninja in Kumogakure¡¯s uniform. If not for their prior knowledge, Shisui and his team may have guessed that this was one of the safe houses of Kumogakure. After checking that the initial information was correct, Shisui gave his final orders. ¡°Positions,¡± Shisui commanded, and the team spread out, each taking up a strategic point around the base. Shisui signaled the attack, and in a matter of minutes, they had breached the defenses. The Chunin inside barely had time to react before they were overwhelmed by the swift and deadly strikes of Shisui and his team. One by one, the Root operatives fell, their attempts to mount a defense proving futile against the Anbu Jonin¡¯s superior skills. The mission was unfolding exactly as planned. The attack team had taken their positions around the Root base, ready to strike. After confirming everyone was at their designated position, Shisui gave the final command, which also became the last words those Root ninjas heard before they died. ¡°ATTACK.¡± Shisui and three Anbu Jonin moved with blinding speed, their movements synchronized like a well-rehearsed dance. Shingi, while not as fast, provided essential support with his fuinjutsu. The base was covered in seals, and it was his job to make sure the team didn¡¯t fall for any traps and also to remove as many seals as possible. As the team advanced, they encountered a group of Chunin-level Root ninjas. These operatives were experienced and disciplined, but they were no match for Shisui and his elite team. One of the Root ninjas lunged at Shisui, kunai in hand. Shisui sidestepped effortlessly, his Sharingan predicting the attack with ease. He countered with a swift kick to the side, sending the ninja crashing into the wall. Before the ninja could recover, Shisui was already upon him, delivering a precise strike to his neck with his katana. Meanwhile, the other Anbu Jonin engaged the remaining Root ninjas. One Jonin, specializing in Taijutsu, weaved through the enemy ranks with fluid grace. He delivered a series of powerful punches and kicks, each strike landing with bone-crushing force. The Root ninjas tried to mount a defense, but their efforts were futile. The Jonin''s speed and strength were overwhelming, and within moments, several Root operatives lay defeated at his feet. Another Jonin specialized in Kenjutsu, wielding a sleek, razor-sharp blade. She moved with the precision of a seasoned swordsman, her blade cutting through the air with deadly accuracy. A Root ninja attempted to block her strike, but her blade easily deflected the weapon followed by a swift and clean strike that sucked the life out of the enemy¡¯s body. Shingi, though not directly involved in the melee, played a crucial role from the background. He skillfully removed pre-set fuinjutsu traps, ensuring that none of his teammates faced any unfortunate accidents. Shisui continued to cut through the ranks of Root operatives, his Sharingan allowing him to anticipate their every move. He moved with unparalleled speed and agility, his strikes precise and lethal. As he dispatched the last of the Chunin-level ninjas, a group of Genin-level operatives attempted to regroup and mount a counterattack. ¡°Not so fast,¡± Shisui muttered, dashing towards them. With a series of rapid hand seals, he unleashed a powerful genjutsu, ensnaring the Genins in an illusion. They froze in place, unable to distinguish reality from the nightmare Shisui had created. ¡°Finish them off,¡± Shisui commanded, and his team swiftly moved in, incapacitating the remaining Root ninjas with practiced efficiency. In the span of a few minutes, the battle was over. The Root base lay in ruins, its operatives defeated and incapacitated. Shisui and his team regrouped, taking a moment to catch their breath. ¡°Status report,¡± Shisui said, scanning the area. ¡°All targets neutralized, no casualties on our side,¡± the Taijutsu master reported, his breathing steady despite the intense fight. ¡°Good work, everyone. Let¡¯s secure the area and complete the task,¡± Shisui ordered. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The team moved quickly, searching the base. This time, the mission was to just shut down the base. There was no mention of bringing back the survivors to Konoha since the experiments were done on some Kumo Ninjas. Also, this was not particularly a scientific base. There were a handful of captives in the base who were neutralized swiftly by Anbu Ninjas. After that, they cleared all of the seals and buried the base after destroying it completely. ¡°Mission accomplished. Now, let¡¯s proceed to our next location,¡± Shisui said, his voice calm but resolute. Chapter 202: A Father’s Resting Place (A.N: Hey everyone, this chapter was one of the most difficult chapters I have written so far. I had to rewrite it twice because I was not able to show the emotions I wanted to initially. I invested a huge amount of hard work in this chapter. Please tell me if you like it or not ^~^) Shisui Uchiha stood at the base of the mountain in the Land of Lightning, quite a distance from Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. The mission had finally been completed. The instructions he''d followed led him to this secluded spot, high above the mountain, where a makeshift grave awaited him. Alone, Shisui ascended the mountain, his heart heavy with anticipation and sorrow. His three Anbu Jonin teammates stayed at a distance, keeping watch to ensure he remained undisturbed. This moment was personal, and Shisui needed the solitude to confront the past. At the summit, Shisui dug some earth and found the grave. The stones were meticulously arranged, a testament to Danzo¡¯s twisted sense of respect. As Shisui knelt beside the grave, his fingers traced the outline of the stones, a silent tribute to his father''s memory. "Dad," Shisui whispered, his voice breaking. "I''ve come to take you home." A tear fell on the stone he was touching. With a heavy heart, Shisui began the delicate task of unearthing his father''s body. Each movement was heavy, like lifting hundreds of kilograms. As he worked, memories of his father flooded his mind¡ªmoments of laughter, training, and the quiet strength his father had always embodied. Finally, Shisui uncovered his father''s remains. Tears welled up in his eyes as he gazed at the lifeless form before him. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the next step. Carefully, he placed his father''s body into a storage seal, ensuring it was secure for the journey back to Konoha. With the body safely stored, Shisui stood up, taking a moment to look at the sky. The skies in the Land of Lightning are often overcast, with dense cloud cover being a regular occurrence. Today was the same, but when Shisui looked up, the clouds parted a little and a ray of sunlight fell on the mountain Shisui was currently standing on. Like his father was seeing him from the pure lands, Shisui finally found enough mental strength to start moving again. Descending the mountain, Shisui rejoined his team. Without a word, they understood the gravity of what had just transpired. They set off immediately, moving swiftly and silently, their mission now complete. Back in Konoha, the news of Shisui''s return spread quickly. Hae Uchiha, Shisui¡¯s mother, awaited him at the entrance to their home. When Shisui arrived, he handed her the storage seal. He could not speak a word at all. Hae was the same; she could not speak a word either. She knew the turmoil of emotion her child must be facing, but she was the same. Hae looked at the storage seal in her hands and placed it on a bed. She activated it and saw her husband''s body, her cries echoing through the house. Shisui held her, his own tears mingling with hers as they mourned together. Kaida and Yomi were both standing a little away from them, silent, not speaking a single word. Hae and Shisui had kept their pain hidden for too long for each other, but now they had to let it flow for the peace of their minds and souls. After crying for nearly an hour, Hae and Shisui calmed down. Kaida went to them and said, "Take all the time you need to grieve. We''re here for you. Let us handle the preparations for the funeral. You both have carried this pain for far too long, and now it''s time to let it out." Then he went out, leaving Yomi behind to take care of Shisui and Aunt Hae. Kaida met with Fugaku and talked about the preparations needed to be completed for the funeral. The Uchiha clan held a grand funeral, attended by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the village elders, and various clan heads. The ceremony was a solemn affair, filled with speeches that honored Shisui¡¯s father¡¯s contributions and sacrifice. Hae and Shisui were present at the front of the crowd, gathered in front of the grave of Kagami Uchiha. Hiruzen Sarutobi stood before the assembled crowd, his voice steady and full of respect. "Today, we honor a great man who gave his life in service to our village. His legacy will live on in his son, Shisui, and in the hearts of all who knew him." As the funeral concluded, Shisui felt a sense of closure. His father was finally at rest, and his family could begin to heal. He looked around at the gathered friends and family, feeling their support and strength. Kaida, beside Shisui, placed a comforting hand on Shisui¡¯s shoulder. "I never had the chance to meet Uncle, but from everything I have gotten to know, I understand he was an incredible shinobi and an even better father. I am sure he will continue to look after you from the pure land.¡± Shisui nodded, his heart heavy but resolute. He didn¡¯t say anything; his heart was still very heavy from the grief. After the speeches from everyone who knew Kagami concluded, the funeral ended. Everyone left the place except for Shisui, Hae, Kaida, and Yomi. ¡°Yomi, can you bring Mom back to our house?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, brother,¡± Yomi said and helped Hae back to their house. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida and Shisui sat there silently. Shisui knew Kaida was not going to leave him alone, so he didn¡¯t even try. Kaida, understanding his brother¡¯s feelings, sat there silently without speaking a single word. The weight of their shared loss hung in the air, but in their silence, there was a bond of unspoken support and understanding. After a long time, Shisui stood up. The sun was almost gone, a faint red glow covering the surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s time to move on. I am sure Dad wouldn¡¯t want his son to be like this,¡± Shisui said, wiping the last of his tears. ¡°But I am sure he would be proud of how much his son has matured,¡± Kaida said, also standing up. Shisui just smiled at this. ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Shisui said, and they both went back to their house. ¡­ ¡°You guys are finally back. Do you want to eat anything?¡± came a voice from the kitchen. Yomi was sitting in front of the kitchen door. She looked helplessly toward Kaida and Shisui. ¡°I asked her to take some rest, but she scolded me and went into the kitchen,¡± Yomi clarified the situation. ¡°She just wants to keep herself busy,¡± Shisui said. He was also planning on doing the same. ¡°Yes, Aunt, we are super hungry,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Then go and wash your hands; the food is almost ready,¡± Hae said. Kaida and Shisui looked at each other, both having a smile on their faces. That night, Kaida and the family had a peaceful dinner. Chapter 203: Uprooted Root Konoha was unusually active these days. Every clan was busy dismantling Root bases, and ninja were either on missions or resting after them. Even civilians noticed something was amiss. The village''s constant activity felt like the movements of wartime, causing tension among its residents. "I think this has something to do with those blasts a few days ago," an old man said. "Yeah, even the Hokage came to visit the site, but nothing was disclosed about the attack. Now, Anbu ninja are raiding places all over the village," another man added. "Maybe they''re searching for whoever was responsible for the attack?" "I hope they clarify the situation soon," the last one of the group said. Such discussions were happening all around Konoha, and everyone was tense about the situation. However, the person most affected by all this was... "What a drag. That old geezer was really thorough and shrewd. Not only are Root bases spread throughout the world, but he also made sure no one in Konoha could act against him without risking those bases turning into a sword that strikes Konoha down. I don''t think he ever trusted anyone other than himself," Shikaku said. "Don''t tell me what I already know and focus on your work, Shikaku. There are still ten bases left for us to close," Hiruzen replied. "I haven''t slept for two days, Lord Third. I need some time off. I''m sure you can handle this much better than me," Shikaku said, shamelessly evading work. "Yes, but I want you to be trained for when I''m not around. You can rest after making sure everything is taken care of," Hiruzen said, using his age as an excuse. Both of them were equally shameless, making them a perfect team. This was why Hiruzen was confident they could manage without Danzo. Shikaku had enough intelligence to do so; he just needed someone as shameless as Hiruzen to make him work. "At least give me a short break. I want to see my family," Shikaku made his last effort. "I can call your wife here if you miss her so much," Hiruzen said with a smile. "No, I can''t let my feelings obstruct my work. Let''s focus on the remaining bases, Lord Third," Shikaku said, finally becoming fully alert. ''Hah, everyone needs to have such a wonderful wife,'' Hiruzen thought. ... The Root bases, once spread across the ninja world, were now a thing of the past. Some of the bases, located in small villages far from Konoha, were left for last because they had minimal contact with Konoha. However, when Hiruzen and Shikaku learned what was happening in those bases, they decided to destroy them along with their residents. The ninja there had become monsters, experimenting on pregnant women to create super ninja, strong from birth¡ªsimilar to clan ninja. It would be a lie if Hiruzen and Shikaku said they weren''t interested in the results of these experiments. However, two things were certain: the experiment was not complete, and the children died along with their mothers a month after delivery. The number of women and children who died to reach this stage was sickening, and continuing the experiments would require the same amount of sacrifice. One reason Danzo never informed Hiruzen about these experiments was that they didn''t have the resolve to kill so many innocent people, including children and women, for a little strength. During the war, Hiruzen had to make many tough decisions, resulting in the deaths of innocent people. But at that time, the safety of his village was at risk. He had to choose between the lives of his ninja or those civilians and did what any leader would do. Even then, he tried to save as many young ones as possible and gave women a chance to save themselves. Hiruzen wouldn''t say his hands weren''t covered in the blood of innocents, but he was still not a monster. If Danzo had informed Hiruzen about these experiments, Hiruzen would have surely stopped them. ... The discussion on how to handle those bases and whom to send went on for an hour. Finally, the last question, which none of them wanted to discuss, came up. "What should we do about the results of those experiments, the findings they made?" Shikaku asked. "You already know the answer. We can''t just burn them. That would make those deaths meaningless. Even if we aren''t going to continue those experiments, it doesn''t mean we can''t use the results of the ones already done," Hiruzen said. Even on Earth, there have been hundreds of cases where people or companies conducted research on humans to make cures for diseases or treatments for once incurable diseases. People would most likely question if those researchers were even human if they knew what they did. However, would humanity stop using the medicine developed after those experiments? No. Even if they don''t do it now, not using already built medicine just because it was developed at the cost of many lives and letting more people die would be utter foolishness. Humans were everything but foolish when it came to survival. Using similar logic, Hiruzen didn''t want all that research to go to waste. Many ninjas from all the great villages and many civilians from major and minor villages lost their lives because of those experiments. "What about the civilians in those bases?" Shikaku asked. "Just bring them here. I''m sure they don''t know anything about the Root ninja stationed there, let alone Konoha. From what they''ve experienced, they won''t be able to go back to their usual lives anymore. Even if the village has to stretch its budget to manage such a number of people," Hiruzen sighed, thinking of the additional number of civilians who came to Konoha in the last couple of weeks. He could even form a new clan from the people who became part of Konoha coincidentally. It should be noted that every normal person in the world dreamed of becoming either rich or connected enough to get the opportunity to live in one of the five great villages. Konoha was the first location that came to the mind of every civilian. The five great ninja villages were the safest places in the world during wartime. Sure, they would have wars, but it never reached the main village as they would make some agreements before that. During such times, every civilian outside those villages was at the mercy of thousands of Shinobi. They could kill them just because they were tense and wanted to relieve their stress. That''s why everyone wanted to live in one of the five great ninja villages. Since the village normally focused on ninja, one way was to have a very talented ninja, and you might get recruited into the village. Second, become rich enough to get land in the village, which was very costly compared to outside, almost ten times the amount even for the cheapest property in the village. Lastly, you could somehow become useful to ninja, like a plumber, gardener, or chef. However, there was heavy competition for such roles. In short, getting to live in the village was very much dependent on luck. Those people would get this for free, but if someone asked them if that torture was worth it for this price, the answer would most likely be, ''Are you mad? I''d rather live in the streets of a war-torn village than face that.'' But beggars can''t be choosers. Now, getting to live in a safe place for the rest of their lives should be enough for them to find some peace with life. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I don''t think the budget will be a problem for the coming years, Lord Third. For some reason, Danzo had stored twice the village budget in his funds," Shikaku said. "I know what you want to say. Yes, I already knew about his plan to remove me from my position and become Hokage. But come on, I am still stronger than him, and there is no way he would have gone to war with me. In the end, I didn''t want to lose one more friend. I should have done something from the start, and I didn''t. I''ve acknowledged this a thousand times, so don''t bring it up again. This is an order," Hiruzen said, his tone becoming stricter by the end of the sentence. "Yes, sir," Shikaku said, his lazy attitude vanishing. The order was from the Hokage, not the friendly old man everyone knew. Shikaku could act any way he wanted because of his mind and talent, but only until Hiruzen allowed him to do so. With the plan ready, Hiruzen called Eagle, the head of the Anbu guard, and gave him a scroll. "Arrange the teams as mentioned in the scroll," Hiruzen said. Only that much was needed; Eagle understood the task and left the office. "Can I go now, sir?" Shikaku asked. "Yes, but I will call you when the reports about other missions come," Hiruzen said, once again smiling as if his little outburst never happened. ''What a drag,'' Shikaku thought but didn''t say anything. He just nodded his head and headed towards his house. Chapter 204: burden of truth Kakashi had been quite curious after his meeting with Kaida . He would lie if he said he wasn''t curious about Kaida¡¯s claims. That little boy was so confident about everything, as if everything had happened right in front of him. Obviously, Kakashi wanted to check if what Kaida said was true or not, and whether Root was actually experimenting on Konoha ninjas. He also wanted to know if the second claim, that Danzo was behind the miserable condition of his sensei¡¯s son, was true. He was near the base when the explosion happened since he was the one who gave the location to Kaida after confirming unusual activity there. Kakashi confirmed that something was going to happen at the base, and then it happened¡ªa blast like every hell had broken loose. Due to Kakashi being in close proximity, he could feel the wave of the explosion hitting him. "They made quite a show, and it will be almost a mortal blow to Uchiha if they don''t have a solid reason for this," Kakashi thought. Then, at a second location, another blast occurred. Kakashi went straight to the blast location even before Hiruzen and his company arrived. Even though there was a huge amount of dust in the surrounding area, Kakashi was able to see something inside the base, including the half-deteriorated bodies of some ninjas with their names written on the side to identify whose corpse it was. Some of them were ninjas who once worked with Kakashi. When Hiruzen removed the dust cloud, the whole truth came to light. This base alone contained so many bodies and body parts of ninjas that it became certain in Kakashi¡¯s mind that Kaida was correct about Danzo. "If Danzo could do something this terrible to our own ninjas, doing something like that to Naruto is very easy for him. He may have done worse if not for Lord Third. What was I doing all this time not seeing the truth in front of me?" Kakashi thought. He knew about the disappearance of his former comrades, but he believed the official news that they died during a mission, even though his mind always told him that they were way too smart and talented to die during such missions. While he was thinking all this, his Sharingan was uncovered, and the problem with Sharingan is that it sees everything, even if you want it to or not. Kakashi was able to see a vial of blood with a name: Sakumo Hatake. For a second, Kakashi didn''t want to believe what he saw. Why was his father¡¯s blood in a Root base that was conducting human experimentation? It is to be noted that Kakashi was still not completely sane. He had lost nearly everyone he ever cared for. When he saw that vial of blood, he remembered his father, the man who was once known as the White Fang of Konoha, the person who was stronger than all three Sannin combined. But he committed suicide because some useless people thought he was incompetent, just because he chose his teammates'' lives over the mission. Kakashi never came to terms with his father¡¯s suicide. He knew his father was not that weak that he would do something like that just because people said some bad things about him. He had survived and even made Konoha win the Second Great Ninja War. How can you say that he was weak? And now, seeing the vial of blood, Kakashi¡¯s suspicions once again arose. When he saw that, he wanted nothing less than to go to Danzo, put his kunai on his neck and Chidori near his heart, and ask about the vial. But before he could even move, he saw Hiruzen attacking Danzo and taking him along with the other clan heads. Kakashi could join the meeting if he wanted. He was a clan on his own, even though he was the last member of his clan. The Hatake clan had done so much for the village that they still held massive respect in the village. Kakashi could surely get a seat in the meeting if he wanted, but since there was literally nothing he wanted from the village for his clan, he never actually took part in any meeting. But today, he regretted his decision. He was dying to know the truth. After that, some Anbu ninja came and took everyone to the Hokage building on Hiruzen¡¯s orders. Kakashi understood the higher-ups didn¡¯t want this news to spread, and he could understand why. This could very well make Danzo the biggest enemy of Konoha. Even other elders will have to answer many questions about how they didn¡¯t know about such a thing when it was happening right under their noses. After waiting for some time, they simply got an explanation that Root was responsible for some crazy experiments and that an investigation was ongoing. No one was allowed to share what they saw with anyone. Since it was Hokage¡¯s order, everyone had to comply with those orders. Kakashi wanted to ask about the blood, but since he knew that asking Danzo would be pointless, he decided to ask Hiruzen about the matter. Due to seeing all those things and the talk he had with Kaida Uchiha, Kakashi was already thinking of Danzo as some greedy and evil old man who would do anything for power. When he remembered his father, even though he didn¡¯t want to make any connection, his mind was not able to forget anything. That vial surely had his father''s name on it. Kakashi was feeling a multitude of emotions at the moment, so he decided to take some rest and get an explanation before doing anything. Even though he kept telling himself that, a part of him surely did want to personally interrogate Danzo about the truth. Knowing his mental condition was nowhere good enough to meet Hokage, he went back to his house and locked himself inside his room, trying to calm his emotions. After nearly an hour, Kakashi calmed down and decided to go to the Hokage office to ask about the situation. But when he was going toward the Hokage office, he was called by an Anbu guard. ¡°Kakashi Hatake, these are orders from Lord Third. You are given this A-rank mission. The team will be ready in an hour. Prepare for departure,¡± Eagle said and then went back to his next task. Kakashi remained standing there holding the scroll in his hand. After a couple of minutes, Eagle looked up and asked, ¡°Do you have any doubts?¡± ¡°No, but I have something I want to ask Lord Third. Can you ask him to make some time for me?¡± Kakashi asked. ¡°Okay, I will ask for an appointment once you are back from the mission,¡± Eagle said. Kakashi just nodded his head and went back. In truth, he just ran away from the truth. He was afraid to know the truth about his father. ¡­ After a week, Kakashi and the team came back from their mission. Since Kakashi was the leader of the team, he had to file the report. By then, more details had become clear about the situation with Danzo. Kakashi was now even more afraid to know the truth, but he steeled his resolve and went to the Hokage office. ... ¡°Oh! Come in, Kakashi. Well done on your mission. I expected nothing less from you,¡± Hiruzen said with his grandfatherly smile. ¡°Lord Third, I want to ask you about something important,¡± Kakashi said, completely serious. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°What are the chances that my father would have become Hokage if that incident hadn¡¯t happened?¡± Kakashi asked, maintaining constant eye contact with Hiruzen. Hiruzen also kept looking toward Kakashi. His mind was working on finding the reason behind Kakashi¡¯s question, and the guesses were not good. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Almost certain,¡± Hiruzen said after some time. ¡°Do you know something about my father¡¯s death that I don¡¯t?¡± Kakashi continued. ¡°I know where you are going with these questions. I will ask Inoichi to read his mind. I will call you when I find something. But if your suspicions are true, then that fool has harmed Konoha much more than I initially thought,¡± Hiruzen said. Kakashi didn¡¯t say anything. He just left. Though this could be seen as a disrespect toward the Hokage, Hiruzen didn¡¯t care about formalities at the moment. Chapter 205: Father’s memories Kakashi was sitting in his room, the doubt in his mind had become clear. Even though Hokage had said that he would check whether Danzo had something to do with his father''s death or not, Kakashi could see guilt in Hiruzen''s eyes. He was guilty of not keeping his friend in check, and there was no way Hiruzen would not have suspected that something was odd about his father''s death, but he turned a blind eye to that. Kakashi kept on sitting in the same pose for an unknown amount of time and only came out of this state when someone knocked on his door. "Sir, you were called to the Hokage''s office," one of the young Anbu ninja said. Since he was quite young and a chunin, he still feared and respected every Jonin, unlike other Anbu ninjas. Kakashi just nodded his head and vanished from his place. The Anbu ninja was still standing there. Kakashi had left his house without even closing his doors, and it was quite practical. Unless your house was guarded using some powerful seal, there was no way you could guarantee its safety. Even any genin could get inside the house, let alone a chunin or jonin. For some time, the Anbu ninja was confused about what to do, but then he just closed Kakashi''s door from the outside and left. ''It was not like he had asked for my help,'' he thought. Kakashi was standing in front of Hiruzen, his face completely serious. "Your doubts were correct. Danzo was behind your father''s death¡­ I am sorry," Hiruzen said. Even though he was already old, this recent event had taken a few more years from his life. Kakashi, who was already sure about this, kept on looking toward Hiruzen for one minute... two minutes... three minutes... five minutes. "I want to know the full truth," was the only thing Kakashi said. "Okay, when your father came back¡­" Hiruzen was just about to start what he learned about Sakumo''s death when Kakashi interrupted him. "Not by mouth. I want to see it," Kakashi said. Both of them looked toward each other. This was truly a difficult decision for Hiruzen. From what he had learned about Sakumo''s death, he was one hundred percent sure Kakashi would kill Danzo without even thinking. He had already promised Uchiha to give Danzo to them. "Okay, but you have to promise that you will not lose control and kill Danzo after that. Don''t worry; he''s going to face something worse than that soon. Uchiha has demanded me hand him over after this Root mess is over. He had harmed them the most," Hiruzen said. Kakashi just nodded his head. Seeing Kakashi, Hiruzen almost wanted to not allow Kakashi to know the truth, but the cat was already out of the bag. "Follow me," Hiruzen stood up and took Kakashi to the basement. It was guarded by two elite Anbu ninjas; they were personal guards of Hiruzen. He trusted them the most in Anbu. When they entered inside the basement, Kakashi was shocked to see the condition of Danzo. He was chained to a metal table and many seals were placed on him to stop him from performing any jutsu at all. Inoichi was sitting near his head, with his hand over Danzo''s head. "Inoichi, Kakashi wants to see the truth about his father''s death. Can you do it now?" Hiruzen asked. The reason for that was because Inoichi has been constantly working on finding the information about Root or any other plan Danzo had made for such situations. In short, Inoichi was already overexerting himself, and in result, Danzo''s mind was being constantly attacked by Inoichi. If it was any other person, they would have become brain-dead long ago, but Danzo had extensively trained his brain in case he was kidnapped and tortured. As a future Hokage, he could not have such a weakness. Due to this, Inoichi could easily extract information from his mind without effectively killing him. "Kakashi, I would not recommend you to do that. I know you want to know about your father''s death, but the truth is really, really ugly. Sometimes you should just forget about your past and live on. I knew Sakumo-sama, he would not want you to worry about him and get yourself into this. It will do more harm than good," Inoichi Yamanaka said. He said everything Hiruzen could not say because of his guilt of not doing anything even after knowing the truth. "I understand your concern, Inoichi-sama, but till now I grew up thinking my father was weak. He could not handle criticism and left me alone. At a corner of my heart, I somehow hated him. I¡­ I don''t want to keep on thinking that. I want to, NO, I have to know the truth," Kakashi said, the conviction in his voice apparent. "Fine, come here," Inoichi said. Kakashi went to him and placed his hand on Inoichi''s hand, and the procedure started. Danzo got the news that Daimyo was considering Sakumo Hatake for Hokage''s position. Even though he had failed an S-rank mission commissioned by Daimyo himself, Sakumo was still a prime candidate for the position. This news was very devastating for Danzo. It was one thing if Hiruzen was Hokage; Danzo always believed that he would be next since Hiruzen was way past his prime. But if someone as young and powerful as Sakumo became Hokage, not only would Danzo lose all chance of becoming a Hokage, he would even lose the power he had as an elder and Hokage''s friend. ''This can''t happen, I have to do something,'' was what Danzo was thinking. Then an evil smile came on his face. ''Looks like I have to fan some rumors once again.'' Danzo ordered his subordinate to spread rumors about how Sakumo failed an important mission and it made Konoha lose both face and many political as well as financial resources. After a week of this order, the whole of Konoha started talking about how Sakumo was a disgrace as a ninja. How could some lives be compared to the whole village? Even his teammates who he saved were somehow placed in a subtle genjutsu and were made to believe that Sakumo made a very big mistake. This affected Sakumo quite a bit. He fought the second Kazekage on the battlefield and killed both his son and daughter-in-law. He killed hundreds of ninjas for these people and did so many missions for the village, and now that he failed a single mission, all of the village was against him. Normally, this would have made him sad, but he could have brushed it off. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So what if everyone was against him? He just had to win their trust back. This was the type of person Sakumo was. But Danzo had made arrangements for that. He had mixed a special kind of poison in Sakumo''s water by poisoning all of the water supply of that area. The poison was a very subtle one, only targeting the brain of a person, and made them more emotional. This poison started affecting Sakumo''s mind day by day, and since he was being ridiculed by the whole village, his mental health started taking a hit. And when Sakumo was at his lowest, Danzo made his final move. He appeared at the Hatake compound when Sakumo was alone. "Danzo-sama, why are you here? You could have called me," Sakumo asked when Danzo came inside. "Sakumo, your strength and loyalty to Konoha are unparalleled. However, there is something we must discuss." "What is it, Danzo-sama?" Sakumo asked. "Your recent mission failure has caused quite a stir. The other clans are questioning the integrity and strength of the Hatake name." "I did what I believed was right. I couldn''t abandon my comrades." Even if his comrade was not grateful for that, if given a chance, he would do the same thing again. Seeing this, Danzo once again thought about whether he should continue with his plan or not, Chapter 206: Son’s Grief S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 207: A Time to Heal Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 208: BUT S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 209: New level of Haterade Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 210: Final countdown Shisui entered Fugaku¡¯s office. ¡°How are you, boy?¡± Fugaku asked. Even though his tone was casual, one could still feel hidden care behind it. ¡°I¡¯m holding up fine. I just wanted to know if this whole closing Root base thing is complete or if it will take some more time,¡± Shisui said. ¡°You know that many people are waiting for this answer, right? He has killed more than 50 talented Uchiha Ninjas in the shadows. Their families want to know when they can get hold of that ¡®thing,¡¯¡± Fugaku said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. When I get my hands on him, just call all those families. I am sure they will be satisfied with what is going to happen to him,¡± Shisui said. Fugaku could feel a shiver down his spine. The way Shisui simply said that was not good. The boy in front of him was a symbol of innocence. Even on missions where he had to kill someone, he always made sure they died the most painless death possible. And that boy was saying that he is going to torture someone, and that too this casually. But then Fugaku remembered how close Shisui was to his father and knowing how his father died and that he was not even told his father¡¯s last words. The anger was valid. Fugaku just sighed and said, ¡°All of the Root bases are mostly closed, and they have already got everything they could from Danzo. I had already asked Hokage-sama to hand over Danzo, and he said that he would give him to us by tomorrow morning. He will be held in the basement. I will talk to the others about how Danzo will get what he deserves. So do whatever you want, but you have only a single day. If you want, you can kill him. We already got everything we wanted from him, though Inoichi. Even though we didn¡¯t get all of his memories, Hokage didn¡¯t hide anything related to the Uchiha from us,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°Danzo was responsible for the death of Sakumo Hatake too,¡± Shisui said. ¡°I know. As I said, I got some of his memories,¡± Fugaku said, but he knew what Shisui was trying to say. ¡°Tomorrow, Kakashi will join me and Kaida,¡± Shisui said like he was telling Fugaku. Fugaku¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°I understand Kakashi, but are you sure you want to bring Kaida with you? He is still a child,¡± Fugaku said. Shisui, for the first time, smiled a little and then took out a small book. ¡°He was the one who gave me this book for tomorrow,¡± Shisui said while passing the book to Fugaku. Fugaku took the book and skimmed through it, but he stopped at some parts. Some of the torture methods were new even for him. ¡®I may have underestimated that boy a little,¡¯ Fugaku thought, but he understood why Shisui wanted to bring Kaida with him. To perform these tasks, they would need the help of a medical ninja, and others might get trauma for their life seeing someone in that state. Fugaku now actually pitied Danzo for the first time, but was he going to stop Shisui? Of course not. Danzo deserved every bit of this. ¡°Do whatever you want. You can either kill him or let him live. But if you do that, I will just hand him over to someone else,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°I¡¯m not planning on doing that in the slightest,¡± Shisui said. Fugaku nodded, and Shisui left the office. He returned to his home, only to find his mom and Yomi peacefully sleeping and Kaida practicing in the garden. He had placed some tags to stop the sound of his practice from coming inside the house. But since he stopped his training and looked toward Shisui as soon as he made the slightest noise, Kaida could hear everything even with the tags. They were a little advanced versions of isolation tags. Shisui looked toward the garden and decided to blow off some steam too. He went to Kaida and took out his katana. ¡°Let¡¯s spar,¡± Shisui simply said. Kaida just nodded with a smile and took out his sword, while also activating his Sharingan. Shisui also did the same, but he didn¡¯t activate his Mangekyo Sharingan, only his three-tomoe Sharingan. And they started attacking each other. Both of them were quite fast, but Shisui was both older, meaning having more experience as well as a more powerful body. He was five years older than Kaida, and that was shown in the spar. But Shisui was sure that this strength difference would not be maintained for long. Kaida was already pretty close to his strength level. Within a year or two, they both might have the same strength. This was just how much of a cheat Senju blood was. It has to be noted that Shisui himself was a prodigy, a genius of the Uchiha clan. If Kaida could reach his level by being so much younger than him, one could imagine the benefits. After crossing their swords many times, Kaida stopped between the clash and asked, ¡°So what did the clan head say?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°What about Kakashi?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a problem. He said I have complete custody of Danzo for tomorrow. I can even kill him if I want¡­ but he will have to pay for his crimes before that,¡± Shisui said while doing a downward slash with his sword. ¡°He sure will,¡± Kaida said while stopping the slash with his sword. (Next day) Kaida went to the Hatake compound to call Kakashi. ¡°Danzo is waiting for us. How long are you going to sleep?¡± Kaida said without knocking on the door. Before he could say anything else, the door opened, and Kakashi was standing there fully ready. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Not here, so control your bloodlust, buddy. Let''s go,¡± Kaida said and gestured for Kakashi to follow him. Kakashi quietly followed behind Kaida. They both used the Body Flicker Jutsu to arrive at the Uchiha headquarters. Shisui was already standing there. ¡°Danzo was sent here in the middle of the night. He is currently in the basement,¡± Shisui said. Kaida nodded his head. They both started walking toward the building while Kaida just sighed. Even though both of them were trying their best to hide it, a little amount of killing intent was still leaking from their bodies. (A.N: Danzo was going to pay one hell of a price for his wrongdoings ;-), please do comment your thoughts about the chapter ?) S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 211: Price of Ambition Danzo was sitting on a chair in a dark basement. Many seals were placed on him to stop him from using any chakra. Although he didn''t usually appear strong, Hiruzen knew how powerful Danzo actually was. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Nobody in the Second Hokage¡¯s squad was weak, and Danzo, who placed strength above everything, definitely wasn''t the type to accept growing weak as he aged. So, even though he was not as strong as Hiruzen, he was still a Kage-level ninja. If given the slightest chance to flee, he would do so in no time, and a rogue Danzo would be much more dangerous for Konoha than Orochimaru could ever be. That¡¯s why Hiruzen had made sure that Danzo could not use any chakra, even going as far as applying all the seals himself. If not for the Uchiha¡¯s demand to get Danzo in perfect condition, Hiruzen might have preferred cutting Danzo¡¯s chakra pathways and making him unable to use chakra ever again. He would still have his chakra, but he would be unable to move it. For Danzo, nothing would be worse than that. Though Hiruzen would never do that¡ªor rather, the old Hiruzen would never do that. The current Hiruzen now knew everything he had actively tried to ignore. He now knew how much damage Danzo had inflicted on Konoha. He could confidently say that the friend he once knew may have died in the past, and the person in front of him was now a different person who just wanted power and would go to any lengths to achieve it. In a sense, every ninja would do that. But once this started to affect your friends and family, and you become a beast who uses innocent lives to achieve power, you become an enemy of everyone, including your old friends. ¡°If not for the Uchiha¡¯s request, I would have loved to kill you myself,¡± were Hiruzen¡¯s last words before sending Danzo to the Uchiha compound. None of the elders came to Danzo''s rescue anymore. He was now a sinking ship, and the best thing everyone could do was take their valuables and run. There was no way the elders were going to drown with this ship. While Danzo could take some elders like Koharu and Homura with him, since they knew many things he did behind Hiruzen¡¯s back, they were so insignificant in his mind that he didn¡¯t even think about them. In a sense, it was their luck that Danzo never became Hokage. Otherwise, the first people who would have died were those corrupted elders. Danzo was not going to keep them in his council. But now, Danzo''s mind was only thinking about his mistake¡ªwhat did he do wrong? His plan was perfect, its implementation was perfect. Those damned Uchiha didn¡¯t even guess that he was sullying their image and making them enemies of Konoha step by step. In a couple of years, when they would have guessed that something was wrong, everything would already be out of their hands. But then that brat came. He started improving the Uchiha''s image in Konoha, and since he didn¡¯t have to be discreet in his actions, he almost ruined years of work in just a few months. Danzo obviously became angry and tried to kill him; it was the logical thing to do. But somehow, that was the point when everything took a turn for the worse. He knew there was nothing he could do now; only death awaited him, and one with lots of pain. Danzo even tried to commit suicide to take away the pleasure of torturing him from those who wanted to do so, but these pests didn¡¯t even allow him to do that. Now he was just sitting in a dark room; only the gods knew where. But then the gates of that room opened, and someone came in, and the lifeless eyes of the person Danzo hated the most in the world appeared before him. Even though three people came through the door, Danzo''s eyes were only focused on Kaida. ¡°You¡­ I will kill you. It was you who did this to me. If you are a man, untie my hands for a second and see what I will do to you,¡± Danzo said, moving so much that he fell with the chair he was tied to. ¡°Hahaha, as I said, there was no way that simple mind reading would damage his brain, brother. He is way too shrewd; there is no way his mind would be weak. See, he is still trying to find a way to run away by acting angry,¡± Kaida said, laughing at Danzo¡¯s antics. Then he turned to Kakashi. ¡°I have a gift for you, Kakashi,¡± Kaida said. ¡°What is it?¡± Kakashi was having a hard time not attacking Danzo. He was the man who was responsible for maybe half of his problems. If his father were alive, maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªhe and his team would not have had to do that bridge mission, and they would still be alive. Kaida also understood how impatient both of them were, so not wasting any further time, Kaida took out a bottle of liquid from his bag. The only person other than Kaida who knew what that liquid was lay on the ground, but from the concentrated smell of the liquid, Danzo could easily guess what it was, and for the first time, he now felt fear. ¡°What is this?¡± Kakashi asked. ¡°This is the same poison Danzo used to make your father do that. Also, it is a highly concentrated one, so Danzo will be susceptible to any and every genjutsu after drinking this.¡± When everyone heard that, they all had different reactions. ¡°This is the best start for the day. What are you waiting for? Take it and make him drink it,¡± Shisui said to Kakashi. Kakashi looked at the poison with fire in his eyes, and his killing intent and bloodlust even seemed to threaten the bottle, which was understandable, but Kaida protected it. The bottle was costly and rare, and Kaida had to ask his teacher Mitsuru for help in finding this poison. ¡°I am sorry,¡± Kakashi said and took the bottle from Kaida. ¡°No problem.¡± Kakashi went to Danzo, grabbed his mouth open, and started pouring the poison in his mouth, but Danzo was not swallowing it. Seeing that, Kakashi thrust the bottle down Danzo''s throat. The size of the bottle was much bigger than how much a person''s mouth could stretch, causing Danzo''s lower jaw to break and his throat muscles to tear. Kakashi kept the bottle there until it was empty. Obviously, Kakashi didn¡¯t care about Danzo¡¯s injuries. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem for Danzo to have torn muscles; his chakra would have repaired the damage in a minute or two. But now that his chakra was sealed, he was just a little stronger than a common man, so the tear and blood coming out of that injury started stopping the airflow from his lungs. Kakashi, Shisui, and Kaida just stood there looking at him. After five minutes, Kaida said, ¡°He may actually die like this,¡± and placed a kunai on Danzo''s throat. With a small thrust, he made a small hole and took out all the blood, then used the Healing Palm Jutsu to close the wound. ¡°He is good to go,¡± he said, and then went back to the room. Kakashi and Shisui both activated their Sharingan. Kakashi just removed his headband to reveal his Sharingan¡­ Chapter 212: Closure Kakashi, Shisui, and Kaida just stood there looking at him. After five minutes, Kaida said, ¡°He may actually die like this,¡± and placed a kunai on Danzo''s throat. With a small thrust, he made a small hole and took out all the blood, then used the Healing Palm Jutsu to close the wound. ¡°He is good to go,¡± he said, and then went back to the room. Kakashi and Shisui both activated their Sharingan. Kakashi just removed his headband to reveal his Sharingan and then started the first round of torture. Danzo first saw a desert, a never-ending desert. He had to keep moving because the sand was so hot that if he stayed in one place, his feet started to melt. After moving for three days, the most painful part shifted from heat to thirst. He became so thirsty that he even tried to cut his finger off and drink his own blood, but as soon as he cut it, his blood evaporated due to the heat. After another three days, he was on the verge of dying. Normally, he would have known he was in a genjutsu, but the effect of the poison and the inaccessibility of his own chakra prevented his mind from making any effort to defend him. But he could finally end his suffering and die. His eyes went open, and he found Kakashi standing in front of him drinking water, the same water he had dreamt of for the last six days. But even though it had been six days for Danzo, in reality, only ten minutes had passed. But before he could attune his mind to reality, his consciousness once again faded, and he opened his eyes in a jungle, surrounded by many insects. To his dread, he knew every one of those insects; all of them were poisonous but not deadly enough to kill him. The poison was a slow-acting one. It would slowly melt the bones, muscles, and skin of the area they bit, and Danzo was paralyzed. Once again, an excruciating day of pure torture started. Once he opened his eyes before his death, he started a cycle of one genjutsu to another. Kakashi and Shisui were competing on who could make it more painful, and Kaida had to give his everything to stop Danzo from getting permanent mental damage. Even though the basement was soundproof, Danzo¡¯s screams were still heard by many members in the Uchiha headquarters. They promised themselves to never get on the bad side of the three people in the basement. Many people who wanted to have revenge against Danzo came to the compound and left with a smile on their face. He was already getting what he deserved. Most of them were going to stab him many times until he died, but now he would suffer before death. Many people wanted that to happen but didn¡¯t have the guts to do so. But if someone else was doing it for them, then there was no need for them to worry about anything anymore. In the basement, the mental torture ended after two hours when Kaida finally said that it would be too difficult to keep Danzo sane any longer. Kakashi and Shisui just sighed and shifted to physical torture, removing nails, breaking bones, and even peeling the skin off. Kaida even thought, ¡®Maybe I went a little too far in writing those things.¡¯ After another two hours, Danzo was begging to be killed. The cunning and ruthless man was dead long before; now, he was an old man who just wanted his pain to end. He had already forgotten about anything he did in his life. The only thing going on his mind was to free himself from the pain. He had already tried to beg them to spare his life, but it didn¡¯t help, and the pain kept on increasing. He even shifted to requesting his death. Shisui and Kakashi just looked at him in disgust, but Kaida placed his hand on their shoulders. ¡°The one you guys wanted to take revenge on is already dead. The thing in front of you is just a husk of his previous self. It¡¯s time to move on.¡± Shisui and Kakashi kept on looking at Danzo, who was just lying on the ground, hopefully looking forward to his death and the end of his suffering. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to kill him anymore,¡± Shisui said and left the basement. ¡°Same,¡± Kakashi said too. Now only Kaida and Danzo remained in the basement. ¡°I would have left too, but I know how dangerous you are, and under no circumstances can I let you live. I am sorry, but since I am going to give you a painless death, I want something from you,¡± Kaida said. ¡°What do you want?¡± Danzo said with venom in his voice. He knew even though Kakashi and Shisui were the ones who tortured him, it was Kaida because of whom he had suffered. Whenever he thought he had no more strength left in his body and he could finally die, Kaida would heal him and prolong his suffering. ¡°Oh! You don¡¯t have to worry. I will take that myself,¡± Kaida said and placed his hand on Danzo¡¯s head. ¡®I have still not forgotten the vacuum jutsu you used against Sasuke in your last fight. That was the jutsu I liked the most in that fight, something so lethal and invisible and even powerful enough to slice through stones like air. There is no way I would not want that,¡¯ Kaida thought. He started looking through Danzo¡¯s memories using his Sharingan. If not for his new power-up of getting a 3-tomoe Sharingan and Danzo still under the effect of the first poison, this would have been almost impossible to do. But now, with everything in the right place, Kaida was able to search Danzo¡¯s brain for the training of vacuum release. There had to be something about it. Even though there were some memories damaged in his mind, the training a ninja did get so deeply embedded in their mind that they could perform those moves in half-sleep, so those memories would be the last thing to leave a ninja¡¯s mind. After some searching, Kaida found those memories and quickly learned everything he could about the jutsu, the training techniques, the uses, its variations, and potential. After doing that, he placed his kunai on a vein in Danzo¡¯s neck and sliced it. Now Danzo would not feel any pain. He would quickly grow unconscious from blood loss and die before he even knew. This was the last mercy he got. ¡®If I was on Earth, I don¡¯t know how I would have reacted after even seeing something like this. Now not only have I seen this, but I was also even helping them. I think all that killing has also killed something inside me since I don¡¯t feel any remorse or anything from this. Heck, I am even relieved that such a big threat is resolved. Is this bad? Should I try to change? No, this mentality is very important for my and my family¡¯s survival in this world. There is no place for weaklings here,¡¯ Kaida thought. After steeling his resolve, he went out of the basement, only to find Shisui and Kakashi looking toward the gate. ¡°He is dead,¡± Kaida said. Both of them nodded their heads and disappeared from their positions. Kaida already knew where they went and why they had waited to do so. Even though they said they didn¡¯t want to kill Danzo, they simply couldn¡¯t let the man who killed their father be alive. When Kaida waited, they knew he was going to kill Danzo. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As for where they went, of course, to tell their fathers that they could finally move on. ¡®Luckily, both of their fathers were loyal to Konoha and made sure their sons would remain loyal too. Otherwise, Konoha may have gotten two very strong S-rank ninja as its new enemy. Hiruzen doesn¡¯t even know how big of a bullet he just dodged,¡¯ Kaida thought and simply went back to his home. Shisui came back after five hours, his eyes were a little swollen, but the life had come back to them. ¡°Welcome back, brother,¡± Kaida said. Chapter 213: What? (After 2 weeks...) Everything had gone back to normal. Shisui had gone on a mission after a very long time; everyone decided to give him some time to sort out his feelings, and the same happened to Kakashi. Kaida, Kakashi, and Shisui actually met once again that week. It was just a normal meeting Kaida arranged to see if both of them were doing fine or not. Since all three of them were not really friends, he decided to meet and was happy to see that Kakashi was also doing fine. "Well, he already handled the worst of anything that could have happened to him. I don''t think there is anything reality can throw at him that he will not be able to handle," Kaida thought. Kakashi also started taking missions once again. Kaida started going back to the hospital for his medical jutsu training and then to Sora for his Fuinjutsu training. Yomi also started going for her sensor and tracking training. Everything went normal for quite some time. Hae still took some time to get back to normal, and after 2 weeks, she decided to focus on work once again. She now started to make preparations to start the bathhouse. Due to the sudden stop, some of the last stage development had to be halted in the middle. Now, some of the work will have to be redone, which will increase the duration to start the bathhouse by one more month, but no one had any problem with that. With everything on track, one day Kakashi came to meet Kaida. It was Sunday, and Kaida was at his house training his Kenjutsu with Shisui, when ¡°Kaida, your friend is here to meet you,¡± Hae said from inside the house. ¡°Friend?¡± both Kaida and Shisui said and went inside, only to find Kakashi sitting in the hallway with his classic eye smile. ¡°Oh! What are you doing here, ¡®friend¡¯?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Hahaha, I have something important I have to discuss,¡± Kakashi said. ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Kaida said. ¡°I know that by giving you some simple coordinates of the Root base, I have not done much. Rather, you have helped me much more, but I think you remember why I helped you in the first place,¡± Kakashi said. Kaida¡¯s eyes went wide when he remembered his first meeting with Kakashi. He had used Naruto as a bargaining chip to get Kakashi¡¯s help. And now, even after 2 weeks, he had not even tried to look into how Naruto was living. For any other person, this would seem like he just used Naruto like others and tossed him aside as soon as his work was done. ¡°I am sorry, I was so busy in the last couple of weeks I almost forgot about that,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Forgot about what?¡± Shisui asked. Kaida turned to Shisui and told him about Naruto. ¡°That poor boy, he has suffered so much at such a young age. I think I know more about him. He was thrown out of his orphanage with the absurd reason of him not behaving well. For god¡¯s sake, he was just 3 years old! If not for Lord Third making living arrangements for him, he would have been in a much worse condition,¡± Shisui said. ¡°That must also have been done on the order of that f**ker,¡± Kaida said. ¡°How old is he now?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°In 2 months, he will be 5 years old,¡± Kakashi said. ¡°This will be a problem,¡± Shisui said. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Kakashi asked with furrowed brows. ¡°If he was a normal child, we could have easily taken him into our family without any external problem, but him being a Jinchuriki changes everything. Now, he is a symbol of power in Konoha,¡± Shisui said. ¡°And the clan which gets him will gain an increase in strength,¡± Kakashi said. ¡°And that will break the balance of power in Konoha¡¯s clans. So if we try to take care of that boy, other clans will not allow that,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Luckily, we can somehow use our current situation for the best,¡± Kaida said with a smile. ¡°What do you mean, our current condition?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Konoha has many clans, but the only one as powerful as the Uchiha clan is the Hyuga clan. Since they also have such a powerful Dojutsu as well as a similar number of Jonin, other than them, If we want another force to rival the Uchiha, many clans would have to form an alliance to reach that level,¡± Kaida said. Both Shisui and Kakashi nodded their heads. ¡°But they don¡¯t have any S-rank ninja, and now we have two of them. One is brother himself, even though he can barely be considered Kage level, he is still young and has a bright future ahead of him. And then there is the Clan head. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now that he has shown he has Mangekyo Sharingan, every other clan can¡¯t refuse his Kage level strength. In one way or another, the power balance of Konoha¡¯s clans is already broken, similar to how Konoha is the most powerful village. But this doesn¡¯t mean that Konoha will have peace. In our world, if you have more power than others, it will just make them insecure, which will result in others forming some alliance to attack the one who broke the power balance,¡± Kaida said. ¡°So adding Naruto will not change anything for us?¡± Shisui said after thinking about why Kaida was saying this. ¡°No, brother, that would simply mean that the Uchiha will have 3 Kage level ninja in the future, and no other clan head will want that. But then we also have Itachi, who shows more talent than his father. So the Uchiha will keep on increasing their strength while other clans can only watch. This will make them wary of our increasing strength,¡± Kaida said. Shisui and Kakashi went silent for some time. The things Kaida said were very heavy. This could result in extreme enmity between the clans and can even cause a civil war. Though it will be in the very distant future, the chance of that happening is not low. ¡°Do you know any solution to this problem?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes and no. I mean, I have an idea, but whether it is possible or not is not up to me,¡± Kaida said. ¡°What is the solution?¡± Shisui asked with complete seriousness on his face. ¡°Simple. You leave the Uchiha clan and join Anbu.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± Shisui shouted, and Kakashi was also shocked at the same level. Chapter 214: Choice ¡°Simple, you leave the Uchiha clan and join Anbu.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± Shisui shouted, and Kakashi was equally shocked. ¡®I always wondered why Shisui and Itachi would join Anbu. I could accept the very odd reasoning for the Uchiha wanting to spy on Konoha¡¯s higher-ups while outwardly showing loyalty to Konoha. But there was no reason for Shisui to join Anbu. Now, the reason is becoming more and more clear to me,¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡°Why would I have to do something like that?¡± Shisui asked, calming his mind a little. ¡°When you were the only Kage-level ninja in the Uchiha clan, others may not have had much problem with that. Even though it¡¯s difficult, it is not impossible for the clan to handle a single Kage-level ninja,¡± Kaida said, pausing for them to understand. ¡°But now that the clan head has also shown he is a Kage-level ninja, the limit is broken, and now it may lead to some problems in Konoha,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Exactly. But if you ¡®leave¡¯ the Uchiha clan and join Anbu, then the Uchiha will once again have just a single Kage-level ninja, and the power balance will remain the same. With you in Anbu, the village will be more secure,¡± Kaida explained. Kakashi then asked, ¡°I understand this, but how will that help Naruto? I don¡¯t want to be a jerk, but this was the main reason this whole debate started,¡± Kakashi said with an awkward smile. To him, it was too much for a child to be discussing something like this. Even though he knew how smart Kaida was, it was still a 9-year-old boy discussing the fate of Konoha, which could face civil war. Now, one thing everyone didn¡¯t know was that, with the Sharingan, the Uchiha gain the ability to read minds. There is also another way to understand what a person is thinking. Even in the real world, some psychiatrists can tell if a person is lying by observing minor muscle movements, like twitching muscles near the eyes, hand movements, or specific postures. They can guess what the person is thinking. The Sharingan enhances this capacity, allowing the user to notice these things better. With higher mental capacity, they can process those observations more effectively. Because of this, Kaida and Shisui could tell that Kakashi was not taking this conversation seriously. However, Kaida was not offended. ¡®Even I wouldn¡¯t take a kid¡¯s words seriously. In my previous life, many people would discuss how a country should be run or how new decisions by higher-ups would ruin the country in the future, even though they knew nothing about the leaders¡¯ thought processes and why they made those decisions.¡¯ ¡®So how am I different from those people? Well, I know the details about Konoha much more than anyone else present in the whole village. Also, all those plot holes in my knowledge could now be filled with actual and true data. With this and increased mental capacity, deducing such small things is not much of a problem,¡¯ Kaida thought. But, of course, he and Shisui didn¡¯t say anything about that. ¡°These two things are really related to each other, Kakashi. Like, tell me, who should Naruto live with?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°With¡­¡± Kakashi stopped mid-sentence. He wanted to say ¡®with me,¡¯ but even he could guess how bad that would be. He would be out of Konoha for missions, so what difference would it make if Naruto lived alone or with him? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kakashi said with a sigh. ¡°Aunt Kushina and Aunt Mikoto were good friends, so ideally, Naruto should live with her. Since she has a son of the same age as Naruto, he would have a better chance to feel at ease there. But the problem is, other clans will not allow that under any circumstances.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Then the second-best option I could think of is this house,¡± Kaida said. Both Kakashi and Shisui were shocked by that. ¡°Why?¡± This time, Shisui was the one who asked the question. ¡°Aunt Hae is friends with Aunt Mikoto, and it was because of their discussions that I was able to learn about Naruto¡¯s condition. Also, I am¡­ was an orphan myself and know how good this house is for an orphan. And the last reason is safety. Naruto is the Jinchuriki of Konoha. We would need an Anbu squad protecting him wherever he goes. But who do you think would be better at protecting him than an Anbu squad?¡± Both Kaida and Kakashi looked towards Shisui, a Kage-level ninja. Then Kakashi looked towards Kaida, who, while not as strong as Shisui, was still a Jonin-level ninja. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now he could easily see why Kaida said this was the best house for Naruto. With Hae¡¯s motherly nature, Naruto could get a family, and there are very few places other than clan headquarters that can provide better protection for him than this house. ¡°That¡¯s why you said that I have to leave the clan,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Yup, for others, you are the head of the house. If you are part of the Uchiha clan, there is no way others will allow us to take Naruto in. But¡­¡± ¡°But if he becomes part of Anbu after leaving the Uchiha clan, then it will be the same as Lord Third making arrangements for Naruto, and no one will have any problem with that,¡± Kakashi completed Kaida¡¯s sentence. Kaida just nodded. ¡°Is anyone going to ask for my permission before making such a decision?¡± Hae said as she came into the hall with a tray full of snacks and tea. ¡°Of course, Aunt. We are just discussing the possibility. Without your permission, we can¡¯t do anything,¡± Kaida said. ¡°You are learning from your brother day by day. You are also getting his silver tongue,¡± Hae said and gave tea to everyone. "Don¡¯t worry, I also want to help that boy. His parents did so much for us, and he is living such a sad life,¡± Hae said. Everyone nodded in agreement. ¡°But the stuff about the clan and Anbu, I think you guys should go and discuss that with the clan head. That stuff sounds much more serious,¡± Hae said. ¡°Yes, I was thinking about that. Kaida, you also come with me,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Then I will take my leave. Please notify me about future developments, if that¡¯s not too much trouble for you guys,¡± Kakashi said. After enjoying some tea, they all went to their respective destinations. Chapter 215: Emotional? (Uchiha clan headquarters) "Come in." "Sir, Shisui-sama is requesting a meeting." "What happened now? Ask him to come in; I am free for some time anyway," Fugaku said with a sigh at the end. ¡­ "Good morning, Fugaku-sama," Shisui said, followed by Kaida, who also bowed a little and greeted Fugaku. "What happened?" Fugaku went straight to the topic. Recently, the Uchiha clan was busier than during the time when Danzo was present and suppressing the clan. Even though the public image of the Uchiha was not as bad as it used to be, the relationship between the Uchiha and other clans was now facing some strain. Fugaku could already guess the reason, but he didn¡¯t want to act on it yet since the situation was still not out of control. "Fugaku-sama, today Kaida told me something interesting. I want to know if what he is thinking is true or not," Shisui said with a smile. "Shisui, I am quite busy now," Fugaku said with his usual serious tone. "I know, Uncle, but what he said concerns the safety and stability of our clan. That¡¯s why we came here as soon as we could," Shisui said, still maintaining his smile. Fugaku''s interest was piqued now. He knew that Kaida was not just some ordinary boy with unusual strength; he also had a good head on his shoulders. "What happened, Kaida?" "Fugaku-sama, I was thinking about the power balance of Konoha¡¯s clans¡­" Kaida then proceeded to tell everything he had told Kakashi and Shisui, though he excluded Naruto from the discussion for now. "Why were you thinking about this matter in the first place?" Fugaku asked, his tone and face not giving even the slightest fluctuation. ¡®I should stop hiding things from Fugaku. In both experience and power, he is way above me. Just as I could tell what Kakashi was thinking, he should also be able to do that, but on a higher level,¡¯ Kaida thought. "Fugaku-sama, as you know, Kakashi helped us get the root base locations, and I was the one who took those locations from him." Fugaku just nodded his head. "For that info, I used a small piece of information I got while I was living at your house. It was about a boy named Naruto." Hearing the name, Fugaku¡¯s eyes went wide for the first time. "So you used his living condition and somehow tied it to Danzo, and had Kakashi help us in return for helping his sensei¡¯s son," Fugaku said, easily guessing what had happened. Kaida just nodded his head. "So you want Shisui to leave the clan so that you could keep your promise, huh?" Fugaku said while releasing a little pressure. "I never said anything like that, Fugaku-sama. What I said was just a solution I could think of. I am sure you could easily come up with something way better than that," Kaida said respectfully. ¡®He dodged that skillfully. Others in his position would be afraid, because what I just said was almost like accusing him of treason, but he is very calm,¡¯ Fugaku thought, then sighed. "Unfortunately, you are wrong. I could not come up with anything better than what you have thought. The relationship between us Uchiha and the other clans is indeed becoming a little heated. They are not willing to form squads with our ninja. Even though it is on a small scale, I am sure it will increase in the future. I was also thinking that they are getting unsettled seeing the increase in our strength. Now that we don¡¯t have someone suppressing us, we actually don¡¯t need to have such strength, so we don¡¯t need to have two Kage-level ninja in our clan. Since I cannot leave the clan for obvious reasons, the obvious choice will be Shisui, but he is my responsibility, and the situation is still not dire enough for me to take any action," Fugaku said. "There is no need for us to let the situation become that dire anyway. If the end result is the same, why should we take unnecessary risks?" Shisui said. "Shisui, I want you to understand, you are like my own son, and even if Itachi were in your place, I would have done the same to him for the clan too," Fugaku said. "Uncle, don¡¯t you think you are becoming too dramatic? It is not like you are killing me; it is just that I would work for the village in some other way, and I will only leave the clan on paper. At heart, I will always be an Uchiha, and my friends and family will not treat me any differently just because I am not part of the Uchiha clan on paper anymore, right?" Shisui said. "Hah! It is not that simple, brat, but you are correct. You will always be part of the clan," Fugaku said. ¡®Isn¡¯t this becoming way too emotional? Luckily Guy and Lee are not here, otherwise they may start hugging and crying at the same time now,¡¯ Kaida thought, shaking his head. "As for Naruto living with you guys, I will ask Lord Third about that when I meet him regarding Shisui, but I also think that he should agree with your request," Fugaku said. "Thank you, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said, bowing a little. "Oh! I nearly forgot, Itachi was asking if you forgot about the spar?" Fugaku asked. "Not at all, Fugaku-sama, it is just that so many things have happened around this time that I couldn¡¯t find time for the spar," Kaida said. ¡®I totally forgot about that,¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡®He forgot about that,¡¯ Shisui thought. ¡®He totally forgot about that,¡¯ Fugaku thought. "So do you want to have a spar or not?" Fugaku asked. "I would love to learn something from big brother Itachi. When can I have this spar?" Kaida said. He was also interested in the spar, since getting to know what your level is compared to a genius is something everyone wants. "I also want to see that spar. I will make some arrangements for that. Maybe by tomorrow it should be ready. I will send someone to notify you." "Okay, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said. "Okay, you can take your leave. I have something I want to discuss with Shisui." Kaida nodded and bowed a little before leaving. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 216: Balancing Power After some time, Shisui also came out of the office. ¡°Now, do we have to go home, or do you have something else to do?¡± Kaida asked, as Shisui may have gotten a mission from Fugaku. ¡°Nah, let¡¯s go home,¡± Shisui said. Kaida nodded, and they both went back while Fugaku was now sitting in his office with a frown on his forehead. ¡®There is no such thing as peace; even clans inside a village are wary of each other''s strength. The whole peace thing is just superficial and on the surface only. Now I have to reduce the strength of my own clan just so that others will not feel threatened by our power. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. What kind of freedom is this? Alas! There is nothing I can do. The only good thing is that Shisui agreed to my plan,¡¯ Fugaku thought. He then wrote a letter to the Hokage requesting an urgent meeting. Kaida and Shisui went back to their home and began practicing kenjutsu once again, as there was no mission for Shisui, and Kaida had a day of rest. ¡°What did you guys talk about?¡± Kaida asked while throwing a horizontal slash with his sword toward Shisui. ¡°Nothing much¡­ Actually, it is not like he asked me to keep it secret from you, so be it. He asked me to think of this arrangement as only a temporary setting and to help the Uchiha when necessary,¡± Shisui said. ¡°I don¡¯t think he even had to tell you that, as you would have done it anyway,¡± Kaida said, blocking a sword strike from Shisui that was targeting his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t mean simple help. He wants me to act as a spy for the clan and tell them about the village''s plans if they decide to make any move against the clan,¡± Shisui said, following his previous attack with another one, this time focusing on Kaida¡¯s leg since Kaida deflected his sword downward. ¡°But is there any need for a spy anymore? The person who used to hate the Uchiha is already dead, right?¡± Kaida asked, jumping while deflecting Shisui''s strike once again. ¡°I also asked him the same question, and his reply was ¡®just to be on the safe side,¡¯¡± Shisui said, blocking Kaida¡¯s attack aiming to slash his abdomen. ¡°Well, we all know that Uchiha and Senju were at war for so long, and since our leader fought with the First Hokage, Konoha does have some reason to be suspicious of us Uchiha,¡± Kaida said. ¡°I agreed with his demand, but from what I know, the Third Hokage doesn¡¯t discriminate against us, and the rest of the elders, though they have power, don¡¯t have the guts to go against the Uchiha in daylight. So there is not much need to have a spy. But since there is no need, and I only have to report if the village plans anything against the Uchiha, there is not much loss in agreeing to Uncle¡¯s request. Also, there is no way I am going to break all of my connections with the clan just because some people are afraid of the increasing strength of their own allies,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Well, if you put it that way, then there is nothing more to say,¡± Kaida said, and their spar continued. The reason they were talking while fighting was also for training. Many times, your enemy tries to distract you during the fight, so one should have the ability to keep focus even when the enemy is trying to distract. Well, this was according to Shisui. For Kaida, this was simply dumb. If your enemy says something useful, then great; otherwise, just focus on killing him without talking at all. As the strongest jutsu of this world is simply ¡®Talk-no-jutsu.¡¯ After the spar, Kaida said, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s visit our new family member.¡± Shisui was about to say yes when he stopped. ¡°No, Kaida, let¡¯s wait for some time before talking to that boy. Even though your reasoning about how our house is best for Naruto is good, it is still not confirmed that he would be allowed to live with us. Let¡¯s not give that boy unnecessary hope,¡± Shisui said. ¡°I was not talking about telling him about moving with us, just some normal talk, just seeing how he is doing and all,¡± Kaida said. ¡°That we can do,¡± Shisui said with a smile. Then they both used body flicker jutsu to go toward the area where Naruto lived. It was a very rusty area with many old buildings that could be demolished by a single punch from someone like Guy. The building was the one where some immigrants would live for some time when they had no money. When Kaida saw that, he thought, ¡®This is the place arranged by the Hokage for a Hokage¡¯s son who gave his life for the village? Maybe Hiruzen is a shrewd man trying to act as a good leader. Hell, even I, as an orphan, had better living conditions than this place.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t know why he is living here and why the Third Hokage arranged it as such, but I think he should have his reasons for this,¡± Shisui said, looking at the judging expression of Kaida. ¡°Can you guess a single reason for that? I mean, it may have been Danzo who was behind everyone hating this poor boy, but this place was arranged by the Third Hokage. And how much does it cost to arrange something better than this? Does he have to be this stingy?¡± Kaida said. ¡°Kaida, there are people hearing you here,¡± Shisui said with a smile. ¡°That is my point, brother. There are Anbu ninja standing guard here. A single one of them has a salary enough to rent the best room in the main district for a year. And if the village is spending this much, why not give this boy a little better living condition?¡± Kaida said, frustration apparent in his voice. ¡°It was Danzo¡¯s idea so that others would not guess that this boy was someone important for the village,¡± an Anbu ninja said, appearing near Shisui and Kaida all of a sudden. But both Shisui and Kaida knew about him from the start, so none of them were startled. ¡®All this and a simple chunin-level spy knew about Naruto¡¯s identity of being a jinchuriki. Why wouldn¡¯t he? For God''s sake, everyone in Konoha used to call that boy a monster. It was not that hard for anyone to guess his identity,¡¯ Kaida thought but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°May I know why you guys are here?¡± the Anbu ninja asked. Since he had worked with Shisui on some missions, he didn¡¯t show any rude behavior and just asked the standard question. ¡°Nothing special, we just wanted to talk with him, but seeing him living like this, let¡¯s just postpone it for some more time,¡± Kaida said with a sigh. Shisui just nodded his head. He knew seeing him would not actually do any good, and the only reason Kaida and he came here was to actually see Naruto¡¯s living condition. The talking was just an excuse. But one thing was sure, the little guilt of torturing Danzo with such brutality was now gone. Kaida and Shisui then went back to their house, while Hiruzen got a report about their visit. ¡®What were they doing here?¡¯ Hiruzen thought after reading the initial line, but as he read ahead, he could only sigh. ¡®The more things come to light, the more I regret trusting Danzo so much. He was planning on breaking Naruto emotionally and then becoming the only light in his life to get his utmost loyalty. For some reason, I don¡¯t even feel that surprised anymore. He could have done worse if I had not given Naruto Anbu protection 24/7. God knows what he would have done if I had agreed to his request of giving Root the role of protecting Naruto. Anyhow, it looks like I have failed even the last promise I made to Minato,¡¯ Hiruzen thought while closing the report. Then he looked toward Fugaku¡¯s request for a meeting. ¡®This request and the sudden visit of Shisui and Kaida to Naruto''s residence, along with Kakashi¡¯s sudden friendship with Shisui, are definitely not coincidences.¡¯ Hiruzen called his secretary. ¡°Yes, Lord Third?¡± Chapter 217: Power Struggles Hiruzen called his secretary. "Yes, Lord Third?" "Send a letter to the Uchiha clan that I am free at 6 PM, and we can have the meeting at that time." "But sir, you have a meeting with the elders at 6," the secretary said. "Oh! Then postpone that meeting. I have something important to discuss with the Uchiha," Hiruzen said. ''Anyway, they are only going to ask if letting the Uchiha kill a former elder of Konoha and not even giving him a proper burial is a proper thing for a Hokage. I am tired of their nonsense at this point,'' Hiruzen thought. The secretary just bowed her head and went back to send the message to the Uchiha clan. ... "Good evening, Hokage-sama," Fugaku said, sitting in front of Hiruzen in the Hokage''s office. "Good evening, Fugaku. So, what did you want to discuss?" Hiruzen asked. Only the two of them were present in the office. Even the ANBU guards were sent out since it was an official meeting requested by a clan head. "Lord Third, as you know, the relations between the clans are getting turbulent during recent weeks," Fugaku said. Hiruzen nodded his head. As Hokage, there were few things in Konoha he didn''t know, and something this big was not news that could be hidden from him. But it was not at a level where Fugaku had to make a move. Heck, with their recent strength, they could have it easy for a couple of years, even with the other clans pressuring them. So Hiruzen couldn¡¯t understand why Fugaku was sitting in front of him regarding this matter. Fugaku also understood that, so he continued. "Even though it doesn¡¯t affect my clan at all for now, due to recent events, I know how much of an effect these small things like public opinion matter for a clan. "And we Uchiha don¡¯t particularly have a good image among the general populace. But it is different for the other clans. We don¡¯t have any major problems with them, and I would like to keep it that way. So I decided to handle this issue before it becomes too big," Fugaku said. Hiruzen nodded his head. ''So, the Uchiha are now finally going to maintain a proper image for themselves, huh!'' Hiruzen thought. Both the Hyuga and Uchiha were founding clans of Konoha along with the Senju clan, but the Hyuga had a better image and respect among the general people of Konoha, even known as the Noble clan of Konoha. Whereas the Uchiha were somewhat seen as a group of highly arrogant people who usually bullied normal people, even though Danzo played a major role in making and maintaining this image, the arrogant behavior of the Uchiha clan ninja didn¡¯t help either. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Along with them being the police force of Konoha, who from time to time read the memories of normal people to find out the culprit, also didn¡¯t help. Even though it was the most efficient way, those who were innocent didn¡¯t feel good about their privacy being invaded by someone. And for a very long time, the Uchiha didn¡¯t care at all about this image. But maybe now things were going to change. "So, what are you planning to do?" Hiruzen asked. "Lord, you also know what the major reason for this sudden friction is," Fugaku said. Hiruzen nodded his head. "They are just afraid of me and Shisui both being part of the Uchiha," Fugaku said. He didn¡¯t say "Kage-level ninja" because he was talking to Hiruzen. Even though it may not look like it, Hiruzen was a very powerful ninja. Even when his strength declined due to old age, he was still able to fight weaker versions of the Senju brothers along with Orochimaru on almost equal footing. In his prime, Hiruzen was surely among upper Kage level. Both Fugaku and Shisui combined may not reach that level, but Hiruzen understood what Fugaku was trying to say. Seeing Hiruzen nodding, Fugaku continued, "So Shisui and I came to the conclusion that Shisui will leave the Uchiha clan and join the ANBU. This should help others with this whole power balance thing." "Shisui will ''leave'' the Uchiha clan?" Hiruzen asked. "He will not be under my direct order. You will be able to send him on any mission, and I will not have any say in that. But I am not going to force him to sever every tie he has with his own clan, and I hope you will do the same," Fugaku asked. Hiruzen was not new to this power struggle. When Fugaku mentioned his and Shisui''s names, Hiruzen had already guessed what he was going to say, and even according to him, this was a good move. "Fine, we can go with this. I will make arrangements to add Shisui to the ANBU. You can handle the documentation of him leaving the Uchiha clan. We can tell the others about this in the next meeting if they haven''t gotten the news by then already," Hiruzen said, as he knew Fugaku would spread this news as soon as the procedure was complete. Otherwise, he would have waited for the next clan meeting. "Well, we can use this to say that we Uchiha are helping the village by sending our prodigy to the ANBU for the village. I don¡¯t think Lord Third will have any problem with that," Fugaku asked with a smile. "Sure, go ahead. Oh! I want to ask you something. Kaida and Shisui visited Naruto''s apartment area today. Can you tell me what is going on?" Hiruzen brought up the main reason he called Fugaku for the meeting. "Well, this will be a little long story," Fugaku said. "Oh! Luckily, I have some free time," Hiruzen said with an old neighborhood grandpa smile on his face. Fugaku nodded and began telling Hiruzen how Kaida found out the Root base location from Kakashi, how he used Naruto as a bargaining chip when he found out about him from Mikoto and Hae talking, and then about how Kakashi was worried about his sensei''s son. Also, how Kaida thought that their house would be best for Naruto. "I think I don¡¯t have to tell you how many elders will reject this idea without even listening to it completely. I can somehow influence the decision of some clans, but the majority of them will also be against this. Because no matter what, Shisui will still be an Uchiha, and directly or indirectly, Naruto will be going to the Uchiha clan," Hiruzen said. "The clan matter can be handled by us, Lord Third, as we Uchiha are already taking a step back in this matter. Also, about the elders, please don¡¯t get me wrong, but I don¡¯t think they have any say in this matter," Fugaku said. Hiruzen could see a little anger in his voice, and all he could do was sigh. Till now, both Hiruzen and Fugaku, along with some others, knew about the elders'' involvement in some of Danzo¡¯s acts. They either took money to keep their mouths shut or even supported him. Due to this, many of them had to resign. Those who were too high in position and had to be retained had to pay a heavy fine for this. But this was still a light punishment, and was done because the power vacuum created by Danzo¡¯s death had made Konoha a little unstable. So they needed some time to regain their stability, which was why they could not create a bigger power vacuum at the moment. Hiruzen this time just nodded his head and said, "Okay, let¡¯s just say that I handle the elders and some of the clans. What about the other clans?" "We both know you and I are only worried about the Hyuga clan, Lord Third. With the Ino¨CShika¨CCh¨­ trio along with the Sarutobi clan, with some influence, even the Senju clan will tell what you ask them to tell. With the Inuzuka and Aburame alliance with us Uchiha, and even the Hatake clan being in favor of this proposal, only the Hyuga are the ones who could cause any problem. Other clans just nod when all major clans put forth this proposal," Hiruzen said. "And the Hyuga are not a little problem, Fugaku. They have a say in how the village runs. I assume you don¡¯t want to go against them on this matter," Hiruzen asked. It is not that difficult for him to send Naruto to Shisui¡¯s house when he has so many votes. But now that the Uchiha are paying attention to their image, they surely don¡¯t want to create any animosity between the next biggest clan of Konoha. "Lord Third, before coming here, I exchanged some letters with Hiashi. He was the one who was handling the elders of the Hyuga clan complaining about the Uchiha''s increasing strength. So when I offered a deal of sending Shisui to the ANBU in return for Shisui getting to take care of Naruto, with a promise that we Uchiha are never going to use Naruto for our clan, and him being allowed to check this from time to time, he agreed quite easily," Fugaku said, pushing some letters in front of Hiruzen. "It¡¯s all good then. Since you have already called a council meeting, I think this time, I myself have to call one. Wait for a week. After that, I will call one, then we can send Naruto to Shisui¡¯s house," Hiruzen said. Chapter 218: Is S Rank This common? "It¡¯s all good then. Since you have already called a council meeting, I think this time, I myself have to call one. Sigh. Wait for a week. After that, I will call one, and then we can send Naruto to Shisui¡¯s house," Hiruzen said. "Thank you, Lord Third," Fugaku said. "There is nothing to be thankful for. It¡¯s actually you who are doing me a favor. I had neglected my duty as his guardian for too long. I should have arranged something like this from the beginning," Hiruzen said. "It is still not too late, Lord Third. He is still 4 years old and can have a somewhat decent childhood even if it starts now," Fugaku said. The reason he said "decent" and not "good" was because the children in this world don¡¯t have much time to live their childhood. At most, at the age of 13, they will be released from the academy and will be eligible to go to war if there is one. Since Naruto has already lived 4 years of his limited childhood in misery and all the people already hate him due to Danzo¡¯s schemes, giving him the best childhood was out of the question. But something like a decent childhood, where he doesn¡¯t have to deal with the constant anger and disgust of people around him and has someone to care for him, will not be difficult. After that, Hiruzen and Fugaku discussed some more details regarding the clan and other matters. After an hour, Fugaku went back to his clan. ¡®Even though things are a little turbulent at the moment, once everything stabilizes, Konoha will regain some of its lost strength,¡¯ Hiruzen thought. The reason behind these thoughts was the number of Root ninja he had reclaimed from Danzo. According to what Danzo had reported, he only had 400 ninja under him, which was by no means a small amount; he alone rivaled a whole mid-sized clan. But the actual number was even more shocking. Danzo had more than 600 ninjas under him. Unfortunately, many of them were so loyal to him that they had to be neutralized; otherwise, they may have done something drastic when they found out what had actually happened to Danzo. So the number of new ninja admitted into Anbu was only 550, but among them, 42 were Jonin, which is a huge bonus. Now it was almost like a clan like the Aburame or Inuzuka was added to Konoha. They have a similar number of Jonin, while clans like the Hyuga and Uchiha have more than twice that amount, mainly because of their respective kekkei genkai. So once Hiruzen safely makes them believe in the "Will of Fire" and turns them into loyal ninja of Konoha, Konoha won¡¯t have to be under so much pressure anymore or in fear of war. Like just one year before when the Hyuga affair happened, it will forever remain a stain on Konoha¡¯s reputation, having had to sacrifice an elite Jonin to an absurd claim. When a Kumogakure ninja who came to Konoha for a peace treaty tried to kidnap the princess of the Hyuga clan but died trying, Kumogakure demanded the head of Hiashi Hyuga. If not for his brother¡¯s sacrifice, war would have been the only option for Konoha. But all the members of the Hyuga clan, along with others, still felt the shame when that happened. For everyone who knew about this, it was a shame they would never forget. If not for the weakened state of Konoha, Hiruzen would have never agreed to such a request. Even though Konoha is still not at full strength, things are looking better, and fighting someone like Kumogakure would not be a problem anymore. But it is not so simple being the strongest village and having the most fertile land for yourself. When war between Kumogakure and Konoha starts, others will also join Kumogakure to get a piece of Konoha. That¡¯s why Konoha is still not in a position to act as they want; they have to lay low and build their strength. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®Luckily, things are looking good,¡¯ Hiruzen thought, looking at the reports in front of him. In one of the reports was the name of a potential super talented ninja in Root like: Yamato - ability: Wood Release (only a few people, including Hiruzen, Shikaku, and by default Inoichi, knew about him) Kai - Ink Jutsu, talent for fuinjutsu S-rank Shin - talented in Vacuum Release and Lightning Release; chance of reaching S-rank: 30% Temporary member: Torune Aburame - genius of the clan, danger in close range - S-rank Kabuto Yakushi - genius in Medical Jutsu, talent S-rank Seeing this a single thought was in Hiruzen¡¯s mind ¡®Is S Rank This common?¡¯ These were the files present in front of Hiruzen. All of them had the talent to become Kage-level ninjas. If Konoha can get even two of them to reach S-rank in 10 years, they won¡¯t have to fear war at all. With Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Fugaku, Shisui, Kakashi, and Guy all being Kage or close to Kage rank, if two more people join this group, Konoha will have nine S-rank ninjas. Even after sending two S-rank for each village, they can still leave one in Konoha for any emergency. "How did I forget that boy?" Hiruzen mused, thinking about a boy whose name was mentioned many times in his recent meetings. ¡®Three-tomoe Sharingan, specialist level medical jutsu, beginner level fuinjutsu, Jonin level Kenjutsu as well as genjutsu, and Chunin level ninjutsu and taijutsu¡ªall this at the age of 9. If anyone had the best chance of becoming S-rank in the future, it would be him,¡¯ Hiruzen thought. (A.N.: I don¡¯t think I have to mention who the person Hiruzen is thinking about, right? ?) Even though there were many other people who had similar or even higher-level talent than Kaida, like Itachi, Hiruzen was more biased toward Kaida. Why? Well, when Shisui used Kotoamatsukami on Hiruzen to make him hate Danzo five times the original amount, he also did one more thing at Kaida¡¯s request. Yes, he increased Hiruzen¡¯s mental image of Kaida¡¯s talent and value by five times, and since Hiruzen himself wanted to nurture talented ninjas like Kaida, the effects were monumental. This resulted in Hiruzen giving Kaida most of his focus, but whether it was a good thing or bad will be for the future to decide. Hiruzen started reading various reports in front of him, as these were the people he had to pay close attention to, along with the "orphans" with kekkei genkai Danzo had "saved" from other villages. ¡­ Fugaku went back to his office completely satisfied with the result of the meeting, but then he remembered how he had asked Kaida for the spar between him and Itachi. The reason was he wanted to see the progress Kaida had made by now. Even though he had heard many things about him, he had not seen his strength level yet, while he knew about his son perfectly. Seeing them fight each other, Fugaku could gauge Kaida¡¯s strength as well. If by any chance everything he had heard about Kaida was true, then the Uchiha would not only have him and Shisui as its strength, but even Itachi and Kaida would join the queue. ¡®Maybe our Uchiha clan will finally regain our old strength,¡¯ Fugaku thought. The time when Madara and Izuna were alive was when the Uchiha were most powerful. Even though they were not really rich at that time, no one other than the Senju could handle their strength then. (A.N.: I am almost certain that the Uchiha were poor during the Warring States Era when this whole village thing was not there, as in the anime, Senju like Hashirama, Tobirama, and others normally wore armor and expensive clothes different for different occasions. While the Uchiha rarely had any armor, only Izuna Uchiha wore anything close to armour. They even had similar clothes for every occasion. So all the wealth the Uchiha had came after this collaboration between the Senju and Uchiha and the village formation. Just my thoughts, and I am open to any suggestions you guys have ^~^.) Chapter 219: Itachi VS Kaida (Next day) Kaida was about to leave for the hospital when an Uchiha ninja came to their house. ¡°The clan head is asking if you are ready for the spar. He has already arranged everything for that.¡± ¡®Shit, I forgot about that once again,¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡°Yes, just give me a second. I have something important to take care of,¡± Kaida said and went inside his room. He came out in a minute after creating a shadow clone to tell Mitsuru that he would be a little late for the lesson. He had forgotten to inform her, and today she was going to teach him something important. He didn¡¯t want her to wait for him, so he sent his shadow clone to inform her. ¡°Where are you going, Kaida?¡± Hae asked, coming out of the kitchen. She had only heard about Fugaku calling him. ¡°Aunt, do you remember that when we were living at the clan head¡¯s house, Itachi and I decided to have a little spar but were unable to do that because of all the things happening?¡± Hae nodded her head. ¡°The clan head yesterday asked if I was ready for that spar now, and I agreed to that, so he has made some arrangements for the spar,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Oh! Then wait for a second. I also want to see that. I was just going to get bored sitting in the house for now. Your spar would be entertaining to watch,¡± Hae said with a smile and went to her room to change her clothes. She was sure that Mikoto would be present there as well, so she could also have a chat with her friend. After some time, she came out of the house completely ready as if she was going for a social event. Kaida didn¡¯t say anything about that and just turned to the ninja and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The ninja nodded, and they slowly made their way toward one of the training areas reserved specifically for the Jonins of the Uchiha clan. They had modified it with many platforms for spars and jutsu practice, mainly fire-related ones, while still leaving ample space for a forest area if someone wanted that type of environment for training. They followed the ninja to one of the sparring platforms, where they could see Fugaku sitting with Mikoto and some of the elders of the clan. Seeing them, Kaida could tell that, even though they were old, they were still very powerful and could easily take on a Jonin in a one-on-one fight, though an elite Jonin might be a completely different story. It was simple nature that while getting old a ninja could not retain their peak strength, but still being at the level of Jonin at the age of 70 and above was in itself a symbol of their strength at their peak. But then Kaida remembered Hiruzen, who was still an upper Kage-level ninja even though he was so old. ¡®No doubt he got the title of God of Shinobi after Hashirama Senju,¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡°Hi Mikoto, I knew you would be here,¡± Hae said as she went to where Mikoto was sitting. She was a little away from the crowd as Fugaku and the elders were discussing something. Kaida could also see Shisui sitting near them, and they were talking to him from time to time. Shisui was looking at Kaida with a smile on his face. Then Kaida looked at the other corner of the sparring area where Itachi was standing, leaning on the wall. The air was blowing his hair, and his eyes were closed. ¡®I don¡¯t know why the hell Naruto was the main character; this guy has everything he needs to be a main character. Just look at him, looking all cool and handsome without even trying¡­ tch,¡¯ Kaida thought as he could see some of the kunoichi stealing glances at the area, and he naturally thought they were looking toward Itachi. Seeing everyone had arrived, an elder stood up and said, ¡°Today both of you are going to have a spar, and we are also using this opportunity to judge the future potential of our clan. But since Itachi is one year older than you and quite powerful, a simple spar will not be fair. So, we have made some changes. According to Shisui, who knows both of you, Kaida has better Kenjutsu and Itachi has better Genjutsu abilities. Only these two are allowed in the spar; no use of any other jutsu. Any doubts?¡± the elder said. ¡®Me, better than Itachi in Kenjutsu? Like hell this is true,¡¯ Kaida thought but didn¡¯t say it out loud as everything would become clear in a minute or two anyway. ¡°No, sir,¡± Kaida said while Itachi stood straight and just nodded his head. Seeing everyone was ready, the elder went back. Only Kaida and Itachi remained on the platform. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... "Are you ready?" Itachi asked, his voice calm and composed. Kaida nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Let''s begin." Without another word, they sprang into action. Kaida closed the distance quickly, his sword flashing in a swift horizontal slash aimed at Itachi''s midsection. Itachi parried smoothly, their blades clashing with a metallic ring. Kaida pressed the attack, his movements fluid and relentless. He aimed a series of precise strikes at Itachi, each one intended to test his opponent''s defence and speed. Itachi countered each blow with practiced ease, his eyes never leaving Kaida''s. Kaida could swear that even though both of them didn¡¯t have their Sharingan active, Itachi was somehow fighting like he was using Sharingan. He countered each of his blows like he was able to see them beforehand, like he could predict Kaida¡¯s next move. Then, Itachi made his move. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he cast a minor Genjutsu. For a split second, Kaida saw Itachi''s sword coming down in a vertical slash. Reacting instinctively, Kaida moved to block, but the real strike came from the side. Itachi''s blade grazed Kaida''s arm, drawing a thin line of blood. "Impressive," Kaida muttered, stepping back to reassess. He had to be more cautious about Itachi''s illusions. ¡®That was great, just like the one I read from that book, but I had not tried it till now. Well, no time is better than now,¡¯ Kaida thought. He focused and used his own Genjutsu to create a feint. He made it appear as though he was going for a high slash, but in reality, his sword was aimed low. Itachi saw through the illusion just in time, deflecting the true attack with a swift parry. The exchange continued, each combatant using a blend of Kenjutsu and Genjutsu to outmaneuver the other. Kaida''s swordsmanship was truly great, his strikes fast and precise. Itachi, however, countered with an elegant economy of motion, his Genjutsu creating openings where none should exist. Kaida''s blade sang through the air in a wide arc, aiming for Itachi''s shoulder. Itachi cast another Genjutsu, making Kaida see the attack as a straightforward thrust. Kaida adjusted too late, his sword missing its mark as Itachi sidestepped and delivered a swift counterstrike. Kaida barely managed to block, their swords locking together in a test of strength. "You''re good, Kaida," Itachi said, his eyes glinting with respect. "But you rely too much on direct attacks." Kaida smirked, breaking the lock and spinning away. "And you rely too much on illusions." Saying that, Kaida activated his Sharingan. In his red eyes, three tomoe emerged and started rotating. But his opponent was also an Uchiha and quite a talented one at that. Itachi also activated his Sharingan too, now both had three tomoe rotating in their eyes. ¡®Well, Sharingan should help me in falling for any more Genjutsu a little, right?¡¯ Kaida thought, but before he could think anything else... They clashed again, their swords moving in a deadly dance. Kaida focused his chakra, heightening his senses to detect the subtle changes in Itachi''s Genjutsu. With the help of his Sharingan, he saw through the next illusion¡ªa feint aimed at his left side¡ªand countered with a swift upward slash. Itachi was forced to leap back, the tip of Kaida''s sword narrowly missing him. The tide of the battle began to shift. Kaida''s relentless offense and keen perception started to put Itachi on the defensive. He pushed harder, his attacks becoming faster and more unpredictable. Itachi, for the first time, found himself having to fully concentrate to keep up. Especially since he had to make sure he didn¡¯t use anything deadly. Yes, he was holding back a lot because from a young age he was trained to kill, so he had to be careful not to use any lethal move against Kaida. Not that he was underestimating his opponent, but being a ninja doesn¡¯t mean being the most powerful; that is what a warrior or samurai does. A ninja is someone who can efficiently and swiftly kill their opponent in the most optimal way. The opponent''s strength may be higher, but they will still die to a well-trained ninja, and Itachi was already one. Since Itachi was holding back a little in most of his main moves, Kaida and Itachi were evenly matched in the fight. Though Kaida had taken some hits, he was able to heal them by following yang chakra in his body with the help of his Sharingan. The exchange of slashes and strikes continued for a whole ten minutes . Kaida was learning a lot from Itachi, but Itachi was also surprised by how efficient and precise Kaida¡¯s Kenjutsu was at such a young age, especially his defense. Kaida was able to block most of his attacks at the last second even when he was getting fooled by the Genjutsu. None of them used any major Genjutsu for two reasons: it would be pointless as both of them could come out of many Genjutsu easily, and in such close-range fights, the precious seconds it would take to cast any major Genjutsu would be enough for the enemy to end the fight. But Itachi had one more thing that Kaida didn¡¯t have¡ªexperience. Itachi had already fought many people and done many missions. He constantly fought many Jonin arranged by Fugaku, so his battle strength and battle IQ were higher than Kaida¡¯s. Due to this, the wounds Kaida was getting in the spar were much more frequent than what Itachi was getting. After ten minutes, Itachi cast the most powerful Genjutsu he could in that short amount of time and then appeared behind Kaida. But for Kaida, Itachi was still standing in front of him. Itachi suppressed all of his killing and battle intent and swiftly moved his sword near Kaida¡¯s neck. If there was any killing intent in that strike, Kaida would have blocked it like he had done many times. So Itachi took advantage of the fact that it was just a spar and removed any intent behind his strike. Even though it sounded simple, it was one of the most difficult things to do for a ninja. With the sword on Kaida¡¯s neck, Itachi stood behind Kaida, and Kaida came out of the Genjutsu. ¡®Well, I never thought I would win against him anyway,¡¯ Kaida thought. He looked toward the audience, but their expressions were not what he was expecting. ¡­ (A.N: Hey guys, this is one of the longest chapters I have written, and that''s because even while I was writing it, I got more interested in it than usual. I gave my all in this chapter. Please do tell me if you liked it or not! ^~^) Chapter 220: Jealous elders (A.N: One the biggest chapter, ^~^) ¡®Well, I never thought I would win against him anyway,¡¯ Kaida thought. He looked toward the audience, but their expressions were not what he was expecting. Shisui was normally smiling at the result. He knew about Kaida¡¯s strength the best, and since he was friends with Itachi too, Shisui had quite a good idea about his strength as well. He was still happy that his brother was able to hold his own for so long. One of the elders turned to Itachi and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that his Sharingan evolved to 3-tomoe just one month before this?¡± ¡°Yes, elder. I was the one who helped him with that,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°How could he stabilize and be so proficient so soon then?¡± the elder asked. His doubt was genuine. In this world, nothing was for free; every power has to be earned. You may be lucky in one aspect, but you have to compensate for that luck. The 3-tomoe Sharingan gives its user quite a huge boost in power, along with an increase in chakra reserves too. But as a result, the mind-body coordination becomes very bad, almost like you are controlling someone else¡¯s body. Due to this, the fighting capabilities of a ninja actually degrade after getting the 3-tomoe Sharingan, at least until they can regain their body balance. And Kaida not only regained that in one month but was already using his Sharingan with quite proficiency. ¡°Uncle, I think you are forgetting who his father was,¡± Fugaku said. Then every elder remembered that the boy in front of them was not only an Uchiha but a Senju as well. Every elder felt a bit of jealousy toward that boy; he actually got the best of both worlds. Even though Uchiha were very proficient in everything and were superior in many fields compared to other clans, a strong body is something they never had (normally). Those with strong bodies and huge chakra reserves are usually born with them. If not for the Sharingan increasing their chakra reserves each time it evolved, they might not be able to match a Senju on the battlefield (A.N: As no matter how fast a car is, if it runs out of fuel every 100 meters, it could never win a race). But this boy doesn¡¯t have that problem. Suddenly, they had a very uneasy thought in their minds. They turned to Shisui, then Kaida, then once again Shisui. Shisui understood what they were thinking and said, ¡°You can directly ask him, elder.¡± One of the elders stood up and called Kaida. ¡°Yes, elder?¡± Kaida asked after coming in front of him. ¡°Kaida, I want to see your chakra reserve.¡± Kaida turned to Shisui, who just shook his head, meaning he could do whatever he wanted. It was also Fugaku¡¯s idea to check whether Kaida trusted them or not. Kaida just nodded his head and stopped masking his chakra. Seeing the amount of chakra Kaida had, every elder felt a small heartache. ¡°You are saying this boy is just 9 years old? He already has more chakra than I had when I was in my prime,¡± the elder who asked Kaida to check the chakra said. Kaida just smiled awkwardly at that. Before he could say anything, Fugaku asked, ¡°Kaida, did your chakra reserve increase when your Sharingan evolved to 3-tomoe?¡± Kaida just nodded his head. ¡°A normal ninja has a 4-5 times increase in their chakra reserve. Did you have the same amount of increase?¡± Fugaku decided to share some of the details as well. He didn¡¯t want to make it sound like some sort of interrogation. Kaida¡¯s face became a little sour, and he said, ¡°Not at all. I only got a 2.5 times increase,¡± Kaida said, like someone who had been deeply scammed. After hearing that, every elder had to stop themselves from beating this ungrateful brat. He was already in the top 10 people in the Uchiha clan according to the amount of chakra he possessed, and he was still not satisfied with the amount. But after their initial jealousy, they focused on the meaning behind Kaida¡¯s answer. ¡®It looks like when both genes combined, they both got a little toned down. He gets a strong body, but not as strong as a pure Senju, and his Sharingan is also not providing him the same enhancement as it does to any normal Uchiha. But the strength of his Sharingan is not weak at all; it even feels a little stronger.¡¯ They deduced many things from a single fight. Though they still didn¡¯t know everything about Kaida, Shisui was not going to allow them to do so anyway. Every ninja hides their true strength and never shows all their cards until they fight a life-and-death battle; otherwise, building a counter against you would be child¡¯s play for your enemy. Unlike the elders and Fugaku, Mikoto and Hae didn¡¯t care about the boring stuff. They were just excited about the spar and relieved that none of their children got injured. Though they had some light injuries, these types of injuries were not even worth mentioning for a ninja. But Kaida still went back to Itachi and offered to heal the injuries he had caused. ¡°Please, do I have to remove my shirt?¡± Itachi said with a smile. ¡°And give those girls a chance to feast on your body? If you want to show off, please use another time,¡± Kaida said and healed Itachi¡¯s injuries in a minute. Kaida was not very silent when he said that, and everyone smiled a little hearing that. Those kunoichi turned their heads, acting like they were talking about something else and were not watching the spar at all. Itachi just sighed; it was not the first time he was in this situation. But with time, he had come to ignore those girls like air. ¡°You are good, but I will catch up in no time,¡± Kaida said after healing Itachi back to his perfect condition. ¡°And you think I would be waiting for you to catch up?¡± Itachi said with an amused smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m sure my speed is higher than yours. I will overtake you in no time,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s good to have dreams. But you should know, I have not even used 20 percent of my full strength,¡± Itachi said. Not to demotivate Kaida but to give him the bigger and actual goal to strive for. ¡°How much percent did I use? 30? 40? No, I think 50%?¡± Kaida said. ¡°You are just 3 times more powerful than me. I will catch up in no time,¡± Kaida continued, a fire burning in his heart. Until now, he kept thinking people like Shisui and Itachi were out of his reach. But after today¡¯s spar, the gap actually didn¡¯t seem that big. Since the spar was over, Kaida turned to the elders and Fugaku and asked, ¡°Fugaku-sama, I have a class to attend at the hospital. Can I go now?¡± ¡°Yes, you can,¡± Fugaku said, and the elders nodded their heads. Since the spar was over, Kaida turned to the elders and Fugaku and asked, ¡°Fugaku-sama, I have a class to attend at the hospital. Can I go now?¡± ¡°Yes, you can,¡± Fugaku said, and the elders nodded their heads. Hearing that, Kaida bowed his head and quickly used the Body Flicker Jutsu to go to the hospital. He had become a general practitioner some time ago and had also learned all the advanced jutsu, especially poison creation and cures, as well as the chakra scalpel. In these two areas, he could already be considered an expert. Okay, maybe poison creation could be excluded from this, but the chakra scalpel was something he took pride in. The only other person who would be this good at this jutsu is still under Konoha, and he has not yet become the future villain. Also, he hasn¡¯t gotten the extra resources he would have received if he had joined Orochimaru. But now, things have changed. Konoha will focus on him more than Orochimaru would have, so in the future, Kabuto may become much stronger than an elite Jonin and might even reach Kage level. But that is the future; for now, Kaida''s mind was focused on one thing: increasing his strength. After today¡¯s spar, that feeling had only intensified. Not only is the future unpredictable, but the strength gap between him and the top ninjas is also very wide¡ª achievable. And the fastest way for Kaida to increase his strength for now is... ¡®Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu, I have to learn it now,¡¯ Kaida thought as he reached the hospital. He directly went toward Mitsuru¡¯s office. ¡°Sensei,¡± Kaida said, knocking at the door. ¡°Come in,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°So you finally got time for learning? I thought you would still be busy showing off your strength,¡± Mitsuru asked, a little anger visible on her face. ¡°What do you mean, showing off my strength, Sensei? I lost the spar. Heck, I lost when the other party was holding back more than three-quarters of his strength,¡± Kaida said, a little dejected. ¡°Were you fighting an elder?¡± Mitsuru asked. She knew how strong Kaida was¡ªhe was already a Jonin-ranked ninja. Though not very experienced, he still had a huge chakra reserve to compensate for the lack of experience. ¡°Elder? He was just one year older than me,¡± Kaida said. ¡°This is your last chance. If you don¡¯t give me a straight answer, forget about going back home for the next two days. You will be learning about various medical techniques for two days and nights straight,¡± Mitsuru warned. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think that is a punishment. Also, I¡¯m sure by now you would have already guessed who my opponent was,¡± Kaida said with a light chuckle. He was not a fool who would underestimate the intelligence of someone from the Nara clan. ¡°So you really fought against Itachi Uchiha. I¡¯ve heard quite a few things about him. So, how long were you able to hold out against him?¡± Mitsuru asked. ¡°Not much. We fought using only kenjutsu and genjutsu, and even then, I was only able to hold out for 10 minutes before losing,¡± Kaida said meekly. ¡°Itachi is a genius of the century. It would be a feat in itself for someone two years older than him to match him, while you are actually younger than him. Don¡¯t think too much about the loss; try to think about how you can improve yourself,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°I was about to ask you about that, Sensei. I have already learned all of the jutsu you asked me to. My operation success rate is also 100%. I have already crossed beginner-level fuinjutsu and will start learning seal master-level techniques in 2-3 days,¡± Kaida said. ¡°You still haven¡¯t forgotten about that jutsu?¡± Mitsuru asked. ¡°How could I forget about that jutsu, Sensei? It is one of the signature jutsu of a legendary Sannin,¡± Kaida said. ¡°But I have already told you, no one knows the advanced version of that jutsu except Lady Tsunade. What we know is one level inferior to that,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°That will be enough, Sensei,¡± Kaida said with a smile. ¡°Huh, looks like you won¡¯t change your mind until I tell you the reality of that jutsu. Fine, listen. The Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu, also known as the Strength of a Hundred Seal, allows the user to instantly heal any injuries they sustain during battle by accelerating their cellular regeneration. It also increases the strength of a person multiple times. But there are many drawbacks to this jutsu. The first and most significant one is accelerated aging and a shortened lifespan. The technique rapidly accelerates cellular division to heal injuries, which can significantly shorten the user''s lifespan if overused. Each time the cells divide, the user edges closer to their biological limit,¡± Mitsuru explained. ¡°I think that is not a bad thing, Sensei. If an injury could take someone''s life, isn¡¯t it better to lose some years and save yourself?¡± Kaida asked. He was not that affected by this news, as he already knew about this side effect. ¡°You are underestimating it, Kaida. Even though Lady Tsunade improved the jutsu to make it useful, the version we have is highly unstable. If activated for 10 minutes, you will lose 1 month of your life, and that effect multiplies. After 20 minutes, you will lose 6 months; half an hour, and you will lose 1 year; and for 1 hour, 10 years of your life. In short, you would be killing yourself every time you activate this jutsu. Also, every time you heal any injury, you will lose another part of your lifespan,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°What about Lady Tsunade? How much time does she lose?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°One hour¡ª6 months,¡± Mitsuru said with a shrug of her shoulders. ¡®No wonder she is known as the best medical ninja in the world. She has almost removed the shortcomings of this jutsu. Sadly, I cannot wait for her to learn this jutsu. Heck, I don¡¯t even know what will happen in the next five years, let alone wait for 10 years for her to return. I will learn this version for now and modify it when I meet Tsunade in the future,¡¯ Kaida thought. (A.N: Tsunade returns after the Hokage¡¯s death, which was when Naruto was 13-14 years old.) ¡°I still want to learn this jutsu, Sensei,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Huh, you are too stubborn for your own good. Fine, for the next month, I will teach you everything you need to know before learning this jutsu. As for fuinjutsu, I will tell you the concepts you need to master. Learn them, and we will start the process for you to learn that jutsu,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°Thank you, Sensei! You are the best,¡± Kaida said with a wide smile. Mitsuru just nodded her head with a smile and gestured for Kaida to leave. Kaida bowed his head and left the office. ¡®Oh, I forgot to tell him about the pain part. Well, let it be a surprise for him,¡¯ Mitsuru thought with a villain-like smirk on her face. (A.N: Just villain-like, not an actual villain ?) Kaida was re-reading some of the books when a nurse came to him. ¡°Kaida, Mitsuru-sama is calling you in room number 44,¡± she said. Kaida nodded his head and said, ¡°Okay, I will go now.¡± Normally, the nurse would have to give Kaida the same respect as any specialist, as he was a personal student of Mitsuru herself. But when Kaida heard someone thrice his age calling him "Kaida-sama," he firmly refused and insisted everyone call him by his name. Everyone was actually happy that their new boss was going to be such a humble person. According to everyone, Kaida was going to succeed Mitsuru as the head of the Emergency Response Department for sure. Kaida went to room number 44, where he once again saw a familiar scene in front of him. Mitsuru was standing in front of a stretcher, which was covered by a white cloth. ¡°Sensei, are we once again going to practice on a corpse?¡± Kaida asked. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mitsuru smiled and pulled the cover off the body, and Kaida was a little shocked. The person was very much alive and horrified, his hands, legs, and waist tied to the stretcher. Even his mouth was gagged so that he could not make any sound. Chapter 221: Initial preparation "This person is a bandit leader who has killed many innocent people, but that is not his biggest crime. He loves to kill newly married men and then rape their wives on their corpses," Mitsuru said, waiting for Kaida''s reaction. Kaida only showed a little anger but nothing much. He had already witnessed such vile acts many times when he read the memories of so many bandits previously. "The reason I told you that is so that you won¡¯t pity him for what is going to happen next," Mitsuru added. Kaida just nodded his head and went near Mitsuru. She directly started the class. "For Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu, you need a clear understanding of how a human body works¡ªwhat each organ, skin tissue, bone, and blood is made of, and how you can reconstruct it. For that, we are going to use him," Mitsuru said. Kaida nodded again as Mitsuru started putting on her gloves and took out a scalpel. Kaida, by instinct, began preparing anesthesia. "We don¡¯t need that. Anesthesia will slow down his nerves, and you won¡¯t see the clear movements. Also, he doesn¡¯t deserve that," Mitsuru said. Kaida then came out of his daze. Even though he had accepted his fate, he once lived in a peaceful world. Despite having killed many people himself, he had somehow maintained a bit of innocence. Such cruelty always seemed to chip away at that last bit, little by little. After returning to normal, Kaida decided to treat the bandit as a dead body and started paying attention to what Mitsuru was teaching. She cut open the bandit''s stomach, removed a piece of the liver, and asked Kaida to regrow it. Kaida simply used the Healing Palm Jutsu and regrew the liver, which only took him 35 seconds. Mitsuru nodded her head, then cut a section of the bandit''s intestines. This time, Kaida took a full 7 minutes to grow the intestines, and even then, they were not usable. "What did I do wrong, Sensei?" Kaida asked. "In reality, nothing. I simply asked you to do the easiest and most difficult tasks side by side without teaching you, just to show you the difference," Mitsuru said. With tears in his eyes, the bandit thought, ''I should have just killed myself when I got caught by those ninjas. Who knew they were this vicious? And they say I was cruel,'' the bandit cried in his heart. As if Mitsuru could guess his thoughts, she went for his heart next, removing only a small layer so that he wouldn¡¯t die and asked Kaida to regrow that. When Kaida did, Mitsuru cut that part once again. "The cells you grow are normal cells, not the ones required for that specific part. For example, intestines absorb nutrients, and the heart has to pump blood and requires tremendous strength and resilience to do so. What you did made the cells in that area fragile, which would have resulted in destroying his heart the second his heartbeat rose by even a normal amount," Mitsuru explained. Just by hearing that, the bandit''s heartbeat rose exponentially. "Then, Sensei, why was I able to restore the liver?" Kaida asked. "Because the liver has the ability to restore itself over time. When you provided it with healing chakra and nutrients, it actively guided the nutrients to repair itself. Sadly, other body parts don¡¯t have this ability, so you will have to learn how to restore each part separately," Mitsuru said. Kaida nodded, fully ready to devote himself to learning. Mitsuru was pleased to have such a dedicated student, while the bandit cried over his luck, promising any god that would listen that he would be a saint in his next life if he could just die painlessly now. He had no thoughts of escaping from this place at all. After learning until 4 PM, Kaida was able to restore an intestine a little better than before, but it was going to take time to fully restore the body parts to a normal state. Mitsuru stopped Kaida and said, "That¡¯s enough for now. We¡¯ll continue this tomorrow. This is the list of things you should know in fuinjutsu before even thinking about Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu," she said, handing Kaida a piece of paper. Kaida took the paper and said, "I will try to learn them as soon as I can, Sensei." Mitsuru just nodded her head and left for her office. She was very happy that she didn¡¯t have to do any paperwork; otherwise, with how things were going in the village, even using every last bit of chakra to make shadow clones wouldn¡¯t have been enough to complete it, just like her coworkers. Now they were cursing themselves and their luck for ever suggesting that bet (the position of Mitsuru if Kaida didn¡¯t become a general practitioner, otherwise they would have to do Mitsuru¡¯s paperwork for 3 months. There was still some time before that deadline). As Mitsuru left, Kaida read the list she had given him: --- S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 1. ** These seals store chakra, weapons, or other objects in a separate dimensional space. A seal master can create and use these seals to store large amounts of chakra for later use or to carry various tools and weapons without needing physical storage space. 2. ** Barrier seals create protective barriers that can block attacks, restrict movement, or seal off areas. A seal master can design barriers to be either permanent or temporary, depending on the situation. 3. ** These seals suppress or contain powerful energies, such as chakra from a tailed beast or a curse mark. A seal master can use these seals to control dangerous powers within a person or an object. 4. ** Binding seals immobilize targets, preventing them from moving or using chakra. A seal master can use these to capture or restrain opponents without causing them harm. 5. ** Healing seals enhance the body¡¯s natural healing process or store healing energy for later use. A seal master could use these in conjunction with medical jutsu to create powerful restorative effects. 6. ** Reinforcement seals enhance the strength, durability, or efficiency of other seals or physical structures. A seal master could use these to make existing seals more powerful or to reinforce physical objects or barriers. 7. ** Curse seals impose restrictions or afflictions on a target. A seal master can use these to place powerful curses that can weaken, control, or track others. 8. ** These seals are designed to activate after a certain period or under specific conditions. A seal master can create seals that trigger effects like explosions, traps, or healing after a set time. 9. ** These seals are intricate patterns that combine multiple sealing techniques into a single, powerful array. A seal master would be capable of designing and utilizing these arrays for complex tasks, such as large-scale protection or multi-layered traps. --- Kaida could easily guess why each of these seals was necessary for learning Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. (A.N: I¡¯m sure you can also figure that out. Wow, you guys are as smart as the main character! ^~^) I am back Sorry, everyone! I was down with dengue and couldn¡¯t function properly for a while. I know this might sound like an excuse since I could have started publishing 3¨C4 days earlier, but I ended up getting lazy and focused on recovering completely first. That said, I¡¯m back now, and updates will be regular from this point onward. As an apology for the delay, here¡¯s a small mass release! Thank you for your patience and support. ? Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 222: Necessity Kaida could easily guess why each of these seals was necessary for learning the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. He took the paper and went to Sora¡¯s house. ... ¡°Good evening, Sensei,¡± Kaida said. Sora was standing in front of him, his eyes swollen for some reason. ¡°It¡¯s already 4 PM. Damn, this is taking so much time,¡± Sora said. ¡°Sensei, you are learning a jutsu that will qualify you as a grandmaster in fuinjutsu, and you¡¯re treating it as something trivial? You yourself said that this may take months to complete, and it¡¯s only been a week. Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry; it¡¯s just that the effects are really exciting. I can¡¯t stop myself from working on it when I think about how the finisher array will look,¡± Sora said. To become a grandmaster in fuinjutsu, knowledge of arrays and complex seals is not enough. You have to develop something new by yourself, and that innovation should benefit the community in some way. For example, the array that protects Sora¡¯s house was his father¡¯s invention, which made him a grandmaster in fuinjutsu. A grandmaster receives a huge amount of respect and a very high position in the village. Naturally, they have to work hard to reach that position. ¡°Leave that aside for now. Let¡¯s focus on you. I¡¯ve been neglecting your progress for quite some time,¡± Sora said. ¡°How is that avoiding me? You always send one of your clones to look after my progress daily,¡± Kaida asked. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I haven¡¯t taught you anything for the last two weeks. Luckily, you learned most of the basics on your own, and now we can start the next part,¡± Sora said. ¡°About that, Sensei, there are some seals I want to learn before the others. Is that possible?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°It depends on which seals you want to learn. Some seals can only be learned in sequence,¡± Sora said. Kaida nodded and took out the paper Mitsuru had given him. Sora took the paper and skimmed through it. ¡°You can learn these eight seals without any prior knowledge, but this last one, Complex Array Seals, is a very advanced concept and will have to be learned step by step. This is also the one that will take the most time for you to learn,¡± Sora said, noting that an array that can combine multiple sealing techniques into a single, powerful array is a very difficult concept to master. It¡¯s also the first step for someone to start the journey to becoming a grandmaster. ¡°Why do you want to learn these seals first anyway?¡± Sora asked, though he already had an idea. ¡°Sensei, as I told you, I want to learn the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. These seals are the ones I need to know for that,¡± Kaida said. ¡°So after learning these seals, will you stop learning fuinjutsu?¡± Sora asked. Even though Kaida wasn¡¯t a super genius in fuinjutsu, his talent wasn¡¯t bad. With enough practice, he could surely reach the grandmaster level. Sora didn¡¯t want him to stop learning fuinjutsu at all, as grandmasters in fuinjutsu are a very important resource for the village and, in peacetime, have greater value than even a Kage-level ninja. ¡°No, Sensei, I really like fuinjutsu now. I¡¯ll continue to learn it from you even after I learn that jutsu,¡± Kaida said. This was only a half-truth. Even though he liked fuinjutsu, becoming a grandmaster in fuinjutsu is not easy at all. Sora, who was going to become a grandmaster at the age of 28-29, could be considered a once-in-a-century genius. Normally, every grandmaster is someone in their fifties. Giving that much time to fuinjutsu for a stable life would once have been good for someone who didn¡¯t know the future. Even though grandmasters were important for a village, in front of people like Akatsuki, Pain, and Madara, they would just become cannon fodder. The only reason Kaida wanted to continue learning fuinjutsu was that the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu was not complete. At the very least, it should be at the level that Tsunade uses for it to be of any value in future main fights. Since getting that jutsu from Tsunade would be very difficult, as no one even knew where she was at the moment... or even if Jiraiya knew, there was no way he would tell anyone, especially an Uchiha boy who just wanted to learn a jutsu from her. So the only option Kaida had was to learn more complex seals and medical jutsu and hope that he could modify the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu by himself. Listening to Kaida¡¯s plan to continue learning fuinjutsu, Sora smiled. ¡°Great,¡± he said. ¡°Sensei, how much time do you think it will take for me to learn all of those nine jutsu?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°How many clones can you make now?¡± Sora asked. Kaida had only been making 10-15 shadow clones for learning fuinjutsu for the last two weeks, even though he could make much more. Because the knowledge he gained from those shadow clones was very complex, even after getting a mental enhancement from his 3-tomoe Sharingan, he would get a mild headache after releasing all 15 shadow clones. That¡¯s why Kaida decided to stick with 15 shadow clones for fuinjutsu practice, but since Sora was asking about his limit... ¡°Sensei, I can only make 120 shadow clones at the moment, but according to my experience with the chakra reserve I have, I should be able to make more than 250. I asked my brother about this, and he said it was because my brain was trying to protect itself, and making more than this may cause permanent damage from information overload,¡± Kaida said. ¡°He¡¯s correct. And what do you mean ¡®only¡¯ 120? I can only make 28 shadow clones, and that¡¯s my limit, and you call 120 ¡®only¡¯? Huh, this world is truly unfair,¡± Sora said, shaking his head. Kaida just smiled awkwardly. ¡°Since you can make 120 shadow clones, that means 30 shadow clones for fuinjutsu should be feasible for you,¡± Sora said. Fuinjutsu is a complex and challenging subject that requires higher mental capacity, which is why only 25% of the total shadow clones could be used to avoid information overload. Kaida nodded his head, understanding that 30 should be his limit. ¡°So if you use all 30 shadow clones, you¡¯ll need... one month for these first eight jutsu at the very least, and for this last one, maybe two to three more months,¡± Sora said. Kaida nodded, understanding that it was already quite fast and didn¡¯t ask if he could learn it any faster. Even though Mitsuru had said that he would need one month to learn the medical jutsu, he could just perfect and practice it for the next two months before learning the main jutsu. ¡°Then, Sensei, can we start now?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Of course. I also want to see what¡¯s so special about that jutsu that it requires so much preparation,¡± Sora said. He was naturally interested in the jutsu formed by combining two different fields together. ¡°Sensei, as I said before, Mitsuru-sensei forbade me from sharing that jutsu with anyone,¡± Kaida said with a slightly guilty voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want that jutsu anyway, Kaida. I just want to see how it works. Maybe it will give me some motivation to further modify the array I¡¯m working on,¡± Sora said, waving his hand. ¡°Okay, Sensei,¡± Kaida said with a smile. After the discussion, they started the learning session. Though childish, Sora became completely serious once fuinjutsu was the topic. Maybe this was the reason he was so proficient in it. Now, this became Kaida¡¯s schedule: learning medical jutsu in the morning, fuinjutsu in the evening, and then at 11 PM, going back to his house and repeating the cycle. Though his life became monotonous, the higher-ups of Konoha were moving a lot due to his idea. After one week, a council meeting was called by Hiruzen, but most of the clan heads already knew the topic. Fugaku had made sure there would be no major obstacles in the meeting, and since he had the support of Hiruzen, things went well. Chapter 223: Council Meeting for future The council room was filled with the elders and clan heads of Konoha''s various clans. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat at the main seat with Nara Shikaku beside him, occupying the seat of Jonin Commander. The atmosphere was tense, everyone aware that this meeting would bring about significant changes. Hiruzen began, his voice calm but authoritative. "Thank you all for coming. Today''s meeting is crucial for the future of Konoha. After careful consideration and discussions, we have made a decision regarding the balance of power within the village. We don¡¯t have to keep up the fa?ade anymore; everyone here knows about the undercurrents in the village for the last two weeks." He glanced at Fugaku Uchiha, who took that as his cue to stand. ¡°Shisui Uchiha will be joining the Anbu Black Ops, and to maintain the power balance among Konoha''s clans, he will also be leaving the Uchiha clan. This decision was not made lightly, but it is necessary. We Uchiha want to fully cooperate with everyone from now on and expect the same in return.¡± Murmurs spread through the room as the various clan heads digested the news. Many had already heard rumors, but some of the smaller clans and elders were still unaware. Yet, there was no dissatisfaction¡ªmost saw this as a necessary step. Uchiha clan having two Kage-level ninja, along with their already massive ninja population, would be a thorn in the side for many present. If the meeting had ended here, everyone would have been satisfied, but Hiruzen had one more announcement. "Additionally, Naruto Uzumaki will be placed under the care of the Anbu. Shisui, who is already one of our most powerful shinobi, will be personally responsible for Naruto''s safety and upbringing. This arrangement will ensure that Naruto is protected and trained by one of our best, while also keeping his identity as the Jinchuriki secure." Inuzuka Tsume, the head of the Inuzuka clan, was the first to speak. "Hokage-sama, while I understand the need for balance, isn''t it too much responsibility to place on Shisui alone? Both being in Anbu and taking care of Naruto at the same time while leaving his clan... does he know about this arrangement?" Everyone present knew the Inuzuka were not the type to scheme for power. Tsume''s concerns were genuine, born out of pure concern rather than any ulterior motive. Hiruzen nodded, acknowledging her concern. "Shisui already knows about joining the Anbu. As for Naruto, his father gave his life to protect the village, and his last wish was for a better future for his son. But as a Jinchuriki, that has been difficult. Shisui is our best bet. His family environment is ideal for a child like Naruto, and when it comes to safety, I believe Shisui alone is enough." Nara Shikaku, the head of the Nara clan, spoke next, his tone measured. "While this does seem like a reasonable solution to maintain the balance, we all know that the Uchiha clan is already under scrutiny. Won''t this move isolate Shisui and potentially create more tension?" Fugaku stepped forward. "This decision was made with the full support of the Uchiha clan. Shisui understands the importance of this role and is committed to it. We believe that by placing him in Anbu and distancing him from the clan, we can help alleviate any concerns about the Uchiha''s influence. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Our strength is the village''s strength. It doesn¡¯t matter where Shisui is, as long as he is in Konoha, the overall strength remains the same, and that¡¯s what matters to us." This carefully planned response, prepared by Hiruzen and Shikaku, portrayed the Uchiha as making a sacrifice for the village, reducing opposition to the new decision significantly. Despite the clan heads'' acceptance, the village elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, were not as easily convinced. Koharu spoke up, her voice tinged with disapproval. "Hiruzen, are you sure this is a wise decision? Allowing an Uchiha to be so close to Naruto, the Jinchuriki, could pose a significant risk. We should reconsider this arrangement." Homura nodded in agreement. "Shisui may be loyal, but the Uchiha clan''s history cannot be ignored. We need to ensure that Naruto is protected, not used as a tool for any clan''s ambitions." If eyes could kill, Fugaku''s glare would have done so a hundred times over. But before he could say anything offensive, Hiruzen intervened. Hiruzen''s gaze hardened as he looked at the two elders. "Why does this sound familiar? Ah yes, a certain snake used these same words to isolate the son of a hero, making his life miserable just so he could control the boy. And that was the lightest of his crimes." He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "I''m not in the mood to even discuss this point anymore. We all know that if the Uchiha wanted to do anything, the day of the Nine-Tails attack was perfect for that. Most of the village''s forces were either dead or distracted, yet they helped us, even when we indirectly blamed them for being traitors. I¡¯m not going to repeat the same mistake twice." The room fell silent as Hiruzen''s words hung in the air. Koharu and Homura exchanged a glance before reluctantly nodding in agreement. "Very well, Hiruzen. We trust your judgment, but we will be watching this closely," Koharu said, her tone less confrontational but still firm. Hiruzen nodded, signaling the end of the major discussions. Many clan heads wanted to ask questions, but the only one who dared was Hyuga Hiashi, given the Hyuga clan''s standing. ¡°So, since Shisui will be leaving the Uchiha clan, will he also leave the clan compound?¡± ¡°No, that house was built by his late father. They have an emotional attachment to it, and he will continue to communicate with his friends. We are not expelling him from the clan because he did something wrong, so why should he have to suffer without any benefit?¡± Fugaku replied. Though not everyone was happy that Shisui would continue to live in the Uchiha compound, there was nothing they could argue against. Since he would be in Anbu, the Uchiha would not have full control over him anyway. With this, the meeting concluded, and the final details were discussed. After making sure there were no loopholes in the decision, everyone left for their respective destinations. Hiruzen, Fugaku, and Shikaku went to the Hokage¡¯s office to discuss a few more things. ¡°With this, the inner conflict will subside for some time,¡± Shikaku said. He knew that such peace was only temporary; inner conflicts in any ninja village never truly ended. They only paused during times of war, when the village fought as a single entity. Otherwise, it was always a race to gain the most benefit for oneself or one''s clan. ¡°Thank you for trusting us, Lord Third,¡± Fugaku said, genuinely happy that the Uchiha could finally integrate into the village and have true peace after so many years. ¡°No problem, Fugaku. Just make sure you don¡¯t break this trust. My patience is already at its limit after the betrayal we¡¯ve faced,¡± Hiruzen replied. Fugaku nodded, understanding the weight of Hiruzen¡¯s words, and left the office. Chapter 224: Bring Him here Kaida was in the hospital, and Shisui had just come back from an escort mission. Yomi was also out for her sensing and tracking training. Shisui was resting in the hall when a messenger came and knocked on the door. ¡°Shisui, check who is at the door,¡± Hae ordered. ¡®I just sat down,¡¯ Shisui grumbled in his mind as he got up to see who had arrived. 1 PM was never an optimal time for visitors. (A.N: True) ¡°Sir, Fugaku-sama is calling you to his office,¡± the messenger said as soon as Shisui opened the door. Shisui already knew the council meeting took place today, which was why he had returned so quickly. Normally, he would have taken an extra day to come back. ¡°Okay,¡± Shisui replied. After receiving confirmation, the messenger went back to the office. Seeing that the messenger was a regular worker from headquarters and not a jonin under the clan head, Shisui understood that nothing bad had happened during the meeting. Fugaku must be calling him to relay the results. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going out for a second. Fugaku-sama is calling me,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Okay, but come back before lunch,¡± Hae called out from her room. --- ¡°Good afternoon, Clan Head,¡± Shisui greeted as he entered the office. ¡°I¡¯m not your clan head from now on. Shisui, from today, you are no longer a part of the Uchiha clan. Also, you have to leave the compound. Lord Third will make arrangements for your living quarters,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°This was not what we discussed, Uncle. I¡¯m not going to leave my house just because some greedy people don¡¯t want to see someone getting ahead of them,¡± Shisui said with a no-nonsense attitude. ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t do anything. This was decided in the meeting; even Lord Third is in favor of it,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to Lord Third now,¡± Shisui said and was about to leave the office when¡ª ¡°How did you like being on the receiving end of a prank?¡± Fugaku asked with a small chuckle, completely opposite of the serious demeanor Shisui usually saw. ¡°You¡¯re laughing?¡± Shisui quickly activated his Mangekyo Sharingan to check whether he was in a genjutsu. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t, he quickly took out his kunai and said, ¡°Who are you, and what happened to Fugaku-sama?¡± ¡°Quit your acting. I¡¯m no longer your superior, so there¡¯s no need for me to be serious with you,¡± Fugaku said with the same casual demeanor. ¡°So I don¡¯t have to move out, right?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Of course not. Just removing you from the Uchiha clan is already a very big move on our part. Who do you think is shameless enough to even ask us to remove you from the compound too?¡± Fugaku asked. ¡°Everyone,¡± Shisui said without waiting a second. ¡°I mean in front of everyone,¡± Fugaku clarified. ¡°No one.¡± ¡°Correct. Also, Lord Third has allowed you to take custody of Naruto. You will be responsible for his safety and upbringing from now on,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°No one objected?¡± Shisui asked, as this was his major concern. Naruto is a very important asset to Konoha; there¡¯s no way the Uchiha would be allowed to keep him under their wing. ¡°Why would they object to leaving him under the care of an Anbu?¡± Fugaku asked. ¡°Great,¡± Shisui said, understanding that the plan had worked. ¡°Great. So I¡¯ll bring him to my house right now,¡± Shisui said. ¡°As you wish, but first, go to the Hokage building and register as an Anbu. Even though this is just a formality, we don¡¯t want anyone to use this against us,¡± Fugaku said, knowing that some higher-ups could be quite petty. Shisui nodded and left the office. First, he went home to tell his mom about the new arrangement. She was obviously happy about it and asked Shisui to bring Naruto as soon as possible. That boy had already suffered so much¡ªthere was no need to let him stay there any longer than necessary. Shisui then went directly to the Hokage office to complete the formalities of becoming an Anbu ninja. However, he had to stay there for three hours. To become an Anbu Ninja, you have to go through a series of procedures to ensure no spies are admitted, and Shisui also had to follow these procedures. It was Hokage¡¯s order that no one, not even his own son, would be allowed to skip them. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After three hours, it was already close to 4 PM, so Shisui decided to bring Kaida along with him as well and flickered directly toward Konoha Hospital. --- When Shisui arrived at the hospital, he found out that Kaida was still with Mitsuru, practicing some operation-related techniques. ¡°Should I call him for you?¡± the receptionist asked. ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait for him,¡± Shisui said and sat in the lobby, waiting for Kaida to come out. After 20 more minutes, Kaida came out of the hospital with a smile on his face. ¡°Did something good happen today? Why are you so happy?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Brother, what are you doing here? Did something happen in the clan?¡± Kaida asked, fearing the meeting might have gone wrong. ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m not part of the clan anymore,¡± Shisui said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk while moving,¡± Shisui said, noticing that their chat was attracting some other audience as well¡ªthe nurses had just changed their direction upon hearing that. Kaida chuckled and nodded his head, and they both exited the hospital. ¡°So what happened?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°The meeting went well. I¡¯m no longer a part of the Uchiha clan, but I can still live in my house in the compound. Also, Naruto will live with us from now on. I¡¯m responsible for his safety,¡± Shisui said as if discussing the dinner menu. ¡°That¡¯s great! So, you brought Naruto to our home?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°I was just about to do that, but then I saw the time and thought you might like to tag along,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Of course,¡± Kaida said and made a shadow clone to notify Sora that he might not come for practice today, as he had some important work. Then they made their way toward the slums of Konoha. --- Kaida walked alongside Shisui as they approached a rundown building near the village''s outskirts. It was an old, weathered structure, standing tall but clearly past its prime. The building seemed almost out of place in the vibrant and bustling village, as if silently declaring, ¡®No one should live in this place.¡¯ This was where Naruto Uzumaki, the son of the Fourth Hokage, had been living. As they reached the entrance, Kaida glanced at Shisui, who nodded in return. Chapter 225: Naruto Uzumaki This was where Naruto Uzumaki, the son of the Fourth Hokage, had been living. As they reached the entrance, Kaida glanced at Shisui, who nodded in return. Shisui knocked on the door, the sound echoing through the empty hallway. A moment later, the door creaked open to reveal a small, blond boy with bright blue eyes that were wide with fear and uncertainty. Naruto had grown accustomed to being alone, and visitors were rare¡ªespecially those who looked like shinobi. The reason for his fear was that sometimes, ordinary people would hit him to release their frustration, even when he had done nothing wrong. Since shinobi are far stronger than regular people, if they decided to hit him, it would surely hurt a lot. Fortunately, Kaida and Shisui did not hear his thoughts; otherwise, someone from the neighborhood would have gotten the beating of their life. Shisui crouched down to Naruto''s level, offering a gentle smile. "Hello, Naruto. My name is Shisui, and this is my brother Kaida. We''ve come to talk to you about something important." Naruto stepped back slightly, his small hands gripping the doorframe as he eyed them warily. "Wh-What do you guys want?" he asked, his voice trembling. Kaida, noticing the fear in Naruto''s eyes, knelt beside Shisui. "We''re not here to hurt you, Naruto. We¡¯re here to tell you that, from now on, you''ll be living with us. We will be family from now on." Naruto¡¯s eyes darted between the two, his mind racing. He had heard many things about the Uchiha¡ªsome good, some bad¡ªbut he had never expected them to come to him like this. His life had been filled with loneliness, the stares of the villagers like they were looking at some type of monster or a disgusting thing, the whispers behind his back, and the fear that always seemed to follow him. He didn¡¯t understand why they were here, why they cared. "Why?" Naruto whispered, his voice small and unsure. "Why do you want me to live with you?" Shisui''s expression softened, and he reached out to gently place a hand on Naruto''s shoulder. "Because no one should be alone, especially not someone as small as you. You deserve to be loved and cared for, just like everyone else." Kaida smiled warmly. For a moment, Naruto hesitated, his eyes still filled with doubt. But as he looked into Shisui¡¯s and Kaida¡¯s eyes, he saw something he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time¡ªkindness, warmth, and genuine care. Slowly, the tension in his small body began to ease, and he let go of the doorframe. He was just a small boy who had only suffered in his life until now. When someone said they would take care of him, his heart first doubted the reality, but seeing that they were actually showing so much genuine care for him, he simply let go of any doubt in his mind. ¡°Really?¡± Naruto asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Shisui nodded. ¡°Really. We¡¯re here for you, and we will always be with you from now on.¡± Tears welled up in Naruto¡¯s eyes, and before he knew it, he had thrown himself into Shisui¡¯s arms, clinging to him as though he were a lifeline. Shisui held him close, his arms wrapped protectively around the small boy, while Kaida gently patted Naruto''s back, offering silent support. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Naruto,¡± Kaida said softly. Naruto sobbed quietly, overwhelmed by the kindness and warmth he had so desperately longed for. He had been so scared, so alone, but now, in the arms of his new family, he felt a glimmer of hope¡ªa hope that maybe, just maybe, things would get better. After a few moments, Naruto pulled back, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. He looked up at Shisui and Kaida, his eyes still red but now filled with a tentative smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± Naruto whispered, his voice shaky but sincere. Shisui smiled, ruffling Naruto¡¯s hair. ¡°No need to thank us, Naruto. We¡¯re family now, and family takes care of each other.¡± Kaida also smiled at Naruto. ¡°Come on, pack your bag. You¡¯re coming with us right now,¡± Kaida said. Naruto quickly nodded his little head and ran back inside to pack his belongings. Kaida and Shisui initially smiled at the sight, but as Naruto started packing, the smiles on their faces vanished. He took out an old cloth bag, mostly used to deliver food, and placed an old bowl and chopsticks in the bag. Then, he took off his clothes, which were most certainly washed by him, as they were still dirty. He was about to place his clothes in the same bag when Kaida said, ¡°Naruto, leave those things. You don¡¯t need them anymore.¡± ¡°Why? Oh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll wash them clean afterward. They won¡¯t dirty your house, believe it,¡± Naruto said with a resolute expression. Kaida and Shisui were speechless at Naruto¡¯s reply. Kaida just sighed and thought, ¡®Maybe Danzo deserved some more hours of torture. I may have released him too soon.¡¯ Shisui shared the same thoughts. ¡°No, since you¡¯re going to be the youngest member of our family from now on, I have to give you some gifts, right?¡± Shisui said, picking up Naruto like he was as light as a feather. Naruto had a questioning look on his face. Shisui just smiled and took Naruto out of his house. Kaida gave a quick glance around the room to see if there was something important to Naruto. The most significant thing Kaida found that Naruto might miss was the bowl of noodles. He just sighed and followed behind Shisui. They went to a nearby shop to buy some new clothes, but as soon as they entered, the shopkeeper gave Naruto a disgusted look, like he was seeing something rotten. Seeing the look in the shopkeeper¡¯s eye, Naruto remembered how everyone usually behaved toward him. He quickly hid his face in Shisui¡¯s shoulder. Seeing this, Shisui sighed and passed Naruto to Kaida. "Take him outside and buy him some candy. I have something to discuss with the shopkeeper." Kaida nodded and went outside. Once they were gone, the smile on Shisui¡¯s face disappeared. He turned to the shopkeeper, his eyes dark red with the three tomoe of the Sharingan spinning. He grabbed the shopkeeper by the collar. ¡°Listen, you piece of shit. That boy you just gave that disgusting look to is my brother, and if you ever, EVER do that again, I will personally show you what true hell looks like. Am I clear?¡± The shopkeeper was so frightened that he couldn¡¯t even speak. He just frantically nodded his head. Even though he didn¡¯t know who the young man standing in front of him was, just seeing the three tomoe of the Sharingan was enough to instill fear. A Jonin, and that too from the Uchiha clan¡ªthere was no way a civilian like him could even think of offending him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to tell everyone in this area. Make sure you inform them that Naruto is now Shisui Uchiha¡¯s younger brother, and I will not tolerate any rude behavior toward him. Am I clear?¡± Shisui asked again. ¡®Shisui Uchiha? THE Shisui Uchiha?¡¯ The shopkeeper finally lost it, and his legs gave out. Shisui let go of his collar and said, ¡°Get up. I¡¯m not going to do anything to you. Just make sure you don¡¯t mistreat him anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I won¡¯t even do it in my dreams. As for getting up, please give me a minute,¡± the shopkeeper said. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shisui maintained his stern demeanor and went out to bring Kaida and Naruto back. After returning, Naruto was still a little scared of the shopkeeper but was shocked to see the shopkeeper smiling and treating them like esteemed guests. ¡®Is it because I have a family now?¡¯ Naruto thought. Shisui and Kaida picked out some clothes for Naruto and then went on a shopping spree, buying everything from shoes, socks, and a toothbrush to toys. This was the first time in his four years of life that Naruto was this happy. Chapter 226: Family Shisui and Kaida picked out some clothes for Naruto, then went on a shopping spree, buying everything from shoes, socks, toothbrushes, etc. They also bought some toys for Naruto too. This was the first time in four years of his life that Naruto was this happy. After getting everything they needed, Shisui and Kaida made their way toward the Uchiha compound. Shisui could sense that the Anbu who had been keeping an eye on Naruto until now had left, but the number of eyes had actually increased. ¡®Maybe other clans are going to keep an eye on us for some time. Well, it¡¯s just some extra security for us anyway. There¡¯s no way they would do anything,¡¯ Shisui thought. Though Kaida couldn¡¯t sense his surroundings as clearly as Shisui without notifying others of his chakra field, he could also feel many eyes staring at them and came to the same conclusion as Shisui. Just he was more happy, not like Shisui who always thought of Konoha as a safe zone. Kaida knew that all the major antagonists of the series could easily enter and exit Konoha whenever they wished. People like Obito and Orochimaru would even have a reason to target Naruto too, so he was actually more happy for this extra protection in case Shisui had to go out on a mission. Hae was waiting for them at the door. Shisui had already sent a message that he would have to complete some formalities and would be late, but she still waited for them. And she could see three people walking toward her house. A boy with yellow hair and sky blue eyes especially caught her attention. In that little boy, she could see the image of another young boy who once became a beacon of hope for all of Konoha and at last gave his life for the same village. Three of them came in front of the house. ¡°Naruto, she is my mom, and your aunt from now on, and this is the house you will live in from now on,¡± Shisui said. Naruto didn¡¯t even look toward the house at first and went in front of Hae. ¡°H... Hello, My name is Naruto Uzumaki,¡± he said, bowing completely ninety degrees. (A.N.: These Chinese novels have corrupted me. I so dearly wanted to write ¡®Ara Ara...¡¯, I had to control myself to not change the genre of the novel.) ¡°Oh my, you are such a small gentleman,¡± Hae said, picking up Naruto. She also noticed how light Naruto was. ¡°How old are you?¡± Hae asked with the same smile, but with a little curious tone in her voice. ¡°I am four years old, mam,¡± Naruto said with his characteristic smile, with all of his teeth fully visible. Shisui and Kaida had already told him about Hae and Yomi, and since Hae was also so kind toward him, he became a little relaxed. ¡°You can call me Aunty, Naruto. What do you eat normally?¡± Hae asked, a little worried now. Naruto was way too light according to his age. ¡°Ichiraku Ramen.¡± ¡°Aside from that,¡± Hae smiled, every child loves to eat that once in a while. ¡°Umm, different flavors?¡± Naruto asked. ¡°No, I mean, what do you eat as food daily, like rice, curry, fish?¡± Hae asked. ¡°Only Ichiraku Ramen. I once tried to eat in a different stall, after saving some money from my pocket money, but they kicked me out, saying I was not allowed to eat there,¡± Naruto said with his face down. ¡°So you only eat Ramen, and nothing else?¡± Hae asked, a little shocked, also changing the topic a little. She knew what type of things happened to him until now. Naruto nodded his head but then said, ¡°Oh! I am also learning to make instant ramen myself. Ayame-san (Ichiraku¡¯s Daughter) is teaching me,¡± Naruto said, once again becoming cheerful. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®Well, it¡¯s thanks to Ichiraku that he even ate anything, and I could not actually help Naruto too much otherwise Root may have taken action against him. Also, it¡¯s thanks to his excellent genes and Kurama that he is not so malnourished, otherwise, we would have been taking care of a skeleton,¡¯ Kaida thought but didn¡¯t say anything. He also knew what was going to happen next. ¡°Come inside, I had prepared lunch for everyone,¡± Hae said. Though it was already five PM, all of them were still hungry. Naruto¡¯s face became red. Well, it was not in his control anyway. The smell of Hae cooking was already coming till the gate, and everyone was already hungry. ¡°I was hungry too, let¡¯s go,¡± Shisui said, entering the house. Hae also put Naruto down, and all three of them followed Shisui to the dining room. The table was full of food, bread, curry, fried chicken, and even fish. When Naruto saw all that, a pond of drool went in his mouth. He was about to sit on a chair when Hae said, ¡°Wait a minute, Naruto.¡± Naruto froze in his place, fearing he may not be allowed to sit with them, or he would get something else to eat, and this was not for him. His experience until now had made him quite paranoid. (A.N.: This is a four-year-old Naruto, who has still not become the prankster we all knew. He is just a small child who everyone just bullied. If not for fear of Kurama coming out of Naruto, he may have been beaten to death a few times too¡­ I know this is absurd, but this is what I think about Danzo.) Before his mind could form any more theories, Hae continued, ¡°Before eating, you have to wash your hands.¡± ¡°Oh!, yes,¡± Naruto quickly faced went back to normal from the fearful expression, but Shisui and Kaida already noticed that, though they didn¡¯t do anything, Naruto would naturally become accustomed to the family with enough time. Now that he was going to live with them, there was no reason to rush things. After washing his hands, Naruto joined Shisui and Kaida at the table, and Hae started serving food to Naruto. Naruto quickly picked up chopsticks and started eating the food, but he was not very good at it and spilled a little on his clothes. ¡°Wait, Naruto, let me help,¡± Hae said, picking up Naruto¡¯s rice bowl and started feeding him. ¡°It is delicious.¡± ¡°There, there, no need to cry,¡± Hae said, patting Naruto¡¯s head. Kaida and Shisui just smiled, not saying anything and letting Hae deal with Naruto. She was much better than them at that anyway. After sobbing a little, Naruto once again started eating, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, he ate twice the amount Shisui or Kaida would normally eat. ¡°Were you guys starving this poor boy, on your way back?¡± Hae asked. ¡°No, we bought him some snacks when we were coming here,¡± Shisui said, still a little astonished about the appetite of such a small. ¡®He once ate thirty bowls of Ramen in the anime, so eating this much food should be normal for him,¡¯ Kaida thought with a small chuckle which went unnoticed by Hae. After finishing the food, Hae removed all the plates and said, ¡°Naruto, your clothes are a little dirty, and your hair is sticky too. Come, I will bathe you,¡± Hae said, rubbing Naruto¡¯s hair. ¡°No Aunt, I will take a bath on my own,¡± Naruto said with a red face. Chapter 227: family (Part2) "No, Aunt, I can take a bath on my own," Naruto said, his face turning red. "Look at him, getting all shy. Okay, you go and take a bath with Shisui. I¡¯ll prepare your room in the meantime," Hae said. Naruto kept his head down to hide his embarrassment and only nodded, while everyone else laughed at his expense. Shisui led Naruto to the bathroom, where the bathtub was already filled with hot water. He removed his clothes and then moved to help Naruto with his. Naruto unconsciously resisted. Shisui, thinking he was just being shy, removed Naruto''s shirt and was shocked once again when he noticed bruises on Naruto''s back. "N-Naruto, when did you get these injuries? Did someone hit you?" Shisui asked in a gentle but firm tone, hiding his anger to avoid scaring the boy. "No, no one hit me. I just went to a shop to buy a new shirt, but the shopkeeper didn¡¯t want to sell it to me and told me to leave. But I liked that shirt, so I asked about the price. He may have gotten a little angry and pushed me out of his shop, and I fell... It was my mistake. I won''t do that again," Naruto added at the end, worried they might think he was rude and send him back. "You little... It was not your mistake. From now on, you can buy anything you want. Just tell me what you like, and I¡¯ll buy it for you, okay?" Shisui said, ruffling Naruto''s hair. Naruto nodded, happy. "KAIDA!" Shisui shouted. "Yes, brother?" "Come take a bath with us." "...? Okay, brother," Kaida said, a little confused about the reason, but he didn¡¯t see any problem with it. He entered the bathroom to find Shisui and Naruto sitting there, noticing the bruises on Naruto''s back. "What happened? Brother, were you so careless that you couldn¡¯t handle a kid and dropped him?" Kaida asked. "It wasn¡¯t me, brat! He fell before. Can you heal him, or are you just wasting your time at the hospital?" Shisui asked. "You didn¡¯t have to hit me so hard," Kaida said, rubbing his head. Naruto first chuckled but stopped when he saw Kaida rubbing his head. Kaida sat down near Naruto, his palm glowing green with chakra. With his level of medical ninjutsu, a small bruise like this was no problem. "So cool," Naruto said. "Huh? You think this is cool? Wait until after the bath; I¡¯ll show you something way cooler than that," Shisui said. "Sometimes I feel like I¡¯m the older one among us," Kaida said. RUB RUB Naruto rubbed Kaida¡¯s head with his little hand, repaying the favor. "Oh! Thank you, Naruto. The pain went away so quickly! Are you a medical ninja too?" Kaida asked in an exaggerated tone. "HEHEHEHE." "Okay, okay, let''s take a bath, or Mom will get angry," Shisui said. Then he and Kaida washed Naruto''s hair and body before washing themselves, and they all went to the bathtub. *** "It¡¯s been half an hour! Are you guys sleeping in there?" Hae shouted from outside the bathroom. "No, we¡¯re just coming out," Shisui¡¯s voice came from inside. After ten minutes, all three of them came out of the bathroom, their skin a little red from soaking in hot water for too long. "We might have enjoyed that bath a little too much," Kaida said, chuckling a bit. "Yeah, but that was so nice," Naruto said. It was his first time truly enjoying a hot bath, and he loved it. They went to the hall only to find Yomi and Hae sitting there. "Hi, Naruto, I¡¯m Yomi," Yomi said, waving at him. "Oh! You¡¯re big brother Kaida¡¯s girlfriend, right? He told me about you." "WHAT?" Yomi nearly shouted. Even though they were lovers, they hadn¡¯t told Hae and Shisui yet. "You¡¯re a girl and my friend. Is that wrong?" Kaida asked innocently. Hae and Shisui just laughed. They already knew about this, so it wasn¡¯t a shock to them, though Yomi turned a little red. "I have something I need to do in my room," she said, and quickly ran to her room. "BAKKA," she shouted before closing her door. Everyone chuckled except Naruto, who was a little confused about what had just happened. "Oh! I almost didn¡¯t recognize you now, Naruto. You¡¯re looking so cute!" Hae said, focusing on the trio. "Thank you," Naruto said shyly. "Come on, let me show you your room," Hae said, leading Naruto to his room, which was right next to hers. The room was decorated for a small boy by Hae. It had everything: a bed, a chair, a table, an almirah, and a big mirror on the wall, all adjusted for a small boy. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Do you like it?" Hae asked. "I love it! Thank you, Auntie," Naruto said, bowing a little. "I wish my son were as well-mannered as you, Naruto," Hae said, sighing a little. "MOM, I can hear you!" Shisui said, sounding hurt. "I wanted that, so you can learn a thing or two from your little brothers," Hae said. "Don¡¯t worry, Aunt. I¡¯ll teach him well," Kaida said, patting his chest. "One is already affected by him," Hae said, sighing once again. "Naruto, make sure not to learn their behavior," Hae said, pointing her finger in Kaida and Shisui¡¯s direction. "Somehow, I feel like we¡¯re being treated as bad influences," Shisui said. "Such sharp intuition. Are you using your Mangekyo?" Kaida said, as Shisui was pointing out the obvious. If this were a cartoon, Kaida would have 4-5 bumps on his head by now from all the punches he got from Shisui. Naruto and Hae just chuckled, seeing all this. Chapter 228: devil? ¡°Great, so from now on, this will be your room, Naruto. The room next to this one is mine, so just call me whenever you need anything, okay?¡± Hae said. ¡°Yes, Auntie!¡± Naruto replied with a big smile on his face. After that, Kaida spoke up, ¡°Since everything is settled, I¡¯ll head back. I¡¯ve got fuinjutsu to study.¡± Shisui and Hae nodded in agreement, and Kaida left to return to Sora¡¯s place to continue his fuinjutsu lessons. --- The next few days were wonderful for Naruto. He now had two brothers, a sister, and a mother-like aunt¡ªalmost a complete family. Gradually, his old, sad memories began to fade, replaced by new, happier ones. Shisui played with him in the mornings, and Yomi joined him in the evenings. He had many children¡¯s story books to read, toys to play with, and everything else a child could wish for. Finally, Naruto felt like he was part of a real family. The number of spies watching Naruto gradually decreased each day, until finally only three remained¡ªtwo Anbu ninjas and one from the Hyuga clan. These three were responsible for keeping an eye on the village¡¯s only jinchuriki. The Hyuga were particularly suited for this task, as they could see through walls, doors, and had a wide range of coverage, making them invaluable for surveillance. One of the Anbu stationed there was also a Hyuga, a decision made to maintain vigilance without being too intrusive. One day, on his way to the hospital, Kaida had an interesting thought. ¡®Naruto never really had a true drive to become stronger. He just wanted a family, someone who loved him, so he wouldn¡¯t be lonely anymore. Hiruzen manipulated him into believing that becoming Hokage would help him achieve that, so Naruto set that as his goal. But what if the Uchiha massacre happens? Just like Sasuke, Naruto might also seek revenge. It would be difficult for him to befriend Kurama, but considering he¡¯s an Uzumaki, he might learn fuinjutsu to gain power. In his quest for power and revenge, we might actually see the most powerful version of Naruto¡­ but that power could also make him the greatest threat to humanity. Luckily, Danzo is dead.¡¯ Kaida¡¯s thoughts trailed off as he reached the hospital. He greeted the receptionist and headed toward Mitsuru¡¯s office. ¡°Good morning, Sensei,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Good morning,¡± Mitsuru replied, closing the file in front of her. ¡°So, are you ready for your final lesson?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, Sensei,¡± Kaida answered. In the past few days, Kaida had diligently practiced regenerating various tissues in the body, making them fully functional again. Now, only the brain remained¡ªthe most complex part of all. The bandit who had to stay awake throughout the process was overjoyed to hear that the training was about to end, and in this final part, he would be unconscious. ¡°Sensei, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask¡ªwhy has that bandit been so cooperative all this time? He hasn¡¯t done anything to resist,¡± Kaida asked, now that he knew he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the bandit anymore. ¡°Simple. I promised him that if he helped me teach my student, I would spare his life. He would just be sent to work in the mines and live a normal life as a miner,¡± Mitsuru said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Are we really going to let him live after what he did, just because he helped me?¡± Kaida asked, clearly unhappy with the idea. ¡°When did I say that? It was just an excuse. Don¡¯t you think it will be interesting when I tell him it was all a joke?¡± Mitsuru said with an innocent smile on her face. But Kaida felt a chill run down his spine. He could almost see a devil¡¯s face behind Mitsuru¡¯s innocent expression. The poor man had endured inhuman amounts of pain, thinking he just had to last a little longer before he would be set free. When he found out it was all a lie, he might die of a heart attack. For a moment, Kaida actually felt pity for the bandit. ¡°Enough of that. Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t have all day for this,¡± Mitsuru said, changing the subject. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sensei, you do have all day. The other chiefs are handling your work,¡± Kaida pointed out. ¡°And? I finally got a chance to live a normal life. Do you think I¡¯m going to spend these three months sitting in the hospital? If it weren¡¯t for emergencies, I wouldn¡¯t even be here now,¡± Mitsuru said, stating it as a matter of fact. She stood up and started heading toward the room where the bandit was kept, with Kaida following silently, unsure of what to say. The final part of the training involved regenerating brain tissue¡ªthe most complex tissue of all. This could only be done in certain areas; if the hippocampus, where memory is stored, was damaged, it couldn¡¯t be regenerated. Even if it were regenerated, the person would end up as an empty shell¡ªa newborn in an adult body. That person would essentially be dead. However, other parts of the brain were equally important, and if treated incorrectly, it could result in slower thinking and decision-making abilities¡ªa death sentence for a ninja. They reached the room, where Mitsuru administered a drug that knocked the bandit out. She then used special tools to cut open the man¡¯s skull. ¡°Now, Kaida, pay attention. This part of the brain is the cerebrum, and its function is¡­¡± Mitsuru began, going into great detail about each part of the brain¡ªwhat type of tissue it was made of, what its function was, and whether that tissue could be repaired. Kaida paid full attention to everything she said. She also explained which parts were especially important, and if damaged, there would be no going back. This knowledge wasn¡¯t only crucial for medical ninjutsu but also in other areas, such as understanding which parts of the head to protect in a fight or how to incapacitate an enemy with precise blows. After explaining every detail about the brain, Mitsuru began demonstrating how to heal specific parts by causing slight damage and then repairing it. After two hours of learning, Kaida finally got the chance to practice. Mitsuru damaged the cerebrum (the part we typically picture when we think of the brain¡ªthat white, spongy-looking mass), and Kaida had to repair it. Kaida failed in his first attempt. The tissue he regenerated was completely useless, unable to pass the necessary signals, as if all the neurons in that area were dead. ¡°No problem. Try again,¡± Mitsuru encouraged. ¡°Again.¡± ¡°Again.¡± ¡°Again¡­¡± This continued for six hours, but in the end, Kaida finally managed to regenerate functional brain tissue. ¡°Good. Now, I¡¯ve taught you everything I needed to. From now on, it¡¯s up to you to master everything I¡¯ve taught you. You should be able to do this with your eyes closed if you want to learn the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°Okay, Sensei. I¡¯ll try to master it as soon as possible,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°How many seals have you learned so far?¡± Chapter 229: I really liked those dumplings ¡°Okay, Sensei. I¡¯ll try to master it as soon as possible,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°How many seals have you learned so far?¡± ¡°Sensei, I''ve learned the storage seal and am working on the suppression seal. They¡¯re taking more time than anticipated. Sora-sensei said that once I get the hang of the basic idea, the learning will become easier, but so far, the progress is so slow,¡± Kaida said. Initially, Sora had told him that it would only take a month to learn eight seals, but it had been almost three weeks, and he was still stuck on the second one. ¡°This jutsu has the capability to give you healing abilities on par with the First Hokage. Do you think it will be easy to learn? If that were the case, hundreds of ninja would be roaming around the village with this jutsu, and Konoha would be so strong that all the other villages combined wouldn¡¯t be a match for us,¡± Mitsuru said. Kaida nodded. He knew that learning it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but with his medical training almost finished and fuinjutsu barely starting, he worried it might take him a year to learn even an incomplete version of the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. That too, only because he had such a large chakra reserve. No wonder others didn¡¯t learn this jutsu. Mitsuru understood why Kaida felt that fuinjutsu was taking so long, but she simply chuckled. ¡°?¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ve learned the medical part of the requirement, right?¡± Mitsuru asked. ¡°More or less, Sensei. I just have to practice what I already know until I perfect it. I don¡¯t think it will take much time,¡± Kaida said. ¡°You¡¯re so wrong. Until now, you¡¯ve only been able to heal small cuts and tears. When actual damage occurs, you¡¯ll have to regrow most of that area and ensure it works perfectly. I once worked on a case where a ninja was slashed at the waist, and most of his intestines were damaged and poisoned. I had to remove 60% of his intestines and then regenerate them. It was almost impossible, even for me. That¡¯s the level you need to achieve before even thinking about learning this jutsu. Because this jutsu can heal a lethal injury as if it were just a scratch, but for that, you need to be able to do the same,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll need to focus on this for a few more months too?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky. I had to practice continuously for six months before reaching that stage, but I didn¡¯t have your chakra reserves, so who knows? Maybe you can do it in two to three months if you¡¯re lucky,¡± Mitsuru said. Kaida just groaned. ¡°Nothing is easy in this world.¡± ¡°From now on, you¡¯re responsible for finding your own ¡®patients.¡¯ Either talk to the Third Hokage for criminals or go capture some bandits yourself. Also, when he wakes up, inform me,¡± Mitsuru said, pointing toward the bandit. ¡°Um, Sensei, did he somehow offend you?¡± Kaida asked, curious why Mitsuru wanted to torture the bandit both physically and mentally instead of just killing him. ¡°There was an old man who used to sell dumplings from a cart when he came to Konoha from time to time with his village. This bastard killed that man last month. I really liked those dumplings,¡± Mitsuru said before leaving the room. The shreds of pity Kaida felt for the bandit suddenly vanished after hearing that. Now, even he was looking forward to telling the bandit about the best joke of his life. Since it was almost time for the medicine¡¯s effect to wear off, Kaida decided to get some practice done, especially with the most difficult part aside from the brain and heart¡ªthe intestines. They were a very important part of the body, responsible for absorbing nutrients from food. If they were destroyed and a medical ninja messed up in their recovery, the patient would die a very slow and painful death, similar to starvation. So Kaida decided to focus on this first. After an hour, the bandit woke up groaning, only to find his belly cut open and a boy healing his intestines. He started mumbling and shouting something, but since his mouth was sealed with tape, he couldn¡¯t say anything. He was at least able to attract Kaida¡¯s attention. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re awake. Sorry about this. My sensei said we have to let you go now, but since you were unconscious anyway, I thought you could help me one last time before leaving. Thanks for your help. I¡¯ll go and call Sensei,¡± Kaida said and left the room. The bandit¡¯s mumbling continued as he tried to say, ¡°Bastard, at least close my belly before leaving. That brat is also a demon, just like that bit¡ª¡± But he didn¡¯t have to wait long. Kaida soon returned with Mitsuru. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re awake, good. Now, as per our deal, you¡¯ll be sent to the mines and live as an ordinary person. You can have a normal life, but I¡¯ll send ninja to monitor you from time to time, so don¡¯t even think about running away,¡± Mitsuru said in a tone like a big sister from the neighborhood teaching young children. The bandit snorted in his mind, already thinking about running away to another village as soon as he got the chance to resume his old work. ¡°Did you think I would say that? Hahaha!¡± Mitsuru started laughing, seeing the hope on the bandit¡¯s face, and then enjoyed every bit of the despair that followed. ¡°I was just joking when we made that deal. You¡¯ll suffer the same fate until the day you die,¡± Mitsuru said, her expression becoming more and more frightening for the bandit. He started thrashing around, forgetting about his open belly, only to stop when pain shot through his mind. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re trying to resist? Do you really think you have the capability to do so? How cute,¡± Mitsuru said and then made some hand seals before placing her hand over the bandit¡¯s head. A black symbol appeared on his head, and now, even if the bandit tried to move his body, it wouldn¡¯t budge an inch. It was as if he was in someone else¡¯s body, unable to control it. ¡°Juinjutsu?¡± Kaida asked. ¡®Sensei is good at everything. I wonder why she was never shown in the anime. She would have played a very important role if she had become a Jonin sensei for any of Naruto''s friends. But considering how busy she is, there¡¯s no way she could be one,¡¯ he thought, his mind wandering from the bandit in front of him. ¡°Close him up and then find your new patient. He¡¯ll need some time to heal. We can¡¯t let him die, can we?¡± Mitsuru said and then left the room. ¡°Of course not, Sensei,¡± Kaida said and started healing the bandit, who was desperately trying to move his body, even thinking of begging for death. But he couldn¡¯t utter a single sound. Even though he could breathe normally, he started feeling suffocated. Alas, there was nothing he could do. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida closed the bandit¡¯s wound and then left the room as well, leaving the bandit alone to think about his miserable situation. ¡®I actually love this aspect of this world. Even though crimes here are far more heinous than on Earth, criminals here don¡¯t have any rights. They can be properly punished. On Earth, some people might have come forward to protect this bandit with human rights or something. Hehe, I would love to see such people here. They would most likely join that bandit in that room,¡¯ Kaida thought as he headed toward Sora¡¯s house to continue his fuinjutsu lessons. ¡®I¡¯ll have to take on some bandit extermination missions too. I don¡¯t want to ask Hiruzen for this, even though I¡¯m pretty sure he would agree. But it doesn¡¯t feel right, considering I¡¯ll have to ask for the Flying Thunder God Jutsu too. I should show that I¡¯m competent enough,¡¯ Kaida thought. Chapter 230: Bathhouse Opens One more week passed like that. Kaida had to take a few C-rank missions, and now the hospital had 10 bandits with Juinjutsu seals, where Kaida practiced medical jutsu. To protect his morality a little, Kaida checked who among the bandits deserved this. The rest were sent to the village created by the Uchiha clan for bandits after their memories were removed and they were placed under semi-permanent genjutsu. Since it was his own idea, Kaida decided to contribute some more men for that village (A.N: in Chapter 160-162). There wasn¡¯t much progress in his learning aside from finally mastering three seals and working on the fourth one, but today something important happened. ¡°Finally, this bathhouse is about to open. This took so much time and money,¡± Shisui said, taking his morning tea. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will all be worth it, brother,¡± Kaida said, following Shisui and taking his cup. ¡°Which bathhouse?¡± Naruto asked, coming out of his room. ¡°We¡¯re going to open a bathhouse, a very big one, for everyone in the village,¡± Kaida told Naruto, who came and picked up his cup full of warm milk. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Sensei to come with his family,¡± Yomi said. ¡°Yup, me too. Sora-sensei will definitely come, but I¡¯m not sure about Mitsuru-sensei. She¡¯s a very busy person,¡± Kaida said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll also call my team, though you guys won¡¯t be able to meet them¡ªAnbu confidentiality and all,¡± Shisui said. ¡°But when you give them a free pass, we¡¯ll know they¡¯re your teammates,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Why would I give them a free pass? The village pays for all Anbu expenses while they¡¯re part of the Anbu forces. They don¡¯t have to pay for anything, so it¡¯s actually free for them anyway,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Brother, you¡¯ll also be charged for using the bathhouse,¡± Kaida said as soon as he heard that. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that, hahaha,¡± Shisui laughed, soon joined by everyone. ¡°Jokes aside, we have so much work to do. We need to arrange the feast and drinks, decide the order for guests to use the bathhouse if they want, do a final check on the staff, oh! And we also need to do some promotion to get maximum visibility, and¡­¡± ¡°Calm down, Mom. We still have a full day, and all of that isn¡¯t difficult to do, so don¡¯t stress too much,¡± Shisui said, stopping Hae in the middle of her long list of tasks. ¡°How can I not be stressed? We¡¯re inviting every important person in the village; our reputation is on the line,¡± Hae said. ¡°And we¡¯ll do well. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t know how effective the bathhouse is. Both Uncle Fugaku and Aunt Mikoto gave such positive reviews. I¡¯m sure everything will work out fine,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Yes, Aunt, don¡¯t worry. Just get ready to start counting all the money we¡¯re going to make,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Fine,¡± Hae finally sat down and picked up a cup of tea for herself. The promotion plan was simple. Kaida and Shisui would use the Shadow Clone Jutsu and transformation to transform into various people and spread the news about how effective the bathhouse was. They were the first to try it, and they claimed it helped relieve body pain and made their skin tighter and brighter. They also mentioned the lucky draw event where people could try it for free tomorrow. This would be done after a cart roamed around the village with flyers and loud announcements about the bathhouse. This would surely attract a huge crowd for the main event. While Shisui and Kaida handled that, Yomi and Hae managed other things, like ensuring the food would be ready for tomorrow. Since the Akimichi clan was responsible for that, the quality was guaranteed, but they still made sure everything was ready. Then they did a final check on the employees. Shisui scanned all their memories just to be sure, and they were compensated for that too. Hae made sure everyone was fine and that no one would suddenly take a leave tomorrow. Everything was done, and now everyone was just waiting for the main event. ¡­ Hae was formally dressed as the main mistress of the event, while everyone else was also in their best attire, though not as formal as Hae, who had to handle being the face of the event. And she handled it well¡­ until the main problem arose. They had made preparations for a crowd of 500 people and some important guests, but they miscalculated something¡ªthe effectiveness of their promotion technique. Free food, a chance to get a pass to use something great for free, and the thrill of a lottery all combined to attract a much bigger crowd than they had expected. Just from a cursory glance, more than 2,000 people were present, and more were coming. ¡°Mom, we have to increase the seating,¡± Shisui said. ¡°And the food too,¡± Kaida added. ¡°We¡¯re way too underprepared for this,¡± Hae said, her smile crumbling a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯ll arrange for more seating,¡± Shisui said. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Akimichi clan. They should be able to handle this many people easily. Also, brother, let me help you with the tent setup,¡± Kaida said and made a shadow clone to help with building a bigger tent for everyone to sit. Luckily, they had enough space, as a large part of the Uchiha compound was still empty due to all the relocation stuff done by the village after the Nine-Tails attack. Kaida then used the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to go to the Akimichi clan headquarters to increase the food order, while Shisui and Kaida¡¯s clone went to the Kagetsu clan¡¯s headquarters. The Kagetsu clan was one of the wealthiest and most politically powerful clans in Konoha. The reason they went directly to the headquarters was because of the urgency. Luckily, they got all the items needed for setting up the tent and seats quite easily. Even though the situation was a little difficult, everyone was still quite elated. The promotion was phenomenally effective, and it was almost certain that the bathhouse was going to become quite famous. This was when the effectiveness of being a ninja was shown to everyone in Konoha. Within 20 minutes, the tent size was quadrupled, and all the seats were arranged, all thanks to nearly a hundred clones of Kaida and Shisui. Everyone took their seats. After some time, the Hokage and some of the elders arrived, along with the clan heads and some nobles. Hae had to pull quite a few strings and favors to make them come. Luckily, she knew how to play her cards right and intrigued their curiosity with the help of gossip and rumors. Hae went to the stage after welcoming everyone, followed by a short speech about why they built the bathhouse and how thankful they were that everyone took time out of their busy schedules to come. Then she introduced the guests to everyone. After all that, the Hokage cut the ribbon of the bathhouse, and as usual, he didn¡¯t forget to give a small speech about the Will of Fire, followed by food and refreshments. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Now comes the final and most awaited part of the event. We will draw 50 balls from this bowl. Each ball has a number written on it, similar to the number on your seats. Those 50 people will get the first chance to enjoy the bathhouse for free,¡± Yomi shouted with a chakra-amplified voice. Just behind her was a large bowl with 2,300 small balls in it. She then started drawing one ball at a time to build up the suspense and anticipation among the crowd, while all the guests of honor were escorted inside the bathhouse¡ªat least those who had shown interest in using it. People like Hiruzen and the elders were too busy to enjoy the luxury, but the clan heads were the opposite. They and the nobles decided to try out the bathhouse, even though Fugaku recommended it. Though Fugaku never actually did that, what could he do about the ¡®accidental¡¯ rumor spreading around Konoha? (One hour later) After the clan heads and others enjoyed the medicinal baths, they wholeheartedly decided to become regulars at the bathhouse, while those who got the free pass boasted about how great it was, further increasing the bathhouse''s reputation. All in all, the opening of the bathhouse was a spectacular success. Chapter 231: Success The bathhouse started getting more and more popular day by day. Due to this, Hae took on a full-time role in managing the bathhouse, while Kaida and others started using shadow clones to help with the chores. From cleaning and washing to cooking, everything was done by shadow clones. Everyone was very happy about this development¡ªthe bathhouse was doing very well. It had three premium baths, rented out at 15,000 Ryo per hour. This price wasn¡¯t something a regular person could afford, but for extremely wealthy people like the wives of nobles or big merchants, it was well worth it. These guests left the inauguration ceremony with more glowing faces than usual, and after intense ''talks'' with their wives that day, the result was clear: the bathhouse¡¯s premium rooms were booked for the entire week. Considering the bathhouse''s operating hours of 12 hours a day, the premium rooms alone were earning 3.8 million Ryo. After deducting the cost of all the medicine used in the premium rooms, the net profit they generated was 2 million Ryo from just three baths in a week. Besides the premium baths, there were also two prime baths for 2,000 Ryo each, shared by 10 people, and two normal baths for 300 Ryo each, shared between 35 people. These were separate for males and females. The largest baths didn''t have as concentrated a medicinal effect, but even that was enough for most people. All in all, the bathhouse became so famous that the net profit in just one week was 3.5 million Ryo, a sum no one was expecting. Initially, they had even decided to keep the prices low in the starting months and then increase them gradually. Because The medicinal effects of the bathhouse are temporary, so once a woman gets used to seeing her face more gorgeous than usual, she can''t go back to her old self and becomes a regular at the bathhouse. Even though it sounds bad, this is how business works. A business only thrives through loyal customers, and addiction is the best way to gain loyal customers. This is how the world works (A.N.: both the ninja world and ours). But the plan of initially low prices changed when they saw how much the guests, especially the main guests, enjoyed the baths. ... Kaida then came to Hae with an idea. "Aunt, I know we initially decided only to cover the medicinal costs of the bathhouse, but I think we can increase the price a little. The response is too good, so I don''t think we have to wait a month to increase the price," Kaida suggested. "I was thinking about the same thing too, but how much should we increase it? If it''s too much, it could have the opposite effect. After all, greed does have the power to bankrupt even the wealthiest person," Hae replied. "I think the price for prime and common baths should remain the same. Normal people can''t afford a higher price, no matter how good the bath is," Shisui said. "Yes, our main target is the premium baths," Yomi added. "I think I have an idea to get the best price for the premium baths," Kaida said with a smile. "And that is...?" Yomi asked. "Let the nobles take the bath first," Kaida said with a small chuckle. After an hour, the guests came out of the baths, and a chubby man made his way toward Hae. "Miss Hae, your bathhouse does live up to its reputation as a business of the Uchiha clan. I really like the premium bath. How much do you charge for that?" the noble, a middle-aged, chubby man with a fat face, asked. "Thank you for praising this humble place so much, sir. As for the price, why don¡¯t you make a guess?" Kaida said. "And who might you be?" the noble asked. His tone was gentle because he knew Kaida was someone from the Uchiha clan and also a family member of Hae and Shisui Uchiha. "Oh! Where are my manners? I am Kaida Uchiha, sir, son of Aiko Uchiha and Asami Senju," Kaida introduced himself. "He is my brother, sir," Shisui added, clearing any confusion. "Oh! Such a well-mannered child you are. What did you ask?" the noble said. "I would really like you to guess the price of the premium bath, sir," Kaida said once again. "Hmm, considering how good I feel and how luxurious that room was... maybe 25,000 Ryo?" the noble guessed. Every noble had some business under them to increase their already huge financial reserves. So they knew quite a bit about business. That''s why Kaida decided to use that knowledge to determine the price of the premium bath. "Thank you for evaluating it so highly, sir, but you''ve guessed a little too high. Not everyone is as rich as you, so we kept the price affordable¡ªonly 15,000 Ryo," Kaida said with a smile. Hae and the others had to try hard to hide their shocked faces. "15,000? Wasn''t the original price only 5,000?" they all thought. "Oh! That¡¯s such a steal. I might make it my daily habit to use this as my personal bath," Reina Kagetsu, the headmistress of the Kagetsu Clan and wife of the current head, Enzo Kagetsu, said. (A.N.: The Kagetsu Clan is an immensely wealthy clan from Konoha and is featured in an anime filler arc in the Naruto series, specifically in Episode 187: "Open for Business! The Leaf Moving Service.") "It would be our honor, Lady Kagetsu," Hae said, bowing slightly. Reina was actually more powerful and wealthy than the noble, thanks to her clan''s connection with the Fire Daimyo himself. Many people in Konoha preferred to be on her good side rather than her bad one. Reina just smiled at Hae¡¯s comment. Hae then took over the conversation while Kaida and the others made their way toward the other guests. ... (One week passed) Earnings from the bathhouse, after removing the cost of herbs and medicine, staff payments, and tax, amounted to 3 million Ryo¡ªan amount no one in the family was expecting. But they thought that the price would drop in the next few weeks and that the craze would die down. (Second week passed) Same amount of earnings. "Maybe next week," they thought. (Third week passed) Same amount of earnings. "Definitely next week." (Fourth week passed) Same amount of earnings. "Aunt, I think we should increase the size of the bathhouse," Kaida suggested. "I get where you''re coming from¡ªa complete booking for a full month, and even the next month is fully booked. We had to refuse so many customers just because the bathhouse is completely booked," Hae said, sighing from the stress of success. "That¡¯s why I think we should increase the size of the bathhouse, at least double the current size," Kaida said. "At least we''re not short on funds," Shisui chimed in. "I was thinking the same thing. Shisui, go and ask Fugaku-sama if we can buy land near the bathhouse. If yes, how much?" Hae said. "Right now?" Shisui asked, lounging lazily on the extra-comfortable sofa that came from the Kagetsu clan, in exchange for the right to book one of the premium baths for an entire month. "Not right now, but when you''re free from doing your important work of being lazy," Hae said. "Fine, fine, I''ll go now," Shisui said. "Are we going to buy all of the land near the bathhouse?" Kaida asked. "Yes. The bathhouse is becoming a hot spot for all types of people to meet, wealthy and common alike. There are so many options for more business in that area. Even though we''re focusing on the bathhouse at the moment, we can buy the land for future ventures," Hae said. ¡®I am so lucky she is handling the business. I guess money will not be a problem in the future,¡¯ Kaida thought. "Fine, Aunt, then I¡¯m going to the hospital," Kaida said and headed toward the hospital. In the last month, Kaida hadn''t been sitting idly, watching the bathhouse''s success. No, he was diligently practicing both medical and fuinjutsu. In that time, he had already learned seven seals and was working on the eighth one before moving on to the last and most difficult one¡ªthe complex array seal. As for medical jutsu, it was also coming along fine. ... Just as Kaida was about to enter the hospital, a fist came straight toward his gut. His reflexes kicked in, and Kaida swiftly jumped to the side, activating his three-tomoe Sharingan, going fully alert for the fight, only to find Ryota standing where he had been just a few seconds ago. "You betrayer! I thought we were friends, and you didn¡¯t even invite me to the party for your new business," Ryota said. "Hey, hey, I called you and even went to your house twice. It¡¯s not my fault you had to go on a month-long mission right during that time," Kaida said, dodging another punch. Before either of them could do anything, Kiba came up behind Ryota and began pulling him back, by biting his trousers Here¡¯s the revised version of your scene with some grammatical corrections and minor adjustments for clarity: --- "You¡¯re protecting him? I thought you were on my side!" Ryota said, sounding like a man who had been betrayed by his wife of 52 years. Bark! Bark! "What?" Ryota asked, startled. "What did he say?" Kaida asked, noticing Ryota''s shocked reaction. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "He¡¯s saying not to offend you, or you might beat the crap out of me," Ryota said angrily, turning his head to glare at Kiba. "Well, at least one of this duo has some intelligence," Kaida said, sitting down and patting Kiba¡¯s head. "Come on, you might have been a genius before, but I¡¯ve been learning ninjutsu for the last year and a half while you¡¯ve been wasting your time on medical jutsu. I¡¯m pretty sure I can beat you now," Ryota boasted. Kaida just smiled and quickly threw two senbons at Ryota¡¯s acupoints, effectively paralyzing him. "You were saying?" Kaida asked calmly. "Hey, that was cheating!" Ryota shouted. "And you think your enemy will fight you like a sage? During a mission, you¡¯ll face things much worse than this," Kaida replied. "Hey, I¡¯m already frustrated with two senseis; I don¡¯t need another one. I just came to meet with an old friend," Ryota grumbled. Bark! Bark! "Yeah, yeah, my one and only human friend," Ryota muttered. "Alright then, let¡¯s go to a restaurant. My treat," Kaida offered. "Don¡¯t you need your sensei¡¯s permission before skipping practice?" Ryota asked, noticing Kaida was about to enter the hospital. "No, I¡¯m in the practical part of my training right now. Besides, my sensei might not even be at the hospital at the moment¡ªthey could be taking a medicinal bath," Kaida said with a chuckle. They headed to a restaurant where Ryota told Kaida everything that had happened over the past year¡ªhow he¡¯d learned so many jutsus and mastered his clan''s special taijutsu. He also mentioned how he¡¯d gained practical experience by doing various missions. Kaida shared how much he had learned, which only served to depress Ryota. "Is there anything you haven''t learned? Genjutsu, taijutsu, kenjutsu, fuinjutsu, medical jutsu¡ªare you trying to compete with Lord Third in the amount of jutsu you can master?" Ryota asked. "No, I¡¯m still way behind if that were the case," Kaida said with a chuckle. "Man, I thought I¡¯d made some good progress, but it looks like you¡¯re already way ahead of me. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll catch up in no time," Ryota said with a big smile on his face. Chapter 232: Reason ¡°Now, tell me, why did you want to meet me?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°What, do you think I would only come to meet you for a reason? You think I¡¯m that type of person?¡± Ryota said in an overly dramatic tone. ¡°So, you don¡¯t have anything you want to ask?¡± Kaida asked, not a bit affected by Ryota¡¯s acting, having been trained by Shisui daily for such situations. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Actually, I wanted to have a sparring partner. My sensei said that even though I know some moves, I don¡¯t know how to use them efficiently. The only way to learn is through constantly using them against someone. But I don¡¯t take nearly enough missions to get the experience in fighting, so I need a sparring partner,¡± Ryota said. ¡°You want a ninjutsu spar?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°No, ninjutsu can be learned without that. I want a spar focused only on taijutsu,¡± Ryota replied. ¡°I don¡¯t have much experience in taijutsu; I only have the basic knowledge of it that we learned in the academy,¡± Kaida said. ¡°But you¡¯re now part of the Uchiha clan. Aren¡¯t they teaching you taijutsu too?¡± Ryota asked. ¡°Why would I learn that when I can learn Uchiha kenjutsu, one of the most lethal and effective styles in the village?¡± Kaida said, as if it were a fact a newborn child would know. ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to be my sparring partner?¡± Ryota asked dejectedly. ¡°When did I say that? I just want to warn you not to keep your hopes high when we spar,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Great!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a small spar now, just to get a basic idea?¡± Kaida suggested. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m free anyway,¡± Ryota said. Bark! Bark! ¡°Yeah, buddy, I know you¡¯ll join too,¡± Kaida said. All three of them then went to one of the training areas. Since they were just going to spar, there was no need for them to book the training area. "Alright, Ryota. Let''s see what you''ve got," Kaida said, getting into a fighting position. "Don''t hold back, Kaida. I want to see what you''re really capable of," Ryota said, both he and Kiba getting on all fours, ready for a burst of speed. ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll go all out, and you don¡¯t pull any punches. I can heal most lethal injuries now; broken bones are no problem at all,¡± Kaida said. Ryota grinned and then charged forward, his fists raised. Kaida dodged to the side, then delivered a powerful chakra-enhanced kick aimed at Ryota''s leg. Ryota blocked the kick with his shin, but Kaida''s momentum carried him forward, allowing him to land a punch on Ryota''s shoulder. Ryota grinned. "Not bad, Kaida. But I¡¯m not going to use just punches and kicks." Ryota jumped back and passed a pill to Kiba, who suddenly transformed into a clone of Ryota. Then Ryota started making various hand signs. Suddenly, both Ryota and Kiba transformed into whirlwinds and started attacking Kaida from various directions. Kaida initially dodged some of the attacks, but the coordination between Ryota and Kiba was too strong. When Kaida dodged one of Ryota¡¯s attacks, Kiba attacked Kaida from one of his blind spots created due to dodging Ryota¡¯s attack, throwing Kaida some distance away. Ryota didn¡¯t let go of this opportunity and attacked Kaida once again. ¡®This is annoying; I¡¯m not even getting a chance to attack,¡¯ Kaida thought as he dodged Ryota¡¯s attack. Luckily for Kaida, this jutsu was very chakra-consuming, and Ryota couldn¡¯t maintain it for too long since he had still not fully mastered it. He and Kiba stopped spinning and went back to all fours, once again focusing on punches and kicks. Ryota continued his assault, his claws raking across Kaida''s chest. Kaida tried to counter with a chakra-enhanced punch, but Ryota dodged the attack. At that moment, Kiba distracted Ryota with a bite toward his leg. Using this opportunity, Ryota landed a kick to Kaida''s stomach. Kaida stumbled backward, gasping for air. Just as Ryota was about to deliver the finishing blow, Kiba leaped into the fray. Kiba charged at Kaida, his teeth bared. Kaida was forced to defend himself against both Ryota and Kiba, but now Kaida could fight back a little. He suddenly jumped and spun in the air to dodge Kiba¡¯s bite attack while landing a spinning kick on Ryota. Ryota used his arm to defend, but it wasn¡¯t enough to counter the force of the chakra-enhanced kick. He managed to push Kaida away at the cost of his forearm bones, rendering one of his hands unusable in the fight. But Ryota didn¡¯t pay any attention to that and ran forward to where Kaida would land, throwing a punch straight toward Kaida¡¯s face. The punch landed squarely on his face, almost knocking him out. Ryota could have followed up with another attack, but since it was just a short spar, this was enough to check each other¡¯s level. "That was... exhausting," Ryota said. "You''re telling me. I thought I was in better shape. But that last punch almost broke my nose,¡± Kaida said, massaging his nose. ¡°Almost? Can you see this hanging meat? It used to be my arm,¡± Ryota said, pointing to his arm, which was broken during the fight. They both laughed, their friendly banter easing the tension of the fight. "Seriously though, that Whirlwind Fang was impressive. I didn''t realize you could move that fast," Kaida said, going near Ryota to check the injury. "Thanks. I''ve been practicing a lot lately. But you weren''t too bad yourself. You dodged most of my attacks even without using the Sharingan,¡± Ryota said. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What can I say, I¡¯m a genius,¡± Kaida said, then started healing Ryota¡¯s arm. Luckily, the damage was small because Ryota used chakra to defend against the attack; otherwise, his bones might have shattered and taken longer to recover. ¡®I went a little overboard there,¡¯ Kaida thought when he considered the consequences. ¡®Genius? I think you¡¯re forgetting that I won,¡± Ryota said, raising his head. ¡°So what? I¡¯m not focusing on taijutsu anyway. Want to have a kenjutsu spar?¡± Kaida asked, finishing healing Ryota¡¯s arm. ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m still not crazy enough to go against an Uchiha in kenjutsu,¡± Ryota said, moving his arm to check if it was fine. ¡°Don¡¯t move it much. Rest for a few hours before doing anything major with that hand,¡± Kaida said. ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound more and more like a doctor now,¡± Ryota said. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t a compliment, but whatever. So, we¡¯re going to continue these sparring sessions, right?¡± Ryota asked. ¡°Yes, I want to keep meeting Kiba,¡± Kaida said, patting Kiba¡¯s head. ¡°When are we going to have spars then?¡± Ryota asked, knowing fully well that Kaida was usually very busy. ¡°I go to the hospital at eight in the morning, so we can have a spar at seven. That way, if you get injured too badly, I can get you fixed up at eight.¡± Chapter 233: Three months With sparring with Ryota and medical jutsu training at the hospital in the morning, fuinjutsu in the evening, and spending time with Yomi and Naruto during night walks, three months slowly passed. However, the effects of those three months were monumental in Kaida¡¯s life. Firstly, he perfected every medical jutsu required to learn the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. He also learned every seal except for the last one¡ªthe complex array seal¡ªwhich he had not yet perfected. Mitsuru firmly declined to begin teaching him the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu until all of the basics were complete. Due to that, Kaida decided to focus entirely on the last array seal. Now, all 30 of his clones were focused solely on the complex array seal, while his daily spars with Ryota were also in full swing. Although his taijutsu was still not at the same level as his kenjutsu, it was becoming more refined day by day. The win-loss ratio against Ryota was now equal for Kaida. He was able to win quite a few matches against Ryota, but considering Ryota was not even at jonin level in taijutsu, it was not a major feat. Kaida was tempted a few times to go to Guy for taijutsu training. Considering he was now acquainted with Kakashi, getting along with Guy would be easy, but he decided to put that idea on hold until he learned the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu¡ªone thing at a time. The bathhouse business was also in full swing. They tripled the size of the bathhouse in three months. After increasing the size of the bathhouse by three times, they stopped, because some of the baths were starting to be empty from time to time, meaning increasing the size any further was unnecessary. Hae bought all of the nearby land too. The area surrounding the bathhouse was transformed into a beautiful garden, enhancing the overall appearance of the bathhouse. Hae was also planning on opening some shops nearby. The number of people visiting the bathhouse daily was not small by any means, and a shop that complemented the bathhouse would undoubtedly be great. They had still not decided which shop they would open first. After a family discussion, they came up with three shop ideas: Beauty and Skincare Shops, Caf¨¦s or Tea Houses, and Nail Salons or Hair Salons. All of these were great, and in the next month, they would open one of the shops. The monthly revenue of the bathhouse was 8 million Ryo, which was the reward for some lower S-rank missions. Everyone in the family was happy about this except Kaida. For him, this much money was not enough. With the plans he had in mind for the future, money would be a crucial part of them. But still, it was a good start, and with this, the initial fund for something very important could be gathered. However, Kaida was becoming more restless day by day. There were many people he wanted to add to his ranks¡ªpeople like Kimimaro, who could fight Gaara and Lee alone, and that too when he was almost dead due to his disease. Then there was Karin Uzumaki and her mother, who should also be alive at this time. There was also Haku, if he had not already been found by Zabuza. The reason Kaida was getting restless was that in just half a year, Orochimaru would find Kimimaro, and in two years, Karin¡¯s mother would also die due to the overuse of her healing abilities. If Kaida wanted these people, he had to take action soon. But the problem was that Kaida was still too weak. Yes, he was at Jonin level, but Kimimaro was in the Land of Water, and it would be very dangerous for an Uchiha to be spotted there. But out of all the people, getting Kimimaro before Orochimaru was of utmost importance. Orochimaru was already too powerful; he didn¡¯t need people like Kimimaro, but Kaida did. Kimimaro had almost as much potential as Itachi. When he was brought back to life by the Edo Tensei jutsu, he was in a class of his own. So, Kaida was planning on taking some missions to find Kimimaro first. Even though Haku was also about to be found by Zabuza, if given a choice, Kaida would definitely choose Kimimaro over Haku, because a Kimimaro trained by Might Guy would most likely be a Kage-level ninja. The same could not be said about Haku. Though if he got the chance, Haku would also be added to his team. But for all this to happen, he first needed to learn the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. This would be a fail-safe if things went south during the missions. If all went well, Kaida should start learning it in a month. ... S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Good job, Kaida. Now try to make that array smaller. If it¡¯s that big, it will lose its purpose,¡± Sora said. ¡°But sensei, if I make it any smaller than this, it will become unstable and disperse easily,¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Yes, and you have to find a way to prevent that,¡± Sora said. Even though he could teach Kaida how to do that, doing so would limit his future potential. A fuinjutsu seal master and grandmaster should know how to improve a seal according to the requirement. ¡°Okay, sensei,¡± Kaida said, then began focusing on shortening the length of the array slowly. After reducing its size to 75%, the array became unstable and dispersed. The array itself was nothing great; it was a simple concealment array formed using many concealment seals, but it was used to make a perfect concealment. With all light, sound, and smell concealed at night, no one should be able to sense the person inside this array normally. This was the use of arrays¡ªcombining many seals into one singular structure that worked together to produce results greater than the sum of individual seals. Kaida could already see how this would be important for the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. ¡°Keep working on this. Make sure to reduce the size of the array by half while maintaining its stability,¡± Sora said. ¡°Yes, sensei,¡± Kaida said, then began practicing again and again. With him and 30 clones working, the progress rate was astounding, to say the least. Sora nodded his head, then left to complete his array as well. He was at the last step on his way to becoming a grandmaster, and seeing Kaida making progress so swiftly, he was also motivated to complete his array as soon as possible. Though Kaida was interested in the array Sora was developing, Sora said it was a surprise, and he would only tell Kaida about the array when it was fully completed. With both Kaida and Sora practicing, one more day passed. ... ** Kaida woke up, completed his morning routine, and then went to the hall to enjoy some tea with his family. ¡°I will not come home for the next three days. I am planning on eating a soldier pill for training,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Are you close to any breakthrough?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, brother, I think I will be able to master the last seal by the end of the third day for sure,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Do as you wish then. Just make sure you don¡¯t overdo it,¡± Hae said. By now, she had come to terms with Kaida¡¯s tendency to train super hard daily. ¡°Okay, Aunt,¡± Kaida said. Chapter 234: Preparation Complete ¡°Do as you wish then. Just make sure you don¡¯t overdo it,¡± Hae said. By now, she had come to terms with Kaida¡¯s tendency to train super hard daily. ¡°Okay, Aunt,¡± Kaida said. ¡°I will also do the same. Sensei said that I am finally ready to take the final test. My sensing and tracking training is almost complete. Sensei is now just going to teach me some jutsu to improve it a little, so I am also planning on using a soldier pill,¡± Yomi said. ¡°That¡¯s great, Yomi. With this, you could even become an Anbu ninja if your strength improves a little more,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Thanks, brother,¡± Yomi said. ¡°What¡¯s so good about becoming an Anbu ninja anyway?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Nothing, but if a ninja is not from any big clan, then being in the Anbu is the best way to gain both training materials and connections,¡± Shisui said. ¡°But she has us. There¡¯s no need for her to join the Anbu anyway,¡± Kaida said. ¡°I said ¡®could,¡¯ not ¡®should,¡¯¡± Shisui said. ¡°Oh! Understood,¡± Kaida said, then focused back on his tea. ¡°So, you two will not come home for the next three days, and I will be busy with the bathhouse too. Who is going to take care of Naruto then?¡± Hae said. ¡°Mom, I think you are forgetting there is one more member in this family. I can take care of Naruto for three days,¡± Shisui said. ¡°That is what I am worried about the most,¡± Hae said, getting a chuckle from both Kaida and Yomi ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to take care of me. I will be able to manage on my own, Aunty, believe it!¡± Naruto said with his small fist up in the air. ¡°Huh! I wish my son was also this mature. How are you even less mature than a toddler?¡± Hae asked. ¡°That hurts, Mom,¡± Shisui said, holding his chest like someone had shot an arrow through it, followed by another chuckle from the three other family members. --- Kaida had taken leave from the hospital to completely focus on fuinjutsu for the next three days. He went to Sora¡¯s house and began practicing the last seal, the complex array seal. The problem with this seal is that there is no defined function for it like other seals. It just forms an array using various seals and connects them to create something more powerful and effective than normal seals. There are many ways to make an array, like the one Kaida had already learned, the perfect concealment array, formed using various types of concealment seals like sound concealment, smell concealment, light distortion, and seal concealment seals. With all of these combined, finding the array was difficult, and the array itself made finding the person difficult too. However, it could not be used well in the day, since the light distortion seal wasn¡¯t perfect and could leave traces, but at night it was almost impossible to find the person in the array unless the one searching was a fuinjutsu grandmaster. Similarly, there were other arrays as well. One just needs the ability to combine various seals to make them. Kaida¡¯s next goal was to combine a storage seal, a barrier seal, and a healing seal in a way that the storage seal stores chakra, the barrier seal protects it from dissipating into the environment, and the healing seal can take chakra from the storage seal and perform healing. This array, in itself, is a weak¡ªvery weak¡ªversion of the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. According to Mitsuru, Kaida should figure out how to do it himself. She herself was a sealmaster and knew how important it was for someone to figure things out on their own. It would be much more important for them in the future if they learned to combine various seals by themselves. Kaida had been practicing this for the last two days without taking any rest at all. ¡°This is going to be tough,¡± Kaida said as he saw one more of his clones get dispersed due to the blast from the seal. Luckily, Sora¡¯s house had many arrays, one of which prevented large blasts, limiting the explosions from Kaida¡¯s experiments to a small range. Luckily, he was making huge progress as well. Each clone that got dispersed found a way he should not combine the seals. He had made hundreds of clones in the span of two days, but now the rate of explosions had gone down a lot. He was at the last part of the array, making it stable and concise. The last and most important part¡ªuntil now, he had made an array that required a continuous stream of chakra to remain active. He was trying to add an absorption seal so that the seal could absorb chakra from the surroundings and supply it to the array rather than relying on the person. It was not going well, to say the least. Since he was so close to learning the seal and then starting to learn the jutsu from Mitsuru, Kaida had become restless and had started doing extreme experiments, which mainly resulted in explosions. Other times, it was just a failed attempt where the seal simply dispersed. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Calm down and think. What are we doing wrong?¡± one of the clones said. ¡°We are trying to make the flow of chakra from the absorption seal constant, but those three seals absorb chakra at different speeds, so a single absorption seal is not doing the job.¡± ¡°We can make three different seals for each of them.¡± ¡°No, it will increase the size of the array too much,¡± the real Kaida said. All of them sighed, and one of the clones looked at the sky to clear his mind. He noticed the electric cables and then an idea came to his mind. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make something similar to an electric circuit? The absorption seal will provide chakra, and then we will add resistance in between the path to each seal so that they will receive the required chakra only.¡± ¡°This is actually a very good idea. Let¡¯s try this,¡± Kaida said, and all of the clones began doing that. To their surprise, they found even the crude version to be very stable, and not a single blast happened. ¡®Looks like I can start learning Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu once I wake up from sleep,¡¯ Kaida thought, knowing he would need much-needed rest after the effects of the soldier pill ended. His head was aching so much that Kaida even took a pill from the hospital for it, but he didn¡¯t stop making clones. As for the headache, some medicine and meditation did the trick, helping him not fry his brain from all the information coming from the clones. At the end of the third day, Sora came out to check on Kaida¡¯s progress, only to find five clones working on seals and Kaida sitting in a lotus position, meditating, with a vein popped on his head. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me he actually practiced for three days straight using so many clones,¡¯ Sora thought. Even he would need many breaks when using shadow clones for practice because of the information overload when his clones dispersed. In Kaida¡¯s case, he often received clone memories without any notice because of the blasts, which increased his headaches. If not for his three-tomoe Sharingan, which had enhanced his mental capacities, he might have even bled from his nose and ears because of all this. ¡°You guys can stop now,¡± Sora said as he inspected the seal Kaida had created. Saying he was impressed was an understatement. Almost everyone who made such seals would use many absorption seals to stabilize the array, increasing its size too much. What Kaida had done was not something new, but it was also not something everyone did on their first try. Most of the time, their sensei would teach them how to reduce the size of the array after they created a crude version themselves. ¡®I was correct¡ªhe is great at fuinjutsu,¡¯ Sora thought before going to Kaida and saying, ¡°This much is enough, Kaida. You can stop your training now.¡± Kaida opened his eyes, halting his meditation. ¡°But sensei, I still have three hours left before the effects of the soldier pill end,¡± Kaida said, wanting to keep improving the array further. ¡°No need. Also, you are not in good shape to continue. The array you have created is enough. I will teach you the correct one now because, from here on, it is not about creativity, but time and trials. You have to try many combinations to find the best one. That will do nothing other than take more of your time, so it is better for me to teach you,¡± Sora said. Chapter 235: Sensor Ninja (A.N: Hey guys I found out that there are not much sensing and tracking jutsu for normal civilian, or at least not mentioned in the anime so I used some I though may have been possible, so I will list them here, I you want you can skim through them ^~^) ********************************************************************************** 1. Ember Vision Technique Type: Ninjutsu (Fire-based) Description: The user ignites a small flame on the ground, which then spreads out in a wave of embers. The embers attach themselves to the chakra signatures of any living beings in the area, allowing the user to see glowing outlines of these individuals through obstacles and darkness. The embers are attuned to chakra, so they only stick to people or creatures with active chakra signatures, making it difficult for anyone to hide. This technique can also be used offensively by intensifying the embers to cause minor burns. 2. Wind Whisper Technique sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Type: Ninjutsu (Wind-based) Description: The user creates a subtle, continuous breeze that carries sound waves over long distances. By attuning their hearing to this breeze, the user can listen in on conversations or detect the slightest movements within a designated range. This technique is particularly useful for long-range reconnaissance or tracking moving targets over vast distances. Additionally, the user can send out small pulses of wind to "ping" the environment, receiving echoes that help them map out the area, similar to sonar. 3. Earth Pulse Technique Type: Ninjutsu (Earth-based) Description: The user places their hands on the ground and sends a pulse of chakra deep into the earth. This pulse resonates with the natural earth currents and bounces back to the user, providing a detailed "map" of the surrounding area, including the location of any people, animals, or underground structures. The technique is especially effective in rocky or mountainous terrain. Additionally, the user can disrupt the earth currents to create small tremors, which can disorient enemies or reveal hidden traps. 4. Water Mirror Reflection Technique Type: Ninjutsu (Water-based) Description: The user creates a thin layer of water that spreads out over the ground or any surface. This water has the ability to reflect the chakra signatures of anyone within its area, creating a "mirror" image of their movements and positions. The reflections are visible only to the user, allowing them to track multiple targets simultaneously, even through walls or other obstructions. The technique is particularly useful in misty or rainy environments, where the water can spread unnoticed. 5. Lightning Pulse Technique Type: Ninjutsu (Lightning-based) Description: The user sends a brief but intense pulse of lightning chakra through the ground or air, which interacts with the natural electromagnetic fields. The pulse bounces back to the user, allowing them to detect the presence and movement of any living beings within the area. This technique is especially effective against metallic objects or in environments with high humidity, where the conductivity of the air is enhanced. The pulse can also temporarily disable electronic devices or disrupt enemy communications. ******************************************************************************* ¡°No need. Also, you are not in good shape to continue. The array you have created is enough. I will teach you the correct one now because, from here on, it is not about creativity, but time and trials. You have to try many combinations to find the best one. That will do nothing other than take more of your time, so it is better for me to teach you,¡± Sora said. ¡°Okay, sensei,¡± Kaida said, and one by one dispersed all of his clones, though it increased his headache some more. Sora then began teaching Kaida how to combine the seals he was working on perfectly¡ªwell, near perfectly. When Kaida asked whether it was the best way to do it, Sora said, ¡°No, Kaida, this is the best way we know. There is a very high chance that a better way exists, and we just haven¡¯t found it yet, but this one is at least twice as effective as yours.¡± Kaida wasn¡¯t sad about that at all. The upgrade was done by many fuinjutsu grandmasters through years of research. There was no way he could have reached that level in just three days. But even reaching half of that level was impressive. With Sora teaching Kaida how to make the array in the most optimal way, Kaida was able to master his last seal by the end of the duration of the soldier pill. --- While Kaida was giving his all in fuinjutsu training, a small forest area around Konoha had been unusually busy for the last two days. Yomi was standing on a tree, her chakra signature completely hidden. One minute passed, two, three¡­. After ten minutes, she turned her head to look around the area when an air current passed around her, and then many kunai were thrown, targeting the center of her head. "Tch." She just clicked her tongue, threw some paper bombs in the direction the kunai came from, and then used a smoke bomb around her location. When the smoke cleared, she was not in sight anymore, once again hidden. This time, instead of moving her body, she used a chakra field to sense her surroundings. But the results were the same this time as well. The area around Yomi was skewered by tens of kunai, some even containing paper bombs, though of less potency. Yomi, expecting this, had already changed her position, but this time she was able to get the location of one of her targets. She then threw a kunai in that direction while using a smoke bomb once again. Though this time she was still traceable because she was running after a ninja in brown clothes. She then took out a unique ball from her pocket and threw it at that man, painting him in red color, but she didn¡¯t stop there. She released a brief but intense pulse of lightning chakra through the air. Sensing the approach of many projectiles in her direction, she quickly used Body Flicker Jutsu to dodge them. Unluckily, someone was waiting for her at the place she appeared after using the jutsu. ¡°And you are defeated once again,¡± Isao said as he tapped Yomi¡¯s head with his fist. ¡°Now, now, Isao, don¡¯t be so harsh. She was able to find all of us, and only you were left this time. I think she did well even in this absurd scenario,¡± Riko Yamanaka, a 25-year-old Yamanaka clan member, said as he wiped off the red paint from his face. ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Yomi said, bowing slightly. The situation Riko mentioned was simple: Yomi was stuck in enemy territory, and a team of sensors was deployed by the enemy village to find her. The team had five members, each focusing on a different type of sensing. Yomi had to hide herself and her chakra from those sensors while also eliminating them one by one. Though the chances of encountering such a scenario are 1 in 1000, it¡¯s still possible and was a perfect test to see if his student was really trained enough. ¡°But I still lost,¡± Yomi said after thanking Riko. ¡°That¡¯s because this brat used Yamanaka clan¡¯s sensing technique to find you. Otherwise, you would have done better. There¡¯s no way enemies will have something like our sensing technique on their side,¡± Riko said, patting Yomi¡¯s hair. ¡°Yeah, you did great. It¡¯s a shame you can¡¯t learn our clan¡¯s sensing technique; otherwise, I would have taught you at any cost, even if I had to adopt you for that,¡± Isao said with a brotherly smile on his face. He was naturally gentle by nature, and now that he had spent so much time with Yomi, teaching her many things daily, he had started to consider her his little but talented sister. That¡¯s why he even tried to teach her the Yamanaka clan¡¯s sensing technique, but her brain wasn¡¯t the same as that of a Yamanaka. She passed out after attempting the jutsu Isao was trying to teach her. After waking up, she tried once again to practice the jutsu, but Isao stopped her and ordered her to practice the basics first. He promised that once she was ready, he would teach her his clan¡¯s sensing jutsus. Isao thought that Yomi¡¯s brain wasn¡¯t powerful enough for now but would become stronger with training. So, after two months of training, Isao once again tried to teach her, but the results were the same. Fortunately, by then, Yomi didn¡¯t need the clan technique. Even with normal sensing jutsu, she was doing very well, so Isao decided to focus on that, and now Yomi was finally ready. ¡°So, are we going to try this once again?¡± Yomi asked. ¡°No, this much is enough. You are now an official sensor ninja of Konoha,¡± Isao said, giving Yomi a headband with the same symbol as her current one¡ªKonoha¡¯s symbol¡ªbut the cloth of the headband had a camouflage design. ¡°Thank you, sensei,¡± Yomi said with a smile so bright that others felt their fatigue vanish just by looking at it. ¡°So, now her training ends, huh?¡± Riko asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Isao said. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have nothing to do from now on for quite some time. Looks like you¡¯re going to join the barrier maintenance team this time for sure,¡± Riko said. ¡°Only her training ends; I¡¯m still not done teaching her. I will be taking some missions from now on to get her real-life experience of what it means to be a sensor,¡± Isao said. ¡°It¡¯s just an excuse to evade the duty.¡± ¡°You can prove nothing,¡± Isao said, turning his face to the side. Yomi just shook her head. From what she had learned about Isao in all this time, he hated the job of the barrier maintenance team for some reason. According to him, it¡¯s like a civilian job, from 8 to 6, and not something a ninja would love to do anyway. ¡°You can go back now, Yomi. The effect of the soldier pill will end in 2-3 hours, so go get a hearty meal and then sleep tight. You¡¯ll have a month off to rest and spend some time with your family because when we start going on missions, you will have less and less time to meet them.¡± ¡°Okay, sensei,¡± Yomi said, thanking everyone who had helped her in the last three days, and then headed toward her house. --- ¡°Hey Yomi, how was your training?¡± Kaida asked as he met her on the way home. ¡°It was great! I am now an official sensor of Konoha,¡± Yomi said, pointing toward her headband. ¡°That looks so cool, and even better on you,¡± Kaida said. From what he had learned so far, no amount of compliments is enough for a girl unless they are not said with love. So, whenever he got a chance, he threw one or two compliments her way, mainly to see the small blush on her cheeks. ¡°Thanks¡­ How was your training?¡± Yomi said, trying to change the topic. ¡°It was great. I can finally start learning the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu,¡± Kaida said. Yomi could feel the relief in his voice, and she was happy for him. She had seen how much Kaida had trained to learn this single jutsu. Chapter 236: I will do it ¡°Oh! Shit, I¡¯m late!¡± Kaida shouted as soon as he woke up, then ran toward the bathroom for an urgent reason. Due to focusing too much on fuinjutsu, Kaida hadn¡¯t eaten well in three days and had been relying on soldier pills. That¡¯s why, when he finally returned home, he ate enough food to feed ten people before heading straight to bed¡ªbut not before telling everyone how happy he was about completing all his preparations and how he was going to learn the best medical jutsu soon. Obviously, everyone else in the family was happy too. Kaida had taken four days off from the hospital, and one more day remained. Due to all the growth he had experienced in recent months, the amount of sleep he usually needed had decreased to 16 hours. So, when Kaida went to sleep, he thought he would have 10+ hours before the hospital opened. But there was one thing he had severely underestimated: the mental fatigue he had accumulated over the last three days came crashing down on him, and he ended up sleeping for more than 26 hours. Even when he woke up, he was still feeling a slight headache. ¡®No wonder not many people use shadow clones to learn things; this method is too mentally exhausting for learning fuinjutsu. I don¡¯t even want to think about how much worse the pain would have been without the 3-tomoe Sharingan,¡¯ Kaida thought as he came out of his room and went to the kitchen, only to grab a glass of milk before heading straight toward the door. ¡°Young man, shouldn¡¯t you at least inform us before leaving?¡± Hae said from the hall, where she, Naruto, and Shisui were sitting. ¡°Sorry, Aunt, I forgot,¡± Kaida said. ¡°No problem. Best of luck with learning that regeneration or something jutsu,¡± Hae said with a smile. ¡°Thanks, Aunt,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Best of luck, brother,¡± Naruto added, even though he didn¡¯t know why he was saying that. ¡°Thanks, bro,¡± Kaida said, ruffling Naruto''s hair a little. ¡°Now you can run,¡± Shisui said, waving his hand in a shooing gesture. Kaida just nodded after looking at the clock and went directly to the hospital. ¡­ ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Good morning, Sensei,¡± Kaida said meekly, entering Mitsuru¡¯s office. ¡°Barely. It¡¯s almost noon. You¡¯re getting quite relaxed now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Mitsuru said, looking up from the book she was reading. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just woke up. This time the effects of the soldier pills were too severe. I¡¯m still having a mild headache,¡± Kaida said. ¡°It¡¯s not the effect of the soldier pills, you brat; it¡¯s your masochistic training that¡¯s at fault,¡± Mitsuru said like a big, angry, but caring sister scolding her little brother. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Sensei,¡± Kaida wanted to refuse, but even he knew it was true. ¡°So, how was the result of your training?¡± Mitsuru asked, changing the topic. ¡°It was great, Sensei. I finally mastered all the seals you told me to learn,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Show me the last one, then,¡± Mitsuru said. Kaida wasted no time and quickly took out his fuinjutsu set to start crafting the array. In just three minutes, Kaida made a near-perfect replica of what Sora had taught him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see this, brat. Make the one you created yourself,¡± Mitsuru said, dismissing the array because she knew there was no way Kaida could have made such a refined version so early¡ªeven a once-in-a-century genius of fuinjutsu wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida just nodded his head and started making the version he had designed. If the previous version of the array was like freshly bought earphones, then this version was like earphones that just came out of a pocket¡ªa jumbled mess. Even though both were basically the same, it would be very awkward to use those jumbled earphones, right? When Mitsuru saw the version Kaida had made himself, she nodded her head in approval. ¡°So, you finally did it. I was actually hoping that you would stop this absurd idea midway since the requirements are just too difficult, but you actually did it. So, I¡¯ll keep my word and teach you the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. That will cost you 15 million ryo, though.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± Kaida suddenly shouted after hearing the last part. ¡°Sensei, that much money is enough to issue two low S-Rank missions! Aren¡¯t you expecting too much from your poor student?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking for that money for myself, brat. We¡¯ll need the help of two fuinjutsu grandmasters during the process¡ªand not just any fuinjutsu grandmasters, but ones who have enough experience in the medical field too. In Konoha, there are only three such grandmasters, including Lord Third, but we can only count on the other two. Usually, they wouldn¡¯t help anyone even if you had money. Lucky for you, I know them personally and can ask them to help you. And you think they should help you for free?¡± Mitsuru asked. ¡°But, Sensei, where would I get 15 million ryo from¡­? Please give me a loan,¡± Kaida said, bowing 90 degrees. ¡°Brat, that bathhouse of yours is already earning you tens of millions of ryo each month. Just take out some money from that stash of yours,¡± Mitsuru said, as if she were talking to some cheap landlord. Kaida¡¯s mouth opened and closed a few times¡ªhe had actually forgotten about that completely. ¡°Okay, Sensei, I¡¯ll ask Aunt Hae about this, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll agree.¡± ¡°Okay then, now let me tell you what kind of deep and profound bullsh*t trouble you¡¯ve gotten yourself into. That jutsu you¡¯re trying to learn is not a single jutsu but a collection of three jutsu together. The first one is the Strength of a Hundred Seal. This seal stores a small amount of your chakra daily, and a very precise and delicate chakra control is needed for this seal¡ªby both the one who is making the seal and the one on whom the seal is being made. This is also the seal the fuinjutsu grandmasters will make on your body. The second is Yin Seal Release. This will release the chakra stored in the first seal. Seal marks will cover your body, providing you with chakra to heal yourself. This will also be done with the grandmasters¡¯ help, but you will play a major role in the process. And lastly, Creation Rebirth¡ªa jutsu created by Lady Tsunade herself. This jutsu uses a very large amount of chakra but has the capability to heal any injury, no matter how lethal. One could say you¡¯ll become semi-immortal after you activate this jutsu. But this is the most gruesome part, and the final chance for you to back down one last time,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°?¡± ¡°In this part, you¡¯ll have to suffer injuries to each part of your body and then heal those injuries yourself. The healing seal will be made to perform that same thing once chakra is provided, so during battle, healing will become automatic. But you¡¯ll have to heal yourself while feeling the pain of various injuries to get the actual method of healing since, during a fight, you WILL feel pain from your injuries. So we can¡¯t risk giving you painkillers,¡± Mitsuru continued. ¡®That is just pure torture¡ªinflict all types of wounds on yourself, your muscles, bones, tendons, lungs, liver, heart¡­ and the list goes on. I may die from the pain,¡¯ Kaida thought. Mitsuru saw the fear in Kaida¡¯s eyes, and that was a perfectly natural response. Even the thought of getting all those injuries is enough to cause fear in the heart of any living being. But to Mitsuru¡¯s surprise, Kaida¡¯s eyes regained their resolve very soon. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, Sensei,¡± Kaida said, while his thoughts were, ¡®I¡¯ve invested too much time in this to back off now just because of some temporary pain. I can surely bear this much pain,¡¯ not knowing how wrong these thoughts were. Chapter 237: Now "I''ll do it, Sensei," Kaida said, while his thoughts were, ''I''ve invested too much time in this to back off now just because of some temporary pain. I can surely bear this much pain,'' not knowing how wrong these thoughts were. "Very good, then let''s start," Mitsuru said, standing up from her chair. "Now? Don''t we need to prepare before that?" Kaida asked. "I am all the preparation you will need. Heal yourself, and I will make the healing seal for you. There is nothing to prepare for," Mitsuru said. "Then at least give me some time to mentally prepare myself, Sensei," Kaida said, backing away a little. "The more you think about it, the more difficult it will seem," Mitsuru said, laughing mischievously. She was having a good time seeing Kaida scared like that, acting like a child for the first time. "But¡­" Before Kaida could say anything else, Mitsuru was standing right in front of him. "No buts. Either you want to learn it, or you don''t. There is no middle ground here," Mitsuru said. "Okay, Sensei, let''s start," Kaida sighed. There was nothing he could do anyway. "Very well, let''s go," Mitsuru said, and they went to the room where the bandit was initially placed. ... Kaida was lying on a stretcher, with Mitsuru standing in front of him, instructing him on what to do. "We will first start with the easy part: skin and muscles. I will make some cuts and bruises on various parts of your body. Heal them normally so that I can create an all-purpose seal for every type of injury." Kaida just nodded his head. He had suffered many types of injuries, and there was nothing he could do except pray that it wouldn''t hurt as much as he was thinking. The reason Kaida had to endure various injuries was because the treatment changes slightly for each type. If you have a cut, the treatment is to bring the two parts close together and heal them so they join. But if you get shredded by a mace or a powerful punch, the treatment is completely different. Mitsuru took a scalpel and made a small cut on Kaida''s hand. It was a simple cut, and Kaida didn''t even feel it. He simply passed his yang chakra through the area, and the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. "Too slow, brat. You have to use medical jutsu, not normal chakra. The speed should be instantaneous," Mitsuru said. Kaida nodded as he received another cut. This time, he used something similar to the Healing Palm Jutsu but with normal chakra. The speed of healing increased by 2.5 times. "Still slow. Do it one more time," Mitsuru said, once again making a small wound on Kaida''s hand. "Sensei, you''re not enjoying this, right?" Kaida asked, because this time the wound healed within a second. "If you have time to think about these weird things, why not use that time to heal yourself?" Mitsuru said, fully focused on the cut. Having no other choice, Kaida did the same thing again, just with more chakra and speed. He was sure this time it healed within a second. "This much is acceptable. Now do it one more time," Mitsuru said, creating another wound on Kaida''s hand. She took out a brush, white and blue in color, and for some reason, Kaida thought of Lady Katsuyu (the slug). But he had other things to focus on. Once again, he healed the cut on his hand in record time. Mitsuru passed her chakra through his body and started making a seal on his hand. Without saying anything else, she used a senbon and inserted it into Kaida''s hand. The senbon contained a small amount of paralyzing poison as well. Kaida simply focused on healing himself as fast as he could. It took him 2 seconds to remove the poison from his hand and heal the wound, but Mitsuru was not satisfied with that. So after 3 more tries, Kaida managed to do it in 1 second. Mitsuru then continued the seal she was making. From the procedure, Kaida was praying that the next step wouldn''t be what he was thinking, but reality doesn''t work on prayers. Mitsuru picked up a small hammer. A small chunk of flesh was removed from Kaida''s biceps. It was a very common type of injury that medical ninja had to heal, so there was no way they would ignore this. But this one was different from normal injuries. The others didn''t hurt as much. Kaida was drenched in sweat because of the pain. "Focus, Kaida. Otherwise, we would have to do it a second time," Mitsuru said, completely serious. Motivated like hell, Kaida began using medical jutsu to heal the wound. To Mitsuru''s surprise, the wound healed in 1 second. She was expecting 2-3 seconds, but Kaida simply used the Sharingan and its precise chakra. ''I am a fool. Why was I not using this from the start?'' Kaida thought as he used the Sharingan to increase his chakra control and divide the chakra into yin and yang as fast as he could. With his 3-tomoe Sharingan activated, his speed was three times the normal. Now she used an electric discharge and burned his hand. The pain was so sudden that his hand jolted away, only remaining in place because of the straps Mitsuru had placed at the start. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "At least warn me before doing something like this!" "Sorry, I forgot you''re such a delicate princess. Now heal yourself." Since there was nothing to say, Kaida just focused on healing his hand. "This speed is good. Keep this up," Mitsuru said and completed the healing seal for his hand, then moved toward the other hand. "We have to do this for every other part of the body too?" Kaida asked. "Yes, now focus," Mitsuru said and once again made a cut on Kaida''s other hand. But this time, Kaida healed himself very swiftly, and there was no need to redo everything like before. Afterward, his legs and torso were also covered in healing seals, and finally, his face too. "Having a Sharingan is such a cheat. I had to suffer so much for this when Tsunade-sama was ''helping'' me," Mitsuru said, then shook her head. "I was planning on only doing skin and muscles for today, but it got completed quite early. What do you say? Should we continue with bones too?" Mitsuru asked, seeing that it had only been 2 hours. Kaida, though desperately wanting to say no, said, "Okay, Sensei." The anticipation of how difficult this would be was hard to bear the longer he waited. "So, I will need to break 10 major bones in your body and make a seal that will target the bones in the area near those 10 major bones. Once completed, you should be able to heal your broken bones by just passing chakra to those seals," Mitsuru explained. Kaida just nodded his head, wanting to get this procedure over with. If he had known about this before he started preparing to learn this jutsu, he would have surely left the idea of learning it in a dustbin or something. Just like Mitsuru had said, she opened various parts of Kaida and broke some of his bones. Kaida had to heal the bones and not the skin so that Mitsuru could apply the seal. Though difficult, it was doable with some concentration and the help of the Sharingan. After 2 more hours, the process ended. Kaida was fully covered in sweat, his body aching so much that it was difficult to describe. Even though he had healed himself, a fraction of pain remained, like phantom pain. "Take a rest tomorrow and also discuss the money-related problem with your parents. We will complete this the day after tomorrow, and then I will call those grandmasters to help you," Mitsuru said. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida said, limping out of the room. "Make a shadow clone and go back using that. Also, stop behaving like a patient; you are perfectly fine," Mitsuru said, shaking her head. She had checked twice to see if there was any minor injury left behind that they had missed, but there was no such thing. Kaida was perfectly healthy. It was just that his brain had processed so much pain recently that he felt like he was not well. Kaida just nodded his head and made a shadow clone to go back home. Chapter 238: Torture Started ¡°Make a shadow clone and go back using that. Also, stop behaving like a patient¡ªyou¡¯re perfectly fine,¡± Mitsuru said, shaking her head. She had already checked twice to ensure there were no minor injuries left behind that they might have missed, but there was nothing. Kaida was perfectly healthy; it was just that his brain had processed so much pain recently that he felt like he wasn¡¯t well. Kaida just nodded his head and made a shadow clone to go back home. ¡®I don¡¯t want to do anything now. Let¡¯s just go back and sleep,¡¯ Kaida thought as he went directly to his room. By constantly using the Sharingan and healing himself from so many injuries, his chakra was at rock bottom. Combined with the mental fatigue of performing perfect healing on different wounds each time, he was completely drained. Although his family members wanted to know what had happened at the hospital after seeing Kaida return so early, they decided to save their questions for dinner, given the look of utter exhaustion on his face. ¡­ After sleeping for eight more hours, Kaida came downstairs. It was already nighttime, and from the sweet and savory aroma in the house, he knew dinner was ready. He headed directly to the kitchen. ¡°We were waiting to see when you¡¯d wake up, sleepyhead,¡± came Shisui¡¯s voice from the hall. Kaida understood that everyone was in the hall, so he changed his direction from the dining room to the hall. ¡°Sorry for the wait, everyone,¡± Kaida said. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Kaida, but what happened at the hospital today? You looked so exhausted when you came back, even though you were quite early,¡± Hae asked. ¡°We started the process of learning that jutsu, and it was quite¡­ a different experience. I can¡¯t share the details because I promised Sensei. Sorry,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about such things. Now, let¡¯s have some dinner,¡± Hae said, waving her hand. ¡°Before that, Aunt, I want to ask something,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Hae replied. ¡°Sensei said that to learn that jutsu, I would need the help of two fuinjutsu grandmasters.¡± ¡°How much money is required?¡± Hae asked with a smile on her face. She had guessed from what Kaida had said that he needed something. ¡°15 million ryo,¡± Kaida said. ¡°This will be a little difficult. We have 10 million in liquid funds at the moment; the rest is already invested in expanding the bathhouse and securing the nearby land¡­¡± ¡°We can take a loan, Mom, and with the revenue from the bathhouse, the loan could be paid off next month.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, brother. The procedure we¡¯re doing now will take at least a month to complete, so there¡¯s no urgent need for money,¡± Kaida said. He had already discussed this with Mitsuru, and she had said that his body would need some time to familiarize itself with the seals. They could start the procedure next month anyway, so there was nothing to worry about. ¡°In that case, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll send the money directly to Mitsuru¡¯s account next month,¡± Hae said. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Thank you, Aunt,¡± Kaida said, bowing slightly. ¡°Why are you being so thankful all of a sudden?¡± Hae said, giving Kaida a forehead flick. ¡°Hehehe,¡± came a chuckle from Naruto and Yomi. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The dinner is getting cold,¡± Hae said. ¡­ ¡°So, what is the effect of this jutsu you¡¯re learning?¡± Yomi asked. ¡°Nothing big, I can just do this,¡± Kaida said, and he made a cut on his hand, which healed within a second. ¡°Isn¡¯t that something you were able to do before as well? Though your speed has increased, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as impressive as you made it sound till now.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything this time, Yomi. Before, I had to use medical jutsu and concentrate on healing. Now, I can just supply chakra, and the wound will heal automatically. When the jutsu is complete, I will become semi-immortal once I activate it,¡± Kaida said. ¡°That¡¯s so cool, but are you sure there¡¯s no side effect? Because that sounds too good to be true,¡± Shisui chimed in. Everyone was taking a night walk before bed. It had become quite common for the family in recent days to take a small night walk where they would discuss how their day went. This was also the only time Kaida was spending with Yomi. Considering how Yomi was going to take many missions from next month and how they might not see each other much, Kaida had decided never to skip these walks, no matter how busy he was. ¡°Yes, brother, it has a side effect¡ªaging. The more injuries I heal through this jutsu, the more I will age,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Acceptable price for something that will save your life in dire situations,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Brother, let¡¯s eat ramen,¡± Naruto said as soon as he saw a small stall in the Uchiha compound. ¡°You just ate dinner, you brat. How can you even think about eating so soon?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°There¡¯s always some space left in my belly for ramen,¡± Naruto said, patting his little bloated stomach. ¡°But that one is not as tasty as Ichiraku Ramen, so save that ramen space. We¡¯ll go to Ichiraku soon, then you can fill that space,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Nice idea, brother,¡± Naruto said, giving a thumbs-up. ¡­ With everything said and done, Kaida reached the hospital the next morning, but this time he was not as excited as before. Mitsuru was already waiting for him. ¡°So you came. I thought you¡¯d chicken out,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°I was afraid, but I won¡¯t back down because of something like that,¡± Kaida honestly replied. ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s go,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡­ Kaida was once again lying on the stretcher, and Mitsuru stood near him. ¡°From today onwards, we will target a single organ in your body every day and slowly complete the seals,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°Heart as well?¡± Kaida asked. He was sure it would be difficult as hell to heal his own heart, especially in the case of different types of injuries. ¡°If you leave any part, it will become your weak spot in the future. So it¡¯s better to take some risks now and not regret it in the future,¡± Mitsuru said. Initially, she didn¡¯t want Kaida to learn this jutsu because of how difficult it was, but now that they had started, Mitsuru wasn¡¯t going to leave any loose ends. So Kaida¡¯s days of torture began¡­ Chapter 239: Safe? Kaida¡¯s days of torture began. For the next 15 days, his body was subjected to a grueling routine: each new organ within him was cut, maimed, and burned, forcing him to heal while enduring immense pain. This was a level of pain he¡¯d never experienced before. The normal pain of cuts or even broken bones was manageable, but the pain of internal organ damage was something entirely different. His brain wasn¡¯t prepared to process it all at once, especially when they reached his heart. Kaida nearly died from a heart attack, and Mitsuru had to leave everything to help him survive. She even suggested skipping the heart and focusing on other parts. However, Kaida knew that would leave a weakness. He was determined to give it one more try, unlike Chinese novel protagonists who recklessly endanger their lives for a little extra power. His life wasn¡¯t technically in danger, so he decided to push through. With his body now accustomed to the procedure, he was able to endure the second round of heart torture and complete it successfully. One unexpected benefit of this suffering was an increase in his pain tolerance. In previous fights, Kaida always had the upper hand, so he¡¯d never had to suffer major injuries. This meant he¡¯d never had to fight while in pain. But he knew that wouldn¡¯t always be the case, so having high pain tolerance would allow him to think clearly in dire situations. With this unexpected gain, Kaida¡¯s days of torture ended on the last day of the month, marking the completion of his training for this jutsu. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s complete. You¡¯re a monster brat. I took 3 months to complete this, even with Lady Tsunade¡¯s help,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°Then maybe you¡¯re better than Lady Tsunade,¡± Kaida replied weakly. No matter how many times the procedure happened, he always felt a mental fatigue afterward. ¡°I wish,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°I really think the village should forcefully add Uchiha to the medical division. Having a Sharingan and not using it for medical jutsu should be a crime.¡± Kaida had used his Sharingan throughout the process. The result was not only his record-breaking healing time but also the precise amount of chakra used to heal each injury. This would be beneficial when using the Mitotic Regeneration jutsu, as there would be no wasted chakra during the healing process. ¡°Sensei, when will we start the next part?¡± Kaida asked. Now that the most painful part was over, he was eager to complete the jutsu as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the grandmaster when they¡¯re free and schedule an appointment. You can rest at your home until then,¡± Mitsuru said. ¡°Okay, Sensei,¡± Kaida said, standing up. Before going home, he suddenly bowed to Mitsuru. ¡°Thank you for helping me so much, Sensei,¡± he said. There was no need for Mitsuru to do this much. Even though she had said she would reward him with a jutsu, what Kaida asked was a bit excessive. It was like asking for an S-rank jutsu for a simple reward. But Mitsuru didn¡¯t back down from her word and actually helped him. Kaida was truly thankful for that. Seeing Kaida suddenly bowing and thanking her, Mitsuru just smiled and waved her hand, dismissing him. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... Kaida returned home, but he was alone. Hae was at the bathhouse with Shisui because a big noble from the Fire Capital was visiting today. Yomi had taken Naruto out for ramen. He knew all this because they had left a note in the dining room along with some food. ¡®I also want to eat some ramen,¡¯ Kaida thought and headed to Ichiraku Ramen. ... ¡°I also want a regular bowl, Ayame,¡± Kaida said, sitting next to Naruto, who was already on his second bowl of ramen. Yomi was also eating her second. ¡°Both of you are going to get fat if you eat this much,¡± he said. Ayame just chuckled and went inside while Yomi and Naruto looked to the side and continued eating. ¡°So is it finally over?¡± Yomi finally started speaking when her bowl was empty. ¡°Yes, now we only need some help, and I¡¯ll finally learn my first S-rank jutsu,¡± Kaida said. ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Yomi said with a smile. ¡°Why did you decide to come here all of a sudden then?¡± Kaida asked as their bowls arrived. ¡°My Sensei sent a message that we¡¯re leaving for a month for border training. I won¡¯t be able to eat such things for 1 month,¡± Yomi said, diving into her third bowl. ¡°So you¡¯re going to leave?¡± Kaida said slowly, then started eating his bowl too. Naruto had been focusing on his ramen bowl all this time. There was nothing he could add to their conversation, so he just decided to focus on his food. ¡°Yeah,¡± Yomi said. ¡°When are you going to go?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°A day after tomorrow. It¡¯s so sudden, right?¡± Yomi asked. ¡°Let¡¯s go out tomorrow. I wanted to try something out,¡± Kaida asked Yomi for a date in a very simple and indirect way. ¡°Oh! Are you asking me for a date?¡± Yomi asked, not wanting to lose this opportunity. ¡°Initially, I wasn¡¯t, but it¡¯s a nice idea. Yomi, do you want to go on a date with me?¡± Kaida asked, making eye contact with Yomi. Normally, Yomi might have blushed at this point, but she had kind of gone numb to these types of Kaida¡¯s antics due to living with him for so long. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯ll tell you after thinking,¡± Yomi said and went back to eating her ramen, but Kaida could see a small amount of blush on her cheek along with a small smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting for your reply,¡± Kaida said, and he also focused on his food. ... Kaida luckily got a message from Mitsuru that they would be completing the jutsu after 3 days. He actually forgot about this when he asked Yomi for the date. It would have been embarrassing to fix a date and then have to say he was busy. Now, with no surprise, Yomi graciously agreed to go on a date with Kaida the next day. They did some shopping, went on an eating spree, and then went to a park to relax. ¡°When are you going to come back?¡± Kaida asked at the end. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Sensei said that we will stay there until the new part of the sensor is replaced. We may have to stay there for a full month before we come back, or we may come back in one week,¡± Yomi said. ¡°Is the management so bad? How the hell don¡¯t they even know when the replacement will come?¡± Kaida asked frustratingly. ¡°Oh! Are you already missing me?¡± Yomi teased Kaida a little. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not the reason I¡¯m saying that. This just shows how mismanaged the whole situation of those outposts is. They¡¯re not actually safe at all,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°There will be 50 plus ninja guarding that outpost along with 5 Jonin. If that outpost is not safe, no place in Fire Country other than Konoha is safe,¡± Yomi said, trying to calm Kaida down. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just being immature,¡± Kaida added. ¡°And I like that,¡± Yomi said, giving Kaida a shoulder bump. And that¡¯s how their small date came to an end. Chapter 240: Urgent Need for Strength The next day, Yomi was getting ready to leave for the border outpost. The whole family was out to bid her farewell. "Make sure you eat on time and take proper care of yourself," Hae said, hugging Yomi tightly. "Okay, Aunt," Yomi replied, returning the hug. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "If things get too hectic there, just use my name and come back. I''ll handle the rest," Shisui added, patting her head gently. "Yes, brother." "Bye, sister! Please come back soon!" Naruto exclaimed. "I¡¯ll be back before you even notice I''m gone," Yomi assured him with a smile. "Bye," was all Kaida said. "Bye," Yomi echoed before heading outside, where she found Ryota waiting for her. "Are you here to say farewell to Yomi?" Kaida asked. Ryota had become a regular guest at the house because of his frequent sparring sessions with Kaida. "No, I¡¯m here to take my partner. I¡¯m also going to the outpost as part of the sensing and tracking unit," Ryota replied, followed by the familiar sound of barking. Bark! Bark! "Yes, along with Kiba, of course," Ryota added with a grin. "Oh! Thankfully, I won''t be alone at the outpost," Yomi said, patting Kiba, the Inuzuka hound. "Yeah, I was also relieved to hear that you¡¯d be coming with us," Ryota said, smiling at her. "It''s great you''re going too," Kaida said, feeling slightly more at ease about Yomi''s safety. Having sparred with Ryota regularly, Kaida knew Ryota was at mid-Jonin level when fully powered. At least, they¡¯d be able to escape if something went wrong. Over the past week, Kaida had repeatedly told Yomi to run if her life was ever in danger. He was confident she¡¯d heed his advice unless, of course, something extreme happened¡ªlike if her sensei was taken hostage. He knew Yomi might choose to fight rather than flee in that case. But these were just worst-case scenarios swirling in his mind. Being aware of the world''s harsh truths, Kaida couldn''t help but worry. With Yomi, Ryota, and Kiba on their way to the village gates to join their team, the morning ended quietly. Kaida had one more day off, staying home with Shisui and Naruto, while Hae went to the bathhouse. Their plans to expand the bathhouse business were temporarily put on hold due to the sudden expenses related to Kaida''s training. But there was no rush. Even earning 10 million Ryo per month was a great achievement. With the bathhouse gaining popularity, others had considered entering the same business. However, no clan dared openly compete with the Uchiha. To do so would be a subtle acknowledgment that the Uchiha were superior. No one wanted to admit that. Hae was skillfully leveraging the Uchiha name to suppress any competition. In three more months, their dominance would be solidified. With low prices and excellent service, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to overtake them in this field. ¡­ The day passed, and finally, it was time for Kaida to complete the jutsu training he had been working on for months. Learning the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu wasn¡¯t a priority at the start of his journey, but over time, it became crucial. The reason Kaida had chosen medical jutsu was simple¡ªit was the easiest and most guaranteed path to obtaining an S-rank jutsu. Learning the Flying Thunder God technique was unrealistic. Only Minato had mastered it, and even then, three others had to assist him. So, it was impractical to think Kaida could learn it. The Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu, however, was different. It was well-known that Hiruzen knew every jutsu in Konoha, except for the Flying Thunder God technique, so there was a chance Kaida could master this jutsu even without Tsunade¡¯s help. That''s why he chose this path. But now, he desperately needed the strength boost this jutsu would provide to protect those in need and to form a powerful team. Today, he was about to gain that strength. Excited, he headed straight to the hospital after having breakfast with his family. ¡­ "Good morning, Sensei," Kaida said as he entered Mitsuru¡¯s office. "Good morning. You look quite excited," Mitsuru replied, noticing the expression on his face. "I am, Sensei. When do we start the procedure?" Kaida asked eagerly. "Soon. I¡¯ve called both Fuinjutsu masters, and they¡¯ll be here within half an hour. You have some time to rest until then, because once the procedure starts, there won¡¯t be much time for that," Mitsuru explained. "Okay, Sensei." Kaida waited in his room, reading a book, when a nurse came in to summon him. "Kaida, Mitsuru-sama is calling you," the nurse informed him. "Yes, ma''am," Kaida responded out of habit and went to the room next door. "May I come in, Sensei?" he asked, seeing that the door was already open. "Yes, come in, Kaida. Meet Tatsuo-sama and Kiyoshi-sama. They¡¯ve come here to help you today," Mitsuru said, gesturing toward two elderly men sitting before her. Understanding the importance of the moment, Kaida bowed at a 90-degree angle. "Thank you for coming all the way here to help me, sir." Tatsuo, an elder wearing the Sarutobi clan symbol, chuckled. "No need to thank us. It¡¯s our job as elders to help young people like you." Kiyoshi, though silent, smiled kindly. He bore no clan symbol, but the fact that he had reached Fuinjutsu grandmaster level without any clan support was an impressive testament to his talent. After hearing this, Kaida straightened up. "Shall we begin the procedure?" Mitsuru asked the two men, eager to avoid prolonging the interaction and risking any offense. "Of course. Let''s start," Kiyoshi said as he stood up slowly with the aid of his cane. In a flash, Kaida appeared beside him. "Sir, may I assist you?" Kiyoshi smiled warmly but waved him off. "No need, son. I still have enough strength to manage myself." "See? He never likes accepting help," Tatsuo said with a laugh. "Why trouble others when I can handle things myself?" Kiyoshi replied as they both made their way out, followed closely by Mitsuru and Kaida. As they walked, Mitsuru whispered to Kaida, "Make sure you don¡¯t offend them. They¡¯re well-connected, and you don¡¯t want to be on their bad side. Fortunately, they¡¯re kind people and don¡¯t abuse their power. Not everyone is like that..." She trailed off, clearly recalling something unpleasant. Kaida simply nodded, respecting her privacy. They reached a room where a bed was set up, flanked by two chairs positioned so that the men could easily access the entire bed. "Okay, Kaida, remove all your clothes and lie on the bed," Mitsuru instructed, her tone clinical. "All of them?" Kaida asked, his face reddening. "Yes," Mitsuru replied, as if speaking to a teenager embarrassed by a routine checkup. Sighing, Kaida complied, preparing himself for the final phase of the procedure. Chapter 241: Two Seals Complete, One Remaining The Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu was divided into three parts. The first was the Strength of a Hundred Seal¡ªa seal that stored chakra, a massive amount of it. "So listen, boy, the seal we are going to make will connect to your brain and your chakra network as well. We will try to make it as stable as possible, and it should be able to store... twenty times the amount of chakra you possess now," Tatsuo said after sensing the amount of chakra Kaida possessed. "Is that amount fixed?" Kaida asked. "No, it will increase as your chakra reserves grow, but that is not necessarily a good thing. The seal we are going to make is essentially going against nature. You will possess much more chakra than you should, so it¡¯s definitely not going to be easy. It will be unstable by nature, no matter how well we craft it, and its instability will increase as its storage capability grows. You will have to maintain its stability consciously. And though the damage that occurs while you sleep may be minimal, it could accumulate, so you will also need to repair it. "The seal will be made using your own blood, and you will have to maintain it for your lifetime. Though there isn¡¯t much to do, just make sure to check if everything is fine. Also, the seal itself will use a small portion of the chakra you store, so you must ensure there is always a sufficient amount of chakra in the seal," Kiyoshi explained. "Yes, sir," Kaida said. Mitsuru had already told him about this. Since there was not much to do, and the repairs could be completed in five minutes, it wasn''t really a problem. "Okay then, let''s start," Tatsuo said as Mitsuru handed them the same brush she had used previously while creating the healing seals on his body. "Stay still, boy. Don¡¯t move during the process," Tatsuo added as he and Kiyoshi began making various strokes on Kaida¡¯s body. Initially, they used normal ink, but then they channeled chakra into the brush, causing its bristles to harden and prick Kaida¡¯s skin with each stroke. Kaida realized how they were going to use his blood for the seal. After enduring the torture of the past month, these little pricks didn¡¯t bother him much. He remained perfectly still during the process. After about three hours of drawing various strokes, the process ended. Kiyoshi stood up and moved to Kaida¡¯s head while Tatsuo moved to his legs. They began channeling their chakra into the seal, making hand signs. Slowly, all the seals shifted toward Kaida¡¯s forehead, and the same mark as Tsunade¡¯s appeared on his head. Both Tatsuo and Kiyoshi were visibly tired from the process, and their chakra was almost completely drained. "This seal is as tough as always," Kiyoshi said. "Yeah," Tatsuo agreed. "Thank you for your hard work, sir. Please take some rest in my office. I¡¯ve arranged some refreshments for both of you as well," Mitsuru offered. "Yeah, we could use that. Until then, boy, try to fill the seal as much as you can. It will be important for the next part," Tatsuo said. "Yes, sir," Kaida replied. He remained in position, focusing on filling the seal. It felt odd, like his chakra was flowing into a hole. Since there was no mechanism to use that chakra yet, it almost felt like he was wasting it, but he knew better and continued filling the seal. Tatsuo and Kiyoshi left the room with Mitsuru, leaving Kaida behind. He kept filling the seal, but when he had transferred almost thirty percent of his chakra, he felt something¡ªlike a repulsion. Initially, it had been easy to store chakra, but as he continued, it became harder. He had to concentrate intensely, and his speed slowed. However, with nothing else to do, Kaida decided to force more chakra in, especially since he had a cheat up his sleeve. Slowly, his eyes began glowing red, and three tomoe appeared within them. By the time he had transferred seventy-five percent of his chakra into the seal, the others returned. "How is it, son? Were you able to make any progress?" Kiyoshi asked patiently. "Sorry, sir. I could only send seventy to seventy-five percent of my chakra into the seal. The more I filled it, the harder it became," Kaida admitted. "Yes, that¡¯s the limitation of the seal. Since it¡¯s an organic seal, it works somewhat like a magnet. You have to force your chakra in the first time. Now that you''ve transferred seventy percent, if you empty the seal and refill it, it will be significantly easier," Tatsuo explained. "So only the first time is difficult?" Kaida asked. "Yes, and with your speed, it should be quite easy for you. Normally, a person would only be able to transfer forty to fifty percent of their chakra into the seal on the first day. Seventy percent is quite impressive," Kiyoshi said. Kaida wanted to say he wasn¡¯t at his limit yet, but he held back, thinking it would sound like boasting. He wasn¡¯t the type to brag about his talents like a typical Chinese novel protagonist, especially since he had used the Sharingan during the process. "We should move on to the next part, then," Tatsuo suggested. "Are you ready, boy? Or would you like some rest?" Kiyoshi asked, concerned about Kaida since he had just been poked all over his body. It was quite painful, and the same process would happen again. "No, sir. I¡¯m perfectly fine and ready for the next step," Kaida replied, excitement evident in his voice. "Haha, youth! Fine, let¡¯s begin," Kiyoshi said. From their discussion, Kaida deduced that, even though both Tatsuo and Kiyoshi were grandmasters, Kiyoshi seemed to be the senior, not just in age but also in position for some reason. Kaida thought it would be the opposite since Kiyoshi wasn¡¯t from any clan, or at least wasn¡¯t wearing any symbol. ''Maybe he is from a clan and just not wearing the symbol,'' Kaida thought, but the respect he felt for Kiyoshi remained the same. Despite his power, Kiyoshi was gentle by nature, and Kaida admired that. Now, Mitsuru and the others began preparing for the second part of the seal: the Yin Seal Release. If the previous seal was like a tank to store chakra, then this one would be the valve and pipes to move that chakra to the necessary parts when required. Mitsuru stepped forward and began marking Kaida¡¯s body, using ink of various colors. From the location of the marks, Kaida understood the reason. The healing seals Mitsuru had made earlier were completely invisible. Kaida could feel them in certain locations but couldn¡¯t see them. Since they needed to make the second seal to supply chakra to the healing seals, knowing their locations was important. Mitsuru marked the positions, using different colors if the seal was present inside the body or on the organs. "Clench your teeth, boy. This is going to be painful," Kiyoshi warned, his face completely serious, devoid of the grandfatherly smile he usually wore. Kaida nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Kiyoshi and Tatsuo nodded in return and began channeling their chakra into the seal. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 242: Complete "Clench your teeth, boy. This is going to be painful," Kiyoshi warned, his face completely serious, devoid of the grandfatherly smile he usually wore. Kaida nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Kiyoshi and Tatsuo nodded in return and began channeling their chakra into the seal. After accessing the seal, both of them began making more seals, each taking the left and right sides of Kaida¡¯s body, as if they were creating some type of symmetrical painting on Kaida¡¯s skin. Once again, Kaida¡¯s body was covered in seals from head to toe. This time, both Kiyoshi and Tatsuo placed their hands on Kaida¡¯s head, and all the seals began shrinking into the main seal. Kaida could instinctively feel the chakra he had stored inside it diminishing at an alarming rate. Within seconds, the chakra he had stored was almost completely used, leaving only 20% of it behind. By the end of the process, all of the seals scattered across Kaida¡¯s body completely submerged into the rhombus on his forehead. ''My chakra reserves are almost three times that of a normal Jonin, and this used half of it. That means two Jonin-level chakra reserves are required just to make this seal. Considering how minuscule the amount of chakra needed to make those arrays was, these seals are on a completely different level from what I can do¡­ for now,'' Kaida thought. ¡°Maintain it for some time. I need to catch my breath,¡± Kiyoshi said, removing his hands. Tatsuo became visibly more tense and started supplying more chakra into the seal. This time the seals was to make a passage and hole in a dam which store chakra, it was a very delicate process and needed quite a high amount of concentration and chakra, that¡¯s why both Kiyoshi and Tatsuo were tried from just this much once gain But After just two minutes, Kiyoshi returned and passed his chakra into the brush. The bristles once again became hard. He started drawing a straight line emerging from the rhombus on Kaida¡¯s forehead. Slowly, he covered each point on Kaida¡¯s body that represented the healing seal on the surface of his skin. But as soon as he completed that, the bristles, already hard, turned into something resembling small knives. Much like chakra scalpels, they began making seals inside Kaida¡¯s body while leaving the skin intact. It was a very dangerous process, which is why a fuinjutsu grandmaster was required; otherwise, the chakra pathways in the body could be damaged. After completing the seals on the skin, Kiyoshi began creating the lines to supply chakra to the seals inside Kaida¡¯s body, on his bones and organs. At that moment, Kaida understood why Kiyoshi had told him to clench his teeth. As soon as Kiyoshi made the first line, Kaida screamed so loudly that even the people outside heard him, though the room was soundproof. It felt like his organs were being scratched with a sharp knife. The pain he had felt before when Mitsuru was making seals was from small cuts and burns, but this time the damage was far more severe. Since the pathways for chakra had to be large, the brush was quite large as well, and the injuries it caused were not small either. Luckily, Kaida was already strapped to the bed, so the process was not ruined by his movements. ¡°Hang in there, boy, it will be over soon,¡± Tatsuo said, maintaining the seal on Kaida¡¯s head. Until all the pathways were made, the seal was in a volatile stage and could potentially disperse without constant maintenance and chakra supply from Tatsuo. Kaida bit his lower lip to stop himself from screaming, knowing that Tatsuo wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on for the whole day. Kiyoshi couldn''t stop his work, so he continued making the pathways. Kaida bit his lip so hard that blood began to flow. Mitsuru even worried he might bite his lip off, so she quickly gagged his mouth with a clean cloth. The process of making the pathways ended after five minutes. Kiyoshi double-checked to ensure he hadn¡¯t missed any seals. After confirming that all the marks were covered, Kiyoshi moved to Kaida¡¯s forehead and began making the final seals, joining the rhombus¡ªthe cluster of hundreds of other seals¡ªwith the pathways he had created. Only then did Tatsuo finally remove his hand and release a sigh of relief. ¡°You can remove the cloth now, Mitsuru,¡± Kiyoshi said, sitting down and taking deep breaths. Kaida panted heavily from all the pain he had endured, but luckily, due to the sudden flow of chakra from the seal on his forehead to the healing seals when Kiyoshi connected them, his injuries healed rapidly. As a result, Kaida felt no pain after the process ended. ¡°That was really painful,¡± Kaida finally spoke after calming his breathing. ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯ll get used to it, since we¡¯ll have to repeat this process every two months,¡± Mitsuru said. Kaida¡¯s face went pale, his brain working in overdrive. ''Is two months enough to complete all of my plans? Can I get the most out of this time? If not, what should my priorities be?'' But not for a second did he think he would go through this again in two months. Absolutely not. Only a mentally ill person would consider doing that again when there are so many other ways to get the power he needed. ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t scare him so much, Mitsuru. He¡¯s just been through so much,¡± Kiyoshi laughed, lightly scolding Mitsuru. ¡°Hehehe, sorry, Kiyoshi-sama. I couldn¡¯t resist getting that reaction,¡± Mitsuru chuckled, pointing at Kaida¡¯s still-pale face as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°Well, I agree that it was worth it,¡± Tatsuo said, joining in the laughter. ¡°?¡± Kaida just sat there, confused. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°There¡¯s no need to do this again, Kaida. Everything is permanent now, and unless you completely neglect the seal¡¯s maintenance for months, it will remain with you for life,¡± Kiyoshi explained. Kaida, finally regaining his color, chuckled as well. It was like he had just been on an emotional roller coaster, from intense pain to relief, to fright, and back to relief again. His emotions had gone up and down. ¡°Thank you for your help, Kiyoshi-sama, Tatsuo-sama,¡± Kaida said. Since he was still strapped to the bed, he couldn¡¯t bow, but he conveyed his gratitude. ¡°No need, boy. Both Mitsuru and Lord Third told us about your amazing talent. That¡¯s why we decided to work so hard for you. Make sure you prove that we were right to do so by achieving great feats for the village in the future,¡± Kiyoshi said. ¡°I promise, Kiyoshi-sama,¡± Kaida replied resolutely. ''Well, I¡¯m planning on adding some more S-rank ninja to Konoha¡¯s ranks in the future. That should be enough of a great feat, right?'' Kaida thought happily. Mitsuru removed the straps binding Kaida to the bed. Feeling the pressure from the straps gone, Kaida moved his hands and legs a little, then stood up and put his clothes back on. ¡°Thanks, Sensei, though it would have been better if you hadn¡¯t enjoyed making fun of me,¡± Kaida said with a smile, ¡°but still, thank you.¡± ¡°No problem, boy,¡± Mitsuru said, patting Kaida¡¯s back. ¡°There should be no problems with the seal, but just in case you feel anything, come to us and we¡¯ll fix it. After all, we can¡¯t do a crappy job after taking money from you, right?¡± Tatsuo said. Kaida nodded, knowing that the money he had given them was definitely not enough for this level of assistance from a fuinjutsu grandmaster. Normally, they would charge that amount for just a simple task, where they didn¡¯t have to exert much effort. Kaida had only paid the bare minimum, most likely due to Mitsuru and Hiruzen¡¯s recommendation. But there was no reason to refuse the extra help. ¡°I would be very grateful for your help if such a situation arose, though I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t,¡± Kaida said with a smile. ¡°Silver tongue, nice skill to have, boy,¡± Tatsuo said with a laugh. ¡°Take care of yourself, son,¡± Kiyoshi said, standing up. ¡°We¡¯ll head back now. I¡¯m in desperate need of rest.¡± ¡°Once again, thank you for your help, sir,¡± Kaida said, bowing slightly. Both Tatsuo and Kiyoshi waved their hands as they left. Kaida and Mitsuru walked them out of the hospital, where a carriage was waiting. After they left, Kaida turned to Mitsuru and asked, ¡°Sensei, I have a question.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Why did you ask me to learn those seals? I didn¡¯t have to make a single one during the entire process.¡± Chapter 243: Pseudo Kage Level "Why did you ask me to learn those seals? I didn¡¯t have to make a single one during the entire process," Kaida asked. "Are you really asking me such a silly question? I thought you had some smartness, maybe the pain from the procedure was too much," Mitsuru said, placing her hand on her chin as if pondering some deep theory. "I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, Sensei. Your disciple is not that smart. Now, can you please tell me the reason?" Kaida said. Dealing with Shisui had trained him enough to handle such scenarios, but one thought crossed his mind: ''Sensei is unusually playful today.'' Since it wasn''t a bad thing, he didn''t point it out. "Simple. When I was making seals on your body, did you know which type of seal I was making?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, Sensei. It was a slightly advanced version of the Healing Seal I had learned," Kaida replied. "And when those two were making seals?" Mitsuru continued. "They made some type of array that combined a storage seal with a chakra suppression seal and a chakra absorption seal. But it wasn¡¯t a normal one. He must have modified it to absorb chakra from me rather than from the environment, and..." Kaida went silent, stopping mid-sentence. "Yeah, you know every single seal that was inscribed on your body. Only a fool would get a seal inscribed on their body without knowing anything about it. Also, you''ll have to maintain those seals in the future. What would happen if you messed up some strokes because you didn¡¯t know the seals? Everything would go to waste, and you''d either have to forget about this jutsu or do everything over again," Mitsuru explained. Kaida shuddered at the thought of such a future. "I understand, Sensei," Kaida said. "Good. Now, you can go back and take some rest for today. DON¡¯T even think about using the seal. Let your body get accustomed to them first, and only start filling the seal with your chakra tomorrow," Mitsuru gave a strict warning. "Okay, Sensei," Kaida said with a smile. He once again thanked Mitsuru for her help and then headed back to his home. --- "Oh! You¡¯re back. How did the procedure go?" Shisui asked as soon as he saw Kaida entering the house. "It went well, brother," Kaida replied as he entered the house, a silly grin on his face. "I now have an S-rank jutsu¡ªand one of the best ones at that." "Great, show it to me!" Shisui replied with the same energy. "Umm... I¡¯m currently very low on chakra because of the procedure, but I can at least show you a nerfed demonstration," Kaida said, his grin still intact. But then he remembered Mitsuru¡¯s advice to let his body get accustomed to the seal first before using it. Though it mainly applied to adding more chakra into the seal, he decided to hold off activating the seal for now as well. "Brother, Sensei told me not to use the seal today. I¡¯ll show it to you tomorrow," Kaida said. "No problem. What matters is that you finally achieved your goal," Shisui responded. --- While Kaida was having an ideal talk with his brother, the higher-ups of Konoha were having a different type of conversation. "So, he¡¯s learned the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu," Hiruzen said, puffing out a thick cloud of smoke from his pipe. "Yes, Lord Third. As per your orders, Lord Kiyoshi and Lord Tatsuo themselves made the process as perfect as possible. Both of them are resting at the moment because of the fatigue, but according to them, the process went seamlessly and the results were perfect too. Though it¡¯s not at the same level as Lady Tsunade, that boy now has the second-best healing jutsu in Konoha," the Anbu reported. "Do you think it was a good idea to teach that boy something so precious, and without even asking Tsunade, since this is her jutsu?" Homura asked, adjusting his glasses. "There¡¯s no need for me to ask permission from my student. As for that boy¡¯s qualifications... his talent is his qualification. Having a 3-tomoe Sharingan, going toe-to-toe with Itachi in kenjutsu, and possessing specialist-level medical jutsu capabilities¡ªnot to mention his progress in genjutsu and fuinjutsu¡ªhe might be the most versatile ninja among the younger generation right now. So, if he wanted to learn something, what reason did I have not to let him?" Hiruzen asked, releasing more smoke from his pipe. "Because he¡¯s an Uchiha," Koharu added with a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "And? I¡¯m still waiting for the reason," Hiruzen said. "Don¡¯t play games, Hiruzen. You know the power balance will be shattered if the Uchiha get their hands on this jutsu," Koharu argued. "And how will they get this jutsu? Will they dissect that boy and break through the concealment seals made by two of Konoha¡¯s best fuinjutsu grandmasters? And that too, when I¡¯ve given him my protection?" Hiruzen asked, as if he had just heard some kind of joke. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We don¡¯t know. They might try. Don¡¯t you remember just a few months ago they were showing rebellious tendencies? Who knows¡ªmaybe their Curse of Hatred is awakening again," Koharu warned. "We both know the reason for that, Koharu. Danzo forced them into that position, killing so many Uchiha and giving them all life-threatening missions under my name. How do you expect them to behave?" Hiruzen asked. "Why are you taking their side so much, Hiruzen?" Homura chimed in. It was unusual for Hiruzen to support the Uchiha so strongly. "I¡¯m not supporting them. You two are just trying to portray one of the most important clans in our village as villains. Just imagine if the Uchiha weren¡¯t part of Konoha. Our village would lose a quarter of its strength," Hiruzen stated. It was a bold claim, as comparing a clan to a quarter of the village¡¯s strength meant Konoha depended on them. Even though Koharu and Homura wanted to deny it, deep down, they knew it was true. The Uchiha, with their high number of jonin and their dojutsu, were a crucial part of Konoha¡¯s strength. But that was also the problem¡ªeveryone was uncomfortable with how powerful they were. This resulted in the ambiguous situation where everyone knew the Uchiha were important for Konoha, but they didn¡¯t want them to grow any stronger. "That boy will also join the Anbu in the future. He¡¯s not only an Uchiha but also a Senju, so don¡¯t worry too much," Hiruzen said, understanding what the two elders really wanted to express. "Fine," Koharu said simply. Even if they had more to say, Hiruzen¡¯s tone in his last sentence left no room for further discussion. After they left, Hiruzen turned to the corner of his office. "What do you think?" "It¡¯s good for the village that we now have a pseudo S-rank ninja," Shikaku finally spoke, having been silent throughout the discussion because there was no need for his input. "Pseudo S-rank... quite a new term there," Hiruzen commented. "He¡¯s not really Kage-level at the moment, but if he activates the Mitotic Regeneration seal along with his 3-tomoe Sharingan, he may reach that level for a short period of time. But that¡¯s it. It¡¯s not permanent, and considering the side effects, he won¡¯t be able to use it often either. So, he¡¯s not truly a Kage-level ninja, not even low Kage-level. But he could reach that stage... that¡¯s why I call him a pseudo Kage-level ninja," Shikaku explained in detail. "Fine, but you know I wasn¡¯t asking about that," Hiruzen said. "The Chunin Exam?" Chapter 244: Silent Struggles of Konoha Konoha was devastated after the Nine-Tails attack. Not only had they suffered in the war, but they also lost thousands of ninjas, a Jinchuriki, and a Hokage in the attack. But even that wasn¡¯t the end of Konoha''s losses. There was one more thing a ninja village needs besides power: trust. The trust of their people and other countries in their power. The trust that they were powerful enough to help them was lost. ''A village that can¡¯t even protect the people inside their walls¡ªhow will they protect us?'' This was the general sentiment among people, and it began to spread. The other four big ninja villages seized this opportunity to spread the agenda as much as they could. And what did Konoha do to retaliate? Nothing. Nothing at all. They didn¡¯t have the strength at that moment to do anything. The result? Konoha lost 40% of their mission revenue every year after the Nine-Tails attack. Konoha suffered in silence while trying to rebuild its strength. The academy was filled to the brim with students, anyone who even had a shred of potential to become a ninja. Even if they would remain Genin for their entire lives, Konoha desperately needed to rebuild. If everything had gone according to the original story, they would have needed another year to stabilize enough to address their damaged image. However, recent events changed things. Initially, Danzo hid the number of ninja Root had under his command¡ªthe number of Jonin, and especially the number of talented ninjas that he had almost ruined. Now, Hiruzen had a complete understanding of Konoha¡¯s situation. Even though they had lost yet another S-rank ninja and the "Shadow of Konoha," which further reduced Konoha¡¯s strength, somehow, the situation looked better than before. --- ¡°The Chunin Exam?¡± Shikaku asked. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­ We¡¯ve now recovered 70% of our strength. Even though the number of ninjas is the same as it was before the Third Great Ninja War, most of them are Genin and would only become cannon fodder if war broke out. But¡­ the number of Jonin we initially thought we had was wrong. By adding the Root ninjas to the Anbu, we¡¯ve now increased our number of Jonin by 1.5 times, and Chunin by twofold under your command,¡± Shikaku said. Hiruzen nodded, already knowing these details. There was something else he wanted to hear. ¡°Even though we¡¯ve recovered a lot, it still only brings us back to the starting line,¡± Shikaku said. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re now at the same strength as when the Third Great Ninja War ended. Considering how even Tsunade left the village, it¡¯s slightly less than at that time,¡± Hiruzen replied. ¡°And if we go ahead with the Chunin Exam, it will be like showcasing our power to the other ninja villages. Though we may be powerful in one-on-one situations, we can¡¯t go against them if they combine forces, like in other ninja wars,¡± Shikaku said. ¡°They can¡¯t do that right now,¡± Hiruzen responded. ¡°Yes, Hidden Mist is entangled in a civil war, Sunagakure is our ally at the moment, and even if they aren¡¯t genuine, they won¡¯t be able to join the opposition in a war. As for Iwagakure and Kumogakure, they¡¯re tough, but manageable. Onoki is famously known as a fence-sitter, so we don¡¯t need to worry about him initiating a war,¡± Shikaku said but paused. ¡°I know we don¡¯t need to take this risk now. In 3-4 years, we¡¯ll be back to peak strength, and it would be most optimal to act then,¡± Hiruzen said, releasing a puff of smoke from his freshly lit pipe. One major reason they weren¡¯t as desperate as in the original timeline was the Root. Root was an economic black hole for Konoha. Danzo had been siphoning off every last Ryo he could without collapsing the village, claiming it was for training new Root ninjas and maintaining peace. He was also leveraging the other elders to take as much as he could. The result? Konoha often found itself near bankruptcy. If not for other income sources like the Akimichi food businesses, Uchiha mineral mines, and Nara medicine trade, the village wouldn¡¯t have survived. But now, with Danzo dead, that black hole had vanished, and the resources Danzo had hoarded for his grand plan after becoming Hokage were under Hiruzen¡¯s control. This alleviated a lot of pressure from the village¡¯s shoulders. If not for that, they would have had to take risks, and like in the anime, Itachi would have demonstrated his talents in the next year''s Chunin Exam, crushing his opponents and proving that Konoha was not weak. Because the Chunin Exam isn¡¯t just a normal exam; it¡¯s also a way for villages to showcase the strength of the next generation, as well as a source of entertainment for nobles. But in the last few years, Konoha had been performing subpar in exams hosted in other villages, trying to remain as unnoticed as possible. Even now, staying mediocre for a few more years to build strength and then counter with full force was an option. ¡°Yes, it would be most optimal to do that if we want to regain our strength without any hiccups. Considering the talent in the younger generation, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if we had two or three more S-rank ninjas by then. But¡­¡± Shikaku trailed off. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s this ¡®but¡¯ that¡¯s affecting my decision,¡± Hiruzen said with a sigh. ¡°Our ninjas, both old and new, grew up hearing that Konoha is the strongest ninja village. But now, they feel scorned wherever they go, due to our mediocre performance in the Chunin Exams. Not only nobles, but even common people are beginning to underestimate our ninjas. This is seriously affecting their morale, which has led to some incidents already being reported by nobles of various smaller nations,¡± Shikaku said. He didn¡¯t point out how some ninjas had killed their own clients because of the condescending way they spoke, treating Konoha ninjas as mere bodyguards and threatening to choose ninjas from other villages next time. Killing was actually tame, considering some of the heinous crimes committed by others whose pride had been wounded. These ninjas had to be punished by the Hokage himself; some were killed, others had their chakra sealed and were removed from service, depending on the severity of their crimes. Although these cases were still minimal, they were on the rise. There was no way to stop such incidents. What could they do? Tell their ninjas to accept blows to their egos for the village? No, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. With power comes a fragile ego that starts to control your decisions, but it can be shattered by the slightest blow. And condescending comments from people who a Chunin could kill without even blinking do the most damage to that fragile ego. ¡°Who are you thinking of sending to the Chunin Exam?¡± Shikaku asked after considering various scenarios but realizing he needed an answer to this important question. The next Chunin Exam would not be held in Konoha; Konoha would host the one after that, which would happen next year¡ªthe same exam in which Itachi had crushed his opponents in the original timeline. Back then, Konoha had been playing defense. The Chunin Exam in their own village had been about showcasing Itachi¡¯s talent alone, so even though it showed that Konoha was powerful, the other villages hadn¡¯t been too alarmed since only one ninja was highlighted. A single ninja couldn¡¯t change the course of a battle unless they were at the level of Hashirama, Minato, or the Third Raikage¡ªand Itachi wasn¡¯t at that level yet. But now, the situation was different. They were going to send someone into enemy territory to completely dismantle other teams and demonstrate Konoha¡¯s superiority. This could destabilize the peace they had enjoyed thus far and put these young talents at risk. Other villages might take this chance to kill these young ninjas and present it as an "accident." ¡®What will you do? Start a war?¡¯ Thoughts like these were behind the idea. So, doing what they had in the original timeline¡ªusing the Chunin Exam to slowly turn the situation around¡ªwas still the best move. And since it was just a year away, there was no reason to hurry. They could bear the scorn for one more year. ¡°Kaida Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha, and Kabuto Yakushi,¡± Hiruzen said. Shikaku understood completely what Hiruzen was planning. Chapter 245: Plans in Motion Shikaku understood Hiruzen¡¯s plan. If they were going to send someone to show their strength, they were going full force. Considering the monstrous talent and already high strength of these teenage ninjas, it was not an overstatement that they would crush every one of their opponents in the Chunin Exam. Heck, even every single one of them had the capability of passing each round alone, all while showing off the overwhelming lead Konoha had in talent. If all three of them combined as a team, there would be no doubt that the result would be more than satisfactory. But... ¡°Itachi is the next heir of the Uchiha Clan. If he goes to the Chunin Exam in another village, there is no doubt they will use every means necessary to eliminate him. His talent isn¡¯t hidden in Konoha, and by the number of spies other villages have in Konoha, they also know about his talent. If given a chance, they will most likely eliminate him. And the other two talents would be an additional bonus for them. Even though it may be a very good reason for starting a war, they will not give up this chance,¡± Shikaku said. ¡°I¡¯m planning on sending Jiraiya as their sensei, along with Shisui as their bodyguard, and an Anbu squad consisting only of Anbu captains,¡± Hiruzen said. Shikaku¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing that. ¡°Two S-rank ninja and four elite Jonin specialized in killing... That¡¯s a team even a Kage would fear, and it may be sufficient to guard those three. But even they aren¡¯t invincible. The Chunin Exam will go on for at least a month. If the enemy knows about this team, they will surely make plans to handle them. Even though Jiraiya-sama is powerful, he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the situation if four or five S-rank ninja attack him all at once,¡± Shikaku said. Though S-rank ninja were rare, if two villages, like Kumogakure and Iwagakure, combined their strength, four or five S-rank ninja could easily be gathered. Three Jinchuriki, Darui, Aye, Onoki, and many others. ¡°The Chunin Exam is going to happen in Kumogakure this time. Onoki isn¡¯t going to risk sending his best ninja or even going himself so deep into enemy territory,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Yes, but even if that¡¯s the case, the temptation to effectively cripple Konoha is too hard to resist,¡± Shikaku said. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of the optimal route, Shikaku. Think from Onoki¡¯s perspective,¡± Hiruzen said. The gears in Shikaku¡¯s mind started turning rapidly. ¡°Why did we send so many ninja to Kumogakure? Is it a trap to lure them out and take care of some common enemies?¡± Shikaku asked, but these weren¡¯t his own thoughts¡ªthey were his idea of what Onoki would think. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s not going to take such a risk, especially since Jiraiya could easily take on two to three Kage-level ninja if he enters Sage Mode,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Right. And without Iwagakure¡¯s support, Jiraiya-sama could easily hold his ground against Kumogakure. Unless they really deploy all their village¡¯s force, it would be very difficult to do anything to our troops,¡± Shikaku said. Hiruzen just nodded his head at this. ¡°Lord Third, are you really serious about this? Because if we take this step, the other villages will start to get wary of us. Especially since you¡¯re planning on showing the top three talents of our village¡ª all three of them have the potential of becoming S-rank, and along with Kakashi and Fugaku, our village will have the most S-rank ninja in the future. There¡¯s no way other villages will take this lightly, and the consequences of this action will be very dire,¡± Shikaku said. ¡°If I send only one ninja, it would be a high-risk, low-reward scenario. The effect wouldn¡¯t be as grand, and the risk would still be the same. If we¡¯re going to take the risk, the reward should match it, right? As for other villages, when have we not had to worry about them? They¡¯ll cause trouble for us, one way or another. As a leader, it¡¯ll be my responsibility to handle those situations. But for now, this is final. Start making preparations. The Chunin Exam is in one month,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Yes, Lord Third. I¡¯ll call Fugaku for a meeting as soon as possible,¡± Shikaku said. Though lazy, he was one of the most talented and responsible people when he got serious. He quickly went to his office and sent an official order to Fugaku for a meeting with the Hokage. Though the timing wasn¡¯t mentioned, Fugaku was asked to come as soon as possible. As a clan head, they couldn¡¯t summon him whenever they wanted, so this type of order was sent. ¡­ Fugaku was sitting in his office, enjoying some rare peaceful time. Ever since Danzo was removed from the equation, his workload had become far less hectic. He didn¡¯t have to worry about assigning life-threatening missions to his clan members anymore, nor did he have to worry about the increasing number of D-rank missions that not many would take. Though he still had to assign missions, they matched the skill and level of the Uchiha, reducing his workload. ¡°Come in,¡± Fugaku said. ¡°Sir, an order came from the Hokage building,¡± his secretary entered, carrying a letter in her hand. ¡°Okay,¡± Fugaku said. As soon as he took the letter, the secretary left the office. ''A summons, huh? What happened this time?'' Fugaku thought. Since he was already free at the moment, he decided to visit the Hokage building right away. ¡­ ¡°Come in,¡± Hiruzen¡¯s voice came from inside the office. ¡°Sir, Fugaku-sama is here for the meeting.¡± ¡°Send him in,¡± Hiruzen said. Fugaku entered the office after a couple of minutes, only to find that someone other than Hiruzen was also present. ¡°Shikaku is joining the meeting? Did something serious happen?¡± Fugaku asked as soon as he entered the office. ¡°First, take a seat, Fugaku,¡± Hiruzen said, his tone firm. ¡°Yes, Lord Third,¡± Fugaku said, bowing slightly before taking the seat in front of Hiruzen. ¡°As you know, Fugaku, our village hasn¡¯t been performing well in the Chunin Exams¡­¡± Hiruzen proceeded to explain the pretext of his decision. ¡°So, since we¡¯ve now recovered sufficient strength, I¡¯ve decided to stop holding back. We¡¯re going to send the best team for the Chunin Exam this year,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°I understand, Lord Third, but I still don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re telling me all this,¡± Fugaku asked, though he had already guessed the reason. ¡°The team I¡¯m planning to send is Itachi Uchiha, Kaida Uchiha, and Kabuto Yakushi,¡± Hiruzen said. Fugaku went silent for some time, then said, ¡°I refuse, Lord Third.¡± It was a direct challenge to the Hokage¡¯s authority. Hiruzen released a little of his chakra subconsciously, and the atmosphere became tense, but Fugaku sat there, unperturbed by it. This was the very reason Danzo had used to oppress the Uchiha: they were too powerful. Even though Hiruzen, the Hokage, was powerful in terms of both strength and rank, Fugaku was not weak either. Being a Kage-rank ninja and the head of the Uchiha Clan, one of the¡ªif not the¡ªmost powerful clans in Konoha, his position wasn¡¯t small. That¡¯s why he had the confidence to refuse the Hokage¡¯s order. If there were any other clan head in his place, they would have to accept the order, whether they wanted to or not. But Fugaku had power, and with that power, he had the chance to negotiate, which he did. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Third, but I¡¯m sure you can understand why I¡¯m refusing. Two out of the three members are from the Uchiha Clan, and my son Itachi is a once-in-a-generation talent and the hope of not just me but my whole clan. I can¡¯t put his life at risk. Then there¡¯s Kaida, a young prodigy just like my son. He¡¯s on the same level of talent. If something happens to them, not only the Uchiha Clan but the entire village will face a huge loss,¡± Fugaku said, trying to explain his reasoning. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but don¡¯t worry. Their lives won¡¯t be in danger. Jiraiya will take responsibility for their safety. I¡¯ll also send an Anbu squad consisting only of Anbu captains, and Shisui will accompany them as well. If this doesn¡¯t guarantee their safety, then nothing will,¡± Hiruzen said. Fugaku¡¯s face hardened. On the surface, it looked like a perfectly good idea, but for him, it was a double-edged sword. Three of the most promising next-generation ninja of his clan were going into enemy territory to crush their young ninja and showcase their talent. If, by any chance, something bad happened, Konoha would face a monumental loss, but the Uchiha Clan would be the most devastated. Still, there wasn¡¯t much he could do. "I agree, Lord Third, but just to be on the safe side, I would like to send an Uchiha squad with them as well," Fugaku said. "I don¡¯t have a problem with that if the heir of the Uchiha clan takes his bodyguards with him," Hiruzen replied with a smile. "Thank you, Lord Third," Fugaku said. "They will leave in one month. You can use this time to train your son a little more. As for Kaida, tell him to come and meet me tomorrow," Hiruzen added. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I can take care of his training as well, Lord Third," Fugaku offered. "He is already a strong Uchiha, but not yet a strong Senju. Let the boy try to maximize his full potential, Fugaku," Hiruzen said, his tone gentle, though Fugaku knew there was no room for argument now. He simply accepted the order. "As you wish, Lord Third. I will send him here tomorrow," Fugaku said. "Okay." Fugaku bowed and left the office. "The Uchiha are becoming a little autonomous," Shikaku noted. "I''m not some mind-controlling monster, Shikaku. It''s good to have someone who can question your decisions once in a while. That role used to be filled by Danzo, but now maybe Fugaku will take it," Hiruzen said, puffing out smoke from his freshly lit pipe. "You should stop doing that, Lord Third. You''re getting old, and it''s not good for your health," Shikaku advised. "Yeah, I¡¯ll quit tomorrow," Hiruzen said, waving his hand dismissively. "Now go and send a letter to Jiraiya. Tell him to come back as soon as he can," Hiruzen ordered. Chapter 246: Beyond the Limits of the Sharingan "Now go and send a letter to Jiraiya. Tell him to come back as soon as he can," Hiruzen ordered. "Lord Third, we lost contact with him after he completed his last mission," Shikaku reminded Hiruzen. "That brat, always taking time off, even in such situations. You can go now; I will contact him myself," Hiruzen said. Shikaku bowed his head and left. Hiruzen then wrote a note on special paper and made some hand seals. "Oh, Hiruzen, you¡¯re aging very rapidly. It feels like just yesterday you were such a small human child," said a small toad that appeared suddenly in the Hokage¡¯s office. "It¡¯s nice to meet you as well, Kousuke-sama. I have an urgent message for Jiraiya; could you please deliver it to him?" Hiruzen said respectfully. The toad in front of him was more than twice his age and quite powerful. Though not at Kage level, it could handle some Jonin-level ninja on its own. Considering it was just a messenger toad, this spoke volumes of its strength. "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll deliver it within an hour," Kousuke said, taking the paper from Hiruzen. "Thank you, Kousuke-sama," Hiruzen replied, and Kousuke disappeared in smoke once again. --- Jiraiya was doing his "research" at the moment, just about to head towards his favorite location in the Land of Hot Water. It was a spot where he could directly see inside his ¡®study area.¡¯ But before he could take a look... "Jiraiya boy, long time no see. What are you¡ª" Jiraiya quickly closed Kousuke¡¯s mouth, but it was already too late. The ladies inside the bathhouse ran out, brandishing various weapons ranging from mops to knives. "I¡¯m going to kill that pervert this time!" one young girl shouted. "No, first we¡¯ll torture him. I want first dibs," another one said. "Okay, I¡¯ll take second place then," a third chimed in. Cold sweat dripped from Jiraiya¡¯s forehead. "I think you should run now," Kousuke said, still in Jiraiya¡¯s grasp. Without wasting a second, Jiraiya ran at full speed. After running across the village, he stopped at a natural hot spring, a little away from the village. "So, Kousuke-sama, why did you ruin my research this time?" Jiraiya asked. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t the first time this had happened. "Though I¡¯d like to point out that what you were doing was not ''research,'' there¡¯s no point in arguing. I¡¯ll get to the main reason I¡¯m here: Hiruzen sent this letter for you." Kousuke handed the letter to Jiraiya. Jiraiya took the letter, ignoring Kousuke¡¯s earlier remark. --- *** I hope this letter finds you not in the middle of "research" at some questionable bathhouse. If you are, please consider this an urgent reminder that peeping does not count as a diplomatic mission. We both know Tsunade would throw you across the continent if she found out. Now, to the main topic: I need you back in the village in two days. Make sure you take this seriously, or I will personally come for you with Tsunade. She is still mad about the earlier incident, but I¡¯m sure there will be no need for that, right? *** sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The letter ended. "Sensei is unusually forceful this time. Did something happen in Konoha?" Jiraiya asked. "I don¡¯t know, but from Hiruzen¡¯s complexion and tone, I didn¡¯t feel there was any major problem in Konoha¡ªat least nothing urgent." "Then why is Sensei calling me? Is it because of the Danzo incident?" Jiraiya asked, mostly to himself. "What happened to that boy?" Kousuke asked. "He was plotting something against the village, killed many young ninja, especially Uchiha. The Uchiha blew up his base to expose him to the whole village. Sensei had no chance to save him, and he was killed by the Uchiha," Jiraiya explained briefly. He didn¡¯t want to go into full details. (A.N.: And how did Jiraiya know all this? For those of you who don¡¯t know, Jiraiya was the spy master of Konoha. He knew about many major events, even about Akatsuki, long before anyone else, so knowing something that every major village knows is no big deal for him.) "Poor boy, I always told him his ambitions were too big and destructive for his own good. Looks like he didn¡¯t listen to my advice. Well, anyway, my job here is done. Take care, Jiraiya boy," Kousuke said, patting Jiraiya¡¯s back before disappearing with a "Well, I¡¯m free anyway. Let¡¯s give my village a visit for a change," Jiraiya said before vanishing from his position. --- Kaida had just woken up from a deep sleep. After suffering through the torture/procedure, he was both physically and mentally exhausted. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he lost consciousness and only regained it after 10 hours. ''Man, that was some good sleep. This much time should be enough for my body to get used to the seal, right?'' Kaida thought, then started pushing his chakra into the seal. By the time he had stuffed 50% of his chakra into it, it became difficult to push any more. ''I must¡¯ve reached the same amount of chakra I filled last time. Now, let¡¯s push some more,'' Kaida thought as his eyes began to glow red, with three tomoe appearing in them. Slowly, they started rotating. If someone with a Sharingan or Byakugan had been watching, they¡¯d have seen how Kaida¡¯s chakra was flowing into the seal¡ªslowly but steadily, like honey dripping down a slope. The amount of chakra inside the seal started increasing from 70% of Kaida¡¯s reserves to 80%... then 85%... When he reached 92%, it became increasingly difficult to push any more in. ''Let¡¯s take a break and go downstairs¡­ What?'' Kaida was shocked to see the time¡ªit was 12:15 p.m. It had taken him 4 hours to push just 17% more chakra into the seal. Though surprised, this was actually very fast. For comparison, Sakura took 3 years to completely fill her seal. In contrast, Kaida would only need 2-3 months at most. That was the power of the Sharingan: advanced control over chakra, though it also increased strain on the body. Now, Kaida¡¯s chakra reserves were almost empty, and even after waking up from such a deep sleep, he was once again feeling mentally exhausted from using his Sharingan for 4 hours. Even with his Senju bloodline, Kaida''s eyes were aching so badly. Almost like someone had poured a freshly crushed red pepper the hottest ones in his eyes, he went to the kitchen and took out some ice to put on his burning eyes. "What were you doing that you need ice for?" Shisui asked, walking into the kitchen. "I was using the Sharingan to fill the seal," Kaida said, pointing to his forehead. Pain evident in his voice "But without realizing it, I used it for 4 hours," he continued. "What? You used the Sharingan for 4 hours? How the hell are you not blind right now?" Shisui asked, though his actions contradicted his words. Not anger but care He went into his room and came out with a dropper. "Hurry, show me your eyes," Shisui said, dropping some of the medicine into Kaida¡¯s eyes. Instantly, Kaida¡¯s eyes stopped burning. "Wow, brother, I feel completely fine now! What is this medicine? Can you give me a bottle too?" Kaida asked. "This bottle cost me around 10 million Ryo, though I paid with Contribution Points. Considering the exchange rate, it was about that much. If you want it, go do some S-rank missions and buy one for yourself... Now stop changing the topic. Why the hell did you use the Sharingan for so long?" Shisui asked, clearly a bit angry. "I¡¯m sorry, brother. I was so focused on filling the seal that I forgot about everything else," Kaida explained. "What the f**king nonsense are you spouting? Your eyes should''ve been burning after just one hour!" Shisui said, because this was the norm for every other Uchiha. "Well, they start hurting like they were burning, but only after I stopped using my Sharingan," Kaida said, still a little surprised. "... You cheater. Having a Senju body is such a cheat¡ªa complete cheat!" Shisui grumbled as he walked toward the hall. "What happened, brother? Why are you acting this way?" Kaida asked, following him. "Any normal Uchiha with a three-tomoe Sharingan can only use it for 15 minutes without a problem. After 30 minutes, their eyes start burning. After an hour, the blood vessels inside the eyes begin to get damaged. Though the damage is curable, it reduces the performance of the Sharingan over time. That¡¯s why no one uses their Sharingan for that long. You''re just lucky¡ªyou have a much higher capacity to use the Sharingan compared to others. Otherwise, you might have gone blind by now," Shisui explained, emphasizing the seriousness of Kaida¡¯s recklessness. "Why the hell do I have eight times the normal capacity?" Kaida asked, completely ignoring Shisui¡¯s warning. "Is that the question you should be worried about right now? You nearly went blind!" Shisui said, landing a square punch on Kaida¡¯s head. "I know, brother. I won¡¯t do it again. I¡¯m just curious about the reason," Kaida said, rubbing the small bump on his head. "I don¡¯t know... The simple answer could be that due to your Uchiha physique, you got this benefit. But from some recent findings, we¡¯ve learned some interesting things..." Shisui paused for a second, contemplating whether to continue. "As the Sharingan evolves, it enhances the user''s body so they can wield its power. But usually, an Uchiha''s body isn¡¯t adaptable enough to handle too much change. However, you also have Senju blood, which gives you not only high physical capability but also high adaptability. As a result, your body is a perfect vessel for the Sharingan. But there¡¯s a downside to it as well. If you awaken..." Chapter 247: Monster? "As the Sharingan evolves, it enhances the user''s body so they can wield its power. But usually, an Uchiha''s body isn¡¯t adaptable enough to handle too much change. However, you also have Senju blood, which gives you not only high physical capability but also high adaptability. As a result, your body is a perfect vessel for the Sharingan. But there¡¯s a downside to it as well. If you awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, it will be a very huge problem. Normally, the Sharingan strengthens the emotions due to which we awaken it. Until the 3-tomoe stage, it¡¯s still manageable. Since you awakened your Sharingan because of anger and grief, those two emotions were strengthened and further amplified when it upgraded to 3 tomoe. But since it¡¯s still within a normal range, you may or may not have felt that. But¡­ once you awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, these emotions leave the realm of normal. Your anger will go through the roof, and you¡¯ll do anything to stay away from grief because it will also be many times stronger. And since your body is adapting quite well to the Sharingan, maybe, just maybe, your other emotions may also get strengthened after that,¡± Shisui explained. ¡°But brother, I still don¡¯t understand why this is such a big problem. If it¡¯s just anger, I just have to manage it well, and everything will be alright, right?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°You are underestimating it quite a lot. Let me give you a scenario: your friend went to a village to deliver a package, a simple D-rank mission, right?¡± Shisui asked. Kaida nodded. ¡°But later you find out that the sender of that package was an enemy spy who was sending Konoha ninjas to their deaths. Your friend is now dead because some people in the village were also collaborating with the enemies and poisoned your friend. But we can¡¯t find them among the many people in the village. What will you do now?¡± Shisui asked. ''Is this some kind of interview question to check my personality?'' Kaida thought but kept those thoughts to himself and simply gave the answer he thought was appropriate. ¡°I will kill that spy first. Because of him, my friend died. His death won¡¯t be painless. Then I¡¯ll go to the village, read the memories of those who are already suspects, and eliminate all the enemies,¡± Kaida replied, feeling that this was the most logical course of action. ¡°There is nothing ¡®natural¡¯ about that. Now I¡¯ll tell you what a normal, non-Uchiha ninja would do. They would raise a formal complaint to the Hokage¡¯s office if they knew about the spy. Then it would be the village¡¯s job to handle it. Regarding the villager, reading memories with the Sharingan damages the brain, so that would be the job of someone from the Yamanaka clan. And, obviously, the spy would die, but through a procedure. What you¡¯re saying is the result of many deaths by your hands, combined with the effect of the Sharingan. Alone, both are manageable, but together, they change a person¡¯s mindset,¡± Shisui explained. Kaida went silent, deep in thought. ''Was the first time I killed someone influenced by the Sharingan? No, at that time, it had just awakened. I couldn¡¯t have instantly switched some flip inside me¡­ So I was already a killer from the inside, and the Sharingan just amplified that part of me?'' ¡°Am I becoming a monster, brother?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Shisui asked, amused by Kaida¡¯s conclusion. ¡°As soon as I got power, I started killing those weaker than me. Isn¡¯t that something only a monster would do?¡± Kaida asked, his eyes downcast. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, recite the list of names of the people you¡¯ve killed, who you think were innocent,¡± Shisui challenged. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°See, there¡¯s not a single person. Kaida, as a ninja, I¡¯ve done many atrocious things. Why? Because that was my mission. I still feel the guilt of doing those things, but I know they were important. So, what makes me different from the monster you¡¯re speaking of?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°The guilt?¡± Kaida asked, unsure. ¡°Yes, but not completely. It¡¯s the values I hold in my life. There was a time I had to kill civilians to avoid a war between two small villages. Those innocent people didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but to save many lives, their sacrifice was necessary. So, I completed the mission. When I was about to kill the mother and daughter sleeping peacefully, my hand shook. Those same hands never shook when I killed tens of enemy ninjas during the war. And that shaking makes me different from a monster. There are many people in this world who have already let go of their values of right and wrong, and they may have become the monster you¡¯re speaking of. But you haven¡¯t, and I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t either,¡± Shisui said with a smile. ¡°But brother, who decides what¡¯s right and wrong? Who decides whether it¡¯s right to kill someone or not?¡± Kaida asked, getting more confused. ¡°No one. No one can decide that. But you can think of the consequences of your actions. What would happen when you kill that person? If you kill a bandit, it¡¯ll save many lives. If you kill a doctor, you won¡¯t just kill that person, but also hundreds of others that doctor would have saved in his life. There¡¯s no right killing, just the right intention,¡± Shisui said, rubbing Kaida¡¯s hair. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Think about it carefully; there¡¯s no need to rush.¡± ¡°Okay, brother,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Now go take a bath. You¡¯re stinking,¡± Shisui said, pinching his nose. ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Kaida protested. ¡°Maybe your nose suffered along with your eyes,¡± Shisui teased. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m going,¡± Kaida said, heading to his room to bathe and freshen up. Shisui looked at a letter placed on the table in the hall. ¡°Your life is about to get interesting, brother,¡± he said to no one in particular. ¡­ Kaida emerged after half an hour. ¡°Oh man, I¡¯m super hungry now.¡± ¡°Mom kept food in the fridge for you. Warm it up and eat. Also, here¡¯s a letter for you,¡± Shisui said. ¡°A letter?¡± Kaida took the letter and opened it, surprised to see it was from the Hokage¡¯s office. *** ¡°Why does Lord Third want to meet me?¡± Kaida wondered aloud after reading the letter. Shisui pointed his finger at Kaida¡¯s forehead. ¡°Because I learned an S-rank Jutsu? But he agreed to it!¡± Kaida said. ¡°Why are you thinking negatively? Maybe he wants to congratulate you. You¡¯re almost at elite Jonin level, and that too before reaching the age of ten,¡± Shisui said. ¡°I¡¯m not that strong, brother. The effect of this seal is temporary, and without it, I¡¯m not that strong,¡± Kaida said. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re talking to? I¡¯m much more experienced than you, have the Mangekyo Sharingan¡ªwhich increases chakra reserves by five times¡ªand still, you, cheater, have nearly the same chakra reserve as me! And you think you¡¯re not strong? Just think, if by any chance you awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, you¡¯ll be among the top-level ninjas¡ªnot just in the village but in the world,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Well, if you put it that way, maybe I am just too awesome,¡± Kaida said, placing his hand on his chin. ¡°Still not as awesome as me,¡± Shisui retorted. ¡°You¡¯re petty, brother,¡± Kaida pointed out. ¡°So, when do you have to go to the Hokage¡¯s office?¡± Shisui asked, ignoring Kaida¡¯s comment. ¡°At 4 PM.¡± ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Go eat your food,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Yes, brother,¡± Kaida said, once again reminded of his aching stomach. *** Hiruzen, as usual, was looking at reports sent by spies, sensors, and scouting teams, thinking about the various undercurrents in the ninja world and how they might affect Konoha. With Danzo now dead, he also had to think of ways to alter events in Konoha¡¯s favor. Suddenly, four Anbu ninjas appeared around Hiruzen, protecting him from the sudden intruder sitting at the window, face hidden by a hat. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to use the gates instead of the windows?¡± Hiruzen sighed. Chapter 248: Master and Student ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to use the gates instead of the windows?¡± Hiruzen sighed. With Hiruzen¡¯s casual tone and finally seeing the intruder, the Anbu Guard platoon of the Hokage took a sigh of relief. ¡°What¡¯s the fun in that? This way, we can check whether these guys are taking their job seriously or not,¡± the intruder said, lifting the hat from his face, revealing a cheeky grin. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You guys can leave now,¡± Hiruzen said, taking out his smoke pipe from his drawer. Upon receiving the orders from the Hokage, the Anbu ninjas suddenly disappeared from the office, but Jiraiya followed their movement with his eyes. This simple move was a testament to Jiraiya¡¯s strength. Following the movement of a ninja using the Body Flicker Jutsu was not an easy feat. One could only predict the point they would appear, but once you reach a certain stage, it becomes easy to sense the fluctuation of chakra caused by using this jutsu. ¡°So, care to explain why you took 4 weeks to return to the village when you completed your mission in 1 week?¡± Hiruzen asked. ¡°Because the mission had an estimated time expectation of 2 months for completion, and I still have 1 more month,¡± Jiraiya replied, picking his ear. ¡°That was the estimated time for others, not you. How do you always find such creative excuses anyway?¡± Hiruzen asked, taking a puff from his smoke pipe. ¡°This is the talent that helped me become the best author in the world¡ªknown as creativity,¡± Jiraiya replied. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Hiruzen responded, causing a chill to run down Jiraiya¡¯s spine due to the tone as he continued, ¡°Use that talent of yours one more time, and I¡¯ll make sure you become the next Hokage no matter what¡­ even if I have to break your legs to keep you from running away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I won¡¯t do it again, Sensei,¡± Jiraiya replied, straightening up like an elementary school student. ¡°Here,¡± Hiruzen said, handing a file to Jiraiya. ¡°If you called me here for a mission, it¡¯s such a waste. You could¡¯ve just sent the file to me¡­¡± Jiraiya was saying as he opened the file. But as soon as he read the first page, his joyful demeanor vanished, replaced by the proper demeanor of the second-strongest ninja in Konoha. ¡°This is madness, Sensei. We are still not strong enough to take on other ninja villages,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°Continue reading,¡± Hiruzen said casually, enjoying his leisure time while smoking. Jiraiya resumed reading. There were many things in that file, even some reports he had sent were present. Those reports alone didn¡¯t have much value, but combined, they created a much bigger picture of what was happening around the entire ninja world. ¡°Everyone is too busy to do anything against us at the moment, and those who aren¡¯t busy will be soon. That¡¯s why we¡¯re planning to go ahead with this plan,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°You¡¯re planning to initiate a war between two small villages just for this?¡± Jiraiya asked, looking at Hiruzen as if he were seeing his true face for the first time. ¡°I¡¯m not starting that war, brat. That war is inevitable. I¡¯m just pushing it forward by a month and planning to save various orphans. If this war was going to happen no matter what, what¡¯s wrong with getting some benefit out of it?¡± Hiruzen asked. ¡°But that¡¯s not how Konoha does things,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°No, that¡¯s how I didn¡¯t do things. When Danzo was alive, it was his role to handle such matters. But now that he¡¯s gone, I¡¯ve taken on that role,¡± Hiruzen said, taking a deep puff of smoke. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself, Sensei. It wasn¡¯t your fault; there was nothing you could have done,¡± Jiraiya said, fully understanding the weight of losing a friend who had faced countless life-and-death situations with you. For a second, Orochimaru¡¯s image flashed in his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s leave that topic aside. You understand your role, right?¡± Hiruzen asked, regaining his serious demeanor. ¡°Becoming a sensei of three again, how nostalgic. Well, if these are your orders, there¡¯s nothing I can do other than follow them,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°If you¡¯re ready to handle this, you¡¯ll be training one of the ninjas yourself. Itachi is going to be trained by Fugaku, so you can choose between the other two,¡± Hiruzen said, passing two more files to Jiraiya. Jiraiya took the files and skimmed through them. ¡°One is a medical prodigy rivaling Tsunade, having Chunin-level strength only because he never trained seriously, but still powerful enough to handle Jonin one-on-one due to his exceptional medical knowledge. The other is a combination of the best clans of Konoha, possessing both the Senju clan¡¯s body and the Uchiha¡¯s Sharingan, and 3-tomoe Sharingan at that, along with an S-rank jutsu¡­ Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu? Sensei, this brat is almost a Kage-level ninja,¡± Jiraiya said, pointing to Kaida¡¯s file. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s worked really hard for this and recently learned the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu. He¡¯s still not proficient in it, and the version he learned is inferior to the one Tsunade uses. She didn¡¯t share that version with me, and I only have the inferior one. So, which one do you want to choose?¡± Hiruzen asked. ¡°What about the other one I don¡¯t choose?¡± Jiraiya asked. ¡°I¡¯ll handle him,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Then I choose him,¡± Jiraiya said, pointing to one of the files with a big grin on his face. --- A little before 4 pm, Kaida entered the Hokage building. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Kaida Uchiha. I was ordered to come here at 4 pm,¡± Kaida introduced himself to the new receptionist. ¡°Yes, please wait in front of Lord Third¡¯s office. He¡¯s currently in a meeting and will call you as soon as he¡¯s free,¡± the receptionist replied curtly. Kaida nodded and went toward the Hokage¡¯s office. He was about to sit in the chair in front of the office when he suddenly froze, seeing the face of the ninja sitting nearby. ¡®Kabuto? What is this monstrous genius doing here?¡¯ Kaida thought. Then his mind began working overtime, deducing that Kabuto should still be under Danzo¡¯s command, and since Danzo was dead, Kabuto must now be under Hiruzen. ¡®Now, this is a welcome bonus from all that hard work,¡¯ Kaida thought. Chapter 249: Lucky "Kabuto? What is this monstrous genius doing here?" Kaida thought. Then his mind began working overtime, deducing that Kabuto should still be under Danzo''s command. Since Danzo was dead, Kabuto must now be under Hiruzen. "Now, this is a welcome bonus from all that hard work," Kaida thought. It was reasonable for him to be this happy. The person in front of him was Kabuto, the person who had mastered sage mode and become a perfect sage, perfected edo Tensei, and much more. In a sense, there weren''t many people who would have been a match against Kabuto during the Fourth Great Ninja War, maybe not even the Kage from the great ninja villages. But the most impressive feat that showed how much of a genius Kabuto was to the viewers was when Tsunade used Ranshinsh¨­ (Body Pathway Derangement) on him. This technique scrambles the target''s nervous system signals, causing them to misfire. As a result, when Kabuto tried to move a specific body part, like his hands, another part of his body would move instead. This would make a normal person paralyzed, even walking straight would become extremely difficult, let alone fighting. But what did Kabuto do? He simply trained his body in a few minutes to work completely fine and was able to put up a fight against a Sanin in this condition. During the fight, he was controlling every part of his body as if there were hundreds of switches he had to press simultaneously, and he did that seamlessly. That was the type of genius sitting in front of Kaida. Kaida simply made his way toward the seat next to Kabuto. "Were you also called by Lord Third?" Kaida asked. "Yes, but who are you?" Kabuto asked, a little reserved. He had recently been admitted to Root, and Danzo hadn''t had much time to train him. That''s why, for the time Kabuto was under Root ninja, he was just surrounded by gloominess and seriousness, which made him a little reserved. Luckily, Danzo hadn''t taught him much yet, resulting in him not losing all of his emotions and all that other stuff. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Kaida Uchiha. Lord Third summoned me here today," Kaida replied, mustering the best friendly smile he could make. "... My name is Kabuto Yakushi. I am from the orphanage in the outskirts of the village, and yes, Lord Third summoned me here too," Kabuto replied after a little pause, as if he was thinking whether he should even talk with this person or not. "Oh, I was also from the orphanage too, until my aunt from the Uchiha clan adopted me," Kaida said, but there was a little guilt in his mind. He was trying to become acquainted with Kabuto using his soft spot at this time, but he gave himself the justification that: ''I don''t know when I will meet him again. It''s better to have a little acquaintance now, so that in the future I could build a better relationship with him.'' Before Kabuto could say anything, the gate of the Hokage''s office opened, and a tall, lean man with white hair, a colorful cloak, a mischievous grin, eccentric charm, but contrasting white eyes came outside. "Were you guys waiting for long?" Jiraya asked. ''Is today my lucky day? Not only Kabuto, now I also get to meet Jiraya the gallant,'' Kaida thought. "No, sir," Kaida replied respectfully. "That''s great then. Now come inside. Sensei is waiting for you guys," Jiraya said and opened the gate a little wider. "Good evening, Lord Third," both Kaida and Kabuto said. Normally Kaida would have said "grandpa" instead of "Lord Third," but today it felt like something official was going to be discussed, so he decided to stick with a formal tone. "Good evening. How are you guys?" Hiruzen asked with his famous grandfatherly tone. "I am doing great, Lord Third, thanks to you," Kabuto said respectfully. Kaida understood that Hiruzen must have found out the talent of Kabuto and somehow made some moves to show his goodwill to Kabuto, most likely helping with his orphanage in some way. But he kept these thoughts in his mind and let Kabuto finish. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Good. What about you, Kaida?" Hiruzen turned to Kaida next. "I am also doing great, Lord Third. I have just learned my first S-rank jutsu with your permission," Kaida replied. "Good. It''s nice to know both of you guys are doing fine. Come take a seat. I have something I want to discuss with you guys," Hiruzen said, pointing toward the seats in front of him while Jiraya sat on the sofa in the office. "As you guys know..." Hiruzen started recounting the discussion he had already had with Shikaku and Jiraya about how the village suffered humiliation for so long and what were its consequences. "Now that we have recovered sufficient strength, I am planning on showing the world the true talent of Konoha," Hiruzen said. ''Oh no! If this is going in the direction I''m thinking it is going, then I won''t have time to go and "save" those two poor fellows,'' Kaida thought. "So for the next Chunin Exam, I am planning on sending the best talent of our village, and you two are going to be in that team," Hiruzen said with a smile. "But sir, I am not that powerful and would not be much help in the Chunin Exam," Kabuto said. "That''s not a problem, Kabuto. ... I am personally going to teach you for the next month," Hiruzen said. Kaida''s eyes went wide. The professor was personally going to teach Kabuto. What type of absurd team would Konoha have in the future if his plan became successful? "Then I will do my best to meet your expectations, Lord Third," Kabuto said, bowing his head. "I am sure you will. Now what about you, Kaida? Are you ready for this responsibility?" Hiruzen asked. "Yes, Lord Third. I will also try my best in the Chunin Exam," Kaida said. "Good, very good. But even though you are already powerful enough, you will still need to train a little to refine your strength and also master the jutsu you just learned. But since I am teaching Kabuto for this month, I won''t be able to help you as well. That''s why I arranged someone else for teaching you. Meet Jiraya, one of my students and a Sanin," Hiruzen said, pointing toward Jiraya. "Yo," Jiraya said, raising his hand up. "Sensei," Kaida bowed a little. There was nothing more he would like to ask now. He was even worried if there was a fixed amount of luck every person can use in his life. He may have used most of his today. ''The chance of learning sage mode directly came in front of me. Though it would be impossible to ask it right away, but slowly I could make my way toward that for sure,'' Kaida thought. "Since I am going to be your new Sensei, and the reputation of the village will depend on your performance, we will start our training from tomorrow," Jiraya said, patting Kaida''s shoulder as he came in front of him. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied. Chapter 250: A Bold Request "Since I am going to be your new Sensei, and the reputation of the village will depend on your performance, we will start our training tomorrow. So make sure you are ready for some hellish training," Jiraiya said, patting Kaida''s shoulder as he stood in front of him. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied joyfully. Why would he say no to gaining extra strength? "Good, then meet me at Training Area 2 in the morning," Jiraiya said. "Training Area 2? Where is that, Sensei?" Kaida asked, because even though the details of other training areas were available to ninjas, Training Areas 1 to 5 were hidden. "You don¡¯t know?" Though Jiraiya asked this question to Kaida, his gaze was toward Hiruzen. "I don¡¯t have free time like you, brat. Even during this one month, I had to mobilize all the elders and force Shikaku to handle official work so that I could focus on teaching these young ones," Hiruzen said. ¡°Huh! I never thought I would live to see the day when even my Sensei would make excuses for his laziness. The world is moving too fast... Anyway, meet me at the top of the Hokage Rock tomorrow morning around 9 AM,¡± Jiraiya said. Listening to his comment, a vein popped up on Hiruzen¡¯s forehead, but he controlled himself, not wanting to ruin his image of a kind grandpa in front of two young talents. Kaida greeted them one last time and then went back to the Uchiha clan. He waited outside the building for some time, hoping to have another conversation with Kabuto, but even after waiting for half an hour, Kabuto didn¡¯t come out. Kaida thought Hiruzen had already started teaching him something and left for his house. It was already late, and this was the final time he would have some leisure with his family. Kaida decided to stop his training in Medical Jutsu and Fuinjutsu for now and focus only on the Chunin Exam for the time being. One month of delay would not affect anything now. He already had enough strength to go to other nations and come back alive, even in case of an encounter with enemy Jonin. However, if faced with a Kage-level ninja, he would have to run like crazy. Though the chances of meeting a Kage-level ninja were rare, after this time, he might very well gain more strength, though chances were quite low. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After all, when Jiraiya took Naruto for world training, there was no significant new thing Naruto learned that only Jiraiya could teach, though he might have focused on improving Naruto''s control over the Nine-Tails chakra. Still, learning only that in years seemed very mundane. ¡®Looks like I have to ask for a leave of 2-3 months from my Sensei,¡¯ Kaida thought and went to the hospital and Sora¡¯s house one after another to tell them about the Chunin Exam. He had already asked Hiruzen if they had to keep this information a secret, but Hiruzen simply said it was not required. However, he prohibited unnecessary discussion since he didn¡¯t want the enemy villages to get wind of this. Otherwise, they might plan something new, creating more variables in the plan, which no one liked. But telling Mitsuru and Sora was fine. Both were a little worried about this, but they also knew that Kaida was sufficiently powerful enough to handle himself; otherwise, the Hokage wouldn¡¯t have selected him for the role. Aside from their worry, they were also somewhat proud. Their student was going to represent Konoha now, so naturally, they were happy about it. After informing his teachers, he directly went back to his family, enjoying the rest of the day with them. ... ** After breakfast, Kaida and his family were sitting in the hall, waiting to go to their respective work. Kaida decided to tell Hae and Shisui about what had happened yesterday. "But this sounds quite dangerous, provoking the big villages. Our village may handle them, but individually, it will be difficult for you in the future. They will keep a vigilant eye on you and pounce at the first opportunity they get. By doing this, you are making yourself a target for every big ninja village," Shisui said. "But do I have a choice, brother? These are direct orders from Lord Third himself, and the rewards are quite promising," Kaida said. "What reward is enough for you to put yourself in such a difficult position?" Hae asked. Kaida smiled, remembering the most important point from the meeting discussion. ... "Since you guys are doing so much for the village, the village will also do something for you. After coming back from the Chunin Exam, you guys will be directly promoted to Jonin rank, and I will allow you to ask to learn any single jutsu," Hiruzen said. "Any jutsu, Lord Third?" Kaida asked. ¡°Yes, but it should not be a forbidden jutsu. Your safety is very important to the village,¡± Hiruzen replied. "Then I would like to ask for the jutsu I want to learn in advance," Kaida said with an ear-to-ear smile, thinking, ¡®Since I am already using so much of my luck, why not try a little more? I may not get such a golden opportunity again anytime soon.¡¯ "Okay, which jutsu do you want to learn?" Hiruzen asked, a little curious about Kaida¡¯s choice. When he got the first chance like this, Kaida directly asked for an S-rank jutsu. Hiruzen had no doubt that this time, too, he would ask for something similar. "Lord Third, as a child and even now, I have heard many tales of how awesome Lord Fourth was. I am a big fan of his. So, is it possible for me to learn his teleportation jutsu, the one he was so famous for?" Kaida asked, his tone like a child asking his parent for another candy. "..." "..." Both Hiruzen and Jiraiya went silent for a second. Aside from hearing such an absurd request so casually, there was one more thing that piqued their interest. ¡®An Uchiha with Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu as his defense, and Flying Thunder God along with Sharingan reflexes as offense, would not be inferior to the Raikage in any sense. But it would be very chakra-consuming. Does this boy have that much chakra?¡¯ Suddenly, Kaida felt two different types of chakra scanning him, and he realized that if not for his enhanced chakra sensitivity due to his 3-tomoe Sharingan, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed it. But knowing who these people were, and with no reason to hide his strength, he let them scan him. Kaida could see the faces of Hiruzen and Jiraiya brighten as soon as the chakra that was scanning him left his body. ¡°That jutsu you are talking about is known as the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, and as its name suggests, you will gain a godly amount of speed if you learn this jutsu. However, it is almost impossible to learn without a high aptitude for space-time techniques. Even I am unable to learn this jutsu,¡± Hiruzen said, waiting to see Kaida¡¯s reaction. But he didn¡¯t get what he expected. He thought Kaida would be a little afraid of not being able to learn the jutsu, but what he saw was eagerness to try. Amused, Hiruzen decided to test the boy¡¯s resolve. ¡®Maybe he¡¯s just happy because even if he fails, he thinks he could ask for another jutsu from me. Let¡¯s see what he does now,¡¯ Hiruzen thought. ¡°So, if you really want to check whether you can learn that jutsu or not, I will make the necessary preparations. But you will be using your chance to learn any jutsu and will not get another opportunity if you fail to learn this one,¡± Hiruzen said. Jiraiya also paid attention to Kaida¡¯s reply. "Lord Third, maybe I am alive now because Lord Fourth sacrificed his life saving our village. He is the hero not only to me but to everyone in the village. If I can get a chance to be like him, I don¡¯t want anything else," Kaida said. ¡®This is surely the effect of the Sharingan. I would not normally manipulate an old man''s feelings like this... not a chance,¡¯ Kaida thought, blaming his Sharingan for his shamelessness in using his knowledge to manipulate Hiruzen a little. Chapter 251: A Month of Isolation "Lord Third, maybe I am alive now because Lord Fourth sacrificed his life to save our village. He is the hero, not just to me but to everyone in the village. If I can get a chance to be like him, I don¡¯t want anything else," Kaida said. Both Jiraiya and Hiruzen were deeply moved by this reply. These were the values a Konoha ninja should have. "Good, very good. Since you want it so much, I will arrange the necessary set to check your aptitude by tomorrow. After your training, come to my office by 5 PM," Hiruzen replied, satisfaction apparent in his voice. "Okay, Lord Third," Kaida said. --- ¡°Lord Third is going to teach you a jutsu? That is so unfair! I¡¯ve completed way harder missions many times, and I didn¡¯t even get to learn an A-rank jutsu for free, and you¡¯re getting an S-rank. This world is truly unfair,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Kaida, you¡¯re not doing this out of greed, right? Your life is much more important than any title or jutsu. Always remember that,¡± Hae said. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I know, Aunt, and my safety is almost guaranteed. Jiraiya-sama himself is going as our sensei and will be responsible for our protection. Unless they want to start a war right now, no major village will make a move," Kaida replied, completely understanding why Hae was worried. ¡°If you¡¯re so sure that it¡¯s all well, just be safe,¡± Hae said. ¡°And make us proud,¡± Shisui added. ¡°Yes, Aunt. Okay, brother.¡± ¡°Also, for the whole next month, Jiraiya-sama is going to teach me how to control my strength better, so I¡¯ll be very busy,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Hey, you cheater! It¡¯s enough to show off. Why are you getting all the best things for free?¡± Shisui said, like he had just realized how unfair the world truly is. ¡°Come on, brother. One of my teammates is going to be directly trained by Lord Third himself. Compared to him, I¡¯m not that lucky,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Either you leave now, or I¡¯m personally going to teach you some Taijutsu right now!¡± Shisui said, and Kaida could somehow see a red demon emerging behind Shisui. Not waiting to see if it was an illusion or reality, Kaida sprinted toward the gate. ¡°Don¡¯t wait for me for dinner; I might be a little late,¡± Kaida said. --- Kaida was standing at the top of Hokage Rock, looking at Konoha. The village was bustling early in the morning. Merchants were either opening their shops or had already opened them, fervently calling for customers. Children were playing, and many young teenagers were running toward the Ninja Academy, already late for class. ¡°Peaceful, right?¡± came a voice from behind. ¡°Yes,¡± Kaida replied without thinking. Then he turned and continued, ¡°Good morning, Sensei.¡± ¡°Good morning. So, are you ready to start your training?¡± Jiraiya asked, getting straight to the point. ¡°Yes, Sensei,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go to the training area,¡± Jiraiya said, heading toward a relatively plain area of the mountain. Kaida silently followed behind him. He thought the plain area was actually Training Area 2, but just as they reached the location, Jiraiya started making many hand signs¡ªmaybe even more than those required for the Water Dragon Jutsu (which requires the most number of hand signs). Then, he pressed his hand directly on the ground. Instantly, the simple field, which was completely normal a couple of seconds before, started buzzing. The area was covered with thousands of seals, and Kaida could see many concealment arrays too, so the actual number could be way higher than what he was seeing. After the seals were activated, they scanned Jiraiya and then Kaida. After 30 seconds, the ground in front of them started shaking a little, and then a gate formed, a simple square hole in the ground with stairs visible from where Kaida was standing. ¡°This mountain has a full training ground inside it?¡± Kaida asked, completely shocked. It had to be known that this was not the first time he had come to Hokage Rock. Even when he was training his Sharingan, he had been completely clueless about this detail. ¡°A training ground? This mountain has five, each reserved for the Hokage and those he grants permission to. In Training Area 1, Lord Third is teaching Kabuto, so we¡¯ll be using Training Area 2,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°So, only the two of us are going for the Chunin exam? Doesn¡¯t a team normally contain three people?¡± Kaida asked, feeling a little jealous. According to his knowledge, in the original timeline, Itachi was the one who did this task. Not only did he complete the exam, but he also set many records. Compared to him, Kaida had to go in a pair. If this had happened before meeting Itachi, Kaida would have been happy. Being his fan, he was ecstatic to be compared to him, even if he was just half as powerful. But now that he had already sparred with him, he knew the gap between them wasn¡¯t that large, and he could close it in the future. That¡¯s why he was unhappy that he would have to go as part of a team rather than alone like Itachi. ¡°Who said only the two of you are going? Obviously, there will be a third member too. Wait, you don¡¯t know who the third member is?¡± Jiraiya asked. ¡°No, Sensei,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Then wait for a month. It¡¯ll be a big surprise for you,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°Okay, Sensei,¡± Kaida replied. There was no reason for him to fret over this anyway. It wasn¡¯t like anything would change; he¡¯d know the last member eventually, either today or in a month. ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Jiraiya said. ''I hate mature brats. There¡¯s no fun in teasing them,'' Jiraiya thought. As they started descending the stairs, the light gradually dimmed. At one point, it became hard for Kaida to see, so he simply activated his Sharingan, expecting something. As he had guessed, after 30 or so stairs, the size of the steps changed. If he hadn¡¯t activated his Sharingan, he would have surely stumbled on them. ¡°Good, your situational awareness is nice. At least I don¡¯t have to work on that,¡± Jiraiya said, and with a tap on the wall, the lights mounted at the top of the building lit up. ¡°Thank you, Sensei,¡± Kaida replied. After descending over 150 stairs, they reached a cave-like area where five doors were visible. However, for Kaida, there were 10. ¡°This Sharingan of yours is ruining all the fun of exploring this training area for the first time,¡± Jiraiya said, noticing Kaida looking toward the hidden doors. ¡°These doors in front of you are traps, and the real doors are hidden by an illusion array,¡± Jiraiya said, but with a 3-tomoe Sharingan, a simple illusion like this wasn¡¯t much. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. This is the training area we¡¯ll be using,¡± Jiraiya said, pointing toward a door with the number 2 written at the top. ¡°This is going to be your home for the next month,¡± Jiraiya said, standing in front of the training area. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®home,¡¯ Sensei?¡± Kaida asked, a little confused. ¡°Well, I thought it was clear. Since we only have one month, you¡¯re going to live here for the whole next month. This room has enough food for a year and even a bed for you to sleep on when you get tired. There will be no clock inside, so you can focus on training without thinking about time,¡± Jiraiya said as if it were common knowledge. ¡°But I didn¡¯t inform my family about this. They¡¯ll get worried if I don¡¯t return for a whole month,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll send someone to inform them. Focus on your training from now on. There¡¯s no need for you to think about anything else. Since you¡¯re going to take on this important responsibility, you have to put in the same amount of hard work,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°Yes, Sensei,¡± Kaida replied. He was only worried that his family would be concerned about him. He had no aversion to training at all. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go inside.¡± Chapter 252: Ten-Minute "Okay then, let''s go inside," Jiraiya said as he opened the door to the training area. As soon as the gate opened, the lights of the training area turned on automatically. An area three times the size of a football field came into view. "This is much bigger than I expected," Kaida said, entering the training area. "This is a training area for a Hokage. Of course, it''s going to be big. Now, we''re not here for sightseeing. Even though I''ve already read about your strengths and weaknesses in your file, that can''t give me a true estimate of your capabilities. So let''s do this the old-fashioned way. I won¡¯t attack you for the next 10 minutes. Your goal is to land a single attack on me. You HAVE to use your full power, like you''re trying to kill me. If I feel you''re holding back, you''ll regret that decision quite a lot," Jiraiya said. "Okay, Sensei," Kaida said and quickly made a Shadow Clone, then another, and then another. "Hey, what are you doing?" Jiraiya asked. "I''m making Shadow Clones, Sensei," Kaida replied simply. "I can see that, but why are you making them one by one?" Jiraiya asked. "I still don¡¯t know the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, Sensei. I had a bet with Yukihiro-sensei that once I landed a single attack on him, he''d teach me, but I haven¡¯t seen him in quite a while..." Kaida explained. "I don¡¯t need the full story. Also, why the hell hasn''t anyone taught you that yet? You already know the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Sigh... Fine, I¡¯ll teach you after this. Now carry on," Jiraiya said. Hearing that, Kaida continued his preparation. After making 11 Shadow Clones, he finally faced Jiraiya. Then one of the clones came next to Kaida, used the Transformation Jutsu, and suddenly transformed into a sturdy, katana-like sword, completely black in color. Another clone threw two smoke bombs on the ground. Due to being inside the mountain, the smoke quickly filled the entire training area. Even though the place was fully ventilated, the smoke bombs were made in such a way that the smoke wouldn''t disperse on its own. ... Jiraiya allowed Kaida to use this trick. If he wanted, he could have easily used a C-rank Wind Gale Jutsu to blow away the smoke. But since he couldn¡¯t see in the smoke, he stealthily used Nature Energy to sense Kaida¡¯s location. A normal chakra scan couldn¡¯t differentiate between a Shadow Clone and the real person, but with Nature Energy, it was easy. While he was sensing Kaida, the boy suddenly created a Shadow Clone and dispersed it. The remaining ten clones went in different directions and started forming a simple array. Within a minute, the training area was covered with 20+ arrays, designed to absorb and store chakra. ''Good, this will render 95% of sensors incapable of detecting his position,'' Jiraiya thought, though even he had to concentrate a little more to find Kaida''s location. As he was thinking, two kunai flew toward him at astonishing speed. ''This is just a feint,'' Jiraiya thought, and as he expected, the two Shadow Clones that had thrown the kunai dispersed themselves. Suddenly, the spot where Jiraiya stood was bombarded with dozens of Wind Blades, but he simply used the Body Flicker technique to evade them. ¡®He¡¯s blocking his vision too. This isn''t good. If someone can predict his location, the situation could reverse,¡¯ Jiraiya thought. Just then, Kaida moved from his position, and for the first time, Jiraiya began forming hand seals. Within milliseconds, he slammed his hand on the ground, and a 1-meter thick earth wall emerged from the ground. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The reason for the wall became clear in a second, as the meter-thick wall was sliced in half by Kaida¡¯s chakra sword, which was overflowing with fire chakra. The earth wall was like butter in front of that sword, sliced cleanly in two. By then, Jiraiya had already moved, this time jumping instead of using Body Flicker. Kaida quickly seized the opportunity and shouted, "Fire, 30 degrees north in front of me!" Within a second, before Jiraiya could land, the position was bombarded by six Fireball Jutsu, while the remaining two clones used Fire Breath Jutsu. The entire area near Jiraiya was engulfed in hot fire, and the smoke in the training area became even denser. Contrary to expectation, Jiraiya stood in the middle of the fire, completely fine. But if someone looked closely, they''d notice his skin was slightly red, though not burned. Before landing, Jiraiya had quickly used the Iron Skin Jutsu and sent chakra to his clothes, which were covered in many protective seals. ''This boy could see me... Wait a minute,'' Jiraiya thought, releasing a small wind gale¡ªnot a jutsu, just wind. With his chakra control and reserves, this was easy for him. The smoke surrounding him and Kaida cleared for a second, and then Jiraiya saw two bright red eyes focused intently on him, reading his every movement. For a moment, even Jiraiya felt a bit nervous in front of those red eyes, with three tomoe rotating in them. ''Very nice. He''s making full use of his advantage and creating an unfavorable environment for the enemy. His basics are solid, and with his strength level, even an elite Jonin could lose to him,'' Jiraiya thought. But Kaida wasn¡¯t done. He went for a direct kenjutsu match with Jiraiya, who simply used a kunai to deflect every strike. Both were using chakra to enhance their weapons: Jiraiya used earth chakra to make his kunai sturdier, while Kaida used fire chakra to make his sword deadlier. Then, with direct eye contact, Kaida used a technique he had learned during his spar with Itachi. He cast a simple genjutsu on Jiraiya to make his sword strike appear as a vertical slash, while it was actually a simple waist-level strike, not deadly at all. "You¡¯re 50 years too early to use genjutsu on me, boy," Jiraiya said, blocking the attack with ease. But Kaida wasn¡¯t discouraged. While they were fighting, one of Kaida¡¯s clones sneaked behind Jiraiya and used the Chakra Scalpel to attack him from behind. Before the attack could land, Jiraiya¡¯s hair suddenly became hard and spiky, penetrating the clone¡¯s hand, dispersing it. ¡®Landing a hit on someone who could go against a Rinnegan user... easy task,¡¯ Kaida thought sarcastically and continued attacking. This time, he used chakra to increase the strength behind his attacks. By using Shadow Clones, a chakra sword, the Sharingan, and chakra-enhanced strength, Kaida''s chakra levels were dropping at an alarming rate. In just 8 minutes, he was already down to half his chakra, as he poured as much chakra into his sword as possible. Kaida hoped to break Jiraiya¡¯s weapon and land a single hit, but no matter how much chakra he used, Jiraiya always increased his kunai¡¯s chakra just enough to counter Kaida¡¯s strikes. ''This is going nowhere,'' Kaida thought, creating a Shadow Clone and dispersing it a second later. The remaining 10 Shadow Clones got the memory and prepared. Five of them used the Transformation Jutsu to turn into swords. With swords in hand, five clones were ready to join Kaida, but before they could move, Jiraiya said: "Time¡¯s up. Even though you were unable to land an attack on me, I still got a good idea of your offense. Now it¡¯s time to test your defense." Chapter 253: Holding back? "Time¡¯s up. Even though you were unable to land an attack on me, I still got a good idea of your offense. Now it¡¯s time to test your defense." ¡®This brat... Even handling him alone is getting hard, and now he wants to use shadow clones. No chance,¡¯ Jiraiya thought. That¡¯s why he stopped the test before the full 10 minutes were up. It wasn¡¯t like he would lose to Kaida, but he had already said that he would only defend and not attack. Now, if Kaida used five shadow clones, there was a very high chance that either he would subconsciously attack them or that Kaida would land an attack on him. Both could be considered a loss for someone like him¡ªa Sannin who had participated in two great ninja wars and done hundreds of S-rank missions. Being defeated by a 10-year-old boy would be quite ironic and shameful. Kaida also felt that he should still have one minute remaining. Since he had practiced in the hospital for so long and even completed so many operations, he had developed a very keen sense of time. Even though there was no clock in the training area, Kaida could somehow ¡®feel¡¯ that he still had 1¨C2 minutes left. But since this wasn¡¯t a spar and there was no way he could even think of defeating someone who had almost beaten one of the strongest existences in the world, Nagato, without knowing his full power at all¡ªat least not yet¡ªhe let go of his thoughts and focused on the next test. "For your defense, I will attack you now for a full five minutes. Use every means necessary to stay conscious until the end of the test," Jiraiya said. "Sensei, how could I defend against you?" Kaida asked. "You¡¯re underestimating yourself too much. Also, I¡¯m not going to go all out anyway. I just want to check your level so we can work to improve it," Jiraiya replied. "Okay, Sensei," Kaida said, dispersing his clones. His chakra, which was already down to 40% after all that attacking, replenished a little, returning to about 60%. Kaida turned on his Sharingan, still active, and made two shadow clones once again. "I¡¯m ready, Sensei," Kaida said. "Okay then, here I come," Jiraiya said, suddenly disappearing from his position. Only a ninja at the Jonin level or higher could react to an attack of that speed. And even this wasn¡¯t Jiraiya¡¯s full power¡ªjust 5%, barely enough to check Kaida¡¯s defense level and not accidentally kill him. But since his attack was still at a level only a Jonin could detect and evade, Kaida, with his 3-tomoe Sharingan activated, could easily see through it. Before Jiraiya could land a punch on Kaida¡¯s chest, Kaida evaded to the side and counterattacked with a punch aimed at Jiraiya¡¯s ribs. Startled by the sudden attack, Jiraiya almost took the hit before his instincts kicked in, and he used the Body Flicker Jutsu to evade. "The best defense is a good offense. Good choice," Jiraiya said. Seeing that a Jonin-level attack wasn¡¯t enough, he increased his offensive power to twice what it was before. Kaida could sense the danger increasing. He was sure that if he took a single punch now, his bones would break. So, using all his strength, he began evading one attack after another while his clones stood on the sidelines, watching. Seeing that even this wasn¡¯t enough, Jiraiya raised his strength output to the peak elite Jonin level, a threshold only an extraordinary ninja could achieve. With Jiraiya¡¯s battle IQ added, it became almost impossible for Kaida to defend against each of his attacks. Just when one attack finally slipped past Kaida¡¯s defense, one of his shadow clones disappeared from its position and appeared between Jiraiya and Kaida. The punch, which was aimed at Kaida¡¯s belly, was intercepted by the clone. Though it dispersed, Kaida managed to evade the blow. He quickly used the Body Flicker Jutsu to create some distance between them. Jiraiya wasn¡¯t going to give him time to rest, but Kaida knew that too, and so did his clones. One of them drew a sword hidden behind its back and charged at Jiraiya. The clone knew there was no way it could defeat Jiraiya, but that wasn¡¯t its goal. Its objective was to defend and stall for time while Kaida regulated his breathing to recover from the fatigue he had built up in the past three minutes. Normally, Kaida could run for 4¨C5 hours, but this was different. Evading attacks, especially ones of such power, required much more stamina than simple exercise. After 30 seconds, the clone dispersed, and Jiraiya ran toward Kaida again. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®It held him off longer than I expected,¡¯ Kaida thought as he evaded another attack. But this time, Jiraiya wasn¡¯t limiting his strength to the elite Jonin level. It was already at low Kage level, using chakra to enhance his speed and power. It became almost impossible for Kaida to stop Jiraiya¡¯s attacks now. And then the inevitable happened. One attack, a feint aimed at his face, landed on his chest, sending him flying back several meters. Kaida felt his ribs breaking. ¡®Holding back, my ass! He¡¯s trying to kill me for sure,¡¯ Kaida thought as black markings started appearing on his body. In a blink, his wounds began to heal. Before he hit the ground, most of the pain was gone. He flipped in mid-air and landed on his feet instead of his back. Now that it had come to this, there was no need to hold back. Since the seal was already activated, he no longer had to. He poured all his chakra into increasing his speed and strength, pushing himself beyond normal limits. At this level, the backlash from the attacks would hurt the user too. If the strike landed on the enemy, both Kaida¡¯s and the opponent¡¯s bones would break. Most people instinctively avoided this level of enhancement, but Kaida didn¡¯t care. He disappeared from his position and reappeared in front of Jiraiya within milliseconds, almost as if he had used a jutsu. His legs screamed in pain from the strain, most likely sustaining a minor fracture, but the wound healed in seconds. With all his strength, Kaida threw a punch at Jiraiya. But this time, Jiraiya stopped holding back and caught Kaida¡¯s fist with his hand. Even though Kaida used his full power, Jiraiya was still pushed back slightly. "Okay, that¡¯s enough. Also, why are you using such a crude version of this jutsu? It speeds up your cell division, shortening your lifespan," Jiraiya asked. Chapter 254: Spar? "Okay, that¡¯s enough. Also, why are you using such a crude version of this jutsu? It speeds up your cell division, shortening your lifespan," Jiraiya asked. "Sensei, this is all I have. Two fuinjutsu grandmasters and Mitsuru Sensei herself crafted these seals on me. According to Sensei, this is the best version she knows. I know it¡¯s inferior to what Lady Tsunade uses, but it''s still better than nothing, right?" Kaida asked with a smile, though his emotions inside were in turmoil. ''This is an inferior version? My broken bones are almost completely healed within a minute, and the pain stopped as soon as the healing started. This is the first time I¡¯ve felt like a true ninja. Is this how Guy feels when he uses Taijutsu? I want to learn it.'' "Sensei is really slacking off too much," Jiraiya sighed. A confused expression appeared on Kaida¡¯s face. Seeing that, Jiraiya continued, "Even though he doesn¡¯t know the perfect version of the jutsu like Tsunade, he could have made it 30% more efficient just by himself. , looks like my work has increased. Now I have to repair this damage caused by others too," Jiraiya said. "Sensei..." Kaida started but stopped midway. "What is it?" "I want to ask a question I¡¯ve had in my mind," Kaida said. "Go ahead." "Since you can modify this seal and make it better, does that mean you''re better than two fuinjutsu grandmasters combined?" "You could say that," Jiraiya replied in a proud tone. "Then I have a question about modifying the seal. Since this seal is providing chakra to the healing seals in the body, can we use that chakra to perform jutsu or something similar?" Kaida asked. "No, that chakra is sent to your body through a predefined path, avoiding your chakra network. If they collide in any way, you¡¯ll lose your ability to use chakra entirely. Now, if you want to use it to perform jutsu, that would mean providing that chakra directly to your chakra network. There are better and less painful ways to commit suicide than that," Jiraiya replied. "Then if we can¡¯t use it for jutsu, is there still a chance to use it for increasing strength and speed like we do with normal chakra?" Kaida asked, already expecting the answer. "Yes, if you had infinite chakra, that is. This jutsu can save your life in dire times, and chakra is crucial for that. If you use chakra to increase your strength, not only will it waste six out of ten parts of chakra in the process, but you¡¯ll also lack chakra when you need it most," Jiraiya explained. "But in cases where my life isn¡¯t in danger, and I need extra strength while maintaining my chakra reserves for other things, wouldn¡¯t it come in handy?" Kaida asked. "Didn¡¯t you hear how inefficient it is? You¡¯ll be wasting chakra like crazy for just a slight increase in strength," Jiraiya said. "But during an emergency, I¡¯ll have extra chakra and, with that, an extra chance in the fight. Also, I can¡¯t just rely on the healing part of this seal¡ªI really like my lifespan, Sensei," Kaida added with an awkward laugh. "........." Jiraiya went silent for a minute. "Um, Sensei, was my request too absurd?" Kaida asked, seeing how Jiraiya was silent for so long. "It¡¯s not absurd. The absurd thing is that it actually makes sense. Having extra chakra to deal with weak but numerous enemies would be quite a boon. Why the hell hasn¡¯t anyone thought of this before?" Jiraiya said. "Maybe because no one other than Lady Tsunade uses this jutsu, and she already has high chakra reserves. With her near-perfect Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu, she doesn¡¯t need to waste that much chakra," Kaida suggested. "You¡¯ve been thinking about this for quite some time, huh? You already have so many theories, even though you¡¯ve just learned this jutsu," Jiraiya remarked. "Yes, Sensei, but I¡¯ve been training to learn this jutsu for months. During that time, it was just wishful thinking, but now, with your help, I wanted to know if some of those things are possible or not," Kaida explained. "Well, the chances aren¡¯t zero. I¡¯ll have to consult with Sensei about some of the details, but it should be possible for you to use the chakra in the seal for strength augmentation. But let me tell you, if I hadn¡¯t stopped you and we had continued the fight for one more minute at that same intensity, you¡¯d have lost one to two months of your lifespan¡ªat least. You could reach S-rank for a while, but always measure whether the situation is worth that sacrifice, okay?" Jiraiya advised. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied. ''With the damage I¡¯m sustaining during that chakra-enhanced strength usage, one to two months is on the lower side. But it wasn¡¯t completely without reason. I wanted to know my true peak power. If I use the seal with chakra-enhanced strength to strike with a sword slash loaded with fire chakra, that would truly be a frightening attack. Even a low Kage-level ninja¡¯s defense would shatter in front of it. Though the chance of using it against them is slim, because while my attack power increases exponentially, my control over the attack decreases considerably. Well, it¡¯s a fair trade, I think,'' Kaida thought. "Apart from the topic of whether we should improve the seal or not, let¡¯s return to the main point. With this, I know the basic idea of your offense and defense, both of which are at Elite Jonin level. And when I say this, it¡¯s quite a compliment because even some clan heads or minor clans in Konoha aren¡¯t at that level in both offense and defense. But there¡¯s one point where you lag behind them, and every one of them could defeat you easily¡ªunless you use that seal or your Sharingan. Can you guess what that is?" Jiraiya asked. "Battle IQ," Kaida replied, already knowing the answer. "Yes. From what I can tell, you haven¡¯t participated in actual fights against strong opponents. Most of your fighting style comes from friendly spars, which isn¡¯t bad, but now, with this level of strength, you need some battle awareness too. If not for time constraints, I would¡¯ve loved to take you on a world tour. You¡¯d have learned many things and gained the experience you need," Jiraiya said. "Sensei, do you even fight enemy ninja when you go on tours?" Kaida asked. "Well, they¡¯re not always vacations. Most of the time, they¡¯re orders from Sensei (Hiruzen) himself. But the enemy ninja you''re talking about are different from the ones I fight. There are many small-time organizations, like the bandit village you and the Uchiha clan are forming. Such organizations are normally guarded by top-level combatants, and if left alone, they make life hell for the common people. That¡¯s why I eliminate such groups too," Jiraiya explained. "The bandit village isn¡¯t like that, Sensei. They¡¯re people who were forced to become bandits and had a chance to atone for their wrongdoing. That¡¯s why I chose to spare their lives and give them a second chance. We¡¯ve altered their memories too. Now, they¡¯ll just live like normal villagers and won¡¯t revert to how they were," Kaida said, feeling a bit uncomfortable being compared to such people. "I know, Kaida. Otherwise, the village would have taken action long before your plan even started. I was just giving an example, not comparing the two. But alas, a world tour isn¡¯t feasible in just one month. So, for the next month, this will be your battlefield. I¡¯ll teach you in the morning, and we¡¯ll spar in the afternoon. You won¡¯t use that seal of yours during our spar. Then, in the evening, we¡¯ll work on the shortcomings you show in the spar. Until I find a way to modify your seal, this will be our schedule," Jiraiya explained. "But Sensei, you said I have these shortcomings because I¡¯ve only had friendly spars with others and not actual fights. So how is this any different from that?" Kaida asked. Then he suddenly felt a chill, even though the area was warm and cozy. "Don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t be a ¡®friendly¡¯ spar like you¡¯ve had until now," Jiraiya said with a smile. But to Kaida, it didn¡¯t look like a friendly smile¡ªit looked like the hospital was already preparing a bed for him. Chapter 255: A week of training (A.N: Hoho, Merry Christmas, everyone! Wishing you all a joyous and festive day filled with happiness and warmth. ??) "Don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t be a ¡®friendly¡¯ spar like you¡¯ve had until now," Jiraiya said with a smile. To Kaida, it didn¡¯t look like a friendly smile¡ªit looked like the hospital was already preparing a bed for him. ¡°We don¡¯t have to hokage building for now, Sensei is really busy and will check your aptitude after a week, till then we will only focus on training¡± Jiraya said, Kaida just nodded his head at that, not in hurry at all, *** For the next week, Kaida and Jiraiya followed a simple routine. Jiraiya taught Kaida how to wield his powers better, which was more important than increasing them. After learning many things in the morning, they had a hearty breakfast of nutrient bars, then a three-hour sparring session in the afternoon. During this time, Kaida realized how much Jiraiya had been holding back when he was testing him earlier. After each sparring session, it was difficult for Kaida to even move. During the spar, whenever Kaida was in a position where Jiraiya¡¯s next attack would either kill or seriously injure him, Jiraiya would increase one point for that day¡¯s sparring session. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was the point list after a week: - ** - 265 points - ** - 250 points - ** - 232 points - ** - 203 points "If the points are above 150, I¡¯ll increase the sparring session by another two hours," Jiraiya casually commented at the end of the 4th day. - ** - 123 points - ** - 91 points - ** - 41 points After a week, the points reduced to 41, which meant that if Kaida fought someone at Jiraiya''s level, he would die in 4-5 minutes. But that was still much better than half a minute, which was his initial record. Kaida also knew that Jiraiya still wasn¡¯t using his full power. He hadn¡¯t used his frog summons or Sage Mode, two of his most powerful abilities. But considering how he regularly used Fire Style Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, along with many other techniques, it wasn¡¯t wrong to say that Kaida got a feel of the strength of a mid-to-high Kage-level ninja. And man, was he surprised. ''The gap between a low Kage-level ninja and a high Kage-level ninja is like the gap between a Genin and an elite Jonin. And I¡¯m not even a Genin yet... how the hell will I fight you?'' Kaida thought, facing Jiraiya''s ridicule every time he crossed a century in the points. Later in their schedule, they ate a "royal" lunch of nutrient bars. After a two-hour rest, during which Kaida treated his injuries which he usually got during the spars, they analyzed the mistakes Kaida made during the spar and what he could have done better. The best thing Jiraiya taught him was how to run away from a fight he was definitely going to lose. Now that Kaida could keep himself alive for more than two minutes in front of a kage level ninja, the chances of running away were no longer zero. Jiraiya made sure that they were at least more than 50%. After that, Kaida had to complete an exercise set developed by Jiraiya to enhance his already sturdy physique. "You have the blood of the Senju clan. It would be a crime not to have a body sturdy enough just because you''re lazy," Jiraiya said on the first day, after torturing Kaida from morning to evening with enough physical labor to kill a normal person ten times. But Kaida just gritted his teeth and completed the exercise. Jiraiya left a clone behind to check on Kaida and went out daily during this time. After completing the exercise, Kaida¡¯s fatigue level was so high that he could sleep on rocky ground. So, as soon as he ate his satisfying dinner of nutrient bars, Kaida just fell asleep. As Jiraiya had said initially, Kaida truly forgot the concept of time during that week, just focusing on learning. After the week was completed... *** "We''re not doing training today, boy. We have something more important to do," Jiraiya said as Kaida was getting ready for morning training. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied, thinking Jiraiya was referring to some other type of training. "Follow me," Jiraiya said, leaving the training area. Kaida simply followed him. After coming out of the mountain, Kaida saw the sun for the first time in a full week. Even though the training area was well-lit, sunlight couldn¡¯t be compared to artificial light. After feeling good for a second, Kaida once again started following Jiraiya. They went to the Hokage building at a leisurely pace. Even though they could have used a Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to get there in minutes, Jiraiya decided to simply take a walk, allowing Kaida to enjoy his time in the sun after a week. "How¡¯s your pain tolerance?" Jiraiya asked when they were about to reach the Hokage building. "I was able to bear the pain of this seal being applied on me, so I think it¡¯s quite good, Sensei," Kaida said. "Hmm, then it might go up a level today," Jiraiya said casually, but Kaida stopped in his tracks, not wanting to understand what Jiraiya meant. "What do you mean by ''increasing the level,'' Sensei?" Kaida asked meekly. "You were the one who wanted to upgrade his seal, right? Now you can¡¯t back out. Sensei and I have been working on that for the last week. Now that the seal is ready, you can finally get the upgrade you wanted," Jiraiya said. "And?" "And we have to erase some parts of the previous seal and make a few more adjustments. So, it¡¯ll be a little more painful than what you felt before," Jiraiya said. "More painful? I thought that was the limit of the pain my mind could process before breaking down," Kaida said, a shiver running down his spine as he thought about that time. "Oh, you have no idea how much pain you can endure. Well, today you¡¯ll get a basic idea," Jiraiya said. "Can I refuse?" Kaida asked, this time not wanting to increase his strength anymore. ''What¡¯s the use of strength if I get mentally dead in the process?'' he thought. "No. Do you think my and the Hokage¡¯s time is so cheap? We¡¯ve invested hours into this, and now you want to opt out? No chance," Jiraiya said. "Sensei, are you really going to force your student into something this painful?" Kaida asked pitifully. "If it¡¯s for the betterment of my student, then why not?" Jiraiya replied, unfazed. ''Tch,'' Kaida clicked his tongue in his mind but started preparing himself to go through the process without dying. After they entered the building, Jiraiya made his way straight to the Hokage¡¯s office. "Good morning, Sensei." "Huh, at least knock before entering," Hiruzen said. "But last time you said to just enter through the door, without mentioning anything about knocking," Jiraiya replied. "Sigh. I don¡¯t have the energy to continue this discussion. So, Kaida, are you ready?" Hiruzen asked, turning towards Kaida. Even though Kaida wanted to say no, seeing the dark circles under Hiruzen¡¯s eyes, he couldn¡¯t refuse. "Yes, Lord Third. Thank you for doing so much for me," Kaida said. "No problem. It¡¯s the job of the Hokage to work for the people of Konoha," Hiruzen said with his trademark grandfatherly smile. "Since the pleasantries are over, let¡¯s start the procedure, Sensei," Jiraiya said. "Yes, let¡¯s go," Hiruzen said. He made a shadow clone to stay behind in the office while he, Jiraiya, and Kaida made their way to the basement of the Hokage building. When Kaida entered the basement, he wanted to go back to the cave he came from. There was a single light in the room, shining above a single bed that resembled a hospital stretcher. Like before, the bed had restraints to keep him from moving during the procedure, but this time, they were made of metal. The whole setup strangely resembled the experiment base of some evil scientist in a random anime movie. There was one more person in the basement besides them. "You¡¯re quite a masochist, Kaida. You really like this type of pain, huh?" Mitsuru asked, standing up from her seat. "What can I say, Sensei? I keep getting myself into these situations," Kaida replied with an awkward laugh. "Then let¡¯s start," Jiraiya said, standing near the bed with a different type of brush in hand. Unlike the previous time, when the brush resembled Tsunade¡¯s slug summon, this one looked like a weapon. "Why do I feel like you¡¯re enjoying freaking him out, Jiraiya-sama?" Mitsuru said, coming closer to the bed as well. From the look on her face, she was suppressing a smile. "I don¡¯t know, you must be confused. I¡¯m just happy that my student is going to get stronger," Jiraiya said with a laugh, and Mitsuru joined him. ''Why do I keep getting stuck with teachers like this?'' Kaida cried in his mind, but there was nothing he could do except endure the pain that was about to come. Chapter 256: PAIN Kaida was tied to the bed like a patient from a mental hospital, while three people surrounded him. It resembled a scene from some crazy scientist anime. I, taking the lead, asked Kaida to activate the seal on his forehead. With just a thought, his whole body was covered by black markings, ready to provide chakra to the healing seals in his body. "Kaida, you have to stay awake during this whole procedure, and just endure it for some time. I''m not giving you a pain suppressant because this is the first time such a procedure is being conducted on this seal, and the risk of adding an external variable is too high. So, bear this pain with all your strength," Hiruzen said. Kaida just nodded because his mouth was already gagged with a cloth to prevent him from biting his tongue. Without waiting another second, Hiruzen began removing the paths created by two fuinjutsu grandmasters, one by one. Not every path was removed, just the ones occupying too much space or those with only one destination. Their main goal was to create paths that connected many healing seals, something utterly difficult but important. But for Kaida, nothing else mattered. What he felt when Hiruzen removed the seal was **, and not just any pain, but true pain. If the initial application of the seals had felt like someone scratching him from the inside, this time, the scratching was twofold, and sometimes done twice to remove the path completely. Hiruzen had to scratch a little deeper to remove the seal. What Jiraiya had said was true¡ªthe pain was much worse than what Kaida had felt before. Unknowingly, his Sharingan activated, and he started healing the pain inside his body, but Mitsuru stopped him, as it could have affected the procedure. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will heal it after every minute. Just endure until then.¡± ¡®One minute? I¡¯ll die in the next ten seconds! Stop this! I don¡¯t want to upgrade my seal¡ªstooopppp,¡¯ Kaida was shouting in his mind, but no one could hear him. Or they chose not to. After all, someone at the level of Jiraiya and Hiruzen could sense a person''s intentions just by looking at their face, even if they tried to hide it. Let alone Kaida, whose thoughts were as clear as day: . The procedure continued. After every minute, Hiruzen would stop, and Mitsuru would heal Kaida, while Jiraiya worked on maintaining the seal on Kaida¡¯s head. For the next hour, they slowly removed the seal and created paths for the new one. ¡°Finally, the erasing part is done. Now we just need to make the new one, which will be significantly less painful,¡± Mitsuru said, her earlier cheerful personality gone. It was hard to maintain that when her student¡¯s face was smeared with snot and tears. Kaida hadn¡¯t cried last time because he¡¯d somehow been able to endure the pain, but this time it was far beyond his limit. If Sharingan could evolve from pain, he would have achieved the eternal Mangekyo Sharingan by now. Mitsuru took out her handkerchief and slowly wiped Kaida¡¯s face. Even though Mitsuru was trying to comfort him, Kaida couldn¡¯t hear her at all. His only focus was keeping himself awake because they were in the middle of a crucial part of the procedure. If something went wrong now, not only would he lose the additional benefit from the seal, but even the previous one would be destroyed. Suffering all this pain and getting nothing in return? He would rather die. Hiruzen and Jiraiya smiled, seeing the burning resolve in Kaida¡¯s eyes. Both of them were more than capable of managing the situation even if Kaida fainted. Heck, even a painkiller wouldn¡¯t have affected someone at Hiruzen¡¯s level. So why didn¡¯t they give Kaida painkillers? Because that¡¯s how the world works¡ªyou don¡¯t get everything you want just by asking. You must have the guts to handle the consequences of your request. Jiraiya and Hiruzen had worked on a single seal for a week, and this was the first time something like this had happened in a decade. To get the benefit of their hard work for free? Kaida wasn¡¯t that lucky. This was a test of sorts for Kaida. He never truly wanted to back away from it. If he did, Jiraiya would have allowed him to quit before they even reached the Hokage building, and Kaida would never have this chance again in his life. Now, seeing the boy¡¯s immense willpower, both Hiruzen and Jiraiya were satisfied that their work wasn¡¯t in vain. And this wasn¡¯t entirely wasteful for Kaida¡ªhaving high pain tolerance was never a bad thing for a ninja. Jiraiya smiled and placed his hand on Kaida¡¯s eyes, gently closing them. Kaida, who had been holding on to consciousness until now, couldn¡¯t continue any longer and finally let himself fall into a deep slumber. Jiraiya then blocked some of Kaida¡¯s acupoints to prevent him from waking up during the procedure. ¡°Let¡¯s continue, Sensei,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°Yes,¡± Hiruzen replied. Jiraiya now had to work extra hard to maintain control over the seals and prevent them from going off, but he did it without any problems, while Hiruzen created better and more concise paths in Kaida¡¯s seal, which he had erased. After completing the mitotic regeneration jutsu seals, Hiruzen started making new seals around Kaida¡¯s hands, legs, back, torso¡ªevery part a ninja usually strengthens using chakra¡ªand connected them to the already existing pathways of the mitotic regeneration seal. Now, Kaida¡¯s body had more black markings than before, but unlike before, where the markings looked like straight lines drawn with a ruler, this time they were more refined and pleasing to the eye. Not because Hiruzen paid attention to aesthetics, but because the seal was now perfect. Except for the healing seals, everything else was on par or better than what Tsunade had, but those healing seals made Kaida¡¯s version inferior to Tsunade¡¯s. Why? Because those healing seals of Tsunade were made by Tsunade herself, the best medical ninja in the world. How could they be on the same level as Mitsuru¡¯s? Though talented, Mitsuru was not on Tsunade¡¯s level, and even with the help of his Sharingan, Kaida¡¯s healing was still a bit inferior to Tsunade¡¯s. The combination of these factors meant Kaida¡¯s healing seals were not as strong as Tsunade¡¯s. To compare, if someone bisected Tsunade, she could reattach herself, but Kaida? He would simply die. This difference was extreme but real. When everything was completed, Hiruzen turned to Jiraiya. ¡°I¡¯m going home. You can stay here or let an Anbu guard him,¡± Hiruzen said, then left. Mitsuru also followed behind him. This place was off-limits to anyone other than the Hokage and Anbu captains. To stay here, one needed Hiruzen¡¯s permission, and since Hiruzen had only given it to Jiraiya, Mitsuru quietly left the basement. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the willpower, boy. Maybe taking you as my student won¡¯t be such a bad thing,¡± Jiraiya said, sitting down next to Kaida, silently waiting for him to wake up. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... ¡°Where am I?¡± Kaida said, waking from a deep slumber, only a blanket covering him. ¡®Being completely naked is not a good feeling at all,¡¯ he thought, remembering why he was here. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. You¡¯re more fragile than I thought, sleeping for ten hours just because of that much pain,¡± Jiraiya said. Chapter 257: Changed future "Did the procedure fail?" Kaida asked in a gloomy voice. He had desperately tried to stay conscious during the whole ordeal, but he knew he had lost the battle at some point and succumbed to unconsciousness. "Who do you think your sensei is? Something like this is child''s play for me! You¡¯ll see the effects of the procedure once you activate the seal," Jiraiya said proudly, a grin on his face. "Really?" Kaida asked, his voice tinged with hope as he felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Yes, you held on through the most important part. After that, it was easy." Jiraiya nodded, choosing not to mention the test Kaida had unknowingly endured. "Thank God, I thought I ruined everything," Kaida said, letting out a breath he didn''t realize he was holding. "Don''t worry about it now. But since you''ve been asleep for so long, it''s already night. We¡¯ll continue the training tomorrow. For now, you¡¯re free to do whatever you want," Jiraiya said, rising from his seat. Kaida, realizing that Jiraiya had waited patiently for him to wake up, smiled in appreciation. ¡®This world is so strange. There are people like Danzo, Hanzo, and Obito who treat life so cheaply, killing without hesitation. And then, there are people like Naruto and Jiraiya, who form deep bonds with people after only meeting them a few times. But, it¡¯s not a bad thing,¡¯ Kaida thought with a soft smile. "Sensei, my family runs the first medicinal bathhouse in Konoha. Since we have some time, would you like to visit it with me?" Kaida offered. "Sure, why not?" Jiraiya grinned. The idea of relaxing his tired muscles in a premium bathhouse was too tempting to resist. --- They arrived at the bathhouse and indulged in the luxurious baths one by one. While Jiraiya appreciated the bathhouse''s quality, he had a love-hate relationship with it. There was no place in the entire bathhouse where he could do any ¡°research¡± undetected. Hae had ensured that privacy and security were maintained to protect the bathhouse''s reputation¡ªand Jiraiya''s own questionable tendencies were well-known. The fact that Hae wasn¡¯t there when they arrived spared Jiraiya the awkwardness of any interaction. When they finished, Jiraiya politely declined Kaida¡¯s offer to visit his home, claiming he had important matters to attend to. Kaida, not pushing the matter, returned home alone and was greeted warmly by his family. Hae, overjoyed to see him after a week, insisted he eat until he was nearly bursting before they settled down for hours of heartwarming conversation. Meanwhile, Jiraiya used reverse summoning to return to Mount Myoboku. A toad had approached him while Kaida was unconscious, requesting his presence. --- ¡°Long time no see, Jiraiya-boy,¡± Fukasaku, known as Pa, greeted him as soon as Jiraiya appeared atop Mount Myoboku. ¡°Sorry for the delay, Pa. I was busy with something,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°Yes, I can vividly smell the medicinal and flowery scents on you. You must have been really busy.¡± Pa''s tone was light, but Jiraiya couldn''t help but laugh awkwardly. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to joke around. Gamamaru-sama is waiting,¡± Pa said, his expression becoming serious. --- ¡°Good evening, Gamamaru-sama,¡± Jiraiya greeted with a respectful bow before the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, a being that had lived for hundreds of years. ¡°Jiraiya, you always had a knack for taking interesting students, hahaha,¡± Gamamaru chuckled. ¡°Yes, my recent student is quite talented. I¡¯m certain he¡¯ll surpass me in his prime,¡± Jiraiya replied with a satisfied smile. ¡°Yes, but he is also the reason for the change in the future I initially saw,¡± Gamamaru said, his tone becoming more solemn. ¡°The prophecy about the Child of Prophecy?¡± Jiraiya asked, his heart tightening at the mention. ¡°Yes, but that prophecy is no longer one hundred percent true. Although that child will still be the pivot of the world, there are now two possible paths. One where the outcome brings true peace for everyone, and another..." Gamamaru paused, his expression grave. "What about the other one, Gamamaru-sama?" Jiraiya asked, tension evident in his voice. ¡°The other future is filled with so much carnage that even I, who have seen death in all its forms, was startled. And your new student, Kaida, is tied to both of these futures," Gamamaru said. ¡°What can I do to prevent the second future from happening?¡± Jiraiya asked urgently. He knew Gamamaru wasn¡¯t joking. Somehow, Kaida had become deeply intertwined with the fate of the entire world, and Jiraiya was determined to do whatever it took to guide things toward the peaceful path. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s nothing you can do. Just let things unfold naturally and observe. But after three months, bring that boy to me. I will take my rest now, and when I wake up, I want to see him. There¡¯s something peculiar about him that I need to understand.¡± Gamamaru closed his eyes and drifted into slumber. Jiraiya, knowing the conversation was over, bowed again. ¡°Understood, Gamamaru-sama.¡± ¡°So, are you heading back, or will you stay? Ma has just prepared a delicious meal. You could join us if you want,¡± Pa said. ¡®I don¡¯t want to eat insect soup and salad, not at all,¡¯ Jiraiya groaned internally. Out loud, he said, ¡°After hearing all of this, I¡¯ve lost my appetite, Pa. I¡¯ll return for now and think about it.¡± ¡°Hmph, your loss,¡± Pa said, hopping away toward his home for what Jiraiya was certain would be a feast he was glad to miss. --- Unaware of any of this, Kaida was peacefully sleeping in his room, mentally preparing for the grueling training that awaited him the next day. --- The next morning, Kaida woke up, had breakfast with his family, and returned to Training Area 2. Jiraiya was already there, sitting in deep thought. Unlike usual, he wasn¡¯t working on his novel or reading. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing Jiraiya in such deep contemplation, Kaida chose not to disturb him, silently standing at his side. ¡°You¡¯re not my guard, Kaida. Besides, you don¡¯t have the luxury to wait around. We only have three weeks left, and there¡¯s much for you to learn. For the next two weeks, we¡¯ll focus solely on stabilizing your progress,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°Yes, Sensei,¡± Kaida replied, though he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Jiraiya had something more to say but had chosen not to. Chapter 258: Upgrades ¡°First of all, have you tried activating your seal now?¡± Jiraiya asked. ¡°No, Sensei, I thought it would be better to do that under your guidance,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Good, it¡¯s always wise to be cautious. Now, try activating the seal.¡± Kaida focused on the seal on his forehead, but was surprised by what he felt. ¡°The seal has changed, Sensei. It¡¯s like there are two valves now. The original one is still there, but now there¡¯s also a smaller valve present,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s for the strength enhancement. You can choose which one to open and when. You can open both at the same time or one, depending on your need. Also, the Yin Seal has been improved by my sensei to avoid overburdening your chakra pathways. He also added measures to reduce the lifespan reduction by 50%. Sensei really outdid himself this time. Now your seal isn¡¯t that inferior to Tsunade¡¯s. Aside from the healing aspect, everything else is nearly the best,¡± Jiraiya explained. ¡°Then I can use it more now?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°If you take any major damage, your cells will divide, and your lifespan will be reduced. This happens to everyone, but because the recovery process is slow, the effect isn''t visible in normal people. However, with the Mitotic Regeneration Seal, the recovery speed is super fast, placing a heavy burden on the caster''s body. But the most pressing problem is that your natural aversion to injuries will decrease. Since your injuries will heal so quickly, you¡¯ll start taking more hits just to deal more damage to the enemy. This will result in an unnecessary reduction of your lifespan, much more than needed, and this will happen subconsciously. It¡¯s difficult to monitor and guard against, which is why it''s better to use it only when necessary,¡± Jiraiya explained. ¡°I understand, Sensei. I¡¯ll only use it when my or my comrades'' lives are in danger,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Good, but that rule only applies to the sealing part. Your seal now has an extra feature you can use however you want,¡± Jiraiya said, laughing like a child about to play with a new video game. Kaida felt something was off, and Jiraiya¡¯s next sentence sent a shiver down his spine. ¡°For the next two weeks, you¡¯re going to spar with me, using that seal¡¯s chakra to enhance your strength. Since that chakra won¡¯t follow your usual pathways, it¡¯ll be difficult at first, but it¡¯ll get easier. We¡¯re tight on time, so let¡¯s start now,¡± Jiraiya said. Having no other option, Kaida nodded, but before he could activate his seal, Jiraiya interrupted him. ¡°Kaida, sensei told me your transformation jutsu is quite different. Why haven¡¯t you used it in our spars till now?¡± ¡°I have used it, Sensei. The sword my shadow clone transforms into is part of that jutsu,¡± Kaida said. ¡°So, they can only transform into swords?¡± ¡°No, Sensei, but since I have to use kenjutsu, I normally use that jutsu to transform into swords,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Oh boy, having a strong suit is good, but swords aren¡¯t ideal for what you¡¯re going to train in next. What you need now is¡­¡± --- For the next two weeks, different sounds echoed from Training Area 2. Along with the sounds came small tremors that could be felt by people nearby. As a result, Hiruzen and Kabuto had to change their training location. After two weeks, Hiruzen himself went to Training Area 2, which had been locked from the inside. The area was fully ventilated, with water supply and enough food for two people to survive for years, but that was it¡ªjust survive. His student and grand-student had been in this environment for two weeks without leaving for even a second. Normally, he would have sent an Anbu to summon Jiraiya and Kaida to his office, but since he was already there and curious about the results of such intense training, he decided to check for himself. Even though the gates were closed from the inside, there wasn¡¯t a single gate in Konoha that could keep the Hokage out, especially not the gates of a training area specifically designed for him. With a simple hand seal, the gate opened, and Hiruzen entered the training area¡ªonly to be shocked by the scene before him. The training area, which was made for a Kage, was in shambles. Normally, even an A-rank jutsu wouldn¡¯t be able to damage the walls, leaving a scratch or two at most. But now, various pits and cracks were present in the ground, walls, and even the ceiling. ¡°What have you two been doing for the past two weeks?¡± Hiruzen asked the two sleeping ninja, who, instead of using the provided beds, were lying on the hard ground. Hiruzen understood they must have been exhausted and had fallen asleep, but still, he wanted to know what caused the destruction in the training area. Did Jiraiya use Sage Mode to show Kaida what true power looked like? Normally, both Jiraiya and Kaida would wake at the slightest sound, but today was different. They knew they were in a safe place, and considering how tired they were after three days of continuous practice, their natural instincts didn¡¯t kick in while they slept. But when they heard Hiruzen¡¯s voice, both jolted awake, ready to attack¡ªonly to see it was Hiruzen himself, and they quickly calmed down. ¡°What day is it, Sensei?¡± Jiraiya asked, yawning. ¡°Tuesday, the day we agreed to let the team meet. Why are you in this condition anyway?¡± Hiruzen asked, noticing that even Jiraiya looked battered. ¡°Sensei, today you¡¯ll see something really great,¡± Jiraiya said with a broad smile. ¡°Fine, get fresh. You both have two hours, then come to my office. I¡¯ve already summoned the others,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Okay, Sensei.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Third.¡± Hiruzen nodded, then turned to leave. But before he left, he added, ¡°Kaida, this training area is a secret training area for me. Its information is classified.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut, Lord Third,¡± Kaida said, bowing slightly. Hiruzen just nodded and left. ¡°Boy, you¡¯ve progressed by leaps and bounds. I¡¯ve taught you the best I could... ''IF YOU GET OVERSHADOWED BY THE OTHERS, I¡¯LL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE YOUR TRAINING GETS MORE EFFECTIVE,''¡± Jiraiya said, his tone bordering on threatening. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sensei. I¡¯m sure that if I fought myself from a month ago, I could beat him in ten seconds.¡± ¡°Confidence is good, but make sure it doesn¡¯t turn into overconfidence. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even know how you died,¡± Jiraiya said, waving his hand as he left the training area. ¡°Get ready in an hour. I¡¯ll be back by then.¡± ¡°Yes, Sensei.¡± --- Kaida and Jiraiya sat in front of Hiruzen, with Kabuto seated next to Kaida. ¡°You said you summoned everyone for two hours,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°And we still have ten minutes. Your impatience is showing with age,¡± Hiruzen said, exhaling a puff of smoke from his pipe. Knock, knock. ¡°Lord Third...¡± ¡°Send them in,¡± Jiraiya said, eager to not spoil the final surprise he had in store for his student. The secretary glanced at Hiruzen for confirmation. Despite Jiraiya¡¯s high status, he was still below the Hokage. Hiruzen nodded, and in a minute, two figures entered the office. ¡°Good morning, Lord Third,¡± Fugaku said, bowing slightly, less than a normal shinobi, but still bowing. No matter how powerful or well-connected, in a shinobi village, you were always below the Kage. ¡°Good morning, Lord Third,¡± said the boy following Fugaku. He bowed more deeply than Fugaku, his calm and composed demeanor reflected in his appearance. He had long, straight black hair that fell to his shoulders, with a distinct fringe framing his face. His pale skin complemented his sharp, well-defined features, and his slightly narrow, almond-shaped eyes gave him a thoughtful, almost distant expression. ¡°Good morning. Please, take a seat, both of you. We¡¯ve been waiting for you,¡± Hiruzen said, giving Fugaku the respect he deserved as the head of Konoha¡¯s most powerful clan. ¡°You¡¯re surprised that HE is your teammate, right?¡± Jiraiya teased with a grin. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®Considering only the best talent is being sent, there aren¡¯t many options left to send, Sensei. Since I already know two, picking the best among the rest was easy. I already knew, but you were so excited about it,¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡°How the hell¡­ isn¡¯t it too dangerous to send a clan heir on such a mission?¡± Kaida asked in a hushed but shocked voice. ¡°Dangerous? I¡¯m going as your sensei. There¡¯s no safer place than wherever I am when I¡¯ve promised to protect you guys,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°Enough of your chatter. Let¡¯s move on to the main reason we¡¯re here,¡± Hiruzen said, exhaling another puff of smoke before placing his pipe aside and extinguishing the flame. Chapter 259: Trial "Enough of your chatter. Let¡¯s move on to the main reason we¡¯re here," Hiruzen said, exhaling another puff of smoke before placing his pipe aside and extinguishing the flame. "Okay, Sensei." "Yes, Lord Third." "Since you three are going to participate in the Chunin Exam as a team, it¡¯s very important for you to know each other well¡ªhow you fight, what your strengths are, what your weaknesses are, and how you can cooperate with each other. That¡¯s why, from now on, for one week, you guys are going to train together. But first, as an icebreaker, let¡¯s do something interesting to show each of you why you have these partners and how they are not weaker than you," Hiruzen explained. "We naturally don¡¯t doubt your choice anyway, Lord Third," Itachi said respectfully. "I know, Itachi, but still¡ªdon¡¯t you want to know how powerful your teammates are?" Hiruzen asked in a tone as if he were talking to a child, even though the person he was addressing was more mature than most adults in Konoha. Itachi nodded at that, not wanting to refuse Hiruzen, though he thought, ''Since we are going to train together for a week anyway, we will naturally learn how powerful each person is,'' but he kept that to himself. "Since everyone is ready, let¡¯s head to the training area for this," Hiruzen instructed. --- All six of them were standing in Training Area 6, the largest and most well-equipped training ground in Konoha, second only to the one reserved for the Hokage. "So, what you guys have to do is simply show your most powerful jutsu, technique, or method¡ªanything. Just demonstrate your strongest move," Jiraiya said, getting nods from the three genin. "But it would be boring to simply use your moves in the air, so let¡¯s do this," Jiraiya continued, making several hand signs before slamming his hand on the ground. The land in front of him began to shift, and many rock spikes emerged from the ground¡ª250 rock spikes to be exact. This was an astonishing number, even for a Kage-level ninja. Considering earth jutsu wasn¡¯t even Jiraiya¡¯s specialty, this feat was even more impressive. But what happened next was even more remarkable. Hiruzen, the Hokage himself, began making hand seals before slamming his hand on the ground as well. The rock spikes that had emerged started to change shape. In just a minute, 250 human-shaped statues made of rock stood in front of everyone. The look on the three genins'' faces was worth seeing¡ªthis was the first time they had witnessed something like this. Kaida, in particular, had some interesting thoughts. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Such fine control. Like Yamato, Hiruzen must also be able to build buildings from scratch,'' he thought. But before those absurd thoughts could continue, Jiraiya started speaking again. "Thanks, Sensei. Now, you three will perform your strongest move on these. Don¡¯t hold back, because the person who destroys the most statues will be the team leader, okay?" Jiraiya said. "Yes, Sensei." "Okay, Jiraiya-sama." "Okay, Jiraiya-sama." "So, who¡¯s going first?" Jiraiya asked, but no one stepped forward. "Fine, pick one stick from these," Jiraiya said, presenting three sticks to the genin. Everyone took one. "Kabuto, you¡¯re first. Kaida, second. Itachi, third," Jiraiya announced after seeing the numbers on the sticks. ''This damn world always wants to make him the main character, coming in at the end to show off his power. You¡¯re lucky I saved you from having a tragic backstory,'' Kaida thought, looking toward Itachi. "Sorry?" Itachi said, not understanding why Kaida was looking at him like that. "Can you guys step back a bit? I still don¡¯t have full control over this move," Kabuto said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Okay." Everyone, including the Hokage, moved back, giving Kabuto ample space. Fugaku was especially interested in Kabuto, as this boy had been an unknown until recently. And within just a month, he was on the same team with two of the most talented youths of the Uchiha clan. Naturally, Fugaku was curious. Kabuto took a deep breath and started making hand seals. After completing several seals, he released a stream of water from his mouth. ** But it wasn¡¯t the grand display everyone had expected. It was a simple C-rank water release jutsu, useful for creating a water source. Everyone understood that, for a student trained by "the Professor" himself, this couldn¡¯t be Kabuto¡¯s best or strongest move. And true to everyone¡¯s expectations, Kabuto began making hand seals again¡ªthis time far more complex. He completed more than 35 hand seals in just two seconds and then slammed his hand on the ground. The earth cracked open, and from the soil, now turned into mud from his previous jutsu, a massive wolf began to rise. It was monstrous, nearly the size of a small house. Its body was made entirely of thick, glistening mud, with chunks of earth dripping from its form. Sharp, stone-like fangs jutted from its massive jaws. ** The wolf emerged directly beneath the dummies, swallowing more than 30 of them as it rose. Then, with a flick of Kabuto¡¯s hand, it lunged toward the area densely packed with dummies. Some were shredded by its jaws, while others were smashed by its sheer weight. After wreaking havoc for 30 seconds, the wolf¡¯s form finally collapsed into a pile of mud, leaving a small mountain of debris behind. Kabuto was panting, his hands on his knees. "Sensei, you taught him jutsu?" Jiraiya asked, equally surprised. Fugaku was stunned as well. "He has the same elemental affinities as . Besides, the White Fang was the most loyal shinobi I¡¯ve ever seen. I would be ecstatic to have another ninja like him. Though comparing Kabuto to the White Fang would be unfair, we don¡¯t know what the future holds for him. As for this jutsu, the White Fang modified an Iwagakure technique himself and never claimed ownership. Even when he was alive, he was happy for anyone to learn it, saying the rise of Konoha¡¯s strength was enough for him. So there¡¯s no problem teaching Kabuto this jutsu," Hiruzen explained. "But if other villages think he has even the slightest potential to become the next White Fang, they¡¯ll spare no effort in eliminating him," Jiraiya said, knowing how feared the White Fang was by enemy nations. "They can try. I¡¯m planning on nurturing this boy as Tsunade¡¯s heir, so he¡¯ll be in the village for quite some time after returning. If they have the guts to try something in the village, they¡¯re welcome to try whenever they want," Hiruzen said confidently. "Sensei, you¡¯re just making my work more difficult," Jiraiya sighed. "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve taught him many other things. This is just a last resort," Hiruzen replied with a small laugh. "Sigh, alright. Next is your turn. Let me quickly fix the ground first," Jiraiya said. And within a minute, 250 statues were standing in front of them again. Chapter 260: Show Kaida took a deep breath and moved ahead, but before using the jutsu, he turned around and asked, "Sensei, can I really use my more powerful technique?" "Yes, but only this time," Jiraiya said with a smile. "Okay, sensei." Listening to this conversation, everyone once again grew curious. ''Did Jiraiya teach Kaida a forbidden jutsu?'' thoughts like these swirled in their minds. Kaida, not paying any attention to them, made quick hand signs, and three shadow clones appeared next to him one by one. Then, in front of everyone, he made one more hand seal, and black marks began appearing on his body. Due to him wearing a half-sleeve shirt, the markings on his hand were visible. Fugaku, who had seen Tsunade in action, could tell that the markings on Kaida''s hand were different from what Tsunade had. Hers were simple lines, but Kaida''s had various fuinjutsu seals and lines combined to form something similar to a gauntlet tattoo on his hand. "Sensei, please take care of the projectiles," Kaida said. "Don''t worry about us, brat. You''re 10 years too young for that," Jiraiya replied. Kaida nodded, and then two of his clones used the ** to transform into two giant hammers, with spikes emerging from all sides¡ªlooking more like a mace and hammer combo. Without hesitating another second, Kaida jumped into the air. Normally, he could only manage a 10 to 12-meter jump, but this time, the chakra enhancement from the seal powered his leap, sending him 20 meters above the ground. One of the three remaining shadow clones quickly used chakra-enhanced strength to throw a hammer toward Kaida. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida caught the hammer. However, instead of using it for a direct attack as everyone expected, he simply cast the **, a basic C-rank jutsu, just like Kabuto had used. The hammer, already heavy, gained the speed it needed and struck the ground like a meteor, crushing two or three statues under its weight and damaging nearby ones as well. But no one was paying attention to that. The real motive behind the ** wasn''t the hammer¡¯s impact¡ªit was to push Kaida higher. Now, he was 35 meters above the ground, nearly the height of a 10-story building¡ªan astronomical height. The clone below pushed its body to its limit, chakra leaking into the environment, and lifted the hammer again. Spinning it with all its strength, it threw the hammer as fast as possible. The clone dispersed from overexertion, having completed its task. Kaida, now 30 meters above the ground, caught the hammer once more. He took a deep breath and let the chakra enhancement reach its full force. While using his own chakra, he infused ** chakra into the hammer. Unlike other chakra types that make weapons more lethal in unique ways, Earth chakra has the odd feature of making weapons sturdier and heavier¡ªexactly what Kaida needed. With the hammer in hand, Kaida began his descent. The hammer, originally weighing 70 kg, was now enhanced to 120 kg by Earth chakra. As Kaida used his chakra-enhanced strength, he struck downward at 40 meters per second, truly descending like a meteor. ** The impact was immense¡ªlike hundreds of explosive tags detonating at once. Kaida¡¯s attack created a 10-meter-wide crater. The statues inside the circle were either reduced to powder or shattered into splinters, damaging the surrounding area. Chunks of earth flew out with them. But the destruction didn¡¯t stop there. As soon as his attack hit, a small earthquake shook the entire training area, forcing even Jiraiya and Fugaku to use chakra to maintain their balance. As the dust settled, Kaida was seen with his arm bent at an unnatural angle, nearly broken. This was after his body had already healed somewhat using the **. With visible healing, Kaida¡¯s bones mended rapidly, though he had to realign them from time to time. This was the price of unleashing such an attack. "That attack is easily among mid to high S-rank jutsu if we just consider destruction," Fugaku said. "But using that against any powerhouse is not possible. Even though blocking that jutsu is almost impossible, evading it is not," Hiruzen remarked. "That jutsu is still not complete. It''s just an experiment we''re doing as part of his latest fighting style," Jiraiya added. "Then I would love to see this jutsu when it''s complete, Jiraiya-sama," Fugaku replied. Jiraiya just nodded. By then, Kaida had already healed himself and returned in front of them. "Very good, Kaida, that was really great. You destroyed... 210 statues completely, while the remaining 40 are also damaged but not enough. Still, 210 is already very impressive. Good job," Hiruzen said, sensing the numbers of the destroyed statues. "Thank you, Lord Third," Kaida responded. Everyone was surprised at this. Seeing the effect of the jutsu, they had thought Kaida would be panting his heart out by now, but he stood there perfectly fine with 90% of his chakra reserves intact. This was the benefit of using the ** for strength enhancement. "What do you think, Itachi? Could you beat him?" Hiruzen asked. "Yes," Itachi replied, but there was no arrogance in his tone, as if he were just stating a fact known to everyone. "Good, then it¡¯s your turn," Hiruzen smiled, and Jiraiya went ahead and once again created 250 statues. Itachi started walking toward the area slowly, his steps neither hurried nor slow. The wind began blowing softly, and Itachi¡¯s long hair fluttered in the breeze. ¡®Fuck you, world. I get it¡ªyou want him to be the main character, but this is just too much. Now, what? Will leaves fall, adding the last detail to this picture?¡¯ Just as Kaida thought this, a tree quite a distance away shook from the wind, and red-colored leaves flew through the air, completing the scene for Itachi. ¡®WHAT THE FUCK¡­¡¯ Kaida''s expression was priceless, but no one paid any attention to him because the show in front of them was far more interesting. Itachi began making one hand seal after another, using the jutsu he had learned recently. His chakra began revolving like crazy inside his body. The amount far exceeded what Kabuto had used for ** by a huge margin. Suddenly, Itachi stopped his hand signs, and the chakra, which had been swirling inside him like a river during a monstrous rainstorm, was released into the environment. One by one, large fireballs started appearing above Itachi. One, two, three... ten... fifteen... twenty... twenty-five. Exactly 25 fireballs with such intense heat that even though everyone was standing more than 100 meters away from Itachi, they could still feel the scorching heat on their skin. ** Itachi raised his hand, looking toward the statues, then brought his hand down like a king delivering a death sentence to criminals. All 25 fireballs descended upon the statues, destroying ten each, and spreading a sea of fire around. There was no need to count this time. Everyone knew there wasn''t a single statue left standing. Even if, by chance, one had remained, it would have long melted from the intense heat. Chapter 261: Captain (A.N: Happy new year Everyone, woohoo ? ? ?? ?) *** Itachi raised his hand, looking toward the statues, then brought it down like a king delivering a death sentence. All 25 fireballs descended upon the statues, destroying ten each, and spreading a sea of fire around. There was no need to count this time. Everyone knew there wasn¡¯t a single statue left standing. Even if, by chance, one had remained, it would have long melted from the intense heat. Afterward, Itachi didn¡¯t even wait for the dust to settle and slowly made his way back toward everyone else, with the sea of fire behind him. ¡°He learned an S-rank Jutsu in three weeks and to this extent. Truly worthy of the title ¡®once in a century genius,¡¯¡± Hiruzen said with a smile. Itachi''s talent level was unmatched because the jutsu he used was Fire Release: Great Flame Flower. In this jutsu, the user can make many fireballs at once, firing them simultaneously toward the enemy. The destructive power of this jutsu is unmatched¡ªone could say this jutsu is the pride of the Uchiha clan, after the Sharingan, of course. It was mandatorily learned by every clan head. But the destructive power of this jutsu comes at a cost¡ªcontrol. It is really difficult to control, and many times not only allies but even the caster can get injured if not used properly. But Itachi was not only able to control the jutsu, he even calculated the number of fireballs he would need, the destructive power of each one, and their aim. Everything was perfect, as if he had practiced this jutsu for years. Hiruzen, however, knew Itachi had only learned it in three weeks. Why? Because as Hokage, learning something like an S-rank jutsu without his permission was impossible unless one wanted to become a rogue ninja, as it would be a direct challenge to his authority. That¡¯s why, when Fugaku got the chance, he asked if he could teach Itachi this jutsu. If it were from the original timeline and one year later, Hiruzen would have said no. Maintaining the power balance and keeping the Uchiha within a controllable range was more important, along with Danzo''s strong disapproval. Itachi wouldn¡¯t have learned this jutsu. But now, with everything in its right place, Itachi learned this overpowered jutsu. He showed his true talent in fire release¡ªa top monster among the monstrous geniuses of Konoha. ¡°There¡¯s no need for counting, Itachi. You¡¯ve destroyed most¡ªno, all¡ªof the statues. You¡¯ll be the captain of the team during this time,¡± Jiraiya said as soon as the fire died down and the dust settled. The ground where Itachi had used this jutsu had turned to glass in some places. For that, a temperature of 1800 degrees Celsius or 3270 degrees Fahrenheit is required. Normally, even achieving half of this is difficult for a jonin using fire release jutsu. This showed just how powerful the jutsu was. ¡°Nice to meet you, Captain,¡± Kaida said, smiling at Itachi. ¡°Hello, Captain,¡± Kabuto chimed in as well. ¡°Hi,¡± Itachi said. ¡°It¡¯s good to see that every single one of you is already overqualified for this mission, so there¡¯s no need for you to continue training your strength. What you need now is teamwork. In our world, if the teamwork of a ninja team is perfect, their strength reaches much higher than the individual sum of their abilities. Since Jiraiya is going to be your sensei for the Chunin Exam, he will be responsible for training your teamwork,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Sensei, I have something much more important to do in Mount Myoboku, so can you handle this task yourself, please?¡± Jiraiya said. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jiraiya. I already summoned Kousuke before coming here. According to him, there¡¯s no task for you three anymore, so you could focus on your students for the next week,¡± Hiruzen said, maintaining his smile. ¡°Oh, come on, Sensei! I¡¯ve been teaching this brat for two weeks straight. I need a break now,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°You can take a break for today. It¡¯s a day off for you guys as well. Take a rest because from tomorrow, you¡¯ll once again go back to training,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Yes, Lord Third,¡± everyone from the genin trio replied. Naturally, Fugaku had no objections with this setup. His son was going to be trained by Jiraiya, the figure he grew up hearing stories about. With this, everyone went back to their respective destinations, enjoying a day of peace after gruesome hard work for weeks. Naturally, Kaida went to his house¡ªthe only place he could truly rest, both physically and mentally. Though Shisui was curious about the progress Kaida had made, with Hae¡¯s ¡®gentle¡¯ reminder, he didn¡¯t ask Kaida to show him much of his progress. But Kaida, who had been training continuously for two weeks, was in no condition to do any work and ended up sleeping for 14 hours. When he woke up, it was already nighttime, and he didn¡¯t want to disturb the neighbors. Even though loud sounds from training weren¡¯t rare in a ninja village during the night, that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t hated. People still loved their sleep. But Kaida still told Shisui about the enhancements in his Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu and how he had to remodel his fighting style for when he used the seal. Now he had two fighting styles¡ªone using the Sharingan and his physical specs to perform precise, lethal attacks, and the other pure destruction: running headfirst into the enemy and destroying them with brute force. If Kaida had to choose which one he liked more, he would undoubtedly choose the second one. Even though the first one was better and saved him from injury and entrapment, every boy naturally loved pure destruction, and Kaida was no different. Because of the emotion-amplifying effect of the Sharingan, and that too a 3-tomoe Sharingan, his feelings had amplified to such a degree that Kaida had come to really love his new fighting style. ... After a full day of rest, everyone was summoned to Training Area 6 by the Anbu. All three genins arrived 10 minutes before the time they were called. ¡°Hey, Captain, were you waiting for too long?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Sorry for being late, Captain,¡± Kabuto added, appearing right after Kaida. ¡°No, I just got here, and can you guys stop calling me Captain? It¡¯s awkward,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Then what do you want us to call you? Oniisan? Ani?...¡± Kaida teased. ¡°Captain is fine,¡± Itachi quickly interrupted before he could continue. ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s nice to have such a lively team to teach,¡± Jiraiya said, entering the training area with a bottle of liquor in his hand, clearly drunk. Chapter 262: Tagging the Sannin Jiraiya stumbled forward, lazily waving a bottle in the air as he approached the group. His eyes were half-lidded, but there was still a sharpness behind them that no amount of alcohol could dull. He grinned, displaying his usual carefree nature. "Since we have to work on your teamwork, I need to know how much work I have to do. So, time to see what teamwork you can manage when your sensei isn''t sober!" Jiraiya chuckled, taking another swig from his bottle. "Don''t worry, though. This is just a little exercise to get your blood pumping." Kaida glanced at Kabuto, who raised an eyebrow, amused at seeing one of the Sannin in such a state. Itachi, however, remained as calm as ever, though Kaida could swear he saw a small smirk tug at the corners of Itachi''s lips. "First task," Jiraiya said, stretching dramatically, "is capturing me. You''ve got three minutes to tag me. If you can do that, then I''ll treat you all to some dango later. Deal?" Kaida''s eyes lit up at the challenge. Jiraiya may have been tipsy, but he was still one of the Legendary Sannin. Tagging him would be no easy feat, especially when they had to work together to do it. Normally, it should be easier with more people, but someone of Jiraiya''s level could easily cause chaos in even a fully organized team, let alone them. "Ready when you are," Itachi said, already calculating strategies in his mind. Being the captain of the team, his decision was all Jiraiya needed. Jiraiya wobbled a bit but then crouched low, his bottle vanishing into a puff of smoke as he cracked his knuckles. "Three minutes start now!" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The air shifted in an instant. Kaida activated his Sharingan, locking onto Jiraiya''s every move. Kabuto adjusted his glasses, scanning the environment for any signs of traps or tricks. Meanwhile, Itachi stayed perfectly still, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Jiraiya dashed forward, his movements surprisingly swift despite his earlier drunken appearance. Kaida used chakra enhancement to run toward Jiraiya at full speed, aiming to cut off his escape with a shadow clone. But Jiraiya vanished into thin air, reappearing behind Kabuto. "Sloppy," Jiraiya teased, flicking Kabuto on the back of the head before disappearing again. Kabuto wobbled slightly but didn¡¯t lose focus, trying to catch Jiraiya, who had already vanished once more. With this, Kaida and Kabuto understood that alone, they stood no chance, even against a drunk Jiraiya. Itachi, who had not moved from his position, was already planning as he saw Kaida and Kabuto approach. Having been on the battlefield since childhood, he had an excellent understanding of teamwork, and as the clan heir, he was also trained in leadership and the ability to bring out the full potential of his subordinates. "Itachi, Kabuto, we have to work together. We stand no chance alone," Kaida said, spinning to face Jiraiya''s next possible location. ¡°That goes without saying,¡± Kabuto replied, also using chakra to enhance his physical abilities. Though not at Kaida¡¯s and Itachi¡¯s level, he was not weak either. "Wait," Itachi said calmly. Jiraiya reappeared in the distance, laughing as if this was nothing more than a game. But Itachi was already prepared. As soon as Jiraiya stopped to laugh, Itachi released a genjutsu so subtle that even Jiraiya would take a moment to notice. Kaida saw the slight shift in Jiraiya¡¯s posture¡ªa momentary pause in his movements. That was all they needed. "Now!" Itachi commanded. Kaida and Kabuto moved in unison. Kabuto threw a barrage of kunai, forcing Jiraiya to dodge, while Kaida sprinted forward, aiming to close the distance. With his enhanced speed, he was a blur of motion, coming at Jiraiya from an angle he couldn''t easily avoid. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, impressed despite himself, but at the last second, he used Earth Release: Iron Skin Jutsu and swatted the kunai with his bare hand. Just when Kaida was about to reach him, Jiraiya flickered away again, leaving behind an explosive tag. Seeing this, Kaida used every bit of his power to jump back. While in mid-air, he used Gale Palm Jutsu to push himself further, diverting some of the fire in the process. But the explosion everyone was expecting never happened. Kaida landed 13 meters away from his previous position. "That was fake, but enemies will use real ones. So, think thrice before charging toward an enemy," Jiraiya said with a smile. Kaida berated himself. Jiraiya had already taught him these basics, but he had considered this a game and thought there was no need to be so cautious. Such rookie mistakes had killed hundreds of genin on the battlefield. "Yes, sensei," Kaida replied. While this was happening, Itachi had already moved. Just as Jiraiya flickered away from Kaida¡¯s reach, Itachi used the Body Flicker Jutsu to appear right behind Jiraiya. The smile on Jiraiya¡¯s face vanished. Without wasting a second, he gave a roundhouse kick to Itachi, who was just behind him. "Never think the enemy is distracted on a battlefield. It may be a ploy to lure you into a trap," Jiraiya said, standing straight as Itachi slid a certain distance before stopping. "Okay, sensei," Itachi replied, ignoring the pain in his forearm, which he had used to block Jiraiya¡¯s kick. Just when they were about to continue their efforts, Jiraiya spoke again. "That¡¯s enough. Three minutes are over, and I¡¯ve got a basic idea of your teamwork capabilities. That subtle genjutsu was quite great, Itachi. Kabuto, your timing with the kunai throw was on point. As for you, Kaida, if you had waited for the right moment like Itachi, your chances of winning would¡¯ve been better." He paused before continuing, "Individually, you all did great, but in terms of teamwork, it was subpar. Even though you used the openings created by others well, that¡¯s not enough to be considered good teamwork. You should try to enhance each other''s performance and create chances for your teammates because, ultimately, one move is enough to change the course of a battle completely. You need to do everything you can to make that move¡ªeither by yourself or by helping your teammate do it." Everyone nodded, absorbing the knowledge like a sponge. ¡°Now, get ready. We¡¯re going to start the real training from here on¡­¡± Jiraiya said, moving his chakra in such a way that he sobered up within a minute, as if he had never drunk a drop of alcohol. ¡°For starters, let¡¯s begin with¡­¡± Jiraiya started teaching them about teamwork and much more, lessons they would need not only now but for their whole lives. Being a war veteran and a member of the Legendary Sannin, there were very few people who could teach this better than him. For the next five days, they performed various exercises and learned much theoretical knowledge as well, becoming more and more coordinated day by day. By the end of the week, the three ninja stood in front of Jiraiya once again, with sparks of determination visible in their eyes. (A.N: the backlog is complete ^~^, enjoy you weekend guys) Chapter 263: Final ‘Game’ Till the end of the week, Jiraiya continued teaching them while only giving them the necessary rest. At the end of the week, three ninjas were once again standing in front of Jiraiya, sparks visible in their eyes. ¡°This is your final test. We are once again going to play tag, but this time, you guys have to use everything you can because if you lose again, I¡¯m going to cancel this mission. We¡¯re not taking so much risk if you guys can¡¯t even achieve this much,¡± Jiraiya said. But there was no reply, just burning gazes fixed on him. Everyone was waiting for Jiraiya to say the word. Understanding that, a smirk appeared on his face. ¡°Start,¡± Jiraiya said and vanished from his position. In the next second, the spot where he had been standing was shrouded by tens of earth bullets released by Kaida and Kabuto. Neither of them expected this to work; it was just a move to force Jiraiya toward a more favorable location, away from the woods where he could hide easily and defend from many attacks. Jiraiya reappeared a good distance away from the onslaught of earth bullets, landing lightly on a nearby boulder. His eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and pride as he observed the well-coordinated assault. ¡°Not bad,¡± he muttered, weaving hand signs effortlessly. ¡°But let¡¯s see how you handle this!¡± With a rapid exhale, Jiraiya launched Fire Release: Flame Bullet, a blazing stream of fire that scorched the ground as it advanced toward the group. Neither Kaida nor Kabuto made a move to dodge it, because they knew Itachi had already prepared for such a move. He countered immediately with his Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, a simple C-rank jutsu, but in Itachi¡¯s hands, it became an impenetrable shield. Multiple fireballs spiraled toward Jiraiya¡¯s attack, accurately timed. The clash of flames caused a massive explosion, creating a brief smokescreen. ¡®Perfect,¡¯ Itachi thought, his Sharingan spinning. ''Now¡¯s the chance.'' Kaida, enhanced by his Mitotic Regeneration Seal, used the smoke as cover. By now, he had already created a shadow clone which transformed into a giant hammer. With his strength amplified, he hefted the 120 kg hammer with ease, positioning himself just outside the radius of the fire clash. Timing was everything, and Kaida knew it. Kabuto was already on the move, using the explosion''s distraction to meld into the ground with Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique. His role was to disrupt Jiraiya¡¯s footing, leaving him vulnerable to Kaida¡¯s strike. But they knew Jiraiya could easily sense his approach. Approaching a ninja who knows earth jutsu from underground is deadly, but Kabuto took this risk. If Jiraiya attempted to attack him, Kaida and Itachi would seize that opportunity to strike, as they were attacking from opposite directions, making it difficult for Jiraiya to handle everything at once. "Now!" Itachi¡¯s voice echoed in Kaida¡¯s head¡ªa very profound use of genjutsu where, with the caster''s permission, the user could enter their mind¡¯s outer layer for untraceable communication. Kaida leaped from his position with all the power his enhanced strength could muster, hammer aimed directly at Jiraiya. At the same moment, Kabuto erupted from the ground beneath Jiraiya with spiraling water fangs, leaving Jiraiya with limited options to move. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Not bad at all," Jiraiya muttered, his lips curling into a grin. With a series of rapid hand signs, he activated Earth Release: Mud Wall, pouring thrice the normal amount of chakra into the jutsu, making the wall larger and sturdier. A thick wall of earth rose between him and Kaida¡¯s hammer. The force of Kaida¡¯s blow shattered the wall, sending debris flying in every direction, but the momentary defense gave Jiraiya the split second he needed. Sending a kunai toward Kabuto¡¯s hand, he forced Kabuto to release his grip and dodge the attack. Jiraiya flickered once again, reappearing high in the air. But this time, Itachi was ready. Using Jiraiya''s lapse in concentration, Itachi placed him in a subtle genjutsu, making it seem as though his Sharingan hadn¡¯t been activated. When Jiraiya looked at Itachi to see what he was doing, Itachi cast the strongest genjutsu he could muster, knowing Jiraiya would quickly realize he was in an illusion. It was better to go full force from the start. Jiraiya¡¯s vision blurred, causing him to instinctively evade Kaida¡¯s wind blade. "Now!" Itachi called out, activating the second layer of his genjutsu¡ªa subtle yet effective illusion that made it seem as though Jiraiya¡¯s landing spot was solid ground. Instead, Jiraiya landed directly into Kabuto¡¯s trap. The moment his feet touched the ground, Kabuto¡¯s Earth Release: Bottomless Swamp activated, causing the earth to become unstable and sink beneath him. Jiraiya stumbled slightly, his feet momentarily stuck, and that was all Kaida needed. Kaida, still wielding the massive hammer, dashed forward with determination. This time, Jiraiya had no time to escape, but he was still able to deflect the hammer with a combination of Earth Release: Iron Skin Jutsu and chakra-enhanced strength. With a thunderous crash, Kaida¡¯s hammer slammed into the ground just beside Jiraiya, sending a shockwave that made the ground tremble. The force of the blow dislodged Jiraiya from the swamp, throwing him off balance. Itachi took the opportunity to release a barrage of Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, multiplying the weapons tenfold as they surrounded Jiraiya from all sides. Jiraiya grunted, deflecting most of the shuriken with his enhanced physical abilities, but the constant assault was effective against him. ¡°Alright, they¡¯ve improved,¡± he admitted under his breath, pride swelling in his chest despite being under heavy attack. Just as Jiraiya prepared to counterattack, a kunai flew past him, grazing his arm. He looked down and noticed a paper tag attached to it¡ªan explosive tag. He had only a split second to react. *Boom!* The explosion wasn¡¯t large enough to cause significant damage, but it was a distraction¡ªone that Itachi had planned meticulously. In the brief moment Jiraiya was forced to defend, Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi converged from all sides. Kaida aimed a chakra-enhanced punch, Kabuto prepared a Chakra Scalpel, and Itachi readied a finishing move. Before any of them could land their attacks, Jiraiya raised both hands in surrender, a wide grin on his face. ¡°Alright, alright! You win!¡± he laughed, completely unfazed by the danger he had been in just moments before. ¡°That teamwork was on point, boys. I¡¯m impressed.¡± The trio halted, panting heavily but with smiles of triumph on their faces. Jiraiya wiped the sweat from his brow, clearly proud of their progress. ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Jiraiya said, clapping his hands together. ¡°That was some top-tier teamwork. You used your strengths to cover each other¡¯s weaknesses, and you coordinated your attacks perfectly. You¡¯ve all come a long way in just a week.¡± Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi exchanged glances, each one feeling a sense of accomplishment. ¡°As promised,¡± Jiraiya said, grinning, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you all to some dango. You earned it.¡± ¡°Thanks, Sensei,¡± all three of them said. Each knew Jiraiya hadn¡¯t used his full strength¡ªespecially Kaida, who realized Jiraiya had neither used any A-rank or higher jutsu, nor his Sage Mode, his ultimate technique. One could say he had only used 30% of his power, but even defeating him while he used that much was impressive. ¡°Let¡¯s go then. After that, you guys are free for the day. Enjoy it, because tomorrow we¡¯re moving out for the mission,¡± Jiraiya said. Chapter 264: Daimyo The sun rose brightly over Konoha, casting a warm glow on the village as Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto enjoyed their much-anticipated day of rest. After the grueling week of training with Jiraiya, the trio felt a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. They had pushed their limits, and now they were determined to relax before embarking on their important mission. Coming out of the restaurant, each holding an extra dango stick in their hand, their stomachs bloated from eating too much, they headed toward their homes after thanking their sensei for the treat. ¡°Those brats, were they starving for the whole week for this day? How the hell could they eat this much in a single sitting?¡± Jiraiya said as he paid the bill. ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir¡­¡± The young boy at the counter responded meekly. Since Jiraiya was a famous and powerful ninja, most civilians, though they respected him, were easily intimidated by his presence. Accustomed to this, Jiraiya simply paid the bill and left. Unlike his disciples, he still had work to do. ... After resting for a day, all three were summoned to the Hokage building the next morning. When Kaida received the message, Shisui had already left the house. Kaida followed and united with Kabuto and Itachi at the Hokage¡¯s office. ¡°Hey, guys,¡± Kaida said, sitting next to Itachi and Kabuto. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Kabuto remarked. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m on time. This isn¡¯t a mission site where I have to be 10 minutes early to scan for traps,¡± Kaida replied with a smile. ¡°Still, you¡¯re visiting the Hokage. What if you made him wait?¡± Kabuto asked. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®Brat, you helped in killing the same Hokage,¡¯ Kaida thought but kept the thought to himself. ¡°Well, I was on time, so no worries.¡± ¡°Lord Third is calling for you,¡± the receptionist said. Receiving the order, the three made their way toward the Hokage¡¯s office. ... ¡°Good morning, Lord Third,¡± all three said, bowing slightly. ¡°Good morning. Were you able to rest well?¡± Hiruzen asked in his usual grandfatherly tone. ¡°Yes, Lord Third.¡± ¡°Good. Now, about the exam¡ª as you know, this is not just a simple promotion exam for you. This is a mission to show the world that the Will of Fire burning inside every Konoha ninja is as strong as ever, if not stronger. The new generation not only matches the previous one but surpasses it. The world needs to know this, and you are going to make sure they do. Though this task is dangerous, the village will ensure your safety. Not only will Jiraiya accompany you, but Shisui as well, along with two extra squads of Jonin. Your safety is fully secured.¡± Though Hiruzen was trying to reassure them, he was also hinting at the actual danger of the mission. Sending two Kage-level ninjas along with eight Jonin was enough to bring down any small ninja village without casualties. If such a team was required for their safety, then the danger level of this mission was clearly on another level. While all three were thinking this, Itachi, being the clan heir and trained in politics from a young age, thought of other implications as well. ¡°But, Lord Third, can we really send such a team to an enemy village under the pretext of security?¡± Itachi asked. ¡°Very good, Itachi. This is the quality of a good leader¡ªthinking about the hidden details as well,¡± Hiruzen said with a smile, then continued, ¡°The Daimyo will also be there to watch the exam, and you all will be part of the guard team. This is an S-rank mission, and I would normally send Jiraiya with him anyway, but now we have a reason to send the others as well.¡± ¡°So, will they stay with the Fire Daimyo all the time?¡± Kaida asked, concerned that if that were the case, it would make ambushing them easier. ¡°No, a Daimyo doesn¡¯t need protection inside a ninja village. Once we reach Kumogakure, it will be their responsibility to maintain his security. However, we will leave four Jonin with him, and the rest will focus on countering any schemes against you,¡± Hiruzen explained. Seeing that there were no further questions, Hiruzen added, ¡°You will leave for the Fire Capital in one hour, so head to the village gate then.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Third,¡± everyone said, taking their leave to make final preparations and say goodbye to their families, as they might not return for a month or two. ... Kaida said goodbye to Hae and Naruto, along with Shisui, and wrote a letter to Yomi explaining the recent developments, so she would know why he wasn¡¯t there when she returned. He also bid her farewell, as she was still at the outpost, completing her tracking and sensing training. Along with Shisui, Kaida headed for the village gate, the meeting point of the new team. There, they met Itachi and Kabuto. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Shisui Uchiha, Kaida¡¯s big brother. Nice to meet you,¡± Shisui said, meeting Kabuto for the first time. ¡°I¡¯ve heard many things about you, Shisui-sama. It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you,¡± Kabuto said, showing proper respect to his superior. Shisui, being an elite Jonin, was highly superior to Kabuto. ¡°No need to be so stiff. Since you¡¯re my brother¡¯s friend, you¡¯re like a brother to me as well,¡± Shisui said, patting Kabuto¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Save the talk for the journey; we have quite a long one ahead of us,¡± Jiraiya said, appearing in front of them, followed by eight Jonin. Four were Anbu, responsible for the Daimyo¡¯s security, while the other four were elite Jonin from the Uchiha clan, directly under Fugaku¡¯s orders. Seeing them, Itachi recognized them by their uniforms, and Kaida did as well, having seen them during the Danzo incident when they were active in the Uchiha compound. Noticing their gaze, Jiraiya explained, ¡°Itachi is the clan heir of the Uchiha. These are his guards for the mission, appointed by the Uchiha clan head.¡± ¡°I nearly forgot our captain was a prince,¡± Kabuto said with a smirk. ¡°How could you? He always maintains his royal attitude to remind us,¡± Kaida said in mock shock. ¡°Yup, totally,¡± Shisui added. For the first time since meeting Itachi, they saw a flicker of embarrassment on his face, his cheeks turning slightly red before he quickly composed himself. ¡°I never asked for guards,¡± Itachi muttered. ¡°A prince often gets many things without asking,¡± Kaida teased. The guards, though loyal to Fugaku, were not as rigid as Root ninjas. Rather than being offended, they seemed pleased by the liveliness of the young ninjas. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re in high spirits, but we don¡¯t have all day. We can¡¯t be late to meet the Daimyo, so let¡¯s go,¡± Jiraiya said. Everyone nodded, leaving behind the peaceful atmosphere and becoming completely serious as they started running toward the Fire Capital. There was no one in the group below Jonin level, so there was no need to wait for anyone during the journey. The weakest among them was Kabuto, but he was still able to keep pace. Using movement jutsu between runs, they reached the capital in just two hours, arriving by 10 a.m., well ahead of the 12 p.m. departure time. It was necessary because, with the Daimyo involved, there was no room for error. Who was the Daimyo? The king of the country, the one who controlled the entire economy. If he became offended, Konoha, which was just beginning to regain its economic strength, could face problems even bigger than before. Chapter 265: Royal Convoy The group arrived at the Fire Capital earlier than expected, and the towering grandeur of the Daimyo''s palace loomed over them. The golden accents and finely crafted architecture were a stark contrast to the simple lives of the villagers they had passed along the way. Jiraiya led the group into the palace, where they were greeted by a host of servants and guards, each bowing deeply as they passed by. Inside the main hall, the Fire Daimyo sat on a raised platform. Despite being old, his presence exuded an aura of authority and detachment. Beside him stood a few of his advisors, all clad in fine robes, their expressions serious and focused on the upcoming discussion. Jiraiya stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Lord Daimyo, we have arrived as ordered." Jiraiya could single-handedly flatten the Daimyo¡¯s palace if he wanted to, but he was still very respectful in front of him because the person before him was the real king of the Fire Country. Though not physically powerful, his real power came from connections¡ªwith ninja villages, other Daimyo, and businessmen all over the world. If someone actually did something like killing a Daimyo, they would effectively become the enemy of the whole world¡ªa fate worse than being a rogue ninja. The Daimyo gave a slow nod, acknowledging Jiraiya''s words, but his eyes glanced briefly over the young shinobi standing behind the Sannin. Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto remained silent, following Jiraiya¡¯s earlier instructions not to speak unless addressed directly. Jiraiya began explaining the security measures, the presence of the Anbu, and the elite jonin guards. He emphasized the importance of protecting the Daimyo during the Chunin Exams, while also highlighting the need for Konoha''s team to demonstrate their strength. The discussion was brief but comprehensive. The Daimyo listened, barely reacting, as if the details were of little consequence to him. Even though he knew there was no need for such a large security team with Jiraiya present, there was never too much security in the ninja world, so he was internally pleased by Konoha¡¯s efforts to maintain security. Once the conversation was over, the Daimyo said, ¡°As expected of Konoha, everything is perfect. We will follow this plan. Please wait in my guest room until the time for the start of the journey.¡± He gave respect to Jiraiya as well, because no matter how connected he was, this world still belonged to the strong. Even though the chances were low, if he somehow really offended a ninja of Jiraiya¡¯s caliber, he would die without knowing how¡ªor perhaps completely knowing and regretting it. Being a wealthy and wise man, there was no way he would take such risks. Jiraiya bowed again and motioned for the team to leave. The shinobi filed out quietly, leaving the grand palace and its luxurious splendor behind. They were guided by servants to a luxurious room filled with elegant sofas and tables, and the tables were covered with a variety of appetizers. Everyone took a seat and ate something when offered. In the ninja world, it was considered rude not to eat, as the other party might think you suspected them of poisoning the food. With the strength level of the team, however, poisoning them was almost impossible. --- After two hours, a guard came to the guest room to inform them that the caravan was ready to leave. Nodding his head, Jiraiya asked everyone to follow him. When they reached the front of the caravan, they were awestruck by its grandeur. Kaida had seen one or two caravans of wealthy merchants during escort missions, and he had thought they were almost royal. But seeing the royal caravan for the first time, he realized how na?ve he had been. The sight before him could hardly be called a mere caravan; it was more like a moving fortress. At the center of it all was an enormous cart, so large it could easily accommodate forty people, with space left for ten more to move around freely. This grand vehicle, filled with intricate seals for both protection and comfort, was undoubtedly meant for the Daimyo himself. Every detail was designed to provide the utmost luxury during travel. Surrounding the Daimyo¡¯s cart were several smaller but still impressive carriages¡ªten of them reserved for the ministers, each a scaled-down version of the main cart. Following those were three simpler carts, designated for the servants responsible for tending to the Daimyo and his ministers. Additionally, five carts were dedicated to the Daimyo''s personal guard¡ªsamurai from the Land of Iron, handpicked and trained specifically for the protection of the Daimyo. The services of these guards were not cheap, especially those employed by the Daimyo, who were capable of handling even a Chunin-level ninja. Though they were not ninja themselves, this level of skill was impressive. At the end were two carts, similar to the ministers¡¯, prepared for the ninjas accompanying the convoy, offering them a place to rest when needed. The entire procession was a testament to the wealth and power of the Daimyo, moving like a formidable palace on wheels. ¡°This is way too grand,¡± Kaida said. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Not really. Considering the Daimyo¡¯s wealth, he could use and discard such a caravan after each use,¡± Shisui replied, clearly not as surprised as the others. By now, everyone had recovered from their initial awe and was waiting for the Daimyo to come out. After ten more minutes, the Daimyo and his ministers emerged. Nodding toward Jiraiya once, the Daimyo boarded his carriage, followed by two gorgeous female servants. ¡®Isn¡¯t he too old for this?¡¯ all three genin thought, but they kept their mouths shut. After the Daimyo, the ministers also boarded the caravan one by one, followed by the servants. The guards either mounted their horses or boarded the caravan according to the schedule. Lastly, as decided, eight jonin dispersed, taking up eight different positions around the caravan. ¡°I and Shisui will be at the front of the caravan, and you guys will be responsible for the safety of the rear. Always remain vigilant,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°Okay, Sensei,¡± the three genin replied as they moved toward the last cart, mounting the top of it. There were two carts for ninjas¡ªone at the front and one at the back. After everyone had taken their positions, Shisui and Jiraiya also went toward the cart at the front of the caravan. Jiraiya went inside while Shisui sat on top of the cart. Even though it was not necessary to maintain such strict watch for now, since there was no way someone would attack the Daimyo¡¯s caravan within the radius of 20 kilometers of the Fire Capital, it was still their job, so everyone maintained vigilance. On the road to Kumogakure, the journey took a slower pace. Unlike the swift, ninja-style travel they were accustomed to, they now moved at a speed suited for their non-shinobi companions. The Fire Daimyo and his entourage traveled in ornate carriages, pulled by horses. Even though these horses were of superior quality, and the caravan¡¯s speed was around 10-20 km/h, the journey to Kumogakure was going to be a long one. With a distance of over 3,000 kilometers, even if they traveled day and night, it would still take 6-7 days. However, with the Daimyo taking ample rest between stretches of the journey, the time increased to over 10 days. Chapter 266: Reality is not beautiful After three days of travel, the vigilance of the three genin grew dim. They took turns maintaining watch while the others rested periodically. A similar attitude was common among the Daimyo''s guards, but the eight jonin still maintained proper vigilance, Scouting the route and surroundings before the caravan and then following behind. Shisui occasionally activated his Sharingan, and Jiraiya periodically scanned the area with the help of natural energy. The chances of being ambushed were close to none. As they passed through various small villages, Kaida couldn¡¯t help but notice the stark contrast between the capital''s wealth and the poverty-stricken areas they traveled through. It wasn''t apparent during the first three days, likely because the villages near the capital were not as poor, perhaps for appearances. But as they moved farther away, the villages became increasingly impoverished. The villagers looked worn, with tattered clothes and weary faces. Children ran barefoot in the dirt, and the houses were barely holding together. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe these villages are part of the Fire Country,¡± Kabuto muttered, his sharp eyes observing the harsh conditions. ¡°Most of the villages in the Land of Fire are like this,¡± Itachi added, his voice low but laced with concern. ¡°With all the wealth in the capital, it¡¯s a shame these people are forgotten,¡± Kabuto said. The image of the bustling capital and the Daimyo¡¯s palace, which shone like gold, was still vivid in his mind¡ªa stark contrast to what they were seeing now. Kaida nodded in agreement, his Sharingan briefly activating as he scanned the surroundings. He couldn''t fathom how the Daimyo, with all his resources, could ignore the suffering in his own country. Despite his ability to help, the ruler appeared indifferent. Even now, as they passed through such villages, neither the Daimyo nor his ministers spared a glance at the villagers'' condition. ''No matter which world I¡¯m in, corrupt people at the top are everywhere, especially here,'' Kaida thought. As they traveled further, the reality of the situation became even more apparent. Village after village showed signs of neglect. The farther they went from the capital, the more they saw villages neglected to the point that the people no longer even looked up with hope¡ªthey were too accustomed to being ignored. Kaida¡¯s fists clenched. ''How can the Daimyo turn a blind eye to this? If this is the state of villages within the Fire Country, I can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like in the other nations.'' The thought simmered in his mind, but he kept silent, knowing that voicing his frustration wouldn¡¯t change anything at this moment. The Fire Country was the most prosperous among the nations, but one thing puzzled him. ¡°The fields are so full of crops, and the weather is good for agriculture. Then why are these villages in such poor condition?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°They''re on the outskirts, right in the range where ninja skirmishes are common. These people have to pay heavy taxes for their safety¡ªnot only to the Fire Daimyo but also to some ¡®rogue¡¯ ninjas from Kumogakure for protection. After paying so much, they¡¯re left with just enough to survive,¡± Itachi explained. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t our village eliminate those rogue ninjas for them?¡± Kabuto asked. ¡°We can¡¯t. Even if we kill the current ones, new ones will take their place, and next time, they¡¯ll eliminate half the villagers. We can¡¯t protect them all the time,¡± Itachi said. The group went silent after that, not wanting to discuss it any further. The journey continued like this, and by the end of the fourth day, they had swiftly left the Fire Country and entered the Land of Lightning. The group, who had thought the villagers of Konoha were pitiful, now realized what true hardship was. The Land of Lightning, already not as well off, invested heavily in its military, especially Kumogakure. As a result, the taxes paid by the villagers were not only unreasonably high but also deadly during times of war, leading to much worse conditions than normal. Unable to bear the sight of children drooling as they watched the guards eat jerky, Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi shared some of the food they had prepared for their journey. Some children ate the food on the spot, while others clutched it in their little hands and ran to share it with their families, even though they were hungry themselves. They hadn¡¯t forgotten about their families. However, their stash had its limits. After visiting two or three villages, their storage seals were emptied of food. Shisui, seeing this, gave up his share as well, knowing how difficult it was to witness such scenes for the first time. People like him and Jiraiya, though not heartless, had grown numb to such sights. No matter how much you try to help, you can¡¯t change the world. You can give food for a day, a week, or a month, but what happens after that? These people would still live in these conditions once the generosity or money ran out. But they understood that it was difficult for someone seeing this for the first time to ignore such things. That¡¯s why neither Jiraiya nor Shisui stopped the three. As for the Daimyo and his ministers? They didn¡¯t pay any attention whatsoever. ¡­ After ten days of travel, they finally reached Kumogakure. As they crossed into the Land of Lightning, the towering mountains of Kumogakure came into view, their peaks shrouded in clouds. The contrast between this land and the villages they had passed was striking. The rocky terrain was dotted with waterfalls cascading down the mountainsides, adding an ethereal quality to the village hidden among the clouds. Kumogakure itself was built into the mountains, its structures blending with the natural rock formations, making it seem as though the village had grown directly out of the earth. The tall, imposing buildings stood in harmony with their surroundings, but there was an unmistakable militaristic feel to the village. Even from a distance, Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi could see shinobi patrolling the area, their sharp eyes scanning for any sign of trouble. As the caravan approached the gates of Kumogakure, they were met by a group of Kumogakure officials and shinobi. One of the officials, a tall man with a stern expression, stepped forward to greet the Fire Daimyo. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Welcome to Kumogakure, Lord Daimyo,¡± the official said, bowing respectfully. ¡°We are honored to have you here. The Raikage has prepared a special reception for you and your entourage.¡± The Daimyo, still exuding an air of detachment, gave a small nod. He dismounted from his grand carriage, followed by his ministers and servants. Jiraiya and Shisui stepped forward, exchanging a brief glance with the officials before turning back to their team. The official gestured toward a path leading up the mountain. ¡°Please, follow us. The Raikage awaits you in the village.¡± As they began to ascend toward the village, the group was led to a spacious, well-guarded area where the Daimyo and his ministers would stay. The Daimyo explained that four jonin from Konoha would remain with him for his protection. ¡°Lord, sorry to overstep my boundaries, but we are more than capable of providing the best security here. You don¡¯t need to keep these four jonin with you. After such a long journey, they may be tired and could use some rest,¡± one of the ministers, who had a muscular build unlike the scrawny ministers of Konoha, said, carefully phrasing each word. Chapter 267: Arrival of the Competitors and Village Exploration "I am grateful that you are thinking about the well-being of Konoha shinobi, but there is no need for that. When it comes to providing security to someone like Lord Daimyo, we are always ready. As for a guarantee of safety from your side? Of course, we completely believe in that. We¡¯re just here for any unforeseen accidents that may happen, so don¡¯t mind us," Jiraiya said. Being Hiruzen¡¯s disciple, he was also well-versed in politics. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "As you say, Master Jiraiya," the minister replied, and then resumed talking with the Daimyo. After some time, the minister left along with the other guards. "Jiraiya, I want to have a private talk with you," the Daimyo said, and all others left the area, heading toward their respective lodgings, while the ninja and guards took their positions in front of the gate, stopping anyone from entering. "Jiraiya, for the last four years, Konoha has performed mediocre in these exams. I¡¯m losing quite a bit of my reputation here. I know you guys are planning something different this time. Unless it leads to war, I don¡¯t have any problem, even if blood is shed. Make sure the Land of Fire wins this time," the Daimyo said, a glint passing through his eyes. "Yes, Lord Daimyo, there is not a single doubt in my mind that we will win this time," Jiraiya assured him. "Good. You may take your leave now," the Daimyo said. With a final bow, Jiraiya left the guest house. "Alright, the four Jonin will remain here. Kaida, Itachi, Kabuto, you¡¯re with me. We¡¯ll head to our quarters and prepare for the exams. Shisui and the other four, since you guys are free, take a room with us as well and do regular shifts with the guards here." As the group split up, the young shinobi followed Jiraiya toward the living area of the village. The closer they got to the center of Kumogakure, the more they could see the bustling activity of the village. Despite its militaristic atmosphere, there was a sense of order and discipline that was unmistakable. Shinobi moved about with purpose, and the villagers, though fewer in number compared to Konoha, seemed well accustomed to the presence of ninjas everywhere. Kaida couldn¡¯t help but notice how different Kumogakure felt compared to Konoha. The air was cooler, a little humid due to the high altitude, and the village¡¯s design was much more vertical, with bridges connecting buildings high in the mountains. "It¡¯s amazing how they¡¯ve built an entire village into the mountains like this," Kaida said, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "It¡¯s certainly impressive," Kabuto added, adjusting his glasses as he observed the passing shinobi. "They¡¯ve turned the natural landscape into an impenetrable fortress. No wonder Kumogakure is known for its defensive strength." Itachi remained quiet, but his eyes were also analyzing the layout of the village. As this was his first time in an enemy village, he noticed how, unlike Konoha, this village truly showed how a ninja village is different from others. Building such a village was almost impossible for normal people; only ninjas, with their inhuman physique, could achieve something like this. As they reached the living area, Jiraiya booked a small hotel with 12 rooms for them. Being a bit away from the hustle and bustle made it difficult for people to spy. After assigning rooms, Jiraiya turned to face his team. "Get some rest. The exams start in two days, and I want you all to be in top condition. Even though I¡¯m sure about your strength, the other competitors are no pushovers." The three genin nodded. They had all been training hard for this, and now it was finally time to prove themselves on a much larger stage. As they settled into their new surroundings, Kaida¡¯s mind briefly drifted back to the poverty they had witnessed in the villages. Even here in Kumogakure, with its military might on full display, the disparity between the rich and poor was evident. But for now, he set those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the task ahead¡ªthe Chunin Exams. It was time to show the world just how strong Konoha¡¯s new generation had become. The dawn brought with it a crisp mountain breeze as the teams from various villages began arriving in Kumogakure, all here for the Chunin Exams. The usual mix of excitement and tension filled the air as more and more shinobi entered the village gates, each team displaying the pride and skill of their respective villages. Jiraiya had gathered Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto early that morning after their rest. As they stepped out of their lodging, the streets of Kumogakure were already bustling with activity. "Remember, we¡¯re not just here to win the exams," Jiraiya reminded them. "This is the time you can observe your opponents before the exam. Use this opportunity wisely." Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto nodded in acknowledgment. As they walked through the marketplace, Kaida spotted a group of shinobi wearing the traditional Iwagakure headbands. They were led by a serious-looking boy with short, spiky hair who, despite his youthful appearance, already carried himself with the demeanor of someone used to being feared. ¡®That¡¯s Deidara, right?¡¯ Kaida thought, looking at the infamous member of Akatsuki in real life. However, he was still young, likely around 11-12 years old, the same age as Itachi. "A young genius from Iwagakure. He¡¯s known for his explosive techniques, even though he¡¯s still young. Don¡¯t underestimate him," Jiraiya, the spymaster of Konoha, said, not mentioning Deidara¡¯s potential as a Tsuchikage candidate. Just as they passed, another team caught their attention. This one was from Kirigakure. At the front stood Ao, an older Jonin with a Byakugan in one eye, leading a team of three young ninja. As expected from the Blood Mist Village, unlike the more cheerful appearances of other teams, this team maintained a serious and stern expression. ¡®The civil war is still ongoing. So Ao is still part of the Mizukage faction. Even during such a time, he could come here? Is the Mizukage faction winning now, or are they doing this to maintain their image?¡¯ Kaida wondered. Unlike Jiraiya, who had to rely on spies for information, Kaida had a treasure trove of knowledge and could make better conclusions. There was also a team from Sunagakure, led by an elite Jonin whom Kaida didn¡¯t recognize. However, the ninja following him looked quite formidable¡ªmost likely elite¡ªbut it was difficult to guess just from appearances. Many other teams from small ninja villages were also arriving one by one. Most of them were definitely the top talent of their villages, but in front of major villages, they didn¡¯t stand a chance. That¡¯s why no one actually paid much attention to them, though some were still interesting to Kaida. Some of the characters who briefly appeared in filler arcs could be seen here. ¡®This is going to be one heck of an exam.¡¯ --- Meanwhile, in the Raikage¡¯s Office¡­ Raikage A, the towering and intimidating figure of Kumogakure, stood with his arms crossed, peering out over the village from his high vantage point. His ministers gathered around him, discussing the latest developments. One of the ministers, a lean man with sharp eyes, stepped forward. "Lord Raikage, from the reports, Konoha¡¯s delegation seems unusually strong this time. Jiraiya of the Sannin, along with Shisui of the Body Flicker¡ªtwo extremely capable commander-ranked ninjas¡ªare accompanying the Fire Daimyo. That level of security is... unusual." Raikage grunted, his stern face betraying little emotion. "Konoha doesn¡¯t need to send guards like them unless they have a reason. They¡¯re not here just to keep the Daimyo safe. Something¡¯s up." Another minister, older and wiser, added, "It seems Konoha may be attempting to make a political statement with their strength. They¡¯ve been on the decline in the recent Chunin Exams. Perhaps they intend to reassert their dominance." Chapter 268: Moves Raikage nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that as well. Itachi Uchiha, heir of that damned Uchiha clan, is among the participants¡­¡± He waited for a moment before saying, ¡°Let Darui participate in this Chunin Exam as well. Replace the weakest member of the team and make him the leader.¡± Darui, who was a couple of years older than Itachi, was still not a chunin. Like Konoha, A was also planning on using him to assert dominance in a Chunin Exam hosted by another village, but with the current situation, he needed to modify his plan. Since there was no way he could let others win in his fortress, the ministers bowed and left the Raikage alone in his office, deep in thought. The storm clouds above the mountains seemed to mirror his mood. --- Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi, after briefly surveying their competitors, decided to explore more of Kumogakure with Jiraiya¡¯s permission. The unique structure of the village intrigued them, with its towering, rock-built houses and massive bridges that connected one part of the village to another. The village seemed to grow out of the mountains themselves, a testament to the strength and determination of the people of Kumogakure. As they wandered through the streets, they came across a bustling market where vendors sold exotic goods not found in Konoha¡ªspices, weaponry, and rare mountain herbs. "This place feels like a fortress," Kabuto remarked, adjusting his glasses. "Even the streets are built for defense." Itachi nodded, his sharp eyes catching sight of several shinobi strategically positioned on rooftops. ¡°Kumogakure¡¯s focus has always been military might. They aren¡¯t interested in the diplomacy that Konoha values.¡± They walked past a blacksmith¡¯s shop where massive hammers clanged against metal, forging weapons Kaida had never seen before. Kabuto stopped to examine a particularly interesting blade¡ªa serrated sword infused with what appeared to be lightning chakra. ¡°Interesting,¡± Kabuto muttered. ¡°It seems like Kumogakure uses chakra in their weapons more often than we do in Konoha.¡± He also picked a sword for himself. They moved on, eventually reaching one of Kumogakure¡¯s famous waterfalls that cascaded down from the cliffs, creating a natural barrier between the village and the world below. Kaida stood for a moment, watching the water rush by. ¡°Kumogakure is impressive,¡± he said, his voice tinged with respect. Itachi looked out over the view. "Yes, but these wonders come at a cost. Their people suffer more than ours." Kaida nodded. His mind flashed back to the poor villages they had passed on the way here, but only for a second. ¡°Alas! There is nothing we can do for now. Let¡¯s just focus on the task ahead of us first and think about that after winning,¡± Kabuto, the least affected among the three, said. Having lived his whole life in an orphanage and dealt with poverty too, it was not a foreign concept for him. ¡°You are right. There is no use thinking about it if we can¡¯t do anything. Let¡¯s focus on what¡¯s ahead of us,¡± Kaida said. ¡°The waterfall¡­¡± Kaida and Kabuto looked toward Itachi as if he were an intruder. They even dispersed their chakra to make sure they weren¡¯t under genjutsu. ¡°I was just joking, guys,¡± Itachi said, turning his face away. ¡°Man, this is the first time he¡¯s tried to make a joke. Now I understand why he always remains serious¡ªhe¡¯s really bad at being funny,¡± Kabuto said, laughing. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t discourage him. At least he¡¯s trying to improve,¡± Kaida added, laughing as well. ¡°I¡¯m going back,¡± Itachi said, starting to walk back toward the hotel. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re coming too.¡± Kaida and Kabuto followed Itachi back toward their lodging, but the air between them remained light-hearted. It was a rare moment for them to relax and enjoy, especially since, from the time they came together as a team, the only thing they had done was train. This was one of the reasons Jiraiya allowed them to go around and explore the village a little, particularly since the looming Chunin Exams promised fierce competition. As they walked back through the crowded market, a team from Amegakure passed by, catching their attention. The rain ninja, dressed in their sleek, dark raincoats, moved silently, their faces hidden beneath large hats. One of them, a silver-haired boy with a steely gaze, briefly made eye contact with Itachi before the group continued on their way. "They say the rain never stops in their village," Kabuto murmured, watching them disappear into the crowd. "I wonder what kind of jutsu they¡¯ll bring to the table." ¡°Rain ninja are known for their stealth and water-based techniques,¡± Itachi said. ¡°But in a place like Kumogakure, they¡¯ll be at a disadvantage without constant rain." ¡°Without constant rain? See above us, captain¡ªthe atmosphere is always cloudy. Maybe luck will be on their side, and they can get their home advantage here too,¡± Kaida said, pointing toward the sky, which was filled with dense clouds, thunder ringing from time to time. ¡°Yes, as sensei said, there¡¯s no need to underestimate anyone,¡± Itachi added, maintaining his aloof persona. ¡®But by this time, Pain should be in charge of Amegakure. Why the hell is he sending ninja for something like this?¡¯ Kaida thought, but since there was no way to find out, he let go of his thoughts and decided to focus on what lay ahead. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. --- Meanwhile, in the Raikage¡¯s office, preparations for the exams were in full swing. Raikage A sat behind his massive desk, reviewing reports from his scouts and intelligence officers. "Darui has already been briefed," one of his senior ministers informed him. "He¡¯ll take charge of the team and represent Kumogakure." Raikage A nodded in approval, but his mind was elsewhere. His eyes lingered on a map of the village laid out before him, showing the various exam locations and the security surrounding the Daimyo, as well as the locations where other teams had taken lodgings. Normally, one or, at most, two Daimyo would come to watch a Chunin Exam, the distance between the countries being the major reason behind it. But this time, for some reason, three Daimyo had decided to visit: the Lightning Daimyo, the Fire Daimyo, and the earth Daimyo. With three Daimyo present, the responsibility of their security lay on Kumogakure¡¯s shoulders, especially because the number of foreign ninja in the village was unusually high during this time. A, being a straightforward person, hated these hidden moves the most, but he also knew that such tactics were the most effective. That¡¯s why he was working extra hours to maintain order during the Chunin Exam, which was why he didn¡¯t pay much attention to Konoha. Even Iwagakure had sent Deidara for the exam this time, so for Konoha to send Itachi was not that big of a deal to him. He looked out the window, watching the gathering clouds, his eyes narrowing in thought. Then, once again, he focused on the piles of work in front of him. --- Back at the hotel, Kaida and his team finally arrived. Jiraiya was waiting for them outside, arms crossed, a casual smile on his face as he greeted them. ¡°You boys have a good look around?¡± Jiraiya asked. Kaida nodded. "Kumogakure¡¯s quite impressive. Their weapons are heavily infused with chakra. Even its natural beauty doesn¡¯t fall behind Konoha that much. There were many breathtaking views, and their security is tight." Chapter 269 : Round one Jiraiya grinned. "That''s why it¡¯s important to be on your toes. The other villages will be watching Konoha closely. But don¡¯t let that bother you too much¡ªjust stay sharp and focus on your own strength." Kabuto adjusted his glasses, his expression thoughtful. "Sensei, do you think others will have figured out our plan by now?" Jiraiya, leaning against the hotel wall, spoke up. "The Raikage will test us. He¡¯ll make sure his village doesn¡¯t lose face in front of Konoha. Especially in his own village," he paused for a second, looking toward the three of them. "But I believe in you guys." A moment of silence passed as Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto felt both proud and a little burdened by the praise. The weight on their shoulders increased slightly. "Rest up," Jiraiya finally said, his expression softening a bit. "Tomorrow, things are going to get real. You¡¯ll need all the energy you can get." The three nodded and headed inside, mentally preparing themselves for the exams ahead. --- Night settled over Kumogakure. Though still alive with activity, the village seemed quieter as the stars emerged over the mountain peaks. Kaida lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about the other teams they had encountered today. ''Deidara, Ao, the Rain ninja... This Chunin Exam is going to be intense,'' he thought to himself. Turning over in bed, Kaida tried to push the thoughts away and get some sleep. Tomorrow would be the true beginning of the Chunin Exams¡ªand the start of something far greater. --- The next day, the village¡¯s massive arena buzzed with the energy of young shinobi from all corners of the ninja world. Teams gathered, whispering amongst themselves, glancing warily at one another. Among them stood the teams from Konoha, ready to represent their village with pride. Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto stood together, waiting for the official announcements to begin. Above them, high in the stands, the Raikage watched with a calculating gaze. His focus paused on Darui, now officially representing Kumogakure in the exams. Raikage A leaned forward slightly, as was tradition, like every Kage did before events of this caliber in Konoha. A stood, his towering frame commanding the attention of everyone in the arena. His eyes scanned the crowd of young shinobi. Without wasting time on pleasantries, he spoke in a deep, authoritative voice that echoed across the vast arena. "The Chunin Exams are not just about testing your strength. They are about testing your resolve, your intelligence, and your ability to work as a team. Those who cannot handle the pressure will not make it far. Kumogakure is proud to host these exams, and we expect nothing less than excellence from every participant. Fight with honor. Fight with purpose. And show the world the true strength of your village." His words were short, but they carried a weight that left no room for doubt. The young shinobi, especially those from Kumogakure, straightened up, inspired by their leader''s direct approach. With that, Raikage A stepped back, and an elite Jonin from Kumogakure¡ªa tall man with a scar running down the side of his face¡ªstepped forward to address the participants. "The Chunin Exams will be held in three stages. The first stage is a written exam designed to test your knowledge and ability to gather information under pressure. The second stage will take place in the Thunder Plains, where you will face the dangers of nature and your fellow competitors. The final stage will be held here, in this very arena, where only the strongest will rise. The rules are simple: survive, show your strength, and most importantly, don¡¯t die." A murmur spread through the crowd as the Jonin''s words sank in. He paused, letting the tension build before continuing. The Jonin looked over the crowd one last time before finishing. "Now, prepare yourselves. The exam begins soon." With that, the tension in the air intensified, and the participants began to mentally ready themselves for the grueling tests ahead. With the initial speech done, they were sent toward a building designated for the first stage of the test¡ªa big hall filled with seats like a ninja academy for the participants to sit. As the participants settled into their seats, the atmosphere thickened with anticipation. Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto exchanged glances. But these were not just simple glances¡ªwithin seconds, Itachi connected their minds with a subtle genjutsu. It was so difficult to detect that only a highly skilled sensor could find it, and Itachi could only do it because Kaida and Kabuto didn¡¯t resist. The role of the genjutsu was simple: communication. Without saying a single word, all three of them could now communicate in their minds. The elite Jonin who had introduced the exam stepped forward once again, his scarred face set in a serious expression. "Welcome to the first stage of the Chunin Exams. You will all be given a series of questions that test your knowledge as shinobi. However, this is not just a written test. There is a hidden layer to this examination." A ripple of curiosity swept through the crowd. The Jonin continued, "You will be given a sheet with questions. There will be a total of 10 questions, but only knowing the answers is not enough..." he paused for dramatic effect, "after each answer, you must write a secret code placed at different locations securely in this area. You have to find those codes and write them below your answers. Only answers with codes will be evaluated at the end. If you are caught fighting by an instructor, you will be disqualified. A minimum of three answers are needed to pass the test. You will have three hours to complete the test." A low murmur spread through the participants. This was exactly the type of challenge that Kumogakure thrived on: fighting, cunning, and strategy. "Now, the question papers will be distributed," the Jonin announced, and as he spoke, a flurry of papers began to fly through the air, landing in the hands of eager participants. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida caught his sheet and scanned the questions quickly. Each one required knowledge of ninja history, geography, shinobi techniques, and various principles one should follow during missions. However, beneath the surface, Kaida noticed the strategic phrasing. It seemed to encourage participants to confront other teams rather than simply answer questions. The codes could be destroyed by others, meaning passing the first stage would become difficult for many teams. But the problem faced by the Konoha teams was entirely different. ''This is going to get chaotic,'' Kabuto said inside his mind, his voice laced with excitement. ''We need to decide our approach.'' ''It would be wise to remain stealthy, at least at first,'' Itachi suggested. ''Gather information and assess our competition. We can engage if we have to.'' As they discussed their strategy, some teams with hot heads had already started moving. The sounds of scuffling echoed from a nearby room. Kaida¡¯s eyes widened. ''Let¡¯s move. We can use this to our advantage,'' Kaida thought. When they went out, they found three ninja running toward the location of the first code¡ªthey were none other than the Iwagakure team led by Deidara. They were heading toward the room on the map used to store maps and scrolls, though all of them were fake. Kumogakure wasn¡¯t going to take the risk of leaving the real ones there. Kaida and the group decided to follow them quietly. ''Don¡¯t make a sound. This is an excellent opportunity for us to decide our approach. Let them make the first move,'' Itachi said using the mental link. With Sharingan activated, they followed Deidara''s team from a distance. Chapter 270: Interesting (A.N: sorry for such a big gap, I will try to make up for it with a mass release Soon) *** ¡°Brother, shouldn¡¯t we wait for others to try something first? What if we get eliminated because of this?¡± one of Deidara¡¯s teammates, a large-built ninja with brown hair, asked. ¡°We have to get the code first and stop the other teams from getting it. Just imagine, we can reduce the competition in the first round alone. We just have to destroy the codes after finding them. Simple. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t waste time like the others. Let¡¯s just find the code, then I can once again focus on my art,¡± Deidara replied. ¡°Okay, brother.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Deidara said, raising his hand. A ninja was guarding the room. ¡°So, this test is here to judge our intelligence-gathering capabilities. These types of scenarios are common during missions. Quite an excellent way to test us,¡± Deidara said, taking out some clay from his pocket. With the mouth in his hand eating it, he threw a small spider outside. It swiftly went behind the ninja and released its effect. But this time, it didn¡¯t explode. Instead, it used a small pin laced with paralysis poison to immobilize the guard. The team went inside and easily found the code. From a distance, Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi watched. Well, Kaida and Itachi saw everything and relayed it to Kabuto, but they noticed something Deidara and his team didn¡¯t. Aside from the ninja guarding the gate, five more shinobi were hiding in the shadows, ready to act if any team harmed the guard. ¡®So, we can use force to get the codes, as long as we don¡¯t get caught fighting the other teams. This is quite easy,¡¯ Itachi said through the mental link. ¡®Yup, let¡¯s get the first one right now,¡¯ Kaida agreed. ¡®Guys, I think you sometimes forget I¡¯m not an Uchiha. Can you explain your excellent plan to me as well?¡¯ Kabuto said. ¡®See for yourself,¡¯ Kaida responded as he and Itachi suddenly vanished from their spot and appeared in front of Iwagakure¡¯s team. With their Sharingan activated, Itachi placed Deidara under a genjutsu, while Kaida handled the other two. ¡®I got it. Now, what should we do about these guys?¡¯ Kaida asked. ¡°Ideally, we should eliminate them early for a better chance of winning in the end, but...¡± ¡®Yup, they¡¯re strong contenders. If there¡¯s no good fight at the end, our victory will look easy, not grand,¡¯ Kaida finished the thought. ¡°Let¡¯s just make them go back and wait for two hours. With their strength, finding five or six more codes in an hour is no difficult task,¡± Itachi suggested. ¡°Okay,¡± Kaida agreed. Once again, both of their Sharingan revolved, and the Iwagakure team walked back to the examination hall. Even veteran Jonin could fall under the three-tomoe Sharingan¡¯s genjutsu, let alone Genin. The instructor in the hall noticed that the Iwa ninjas were under a jutsu but didn¡¯t intervene, as it wasn¡¯t breaking any rules. Even though he had a good idea who had cast the genjutsu, there was no ''proof.'' ¡®Konoha is really showing off,¡¯ the instructor smirked. Slowly, more teams returned to the hall, sitting in their seats and waiting. When the sixth team came back, the instructor grew a little anxious. ¡®Are they planning on passing the first exam by themselves?¡¯ Aside from the Iwagakure team, the Sunagakure team had also returned. Only teams from smaller villages were present. With most of the strong teams out of the competition, only four strong teams remained in the first stage: Konoha, Kumo, Kiri, and Amegakure. After an hour, the Konoha team returned to the hall and submitted their paper to the Jonin. ¡°Three is just the minimum requirement. You guys still have time and can go for a higher score,¡± the Jonin said. Since they had eliminated so many teams, he doubted that the Konoha team had gathered all the codes. ¡°Sir, we have all the codes,¡± Itachi said in his aloof tone, submitting the paper. Then he, Kaida, and Kabuto returned to their seats. ¡®Konoha is not just showing off. They¡¯re planning to dominate the Chunin Exams,¡¯ the instructor thought as he sent the answer sheet for evaluation. While he was thinking that, the Konoha team was having their own conversation, though no one else could hear it. ¡®Kumogakure was prepared for us, as was Sunagakure. They¡¯ve developed a contingency plan against genjutsu,¡¯ Itachi said. ¡®Well, there¡¯s no way Kumo didn¡¯t know about you, so it¡¯s understandable they¡¯d prepare a defense against genjutsu. As for Suna, those beetles are annoying,¡¯ Kaida added. ¡®Yeah, but on the bright side, it¡¯s good they have some defense. Otherwise, this exam would have become too one-sided,¡¯ Kabuto said, realizing for the first time how convenient the Sharingan was. Even the Chunin guarding the gates had respectfully stepped aside after one glance at Itachi¡¯s and Kaida¡¯s eyes. ¡®Let¡¯s see how the second round goes,¡¯ Kaida said. --- After another hour, the teams that had been under genjutsu began to awaken one by one. Most of them quickly realized what had happened. Anxiously, they checked the time and, relieved they still had some left, rushed out of the hall to search for at least three codes. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not all of them were as calm, though. ¡°Uchihaaaa! I¡¯ll kill all of you!¡± Deidara shouted as he came out of the genjutsu. He remembered seeing two red eyes before everything went black, and he began doing random things. For the last two hours, he¡¯d been drawing a dragon on his desk. They hadn¡¯t even eliminated him, as if to say, ''Entertain us in the next round.'' They were mocking his art. ¡°If you fight, you¡¯ll be disqualified,¡± the instructor warned firmly before Deidara could charge at the Konoha team. ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance in the next round, though,¡± the instructor added, his tone amused. He clearly saw what the Konoha team had done. ¡°I will definitely kill all three of you in the next round,¡± Deidara growled, about to storm out when¡ª ¡°Wait a second,¡± Kaida said, standing up. He picked a small white spider from the ground. ¡°Please don¡¯t use tricks like this again. Even children wouldn¡¯t fall for it,¡± he said, squashing the spider in his hand. ¡°Hmph,¡± Deidara snorted, and his team left the hall. ¡°Making enemies with everyone here... Quite reckless of you guys,¡± the instructor said with the same amusement. ¡°The moment we decided to participate in the exam, they were already our enemies,¡± Itachi replied coolly. ¡°Hahahahaha, interesting! Very interesting,¡± the instructor laughed heartily. Chapter 271: Ranking Kaida and the team kept waiting for another hour. When only ten minutes remained, Kumogakure''s team entered the hall and submitted their answer sheet. Darui¡¯s eyes briefly scanned the Konoha group before he returned to his seat. ''We have to be wary of them. If not for constantly disrupting my chakra and releasing sparks in my hand, we would¡¯ve fallen for their genjutsu. Luckily, we were warned about the Uchiha. Otherwise, we might¡¯ve been eliminated in the first round,'' Darui thought. It wasn¡¯t just his chakra control, but also his awareness that helped him escape the genjutsu. The genjutsu Kaida and Itachi were using in this round was fairly light. If it were to be classified as ninjutsu, it would be ranked B. Kaida, who was capable of using A-rank genjutsu with his Sharingan, could have made them fall into a deeper illusion had he wanted. And Itachi could easily cast an S-rank genjutsu. But since they didn¡¯t plan on eliminating Kumogakure, they simply let them be and continued searching for codes. After Kumogakure, Amegakure''s team also returned. Known for their stealth techniques, they had managed to find all the codes without any confrontations. A highly efficient team. Next, Sunagakure''s team arrived. However, they had to battle both Konoha and a team from a smaller village that was desperate for codes due to time constraints, so they could only gather nine codes. Many teams returned before time ran out, including Iwagakure¡¯s team, which managed to collect six codes within the hour. However, they weren¡¯t pleased. Once the last team submitted their answer sheets, the instructor spoke. ¡°With this, the first stage is completed. The winner of this round is Team 3 from Konoha, who managed to retrieve all 10 codes within one hour. In second place is Team 8 from Kumogakure, collecting 10 codes in two hours and forty minutes. Third is Team 10 from Amegakure, with the same 10 codes, but in two hours and fifty minutes. The rest of the teams who passed will be listed on the board. If your name isn¡¯t there, you¡¯re disqualified, either because your code was incorrect or you failed to gather at least three codes. We¡¯re doing your villages a favor by not allowing you to become chunin. Those who passed, meet in front of Lightning Valley in one hour,¡± the instructor finished and left the hall. The teams rushed out to check their names on the list, but the teams from the major villages already knew their results. While their ranks shifted, all of them had passed. Deidara walked straight toward Kaida and his group, his eyes burning with anger. Seeing him approach, both Kaida and Itachi activated their Sharingan. The once noisy hall went completely silent as two pairs of dark red eyes scanned every detail in the room. Everyone present felt exposed, as if those eyes could see through them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to do anything¡­ for now. But you better pray we don¡¯t meet in the next round. Otherwise, not even your remains will return to Konoha,¡± Deidara said in a cheerful tone. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll be able to entertain us a little,¡± Kaida replied as Deidara turned to leave. Hearing that, Deidara paused for a moment but left without another word. ¡°Was it necessary to provoke him that much?¡± Kabuto asked, this time not using their mental link. ¡°He thought he could just come and threaten us? No chance,¡± Kaida said as he stood up, followed by Itachi and Kabuto, who shook his head in disbelief. --- ** - Team 3 ¨C Konoha - Team 8 ¨C Kumogakure - Team 10 ¨C Amegakure - Team 13 ¨C Sunagakure - Team 11 ¨C Kirigakure - Team 6 ¨C Iwagakure - Team 9 ¨C Kusagakure - Team 15 ¨C Takigakure - Team 28 ¨C Shimogakure - Team 22 ¨C Yugakure These were the teams that passed the first stage of the Chunin Exam out of 30 teams, listed with the same rankings. After checking their results, the teams either returned to their rooms to pack their belongings or made their way toward Lightning Valley using the map. --- Kaida recalled Jiraiya''s warning about Lightning Valley before the exam. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Lightning Valley is a treacherous, high-altitude region deep within the mountains of the Land of Lightning, far from the bustling streets of Kumogakure. Known for its wild, untamed nature, the valley is constantly shrouded in thunderstorms, with jagged cliffs, craggy peaks, and narrow paths winding through the mountains. The air is thick with the smell of ozone, and the sound of thunder echoes through the valley as lightning frequently strikes the rocky ground. The terrain is varied, with dangerous cliffs, deep ravines, and hidden caves scattered throughout the landscape. Torrential rain floods the lower regions, turning the paths into muddy, slippery trails. In some places, the valley is covered in dense foliage, while in others, the ground is cracked and barren, scorched by the frequent lightning strikes. Despite the dangers, the valley is home to a variety of wildlife, some highly aggressive due to the constant exposure to the volatile weather. Raptors, large boars, and even chakra-infused wildcats roam the valley, making it even more perilous for shinobi navigating its depths. "Be careful. Even a chunin-level ninja can fall to the beasts in that valley, especially the wildcats. Aside from being ridiculously fast, they use lightning in their attacks and are proficient in ambushing their prey," Jiraiya''s warning still echoed in Kaida¡¯s mind. After traveling continuously for 45 minutes, they finally arrived in front of the large valley. The view from their vantage point was both breathtakingly beautiful and deadly¡ªa vast valley surrounded by barren mountains, shrouded in dark thunderclouds with lightning cracking through the sky. The three of them stood there for a minute, just taking it in. ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to explore the valley during the second stage. For now, head to that building, or you¡¯ll be disqualified,¡± the instructor from the first stage appeared beside them and said. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Itachi responded, and the three of them ran toward the location of the second exam. A single building stood at the entrance of Lightning Valley, and after some time, the other teams began to arrive one by one. ¡°I¡¯ll be in charge of the second stage of the exam. Before we begin, you¡¯ll need to sign these papers,¡± a muscular giant with a large sword on his back said. His overwhelming presence made it clear that he was an elite jonin. Chapter 272: First place ¡°Only 10 teams? Looks like the first stage was tougher than previous exams. Well, good for you guys; your competition is reduced. Now I will tell the rules of the next stage. Listen carefully; I am not going to repeat myself.¡± Seeing everyone paying attention, the elite Jonin started speaking once again. ¡°The second exam will be simple. There are a total of 12 scrolls hidden in the valley. We will give each team the location of 2 different scrolls¡­¡± A mischievous smile came on his face before he continued, ¡°Each scroll is a ticket to go toward the next stage; only one person per scroll.¡± He stopped, letting the details sink in for everyone. ¡®We will need three scrolls each, then,¡¯ Kaida said through the mental link. ¡®That means collision with one team is almost certain,¡¯ Itachi said. ¡®But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s all; otherwise, it will be easy,¡¯ Kabuto added. After some time, the Jonin continued, ¡°Getting a scroll is just one objective. The second one is to survive for 3 days in there. In those three days, you can search for scrolls. If you don¡¯t find one, search for teams that have one. All in all, no matter what you do, ultimately, the only thing that matters at the end of those three days will be if you have the scroll or not. You guys are not allowed to bring anything other than a kunai and an empty storage seal with you; it will be your responsibility to find food during those 3 days. After three days, you guys will have to submit your scroll to me in 5 hours; otherwise, you will be disqualified. Even if you have all 12 scrolls with you, and at last, if during the stage you want to give up, burn this seal and stay in your place for 10 minutes; someone will come to your rescue. But keep in mind you will be disqualified from the exam as soon as you do that,¡± the Jonin said, and then some other ninja started distributing many seals to each participant. ¡®Interesting; this seal continuously stores and transmits chakra in the surrounding. I am pretty sure with this they will be able to track us even if we don¡¯t burn this tag,¡¯ Kaida informed through the mental link. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like a problem to me,¡± Kabuto said. ¡®It was more like an extra knowledge type of thing than a warning,¡¯ Kaida said. ¡®He is just trying to show off his fuinjutsu skills,¡¯ Itachi said with a straight face. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Kaida replied in the mental link. ¡®Yes, you are,¡¯ Kabuto chimed in too. ¡°You two are ganging up on me; that¡¯s unfair.¡± ¡°Life is unfair, my friend.¡± While they were having this type of conversation, their faces remained completely stoic. ¡°Does anyone have any doubts?¡± the instructor asked, but after only getting silence in return, he continued, ¡°Good, now on to the next part. It will be unfair if everyone got the same treatment, even though some of you performed much better than others in the first round,¡± the instructor said, holding the results of the first exam in his hand. ¡°So I have three rewards here. The team that came first can choose first, then the second team, and the third team will get whatever is left.¡± The instructor said and then listed the rewards: ** ** ** ¡°All three of them are looking great; what should we choose?¡± Kabuto said through the mental link. ¡°Food is out of the option; we all can go three days without food. Also, we can find food in the mountains. As for the location of the three scrolls, it¡¯s not like the location we will get won¡¯t be given to others. Maybe by the time we reach the third scroll, someone else may have already taken it,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Then that leaves us with just one option. Also, we will know who has the other two rewards and extra time, so there is nothing wrong with choosing the first one,¡± Itachi said and then went ahead. ¡°Sir, we would like to choose the first reward.¡± ¡°Okay, second team, your turn.¡± Darui nodded his head, and without any discussion with his teammates, said, ¡°We would like the second reward.¡± ¡®With food out of the problem, we can focus on finding the scrolls,¡¯ he thought. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Good, then the third team will get the location of three scrolls rather than two. Everyone else, you have to wait here for another hour, while team 3 can proceed for the exam.¡± Getting the signal, Itachi and the team nodded and started going toward the ninja who had the scroll with the locations of the scrolls. After getting that, they started going deeper into the valley. ¡°See you.¡± Before they could go out of the range of the contestants, Kaida turned and made direct eye contact with Deidara, who was already burning a hole in their backs with his gaze. ¡°I will fucking kill you!¡± Deidara shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°You''re enjoying this too much,¡± Itachi said, shaking his head. ¡°Man, I just hope I get paired up against him in the last stage,¡± Kaida said with a refreshing smile on his face. ¡­ Kaida and the team made their way through the twists and turns of the valley when suddenly a lightning bolt fell from the sky right in front of them. The tree that was impacted by the lightning was burned to a crisp. ¡°This terrain is much more dangerous than the Forest of Death,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t take the risk of moving without any protection. Kaida, use your clones,¡± Itachi said. Even though he didn¡¯t specify the full process, Kaida understood it. He quickly made hand signs. Poof, poof, poof! Three shadow clones appeared next to him one by one. Two of them used Transformation Jutsu and transformed into long metallic rods, while one of the clones picked them up and started running ahead of the group, planting the bigger rod a little distance away from the group every time. Even though the current ninja world was not scientifically advanced, the simple concept of a lightning rod was still common. After running for some more time, another lightning stroke down, but the rod absorbed all the impact, and since it transmitted all of the lightning into the ground, the damage was not so substantial that the clone would get dispersed. With their security confirmed, the three of them started running at full speed toward the first location, the goal for one hour clear in their minds: ¡®Find those two scrolls first, then ambush another team for the location of the other scroll or food, depending on which one they find first. For that, they have to find those two scrolls in one hour and then go back to the starting location. Otherwise, once other teams get dispersed in the Lightning Valley, it will become increasingly difficult to find them in this vast land.¡¯ These type of thought going in their mind. Understanding this, all three of them were going toward the first location at their full speed. After running according to the direction for 20 minutes while also moving just rapidly, they reached the first location and were dumbfounded by what they were seeing. Chapter 273: Ambush? In front of them was a steep, huge, and deadly mountain. After matching the coordinated plan once again, Itachi said, ¡°Check if there is any easier way to climb this mountain.¡± All three of them went in different directions, but even after checking all directions, there were no simple ways; the mountain was steep from every angle and looked very unnatural, like someone had actually made it that way. ¡°Kaida, what are those markings on the mountain?¡± Itachi asked as they met back at the same place they started. ¡°An array that is used to suppress chakra. We can¡¯t climb the mountain with wall-walking technique,¡± Kaida said. ¡°If that is the case, it will most likely suppress some jutsu as well, right?¡± Itachi asked. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t use earth manipulation to make the climb easier either,¡± Kabuto said as he tried to manipulate the earth around him to form spikes. ¡°This is a test of brute strength; we have to climb up and get the scroll,¡± Kaida said. ¡°It would be illogical for all of us to go to the top together; only one of us can go while the others conserve their strength,¡± Itachi said. ¡°What if there are other traps at the top of the mountain?¡± Kabuto asked. ¡°We can handle some of the traps easily; if it gets too difficult, we can come back and try once again with all of us together,¡± Itachi explained. ¡°I have a better idea,¡± Kaida said, and ¡ªone shadow clone with 10 percent of his chakra appeared next to him and quickly started climbing the mountain swiftly. Itachi and Kabuto nodded their heads, as this way either they would get the scroll, or the clone would find out about the traps, and they could plan accordingly. Luckily, the clone easily climbed the mountain; it was truly just a test of brute strength and nothing else. With the scroll in his hand, he jumped straight down from the top of the mountain and, right before landing, threw the scroll toward Kaida before dispersing itself. ¡°If that clone had landed, you would have gotten trauma for life,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°But that was fun, and it saved us time too,¡± Kaida said. ¡°But not much; we only have 20 more minutes before others start coming here,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. We can always search for the second scroll afterward, but finding those teams will become one heck of a task if they get dispersed,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Yes.¡± Then the three of them started going back. Once again, a shadow clone was running in front of them with a metal rod in his hand. After they reached back to their starting position, they hid behind a mountain, waiting for teams to arrive. But even after waiting for 10 minutes, no team appeared from the same way they had entered. Just when they were about to lose hope and go back, a team with the headband of Takigakure entered the valley, quickly running away from the entrance. Before they could get far, three shadows flickered in front of them. ¡°Fuck,¡± the leader of the team said. They had no intention of resisting at all, because the shadows'' faces became clear the next second, revealing two pairs of blood-red eyes with three tomoe fixed on him. With the reputation of Konoha and the Sharingan, along with their sensei¡¯s warning about Itachi Uchiha, the thought of fighting didn¡¯t even cross their minds. ¡°We don¡¯t want to fight. If you give us the address of just one of the scrolls, we will let you pass without any problems,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Just one?¡± the leader asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Itachi replied. Without a second thought, the leader took out a piece of paper and gave it to Itachi. They would at least have three more days to figure things out if they could evade the current problem for now. Itachi took the scroll, then Kaida, with a curious voice, asked, ¡°Why were you the only team that came from this route? What about the rest?¡± ¡°Every team from major villages took difficult routes, like climbing the mountain at the end or crossing the rugged valley, saying this path was the most dangerous one. We initially didn¡¯t understand why they were saying that,¡± the leader of Team 15 said, sighing at his own stupidity for not understanding the meaning earlier. ¡°Sorry, dude; we need this,¡± Kaida said, patting his shoulder. ¡°No, it¡¯s totally fine.¡± ¡°Okay, then take care and be careful about the lightning; it will become deadlier as you keep going deeper in the valley. Make sure you have some type of protection,¡± Kaida said, leaving a final piece of advice before vanishing from his place with the rest of his team. ¡°Let¡¯s go; at least we still have a chance. This is the shortest path. We can take at least one scroll before others come back into the race,¡± the leader said, trying to lift the mood. ¡­ ¡°Our plan to get food has failed now,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Well, easy food, but still, we can hunt for our food,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to eat bloody meat now; that tastes very gamey,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°You¡¯ve eaten that before,¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Yes, when our orphanage didn¡¯t have much food, my friends and I used to go out to hunt for our own food. But it has been very long, and I have not eaten something like that since I became a ninja,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mate; I am better than professionals when it comes to cooking. The food will not taste bad, guaranteed,¡± Kaida said, remembering why this boy was first added to Root¡ªfor his orphanage. ¡°Let¡¯s think about food after we are done finding all of the scrolls. I don¡¯t want to leave one of you guys behind,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, captain; we can easily get 10 scrolls, let alone three,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Overconfidence is a slow poison, Kaida,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Yes, but confidence in your ability is a must-have quality for a ninja,¡± Kaida said. ¡°We have to go left from here,¡± Kabuto interrupted the discussion while they ran toward the next location and through the thorny jungle in the valley. ¡°Why do I feel like we got all of the difficult places?¡± Kaida said. ¡°There are bears inside; even though they are slow, they have very high attack power, so be careful of them,¡± Itachi said, analyzing the marks on the tree bark at the start of the jungle. With their Sharingan activated, Kaida and Itachi took front and rear positions while Kabuto kept informing them of the location of the scroll from the center. In no time, they reached the front of a cave. ¡°Really? Inside the bear cave?¡± Kabuto said. ¡°The bear is still inside; let¡¯s lure it out first. I don¡¯t want to fight it in a close place,¡± Itachi said. ¡°But how?¡± Kabuto asked. ¡°Kaida and Kabuto, both of you go and catch any animal you can; the larger, the better,¡± Itachi instructed. ¡°Understood.¡± Understanding the plan, both Kaida and Kabuto disappeared from their positions. With a quick search of the surroundings, they found some burrows in the ground. ¡°It looks like rabbits or hares are here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see; one, two, three, four¡ªtotal four exits are visible,¡± Kaida said. ¡°That means two or three should be hidden somewhere too,¡± Kabuto said. Kaida nodded and did a quick search of the surroundings. With his Sharingan, finding traces was as easy as counting the fingers on his own hands. ¡°Found them¡ªthere, there, and three,¡± Kaida pointed out all of the locations. ¡°Go close to five of them,¡± Kaida said. Kabuto nodded and quickly used earth manipulation to close all of the holes. Then Kaida appeared in front of one of the remaining open ones and started making hand signs. ¡°Fire Release: Fire Breath Jutsu!¡± With its life in danger, the hare tried to run out from the only other option available, but Kabuto was present on the other side and, with a kunai in his hand, pierced the heart of the hare in one blow. But then he suddenly jolted his hand back. ¡°What happened?¡± Chapter 274: Bear ¡°It had lightning chakra in its body. If I hadn¡¯t placed that kunai in front of its exit, it would have surely run away,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Yup, Sensei did say that animals here could use chakra, but I didn¡¯t think even these small ones would be able to use it,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Well, if they can, then I¡¯m sure that bear will also use it. We have to be careful with that one,¡± Kabuto warned. ¡°Let¡¯s see how this goes then,¡± Kaida said, picking up the hare they had just killed. ¡°He¡¯s huge. This should be enough to lure him out, right?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡­ ¡°What took you guys so long?¡± Itachi asked as soon as Kaida and Kabuto came back. ¡°You think the prey are sitting in every place around the forest? We had to find and then capture this one; of course it will take time.¡± ¡°Just a single one?¡± ¡°Yes, but this should be enough, I guess,¡± Kaida said, taking the hare in front of the cave while making the wound bigger so that more blood would flow out of it. ¡°That hare used lightning chakra to run away. Since even such a small animal can use chakra, that bear must be able to do it too,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Yes, he surely can, and not just lightning chakra, but¡­¡± Before Itachi could complete his sentence, a loud blast came from the cave. Unlike Kabuto, who could not see inside because it was too dark, Kaida and Itachi had their Sharingan activated and could clearly see a bear lifting its paws from the ground and looking directly toward them. Not because it could see them, but because it could smell them. Bears have a better sense of smell than wolves; along with the blood of its prey, it could also smell three other scents. Unlike a wild animal, this one had intelligence. Seeing the attempts of three humans to lure it out like a wild beast made it angry. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With slow steps, it started coming out of the cave. Kaida and Itachi jumped back while Kabuto used Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique to prepare an ambush. But as soon as the bear emerged from the cave, it stood on its hind legs and roared, Then, with a single leap, it jumped toward the building where Kaida and Itachi were. With a single punch, the tree was broken into splinters, but Kaida and Itachi had already jumped away by then and were completely safe. ¡°Its fighting style resembles yours when you use that hammer of yours,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s using Earth chakra rather than lightning to increase its attack power and weight,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°I will handle it,¡± Itachi said, starting to make hand signs, but Kaida, seeing the hand signs, swiftly stopped him. ¡°Wait, Captain. Let me give it a try.¡± Seeing the battle spirit in Kaida¡¯s eyes, Itachi just nodded his head with a smile, understanding what Kaida meant. ¡°Kabuto, don¡¯t interfere!¡± Kaida shouted, then jumped right in front of the bear, with the seal on his forehead glowing. This time, the mark didn¡¯t spread across his entire body but just on his hands, feet, and back, forming gauntlet-like markings. Kaida shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s see how powerful you are, buddy!¡± and jumped right toward the bear. The bear didn¡¯t take Kaida¡¯s small figure of 1.5 meters in front of its nearly 2.5-meter size seriously and threw its paw right toward Kaida¡¯s punch. Kabuto had appeared next to Itachi. ¡°He¡¯s really doing a strength contest against a bear?¡± Kabuto said. ¡°He wanted that,¡± Itachi said, then focused on the fight once again. He could easily tell that Kaida was not using even 10 percent of his full power. When their attacks collided, both of them slid back a little. The bear was shocked at how such a tiny human could exert so much strength. ¡°Quite good, bro, but that is not your full power, right?¡± Kaida asked. Understanding his meaning, the bear hit the ground once again. Many rocks flew out of the ground, but rather than flying away, they stuck to its hand, creating a boxing glove effect. With his Sharingan, Kaida could also see that the bear was using twice the amount of chakra compared to its earlier attempt. ¡°Now this is what I was talking about,¡± Kaida said, doubling his chakra too. Once again, both of them jumped toward each other, but this time the bear''s punch was harder than Kaida expected. He was pushed back because of that, and the bear kept charging forward, landing a second punch on Kaida¡¯s ribs and throwing him back further. ¡°Should we help him?¡± Kabuto asked worriedly. But Itachi, seeing the smirk on Kaida¡¯s face, smiled and said, ¡°No need.¡± Kaida stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. At the last moment, he blocked the punch so that none of his bones were broken, but it still hurt. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll handle this,¡± Kaida said, once again doubling his chakra, which not only increased his strength but also his speed. Before the bear could react, Kaida appeared right in front of it, and his punch went straight toward the bear¡¯s chest. Instinctively, it placed its hand in front of its chest and blocked the attack. But Kaida¡¯s punch was way above its league this time. Not only did the rock gauntlet on its hand shatter, but even the bones of its front paws were broken. The bear was pushed back quite a lot before it struck a tree and stopped. The bear let out a low whimper, almost a soft growl, as it cowered back. Being an intelligent creature, it understood it didn¡¯t stand a chance against Kaida and the group, so it started showing submission. ¡°Kabuto, go and take the scroll from the cave,¡± Itachi said. Kabuto nodded and vanished from his position, while Kaida slowly walked toward the bear, which was covering a little. Pat, pat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not going to hurt you,¡± Kaida said, patting its head. Then he took out its paw and passed his hand over it, channeling chakra to check the status of its injuries. The bear whimpered but didn¡¯t do anything else. After some time, Kaida¡¯s hand started to glow green as he used Healing Palm Jutsu: Advanced Version to heal the injured paws of the bear. ¡°Done. They¡¯re fine now,¡± Kaida said, patting the paws. The bear looked at its paws in astonishment and then started licking Kaida¡¯s face. ¡°Unless you are planning on adopting that bear, we should start going toward our next destination,¡± Itachi said. Hearing that, the bear stopped and stepped back a little. ¡°You can understand us, right, buddy?¡± Kaida asked, seeing everything until now made it apparent. The bear nodded its head with a profound expression on its face. ¡°Good. Then you can eat that, but catch something bigger too. We will come back in 2-3 hours¡­ sometime.¡± The bear, hearing that, nodded its head excitedly Chapter 275: The Mountain Clash After saying goodbye to the now-docile bear, Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto moved swiftly through the dense forest. ¡°Quite a nice way to arrange food and a place to stay for the next three days, Kaida. That area was perfectly fine for it,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°I am especially amused by how intelligent that bear was,¡± Kaida said. ¡°It is quite normal, actually. Without intelligence, how do you think they wield their chakra? Once they start using chakra, their intelligence grows, and once it grows, they use chakra better, creating something like a loop. That bear is in the initial phase of that loop, while some of the summoning animals are at the later part,¡± Itachi explained. ¡°Thank you for the explanation, Sensei,¡± Kaida said seriously. ¡°Hahaha,¡± Kabuto laughed at that. ¡°Enough! We are about to leave the forest, Kaida.¡± Kaida, becoming serious once again, made three shadow clones to be safe from lightning. Then three of them started moving, their senses alert and Sharingan activated as they navigated toward their next destination: a small mountain that rose like a jagged tooth from the rocky terrain of Lightning Valley. Unlike the previous cave, this one was in plain sight, with a flat plain all around the mountain. "That last one took longer than expected," Itachi said. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope no one has taken that scroll by now,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Your hope may get shattered; I can see traces of someone going along this path,¡± Itachi said. Kaida, following Itachi''s gaze, also found traces of some movement in the area. Though it would have been invisible to others, with the Sharingan, the traces were almost clear. ¡°They are still fresh; we may catch up if we speed up,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Itachi said and disappeared from his position. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. --- As they approached the base of the mountain, the air seemed to hum with tension. The rocky terrain gave way to a narrow path flanked by steep cliffs. At the mountain¡¯s peak, a small cave entrance was visible. The scroll they needed was hidden inside, but they weren¡¯t the only ones aiming for it. At the mountain¡¯s base stood three figures facing toward them. Kaida and his team didn¡¯t even try to hide their movement toward the base, due to which Sunagakure¡¯s team found out about them before they reached there, losing a chance for an ambush altogether. But it was not their goal from the start anyway. The Sunagakure team consisted of three trained and talented ninja: 1. **: The team leader, a tall and lean kunoichi with sharp features and even sharper eyes. She wielded a deadly scimitar and was known for her wind-style jutsu, the main damage dealer of the team. 2. **: A broad-shouldered ninja with a quiet demeanor. He specialized in earth-style techniques, using them to create barriers and fortify their positions. He was the tank of the team. 3. **: The smallest and youngest of the group, but by no means the weakest. He had an affinity for bug-based jutsu, manipulating swarms of desert insects that could be used for defense and overwhelm opponents. One could say they were an inferior version of Aburame clan techniques. "We knew you¡¯d come," Shima said, her voice cutting through the air like her wind jutsu. ¡°Since we reached here first, why don¡¯t we do this in a civil way, and we take the scroll?¡± she continued. ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t have an option; we need that scroll. But if you go away now, we will not pursue you guys,¡± Kaida said. Kuro smirked. "Why don¡¯t we find out who will actually run?¡± Without warning, he unleashed a wave of buzzing insects from his sleeves, all of them brown-colored beetles, sending them swarming toward Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi. The insects were fast, homing in on their targets with unsettling precision. With both Kaida¡¯s and Itachi¡¯s Sharingan already activated, they had long predicted this attack after seeing the insects in Kuro¡¯s sleeves. With kunai in their hands, they struck one beetle after another, but those were not enough to kill the beetles. The most impressive quality of these beetles was not their offense but their defense; the reason he used them at the start was to distract Konoha¡¯s team. Taking advantage of the distraction, Shima appeared behind Kaida and Itachi and used Wind Blade Jutsu from a distance. ¡°Kaida handles her; I will take care of the beetles,¡± Itachi said. Meanwhile, Kabuto had vanished underground using his Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique. Tama, anticipating this, slammed his hands on the ground, causing the earth to quake and rumble beneath him. Spikes of stone shot up from the ground, aiming to pierce Kabuto¡¯s hidden form. But before they could hit their mark, Kabuto emerged from behind him, catching Tama off guard. "Earth Style won¡¯t save you," Kabuto said, his chakra scalpel forming in his hand as he delivered a precise strike to Tama¡¯s shoulder, disrupting his movements. On the other side of the battlefield, Itachi completed his hand signs. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Small, fast-moving fireballs shot out from Itachi¡¯s mouth, each one homing in on Kuro¡¯s swarming insects. The flames tore through the swarm, burning away his beetles, which were somehow tanking the kunai strikes, falling in bulk after being burnt to a crisp. Kuro¡¯s face twisted in frustration as his companions, whom he had cared for long, were dying in masses. Kaida, now fully engaged with Shima, found an opening. With a swift movement, he grabbed her scimitar mid-swing, stopping it with his gauntlet-clad hand. Her eyes widened as he twisted the blade from her grasp and delivered a powerful kick to her midsection, sending her flying backward into a tree. "It¡¯s over," Kaida said, standing tall as Shima struggled to her feet, her expression one of disbelief. Kabuto had already subdued Tama, who lay immobilized by Kabuto¡¯s chakra scalpel. Itachi, ever calm and composed, stepped forward toward Kuro, whose insect swarm had been reduced to smoldering ash. "We... can¡¯t lose..." Shima muttered, but her body was already aching from the kick she received. "You already have," Itachi said, his voice cool but not unkind. "Now leave." The Sunagakure team, battered and beaten, had no choice but to retreat. Shima¡¯s scowl burned into Kaida as she was dragged away by her teammates, but none of them dared to argue. They had been thoroughly defeated. --- With the Sunagakure team gone, Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto entered the small cave and retrieved the third and last scroll. Itachi tucked it away, and the trio began their trek back through the forest. As they approached the clearing where they had left the bear, Kaida was the first to notice something off. The bear was there, sitting proudly next to a large deer it had hunted and brought back as a "gift" for them. Kaida chuckled and patted the bear¡¯s head. "You¡¯ve been busy, huh?" The bear licked Kaida¡¯s face in response, clearly pleased with itself. ¡°Good job; now go take some rest. We will call you when food is ready,¡± Kaida said, but the bear pointed at the deer carcass, as if saying, ¡®What do you mean food is right here, completely ready?¡¯ ¡°Wait and see,¡± Kaida somehow understood the bear''s intention and replied. Chapter 276: Food ¡°So we are going to stay here, huh? Quite a nice place for both safety and finding food. We could also keep check of our surroundings,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Especially with this bear here. This place gives excellent cover,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Then it is decided. Kabuto, prepare a cave for us a little away from the bear''s cave. Kaida, inscribe some concealment seals in the area. I will scout the surroundings for water and anything else I can find,¡± Itachi instructed. ¡°Okay, Captain,¡± both Kaida and Kabuto said, starting their tasks. ¡°So, Kaida, I always wanted to ask: that famous bathhouse in the Uchiha district is yours, right?¡± Kabuto asked. ¡°Yes, our family owns that bathhouse. Why did you want to ask, anyway?¡± Kaida responded. ¡°Well, do you guys give a bulk discount? Due to its recent popularity, the young children in the orphanage are asking whether they could also use it, but the price is way over the budget of the orphanage,¡± Kabuto said with a sigh. ¡°¡­ Discount? I will book two large baths for your orphanage when we go back. You can bring everyone then,¡± Kaida replied with a smile. ¡°No, no! I don¡¯t want you to take any loss; I will pay the price for those,¡± Kabuto said hastily. Pat, pat. ¡°With the income we are earning from that bathhouse, a single use of two normal baths will not even put a small dent in the profits, so don¡¯t worry about that. As for money, I thought we were becoming friends¡ªwell, maybe only I thought that,¡± Kaida said dejectedly. ¡°No¡­ Okay, I understand. Then I will bring everyone to your bathhouse,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Kaida replied, then brought a big leaf from a tree and slashed his hand to drip some blood on the leaf. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Kabuto asked worriedly, stopping his work on the cave. ¡°Getting ink to make the seal. Those people took everything I had prepared other than kunai,¡± Kaida said, focusing on the task at hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any other way than using your own blood?¡± Kabuto asked. ¡°Apart from ninja¡¯s blood and fuinjutsu ink, nothing else naturally has the capability to interact with chakra in the environment. In other words, it can¡¯t work for seals¡­ and done.¡± Kaida said as the leaf was now filled with enough blood to make the seal. After that, Kaida simply used Healing Palm Jutsu, and the cut on his palm closed at a speed visible to the naked eye. ¡°Fine, I am going to focus on my task,¡± Kabuto said, giving a last look at Kaida''s hand. ¡®How the hell did this timid and upright boy become the final villain in the end?¡¯ Kaida thought before starting to make many seals in the surrounding area. Most of them were concealment arrays, but some were also motion detection seals that would send signals to Kaida upon detecting any movement. After surrounding the base with seals, Kaida went to the deer that the bear had hunted and placed it on top of a thick branch on a nearby tree. He made some cuts on its neck and other veins to drain the blood, storing it for the bear as well. After two hours, Kabuto came out of the hole, all of his clothes dirty. ¡°What the hell were you doing inside to get this dirty?¡± Kaida asked, looking toward him. ¡°Enlarging the cave, making three sections for each of us, and cleaning it a little,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Bro, we are not going to settle here. This is just a temporary base for three days; there was no need for you to do this much work,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Yeah, but we have free time for the next three days. There is no extra work anymore, so I got a little carried away,¡± Kabuto said, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that you are done now. I was about to start cooking this one,¡± Kaida said, patting the deer, which was now without its skin. Kabuto could see a heap of chopped wood and the deer skin lying around. ¡°You did this much in just two hours, along with making seals?¡± Kabuto asked. Kaida simply made some hand signs, and poof, a shadow clone popped next to him. ¡°I had help,¡± he said, then went ahead arranging the wood. ¡°I really want to learn this jutsu. Among all the ones I know, this one is the most practical,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Well, you can when we go back; you are the Hokage''s disciple,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Hahaha, I wish I was! It was just for this exam,¡± Kabuto replied. ¡°Then start going toward the jungle.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°I know about some wild spices. I will try my luck to see if I can find any,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Okay, but be alert all the time,¡± Kaida warned. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ After another half hour, Itachi came back. ¡°Where is Kabuto?¡± ¡°Welcome back, Captain. Kabuto went into the jungle to find some spices for cooking; he should be coming back any moment now,¡± Kaida said. ¡°I¡¯m already here,¡± Kabuto said, coming back from the jungle. ¡°You didn¡¯t find anything?¡± Kaida asked, seeing the empty hands of both Kabuto and Itachi. Both of them passed chakra into their storage seals, and various items came out. ¡°I found a water source nearby, this is rock salt from the mountain, and these are some berries,¡± Itachi said. ¡°I found wild garlic, some herbs, this lemon-like fruit, and chilies,¡± Kabuto added. ¡°Did you have to fight a bear for these things?¡± Itachi asked, noticing Kabuto¡¯s dirty state. ¡°No, I got like this while making the cave,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Okay,¡± Itachi said, not asking further. ¡°Hmm, now that we have so many ingredients, it would be a waste to eat this bland, but only if I had honey¡­ Wait a minute,¡± Kaida said, calling out to the bear. ¡°Guah?¡± The bear tilted its head, seeing the deer like that. ¡°Do you know any place where we could find honey?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°?¡± ¡°A yellow liquid that tastes sweet and is surrounded by small flying insects,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°Guah.¡± The bear nodded its head and then ran toward the jungle. Kaida then made a shadow clone, which used Transformation Jutsu to convert into a pan. ¡°You are the only person in the world who would use a B-rank jutsu to make a pan,¡± Itachi said, shaking his head. ¡°Well, chakra should have more use than just killing, right?¡± Kaida said, then began taking out some of the deer fat. But his words left his two teammates in deep thought. After ten minutes, the bear came back with a complete beehive in its hand. Some of the bees were still sticking to its fur, but because of the coating of the fur, none of them managed to get past that. ¡°Good job!¡± Kaida said, taking the comb from the bear and pouring the honey onto a leaf. He then started a small fire and placed the pan on it. Once it was heated, he added the deer fat to simmer. After it melted, he added honey, garlic, herbs, and a little bit of rock salt. After it simmered for half a minute, he added the ¡®lemon¡¯ to balance out the flavor. ¡®I hope we had soy sauce; well, it will be fine without it anyway.¡¯ ¡°Do you want to eat that?¡± Kaida asked the bear, pointing toward the organs he had taken out while cleaning it. Normally, they would be thrown away. ¡°Guah!¡± the bear jumped at that anyway. ¡°Luckily, I had cleaned them,¡± Kaida said, already expecting something like that. He then made a rotating platform to place the deer on, with the help of his clones¡ªone for rotating, one for maintaining the fire, and the last one for applying the glaze. Kaida completed all of the preparations. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°How long will it take?¡± Itachi asked, looking at the deer intensely. ¡°Yes?¡± Kabuto asked. ¡°We will have to wait for a very long time¡ªat least five to six hours. But till then, we have the berries that Itachi brought back with him,¡± Kaida said, pointing toward them. ¡°Nope, I will wait for this,¡± Kabuto said and sat next to the fire. ¡°Me too,¡± Itachi said as he also sat next to them. ¡°In that case, we can drink some herbal tea while waiting for it to cook,¡± Kaida suggested, seeing the clone he had sent into the jungle coming back with lots of herbs in its hands. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Kabuto said. Kaida once again used Shadow Clone Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu to get a kettle from the jungle and placed it over the fire, filled with water and a mixture of herbs. Seeing all three of them sitting by the fire, the bear also joined them. After eating, it simply sat next to Kaida, but its eyes were focused on the deer as well. Chapter 277: Cave? It was night now, the forest shrouded in darkness. A loud burp echoed through the trees, and at the source, a big bear and three ninjas patted their bulging bellies. ¡°It was a mistake; we should not have eaten this much during such times,¡± Itachi said. ¡°You should have said this before eating that much. I would have taken your share,¡± Kabuto replied. ¡°I was talking for all of us,¡± Itachi emphasized. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m perfectly fine and could even go for round two!¡± Kabuto countered. But there was nothing left of the deer, leaving the three hungry ninjas who hadn¡¯t eaten much the entire day after doing so much physical work. The diet of a bear was no joke; it had consumed half of the deer, which meant the three of them had devoured the other half. ¡°You''re joking, right? Look at that bulge; you look like a pregnant lady!¡± Kaida said, pointing at Kabuto¡¯s stomach. ¡°You¡¯re not in any position to say that either!¡± Kabuto shot back, patting Kaida¡¯s stomach, which was just as round. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s been a long day. You guys go and take some rest; I¡¯ll be on night watch,¡± Itachi said. ¡°No need, Captain. I¡¯ve covered every direction with motion-sensing seals, so no one will be able to ambush us. Our base is also covered in at least a hundred concealment seals. The array I¡¯ve formed is my best yet. Even though they¡¯re not foolproof, at least no one our age will be able to find us for sure,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s all get some sleep.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hey, big fellow, go sleep in your cave and catch one more deer tomorrow, okay?¡± Kaida said to the bear. ¡°Guah!¡± The bear nodded its head excitedly. Kaida dispersed all of his clones, and the three of them headed toward the cave Kabuto had created. ¡°You made stairs?¡± Itachi asked, surprised. ¡°You''re getting surprised too easily, Captain; he¡¯s done much more than that,¡± Kaida replied. Once inside, they arrived at a very large area that had something akin to sofas inside. Kabuto lit a torch and placed it on the wall, casting warm light that made the three sections of the cave more visible for Itachi and Kaida, who had activated their Sharingan to see in the dark. ¡°You¡¯ve put in way too much unnecessary hard work, Kabuto. A simple cave would have been sufficient.¡± Kaida glanced around at the effort Kabuto had put into their temporary base. The spacious cave was more than they needed, with makeshift seating that looked comfortable. Itachi sighed, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "You really didn¡¯t have to go this far," Itachi said, shaking his head at the thought of Kabuto over-preparing. ¡°Like I said, we¡¯ve got three days and no immediate threats,¡± Kabuto replied, sitting down on one of the stone ¡®sofas.¡¯ ¡°Might as well make ourselves comfortable.¡± Kaida laughed softly. ¡°You never know when we¡¯ll have to sleep in a muddy ditch. So maybe Kabuto has the right idea.¡± They settled into the cave, the warm light from the torch casting shadows on the walls. Itachi leaned back, clearly exhausted, while Kaida stretched out on another stone seat. ¡°We¡¯re well-prepared now,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Yeah, but still, sleeping on stone beds isn¡¯t going to be great. I was hoping to find some soft grass or something, but this thorny forest has none,¡± Kabuto lamented. ¡°Well, I can use a shadow clone to make mattresses if you guys want,¡± Kaida offered. ¡°Absolutely not! Under no circumstances am I going to sleep on you!¡± Kabuto firmly declined. ¡°I¡¯ll also pass,¡± Itachi added. ¡°As you wish,¡± Kaida said and made a single shadow clone, which transformed into a mattress that he placed in his bed before going to sleep. Kabuto and Itachi just shook their heads and settled on the stone beds Kabuto had created. The next day, they woke up and headed to the water source Itachi had found to wash up. When they returned, the bear was already standing in front of its cave with an even larger bear lying next to it this time. ¡°Good boy! But where do you keep finding these deer?¡± Kaida asked, as neither he, Itachi, nor Kabuto had spotted any deer in the forest. The bear pointed its paw toward a distant mountain. ¡°Guah!¡± ¡°Oh, no wonder we didn¡¯t find them. Good job!¡± Kaida exclaimed and took the deer with him, preparing it in the same way as before. Just as the deer was about to be fully cooked, he stood up and took out his kunai. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming!¡± Itachi and Kabuto immediately tensed, their hands reaching for their weapons. Within moments, three figures approached, but seeing the Konoha team, they tensed up as well. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s you guys. Are you here for revenge?¡± Kaida asked, just as everyone was ready to attack. But before they could move, Shima, the leader of the Sunagakure team, began speaking. ¡°Sorry, we were searching for food and arrived here. We don¡¯t want any fight.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± After a moment of hesitation, Kaida and his team lowered their weapons because he could see Tama, the biggest but simplest of the three from the Sunagakure team, looking at the deer with big round eyes. Since he had activated his Sharingan, he could also see that the three of them were still injured. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Kaida said and went to the deer. He then took out a full hind leg, wrapped it in large leaves, and gave it to them. ¡°Since we took your scroll, consider this an apology. Also, let me give you a quick healing.¡± The three of them looked at each other, hesitant. ¡°If I wanted to, I could easily kill you guys without any schemes; that would be easier for me, so¡­¡± Shima quickly took the food and bowed slightly, not wanting to start a fight. Kaida then healed the three of them enough so their injuries wouldn¡¯t hinder their movement anymore. After thanking Kaida once more, the three of them left, not just the area but the forest altogether, not wanting to find out what the result of another skirmish between them and the Konoha team would be. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do all that,¡± Kabuto said. Kaida shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re desperate, and they¡¯re not our enemies right now. Besides, we¡¯ve got enough food. We can always hunt more. Aside from that, they somehow found our base. If they really wanted trouble, they could team up with other teams to gang up on us. Now at least there¡¯s a chance they¡¯ll leave us alone,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°The leg will be deducted from your share,¡± Kabuto got to the main point. At that, both Itachi and the bear nodded their heads. ¡®These fuckers¡­¡¯ Kaida thought. --- Meanwhile, further up the valley, Deidara was scowling, his eyes burning with frustration as he stood in front of a mountain. His team had been moving the whole day and night but had only managed to obtain one scroll between them. It wasn¡¯t enough. They needed three¡ªone for each member. ¡°Someone already took it!¡± Deidara growled, clenching his fists. His temper flared, and his patience snapped. ¡°I¡¯m tired of searching like a common scavenger.¡± The locations they got were at opposite ends of Lightning Valley. Due to rough weather and terrain, it took them much longer to reach the second location, but someone had already taken the second scroll by then. His hands formed a rapid set of seals, chakra surging through his body as he slammed his palms into the ground. A deep hole emerged in the mountain, almost reaching the bottom. Then he took out a big ball made of white clay and dumped it in the mountain, repeating the same step two more times before jumping off. His teammates followed, knowing well what was going to happen next. With a deafening explosion, the entire mountainside blew apart in a cloud of dust and rubble. Rocks rained down, and the sheer force of the explosion caused the earth to tremble beneath them. When the dust settled, the once-majestic mountain was reduced to a pile of debris, but there was no scroll in sight. ¡°Tch! Worthless!¡± Deidara spat in frustration, glaring at the destruction he had caused. His teammate sighed, ¡°We still need two more scrolls. Blowing up mountains isn¡¯t going to help us.¡± Deidara growled, but he knew they were right. They were running out of time, and other teams were already ahead of them. --- Elsewhere in the valley, teams from various villages were either struggling or thriving. Some had managed to secure two scrolls already, their progress swift and strategic. Others, like Deidara¡¯s team, were still stuck with just one or even zero scrolls, desperately searching the wilderness for one. The tension was mounting as the deadline approached. With only two days remaining, the movement among teams increased. Chapter 278: fight --- ¡°How the hell did they cook something like this in the forest?¡± Shima, the leader of the Sunagakure team, said. ¡°It¡¯s even more delicious than the restaurants in our village,¡± Tama, the simplest of the three, said while enjoying his share. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll give us a little more if we ask?¡± he asked. ¡°They may consider feeding you to that bear if you do that,¡± Kuro replied, feeding his insects some of his share of the meat. ¡°Also, how was that bear so docile? I¡¯m pretty sure that was a wild bear because we saw the cave near them,¡± Shima asked, taking one more bite. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but maybe those tree-huggers have some ability to tame animals, something they developed living in the forest for so long,¡± Kuro said. ¡°No, Konoha ninja don¡¯t have that ability. Maybe they placed it under a genjutsu. Since they had two Uchiha, it¡¯s not impossible,¡± Shima suggested. ¡°Well, unless we¡¯re planning to target them, it doesn¡¯t matter to us, right?¡± Tama said. ¡°I was planning on forming an alliance with another team to target them, but now I don¡¯t want to,¡± Shima said. ¡°Why? Is it because they gave us food?¡± Kuro asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s because we¡¯re no match for them. In the previous fight, none of them used their full power. Heck, those two didn¡¯t even use genjutsu, and we were defeated in a minute. The result might stay the same even if we add another team to the equation. Also, this time, they might kill us because we¡¯d be like traitors to them,¡± Shima said. ¡°Well, we have a more important task than taking some childish revenge anyway. Let¡¯s keep searching for other teams. We still need two more scrolls,¡± Kuro said. --- ** --- Atop a rugged cliff in Lightning Valley, Team Amegakure prepared themselves, though their stealth was compromised due to a conflict with wolves in the valley, exposing their location. They could now sense other teams surrounding them. ¡°There¡¯s more than one team,¡± Suiren, the leader of Amegakure, muttered. Since they knew the location of three scrolls, they now had a big target on their backs. From the shadows, teams from Shimogakure and Yugakure, both with zero scrolls, surrounded them. These villages were minor, but their teams were the elite sent to maintain their village''s reputation. Their movements were swift and coordinated. ¡°Here they come,¡± Suiren muttered, his keen eyes scanning the landscape, noting subtle disturbances in the trees and chakra flickers. ¡°They think they can catch us off guard.¡± With a swift hand signal, Suiren commanded his team into defensive positions. The battle was imminent. Suddenly, a Shimogakure shinobi slammed his palm onto the rocky earth. ** Waves of chakra spread through the ground, instantly freezing the terrain. The already harsh conditions of Lightning Valley became even more treacherous as slick ice formed beneath Amegakure¡¯s feet, attempting to destabilize them. ¡°Keep your footing!¡± Suiren yelled, his mind racing for a counter. Before Amegakure could react, another Shimogakure shinobi charged forward. ** A barrage of razor-sharp wind blades tore through the air, aiming directly at Suiren and his team. With a fluid motion, Suiren quickly formed hand seals. ** A thick wall of water rose from the moisture in the air, blocking the wind blades with a satisfying hiss as they collided. Just as Amegakure started to recover, Yugakure¡¯s team launched their assault. Their leader, a muscular kunoichi named Asuka, appeared behind Suiren in a blur of speed. ** Her hand was encased in boiling steam, aiming a powerful punch at Suiren¡¯s head, the heat so intense it distorted the air around it. Suiren barely had time to duck as her fist grazed his cheek, scalding his skin. He winced but quickly retaliated, kicking upward to force her back. ¡°We can¡¯t let them get too close!¡± he called to his team, who were busy dodging water bullets from the other two members of Yugakure¡¯s team. Asuka, not one to back down, formed quick hand signs. ** With visible strain, she spat pressurized steam, covering the battlefield in a cloud of scalding hot vapor. The mist surrounded the area, burning any exposed skin and blinding the vision of all who entered. Suiren grimaced as the burning mist closed in. ¡°We need to disperse it! Kaito, now!¡± Kaito nodded, weaving a series of rapid hand seals. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ** An A-rank Water Style jutsu summoned a spiraling vortex of water that spun around him and his teammates. The powerful current sucked in the boiling mist and scattered it, clearing their vision and quelling the heat. But there was a price. Kaito now had no chakra left. Seeing her most powerful attack thwarted, Asuka shouted, ¡°We¡¯ll have to overwhelm them with force! All together!¡± She leaped forward, her fists once again coated in steam as she attacked Kaito, now visibly weakened, while the remaining Yugakure shinobi flanked Suiren. Kaito narrowly dodged her punch, but the impact cracked the frozen terrain, creating more chaos. Suiren and the last member of his team were surrounded by both Yugakure and Shimogakure¡¯s teams, with Kaito fighting Asuka alone. ¡®This is getting out of hand¡­¡¯ Suiren thought, then sighed. ¡°Everyone, Plan C!¡± he shouted. Both of his teammates nodded and crushed the pills in their mouths. Suiren started making hand signs and then placed his hands on his own body. All six of his opponents got on guard against the unknown jutsu, but after waiting for a few seconds, nothing happened. ¡®Is he trying to buy time?¡¯ everyone thought, but before they could react, dense purple smoke began to emanate from Suiren¡¯s mouth. ** Even the plants that came into contact with the poison melted. The others, already on guard, tried to evade it, but Kaito, with his last bit of chakra, used Wind Release to spread the poison farther. Seeing an opportunity, Suiren called out to his final teammate. ¡°Now!¡± Ren, who had been waiting for the right moment, released his trump card. ** A massive bolt of lightning surged from his hands, racing toward the immobilized enemy teams. The bolt struck the Yugakure leader, Asuka, full force. She screamed as the electricity coursed through her body, knocking her down. The rest of her team barely managed to avoid the brunt of the attack, but their formation was shattered. With Asuka down and Shimogakure¡¯s movements hindered by the poison mist, Amegakure pressed their advantage. Suiren dashed forward, delivering a crushing blow to the nearest Yugakure ninja, knocking him unconscious with a punch to the gut. Shimogakure¡¯s leader tried to retaliate, forming seals for another ice jutsu, but Ren was faster. ** He slammed his hands into the ground, sending out a web of electric chakra that ensnared the remaining Shimogakure shinobi, paralyzing them. --- The battle had been fierce, but Amegakure stood victorious, their enemies defeated. As the dust settled, Suiren and his team searched both teams for scrolls. ¡°None of them have any scrolls.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve only got two,¡± Suiren muttered. ¡°We can worry about that later,¡± Ren replied, scanning the horizon. ¡°We need to move before more teams show up.¡± Suiren nodded, leading his team away from the battlefield. Their bodies were bruised, but their spirits were unbroken. They had survived, but with only two scrolls, their journey through Lightning Valley was far from over. --- Meanwhile, the Yugakure team, with their leader gravely injured, was forced to retreat. Asuka was not in any condition to continue, and without her, the team couldn¡¯t hold on. They decided to use the seal and give up on the Chunin exam altogether. The Shimogakure team, though injured and without scrolls, refused to give up, limping through the valley in search of another opportunity. Chapter 279: Deal Another day passed amidst the battles, leaving just one day remaining in the Chunin exams. Teams without any scrolls had only two choices now: quit the exam entirely or emerge from hiding and fight for one. Naturally, they chose the latter. Lightning Valley had transformed into a small battlefield, with teams fighting desperately, their lives on the line. Meanwhile, Kaida and his team were relaxing in their cave, enjoying good food and training lightly to stay sharp. --- "Only 200 pushups? I could do them with one arm," Kaida boasted, watching Itachi finish his exercise. "Suit yourself. I''m not going to overexert myself just because of your childish provocations," Itachi replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "Why don''t you just admit that you''re no match for me in physical strength instead of making excuses?" Kaida teased. Before Itachi could respond, Kaida¡¯s clones dispersed around the forest, their purpose fulfilled. "Enemy. Kirigakure team approaching," Kaida announced, as his chakra returned from the dispelled clones. ¡°I¡¯ll put the food away first,¡± Kabuto said, quickly springing into action¡ªnot towards the enemies, but towards the deer carcass and the chili sauce that was almost ready. ''Tch, they just had to show up now. Couldn¡¯t they wait a little longer?'' Kabuto grumbled inwardly. "We''re really not taking this seriously," Itachi remarked, watching Kabuto hurry to stash the food in the cave. "Oh, come on. It''s just one team. You could handle them yourself, captain," Kaida chuckled. "Are they heading straight for us?" Itachi asked. "Yes." "How? I thought you placed concealment seals around the area." "I did, but those seals don''t hide smoke from the fire. They might have ignored it the first time, but smoke rising from the same spot for three days? That¡¯s no coincidence," Kaida explained. "Well, we''ll face the consequences of taking it easy for so long. How much time do we have?" Itachi asked. "Ten minutes. We could take a quick bite if we want," Kaida joked. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Kaida, this isn''t the time for jokes. Make sure all the traps are ready," Itachi ordered. "Yes, captain." Kaida created four shadow clones, sending them in different directions to check the traps. "Kabuto, take your position," Itachi continued. "On it," Kabuto replied, using to conceal himself underground. --- "Captain, we already have two scrolls. Is it really necessary to provoke someone who''s clearly showing their location? They''re probably from Konoha or Kumogakure," one of the Kirigakure team members suggested. "We represent Lord Mizukage¡¯s faction. It would be shameful to perform only moderately. Besides, we¡¯re not afraid of Kumo or Konoha," their captain, Naoki, replied confidently. With no further argument, the team advanced. After running for ten minutes, they stopped a hundred meters away from the smoke. "They¡¯ve likely set traps. Create water clones to scout ahead," Naoki instructed. The water clones moved forward, but moments later, three fireballs shot out, dispersing them. The Kirigakure team quickly took cover. "That was a warning. Leave now, and we won''t pursue you. Stay, and we¡¯ll attack with intent to kill," a clear, confident voice rang out. "It''s the Uchiha... We can''t hold our own against two Sharingan users," one of Naoki''s teammates tried to dissuade him. "Do you want to run with our tails between our legs? So what if they''re Uchiha? Ready your senbon," Naoki commanded. They stepped out of hiding, cautiously approaching the Konoha team. "You¡¯re from Konoha, right? We¡¯re leaving, sorry for the intrusion," Naoki said, turning to leave. But in that instant, his teammates launched poison-coated senbon towards Kaida and his group. --- "I told you talking was pointless," Itachi said calmly. "I know. But now, I won¡¯t feel guilty if one of them dies by accident," Kaida replied, deflecting the senbon with lightning-fast movements. The Kirigakure team watched in horror as their sneak attack was easily thwarted. "We gave you a chance," Kaida said, launching four fireballs from different directions. Just as the Kirigakure team prepared to dodge, the ground beneath them transformed into a swamp. With no time to react or conjure defenses, they coated their bodies in chakra, shielding their faces and chests with their arms. ¡°Boom,¡± Kaida whispered before a massive explosion rocked the area, hurling the Kirigakure team into nearby trees with bone-crushing force. Despite being elite ninjas, with Naoki at Jonin-level and armed with A-rank jutsu, they were overpowered in mere minutes. As Kaida and Itachi approached the defeated team, Kaida spoke again. "I warned you we¡¯d attack to kill. But it looks like you all survived. Good for you. Now, here''s another deal: give me a scroll if you want to leave here alive. Give me two, and I¡¯ll even treat your injuries," Kaida offered, smiling kindly. To the Kirigakure team, however, that smile was nothing short of devilish. Naoki, groaning in pain, handed over two scrolls. Kaida provided emergency treatment, just enough for them to walk away on their own. ¡°It was nice doing business with you,¡± Kaida said, waving as they staggered away. "Why are you just sitting here if you already have three scrolls? Was this some sort of trap to lure teams in?" Naoki asked, suspicious. "Nope, we already have what we need," Kaida said. "Then why take our scrolls?" one of Naoki¡¯s teammates asked, angry. "Because you attacked us. We can¡¯t let that slide. But if you want, I have another deal for you," Kaida grinned. "What is it?" Naoki asked, not wanting to risk finding more scrolls with time running out. "Teach my friend the Water Prison Jutsu, and I¡¯ll give both scrolls back," Kaida said, still smiling. Without a word, the Kirigakure team turned and left, unwilling to entertain the offer, let alone teach their enemies a valuable jutsu. "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to make enemies of every team," Kabuto remarked, emerging from his hiding spot. "They attacked us. We¡¯re already enemies. So, what¡¯s the harm in pushing it a little further?" Kaida shrugged. Chapter 280: Bye ¡°So, what are we going to do with these extra scrolls now?¡± Kabuto asked, glancing at the pile they had accumulated. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kaida shrugged, ¡°let¡¯s keep them for now and see if we can use them later.¡± A small roar echoed from the back of the cave as the bear, now their companion, rubbed its belly. ¡°Oh right! The food!¡± Kabuto exclaimed, quickly running back inside the cave to continue cooking the meal, as if nothing had happened moments ago. Itachi sighed heavily. The entire purpose of this exam was to test their ability to survive in harsh environments, but instead of barely getting by, they were living more comfortably than most people outside. On the second day, Kaida and Kabuto had fashioned soft mattresses using bark, leaves, and deer skin, creating a surprisingly cozy setup. They even managed to rig some light sources to let the daylight stream into the cave and built a makeshift chimney for their fire at night. They had built wooden chairs and a table too, and in his spare time, Kaida was even teaching the bear sign language. It was like a small family with an oversized pet. They weren¡¯t just surviving¡ªthey were thriving. The top predator of the valley had become their "friend," scaring off any other animals that might have been a threat. As for the other teams, Itachi knew they were more than overqualified for this exam. None of the two teams they had encountered so far had lasted more than two minutes in battle. It felt like playing with children. ¡®We might be too strong for this exam,¡¯ Itachi thought. With his low Kage-level power and rising rank among S-rank ninja, it was safe to say that hardly anyone here could truly challenge them. Still, knowing that overconfidence could lead to fatal mistakes, Itachi remained on guard, though he couldn¡¯t deny that he also wanted to enjoy the meal Kabuto was cooking. ¡­ Three days passed, and it was finally time to head back to the exam¡¯s starting point. As the trio prepared to leave, the bear, clearly confused, let out a small, mournful roar. ¡°We¡¯re going back now,¡± Kaida explained with a big smile. ¡°You can go back to being the king of this jungle again.¡± The bear shook its head and disappeared into the cave, only to return with a deer leg it had saved. ¡°Are you giving that to us?¡± Kaida asked, surprised by the gesture. The bear shook its head, holding onto the leg. ¡°Fine, keep it. Goodbye, big guy.¡± Kaida patted the bear¡¯s head. But as the three of them began to walk away, the bear quietly followed behind them. ¡°I knew this would happen,¡± Itachi sighed again. ¡°No, buddy. You have to stay here. We can¡¯t take you with us.¡± Kaida turned and patted the bear¡¯s head again. ¡°Guah,¡± the bear responded, shaking its head. ¡°How about this¡ªwe¡¯ll come back for you sometime, and then we¡¯ll take you with us. Okay?¡± Kaida offered. Reluctantly, the bear nodded. ¡°Great! Till then, enjoy the comfy bed. It¡¯s super soft!¡± Kaida grinned. ¡°Guah.¡± With a final wave, Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto sped away. The bear tried to follow but soon fell behind, unable to keep pace. As the distance between them grew, a final loud roar echoed through the valley, as if promising that it would wait for them. ¡°Are you crying?¡± Kabuto teased, noticing Kaida keeping his face turned away. ¡°What? No way! Why would I cry?¡± Kaida shot back, still avoiding eye contact. ¡°Let him be. He practically made that bear his pet. Of course, leaving it behind hurts,¡± Itachi commented dryly. ¡°I am NOT crying! And I didn¡¯t lie! I¡¯ll find a way to bring him back with me one day,¡± Kaida protested. ¡°You sound like a kid. Just don¡¯t do anything stupid during the exam,¡± Itachi warned. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I know,¡± Kaida muttered. Despite trying to shake it off, his Sharingan-enhanced emotions made the goodbye with the bear harder than he expected. ¡®If saying goodbye to a friend after just three days is this hard, I don¡¯t even want to imagine what it¡¯s like to lose someone for good.¡¯ Shaking off the thought, Kaida refocused on the journey ahead. ¡­ Everyone was required to return to the same building where the exam¡¯s second round had started, with all the scrolls intact. Of course, that meant there was still a chance someone could ambush them on the way. Even though Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto knew this, they took the shortest path to the building, confident in their abilities. As they neared their destination, the Sunagakure team appeared in the distance but quickly retreated when they realized who they¡¯d been about to target. Soon after, the injured Amegakure team also backed down without a fight. While they were moving, Kaida suddenly stopped. ¡°Wait a minute, guys. I have a fun idea,¡± he said with a mischievous grin. He used chakra to amplify his voice, calling out to the teams nearby. ¡°We have an extra scroll! We¡¯re leaving it here. Anyone who wants it, come and take it!¡± He tossed the scroll high into a tree, setting a trap that was obvious but irresistible. The teams watching understood what Kaida had done¡ªhe had thrown a bloody piece of meat into a pool of hungry sharks. They had no choice but to go after it. As the other teams rushed toward the scroll, Kaida disappeared from his spot and reappeared behind the leader of the Takigakure team. ¡°Did you guys find any scrolls?¡± Kaida asked. Shocked by his sudden appearance, the leader almost attacked, but quickly lowered his kunai. ¡°No,¡± the leader replied dejectedly. ¡°We had the same scroll location as an Iwagakure team, but they got there first.¡± ¡°Then consider this an apology for taking your scroll earlier.¡± Kaida handed him the extra scroll. ¡°Now, get to the building before someone snatches it!¡± The leader nodded and immediately ordered his team to sprint toward the building. With Takigakure out of the way, the other teams fought desperately over the last scroll. Kaida returned to his group with a grin. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t mind, right?¡± he asked. Itachi and Kabuto both shrugged, knowing those extra scrolls were of no use to them anyway. Chapter 281: Second stage ends Even though the three of them were expecting some kind of ambush¡ªmaybe an alliance of their enemies (IWA, KIRI) attacking them together or something¡ªnothing like this happened. Mainly because all others were busy either attacking other teams or defending against attacks. There were only 12 scrolls, meaning only 4 out of 10 teams could go to the next round, or some members from each team. That¡¯s why the competition for the scrolls was fierce. While every team was fighting for scrolls, the Kumo ninja scattered in the valley were now concentrated in the same area. With the clash intensifying, this was when they would be needed the most. That¡¯s why they were able to see Kaida giving a scroll to the Takigakure team as well as creating battle mayhem for some reason. ¡°Konoha not only gathered one scroll for each of their members, but they even had extra scrolls?¡± one of the chunin responsible for protection said in bewilderment. ¡°Looks like everyone¡¯s expectation of Konoha¡¯s comeback was true. Go and report this to the Raikage¡¯s office. We may really need to consider this seriously,¡± the Jonin in charge of handling the safety task of the second stage said, his voice serious. Upon receiving the order, two ninja suddenly vanished from their position, leaving behind a little lightning chakra. Kumo ninja mainly used lightning-based movement jutsu for rather obvious reasons. --- ** A was sitting in his office, doing some paperwork, which didn¡¯t suit his muscular frame at all. But being the Kage of a village came with responsibilities. Even though he didn¡¯t do nearly as much work as other Kage, some tasks could not be left for others to complete. ¡°Come in,¡± A said. ¡°Sir, we have a report from the ninja monitoring the Chunin exam,¡± his secretary Mabui, a tanned girl with silver hair, said. ¡°What happened?¡± A asked, a little frustrated. Even though the participants had already signed the contract that they could die in the exam, it wasn¡¯t like Kumogakure wouldn¡¯t face problems if too many participants died. That¡¯s why they had arranged ninja to monitor the exam. ¡°Sir, as you know, the goal of the second part of the exam was to gather scrolls and survive three days in the Land of Lightning,¡± Mabui said, at which A nodded his head. ¡°Konoha¡¯s team was able to gather not just three but five scrolls,¡± Mabui continued. ¡°Out of 12, right?¡± A asked. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°And how many did Darui gather?¡± ¡°Two, sir, but the exam isn¡¯t over, and they may still get one more before it ends.¡± ¡°Any specific reason Konoha performed this well?¡± Uncharacteristically, A asked calmly. ¡°Yes, sir. Due to being first in the first round, they received the reward of starting the test one hour before the others. Also, they may have encountered two other teams and taken their scrolls as well.¡± ¡°May have?¡± ¡°The fight ended so quickly that when our ninja arrived, there was nothing left to see,¡± Mabui explained. ¡°Were they injured during the test?¡± ¡°No, sir. According to the report, they were perfectly fine. Even their clothes and hair were clean, like they¡¯d taken a bath or something.¡± ¡°Do you understand what this means, Mabui?¡± A asked. ¡°Yes, sir. There¡¯s a very high chance that Konoha will win this Chunin exam,¡± Mabui responded. The stone table in front of Raikage shattered in two parts. ¡°Yes, they¡¯ll win in my village, in front of our team, and we¡¯ll become a laughingstock in front of everyone,¡± Raikage said, anger visible in his eyes as he finally lost his calm expression. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve already done everything we could, even sending Darui. Unless we ¡®change¡¯ the rules a little, I can¡¯t see any other way for us to win,¡± Mabui said. Being the Raikage¡¯s secretary for so long, she was used to his anger fits. ¡°Are you suggesting I cheat for my village to win this exam?¡± A asked, his anger rising further. ¡°Sir, the Daimyo specifically requested we win this time, saying something about ¡®face¡¯ or whatever,¡± Mabui reminded A about the message they received at the start of the exam. ¡°Those bastards just want to bet on the win and loss of the ninjas. It¡¯s us who have to worry about our reputation. Losing to Konoha, who¡¯s been below average for the last few years, and that too in our own village, will be a huge setback for us. Sigh¡­ Tell Raiden that we¡¯ll have a two-week break between the second and third stages of the exam.¡± ¡°But sir, the dates of the Chunin exam have already been fixed. All the guests are here, and even all three Daimyo are waiting for the third exam. We can¡¯t just change the dates like that.¡± ¡°Even if the stadium is destroyed? Ask B to meet me at the stadium. We¡¯re going to have a taijutsu spar there. And when Darui comes, tell him to meet me.¡± ¡°Sir, are you going to train him during those two weeks?¡± Mabui asked, for the first time showing a little emotion on her face. ¡°Teach him? He was my father¡¯s student and already knows everything he should know. But I¡¯m going to have some spars with him to polish his skills a little,¡± A said, then returned to his remaining tasks, knowing he was about to get very busy soon. Mabui, understanding her task, quickly got to work¡ªsending a messenger to call B while emptying the stadium, and also sending a message to Darui about the Raikage¡¯s orders. --- Every team had now entered the building with the number of scrolls they could get their hands on. ¡°As I said before, each scroll is your ticket to the third stage of the exam. So, those who have the scrolls, come forward. If a team only has one or two scrolls, they can decide who will move forward with it,¡± the proctor of the second stage said. Konoha¡¯s team, without any discussion, went forward and submitted one scroll each, while some other teams quietly retreated, not having even a single scroll. The remaining teams started discussing. Those with one scroll were sorted¡ªtheir leader would go to the next exam. But those with two had to choose a second person. After some discussion, this was the lineup that came forward: - Konoha: Itachi, Kaida, Kabuto - Amegakure: Suiren, Ren - Kumogakure: Darui, Ayami S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. - Sunagakure: Shima, Kuro - Iwagakure: Deidara - Kirigakure: Naoki - Takigakure: Shirogane All the teams that had to choose between two remaining members picked the one with better attack power. From Amegakure, Ren was chosen due to his proficiency in lightning release, even though he didn¡¯t know any A-rank jutsu. The same went for Sunagakure, where Juro was chosen because Tama was more focused on defense than offense. ¡°Good. The rest of you can leave now,¡± the instructor said. He was about to announce the details of the next stage when he received a letter from his subordinate. After reading it, he changed his words. ¡°As for you all, you¡¯ll be notified about the exam details later. For now, you can rest at your lodgings. Make sure to recover as soon as you can,¡± he continued. ¡°You guys can leave now,¡± he said, and everyone dispersed. After exiting the doors, Deidara confronted Kaida and his group. ¡°You¡¯d better pray your first match isn¡¯t against me, or you¡¯ll be dead in the first round,¡± Deidara snarled. ¡°Sorry, but who are you? I accidentally forgot,¡± Kaida asked, feigning confusion. ¡°You¡­!¡± Deidara growled as his teammates grabbed him to stop him from doing anything rash. ¡°Captain, not now, please,¡± one of his teammates said as they held Deidara back. Too angry to continue, Deidara simply left, vowing to return the humiliation tenfold in the next round. ¡®No matter what, I¡¯m going to kill that bastard,¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡°Is there any particular enmity between you two?¡± Itachi asked, noticing how Kaida took every opportunity to make Deidara as angry as possible. ¡°Nope, but I don¡¯t really like Iwagakure a lot. They almost eradicated our team. If not for Ryota sensing them from afar, we would¡¯ve been ambushed 10 to 1,¡± Kaida said. ¡°So you¡¯re taking it out on him?¡± Itachi asked. ¡°Sort of. But his eagerness for that is a major reason,¡± Kaida replied with a mischievous smile on his face. Both Itachi and Kabuto just shook their heads at Kaida¡¯s antics. Chapter 282: Preparations for the Final Stage The stadium, once meant to host the third and final stage of the Chunin Exams, now lay in ruins. Dust clouds rose into the sky as the sound of debris settling echoed through Kumogakure. At the center of the wreckage stood two imposing figures: Raikage A and his younger brother, Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. Their recent sparring session had gone beyond what the structure could handle. "Brother, that was a bit much, don''t ya think?" B said, wiping sweat off his brow as the remnants of lightning chakra flickered around him from the attacks he tanked. Raikage A grunted in response, his chest heaving. "You are getting rusty, B. You should have been able to perform better after all this time." B nodded, though he didn¡¯t fully agree. But there was one more doubt in his mind. "Brother, there was another reason for this fight. No way you''d cause all this destruction, am I right? In our own village, too much damage, no doubt. You wouldn¡¯t do all this just to throw your weight about." The Raikage cracked his neck, his muscles flexing. "The Konoha team is way stronger than expected. There¡¯s a very high chance they¡¯ll win this Chunin exam. That¡¯s why I needed some time to make sure we don¡¯t lose in our own village." B nodded in understanding. While they were discussing, a message was sent to every notable figure attending the Chunin Exam, stating that due to the destruction of the stadium caused by a fight between A and B, the exam was postponed by a week. --- (After 12 hours) All the participants, viewers, and nobles were discussing why this sudden postponement happened. According to the official report, the spar between the Raikage and B was important to keep the Eight-Tails under control. For normal people, tailed beasts were ultimate monsters, which needed to be sealed for eternity to maintain peace. But those who knew the truth suspected something else was going on, with the tailed beast as a cover. Many decided to visit the stadium to check for themselves. While this was happening, Darui was summoned to the training area by the Raikage, after receiving some medical treatment. ¡­ Darui stood in the training grounds, waiting for his Raikage. Lightning crackled around his fingertips as he focused on channeling his chakra. He knew what was coming: two weeks of intense training that would push him to his limits. The whole exam had been postponed for this, so there was no way his training was going to be easy. After some time, Raikage A arrived, his gaze as intense as ever. "How was the exam, Darui?" was the first thing he spoke. "Greetings, Raikage-sama. We were not able to perform as per your expectations. I¡¯m sorry for that," Darui bowed and said. "It was not your fault. Those two stages were perfect for a Sharingan user; that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t come first. But the next round will be a true test of strength. I want you to win that round at any cost. For that, I will help you polish your skills myself," A said. "Thank you very much, Raikage-sama," Darui bowed. "We don¡¯t have time for formalities. We¡¯re going to start now. Attack me with your Kekkei Genkai." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Darui nodded and made one hand sign after another. ** Darui released a dozen beams toward the Raikage. The Raikage moved with blinding speed, zigzagging across the field. Darui''s eyes narrowed, focusing his chakra into the white beams that shot from his fingertips. Then the beams changed trajectory, following A closely. "Too slow!" A said as he appeared behind Darui and tapped him on the neck. If this had been a real fight, Darui would have died without landing a single scratch. Such was the power gap between a high Kage-level ninja and an elite Jonin. "I''ll give you one more chance. Try again," A said, appearing back at his starting position. Darui adjusted, once again made hand signs, and fired multiple laser beams toward A, but the result was the same. "Hmm, this needs more work. Now, let¡¯s see your max attack power. Attack me with your best jutsu," A said. Darui, not foolish enough to worry about the safety of a man who could fight a tailed beast on his own, began building up an immense amount of chakra. ** A fierce-looking black panther lunged toward A with speed difficult to follow with the naked eye. Suddenly, A was covered in blue lightning chakra all over his body. Though he could have dodged the jutsu easily, that wasn¡¯t his goal. ** With an explosion and debris flying everywhere, A¡¯s voice echoed from within the dust cloud. "With this speed and power, most ninja your age don¡¯t stand a chance against you. But you¡¯re up against a Sharingan user. They have amazing reflexes and perception. We need to work on both. So let¡¯s start now," A said as the dust settled. His full figure came into view, completely unharmed. His clothes weren¡¯t even scratched. --- ** After surveying the stadium, Jiraiya returned to the lodging, where Kaida, the team, and Shisui were waiting for him. "Good evening, Sensei. You¡¯re doing even more sightseeing than us, and we came to this village for the first time," Kaida said mischievously. "I wasn¡¯t gone for sightseeing, brat. Sigh¡­ Looks like things aren¡¯t going to be as easy as I thought. There will be some unexpected twists during the last stage," Jiraiya said, sitting on the chair with a thud. "What happened, Sensei?" Itachi asked. "They¡¯re intentionally postponing the exam. There was no need for the Raikage and B to fight in the stadium," Jiraiya said. "But according to the report, it was to control the Eight-Tails or something," Kabuto said. ''B is almost a perfect Jinchuriki; there was no need for them to fight to control the Eight-Tails at all,'' Jiraiya said. "You guys performed a little too well during the exam. They may have gotten anxious about you winning. As much as I know about Raikage, he won¡¯t accept someone coming to his village and defeating his ninjas. He must be training Darui, and that¡¯s why he needed the time. Though it¡¯s just my speculation, and there may be other reasons as well. If it were someone like Onoki, I might worry about some scheme behind our backs. But Raikage won¡¯t cheat in a competition," Jiraiya said. "Is two weeks enough to make that big of a difference?" Kabuto asked. "Darui is already at the same level as you guys. In two weeks, though he may not learn something new, he might polish his current skills. With his Kekkei Genkai, it¡¯ll be very difficult for you guys," Jiraiya said. "It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to sit here and wait for our opponent to power up, right? We can also use these two weeks to train, right?" Kaida asked. "Yes, but we¡¯ve already polished your skills. What you guys need is the opposite. I want you guys to learn some counters against opponents. Kaida and Itachi, you will focus on Genjutsu. Since we have Shisui here, he will be responsible for you. I¡¯ll teach Kabuto something else," Jiraiya said. "As you wish, Jiraiya-sama. But learning new Genjutsu that will be of use in the match, and that too in two weeks, is kind of tough," Shisui said. "They both know the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Use that, and with the help of the Sharingan, it should be manageable. Even if they don¡¯t learn anything new, it¡¯s still fine. It¡¯s not like they can¡¯t win without it," Jiraiya said. Shisui nodded. "Make sure you give it your all during training," Jiraiya said. "Yes, Sensei," both replied. Chapter 283: Ephemeral Genjutsu ¡°Brother, why are we going so far to learn? It has already been 5 hours,¡± Kaida asked. He and Itachi had been following Shisui for the past three hours out of Kumogakure. Though they were still in the Land of Lightning for now, it was very far from Kumogakure. ¡°There are reasons, Kaida. Wait until we reach the location Jiraiya-sama has told us about. When we get there, we will begin the training,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Okay, bro,¡± Kaida replied. After one more hour, they reached a rugged mountain range filled with barren mountains, with no greenery at all. This might have been the reason there was no human settlement or movement in the nearby area, completely deserted. ¡°Okay, this area is perfect for us to start,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Brother, are you going to teach us some forbidden jutsu or something?¡± Kaida asked, seeing how much attention Shisui was paying to security. ¡°No, but something almost at that level. Do you guys know what the biggest weakness of the Sharingan is, specifically its genjutsu?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°We have to look into the eyes of the enemy. And with our Sharingan being so famous, other ninjas have developed techniques to avoid looking into our eyes while fighting, making most of our genjutsu useless,¡± Itachi said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ve completely countered the Sharingan. Genjutsu is just a part of the Sharingan¡¯s power, not all of it,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°But still, what do you think we Uchiha did after others developed a way to counter our genjutsu by avoiding eye contact?¡± Shisui asked. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°We focused on other powers of the Sharingan and developed better kenjutsu and taijutsu to go along with the heightened reflexes and perception of the Sharingan,¡± Kaida said, as he had firsthand experience with how deadly Uchiha kenjutsu was when used with the Sharingan. ¡°Yes, but there was something else as well,¡± Shisui said as he activated his 3-tomoe Sharingan. Kaida and Itachi instinctively looked down. But Shisui pointed his finger at both of them, and suddenly they saw many snakes emerging from the ground and pouncing toward them. Both activated their Sharingan, ready to counter-attack, when the snakes suddenly vanished. ¡°How?¡± Kaida asked in a shocked voice. ¡°Ephemeral Genjutsu?¡± Itachi asked, seeing Shisui''s finger pointing toward him and Kaida. When Kaida noticed that, he looked toward Itachi all of a sudden. ¡®This is the genjutsu he used against Naruto, by just pointing his finger at him,¡¯ Kaida thought, remembering the scene from the anime he watched on repeat. ¡°Yes, Ephemeral Genjutsu¡ªthe result of research and dedication by many Uchiha who wanted to eliminate the only weakness of the Sharingan. Here, you project all of your yin chakra from your hand with the help of your Sharingan, maintaining a specific chakra pathway, and then guide that chakra toward the enemy, placing them under genjutsu,¡± Shisui said, pride evident in his voice. Even though he loved his village, he still cared for his own clan. Like every other Uchiha, he was also very proud of his lineage. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we just use that instead of relying on eye contact?¡± Kaida asked, a little confused. ¡°There are some downsides as well. The first is the strain it puts on the Sharingan. A normal Uchiha with a 2-tomoe Sharingan can¡¯t even perform this. You need at least 3 tomoe, and even then, you can only do it at most twice a day; otherwise, you risk damaging your eyes. The second weakness is distance. Projecting chakra out makes it highly volatile, and the farther it has to travel, the weaker it gets. Even Fugaku-sama could only use this within a range of 150 meters with his 3-tomoe Sharingan, and he¡¯s currently the best at it,¡± Shisui explained. ¡°So we¡¯re going to learn this genjutsu in just two weeks? Is that possible?¡± Kaida asked, as it sounded difficult. ¡°I don¡¯t know, and we¡¯ll never know unless we try. So, what are you waiting for? Let¡¯s start,¡± Shisui said with a smile. ¡°So, what do we have to do?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Don¡¯t resist,¡± Shisui said as he once again activated his Sharingan, but this time, it was the Mangekyo Sharingan. As Shisui had instructed, Kaida and Itachi didn¡¯t resist when Shisui placed them under genjutsu once again. Both of them appeared in a white room. ¡°What is this?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°A learning room. The first step to mastering this genjutsu is knowing how to rotate your chakra inside your body before using the Sharingan to project it out. As you can see, we have these types of chakra pathways in our bodies¡­¡± As Itachi spoke, the wall behind him changed, and a human-shaped image appeared, showing the various chakra pathways. Shisui continued. ¡°You have to move your chakra along this particular path,¡± he said, as the pathway lit up in red, and then an arrow appeared, showing where to start, where to pause, and how fast to move. ¡°This is so f**cking cool!¡± Kaida said. ¡°Language, brother. Mom will get angry if she ever hears you saying stuff like this. Now, pay attention,¡± Shisui chuckled and continued. After the initial explanation, Kaida and Itachi asked some questions, which Shisui explained calmly. Both Kaida and Itachi were very focused on learning, making sure to understand and remember all the details completely, forgetting about time in the process. ¡°Guys, we¡¯re going to exit now. It¡¯s getting difficult for me to maintain it,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Okay, brother,¡± Kaida replied, and Itachi nodded. When they opened their eyes again, it was already nighttime outside. ¡°We¡¯ve been inside the genjutsu for so long. Brother, are you alright?¡± Kaida asked, knowing how dangerous it was to use the Sharingan for this long, especially the Mangekyo Sharingan. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just out of chakra. You guys can start practicing or take some rest, while I¡¯m going to have a quick nap,¡± Shisui said, then used a hand sign to create a small cave in the mountain. ¡°Here, brother,¡± Kaida said, using his shadow clone to make a bed for Shisui. ¡°Thanks,¡± Shisui said and went to sleep. ¡°So, what do you want to do now? Rest or train?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Of course, training. But you can rest if you want,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Huh? Why would I? I¡¯m also going to train,¡± Kaida said. --- ** Away from the village, Deidara had secluded himself in a remote section of the valley, far from the others. For a long time, he was praised as a genius in Iwagakure, a village that valued talent. Deidara was in his own league there. But now, for the first time in his life, he was feeling humiliated, and he wanted nothing more than to crush the source of this feeling. That¡¯s why he was doing something he hadn¡¯t done in a long time: training. ¡°Let¡¯s see if this works or not,¡± Deidara said, taking out some clay from his pocket while chewing it in the mouths on his hands. ¡°Since Earth chakra can control weight and Lightning chakra can be used to repel things, this should be possible,¡± he said to himself, spewing out a bird-like figure from his hand/mouth. With a speed visible to the naked eye, the bird grew large enough for Deidara to sit on it. Then, he manipulated the Earth chakra to reduce the weight of both himself and the bird as much as he could, and used the Lightning part of his kekkei genkai to form a repulsion to lift them into the air. ¡°Yes!¡± he shouted as his bird lifted off the ground as if flying. But before he could do anything else, his control wavered a little, and he fell to the ground. Yet, instead of disappointment, there was a smile on his face. "This time," Deidara muttered to himself, "I¡¯ll blast that smug kid into oblivion. Art is an explosion!" The bird flew once again and struck a mountain, blowing it to smithereens. Chapter 284: Matchups "Oh, come on, go for at least 10 meters," Kaida grunted, once again failing to use ephemeral genjutsu. "You¡¯re close, just focus on the amount and the speed. Also, the stop you¡¯re having in your wrist and abdomen tenketsu points should be a little longer. Think of it as loading a spring¡ªthe more you force it backward, the farther it will go," Shisui said. "Okay, brother," Kaida replied, trying again. Even after his best effort, he only reached 12 meters at best. "It will become simpler if you let your Sharingan do the work, rather than doing everything on your own. Use your Sharingan to mold your chakra," Itachi said from the side. He was resting since he had already learned this jutsu to a satisfactory level, even reaching 30 meters of range, and that too in just 1 week. ¡®I so fucking want to be a genius,¡¯ Kaida thought, then once again resumed practicing. He only had one more week left. --- "Let¡¯s go, Kaida. Today the matchups will be announced. We can¡¯t be late," Shisui urged Kaida to wake up, as Itachi was already ready to leave. "Urgh, I¡¯m really tired. There will be no match today, right?" Kaida asked. "No. Matches will start tomorrow. You¡¯ll have enough time to rest when we reach there," Shisui replied. Reluctantly, Kaida woke up and followed Shisui and Itachi back to Kumogakure. "I thought something had really happened to you guys. They were just about to announce the matches. Let¡¯s go," Jiraiya said, standing in front of the gate. "Sorry for being late, Jiraiya-sama," Shisui said. "It¡¯s alright. At least we still have some time. Let¡¯s go," Jiraiya said, and he and Shisui went inside an official-looking building. "I don¡¯t get it. If we don¡¯t have to fight now, why the hell do we need to attend today¡¯s event?" Kaida grumbled. "So that we can make sure the selection is truly random, and they aren¡¯t trying to make certain matchups to push their teams to the final," Kabuto explained. "Oh!" ... "Welcome, everyone. Since you¡¯re already familiar with the event, we¡¯ll now proceed with the process. To make this as fair as possible, every participant will take a chit from this bowl. Then we¡¯ll use this computer to decide matchups with numbers. After that, you will open your chits and find out who you are up against in the first round of the third stage." Since the instructions were clear, none of the participants had any doubts. They simply went and took out one paper from the bowl each. "Let¡¯s start," the ninja responsible for the event said. All the Senseis of the teams were present to ensure their students weren¡¯t tricked. The overly large computer screen began showing random numbers one after another. They started shuffling on their own. After a minute of strange animation effects, six pairs were shown on the screen. "Now you can open your papers, everyone, and then return them here," the ninja said as he started noting down the matchups for the next round. The matchups were: - Darui vs. Shima - Kaida vs. Shiro - Kabuto vs. Suiren - Ren vs. Kuro - Itachi vs. Ayami - Deidara vs. Naoki "You¡¯re really lucky. Otherwise, you would have died in the first round only. Now you¡¯ve got some more hours, but I¡¯ll make sure the explosion of your death will be the perfect explosion," Deidara said to Kaida. "I¡¯m sorry, who are you again?" Kaida asked, ignoring Deidara as he walked toward his team. "Youuuu!" a shout echoed in the background. ¡®Guy¡¯s technique to annoy opponents is truly amazing,¡¯ Kaida thought. ... "Why do I have the tough opponent in the first round while you guys got easy ones?" "What do you mean tough opponent? He specializes in Water Release, and with your Earth Release, you should have the upper hand," Itachi said. "How could you tell?" Kaida asked, looking toward Itachi, only to notice his Sharingan was activated. "Oh! I get it. You guys don¡¯t know. Those three who came here were once trained by Hanzo himself, and their leader Suiren is especially skilled with poison in combat. They fought two teams who attacked them simultaneously in the second stage and won. One of the teams even had to drop out of the exam due to the severity of the injuries they received," Kabuto said. "And you know this because...?" Kaida asked. "I talked to that team," Kabuto said with a big grin on his face. ¡®I totally forgot this guy was one of the, if not best spy in the world,¡¯ Kaida thought. "Still, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine," Itachi reassured. "You guys have already done everything you could. There¡¯s no need to worry anymore. Take this day off to cool down a little," Jiraiya advised. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, I need that. I¡¯m going to sleep in my room. Unless it¡¯s really important, don¡¯t wake me up," Kaida said. "Why is he like that?" Jiraiya asked. "He¡¯s been using 20¨C30 shadow clones for 2 weeks to train in genjutsu. I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s still holding up this well. The Senju bloodline truly is something else," Shisui said, shaking his head. "But don¡¯t worry, Jiraiya-sama, it¡¯s just some mental fatigue he¡¯s feeling. He¡¯ll be fine tomorrow," Shisui continued. "Okay." ... The stadium was filled with thousands of people. Some were ninjas, but most were civilians. In a world where there were few sources of entertainment for the general public, the Chunin Exams were very popular. Along with the public, there were also stalls for everything¡ªfood, drinks, and betting. This time, the betting was authenticated by the Lightning Daimyo, meaning there would be no fraud. As for who could bet? Everyone. Literally anyone could place a bet, from as little as 100 Ryo to millions of Ryo. Everything was accepted. Three Daimyo were sitting in their exclusive seats, enjoying some drinks and snacks as they chatted. "Looks like I¡¯ll win this time, hohoho," the Fire Daimyo said, covering his mouth with a fan. "These are just the results of the two initial stages, and they mean nothing. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll win this time too, just like last time," the Lightning Daimyo said. "Last time was just a fluke. The result may not be the same this time," the Earth Daimyo commented, covering his mouth with a fan as well. "Then why don¡¯t we raise the bet a little if everyone is so sure?" the Fire Daimyo suggested, a glint in his eyes that disappeared before anyone noticed. "Fine by me. 30 million Ryo," the Lightning Daimyo agreed. "30 million," the Earth Daimyo added. "Let¡¯s make it a complete 40 million Ryo," the Fire Daimyo concluded. A total of 100 million Ryo was bet on the exam, and that too casually. Even S-rank ninjas would risk their lives for that amount, and the Daimyo had bet it like it was nothing¡ªtruly the real kings of the countries. ... (A.N: I am going to work extra hard from now on, please provide you support to maintain my motivation ^~^) Chapter 285: The First Clash On the other side, the energy in the stadium was electric, buzzing with excitement as thousands of spectators filled every corner, their voices melding together into an endless sea of sound. This wasn¡¯t just another event¡ªit was the event. The final stage of the Chunin Exams, where the best of the best would clash in front of cheering crowds, elite shinobi, and even the highest-ranking officials from the great nations. Each match carried the weight of years of training, sacrifice, and dreams. Vendors shouted over the noise, selling food, drinks, and memorabilia to eager fans. High above the action, the three Daimyo sat in their exclusive booths, enjoying the spectacle with a casual air that only the wealthiest and most powerful could muster. Yet beneath the surface, there was a layer of intensity even here¡ª100 million Ryo had been casually bet on the results of these matches. At the center of it all was the massive stone stadium, carved into the natural cliffs of Kumogakure. The sheer size and grandeur of the place dwarfed that of the stadium in Konoha. Maybe Kumogakure spent more on military and fighting, or perhaps the mountain terrain was just optimal for it, but one thing was certain¡ªit was grand. This was where futures would be decided. Not of the ninjas, because every participant had the caliber to reach Chunin level easily. What the future here meant was the number of missions a village would get this year and their overall reputation. A proctor stepped forward to the edge of the battle arena, raising his voice to cut through the crowd''s noise. His sharp, no-nonsense expression signaled that it was time for the opening match to begin. ¡°Participants, please step forward when your name is called,¡± he announced, his voice amplified by chakra for the entire stadium to hear. "First match: Darui of Kumogakure versus Shima of Sunagakure!" ¡°Place your bets now! The champion of Kumogakure or the hope of Sunagakure¡ªthe odds are 1:1.25 for Darui and 1:2 for Shima,¡± the stall owners started shouting. But since it was almost guaranteed that Darui would win, no major bets were placed by the big shots, who had access to basic information from the ninja world. Civilians, however, still placed bets, undeterred by the odds. The crowd roared, eager to see the match. Darui, from Kumogakure, was well-known for his mastery of *Black Lightning* in the village¡ªsince the previous user of this technique was the Third Raikage himself, Darui¡¯s fame was not small at all. He stepped into the arena with his usual calm and composed demeanor, his white hair framing his eyes as he surveyed his opponent. Across from him, Shima, the Sunagakure kunoichi, walked in confidently. Unlike Darui, she was less known to the audience, but her quiet strength radiated from her every move. Being the captain of a team from a major village was proof enough that she wasn¡¯t weak. With her wind jutsu and special kenjutsu, Darui knew she wouldn¡¯t be an easy opponent¡ªbut nothing he couldn¡¯t defeat. The proctor raised his hand. ¡°Let the match begin!¡± Darui wasted no time, quickly forming hand seals to summon his *Black Lightning*, a rare and deadly element that only he in Kumogakure had mastered. His fingers crackled with dark lightning as he fired off a bolt straight at Shima, who was already moving. Seeing the famous dark lightning, she dodged, predicting the trajectory of the attack. With a swift sidestep, Shima avoided the bolt, her speed impressive even to Darui. ¡®She isn¡¯t just fast¡ªshe¡¯s calculative,¡¯ Darui thought. Shima immediately retaliated, using her *Wind Style: Gale Cutter* to send sharp, slicing wind blades toward Darui. He dodged most of the attack, using a lightning movement jutsu to increase his speed rapidly. But even at that speed, dodging all the blades wasn¡¯t possible¡ªhe had to use his lightning-coated blade to deflect some as well. The crowd erupted, watching the clash between two skilled warriors. Neither was willing to back down, each testing the other¡¯s limits. Shima¡¯s tactics were simple¡ªshe used her Wind Style attacks to create an opportunity for close combat, knowing her chances in a ninjutsu-based duel were low. Lightning jutsu, especially Black Lightning, were perversely hard to defend against. Even though Darui understood her plan, he went along with it, calm and collected. He wanted to see what she was truly capable of. The two exchanged a flurry of blows, neither gaining a clear advantage. Shima¡¯s sharp blade cut through the air, aiming for Darui¡¯s weak points, but Darui countered with his own kenjutsu. Lightning clashed against wind, creating sparks and gusts of air that rippled across the arena. The tension mounted as both fighters grew more aggressive, appearing at one corner of the stadium one moment, then on the opposite side the next. The crowd went wild, cheering for the fighters they had bet on. After fighting in close combat for so long, Shima understood that even in kenjutsu, she didn¡¯t have a clear chance of winning. She decided to use her final jutsu, but Darui wasn¡¯t going to give her any more chances. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, concentrating his chakra. When he opened them again, forming a series of hand seals in an instant, a dark aura surrounded him as he summoned his *Black Panther*¡ªan enormous, lightning-infused beast made entirely from his Black Lightning chakra. The panther roared as it shot forward, tearing through the gust of wind with ease and charging directly at Shima. There was no time for Shima to react. The Black Panther slammed into her, its lightning-infused fangs paralyzing her movements. She hit the ground, defeated but still conscious. The crowd roared in awe of Darui¡¯s power. The proctor stepped forward. ¡°Winner: Darui!¡± The stadium erupted with applause as Darui helped Shima to her feet, offering her a nod of respect before walking off the field. --- The energy in the stadium only intensified as the next match was announced. ¡°Next match: Kaida of Konohagakure versus Shiro of Takigakure!¡± "Place your bets, everyone! Kaida Uchiha from Konohagakure at 1:1.1, and Shiro from Takigakure at 1:4! That¡¯s right¡ªquadruple your money if you bet on Shiro and he wins! Once-in-a-lifetime odds!¡± the stall owners shouted again. Normally, anyone sane would bet on Kaida, simply because he was from a major village, but the temptation of quadrupling their money was too much for many to resist. Plenty of people bet on Shiro, praying for a miracle. Undeterred by the crowd¡¯s excitement, Kaida and Shiro entered the stadium. Kaida stood at the edge of the arena, his expression calm and unreadable. His mind was focused, though he could still feel the lingering fatigue from his genjutsu training. It was manageable¡ªnothing major. Shiro, on the other hand, looked nervous but determined. He wasn¡¯t as strong as Kaida, but his resolve to fight for his village pushed him forward. He represented Takigakure, a smaller, lesser-known village. If it were just about himself, he might have given up, but now it was about his village¡¯s reputation. Running away wasn¡¯t an option. As the two stepped into the arena, Kaida could sense the tension in Shiro. He admired the boy¡¯s determination¡ªShiro knew he was outmatched, but he was still willing to fight. It was a rare quality in a ninja, especially one from a minor village. The proctor raised his hand once more. ¡°Let the match begin!¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shiro didn¡¯t waste a second, immediately forming hand seals for a *Water Style* jutsu. He knew his best chance was to take Kaida by surprise and use his water techniques to keep him at bay. But as soon as Shiro began his jutsu, Kaida was already moving. Kaida¡¯s hand went up in front of his face, forming quick and fluid hand seals. Shiro, instinctively, glanced toward Kaida¡¯s hands to see if he could guess which jutsu he was preparing¡ªan automatic reaction for any ninja in combat. But that was Shiro¡¯s mistake. The moment Shiro¡¯s eyes locked onto Kaida¡¯s, he was caught. Kaida¡¯s 3-tomoe Sharingan activated, and Shiro¡¯s body froze. He had fallen under Kaida¡¯s genjutsu. The crowd watched in stunned silence as Shiro suddenly jumped back and fired water bullets¡ªcompletely in the wrong direction¡ªfollowed by another water release, then another. Kaida placed his hand in his pocket and calmly approached his opponent, his steps casual. Shiro, fully trapped in the genjutsu, could only stand there helplessly as Kaida reached him. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? I placed money on you! At least give a proper fight!¡± some spectators shouted, unaware of what was really happening. Ninjas in the crowd explained the situation to them, and once they understood it was a genjutsu, the disgruntled gamblers could only curse their own greed. As Kaida reached Shiro, without saying a word, he lifted his hand and lightly tapped Shiro on the neck. The genjutsu broke, and Shiro suddenly saw two red eyes before everything became clear. The proctor raised his hand ¡°Winner: Kaida!¡± The audience erupted into applause, though there were some murmurs of surprise. The match had been over before it even truly began, in previous match at least both sides performed their best to win, but here Kaida didn¡¯t even through a single punch and won a true testament of why genjutsu was so deadly and why Uchiha were feared, But what stood out to many was Kaida¡¯s mercy. He could have easily harmed Shiro, but he chose not to. Instead, he had ended the match with a simple tap on the neck. Chapter 286: Close Calls ¡°Man, I knew I would lose, but not like this. I really am no match for you, huh?¡± Shiro said, prepared for defeat, though this outcome showed he didn¡¯t even stand a chance. ¡°It¡¯s just temporary. Who knows, maybe in the future, things will be completely different. So keep working hard, buddy,¡± Kaida said, extending his hand. Shake. ¡°Thanks,¡± Shiro said with a smile, and both left the stadium. The energy inside the stadium remained electric as the crowd settled in for the next bout. The earlier matches had been an intense display of raw power, skill, and strategy, leaving the audience hungry for more. Bets were quickly placed, with stall owners yelling the odds as they gathered more money from eager spectators. With each successive match, the stakes seemed to rise¡ªnot just for the fighters but for the crowd too. Now, two more competitors stepped forward, ready to test their mettle in front of thousands of cheering fans and the scrutinizing eyes of the Daimyo. ¡°Next match: Ren of Amegakure versus Kuro of Sunagakure!¡± the proctor announced, his voice booming through the stadium. "Place your bets, everyone! Kuro from Sunagakure at 1:1.2, and Ren from Amegakure at 1:1.5!¡± Being from a minor village, Ren was considered weak, so the odds were skewed slightly. Ren was known for his strong Lightning Release jutsu in Amegakure. His tall frame and intense focus showed he wasn¡¯t one to be trifled with. He had a reputation for being quick, both in speed and temper, but his efficiency in battle was undeniable. That¡¯s why Suiren chose him to come with him to the finals. Kuro, on the other hand, was a simple-looking boy in baggy clothes. His style was quieter, more defensive, which suited his specialty: using beetles for defense and wearing down his opponents. Small, quiet, deadly¡ªthat was Kuro¡¯s method. As he entered the arena, there was no show of bravado, just a steady, focused gaze that met Ren¡¯s. The proctor raised his hand. ¡°Begin!¡± Without hesitation, Ren charged forward, lightning crackling around him as he dashed toward Kuro, his body glowing with electricity. He aimed to overwhelm Kuro quickly with his usual approach of speed and power. But Kuro was prepared. As Ren closed the gap, Kuro summoned his Defense Beetles, brown, armored insects that swarmed around him like a living shield. Ren¡¯s lightning-infused punch met the beetles with a crackling explosion, sending some flying and killing others, but more quickly took their place, rendering the attack useless. Ren leaped back, avoiding the swarm as it buzzed toward him. But the beetles had already come into contact with him, and before he could react, they latched onto his arm, digging into his skin. He grunted in pain and quickly summoned a bolt of lightning to fry the insects off him. The smell of burnt insects filled the air as the beetles dropped to the ground, dead. They didn¡¯t have much attack power, focusing mostly on defense, but even their minor offensive ability played a role in distracting the enemy. Kuro didn¡¯t waste a second, launching a wave of wind blades toward Ren, knowing full well not to give his opponent a chance. The attack power Ren possessed was too great¡ªone successful strike could change the course of the battle. Kuro kept his defenses up, using his beetles to attack and protect. But Ren wasn¡¯t about to let Kuro control the pace. With a quick series of hand seals, he used **, sending the electrified double charging toward Kuro. The clone moved faster than the beetles, forcing Kuro to shift his attention to defending against the lightning-infused attack. The clone exploded on impact, sending a shockwave of lightning rippling through Kuro¡¯s defenses, scattering the beetles in all directions. Now was Ren¡¯s chance. With a roar, Ren formed another hand seal and unleashed his signature jutsu¡ª**. A spear of concentrated lightning formed in his hand, crackling with lethal energy. He hurled it toward Kuro, aiming straight for the center of his defense. Kuro¡¯s beetles swarmed to block the attack, but the sheer power of the Thunderstorm Lance was too much. The lightning spear tore through the already dispersed beetles, striking Kuro in the chest and sending him flying backward across the arena. He hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop as smoke rose from the point of impact. The crowd held its breath, waiting to see if Kuro would rise. For a moment, there was silence. Then, Kuro slowly pushed himself up, breathing heavily but still standing. His beetles regrouped around him, forming a protective barrier once again. He wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Ren. ¡°This guy¡¯s tough,¡± Ren muttered under his breath. ''If the attack hadn¡¯t hit the beetles first, I would¡¯ve lost,'' Kuro thought, feeling his body still numb. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kuro raised his hand, and the beetles surged forward once again. This time, Ren was ready. He dodged and weaved between the swarming insects, lightning crackling around him as he prepared to end the fight. In a blur of motion, Ren appeared behind Kuro, his hand glowing with electricity. But just as Ren was about to land the final blow, Kuro¡¯s beetles surged up from the ground beneath him, latching onto his legs and arms, holding him in place. Ren struggled as the beetles clung with their pincers digging into his flesh. ¡°Got you,¡± Kuro said, his voice calm and measured. But Ren smirked. ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± With a burst of lightning, Ren electrified his entire body, frying the beetles that held him. Kuro¡¯s eyes widened as Ren broke free, spinning around with a devastating kick that sent him crashing to the ground. This time, Kuro didn¡¯t get up. ¡°Winner: Ren!¡± the proctor announced, and the crowd erupted in applause. It had been an intense match till the end¡ªno one knew who would win. If Kuro had been a little faster with his last attack, he might have won, but now nothing would change. Both of the ninjas from Sunagakure were out of the competition. The energy in the stadium shifted once again as the next match was announced. ¡°Next match: Kabuto of Konohagakure versus Suiren of Amegakure!¡± "Place your bets, everyone! Kabuto from Konoha at 1:1.4, and Suiren from Amegakure at 1:1.5!¡± Due to Amegakure¡¯s recent performance, the betting odds were no longer entirely in Konoha¡¯s favor. The atmosphere became tense. Kabuto, a simple-looking boy with glasses, entered the stadium. But unlike his physique from before, he was now more muscular, having trained under both Jiraiya and Hiruzen. Suiren, on the other hand, was a gloomy-looking boy with dark hair and baggy clothes. His movements were precise as he entered the stadium. The odds were close, and the crowd was eager to see which of these two tactical fighters would come out on top. Kabuto entered the arena first, his glasses gleaming in the sunlight as he adjusted them with a calm smile. His demeanor was almost casual, but those who knew him understood that his mind was already working, analyzing every possible move his opponent could make. The proctor raised his hand. ¡°Begin!¡± Suiren moved first, his hands forming seals. , a C-rank jutsu, is an inferior version of , an A-rank jutsu. Though not as powerful, it was excellent for creating a water source while attacking the enemy at the same time. The water surged toward Kabuto like a tidal wave, its sheer size and speed threatening to overwhelm him. But Kabuto was already moving, flipping backward to avoid the attack. As he landed, he quickly formed his own hand seals. blocked the water¡¯s path. The wave crashed against the wall with a deafening roar, but Kabuto remained unfazed, his eyes locked on Suiren. Suiren¡¯s next attack was more direct¡ªhe darted forward, his kunai gleaming as he aimed for Kabuto¡¯s throat. But Kabuto wasn¡¯t a fighter who relied solely on ninjutsu. With surprising speed, he sidestepped the strike and countered with a palm thrust aimed at Suiren¡¯s chest. Suiren barely dodged, the force of the strike grazing his ribs as he spun away. The two shinobi circled each other, testing the other¡¯s defenses. Suiren unleashed a barrage of water jutsu, his hands moving with lightning speed as he summoned streams, waves, and torrents to keep Kabuto on the defensive. But Kabuto countered each attack with precise Earth Style techniques, deflecting the water or dodging when necessary. Neither used much chakra in the first 10 minutes, only attacking to gauge the strength of their opponent. After 10 minutes, Suiren was ready. Without warning, Suiren inhaled deeply and exhaled a thick, noxious cloud of . The cloud spread rapidly, filling the arena with a deadly green mist, causing murmurs of concern in the crowd. Kabuto¡¯s eyes narrowed. He knew this was Suiren¡¯s most dangerous weapon. After asking around, he had learned it was highly acidic. Not wanting to experience it firsthand, he summoned a small gust of wind with a quick hand sign, dispersing the cloud just enough to create an opening. He darted forward, closing the distance between him and Suiren before Suiren could react. With a swift movement, he placed his hand on Suiren¡¯s chest and released a burst of chakra, sending him flying backward. Once again, Kabuto created a gust of wind to clear a path for his escape from the poison. Suiren didn¡¯t have time to stop him, and Kabuto evaded the attack. But he wasn¡¯t done yet. Kabuto made continuous hand signs, even while running from the poison, as Suiren chased after him. The ground in front of Suiren became muddy, which had been firm a moment ago. Before he could react, a mud wolf rose from the ground and chomped at the air right next to his head. ¡°I lost,¡± Suiren said, raising his hand in surrender. The last attack could have easily killed him, but his opponent didn¡¯t want to kill. Now, he didn¡¯t want to humiliate himself by continuing the match. ¡°Winner: Kabuto!¡± the proctor announced, as the crowd erupted in applause. Kabuto looked at Suiren, his expression calm but respectful. "You fought well," he said before turning and walking out of the arena. Chapter 287: Clay, Water, Lightning and Fire (A.N: Hey guys do any of new some Ideas to increase the reach of this novel, I would be really thankful if anyone shared some... please^~^) *** The energy in the stadium hadn¡¯t waned since the first few matches. If anything, it had only intensified. The spectators, both civilians and shinobi alike, were locked in, their eyes glued to the arena. After the exhilarating matches between various participants, anticipation for the next round was sky-high. Now, it was time for the last two fierce battles. As the proctor stepped forward once more, his voice amplified to announce the next match, a hushed silence fell over the crowd. ¡°Next match: Deidara of Iwagakure versus Naoki of Kirigakure!¡± Immediately, the arena buzzed with excitement. Deidara was a name known even among the younger generation¡ªsimply because he never actually hid his powers. A prodigy of Iwagakure, feared for his Explosion Release and his mastery of destructive clay-based jutsu. On the other hand was Naoki, a skilled Water Release user from Kirigakure. Though not as famous as Deidara, just being from a major village was enough of a testament to his strength¡ªno major village would send a weak ninja to the Chunin Exams. ¡°Place your bets now! Deidara from Iwagakure, 1:1.3, and Naoki from Kirigakure, 1:2! Explosive odds for an explosive match!¡± the stall owners shouted, adding to the fever-pitched atmosphere. Being in this field, they had some idea of the participants as well. As the two competitors entered the arena, the difference between them was striking. Deidara¡¯s wild blonde hair and carefree demeanor contrasted sharply with Naoki¡¯s calm, collected composure. Deidara¡¯s smirk and relaxed posture made it seem as though he wasn¡¯t taking the match seriously, but everyone who knew him understood better. His nonchalant attitude was part of his style¡ªDeidara always saw his art in the destruction he caused, and he was confident in the power of his creations. Naoki, however, was not intimidated. Aside from strength, he also had quite a lot of experience, having killed his fair share of ninja. Some of them were even stronger than him, but in the end, he was the winner, and that was all that mattered. The proctor raised his hand and shouted, ¡°Begin!¡± Deidara immediately reached into his pouch, pulling out a handful of clay. The mouths in his palms began to chew, molding the clay into small, lifelike shapes¡ªa swarm of birds. With a quick hand sign, Deidara sent the clay birds soaring into the air. After reaching a satisfactory height, they swooped down toward Naoki, fast and deadly, ready to explode on impact. Naoki reacted instantly, forming seals at a rapid pace. ¡°**Water Release: Water Bullet Jutsu!**¡± he shouted, and a barrage of high-speed water bullets shot toward the incoming birds. Each water bullet collided with a clay bird, detonating them in midair before they could reach him. The explosions sent shockwaves through the stadium, but Naoki remained firm, his water bullets neutralizing the worst of the damage. *Woooh* came a shout from the audience. The start of the match was the most visually impacting of all they had seen so far. ¡°Hmm, not bad,¡± Deidara muttered to himself, his grin widening as he molded more clay, this time creating small, spider-like creatures. He tossed them onto the ground, and the spiders scurried toward Naoki with terrifying speed. ¡°**Water Release: Water Wall!**¡± Naoki called out as a high wall of water rose in front of him, blocking the clay spiders as they exploded harmlessly against it. But even as Naoki held his defense, he was aware that this was just the beginning. Deidara¡¯s attacks weren¡¯t meant to break through¡ªhe was evaluating him. Though Naoki wanted to attack, the number of spiders and birds attacking him was not small, so he had to defend while keeping an eye on Deidara. As the smoke from the explosions cleared, Naoki shifted his stance. Knowing he may not get such a chance again, he prepared to go on the offensive. He performed another series of hand signs and slammed his hands down. ¡°**Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!**¡± A massive dragon made entirely of water surged forward from Naoki¡¯s position, its maw open wide as it shot toward Deidara with incredible force. Deidara, unfazed by the sight of the incoming dragon, quickly formed his own seals. ¡°**Earth Release: Earth Dome Jutsu!**¡± he called out, and a thick dome of earth rose around him just in time to block the water dragon¡¯s ferocious attack. The dragon collided with the earth barrier, creating a massive splash and drenching the battlefield, but Deidara was fine. Though the dome had almost collapsed, it did its job¡ªprotecting Deidara. Naoki gritted his teeth. He knew Deidara¡¯s Earth techniques, famous for their defense, would be difficult to break through. He had to be careful not to overextend himself. While Deidara¡¯s attacks were explosive and deadly, Naoki knew his own jutsu could wear Deidara down over time. However, Deidara had other plans. From behind his earth dome, he crafted more explosive clay¡ªthis time in the form of a large bird. As the earth dome crumbled away, the bird flew high into the air, circling above the battlefield. Naoki immediately fired more water bullets, but the bird was agile, dodging the attacks. Being high in the air, it had ample time to do so. Unlike the smaller birds, this one was in full control of Deidara. ¡°**Art is an explosion!**¡± Deidara shouted, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He made the hand sign to detonate the bird, but Naoki was ready. ¡°**Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!**¡± Naoki yelled, sending a massive surge of water spiraling toward the bird. The water collided with the bird midair, forcing it to explode high above the stadium, sending a rain of water and debris down onto the battlefield. The crowd erupted in cheers, impressed by the spectacle in front of them. This was the true power of ninjas¡ªcapable of altering the terrain. Deidara, now drenched but smiling even wider, decided to escalate the fight. He molded even more clay in his hands, creating another swarm of smaller birds and spiders. This time, he sent them toward Naoki from multiple angles, forcing him to split his attention. Naoki managed to block several of the attacks with his water jutsu, but some of the clay creatures slipped through. One exploded near his leg, causing him to stumble back with a grunt of pain. Before he could recover, another explosion went off close to his shoulder, sending him tumbling across the wet ground. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The crowd gasped as Naoki struggled to stand, blood dripping from a few minor wounds. Deidara wasn¡¯t letting up, and Naoki knew he had to end this soon. Being injured, he now had even less chance to defend himself, so he prepared to make his final move. But Deidara wasn¡¯t giving him any time. He crafted one final, larger clay spider and sent it racing toward Naoki. With a swift hand sign, he detonated it just as it reached a few meters away from Naoki¡¯s feet. A deafening explosion rocked the stadium. Smoke and debris filled the air, and for a moment, the crowd held its breath. As the dust settled, Naoki lay on the ground, unconscious and severely injured from the blast. His body was covered in burns and bruises, and the stadium fell silent. The proctor rushed forward to check on Naoki before raising his hand. ¡°Winner: Deidara!¡± The crowd erupted in applause, but Deidara wasn¡¯t paying attention. He glanced toward Kaida, standing among the other participants, and gave him a subtle smirk before turning and leaving the battlefield. Medical ninja rushed onto the field to tend to Naoki, lifting him onto a stretcher and carrying him out of the stadium. The fight had been intense, but Deidara¡¯s explosive power had proven too much for Naoki to handle. ¡°You really made a powerful enemy for yourself,¡± Kabuto said, seeing the smirk on Deidara¡¯s face as he looked toward Kaida. ¡°Well, he¡¯s now Captain¡¯s problem anyway, so I don¡¯t have to worry about a thing,¡± Kaida said, shrugging his shoulders. For the first time, Itachi felt like punching someone, but he had to go for his match. --- As the dust settled from Deidara¡¯s victory and some of the restoration had been done, the proctor stepped forward again. ¡°Next match: Itachi Uchiha of Konohagakure versus Ayami of Kumogakure!¡± The crowd buzzed with anticipation. Itachi, a member of the Uchiha clan, and for those who knew better, heir to the clan, had no doubt about his strength at all. After witnessing Kaida¡¯s use of genjutsu to swiftly defeat his opponent earlier, Ayami, a kunoichi from Kumogakure, was on high alert. She knew better than to look directly at an Uchiha¡¯s Sharingan, and her guard was up as she entered the battlefield. Ayami, a skilled swordswoman and user of Lightning-Style jutsu, kept her head down, avoiding any direct eye contact with Itachi. She knew she couldn¡¯t afford to fall under his genjutsu. Itachi, on the other hand, remained calm and composed. He could see that Ayami was taking precautions against his Sharingan, but that didn¡¯t faze him at all. ¡°Begin!¡± the proctor called. Itachi didn¡¯t waste any time. He formed a series of hand seals and unleashed a **Fireball Jutsu**, sending a massive wave of flames toward Ayami. She quickly formed seals of her own, using a **Lightning Release** technique to move swiftly, dodging the attack easily. Before she could fully recover, Itachi used his **Body Flicker Jutsu**, disappearing from view in an instant. He reappeared directly in front of her, his movements too fast for her to react. Ayami instinctively swung her blade, but she made a fatal mistake¡ªher eyes flicked toward Itachi¡¯s face for just a split second during her attack. That was all Itachi needed. Ayami¡¯s movements froze as she fell under his genjutsu. The entire crowd knew what had happened. The moment she made eye contact with Itachi, the match was over. Itachi, calm and collected as always, approached her slowly, just as Kaida had done in his match. The crowd watched in silence as he raised his hand and tapped Ayami lightly on the neck. The genjutsu broke, and Ayami came out of it with a defeated look on her face. She said, ¡°I surrender.¡± The proctor stepped forward. ¡°Winner: Itachi Uchiha!¡± The match was over even before people could place their bets. Those who had wanted to bet on Ayami thanked every god they could, relieved that their money was saved. The crowd erupted into cheers once again, though this time there was a certain awe in the air. Itachi¡¯s mastery of genjutsu and his calm, calculated approach had left everyone in the stadium speechless. Along with his looks, some marriage proposals were flying toward him from the girls in the stadium. Itachi simply ignored all that and walked off the field. Chapter 288: Joke ¡®So that¡¯s why this crafty old fox was so confident. Konoha is showing off its talent once again,¡¯ the two daimyo thought, looking at the result of the first round of the third stage. All three of Konoha¡¯s ninja won their matches and advanced to the next round. They secretly hoped they¡¯d be paired against each other, but alas, the matchups were already decided. The next match would be between Darui and Kaida. The Lightning Daimyo was really tense. At this moment, Darui was the only remaining participant from Kumogakure. He surely couldn¡¯t lose. He wasn¡¯t worried about the 30 million Ryo at all. What was that small amount? He could just raise taxes a little, and it would be collected in a month or even a week, depending on how much he raised it. What he was truly worried about was his reputation. Losing was the problem, not the money. That¡¯s why when the proctor announced, ¡°The next round will start in five hours. Participants can use this time to receive medical treatment and rest,¡± the Daimyo left the other two and went out to meet the Raikage personally. --- ¡°Welcome, Lord Daimyo,¡± A said as the Daimyo sat in the VIP lounge of the Raikage building. ¡°I¡¯m not here for formalities, A. What I want is confirmation. As I mentioned in the letter, I want someone from Kumogakure to win this competition. I bet 30 million Ryo on that, and if I lose, I¡¯ll have to reduce the number of missions to make up for the loss,¡± the Daimyo said, clearly threatening the Raikage, the most hot-headed of the five Kage. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Sir, please have this glass of water,¡± Mabui interrupted, handing A a glass of cold water to give him time to cool down, so he wouldn¡¯t say something out of line. ¡°Sigh.¡± ¡°Sir, Darui is participating in the match. He¡¯s the best of Kumogakure¡¯s younger generation, so please rest assured, we will win this competition,¡± A said. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear,¡± the Daimyo replied. Although 30 million Ryo wasn¡¯t much for him, the same couldn¡¯t be said for a ninja village. This amount was enough to send an S-rank ninja on a dangerous, life-threatening mission. In a way, one could say it was the price for an S-rank ninja¡¯s life. When that amount was involved in negotiations, even a Kage had to consider the pros and cons before speaking. Well, that¡¯s what the Daimyo thought, but he was wrong about one thing. There had been many Daimyo in history who died of "natural causes" after challenging powerful ninja clans. Now that such incidents were rare, many politicians had forgotten this fact. Once the Daimyo left, A stood up from the sofa. ¡°How old is the Daimyo¡¯s eldest son?¡± he asked. ¡°He will be 12 this year, sir,¡± Mabui replied. ¡°Send someone to befriend him. He should be convinced in the next two years that he should become the next Daimyo, now that he¡¯s an adult. Kumogakure will fully support him for that.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Mabui said. This time, she didn¡¯t try to calm A down. It was already a blessing that he hadn¡¯t snapped in front of the Daimyo. There would be no problem as long as someone from the Daimyo¡¯s lineage became the next Daimyo, but since that was a future concern, she decided to focus on the current task. ¡°Sir, even though I trust Darui, Konoha has performed remarkably well in the Chunin Exam this time, and there¡¯s a chance Darui might lose,¡± Mabui said. ¡°I personally trained him for two weeks, and he was able to land an attack on me in the end. Do you think anyone can dodge him now? So what if those Uchiha can see his attacks? Seeing and dodging are two different things. And if he loses even after that, Konoha will pay for humiliating us in our own village,¡± A said, a shadow looming over his face. --- As the participants were leaving to rest, Deidara approached the Konoha team. ¡°You¡¯re lucky your next match isn¡¯t against me. Make sure you win your match so I can kill you myself.¡± ¡°Hahaha, hey Kabuto, did you hear that? This random guy thinks he can defeat Itachi. Thanks, man, I really needed this type of joke. I was kind of stressed,¡± Kaida said, chuckling. ¡°Wait and see, fucker. I¡¯ll show you the greatest art of all time,¡± Deidara said. ¡°From what I can tell, you really want to defeat me. Let¡¯s make a bet then. If you win against Itachi, I¡¯ll bow down in front of you in the stadium in the next round, head on the ground. How about that?¡± Kaida said. ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to die, then so be it,¡± Deidara grunted before leaving. ¡°Can you stop making him madder? He might actually do something bad because of this,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I trust you completely. You¡¯ll handle it for sure,¡± Kaida replied. Itachi just shook his head and kept moving toward the gates. ¡°Are you nervous about your next fight?¡± Kabuto asked. ¡°Kind of. Darui was trained by the Raikage himself, and since he was especially trained to fight against us, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll have something to counter genjutsu. The fight will come down to pure skill, and he¡¯s not bad in that part,¡± Kaida said, recalling Darui from his memories. Though Darui was much younger than the one in the anime, he was still strong. ¡°But you lucked out, huh? Your next match will be easy,¡± Kaida said, remembering Kabuto¡¯s opponent. ¡°Yeah, at least the next one,¡± Kabuto sighed. Before Kaida could say anything, Shisui called out from a little distance away. ¡°You guys can talk while resting. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, brother,¡± Kaida said, and they followed Itachi back to their residence. ¡°Man, I¡¯m tired. That was really chakra-draining,¡± Kabuto said, lying on his bed. ¡°Do some meditation and recover your chakra. Eat that food; it¡¯ll help with chakra and stamina recovery,¡± Jiraiya said, pointing to a strongly medicinal-smelling dish on the table. ¡°Is it even food anymore?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Just eat it, brat. You can complain about the taste after the competition is over,¡± Shisui said, landing a punch on Kaida¡¯s head. ¡°Kaida, in your next match, don¡¯t rely on genjutsu to win,¡± Jiraiya said as they started eating. ¡°Why, sensei?¡± Kaida asked. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Darui is Kumogakure¡¯s last hope. If he loses without even landing a single hit on his opponent in his own village, and that news spreads, Kumogakure might start a war against Konoha, whether they¡¯re ready or not. We don¡¯t want that. Have a normal fight with him.¡± ¡°So, do I have to lose?¡± Kaida asked nonchalantly. He didn¡¯t have any stakes in the exam anyway, and if winning meant many ninja would lose their lives, he¡¯d be more than happy to lose. ¡°No, just fight normally, without using genjutsu for this one match. If we were scared of Kumogakure, this whole situation wouldn¡¯t have happened. We¡¯re here to win. We just don¡¯t want to push the Raikage too much,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°Okay, sensei,¡± Kaida said, finishing his food. ¡°What about my fight, sensei?¡± Itachi asked. ¡°Iwa isn¡¯t as hot-headed as Kumo, so you can have any type of fight you want. Finish the match in a minute or an hour, your choice,¡± Jiraiya said. Itachi nodded. Kabuto didn¡¯t even ask, since there were no high stakes for his fight anyway. --- (After five hours) The stadium, which had become a little empty, was once again filled to the brim with people. Some had stayed for five hours, not wanting to lose their seats, which offered the best view of the stadium. The next match was bound to be great. Chapter 289: Kaida vs Darui The atmosphere in the stadium was electric as the five hours of rest came to an end. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the next match: Kaida from Konoha versus Darui from Kumogakure. The tension was palpable, especially for the Kumogakure spectators, who pinned their hopes on Darui. It was his time to shine as their last remaining participant. Since most of them were from Kumogakure, the cheering for Darui to win was loud, with many people shouting his name. As Kaida stepped onto the battlefield, he felt the hundreds of eyes focusing on him, most of them wanting him to lose. ''Sorry, guys, I can''t grant you this wish. I have to win this,'' Kaida thought as he walked inside the stadium, while Darui entered from the opposite side, a confident smile on his face as he waved to the crowd. ''He¡¯s totally getting his main character moment,'' Kaida thought as he watched the scene in front of him, where he was the villain the main character had to defeat for the reputation of his village. From the stands, the Raikage watched intently, arms crossed. This was the first match of the third round he was actually paying attention to, along with many other elders in the stadium. "Place your bets, everyone! Kaida from Konoha has already proved his worth in the first match at 1:2.5, and everyone¡¯s favorite, Darui from our own Kumogakure, at 1:3 as well. Let¡¯s see who trusts the strength of our village and who doesn¡¯t!" Taking advantage of the excitement, the stall owner was swimming in money. Jiraiya himself went to one of the stalls. "I want to bet on Kaida." "How much, sir?" the owner asked with a business smile on his face. "5 million Ryo. Here¡¯s the check. Jiraiya from Konoha," Jiraiya said. The owner almost dropped his expression with the amount. He didn¡¯t even check the check; Jiraiya¡¯s reputation in the ninja world was no joke. He swiftly took the check and gave Jiraiya a ticket. "That¡¯s quite a huge amount, Jiraiya-sama." "Shisui, you¡¯re here too. How much are you betting?" Jiraiya asked. "Well, it would look bad if I didn¡¯t trust my brother enough," Shisui said, and went ahead, taking a ticket for five million for himself as well. "That bathhouse is making gold for you guys, huh?" Jiraiya said, seeing Shisui betting such a huge amount as well. "It¡¯s nowhere near what you make, Jiraiya-sama," Shisui said with a chuckle. Jiraiya, being an active S-rank ninja of Konoha, had taken on more S-rank missions than many ninja would take in their entire lives. With his books being famous as well, he was one of the wealthiest men in the Fire Country, and in the world. By now, the preparations were done, and the match was ready to begin. The proctor raised his hand, and the crowd fell silent in anticipation. "Begin!" As soon as the proctor gave the signal, Kaida activated his Sharingan. Even though he wasn¡¯t going to use it extensively, just activating it created a form of pressure on his opponent. Now they had to be careful about genjutsu for the entire fight. Along with increased perception and the ability to see chakra, there was no reason not to activate it. Darui, from the start, paid close attention to avoid looking into Kaida¡¯s eyes, so even though he didn¡¯t confirm the Sharingan was active, he was going to fight with the assumption that it was. Without wasting a second, Darui launched the first attack. With a series of hand signs, a bolt of Black Lightning streaked toward Kaida with terrifying speed. Kaida¡¯s Sharingan spun as he sidestepped effortlessly, dodging the attack with a flicker of motion. The ground behind him exploded as the bolt hit, leaving a smoking crater. "Not bad," Kaida muttered under his breath, his Sharingan analyzing Darui¡¯s movements. He quickly formed hand seals, launching a Fireball Jutsu at Darui. Even without Sharingan, dodging a fireball wasn¡¯t difficult, especially for someone proficient in Lightning Release. Darui flickered away easily, dodging the fireball. But Kaida wasn¡¯t done. He followed up with a Wind Blade, slicing through the air, aiming to catch Darui off-guard. Darui dodged those as well, showing the true speed of a Lightning Release user. To the audience, Darui appeared like a blur, appearing in various places and then disappearing the next second. As soon as he disappeared, the position was bombarded with Wind Blades. Seeing Darui easily dodging the attacks, the audience cheered crazily, but those experienced in fighting knew the actual battle hadn¡¯t started yet. Both ninjas were just testing each other. After dodging most of the attacks, Darui stopped 20 meters away from Kaida, his hands moving so fast they appeared as a blur to everyone¡ªeveryone except Kaida. With the Sharingan active, he could not only see Darui¡¯s hand seals but also the chakra he was molding. ''A combination jutsu,'' Kaida thought, quickly making hand signs of his own. "Lightning Release: Wave of Inspiration," Darui used his signature B-rank jutsu, with a wave of highly pressurized water going toward Kaida, mixed with Black Lightning as well. A deadly attack, notoriously difficult to block or evade because of its range. But since Kaida had already made his hand signs, he used "Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu," disappearing from his position and reappearing just outside the attack¡¯s range. ''Enough with these ninjutsu battles,'' Kaida thought and made a hand sign. "Fire Release: Fire Stream Jutsu," a stream of fire was released toward Darui, not only targeting him but evaporating the water in the path. Darui easily dodged, but the aim was never to hit him in the first place. With the wall of fire blocking Darui¡¯s vision, Kaida appeared behind him with the Body Flicker Jutsu, sword drawn and aimed at Darui¡¯s neck. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But Darui was very alert. Uchiha were famous for their kenjutsu, so as soon as he sensed Kaida behind him, he took out his sword, effectively blocking the attack. After that, they started exchanging strikes. Kaida''s attacks were precise, aiming for vital points with the help of the Sharingan, while Darui¡¯s movements were fast and reactive, deflecting each strike with calm, lethal efficiency, using lightning to boost his speed. Both fighters were evenly matched, pushing each other to the limit. Seeing the stalemate and no sign of fatigue in Kaida¡¯s movements, even after exchanging many strikes, Darui leaped back, creating distance, his fingers crackling with energy. "Storm Release: Laser Circus!" Multiple beams of lightning shot out from Darui¡¯s fingertips, zigzagging unpredictably toward Kaida. ''I was waiting for this,'' Kaida thought with a smirk. His Sharingan kicked into overdrive, dodging most of the lasers. Though he didn¡¯t have time to counter, dodging wasn¡¯t difficult, especially with the Sharingan predicting their trajectory. Even though Kaida managed to dodge the initial barrage, it became increasingly difficult. Darui was cornering him with each attack. After some time, Kaida realized he was effectively trapped. All the beams now targeted various vital parts of his body, but there was one path he could use to dodge them. ''There¡¯s no way he left that open. It¡¯s most likely a trap. Sigh, but I don¡¯t have many options. Let¡¯s see what he¡¯s planned,'' Kaida thought and dodged the attack. "Lightning Release: Black Panther!" The massive panther-shaped lightning attack roared toward Kaida, its dark, crackling form too fast to evade completely. The attack hit its mark, enveloping Kaida in a surge of black electricity. The crowd gasped, watching the smoke rise, obscuring Kaida from view. Chapter 290: Overdid it Unlike others who were thinking Darui might have won, Darui was not so delusional. ''He smirked just before taking that attack head-on,'' he thought, weaving hand signs once again. But as the smoke began to clear, the spectators'' eyes widened in shock. Kaida stood there, unharmed, his body now covered in dark lines¡ªa sign of his Mitotic Regeneration Seal. ¡°You didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be that easy, did you?¡± Kaida smirked, the lines across his body glowing faintly as his injuries healed. Aside from some small burn marks, he was almost fully healed. Than Another set of seals became visible, especially on his arm, forming something akin to a gauntlet. Kaida sidestepped another lightning bolt coming toward him, but he didn¡¯t use any jutsu to evade it. His raw speed in this form was enough with high amount of chakra enhancing his speed and strength while Sharingan increasing his reaction speed, he became much faster than many shinobi out there. but The amount of chakra he was consuming was astonishing. If not for the Yin Seal on his forehead, he would have been out of chakra in just two minutes. Healing and strengthening at the same time was no easy task, but with the seal, it became child¡¯s play for Kaida. Especially after healing was completed, the chakra consumption became normal once again, well normal for him he was usig 3 time the chakra to get same effect that he would get if he used one third of his chakra, but still he didn¡¯t had any problem with that at all ''all that pain was worth it,'' Kaida thought while he formed a hand seal, summoning three shadow clones. Two of them went to distract Darui, who was readying another attack, while the other clone transformed into a massive hammer. Seeing the two clones coming toward him and Kaida preparing something else, Darui decided to go all out. ** A B-rank jutsu that releases a wave of electricity in the surroundings. It was highly chakra-consuming, but effective against shadow clones. Both of Kaida¡¯s shadow clones were dispersed, but their job was done, and Kaida was ready with the hammer. The crowd went silent, seeing Kaida¡ªa young boy covered in black seals, wielding a war hammer covered in spikes, which most likely weighed more than 150 kilograms. What surprised them even more was his speed. Kaida, who had been standing quite a distance from Darui, suddenly appeared next to him, his hammer threatening to crush every bone in Darui''s body. Darui, not wanting to test his defense against such an attack, swiftly dodged. ¡°SMASH! BOOM! SMASH! SMASH! BOOM! BOOM!¡± After a series of attacks, the stadium was in shambles, with various pits all around the ground. Kaida attacking with spped faster than wind, while Darui dodging like lightning But after swinging that giant hammer for so long, while also dodging and countering Darui¡¯s attacks, Kaida was starting to get tired. ''Let¡¯s finish this now,'' he thought and used the Body Flicker Jutsu to appear 20 meters away from Darui. Darui swiftly raised his guard to defend against any attack, but Kaida just pointed his finger toward him. Suddenly, everything around Darui went black¡ªthere was nothing he could see. ''Genjutsu?'' he thought, quickly dispersing his chakra to come out of it, but the process was too slow. By the time he broke free from the genjutsu, Kaida was already standing in front of him, his hammer just centimeters away from his chest. With no time to dodge, Darui used his hand to block the attack, reinforcing his whole body with chakra. ** He flew back at astonishing speed as soon as the attack landed, only stopping after colliding with the stadium wall. Even after blocking and reinforcing himself, many of his bones were broken. When the dust settled, Darui limped out of the crater, blood pouring from his mouth. The proctor first looked toward Darui to see if he wanted to continue the match. Getting no signal in return, he raised his hand and announced: ¡°Winner, Kaida Uchiha!¡± The crowd erupted in applause, though some were dissatisfied because Darui, the ninja from their village, had lost. For others, it was a great fight¡ªboth sides gave their best and won fair and square. Most importantly, it was very entertaining, so the applause drowned out any dissatisfaction from the crowd. Kaida appeared next to Darui and offered him a hand, helping him to his feet. ¡°Good fight,¡± he said simply. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Darui nodded, still catching his breath. ¡°Next time¡­ I¡¯ll be stronger.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will,¡± Kaida replied, but¡ª ''Puck.'' Darui puked some blood. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Kaida said, using his chakra to analyze Darui''s injuries. ¡°Medic, now!¡± he shouted. Hearing the urgency in his voice, several medical ninja ran toward him and Darui with a stretcher in their hands. ¡°Lay him down,¡± Kaida ordered. They complied, sensing the authority in Kaida¡¯s voice. ¡°What happened?¡± one of the medics asked. ¡°A bone in his ribcage has punctured his lung,¡± Kaida said, using his chakra scalpel and hands to gently remove the bone from Darui¡¯s lung before using Healing Palm Jutsu to give emergency treatment. Just as he finished, the Raikage appeared next to them. ¡°We will take it from here,¡± he said, placing his hand on Kaida¡¯s shoulder. Kaida just nodded. The only reason he was doing this was because he didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen if Darui died because of their fight. Kaida looked toward the wall Darui had collided a metal pipe was coming out of that wall ¡®he was just unlucky¡¯ it was not Kaida¡¯s attack that injured Darui that much, but that metal pipe because of the surprise ¡­ ¡°Man, you overdid it,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault. He was really tough. If I hadn¡¯t activated the seal, the position would have been reversed by now,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°But where¡¯s brother and sensei?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°They went to collect the money they won from the bet,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Bet?¡± ¡°They bet on your match. I almost saw a heart attack coming toward them when you took that attack head-on,¡± Kabuto said, chuckling. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all fine, but why are you still here? Isn¡¯t your match about to start?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°See the condition of the stadium after your fight? They asked us to wait for some time until they repair it a little,¡± Kabuto said, pointing toward the various pits in the stadium. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Kaida laughed awkwardly. ¡°Hey, good job, Kaida,¡± Shisui said, returning with a huge smile on his face. ¡°How much money did you bet on me, brother?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°5 million Ryo,¡± Shisui said. ¡°And how much did we win?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°10 million Ryo,¡± Shisui replied, his smile growing bigger with each sentence. ¡°Great! Let¡¯s bet all of that on Kabuto for the next round,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Huh? Are you sure? That¡¯s a very, very huge amount to bet like that,¡± Kabuto, who had faced poverty head-on, knew how much that money was actually worth. It was enough to take care of his orphanage for decades. ¡°I believe in you, bro,¡± Kaida said, patting Kabuto¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We can¡¯t bet all anyway. The maximum limit is 5 million per person,¡± Shisui said with a sigh. ¡°5 million,¡± Kaida pointed at himself, then at Shisui, ¡°5 million.¡± There¡¯s no problem at all. ¡°If mother found out I allowed you to participate in gambling, she would skin me alive,¡± Shisui said, a shiver running down his spine. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s not gambling. We are sure of the outcome, and it¡¯s a form of trust in my teammate. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Fine,¡± Shisui said, knowing that opportunities to make such easy money didn¡¯t come often. Chapter 291: Kabuto vs. Ren As the murmurs and excitement from the previous match died down, and repairs were completed, the proctor once again stood at the center of the stadium. ¡°We will resume the matches now. Next match: Kabuto from Konoha and Ren from Amegakure.¡± Unfortunately, the strongest contestant from Amegakure was already out of the competition, leaving a weaker teammate behind. But that was still enough for them, as their goal was never to win this competition. It was simply to show that Amegakure could stand shoulder to shoulder with the giants known as the Five Great Ninja Villages. ¡°How can a ninja from a minor village stay in the competition for this long?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he from some minor village? What was it called again?¡± ¡°Amegakure. The referee just announced that, you dunce!¡± Such conversations rippled through the crowd as the proctor announced the next match, and now Kaida understood why there was such a strong team from Amegakure in the exams. Pain needed heavy funding for his ¡®projects,¡¯ so he¡¯d decided to utilize the village he would use as his base as a money-making facility. Now, he had shown the world that Amegakure ninjas weren¡¯t much weaker than those from major villages. The number of missions Amegakure would receive would increase in the future as well. ¡®That¡¯s quite a smart plan. Without doing much, Pain secured a nice side hustle. Akatsuki will be the main one, but still, this isn¡¯t bad at all,¡¯ he thought. With his knowledge from the anime, he could perceive things more clearly than most people present. But that didn¡¯t mean others hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡®A small bird is trying to fly way too close to the sun. It may burn its feathers soon,¡¯ thought A, who was watching the match. Other higher-ups from various villages had similar thoughts. However, Pain didn¡¯t fear any consequences. If needed, he could take on one or two major villages alone. --- Unknown to them, Kabuto and Ren had already appeared in the stadium, ready to give their all. The air was thick with tension as they faced each other in the center of the arena. Seeing both participants ready, the proctor raised his hand and signaled the start. ¡°Begin!¡± Ren dashed forward, immediately channeling chakra into his palms. "Lightning Release: Shock Palm!" He thrust his hand forward, sending a surge of lightning toward Kabuto. Kabuto sidestepped quickly, weaving signs for an Earth technique. "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!" A thick rock wall shot up, blocking Ren¡¯s advance and deflecting the lightning. Ren smirked. ¡°You¡¯re hiding already?¡± Kabuto just grinned back, letting the earth wall crumble. Ignoring Ren¡¯s taunt, he performed another set of hand signs. "Water Release: Water Bullet!" A rapid stream of water shot from his mouth, aimed at Ren¡¯s feet to make him lose his balance. Ren jumped, twisting mid-air to dodge the water bullet, and landed gracefully. ¡®Water, huh?¡¯ He quickly formed hand seals. "Lightning Release: Thunderbolt!" A bright bolt of lightning shot from his hand, sizzling as it cut through the air toward Kabuto. Kabuto dodged, feeling the electricity graze the edge of his jacket. ¡®I¡¯m not fast enough,¡¯ he noted. Ren¡¯s lightning was powerful and fast but direct. A head-on clash wouldn¡¯t benefit him, but that wasn¡¯t his plan anyway. "Water Release: Water Trumpet!" Though the water attacks aimed for Ren¡¯s vitals, Kabuto knew his opponent was skilled enough to dodge easily. Streams of water pooled around Ren¡¯s feet, creating patches of mud. Ren narrowed his eyes. Kabuto was clearly setting something up¡ªmost likely his last attack from the previous round. But Ren had no intention of letting him control the terrain. After weaving hand signs, Ren extended his hand forward. "Lightning Release: False Darkness!" Lightning spears shot from his palms, forcing Kabuto to halt his casting and dodge. Kabuto smirked, jumping just out of range. ¡°Not bad, but let¡¯s see how you handle this.¡± He quickly formed hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground. "Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm!" The ground trembled as chunks of rock rose and broke apart, further churning the mud from his Water Release. Ren stumbled but recovered quickly. The battlefield was slowly turning muddy, just as Kabuto intended. By now, the earth had softened considerably, and Ren realized Kabuto¡¯s intentions. ¡°So that¡¯s your plan? Turn this place into a swamp?¡± Kabuto chuckled. ¡°Maybe. Or maybe I just enjoy watching you dance around.¡± Ren sneered, weaving signs and channeling more chakra than before. "Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang!" A snarling beast made of lightning emerged from his hand, darting toward Kabuto with rapid, erratic movements. This jutsu homed in on Kabuto¡¯s chakra, making it extremely difficult to dodge. After one dodge attempt, Kabuto realized it was futile. He released his countermeasure. "Earth Release: Mud Wall!" He molded the earth with moisture, creating a dense wall to absorb the lightning beast¡¯s impact. The beast struck the mud wall, dissipating into steam. Kabuto was about to use his signature jutsu when Ren, who had gained ample time, moved far from the mud. ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d fall for that flashy jutsu?¡± Ren asked, recalling the mud wolf jutsu vividly, as did the audience. But Kabuto merely smirked. ¡°That¡¯s not the only jutsu I know.¡± Kabuto made a series of hand signs and then slammed his hand on the ground. ¡°Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet Jutsu!¡± A huge dragon head emerged from the ground, drawing awed gasps from the crowd. Without giving Ren a chance to react, the dragon began spewing dozens of mud bullets toward him. With no chance of completely dodging, Ren used lightning chakra to boost his speed, trying to avoid the bullets. But his speed wasn¡¯t enough to evade hundreds of mud bullets. After getting hit once, he slowed down, suffering hit after hit. By the time the jutsu ended, Ren was covered in mud, with a couple of bones broken. Kabuto, not taking any chances, swiftly appeared behind Ren with a kunai at his neck. ¡°Winner of the match: Kabuto Yakushi!¡± the proctor announced. ¡°Woo!¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Wow!¡± Cheers erupted from the crowd as they witnessed the dragon spewing hundreds of bullets. Chapter 292: Itachi vs. Deidara Unlike the civilians, various other people were not happy with the result at all. Not only was Konoha in the lead in the exam, but there was also a very high chance that only Konoha ninjas would reach the finals. So all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions would belong to Konoha. If Konoha wanted to show its dominance, then this was the perfect way; other villages weren¡¯t even in the competition anymore. Such monstrous talent is the reason Konoha has been able to handle four villages attacking it at the same time, and now it was showing off that talent. The place where the Daimyo were sitting was silent. There was a smile on the Fire Daimyo''s face, while the Earth Daimyo looked a little tense, but the person most unsatisfied was the Lightning Daimyo. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my friend. Winning and losing are part of the tournament. Kumo did its best; it''s just that my land is blessed with talent, hohoho,¡± the Fire Daimyo gloated with a silly smile. For a few years, Konoha had been losing continuously¡ªVillage Sunagakure even won one time¡ªbut not Konoha. During that time, he could only listen to such words from others, but now that he got a chance to return the favor, there was no way he was going to miss it. The Lightning Daimyo could only put up a fake smile. ¡°Of course, the match was a close one. Konoha ninjas sure are lucky,¡± he said. ¡°Close one? If it was close, then both of them should have been in the hospital. But maybe you are correct, and I¡¯m just too happy to win so much money to think things through,¡± the Fire Daimyo said, painfully bringing up the topic of Darui being admitted to the hospital, not giving the Lightning Daimyo any way out. ¡®Kumogakure will have to face the brunt of the money I lost because of them,¡¯ the Lightning Daimyo thought, unknowingly sealing his fate with resentment. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you won; Iwagakure is still in the competition,¡± the Earth Daimyo said. Most of the time, he was like Onoki, a fence-sitter, but when it came to money, he became the most active person around. ¡°Yeah, yeah, but his next match is against Itachi, right?¡± the Fire Daimyo said, putting on a thinking gesture. ¡°Well, I wish you the best of luck.¡± ¡°Same to you.¡± --- ¡°Bro, we won so much! This is the easiest money possible!¡± Kaida shouted, to which Shisui just nodded his head. Due to the low conversion rate, they only got 1.5 times their betting price, but still, 5 million ryo in just minutes is no small amount by any means. ¡°Yeah, with this much we could resume our plan for expanding the business,¡± Shisui said. Kabuto, who was listening, wanted to ask something but kept his mouth shut, as what he wanted to say was something he wouldn¡¯t take pride in. But Kaida, who knew Kabuto quite well from both the anime and from living with him for so long, could guess what he wanted to ask. ¡°Brother, since it was because of Kabuto that we won this much, shouldn¡¯t we do something for him as well?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Sure, what do you want to do?¡± Shisui understood what Kaida was trying to do. ¡°Let¡¯s donate 1 million to his orphanage. How about it, Kabuto?¡± ¡°¡­Thanks,¡± Kabuto could only say this, too moved to say anything else. Shisui and Jiraiya just smiled at that, while Itachi shifted his attention to the stadium, which was ready for the next match. As the proctor stepped forward, the crowd settled, and a hush fell over the arena. ¡°Next match: Itachi Uchiha of Konoha versus Deidara of Iwagakure!¡± The moment the match was announced, excitement rippled through the stands. Stall owners shouted the latest betting odds, their voices blending into a cacophony of numbers as fans made last-minute bets, torn between the genius Uchiha and Iwagakure¡¯s explosive artist. In the center of the arena, Itachi and Deidara faced each other, both calm. However, Deidara looked toward the audience, especially at Kaida, with visible killing intent in his glare. Kaida just responded with a wave and a smile, further angering Deidara. ¡°Because of your teammate, you will die today. But don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll make it quick,¡± Deidara said, turning back toward Itachi. ¡°You can try,¡± Itachi responded without expression. ¡°Begin!¡± the proctor called. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Deidara reached into his pouch, pulling out a handful of clay and molding it with rapid, expert movements. Small clay spiders and birds formed in his hands before he sent them toward Itachi, each one enlarging on its own as it moved, becoming bigger and deadlier to test his opponent¡¯s defenses. Itachi calmly reached into his pouch and pulled out a single shuriken. Holding it with a practiced grip, he sent it spinning through the air. ¡°¡± With a series of hand seals, the single shuriken multiplied mid-flight, becoming a rain of gleaming steel. Each clone hit a target precisely, piercing through the moving clay animals as if individually guided by Itachi¡¯s hand. The audience held their breath, stunned by the mastery of Itachi¡¯s technique. It wasn¡¯t just the sheer number of shuriken¡ªit was the impeccable precision, each one striking its target as if calculated down to the millimeter. It was the pinnacle of throwing technique, not less deadly than any elemental jutsu itself. Deidara clenched his teeth, impressed but unfazed. ¡°Not bad¡­ but let¡¯s see how you handle something bigger!¡± Once again, he put his hand in his pouch, pulling out a large amount of clay with both hands to craft a larger clay bird, one agile enough to evade attacks according to Deidara¡¯s commands. Controlling it with swift hand gestures, he directed it to soar and twist through the air, dodging the shuriken that came its way. Itachi responded immediately, his hands weaving into seals. ¡°¡± He released a massive torrent of flame shaped like a dragon, roaring through the sky with intense heat and speed. The fire dragon met Deidara¡¯s bird mid-air, and the impact was instantaneous¡ªa blinding explosion that sent shockwaves through the arena. A wave of heat and light washed over the spectators, who shielded their eyes from the brilliance of the blast. For a brief moment, Deidara was stunned, awe-struck by the fiery explosion. he thought, captivated by the beauty of the flames resulting from the collision of two jutsu capable of mass destruction alone. Combined, the effect only increased. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Deidara regained his composure, eyes narrowing with determination. Unlike what most thought, his carefree personality didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t use his brain in battle. No matter how hot-headed he was, he remained calm during fights; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have survived this long. Seeing his attack doing no damage, Deidara quickly changed his plans. ¡°I was saving this for later, but¡­ you¡¯re worthy of seeing my latest masterpiece!¡± A massive clay bird appeared next to him, big enough to carry several people. He climbed onto its back, and with a powerful leap, soared into the sky. The crowd gasped as Deidara took flight. In the shinobi world, such a feat was rare and feared. Flying ninjas had a tremendous advantage on the battlefield, and with Iwagakure already boasting one, Deidara¡¯s ability made them even more formidable. From above, Deidara laughed like he had already won the match, tossing smaller clay bombs down at Itachi. Each one moved with such speed that it hit the ground within seconds, far heavier than they looked. With no time to counterattack, Itachi could only dodge. Explosions erupted around him, forcing him to continuously move. Realizing the disadvantage, Itachi thought, ¡®I need to even out our playing field.¡¯ He remembered their training with Jiraiya. He formed a shadow clone and jumped on its palm. The clone used its strength to throw Itachi upward, while Itachi timed his jump perfectly, using precise chakra control. As he ascended, the clone used a powerful burst of wind that propelled Itachi even higher¡ªjust as Kaida had done during their last sparring session against Jiraiya. Now in mid-air, Itachi formed signs. Thirty massive fireballs formed around him, crackling with intensity as he targeted Deidara from multiple angles. Now the situation was reversed; Deidara¡¯s bird wasn¡¯t nimble enough to dodge the fireballs, which were carefully guided by Itachi himself. Deidara¡¯s eyes widened as the fireballs closed in. He maneuvered his clay bird skillfully, evading two simultaneous fireballs, but the third hit its mark. The impact blasted the bird to pieces, sending a massive explosion of clay and flame through the stadium. At the last second, Deidara leapt off, but he hit the ground with a painful thud, his legs buckling as a shockwave of pain surged up his legs, nearly fracturing them. Pain flashed in his eyes as he struggled to stand. Realizing his predicament, he decided to head skyward once more. But before he could craft another bird, Itachi landed in front of him, his Sharingan blazing. With a calm, unshakable gaze, he pointed his finger directly at Deidara¡¯s forehead. ¡°You lost,¡± Itachi declared, his voice a quiet storm. Deidara froze, his eyes locked onto Itachi¡¯s finger. Time seemed to slow as he stared, unable to react. For the audience, it seemed like a simple gesture. But for Deidara, what he saw was a nightmare. In the blink of an eye, Itachi vanished from his line of sight and appeared directly in front of him, his hand plunging through Deidara¡¯s chest, ripping out his heart, still beating in his palm. Blood dripped from his fingers as Deidara looked on, horrified and helpless. But it was all an illusion. Itachi had cast him into a brutal genjutsu, a touch harsher than usual due to the irritation he felt from the burns sustained in the fight. He had decided to return the favor to Deidara. In reality, Deidara remained standing, staring blankly at Itachi¡¯s finger. The match had been decided the moment Itachi pointed; Deidara was frozen, lost in the vision of his own death, and then collapsed to the ground after losing consciousness. Itachi withdrew his hand, satisfied, as the proctor stepped forward. ¡°Winner of the match: Itachi Uchiha!¡± The crowd erupted in cheers, their voices mingling in a thunderous ovation as they celebrated Konoha¡¯s prodigy. Itachi gave a slight bow and turned, leaving Deidara to process what he had seen. Chapter 293: Surrender (A.N: I hope you guys liked the new cover ^~^) ... Even though most of the crowd was thrilled to see such an intense and entertaining fight, having literally watched two people flying and throwing fireballs at each other, far more spectacular than any fireworks they¡¯d seen, this was not the case for everyone. Some people who had bet on Deidara were unhappy, as he had such an obvious advantage¡ªa small army, no less¡ªand still lost. Those people cursed their luck, regretting not betting on Itachi even though the return would have been lower. Especially in the VIP room in the stadium, where the Daimyos were enjoying the match, a gloomy atmosphere spread. Both the Lightning and Earth Daimyo were in bad moods, having lost 30 million Ryo each. Though this amount of money wasn¡¯t much to them, the feeling of losing was hard to ignore, especially since the person who won was constantly gloating in front of them. ¡°Oh hohoho, 100 million Ryo! With this much, I should build a new palace by the sea. What do you guys think?¡± the Fire Daimyo asked. ¡°That is quite a nice idea, actually,¡± the Lightning Daimyo replied, though his thoughts were, ''I hope it gets flooded with you inside it.'' The Earth Daimyo felt the same. When Deidara had flown into the air, a triumphant expression had emerged on his face. How many ninja could actually fly? In his eyes, victory was nearly certain for Deidara. He hadn¡¯t expected the Uchiha brat to be this skilled, but the scene of Itachi jumping into the air, surrounded by dozens of fireballs, had captivated even a Daimyo who had witnessed hundreds of fights in his lifetime. --- For the Konoha team, there was no choice about whom they had to bet on¡ªit was just a matter of how much they were going to win. ¡°Damn, we really made a fortune this time!¡± Kaida exclaimed. The betting ratio this time was 1:1.8 for Itachi. Kaida, Shisui, and Kabuto had each bet 5 million Ryo, netting a total of 27 million Ryo in their accounts. An amount this high was astonishing even for Jiraiya, who had also made around 13 million from his own 5 million. While they were celebrating, Itachi returned. ¡°How much did you make?¡± Itachi asked. ¡°Around 1.2 million Ryo on this match,¡± Kaida replied with a silly grin. ¡°Fine, how much is my share?¡± Itachi asked. ¡°Your share? You don¡¯t have one. If you want, bet by yourself,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°But you gave Kabuto his. Why not me?¡± Itachi asked. ¡°Because you¡¯re a damn prince and can easily bet on your own,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Fair point. I¡¯ll bet on the next match.¡± Before they could discuss further, the proctor returned to the stadium. ¡°As we all know, luck is also an important skill for a ninja. Since only three participants remain, we will now select a chit to determine who will advance directly to the finals while the other two must fight for the position. I would like to ask Lord Daimyo to pick a chit,¡± the proctor said as a ninja brought a glass bowl before the Lightning Daimyo, who stepped out of his cabin for this. After building a little suspense, the Daimyo picked a chit and announced, ¡°Kaida Uchiha.¡± ¡°The person going to the finals is Kaida Uchiha. As for the other two, they¡¯ll have to fight to decide who will go to the finals,¡± the proctor announced. ¡°So, the next match is between Itachi Uchiha from Konoha and Kabuto Yakushi from Konoha.¡± The crowd once again erupted in cheers. Back-to-back matches were never hated by the audience, and after the earlier display, Itachi had become somewhat of a favorite, especially among the girls¡ªthough he shivered a bit when he heard a middle-aged man shouting his name, likely due to the money he¡¯d made from betting on Itachi. ¡°Now you¡¯re quite famous in Kumogakure as well, huh?¡± Kaida said as they heard people shouting Itachi¡¯s name. ¡°Let¡¯s just go,¡± Itachi replied, maintaining his usual demeanor. Kabuto was silent, giving one last look to Jiraiya before following Itachi to the stadium. --- Itachi and Kabuto stood facing each other, both wearing serious expressions. Seeing that both were ready, the proctor raised his hand. ¡°Begin!¡± he shouted. Just as Itachi was about to make a hand sign, Kabuto raised his hand. ¡°I surrender,¡± he said. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone¡ªthe audience, proctor, and even Itachi¡ªwas stunned. ¡°Are you sure?¡± the proctor asked. ¡°Being on the same team for so long, I know I don¡¯t have a single chance against him. So, rather than making a fool of myself, I would like to surrender,¡± Kabuto said. Although some viewed this as cowardly, the judges, who had been noting everything from the start, nodded approvingly. Knowing which fights to engage in and which to avoid was a critical skill for any ninja. You could always fight again after gaining enough strength, but you couldn¡¯t get your life back. Kabuto¡¯s surrender was seen in a positive light by the judges. ¡°Fine, the winner of the match is Itachi Uchiha,¡± the proctor announced. But there were no cheers from the crowd this time¡ªonly complaints about wasted ticket money, which neither Kabuto nor Itachi paid any attention to. --- ¡°Was it really alright? Wasn¡¯t our goal to show off Konoha¡¯s might?¡± Kaida asked, looking toward Jiraiya. He had noticed Kabuto looking to Jiraiya before the match, so Kabuto must have asked for permission to do something so drastic. Jiraiya smiled, seeing that Kaida had caught on by himself. ¡®And we¡¯ve already achieved that goal. Konoha is the winner, not just in first place, but all three positions now belong to Konoha. It doesn¡¯t matter who among you takes which position. When I was training Kabuto, he was sure he couldn¡¯t match either of you one-on-one, so he asked if he could surrender, as he¡¯d get third place anyway,¡¯ Jiraiya explained. ¡°Does that mean I could also just surrender and let Itachi win?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°I would like to request you not to do that,¡± Itachi said. ¡°Yes, this is the final battle everyone¡¯s been waiting for. It would be disappointing if it ended anticlimactically,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s not like I was going to do that. I was just asking if I could,¡± Kaida replied, shaking his head. ¡°The next match will start in one hour,¡± the proctor announced, giving the participants time to recover their chakra and stamina for the final battle. ¡°I have something to do, then,¡± Itachi said, heading toward the crowd. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 294: The Final Duel The murmurs in the crowd grew louder as the final matchup was announced. The tension was palpable, rippling through the audience like static electricity before a storm. Kumogakure¡¯s stadium hummed with anticipation. Kaida Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha. Both had already shown the crowd breathtaking abilities. Fire and precision vs. brute strength and speed¡ªa combo worth watching. While some grumbled over Kabuto¡¯s surrender, the thought of a grand finale washed over them, silencing any residual complaints. Since there was an hour given to the participants for rest and getting back in perfect shape, Kaida was doing just that, sitting in the corner of the waiting room meditating. ¡®My next match is against Itachi. If I use Uchiha kenjutsu with a katana and genjutsu combo, he¡¯ll win because it¡¯s his forte. As for ninjutsu, let¡¯s not even consider it. That guy learned Gale Palm Jutsu just by watching me perform it, and I literally have 7¨C8 jutsu under my belt¡ªnothing he would worry about. As for the Mitotic Regeneration Seal and strength, even though it¡¯s powerful and fast, the burst is unidirectional. He could easily dodge by predicting my trajectory. Man, this is tough,¡¯ Kaida was thinking. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Kaida asked, rubbing his head. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to meditate, why the hell are you thinking so much? Just calm your mind and give your best. No one is pressuring you to win. If you win, that¡¯s great; if not, you¡¯ll learn something new. There¡¯s no need to worry so much,¡± Shisui said, sitting next to Kaida. ¡°I know, brother, but I can¡¯t even see a way for me to win the next match. I have two fighting styles, and neither of them works against Itachi,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Two fighting styles?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, one is when I don¡¯t use this seal. I fight like an Uchiha¡ªprecise and lethal strikes with a mix of genjutsu. And when I use that seal, I use extra strength and speed to win. But Itachi is better than me in Uchiha style and too fast and reactive to fall for the second.¡± ¡°HaHaHaHa!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking like there are two people inside you, and when one comes out, the other has to wait inside. These are both your fighting styles; there¡¯s no need to separate them. Just use them accordingly. Switch between brute strength and precise attack, react with Sharingan perception, and attack with your most powerful strength. Even I would feel threatened by such attacks,¡± Shisui explained. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s not fair to show favoritism to only one of us,¡± Itachi said, entering the waiting area. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need any. The only advice I¡¯d like to give you is don¡¯t get overconfident. Even though you¡¯re powerful, that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t lose,¡± Shisui said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Itachi said, as he sat down to take some rest. --- As the time for the final battle approached, Itachi and Kaida made their way into the stadium. The crowd went silent, a hush falling over them in reverence. These two stood on opposite ends, eyes locked, each sensing the intensity of the other¡¯s presence. The proctor raised his hand. ¡°This is the final match of the Chunin Exams: Kaida Uchiha versus Itachi Uchiha. Begin!¡± The ground beneath Kaida and Itachi shook as they both moved right at the start, at astonishing speed, making hand signs rapidly. ¡°Fire Release: Fire Stream Jutsu.¡± ¡°Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu.¡± The two fire techniques collided, with Kaida¡¯s fireball blown away by the wall of fire formed by Itachi¡¯s fire stream. Both of them were pushed back from the blast, but neither stopped moving. Both vanished from their spots, reappearing in the center, Kaida wielding a sword while Itachi had drawn his kunai. Tens of strikes were exchanged between them in just a single second. With no one gaining the upper hand, they jumped back. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back,¡± Itachi called out, eyes flashing with a seriousness Kaida hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Who said I was?¡± Kaida responded, smirking. Kaida formed the sign, and three identical clones appeared beside him. Without hesitation, he sent one clone rushing toward Itachi, while he and the second clone prepared a follow-up from different angles. Itachi didn¡¯t flinch. He activated his Sharingan, observing the clones¡¯ movements with razor-sharp focus. While one clone distracted Itachi, another transformed into a long broadsword¡ªnot as heavy as the hammer he usually made, but still much heavier than a normal sword. Then he and the last remaining clone began running toward Itachi, both from opposite directions, with one clone already engaging Itachi in combat. Itachi glanced at the two of them before using a Fire Breath Jutsu at close range without any hand signs at all. Caught off guard, the clone took the attack head-on. Normally, without hand signs, the attacks become very weak and slow, but since the clones had a major weakness of not being able to handle even a little damage after a point, the fire stream was enough to dispel one of them. But before Itachi could take a breath, the second clone started engaging him in combat. Now vigilant against the Fire Stream Jutsu, Itachi fought the clone while constantly watching for Kaida¡¯s attack, who was wielding an unusually long and heavy sword. He could also see two red eyes with three tomoe watching his every move closely. Not wanting to find out why Kaida was waiting so long before attacking, Itachi decided to deal with the clone first and then regain control of the battle from Kaida. Just as he was about to land the final hit on the clone, he heard as Kaida made four more shadow clones, two of which transformed into swords wielded by the other two clones. Itachi dispersed one more clone before looking toward Kaida. ¡°So you want to tire me out before fighting me?¡± ¡°Well, in ninjutsu, genjutsu, and kenjutsu, you¡¯re better than me in all of these. I don¡¯t want to compete in a field where you have an advantage, so it leaves me with only one thing I¡¯m better than you at, and that too by a huge margin,¡± Kaida said with a smirk. ¡°Chakra.¡± Even after making seven clones, only 30% of Kaida¡¯s chakra reserves were empty, with 70% still remaining, which was more than twice Itachi¡¯s reserves. Itachi understood what that meant, and he didn¡¯t like it one bit. But before he could think of a counter to Kaida¡¯s plan, two of his clones started attacking him simultaneously. Chapter 295: Intensity Rises Itachi understood what that meant, and he didn''t like it one bit. Before he could think of a counter to Kaida''s plan, two of his clones started attacking him simultaneously. Both clones attacked him at the same time from opposite sides, resulting in Itachi using Body Flicker Jutsu to evade. Then one clone went for Kenjutsu attacks, while the other kept its distance and attacked with wind blades whenever Itachi started to gain the upper hand. Itachi really had to give his all to dispel the clone fighting him in close range by putting himself in a position where he was hidden from the other clone. But once again, before he could take a breather, the clone which was in a support role this whole time started attacking with Kenjutsu. Kaida created four more clones to take its place as soon as it was defeated, which happened quite soon. When another clone took its place, Itachi felt a stark difference in Kenjutsu style. Kaida''s Kenjutsu was already very refined, using every opportunity to deal maximum damage while evading every attack. But this time, it was more like it was tailored to fight against Itachi. Itachi then once again looked toward Kaida, who was analyzing his every move with his Sharingan. ''He is trying to find my counter style in between the match,'' Itachi thought, a concept so absurd that he didn''t even want to believe it. No Uchiha had ever used Sharingan like that because it needed quite some time to analyze an opponent''s style and create counters. If you could get your opponent to fight that long, and if he was strong enough that you had to do that, the amount of life you had to sacrifice for that analysis wasn''t worth it. But Kaida, with his shadow clones, didn''t have to worry about the life cost. With his high chakra, he could do this for hours because every time Itachi dispersed a clone, Kaida got some of his chakra along with his memories back. "If I give you more time, I am sure I will lose," Itachi said. Everyone was so silent while watching the match that his voice resounded in the stadium, and everyone understood that something was about to happen. As soon as he said that, he made various hand signs. Kaida, who had seen these hand signs multiple times by now, understood what they meant. The clone went full throttle in attacking Itachi to stop his hand signs, but before it could reach him, a fireball appeared in front of it, dispersing it in seconds. Another went straight to the clone Kaida had created as backup. Even though they tried to dodge and create earth walls to defend against the fireball, it just increased the amount of fireballs needed to disperse them. Itachi threw five fireballs at the same time, destroying the area where the clones and Kaida were standing. Kaida quickly used Body Flicker Jutsu to evade, only suffering some minor burns, but all of his clones were dispersed by now. Itachi still had many fireballs rotating around him, which he threw toward Kaida without a second thought. This time, Kaida showed that Itachi was not the only Uchiha in the stadium. With the help of Sharingan, he predicted each and every possible path of the fireballs, evading those he could while attacking the unavoidable ones with shuriken and wind blades. In a span of couple of seconds, tens of blasts happened all around the stadium. The crowd, which had been mesmerized by the beautiful and deadly Kenjutsu, jolted awake and started shouting, supporting their favorite participants. When the dust settled, two figures became visible to the crowd. At one end of the stadium, Kaida was standing with his clothes dirty and burned in various places, while the skin below was burned to various degrees. On the other side was Itachi, uninjured but visibly exhausted. Even though the current attack was super effective, it was still an S-rank jutsu. The chakra requirement to perform this was perversely high. This, coupled with all the other jutsu and coating of chakra he did for the last 10 minutes, really depleted Itachi''s chakra reserves; he barely had 30-40 percent remaining. Seeing Kaida''s state, most of the crowd thought that Itachi was going to win now - Kaida was obviously in no state to fight. But unlike others, Itachi didn''t have that same thought. So what if Kaida was injured? He knew full well that it didn''t mean anything. As if Itachi''s thoughts were a trigger, Kaida activated the Mitotic Regeneration seal on his forehead. Many black lines emerged from the seal, covering him from head to toe. Due to using this seal many times during the Chunin exam, it was only halfway full, containing chakra twice Kaida''s own reserves. In the one and a half months after getting this seal, Kaida had diligently increased its capacity daily with help of Sharingan. The process was fast, but now he couldn''t benefit from that progress. ''Well, this is what I get for using it every time I get the chance,'' Kaida thought as his injuries healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even though Itachi wanted to attack, Kaida had already created a shadow clone to hold him back. Instead of making himself more tired without gaining anything, Itachi decided to use this time to recover some of his strength. After a minute, Kaida said, "Ready for round 2?" "Always," Itachi replied. Both disappeared from their positions, leaving a dust trail behind. Neither used any jutsu; it was just sheer speed and force that made them difficult to follow with naked eyes. Kaida was using his 100 Strength seal to boost his strength and speed, while Itachi had to do that manually. Without augmenting his strength with chakra, he would not be able to handle Kaida''s attacks. Seeing the broad sword in his hand, Itachi was sure he had to give his all; otherwise, even blocking Kaida''s strike would result in breaking two or three bones. Both of them collided at the center of the stadium with metal clashing against metal. For the audience, the clash was simple Kenjutsu moves exchanged between two ninjas. But for Kaida and Itachi, it was a battle of wits. Both were using Genjutsu and Kenjutsu in conjunction to get just one good hit. For Itachi, it would lead to further decreasing Kaida''s chakra, and even a chance of winning. As for Kaida, a single hit would mean winning the match. But both were at a stalemate. Even though Itachi was able to strike a few times using his superior Genjutsu skills, Kaida was not weak in this field either, coming out of Genjutsu in fractions of seconds, dodging the attacks sufficiently so that his seals would heal them in no time. After 5 minutes of constant exchange of Genjutsu, Itachi''s chakra reserves were bottoming out. Having no other choice, he decided to go for the last reserves he had. Demonic Illusion: Mirage Circle Technique, an S-rank Genjutsu. This technique creates a wide-range mirage where the surroundings appear distorted, shifting terrain and altering distances. Targets trapped within this area find that their attacks or movements appear futile, as distances stretch infinitely or shrink unexpectedly. And the most lethal thing about this is the brain becomes disoriented, so the target will not come out of this Genjutsu even if they have the means to do so. Itachi created some distance between them once again using Fire Stream Jutsu and then started making hand signs. ''What is he planning this time?'' Kaida thought, getting ready to tank any attack. Because of having a Sharingan himself, Kaida was looking toward Itachi normally, not avoiding his Sharingan like others at all. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Itachi utilized this opportunity fully, casting the Genjutsu with his Sharingan. Kaida felt something was wrong as soon as Itachi completed his hand signs, but before he could do anything, the distance between Kaida and Itachi grew, and the surroundings of Kaida started to rotate. "What the f**k!" Chapter 296: Chunin Exam are Over Itachi, who had been standing just 100 meters away, now appeared kilometers away, and then he threw a shuriken from that distant position. Kaida was initially surprised, as Itachi would never normally do that¡ªhe could easily dodge from such a distance. But to Kaida¡¯s shock, the shuriken traveled nearly 2 kilometers in a second, appearing right in front of him as if it had teleported. Using his full speed, Kaida dodged sideways, but he moved much farther than he would have liked. ''What the hell is happening? And what is¡­ wait, I can¡¯t form any thoughts,'' Kaida realized. Itachi knew that if he gave Kaida just a few more seconds, he would break free of the genjutsu, as the Sharingan was that effective against it. Not even an S-rank genjutsu could keep an Uchiha with a 3-tomoe Sharingan under its effect for long. Not wanting to give Kaida the precious time he needed, Itachi ran forward at full speed. With everything happening around him, Kaida could only dodge and flee, trying to make sense of the situation, but Itachi was constantly on his tail. He cursed his luck¡ªhad he not used most of his chakra, a single jutsu would have ended the match in his favor. While running, Kaida forced himself to calm down and think. Clearing his mind made things clearer, and he quickly dispersed his chakra. Normally, that would have been a good move, but in an S-rank genjutsu, even breaking free had consequences. If a regular shinobi tried that, they would likely pass out from the aftereffects, but with the Sharingan''s formidable defense, Kaida only felt slightly disoriented and had a mild headache. Before he could regain his balance and clarity, he felt cold metal against his neck. ¡°Can you heal yourself, even if your neck is sliced?¡± Itachi asked. ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t want to find out now,¡± Kaida replied, raising his hands. ¡°I surrender.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Winner of the match: Itachi Uchiha,¡± the proctor announced, and the whole stadium erupted in excitement. Many who hadn¡¯t bet simply enjoyed the intense battle; it was a rollercoaster of emotions, with no clear victor until the end. Even those who lost money betting on Kaida weren¡¯t too disappointed; the match had been that entertaining. And those who won by betting on Itachi were thrilled. ¡°Man, I should have followed the old advice about never looking an Uchiha in the eyes,¡± Kaida muttered as he and Itachi made their way back to their team, where Jiraiya, Shisui, and Kabuto were waiting. When they arrived, Kaida saw Shisui and Jiraiya clutching their checks as if they were precious treasures about to be snatched away. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°They nearly lost their money; they had bet on the match. They¡¯re just happy it didn¡¯t come to that,¡± Kabuto explained with a chuckle. A vein bulged on Kaida¡¯s forehead as he thought about how his own brother had bet money on his losing. But before he could say anything, Itachi also headed toward the betting stalls. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kabuto asked. ¡°To collect my winnings,¡± Itachi said as casually as talking about the weather. ''He ** on himself winning? Now I really wish I had won the match,'' Kaida thought. But then, considering that Itachi¡¯s money would have been lost too, he simply sat at the corner in resignation. Shisui and Jiraiya overheard this but were too delighted to care, as both had made a fortune in the Chunin Exams. After savoring their winnings, Shisui approached Kaida to console him. ¡°You did really well, Kaida; you almost won. There¡¯s no need to be down.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°32 million.¡± ¡°Profit?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s great!¡± Kaida replied, going from gloomy to fully excited. Thirty-two million was a fortune¡ªeven a Kage would be envious. Losing for that much was no issue at all. In fact, he was even happy now that he thought about it. If he had won the match, there would have been no reward. There wasn¡¯t even a prize for this competition; it was just an exam to become a Chunin. With this much money, everything felt worthwhile. Itachi returned after collecting his prize, just as a judge responsible for analyzing the battles stepped forward to announce the results. ¡°The matches have been truly exceptional in this Chunin Exam, with some participants performing well beyond what we expect from a Chunin,¡± he announced. ¡°However, some fell short of the standard for now, though I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll reach it in the coming years. Now, those who have qualified to become a Chunin will be called forward to receive a gift from Lord Daimyo himself. ¡°First: Itachi Uchiha Second: Kaida Uchiha Third: Kabuto Yakushi Fourth: Deidara Fifth: Darui ... Ninth: Suiren.¡± The judge announced the list, with Konoha securing the top three spots. It became clear that the ¡°tiger¡± was emerging from its den. After a brief speech, the Daimyo presented a box to each ninja called to the stage, and the event concluded. Kumogakure clearly didn¡¯t want to prolong it, as their own participant hadn¡¯t made the top three. ¡­ ¡°I am sorry, Raikage-sama. I failed your and everyone¡¯s expectations,¡± Darui said, bowing before A. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Darui. Those two are out of your league. Even a veteran Elite Jonin would struggle against them. You just weren¡¯t ready for this challenge. Don¡¯t dwell on it¡ªfocus on recovering your health,¡± A said, still gazing toward the now-empty stadium. Darui bowed one last time and left the room. ¡°We lost face this time, didn¡¯t we?¡± A remarked. ¡°Yes, sir. Even Lord Daimyo is upset, as he lost a lot of money due to us,¡± Mabui replied. ¡°That greedy fool, still thinking about money. Make sure the plan to dethrone him is put in motion as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Also, many merchants who attended the Chunin Exam are now considering giving missions to Konoha, further hurting our reputation. Some even said it feels like the era of other villages is ending, with Konoha rising again,¡± Mabui reported, sharing the observations gathered by ninjas within the crowd. ¡°Games, huh! Let¡¯s see how much they¡¯re willing to pay to play games like this against us,¡± A said. Chapter 297: Request "Man, we did all that, and in return, we just get a kunai? I know this wasn¡¯t a competition, but still, this reward sucks," Kaida said, spinning the kunai around his finger. "Try channeling your chakra into that kunai," Shisui said with a smirk. "Whoa, it¡¯s so smooth, there¡¯s little to no resistance at all, like¡­" "Yeah, these kunai are made of an alloy of chakra metal and black iron, one of the toughest combinations. Just a single one would cost at least 150,000 to 200,000 Ryo. Even if they made it themselves, just the material cost for all nine kunai would reach around a million Ryo, so this reward is not small by any means," Shisui explained. "Well, now I don¡¯t feel so bad about getting this," Kaida said, placing the kunai in his storage seal. Just as Jiraiya was about to chime in, a Konoha Jonin responsible for the Daimyo''s protection appeared near Jiraiya, delivered a message, and then disappeared. The only reason a shinobi from another village could use these jutsu, even movement jutsu, was due to the Daimyo''s orders. Otherwise, using any jutsu in an enemy village could be very dangerous. After receiving the message, Jiraiya turned to the group. "It¡¯s great that you liked your gift, but there¡¯s a chance you may get another one as well. Lord Daimyo is calling us," Jiraiya said. "All of us?" "Yes." The four of them looked toward the VIP area where the Daimyos were seated during the matches. Noticing this, Jiraiya added, "He¡¯s not here; we have to go to his lodgings." "Then let¡¯s go," Shisui said, and everyone began moving. ¡­ "Hohoho, Jiraiya, welcome, welcome! Have a seat," the Daimyo said, obviously in a good mood. "Thank you, Lord Daimyo," Jiraiya replied, taking his seat, while Shisui and Team Konoha stood before the Daimyo. "You guys did great in the exam, even better than what I expected from Konoha. I am very happy with your performance," the Daimyo said with a kind smile on his face. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We¡¯re glad that we were able to meet your expectations, Lord Daimyo," Itachi, the team leader and the only one trained in royal etiquette, responded while the others bowed their heads. "Hoho, so well-mannered. Good! Since you all did so well, I want to give you some gifts¡ªnot to your village, so don¡¯t say that. Just tell me what you truly desire," the Daimyo said, having been through this situation multiple times. Every time, the ninja would simply ask him to support their village, and he was bored of hearing that. "I am already going to support Konoha, so I want you to ask for something you genuinely want," the Daimyo said, eager to hear something different. Itachi and Kabuto were silent. Though Kabuto was tempted to ask the Daimyo to support his orphanage, he knew it might leave a bad impression of Konoha, so he refrained. Besides, he didn¡¯t have much else to ask for. As for Itachi, he was practically a prince, lacking nothing. Jiraiya understood this about both of them, but he noticed a look of hesitation on Kaida¡¯s face. ''I just hope that boy doesn¡¯t say anything foolish about the poverty in the Fire Country. The Daimyo would definitely be offended if he were shown the reality of his rule,'' Jiraiya thought, having witnessed the journey and how emotional the three Genin¡­ now Chunin¡­ had been along the way. Fortunately, his fears were unfounded. "Sir, while we were in Lightning Valley, I made a pet, and I would like to bring it back to Konoha. Is that possible?" Kaida asked, at which both Kabuto and Itachi turned to Kaida with glares that asked, ''Are you serious?'' Kaida ignored their reactions masterfully. "Which pet? A dog?" the Daimyo asked, a bit intrigued by the request. "No, sir, it¡¯s a cute bear," Kaida replied with a smile. "Oh, you found a bear cub, huh?" "No, sir, the bear isn¡¯t a cub. It¡¯s an adult bear, around two and a half meters tall, and it can use chakra too," Kaida added. "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" A silence enveloped the room as Itachi and Kabuto gave Kaida deadpan looks. "You said you made a pet in Lightning Valley," the Daimyo said. "Yes, Lord Daimyo." "And it¡¯s an adult bear?" "Yes, Lord Daimyo." "One that can even use chakra?" "Yes, Lord Daimyo." "And you want to bring it back to Konoha?" "Yes, Lord Daimyo." "Hahahahaha! Amusing, truly amusing. Since I promised you a reward, consider it done. That bear will be allowed to follow you back to Konoha. Or would you prefer it captured and delivered to your village?" the Daimyo asked, genuinely amused by the unusual request. Finally, Jiraiya and Shisui sighed in relief. No matter how unusual the request, it wouldn¡¯t harm Konoha, which had been their main concern. Afterward, everyone but Jiraiya was told to leave. ¡­ "Quite an interesting disciple you have there, Jiraiya," the Daimyo remarked. "He sure is¡­ unique, Lord Daimyo," Jiraiya replied. "Well, aside from that, I assume there¡¯s something you want to say to me?" the Daimyo asked. "Yes, Lord Daimyo. As you know, all three of them are young talents from Konoha, and since we¡¯ve brought them here, others may try something. That¡¯s why I would like to request we leave as soon as it¡¯s convenient for you," Jiraiya said. "Normally, I would have to stay here a while longer for some meetings, but since I got an extra week here in Kumogakure, I have nothing pressing left. I don¡¯t mind following your request. Make all the arrangements¡ªwe will leave tomorrow. I¡¯ll also need some time to fulfill my promise," the Daimyo said, to which Jiraiya nodded and took his leave, knowing the workload was substantial. ¡­ "Why didn¡¯t you mention this bear pet of yours to me?" Shisui asked as they walked away from the Daimyo¡¯s room. "Because I thought I wouldn¡¯t see him again anyway. It¡¯s not like we could smuggle a three-meter bear right under Kumogakure¡¯s nose. I¡¯m just glad the Daimyo could arrange it," Kaida replied. "Well, we could have arranged that if you¡¯d asked. It¡¯s not like that bear has a contract with someone from Kumogakure. By paying a fee, we could have easily taken it." "How much?" "Depends on what Kumogakure would demand, but knowing them, it would be around 1-5 million Ryo." "Then will Lord Daimyo pay that much for us?" Kaida asked. "He doesn¡¯t have to. That fee is for permission to take the bear, but the Daimyo doesn¡¯t need it. Just a promise to send some missions to Kumogakure in the future is enough," Shisui explained. "Well, it¡¯s all good if we can get him for free," Kaida said, shrugging. "What¡¯s so good about that bear anyway?" Shisui asked. "He¡¯s very intelligent, almost strong enough to match a Chunin in a direct confrontation, and he¡¯s cute. He¡¯s the perfect pet to guard our house when we¡¯re out," Kaida said. "Well, when you put it that way, it really does sound like a good idea," Shisui agreed. Chapter 298: Caravan Preparations As Jiraiya came out, he briefed others about the preparations they needed for departure and then started inspecting every arrangement himself, not before instructing Shisui to stay with Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto. Now that they had shown their talent, it was certain other villages would be concerned about their future accomplishments. After that, Jiraiya moved quickly, arranging the details of their departure from Kumogakure with a serious yet efficient demeanor. Alongside several high-ranking officials, he organized provisions, ensured the Daimyo¡¯s security, and coordinated with Kumogakure representatives to facilitate a seamless exit from the village. ¡°Lord Daimyo, you are leaving so early! Please give us a chance to cater to you a little longer,¡± one of Kumogakure¡¯s officials, who was also an elder, said in a meeting with the Daimyo. ¡°I would have loved to enjoy my stay here a little longer as well, but I have urgent business to attend back at the Fire Capital,¡± the Daimyo replied. ¡°I agree with you, Lord, but I am sure a single week will not have much effect on the Fire Country, since it is so prosperous under your rule.¡± The elder tried his best to persuade him, using his silver tongue. The Daimyo, however, understood and had already guessed the reason behind such attempts. ¡°I would definitely have stayed, but I already extended my stay by two weeks due to the ¡®accident¡¯ during the third stage, so staying further is not possible for now. But perhaps next time I visit.¡± ¡®This sly fox,¡¯ the elder thought, realizing that with the Daimyo bringing up that topic, there wasn¡¯t much left to argue. ¡°Then I, and all of Kumogakure, will eagerly await your next visit, Lord Daimyo,¡± the elder said, then took his leave. ¡­ ¡°I apologize, Raikage-sama, but the Fire Daimyo is insistent on leaving Kumogakure tomorrow,¡± the elder reported, sitting in front of A in his office. ¡°No need to apologize. I already suspected Jiraiya wouldn¡¯t risk staying here. But what is this about taking a bear with them?¡± Raikage asked, reviewing the report in front of him. ¡°Apparently, the Konoha team tamed a bear when they were in Lightning Valley and want to bring it back with them. It¡¯s not surprising; they¡¯re still children, after all,¡± Mabui said, standing behind Raikage. ¡°Interesting. They¡¯re in a hurry to leave with their tails between their legs but still have time for such things... Tell them they can fetch the bear themselves. Also, send two Anbu squads with all Jonin. If they can be eliminated without giving them a chance to escape, do it.¡± ¡°Sir, we could send more teams, and it wouldn¡¯t be a risk but a certainty,¡± Mabui suggested. ¡°They have both Jiraiya and Shisui with them, and from what I saw, they¡¯re not weak themselves. If we truly wish to eliminate them, both Bee and I would need to get involved. But with the three Daimyo still in the village, we can¡¯t afford that. This is only in case they let their guard down,¡± A said. Mabui bowed and left the office. ¡­ Meanwhile, Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi were waiting in their room after completing preparations for the journey, which mostly involved buying food and necessities to distribute during their travels. Even though they knew it was just a temporary solution, there were too many people in the world living in misery. If their efforts could alleviate suffering even briefly, it was better than doing nothing. As they rested in their rooms, a ninja with a Kumogakure headband arrived at their hotel and called the three of them to the lobby. ¡°You¡¯re permitted to bring that bear with you, but only on the outskirts,¡± a Kumo official informed them sternly, with an almost amused expression. ¡°Once you reach the outskirts, the bear can join you for the rest of the journey. But we can¡¯t allow it inside the village, for obvious reasons.¡± Kaida grinned. ¡°Thank you! This is perfect!¡± After delivering the message, the official left, and the group went to Shisui¡¯s room to share the news. ¡­ ¡°Then we¡¯ll go to Lightning Valley two hours before the caravan leaves; that should give us enough time to bring the bear back, right?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Yes, brother,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Do all three of us need to go? Only Kaida should be enough since the bear typically listens to all his commands,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°Good point. Only Kaida and I will go to Lightning Valley. If they have any plans, it¡¯s better for only two of us to go¡ªI can protect one of you more easily than all three,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°For some reason, this feels like an unnecessary risk,¡± Kabuto muttered, noting how unwise it seemed to separate in an enemy village, especially for a bear. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle this,¡± Shisui reassured him with a smile. --- ** Preparations were complete, and the caravan was ready to move. The Daimyo was having a final meeting with a few ministers before departure. ¡°Shisui, ensure you and Kaida stay alert. While I doubt Kumogakure would be foolish enough to attack now, if anything happens, prioritize escape over confrontation, as it may be a trap. Take this seal as well; if anyone attacks, burn it, and I¡¯ll come to you as fast as I can,¡± Jiraiya instructed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jiraiya-sama; we¡¯ll be back in no time,¡± Shisui assured him. ¡°Yeah, Sensei,¡± Kaida added. With that, they left Kumogakure, heading toward Lightning Valley at full speed. ¡­ The bear was in his cave, looking toward the new cave next to his, previously occupied by his friend who used to feed him such tasty food that he no longer wanted to eat raw meat. What was once a delicacy¡ªdeer meat¡ªhad become mundane. When his friends left, he wanted to follow, but they had something important to do and couldn¡¯t bring him. They had promised to return for him, but it had been so many days now. ¡®Are they going to leave me too, like my mother?¡¯ he wondered when he heard a sound outside his cave. ¡®Guah!¡¯ With a roar, the bear emerged, ready to crush whatever made the sound, but as soon as he saw the boy in front of him, his expression transformed into pure joy. ¡°Guah!¡± he said, nuzzling his head into Kaida¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m back, buddy,¡± Kaida said, patting the bear¡¯s head. ¡°Wow, he really is docile,¡± Shisui remarked from behind, at which the bear suddenly became alert. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; he¡¯s my brother¡ªa friend,¡± Kaida soothed him. The bear tilted his head, looking from Shisui back to Kaida, then nodded. ¡°So smart,¡± Shisui commented. ¡°Yeah, I was surprised too,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Well, this is great, but we should get going now. We don¡¯t have much time, remember?¡± Shisui reminded them. ¡°Guah!¡± the bear said urgently. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; you¡¯re coming with us this time. We¡¯re going back to our village. It¡¯s better than here¡ªthe forest there is lusher, with more animals. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it more than here. So, do you want to come with us?¡± Kaida asked. The bear nodded vigorously, then had a look of realization and went back to the cave, bringing out a deer carcass. ¡°We don¡¯t have time, buddy; I¡¯ll cook it on our journey,¡± Kaida said, seeing the bear nudge the deer carcass. ¡°Guah,¡± the bear nodded, then went back inside and returned with the mattress Kaida¡¯s group had left for him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring that; I¡¯ll buy you something better in the village,¡± Kaida smiled. As this was happening, Shisui suddenly looked to his left. --- (A.N: One chapter backlog. Apologies; I¡¯m really busy with college work and may only release that chapter on Saturday. As an apology, here are some pics of the bear ^~^) Chapter 299: Return Journey ¡°Captain, are we not going to make a move?¡± a ninja in a completely black uniform asked. ¡°Can¡¯t you see who¡¯s accompanying that boy? It¡¯s Shisui of the Body Flicker. Even if we could assume we might overpower him, there¡¯s no way for us to stop him if he decides to retreat. If that happens, our village could only sacrifice us as rogue ninjas before the Daimyo since they¡¯re technically his escort,¡± the group leader, an experienced war veteran, explained. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sorry about that, Captain,¡± the ninja apologized. ¡°Then what are we going to do now?¡± the captain of another squad asked. ¡°Let¡¯s just follow them quietly. If we get a chance to find that boy alone, we can complete the mission. If not, there¡¯s nothing we can do except return empty-handed.¡± *Author¡¯s Note: I¡¯m not overestimating Shisui¡¯s strength. If you have any doubts, watch this YouTube video, which does a great job of showing who Shisui really was - https://youtu.be/n_S8zEMIZ9U?si=6RYZJ_1DARxNDmh9* Since they were the most efficient stealth squads in Kumogakure, they believed they could quietly follow Shisui and Kaida. But when they saw the pair reaching the bear¡¯s cave, Shisui suddenly looked directly at their location, not just in a general direction but exactly where they were. All the ninjas immediately became alert, preparing to fight for their lives. However, Shisui did nothing for 30 seconds. ¡°Our cover¡¯s blown. This mission is over. Retreat,¡± the leader of one team said, and all eight of them flickered away. ¡­ ¡°Is there something there, brother?¡± Kaida asked, noticing Shisui looking at a spot for some time. ¡°Nothing, just some rats. They ran away,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°That¡¯s great. But if that¡¯s the case, we should hurry back,¡± Kaida said. By now, the bear was also ready to go with them. Kaida stored the food in the storage seal, and they headed toward the outskirts of Kumogakure. ¡­ ¡°Is everything ready?¡± Jiraiya asked the eight jonin standing before him. ¡°Yes, Jiraiya-sama. We checked all supplies twice, and the caravan was scanned twice,¡± one of the ANBU jonin replied. ¡°Good. Then we¡¯ll leave in half an hour,¡± Jiraiya said, going to inform the Daimyo that everything was ready and they could depart whenever he was prepared. After half an hour, the royal caravan of the Fire Daimyo was on the move again. As they left Kumogakure, the caravan slowed down. Soon, they spotted a brown dot approaching quickly, and those from the Uchiha clan recognized who it was. ¡°Jiraiya-sama, Shisui and Kaida are back,¡± a jonin reported. ¡°Good. Have them handle the rear security with Itachi and Kabuto. I¡¯ll take the front. You all cover the left and right,¡± Jiraiya ordered, moving to the front of the caravan. The security was tighter now, as there was a real threat ahead. Though the chances were low, there was still a risk of an attack to eliminate at least one of Konoha¡¯s talents. Thus, the security was as much for themselves as for the Daimyo. Kaida and Shisui joined the group 10 minutes later, where Itachi and Kabuto waited at the rear. ¡°Hello, buddy,¡± Kabuto greeted, patting the bear¡¯s head. It responded with a small roar. The other ninjas found it cute, but the Daimyo¡¯s servants and guards were terrified of the three-meter-tall beast. Ordinary bears don¡¯t grow this large, so the sight of one like this unsettled the civilians, especially the Daimyo¡¯s personal guards. They were certain some of them wouldn¡¯t survive if forced to defend against the bear. Fortunately, the bear seemed friendly, allowing them to focus on potential enemies rather than worrying about friendly casualties. Some ministers even looked at the bear, amused rather than fearful¡ªafter all, with two S-rank ninjas as protection, they¡¯d be safe even if a horde of such bears attacked. ¡­ ¡°So, we¡¯re handling the rear. I¡¯ll manage vigilance. Itachi and Kabuto, stay with the caravan, keep watch from the top of our cart, and alternate shifts. Conserve your energy as well, as you may need to switch positions with me if necessary. Kaida, stay with your bear. You two will also keep an eye, especially on the left side. I¡¯ll cover every direction, mostly left,¡± Shisui instructed his impromptu team. They maintained a 50-meter radius from each other, and Shisui could cover that distance before anyone could blink if needed. As the journey continued, they set up tents and prepared food as night fell. Kaida started cooking the deer meat the bear had roasted, similar to how he did in the forest, though he now had access to more ingredients. The result was even better than before, and Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto took their shares. ¡°Hey, what about me?¡± Shisui asked, returning after reporting to Jiraiya. ¡°Here, brother,¡± Kaida said, dividing the food into five portions, though the bear still received more than the four of them combined. But Shisui wasn¡¯t the only one drawn by the aroma. The delicious scent of roasted deer meat spread throughout the area while Kaida cooked, lingering for hours. Although the Daimyo and his ministers weren¡¯t interested, as it didn¡¯t meet their ¡°standards,¡± the guards and servants¡ªparticularly the guards¡ªwere losing patience with their own bland rations. Finally, a young guard, who had no desire to eat jerky after hours of smelling the tantalizing aroma, approached and asked, ¡°Hey, that looks really delicious. Can I have a little?¡± The five of them, especially the bear (whose portion was about to shrink again), looked at him. Kaida hadn¡¯t initially considered the ninjas or guards when preparing the food, as they typically made their own meals. But seeing everyone glancing at him, he sighed, noting the guards¡¯ sad diet of jerky, bread, and odd-looking soup. Kaida stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll hunt another one for you soon and cook a larger portion. Can we share this with everyone?¡± Kaida asked, looking at the bear. The bear eyed its portion like it was making the most important decision of its life¡ªa decision even bigger than leaving its home to follow Kaida to a foreign land. After a moment, the bear nodded. Kaida smiled, cutting off one leg for the bear and another for the eight jonin. Since Jiraiya was eating with the Daimyo, there was no need to save any for him. Kaida took the rest to the guards. ¡°Please share this with everyone, and give a little to them as well,¡± Kaida said, pointing to the servants. ¡°Is it really okay?¡± one guard asked. ¡°Yeah, no problem at all,¡± Kaida replied, pushing the food forward. ¡°Thanks,¡± the guard said, taking the food, amazed at how easily Kaida, a young boy, handled a weight that strained him to his limit. Chapter 300: Return Journey (Part 2) (A.N: Woohoo! 300 chapters! I can¡¯t believe how far we¡¯ve come, and it¡¯s all possible because of your support. Thank you, everyone! ^~^) *** "Looks like we have to go hunting now," Kaida said, noticing the bear looking at his now much smaller portion dejectedly. "Guah," the bear nodded his head vigorously. "Okay, then eat your portion first, and then we¡¯ll go see what we can find," Kaida said while eating his portion. "Kabuto, can you give this to the others as well?" he continued. The jonin weren¡¯t eating with them; they were busy guarding the perimeters. There was no way Jiraiya and Shisui would let their guard down, especially while eating and sleeping¡ªthe most vulnerable times of the day. "Sure," Kabuto replied. After finishing their food, Kaida and the bear stood up, ready to head toward the jungle. ¡°Oww! What was that for?¡± Kaida asked, rubbing his head. "Here we are, worrying about our safety even when we¡¯re together, and you want to go alone in the forest at night? How did you even pass the academy exam with that brain of yours?" Shisui asked. "I¡­ I was going to ask you to accompany us," Kaida said. "And when were you going to do that?" "Just now. Brother, let¡¯s go." Kaida gave Shisui a cheeky smile. "You¡¯re really taking everything too lightly. Can¡¯t he just eat jerky until we reach Konoha? There, he could eat anything he wants," Shisui said. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®Why wouldn¡¯t I take it lightly? Both you and Jiraiya-sensei are here¡ªJiraiya-sensei, who could go against Pain, and you, who had a run-on-sight order. If someone wants to attack us, a full battalion would have to mobilize, and even then, we could easily escape. I¡¯m not worried at all, brother,¡¯ Kaida thought, though he found Shisui¡¯s logic reasonable. However... "Guah," the bear roared and looked at Shisui with beady eyes, almost on the verge of tears. "¡­ Fine, but we¡¯ll just search near our surroundings. If we can¡¯t find anything on the outskirts, we¡¯ll come back. I¡¯ll accept no objections to that," Shisui said. "You¡¯re the best, brother," Kaida said. Shisui understood what Kaida was thinking. There was no real danger to them, but it didn¡¯t hurt to be a little cautious. ¡­ After an hour, Kaida and Shisui came back, sitting on the bear''s back. "You guys didn¡¯t find anything?" Kabuto asked. Since they¡¯d been gone a while, it seemed unlikely they hadn¡¯t found anything. Kaida just smiled and channeled chakra into the storage seal. Suddenly, two deer and a moose appeared in front of Kabuto and Itachi. "You guys really went all out, huh?" Itachi said. "Yeah, since everyone¡¯s going to eat, we had to get a little more." ¡­ Eating and talking, the journey continued. As they shared food, the gap between guards and ninja grew smaller to the point they started eating and even drinking together, sharing some of their crazy experiences. During this time, Kaida and the group once again saw how poverty was draining the lives of civilians. They tried to comfort themselves by helping these people as much as possible, though they knew it was just a temporary fix. After a while, things would return to how they were. But looking away was difficult, especially for Kaida and Kabuto, who were still sheltered compared to Itachi, who had seen much worse in war; in comparison, these places weren¡¯t as bad. ¡­ After twelve days of continuous travel, they finally reached the Fire Capital. "Sorry, you can¡¯t bring that bear inside," the captain of the gate guard squad said. "We¡¯re with the Daimyo as well, and he¡¯s completely docile. He won¡¯t hurt a fly as long as everyone leaves him alone." "That¡¯s the problem, sir. There are too many nobles in the Fire Capital, and those guys¡­ don¡¯t know much restraint. We don¡¯t want any inconvenience for them or for you guys, so please leave him outside. I promise we¡¯ll take good care of him," the guard captain said. At his words, Kaida suddenly remembered some of the clich¨¦ plots from Chinese novels he¡¯d read in his previous life, which often portrayed how aristocrats behaved when they had too much power. "Fine, I¡¯ll stay with him here. You guys go ahead," Kaida said. "I¡¯m staying too," Kabuto said. "Me too. There¡¯s nothing to do inside anyway," Itachi said. "I¡¯m sorry," the guard captain said. "There¡¯s no need for that," Kaida said, smiling. "Fine, do some exploring. We¡¯ll come out as soon as the formalities are over," Shisui said, following the caravan inside. While they waited, Kaida and the group roamed the outskirts of the Fire Capital, where mostly the lower class, servants, and others lived. Even though their conditions were still better than other villages they had passed, the difference in living standards between the aristocrats and those on the outskirts was like day and night. Yet, there was peace in the area, evident in how the children played outside instead of working for food. Seeing a big bear, the children¡¯s curiosity got the best of them, and they peeked at it from time to time. "He¡¯s friendly. Do you want to play with him?" Kaida asked loudly. Hearing that, the children looked at each other before running toward the furry giant. After an hour, Jiraiya, Shisui, and the eight jonin returned, having completed all the formalities, only to find a crowd of children surrounding the bear and the three chunin. "What are you guys doing?" Jiraiya asked. "More magicians?" one of the kids asked. "Yeah, go ask them to perform some tricks now," Kabuto said, visibly exhausted¡ªmore so than when he fought in the chunin exam. "We¡¯re sorry; we would have loved to play with you guys, but we have to go back," Shisui said, seeing their expectant gazes. "Him too?" asked one of the boys sitting on the bear. "Yeah." "Nooooooo!" came the collective shout from the children. "It¡¯s the Daimyo¡¯s order," Jiraiya said, not wanting to deal with it any longer. Like magic, the children all went away, albeit reluctantly. This just showed how much power the Daimyo had, especially in the Fire Country. "You guys really fall into weird situations, huh?" Jiraiya said. "We didn¡¯t know they would multiply faster than rabbits," Kaida said, dusting off his clothes. "Fine. We¡¯re already late. Let¡¯s go," Jiraiya said, as everyone started heading back to their village. Chapter 301: Returned Hiruzen and Shikaku were waiting in their office. By now, they had already received the news about the results of the Chunin Exam, and to say they were delighted would be an understatement. Well, at least Hiruzen was. Konoha didn¡¯t just win; it won unilaterally¡ªall the top positions belonged to Konoha. But Shikaku didn¡¯t share that enthusiasm at all. Not only was Konoha showing off, but it had also demeaned other villages as well. ¡°Kumogakure lost, Darui and Kaida fought, and Darui was hospitalized. And Itachi won against Deidara when he was flying in the air, and still won easily. How is this a good situation? Both Kumogakure and Iwagakure are now going to get active. The number of ninja we¡¯ll need to send to outposts is worrying¡ªnot to mention the chance of them targeting our ninja when they go on missions,¡± Shikaku ranted with a cigarette in his mouth. Normally, he wasn¡¯t allowed to smoke in front of Hiruzen, but he was so worried that he forgot his manners for a moment. And Hiruzen didn¡¯t do anything about it either, partly because he was happy about the success of their plan, and also because he understood why Shikaku was upset. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Shikaku. I know you¡¯ll be able to handle it easily,¡± Hiruzen said with a smile. ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about. I knew you¡¯d increase my workload again,¡¯ Shikaku thought. But he didn¡¯t try to evade this work because, now with Danzo gone, there weren¡¯t many people smart enough to handle such situations alone. ¡°But there¡¯s something else I¡¯m worried about. Iwa now has two flying ninja, which will increase their danger level,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°But it¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing. With Iwa¡¯s performance, Kumogakure will be a little wary of them as well. The chances of them forming an alliance will not be high in this case. Also, both of them are still not ready for war, so there isn¡¯t anything major they could do anyway,¡± Shikaku replied. ¡°But once war starts, that boy¡¯s flying birds will be very lethal on the battlefield,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Yes, Lord Third. And with his performance report, it¡¯s only a matter of time before he¡¯s classified as an S-rank ninja. He might even lead Iwa after Onoki. If he participates in battle, we¡¯ll have to deploy at least two S-rank ninja to counter him,¡± Shikaku said, analyzing the possibilities. ¡°Yeah, unless the younger generation produces someone like Minato, then such threats will become meaningless,¡± Hiruzen thought. But Shikaku didn¡¯t sense any longing in Hiruzen¡¯s words; instead, there was anticipation, as though it was not a mere wish but a certainty. Before he could ask further¡ª ¡°Come in,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Sir, Jiraiya-sama and the others are here. They¡¯re requesting to meet you,¡± Hiruzen¡¯s secretary said. ¡°Send them in,¡± Hiruzen replied, a natural smile replacing his serious expression. The secretary nodded and left. After ten minutes, Jiraiya and the three newly promoted Chunin entered the Hokage¡¯s office. ¡°Good evening, Lord Third,¡± all three of them greeted, followed by Jiraiya¡¯s ¡°Hello, Sensei.¡± ¡°Good evening,¡± Hiruzen replied, nodding to Jiraiya. ¡°Good job¡ªno, great job, everyone. I have to say, you exceeded my expectations by a lot. Your performance in the Chunin Exam was spectacular, and it had the desired effect. Konoha¡¯s reputation, which had taken a hit, is now bound to improve as merchants and spectators who saw the matches start to spread the news far and wide. It was all possible because of you, so as promised, you may each request a jutsu from me,¡± Hiruzen said with a smile. ¡°Lord Third, I don¡¯t know much about the field I want to pursue at the moment, so I would like to ask for a jutsu after some time,¡± Kabuto said. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine with that. Explore everything you can, and when you¡¯re sure what you want to learn, just come to me,¡± Hiruzen said with a grandfatherly smile. ¡°Okay, Lord Third,¡± Kabuto replied. ¡°What about you, Itachi?¡± Hiruzen asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already learned an S-rank jutsu, Lord Third, and I need some time to master it. So I would also like to wait before choosing,¡± Itachi said. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Okay, then we only have Kaida, who already has a jutsu in mind,¡± Hiruzen said, turning to Kaida. He remembered when they had taken Kaida¡¯s aptitude test to see if he had any potential for space-time jutsu. --- Kaida had just completed his training for the day, and though he was exhausted, he felt anticipation. Hiruzen had asked him to come to his office after training to check if he could learn the Flying Raijin Jutsu or not. So after finishing up, he went to Jiraiya. ¡°Sensei, I should head to the Hokage Building. Lord Third asked me to come to his office at 5. It¡¯s already 4:30.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Jiraiya said. ¡°You¡¯re coming with me, too, Sensei?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Of course. I also want to know if you can learn that jutsu,¡± Jiraiya replied. Kaida nodded, and both left for the Hokage¡¯s office. ¡­ ¡°Lord Third asked me to meet him today,¡± Kaida told the receptionist. ¡°I know, sir. Lord Third is waiting for you in the basement,¡± the receptionist replied with a smile. Kaida nodded and followed Jiraiya. ¡°Good evening, Lord Third,¡± Kaida greeted. ¡°Hello, Sensei,¡± Jiraiya added. ¡°Good evening to both of you. As punctual as ever. Just wait a minute, Kaida. The preparations will be done soon,¡± Hiruzen said. Kaida and Jiraiya waited. Kaida stood in the corner, while Jiraiya watched the array Hiruzen was making with curiosity. After some time, the array was complete. When Hiruzen passed a little chakra into it, it glowed momentarily before settling. ¡°Everything is ready. Just wait ten more minutes, and then we¡¯ll start,¡± Hiruzen said, then ¡®A shadow clone? I didn¡¯t even notice,¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start the procedure,¡± Hiruzen said, reappearing instantly after his clone disappeared. ¡°Let¡¯s begin. Jiraiya, go stand in that corner and take Kaida with you in case something unusual happens,¡± Hiruzen instructed. ¡°Unusual?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°These are seals I learned from one of the most powerful Uzumaki when it comes to fuinjutsu. I haven¡¯t actually used them since then, so although I¡¯m sure nothing will go wrong, it doesn¡¯t hurt to be cautious,¡± Hiruzen explained. Kaida nodded. ¡°Go and stand in the center, Kaida, with your eyes closed. Let me know if you feel anything, and if you can, point in that direction,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Yes, Lord Third,¡± Kaida replied, doing as instructed. Once Kaida was in position, Hiruzen channeled chakra into the array, causing the closest seal to Kaida to glow. Kaida sensed a shift in the airflow from that direction, though it wasn¡¯t exactly that¡ªmore like a similar sensation. As instructed, he pointed in that direction. Hiruzen and Jiraiya smiled as Hiruzen activated the seals one by one, and Kaida kept pointing them out¡ªsometimes accurately, and as the distance increased, sometimes incorrectly. ¡°Good job, Kaida. You can open your eyes now,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°How did I do?¡± Kaida asked eagerly. Chapter 302: Modified Seal ¡°How did I do?¡± Kaida asked eagerly. ¡°Much better than we expected; you were able to get 68 out of 100 marks,¡± Hiruzen said with a larger-than-usual smile, indicating his happiness with the result. But Kaida, not understanding the significance, felt a little disheartened by the score. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m not actually that talented in this field?¡± he asked. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, boy? Even Minato, whom you were praising so much, couldn¡¯t achieve 100 out of 100. Though he scored higher than you, it was only 76 out of 100¡ªand he was the best Space-Time Jutsu user I¡¯ve seen in my life. Believe me, you¡¯re the second best,¡± Jiraiya said with a smile as well. ¡°Really? Then that means I can learn the Flying Raijin Jutsu, right?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Of course. Once you come back from Kumogakure, we can discuss it more,¡± Hiruzen said. Though he didn¡¯t give a definitive answer, Kaida felt his chances of learning the Jutsu were now sky high. ¡°Enough of your dreaming, boy. Let¡¯s go back; you still have an exam to train for,¡± Jiraiya said as he and Kaida headed back to Training Area 2 after thanking Hiruzen for his time. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... ¡°I assume your choice of the Jutsu you want to learn is still the same?¡± Hiruzen asked. ¡°Yes, Lord Third,¡± Kaida replied without a hint of hesitation. ¡®Is there even a Jutsu more impressive than the Flying Raijin that I could ask for from Hiruzen? Maybe Edo Tensei could compete with it in usefulness, but only the version modified by Orochimaru, not the one Hiruzen has. So Flying Raijin is the best I could ask for and, honestly, hope for as well. In this world, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re strong; the only thing that matters is who¡¯s alive at the end¡ªand Flying Raijin will help me with that,¡¯ Kaida thought, but before his thoughts could wander further, Hiruzen turned to Itachi and Kabuto. ¡°Since you¡¯ve traveled so far, I won¡¯t keep you here without reason any longer. Both of you can go back and take some much-needed rest. Decide what Jutsu you want to learn after careful consideration¡ªthere¡¯s no need to hurry. I¡¯ll also notify you when your promotion to jonin rank is scheduled.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Third,¡± both of them said as they left the office, understanding that Hiruzen had sent them away for more than the stated reasons. However, they understood why and had no problem with it. Now, only Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Kaida remained in the office. Hiruzen turned back to Kaida. ¡°Kaida, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but the Jutsu you want to learn is one of Konoha¡¯s most important military resources. Once you master this Jutsu, you¡¯ll become an even bigger target for other villages. Not only will your life be at risk, but so will this Jutsu; we can¡¯t let any other village get their hands on it,¡± Hiruzen explained. Kaida went silent after hearing that. ¡®Is he refusing my request? I understand his fear, but then why was Minato allowed to learn the Jutsu, especially when the war was ongoing and other villages had plenty of chances to capture him and acquire it? Well, not that they could even catch him,¡¯ Kaida thought, considering how he should act if refused. Should he accept it and try again later? ¡°So we¡¯ll need to place a seal on the Jutsu, which will make it impossible for others to learn it, even if they get their hands on your notes. As for your brain, I¡¯ll give you a seal you can learn and apply yourself. This will prevent anyone from reading your memories. If you¡¯re killed, your brain will become a puddle, making it impossible for anyone to retrieve information,¡± Hiruzen stated matter-of-factly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the seal Root used to use?¡± Kaida asked, remembering the explanation he¡¯d heard when the Uchiha were still dealing with Danzo. ¡°Yes, and it has its benefits. There were many reasons Root was so feared, and this was one of them. Even though I disagree with Danzo on many things, the effectiveness of this seal is undeniable,¡± Hiruzen said. Kaida stayed silent, knowing that besides protecting the user''s brain, the seal had a darker purpose: controlling people and even killing them from a distance if necessary. Though Kaida tried to hide his discomfort, Hiruzen, with decades of experience dealing with crafty ninja, both allies and enemies, could read the subtle shifts in Kaida¡¯s facial muscles and small changes in posture. It made him chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young man; I¡¯ve modified the seal. It now has only one function: to defend the brain, nothing else. As I said, I¡¯ll give you the seal, and you can learn it, understand it, and then apply it yourself,¡± Hiruzen assured. ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t worried about that, you should be. Trust is important, but it could cost you your life. Now that you¡¯re a symbol of Konoha¡¯s power, you can¡¯t afford to be careless,¡± Hiruzen said with a sudden shift to a more serious demeanor. ¡°I understand, Lord Third,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Good. Now, you¡¯ll have to wait for both the things I mentioned. Due to our bold moves, all the other villages will become active, and we don¡¯t have enough time to handle them all. So, your training will need to wait until things settle down¡ªmaybe for three or four months. Use that time to consolidate what you¡¯ve learned and master your existing Jutsu further,¡± Hiruzen advised. ¡°As you wish, Lord Third,¡± Kaida replied. ¡®What¡¯s three or four months? Naruto is still only five years old, which means I still have more than enough time to build my strength before the main storyline begins,¡¯ Kaida thought, honestly pleased. ¡°Good. As I said, you can also go back and get some rest. I¡¯ll notify you when the time for your jonin promotion is set,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Thank you, Lord Third,¡± Kaida replied, leaving the Hokage¡¯s office and rushing to the gate where the bear was waiting with Shisui. ... ¡°Brother, you¡¯re still here?¡± Kaida asked upon reaching the gate after following the path they¡¯d taken to enter the village. ¡°I¡¯m not bringing him with me¡ªMother would disown me. Now that you¡¯re back, he¡¯s your mess to handle,¡± Shisui said before suddenly disappearing. ¡°Coward,¡± Kaida muttered. ¡°GuaH,¡± the bear tilted its head. To the bear, Kaida was much stronger than him, and Kaida¡¯s brother was even stronger still. Both of them being afraid of someone made the bear wonder just how strong that person must be. Kaida gave Izumo and Kotetsu a casual nod before bringing the bear with him into the village. Unlike in the Fire Capital, there was no issue here, as large dogs were common in Konoha thanks to the Inuzuka clan, and other ninja also had summoned beasts. Seeing a bear inside the village was unusual but not unacceptable¡ªespecially since Kaida had already gotten permission. to bring it inside, way before they reached Konoha Chapter 303: Welcome Back I want to welcome you, but that can wait. Let¡¯s first discuss this," Hae said, standing in front of her house, where Kaida was standing, followed by a large bear and a crowd of children riding it or following it. "Umm, Aunt, I can explain. This bear¡­ this bear is brother¡¯s pet. Yeah," Kaida said. "That¡¯s a lie, Mom! He was the one who picked it up; I had no role in this whatsoever," Shisui said, appearing right next to Kaida as soon as he tried to shift all the blame. "I was wondering where you were. Welcome back, son," Hae said with a smile that didn¡¯t actually look like a smile at all. "Oh! I¡­ I went to submit my report to the clan head," Shisui said, which was not entirely a lie, but it could have been delayed if Shisui had wanted to. Which he clearly didn¡¯t. "Good. Now, about the bear¡ªwhat do you want to do with it?" Hae asked. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Aunt, during my Chunin exam in Kumogakure, we had to spend three days in Lightning Valley. It was there that I found him, and he became my friend. We caught food and stayed together for three days, and I also promised him I¡¯d bring him with me," Kaida admitted honestly. "So, it¡¯s a wild bear. What will happen if it goes on a rampage?" "Guah," the bear quickly shook its head, denying the possibility. "As you can see, Aunt, he¡¯s very intelligent and also very friendly. He would never do something like that. Plus, he can use chakra, so he¡¯s the perfect bodyguard for you when both of us are out of the village," Kaida said, overpromoting the bear while patting its head. "Wow, so cute," Yomi said, coming out of the house as well. Kaida instantly felt happy seeing her after more than a month and a half¡ªa really long time. It was the first time they had been separated for this long since he had come to this world. But the first thing she did was mention the bear¡¯s cuteness, going toward him to pet it. Kaida would never admit it, but he felt a tinge of jealousy, which both Shisui and Hae noticed. "Hah, youth. Fine, we can keep it, but you two will be responsible for its hygiene, and I won¡¯t be able to cook so much food either," Hae said. "Don¡¯t worry, Aunt, I¡¯ll take care of that," Kaida said with a smile. "Good. Now come inside," Hae said as they started heading in. Kaida then sent the children away with a promise to bring the bear back so they could play afterward. "Guah!" But a cry from the bear caught their attention. They turned only to find it stuck in the gates, unable to come through without destroying the fences. "Great," Hae said. Since the house belonged to Kagami Uchiha and then Shisui Uchiha, both elite Jonin and from the prestigious Uchiha clan, the house was not small by any means. In fact, the backyard was spacious enough for the bear to stay, which was why they¡¯d brought him here. But they hadn¡¯t considered the pathway to the backyard, designed for humans, not a three-meter-tall beast. Seeing the bear stuck in the gate, Hae released an exasperated sigh, realizing what this meant. "Go and make an entrance in the backyard and bring a big gate for it as well," Hae said, glancing toward the bear. Hearing this, Kaida was about to go when Hae placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, not you, Kaida. I was talking to Shisui," Hae said. "But why me? It¡¯s his pet," Shisui protested. "Because I said so. Do you need any more reason?" Hae asked. "¡­No," Shisui replied and was about to head out when Kaida offered, "I can help." "Sure you will. Let him bring the gate first, then both of you can work on installing it. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll finish my cooking," Hae said as she went inside, shaking her head. Shisui went out to bring a large enough gate for the bear to enter, leaving Kaida and Yomi with the bear. "Hey," Yomi greeted, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "So, you finally noticed me. I thought you¡¯d forgotten about me after so long," Kaida said, turning his face away. "Hehehehe." "What¡¯s so funny?" Kaida asked. "Nothing. You look cute when you try to act angry," Yomi said with another chuckle. "Well, you look cute all the time. I don¡¯t laugh at that," Kaida said, raising a smirk as he saw the redness deepen on Yomi¡¯s cheeks. "What¡¯s the name of our new friend?" Yomi asked, trying to change the topic. But Kaida didn¡¯t respond. "?" Yomi looked at him. "I forgot to ask him," Kaida admitted, scratching his head. "Then let¡¯s ask him now," Yomi suggested. Kaida nodded, and both of them approached the bear, who was sitting in front of the house. Though not showing much, he was also tired after traveling for so long. "Hey, buddy, we¡¯ll bring you inside soon," Kaida said, to which the bear nodded. "Did you meet Yomi? She¡¯s my girlfriend," Kaida said with a smug expression, causing Yomi to blush and the bear to tilt its head in confusion. "Umm, you don¡¯t know ¡®girlfriend¡¯? Well¡­ she¡¯s my mate," Kaida said, making Yomi¡¯s blush intensify, while the bear showed a look of realization. "You didn¡¯t have to put it that way," Yomi said, delivering a slap to Kaida¡¯s head. "Hahaha," Kaida just laughed at Yomi¡¯s reaction. "Oh! I almost forgot again. Do you have a name?" Kaida asked. "Guah." The bear shook its head; there was no such thing as names in the wild. "Good, then we¡¯ll give you one. Wait for a bit; I¡¯d like to discuss it with everyone," Kaida said, to which the bear nodded, not too excited, but Kaida¡¯s next question did the trick. "Are you hungry?" The bear shook its head vigorously. "Here." Kaida laughed and took out the last meal he¡¯d saved for this moment. Both Kaida and Yomi watched as the bear slowly ate its food, savoring each bite. "So, how was your training?" Kaida asked. "It went great! Sensei said I¡¯m ready to be promoted to Chunin rank too, but that¡¯s not important. Tell me more about your journey." "Okay, so we left from the village¡­" Kaida began recounting the journey, sharing almost everything as they waited. "Oh, you almost won!" Yomi said. "Are you seriously worried about that? We won 32 million ryo. No way you¡¯re thinking winning was better than getting all that money." "Money is nice, but we¡¯re not exactly lacking in it either. Last month, we made 7 million in profit from the bathhouse alone. Those 32 million are impressive, but now money is losing its brilliance for me," Yomi said, indicating Kaida¡¯s win was more important to her. ¡®Well, after a certain point, money really just becomes a number. Sadly, even this much won¡¯t be enough for what the future holds for us,¡¯ Kaida thought. "So now you¡¯ll have to tell Aunt you actually did betting. Good luck, hehe," Yomi said with a chuckle. "No, I didn¡¯t. It was Brother who did the betting; I was just a participant," Kaida said with a shrug. "Yeah, yeah," she said. "If your chatting is done, let¡¯s focus on the task at hand," Shisui said, appearing behind Kaida and Yomi. "Yes, brother." (A.N: Five chapters of will be released on Sunday. I''m busy with college during the weekdays, so I¡¯ll only have time to work on them then.) Chapter 304: Kenta’s First Feast (A.N: Yesterday¡¯s chapter¡­) *** Kaida and Shisui started working on adding a new gate in the backyard. Cutting the fence and installing the gate with some screws was hardly a task a ninja couldn¡¯t handle in an hour. Especially since Kaida insisted on adding some seals, like a concealment seal and a hardness seal. Since he didn¡¯t know many advanced security seals, he decided to do the bare minimum. The concealment seal would help hide the gate, so unless someone specifically looked for it, they wouldn¡¯t find it¡ªparticularly since it wasn¡¯t on the main road. It was unnecessary, but since it was free, there was no harm. The hardness seal simply increased the durability so the bear wouldn¡¯t break the gate accidentally. After the gate was installed, Kaida let the bear inside. It sat nearby, watching them work and occasionally trying to help, like moving the pieces of fence they had cut or cheering them on. ¡®I don¡¯t regret bringing him with me one bit,¡¯ Kaida thought, watching its antics. ¡°If you guys are done, come inside. The food is ready,¡± Yomi called. ¡°Guah!¡± The bear was the most excited at the mention of food. ¡°You just ate; are you still hungry?¡± Kaida asked. Though he hadn¡¯t given the bear quite as much as it might usually eat, it wasn¡¯t a small amount either. ¡°Guah!¡± The bear nodded enthusiastically, showing its hunger. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sure Aunt made plenty for you too,¡± Kaida said, at which the bear¡¯s excitement faltered. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; we¡¯ll arrange something afterward,¡± Shisui said, patting its head. ¡°Guah,¡± the bear roared happily. As the three of them went inside, the intense aroma of food filled the air. ¡°Guah,¡± the bear cried, and though there was a language barrier between it and Kaida and Shisui, they both understood it wanted to eat whatever Aunt Hae had cooked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I made some for you as well,¡± Hae said, bringing a large plate outside. It wasn¡¯t the usual bear food. Something white was piled under pieces of chicken, which were covered in a sauce made with honey. ¡°I hope you like it,¡± Hae said, giving her usual motherly smile. The bear jumped for joy before running toward Hae. She was startled but, seeing neither Kaida nor Shisui moving, knew she was safe. As expected, the bear stopped a little distance away, sitting and waiting for her to place its food down. ¡°Good boy,¡± Hae said, setting the food on the ground. The bear took a bite and was immediately startled by the flavor. ¡°Guah!¡± Though none of them actually understood the words, its expression made it clear how much it liked the food. ¡°Aunt, we¡¯re hungry too,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Of course. The food is ready; let¡¯s go inside.¡± Kaida and Shisui entered, where Yomi was almost done setting up food on the dining table. ¡°Go and clean up quickly while we finish the final preparations,¡± Hae said. ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± ¡°Okay, Aunt.¡± After a quick bath, both Kaida and Shisui came back. ¡°Let¡¯s eat! And why don¡¯t you guys also tell me about your journey?¡± Hae suggested, knowing that since it wasn¡¯t a mission, they could share the details. ¡­ ¡°What? 32 million! No, that¡¯s not important. Who gave you permission to bet anyway?¡± Hae asked. Kaida could almost see a red aura of anger around her. He activated his Sharingan to check if this sudden rage had somehow awakened her chakra, but it wasn¡¯t the case. Sadly, it was just an illusion he could see, reflecting Hae¡¯s anger. Worse news came from Shisui. ¡°No, Mom. I was sure Kaida would win the match, and there was no way we would lose our money. Even Jiraiya-sama placed a bet with me¡­¡± ¡°Enough with the excuses. You¡¯re not getting any breakfast tomorrow,¡± Hae said. ¡°Yes, Mom,¡± Shisui replied dejectedly. ¡°Now about the bear¡¯s name. We can¡¯t keep calling him ¡®Bear.¡¯ Do any of you have suggestions?¡± Hae asked. ¡°Pochi,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Chibi,¡± Shisui offered. ¡°Both of you have terrible naming sense. He¡¯s not a dog,¡± Hae said. ¡°How about Kenta?¡± Yomi suggested. ¡°Hmm, Kenta. Good suggestion as usual, Yomi,¡± Hae said. ¡°Mine was good too,¡± Kaida mumbled under his breath. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled. His name will be Kenta. Kaida, let him know. Also, about his food¡ªI can¡¯t cook that much every day, not with running the bathhouse as well.¡± ¡°No worries, Aunt. I was thinking of arranging a restaurant contract for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be costly,¡± Hae noted. ¡°Well, money isn¡¯t something we¡¯re short on,¡± Shisui said with a cheeky grin. ¡°Add two days to your room time as punishment,¡± Hae said. Shisui was about to say something when she added, ¡°Am I clear?¡± ¡°Yes, Mom,¡± Shisui replied with a pout that didn¡¯t suit him at all. ¡®Well, no matter how powerful you are, Mom is always the one to fear,¡¯ Kaida thought, chuckling along with Yomi. ¡°Alright, regarding the food, you and Shisui can go discuss it, but keep the cost under 1 million a year. If it exceeds that, no matter how cute the bear is, he¡¯s going back to the wild,¡± Hae said. Kaida nodded in understanding. Even 1 million was a stretch, only acceptable because of their increased earnings. ¡­ After eating, Kaida and Shisui headed to a nearby restaurant to arrange food for Kenta. ¡°Hello, boss. We¡¯d like to discuss something with you,¡± Shisui said, approaching the counter where the owner was seated. ¡°I don¡¯t do discounts, even if you¡¯re a Jonin,¡± the owner replied, recognizing Shisui immediately. ¡°We don¡¯t need one, sir. We¡¯d like to place a bulk order for food: 50 kilos of meat and 10 kilos of rice, twice a day, with different flavors occasionally,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°Hmm, doable, but it won¡¯t be cheap¡ª2000 Ryo per serving,¡± the owner said after some quick calculations. ¡®1.5 million¡­ it¡¯s pricey but reasonable,¡¯ Kaida thought. ¡°Boss, we¡¯re considering using your restaurant for a year. But if the price is that high, we can¡¯t afford it,¡± Kaida said. The owner pondered this, then did some further calculations before saying, ¡°1400 per meal. I can¡¯t go below that. Take it or look for another place.¡± ¡°No need; that¡¯s fine. Can you start delivering food from tomorrow?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Of course, I can even start today if you¡¯d like,¡± the owner replied confidently. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll deposit the advance tomorrow. Would a month¡¯s payment suffice?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then we have a deal,¡± Kaida said with a big smile. ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re better at this than I am,¡± Shisui admitted. ¡°Thanks, brother. Now, why are we heading in this direction?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Oh! I forgot to mention, the clan head wants to see you. He asked me to bring you by after you¡¯d rested. Since we¡¯re already here, let¡¯s get it done.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not your clan head anymore, brother,¡± Kaida chuckled. ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Shisui replied dismissively. ¡­ ¡°Good evening, Fugaku-sama,¡± Kaida said, bowing slightly. ¡°Good evening, Kaida. I¡¯m very impressed with your performance in the Chunin exams. You did well, improving the reputation of both the village and our clan.¡± ¡°Thank you, clan head,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°I also heard you almost defeated Itachi?¡± Fugaku inquired. ¡°That was only because it was a friendly match. I used my excess chakra to my advantage. In a real battle, things might go differently,¡± Kaida said, not trying to be modest¡ªit was the truth, and Fugaku knew it. Itachi hadn¡¯t shown his true capabilities in the exams, knowing well the risk of exposing all his skills to potential enemies. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave that to you. But as clan head, it would be shameful if I congratulated you with just words. Here,¡± Fugaku said, flicking a paper towards Kaida, who caught it without issue. ¡°This¡­?¡± Kaida asked, genuinely shocked by the reward. ¡°I heard that, although you¡¯re quite powerful for your age, you know very few jutsu¡ªunusual for someone with your talent. I wanted to give you some jutsu, but since I didn¡¯t know which ones you¡¯d want to learn, take that instead,¡± Fugaku explained. As Kaida looked at the paper in his hand, he saw it was worth 1 million contribution points. No matter how impressed Fugaku was, wasn¡¯t this too much? ¡°Clan head, this is 1 million contribution points,¡± Kaida said, wondering if Fugaku had made a mistake. ¡°Hahaha, yes, I know. Do you know why I¡¯m so pleased to give you this reward?¡± Fugaku asked. Chapter 305: Jutsu List "Clan head, this is 1 million contribution points," Kaida said, wondering if Fugaku had made a mistake. "Hahaha, yes, I know. Do you know why I¡¯m so pleased to give you this reward?" Fugaku asked. "Considering how big this is, I don¡¯t think I know," Kaida replied. "It is because your performance in the Chunin exams not only helped the village get its reputation back but also increased the Uchiha''s credibility. Whenever someone gives an A-rank or S-rank mission to Konoha, they can specifically request a particular ninja or clan to take on the mission. This will not only increase the clan''s revenue but also boost its reputation, so the previous situation will not happen again," Fugaku said. A look of realization appeared on Kaida¡¯s face. He knew that, although mission revenue was not much for a large clan, they could still earn millions of Ryo from one business without taking missions for money. But that didn¡¯t mean they had no other motivations. If they were weak, someone within the village might have gotten ideas about their bathhouse business. But with Shisui, and now Kaida, no one would even think of it. Similarly, the Uchiha clan also needed to maintain its reputation, and Kaida had helped with that. If that was the case, he had no problem taking such a large contribution point reward. "If that is the case, then I can only thank you for the contribution points, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said. "Good. You can learn any jutsu you want, aside from S-rank, because for that, you need permission from both me and Lord Third," Fugaku said. "If I can get Lord Third¡¯s permission, can I learn any S-rank jutsu then?" Kaida asked. "Technically, yes. But since you''ve just learned one, I wouldn¡¯t recommend learning another one so soon. Even though S-rank jutsu are powerful, they have little use if you haven¡¯t mastered them, especially since you''re already going to learn another one soon," Fugaku said. "Yes, Lord Third allowed me to learn the Flying Raijin Jutsu, so focusing on another S-rank jutsu now isn¡¯t a good idea," Kaida said, not hiding the details. Since no one had told him to, and Hiruzen himself had mentioned it in front of everyone, there was no reason for Kaida to keep it secret. ¡®Though having one or two hidden cards would be great, it won¡¯t matter once I learn Flying Raijin anyway. With Flying Raijin, even a kunai will become deadlier than any hidden card I could have... at least until the start of the main storyline,¡¯ Kaida thought, but pushed the thought aside. "Fugaku-sama, can you recommend which jutsu I should learn?" Kaida asked directly. Fugaku was not just anyone; he was the head of the Uchiha clan, a clan with hundreds of jutsu thanks to the Sharingan. As such, Fugaku was likely the best person to ask this question after Hiruzen himself. "What are your elemental affinities?" Fugaku asked. "Fire is my main affinity, wind is secondary, and earth is third," Kaida said. "Quite a nice combo. And what jutsu do you already know?" Fugaku asked. "Fireball, Fire Stream, Wind Blade, Hiding in the Mole, Earth Wall, Gale Palm, Shadow Clone, and Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu," Kaida replied, not hiding anything since none of these jutsu were secrets. It was better not to hold back when he was receiving help. "Hmm, interesting. First, do you know anything about supercharging your jutsu?" Fugaku asked. "No, Fugaku-sama." "Hmm, first ask Shisui to teach you that. Then, learn Iron Skin Jutsu, one of the best defensive jutsu. Even though you have Mitotic Regeneration, prevention is always better than cure," Fugaku advised, and Kaida nodded. "Then focus on Fire Release. Learn at least three more attack jutsu¡ªI¡¯ll leave it to you to decide which ones. For Wind Release, learn Great Breakthrough and Rotating Shuriken; both are C-rank but will give you more attack variety. For lethality, learn Divine Mountain Wind, which, combined with Fire Release, becomes one of the most destructive attacks. Also, learn Spiraling Wind Ball and Beast Tearing Gale Palm if you can; both are difficult but very powerful among Wind Release jutsu. "As for Earth Release, Bottomless Swamp, Rock Shelter, and Earth Spear should be enough. And since you have the Strength of a Hundred Seal, add Fist Rock Technique to your list as well. All of these combined will make you one of the most versatile ninja¡ªnot just in the clan but in the entire village," Fugaku said. Kaida was shocked by how easily Fugaku had identified the perfect jutsu for him to learn. Although Kaida didn¡¯t know most of them, his superficial knowledge was enough to tell him how unpredictable he¡¯d become if he mastered them. "Thank you, Clan Head. I will try to learn them as soon as I can," Kaida said. "There is no need to hurry. You are still young; take your time," Fugaku said with a smile. ¡®Sadly, time is something I actually don¡¯t have, especially since I¡¯ll need to take some risks soon,¡¯ Kaida thought but nodded at Fugaku¡¯s advice. "You can leave now. Give the list of jutsu to the receptionist, and he¡¯ll arrange teachers for you according to your schedule," Fugaku said. "Thank you, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said and left the office, leaving Shisui inside, as Fugaku and Shisui had something else to discuss. As Kaida left the Uchiha headquarters, he went to a training area and sat on top of a tree. ¡®A lot has happened, but my initial plan remains the same: reduce enemy strength while gaining powerful allies. It¡¯s the best plan I have. Sadly, I can¡¯t leave the village until we become Jonin, but luckily, I have things to do until then. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®I just hope nothing happens to both of them in the meantime. Orochimaru¡¯s situation is unpredictable, but Karin should still be in Kusagakure. As for Kimimaro, it would be great to find him. If not, well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. For now, let¡¯s focus on one thing at a time and start learning new jutsu tomorrow,¡¯ he thought. Meanwhile, elsewhere, a discussion about Kaida¡¯s future was taking place... "Are you sure you¡¯re not overestimating those two?" a man in an orange spiral mask asked. "Not at all. I may have underestimated them. They¡¯re both talented enough to become S-rank in the future, strengthening the Uchiha and Konoha," the white-and-black Zetsu combo said. "Hmm, the Uchiha are growing stronger by the day. Shisui alone was tricky; now even Fugaku is rumored to have the Mangekyo, along with these two. Capturing the Nine-Tails may become harder in the future." "Yes, Madara-sama. So, should we eliminate them early, before they get a chance to develop?" Zetsu asked. "No. Konoha won¡¯t take it lightly, especially since both are being protected by Hiruzen himself. I don¡¯t want Konoha poking around our activities¡ªat least, not until we¡¯re ready to move. But keep an eye on Konoha; we¡¯ll need some way to destabilize it," ''Madara'' said. "As you wish, Madara-sama," Zetsu said as a Venus flytrap-like plant emerged, swallowed him whole, and disappeared into the ground. ¡®Interesting,¡¯ Madara thought. Chapter 306: Undercurrents While this discussion was happening in an unknown location, many other discussions were taking place in famous places around the world. (Iwagakure ¨C Tsuchikage¡¯s Office...) ¡°Is he still training?¡± Onoki asked. ¡°Yes, Lord Third, he hasn¡¯t taken a single break since he returned,¡± Onoki¡¯s secretary said. ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s finally serious about his training, but the cost of his change in attitude is too much,¡± Onoki said. The elder sitting in front of him seized the opportunity to voice his opinion. ¡°Yes, Lord Third, the merchants we had poached from Konoha are going back. Even the subtle threats we presented aren¡¯t working anymore,¡± the elder said. ¡°Well, they¡¯ve had good relations with Konoha for ages. It would be unwise to think they¡¯d lose that, especially with better trade options and more favorable conditions¡ªespecially now that Konoha is showing it¡¯s back to its previous strength,¡± another elder said. ¡°That¡¯s just it¡ªthey¡¯re showing it. They just lost that cursed organization and one of their S-rank shinobi, Danzo. There¡¯s no way they¡¯re back to full strength,¡± another elder argued. ¡°That organization isn¡¯t dead, just assimilated into other Konoha forces. As for Danzo, he was dangerous for his schemes, not his power,¡± another elder countered. ¡°Even so, how could they possibly regain full strength? The damage from the Nine-Tails was too severe,¡± yet another elder said. Onoki sighed as he listened to the debate. ¡°You¡¯re all underestimating Konoha¡¯s talent. Five years is not a short time¡ªespecially considering the amount of talent Konoha possesses. If Hiruzen decided, he could personally train a few elite Jonin squads in that time alone. ¡°With talents like Kakashi of the Sharingan, Jiraiya, and those clans, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say they¡¯re more powerful than any other ninja village¡ªeven ours.¡± One doesn¡¯t grow this old in the ninja world by lying to oneself. Onoki had no illusions that Iwagakure could compete with Konoha alone¡ªit never could. ¡°Even so, Lord Third, are we just going to let this happen? We can¡¯t allow things to return to how they were. Our economic condition was finally improving. If all the merchants leave, our financial situation will deteriorate again,¡± the first elder said. ¡°We can¡¯t directly target those merchants, especially since Konoha will protect them. But there are plenty of rogue ninja out there who will do it. And if there aren¡¯t, we can always create some. ¡°Make sure at least one out of every five caravans tied to Konoha is attacked by ¡®bandits.¡¯ Target those who are unresponsive to our threats first. If this doesn¡¯t force them to return, increase the frequency of attacks,¡± Onoki instructed. ¡°But, sir, Konoha will increase caravan security once they sense our plan,¡± the third elder said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re not the only ones planning this. Kumogakure will do something similar, albeit more aggressively. Suna might attempt it, but I doubt they have the confidence right now. Kirigakure is out of the equation. ¡°With just the two of us¡ªpotentially three, including Suna¡ªwe¡¯ll stretch Konoha thin. That will give us a chance to inflict damage or seize some benefits. ¡°However, rely on actual rogue ninja as much as possible. Use our shinobi sparingly¡ªI don¡¯t want unnecessary casualties,¡± Onoki said. ¡°Yes, Lord Third,¡± the elder replied, leaving to prepare the plan. --- As Onoki predicted, Kumogakure adopted a similar approach, albeit much more aggressively. Along with merchants, they also targeted ninja squads, aiming to recover their lost reputation after the Chunin Exams. Normally, such schemes would have been Danzo¡¯s responsibility. But in his absence, Hiruzen and Shikaku had taken up the mantle¡ªand they were handling it well. --- ¡°How many merchants have we managed to bring back?¡± Hiruzen asked. ¡°Twenty-one, Lord Third, and we¡¯re still in discussions with ten more,¡± Shikaku replied. ¡°The number is higher than I expected,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve offered them better terms, safer routes, and enhanced security. Combined with our longstanding relations, it¡¯s not surprising. ¡°The main problem is the remaining merchants. They¡¯re afraid of retaliation from other villages. Threats from those villages aren¡¯t helping, either,¡± Shikaku explained. ¡°So they fear the other villages but not us, huh?¡± Hiruzen remarked. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve maintained a good public image for decades. Danzo handled the dirty work. For others, Konoha is a ¡®gentle giant¡¯¡ªpowerful but compassionate. ¡°Because of that, they see other villages as bigger threats, even though we¡¯ve regained our full strength,¡± Shikaku said. ¡°With Konoha¡¯s darkness gone, it¡¯s time to shift our image from white to gray,¡± Hiruzen said. ¡°That¡¯ll help in the short term, but¡ª¡± ¡°No need to consider the long-term consequences. Villages don¡¯t spare us during wars because of our good image. We can¡¯t maintain it at the cost of our economy and prosperity,¡± Hiruzen stated firmly. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°As you wish, Lord Third. Also, Iwa and Kumo are becoming more active. They¡¯re holding meetings daily. Two of our spies have been caught. From the looks of it, the number of bandits in the Fire Country is about to increase again,¡± Shikaku said. ¡°Is that something we should worry about?¡± ¡°If we didn¡¯t have Yomi¡¯s former Root ninjas under our command, yes. But with the number of Jonin we currently have, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an issue. We can handle a few bandits,¡± Shikaku replied. Hiruzen nodded. ¡°Alright. Use Elder Homura and Elder Koharu¡¯s help to form new border patrol teams. Increase security for the caravans tied to us. ¡°Also, consult Fugaku¡ªwe¡¯ll need Uchiha Jonin in each escort team for large caravans. Their Sharingan will be invaluable for neutralizing bandits with minimal destruction and reading memories to avoid traps.¡± ¡°Should this be an official order or just a request?¡± Shikaku asked. ¡°Either is fine. The Uchiha aren¡¯t in the same situation as a few months ago. They won¡¯t back down from such orders now,¡± Hiruzen said. Shikaku nodded and left the Hokage¡¯s office. He didn¡¯t complain about Hiruzen delegating most of the work to him and the elders, knowing Hiruzen would soon be busy himself. As soon as Shikaku left, Hiruzen pulled out a world map along with various files and papers. With Shikaku addressing immediate concerns, Hiruzen turned his focus to tasks that were once Danzo¡¯s domain¡ªinciting minor wars, orchestrating caravan attacks under false flags, and increasing bandit activity along rival villages¡¯ trade routes. Fortunately, with Danzo gone, there was no risk of entire villages being wiped out in a single night by ¡®enemy ninjas.¡¯ Konoha¡¯s higher-ups became highly active in the shadows, even as the village maintained a peaceful facade on the surface. Chapter 307: New Business Plan After meeting the clan head and receiving their reward, Shisui and Kaida returned home. By now, it was almost nighttime. As soon as they entered the house, an orange blur jumped toward them. ¡°Big brother! I¡¯ve been waiting for you guys for so long!¡± Naruto exclaimed as he launched himself at Kaida. ¡°Hey, you might get hurt!¡± Shisui said, catching him mid-jump and gently setting him down. ¡°Why did you guys go out without waiting for me?¡± Naruto demanded, not giving them a moment''s peace. ¡°Aunt said you were out playing with your friends, so we decided to let you enjoy yourself with them. After all, they¡¯re much more important than your brother, who just came back after so long,¡± Kaida said dramatically, feigning hurt. ¡°Nooo! I didn¡¯t know you guys were coming back! If I had, I wouldn¡¯t have gone out. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to return for so long!¡± Naruto hurriedly explained. ¡°Hahaha, you should see your face, Naruto. He¡¯s just teasing you! We know you were waiting for us,¡± Shisui said, ruffling Naruto¡¯s hair. ¡°Stop teasing my poor little boy,¡± Hae said as she entered the hall. ¡°Okay, Aunt. Oh, Naruto, did you meet Kenta?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Oh! Yeah, he¡¯s so big and cute! He doesn¡¯t even get angry and even played with me!¡± Naruto replied excitedly. ¡°Good. He¡¯s going to live with us now, so make sure to be friends with him, okay?¡± Shisui said. ¡°We¡¯re already friends! He even shook my hand!¡± Naruto said proudly. ¡°Good. Why don¡¯t you go play with him some more?¡± Kaida suggested. ¡°Okay!¡± Naruto shouted, running out to the backyard to play with Kenta. ¡°Aunt, where is Yomi?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°She went out to buy a mattress for Kenta,¡± Hae replied. ¡°Oh, right, I almost forgot about that,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. By the way, were you able to find someone for Kenta¡¯s food?¡± Hae asked. ¡°Yes, Mom, and it¡¯s within the price range you gave us, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Shisui replied. ¡°The restaurant next door agreed to our deal, and they¡¯ll start delivering food from tomorrow,¡± Kaida added. ¡°Good. That¡¯s a relief¡ªI was worried about that the most,¡± Hae said with a smile. ¡°Since we have some time, Aunt, why don¡¯t we discuss how to proceed with our business?¡± Kaida suggested. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sure. I need something to do anyway; otherwise, I might fall asleep from exhaustion,¡± Shisui said. The three of them sat on the living room sofa, and Hae brought out some documents. ¡°We aren¡¯t having any issues with the bathhouse. Even though some smaller bathhouses have opened in the village, none of them can match our prices or standards. Our revenue is still between 7¨C9 million Ryo, even after all these months,¡± Hae said, opening a map marked with locations of the new bathhouses. ¡°Aunt, the bathhouse area looks way too big on this map,¡± Kaida remarked. ¡°Oh! Yes, I bought some of the nearby properties around the bathhouse. I made a 10 million Ryo down payment and took a 30 million Ryo loan from the bank. All the nearby land now belongs to us,¡± Hae explained. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s great. With the bathhouse¡¯s popularity, it¡¯s a steal to get all that land for just 40 million,¡± Shisui said. Normally, 40 million Ryo was an amount even a clan would think about thrice before spending. But the land in question was vast¡ªalmost half the total land owned by smaller clans like the Kurama or Hatake clans. When the Uchiha were forcibly relocated to the outskirts of the village, they were given an excess of land as compensation. Since the land was on the outskirts, its price was already low, and because the Uchiha hadn¡¯t used it for years, it was even cheaper. This allowed Hae to acquire so much land for just 40 million Ryo. Considering the size of the property, it was a deal worth taking. ¡°Initially, I thought we¡¯d have to wait a while before expanding the business further to pay off the loan. But with our current finances, the loan is manageable, so we can expand if we want,¡± Hae said. ¡°So, Aunt, do you have any ideas for expansion?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Apart from some drink and food shops, perhaps a fashion outlet featuring clothes from other villages might be a good idea. But even these won¡¯t occupy more than 2% of the new area,¡± Hae said. ¡°They¡¯ll still bring in decent revenue,¡± Shisui said, referencing the income from similar shops in the Uchiha district. ¡°True. But isn¡¯t it wasteful to leave so much land unused?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°You¡¯ve got something planned, don¡¯t you?¡± Shisui said, recognizing the tone in Kaida¡¯s voice. With a big smile, Kaida went to the backyard and brought back some dirt. ¡°Let¡¯s assume this is all the land we own,¡± Kaida said, spreading the dirt on the ground. Hae and Shisui nodded, letting him continue. ¡°We only occupy this much space for the bathhouse,¡± Kaida said, using Earth Release to form a small replica of the bathhouse in the dirt. ¡°And since we plan to add a few shops, let¡¯s assume there¡¯ll be five. These will be structured around the bathhouse so that people coming and going can use them,¡± he added. Five two-story shops formed around the bathhouse replica. ¡°Now we have all this free space left. We need a new business plan for it,¡± Kaida said, gesturing at the remaining area. ¡°When we were outside the village, I noticed something: wealthy people have too much money but very few sources of entertainment. That¡¯s why the Chunin Exams, where they can see ninjas fighting, are so popular. So, I thought¡ªwhat if there was a place where they could watch such fights weekly, with guaranteed intensity and drama?¡± Kaida explained. Using Earth Release, he created a large replica of a stadium. It resembled a Roman coliseum but with modifications, including a fighting platform and audience seating. ¡°You want to host fights?¡± Hae asked. ¡°Not fights, Aunt¡ªjust spars. Nothing brutal. These will be normal ninja spars, but with the added incentive of earning money,¡± Kaida clarified. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I know, Aunt. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll ensure it¡¯s all legal, with betting monitored by the clan head and village higher-ups,¡± Kaida assured her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Unlike the bathhouse, this involves the interests of many people. We¡¯d need permission from several authorities even to consider something like this.¡± ¡°But the chances of its success are almost certain, and the revenue it generates will dwarf our current income,¡± Kaida argued. ¡°And how will you find new ninjas to participate every week?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Money, brother. Genin-level spars could earn 8¨C16 thousand Ryo. Chunin-level spars could pay 20¨C30 thousand. For Jonin-level fights, we could offer 300¨C400 thousand Ryo, and for famous ninjas, the prize could go even higher,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°You¡¯ve really thought this through, huh?¡± Hae said, studying the stadium replica. After some time, she pointed to a platform within the model. ¡°And what¡¯s this platform for?¡± she asked. ¡°Fights alone could get boring over time. We¡¯ll need to add some drama and storytelling to keep the audience engaged,¡± Kaida said. Chapter 308: Investments ¡°Now you want to make it even more complex. How will we even find the actors and musicians and all?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°The world is very large, brother. We just have to search a little. Otherwise, even normal people could be trained by the time the construction of the theater or stadium is over,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know... it¡¯s too much workload,¡± Shisui said, leaning back on the sofa. ¡°Actually, finding the troupe for the drama is not hard. There are many nomadic troupes who occasionally perform for Daimyos and nobles. We just have to convince one of them to work for us. "As for music and other parts, that¡¯s also not a problem at all. If we combine this with our bathhouse structure¡ªlike separate places for nobles, merchants, and normal people¡ªthis will be another hit, way more than the bathhouse,¡± Hae said after some time. ¡°So, can we do this?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Sadly, no,¡± Hae replied. ¡°Why, Aunt?¡± Kaida asked, a little confused. ¡°I mean not now. Even though we have a stable source of income, the new plan you¡¯ve proposed will become a money sinkhole once we start construction. From chakra-hardened ground to various seals to protect the crowd, as well as barriers, and then making three separate sections for all types of audiences... and the sheer scale of the stadium! "All of this combined will increase the construction cost so high that we may have to take another loan from the bank,¡± Hae explained. ¡°What will be the cost of construction, Mom?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°From the rough estimate, it will be around 30¨C45 million Ryo, depending on how much we are willing to spend.¡± ¡°What?! Will it even be worth it?¡± Shisui shouted in shock. The amount was not small by any means. The land price of 40 million could be justified because of the sheer size of the land. By just selling it back when the need arose, or when the price went up, it would be a profitable deal. But the stadium was a different thing. The building itself would be pricey, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to recoup the investment if the plan failed and the stadium flopped. At most, they¡¯d be able to sell the stadium for 20 million, and even that was wishful thinking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. I¡¯m sure it will work out,¡± Kaida said with a small chuckle, seeing the tense expression on Shisui¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah, the chances of failure are low. The lack of entertainment sources is quite simple if you think about it. And since we are entering an untouched sector, it will be easy to establish ourselves as well,¡± Hae explained in a better way, easing some of Shisui¡¯s worries. ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s just 30¨C40 million. Can¡¯t we take another loan from the bank?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Sadly, no. Since we just took a loan, the next one will be given after three months. We can try other sources, but the interest rates are too high. And since there¡¯s no hurry for it anyway, we should first establish and promote the shops. With our newly revamped shops and bathhouse combined, there¡¯s even a chance we won¡¯t need the loan in the first place,¡± Hae replied. ¡°It¡¯s terrifying how we¡¯re casually discussing such a big amount, and that too in months,¡± Shisui said with a sigh. ¡°We are rich, brother,¡± Kaida replied with another chuckle. ¡°We also have to establish staff if we¡¯re going to expand our business so much. I was able to handle the bathhouse somehow, but with shops and the stadium in the mix, it will be difficult to maintain all of them at the same time.¡± ¡°Yeah, and those people should be trustworthy enough. I don¡¯t want some spy mixed in with us,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Then let¡¯s recruit our staff from the border villages. Those people have faced tough times, so they will be grateful to us and will not betray us under normal circumstances,¡± Shisui suggested. ¡°Brother, you sound like some black company owner who is going to exploit poor people,¡± Kaida teased. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this black company is, but I¡¯m trying to help them, not exploit them,¡± Shisui said with a smack to Kaida¡¯s head. ¡°So, if we¡¯re planning on doing that, we have to take care of their identity passes and living areas too,¡± Hae said. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult, Aunt. We have so much land,¡± Kaida said. Once again, he placed his hands on the dirt, and multistory buildings emerged from the ground. ¡°And if this is not enough,¡± he continued as many more buildings emerged one after another. ¡°Good. Now you even want to deal in real estate as well. Do you know how much paperwork we¡¯ll have to do for this?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re forgetting one important thing,¡± Kaida said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We are rich now, and rich people don¡¯t do paperwork¡ªthey employ people to do that,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Good. I really don¡¯t want to handle all of that,¡± Hae said, knowing she¡¯d be the one responsible for the paperwork if it came down to it. ¡°Then let¡¯s finalize this plan. For the next 3¨C4 months, we¡¯ll focus on shops and try to get all the necessary permissions for the stadium. After collecting the necessary funds, we¡¯ll start the construction of the stadium, right?¡± Kaida said. ¡°Yes. Now clean this mess you¡¯ve made; it¡¯s almost dinner time,¡± Hae said, pointing toward the dirt spread across the hall. ¡°Okay, Aunt,¡± Kaida replied and started cleaning up. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Yomi announced as she entered the house, only to find Kaida sweeping the floor. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked, noticing the condition of the hall. ¡°We were discussing some business, and I used Earth Style to show some models. Now I¡¯m cleaning it,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to give Kenta his mattress then,¡± Yomi said as she calmed down and headed toward the backyard. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Are you not going to help me?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°I know you¡¯ll do just fine by yourself. I trust you completely,¡± Yomi shouted as she left for the backyard. ¡°Tch, such a great girlfriend I have,¡± Kaida muttered as he continued cleaning. Later, Kaida went outside, only to find Kenta sleeping on a comfy-looking brown mattress with Naruto sleeping on top of him, while Yomi cleaned his fur. ¡°You guys are really enjoying yourselves while I¡¯m working, huh?¡± ¡°Guah,¡± the bear somehow gave a happy smile to Kaida. ¡°The food is ready. Shisui, take Kenta¡¯s portion outside,¡± Hae shouted from the kitchen. ¡°Guah,¡± Kenta suddenly sat upright upon hearing about the food. With his sharp senses, he had already been savoring the aroma for a while. As he sat up, Naruto started to fall off. Kaida was about to catch him, but Kenta, being closer, caught him easily. ¡°Hehehe, that was fun,¡± Naruto said. ¡°This boy¡­¡± Yomi sighed. ¡°Kenta, here¡¯s your food,¡± Shisui said, bringing out a big tray full of meat and rice. ¡°You guys come inside too,¡± Shisui added as he started walking back, followed by the others, who once again enjoyed Hae¡¯s delicious cooking. Chapter 309: Rest or Progress Kaida woke up the next day after having a great sleep. Traveling for so long while maintaining vigilance had taken a toll on him mentally, so the rest was much needed. Normally, he would have taken a day off today as well, but... ''Being an Uchiha, and still, my weakest point is the number of jutsu I know. For some reason, this feels insulting. Even Kakashi, who isn''t even an Uchiha, was able to copy a thousand jutsu, and I know so few. Now that I have the option, let¡¯s focus on learning some before leaving to rescue some poor fellows,'' he thought and went to the hall after completing his morning duties. ¡°Good morning, brother!¡± Naruto shouted, seeing Kaida coming out of his room. He was the last one to wake up; everyone else was already present. The rest were enjoying tea, while Naruto was drinking milk. ¡°Hello, brother. Good morning, Aunt,¡± Kaida nodded at Naruto and then greeted the others, also nodding at Yomi. ¡°So, how was your sleep?¡± Shisui asked. ¡°It was so great that I wanted to sleep much longer, but we don¡¯t always get what we wish for,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Why? If you wanted, you could sleep some more,¡± Yomi suggested. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I could have, but not now. Yesterday, we went to meet the clan head, and he pointed out how limited my jutsu list is. Being an Uchiha, I even have such an easy solution to this problem, and he helped me with it. He gave me one million contribution points to learn some jutsu, and I¡¯m planning to start learning them from now on,¡± Kaida explained. ¡°You just came back from such a long journey, and now you want to start training again? Kaida, there¡¯s a world outside of training as well! Since you came back after so long, take some rest first. Or better, go play outside like a normal kid for some time with Yomi. For god¡¯s sake, you¡¯re just ten,¡± Hae said, her tone slightly angry. Kaida understood what Hae was trying to say. Meeting Yomi after nearly two months and immediately diving into training wasn¡¯t the best way to treat a friend¡ªlet alone a girlfriend. But it wasn¡¯t as though he hadn¡¯t thought about it. ¡°Yeah, Aunt, I will take a break¡ªbut not today. After learning some jutsu today, I¡¯ll be free, and then I can take all the rest I want,¡± Kaida replied with a smile. ¡°This isn¡¯t an excuse, right?¡± Hae asked. ¡°Of course not, Aunt. I¡¯ll even take Yomi and Naruto out tomorrow to play,¡± Kaida assured her. ¡°Yay! I¡¯ll call my friends to meet you too!¡± Naruto shouted joyfully. ¡°Okay then,¡± Hae relented. ... After drinking tea and discussing a few things, the family ate breakfast together. Kenta joined them, having his food delivered. Being in the wild and eating raw meat for so long, any food prepared with care and technique was Kenta¡¯s favorite¡ªlet alone food from a restaurant in the Uchiha district. The Uchiha were among the most demanding people, so the shops in their district were some of the best to meet their needs. This applied to the restaurants as well. After everyone had eaten, they went about their respective tasks. Shisui returned to the Hokage¡¯s office to resume duty as an Anbu ninja. Hae went to the bathhouse. She was perhaps the busiest in the family. Aside from managing the bathhouse, she was also working on expanding the business¡ªopening shops near the bathhouse, acquiring permissions from the clan and the village, and preparing for the stadium. This was not work a single person could manage alone. Luckily, as Kaida mentioned yesterday, they were rich now, so Hae planned to employ people to help her. Yomi went to the Yamanaka clan. She was close to being promoted to chunin and needed to learn more than what the academy had taught so far. Few people had the strength to bypass these requirements. Those individuals participated in the chunin exams, while others had to go through the more mundane process of learning, mastering various fields, and proving their strength before passing a general test held twice a year. Thanks to Isao¡¯s training, Yomi had already met the strength requirements and exceeded them in areas like reflexes and sensing. Now, she just needed to learn the essential knowledge every chunin required¡ªlike team management during missions and war. For a civilian ninja without clan affiliation or a kekkei genkai, becoming a chunin at ten was a major achievement, and Yomi was excited. She went to her sensei to collect book recommendations or find them in the library. Meanwhile, Naruto went to play with his friends, leaving Kaida and Kenta alone in the house. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to be on your own, buddy. Take care of the house till we come back,¡± Kaida said, patting Kenta¡¯s head. ¡°Guah,¡± Kenta replied with a low growl, also patting his chest as if to say, ¡®Leave it to me.¡¯ ... ¡°Hello, how may I help you?¡± the receptionist asked, looking at Kaida standing before her. Kaida passed a golden note to her. ¡°I want to learn these jutsu. Can you please tell me when I can start?¡± he asked. The receptionist was momentarily stunned by the golden cheque. It was something one would receive after completing a high-end S-rank mission, and the boy in front of her wasn¡¯t even an adult. Then she remembered an order she¡¯d received about a boy who went to Kumogakure with Itachi for the chunin exams. ¡°Are you Kaida?¡± she asked to confirm. ¡°Yeah,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to assist you.¡± Following the clan head¡¯s orders, the receptionist diligently searched for the best instructors listed for younger generations. After reviewing several files, she turned back to Kaida. ¡°We have three options for you right now: Iron Skin Jutsu, Great Breakthrough Jutsu, and Rotating Shuriken Jutsu. For the others, you¡¯ll need to post a request, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll receive responses soon¡ªespecially after your latest achievement for the clan,¡± she explained. ¡°Three to start with is enough. Can I schedule all of them for today?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°All of them?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kaida replied, slightly shy at her reaction. ¡°Well, it¡¯s your choice, but remember¡ªthey¡¯ll only teach you for one day. If you¡¯re unable to learn the jutsu within that time, they¡¯re not obligated to continue teaching,¡± she warned, trying to prevent him from wasting contribution points. ¡°I know. I just want to see if it¡¯s possible to learn multiple jutsu in one day. In the worst case, I¡¯ll learn to be more cautious,¡± Kaida said with a smile. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, who am I to argue? Here are the instructors. Normally, I¡¯d introduce you to your sensei, but since this is a unique request, you¡¯ll need to meet them yourself and present this letter. Remember¡ªthey¡¯ll only teach you until 10 PM,¡± the receptionist repeated the warning. ¡°I understand. Also, please don¡¯t post any requests for tomorrow. I¡¯ll let you know after today¡¯s training,¡± Kaida said. ¡°Absolutely. Just inform me of your preferences, and I¡¯ll handle the rest,¡± she replied. ¡®This new receptionist is good,¡¯ Kaida thought as he left. Chapter 310: Increasing Jutsu list Kaida approached the first house on the list. It had a big yard in front, filled with various physical training equipment. ¡®A Taijutsu user among the Uchiha? With the Sharingan, a trained Taijutsu user can definitely be deadly,¡¯ Kaida thought, giving a quick scan of the equipment. Some were familiar, but others were unique and seemed specially made, likely commissioned for specific purposes. ¡°Who is it?¡± A young boy came out, not much older than Kaida. ¡®What the heck? Another prodigy? The paper said a Jonin, and he¡¯s the same age as me! How can the Uchiha clan have so many prodigies?¡¯ ¡°Yes, how can I help you?¡± the boy asked, noticing Kaida staring at him silently. ¡°Oh, sorry. I¡¯m here for this,¡± Kaida said, handing over the letter. ¡°Okay, take a seat. Dad will be here in about 10 minutes,¡± the boy said, pointing to some chairs in the yard. ¡°Would it be a bother if I used one of those?¡± Kaida asked, gesturing toward the machines. Each one targeted different parts of the body, but unlike regular gym equipment, these seemed more practical. Instead of just building aesthetic muscles, they helped develop functional strength. However, this didn¡¯t mean the muscles they built were not aesthetically pleasing¡ªquite the opposite. The results looked more natural and balanced, no matter how large or dense the muscles became. ¡°No, not at all. Feel free to use any machine you like. Dad is really proud of his creations and always boasts about them. He¡¯ll be thrilled to see someone using them,¡± the boy replied. ¡°Your dad made these machines?¡± Kaida asked, genuinely surprised. ¡°No, not exactly ¡®made¡¯ them. He designed them according to his needs and then commissioned the Uchiha clan¡¯s blacksmith to build them,¡± the boy explained. ¡°Still, designing something this precise requires a keen eye and a lot of experience. I can see that each machine is made to maximize gains with minimal effort,¡± Kaida said, starting to use a machine for his arms. It increased resistance while punching, with gloves in place of handles. ¡°Quite a good observation, young man. I see you¡¯ve got an eye for Taijutsu,¡± a voice said from behind. A man, blurry in appearance but with an impressive presence, approached them. He had likely been listening to their conversation. ¡°Thank you, sir, but I¡¯m currently focusing on Ninjutsu. My name is Kaida Uchiha, sir,¡± Kaida said, bowing politely. ¡°Saburo Uchiha. And this is my son, Suzaku Uchiha,¡± the man introduced himself. ¡°Wait a minute¡ªyou¡¯re Kaida Uchiha? The one who went to the Chunin Exams with Itachi, right?¡± Suzaku asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Oh! How were the finals? Was your fight with him really so close? What were your chances of winning?¡± the boy asked all in one breath. ¡°Haha! He¡¯s a little fan of Itachi¡ªand, from now on, probably yours too,¡± Saburo said with a light laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not his fan! I¡¯m his rival! Rival!¡± Suzaku shouted, annoyed. ¡°He¡¯s already a Chunin, and you¡¯re still in the academy. How can you be his rival? If you want to be anything close to that, you¡¯ll need to train ten times harder than you do now,¡± Saburo said firmly. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m going to the academy,¡± Suzaku mumbled, running off¡ªmost likely to avoid another lecture about hard work. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°We truly live in peaceful times. When I was his age, I was already fighting in wars,¡± Saburo said, shaking his head. ¡°And it¡¯s because of those times that he can live like this,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Leave the flattery aside, boy. I see you¡¯re here to learn the Iron Skin Jutsu, huh? If you¡¯re talented, you can pick it up in a day,¡± Saburo said. ¡°I hope so, sir. But I¡¯ll try to learn it as fast as I can. I don¡¯t want to waste too much of your time,¡± Kaida replied, refraining from mentioning that he was planning to learn two other jutsu the same day. ¡°Nonsense! Teaching the younger generation is never a waste of time. But since you want to learn quickly, let¡¯s get started right now. How much do you know about the Iron Skin Jutsu?¡± Saburo asked. ¡°Honestly, not much. All I know is that it¡¯s an Earth Chakra-based defensive jutsu that toughens the user¡¯s body,¡± Kaida admitted. ¡°That¡¯s only half the knowledge. It doesn¡¯t toughen equally. Here, try punching me,¡± Saburo said, his skin suddenly darkening in color. Kaida, confident in Saburo¡¯s expertise, didn¡¯t hesitate. He put all his strength into a punch aimed at Saburo¡¯s stomach. ¡®It felt like hitting a brick wall,¡¯ Kaida thought, shaking his hand. ¡°That was a decent punch,¡± Saburo said, dusting off his clothes as though nothing had happened. ¡°Now, try again,¡± Saburo instructed. This time, his skin darkened further, becoming almost metallic. Kaida understood the significance but still decided to proceed. This time, the sound was more metallic, and Kaida felt a crunch in his fingers. He quickly healed the minor fracture but couldn¡¯t ignore the difference. ¡°The second time, your body was almost three times tougher than before. It was like punching a steel statue,¡± Kaida remarked. ¡°Good, good,¡± Saburo said, nodding approvingly. The fact that Kaida was more focused on analyzing than his injury elevated Saburo¡¯s impression of him. ¡°You¡¯re correct. In this state, even uncoated sword strikes are almost useless against me. Fireballs and techniques like the Electric Spear can also be tanked. The downside is the absurd amount of practice required. You must activate the jutsu instantly because it¡¯s only useful when you can¡¯t avoid an attack. And for it to be effective in battle, mastery is essential,¡± Saburo explained. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind while learning,¡± Kaida said, nodding. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s begin the learning process,¡± Saburo said, looking expectantly at Kaida. After a moment, Kaida realized why Saburo was waiting. Activating his Sharingan, the three tomoe in his eyes glowed red. Saburo nodded in approval and began demonstrating the jutsu. ¡°With these hand seals, you can activate the Iron Skin Jutsu. It will be weak at first, but if you add these two seals and mold your chakra¡­¡± Saburo began explaining, performing each hand seal and the chakra molding process in detail. Chapter 311: Two Down ¡°With these hand seals, you can activate the Iron Skin Jutsu. It will be weak at first, but if you add these two seals and mold your chakra¡­¡± Saburo began explaining, performing each hand seal and the chakra molding process in detail. At this point, the use of the Sharingan came into play. For Kaida, the flow of chakra inside Saburo¡¯s body was as clear as water flowing in a river. With each hand sign, he could see how the chakra was reacting¡ªwhen Saburo was adding more than just making hand signs, at what point he converted normal chakra into Earth chakra, and how he distributed it across his body. ''Boy, I may have been overestimating Kakashi a little too much. If learning a jutsu is this easy with the Sharingan, then maybe copying 1,000 jutsu¡ªthough exceptional¡ªwas not as great as I had thought,'' Kaida mused when¡ª ¡°That¡¯s it. Was there anything you didn¡¯t understand?¡± Saburo asked. ¡°No, sir, I understood everything,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°Good. Then perform this jutsu now,¡± Saburo said. He didn¡¯t allow any training time, as the person in front of him was an Uchiha with a three-tomoe Sharingan. Even without extraordinary talent, copying a jutsu that matches your elemental affinity is not something an Uchiha would struggle with. Kaida nodded at the command and started making one hand sign after another, molding chakra and converting it into Earth chakra. ¡°¡± On his first try, he successfully performed the jutsu. However, one thing was clear: the color of Kaida¡¯s skin was much lighter than the weaker version Saburo had shown. While Kaida felt disappointed, Saburo¡ªwho had also activated his Sharingan¡ªseemed quite pleased. ¡°Good, very good. It was almost perfect. No wonder you won that Chunin exam. Your talent is nothing to scoff at. Now, you just need to modify this acupoint flow rate and¡­¡± Saburo praised Kaida before correcting the minor mistakes he had made while using the jutsu. Performing the jutsu after seeing it once and controlling the flow efficiently was a testament to Kaida¡¯s talent¡ªor rather, his enhanced chakra control and memory. Although the Sharingan was a major factor, his training in Medical Jutsu and other chakra control exercises also played a significant role. Combining all these factors, Kaida cursed himself even more for not learning such jutsu earlier. He forgot how busy he had been, learning Medical Jutsu and Fuinjutsu simultaneously, mastering the Sharingan, training in Genjutsu, dealing with Danzo, befriending Kakashi, and bringing Naruto into his family. Being a transmigrator had profoundly affected his thinking. Knowing that, in the future, even S-rank ninja like Kakuzu and Hidan would die like Genin¡ªlet alone normal elite Jonin¡ªthe level of strength he had achieved so far, which was a dream for thousands of ninja, didn¡¯t even feel like the starting point to Kaida. Having already made changes far beyond anything reversible, the future would change completely. Fate could no longer be relied upon, and Kaida knew he needed strength to handle those changes. With such thoughts, he absorbed everything Saburo was teaching, improving with each attempt. After an hour of constant practice and repetition of the jutsu, Saburo said, ¡°Good job. With this, you should be able to handle some C-rank jutsu with no damage at all.¡± Saburo noted the tone of Kaida¡¯s skin, now identical to the weaker version he had shown earlier. ¡°Sensei, what should I do to make it as perfect as your version?¡± Kaida asked. Though he needed more time to familiarize himself with the jutsu, the base form was almost flawless. If he took his time while using it, there would be little room for improvement. However, Saburo¡¯s version was clearly beyond the norm. ¡°It¡¯s not rocket science, Kaida. I just supercharged my jutsu and used Yang chakra. It¡¯s a higher version of the same jutsu you¡¯re using. Supercharging this jutsu is easy, and once done correctly, it can block B-rank jutsu as well. But anything beyond that is impossible. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°That¡¯s why I use Yang chakra in conjunction with Earth chakra while performing this jutsu, making my version much tougher than normal.¡± ¡®Supercharging the jutsu and Yang chakra, huh,¡¯ Kaida thought. But that was it; he didn¡¯t ask Saburo to teach him that. The reason was simple¡ªit would be like asking a stranger to hand over their source of income. As a Taijutsu user, Saburo had perfected this jutsu. It would feel shameful to ask for it for free. ¡°Thank you for teaching me all this, sensei,¡± Kaida said, bowing slightly. Saburo smiled. Most young ninja would demand he teach them his version of the Iron Skin Jutsu as if he owed it to them. His typical response was a kick to their butts. But seeing the sensible boy in front of him, he smiled and said, ¡°Master this jutsu and learn to supercharge it as fast as you can. Once you manage that, come to me again, and I¡¯ll help you upgrade it further.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, sensei,¡± Kaida said, bowing further before taking his leave. Saburo also gave him permission to use the machines in his yard whenever he had free time. With one jutsu under his belt, Kaida moved to the next house. Learning a jutsu in just an hour had given him enough confidence to believe he could master the next two today as well. The next person he visited was a Chunin. Kaida arrived at his house, only to find a young man, around 20 or 21 years old, sleeping. ¡°Oh yeah, I signed up for that. Just give me 10 minutes,¡± the man said, heading inside to wash his face. ¡­ ¡°So you want to learn the Rotating Shuriken Jutsu? Do you know any Wind Style jutsu?¡± the ninja asked, standing with Kaida in the training area, as this jutsu required more space to practice. ¡°Yes, sir. I know the Wind Blade Jutsu and the Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu.¡± ¡°Show me,¡± the ninja said, activating his two-tomoe Sharingan. Kaida nodded and performed both jutsu one by one. ¡°You have nice control over both of them. This shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for you,¡± the ninja said, making hand signs with one hand while holding a shuriken in the other. With a flick, the shuriken flew toward a nearby tree but suddenly changed trajectory, evading all the trees in its path. It then made a 180-degree turn, returning to the ninja¡¯s hand. ¡°This jutsu works well during ambushes or for creating openings. My current best is controlling five shuriken at a time, but my sensei can do ten. It depends on how many you can manage simultaneously,¡± the ninja explained. Kaida nodded, activating his Sharingan in the middle of the demonstration. Observing the chakra molding process, he realized it was not overly complicated but quite intricate. The required chakra control was comparable to Medical Jutsu and Genjutsu, but thankfully, Kaida didn¡¯t lack in that area. ¡°Let¡¯s start with one shuriken for now,¡± the ninja instructed, teaching step by step. Despite his young age, he turned out to be an excellent teacher. In just two hours, Kaida managed to control three shuriken simultaneously. ¡°You¡¯re quite a monster! It took me months to reach this stage, and here you are, doing it in just two hours. Man, I wish I had a three-tomoe Sharingan,¡± the ninja remarked. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, sir,¡± Kaida said, bowing slightly. With two jutsu mastered, only one remained. Chapter 312: Training With two jutsu under his belt, Kaida made his way toward the last location. Similar to the previous one, this sensei was also a Chunin, though he was not a youngster but a seasoned ninja in his forties. Not every Uchiha could become a Jonin. Even with the Sharingan, becoming one was difficult. However, if they had activated their Sharingan, even at just one tomoe, it was almost certain they would reach Chunin level in the future. And the last person Kaida was meeting fell into that category. ''It''s great that I''m learning these jutsu now. If I started this after becoming a Jonin, things would have gotten awkward with many people,'' Kaida thought as he knocked on the door of the last person on his list. "Coming," came a rough voice from inside the house. "Good morning, sir. I am Kaida Uchiha. I¡¯m here for this," Kaida said, pushing the paper in his hand forward. The man standing in front of him took the paper and gave it a cursory glance. "So, you¡¯re Kaida Uchiha. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, both now and from Sora as well." "You know Sora-sensei?" "Know him? I¡¯m his guardian. After his parents passed away, I was the one who took care of him. Oh! I didn¡¯t mention my name, did I? My name is Yoshio Uchiha," Yoshio said, ruffling Kaida¡¯s hair like he¡¯d known him for a long time. "So, you want to learn Great Breakthrough Jutsu, huh? Nice choice. Just give me 10 minutes. Take a seat till then," Yoshio said as he went inside. Kaida could smell the delicious aroma of food wafting through the air. "Sir, please enjoy your meal. I can come back in an hour," Kaida called from the hall where he was seated. "Nonsense! There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯d have to wait for my children to come back anyway. We can have a quick lesson during this time. Since you¡¯ve already wasted half a day, I don¡¯t want your contribution points to go to waste," Yoshio replied from the kitchen. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "As you wish, sir," Kaida said. Though there was no need to think about contribution points, he still wanted to learn the jutsu in one day¡ªnot because of the money, but to test just how far his Sharingan could go. There was a time when he¡¯d learned five jutsu in one day. At that time, he had heavily relied on shadow clones, creating tens of them. With the help of soldier pills, shadow clones, and meditation to sort the memories, he had somehow managed to accomplish it. But now, he was close to achieving the same feat in just one day, learning three high-level jutsu without using a single shadow clone. That was the power of the Sharingan¡¯s copying ability. If one had seen a jutsu used enough times, it wasn¡¯t impossible to recreate it with little effort¡ªlet alone when someone was teaching you directly. Even now, only half the day had passed, and he was close to completing his daily goal. ''Maybe I should try five jutsu next time,'' Kaida thought. After 10 minutes, Yoshio came out wearing his forehead protector. "Let¡¯s go to a training area. We can¡¯t practice that jutsu here," Yoshio said with a smile. "Yes, sir," Kaida replied and followed Yoshio to the training area near his house. "So, do you know any Wind jutsu?" Yoshio asked. "Yes, sir. I know Wind Blade, Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu, and Rotating Shuriken, though I don¡¯t have much control over the last one," Kaida answered. "Hmm. Show me all three of them," Yoshio said. Kaida complied without question, as every teacher he met wanted to gauge his level before teaching him. It was easy for Kaida to understand why. After Kaida performed each jutsu once, Yoshio nodded. "Good. Your Wind chakra manipulation is not bad. Do you know Fire Stream Jutsu as well?" Yoshio asked. "Yes, sir. Should I demonstrate that as well?" Kaida asked. Yoshio nodded in reply. The area in front of them was engulfed in fire as Kaida used Fire Stream Jutsu. "Good. With all these combined, it should be easy for you to grasp the concept of this jutsu. Even though this jutsu is just a C-rank technique and is normally used to complement Fire Release, it has quite destructive power on its own. If used by a skilled ninja with ample chakra, this jutsu can uproot a small forest, let alone deal with any ninja standing in front of you. It¡¯s optimal for creating openings," Yoshio explained. "I understand, sir," Kaida replied. "Good. Now, let¡¯s start with the basics," Yoshio said as he began teaching the process step by step¡ªfrom hand signs to how to mold chakra, and when to convert normal chakra into Wind chakra. Yoshio then performed the jutsu himself, creating a gust of wind powerful enough to lift children into the air while easily knocking down adults. He then demonstrated a supercharged version of the jutsu, which, as he explained, easily uprooted the tree in front of them. Seeing the power of the jutsu, Kaida began learning it earnestly, succeeding on his first try. With only practice left to fix minor mistakes, the process was completed seamlessly thanks to his prior knowledge of other jutsu. (After one hour) "Initially, I thought you might have wasted your contribution points by coming to me so late, but it seems I severely underestimated the talent of the younger generation. Good job learning this in just one hour. Now the only thing left is practice, and you¡¯ll master it in no time," Yoshio said with a smile. "You¡¯re praising me too much, sir. It was all thanks to your wonderful teaching that I was able to learn it so quickly," Kaida replied. "Hahaha! Do you think this is the first time I¡¯ve taught someone? Still, I¡¯m happy you appreciate my teaching," Yoshio said, patting Kaida on the shoulder. "Even though I don¡¯t know many jutsu of other chakra natures, Wind jutsu are all under my belt. If there¡¯s another Wind Release jutsu you want to learn, just ask me. I¡¯ll be happy to help." "I¡¯ll take you up on that offer, then," Kaida replied as he bid farewell to his last teacher of the day. After leaving the training area, Kaida checked the time. "It¡¯s still just 2 PM. I have so much time left. Maybe even five jutsu a day isn¡¯t my limit. Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. For now, let¡¯s focus on what I¡¯ve already learned," Kaida thought. He created a shadow clone with almost 90% of his chakra. After the upgrades from his Sharingan and Senju lineage, Kaida¡¯s chakra reserves were massive¡ªalmost twice that of some Jonin in Konoha. At this stage, 90% of his chakra was truly astounding. Since the clone already had Kaida¡¯s memories, it didn¡¯t need instructions. It went directly to the training area and created 29 more shadow clones. Normally, he could create 100 clones easily, but they wouldn¡¯t have much chakra. Because the goal of these clones was training, he created only 30¡ªone for each jutsu. With 30 clones practicing the techniques, Kaida made his way back to his house. Chapter 313: A Break from the Hustle ¡°You¡¯re back early?¡± Yomi said, opening the door for Kaida. ¡°Yeah, they didn¡¯t have many options at the moment, so I just learned three jutsu and came back,¡± Kaida replied. ¡°You¡¯re the only person who¡¯d say learning three jutsu in a day and ¡®just¡¯ in the same sentence,¡± Yomi chuckled. ¡°Umm, no, I think I know some more people with the same problem,¡± Kaida said, chuckling as well. ¡°So, what were you doing?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing much. Aside from playing with Kenta, I was studying for my Chunin exam, because unlike you, I don¡¯t have some super strength to breeze through it,¡± Yomi sighed. ¡°You praise me too much,¡± Kaida said, acting shy before continuing. ¡°Since I haven¡¯t learned this anyway, let me accompany you in your learning, my lady,¡± Kaida said with over-the-top etiquette, bringing his hand forward. ¡°Hehehe, sure,¡± Yomi chuckled, letting Kaida hold her hand. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°But let¡¯s eat something first. I was about to have lunch. You¡¯re hungry too, right?¡± Yomi asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m starving,¡± Kaida replied. They shared a hearty meal, followed by a study session until Hae came back in the evening, her expression resembling that of an employee from a dark company after a typical 15-hour workday. ¡°Who the hell said rich people don¡¯t have to work? I¡¯m almost considering going back to being a housewife after all that work,¡± Hae exclaimed. ¡°I know, Aunt, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll handle it. If you want, I can come to the bathhouse with you tomorrow. I may not be able to help much, but I can share some of your workload,¡± Kaida said, handing her a cup of tea with a calming effect, a lighter version of the one he¡¯d made during the Danzo incident. Yomi went behind the sofa where Hae was sitting and started massaging her shoulders. ¡°That¡¯d be great, but not tomorrow. You can help after that. Tomorrow, you have to go out with Yomi,¡± Hae said. ¡°What about me?¡± came a voice from the backyard. ¡°Naruto, why are you coming from there?¡± Yomi asked. ¡°I went to introduce Kenta to Hiruzen, but that¡¯s not important. Aunt, what about me? Brother said he¡¯d play with me too!¡± Naruto exclaimed. ¡°Yes, yes, I know. I was about to say your name as well,¡± Hae chuckled. ¡° I was worried for nothing. I already told my friends that big brother would play with us tomorrow,¡± Naruto said, concerned about his reputation. ¡°Sure,¡± Kaida replied with a smile. After this, Yomi and Kaida went back to studying while Hae started cooking dinner. Though Kaida had suggested multiple times that they hire someone to cook, Hae always turned down the idea, saying, ¡°I like to cook for my children, and it¡¯s not tiring for me at all.¡± At 6 PM, Shisui came back, visibly exhausted. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left the Uchiha clan,¡± Shisui said, taking a glass of water from Kaida. ¡°What happened, brother?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°That old man isn¡¯t as nice as I thought he was. Now that I¡¯m under his command, he¡¯s overworking me to the bone. He just gave me a mission to complete within a day!¡± Shisui grumbled. ¡°And? Why is that a problem?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°Any other Jonin, even an elite Jonin, would need three to four days for the same mission, but he said, ¡®That¡¯s for normal people. You¡¯re not one of them, my boy, and we can only grow by pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones,¡¯¡± Shisui said, imitating Hiruzen. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s so true,¡± Kaida chuckled. ¡°Laugh all you want. I can see it as clear as day¡ªyou¡¯ll soon join me in my misery,¡± Shisui said with a click of his tongue. Kaida understood the implication but didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. ¡°Brother, since you¡¯re free, why don¡¯t you help us with our studies?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°I¡¯m way too tired to even reply. I¡¯m going to my room to rest. Wake me up when it¡¯s dinner time,¡± Shisui said before heading to his room. Another day passed. Once again, everyone returned to their routines. Hae went to the bathhouse with a firm warning to Kaida not to work today and to enjoy his outing with Yomi and Naruto. Naruto went to the academy after reminding Kaida at least a hundred times to pick him up and take him to his secret location afterward. Shisui almost made an excuse to take a day off, but an Anbu ninja arrived to fetch him on Hokage¡¯s orders. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange the best medical ninja for your stomachache, so come to my office,¡± was the message sent with the Anbu. ¡°That old man is really going to work me to the bone,¡± Shisui muttered before following the Anbu ninja. With everyone gone, only Kaida, Yomi, and Kenta remained at the house. ¡°Hey, do you think Kenta feels cramped in our house? You said he used to live in the forest, but now he only has a small backyard. He must miss his old life,¡± Yomi said. ¡°I doubt it, but let¡¯s ask him. If he feels that way, we can always take him to the forests around the village,¡± Kaida replied as they headed to the backyard. Kenta had just finished a heavy meal of beef and rice with honey-flavored sauce and was about to nap when his new friends arrived. ¡°Hey, Kenta, how are you doing here?¡± Kaida asked, patting the bear¡¯s head. Kenta released a small but happy roar, indicating his contentment. ¡°Yomi thinks this place is too cramped for you. Do you want to go to the forest¡ª¡± The bear let out a cry almost resembling that of a young boy about to lose everything. ¡°I mean for a walk in the forest,¡± Kaida clarified. The bear released a sigh of relief before declining the offer. ¡°Okay then, enjoy your sleep. We¡¯re heading out,¡± Kaida said, patting Kenta¡¯s head before leaving. ¡°How did you know he wasn¡¯t missing his old home?¡± Yomi asked as they walked. ¡°He¡¯s just too lazy to care. In the wild, he only left his cave when he was hungry or if another predator entered his territory. The rest of the time, he just slept. Here, he doesn¡¯t have to worry about food and can sleep all he wants. Why would he be sad?¡± Kaida replied matter-of-factly. ¡°Now that I think about it, he is pretty lazy,¡± Yomi chuckled. ¡°Anyway, since we¡¯re going out after so long, is there anywhere you¡¯d like to go?¡± Kaida asked. ¡°How about we revisit all the places we went to on our first outing?¡± Yomi suggested. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea,¡± Kaida agreed. They began their journey at Ichiraku Ramen, where they set a new personal record. Afterward, they visited various shops and parts of the village, ending their day atop the Hokage Mountain, gazing down at the peaceful, quiet village. Chapter 314: Ninja Games "Hey, it is almost time for Academy classes to end," Yomi said, nudging Kaida. "Urgh, I was just starting to enjoy this," Kaida cried. "Well, it is you who have to explain to Naruto why you were late after he explained how important it was for you to be on time, so that you can play all of the games he had decided with his friends and you," Yomi said with a chuckle. "Yeah, let''s go. We can''t let all that planning go to waste," Kaida said. He and Yomi went towards the Academy, waiting at the gates for Naruto. "Big brother!" a shout came from the crowd of children leaving the academy. This was just a normal school for children, because unlike 5 years before, Konoha is not in such bad shape that it will need 5-6 years to become ninja in case war happened. Seeing Naruto, Kaida waved his hand along with Yomi, though he was surprised by what he was seeing. Unlike the popular belief, Naruto was not without friends in childhood in the anime. People like Shikamaru, Choji were more or less his friends in the anime, because unlike other times, Danzo couldn''t scare off children of some of the well-respected and well-connected clans of Konoha, especially when they were children of the clan heads. And just like in the anime, Kaida was seeing Naruto running towards him, not alone. He was dragging Shikamaru with him clearly against his will, while Choji followed behind with a bag of chips in his hand. "Big brother, you are here," Naruto said with a smile. "Here, he is my friend Shikamaru, and he is Choji. He is also my friend," he said, pushing Shikamaru ahead who was trying to sneak off, while pointing toward Choji who was slowly making his way toward the group. "Huy, I was nice meeting you. You must be busy, so I will not waste any more of your time. See you," Shikamaru said with a straight face and then placed his hand in his pocket, making his way toward his house. "It is nice to meet you as well. Naruto always tells me about you guys, how he made some best friends in the academy. I was looking forward to meeting you guys, and Shikamaru, I am not busy at all." "Yay, let''s go, brother! We have so many things we have to do," Naruto said as he dragged a now deflated-looking Shikamaru. "What a drag," Shikamaru murmured under his breath. The reason Naruto didn''t introduce Yomi was simple: all of his friends were already familiar with her. Unlike Kaida, she normally visited them usually for picking up Naruto but also played with them sometimes. All five of them first made their way toward a training area where Naruto had placed many ninja tools, mostly made up of paper but some made up of wood as well. "Let''s play ninja!" he shouted proudly, showing his collection. Kaida gave a cursory glance to the ''weapons'', checking if any of them had blades. After making sure that all of them were well-edged and safe, he nodded his head. "So who is going to be the enemy?" Yomi asked. "Since it is big brother Kaida''s first time playing with us, he should be the enemy," Naruto said with a cheeky smile. "Okay, if you guys manage to defeat me, I will treat you with something delicious after the game," Kaida said. Hearing that, Choji, for the first time, took his hand off the chip bag and asked, "You are serious, right?" "Of course. I never go back on my words," Kaida said with a smile. "What''s the point? You are Kaida Uchiha. I hear that you won the chunin competition in Kumogakure. There is no way we can ever win," Shikamaru said, shrugging his shoulders. "But it is four against one. If we try, we may win," Yomi said, trying to encourage the boy. ''He is too smart for that, Yomi,'' Kaida thought. "Hey, Shikamaru, if we win, I will not disturb your sleep during class for one whole week," Naruto said with a completely serious face. For Yomi, that sounded like a joke, but Kaida, who knew Shikamaru''s personality, was impressed. ''I knew it. Though Naruto appeared foolish to many in the anime, he was a rare genius who was just too nice and good to use his brain like a true ninja in this blood-thirsty world. He was by no means a dumb person,'' Kaida thought. As he was predicting, Shikamaru became ready, but from the look of it, he was not ready for a game. No, he was ready for a war. The price of his victory was one week of peaceful sleep¡ªa price too big to forget for him. [Continuing from the previous edit...] And with this, four of them scattered all around the forest in the playground, while Kaida had to enter after 10 minutes. Shikamaru, now more attentive than before, shared a plan to win, with winning conditions as simple as landing a single hit. He had a little confidence in winning. Though Naruto and Choji already knew how smart Shikamaru was, it was Yomi who was most surprised by the plan Shikamaru had come up with. He not only told a perfect way to go but also took the strength and weakness of each person into account, planning the position and timing. It was almost like the techniques she was learning to become a chunin. That meant this 5-6-year-old boy was able to come up with techniques of chunin level easily. ''What will he become when he grows up?'' Yomi had a terrifying thought in her mind. "Let''s go," with the briefing complete, all four of them dispersed. Many shuriken, most made up of paper but some of wood as well, assaulted Kaida as soon as he entered the forest. But the difference in strength was too much. Even without activating his Sharingan, Kaida easily evaded all of the shuriken. "Now!" a shout came from the background, and Naruto shot out from the shadows with a kunai in his hand. With no technique, he went with a simple attack, which Kaida easily deflected, leaving Naruto running toward the tree. He had to throw the kunai and save himself from colliding with the tree. While Kaida was looking toward him, Choji swiftly made his way toward Kaida, throwing many shuriken, which he knew Kaida had to evade. Shikamaru also cut off other evading routes. "Good," Kaida said, but unlike his word, he evaded Choji''s attack with ease as well, leaving only Yomi and Shikamaru to attack. Yomi, being the only one with some chance, was waiting for a perfect opportunity. As soon as Kaida evaded Choji and pushed him toward a tree, Yomi appeared behind Kaida with a swift motion of her wooden shuriken. She aimed for Kaida''s legs, which were his most unstable point at the moment, but soon she guessed it was a trap Kaida had set specifically for her. She swiftly evaded Kaida''s hand coming toward her neck, which would have meant her defeat. "Wow, that was fast," Kaida said, but Yomi didn''t stay there for any longer and swiftly flickered away. By that time, Naruto and Choji had run away as well. "So now I have to find them, huh?" Kaida said, and within a second, he appeared behind the tree Naruto was hiding. "You are dead," Kaida said, lightly tapping Naruto''s head. "Hehe," Naruto just chuckled at that, just happy to play. Kaida smiled and then flickered away once again, appearing behind Choji, and then behind Shikamaru. "That was nice planning. You almost had it," Kaida said, tapping Shikamaru''s head. "Yeah, right," Shikamaru said, shrugging his shoulder. With only Yomi left, but Kaida actually didn''t know her location, showing just how well she had trained as a tracker and sensor. Naturally, she knew how to hide perfectly as well. "Well, since you are using your techniques, I could use mine as well," Kaida said with a smirk, and then suddenly his eyes started glowing red with three tomoe appearing in them as well. With Sharingan activated, Kaida could easily see the trace Yomi had left behind, which were imperceptible with normal eyes, showing just how much of an advantage a kekkei genkai user had. Without any training, Kaida could be a better tracker than Yomi with just three tomoe Sharingan. With Sharingan activated, the game ended in seconds. "Tch, I worked for nothing. There was no way we could have won," Shikamaru said with a dejected tone. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Well, if you want, we can play once again, and you guys can come up with some new tactics," Kaida said. "With your Sharingan, there is no tactic we can come up with, not even if there were 10 of us," Shikamaru said. "Yeah," Yomi chimed in, frustrated about the outcome. Even though she knew that Kaida was powerful, it was still completely frustrating how easily he could outsmart her in a field where he had zero experience and she had trained like crazy. "Anyway, you guys did great. The treat is still on me," Kaida said, lifting the mood of the team a little, especially Choji, who was the most happy, followed by Naruto. While all of this was happening, Kaida''s clones were relentlessly training in the new jutsu he had learned, with each clone dispersing itself at 30-minute intervals so that Kaida would not have to suffer headaches. Chapter 315: Family’s Workload (A.N: Happy Holi! ????? Wishing you joy, colors, and endless creativity! Your support means the world to me¡ªmay this festival bring you happiness, success, and inspiration! Stay awesome and vibrant! ??????????????) **** Because with tens of shadow clones working continuously learning new jutsu, if all of them dispersed at the same time, the headache he would get would be enough to ruin all of the fun he was having. That''s why all of the clones took turns dispersing themselves, while Kaida made new ones to maintain the numbers every three hours. It was already his second day when he was maintaining 10 clones for each jutsu. That means, for each jutsu, he had invested almost 20 days of continuous practice. The jutsu he already knew how to perform, thanks to the teacher he got for free, with all the extra training he had done, the use of the jutsus were almost perfect for him. But he still needed to make all of the hand signs for each jutsu. Though completely removing the need for hand signs needed years of practice, or if shadow clones were used, hundreds of shadow clones, Kaida simply wanted to reduce the number of hand signs for specific jutsu. So he would have a better chance at using them in real fights, specifically the Iron Skin Jutsu. So much so that out of 30 shadow clones, 18 were only focusing on the Iron Skin Jutsu while the rest were focusing on other two. With the Iron Skin Jutsu under his belt, Kaida''s clones could even hit each other, tanking some hits to perfect the jutsu as well. With this, his training was becoming more and more refined. At the same time, he was also enjoying his life, eating in one of the famous restaurants of Konoha, belonging to the Akimichi clan. Though Naruto wanted to eat Ichiraku''s ramen, Kaida insisted on taking them something better, with a promise to Naruto on taking him there some other time. After eating, Shikamaru and Choji left for their house, while Kaida, Yomi, and Naruto went for a small walk. They still had some time before everyone would return. After going to some markets, they returned to their house. Yomi and Naruto went to their rooms while Kaida sat in the hall, thinking. ''With how busy brother is, and how desperate Lord Third is in calling him for missions, the situation of Konoha is more dire than I initially thought. Though there was no killing in the mission we did, we did more damage than killing some jonins and chunins. ''They had weakened the reputation of the other village, changed the flow of both missions and economics toward Konoha, which had forced other villages to act.'' If Danzo was alive at the moment, many nobles and ninjas all around the world from both major and minor villages would have died, with blame passed on either Kumogakure or Iwagakure. Sadly, the darkness of Konoha is gone. But to balance that, the light of Konoha had decided to come into the grey area. Many nobles and ninjas still died in the background, though not as much as it would have been if Danzo was in control. The number was still enough to give both Kumo and Iwa headaches. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But Kaida didn''t know this. What he knew was: ''Hokage is sending every ninja he could on missions, either external or border security. With what I know about this world, the number of bandits must be increasing in the Fire Country. ''Considering all this, I should still have 1-2 months before I either become a jonin or the situation becomes stable enough for me to take missions out of Konoha. ''Well, that much should be enough for me to learn all the jutsus the clan head has recommended¡­'' "What are you thinking so hard?" Hae said, entering the house, as exhausted as ever. "Aunt, you are back," Yomi also came out of her room, listening to Hae''s voice, followed by Naruto. "So how was your day?" Hae asked, not to Kaida but to Yomi. "It was fun. We went to many parks and other locations and markets and restaurants and¡­" Yomi started recounting the day, while also giving Hae some cold water to quench her thirst. "Quite a day you guys had," Hae said, rubbing Naruto''s hair, after he mentioned how much he enjoyed himself as well. "It is good that you had a nice day. Now here," Hae said, passing a letter to Kaida. "If Yomi had said anything about training, I was planning on holding on to that letter, but now you can go," Hae said. Kaida rubbed his head sheepishly. The letter was from Konoha Hospital. Kaida was a general practitioner there with almost specialist-level skill. With all of the ninjas going on missions continuously, the need for doctors was very high. So even though Kaida was free of duty as a ninja because of the huge target on his back, the same was not true for his duty as a doctor, and the letter was specifically for Mitsuru, asking him to come to the hospital as soon as he could. ''Man, looks like learning all of the jutsus is going to be hard,'' Kaida thought, but he was not sad about the new sudden turn of events either. He had taken too many things from the hospital, doing something for it was not a problem at all. "Aunt, look like I will not be able to help you much in your chores. This is a summon from the hospital." "That''s not a problem at all. I had hired five secretaries. I just need you guys to check if they are trustworthy or not. After that, my workload should reduce considerably," Hae said. "That''s great. I would have loved to help you in that, but brother might be better for this job," Kaida said. "Yeah, you also push jobs on me. That is what I need now. There''s an old man who is deeply fixated on killing me from workload, and here even my own family is doing the same to me," Shisui said dramatically as he entered the house. "Another absurdly hard mission?" Kaida asked. "No, this time, he wanted me to eliminate some of the bandit camps around the country, and his definition of ''some'' is 20. Can you imagine 20 locations, all at least 50 Kotoamatsukami away from each other? He really is pushing me," Shisui said. "The rewards should also match that, right?" Kaida said with a smile. "Yes," Shisui said, putting a check on the table. The prize on it was 850k Ryo, almost a million¡ªthe price of some A-rank missions in a single day. "The money is all well and good, but if you think that you can''t handle it anymore, you can always quit being an ANBU. Your health is more important than any amount of money," Hae said. "No, mom. It is fine. I am just a little tired, and Lord Third had also promised me a rest day day after tomorrow," Shisui said. "Fine, if you think that way," Hae said. "So what are you guys talking about I should do?" Shisui asked, taking a glass of water from Yomi. "Nothing, it is just¡­" Kaida explained. "Since I have a free day soon, we can handle that then," Shisui said, at which both Hae and Kaida nodded their heads. Chapter 316: Back in the Hospital Next day, Kaida woke up fresh, ready to go to the hospital after so long. He completed his morning activities and ran to the hall to take his breakfast. "You are unusually excited for work," Shisui said, coming right after him. "I just don''t want to be late," Kaida said hurriedly eating his lunch. "Yeah, yeah," Shisui said as he also sat to eat his breakfast. "So, only I will remain at the house from now on," Yomi said. "You can always come and help me at the house when you get bored from the studies," Hae said, patting her head. "Okay, Aunt." "I will come to help you as well," Naruto said. "No, you have to go to the academy," Hae declined. "Then I will come after that," Naruto said resolutely. "I will be waiting for your help then," Hae said with a smile. After eating breakfast, everyone went to their respective destinations: Hae to the bathhouse, Shisui to the Hokage building, and Naruto to the academy, with Kaida leaving for the Village hospital. Only Yomi and Kenta remained at the house. "Once again, only two of us are remaining in the house, but I will be alone soon, as you will sleep as soon as you eat your food," Yomi said, pinching Kenta''s cheek. "Guah," the bear shook its head in denial, like saying he would not sleep today. "We will see," Yomi said, knowing full well the outcome of the future. ... Kaida was standing in front of the hospital, almost after 2 months, but there was one thing completely different this time: the amount of people going in and out of it were almost thrice more than before. ''Man, sensei really had a reason to call me here,'' Kaida thought as he entered the hospital. "Sir, Mitsuru-sama is busy in an operation, but before that, she had asked you to wait in her office for her to return. She has something for you," the receptionist said as soon as she saw Kaida. After that, she didn''t spare a single second, going back to the mountain of work in front of her. "Things are going to be hectic, huh," Kaida muttered to himself as he went toward Mitsuru''s office. On his way, he saw his own office, which is now converted into an emergency treatment room as well. Seeing all of the hustle and bustle, Kaida shook his head and entered the office. After he was inside, he quickly made a shadow clone, only to disperse it once again. The only reason he did this was to tell all of the other 30 shadow clones that training was over, and they had to disperse themselves. Since he had only made them in the morning, there was not much of a headache when all 30 of them dispersed. ''I will need all of my concentration here,'' he thought as he was going through the book present on the table about the study of various medicines on the chakra pathways of the user. Mitsuru entered the office. "Good morning, Sensei," Kaida said with a smile. "What the hell is good with this morning? I have not slept for 2 days now," Mitsuru shouted frustratingly. "Sensei, I understand that the situation is really urgent, but that doesn''t mean you have to work so hard," Kaida said. Konoha had the best medical system among all of the 5 great ninja villages, with only the Daimyo maybe having something better than this. So it was usual for Konoha hospital''s Chief Medical Ninja to be this busy. "I know, but since I am head of the emergency response team, all of those old geezers have given me the duty of groundwork, taking the responsibility of paperwork themselves. Normally it would have been great, but Lord Third keeps sending my staff out on missions with some Jonin. That''s why our team is severely understaffed, and I have to work overtime," Mitsuru replied. "Then you can take some rest now, Sensei. I will handle the work till then," Kaida said with a smile. "Till then? What do you mean? Here, take it," Mitsuru said, passing a card toward Kaida. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "What is this, Sen¡ª" "Your temporary general practitioner card. Till all of this is settled, you will be directly under me. For now, this is your schedule. Make sure all of the operations are completed without any lasting effect. All of them are Jonins, important assets of our village," Mitsuru said, passing a paper to Kaida. "...But sensei, many of these operations are colliding with each other in timing. How will I handle all of them?" Kaida asked, skimming through the paper. "You know shadow clone jutsu, right? Use them. Also, the operations which are colliding are one of them is easy which can be handled easily," Mitsuru said, then stopped, thinking something. "How many shadow clones can you make?" "10... maybe," Kaida replied, though the real number was 10 times the amount. If he had to heal patients and deal with so many people, even 10 was a stretch. The busy doctors are really the people who were most mentally exhausted. Multiplying that by 10 would be a strength check for his brain. Normally, Mitsuru would have advised against pushing his body too much, but at the current moment, the chances were different. "Good. This should make things easy. Wait a minute..." she said and started going through various files on the table. "Here, send shadow clones to these locations as well. The workload of general practitioners is too high in these areas. They can use some help," Mitsuru said, and then with a puff, she dispersed. "So she sent a shadow clone. Well, that is understandable with how busy she is," Kaida murmured and then started working. Kaida sighed, taking a moment to examine the card Mitsuru had given him. The shiny silver edges and the engraved "Temporary General Practitioner" title gave him a little satisfaction. Sliding it into his pocket, he glanced at the schedule once more, trying to mentally prepare for the chaos ahead. ''I guess this is what I get for wanting to dive back into work,'' he thought, smirking faintly. He quickly set off for the operating rooms, weaving through the crowded hallways bustling with medical staff, patients, and visitors. As he walked, he couldn''t help but notice the strained expressions on everyone''s faces, from nurses darting between tasks to shinobi clutching injuries far more severe than usual. ''The aftermath of all these missions is hitting us hard. No wonder Mitsuru-sensei is at her wit''s end,'' Kaida mused. Reaching the first operation room on his list, Kaida put on a pair of gloves and stepped inside. *** Over the next few hours, Kaida moved seamlessly from one operation to the next, using shadow clones whenever necessary, balancing simple wound repairs and more complex procedures with precision. In one room, he treated a Jonin with a shattered leg from a botched B-rank mission. The injury was severe, but Kaida''s Sharingan helped in finding the broken bones and the chakra pathway they were damaging. After identifying that, the rest of the healing process was easy. With two weeks of rest, the Jonin should be back to his prime condition. In another, a young Chunin suffering from chakra exhaustion required delicate chakra realignment, a task Kaida completed with a level of finesse that impressed the surrounding nurses. All thanks to the Sharingan once again. Word spread quickly among the staff. "Who''s the new guy?" one nurse whispered. "Oh, right. You are new here. That''s Kaida, Mitsuru-sama''s student," another replied. "He''s handling these operations like a seasoned pro," a third chimed in. Kaida didn''t let the growing buzz distract him. By the time his break arrived, he''d cleared nearly half the surgeries on his schedule. Chapter 317: Easing the Burden "Sir, you have already worked too much. You can take some rest now, please have some lunch," one of the general practitioners said to Kaida. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Please, just call me Kaida. It is awkward to hear my elder calling me ''Sir''. You have more experience in this field anyway," Kaida said respectfully. "As you wish, Kaida," the general practitioner said. "So what are you guys eating?" Kaida said, as he made a shadow clone to handle things in his absence, one of the perks of being a ninja. "We were going to the canteen. You can join us if you want," one of the trainees under that general practitioner said. "Sure, but guys, I still don''t know your names. So let me formally introduce myself. Hi, I am Kaida Uchiha," Kaida said. "Genji," the trainee said, followed by the other two trainees. "Hayato." "Fumio." Then the general practitioner said, "Norio." "Nice to meet you all," Kaida said with a smile as they went to eat in the canteen, talking about various topics from all of the hard work they are doing to how to handle various situations. While also giving Kaida advice on how to take rest between work, as overworking will only reduce efficiency in the long run. "This is not the work which will be completed with hard work of one or two days, boy. With how things are, we may have to pull this off for months. If you keep the pace you are going at, you may even have to be among the patients after one or two weeks," Norio said. "I understand, sir. I will try to take constant breaks from now on," Kaida said, but he knew there was no actual need for that at all, due to him constantly using shadow clones for training, combined with Sharingan for chakra control and Senju body to handle the strain. It could even be said that he was taking it easy in the hospital. But saying these things would only look like showing off, so he simply agreed with the advice he was getting. After a quick lunch, all of the members who took the break went back to duty so that the remaining members could also eat. With the number of ninjas and civilians coming to the hospital, the staff didn''t have much time to think about anything else other than duty and some rare and occasional rests. After nearly 10 hours, with the clock showing 6 PM, Kaida had completed all of the tasks on the schedule given to him by Mitsuru, along with many other tasks performed by his shadow clones. Kaida had sent 10 shadow clones to different locations of the hospital and in Konoha, getting 12 medical ninjas with almost specialist-level skill. The workload of the other medical ninjas reduced considerably. Which resulted in increased reputation for Kaida, which he only gave some thought. If he was planning on building his career as a medical ninja, then this reputation would have been very important for him in the long run. But with his goal being completely different, the only good thing that would come with this reputation is the free promotion he would be able to do in the future. ''I hope the talk about the stadium is going fine, though considering the time, even getting a chance to meet the higher-ups of Konoha regarding this is hard. Well, it is not like I am in urgent need of money or something. All of this is for the future anyway,'' Kaida thought, going toward Mitsuru''s office. ... "Good evening, sensei," Kaida said, entering the office only to find a heap of paperwork in front of Mitsuru, with only her hair visible from the front. "Good evening. It''s good that you are here. I was almost on the verge of collapse," Mitsuru said, standing up and going towards the fridge in her office. "You want some?" she asked, taking out a bottle of cold beer. "No, thanks, sensei," Kaida said. "Okay," Mitsuru said and emptied the bottle in one go. "You are doing great in every place. If someone else was at your place, I would have given them the promise of promotion or higher salary. But you don''t need both of them. So, do you want anything?" Mitsuru asked. "It is unnecessary, sensei. I don''t want any reward to help you or the village," Kaida said with a smile. "It is good to be modest, but it will be hard to maintain this level of dedication for the next couple of months without any rewards. So just tell me, is there anything you want?" Mitsuru asked. "If possible, is there a way to increase chakra reserves, aside from the traditional way, of course?" Kaida asked. "Yes and no. Aside from the traditional approach, you can use f¨±injutsu to forcefully increase your natural chakra reserves. But not only is that process expensive, but it will also mess up your chakra control. It is better to use your chakra efficiently than artificially increasing it," Mitsuru said. "Then how about increasing body''s defense?" "Two ways: one is training, the other is a little painful approach of taking lightning chakra mixed with Yin chakra in your body. It slowly damages your body, but on healing, it will be a little more tough than before. This is classified information which is not available to all. But since you are already close to becoming a Jonin, there is nothing wrong in telling you this," Mitsuru said. Kaida nodded his head. ''So that''s why those Raikage had such extremely tough bodies. This lightning chakra is much more versatile than I initially thought,'' Kaida thought. "Sensei, then as a reward, can I ask you to arrange a way for me to access this lightning chakra for body strengthening?" Kaida asked. "Sure, it is not hard. I just have to pull some strings. Now that you know your reward, make sure to come to the hospital daily. I will see about your holiday after checking up the schedule," Mitsuru said. "Okay, sensei," Kaida replied and then left for his house, leaving 10 of his shadow clones behind until they lose all of their chakra. ... As Kaida went home, all of the other members of his house were already present. "Welcome back, brother!" Naruto shouted as he saw Kaida entering the house. "So how was your day at the hospital?" Shisui asked, with a mischievous smile on his face, clearly knowing the condition of the hospital. "It was fine, brother. Things were a little hectic, but everyone is doing their best to help as many people as possible," Kaida said with a smile, as he sat with others, taking a glass of water from Yomi. "How was your day, brother?" Kaida continued. "Nothing, just some mission escorting a noble who had to attend a party during such times. I am telling you, they really don''t use the body part we know as brain," Shisui replied in a little frustrated tone. "Hahaha, how about you, aunt?" Kaida asked. "Since those six girls have started working as temporary secretaries for the business, the days have become much more manageable. But I was unable to have any progress with that stadium idea of ours. Even getting permission for five extra shops took way more work than necessary. I think we would have to wait for everything to settle down before thinking about doing anything for the stadium," Hae said. Even though they were going to wait for the construction anyway, from the looks of it, even taking permissions for it would also have to wait. "We are not in a hurry anyway, so there is no need to rush. Let''s just focus on the bathhouse. With how busy the hospital is, this is prime time for us to promote the bathhouse a little. I will share a medicinal paste for injuries that will go well with the herbs in the bathhouse. Let''s reduce some of the workload of the hospital," Kaida said with a smile. It was one thing to not hurry about making more money, but losing the opportunity presented on a silver platter was completely different. "Are you sure you want to be a ninja? I can see a very bright future for you as a merchant," Shisui said, impressed by Kaida''s idea. "I am fine as a ninja only," Kaida replied with a smile. Chapter 318: Super charging a jutsu "So you are now going to focus on the hospital for the time being. That means your jutsu practice has to wait, right?" Shisui asked, changing the topic. "Yes and no. I am planning on coming back from the hospital at 5 PM from tomorrow onward. By doing that, I would have enough time to barely manage a single jutsu a day. I want to learn all of them before my Jonin promotion," Kaida replied. "Once again, you are working way more hard than necessary. The medical work is already high enough for them to call you. Now you want to train while doing that as well? But I know you will do it anyway, so I can only ask you not to push yourself too much," Hae said. "Don''t worry, Aunt. The hospital work is actually really manageable. In a sense, I am taking it easy there," Kaida said with a smile. "Yeah, yeah," Hae said, at which Kaida could only give an awkward smile. "So, brother, tomorrow is your holiday right?" Kaida asked. "Yes, and I am not doing anything other than that security thing. I am going to enjoy my holiday completely by laying on my bed for the entire day," Shisui said firmly. "Okay, brother, but please teach me how to supercharge a jutsu at evening," Kaida said with a smile. "Very smart, but no. I am not going to do anything tomorrow," Shisui denied. "Then are you going to teach it to me on your regular working days?" Kaida asked. "Urgh, fine. But I will only teach you for one hour. If you can''t learn it in that amount of time, then spend those contribution points you got for free on learning it," Shisui said. "You are the best brother," Kaida said. While they were talking, Naruto and Yomi simply went to the backyard to play with Kenta, since they didn''t have much to do anyway. ... Next day, Kaida went to the hospital an hour earlier than his usual time of 8 AM. Hae and Shisui went to the bathhouse to complete the simple brain read on the five women Hae had chosen as her secretaries. Since they will be the people who are going to work with her not only on the bathhouse and shops but also on the stadium, with how big the things are, even a small betrayal may bring down their business. That''s why Hae didn''t want to take any risks. With the high amount of salary and job security Hae had offered, all five girls agreed for the brain read without much thought. Though uncomfortable, it was not unheard for business owners to do that. Though when Shisui went there, all three of them were a little intimidated. Being a civilian an Uchiha Jonin was a little too big of a person for them. Luckily, the process ended in a couple of minutes. Just as Shisui activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, the memories of all five of them were like an open book. Them not having chakra to defend their brain was a good reason behind that as well. Because a ninja will unconsciously defend against such an attack, getting a little injured in the process, but they didn''t even feel discomfort. After completing the process, he turned toward the room Hae was in as he signaled all five of them to go back. "All of them are clear, mom. It is just that she is a little too money-minded and may do something unsightly if someone offered a decent sum," Shisui said. "So you want me to fire her?" Hae asked, but her tone was like she was testing Shisui. "That''s what I think is best," Shisui said after some thinking, but Hae shook her head at that. "Son, it is good to be thinking about safety, but think it from a business perspective. The person who is money-minded is the most easy person to control. All I need is to maintain a watch over her, and she will be the most hardworking employee. Also, there is not actually much she could do now that I know I have to be wary of her. Also, it is not like she is a bad child. It is just that she has seen what poverty is, so it is only natural for her to think about money a little more than normal people," Hae explained. "As you wish, mom. I am not good with this whole business thing anyway," Shisui said with a shrug of his shoulder, then continued, "If there is nothing else to do, can I go back now?" "Okay," Hae said. ... sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. (at 5 PM) "I am home, brother. Let''s go!" Kaida shouted in a huffing voice, showing how fast he came back for training. "Just give me half an hour more. You also take some rest. Remember, I am going to give you just one hour. Make sure you are in your perfect shape," Shisui said in a sleepy tone, completely oblivious that he was just saying all that to get some more sleep. But there was no problem in doing that too, so Kaida went to the bathroom to freshen up and take a quick bath before going out to meet Kenta, where Yomi and Naruto were already present. Weirdly, Yomi was sitting on the ground near Kenta with her back leaning on him, and reading her book, while Naruto was telling Kenta how his day went and what he had done. "You are becoming more popular in my family than even me," Kaida said, patting Kenta''s head. "Guah," Kenta released a small growl which almost sounded like a chuckle. Kaida also sat there, spending some time with Yomi and Naruto while waiting for Shisui to wake up. After 5:30, Hae also came back. "Welcome back, Aunt," Kaida and Yomi welcomed her, while Naruto went running toward the kitchen to fetch some water for her, insisting on doing that. "Welcome back, Aunt," he said, bringing a glass of cold water with his tiny hands. "Thank you, my little gentleman," Hae said, patting Naruto''s head as she took the glass of water from him. "And where is my lazy son?" Hae said, almost already knowing the answer. "I am here, mom," Shisui said, running out of his house, still having sleepy eyes. "You were sleeping till now? I know you were tired, but still, isn''t it too much?" Hae asked. "I was not sleeping, mom. I was about to go and teach Kaida some stuff. Come on, Kaida, let''s go before it''s too late. We have to come back before dinner time, right?" Shisui said. He grabbed Kaida''s hand and dragged him out of the house, while Hae could only shake her head with Yomi and Naruto smiling in the background, all of them knowing that Shisui was just running away from scolding. ... "So you want to learn how to supercharge a jutsu, right?" Shisui asked as they came at a clearing in the largest Training area of the Uchiha clan. With how busy everyone in Konoha was, the Training area was mostly empty. "Yes, brother. Nearly everyone who is teaching me is showing two versions of the same jutsu, and the supercharged version is far better than the normal one in all cases," Kaida said. "It is generally the case, but there is a big weakness of supercharging a jutsu. Were you able to pick that up?" Shisui asked, now coming out of his lazy state and becoming completely alert. "Are you talking about the larger preparation time?" Kaida asked. "Yes, see this," Shisui said. He quickly made a series of hand signs and, even before a second could pass, released a stream of fire from his mouth. An area of 10 meters in front of Shisui was scorched black in an instant, leaving nothing behind but ash and hot earth. "Now, second time," he said as soon as he stopped turning his face in the opposite direction. This time, he once again made hand signs, but after that, he stopped. Kaida activated his Sharingan to see what was going on, shocked at what he was seeing. It was like multiple rivers of chakra were flowing inside Shisui''s body, all merging at his throat one after another. After nearly 3 seconds¡ªthree times the time required to perform the jutsu normally¡ªShisui released one more fire stream jutsu, but this one was completely different from before, so much so that even calling them the same jutsu would be an insult. This time, the flames covered nearly 50 meters of the area, and the ground didn''t just burn completely but even turned into glass at some places, meaning the flames exceeded the temperature of 1,700¡ãC. Any normal person would have vanished from the planet if they faced such an attack. "As you saw, supercharging a jutsu trades swiftness with range and destructive power," Shisui said, looking toward Kaida, who was still mesmerized by what he saw. "That was so cool, brother," Kaida said as soon as he came out of his thoughts. "I know," Shisui took the complement with a smile. "Now, let''s start learning it," he continued. Chapter 319: 2 months Shisui stood in the middle of the training ground, his usual playful demeanor replaced with a serious expression. He raised his hand, signaling Kaida to watch closely. "Now listen closely, supercharging a jutsu is all about patience, precision, and control. The initial steps are the same as performing a regular jutsu: hand signs, chakra molding, and transformation. But here''s where it changes." Shisui paused to emphasize his point. "In a normal jutsu, once you mold and transform the chakra, it is immediately released. However, when supercharging, you hold the jutsu in its final phase, right before it''s executed. While maintaining that state, you repeat the molding and transformation process as many times as you can. The more cycles you complete, the more potent the jutsu becomes. But..." Shisui''s voice turned stern. "This is where the risk comes in. Overdoing it can lead to severe strain on your chakra pathways, potentially damaging them permanently." Kaida nodded thoughtfully as he absorbed every word. "So, if I understand correctly, each repetition is like stacking chakra layers on top of each other, right? It increases the density and power of the jutsu?" "Almost, there is more to it, but initially this much should be fine for you," Shisui smiled, then continued. "The trick is finding the balance. Without a proper amount of chakra, it will be just a regular jutsu which took extra time than necessary. Too much, and you risk more than just wasted chakra. The pathways in your body can only handle so much stress before they start to crack under pressure. Think of it like a water pipe; if you keep forcing more water than it can handle, it''ll burst." Kaida frowned slightly. This sounded a little too dangerous. "Is there a way to tell when you''re pushing too far? Like a warning or a signal?" Shisui nodded. "Yes, but it''s subtle. You''ll feel a burning sensation along your pathways or a subtle pain which is different from muscle pain. The moment you sense that, stop. It''s your body telling you that you''re nearing the limit. The more you practice, the more your limit will increase. Best is you start with small jutsu and gradually work your way up to more complex ones." "So, it''s more about precision and control than just raw power," Kaida said, after comprehending each of Shisui''s words completely. "I think I can handle that." He said after that with a confident smile. "Good attitude," Shisui said, patting him on the shoulder. "Now, let''s practice. Start with the Fireball Jutsu. Perform the hand signs, mold your chakra, and hold it at the release phase. Once you''re there, try to cycle the molding process again, but don''t rush it. Feel each step." Shisui said and activated his Sharingan as well, just in case. Kaida took a deep breath, forming the hand seals with precision. , his chakra surging as he molded it into the fire nature. Holding the jutsu at the release point, he focused on repeating the molding process, carefully layering his chakra. "Good, keep it steady," Shisui encouraged, observing closely. Seeing the flow inside Kaida''s body clearly, "Feel the flow and make sure it''s even. Don''t let the chakra spill out of control." Kaida clenched his teeth as he cycled the process a second time. The molding process was not the one which was difficult; it was holding an almost complete jutsu at its final phase which was difficult. As he completed his second cycle, a faint warmth began to build along his pathways, a warning he immediately noted. "Brother, I''m feeling some heat along my arms," Kaida said, his voice tense but steady. "That''s your cue to stop the process now, and release the fireball," Shisui instructed, not much alarmed as he could see that Kaida was not at his limit, though he still said to release the jutsu. There was no need to strain the body too much in practice. Kaida nodded, releasing the jutsu. A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, far larger and hotter than usual. It surged forward, scorching the training ground ahead. Shisui grinned as the flames dissipated. "Not bad for your first try, Kaida. You managed two cycles without losing control. With practice, you''ll be able to go further. But remember, your health is much more important than anything else. Always stop before you reach your limits," he said. Kaida exhaled deeply, a smile spreading across his face. "Understood, brother," Kaida said. "Good. Now do you know any other jutsu, a little different from the one that releases in one burst?" Shisui asked. "I know Great Breakthrough Jutsu and Iron Skin Jutsu as well," Kaida said. "Excellent, these two should be enough to cover all types of supercharging, as they need a little different approach like..." Shisui said and began explaining how to supercharge different types of jutsu, while also showing it practically from time to time, to make it easier for Kaida to understand. One hour passed before he was even in the middle of the explanation, but neither Shisui nor Kaida paid any attention to that. As time went by, Kaida slowly learned all of the ways to supercharge a jutsu. By the time the training ended, it was already 10 pm. "Shit, mom is going to kill us," Shisui said as soon as he saw the time. "Let''s run and hope that we get away with a few broken bones," Kaida said with a chuckle. ¡­ (¡­ 2 months) From the next day, Kaida started going to the hospital in the morning, while learning a jutsu using Contribution points in the evening, though it was occasional as he needed time to at least master the basic version of those jutsu as well. So in a week, he learned jutsu on two days while training them for the rest of the five days. The only jutsu he was training continuously was the Iron Skin Jutsu. Since he was using shadow clones for the practice, the use of Iron Skin Jutsu was becoming more and more apparent. Now his clones were able to take some hits, which in turn made the efficiency of the training much higher than before. Also, after supercharging the jutsu, even tanking some B-rank and weaker A-rank jutsu was also possible for the clones during the training. An outrageous idea came into Kaida''s mind. ''What if Naruto learned this jutsu, an army of a thousand ninjas each capable of tanking B-rank or lower jutsu?'' Just the thought of it was unsettling, obviously from an enemy perspective, but Kaida''s thoughts with a cheeky grin on his face were different. ''I have to surely pass on this jutsu to him when he grows up.'' While Kaida was busy with his training and medical work, Shisui was doing one mission after another. The number was so large that he was even rivaling the revenue of the whole bathhouse and shops combined, which after 2 months had reached more than 15 million Ryo per month, thanks to the idea of medicinal baths along with complementing medicines, of course. This not only helped in healing but also drastically reduced the recovery and rehabilitation time. The efficiency was so high that Hiruzen even booked a bath specially for Anbu Ninjas. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Luckily, Hae had a team of capable assistants to share the workload; otherwise, she may have passed out from all that work. With the bathhouse as an excuse, she even got a meeting appointment with the Hokage, discussing the stadium. Obviously, Kaida and Shisui accompanied her as well. Initially, Hiruzen was skeptical about this, since their ninjas will fight openly in the stadium, and enemy spies can openly gather data about them, making the preparation of counters against them very easy. "Lord Third, they will be just spars, and there will be no reason for ninjas to show their full capabilities. Aside from that, it will be an excellent way for ninjas to be always in shape," Shisui said. "Aside from that, there is this benefit as well," Kaida said, passing a file forward. The file contained all the possible revenue the stadium would generate, along with the village''s share of the profit. After thinking for 10 minutes, Hiruzen nodded his head. "As Shisui said, this will be an excellent way for ninjas to have experience fighting against various opponents. The pros far outweigh the cons of this." But then a glint passed in Hiruzen''s eyes. The share Kaida had written in the file was 15 percent. "20 percent, and I will allow Anbu ninjas to participate in the stadium as well," Hiruzen said. "Deal." This time it was Hae who agreed to it before either Kaida or Shisui could say anything. "Then I give my approval to it." Hiruzen said with a smile. Chapter 320: Undercurrents "Then I will give it my approval," Hiruzen said with a smile, but then he turned to Kaida once again. Being old and that too in such a high position, Hiruzen''s perception was top-notch, maybe the highest in whole Konoha if not the world. From the conversation so far, he was able to deduce that it was Kaida who was behind the idea of the stadium, so he decided to have a direct conversation with him. "So how are you planning on bringing other clans into this idea of yours?" Hiruzen asked, because even though the benefits like winning rewards are enough for some civilian ninjas, ninjas affiliated with various clans can''t actually do something this major without clan approvals. Kaida smiled, already expecting this question. That''s why the family of Shisui, Hae, and Kaida had already had this conversation before coming here. "Simple, grandpa. We are planning on doing this," Kaida said, giving another file to Hiruzen. It had the details of the profit share every clan would get from the stadium, just like the village, but unlike the village, the most a clan was getting was 4 percent, given to the three royal clans of Konoha: Uchiha, Hyuga, and Aburame clan. Aside from them, every major clan was getting 2 percent of shares. All in all, almost 25 percent of the profit was going to be distributed among the clans. But there was one anomaly that Hiruzen noted. ''Nara clan is getting 3.5 percent of the shares. Hmm, interesting.'' There was hardly any other better person aside from Hiruzen to know the meaning of this. Nara were not only good in finding the best tactics on the battlefield or in small skirmishes, but they were also great politicians. With their help, the stadium could grow considerably. But Hiruzen''s eyes looked toward Kaida. ''Is it him who had the foresight of adding the Nara clan in such a way? If yes, then I may have underestimated this boy.'' Many people knew about Nara''s intelligence, but very few actually utilized it with anything other than battle tactics. Them being added to any merchant business was almost unheard of, but that was such a waste of their talents. A brain that can analyze a chaotic battlefield while taking into account the various personalities of tens and hundreds of leaders can certainly find the twists and turns of trade with little challenge. It was just their laziness that prevented them from working on any business aside from their traditional medicine industries. Otherwise, the Nara may have become the most wealthy clan of Konoha long ago. But this same weakness would prevent this proposal of leveraging Nara intelligence. ''Let''s see if this boy has just taken into account their intelligence or even their laziness,'' Hiruzen thought, his gaze becoming analytical for a second. But then he turned his attention away from the point and focused on the profits. With 20 percent to the village, 25 percent distributed among various powerful clans, and the rest 5 percent to other nobles to stay away from the business, the family would only have 50 percent of the profit even after doing all of the hard work. For others, this may be seen as a steal, but for any experienced person, this would be a very lucrative offer. Just the expectation of the profit the stadium would generate was so high that many people from higher-ups, clans to nobles, would jump at it like vultures. If it was opened by any civilian, the stadium would have most likely fallen under the village, with that civilian getting 10-20 percent of the profit and that too when the time was peaceful. But with Kaida and family being under the Uchiha clan and having two powerful ninjas, one S-rank and the other above elite Jonin level, the amount of deterrence they had was not low, resulting in a smooth process flow. "Hmm, this should do the trick. So do you want village help with the construction or something?" Hiruzen asked, offering a loan which would give the village many benefits aside from the construction cost. Hiruzen may also just try to increase the profit percentage, with his goal being simply increasing 2-3 percent, and he would bear all of the construction costs. In the long run, he could see the profit far outweighing the cost, but Kaida also knew this. He smiled and said, "Thank you for the offer, grandpa, but we will be able to manage it somehow. With how bad the situation is around this time, we don''t want to increase the village''s burden any further." It was a reply which was not a clear denial, but a refusal out of care for the village. ''Spoke like a politician. Maybe I should consider him as well,'' Hiruzen thought as he looked toward Kaida, maintaining the same grandfatherly smile the entire time. "As you wish, but do come to me if you want any help during any time of the construction," he said. Kaida and the others nodded their heads one last time before going out. As they left, Hiruzen rang the bell on his table, and an Anbu ninja appeared in front of him. "Bring me the details of all of the business of this family," Hiruzen said. The Anbu ninja bowed his head and left, as Hiruzen was now responsible for both light and darkness. It was now his duty to maintain the security of the village. The Anbu ninja who initially only maintained data on enemies and other villages now also do the same for Konoha. Within minutes, a file was present in front of Hiruzen. As he read the details, his eyes went wider and wider. ''No wonder they didn''t want the village''s help. They are already making tens of millions per month. Heck, when the stadium starts running, they will have more money than many minor village economies,'' Hiruzen thought, going through the complete process. Finding nothing wrong with it, he just sighed and closed the file. With money gone, there were very few ways he could reward them, which meant fewer ways to control... influence them. But since there was nothing he could do, he turned back his attention to other details plaguing him. ¡­ In two months'' time, other villages had done everything they could, from assassination attempts on various nobles to sending rogue ninjas as bandits and even attacking Konoha ninjas openly with some excuses. Even though they also suffered, the combined effort of Kumo and Iwa, with some attacks from Suna in between, had stretched Konoha forces thin. The effects were not limited to the injured ninjas. Many chunin and genin lost their lives during missions that were supposed to be easy training missions. But on a bigger scale, Konoha was not only holding on its own but was also doing much better than before. From getting more economic activity than the two previous years combined to an increase in reputation, the trade was worth it not only for Hiruzen and other higher-ups of Konoha but even for the ninjas who were doing the missions. Though the efforts of other villages were not completely in vain either. They not only managed to poach some of the merchants back but by making their stance clear, they prevented other merchants from their village from having any plans of leaving for Konoha or building any ties. With all of this happening, all the Kages of three villages were working on overdrive, Hiruzen included. Even giving time for such a meeting was only possible because of Shisui and Kaida''s importance to him. Both of them had potential of reaching S-rank; he couldn''t ignore them. ¡­ In a remote cave of unknown location, a Venus flytrap-like plant emerged from the ground, with a man with half white and half black body emerging from it. "Things are getting more and more interesting day by day. Konoha is going back to its previous strength, and the major role in this is being played by your own clan. Uchiha are shining like the sun in Konoha. There are rumors that two people have eyes similar to yours in the clan, while other two are talented enough to have them in the future. If that happened, our future plan may get affected," Black Zetsu said, but the man he was saying that to didn''t react to any of that. He kept doing meditation, trying to control the rampaging chakra flowing inside his body. Even though it had been months since he had implanted Hashirama cells, he still couldn''t control the surging boost of chakra it provided. Even with the training he got from THE Madara Uchiha, he still was not in complete control. But those words were not completely empty for him either. He slowly opened the eye visible through the orange spiral mask on his face. "You already gave me these details. Nothing will change by repeating them. I will do something about this soon," Tobi said. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I know, but there is something more interesting going around as well, which may alter something you are planning on doing..." Chapter 321: Flow of Wind "I know, but there is something more interesting going around as well, which may alter something you are planning on doing," Zetsu said with a mysterious smile on his face. "What is it?" "Uchiha clan is slowly integrating in Konoha," Zetsu said. "What do you mean? It has been almost 70 years, and you think they can integrate in Konoha now? The thing that didn''t happen in 70 years is going to happen now?" Tobi asked. "Hahaha, why do you think Uchiha were never able to integrate in Konoha?" Zetsu asked. "Because of that Senju-Uchiha scenario and this whole Uchiha evil thinking," Tobi said in a frustrated voice, not liking Zetsu playing with his important time. "No, it was because of individuals like Tobirama Senju and Danzo Shimura. They were always in power, and because they didn''t want Uchiha to share that power, they always kept them in check. That''s why Uchiha were never able to assimilate in the village. But now with Danzo dead, and Hiruzen who is, though against clan getting too much power, fair toward all of the clans, the Uchiha can finally integrate in the village." "This will make things more complicated in the future," Tobi said. Initially, when Zetsu told him about 4 possible S-rank ninjas from Uchiha clan in Konoha, he was concerned but still at ease. Konoha always discriminated against Uchiha, so even the S-ranks from the Uchiha clan didn''t usually show their full potential in the village. But if they get integrated into the village, Konoha would get 4 S-rank ninjas along with their already high reserves, and this is not a small number in any case. Along with hundreds of jonins and ninja army, Konoha will become very stable, and getting the Nine-Tails from them will become highly difficult, especially with Uchiha protection. If it came down to it, they could become all-seeing eyes for Konoha along with Hyugas. "You said two ninjas can become S-rank, but they are still not at that stage, right?" Tobi said. "Yes, both of them are above Elite Jonin level, but still not among S-rank level," Zetsu confirmed. "Keep a watch over them. When I am ready, I will reduce some of the troubles," Tobi said, going back to his meditation. ''Troubles you say,'' a small smile formed on Zetsu''s face, and it went back into the ground. ¡­ (Kumogakure¡­) "Raikage-sama, we can''t continue this any further. Sending ninjas to Fire Country as rogue ninjas is now becoming a suicide mission, and even the threats we had given to others had produced results. As much as possible, we were able to retain 3 merchant firms, but continuing it any further will just increase our losses," one of the council members and elders of Kumogakure said. "So what do you want? Let Konoha develop normally? After suffering from the 3rd Great Ninja War and Nine-Tails attack, it was assumed that they will at least need 10-12 years to recover, but they were able to recover so much in just 5 years. If allowed to develop openly, them returning to their peak strength in just a couple more years is not impossible," another elder said. "So to stop their development, you want to throw the lives of our ninjas?" "Who said we are throwing away their lives? And it is not like Konoha had not suffered any casualties." "Enough!" A shouted, with his fist slamming on the table. "Is this our council meeting hall or children''s playground? Call our ninjas back. We are not calling off this bandit fa?ade and all," A said. "Raikage-sama, this will let Konoha..." "You want to challenge Konoha in recovery speed. If both us and them take the same damage, it will be our loss. They will recover much faster because of that treasure trove of talent they have. Also, attacking from behind is never our style. We have to do something to send a message to Konoha that their wings are spreading too wide," A said. Listening to that, all of the elders nodded. Similar meetings also happened in Iwagakure, with Kumo falling back. The amount of attacks Iwa ninjas were facing was too much for them, and Onoki also decided to call off the mission for now. Though he also planned to not stop everything at that. As for Sunagakure, they never were in the attack in the first place, after all, they were ''allies'' of Konoha. ¡­ While the whole world was walking on landmine-filled land, Kaida and family were simply preparing for the construction of the stadium. With Hokage''s permission done, all that was left was getting all clans onboard before the plan started. Negotiating all of the profits, rewards, and additional benefits a clan ninja will get in the stadium was a monumental task to say the least. But at last, when all guessed the revenue, all clan heads agreed to the proposal, though some tried to refuse as a ploy to get more percentage of profits. Uchiha family simply backed down and decided to not include the clan altogether. With all three royal clans onboard, even if some clans decided not to participate, there would not be any loss for the stadium. At last, the percentages pre-decided by the family were finalized. With only an interesting case being the Nara clan. "We don''t want 3 percent," Shikaku said in a firm voice. "Please, Shikaku-sama, if you want, we can increase it to 4 percent. Heck, even 5 percent," Kaida said to the shock of Hae and Shisui. "You don''t understand, boy. I am too busy with all of the tasks given to me by Lord Third, and other members of my clan don''t want to move a single finger aside from the tasks that were forced on them by Lord Third. So how could I assign some of them for the stadium?" Shikaku asked. "At least let me have a talk with them, please," Kaida said. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "As you wish. I will let you have a meeting with the top 30 ninjas from my clan, with their intelligence vouched by me, but they are lazy at the same level as well," Shikaku said. "Fine by me," Kaida smiled. Chapter 322: Investing in Intelligence "What is this, Shikaku?" Hiruzen asked, sitting in his office. "A number of applications I got from ninjas of my clan to join the new stadium project by that Uchiha boy," Shikaku said with a chuckle. "Ten? How can a Nara be this proactive for work? What did that boy do?" Hiruzen asked, genuinely shocked for the first time because of Kaida. Of all Kaida''s achievements, this was the one even Hiruzen himself had always wanted to accomplish but never succeeded in. Sure, he could rely on Nara intelligence in times of need, but aside from emergencies or potential village troubles, the Nara clan¡ªincluding their clan head¡ªrarely put in any hard work. They only completed the missions necessary to meet the bare minimum quota. Heck, there were even cases where a Nara ninja wanted to leave the clan just to avoid compulsory missions, preferring the lower quota assigned to civilian jonin. Even though the perks were limited for civilian ninja, they were happy with low workload even though it meant low perks. Yet here they were, clan ninjas submitting applications for working. How was that even possible? That was the thought running through Hiruzen''s mind¡ªa thought Shikaku had already anticipated, which was why he chuckled in the first place. But Shikaku wasn''t finished yet. "Ten? No, Lord Third. These are the ten ninjas who could actually become part of his grand plan. When he requested a meeting with the top thirty ninjas of my clan, I didn''t think all thirty of them would become eager to work for him. I had to do my best to make sure half of them didn''t resign from their jobs here," Shikaku said, chuckling again. "What exactly did he say to them to make them this eager?" Hiruzen asked, now more curious than shocked about the tactics a young boy could use to get such results. "That''s the interesting part. He presented an offer to everyone: they could work at the stadium for their lifetime, and the workload would be minimal. Even one of them would be overqualified for the tasks there. So, if ten people worked together, there would be next to no work for them," Shikaku explained. "And why would I allow this?" Hiruzen asked. "This was just his proposal. The real brilliance came next. After presenting the idea, he asked all of them to come up with a justification for why ten Nara clan ninjas of their caliber would be necessary for the stadium," Shikaku replied. Hiruzen nodded. Using Nara intelligence even before they started working for him¡ªquite a clever tactic. "So, what was the result?" "Since there will be fights in the stadium, it''s not far-fetched to assume some might get out of hand. And who''s better at stopping such conflicts than a Nara? With shadow techniques of the clan perfect for such cases, aside from that, the revenue¡ªwhich will be divided among the village, clans, and nobles¡ªneeds to be well-documented. Talented Nara are required for such tasks. These are just a few of the reasons they came up with. Honestly, they found so many justifications that all thirty of them could resign and join the stadium project. I had to carefully cut that number down to ten," Shikaku said with a tired sigh, the extra work he had to do evident in his voice. But seeing the shocked expression on Hiruzen''s face made it all worth it. ''Hmm, all of that was worth it,'' Shikaku thought. "Huh, that boy keeps surprising me¡­ What would happen if all of them actually left their posts all of a sudden?" Hiruzen asked, now even a little worried about losing such a workforce. "Pretty much nothing. Even though they are among the best, there''s no shortage of ninjas in my clan. I can assign others to train in the meantime. With the stadium under construction, everything should work out fine," Shikaku replied, which eased Hiruzen''s worries a little. "Good. Now, about the second topic¡ªwhat do you think about him?" Hiruzen asked. "Hmm, I''m not entirely sure. He''s deeply affiliated with the Uchiha clan. Even though he has Senju lineage, with a 3-tomoe Sharingan, he''s almost marked as an Uchiha. Considering him for the Hokage position is... complicated," Shikaku said, deep in thought. Hiruzen didn''t have to point out the topic he was worried about. "And what if we disregard his Uchiha affiliation?" Hiruzen asked. "Then he''s an excellent choice. Our initial candidate, Kakashi, is much older than him but is at almost the same level. Beyond strength, Kaida has the keen eye to identify talent and utilize it effectively. His ability to account for shortcomings and use them to his advantage is remarkable. He''s actually one of the best candidates for the Hokage seat after Lord Jiraiya and Kakashi," Shikaku admitted. "Below Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked. "You''ve been training Kakashi for this post for years, giving him leadership missions and making him a general of small armies during border skirmishes. He''s already exceptional in military strategy. Taking that into consideration, he''s better than Kaida¡ªat least for now," Shikaku explained. "Hmm." Hiruzen leaned back, releasing a puff of smoke from his pipe, lost in thought. "You know what Danzo was planning with the Uchiha clan, right?" Hiruzen asked. "Yes, Lord Third. And it would have been disastrous for Konoha," Shikaku replied, a shudder running down his spine at the thought. Losing four S-rank ninjas, along with hundreds of jonin and chunin, all equipped with such a powerful dojutsu, would have crippled Konoha''s strength. A single Uchiha was already feared on the battlefield because of their Sharingan and genjutsu. Let alone an A-jonin-level ninja with a 3-tomoe Sharingan, he can become a significant deterrent on the battlefield. Removing an entire clan of such warriors from the equation could make Konoha a target¡ªeven for villages like Sunagakure. "Had Danzo succeeded, Konoha might have become a target for other villages," Hiruzen said, releasing another puff of smoke. "Yes, Lord Third," Shikaku agreed. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I don''t want to repeat something like that. The Uchiha clan currently has two S-rank ninjas and will likely have two more in the future," Hiruzen stated. Fugaku, considered Minato''s equal, was already a formidable force. Adding Shisui to the mix only tilted the power scale further. While many pretended Shisui was no longer part of the Uchiha clan, they all knew it was not true, though his association with Hiruzen was enough for most. The Uchiha had become an inseparable part of Konoha, especially after proving their loyalty and strategic value. Sidelining them further was no longer an option. If Kaida and Itachi reached S-rank status, Konoha would truly achieve the peace it always sought. "So, you want him to be a Kage candidate?" Shikaku asked. "Him and Uchiha Itachi as well. Of course, he would no longer hold his clan heir position, but I will propose this to Fugaku," Hiruzen replied. "Lord Third, don''t you think it''s a bit early for that? We need more stability in the village first. With everything happening around us, it wouldn''t be wise to stir the hornet''s nest," Shikaku pointed out, hinting at how other clans might react to such news. Specially the Hyuga clan, they had maintained status quo with the Uchiha clan for so long, even though they don''t have any S-rank ninja. The number of jonin-rank ninjas in the Hyuga clan is actually higher than the Uchiha clan, so it was not the right move for such an announcement to be made in such chaotic times. If the conditions were a little more stable, things could be managed, but Shikaku knew that Hiruzen would have considered this as well. "Yeah, let''s wait for some time, but start hinting that I am looking forward to their growth," Hiruzen said, dismissing Shikaku. ... While all of this was happening, Kaida was having a talk with his family. "Why did you increase Nara clan percentage by your own? They didn''t even ask for it," Hae asked. "Aunt, do you know what the Nara clan is famous for?" Kaida asked. "Their intelligence in battlefield?" Hae asked. "No, mom, their intelligence. They are much more than just tacticians," Shisui said. "That doesn''t mean they are important in business as well. This is not some battlefield?" Hae asked. "No, aunt. This is the true battlefield. Why do you think all of those ninja wars have happened?... It is for resources, for money, and this business will become a money-making machine for us and Konoha, and indirectly will become a battlefield. So for this battlefield, we will need some tacticians, and who are better at it than Nara ninjas?" Kaida asked. "I still don''t understand. Was that worth millions of Ryo per month?" Hae asked. "Mom, do you know who is the Jonin Commander of Konoha?" Shisui asked. "Yeah, Shikaku-san, but that is a different thing¡­" "No, mom, it is not different at all. I have worked with them countless times and know about their intelligence. They can consider hundreds of factors on the battlefield in seconds. Considering some small business opportunities for them is easy. And for those millions of Ryo per month is actually a steal, and anyway, it is not like we are in need of that much money anyway," Shisui said. At that, Hae then remembered how much they are going to make. According to a conservative guess, the amount is around 50 million in profit per month, and since they are going to get 50 percent of that, it will be 25 million. That, along with 10 million from the bathhouse, the money they will get per month is frightening. "Fine, I think I don''t know much about this matter, so I would let you guys decide about Nara clan," Hae said and then went to the kitchen, even with all of the money, she still wants to cook for her children. Chapter 323: Ripples of Change The news of the Nara clan''s unprecedented involvement in the stadium project spread through Konoha like wildfire. In the Hyuga clan''s main house, Hiashi Hyuga sat in his private study, a carefully folded document detailing the project resting on the low wooden table before him. "Ten Nara clan members?" Hiashi muttered, his byakugan-trained eyes narrowing. "For a stadium project?" An elder of the Hyuga clan, who stood nearby, chuckled softly. "Not just any project. This is Uchiha''s project." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The implications were clear. The Nara clan¡ªnotorious for their minimal effort and strategic laziness¡ªhad somehow become part of the project. If things went according to the norms, even getting one of them to join should have been difficult, but there was talk about 10 of them leaving the Hokage building to join the stadium. Normally, such details are not available so easily to others, but this is the Hyuga clan we are talking about. The village would not want to keep them in the dark about such big details, so they were provided with some details, though not a complete report. This resulted in Hiashi believing that Kaida and family may have somehow forced the Nara to join the stadium. If he were to know that the Nara themselves wanted to join the business, he would have been much more shocked than he already was. "The revenue projections are... substantial," the elder continued, sliding another document across the table. "50 million Ryo per month, with the profits split among various stakeholders." Hiashi''s fingers traced the financial breakdown. The numbers were impressive, but what truly caught his attention was the strategic brilliance behind the project. By involving multiple clan ninjas¡ªstarting with the Nara¡ªKaida was creating a complex web of economic interdependence that transcended traditional clan boundaries. Even though the percentage for the Hyuga clan was not much, it was not so low that they would outright deny it. Aside from getting better treatment for their clan ninjas, they became part of the plan. Now, getting the details in front of him, a single thought was running through Hiashi''s mind. ''Why didn''t anyone think about something like this before?'' But there was nothing he could do now, with Hokage approval and Uchiha clan backing the plan. He just sighed and moved forward to the next part of the meeting. --- Across the village, similar conversations were happening. In the Akimichi clan''s restaurant, Choza Akimichi discussed the project with his son Choji and clan elder Genma. "For a stadium? That is quite a revenue. Our 5 top restaurants don''t make that much," Choza said, being the clan heir he was being trained in such affairs. Hence the discussion. The top restaurants of the Akimichi clans were no joke¡ªone was even in the Fire Capital. One could say they were golden egg-laying hens, and if those restaurants paled in comparison to the stadium, the thing was bound to shift the economic balance of Konoha. Genma, who had extensive knowledge of clan politics, explained, "It''s not just about the stadium. It''s about creating a new economic ecosystem. The Nara aren''t just working; they''re strategically positioning themselves." Being among the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, they also knew about the details, which was a big shock for them as well. Choji, usually more interested in his meals, found himself intrigued. "How?" "By making themselves indispensable," Genma replied. "Shadow technique security, financial monitoring, conflict resolution¡ªthey''ve turned a simple construction project into a multi-layered opportunity for clan advancement. With Nara and Uchiha combined, along with the Aburame and Uchiha clan alliance from before, the Uchiha clan is becoming more and more powerful. And I''m not talking about physical strength, this is strength through connection, which was the only strength the Uchiha were lacking." The expression of all of them turned serious, all having thoughts of making connections with the Uchiha now before they become too big for them. --- Meanwhile, in the Uchiha compound, an even more tense talk was going on in a house. "10 million from the bathhouse, 1 million from my mission, and 500k from Kaida''s job at hospital," Shisui calculated, spreading the financial documents on the table. "That''s 11.5 million Ryo per month." "And from the previous two months of revenue, we have around 25 million Ryo because of brother''s extra missions, which should be enough to begin the construction, right?" Kaida asked. "It should be. The main cost will be the grandmaster and seal masters we would need for the stadium. From creating safe barriers for the civilians to the safety and security arrays, and the voice amplification arrays for the theater. If these are not enough, the temperature regulator array for the stadium and the premium cabins for the nobles and VIPs. Just the seals and arrays are going to cost us more than our reserves. Luckily, most of them have to be applied after the construction, so we should be able to begin the construction for now," Hae said, researching the topic for quite some time. "Then it''s all good. With how big the project has become, we would need at least 6-7 months to complete it. That much time should be enough to get all the funds from the bathhouse and missions," Kaida said. "Yeah, this is going to be difficult to build even in 6 months, so by then we should have the necessary funds," Hae said. "Also, we can now use Nara ninjas to modify our plan to make them as optimal as possible," Shisui said. "But that would mean sharing every source of our income with them," Hae said. "Mom, if they want, they would just need an hour max to find them out anyway. So there is no benefit of hiding something like that. Also, they really don''t care about money," Shisui said. "Huh, now I am really feeling you guys are overestimating those guys." --- "What the hell is this?" Hae was sitting in her office in the bathhouse, with a Nara ninja named Shinji standing in front of her. He had presented a report to her with a detailed plan of all the construction timing, when to contact which person for the construction, and the timing of the funds was also impeccable. If they followed this plan, the process would not stop even for a second and might even get completed in just 5 months¡ªalmost a record. To say Hae was impressed would be an understatement. "I think I understand why my children were praising you so much. Thank you so much for your hard work. This will be enough for today. You can enjoy your day now," Hae said. Even though she would have loved to squeeze every bit of work out of such a talented individual, one thing she had understood about the Nara was that they loved their lazy time too much. So it was better to give them that to maintain their positive relationship. With the use of their intelligence clear, she was not going to miss something like this ever. ¡­ While that was happening, Kaida was treating multiple patients at the hospital. In 2 months of time, the number of shadow clones Kaida was using for medical operations had almost doubled¡ªnot because of an increase in the number of cases, but because of the practice he was getting. Aside from obvious medical jutsu experience increase, his chakra control was becoming better and better day by day. The training, which was fruitful for Kaida, was actually seen as torture by others. Even Mitsuru called Kaida multiple times to her office so that she could teach him how to maintain a balance. But Kaida insisted he was fine with the work and could even take more if the need arose, which was really true. Because aside from the hospital, he was also using a similar number of shadow clones for training as well, and the result¡­ Chapter 324: Check up he was also using a similar number of shadow clones for training as well, and the result. The best result was the sheer versatility in his ninjutsu list. For every chakra nature, he had something unique, and the possible combinations he could make now were astonishing to say the least. In two months, he had been learning new jutsus every week and then using shadow clones to perfect them. The result was nothing but astonishing. One day he was sitting with Shisui, discussing how much he had progressed, and the list he made was this: *** Fire Release: Fireball, Fire Stream, Great Dragon Fire Technique, and Demon Lantern Earth Release: Hiding in the Mole, Earth Wall, Iron Skin Jutsu, Bottles Swamp, Rock Shelter, First Rock, and Earth Spear Wind Release: Wind Blade, Gale Palm, Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu, Great Breakthrough Jutsu, Rotating Shuriken, as well as Divine Mountain Wind (which he was practicing for fire combo attacks only), Spiraling Wind Ball (which somehow resembled more like Rasenshuriken), and Beast Tearing Gale Palm No Nature: Body Flicker, Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, Supercharging a Jutsu, and Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu *** With Wind Release having the most number of jutsus, but it was mainly because they paired really well with his Fire Jutsus, which in comparison were least in number. But if one asked Kaida which were his most lethal jutsus, his answer would simply be: ''Fire Release'' Because from when he had learned Supercharging a Jutsu and the effect of mixing Yin and Yang Chakra on the jutsu, he had gone crazy with his experiments. The number of times the jutsu exploded and his clones got dispersed were shocking¡ªalmost more than seven hundred times. And that number was only this much because of the Iron Skin Jutsu, because the number of blasts had been almost thrice of this number. But the results were worth it. The new jutsus: Great Dragon Fire Technique and Demon Lantern already had the process of applying Yin Chakra in the attack so that the attack could be controlled easily even after it was released. The Great Dragon Fire Technique simply compresses a large amount of fire and Yin Chakra inside the user''s body, moulding it in the form of a dragon. Once released, the color of the dragon depends on the amount of Yin Chakra. If more Yin Chakra is used, the color is whitish, but the temperature drops in exchange for super control. Then there is Demon Lantern, where many demon face-like fireballs appear near the ninja, easily controllable. It is a jutsu somewhat similar to Itachi''s S-rank Fire Release Great Flame Flower, and maybe one of the reasons Kaida learned this jutsu aside from the obvious benefit of targeting multiple weaker enemies at the same time. But even though these two techniques were higher than the ones he knew before, by modifying them with Yang Chakra and joining them with other jutsus, Kaida had created some deadly combos like: Great Fireball Jutsu, with its destructive power amplified with too much Yang Chakra while also supercharging it with 5 percent of his chakra, resulting in an almost blackish-red color. Yet they had the property of almost inexhaustible flames. One can say they were inferior copies of Amaterasu. They were so deadly that even Shisui learned them after seeing them once. But the most important part was if that combined with the Spiraling Wind Ball, Kaida created a missile¡ªa targeted missile, fired at a speed almost close to 400 km/hr. Luckily, his practicing partners were either Shisui or clones. Otherwise, someone may have died when he used this jutsu for the first time, destroying a part of the forest along with tens of trees. His second combo was also deadly at the same level. Divine Mountain Wind full of Yin Chakra and Fire Stream Jutsu full of Yang Chakra was a perfect combination. With wind control, Kaida was able to keep the flames at one position, resulting in increasing the temperature of that area so much that even rock started to melt, and the ground got converted into glass. In 2 months of time, Kaida had actually gone a little overboard with his training. But aside from training, there was something else he was focusing on as well. *** "How many times do I have to say, I got a full body checkup from the best medical ninja of our clan? He said I am perfectly fine. Then why should I go to your sensei for the checkup?" Itachi asked. ''Because Tsunade is not here,'' Kaida thought, but his words were completely different from his thoughts. "Because I am getting a gut feeling that something is off about your health, and what would you lose with a small checkup?" Kaida asked. "This is the third time you are asking the same question. I had already gotten two checkups. What would change in the third?" Itachi asked, due to Kaida''s constant pestering. He had gone through two full body checkups along with chakra scans of his body. There were no problems, aside from some minor fractures which a ninja normally gets from training. So there was actually nothing wrong with him. Whereas Kaida was in a different dilemma. ''You are going to fucking die in the future because of an incurable disease, and I am trying to find it before it reaches that stage. Is it that difficult to let someone save your life?'' Kaida thought, with anger visible in his eyes, which somehow unsettled Itachi a little, like he was being accused of something he had not done. "What?" "Just get this checkup done, and I will not ask anymore," Kaida said. "Okay," Itachi said. *** Itachi was lying clothless in front of Mitsuru. One of the reasons he didn''t want to get the scan was seeing Kaida glancing from around the corner. Mitsuru chuckled and said, "Don''t worry, I am going to take good care of your boyfriend." "Sensei, please focus on the task. Jokes can wait." "You are no fun anymore," Mitsuru said as she started scanning Itachi''s body from top to bottom. "¡­" Itachi was just laying motionless when Mitsuru completed the scan and said, "He is perfectly fine." Itachi was about to sit straight when Kaida cut Mitsuru off. "Sensei, please scan his chakra network as well. I think there is something wrong with him," Kaida said. "It is? Or are you making an excuse so that you can find a reason for your lo¡­" Mitsuru was making another joke before her words stopped. ''BINGO,'' Kaida thought as Mitsuru''s expression turned serious. "Nurse, bring me Seikakusa, Hikarihana, and Kikiryuu right now," there was seriousness in her voice. "Is there something wrong, ma''am?" Itachi asked, a little worried from Mitsuru''s expression. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I am not sure. Wait a little. I will tell you soon," Mitsuru said in a sisterly voice, trying to soothe her little brother. Soon the nurse brought the herbs, along with water and needles. Mitsuru quickly made a concoction and dipped the needles in that, then using those to poke Itachi at various points. Soon many veins bulged on Itachi''s body, and his eyes and back started to hurt a lot. "Ma''am, it is hurting too much," Itachi said. "I can see," Mitsuru said with a sigh as she fed Itachi something, resulting in him going back to normal. "What was all that?" Itachi asked. Chapter 325: family "How were you able to sense that?" Mitsuru asked Kaida, ignoring Itachi''s question altogether, which only resulted in his increased worry. Because with things said and done, he was just an 11-year-old boy, and seeing a doctor¡ªnot just any doctor, but one of the best Konoha has¡ªdoing this, he was understandably worried. "What do you mean, sensei? Is he really sick? What happened to him?" Kaida asked. Since it was never exactly stated in the anime about Itachi''s illness, Kaida was actually curious as well as worried whether it was one of the diseases which could be treated in early stages or not. Because in his previous life, even diseases like cancer could be treated if they were identified early. So he was hoping for such a case with Itachi as well, but Mitsuru''s behavior was increasing his worries as well. "Huh! Don''t worry, you are not in danger... for now. The disease you are having is very... unique. This is known as Chakritis, a chakra decay disease common among clans like Uzumaki and Senju because of their potent chakra. In later stages, it is almost fatal. Luckily, you are still at the beginning. Even though I have to do some tests to check the exact level of your disease, but it should be curable, so don''t worry," Mitsuru explained. "But if it is common in Uzumaki and Senju, why does he have it?" Kaida asked. "To be clear, it is not common for them as well. One in a hundred has this disease. As for why he has it, I can only guess it is because of his potent chakra and over-training," Mitsuru said. "So what is this disease actually?" Itachi asked. "Your chakra pathways are decaying. But since our chakra also has healing properties, the speed of decay is very slow. So, if left unused, you will not even feel anything for your life. But... when you use chakra for any use, the speed of decay increases, decaying your chakra networks slowly. The ease of your chakra usage will begin to decrease. If left untreated, it will start to pain to use any jutsu. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then at the second stage, it will start affecting your body too, starting from lungs¡ªthe one part we use most during medication and also the one with many tenketsu points as well, resulting in it being targeted first. Your lungs will hurt like crazy, and coughing blood will become the norm. Then it is only a slow and painful death, the more you use your chakra," Mitsuru said with a sigh. "Then isn''t it simple to just not use chakra?" Kaida asked. "Well, some do. But having this disease in itself means your talent as a ninja is exceptional, and very few can resist the temptation to become stronger once they know how it feels. Anyway, I am sure Itachi doesn''t have to worry about such things. He would be fine after treatment, though I will need to do some tests to be sure. Make sure to come back tomorrow at the same time, and just to be on the safe side, don''t use any chakra till I give you permission," Mitsuru said. "But I have already taken some missions..." "Do you want me to have a talk with your father?" "...NO," Itachi said. "Okay, then no chakra till I say. Now you guys can leave," Mitsuru said as she went back to her work, because the hospital was as busy as ever. With Mitsuru gone, Kaida and Itachi decided to walk back home. ¡­ "When are you going to do it?" Kaida asked as they were going toward the Uchiha compound. "What?" Itachi asked. "You are not going to thank me for saving your life. I swear these rich kids take all things for granted," Kaida said, acting like he was some elder talking about a youngling. "It is your duty to serve me, as I am your next master," Itachi said, which resulted in Kaida going wide-eyed. "Wait, did you really try to make a joke? Hah! Is this how you feel seeing kids grow up?" Kaida said, wiping away a fake tear from his face. "You know that I am older than you, right?" Itachi asked. "But I am more powerful," Kaida said. "I was going easy on you during our last fight," Itachi said. "And I was not even trying," Kaida said. "Hahahaha." Kaida and Itachi chuckled as the tension from getting such news faded away. "Thanks. I don''t know how you were able to ''guess'' something like that, but I guess I owe you one now," Itachi said after the laugh. "Don''t worry about it. Anyway, are you going to tell your father about this? Or should I help you with that?" Kaida asked. "Thanks, but I think I can handle that myself," Itachi said. At that, Kaida and he parted ways after a firm handshake. ¡­ "What do you mean, you can''t take missions?" Fugaku asked. "Today Kaida once again came to me..." Itachi reported the scenario to Fugaku without a speck of emotion on his face, because he was talking to the clan head of the Uchiha clan and not to his father at the moment. But as his report progressed, Fugaku''s eyes went wider and wider, with his heartbeat increasing as well. His son had such a dangerous disease. Fugaku rang a bell as soon as Itachi finished his report. "Yes, sir," his secretary came to his office as soon as he did that. "Cancel all of my meetings for today... and tomorrow as well. Also, schedule an official meeting with Lord Third as soon as he is free." "Sir, but you have a meeting with..." "All of my meetings. Am I clear?" Fugaku asked, his pitch increasing a little at the end. "Yes, sir," the secretary said and left the office. "Dad, I am fine, and so fine that I don''t even feel anything at the moment. Also, please don''t ask for any favor. There is really no need for this," Itachi said, clearly understanding what was about to happen. Fugaku was so worried about Itachi''s health that he was going to ask Hiruzen to bring back Tsunade to Konoha for his treatment. And from what he knew about the scenario, Fugaku would have to return this favor with interest. "Do you think I worry about some favor above your health? For now, shut up and come with me. We are going back home," Fugaku said as he and Itachi silently walked back to their house. Even though they didn''t exchange any words, Itachi could easily feel the worry of his father, and he knew the situation was only going to get worse at his house. And man, was he correct. As soon as his mom and little brother found out about the disease, the house was turned upside down, with calling doctors to getting all of medicines and food recommendations. ''That f**ker had to bring this smoke thing up,'' Itachi cursed in his mind. The medical ninja of the Uchiha clan recommended an herb whose smoke was usually used for the cure of the disease. And the next hour, his whole house was filled with the smoke of this herb, with all of the herb purchased by his father not just from Konoha but from nearby villages as well. ¡­ And the person who was behind all this was eating lunch at his house leisurely. ''With this, I have handled one more problem successfully. My super team is coming along well. With Itachi training once again, Might Guy as motivated as always, Shisui''s survival guaranteed, and Itachi''s health secured¡ªjust these people were enough to handle almost all of the stuff the future held. That is, if things happened normally.'' ''But things are not going to be normal with how much I have f**ked all of these scenarios. So let''s keep on increasing the members of this super team...'' "Focus on your food, young man. You can think about whatever you were thinking after eating," Hae said as she saw Kaida deep in thought. "I was just thinking how good the food tastes today, aunt," Kaida said with a smile. "Yeah, yeah." Chapter 326: Check Up In the past 2 months, aside from doing medical work and training, Kaida has also been finding excuses for bringing two of his next teammates into the village, like there is no way he could just raid a village like Kusagakure, which excels in diplomacy, and just say it was out of curiosity¡ªnow can we keep these two people? Well, that was actually his plan, but not that crude. ''There is a war going between Kusagakure and Takigakure. Both of these villages were between Konoha and Iwagakure, resulting in them having suffered multiple times during the wars. But since after the war, they had to choose between Konoha and Iwagakure multiple times, there were also times when they chose different villages, resulting in them having bad blood among them as well.'' As time progressed, it got blown into full-scale hatred. And according to the news Kaida got from the ninjas he was treating¡ªaccidentally, not because he inquired about that at all¡ªKusagakure somehow suddenly became too powerful. Though it is not their strength that has increased, it is just that their ninjas are getting healed at an unnatural pace, and to take advantage of this chance, they have started a war against Takigakure on their own. Obviously, Konoha had nothing to do with that at all. Though one thing that shocked Kaida the most was: ''How the hell does no one know how Kusagakure is getting treated? Shouldn''t other villages be curious about this?'' Though it was a valid doubt, there were many reasons why this was happening. But there was no way Kaida could find them from some low-rank ninjas like Chunin or Jonins. Only higher-ups knew what a village was doing in the shadows, and it was not pretty to share. ''Aside from the reason why they are hidden till now, I don''t want to wait any longer. With war started, it is not long before Karin''s mother will die, and she is too good of a power card to lose for a minor village¡­ Wait, did I really think that a person should be saved because of their usefulness, and not because it is right? I am becoming more and more cold-hearted.'' Kaida thought, and this was true as well. In Konoha hospital, though there were many cases where the ninjas were saved, the number of cases where their hands and legs were crushed before they were brought to the hospital were not small either. In such cases, the ninjas'' careers were almost over. Unless a miracle happens, there is no way they would be able to fight again. The pain they were feeling from the injury became numb to those people when they got this news. The power they worked so hard for is taken away from them; the source of income is also taken away. For clan ninjas, the shock is not that big, but for a civilian ninja who is the sole breadwinner of the family, his whole life shatters at that moment. Seeing the eyes of a living person becoming lifeless is more painful than seeing someone dying truly. The more Kaida saw, the more he accepted his reality, and the more he wanted to save himself and his family from ever having the same feeling. That''s why he was working so hard to get financial stability. Once the business starts running, the price of the land they own will become ten times or even more, and the possibilities of starting new businesses will be endless as well. Just this will be enough for them to have 50 million per month and an amount enough to start or subsidize war in minor villages with finances taken care of. Now the second part was strength, with Shisui and now even himself, that was also complete. ''With brother being Kage level and me having above elite Jonin level strength, the strength is enough for the time being, well till the start of the main storyline that is. So let''s use this time to increase the general power of Konoha as well, so that the thing I am working so hard for remains the same and not become dust in front of some self-proclaimed god.'' Kaida thought. ¡­ (Next day at hospital) "What do you mean you want to take missions? Have you seen the condition of the hospital? You are doing almost 10 percent of the work here. If you suddenly leave, the whole working structure will crumble all of a sudden," Mitsuru said, and she wanted it to be exasperation, but it was not. Kaida was already a specialist-level medical ninja from all of the training and experience. With his chakra reserve and mental capacity, there were times when he even made 40 shadow clones to handle the increased number of cases, though it was his limit as well. But still, 30-40 specialist-level ninjas easily make 10 percent of the top working force of the hospital. "I am not saying I am going today, Sensei. I just want to take some missions as well. You know that conditions have stabilized a lot, and there is no need for such intensity anymore. So, I am sure the hospital will run just fine even without me here," Kaida said. " Fine. Give me 1 week, and I will free your schedule. But come to the hospital in between your missions as well. The situation is not back to normal as well," Mitsuru said. With both Kumo and Iwa pulling their forces back, the number of injured ninjas in the hospital were decreasing day by day. But still, the number of bandits and rogue ninjas are still there, so there is still some time before things really went back to normal. "Don''t worry, Sensei. I will still come three to four days a week," Kaida said with a smile. "Okay, then now go. You still have to complete your duties for one week," Mitsuru shooed Kaida away as she went back to her work. "But Sensei, today you were going to run some tests on Itachi, right?" Kaida asked. "Yeah, he will be here in 1 hour. What, do you want to be there as well?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied. "And what about your patients?" Mitsuru asked. Kaida just smiled and made a shadow clone with almost 90 percent of his chakra, and Mitsuru knew what that meant. "Fine, but you have some important operations lined up as well. Make sure YOU go for them by yourself," Mitsuru said and went back to her work, after Kaida nodded. There was a difference between the shadow clone and Kaida, and that was the Sharingan¡ªa powerful tool that can easily turn an impossible task into an easy one. The operations Mitsuru was talking about were for Jonins, and the hospital didn''t want to take any risks in their cases. Losing a Jonin is like losing a tank¡ªtoo expensive. ¡­ Kaida was going through the disease and its symptoms, present cure, and the level of the disease for one hour when he was informed that Itachi and family are here. "Hello bro," Kaida said, entering the room Itachi was waiting in, only to find Fugaku and Hae sitting with Itachi as well. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Good morning, Clan Head. Hello, Aunt," Kaida quickly changed his joyful tone to a respectful one. "No need to be so formal, Kaida. Today I am not here as Clan Head but as a father¡ªa father whose son''s life is saved by you. I can''t thank you enough," Fugaku said, patting Kaida''s shoulder. "I really did nothing, Uncle. Also, he is my friend, so there is no need for thanks," Kaida said. "As you wish," Fugaku dropped the topic, but not because he was over with it. He simply left it because he was not the person who repaid his favor with words. The favor he got now will be repaid by him. "If the discussions are over, should we start the check-up?" Mitsuru asked, and Kaida could see two other chief medical ninjas of the hospital following her as well, which was almost as rare as seeing an S-rank on an A-rank mission. There was obviously no need for them here, and it was an overkill, but considering who was the person who requested this treatment, it was easily acceptable. "Please all of you sit there," Mitsuru said, pointing toward the chairs. Fugaku and Mikoto went toward the chairs. "I meant you as well, Kaida," she said, turning toward Kaida. "But¡­" "We are more than sufficient enough. Now go and sit. I don''t have all day," Mitsuru said. This time, Kaida just went to the chair. Even though he had not faced the anger of Mitsuru head-on, he had seen its effect multiple times, and it is easy to say that he doesn''t want to be on the side facing the anger. After everyone left the area, three of the best medical ninjas in Konoha began performing tests on Itachi. Mikoto was visibly tense, seeing her son punctured all across his body with needles and getting so many scans. Fugaku was holding her hands, trying to comfort her, but he was worried as well. Just that Kaida could see the tension in his posture. ''These are the parents who simply choose death by their son''s hand without any fight, even though they were more than capable enough to resist if they wanted. Man, this family is weird.'' Kaida thought. But then he focused his eyes on Itachi. From what he had read about the disease, it is easily treatable if it is in the first 3 stages, and the 4th stage needs some operation, though chances of damaging some chakra nerves were high. But still, it could be treated in that stage as well. The main problem arises at the 5th and later stages. Kaida desperately hoped it was not at that stage yet. As the time progressed, his worries¡­ Chapter 327: Fourth Stage As the time progressed, his worries subsided. He was not at stage 5 till now, though it was still bad, and he was not the only one who could tell. "What happened?" Fugaku asked from the seat. "Fugaku-sama, there is nothing to be worried about. He is not at the stage where it becomes incurable; we can still treat him," one of the chief medical ninjas said. "I can see you guys are worried about something. Tell me the truth, what happened?" Fugaku asked once again. Mitsuru stopped another doctor who was about to say something. "Fugaku-sama, there are many stages of this disease, and from stage 5 and forward, it becomes incurable and deadly. Luckily, he is still not at those stages. "The stages from 1 to 3 are safe and could be treated easily with just medicines and some other techniques. It is the stage 4 that lies in the gray zone. It is still curable, but the disease has spread enough that no medicine will be enough to cure it fully. So, we would need to operate on the infected area, remove the infected part, and stitch it back. If done perfectly, nothing will happen to the patient. But even the slightest mistake may become a big obstacle for his future. His chakra pathway will become damaged; the patient will be able to use chakra, but not with the same ease as before," Mitsuru said. "And let me guess, Itachi is at the 4th stage?" Fugaku asked. "Yes, sir," Mitsuru said. "How much time do we have for the operation?" Fugaku asked. "That is actually a good thing. We have all the time in the world. The disease will not spread until he doesn''t use chakra, so we can take our time. First, we have to put him on medication. After 6 months of medication, he will be fit enough for us to operate, and the chance of a successful operation will also increase. "Though the medicine will be a little expensive," Mitsuru said. "And you think I will care?" Fugaku asked. "I am talking from your perspective, sir. Nobody makes medicine for this disease in Konoha. You know about the Village of the Howling Wolf, right?" Mitsuru asked. "Yes, the one at the end of the Land of Lightning. I have heard about it quite a few times," Fugaku said. Mitsuru nodded and then continued. "There is a clan in that village known as the Kodon Clan. Only they make medicine for this disease, and from what I know, they somehow use their lifeforce for it. "That''s why the price of this medicine is not going to be cheap, especially considering how long he has to take it," Mitsuru said. "Ma''am, can you give me an estimate about the cost?" Itachi asked. "You don''t have to worry about that. Go back to our home. I will come back after some time," Fugaku said, with his strict tone leaving no room for discussion. It was true that the Uchiha Clan was rich, very rich. But the Uchiha Clan and Fugaku''s family were two different things. He could use clan funds for his personal use, and there was not actually a need for that as well. With his strength along with Itachi''s missions across the years, and the wealth his family had accumulated till now, he was among the richest people of the village. So there was no actual need for him to worry about anything. At most, he would just need to sell some of his properties. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "But dad¡ª" "No buts, young man. Go and rest. Also, don''t even think about using any chakra," Fugaku said. "Let''s go, son. You can leave these things to your father," Mitsuru said with a smile and took Itachi back. "So, do you know about the price of the medicine?" Fugaku asked as soon as Itachi left. "Yes, around 4-5 million Ryo per month. So for six months'' worth of medicine, you would need around 25-26 million Ryo," Mitsuru said. "That is doable. Can I count on the hospital to get those medicines?" Fugaku asked. "Yes, we would arrange it. And if you want, you can send someone to verify the price as well¡­" one of the elders was speaking when¡ª "There is no need for that. I trust you guys. I will send the price of the first batch tomorrow. Please arrange the medicines as fast as you guys can," Fugaku said, getting a nod in reply. He left the room followed by Kaida. "Uncle, if you have some problem in getting the liquid funds, please don''t think twice about informing us. I am sure Aunt Hae will be more hurt if you don''t do that," Kaida said. "I know, Kaida. But don''t worry. The price is actually not that high and could be arranged. But I will ask for some help if needed," Fugaku said with a smile while patting Kaida''s head like he was his own son. After that, Fugaku left, though there was one more thing he had to do. So instead of going toward the Uchiha Clan, he flickered toward the Hokage building. ¡­ "So, Fugaku, what was the need for this sudden meeting?" Hiruzen asked, a little intrigued by the urgency of Fugaku. "Itachi is suffering from Chakritis and will need to have an operation to get back to perfect health," Fugaku presented the whole scenario completely, not wasting a second of either his or Hiruzen''s time. Hiruzen understood the gravity of the situation. "What stage?" Hiruzen asked, a little worried. For both the Uchiha Clan and the village, losing someone of Itachi''s talent would be a big loss. "He is at stage 4," Fugaku said. Hiruzen sighed, then looked toward Fugaku, who was just staring back, not saying anything further. After 10 minutes of a staring contest, Hiruzen sighed. "You know I can''t call her back. Her hemophobia is too much now. She can''t treat anyone in such a case," Hiruzen said. "I will put her in a genjutsu myself. She will not see a single drop of red blood for the whole operation. And all said and done, I don''t even want her to do anything. She could just guide others during the operation. And if she doesn''t want to come back to the village, I will take everyone to her. "Can you just ask her for that?" Fugaku asked, though his tone was still normal. Hiruzen could still find a little desperation in that. He sighed and asked, "When will the operation take place?" "In 6 months," Fugaku said. "That will be expensive." "I know." "Fine. I will talk to Tsunade, and even though I will try my best to call her back, I can''t guarantee anything," Hiruzen said. "That much is fine, Lord Third," Fugaku said and stood up. "After this, the Uchiha Clan will be an ally of the Sarutobi Clan," Fugaku said and left. The implications were clear. The request he had made was from Hiruzen Sarutobi and not from the Third Hokage because no Hokage could order Tsunade, but her sensei can. So his payment was also for him. "Ally, huh!" Hiruzen said, taking out his smoking pipe from his desk as he called one ANBU ninja and told him to get a full report about this from the hospital. ¡­ (After one week¡­) A lot of things happened in this one week. Kaida and his family hired many architects who discussed many things with the family along with the Nara ninjas to make the best design possible, along with increasing the functionality of every part of the stadium to the max. After which they hired various construction companies according to the suggestions of Nara ninjas once again, to increase the construction speed by dividing the tasks and working hours. Aside from this, the condition of the Fire Country also became normal once again. Many rogue ninjas left the country since the support from the major villages stopped all of a sudden. And facing Konoha without that was just pure suicide. With them gone, culling out bandits was just time-consuming but easy for Konoha. And then there was the case of Itachi, who was living the most boring phase of his life. Aside from eating various medicines and taking many medicinal baths, he was only reading books. Not a single exercise, even though doctors said that some physical exercise was fine. Mitsuru strictly forbade him from doing anything, at least not until she got confirmation from doctors that he was improving. Kaida had visited Itachi once, and aside from the thanks, he also got: ''Nice plan. Since I can''t train now, you can now try to catch up to me now'' from Itachi. Man, he really is improving. No longer the usual strict Itachi, he was trying to make some jokes now. Though it may have been his personality with those who were close to him from the start anyway. Aside from all this, one more thing started. Kaida was standing in front of his, a completed mission report in his hand. He was taking bandit extermination missions now, and the direction¡ªtoward the Land of Lightning or Land of Sand. In two days, he had completed 3 missions, each with an estimated time of 3-4 days, just showing how much he had strained his chakra to complete them this early. And the reason for this¡­ Chapter 329: Finally everyone is chunin It would not be an understatement to say that Kaida was eagerly waiting for this news. Finally, he could resume many of his plans, but that letter was not the end of the good news either. "Also, Yomi is going to take her Chunin exam tomorrow," Shisui said, patting her head. "Really? Did you revise your syllabus? What about the geography and political theory? You said you wanted more time for that," Kaida asked. "It has already been one week from that time. I have already completed the syllabus twice. Now that the exam could be taken after so long, I don''t want to wait and miss this chance. Otherwise, I would have to wait for who knows how long once again," Yomi said. "If you are prepared, then there is no need to wait anyway. I was just a little worried," Kaida said. "I know! Oh, and Ryota asked me to tell you that he will be taking his Chunin exam with me as well, so you two will be in the same rank once again. I think he will be a ''little'' shocked hearing the news of your latest promotion," Yomi chuckled. "Oh, I should be the one to share this wonderful news with my friend then," Kaida said, sharing the chuckle with Yomi. "You don''t have time for that, young man. Your promotion will also take place in 1 week; you should also prepare for that," Shisui said. "But I don''t have any test to take. You know this is a reward, a reward from Hokage himself," Kaida said with a smile. "I know what it is, but I don''t want others to think of you as some brute who got this position from just power alone, so here." Shisui passed chakra into the storage seal. Suddenly, tens of books appeared in front of him and Kaida. "You have to complete all of them in one week. You better start now," Shisui said. "One week is too much for such a small task," Kaida said with a smirk. Even though there was no reason for him to study all this, there was also no reason for not doing it. With things settled, there was no need for him to invest too much of his time in the hospital. He was just sending a clone there now anyway, and his training in jutsu was going smoothly. So most of his time was free anyway. Because of this, it was actually better to read everything necessary to become a Jonin than regret it later. "You will be brain dead if you used Shadow Clone to learn all this in one day," Shisui said. "Even if I used this?" Kaida asked, taking out a medicine he got by spending almost 150,000 Ryo per capsule. But it was all worth it because of the single effect of the medicine: Don''t get it wrong¡ªit doesn''t make you smart, just increases the capacity of your brain to process things at a faster rate and at higher load capacity. "I know it is a good medicine, but it is too expensive to use it for something like this," Shisui said, sighing seeing his brother spending so much so easily while he had to consider so much when he was at his age. "I know, brother. I was just kidding. I am going to take my time and learn all this slowly," Kaida said. With the medicine, he could easily make 100-plus shadow clones and each of them learning a book while helping each other understand it as well, completing the task in just one day. But even without the pill, making forty shadow clones for this purpose was not hard. Any more than that would increase the headache too much, and headache is one of the worst kinds of pain, which one would usually avoid if they can. ¡­ (Next day) "Hello Kaida, where were you for so long?" "Hey there, buddy," Kaida gently patted Kiba''s head, who was almost as big as a normal dog now, and it was still not an adult. "I was busy saving lives, not like certain someone who couldn''t find time to meet this friend," Kaida turned to Ryota. "In my defense, when I tried to find you, I got 20 different locations and even all of them were busy." "Yeah, last couple of months have been really tiring." "You don''t know, man. I had to go on one mission after another with various teams. Luckily, I got a rest of 1 month, but my dad got me three tutors for this exam. I really am exhausted beyond belief. After all this, I am going to take a long break and go camping," Ryota said with a big smile. "Count me in," Kaida added. "The exam will start in 15 minutes!" Yomi shouted from the front of the gate. "Best of luck, both of you," Kaida said with a smile. "Thanks!" ¡­ (After 5 hours) "Who the hell asks about the relation between Tanigakure and Shimogakure? They are not even close to each other!" Ryota cried on his way out of the exam hall. "Yeah, but they had a history of war, and there is no new news of their alliance, so we could conclude that they are enemies," Yomi said while trying to remember other questions. "Man, I don''t know if I will pass this or not," Ryota sighed. came the voice of Kiba from under the tree where he and Kaida were waiting for Ryota and Yomi. "How were your tests?" Kaida asked. "It was fine. I think I will pass," Yomi said with a smile. "Man, I wish I could say the same thing, but I can''t. If I fail this test, my old man will kill me. He had invested so much for this exam." "You are taking too much tension, Ryota. You can always take this exam in 6 months," Kaida said. "I am sure you will pass, don''t worry," Yomi said after giving Kaida a smack on his head. "Oh! Yeah, you will definitely pass," Kaida corrected his words. "Yeah, we will find out soon anyway," Ryota said with a shrug, because in just 10 minutes, a ninja came out of the center and pasted a list on the board. "I don''t wanna check. Kaida, just check it out for me," Ryota said, sitting with Kiba in the shade of the tree. Kaida nodded and went with Yomi to check the scores. Out of 200 who had taken the exam, only 30 passed. Yomi was third in the list; first two spots were taken by Nara ninjas, while Kaida kept on searching, and at last, at 30th position was Ryota''s name. "Bro, you passed! Barely, but you passed!" Kaida said with so much enthusiasm that one might think he was the one who passed. But before they could celebrate, one more announcement was made. "Those who have passed the first round, go to Training Area 12. You will have your second round there. As for those who didn''t, just practice a little more and you will be able to clear it in the next attempt," the examiner said and went back. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Let''s go then. Celebration can wait till you guys become Chunin," Kaida said, and three of them left for the Training Area. The test was relatively simple: they just had to fight a Jonin and show some elemental attacks. Both Ryota and Yomi were able to do that easily. And as for sparring with a Jonin, there was no need to win, of course. They just had to show how they would do against a foe stronger than them, and after the test, both of them came with smiles on their faces. "We are Chunin finally!" Ryota said with joy in his voice. Both of his parents were ninja and were out for the mission, so he could only share this happiness with his friends. "Great, all of us can be Chunin for at least 5 days together," Kaida said. "Yes... wait a minute, what do you mean 5 days?" Ryota took a second to process Kaida''s words. "Oh, you don''t know? I am going to become a Jonin in 5 days. It was a reward promised to me by Lord Third if we did great in the Chunin exam in Kumogakure," Kaida said with a smirk. "You son of a ! I worked my ass off to finally become a Chunin to catch up to you, and now you are skipping a whole level of elite Chunin and directly becoming a Jonin? How is that fair?" Ryota cried. "Life is not fair, child," Kaida said with a sage-like expression. "Put these wise words up your¡ª" "Why don''t we go and celebrate our promotion than focusing on little things?" Yomi stopped Ryota in the middle and dragged them to the nearby restaurant. Chapter 330: From Chunin to Jonin After having their fill along with some small banter and Ryota''s claim that he would also soon reach Jonin position and Kaida wouldn''t be the only one to always remain ahead, Kaida took the challenge happily. They returned to their houses, where Hae and others were waiting for Yomi to return. As soon as they opened the door¡ª "Congratulations!" everyone shouted as the ribbon which Shisui blasted fell on the ground before Yomi. "Thank you, but how did you guys know that I passed the test? Did Kaida mention it?" Yomi asked. "Nope, we were already sure that you would be able to become Chunin easily, with the amount of hard work you have put into it," Hae said gently, patting Yomi''s head. "Congratulations, sis! I also knew you would pass," Naruto said, passing a handmade card to Yomi. "Thanks, brother," Yomi gave a happy smile and patted Naruto''s head. "Guah!" came a voice from the background. "Oh! Yes, he has also prepared something for you," Shisui said with a smirk. Hearing that, Yomi nodded with a smile and went toward the backyard followed by everyone, only to be surprised by what she was seeing. The bear had a full leg piece on his plate, completely untouched. With how much he loved his food, it was not an overstatement that he had taken a huge amount of willpower to stop himself from eating that food for so long. "You saved your best piece for me! Thank you so much, but you know I can''t eat this much. Let''s share it, okay?" "Guah!" came a joyous reply. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "So cute, but you are still going to train with me from tomorrow," Kaida said. "Guah!" Kenta roared in defiance, but seeing no change in Kaida''s smile, it could only turn to Hae and release another plea. "He''s right, Kenta. You are getting fat¡ªa little exercise will be good for you," Hae said. In return, Kenta made a face none of them present there thought was possible for him to make. It was the look of betrayal a 5-year-old child would give when his mother tells him that he is adopted. Even though it was super funny, none of them laughed, because they were sure Kenta would start crying at that. Because of only eating two times a day and sleeping for the rest of the time, Kenta was gaining weight faster than should have been biologically possible, now appearing more like a round furry ball. While it looked exceptionally cute, it was not healthy or practical. That''s why Kaida decided to put Kenta on a strict exercise schedule from then on, though it kept pushing it further. So Kaida had given it time until Yomi''s exam to get ready. "Don''t worry, exercise is from tomorrow. Today we are going to have a party," Yomi said, patting its head, bringing back a little life to its face, and in turn bringing smiles to everyone''s faces as well. ... Things progressed normally for one week, with everyone focusing on their tasks. Yomi also had to take a group of three genin for a mission, all of them older than her, and being part of the Genin force of Konoha¡ªthe ninja who didn''t have much talent and were not able to reach the level of Chunin even after giving their best for years. They comprised the majority of force of every village, with only a few becoming Chunin or even fewer ever becoming Jonin. Such people were normally put under a chunin and took C or sometimes B rank missions once or twice a week, to get enough money to live a mediocre life. Aside from the mission Yomi took, there was nothing out of the ordinary, until at last a message came to three houses in Konoha, with the Hokage''s seal on it, making it an official letter. The contents of the letter were simple¡ªthey were being promoted to Jonin rank due to their exceptional merits in the chunin exam, and they had to be present in the Hall of Leaf, a fancy name for a building used for such promotions, near the Hokage monument. Getting the letter, both Kaida and Kabuto were super happy, though their reasons were different. Kabuto was happy that he would now have enough money to effectively help his orphanage, whereas Kaida was happy that he could finally complete some of his plans. But the third person who got this letter was in a gray zone¡ªeven though he was happy, that happiness was doused by the fact that he would not be able to do anything even after becoming a Jonin. Being a prodigy, he was a person who had been using Chakra from the time he was just four, always performing physical tasks way above the limit of his physical body. One could say he had gotten a proper taste of what power felt like. Now if you tell such a person not to use chakra for even a second, he would live the most boring phase of his life then and there, and there was nothing he could do. Not when he was seeing his father liquidating some of their family shops for funds for his medicines. Even though getting 3-4 million per month wasn''t a big deal for their family, most of it was going to other business. They didn''t have much liquid funds at hand, and Fugaku sold two of their family shops in the main central part of Konoha for the funds. Being the clan head of one of the most powerful clans, he had a reputation to maintain, so there was no way he was going to ask for it from the clan''s funds, even though he could easily do that. Itachi was the clan''s most prized ninja, comparable to Shisui, so no one would raise a single complaint if money was taken for his healthcare, but Fugaku, being an upright father, couldn''t do that. And Itachi, seeing all this, couldn''t bring himself to defy his parents'' order to never use chakra until he was perfectly fine. So he was always controlling his urge and reading books to pass his time, and in such a scenario, there was nothing a Jonin promotion would change other than making him an ill Jonin from an ill Chunin. But there was nothing he could do anyway, so he went to the hall along with Kabuto and Kaida, obviously followed by their family members. In Kabuto''s case, some of the children and orphanage caretaker Nono came too. She was the person who deeply cared for Kabuto and taught him all the medical jutsu he knew till now¡ªshe basically treated him like her son. But as cruel as fate and Danzo could be, he had somehow pitted her against Kabuto during a mission, in which Kabuto killed her thinking her an enemy, which was one of the major reasons for his personality during the later part of the story. Luckily she was still alive and was managing an overly large orphanage by herself, a very resource-consuming thing. All of her savings from her time as a medical ninja in Root were almost spent, and the orphanage sustained itself from donations and help from the village. While she did some medical work as well to get extra cash, providing for the needs of more than 100 children was a money black hole¡ªno amount was enough, so the living conditions were modest at best. That''s why Kabuto was happy that he could help now. --- The Hall of Leaf lived up to its name, with sunlight streaming through tall windows adorned with the village''s symbol etched in stained glass. The wooden panels along the walls displayed carved scenes of Konoha''s history, from its founding to present day. Three rows of seats faced the raised platform where the Third Hokage sat, flanked by the village council and several distinguished j¨­nin. One of the most powerful and influential groups of Konoha, it had to be noted that they were the group responsible for selecting a new Hokage through votes. Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi stood at attention before them, each wearing freshly pressed uniforms. Behind them, their families and supporters filled the guest seats. Nono sat with her orphanage children, who could barely contain their excitement at seeing Kabuto in such an important ceremony. The Uchiha clan members maintained their characteristic dignity, though Mikoto''s eyes along with Fugaku''s shone with pride as they watched Itachi. Shisui, Hae, and Yomi sat together, sharing the same prideful look, just differing in whom they were directed at. Hiruzen Sarutobi rose from his seat, and with his movement, the murmurs in the hall died down as everyone showed proper respect he deserved. "Today, we gather to recognize three exceptional shinobi who have demonstrated skills, judgment, and dedication far beyond their years," his voice carried clearly through the hall. "In times of peace, it becomes even more crucial to nurture those who can protect and guide the next generation. These three have shown not just combat prowess, but the wisdom to know when to use it." His gaze swept over each candidate. "Their exceptional performance in the Chunin exam held in Kumogakure has helped the village in more than one way, and I along with other elders have decided to give them proper reward for such an achievement." The Third Hokage''s eyes lingered briefly on Itachi, a flash of concern crossing his features before he continued. "The rank of j¨­nin carries not just privileges, but heavy responsibilities. You will be entrusted with our village''s most crucial missions and the training of future generations." He gestured for them to step forward. One by one, they knelt before him. "Do you swear to uphold the principles of Konohagakure, to protect its people, and to pass on the Will of Fire to future generations?" "We swear," their voices rang out in unison. "Do you accept the responsibilities of a j¨­nin, to lead by example and place the village''s needs above your own?" "We do." Hiruzen nodded, satisfaction evident in his expression. "Then by the authority vested in me as the Third Hokage, I hereby promote you to the rank of j¨­nin." As they rose, three senior j¨­nin stepped forward, presenting each with a new flak jacket ¨C darker green than their chunin vests, with additional utility pockets marking their new rank. That, along with new headbands much harder and having better seals than previous headbands, was presented to them as well. The hall erupted in applause, the orphanage children being particularly enthusiastic in their cheering for Kabuto. With this, Konoha got three new Jonins in their ranks. Chapter 331: Hope While Konoha was taking their time enjoying their regained peace, at least on the surface, the other villages were not so idle ... "Sir, both Iwa and Suna have brought back their forces from Fire country as well, and Konoha has already taken care of most of the bandits and rogue ninja we were able to plant in the Fire country. In a sense, they are now more safe than before," Mabui said. "So Konoha is back to their shell, I guess?" A asked. "Yes sir, and according to the recent report from our spies, they have brought back most of their forces to recuperate, with only the border having the same number of forces as before. Hokage is not taking any chances in that regard," Mabui continued. "So what do you think, Mabui, is this much damage enough for Konoha?" A asked. "Not at all sir. As far as damage is concerned, Konoha has not actually sustained any substantial damage at all. The most they have lost is just a couple dozen genin and some unfortunate chunin¡ªa force insignificant to even weakened Konoha, let alone today''s Konoha which is going back to its prime at a rapid rate," Mabui said. "Yes, with the stunt they have pulled, it is a very light loss, and if they got away with such an easy price, they may get many more bold ideas in the future as well," A said, leaning back in his chair. "Sir, you are not thinking of sending our forces back to Fire country, right? Our losses are already on the higher side. We have lost 2 jonin and 5 chunin and many more genin during our plans to attack Konoha. With Shisui of the Body Flicker active, the losses have been mounting like crazy, and we can''t commit to an attack like that," Mabui said. "I know, but that will be the case if we took the same approach. How about this?" A said, passing a letter to Mabui. "Sir, this will bring us very close to launching a full-blown Great Ninja War," Mabui said. "But Konoha will not start the war," A said, shrugging his shoulders. Even though it was a known fact that Konoha was almost back to its previous strength, the key point was ''almost.'' Like other great ninja villages, Konoha was also not in a condition to go to war either. Sure, Kiri was in civil war and Sunagakure was an ally, but the situation would become completely different if an actual war started, because Suna would surely become an enemy in a jiffy¡ªtheir alliance was forced in the first place anyway. With other two major villages ready to join at any moment as well, there was no way Konoha could start a war in any case. Understanding this, Mabui nodded her head in understanding. "Send a letter to Onoki, tell him I am willing to cooperate with him for this plan if he is up for it," A said. "And what if he demands some form of compensation for this?" Mabui asked. "Then there is no need to proceed with the discussion anymore. Tell him that if that is the case, then we will drop this plan altogether," A said, because he knew like them, Iwa was also searching to show that doing stunts like the one they did had consequences. "Sir, should we consult with elders for this?" Mabui asked. "I have already informed two grand elders; rest of them will just complicate this further," A said. Mabui nodded her head and left the office. With her task clear, there was no time for her to waste anymore. ''Let''s see how you react to this, Hiruzen,'' A thought. ... With a letter in front of him, Onoki was sitting in front of Iwa''s councils. "Sir, this is too risky, and if Konoha actually decides to attack, then the losses will be tremendous for us," one of the elders said. "And you think they have military strength to fight Kumo and us at the same time?" "Also, two of their S-rank are not with Konoha anymore, with the third one dead." "Tsunade can be brought back if the situation becomes dire, and we don''t know if Orochimaru actually defected. It may very well be a ploy, and he can become a variable during the war." "Also, there is talk of Fugaku being an S-rank now. An S-rank Uchiha will be a menace on the battlefield, let alone two." "And do you think we are weak? So what if they have S-rank ninjas? We are not weak either. Also, we can''t allow Konoha to continue their earlier stunt; otherwise, we will lose much more than just some business partners." The discussion continued, but Onoki was sitting there with his mouth shut and his hands massaging his own back. After 10 minutes of hearing non-stop banter from the elders, Onoki finally sighed and said: "We all know that we were planning something like this anyway. Now that we can ally with Kumo, there is nothing wrong with it. Even though I would have liked Kumo to take the initiative, they have made their intent clear that if we don''t participate, they will also fall back, which is a very bad outcome. Because if that happened, we can''t attack Konoha on our own. Even though Kumo will also not want to give Konoha so much breathing room either, we can''t bet on Raikage''s volatile nature for this either. So we don''t actually have a choice in this matter. So why the hell are you guys taking so much time to reach such a simple conclusion?" Being a fence-sitter for so long, the higher-ups of Iwa had become very mild in their approach against any enemy, which though having benefits in some cases, couldn''t always be used, and this was one such scenario. ''I really worry about the time when I will not be here; these fools will be responsible for handling Iwagakure,'' Onoki thought. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "But Tsuchikage-sama, if we agree to this, then who are we going to send for this mission?" one of the elders asked. "Kitsuchi and Deidara will lead the mission along with 5 squads of chunin, each led by an elite jonin, and 20 tokubetsu jonin and 3 medical ninjas." Everyone became shocked by this. Committing such a force for an attack was rare even during times of war, let alone in time of peace. If they lost this force, it would not be an overstatement that Iwa would be the one to suffer. "Sir, both Deidara and Kitsuchi are irreplaceable assets of the village. We can''t put them up for such a dangerous mission. What if Kumo uses this chance to weaken us?" one of the elders said. "Do you think Raikage or Kumo is so dumb that they will try to start a death conflict with us when our common enemy is getting powerful every second? A may be hot-headed, but he is by no means a fool. Also, Kitsuchi doesn''t need anyone''s worry¡ªhe didn''t become military commander of Iwa by playing safe in Iwagakure. As for Deidara, he needs some challenges to grow. With how much training he has been doing after coming back from the Chunin exam, I think this is the perfect opportunity to put it to good use," Onoki said. With such sound reasoning, there was nothing the elders could say anymore, and they agreed to the proposal. With this, an impromptu alliance between Iwa and Kumo was formed against Konoha. ... "My mom has not recovered from previous healing, please wait some time and let her recover, please!" a small girl not older than 6 years cried. Her vibrant red hair, though messy, was strikingly full of energy. "Move aside, girl. We don''t have time for this," the ninja she was pleading against mercilessly pushed her aside and brought in three injured ninja along with him. One of them was at jonin rank while the other two were of elite chunin rank, though it was by the standards of a minor village. If they were in any major village, even considering them chunin would have been a stretch. But for a minor village, they were assets¡ªthough not strong ones, but still assets. That''s why they were here. All three of them had various injuries on their bodies, along with low chakra reserves. In front of them lay a woman having striking similarity to the girl crying at the doors. With her red hair tied, she was sitting on her bed, but the vibrancy of life that accompanied those red hairs was missing in her. She was both low on chakra and utterly exhausted as this was the 12th time in a day she was going through this procedure. Without wasting any time, the three injured ninja bit the arm of the lady, their injuries healing at a pace visible to the naked eye while their chakra reserves filled back in no time. The lady''s face went a little more pale after that. Even though she had shared her chakra with more than 50 ninjas, it was not her chakra reserves that were empty. On the contrary, they were still more than half filled¡ªit was her life force that was at its limit. Healing so many people continuously took a toll on her, and it was just going to get worse. "Mom, are you alright? Please mom, let me heal you. I don''t want to lose you," the girl came running back after the ninja left. "I am perfectly fine, Karin, so don''t cry, my child," Reina Uzumaki, one of the last surviving members of the Uzumaki clan, said, with her shaking hand wiping away the tears of her daughter. "Mom, let''s run away from here. This place is very bad; all of the people here are so selfish," Karin cried. "We don''t have any place to go, my child. Now this is our home, and don''t worry¡ªthings will get better once this war is over," Reina said. With their Uzumaki bloodline, they couldn''t go to any major village, because other villages would become wary of them and would try their best to eliminate them. No village would want their enemy village to get a powerful clan like the Uzumaki clan among their ranks, so their best bet was to stay hidden here, hoping that things would become easier once the war was over. Chapter 332: Mission Aside from using two Uzumakis for their gains, Kusagakure was also having another meeting. "Konoha has left us to fend for ourselves for so long. Why do we have to keep depending on them? This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer, Kusakage-sama, please consider it," Ryoshi Kageyama, the first elder of Kusagakure, said with a highly compelling tone. "But allying with Iwagakure will mean we are betraying Konoha. With its recent resurgence, it will be a risk I don''t want to take," Seiryu Nazama, the Kage of Kusagakure, said. "But lord, it is not like we will be against Konoha, and we can always say that it was Iwagakure who forced us into this alliance if things go south," Tsubasa Uchimura, the second elder of Kusagakure and head of one of the strongest families in Kusagakure which contained 20% of jonin of Kusagakure, said. His word carried quite a say in Kusagakure, just below the Kage and the first elder, who was the only other person in their ninja force powerful enough to be considered an elite jonin in a major village, the first one being their Kage. It was apparent to Seiryu that both of the elders had taken Iwa''s side, and some deal had already been made between them, but there was little he could do in this matter. He had asked Konoha for help multiple times by now, but they had turned down his requests multiple times as well. With both his village and Takigakure allied to Konoha, there was little they could actually do. Even though Takigakure was their recent ally, whereas Kusagakure had been allies with Konoha from its foundation, still Konoha decided not to involve them in this matter. Even though he could understand their reasoning for this, by no means did others in his village share his thinking. With two of the major forces already planning on defecting from the alliance, it was getting harder and harder for Seiryu to manage things on his own. At last, he decided to fold in because this time the intention of the elders was clear: either he sided with Iwagakure on his own, or Kusagakure would get a new Kage who would form an alliance with Iwa. But there was one thing he didn''t take into account¡ªKonoha, who had been allies with Kusagakure, was bound to have some spies in it, and some of the spies might be part of the council as well. When Seiryu decided to ally with Iwa on these ministers'' requests and persuasion, a report was sent to Konoha with full details about the events. A mission was posted on Konoha''s mission board, though details about the mission were hidden and only location and type were mentioned. The rest of the information had to be collected by ninja who wanted to take this job from the Hokage himself. ... (Two days before...) After the two of his clan ninjas were promoted to jonin rank, and they were both among the youngest ninja to become jonin in the clan¡ªthough not the record holders but still in the top 10¡ªFugaku himself threw a party, inviting all of the clan. Obviously, Kaida and Itachi were the stars of the show. "So how are you feeling?" Kaida asked as he inhaled his second plate of the most expensive beef available in Konoha. "Shit. Do you know how it feels to not use chakra for so long? I am falling behind so much," Itachi said. "What are you talking about? Who are you falling behind from? You know how many people are jealous of your strength-gaining speed? Just 11 and already a jonin¡ªthere is literally no reason for you to hurry," Kaida said. "Your brother was more powerful than me at this age, also you are younger than me and already so close to my level. He doesn''t want to be the clan head, and Dad has high expectations of me. If I have to be clan head, shouldn''t I be the best? And how can I be the best if I don''t train regularly?" Itachi asked. Listening to that, Kaida could only look toward Itachi. ''I really should forget about the anime. The boy in front of me is not a spy of Konoha in Akatsuki but a young ninja who has too much burden on his shoulders¡ªburden of clan, burden of village, burden of peace¡ªand he is carrying it on his own.'' Seeing Kaida looking toward him in a strange way, Itachi frowned and asked, "What?" "Nothing, you just sounded so childish. Who said you have to be the best among the clan to be the clan head? Until Uncle Fugaku had shown his Mangekyo, many people considered brother to be a tad bit stronger than uncle, but does that in any way change the fact they respected uncle as a clan head? No, all of the Uchiha clan members respect him dearly. A leader doesn''t have to be all-powerful. Sure, strength is important, but what''s more important is respect from the ones you have to lead, understanding their needs, their emotions¡ªand that will be enough for you to be a good clan head," Kaida said coolly. "And how do you know the requirements of being one?" Itachi asked. "Because I am smart," Kaida replied proudly. "Hahaha, well said, boy!" Fugaku laughed as he made his way toward the duo along with Mikoto, Hae, and Shisui. "You don''t have to burden yourself, Itachi. I am already proud of you, son," Fugaku said, placing his hand on Itachi''s shoulder. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Also, don''t compare yourself to him¡ªhe is just... not normal," he continued, pointing toward Shisui. "I will take that as a compliment," Shisui said with a smile, getting a chuckle from the crowd. The party concluded on such a lighter note, and everyone went back to their daily life. Kaida waited two days for things to settle, going to the hospital in the meantime to have some work to do as well. But after waiting for two days, he went to the Hokage building to search for any mission he could get regarding Kusagakure, and lucky for him, there were many present. But most of them were about helping the villagers so that the ninja of Kusagakure could focus on the war. While these were present before his promotion as well, there was a new mission present as well, one that intrigued Kaida a lot. It was a low-rank A-rank mission, which he understood was low-rank from the reward money, which was comparable to a B-rank mission. ''This should be something related to the village itself and not the civilians, but the only problem with this one is this,'' Kaida thought, focusing on the last line of the mission card: If this was not the case, things would have been much better, but with getting a mission related to the infiltration of the village, it would be tough to explain how he found out about the Uzumaki family. So with this as his last option, Kaida picked the mission card and went toward the Hokage office. "Lord Third is busy, please wait for some time. I will call you as soon as he is free," the receptionist said, directing Kaida toward the sofas. After half an hour, he was called into Hiruzen''s office. ... "Why do you want to take this mission?" Hiruzen asked. He was actually happy that this task could be handled this fast because most of his ANBU jonins were already out, and the ones who were not were busy with tasks which couldn''t be transferred to others, so he had to wait for them to come back. But it was the person who was asking for this mission that worried him a little. He had the necessary strength to handle this problem easily¡ªthere was no doubt about that¡ªit was the experience that was the problem. "Lord Third, I have been doing many C and B rank missions these couple of months, and even though I have myself tried to increase the difficulty by completing them as fast as possible, they''re still not enough training for me. So I decided to give A-rank missions a try, but I don''t want to bite more than I can chew. That''s why I chose the easiest one on the board, and since for this mission I had to consult with you as well, I thought it was perfect since if it is out of my league, you would stop me anyway," Kaida replied with the perfect answer he had been preparing for the past 2 months¡ªan answer which was enough to satisfy Hiruzen''s curiosity. Chapter 333: Infiltration "Kaida, this mission is a little complicated. Here we have to show that it was us who did this, but we also can''t leave any proof behind which can point out that it was us who did this." "I think you will need some more experience before attempting such crucial missions," Hiruzen said. Even though he could easily tell Kaida what to do and the job would be done without a problem, there was a slight variable that stopped Hiruzen from doing that ¨C he had decided to choose Kaida for the Hokage candidate position, so he couldn''t be like other ninja who just follow orders. That''s why Hiruzen wanted to check Kaida''s thought process, about how he would handle this problem. "If you say so, Lord Third, but I am a little curious now whether I would be able to meet even the bare minimum criteria for it. Can you please tell me what we have to do in this mission? I want to tell you how I would have attempted it, just to check my level," Kaida asked with a serious expression. Even though he didn''t know why, he could tell that it was a type of test for him. "Okay, let''s assume one of the elders of an allied minor village is trying to persuade them to join another major ninja village. We have to eliminate that elder. Now we have to show that minor village what would happen if they actually broke the alliance, but on the other hand, we can''t leave any evidence behind so they can use that against us politically," Hiruzen explained. Now he was also curious how Kaida would approach this mission. "I think I really am too young for this, Lord Third, because I can only think of some simple approaches regarding this," Kaida said, sulking a little. "Let me hear those simple approaches of yours, Kaida," Hiruzen said. "Well, if I have to do this, there are two ways I will approach this. Since that elder is already trying to persuade them, they already know that he is in alliance with the other major village. In this case, I will just go there, read his memories, let him write a note that he was wrong and he understood his crime and that''s why he is committing suicide, obviously leaving enough signs that it was staged. In the other case, I will do exactly the same thing, just this time, rather than making him write a suicide note, I will leave behind some proof pointing toward Iwagakure, which we can leverage further," Kaida ended his explanation. "And why did you think those were bad ideas?" Hiruzen asked. "Because they are so simple. I am sure you would have been able to come up with something much more detailed and complex, which would help the village better," Kaida said. "But that doesn''t make your ideas bad. In fact, they are really great, so great that I am considering giving this mission to you, and you are also free to choose any of your plans according to the situation you find out," Hiruzen said. "Thank you, Lord Third," Kaida said with a smile, then bowed and left the office. Since the mission was the one Kaida had been waiting for quite some time, he left in an hour just after informing his family, mainly Hae and Yomi, about his mission and then jolting away toward Kusagakure. ''Man, I hope they are alright. I don''t want to reach there after Karin''s mother dies, it would be such a huge loss, and her death would be totally meaningless, dying for a war of a minor village, a war that would end as soon as a single S-rank ninja appears on the battlefield. Losing an Uzumaki for such a meaningless war would be the epitome of foolishness,'' with such thoughts in his mind, he raced through the field. Since he had to cross a country and go to another for this mission, this one was going to take way longer than his other missions. "Hey, why are you sleeping? It is just the start of our night shift," one of the guards said, standing upright in front of Kusagakure. "Because I have been doing this job for the past 3 months. Not a single person uses this gate to enter our village, not even spies. You will become like me too when you complete your first month." Before the first guard could reply, a small rustling sound came from the bushes. "What was that sound?" he asked. "It must have been some small animal. What do you think, an enemy ninja will be foolish enough to make such sound even if they want to enter our village?" the second guard laughed. "You are taking this job way too lightly," the first guard said, cursing the higher-ups who had made this fool the guard. So what if he is the son of an elder? While having a burning desire to kick him in the nuts, the first guard went to check the sound. Even though he himself had thought that it must have been some animal, when he reached there, all he saw was two pairs of red glowing eyes. Normally, any ninja with even a tad bit of experience of war would look away with the first glimpse of those eyes IF they could, that is. But sadly for this ninja, he was just a genin, a talented one by minor village standards but still a genin. As soon as he saw those eyes, his mind became blank. "What is it?" "..." "Hey, I asked what is it?" "..." "I swear if this is your way to make me move, then you will regret..." If the first guard was inexperienced, this one couldn''t even be compared, and he also became still as soon as he saw those pairs of red glowing eyes with 3 tomoe rotating in them. "Man, these Sharingans really are cheats. If I''m not fighting an S-rank ninja, an undying man, a self-proclaimed god, a god''s son, a real god... If I''m fighting normal ninja... Well, that aside, what should we do now?" Kaida said it out loud. He had already searched the parameters; there was not even a trace of a ninja coming toward this direction, so he was a little relaxed. "First, let''s search for a place to get intel," Kaida said and started scanning the mind of the second guard. ''Well, all things considered, Kusagakure is still an ally of Konoha. I can do it a little favor by removing this lazy fool from their ranks, but sadly for them and luckily for him, they decided to betray us, so I will let you live to go and destroy the village,'' Kaida thought, but his eyes turned deadly the next second. With his Sharingan activated, he looked into the lifeless eyes of the second guard and said, "But put your hand on any civilian once again, and I will give you a death so gruesome you will cry in your ten next lives and will be born without your jewels too." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even though both guards were in a complete blank state at the moment, they both shuddered at that, and the one it was directed at pissed his pants. But since Kaida didn''t want to announce his visit to the village, he let the fool live, who once again reminded him that this was the world where there was no such thing as justice, and the one who had power was the one who decided the fate of others. And for that, he left quite a good mental note in the first guard''s mind. With the information he wanted now in his mind, Kaida went inside the village. After 10 minutes of his departure, both guards came back to their senses, but with a new memory: they both went to check for the sound, and it was just a small fox, but the second guard got spooked by it and pissed in his pants. "Hahaha!" "Shut up, it was an accident, and why the hell is my head aching so much?" "Yeah, nice try. Don''t worry, I''m not going to tell anyone about this. Why don''t you go and change?" "Hmph!" Chapter 334: Inside the enemy territory Kaida melded into the shadows of Kusagakure''s narrow streets, his footsteps silent against the worn pathways. The village''s architecture was a unique mix of traditional wooden structures and newer concrete buildings, all intertwined with the massive grass stalks which went along with the name of the village - Kusagakure - the village hidden in grass. Under the cover of darkness, these towering plants cast intricate shadows that made perfect hiding spots. That''s why Kaida didn''t even have to transform into a Kusagakure shinobi and just went into the village in his normal uniform, though he had already stored his headband and now wore an Iwagakure headband - a copy he brought along with many other things, just in case he had to go with his second plan. ''Luckily Kusagakure is really exploiting the Uzumaki family, so even a low-level guard knows their location. Otherwise, I would have had to search a little more seriously. According to the guard''s memories, the Uzumaki family lives in the eastern district,'' Kaida thought, forming a familiar hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu," he whispered, and a perfect copy materialized beside him having more than 70 percent of his chakra. "You know what to do," Kaida muttered to his clone. The duplicate nodded and headed toward the village center, where the elder''s residence stood. Their plan was simple but effective ¨C while Kaida located Karin and her mother, his clone would gather intelligence on the elder who was pushing for an alliance with Iwagakure. Moving through the eastern district, Kaida noticed the stark difference in living conditions. Unlike the well-maintained central areas from where he had just passed, these streets were poorly lit and showed signs of neglect. Though his Sharingan picked up traces of chakra signatures everywhere ¨C security seals, detection barriers, and surveillance jutsu, though basic, were even present in these run-down places, the same places which didn''t even have proper lighting. ''Well, even though it is a minor village, that still doesn''t change the fact that it is a ninja village. They are serious about security, even though it is really basic. Covering the whole village in seals must have been tough; I need to make sure not to set off some alarm or something,'' he noted. Meanwhile, his clone had reached the administrative district. The elder''s compound was a traditional mansion, its gardens meticulously maintained. From his elevated position on a nearby rooftop, the clone observed the guards'' patrol patterns and started making mental notes of the elder''s schedule. Back in the eastern district, Kaida had his Sharingan activated, looking for the house in the memories of the guard. ''That has to be them. No one else in this district would have chakra reserves this large,'' he thought, looking toward the house. Inside were two chakra signatures - one, which was smaller of the two, was nearly thrice his chakra reserve, let alone the larger one which was almost 12 times larger. And it had to be noted that none of them were actual ninja, just normal Uzumakis. With a sigh in his heart, Kaida continued to monitor the house in which the Uzumaki family was living. It was a modest two-story building, its exterior deliberately weathered to appear abandoned. ''Clever. They''re hiding in plain sight.'' As he drew closer, he detected multiple layers of protective seals ¨C not standard Kusagakure patterns which were laughably simple. No, they were clearly advanced; in fact, they were so complex that Kaida couldn''t even comprehend even 10 percent of the seals, and the ones he could were those which were most likely set by Kusagakure, which were somehow integrated into a much larger and complex array. ''Definitely Uzumaki''s fuinjutsu,'' Kaida thought, leaving behind any thoughts of entering the building mysteriously and silently taking the ladies out. ''That looks like a nice spot,'' Kaida thought, looking toward a house in the area which had a clear view of the Uzumaki family''s house but was also not very big. Without wasting any time, Kaida went toward the house, entering it like he owned it. As soon as he entered, the man inside, a thirty-year-old with a fairly decent build, was spooked by the sudden appearance of someone in his house. But as soon as he saw the headband of the ninja who had entered his house, he quickly went for the pouch in the drawer right next to his chair, most likely for weapons. But he had already made the fatal mistake of looking toward the face of the intruder. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just below the headband were two glowing eyes, eyes that looked both beautiful and deadly in his dimly lit room, but he was not given any time to either appreciate the beauty or fear the implications of those eyes. His hand froze mid-air, and then he went back to calmly sit at the table. Kaida gave a cursory read to his memory. ''Just some genin retired after sustaining injuries, lives alone, wife died, no children... man, you are one depressed fellow. Fine, since I am going to use your home for some time, let me repay this favor to you,'' Kaida thought and put him under a genjutsu. The moment he would wake up, he would feel full of energy and want to achieve something in his life. Kaida had given him a basic version of the Taijutsu style as well, the one he was using before joining the Uchiha clan. With his already decent chakra reserve, he could become a Chunin, only in a minor village, but still, and also move on with his life. Kaida patted the shoulder of the man whose eyes closed on the chair itself. He was going to sleep for 12 hours, and even after he woke up, he would just eat, drink, and go back to sleep. ''I have to remember to bring him out of genjutsu before leaving Kusagakure,'' Kaida thought before placing the man in his room, and then went to the hall from where the Uzumaki family house was crystal clear. After that, Kaida made a shadow clone to keep watch at the house, while he went to the sofa to get some much-needed rest after a journey of hundreds of kilometers and doing so much work while keeping his Sharingan active most of the time to search for seals or any possible ninja who could find him. This had taken a toll on both his mind and body, so with his eyes closing and two of his shadow clones keeping watch on two of his targets in Kusagakure, a silent night passed in Kusagakure. ... "What do you mean Iwagakure doesn''t want to share the resources now? It was the deal we had!" the elder spoke in an angry voice. "Sir, this is what they said. Takigakure is ready to ally with them with just half of the resources you have been asking, so they are thinking of supporting them," the messenger said. "And you think Konoha will just sit on their ass if that happened? Our relation with Konoha is still rock solid; there is no way Iwa could openly do that," the elder said. "Elder, Konoha is already facing silent attacks from 3 major villages. Do you really think they have time to consider about a minor village?" the messenger asked. "..." "Looks like I have to show all of my cards for Kusagakure to get any benefits," the elder said out loud and then gestured for the messenger to leave. Being the first elder of Kusagakure and second most powerful person in the village, he could easily get a messenger inside the village. Due to that, he was having the conversation with the messenger from Iwa inside his house. After the messenger left, his son, who was almost 30 years old and was already a Jonin of Kusagakure, appeared from the backdoor of the meeting room. "Father, Kage-sama gave strict orders about not disclosing the information of those mother and daughter to anyone. Are you really going to go against him?" "Not for now. They are really useful, and if Iwa or other ninja villages don''t involve themselves in this war, then with just the healing of those two, we would surely win this war. But the problem is if they decide to involve themselves. Because in that case, we will stop having injured ninja, and they will be replaced by dead ones. At that time, those two will lose their importance to us, and we can then trade them for the support of any major village," the elder said. "I understand, father," the son said. According to them, their conversation was private, but there were two eyes monitoring their every move from the nearby house. Just as soon as the messenger arrived, the shadow clone created another shadow clone and then dispersed itself, sending a message to Kaida about the event. As soon as Kaida got the memories, he jolted toward the Elder''s house and secured a perfect spot for him to watch the conversation. Though they had closed the curtains, what were some curtains in front of a 3-tomoe Sharingan? Kaida could easily see all of their movements in detail. But that was it - he could only see them, not hear them. Luckily, he was not the first person to have Sharingan, and his predecessors also faced the same problems. Due to this, every Uchiha is taught how to read lips. Though Kaida was not in the Uchiha clan from childhood, Shisui had advised him of this training, and he had completed it in the 2-and-a-half-month break as well. Thanks to that, he was able to get all of the conversation that happened inside the elder''s house. ''It is not his fault that he wants betterment of his village. Sadly, that will be the reason for his death as well,'' Kaida thought, making up his mind to complete his mission today only. Chapter 335: Please don’t kill me Aside from getting this crucial information, Kaida also picked up one more detail in the same day. Five ninja entered the house of the Uzumaki family after pushing aside a 6-year-old girl who was saying something, her posture close to begging. But since Kaida was at the elder''s house and his shadow clone was keeping watch, he couldn''t hear what she or those ninja said. But from what he knew, there was no need for him to hear anything in the first place. Four out of five ninja were injured, and Karin''s mother must have been tired after healing the previous batch - that''s why Karin was saying something about letting her mother rest. '' Once one of, if not the most powerful clan in the world, now it has been reduced to a stage where even ninja of a minor village could harass them. But they must be really scared of other major villages because from what I can see about the array, it is more than capable of killing anyone inside of it,'' Kaida''s clone thought, then started pondering on what should be his first words during the meeting, as he couldn''t just go in and say he was there to save them. No, that would not work. If they wanted, they could have easily asked Konoha to shelter them instead of a minor village like Kusagakure in the first place. They must be really wary of Konoha as well - even though it didn''t attack Uzushiogakure, it didn''t come to help either. Because anyone could tell that if Konoha and Uzushiogakure combined their strength, no one in the world could contend against them. Their elders thought that Konoha must have been wary of their strength and must have wanted to remove the only other village which was equal to it in power. Even though Kaida didn''t know this, he had guessed this much himself. ''Let''s stick to the previous plan, no need to change it,'' Kaida''s clone thought and then kept his watch. After just 5 minutes, the ninja left the house, all in perfect condition like the previous injuries were all lies. ''Even the best medical ninja in Konoha will not be able to achieve that,'' as he remained keeping his watch. After 1 hour, Kaida came back and the clone dispersed itself. ''As expected, they are not in good condition either. Well, let''s start then.'' Kaida went out of the house, went to the house of the Uzumaki family, and knocked on the door. "How many times are you going to come? Can''t you guys understand that she also needs rest..." Karin opened the door but stopped as soon as she saw who the person was. "Who are you?" There was a sudden wariness in her voice. "Hey, don''t worry, I am not an enemy, and I am here to talk. Can I come in?" "No." "Can you at least ask your mom first?" "Fine, but who are you?" "Oh, tell her that Kaida Uchiha is here and he just wants to have some talk. Also, please don''t kill him," Kaida said with a small laugh. Karin nodded her head but didn''t laugh, and went to her mother. "What? Did he really say Uchiha?" Reina asked. "Yes mom." "And he even knows about the seals. Looks like our luck ends here," Reina said and then asked her daughter to bring him in. ... "Good afternoon, ma''am," Kaida said, bowing a little. "Karin darling, can you please bring sugar from the shop? We should serve our guest with some tea, right?" Reina said, giving her daughter a kind smile. "But mom-" "Karin." "Okay mom," Karin said, gave Kaida a last look which was shouting ''do something to my mother and I will kill you at any cost.'' ''Why the hell are they thinking I am the villain?'' Kaida cried in his mind. After Karin left, the smile on Reina''s face vanished. "So Konoha has found us. Now what do you want, to kill us or bring us to your village to become breeding machines?" "Um, I am sorry ma''am, but there must be some misunderstanding here. So please give me a chance to clear that," Kaida asked. "Go ahead." "Ma''am, my name is Kaida Uchiha, and as you have already guessed, I am a Jonin from Konoha. We found out that Kusagakure is trying to ally with Iwagakure, and an elder is taking an active role in that. I am here regarding that. When I entered the village, I found out about some red-haired ladies who were very good at healing when I read the mind of the guards, but at that time I thought you were some good medical ninjas. But when I was monitoring the elder, I got to know his plan of offering Iwa something so great that it will be impossible for them to resist. When I searched a little, I found out about you guys. I am sorry, but I also saw the previous scene. Since the Uzumaki clan and Konoha were previous allies, I decided I should try to help you if I can, but I think you don''t want that, and I don''t have any problem with that. Also rest assured ma''am, no one in Konoha knows about you guys," Kaida said, but regretted saying that the next second. Because he saw a flicker of killing intent in Reina''s eyes, but it vanished in few seconds. ''She must have weighed the pros and cons of doing that,'' Kaida thought. Even though he was confident in the Mitotic Regeneration jutsu, he didn''t want to find out what Uzumaki seals could do, and he was pretty sure killing him was on the easier side of that list. "You said Ryoshi-sama is trying to use us as a bargaining chip. Is it true?" "I can swear on the name of my ancestors." "No need, just step on that array and repeat that," Reina said, but Kaida hesitated a little. "As you have said earlier, if I want to kill you, you would die on the place you are standing. It is just an array for lie detection," Reina said. Kaida didn''t like to be in a situation where his life was in constant danger, and that too when he was trying to help, but there was nothing he could do now. Also, he could understand the reason behind their wariness, so he complied with the request. "So what do I have to do now?" Kaida asked. "Just tell me the same thing," Reina said, and Kaida felt a string of chakra getting attached to the array, which also connected to his chakra. "First elder of Kusagakure is really planning on using both of you for bargaining against Iwagakure, and no one in Konoha knows about you guys other than me," Kaida said, only the truth. "Ma''am, please don''t kill me. I was really trying to just help you guys," Kaida said with a little awkward smile on his face, and now that he was still standing in the array, Reina could tell that he was telling the truth. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "How can you help me, child? We can''t go to Konoha. All of the Uzumaki that were sent there when we were allies are dead, none of them is alive, not even their children," Reina said with a sigh. "That''s not true ma''am. The child of Kushina Uzumaki is still alive. His name is Naruto Uzumaki, the one and only Jinchuriki of Konoha and my little brother," Kaida said. "And what does that mean?" "Nothing. I can totally understand your doubts, but I can assure you that whatever you are thinking about the village may have been true in the past but not anymore," Kaida said. "Why?" "Because Danzo Shimura is dead. He was the one reason behind many problems in Konoha, and he even planned to massacre my whole clan. With Senju already on the verge of extinction, he would gain extreme power by that. But now he is dead, thanks to Uncle Fugaku and others who worked hard to bring his true face. Now Konoha is a little safer than before. And if you want, I can assure you that no one will be able to lay a single finger on you guys once you come to Konoha," Kaida said. "Quite big words for someone so young." "Words of the brother of Shisui Uchiha, one of the S-rank ninja of Konoha. Fugaku Uchiha has a favor to repay to the same person, a person who became a Jonin at the age of 10 and..." "Fine, fine, can you give me some time? I need to think this through." "I understand ma''am, but even if you choose to not come to Konoha, just let me know. I will help you guys get out of Kusagakure at least, and rest assured I will not tell anyone about you guys," Kaida said, and since he was STILL standing on the array, Reina could trust his words. After that, he left the house. Chapter 336: Decisions and Promises Reina sat quietly in her modest bedroom long after Kaida had left, her mind wrestling with the weight of the decision before her. ''Kushina''s son is alive,'' she thought, her hands absently tracing the intricate seal patterns on the table. ''But is that enough reason to trust Konoha again? They could have kept him since he is just a child and will be quite easy to control... but doesn''t that mean we have more reason to go there? But should I put my and my daughter''s lives in danger just because of that reason... but-'' sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Mom," Karin''s voice broke through her thoughts as she returned from the shop. "Why do you have such a serious look? Did he say anything?" "...Yes, he said that he wanted to help us after finding out about our state. He was not here for us in the first place." Reina looked at her daughter, seeing the fierce protective gleam in her eyes. "Karin, sit down. We need to talk about this properly." Karin placed the sugar on the table and sat across from her mother, her posture tense. "They''ll just use us like Kusagakure does. At least here, we know what to expect," Karin said, not because she trusted Kusagakure, but because she knew here she and her mother had some power to run away if things turned for the worst. But in Konoha, they would lose those privileges. "Do we?" Reina''s voice was soft but firm. "First Elder plans to trade us to Iwagakure when it suits him. We''re not guests here, Karin. We''re assets." "But mom, your seals can protect us! They can''t touch us if we don''t want them to," Karin argued, adjusting her glasses nervously, all her thoughts about their safety becoming meek. Reina shook her head. "Iwa will spare no efforts once they find out that they can get a clan as powerful as ours in their village, sending every fuinjutsu Grandmaster they have. Then we will become sitting ducks here. And even running away is not good either. If we run, Kusagakure will leak our information and we will have the whole ninja world behind our backs." ... Meanwhile, across the village, near the house of First Elder, Kaida sat in his borrowed residence, planning his next moves. The dying sunlight painted the walls orange as he considered his options. ''The elder needs to be dealt with,'' he thought, his Sharingan spinning slowly as he recalled the man''s conversations. ''He''s too dangerous to be left in power. Now the question is do I have to leave some fake proof of Iwa''s involvement or not.'' He created a shadow clone, sending it to continue surveillance on the elder''s compound. The clone disappeared into the growing shadows while Kaida remained focused on the larger picture. ''Aside from this obvious choice, if Reina-san agrees, I''ll need to move quickly. Both elder''s death and loss of two of such great assets will cripple Kusagakure, and they will spare no expense in finding the perpetrator,'' His fingers drummed against the windowsill as he planned multiple scenarios. But then he finally decided on leaving proof of Iwa''s involvement behind so that Konoha could use this best, and now it was better than ever. ... Back at the Uzumaki residence, Reina had made her decision. "We can''t stay here forever, my dear. And if what he says is true about Danzo being dead... perhaps it is the safest option for us to go to Konoha anyway." After 8 hours, Kaida arrived at their house again, and he found both Uzumaki women waiting for him. Kaida simply went to the array for truth detection because he found out that it was literally the easiest and simplest way to prove your point to these red-haired women. "I''ve made my decision," Reina stated, her red hair seeming to glow in the lamplight. "We will consider going to Konoha, but I have conditions." Kaida nodded, staying within the array''s boundaries. "Please, go ahead." "First, we need your personal guarantee, as a member of the Uchiha clan, that you will help us settle in Konoha. Not just bringing us there, but ensuring we have a place to live and means to support ourselves." "I can do that," Kaida replied without hesitation, the array confirming his sincerity. "Second, we need the Uchiha clan''s protection. Written and sealed, stating that they will defend our interests within Konoha." Kaida''s eyes widened slightly. "That''s..." "In exchange for these guarantees, we will teach fuinjutsu to the Uchiha clan," Reina completed the deal. "But your seals are-" Kaida started. "Our heritage, yes," Reina cut in gently. "But they were meant to be shared with allies, not hidden away until they die with us. The Uchiha clan has offered help when we need it most. This is a fair exchange." Kaida nodded with a smile, still standing within the array. "I accept these terms without reservation. The Uchiha clan will be honored by this trust, and I swear we will not betray it." The array pulsed once, confirming his words. "Very well," Reina said, finally allowing herself a small smile. "When do we leave?" "Tonight," Kaida replied, his expression turning serious. "But first, I need to deal with the elder. His plans for an alliance with Iwagakure could destabilize the entire region. And after what he planned to do with you..." Reina''s eyes hardened. "Will you kill him?" "Yes, that is my mission," Kaida nodded his head and then continued, "I hope you don''t have any problem with that." "None at all, it was just a curious question," Reina said. Kaida nodded and then asked, "Can you be ready to leave by midnight? I''ll handle the elder first, then return for you." Reina nodded. "We don''t have much to pack. Most of our possessions are sealed in scrolls already." She paused, then added with a hint of pride, "Old Uzumaki habit." "Then I''ll return at midnight," Kaida said, stepping out of the array. "And Reina-san... thank you for trusting us even though I don''t have official power to form such alliance. From what I know about Uncle Fugaku, he will be more than happy enough to agree to your deals, and if you face any problems in this regard, I will make sure to bring you out of Konoha myself." As he left to deal with the elder, Karin turned to her mother. "Are you sure about this?" Reina pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. "No, my dear. But sometimes the brave choice and the right choice are the same thing. And I believe that young man was telling the truth - not just because of the array, but because of how he offered to help us even if we refused Konoha." She released Karin and began gathering their scrolls. "Besides, it''s time the Uzumaki clan stopped hiding. We were once a proud people who helped build the ninja world. Perhaps, with the Uchiha clan''s help, we can be that again." Chapter 337: Chaos in Kusagakure After leaving, Kaida waited until almost midnight. At 11:00 PM, the security of the mansion was as tight as ever, but movement in the streets was now minimal. Kaida moved into action, sliding silently through the shadows toward the elder''s mansion. His Sharingan activated, scanning for guards and security seals. After monitoring the compound all day, he knew exactly when the guard rotation would leave a brief opening. This was also one of the reasons he chose this timing. ''Perfect timing,'' he thought, slipping through the gap in security. The elder would be in his bedroom at this hour¡ªbeing old comes with an early bedtime, both for civilians as well as ninja¡ªa routine Kaida had found through his clone''s surveillance. Inside the mansion, Kaida detected two chakra signatures: the elder in his bedroom and his son in the training grounds behind the house. ''Better deal with the son also. He is following the same steps as his father and knows too much. If he''s alive, I can''t point toward Iwa after doing this.'' He created a shadow clone to keep watch while he approached the training grounds. The son was practicing advanced earth techniques which were honestly way above the level a Kusagakure ninja could afford, completely focused on his training. ''Looks like Iwagakure gave some "gifts" to the elder for his support,'' Kaida thought but then went into action. He opened the gate of the training area. The son thought it was some servant there to deliver news, so he turned to find why someone decided to interrupt his training when he had specifically ordered not to be disturbed. But as soon as he turned, his movement froze, because two red eyes with three tomoe rotating in them were looking straight at him. In the battlefield, ninja would naturally guard against genjutsu all the time, but in his own house, not many would do the same. In his last few milliseconds, the elder''s son cursed his luck. Aside from death, the most regretful thing for him was not reaching his full potential. After getting the technique from Iwagakure, he was seeing rapid progress in his stagnated strength, and if he had time, he would have most likely reached the level of his father and Kage of the village. But alas, his life came to an end then and there¡ªa stone spear pierced him, leaving him standing even after his death. ''This feels wrong, but there is nothing that could have been done otherwise. Now for the main target.'' The elder was sleeping on his bed when he suddenly heard a sound from the balcony. The sound was very soft, but being an elite Jonin level ninja, he was sensitive toward everything in his surroundings. He swiftly woke up but didn''t leave the bed for the next 10 minutes, waiting to see if it was just some animal or an assassin. When even after waiting for long no one entered his room, he went to the balcony to do a last check. As soon as he opened the door, he also saw two red eyes, glowing beautifully in the darkness of the night. "Konoha¡ª" was all he managed before falling into the most powerful genjutsu Kaida could muster. With the elder being an elite Jonin rank ninja, it would be impossible for Kaida to eliminate him silently if he was given even a little bit of fighting chance. That''s why Kaida didn''t take any chances and used all the senbon in his arsenal to block the Tenketsu and acupuncture points, leaving him unable to use any chakra or even his body, paralyzing him in a sense. "I''m sorry, but your actions forced this outcome," Kaida said respectfully. The elder, who was already out of the genjutsu, could only sigh internally. In all of his 54 years of life, the only thing he wanted was the betterment of his village. He had fought in countless wars and missions, suffered through many injuries, all for his village. Though he didn''t want to betray Konoha, there was just too good an offer given to them from Iwagakure. Not only would they win the war and get the territory of Takigakure, they would have also gotten support from Iwa to teach their new generation¡ªa win-win scenario which they would not get from Konoha in any case. Though he knew Iwa wanted to make them an outpost against Konoha, they always were in this position anyway. Either from Konoha''s side or from Iwa''s side would not change the fact. With Danzo dead, he had thought that Konoha would go a little soft and would not react like this, especially since they were already busy with so many things. But how wrong was he. In front of him was a boy in his teens who would kill him for sure, and for some reason, he was not doing it swiftly. Then a dread spread in his soul. ''Is he going to torture me?'' But thankfully, Kaida had no such plan. He just used his Sharingan to find out all of the secret places in his house and then swiftly killed him, using earth chakra in his kunai, leaving a rougher cut mark on the neck of the elder¡ªa classic sign of Iwa ninja attacks. ''The fake messenger''s note should be found by morning,'' he thought, placing the final piece of evidence suggesting Iwa''s alliance with Takigakure and the elder''s anger over that, suggesting he would leak Iwa''s secrets to Konoha. Everything was positioned to create maximum diplomatic chaos while directing suspicion away from Konoha. Even though the news was true, there was no actual note since the message was in oral format, but Kusagakure didn''t know that. Kaida hid the note in a location which was known by some of the trustworthy aids of the elder¡ªhard to find but not impossible, especially after Kusagakure went into full alert after finding about the elder''s death. With everything done, Kaida knew that time had started ticking against him now. The death of the elder would be revealed in the morning, or if the smell of blood spread faster, even before that. So he swiftly went to the Uzumaki residence. By the time he returned to the Uzumaki residence, Reina and Karin were ready. "It''s done," he said simply. "We should leave immediately." They moved swiftly through the village''s eastern sector, Kaida''s Sharingan guiding them past patrol routes he had memorized. And the few guards who were in between and couldn''t be avoided suddenly found themselves very tired and wanting to catch a quick nap. Within minutes, they were beyond the village walls, racing through the darkness toward Fire Country. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We''ll travel through the night," Kaida explained as they leaped through the trees. "By dawn, we should be far enough that pursuit won''t be a concern." If he was on his own, reaching Konoha in one day wouldn''t be a problem, but the ladies with him were not ninjas and would need more time, especially since Reina was still not recovered from sharing so much of her life force and Karin was all but a child. Even though they tried to run the best they could, it was clear that they would not be able to match his speed, so he created two shadow clones and asked, "We can''t leave traces behind, so for some distance let me carry you guys." "Okay," Reina said. With Kaida''s shadow clones carrying Reina and Karin, they reached 430 km away from Kusagakure in just 6 hours¡ªa distance enough to evade any pursuit. ¡­ Dawn broke over Kusagakure with screams. "Elder-sama! Elder-sama!" A servant''s panicked voice echoed through the mansion. The guard captain arrived moments later, his face paling at the scene before him. "Send the message to Lord Kage immediately," he ordered. "And find Ryoshi-san''s son!" The village erupted into controlled chaos as word spread. The Kage arrived within minutes, his experienced eyes taking in every detail of the crime scene. He quickly noticed the earth spear going through the body of Ryoshi''s son and the wide cut in Ryoshi''s neck, clearly the use of earth chakra. Chapter 338: Evidence The village erupted into controlled chaos as word spread. The Kage arrived within minutes, his experienced eyes taking in every detail of the crime scene. He quickly noticed the earth spear going through the body of Ryoshi''s son and the wide cut in Ryoshi''s neck, clearly the use of earth chakra. But he didn''t make any assumptions based on that. All villages, even minor ones, have one or two experts of Earth chakra. He quickly ordered the search to start and ordered Anbu ninja to gather every aide of the elder in his office. ¡­ "This is the last time I am asking you. Did anything unusual happen in recent days at elder''s house?" Seiryu asked the crowd standing in front of him, consisting of servants, guards, and the first elder''s trusted officials. "If I find out anything in my investigation which you knew and still tried to hide from me, not only you but all of your families will be charged with treason. So if you have nothing more to say, all of you can leave." Getting tired of the silence, he gave his ultimatum, and the color drained from the faces of the crowd. With their master dead, there was no use maintaining the silence, so a servant came forward. "Sir, a guest arrived at elder''s house day before yesterday, and they had some talk in the study room, but I don''t know anything more than that." "Do you know any location where the elder may store important items?" he asked the servant. "I am nothing but a servant, my lord, please spare my family," the servant fell to his knees from fear. Giving no response to him, Seiryu directed his attention toward the trusted aides of the elder, and finally, he got a good reply. "I do know some locations where the first elder used to store important scrolls, my lord." "Okay, Etsuo, go with him and retrieve all of the scrolls from elder''s storage," Seiryu said. Etsuo, the trusted aide and leader of Anbu ninja of Kusagakure, bowed his head and took the aide toward elder''s house. ¡­ "Sir, these are the scrolls we got from his study," Etsuo presented the scrolls to the Kage, who quickly dismissed some of them which were related to property and jutsus. At last, he reached the message Kaida had left, and his face darkened, as aside from that letter, he had also found one letter in which the elder was planning on using the Uzumaki family as a bargaining chip for Iwa''s support. "Send someone to the Uzumaki residence. I want them escorted here now," he said to Etsuo, who quickly nodded his head and sent a squad to complete the order. ¡­ The squad returned within minutes with a message that sunk Seiryu''s heart further. "Sir, the Uzumaki residence is empty," a jonin reported. "No signs of struggle, but they''re gone. Complete disappearance." The Kage sat heavily in his chair, piecing together the puzzle. The messenger''s note about Iwa''s alliance with Takigakure lay before him, along with the evidence of their supposed betrayal. ''Too perfect,'' he thought. ''The timing, the evidence, the Uzumakis'' disappearance¡ªit completely points toward Iwa''s involvement... but it is also so perfect that it almost reeks of a setup.'' But he couldn''t ignore the political reality. With tensions already high between nations, this incident could easily spark open conflict if mishandled. "Your orders, sir?" his advisor asked. The Kage stared at the documents before him. Even if this was a setup, they had no proof. More importantly, they had no choice. With the Uzumakis gone and the threat of war looming, they needed allies. "Send word to Konoha," he said finally. "Tell them we have evidence of Iwagakure''s hostile actions and request to strengthen our existing alliance." "But sir, if Iwa really did this¡ª" Etsuo began. "Then we''ll need Konoha''s ninja to come into our country, and they will make a base here, and we will become completely dependent on Konoha," the Kage finished. "But we don''t have any choice now." "Sir, shouldn''t we try to find those two? It''s still just 6-7 hours from the incident; they may not have reached far," Etsuo said. "If any major ninja village is involved in this, they could have easily transported them out of the country way before we got to know about this, and even in the off chance we find them, it will just lead to more casualties. Uzumaki are way too big of a resource for a village as small as us. Just send some scout squads but don''t do anything extensive," Seiryu said. Etsuo just nodded his head¡ªthere was nothing he could do in this situation other than following orders. ¡­ Meanwhile, Kaida, Reina, and Karin had covered significant distance. They stopped briefly at dawn to rest and eat, having crossed well into Fire Country territory. "I should send a shadow clone while we are resting so that Lord Third will not be surprised by your arrival," Kaida said with a small chuckle, already imagining the look on Hiruzen''s face. "Okay, but also make sure to tell him that we will not be at the village''s mercy and would leave anytime we want. I don''t want to be arrested inside Konoha," Reina said. "I have already said it multiple times, and I will say it once more: don''t worry, you guys will become citizens of Konoha from now on, fully allowed to do whatever you want, no restrictions. I mean, not crime, but aside from that, anything," Kaida said. "Sir, here is your food," the hotel owner of the single hotel in the village brought fresh and hot stew and bread for them along with some green salad. "Thank you, old man. Here, for your trouble," Kaida said, giving a bill of 2000 Ryo to the owner. "Thank you, sir. Please just give me a call if you need anything." With how much devotion he spoke, Kaida was sure this man would even consider cleaning the floor with his tongue if he asked, though he had no intention of finding whether his thoughts were true or not. He took the food and went to the small table in the room. "Breakfast is here," Kaida said. By now, he had already sent a shadow clone toward Konoha with 50 percent of his chakra¡ªbarely enough for it to reach Konoha and give the message, but it would not have chakra to do anything after that, though this was enough in itself. ¡­ ''This doesn''t seem right. Are they trying to save taxes by saying they work for Daimyo now? Maybe I should have a meeting with Daimyo about this...'' "Sir, Kaida Uchiha is requesting an urgent meeting with you." "Urgent? Send him in," Hiruzen said. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, Lord Third." ¡­ "Good morning, Lord Third," Kaida''s clone bowed his head. "So little chakra... wait, you are not Kaida." "Yes sir, as you have guessed, I am a shadow clone. I have a really important message I have to deliver." "Go ahead." "Lord Third, when I went to..." Kaida started to recount the whole mission detail about how when he went to Kusagakure, he found out about Iwa''s plans and the elder''s response, plight, and at that time, his plan to use the Uzumakis for bargaining. How he saved them and killed both the elder and his son, leaving behind evidence about Iwa''s doing, and also taking two Uzumaki with them. He also shared the demands of those two Uzumaki girls for which they agreed to come to Konoha. As the details progressed, Hiruzen''s face changed many expressions from understanding, shock, worry, and then at last, a sigh escaped from his mouth¡ªof course, those emotions were only visible because Hiruzen wanted them to be. "Where are you at the moment?" Hiruzen asked. "We should have completed resting at a village near the border and should be on our way here. We will reach Konoha by around 12 PM tomorrow," Kaida''s clone said. "Fine, I will send an Anbu squad for you just as a precaution. I assume you are going to have a talk with Fugaku after this?" Hiruzen asked. "Yes, Lord Third, though I will not share anything about the mission," Kaida said. "No need, this mission is not below his rank. He can know about it. Just tell him to meet me in the evening," Hiruzen said and then dismissed Kaida. Chapter 339: Uzumaki’s in Konoha "So you are saying that we will have Uzumaki, THE Uzumaki clan teaching us Fuinjutsu, and in return, we just have to guarantee their safety? Are you sure they are really Uzumaki and not some fraud?" Fugaku asked, because the person standing in front of him, no matter how talented, was just a child. Kaida just chuckled and said, "We will be here by tomorrow afternoon. You can check for their authenticity by yourself then." Fugaku pinched his temple. He was just doing some paperwork when his secretary barged inside his office. ¡­ "Sir, Kaida is here, and he wants to meet you urgently." "Did he threaten you or something? Why are you in so much hurry?" Fugaku asked, a little shocked because this type of behavior would have been more suited for Hokage, not for a 10-year-old. But seeing an awkward smile on his secretary''s face, Fugaku just smiled and said, "Send him in." As soon as he said that, Kaida entered the office. "Good afternoon, clan head. I have something important to report." "Is it about the mission you have just went on?" Fugaku asked. "Yes sir, I have Lord Third''s permission to share the details." "Go ahead." "So I went to Kusagakure..." And the current scenario... ¡­ "Fine, bring them to my office as soon as you enter the village. I will handle things from then on," Fugaku said. "I would do that, clan head, but I am sure they will have some measures to make the deal completely permanent, binding our lives to it in some way. I hope you will consider that in the meantime. Also, Lord Third asked me to inform you that he wants you in his office by evening for a meeting," Kaida said. Fugaku nodded his head. "Then I will take my leave," the clone said and dispersed itself then and there. Fugaku was left sitting in his office, thinking about all of the future headaches he would have to suffer due to this news. Also, what Kaida said was now bugging him as well. It wouldn''t be too absurd for an Uzumaki to have means to make a contract like that. While Kaida said that because he knew about the Reaper Death Seal in which Uzumaki had developed a way to make a deal with an entity like a death god himself. But even though Fugaku didn''t know about that, he knew much more about Uzumaki to make that argument valid in his head. ''Let''s first have a meeting with Lord Third before finalizing the decision myself,'' Fugaku thought. ¡­ After eating the meal and resting, Kaida and party were once again on the move. But this time, instead of making shadow clones to carry the two Uzumakis, Kaida transformed them into a cart and a horse. Since there was no hurry anymore, there was no need to rush. "You are quite talented," Reina said, seeing the transformation jutsu herself. "It is kind of a special technique of mine," Kaida said as they boarded the cart and went toward Konoha at a steady pace, chatting and sharing some memories with each other. When Reina found out that Kaida was also learning Fuinjutsu, their talks went in that direction only, where she shared many techniques to perform the task much better than before. After a journey of 12 hours, they once again took a rest in a village much better than the previous one because it was in the middle of Fire Country rather than on the border. Since there was no danger anymore, Kaida had booked two separate rooms this time, one for the mother-daughter pair and one for himself. ''Wait, I think I can now understand why Fugaku-san was so shocked. In just one day, I think I have learned much more about Fuinjutsu than in months of practice I did before. Even though I have not learned any new seal, the efficiency of previous ones will surely increase by fifty percent with these new techniques. No wonder Uzumakis were at the top in this field,'' Kaida thought and then started meditating, while his clones were keeping watch outside. While this was happening, a meeting about the fate of this Uzumaki family was happening in Konoha as well. ¡­ The Hokage''s office was unusually quiet as Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, carefully reviewing the situation before Fugaku Uchiha entered. The Third Hokage had received Kaida''s message earlier, and the gravity of the Uzumakis'' potential contribution to Konoha''s strength was not lost on him. However, it also posed a significant challenge¡ªone that could disrupt the delicate power balance in the village. A soft knock at the door broke his thoughts. "Come in," he said, straightening his posture. Fugaku Uchiha stepped into the room, his demeanor calm. "Good evening, Lord Third," Fugaku greeted with a slight bow. "Good evening, Fugaku. Please, have a seat," Hiruzen said, gesturing to the chair opposite him. As Fugaku sat, the Hokage wasted no time. "I assume Kaida has already briefed you on the situation?" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fugaku nodded. "Yes, Lord Third. For some reason, they have taken a liking to our clan. I assume because of Kaida, though I am not sure." Hiruzen sighed, tapping his pipe thoughtfully. "The Uzumakis'' knowledge is invaluable, but we must tread carefully. If not handled properly, this could lead to resentment from other clans or even disrupt the balance of power within Konoha. I''m sure you''re aware of how sensitive this matter is." Fugaku''s expression remained neutral, but his eyes glinted with understanding. "Are you suggesting we don''t involve ourselves with them?" "Not exactly," Hiruzen replied. "But we need to ensure that their knowledge benefits the entire village, not just one faction. At the same time, we must protect their autonomy to make this alliance appealing to them. The last thing we want is for them to feel exploited." Fugaku folded his hands on his lap, considering the Hokage''s words. "If their Fuinjutsu knowledge is shared indiscriminately, it will truly shatter the power balance, but I assume you have something planned out for that, so I will not dwell on that topic. It will be completely up to them if they want to share the Fuinjutsu with us or not anyway." "Precisely," Hiruzen agreed. "Which is why I propose a measured approach. The Uzumakis'' knowledge will be shared selectively, focusing on areas that strengthen Konoha''s overall defense. Simultaneously, we will keep their involvement discreet to avoid drawing unnecessary attention." Fugaku raised an eyebrow. "And the Uchiha clan? What role do you envision for us in this arrangement?" Hiruzen''s gaze met Fugaku''s directly. "The Uchiha clan''s cooperation will be essential. As one of Konoha''s most influential and powerful clans, they have chosen your clan for their safety in Konoha. I assume they have presented some kind of deal too." Fugaku''s lips curved into a faint smile. "As expected of you, Lord Third. Yes, they have asked for..." Hiruzen inclined his head. "So what are you planning on doing? And I assure you, your assumption of them having a method to ensure that contract is correct." Fugaku''s gaze softened slightly, though his tone remained firm. "I am thinking of accepting their offer. First of all, they will feel more safe that way in the village. Second, maintaining their safety inside the village will not be difficult for the clan, especially since we have your permission. And at last, the seals will be shared by them fully, and we don''t even have to ask, so it is win-win for all of us." Hiruzen leaned forward, his expression serious. "One more thing. The Uzumakis'' presence will be concealed from the village. Officially, they will be registered as civilians, and their activities will be restricted to secure locations. Only trusted individuals will be privy to their true identity and purpose." Fugaku nodded slowly. "A prudent strategy. And what about their demands for autonomy? Kaida mentioned they wish to remain independent within Konoha." "We will honor their independence to the extent possible," Hiruzen said. "They will not be bound by typical clan regulations, and their contributions will be treated as voluntary. However, we will need their agreement to cooperate in critical matters, such as village defense." ¡­ He didn''t sleep because even though things were relatively safe, he was not going to take any chances here. Because this was a world where even Kage-level ninja die at the hands of some children, so to remain in active condition, he decided to meditate rather than sleeping for the night. Luckily nothing happened, and they continued their journey in the morning, finally reaching Konoha by afternoon. "Do you guys want to meet Uchiha clan head, Uncle Fugaku first, or should we directly go to Lord Third?" Kaida asked. "Let''s go to Uchiha clan first. I want to get some things cleared before finalizing the decision." Chapter 340: Contract (A.N: Sorry guys, that was a silly mistake, looks like not sleeping for two day¡¯s straight is not good for brain at all, once again sorry for that- also that novel is my latest work which will be going public soon, I hope you guys will show same love for that novel as well ^~^) *** Kaida, Karin, and Reina went toward the Uchiha clan grounds. On their way, they got some looks from pedestrians, but no one looked for more than a second. They were just curious about the red hair, but no one knew what it meant since the Uzumaki clan had been wiped out during the Second Great Ninja War. After that, more than two, almost three decades had passed, and many people had already forgotten about them. But still, Kaida and group took a rather empty route, not wanting to announce to the village and, in turn, the spies about the new addition to Konoha. They reached the Uchiha headquarters in no time. As soon as the receptionist saw Kaida with two other ladies, he quickly left his table and came toward them. "Fugaku-sama is waiting for you in his office. Please let me guide you there," the receptionist said. "Kaida, why don''t you take Karin and show her our new village, till then I will complete this meeting of ours," Reina said. "Okay ma''am. Let''s go, Karin," Kaida said. He himself had no reason to go into this meeting¡ªboth Fugaku and Reina were much more experienced than him. "No, I will stay here only. Don''t worry, Mom, I will wait outside," Karin said, understanding why her mother was sending her out. She was a girl who had lived her whole life with her mother in a place where everyone was just trying to use them. There was no way she would be alright leaving her mother''s side in an unknown place. "That''s fine too. I will bring something for you to eat. Oh! I remember there is a shop here which sells very good dango. Let me bring some for you," Kaida said, gave Reina a smile, and went out, while Reina patted her daughter''s head and followed the receptionist toward the office. ... Fugaku Uchiha sat in his office, his expression unreadable but his eyes sharp with anticipation. Now that he had decided to form an alliance with these Uzumakis, it was not an understatement to say that the Uchiha clan would become much more powerful than before. When Reina Uzumaki stepped into the room, accompanied by the receptionist, Fugaku rose from his seat, offering a courteous nod. "Welcome to the Uchiha headquarters," Fugaku said, gesturing for her to sit. "I''ve been expecting you." Reina inclined her head politely as she took her seat. "Thank you, Lord Fugaku. My name is Reina Uzumaki. I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me on such short notice." Fugaku replied with a smile, "No need to thank me, Reina-san. The potential alliance between Konoha and the Uzumaki clan is a matter of great importance. For both of us." Reina''s lips curved into a faint smile. "Very well. I''ll get straight to the point. My daughter and I have lived our lives on the run, hunted by those who would exploit our abilities. If we are to settle in Konoha, I need assurances that we will be protected¡ªnot only from external threats but also from internal politics." Fugaku nodded. "Konoha values the safety of its citizens. You and your daughter will be given protection from both external and internal foes. However, for the sake of discretion and to avoid drawing unwanted attention, I must request that you and Karin dye your hair black. The Uzumakis'' distinctive red hair is too easily recognizable. And currently, it is Iwa who is suspected of kidnapping you, so for some time please live a little discreetly." Reina''s expression tightened slightly, but she remained composed. "I understand the need for caution, and I''ll agree to that. But in return, I have my own conditions." Fugaku gestured for her to continue. "First," Reina began, "we will need a house¡ªa safe and secluded place where we can live without fear of intrusion. Second, I require a substantial income to ensure our independence. I''ve spent my life relying on no one but myself, and I intend to keep it that way." Fugaku leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful. "Those are reasonable requests. But I assume you are not going to ask for these things for free?" Reina''s eyes glinted with determination. "I will provide Konoha with a Truth-Sealing Array¡ªa powerful A-rank Fuinjutsu array even in the Uzumaki clan. Outside it could be considered almost an S-rank for its applications. It can determine whether someone who is standing inside the array is speaking the truth or not. This alone should be a significant asset for the village." Fugaku''s interest was clearly piqued, but being an expert politician, he didn''t show it on his face. "A valuable tool, indeed. I myself assure you that for this array, we will provide you with a starting fund of 2 million Ryo and a house in the Uchiha district." "I am also willing to teach others the basics of Fuinjutsu. You can share it with the village if you want, but you will have to guarantee our safety till we live in Konoha," Reina said. Fugaku''s eyes narrowed slightly, but there was no hostility in his gaze. "A cautious but understandable position. Rest assured, Konoha and especially the Uchiha clan will take every measure to ensure your safety. As for your conditions, I will personally oversee that you receive a house and a stipend. Your cooperation with the Truth-Sealing Array will be invaluable." Reina nodded, satisfaction flickering across her face. "Then we have an agreement, Lord Fugaku. But first, let''s sign this document," Reina said, bringing out a paper from her purse. Fugaku''s eyes went wide as soon as he saw that paper. It was the densest collection of seals he had ever seen in his life. It was not just the density of the seals that shocked him; it was the warning he was receiving from his instinct that that thing was deadly for him. "Ma''am, can I first get this checked?" Fugaku asked. "Sure, I don''t have a problem with that," Reina said. She knew no ninja with even a little bit of awareness would sign something like this without confirming its use. Fugaku nodded and called a Fuinjutsu grandmaster to his office. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... "How is it possible to keep these many seals on this single paper? By all reasons, it should have blasted long ago. And what does this seal do?" "This binds the intent of the user by scanning the Yin chakra and Soul energy." "And what about this one?" "This is here to stabilize the 3rd and 4th seal," Reina calmly explained the working of the contract to the grandmaster, while Fugaku was cursing his luck. Even a Fuinjutsu grandmaster didn''t know the true working of the seal. Luckily, whatever Reina was saying was easy to verify, so they could be sure that the paper was not harmful to him other than breaking the contract, of course. After nearly one hour of explanation and testing, the grandmaster was in tears. "I can finally increase my study further now. I have been stagnated at the same post for so long." "Ahem." "Oh! Yes, Fugaku-sama. I have verified each of these seals. It is as Reina-sama says¡ªthis contract will bind the user to the words written here. If any of you break the words, your chakra reserves will be destroyed, but no one will die." Fugaku nodded. It was the best outcome because according to the contract, it just needed the Uchiha clan to try their best to protect the Uzumaki family, but there would be no consequence if they were harmed even after they tried their best. "Reina-san, can you add the clause that we will provide you with VIP-level security? Because this ''best'' could also be considered as employing the whole Uchiha clan for your security, which would be a little troublesome." "Sure," Reina said with a smile and took out a Fuinjutsu brush. She added the clause, and with no more loopholes present, both he and Reina signed the contract. As soon as that was done, Fugaku felt a wave of chakra scanning him, and not just some outer scan, but something much more detailed and deep. Now he understood that the discussion of soul between the Fuinjutsu grandmaster of the Uchiha clan was not just talk but something really related to the soul of a person. But pushing those thoughts to the back of his head, Fugaku stood, extending a hand. "Welcome to Konoha, Reina Uzumaki. May this alliance strengthen us both." Reina rose, shaking his hand firmly. "Thank you. I hope this will be the beginning of a prosperous partnership." "Till we finalize your house, please stay in the guest house of the Uchiha clan," Fugaku said. "If it is possible, can you please find a house near Kaida''s house? I have taken a liking to that boy," Reina said with a smile. "I will see what I can do," Fugaku said. Reina nodded, bowed, and left the office. As Reina left the office, Fugaku sat back down, his mind already racing with the implications of the Truth-Sealing Array and the possibilities of having an Uzumaki in Konoha. The alliance was a gamble¡ªon one side, it could create even more tension between Konoha and other villages if the news about the Uzumaki clan forming in Konoha got public, but the sheer profit of that outweighed the risk. That''s why they decided to go with this process. Chapter 341: Storms While Konoha was going through the discussion of what to do with the Uzumakis, the rest of the world was not idle either. A scroll arrived at Kumogakure''s gates as dawn broke over the mountain peaks. After the content of the scroll was read by the officials, the Raikage''s office was filled with his advisors gathered to read Iwagakure''s response. When the seal was broken, a satisfied smile crossed A''s face ¨C the Stone Village had accepted the alliance. "They''re sending forty-five shinobi," A announced, scanning the detailed contents. "Kitsuchi and Deidara will lead them. Twenty Tenketsu Jonin, twenty Chunin, and three medical ninja." He laid the scroll flat on his desk, studying the names and capabilities listed. Even though the complete information of ninja was not provided, just the superficial details were enough to tell that Iwa was really serious about this mission as well. Darui, standing at attention beside the Raikage''s desk, being a recent addition to the office after his ''special training'' handled by both Raikage and Killer B himself, exchanged glances with A. Iwagakure was committing serious force to this operation. Kitsuchi''s earth-style techniques and leading capabilities were undoubtable, and Deidara''s explosive abilities along with his flying abilities would without doubt put him in Above Elite Jonin level rank. His performance in the Chunin exam was still vivid in everyone''s mind. Even though he lost, they placed the blame on his immature nature. If he took orders from Kitsuchi, then he could easily reach the level of an S-rank ninja. Everyone there understood what that meant. "We can''t send anything less than matching force," C stated, voicing what everyone was thinking. "It would show weakness. And that we are weaker than Iwagakure, since we were the ones who presented the idea." The Raikage nodded. "Darui, C ¨C you''ll lead our contingent. Thirty Chunin, thirty Tenketsu Jonin, two standard Jonin, one Fuinjutsu seal master, and five medical ninja. We will not just match their force, we will exceed it." No one objected to A''s words because everyone there knew it was important, especially since they were attacking Konoha. If their force did not outrank and outnumber their enemy by this much, they would be the ones who would suffer much more loss than Konoha. In the following days, both villages carefully mobilized their forces in silence, stopping various ninjas from taking any missions, to give them rest before the mission, gathering supplies, and conducting some practice drills all of a sudden. To any onlooker, it was just routine military exercise. But the spies weren''t fooled. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In both villages, careful observers noted the unusual patterns. The specific shinobi being gathered, the types of supplies, the timing of it all ¨C these seemed a little suspicious, so they decided to do their work and report their findings to Konoha. But Kumogakure''s counter-intelligence units had anticipated this. Teams of sensor-type ninja created a sophisticated perimeter around both villages, intercepting three of the warning messages which were being sent through messenger hawks or even normal birds, before they could reach their destination. The net seemed perfect. Yet when the spies found out about this, one spy proved more resourceful. Deep beneath the earth, a small messenger creature ¨C no larger than a rat ¨C carried a tightly rolled scroll through the stone itself. This was one of the reasons he had become a spy; his summoned animal was perfect for it. It emerged miles away in a civilian village, where another agent in deep cover received the message and immediately dispatched it to Konoha through civilian channels to not take any risk. The spies became inactive after that because both Kumogakure and Iwagakure had become too diligent in finding spies in the village. ... The message reached Konoha through an unexpected channel ¨C a merchant caravan arriving with regular supplies. Hidden among invoices and inventory lists was a small scroll, unremarkable to the eye but bearing critical intelligence. Within an hour, it was in the Hokage''s hands. Sarutobi Hiruzen stood at his office window, the troubling report laid out on his desk. Behind him, Nara Shikaku studied the intelligence, and unlike his lazy attitude, he was much more attentive and serious while reading the information. "Two elite Jonin leaders, forty-three combat ninja," Shikaku summarized, his fingers steepled in thought. "This isn''t a routine movement. They''re assembling a strike force." Even though this was not the complete force Kumo was going to deploy, it was all the spies could find, and even this much almost led to their discovery ¨C almost. Hiruzen took a long draw from his pipe. "Your analysis?" "This is most likely a retaliation," Shikaku stated firmly. "The Chunin Exams in Kumogakure showed the world that Konoha remains the strongest hidden village. And their previous attempt failed miserably since they can''t deploy enough force to make that move feasible anymore. Kumo and Iwa are planning something different, and considering their timing, they must have formed an alliance." "Two of the major villages forming an alliance against us. Looks like Konoha is really close to reaching its full strength," Hiruzen released a soft chuckle, a chuckle without any joy but exhaustion. "What do you think we should do now?" he asked. "Increase border security immediately. Double the personnel at our outposts, especially along the northern and northwestern approaches. We should also position reconnaissance teams along potential routes between Kumo, Iwa, and Konoha." Shikaku traced the paths on the map spread across the desk. "Here, here, and here ¨C focusing on these convergence points." Hiruzen nodded slowly. "But if we move this suddenly, it will risk alerting them about our knowledge." "Less dangerous than being caught unprepared," Shikaku replied. "We can disguise some of it as routine rotation and training exercises. They''ll know we''re taking precautions but won''t be certain we''ve uncovered their plans." "Very well." The Hokage returned to his desk, pulling out fresh scrolls. "Select the ninja for the border reinforcements. I want our best sensor types involved. And Shikaku..." He paused, his pen hovering over the paper. "Keep this information confined to essential personnel only. We don''t need panic, especially with our current... domestic situation." Shikaku bowed slightly. "Understood, Lord Hokage." As the Jonin Commander left to implement the defensive measures, Hiruzen remained at his desk, composing the necessary orders. Outside his window, Konoha continued its daily routines, unaware of the gathering storm. The Will of Fire would be tested soon, he thought grimly. They needed to be ready. Chapter 342: Family Got Bigger (The same day when Kaida left for the Kusagakure mission...) Jiraiya was out on an S-rank mission once again, protecting the Wind Daimyo as he went on his business deal in the Land of Mist. It was a difficult mission because of the civil war going on in the country, and both factions were really bloodthirsty at the moment. At such times, it was not unusual for ninja to attack such caravans for rations and supplies and put the blame on the other faction. Jiraiya was focusing on the route ahead, sitting on top of the caravan while the rest of the squad of ANBU ninja secured the flanks, when suddenly a sound came from just behind where he was sitting. Without a moment''s hesitation, Jiraiya turned with a kunai in his hand while the other formed seals rapidly. The ANBU ninja in the surrounding area quickly surrounded the carriage as well. But when Jiraiya saw the source of the sound, he calmed down, giving the signal to the ANBU ninja to go back. "Kousuke-san, how many times do I have to tell you not to appear behind me so suddenly? I may have been in a fight right now." "Hohoho, it is quite nice to see youngsters care about their elders, but don''t worry, Jiraiya boy. I''m still not that old that I can''t protect myself," an old-looking green frog with a large beard said. Being the messenger frog of Mount Myoboku, it was obvious that he was here with a message. "Did something happen at Mount Myoboku, Kousuke-san?" Jiraiya asked. "Nothing bad, just Great Sage Toad is now awake and had asked you to bring that boy to the mountain," Kousuke said. "It is good that Lord Sage is now awake, but as you can see, I am a little busy at the moment and can''t follow the instruction," Jiraiya said, pointing toward the moving carriage. "I see, but the orders were clear: bring that boy as soon as you can," Kousuke said. "The mission will still take two more days. After that, I will bring Kaida to Mount Myoboku as soon as I can," Jiraiya said. "Okay, Jiraiya boy, I will tell Sage about this. Also, there are three ninja three kilometers ahead, though I don''t think you guys have to worry about them," Kousuke said, and then . Being from Mount Myoboku, his nature energy sensing technique was already top-notch. Even though he was not proficient in sage technique, that doesn''t mean he didn''t have any access to nature energy at all. Jiraiya just smiled at it and then gestured for the ANBU ninja to eliminate the danger before they reached its location. ... (Present time) "What? You are going to be my new neighbor? That''s awesome!" Kaida said, thanking his luck that he would now be able to learn much more about fuinjutsu in the future so easily. "It is still not confirmed. Fugaku-san said he will see what he can do," Reina said with a small chuckle. Even though it was true that she had taken a liking to the honest boy in front of her, there was another reason she had chosen to live next to his house. "So Naruto lives with you guys, right?" Reina asked. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kaida smiled, already guessing why she wanted to live next to his house. "Yes, he will be in academy right now, but I will bring him to meet you soon," Kaida said. "No need, just tell us when he is home, and we will come there. I want to see the location of my potential new house," Reina said. "As you wish. Now you guys should take some rest. I will come to get you when Naruto is back," Kaida said, bidding his farewell to the Uzumaki family and going toward his house. ... "You said this mission was of one day only, and now you are coming back after three days! Do you know how worried we were about you?" Hae said, giving Kaida a smack on the back of his head. "I am sorry, Aunt. The mission went in the opposite direction, and many things happened because of which I couldn''t come back in time," Kaida said, rubbing a small bump forming on his head. "Did something dangerous happen?" Yomi asked, a little worried. "No, Yomi... I mean, I should be able to tell you guys since they are going to be our new neighbors, right? Anyway, so when I went to Kusagakure..." Kaida started retelling the same story for the third time. "So you are saying you rescued two Uzumakis from Kusagakure and brought them here, and they are going to be our new neighbors?" To say Shisui was shocked was beyond measure. Being in the higher fighting force of Konoha, he had knowledge of some information which the general public would have no knowledge about, and the knowledge about Uzumakis was included in that repository. "Uzumakis, huh? So now Naruto will have actual relatives in Konoha, but they are not going to try to take him to live with them, right?" Hae asked. "They can''t even if they want to. Naruto is the only Jinchuriki of Konoha, and they are still new to the village. There is no chance they will ever be allowed to take him," Kaida said. "Good. Then there is no need for you to keep standing here. Go take a bath; lunch is almost complete," Hae said. "Okay, Aunt," Kaida said. ... "I''m home!" Naruto shouted as soon as he entered the house. "Aunt, I''m hungry! Today I had matches against Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji, and I won!" he shouted all the way to the hall. All of the family members were sitting in the hall enjoying some tea, along with two more people: a lady with black hair and a girl not much older than him with the same black hair and features. "Who are you guys?" Naruto said while squinting his eyes. "Naruto, manners!" Hae said from her seat. "Oh! Sorry. Hello, I am Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet you," Naruto said, bowing a little. "Oh! Such a good boy. I am Reina Uzumaki, and this is my daughter, Karin Uzumaki." "Uzumaki?" "Yes, Uzumaki. We are from the same clan as your mother," Reina said with a smile. "Really? Did you know my mother?" Naruto asked. "Yeah, we were kind of friends when we were children, before she was sent to Konoha," Reina said. "Wow," Naruto''s voice trembled slightly, his blue eyes widening. "You... you knew my mom? What was she like?" His hands clutched his pants, trying to contain the surge of emotions boiling inside him. Reina''s smile softened, seeing the hunger for information in the boy''s eyes. "Kushina was... she was like a whirlwind. Always full of energy, always ready to take on the world." She leaned forward slightly. "She had the most beautiful red hair ¨C long and flowing like a river of flames. And when she got angry?" Reina chuckled warmly. "Her hair would float up in the air. We used to call her the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero." Naruto sat down quickly. "Did... did she get angry a lot?" "Oh yes, especially when anyone made fun of her hair or tried to bully others. She had such a strong sense of justice." Reina''s eyes grew distant with memory. "But she was also incredibly kind. She would always share her food with others, stood up for others, and cared for her friends. And she never gave up, no matter how difficult things got." Tears began to well up in Naruto''s eyes, but he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve. "That''s... that''s just like me. I never give up either, dattebayo!" Reina''s breath caught for a moment, and she exchanged a quick glance with Hae. "That''s... that''s exactly what she used to say. ''Dattebane'' was her catchphrase." "Really?" Naruto leaned forward eagerly, his voice thick with emotion. "What else? Please, tell me more about her!" Karin, who had been quietly watching the exchange, moved closer to her mother, her own eyes glistening behind her glasses. She''d never seen her mother talk about the past with such warmth. Reina and Naruto talked for quite a while before the stories paused a little. Naruto turned to look at his adopted aunt, brothers, sister, then back to Reina, then to Karin. His family had suddenly grown larger, and he could feel a warmth spreading through his chest that he''d never experienced before. "Are... are you really going to live next door?" he asked, his voice small but hopeful. "If everything works out, yes," Reina replied. "Would you like that, Naruto?" "Yes!" he practically shouted, then remembered his manners and lowered his voice. "I mean... I''d really like that. Could you... could you tell me more stories about Mom? And about the Uzumaki clan?" "Of course," Reina said, her own eyes growing misty. "We have so many stories to share." Karin offered Naruto a shy smile, and he beamed back at her, his heart feeling fuller than it ever had before. Around them, the adults exchanged glances, happy about everything that was happening. Chapter 343: The Three Sacred Places On the next day, Kaida was training in the Training area, thinking about what to do next. He still had one more fellow to rescue, but going on a mission to Hidden Mist would not be possible at the moment because almost all missions were on the higher end of A rank, and there was no way he could do anything about that. While he could do many other tasks like mastering the mitotic regeneration seal¡ªbecause as the chakra he fills inside is increasing, the repulsion is increasing with it¡ªwhen he consulted Mitsuru about this, she said he would need to increase his chakra control and find out how to fill more chakra inside. In other words, everything now depends on training. There were many other things that required training as well, like the jutsu he had learned in the past month could be trained much more so that supercharging them would become easier. While he was planning what to do next, a familiar shadow fell over him. He looked up to see Jiraiya perched on the fence, arms crossed and wearing his usual joyful expression. "Hello there boy, did you miss me?" Jiraiya said. "Sensei! You''re back! How was your mission?" Kaida asked. "Of course it went well, I have a 100 percent track record of satisfaction in whatever I do," Jiraiya said with a wide smile. "Now now, we don''t have time for that. Get cleaned up, kid. We need to talk, and then we have somewhere to be," Jiraiya said, jumping down from his perch. Minutes later, Kaida was sitting in front of Jiraiya with a makeshift table and chair of earth in the Training area. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Do you know about the Three Sacred Places of the summoning world?" Jiraiya asked, unrolling the scroll to reveal ancient drawings of three distinct locations. Kaida shook his head. Of course he knew about them, but he couldn''t say that because their details were not even mentioned in the library. "No sensei, I only know about summoning contracts and the animals they bring forth." Jiraiya nodded his head in understanding and then continued, "There are three places that exist not in our own world but in different dimensions ¨C Mount Myoboku, the home of the toads; Shikkotsu Forest, where the slugs dwell; and Ry¨±chi Cave, domain of the snakes." Jiraiya''s finger traced each location on the scroll. "These aren''t just homes to summon animals; they''re wellsprings of natural energy and ancient wisdom. The animals there have similar intelligence to humans, and some even exceed us in that department." "Sensei, the reason you are known as Toad Sage is..." Kaida asked, studying the intricate drawings. "Yes, I am contractor of Mount Myoboku. There are more reasons for that nickname, but they are not important for now. The Great Sage there wants to meet you." Jiraiya stood up. "Gamamaru-sama is one of the oldest and wisest beings in existence. And he wants to meet you for some reason, though he doesn''t request meetings without reason." "Are we going now to..." Kaida asked, excitement building in his voice. "Yes, since we will be back as soon as the meeting is over, there is no need for any preparation," Jiraiya said, forming a series of hand signs. "Hold onto my arm. And brace yourself¡ªreverse summoning is a little difficult to handle at first time." The world blurred around them, colors swirling like paint in water. When Kaida''s vision cleared, he found himself standing in a place that seemed to exist in a dream. Mount Myoboku stretched before them, a masterpiece painted by nature itself. Massive leaves, each larger than a house, created natural canopies that filtered the sunlight into a thousand shades of green and gold. Waterfalls cascaded down the mountainsides in perfect arcs, their spray creating countless rainbows in the perpetual twilight air. But these weren''t ordinary waterfalls¡ªthey were most definitely artificial, made by someone, but they blended with the environment so masterfully that they appeared to be part of it from the beginning of this place. "Amazing, isn''t it?" Jiraiya smiled at Kaida''s awestruck expression. "Those waterfalls were shaped over thousands of years by the toads using nature energy. They say each drop of water carries a fragment of wisdom." All around them, toads of every size and color went about their daily lives. Some were no bigger than Kaida''s palm, hopping between massive mushrooms that dotted the landscape. Others were as large as buildings. Kaida counted at least a hundred visible from where they stood, and he could sense many more in the surrounding areas. The air itself felt different here ¨C thicker, more alive. Every breath seemed to carry more life in it, and Kaida could feel a subtle energy thrumming through his body, different from chakra. ''Is this nature energy?'' he thought. "The mountain itself is alive with nature energy, a different form of energy than chakra, but don''t try to absorb it, just let it flow," Jiraiya explained as they walked along a path made of perfectly circular stones. "Those rings you see in the rock? They''re natural formations, but they align perfectly with the flow of energy. The toads say they''re nature''s own seal arrays." They passed through groves where giant leaves curled into natural pavilions, their surfaces decorated with patterns that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles. Flowers as big as trees bloomed everywhere, their petals a riot of colors that shouldn''t exist in nature ¨C deep purples that seemed to glow from within, blues that shimmered like the depths of the ocean, and reds that burned like sunset. As they climbed higher up the mountain, Kaida noticed how the various ecosystems blended seamlessly into one another. Misty valleys gave way to crystal-clear pools, their surfaces so still they mirrored the sky perfectly. Massive stone arches, worn smooth by time and nature energy, created natural gateways between different areas of the mountain. Finally, Kaida stopped immersing himself in the natural beauty of the mount as they reached the top of the mountain. The top had various rock spears going up, and between them was a path to enter inside. The path was dimly lit, and in front of it stood a toad not even 1 foot tall, but Kaida knew he was one of the strongest beings in the area. "Hello, Fukasaku-san, how are you doing?" Jiraiya greeted his longtime friend and teacher. "Fine until Gamamaru-san was awake, now I have to wait for you here and can''t enjoy Ma''s freshly made earthworm soup and insect fry," Fukasaku said. "Don''t worry, Fukasaku-san, I''m sure Ma will leave some for you," Jiraiya said. "So this is the boy Sage wants to meet," Fukasaku said, looking towards Kaida. Kaida felt that he was being scanned inside out by him, but he still maintained his composure. "Good morning, Fukasaku-sama. I am Kaida Uchiha, student of Jiraiya-sama," Kaida introduced himself. "Good morning, now let''s go," Fukasaku said, and then the three of them went inside. There was a room quite similar to a dark underground laboratory; all the walls in the room were black, with many large scrolls with unknown symbols on them stacked close to each other. In front of those scrolls was a large seat where a very old-looking toad was sitting. It was difficult to say if he was awake since his eyes were almost closed. "I have brought them, Lord Sage." "..." "LORD SAGE, I HAVE BROUGHT THEM!" this time Fukasaku said in a far louder tone. "OH! Is it morning now?" Gamamaru said, opening his eyes a little more. ''So he really was sleeping,'' Kaida thought in his mind. "OH! Jiraiya, you are here, good... and who is he?" he asked. "He is my student, Lord Gamamaru, the one you asked me to bring here." "Yes, yes, what was his name again?" "Good morning, Lord Gamamaru. My name is Kaida Uchiha," Kaida said while bowing 90 degrees, paying his respect. Chapter 344: Don’t Lose Yourself Gamamaru stared at Kaida for a long moment, his ancient eyes seeming to peer through layers of time itself. "Fukasaku, Jiraiya, leave us," Gamamaru said, his voice carrying an unusual clarity compared to his earlier drowsiness. Fukasaku became a little tense at that. "Elder, are you sure about this?" he asked. "Yes," the Great Sage replied. With a sigh, Fukasaku left, followed by Jiraiya who was a little confused by this behavior, let alone Kaida who was having the firsthand experience of this weirdness. The heavy stone doors closed behind them with a deep, resonating thud. "Young one," Gamamaru began, his voice now carrying the weight of centuries, "do you know why I have lived so long?" "Sensei said that you guys are more smart and powerful than us, maybe that''s why?" Kaida asked. "Hohoho, no, many beings more powerful than me have already left this world while I am still here. It is because I have been blessed¡ªor perhaps cursed¡ªwith the ability to see glimpses of the future. Prophecies, to be exact." Gamamaru shifted in his seat, leaning forward slightly. "For centuries, these visions have guided the path of many. But recently, something unprecedented has occurred." Kaida felt a cold sweat forming on his brow. ''Does he know?'' he thought, trying to maintain his composure. "The prophecies I have seen for decades have suddenly... changed. A new variable has entered the equation of fate." Gamamaru''s gaze fixed directly on Kaida. "That variable is you." ''If he knows about my transmigration and tells everyone about it, I will be finished. I don''t even want to think what will happen to me,'' Kaida''s thoughts were going wild with various scenarios when¡ª "I don''t know the reason for this change," Gamamaru continued. Relief washed over Kaida, though he carefully kept his expression neutral. The Great Sage might sense something was different about him, but he didn''t know the full truth of his transmigration. Unknown to Kaida''s inner turmoil, the Great Sage continued. "But before we discuss what I''ve seen, I want to ask you something." Kaida nodded. "Yes, Lord Gamamaru?" "If someone were to kill your loved ones, what would you do?" Without hesitation, Kaida answered, "I would kill them too, in the most brutal way possible." "And would that bring your loved ones back?" Gamamaru asked, his voice gentle despite the heavy question. Kaida''s jaw tightened. "No... but does that mean I shouldn''t kill them?" "That decision is yours to make," Gamamaru said, closing his eyes momentarily. The world was not peaceful. If one person became gentle and peaceful and let such a person live, it would not result in making the other person good too. No, the chances were really high that they would target another family member next, or if they could, you too. The long life of the Toad Sage had shown him too many things to give such bad and destructive advice to a person, so he continued, "What I want to tell you is this: after whatever you do, always remember there are more people who love you and depend on you. Don''t lose yourself in anger and do something which is unsolvable." The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. But Kaida became tense, a feeling of dread washing over him when he remembered that the Toad Sage could look into the future. "Is something going to happen to my family?" Kaida asked. "..." "I beg you, Toad Sage, please tell me, is something going to happen to my family?" "I can''t tell you, child. All I can tell you is that fate can''t be changed. If you do something to turn it around, it will restore itself, causing much more destruction in the process. Currently, it is already at its turning point," Gamamaru said and then turned silent, not speaking for a long time. Kaida couldn''t understand even half of what Gamamaru was saying, but what he could tell was that Gamamaru was not going to tell him about the future no matter how much he asked. "Thank you, Great Sage," Kaida said as he bowed, and then left the room, but unlike when he entered, this time there was urgency in his steps. Just as he was about to go out, the Toad Sage gave his last advice. "Don''t share anything I told you with anyone. I already took a risk by telling you the things I did." Kaida nodded and left. Outside the room, on top of the mountain, Jiraiya and Fukasaku were standing in wait. "So the talk is over, huh? What did he say to you?" Jiraiya asked. "Just not to turn evil. Can we go back now, sensei?" Kaida asked. Jiraiya sensed that something had happened, but since Kaida was not telling him, it could only be because the Great Sage said so. With these thoughts in his mind, he simply nodded. "See you next time, Pa," Jiraiya said while Kaida also bowed, and then with a both of them were out of Mount Myoboku. After they left, Fukasaku went inside the room once again. "Gamamaru-sama, telling him about the future will change it, and your health will also deteriorate because of the recoil from fate," he said. "The future I saw was too gruesome for the world to bear, Fukasaku. I had to take this risk, otherwise even the child of prophecy may not have been able to save this world. But now things don''t look so bad. And don''t worry, I didn''t tell him much. I just need some long sleep and everything would be fine," Gamamaru said with a smile as his eyes closed once again. Fukasaku could only shake his head, hoping that the Great Sage''s words would be true this time as well. ... "I assume you have something important to do?" Jiraiya asked. Kaida nodded his head. "Okay, I don''t know what you guys talked about in there, but you can always count on me for help," Jiraiya said. Kaida once again nodded, but this time with a smile. As they both were about to part ways, Kaida turned. "Sensei, why were you in such a hurry to bring me to Mount Myoboku?" "It was the Sage''s order, why?" "Nothing, I was just curious," Kaida said and went toward his home. ... "You want me to form the most powerful defensive array I know around your home, the most powerful one?" Reina asked. "I know this is a little sudden, but I really need this. If you want, I can pay any amount you want for all this trouble," Kaida said. "I don''t want your money... I just want to know why you''re in such a hurry and tension, and what is the reason for this sudden precaution. Because I can see your house doesn''t lack a defensive array¡ªeven though it''s not very powerful, it is sufficient enough," Reina said. "That is something I can''t explain to you... I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen to me or my family very soon. I can''t explain why, but I want to be safe just in case." Reina kept looking toward Kaida for a long time. She could tell that he was hiding something, but there was sincerity in his voice. After a long time, she sighed. "Fine, don''t tell me if you don''t want. Arrange these things for me and I will create the most powerful defensive array in all of Konoha, one through which only an S-rank ninja or above could break through. But remember, it will be very expensive to maintain even if I don''t take a penny from you guys." "No problem," Kaida said as he took the list and went to get the ingredients. ... S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We don''t have many ninja to deploy to the borders. Luckily, some of them got recently promoted to chunin. Even though they don''t have much experience, they could be sent to safer outposts like the ones with Sunagakure or toward the sea. For the outposts near Iwa and Kumo''s border, we would need experienced ninja, and some Jonin as well. Looks like I will need to ask Lord Third to deploy some ANBU ninja as well, otherwise we are severely short-staffed," Shikaku was completing the list of ninja who were going to be sent to outposts and the routes between Iwa, Kumo, and Konoha. After preparing for the whole night and many discussions with Eagle¡ªhead of ANBU ninja in Konoha¡ªthe list was finally complete, and a letter was sent to all of the concerned ninjas about their roles. Chapter 345: Defences Kaida bought all of the supplies Reina had asked for, and when she had said it would be expensive, she wasn''t joking. All of the things combined cost him more than one and a half million Ryo, an astonishing amount for such a small place. With all of the supplies, Kaida asked Reina to begin the process as soon as she could. "What''s with the sudden house renovation?" Shisui asked, watching as Reina drew complex sealing arrays around their home. "Just upgrading our security," Kaida replied casually. "Since we have the option to get the best defensive array possible, why not take it?" Hae looked concerned. "It seems rather extensive for a simple upgrade and really sudden too. Is everything alright?" Especially considering the price¡ªshe knew Kaida would not spend so much for no reason. "Of course, Aunt. It doesn''t hurt to have extra precautions," Kaida said with a reassuring smile, though it didn''t quite reach his eyes. Everyone felt something was off with Kaida, but since he wasn''t sharing it by himself, they didn''t push either, thinking it would be better to give him some space. With this, Reina continued to build the array and talk with Naruto in between the process as well. Later that evening, Shisui pulled Kaida aside in the garden. "What''s really going on? This isn''t like you to suddenly strengthen defences without reason, and that too with such extreme measures. Something is not right." Kaida hesitated, then spoke quietly. "Brother, recently, I''ve been having this... feeling. Like something feels off. Like something bad is approaching." Shisui''s expression turned serious. As a seasoned shinobi, he knew better than to dismiss such instincts. " Okay, if having this defensive measure helps in that part, then there is no problem in having them," he said with a smile and a pat on Kaida''s back. "If you are worried about anything, come and find me," he said reassuringly. Just as Reina was finishing the last of the defensive arrays, three messengers arrived at their home. Kaida, Yomi, and Shisui each received a scroll bearing the Hokage''s seal. Kaida''s hands trembled slightly as he read the deployment orders¡ªnot for himself, but because of the other two. Because if he got those orders, then others must have something similar. After finding out that he was being deployed at the outpost near Sunagakure and sea, Yomi at the other end of Sunagakure outpost, and Shisui at the path between Kumo and Konoha, a feeling of helplessness washed over him. "Can''t we decline? Request a different assignment maybe? At least going together?" Kaida asked. "These are direct orders from Lord Hokage. They are given after deliberate thinking and planning and don''t change normally unless you have a very solid reason," Shisui said, his voice gentle but firm. Yomi touched Kaida''s arm softly. "I know you''re worried about something, Kaida, but don''t be. Everything is going to be fine. Also, this is an opportunity for growth. We can''t become stronger by always staying within the village''s walls or by relying on others." Her eyes met his, filled with determination and warmth. Kaida wanted to argue, but seeing the resolve in her eyes, he could only nod silently, because even after arguing there was little, he could do against it. Later that afternoon, Kaida found himself at the training grounds practicing taijutsu against 10 of his clones to calm his mind, which kept thinking about various scenarios. "Hey, hey, you are already a jonin. What the hell are you training so hard for? Do you want to become Kage next year or something?" "Ryota, what are you doing here?" Kaida said, dispersing his shadow clones and wiping away the heaps of sweat he had produced. "I came to meet you. I am being deployed to the Suna''s Outpost soon, so I thought one spar before leaving would be nice." "You are also going there?" Kaida asked as brightness returned to his face. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, are you also coming?" Ryota asked, a little expectant. "No, not me, but Yomi is also going there to the northern outpost, right?" Kaida asked. "Yes, but why are you so happy about it all of a sudden?" Ryota asked, finding it a little off. "I have a bad feeling about something going wrong recently, and then this sudden deployment order came. I know it sounds strange, but..." Kaida''s voice trailed off. Ryota clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It''s alright, buddy. We Inuzuka always trust our and our friends'' instincts. It''s not a problem to worry about things, but don''t worry¡ªI talked to my clan member. That outpost is actually safest even during wartime, and if it still worries you, I promise I will keep an eye out all the time." "Thanks, Ryota. That means a lot." "Now how about the spar I came here for?" "Of course, whenever you are ready." ... On the next day, everyone was getting ready to leave. The defensive array was complete, and Hae was saying bye to all three of her children. "Always remain careful and eat on time, have proper sleep, okay?" she said to all three of them. "Yes aunt, we will make sure to do it," Yomi replied, and others smiled, waving their hands. "One day I will become a cool ninja like them too!" Naruto said, seeing all three of his siblings in green vests and metal headbands. "Of course you will. You will become even cooler than them," Hae said, patting his small head as they went back inside the house. The bear, who was usually very lazy, was now fully attentive because of a pep talk with Kaida about how he would reduce his meal quantity by half if something happened in the house while he was gone¡ªthe biggest threat he could have given to Kenta. "Yomi, you remember, right?" "Yes, yes, you have told me this hundred times already. I will run without a second thought if a danger above our level arises. Now can you stop worrying? It is bad before a mission," Yomi said. Kaida just nodded his head at that. The three of them separated and went in different directions to meet their respective groups leaving with them. ... (Next day) Kumo and Iwa both got reports about the increased movement of Konoha on the border. Like Konoha got the message from their spies in Kumo and Iwa, the same happened for the opposite side as well¡ªabout how hundreds of ninjas had left Konoha, and from the spies in various villages near the border, it was clear that Konoha had increased the security at the border. Due to this, a meeting was called between the higher-ups of both villages. Chapter 346: Change of Plans In the heart of Kumogakure, within a dimly lit council chamber, the Fourth Raikage, A, sat at the head of a long table, his expression tense as he reviewed the intelligence reports before him. "This is troubling," he growled, tossing a scroll onto the table. "Our intelligence confirms that Konoha has significantly reinforced their borders. Kakashi of the Sharingan has been spotted along our primary trade routes, and Shisui of the Body Flicker is patrolling the eastern corridors. Even though they are only targeting the bandits in the area." Elder Masashi, one of Kumo''s senior advisors, leaned forward. "That''s not all. Our sources indicate that Jiraiya of the Sannin has returned to Konoha. And even the number of ninja on the border outposts of Konoha have also been increased. Though finding exact numbers is difficult, this level of mobilization suggests they might have caught wind of our plans." "Then perhaps we should reconsider our strategy," suggested another elder, her weathered face creased with concern. "Engaging in conflict with Konoha while their elite forces are on high alert would be unwise." "Cowardice!" thundered Elder Hideki, slamming his fist on the table. "Backing down now would make us appear weak in front of Iwa, and all of the preparation will be for nothing! We also can''t ignore that our reputation would suffer irreparable damage." The Raikage''s brother, Killer B, who had been unusually quiet, spoke up. "Yo, if direct confrontation''s too hot to handle, why not strike where they least expect, that''s the smart way to dismantle!" The room fell silent, considering B''s words despite his unconventional delivery. Normally he would be out on the valley practicing and would not participate in such meetings, but today was one of the rare occasions he chose to attend one. Elder Masashi''s eyes lit up. "B might be correct. Konoha has reinforced their borders facing us and Iwagakure, but what about their other frontiers?" "Our intelligence suggests their southern outposts, particularly those near Sunagakure and the sea, are not as active as others. Even though they still got some reinforcement, it is not at the same level as the one at our side," one of the intelligence officers reported, shuffling through his documents. The Raikage stroked his chin thoughtfully. "The sea route... It''s further from our territory, but that very distance might work to our advantage. They wouldn''t expect an attack from that direction." "The terrain would be favorable as well," added another council member. "Our lightning-style users can be particularly effective over water, and the coastal outposts typically maintain smaller garrisons." Elder Hideki nodded approvingly. "And striking there would still send a clear message without risking direct confrontation with their elite forces. It''s both strategic and face-saving." "But sending such a big force over water couldn''t be hidden and Konoha will become alert if they found out about it. Also, the plan of sending our forces in smaller batches couldn''t be achieved either; they will simply eliminate them individually considering they are already alert," Masashi pointed out. "What about Sunagakure?" asked one of the younger advisors. "They''re Konoha''s allies. So Konoha will not think of an attack from their side." "The desert poses its own challenges," Elder Masashi replied. "But if we move swiftly through it, we can strike before either Suna or Konoha can mount an effective response. The key would be speed and surprise. Also, Suna will not do anything even if it finds out about it either." The Raikage stood, his decision made. "Send word to Iwagakure. We are going to follow this plan." ... In Iwagakure, the Tsuchikage, Onoki, hovered above his seat as he listened to Kumo''s proposal. The message had arrived via their most secure channels, and now the Iwa council debated its merits. "It''s an interesting proposition," Onoki mused, his back cracking as he shifted position. "Attacking from the sea route would certainly be unexpected but will be difficult to complete. Though sand, though difficult, is easy to hide." "Our earth-style users can move through the sand easily as well, getting a better terrain advantage," one of his advisors noted. "And we''ve maintained several hidden bases in the desert as well. They would also come in handy now; they could provide support." "The risk would be significantly lower than engaging their forces directly," another council member added. "Especially with Hatake and the Uchiha positioned along our usual approach routes." Onoki nodded slowly. "And there''s another advantage ¨C even if the attack doesn''t achieve all our objectives, it will force Konoha to redistribute their forces towards Suna''s side as well, effectively weakening their overall border security." After several hours of deliberation, Iwagakure''s council reached their decision. A messenger hawk was dispatched to Kumogakure, carrying their agreement to the plan. The message was brief but clear: "Proposal accepted. Proceed with Operation Desert Strike. Our forces will be ready to move within three days." As the hawk disappeared into the cloudy sky, neither village could anticipate how their carefully laid plans would reshape the political landscape of the shinobi world in the days to come. Back in the Raikage''s office, A read Iwa''s response with satisfaction. "Send word to our desert operatives," he commanded. "Tell them to prepare for incoming forces, and begin gathering detailed intelligence on those outposts. We''ll need to know exactly what we''re dealing with." "Yes, Lord Raikage," his assistant responded, quickly departing to relay the orders. A turned to gaze out his window at the cloudy peaks of Kumogakure. ''Soon,'' he thought, ''Konoha will learn that they are not the strongest village they once were.'' ... The desert sun beat down mercilessly as Yomi and Ryota followed Isao Yamanaka through their new posting. The outpost rose from the sand like a natural formation, its sandstone walls nearly invisible against the desert backdrop until you were almost upon it. "This isn''t like the training outposts you''ve seen before," Isao began, his voice carrying the weight of experience. The tall Yamanaka, who had been Yomi''s instructor in sensing techniques, gestured broadly at the structure before them. "This is one of our critical defensive positions along the Suna border." "It doesn''t look very impressive," Ryota remarked, earning a bark of agreement from his companion Kiba. Isao smiled knowingly. "That''s exactly the point. What you''re seeing is just the surface¡ªliterally." He led them to what appeared to be a simple door set into the sandstone. After a series of hand signs, the door revealed a steep staircase descending underground. "Most of our actual facilities are below ground," he explained as they descended. "Cooler, safer, and much more extensive than what appears above. The whole structure is reinforced with chakra-infused materials to prevent collapse." They emerged into a surprisingly well-lit corridor. "The real heart of our operations is down here. Living quarters, medical facilities, communication center, and supply storage¡ªall protected from both the elements and potential enemies." "What about monitoring the surface?" Yomi asked, her training in sensory techniques making her particularly interested in surveillance methods. "Ah, good question," Isao replied, leading them to a room filled with various monitoring equipment. "We maintain a constant chakra detection barrier around the entire outpost. Any unauthorized chakra signature triggers an alert. Plus, our watchtowers are equipped with specialized telescopic devices for long-range observation." He pointed to a chart on the wall showing shift rotations. "Everyone here has specific roles, but we all need to be flexible. As new arrivals, you''ll start with basic defense team duties¡ªmaintaining traps, checking barriers, that sort of thing. But you''ll also train to fill other roles as needed." "How many people are stationed here?" Ryota asked, noting the various names on the rotation chart. "We typically maintain a force of about twenty-five shinobi, led by our station commander. That includes scouts, defense teams, medics, and runners. Speaking of which¡ª" Isao turned to Yomi, "¡ªyour sensing abilities will be particularly valuable here. We''ll be integrating you into the scout rotation once you''re familiar with the basic operations." They continued their tour, passing through the living quarters¡ªsparse but comfortable rooms carved into the rock¡ªand the medical bay, where a medic-nin was organizing supplies. "One thing you need to understand," Isao said, his tone growing serious, "is that while we''re technically in allied territory, we''re still a forward operating position. We maintain constant vigilance. Every shift, every patrol, every maintenance matters. One slip in attention could mean¡ª" A sudden alert from the chakra barrier interrupted him. The outpost sprang to life as shinobi rushed to their positions. Isao''s expression hardened. "Well," he said grimly, "looks like you''ll get to see active operations sooner than expected. Follow me, and stay alert. This is where your real training begins." The alert turned out to be a false alarm¡ªjust a large desert creature passing too close to the barrier¡ªbut Isao seemed pleased with how the new arrivals had responded to the situation. "Remember," he said as they returned to their posts, "out here, we''re not just watching for enemy ninja. The desert itself can be just as dangerous. Speaking of which¡ª" he checked the rotation chart again, "¡ªyou two are on evening patrol with me. We''ll start your desert navigation training then." Yomi and Ryota exchanged glances, the reality of their new assignment finally sinking in. This wasn''t a training exercise anymore¡ªthis was real border defense, and they were now part of it. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 347: Enemy at the door Just like Yomi and Ryota, Kaida also got a basic idea of how the outpost worked and how they swapped roles. Since he was a Jonin, he wondered what his role would be and which team he would lead, but Kaida couldn''t pay much attention to these thoughts. His mind was constantly wandering to what the toad sage had said and how two of his family members were clearly in danger at the moment. Well, Shisui could be the last of his worries; because of his body flicker technique, he could easily run away if the need arose. So his main worry was about Yomi and a little about Ryota as well, because from his recent spar he knew that his friend was almost a Jonin rank ninja but still not powerful enough to handle everything. The same thoughts kept repeating in his mind for one whole day, which was given to the new arrivals for rest before they actually started their duty. ''F**k it, I am doing it. If they find it excessive, I can always apologize later,'' he said and made a shadow clone with 60 percent of his chakra reserves. Since the distance between these two posts was only 150 km, the clone could easily reach there with more than enough chakra to spare. After sending the clone, Kaida finally sighed in relief, because the main sense of anxiety always comes from the unknown. With that gone, he decided to focus on his duty at his outpost. ... "Don''t you think you are worrying too much, Kaida? I know you are anxious about something, but this place is packed with arrays and seals, with 40 ninja. In a sense, this is the second safest place I have been after the village," Yomi said. "Yeah, and I am not here for your security. I am here just because the feeling of anxiety inside me was increasing with every second. With this, it is a little better, so I am here for myself," Kaida''s clone said. Isao and Ryota had left the two love birds alone after confirming that he was really Kaida and not some enemy ninja using transformation jutsu. After requesting for quite some time, Yomi and others agreed to let the clone stay on the condition that he would not disturb them during their stay. With this, the normal working days started for Kaida and group, but after every 30 hours, Kaida had to send a new clone to the Northern base because his shadow clone there would get dispersed by that time due to low chakra. It was highly wasteful, but with the sense of relief he was getting, it was totally worth it for him. ... In a remote desert oasis, hidden beneath towering rock formations, two groups of shinobi converged under the cover of darkness. The cool night air carried whispers of anticipation as elite forces from both Kumogakure and Iwagakure assembled for Operation Desert Strike. Kitsuchi stood with his arms crossed, observing the area from the sky, as Deidara''s clay bird landed softly on the sand. The Iwa forces¡ªtwenty Tenketsu Jonin, twenty Chunin, and three medical ninja¡ªhad already taken defensive positions around the meeting point. The arrival of Kumo''s forces, led by Darui and C, completed their assembly. "Thirty Tenketsu Jonin, thirty Chunin, two regular Jonin, a seal master, and five medical ninja," C reported, stepping forward. "The total force Kumo had brought for this mission." "Let''s get this meeting over with, hm," Deidara said, his visible eye scanning the gathered forces with barely concealed impatience. "Standing around in the open isn''t my idea of art." Inside a hastily erected but still quite sturdy and luxurious command tent, the four leaders gathered around a detailed map of the region. Kitsuchi, being the most experienced among those present, stepped forward. "The operation requires precise timing and coordination," he began. "We''ll divide our forces into five strike teams. Each team will approach the target from different vectors to overwhelm their sensor network." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Darui nodded, his usually lazy expression replaced with sharp focus. "The teams need to be balanced between our villages. It''ll make it harder to trace back to either Kumo or Iwa." "Three teams of twenty, two teams of fifteen," C suggested, marking positions on the map. "Each with a mix of Jonin and Chunin. Medical ninja distributed among the larger teams. And three medical ninja on standby for any emergency case." Deidara leaned forward, pointing to several locations. "I''ve already scouted the approach routes, hm. The sand dunes here and here provide perfect cover. My art can create additional distractions if needed." "No," Kitsuchi cut in firmly. "Your techniques are too distinctive. You and I, along with Darui and C, are here only as insurance. The official story needs to be a group of rogue ninja who were part of Kumo and Iwa at some time, bore resentment toward Konoha for killing their subordinates in fire country. That''s why they banded together and attacked it." "But what''s the fun in that, if I can''t show my art?" "Everything is not always for fun, Deidara," Kitsuchi said with a firm tone. Since he was among the few people who had taught Deidara in his childhood days, he was also among the few people Deidara listened to. "The seal master can establish a chakra-dampening field in the area Deidara has scouted," Darui added, continuing the meeting. "It won''t hide us completely, but it''ll make it harder for their sensors to get an accurate read on our numbers." After hours of discussion, they finalized their strategy. The forces were divided into five teams: Team One: 20 members - Mixed Jonin and Chunin, one medical ninja Team Two: 20 members - Mixed Jonin and Chunin, one medical ninja Team Three: 20 members - Mixed Jonin and Chunin, one medical ninja Team Four: 15 members - Mixed Jonin and Chunin, one medical ninja Team Five: 15 members - Mixed Jonin and Chunin, one medical ninja "The outpost is a day''s journey from here," Kitsuchi announced to the assembled forces. "We move in scattered formation, maintaining communication through C''s sensory network. Upon arrival, we''ll rest for twenty-four hours before launching the attack." The seal master, a quiet Kumo ninja with elaborate tattoos covering his arms, was one of the few people who got the protection of the four people as well, because among all the ninja present there, aside from the top four, he was the most important one. As the night deepened, the teams began their carefully choreographed movement across the desert. They traveled in staggered intervals, using the natural terrain to mask their progress. The moon cast long shadows across the sand dunes, providing additional cover for their advance. Darui and C took up positions at the rear, while Kitsuchi and Deidara monitored from above, the latter grudgingly keeping his "artistic contributions" in check. Their progress was methodical, professional, and most importantly, virtually undetectable to all but the most sophisticated sensor networks. ''Let them think they''re safe behind their walls,'' Kitsuchi thought as he watched the teams navigate the treacherous desert terrain. ''By the time they realize what''s happening, it''ll be too late.'' Chapter 348: First Strike Three days passed normally with new recruits getting the hang of their new schedules, while older ones continued their older tasks. But on the night of the third day, something happened. The night watch at the northern outpost was proceeding as usual when one of the sensors noticed a slight disturbance in their detection field. It wasn''t unusual to detect movement¡ªdesert creatures often triggered minor alerts¡ªbut protocol demanded investigation of all anomalies. "Squad Seven, investigate disturbance in sector four," the command center ordered. "Standard scout formation." Chunin Takeshi led his team of three genin toward the disturbance. At nineteen, he was already known for his caution and reliability¡ªperfect qualities for leading routine patrols. With his squad, he left to check for the disturbance. Sadly, he was the unlucky one who was given new recruits in his squad while his older squad had gone to someone else. He could only sigh seeing the laid-back attitude of the new recruits because in three days they had gotten used to the procedure¡ªone of the most common reasons for a ninja''s death. "Remember," he whispered to his genin squad, "maintain communication seals active at all times. Miko, take point with your sensing. Jun and Rei, flank positions." He tried to make them as serious as he could. They moved silently through the desert night, their footsteps barely disturbing the sand. Miko, a young sensor-type ninja, suddenly stiffened. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Takeshi-sensei," she whispered, her voice trembling, "there are multiple chakra signatures ahead of us. Many of them." But she was not the only one who had sensed the enemies. Before Takeshi could order a retreat, dark figures emerged from the sand dunes. His heart stopped as he realized they were surrounded¡ªat least ten shinobi, all wearing unmarked gear. "Run!" Takeshi shouted, already forming hand signs. "Back to base, now!" The genin turned to flee, but more enemies rose from the sand. Takeshi unleashed a water jutsu, creating a brief screen of steam as it hit the desert floor. ''Just need to buy time for the help to arrive,'' he thought desperately. But the next second he lost a major chunk of his confidence. The genin who ran toward the base were surrounded by the enemy ninja once again. Rei fell first, a kunai finding his throat before he could scream. Jun managed to deflect two shuriken but an earth spear caught him in the leg. Miko made it the farthest, her sensor abilities helping her dodge the initial assault. Takeshi fought like a man possessed, his hands blurring through signs as he tried to cover his students'' retreat. ''Just a little longer,'' he thought. However, once again luck was not on his side as he saw Miko fall, a silent scream on her lips as lightning chakra stopped her heart. Time seemed to slow as Takeshi could now see his own death in front of him, but he didn''t fall into despair like any new recruit would have. He was a person who had fought in the great ninja war; with calm mind, he analyzed his situation. Since death was almost certain, he left all hope of making it back alive and took out a bulk of explosive tags from his bag. ''I''m sorry, everyone,'' he thought, channeling his remaining chakra into them. "Retreat!" a shout came from behind, and the ninjas ran back seeing the number of explosive tags spreading around them. Using the time he got, Takeshi took out a seal from his pocket and passed chakra into it. ''At least they know about the enemy now,'' were his last thoughts before an earth spear took him through the heart, but not before his fingers completed the seal activation. ¡­ Back at the outpost, alarms blared as Takeshi''s distress signal reached them. And just after a few seconds, they heard the thunderous explosion happening near the position where the squad went to search for the anomalies. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the sensor team quickly called the Nara commander, Shinji, into the room as he immediately sprang into action. "Sir, we lost contact with squad seven which went to check for anomaly at sector four, and they had sent a distress signal code red," the sensor ninja responsible for sensing and tracking operations of the outpost reported. "More than 10 enemy ninja, and considering the blast, the squad must have been eliminated, resulting in Takeshi using his last resort," Shinji said. Without wasting a single second, he barked orders as the outpost erupted into activity. "Launch distress hawks and call for reinforcement from nearby outposts! All positions, prepare for combat! We are being attacked!" Five messenger hawks took to the sky, carrying urgent requests for reinforcement. Three more specialized distress flares shot into the night sky, their chakra-infused light visible for miles. "Commander!" A sensor shouted. "Multiple sensing distortions like before are being detected from all four directions! We''re surrounded!" Before Shinji could order the barrier activation, explosions rocked the outpost''s perimeter. The seal master among the attackers had identified the barrier array''s weak points, and the coordinated assault was devastating. The enemy ninjas had targeted the outer array with many explosion tags, which were nothing but cover for the clay spiders Deidara had sent to the array weak points beforehand. Deidara''s tiny clay spiders detonated with terrifying force. The combined explosions with the explosion tags shattered nearly a third of the barrier array, leaving the outpost dangerously exposed. "What are our losses?" Shinji asked as soon as the tremors of the explosion died down. "Sir, we can''t activate the outer barrier now, only the inner barrier is remaining and could only be activated for few minutes." "I want the exact number, dammit!" "12 minutes max," the only seal master of the outpost said. "Then start partial barrier activation!" Shinji ordered. "It will buy us essential preparation time!" The remaining arrays hummed to life, but Shinji could see they wouldn''t last long. He quickly assessed their situation: they had forty defenders, fifteen of them genin, against what appeared to be a massive enemy force. With just the conservative guess, they must have more than 70 ninjas. Soon the enemies left their hiding spots and started attacking the barriers. "Status report!" he demanded. "Based on the chakra signatures, we''re facing at least 15-20 enemies on each side. Possibly more. Since some of them entered the range after a few seconds," a sensor reported grimly. Shinji''s mind raced through scenarios, each more desperate than the last. They were vastly outnumbered, with no hope of immediate reinforcement. "Listen carefully," he announced, his voice carrying the weight of command. "We''re going to launch one coordinated attack, then scatter in different directions. Small groups, random patterns. I am not going to give you hope that we will survive this attack, but all of us can''t die here, and this method will guarantee that some of us will live and will be able to bring reinforcement. At last, I want to say... It was an honor to work with you guys." All the ninjas who were in a state of anxiety finally calmed down, years of training calming their nerves. "We are also proud to work with you, captain," one of the jonin replied who was also the head of the offense department of the outpost. The outpost which was in disarray a moment ago suddenly became organized. Shinji quickly divided the ninja into random teams with different compositions and numbers, with the orders clear. While this was happening, a ninja¡ªor a clone to be exact¡ªwas in much greater deliberation. Kaida''s clone, standing with Yomi and Ryota, felt his remaining chakra dwindling. With only 20% left, he couldn''t create another clone to warn his original self. "Yomi, Ryota," he said quietly, "when the attack begins, head southwest. I''ll cover your retreat." "I am sorry for not taking your warning seriously, Kaida, and I want to say I am really¡ª" Yomi started speaking. "Wait, I don''t want to hear it. Tell me all this when you meet the real me," the clone gave a reassuring smile and then turned to Ryota. "Don''t do anything stupid, run toward the southwest, and I will handle the rest." "I know bro, I also value my life. After all, I have to surpass you soon," Ryota gave a cheeky smile, but the clone could feel the nervousness in his smile. Chapter 349: Blast Stopping the emotional banter, Kaida''s clone then focused on other important matters at hand. He quickly took out a map and pointed to two locations. "I am currently here. As soon as my memory reaches me, I will rush straight toward you guys with help. The distance between our outposts is 157 kilometers. Even at my fastest speed, I can only reach here in 12 minutes. Till then, you guys will have to fend for yourselves," the clone said to both of them, getting a tense look from Ryota, but Yomi interrupted. "No, don''t do this! You will put yourself at risk as well. We will come to your outpost as soon as we can. Just prepare a counter-attack there," she said. "The fastest you guys could reach there would be in almost an hour. Neither of you will be safe to defend yourself in between if you went any faster than that, and the attackers will most likely have Jonin-level ninja... Yomi, I am not being unreasonable. I will bring help, and that is the only way for US to survive," the clone said, joining his forehead with Yomi''s. "Don''t worry, everything will be fine," he said. Ryota was watching all this from the side. While they were having these talks, the barrier flickered ominously as more explosions rocked its foundations. Shinji''s voice cut through the chaos: "Prepare for synchronized attack!" and every ninja in the facility came toward the gate. Luckily, Ryota and Yomi were in the same group along with one more chunin. They shared their plan with that chunin as well, who agreed grimly. The defenders moved into position, determination replacing fear on their faces. They were Konoha shinobi¡ªif they were going down, they''d go down fighting. "Remember," Shinji continued, "once we breach their lines, scatter immediately. Don''t engage unless absolutely necessary. The priority is reaching Konoha or any nearby outpost with warning of this attack." He headed toward the barrier room after giving all of his orders. "Go and join your squads." "But sir, we have to stay here to activate the last protocol," the ninja who was sitting there with a grim expression said. "This is an order. Go and join your squads. I will handle things here," Shinji said. Every sensor ninja present understood what Shinji meant. The ninja who were going to stay there would have no chance of escaping¡ªthey were going to die for sure, and they had already mentally prepared themselves for that role. But then suddenly their commander came and said he was going to take their role. The emotions they were feeling were so complex that they couldn''t even tell what they were feeling. One of the present ninja finally sorted his thoughts and said: "Commander, your life is much more valuable for Konoha than mine. I will gladly give it for my village." "What do you think, soldier? Are all of your lives combined here less valuable than mine? No, there is no such thing. Every life is equally valuable. I am not here as some patriot; I am here as a commander who is prioritizing the lives of seven ninja over one. Now go, we don''t have much time," Shinji said. "Thank you very much, sir!" All of them bowed with their foreheads almost touching the ground, and then they ran toward the surface where all of their forces and enemy forces were waiting. Shinji took out a cigarette from his pants and lit it with a lighter. "I should have just slept in my house." Long black shadows entangled all of the controls of the outpost barrier, ready for the final moment. ... Outside the barrier, the attacking forces pressed closer. The seal master continued systematically destroying the array''s anchor points, while the five strike teams moved systematically to destroy the barrier as fast as they could. Suddenly, the seal master''s eyes went wide, and he shouted, "All of you retreat! It is going to blast!" Because of how little chakra was remaining in the seal, the seal master had become careless and had asked the ninja to go near the barrier to destroy it faster. But suddenly, the amount of chakra increased, and the functioning of the barrier changed. Now it was not going to defend the base from enemy attack but defend it from a big blast. Then the area near them started to glow bright red. All of the Kumo and Iwa ninja ran as fast as they could, but it was already too late. The blast happened before they could reach a safe distance, with an explosion rivaling hundreds of explosion tags, blowing away all of the enemy ninja. Without wasting a second, all of the Konoha Shinobi ran in different directions. If any enemy ninja was oriented enough to attack them, they were targeted with many jutsu or kunai, already prepared in advance. While everyone was fighting for their life, Kaida''s clone was only repeating a single thing in his mind. ''Just need to last long enough,'' he thought. ''Just need to get them clear.'' While everyone was fighting left and right, Yomi, Ryota, and the other ninja were running toward the direction indicated by the clone. The clone didn''t use a single jutsu this whole time, saving his chakra for dire situations, while all three of them along with Kiba deflected all of the attacks that came their way. Sadly, they had the worst luck possible¡ªon their path were five Tenketsu jonin, now almost regaining their clarity. "Run while evading them. I will handle the rest. Also, make sure to survive till I come, otherwise I am going to kill you," Kaida''s clone said to Ryota and Yomi. "Don''t worry," Ryota said. Woof woof With three of them running toward a different direction the next second, before those five Tenketsu jonin could follow them, a searing hot stream of fire was launched toward them. Out of 20 percent of chakra the clone had, it had used half of it using supercharged fire stream jutsu mixed with Yang chakra. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. None of those five could take that attack lightly because it had more than enough power to kill them, so they either jumped or used movement jutsu to get away as fast as they could. But even the few seconds they wasted gave them nasty burns on their skin, which focused their attention on the immediate threat in their vicinity¡ªa teenage boy whose appearance they knew very clearly. "Kill him for sure; he can''t run away," their leader said, and all three of them lunged toward Kaida, wary of any sudden attack. Chapter 350: Diversion "Kill him for sure; he can''t run away," their leader said, and all three of them lunged toward Kaida, wary of any sudden attack but still ready to take risks because of the reward promised to those who would bring his head. While three ninja attacked Kaida, two of them stayed back. The shadow clone didn''t miss that detail. With the last bits of its chakra remaining, it knew it couldn''t handle all five of them, but since all of them were injured, it would be best to take out the healer of the group to reduce their chances to attack his friends. Just as three of them were about to reach him, he disappeared from his position, appearing behind the two at the back. Both of his hands were covered in a mass amount of condensed wind chakra, which was so dense that even non-sensor ninja could feel it from afar. "Wind Release: Beast Tearing Gale Palm!" Sharp claws formed on his hands, which had an unnatural amount of Yang chakra as well, making the structure more solid as well as more deadly. The clone tried to punch a hole through the chest of both ninjas, but due to the huge amount of chakra he had used, two of them had been alerted of the attack, resulting in them dodging at the last moment, evading the fatal strike. One of them got their arm cut off in such a gruesome manner that no medical ninja could join that back, whereas the second one had their lungs punctured from the side. The one with punctured lungs quickly used a Mystic Palm Jutsu to patch his injuries because even though he was able to save his heart and evade immediate death, he was still very close to dying. But this also gave away the information the clone needed most¡ªthe identity of the healer. He quickly lunged toward the healer who was busy healing himself. By then, every member of that five-person team had understood Kaida''s plan, so they rushed to save the healer, which only widened the smirk present on the clone''s face. The only ninja with one arm left could see that, and he had an ominous feeling about it. He soon found out why¡ªthe clone was covered in many explosion tags, which he ignited at the perfect moment. All four of them jumped back to save themselves, while Kaida''s clone used the last bit of its chakra to cut open the neck of the medical ninja. The head of that medical ninja saw a red flame illuminating the desert sand for a second before it was engulfed in that same fire. The remaining ninja also sustained burns of various degrees, with the one-armed ninja in critical condition. But the worst thing was there were no traces of the person who did all this to them. It would have been acceptable if he would have died doing all that. "It was a shadow clone... trying to buy time so those three could run away. Go after them; I will handle myself," the ninja with only one arm, who was also their leader, said after analyzing the situation. Three of the Iwa ninja nodded their heads. Even though it was true that their leader was the most injured, they were not unharmed either¡ªthey had also suffered many burns. With the thirst for revenge, they rushed toward the direction the three Konoha ninja had run. Even though they were injured as well, every ninja who reached above Chunin rank at least knew basic medical jutsu and first aid to keep them alive in difficult situations. ... Kaida was on his routine scout duty with his chunin squad. Being near the sea, the outpost was also responsible for keeping watch over any illegal activities through the sea, especially enemy invasion which was very easy from the sea, particularly at night. But just as they went back to report their end of shift, Kaida froze. He stopped in his tracks and without any word to his teammates ran toward the commander''s office. The commander of this outpost was Tomohiro Sarutobi, one of the elite jonin of the Sarutobi clan. He was sitting in his office reviewing the reports of the day when¡ª "Who is it?" "Sir, it is me, Kaida Uchiha!" Kaida shouted. "Come in." Kaida entered and without any formalities started speaking: Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The northern outpost bordering Sunagakure is attacked by enemy forces. Our ninja there have been outnumbered heavily, so they blew the base and scattered and are now being hunted down. The expected number of enemies is more than 80, most of them chunin rank or higher. My friends are running toward this direction and are being followed by enemy jonin-level ninjas. I am going to rescue them. I found all this from the memories I got from my shadow clone. That''s it, sir." After saying this Kaida turned ready to run toward the base "Soldier, I have not given you permission to leave!" Tomohiro shouted. "I was not here for permission either, sir. I was just here so that you could perform the best for our ninja who are being hunted. As for me, I am going to save my friends and can''t waste my time here. You can do anything you want to me after I come back," Kaida said and disappeared from his place. "Young blood," Tomohiro just shook his head but then jumped from his seat as well. "Code red! Squads 4, 5, and 6, march toward the northern border! Enemies have attacked that outpost¡ªtry to save any ninja in our range but don''t put your life in danger. Also, call for a meeting and send messengers toward Konoha!" With orders flying through his mouth, he was going to every command room possible. The full outpost went into action in few minutes, with 12 ninjas running towards the northern border, maintaining a large parameter search for any survivors or enemy ninjas. ... "I knew it, I knew it, I f**king knew it! I shouldn''t have let them go away. Run, run, run, dammit!" Kaida was shouting. Black markings could be seen on his body as he was literally burning through chakra to run at a speed far exceeding any of his previous records, but even that felt slow for him. A speed of 800 km per hour, which was inhuman even by ninja standards, felt slow to him. With no thought of saving chakra, he kept running toward the northern base, using Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu and Body Flicker in between to dodge any obstacles in the way. His mind kept repeating the words of the toad sage. "I will not lose them, dammit!" he shouted and increased his speed more. Now even the bones in his legs started to break because of the amount of pressure they were feeling. Even a layer of skin was peeling off because he was only focusing his chakra on his arms and legs, so other parts were not protected by it. But the pain from having so many things happening to his body was not even being registered in his brain, or even if it was, he was ignoring that pain. His bones and skin and any other injuries he was sustaining were being healed at a speed visible to the naked eye thanks to the seal on his forehead, thanks to which he could continue to run at this inhuman speed. But his mind kept questioning him: ''Will I make it in time?'' Chapter 351: Last Cigarette While many enemy ninja pursued the escaping Konoha ninja, a squad was given orders to eliminate the ninja inside the outpost, as someone must have stayed behind to detonate the barriers. After receiving the order, forty-five enemies, all either elite Chunin or Jonin, entered the outpost. Since they were entering enemy territory, they maintained complete defense, their bodies reinforced with Iron Skin and similar defensive techniques. They moved cautiously, expecting traps or resistance but encountered nothing¡ªno attacks, no explosive tags, no opposition. Slowly, they descended into the outpost, checking every room in their way. Finally, they reached the control room, identifiable by the number of seals surrounding it¡ªseals which had now lost all their power, having been utilized to create that blast. The control room stood silent as forty-five elite ninja surrounded it. After a brief nod from their captain, a Jonin in front of the door kicked it open. A series of earth walls were released by the ninja behind him, expecting Konoha ninjas inside to produce their last resistance, but they got nothing. Soon, a ninja looked out and said, "There is only one enemy inside." Getting the message, others cancelled their earth walls. The younger ninja in the group sighed in relief, but the experienced ninja tensed at what they were seeing. Inside, they found a single figure¡ªShinji Nara, sitting calmly in his chair, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Every experienced shinobi knew the reputation of the Nara clan. They were menaces to face on the battlefield; if they had a similar team, their win was almost guaranteed. Even if that wasn''t the case and the difference in strength was apparent, they would still find a way to deal maximum damage. Finding one who''d had time to prepare was the worst-case scenario, especially in an enclosed space like this. "What took you guys so long?" Shinji drawled, taking a long drag. "This is my last cigarette, you know." He exhaled slowly, smoke curling in the dim light, completely emptying his cigarette. "Shame, really. I should have bought more." The experienced ninja tensed up. The sensors among them activated their chakra field around the area. Even the less experienced ninja became tense after seeing their seniors'' response, but before anyone could act¡ª The walls of the control room suddenly collapsed outward, revealing hundreds of explosive tags covering every surface. The enemy ninjas'' eyes widened in horror as they realized their predicament: they were many floors below ground level, with tons of earth and rock above them. Everyone knew they had to act or die. All were about to make hand signs when¡ª "Shadow Possession Jutsu: Area Bind!" Black tendrils shot out from Shinji''s feet, splitting and branching rapidly to catch as many ninja as possible. In the confined space, all forty-five of them, distracted by the explosive tags, found themselves frozen in place, muscles straining against the shadowy bonds. Three seconds. That''s all they had before the tags would detonate. The more experienced among them didn''t panic; they knew that even though the Nara ninja were geniuses, they lacked in strength. Controlling so many ninja and maintaining it for long was impossible for them, so they poured chakra into breaking free, while others remained stunned by their sudden paralysis. Two seconds. Five ninja managed to break loose, their enhanced defensive techniques giving them a chakra coat over their bodies, providing just enough strength to resist the shadow binding. One second. "Earth Style: Multiple Earth-Style Wall!" "Earth Release: Dome Prison!" One after another, the explosive tags detonated. The blast was deafening, and the deadliest part was the chain reaction that brought the entire outpost crashing down. The five who''d escaped frantically created defensive domes, trying to shield their trapped comrades from the collapsing structure. Many suffered multiple burns all over their bodies; luckily, when the blast happened, the shadow binding disappeared, allowing them to save themselves from burning to death. Everyone thought Shinji died from the blast, causing the binding to break. When the dust settled, forty-five ninja lay buried under tons of rubble. Only the quick thinking of their freed companions had prevented total casualties, their earth-style techniques creating pockets of survival throughout the collapsed structure. In the chaos, none noticed Shinji tossing some bloodied meat and bone fragments near his position before slipping underground with the last of his chakra. The Hiding Like a Mole technique carried him away. If he had tried this before, he would have been found by enemy sensors and hunted to death, but now there was a high chance of survival as enemy forces would focus on rescuing their trapped ninjas. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The attack force''s commander, Kitsuchi, surveyed the devastation with gritted teeth. Forty-five of their best ninja were now trapped but thankfully alive; otherwise, he couldn''t have shown his face to Onoki. He quickly dispatched twenty of their remaining forces for rescue operations. Deep underground, Shinji allowed himself a small smile as he felt the vibrations of rescue operations beginning above. His gambit had worked perfectly, significantly reducing the forces hunting his people. "Really should have bought more cigarettes though," he muttered, continuing his slow journey through the earth. ¡­ Aside from the sudden loss of his ninjas, one more thing weighed heavily on Kitsuchi''s mind¡ªKonoha would soon receive news of the attack and dispatch a rescue force immediately. This meant the maximum time they had for the assault was 30 minutes, making every second crucial. To ensure complete dominance and completion of the mission, they had brought three times the number of ninjas Konoha had, aiming to overwhelm them entirely. However, everything had gone downhill from the start. After the blast, many Konoha ninja managed to escape. Although they eliminated most by deploying an outer perimeter of Jonin-level ninjas, some still managed to flee. With 15 minutes already spent, they were left with only half the time to handle the situation. They needed to eliminate as many as possible; otherwise, the entire mission would be pointless. Soon Kitsuchi got the report he desperately wanted, which made him release a sigh. "What is it? Do we have to make a move?" Deidara asked excitedly. "No, it''s the opposite. We were able to eliminate 30 of their ninjas, with only 10 on the run, 5 of them around Chunin rank. They''re as good as dead, and if our luck is good, we may even eliminate some of the other Jonin as well," Kitsuchi said. "Why leave it to luck when we can handle this easily? Just let me go, Sensei," Deidara said. "No, Deidara. Tsuchikage-sama specifically said not to allow you to participate. It''s really easy to find the traces of your big attacks," Kitsuchi said. "Fine," Deidara said as he started molding different animals from his mouths in his hands not wanting to waste his time anymore. Chapter 352: Response (Konoha) The Barrier Corps'' night shifts were typically uneventful, but tonight was different. Maki Yamanaka, who was on the surveillance post tonight, caught it first¡ªa crimson flare in the tags placed in the room. All of them were connected to various outposts of Konoha, with each flare having different meanings, and out of all, the crimson flare was the most ominous one. It meant that the outpost was attacked by a force they couldn''t handle on their own. Maki checked the tag to find out the source of the signal; it was from the Sunagakure border outpost. Without wasting a second, she disappeared from her position, appearing in front of the second most powerful person''s office in Konoha, the Jonin Commander of Konoha. "Sir! We got a distress signal from the Sunagakure outpost, it was code red!" she blurted out in one breath, not daring to waste a single second. Shikaku, who was annoyed by someone entering his office just before he could have left for his home, became tense. Suna Outpost didn''t have the reinforcements like those at Kumo and Iwa''s side. If someone attacked them, there was a high chance that they would be completely annihilated. He nodded at the report and called a few ANBU ninja. "Arrange a force of 100 ninjas, all of them should be above Chunin rank. I am going to get permission from Lord Third. This is code red, and I am using my right as Jonin Commander of Konoha," Shikaku said, and then he turned toward Maki. "Send a signal to all of the outposts near the Suna outpost, ask them to increase their surveillance and remain vigilant." The ANBU ninjas and Maki could only nod because if Shikaku was using this process, that meant the condition was very dire for Konoha. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They swiftly left to carry out the orders while Shikaku made his way toward Hiruzen''s office. "Hokage-sama, I have something important to report," he too entered the office without knocking, because it was not time for formalities. Hiruzen, who was having a meeting with civilian council members of Konoha, could only sigh. "We will continue this meeting some other time." "But Hokage-sama¡ª" "Leave or I will throw you out!" Shikaku almost shouted. The village was under attack, and these fools wanted to still think about their profits. The civilian council members had power through their connections, but in front of a seasoned Jonin, and that too one with experience like Shikaku, they were as powerless as lambs in a slaughterhouse. They could only curse inside their hearts and leave. "What happened?" Hiruzen asked. By now, he had already guessed that something really urgent had happened for Shikaku to behave like this. "Our Sunagakure outpost, outpost number 4, is being attacked. It is code red. I have asked a team of 100 ANBU ninja to be ready and want your permission to deploy them." "Send my words; they have to deploy now," Hiruzen said, but these words were not aimed at Shikaku. As soon as Hiruzen gave his order, two shadows flickered from the room. "Did they really target one of our outposts, and that too at the Sunagakure side?" Hiruzen asked. "We have been expecting that, but we didn''t have so many ninja to increase the security of every outpost. They chose one of the weakest ones, sadly," Shikaku said. "They really are trying to start a ninja war," Hiruzen said. "They can do this because they know no one is ready for the war yet, especially us who would have to fight three out of five great ninja villages alone," Shikaku said. Hiruzen took out his pipe and then went for his tobacco stash but paused midway and took out another herb from his cabinet, its smell much more potent than his normal stuff. "But they are forgetting that they are not ready as well," Hiruzen said, taking a big puff from his pipe. "Yes, I expected some retaliation from their side, but destroying an outpost, and that too in peace time, is way too much. We can''t let this go." "Once this problem is settled, we will work toward that. For now, make sure our losses are as few as they can be," Hiruzen said. Both of them were not understanding the gravity of the situation because according to them, the barrier at the outpost should hold on for half an hour at the very least, being able to tank the hit of a Kage level ninja. It was the source of their confidence. After that, they were discussing various possible scenarios when, after 10 minutes, another ninja based inside the office once again appeared. "Sir, we got a messenger hawk from the Sunagakure Outpost," he said, huffing and puffing as he presented a message carried by the hawk to Hiruzen and Shikaku, and then took his leave. "What is it, Lord Third?" Shikaku asked. Hiruzen, without saying anything, passed the letter to Shikaku. "Is Jiraiya-sama still in the village?" Shikaku asked, calming down his increasing heartbeat. "It will take too much time to call him and explain everything to him," Hiruzen said and stood up. Shikaku understood what he was trying to say and followed Hiruzen to Jiraiya''s house. "Jiraiya, wake up." "Sensei, it is 1:00 PM. I really don''t want to take any mission related to any stuck-up noble at this moment." "Our outpost has been attacked. They had to blow up their barrier to give their ninja a chance to escape. The enemy forces which they have been able to sense is eighty-plus. Even if we take a conservative guess, they have to be hundred-plus ninja attacking our base. With that big of a force, it will not be impossible for them to target more than one outpost. That''s why I want you to take care of this." "Why didn''t anyone tell me that Ninja war has already started?" Jiraiya said as he quickly changed into his ninja gear, but suddenly he remembered his trip to Mount Myoboku. "Sensei, can you tell me the names of the ninjas on that outpost?" "Here, Jiraiya-sama," Shikaku gave the list. Being the emergency, he and Hiruzen had been discussing about the ninja and the losses Konoha would suffer. "Shit, now I understand what he meant. Sensei, there is a chance that some of the ninja have escaped, right? Can you arrange me to be teleported near the outpost as soon as possible?" Seeing his student getting unusually serious, Hiruzen nodded. "Call those three here now." Once again, two shadows flickered from Hiruzen''s shadow as ANBU ninja went to call Fourth Hokage''s bodyguards, the only ninja in village who could use Flying Thunder God Jutsu at the moment. "Is there something I don''t know, Jiraiya?" "Nothing much, just another prophecy from Great Sage. He had advised my student to not become evil, and I can now see the reason he will become one," Jiraiya said, holding back his previous discussion with the Great Sage about Kaida. "Kaida is near that base as well," Shikaku said. "Of course he is. How can my life be any easier?" Jiraiya said with a sigh. ... Yomi, Ryota, Kiba, and one other chunin were all running toward the direction Kaida had mentioned. They had more than enough chakra to reach the distance easily. Well, two of them had. The third chunin was just a civilian ninja who became Chunin because the village needed more ninjas, even though he barely met the standards for becoming a chunin. Because of that, he was struggling to keep up with his two companions. Kiba suddenly whined, looking back. Chapter 353: Bait The desert night air grew heavy with tension as Kiba''s warning growl cut through the silence. Ryota''s hands tightened into fists as he, along with his companions, smelled the air coming toward them. "Three of them," he muttered, exchanging glances with Yomi. "If they are the same ninja who had stopped us during our escape, then they are Special Jonin level ninja. Although they had Jonin level chakra, it was not as stable, and it just barely met the criteria," Yomi said. "And considering Kaida''s clone was fighting them, they shouldn''t be in their best condition as well," Ryota said, having sparred with Kaida on many occasions, he had a basic idea of his strength. Their third teammate, Hiroki, was already breathing heavily from their sustained run. Yomi noticed his condition and made a quick decision. "We can''t outrun them," she said quietly. "Not with our current speed. They were able to catch up to us, even though they started way later than us." "Then we have to fight," Ryota replied, his voice carrying a strange mix of fear and determination. "Hiroki, how much chakra do you have left?" The chunin managed a weak smile. "Enough for one last trick, if that''s what you''re asking." Yomi nodded, quickly scanning their surroundings. "Those dunes will work. Ryota, you thinking what I''m thinking?" "Yeah." He turned to Hiroki. "You up for playing bait?" "Better than dying while running," Hiroki replied with a grim chuckle. "Just... make it count." "You are not going to die, so don''t say such stuff," Ryota patted Hiroki''s shoulder, and getting a nod in reply, they quickly outlined their plan and separated. Hiroki collapsed against a boulder, deliberately making himself visible while Ryota and Yomi concealed themselves behind the dunes, suppressing their chakra signatures. Seconds later, three Iwa jonin appeared, their bodies showing burns and injuries from their earlier encounter with Kaida''s clone. They spotted Hiroki immediately. "Well, what do we have here?" the lead jonin sneered, approaching the seemingly exhausted chunin. "Where are your friends, boy?" Hiroki looked up, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. "Left... left me behind. Said I was... slowing them down." He looked like he had given up his hope to live. "You expect us to believe that?" Another jonin stepped forward, killing intent radiating from his form. Hiroki''s lips curved into a sudden smirk. "No. I expect you to die." "Earth Style: Earth Bullet Barrage!" "Lightning Style: Thunder Strike!" The combined attacks erupted from behind the dunes, catching two of the jonin off-guard. One took several earth bullets to his already injured side, while lightning coursed through another''s body, his previous burns amplifying because of the damage. Even though they had targeted all three of them, one was alert and dodged the bullets at the last second. The third jonin understood that they may have fallen into a trap, so he reacted instantly. "Earth Style: Piercing Spear!" A jagged spear of stone shot through Hiroki''s chest before he could move. The enemy leader wanted to reduce enemy numbers as much as he could. Hiroki''s eyes widened in shock, blood spurting from his mouth. He was also making hand signs to perform an attack, but they were stopped midway. "Let''s meet in hell," he said as he lost his last breath. Ryota and Yomi knew they couldn''t save him now. Seeing the death of their companion, Ryota''s eyes narrowed, fury replacing shock. "Kiba, now!" "FANG OVER FANG!" The spinning vortex of claws and fangs caught the third jonin completely by surprise. The technique tore through his defensive earth wall, which he was able to deploy at the last second, and ripped into his flesh, the already weakened ninja unable to fully defend against the savage attack. The second jonin, still reeling from the lightning attack, tried to form hand signs to help but found himself unable to do so as attacks started coming towards his direction as well. The worst thing for him was that he couldn''t sense Yomi''s presence. Her training in sensing techniques had taught her not just how to detect others, but how to mask her own presence perfectly. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" "Lightning Style: Current!" The combination technique struck the disoriented jonin from his blind spot, the electrified water short-circuiting his nervous system. He dropped like a stone, his heart stopped by the precise attack. The last surviving jonin, though injured by the earth bullets, managed to spot an opening after Ryota''s Fang Over Fang technique ended. His tant¨­ flashed out, slicing deep into Ryota''s leg. Kiba bit into his hand at the last second, stopping him from enlarging the wound any further, while Ryota stumbled but didn''t fall. Through gritted teeth, he formed hand signs. "Earth Style: Stone Spear Jutsu!" The technique mirrored the one that had killed Hiroki, a cruel irony as it pierced through the last jonin''s throat. As the final enemy fell, Yomi rushed to Ryota''s side. "Are you all right?" "It''s not deep," he grunted, though the pain in his voice suggested otherwise. "Yeah, I can see," Yomi said as she quickly applied a field dressing, her hands steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through her body. "We need to move soon, but first..." They both looked at Hiroki''s body. Without words, they moved to him, Ryota pulling out a storage scroll. "He knew the risks," Yomi said softly as they prepared to seal his body. "Yeah," Ryota replied, his voice thick, "but it still feels like shit." Suddenly, Kiba''s ears perked up, and a low growl rumbled in his throat. Ryota''s head snapped up, his heightened senses detecting new smells approaching them. "More of them?" Yomi asked, seeing Ryota''s sudden behavior. Ryota didn''t say anything. He could tell by smell that this time the enemy team consisted of 4 ninja. If they were all at the same strength as these guys, then their death was certain, and now with his leg injured, there was no chance of running away either. "Yomi, Kaida said he would only need 12 minutes to arrive here. We have been running for 4 minutes, so please continue running. I will stall for time for you," Ryota said with a completely serious look. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 354: RUN "Yomi, Kaida said he would only need 12 minutes to arrive here. We have been running for 4 minutes, so please continue running. I will stall for time for you," Ryota said with a completely serious look. "How many?" Yomi asked with a straight look in her eyes, her hand going toward her kunai as she became ready to fight once again. Ryota grabbed Yomi by her shoulder, with a firm grip he looked in her eyes. "Yomi, listen to me. I am injured and can''t run away. Our best bet of survival will be if Kaida reaches us in time, so please go and find him. I am sure he will be here any minute," Ryota once again tried. "I am not going to leave you behind. How will I look at my face in the mirror if I turned my back to my injured friend when it meant he will die?" "For god''s sake, I had promised to keep... Look, if we both stay here, we both will die. I am in no condition to fight 4 enemies with you. Even if we eliminate one or two of them, we will still die here. So please go and find Kaida. Him coming here a few seconds early will be the only chance where I could survive," Ryota said. "But you will die," Yomi said, tears flowing through her cheeks. "Hey, you are underestimating me too much. Even though Kaida had become Jonin, I am still an even match for him in power. I just want his help in ending these fuckers a little early. Now go and take Kiba with you." "This is not the time to be stubborn, go now! We don''t have much time!" Ryota shouted at Kiba who was now sitting in front of him. "What is he saying?" Yomi asked. "He will stay with me. If I want to send him away, I will have to kill him first," Ryota said, a tear flowing from his eyes as well. "Yomi, run! The more time you waste here, the more worthless this whole thing will become," Ryota said, wiping away his tears. "If you die before I come back, I will... I will kill you myself," Yomi said, a stream of tears continuing to flow through her eyes as she turned and started running toward Kaida''s direction at full speed, much faster than before. Ryota just waved toward her. "Looks like only we are left in each other''s company, my friend," Ryota sat down near Kiba, who affectionately licked his face. They didn''t have time to waste now. It was time to prepare a gift for their friends who were arriving so fast toward them. Since the wind was blowing toward their direction, they could easily smell the enemy ninja approaching from afar, their smell growing stronger each second. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... Four ninja¡ªtwo chunin and two Special Jonin¡ªwere sent as reinforcement for the forces before them. Since they had the numerical advantage, there was no need to lose that. They were following the traces left behind by their comrades on the sandy path when one of their ninja running in front suddenly stopped. "What happened?" the other Jonin following him asked. Without saying anything, the first Jonin pointed toward the forward direction. There were three spears coming out of the ground in front of them, each one with a dead body skewered on top of it. "Those fuckers don''t have any moral values at all," the chunin behind them said, his voice laced with anger. "Asking for moral values from an enemy when you want their life is quite funny. Also, this has nothing to do with moral values. If they went out of their way to do this, it is most likely a trap. Go and scan the area," the first Jonin and their leader said. "Yes sir," one of the chunin said as he made his way toward the skewered ninjas. "Sir, that area is filled with explosion tags," the chunin said after giving a cursory scan to the area. "Note the location. We will report this and they will take care of it," their leader said, but before they could decide what to do next, the area where the sensor ninja was standing lit up as well. "Fuck!" This was all he could say before he jumped back, and the area on which he was standing blasted, starting a chain reaction with many explosion tags, including the ones on the corpses going off. With the fire, they also sent large rocks toward their direction. "Earth Release: Earth Wall!" The Jonin in front created an earth wall as soon as the Chunin cursed. Being a war veteran and still healthy, he was not going to go down because of some explosion tags. But the trap had completed its task. The chunin who went to scan the surrounding was impaled by various sharp rocks after he was distracted by the burns he suffered. "Hahaha, take that, you fuckers!" Ryota''s voice shouted from afar as he had run away as soon as he activated those explosion tags. Two jonin had to maintain their earth wall for some time before they could follow that young boy. "He really got us," one of them said with a chuckle. "I expected nothing less from Konoha ninjas. There was a reason it was considered the strongest village for quite some time, but that time is over now," the first Jonin said. "Fumio, he is purposely running toward that direction. I can see traces of someone running in that direction. Even though they did a good job hiding their traces, it was not perfect," the second Jonin said. "From the look of it, they must have killed one of those three. With only two of three remaining, it wouldn''t matter who we go against. We only have 10 more minutes, let''s just handle this boy and be done with it," Fumio said. "As you wish," Arata said. The chunin was just standing there, thanking his luck that he was behind these two Jonin; otherwise, he would have also died like his companion. After the explosion settled, they quickly ran behind Ryota. ... "I am sorry, buddy, but you have to carry me as far as you can," Ryota said as he patted Kiba''s neck. Due to the injuries on his legs, he couldn''t run far by himself, so he was sitting on Kiba''s back. Kiba, who was not even an adult, was carrying Ryota and running as fast as he could. But sadly, that was not enough. Just after a minute of their running, they had to stop. "Huh! At least we tried... Kiba, you are really the best thing that ever happened in my life. If we survive, I will let you marry the dog of that pet store owner, even if I have to fight him for it." "I don''t want to marry so soon, buddy." "Don''t worry, we will make sure that you don''t have to marry anyone in your life," Arata said from behind. *** (A.N: Even I am intrigued by what''s going to happen next) Chapter 355: Last Battle Three of the enemy ninja had finally caught up with him. From their headbands with slashed symbols, he could tell two of them were from Kumogakure and the weaker one was from Iwagakure. "You guys really had to come and find me. Fine, let''s go to the pure land together," Ryota said, taking out his kunai. "Boy, is there really a need for that? Put your weapon down and I will make sure that you will not die a painful death," Fumio said. "I am thankful for your kind offer, but kindly fuck off." Ryota threw his kunai toward the chunin, who effectively dodged it, only to see the explosion tag attached to it. The chunin panicked a little, but before he could do anything, Arata threw his own kunai which deflected the explosion tag and kunai further to a safe distance. "How about we stop playing and actually get to the fight?" Arata said as he lunged toward Ryota. "I was waiting for you," Ryota said as he made a series of hand signs. In a second, Arata, who was running toward Ryota with his sword radiating chakra, had to stop because of a sudden earth spear appearing in his path. If he had not stopped at the right time, he would have been impaled by that spear. Ryota would have used this moment to attack him if not for Fumio sending a barrage of lightning spears toward him. "Earth Release: Earth Dome!" A dome formed around Ryota as soon as he completed his first jutsu, protecting him from the lightning attack he couldn''t have dodged because of his injured leg. But he couldn''t stay inside the dome either; otherwise, it would become his burial place. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Let''s go buddy," he whispered. Both he and Kiba made their way out of the dome through an underground path, but before they could escape, the chunin from Iwa sent a barrage of earth spikes in their way. ''We have to deal with him first,'' Ryota thought. He emerged from the ground and threw multiple explosion tags towards the three of them. Out of ten he threw, six were punctured by lightning or earth bullets; the rest were too far away to be a danger to the group. But they had completed their role. Ryota used that momentary lapse in the concentration of his enemies as an opportunity. "Fang over Fang!" The attack targeted the weakest member of the group, the chunin. Since he had just used the earth bullet to target the explosion tags, he was caught off guard by the attack, facing it head-on. Even though he tried to use Iron Skin Jutsu to save himself at the last second, it was too late. With a barrage of sharp fangs and teeth, the chunin was shredded in seconds. The two Jonin didn''t move a muscle to save their companion at all; they just waited for the jutsu to end. "You''re not the only one who has explosion tags," Arata said as he threw a kunai aimed straight at Ryota''s head. Before Ryota could turn his head, Kiba lunged at the tag without a shred of doubt or hesitation. "Noooo!" Ryota shouted, doing something no one should do on a battlefield¡ªtake his eyes away from his enemy. "Lightning Release: False Darkness!" A beam in the shape of a spear was released from Fumio''s mouth, reaching Ryota before he could come back to his senses. Even though his senses had warned him about his life being in danger, seeing his partner in that state broke his concentration too much. Though he was able to evade the attack enough to protect his heart, his ribs and abdomen were pierced by it. "Tch, you just increased your suffering," Fumio said. He really wanted to finish Ryota without too much pain because the boy in front of him was just 11 or 12 years old, barely older than his son at home. Even though he was not going to let his emotions get in his way during his mission, that didn''t mean he couldn''t give that boy a quick relief. He took out his kunai and made his way toward Ryota. Arata knew how soft-hearted Fumio was, so he stood back and let his partner end the boy''s suffering. ... Yomi was running toward the direction Kaida''s clone had pointed at a speed she had never achieved in her life. Her feet were bloody because of all the friction her boots had caused during the run. Yomi didn''t care about it at all; her mind was focusing on only one thing: ''Find Kaida and send him toward Ryota, find Kaida, find Kaida, Kaida... Kaida.'' Tears kept flowing through her eyes. Just a moment before all this happened, everything was so peaceful. They had eaten their dinner and were about to go to sleep, but then suddenly everything changed in an instant. Just like that night, the night that took her parents from her. And now that she had made some friends, the night returned to take everything from her once again. In her desperation, when she saw a cloud of dust from afar, her mind only thought that it must definitely be from Kaida. Normally someone would have hidden away from such a scenario, but her mind was not working properly at the moment. "Lightning Release: Lightning Signal Fire!"¡ªa jutsu which could be said to be a perfect signal flare, especially at night time. The bright lightning illuminated the area near her. And then she felt it¡ªsomeone looking toward her. The cloud of dust she had seen started moving toward her at an even faster speed. Before long, she saw Kaida running toward her, but he was running fast... very, very fast. When he came near Yomi, Kaida stopped suddenly. Many bones in his body, including most of his leg bones, were broken, but Kaida just flinched at that pain. In place of pain, his heart was filled with peace¡ªYomi was not dead. The future the Toad Sage was talking about was no more. He suddenly appeared in front of Yomi and was about to say something when he saw her face. "What happened, Yomi?" "Kaida, hu...rry, hurry... Ryota is in danger!" Yomi was able to form complete sentences in between her crying, and then Kaida remembered¡ªthe clone memories had two of his ''close people'' in them. Chapter 356: Mangekyo Sharingan Kaida paused for a moment, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings before settling back on Yomi. "What do you mean Ryota is in danger... Wait, where is Ryota?" he asked, his mind¡ªstill flooded with endorphins from the relief of seeing Yomi alive¡ªshifting back to focus. Yomi gestured toward the direction she had come from. "He stayed behind to stall the enemy so I could escape." Kaida immediately understood. Despite the flood of questions swirling in his mind, he pushed them aside for now and followed the direction Yomi indicated. Within seconds, he was sprinting toward Ryota. Yomi hadn''t covered more than five kilometres before reaching him, so it didn''t take Kaida long to arrive at the area. He quickly took in the scene: three enemy ninja bodies blown apart, and a fourth lying lifeless nearby. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. His eyes caught the faint tracks of a dog alongside three distinct sets of footprints. With his Sharingan spinning at full force, Kaida bolted after the trail. However, when he reached the spot where the tracks abruptly ended, he came to a halt, his body tense because of the scene in front of him. Two bodies lay before Kaida, and with his Sharingan, he could clearly identify one of them. Yet, he shook his head. ''It must be a shadow clone... He''s using it to lure the enemy, as expected of my friend,'' he thought, desperately denying the truth his Sharingan revealed. But no shadow clone could emit such lifelessness. No chakra, no movement, no sign of vitality. The reality was unmistakable, yet Kaida refused to believe it. His mind clung to denial so fiercely that he didn''t even notice the figure standing near Ryota''s body, holding a bloodied kunai¡ªthe very weapon that had ended Ryota''s life mere moments ago. It wasn''t until he heard a heart-wrenching whine that his concentration faltered. The sound was filled with immeasurable sorrow and pain. ''Why are you crying, Kiba? Oh... you''re hurt too. Don''t worry, I''ll heal you,'' Kaida murmured, his voice trembling as he spotted Kiba a short distance away. The dog''s body was battered, its legs scorched from the explosion. Despite its wounds, Kiba was dragging itself toward Ryota, determined to reach its fallen companion one last time. Kaida made to rush toward Kiba, but an earth bullet reached the loyal dog first. The cruel projectile struck, ending Kiba''s suffering. Even in death, Kiba''s gaze remained fixed on Ryota. Kaida froze. His denial crumbled in an instant as he sank to his knees. His hollow eyes darted back and forth between Ryota''s body and Kiba''s lifeless form. "Why..." A soft, almost soundless whisper escaped his lips. "Why..." "WHY!" His voice rose, trembling with anguish, growing louder and louder. At first, the two Jonin in the distance didn''t hear him. But as his grief-filled voice erupted into a piercing roar, they finally took notice. But Kaida was oblivious to the world for now, not even giving those ninja a glance, his mind going to the talk he had with Ryota before they left for the outposts. "Don''t worry, I will take care of her" is what Ryota said. Kaida, who was only thinking about his family at that time, didn''t even think about who would protect his friend. "You did this for that promise... a promise... a single promise," Kaida kept saying, his eyes fixed on Ryota''s eyes, which were closed, but there was a smile on his face, like he had fulfilled his duty and his sacrifice was not in vain. Seeing that smile on his friend''s lifeless body, something inside Kaida broke, a chain which was holding his morality in place broke and everything inside him was replaced by void, devoid of any emotion, only for it to burn in the next second. Kaida''s eyes, which had been fixed on Ryota, stopped spinning for a moment, almost as if time itself had paused to mourn the loss. Then, slowly, they began to spin again¡ªbut this time, in the opposite direction. The motion gained speed, and the three tomoe within his Sharingan started to morph. The once-familiar pattern shifted, the tomoe merging and twisting into something entirely new. Within seconds, a menacing new shape emerged. His Mangeky¨­ Sharingan had awakened, and it bore a unique, haunting design. Five curved, flame-like blades spiraled outward from the central red pupil, each sharp and perfectly spaced, giving it an almost hypnotic yet terrifying aura. The deep crimson hue of the Sharingan seemed to burn brighter, highlighting the black spiraling pattern that exuded overwhelming power and despair. Kaida''s body trembled as a storm of emotions surged within him. The chakra inside him began to flow rapidly throughout his body, his once bright chakra now turning a little dark, and with each flow it was increasing in amount almost impossible normally. His physique, which was a notch better than other Uchiha, was getting used to the power up from the Mangekyo Sharingan like never before. In a few seconds, his eyes which had been wide open seeing his friend, turned from 3 tomoe Sharingan to Mangekyo Sharingan. His chakra, which was already among the rank of low Kage level ninja, effectively doubled in size, though Kaida didn''t pay any attention to that, because inside him anger and sorrow were fighting to take hold of him, each winning and losing at the same time. Sadly, even though Kaida didn''t pay attention to his changes, two ninja did. "What was that?" Arata asked. "Must be his friend. Look like our work is not over yet. Well, it is fine anyway, let''s quickly finish him before going back, we only have 10 more minutes," Fumio said, now already over about the fact that he had to kill someone with the same age as his son. Both of them went toward the voice they heard when they suddenly stopped, raising their guard to maximum. Due to his inner turmoil, Kaida didn''t pay any attention to hiding his chakra. "Did Konoha send someone so fast?" Arata said, as beads of sweat formed on the back of his neck. "No, it is not possible. Maybe he was already here and was notified about the attack," Fumio said, facing a similar situation but his experience forced him to not lose his cool. "But all of the Konoha top ninja are located somewhere else. How can someone be here?" Arata said, being about the few experienced ninjas, they have a little more information about the mission. "I don''t think he is someone from the top, they will not make such a rookie mistake to show their chakra like this. Let''s go and check out," Fumio said, analyzing the situation with a clear mind, but he made a very, very wrong choice¡ªhe chose the wrong direction to go. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 357: Cold Anger Kaida, kneeling on the ground, struggled to comprehend why everything had unfolded as it did. His mind was a storm of questions, but suddenly, he heard¡ªor saw?¡ªtwo figures moving in his direction. The faint ripples in the air around him betrayed their presence, a disturbance so subtle it would have been imperceptible to any other Uchiha. But Kaida''s eyes could see it. The Sharingan had countless benefits, too many to name, but it came with a significant curse: the ability to perceive everything in excruciating detail and recall it with perfect clarity, as though it were happening all over again. When Kaida''s involuntary gaze shifted to the approaching figures, a vivid memory surged forward, unbidden and unrelenting. It wasn''t just the lifeless body of his friend that he had seen upon arriving¡ªit was something far more damning. Standing beside Ryota''s fallen form had been another person. A kunai rested in their hand, the blade still slick with blood¡ªnot dried, but fresh and warm. A single crimson droplet had clung to the tip, trembling before falling. It struck the scorching desert ground near Ryota''s neck and evaporated instantly in the blistering heat. Kaida relived that moment as though it were unfolding anew. The sight of the one responsible for his friend''s death now standing before him was the final blow to the fragile balance within him. The storm of his emotions¡ªteetering between an empty void and seething rage¡ªfound a victor. But the rage that surfaced wasn''t the explosive, fiery kind familiar to most. Kaida''s anger was cold... cold and calm, the worst kind of anger possible. ... The two Kumo jonin moved cautiously toward the sound, their every step deliberate. They had already sent a message requesting reinforcements, because amateur or not, anyone with chakra reserves of this magnitude was a threat to be taken seriously. Their strides were slow, careful. The tension in the air thickened with every step they took toward the sound. Their instincts suddenly went into full alert mode when they saw who was the source of that sound and chakra. A boy, not much older than 12-13 by looks, was kneeling on the ground, his face still obstructed by darkness since he was facing away from the moon, but his eyes¡ªhis eyes were tearing through the darkness that was engulfing his face. The eyes they had just heard about in myths and stories, horror stories of old ninjas. Uchiha themselves were a force any ninja village was cautioned of¡ªor to be blunt, afraid of. It was the norm to never fight an Uchiha alone, even one a level below you. If you had to, just run, because otherwise your death was almost confirmed. And this was the case with normal Uchihas. When it came to Uchihas with 3 tomoe Sharingan, they were already in the realm where three ninja might be required for a single Uchiha. But there was information available that even 3 tomoe Sharingan was not the final form of Sharingan. There was one more even powerful form, where it gained a pattern so beautiful that you couldn''t look away from it. In such cases, the ninja was already at a rank where ordinary ninja, no matter jonin or elite jonin, didn''t stand a chance against them and would need an S-rank ninja to go against them. It was speculation that Shisui Uchiha had those eyes, but nothing was certain. "Shisui Uchiha?" Arata said, a feeling of dread washing over him, because if it was, then he was dead even before the reinforcement squad could form, let alone move. But to his relief, Fumio shook his head. "Shisui was seen at the other border of Fire Country. Even though he is fast, there is no way he can reach here so soon, and look closely¡ªthis boy is much younger than Shisui." When that point was made, both of their minds went to two young Uchiha who already had 3 tomoe Sharingan and were the reason this whole operation had started. Since one of them was the child of the Uchiha clan head, there was no way he would be here. That only left one option. ''Kaida Uchiha,'' they both thought at the same time. For a moment, even greed could be seen on their faces. Kaida, who was a source of disgrace for many of the main four hidden villages, had quite a bounty on him in the black market, while also having great value in Kumogakure. If they somehow brought back his head, they both would surely be promoted to elite jonin rank¡ªa once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An opportunity for which they decided to ignore their instincts, which were shouting at them to run from that place without looking back. But they steeled their resolve and made their way toward Kaida. Suddenly, both of them stopped and their eyes went black. Inside their minds, they were screaming like crazy because they were being burned by flames much hotter than any jutsu they had ever faced. It was so hot that they should have been burned to crisp in seconds, but there was a green light accompanying the fire as well, whose role was to heal them. For them, a cycle of burning and healing started inside their minds, as the sound of slow footsteps on the sand echoed in the desert. ... Kaida, who had now regained his clarity, looked toward the two enemy jonin coming toward him. He could clearly see their fear, their relief, and their greed in their eyes in a single minute, but for him, they didn''t matter in the moment as much as his friend did. He just wanted them to suffer until he was done with his farewell to his friend. That''s it¡ªhe just wanted them to suffer. As though his eyes had sensed his emotions and thoughts, they automatically moved and molded Kaida''s chakra. Since those two were looking toward Kaida already, they suddenly fell under a genjutsu not even a tad bit weaker than any B-rank genjutsu, a genjutsu they didn''t have any chance to break out of on their own. Kaida just glanced at them after that, his thoughts back to clarity but still emotionless. Ignoring the two ninjas standing in front of him, he simply made his way toward his friend. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I am sorry for not coming here on time, brother... and I am sorry for asking you to do something so unreasonable..." Kaida said, sitting next to Ryota, looking toward the sky. "I know I couldn''t change back time, so there is no way to bring you back, but I will do whatever I can to make sure your soul will not be troubled in the future. Your parents are now my parents¡ªI will take care of them from now on... And trust me, not a single person involved in your death will ever find peace now. They will live their lives in constant dread from now on, lives which are on countdown now," Kaida said, finally looking toward Ryota, gently caressing his face while closing his eyes. He then stored Ryota''s body in a seal, after which he moved toward Kiba. "You were brave and loyal till the end too, Kiba, just like the good boy you were. I hope you two reunite in the pure lands," Kaida said, gently caressing Kiba''s head as well while closing his eyes. He then stored his body as well. After being done with the most important task at hand, he looked toward the two who were responsible for his friend''s death. He once again simply made his way toward them. When he was in front of them, a shadow clone appeared next to him, which without wasting a second transformed into a jagged blade. Kaida took it in his hand, looking toward the limbs of the two ninja in front of him. In one strike, four palms fell to the ground, cut clean from the wrists holding them before, and before they could come out of the genjutsu they were in, another strike passed and their ankles were cleanly cut as well. Their cries, which were in their minds until now, were now roaming through the full desert, but the person in front of them was standing motionless, without a shred of emotion visible on his face. *** ???? **Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon!** ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](/c/FirstHokage) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 358: Bait He once again simply made his way toward them, when he was in front of them, a shadow clone appeared next to him, which without wasting a second transformed into a jagged blade, Kaida took in his hand, looking towards limbs of two Ninja in front of him, in one strike four palm fell on the ground, cut clear from the wrist holding them before, and before they could have come out of the genjutsu they were in, another strike passed and Their ankles were cleanly cut as well. They cries which were in there mind till now, was now roaming in full desert, but the person in front of them were standing motionless, without a shread of emotion visible on his face, The blade in Kaida''s hand was now rotating enchantingly, looking so beautiful that a person wouldn''t be able to help but take a second glance, but the only people present there were writhing on the ground because of the pain they were experiencing. "So Kumo and Iwa want to teach Konoha a lesson, huh? And you thought killing my friends would be the best way to do it?" Kaida said, his blade moving seamlessly as one of the two screams sounding in the desert stopped. In the memories of the two, Kaida found out how Fumio was just following orders and how he tried to kill Ryota without pain and even ended his suffering. Kaida decided to repay the favor. Before dying, a voice rang in Fumio''s mind: ''Don''t worry, I will not kill your child if I come across him. This is my repayment for your act of last mercy toward my brother.'' Even though it was diabolical¡ªif Fumio had not killed Ryota for just a few more seconds, Kaida could have saved him¡ªbut Fumio didn''t know that. For him, there were only two options: one was to see the boy die slowly and painfully, the other a painless death, and he chose the second one. Kaida understood that. Hearing that last sentence, Fumio released a sigh of relief, his thoughts transforming from ''My village is going to face a monster'' to ''at least my son will survive,'' as at the end of the day, the loyalty for the village is always¡ªalmost always¡ªless than the love for family. So in his last moment, Fumio was not in desperation anymore. A fraction of second''s peace returned to his face in the midst of pain he was experiencing from the burns and cuts on his hands and legs, before his head was cleanly sliced off from his shoulders. With the last person still screaming because of the pain, Kaida left him like that as he sat on the ground, his eyes focused ahead. ... "What do you mean there is a signal for reinforcement? We have already spent 20 minutes, we only have 10 more minutes remaining, and from the report, they went against some chunins, right? Why the hell would a team of 5 special jonin and 2 chunin need reinforcement for 3 chunin?" one of the jonin responsible for leading the mission shouted in front, his tone laced with anger. This was an important mission for him, and he had already lost a special jonin because of some shadow clone. If that wasn''t enough, some of the ninja who should be here by now after eliminating some chunins were requesting reinforcement. "What happened?" "Kitsuchi-sama, why are you here?" the jonin asked, though his words and tone didn''t match as his tone wasn''t carrying the same amount of respect. Kitsuchi, even though he was an elite jonin level ninja, didn''t mind that. Expecting respect from a ninja of another village was not something someone as experienced as him was going to do. "Answer me." "About that..." The jonin told everything to Kitsuchi, because respect or not, Kitsuchi was still the commander of their army for this mission. Not following the leader''s orders in such cases was enough reason for his death. "Something is not right..." Kitsuchi said. "Should we go and check it out?" Deidara''s expectant voice came from behind. "No, one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya himself, is coming toward us. If we make a move now, there is a very high chance he will be able to identify us. If he makes us his target, it will be us who will be facing losses here rather than Konoha. So no, we are going to retreat now," Kitsuchi said, as the jonin finally saw that not only Kitsuchi but all four top fighting forces of the army were here. Darui and C nodded their heads at Kitsuchi''s orders, while Deidara just huffed. "Why the hell did you even bring me here? A chance to grow my art wasted," Deidara said as he went back. Kitsuchi could only shake his head at the youngster''s antics. He turned to the jonin. "Send a team of 2 jonin, 3 special jonin, and 5 chunin for the reinforcement. One of them should be a sensor. Ask them to remain vigilant at all times, and if they find something they have no confidence in handling in a minute or two, they have to retreat. We will leave in 7 minutes." "Yes sir," the jonin said and created a team. The team ran at full speed toward the direction the reinforcement request had arrived. Their sensor had been constantly monitoring the surroundings for any ambushes, but before he could be of any use to the team, the location of the ninja who had asked for reinforcement became clear to the whole team in the form of screams¡ªscreams filled with pain, a lot of it. "What was that?" "It''s Fumio-sensei''s voice! He was my sensei. Let''s hurry, whoever is behind this is not far away," one of the Kumo chunin said. "No, wait for him to check the surroundings first," the jonin leader said, pointing toward the sensor. The sensor ninja nodded his head and increased his chakra field in that direction. But he was still not able to sense the location. "The next kilometer is safe, but they are present out of my range. We have to move forward for me to get any clear readings," the sensor ninja replied. "Let''s move, keep your chakra¡ª" The jonin leader was saying when suddenly one of the two screams sounding in the desert went silent. "Fumio-sensei!" the chunin said, his voice filled with pain and accusation. "Keep your emotions in check, otherwise you''ll lose your life before you know it," the jonin leader said. Even he was sad about the loss, but the orders were clear: maintain constant vigilance at all times. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So they swiftly but alertly made their way toward the last sound coming to them. Just when they were 800 meters away from the location of the incident, the sensor stopped. "What is it?" the jonin leader asked. He knew the news wasn''t good from the sensor''s face. "Sir, I can sense two chakra signatures. One of them belongs to Arata, a special jonin from Kumo, but the second one is foreign and it''s massive... really massive." Every sensor ninja in the team was asked to memorize the chakra signatures of their allies as a prevention against transformation jutsu, so the sensor knew Arata''s chakra, but the second chakra was the cause of his worry. "How large?" "All of us here combined don''t have even half, not even one-third of his chakra," the sensor said. "We are going to retreat. There is no use in fighting here," the jonin said. Even though leaving an ally in such a state was heart-wrenching for most of them, they knew the orders must be followed. Also, they knew he was most likely bait to lure them in, so the most logical thing in this scenario was to go back and regroup. Just when they were about to turn, the sensor ninja went stiff. "Everyone, prepare yourself, he is¡ª" "Here," a cold voice completed the sensor''s sentence, at which all ten of the ninja drew out their weapons, all pointed toward the voice. "How heartless of you, leaving your friend behind in such a state," a young boy said. Even though everyone was astonished how such a young boy was giving off this much oppressive feeling, that astonishment was diminished because of the eyes of the boy¡ªthe eyes which were glowing in the dark, with a beautiful pattern inside them. Normally they would have been in a genjutsu by now, but Kaida didn''t want that because there was no need. He wanted them to feel the same thing Ryota felt in his last moments¡ªhopelessness. Before the jonin leader of the team could decide anything, the boy in front of them placed his hand in front of his right eye and said: "Takamagahara." ****** ???? **Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon!** ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 359: Domain Before the jonin leader of the team could decide anything, the boy in front of them placed his hand in front of his right eye and said: "Takamagahara no Shihai." As soon as those words left his mouth, an area of 10-meter radius suddenly lost all of its color. Even though it was already night and there wasn''t much color in the first place, for the ninja present there, the difference was stark. The sand, the rocks, clothes of their allies and even their own, and last but not least, the darkness¡ªall of it had lost color. At that time, the experienced ninja from the group finally understood what they were facing: an Uchiha with a higher level of Sharingan than 3 tomoe Sharingan. The jonin leader wanted to shout, to give orders of retreat, to run, to go back, but then another thing became apparent to him¡ªhe couldn''t move. And he wasn''t the only one with such thoughts. By now, every one of them had tried to do anything, from trying to turn to their leader for orders to trying to form hand signs to attack the enemy, only to come to the realization that they couldn''t do anything. The jonin among them started to use his chakra to move forcefully, to break through this cursed state with force, but before he could even use enough chakra to empower his body, the boy appeared in front of him. The movement was so fast that it almost looked like teleportation, but he knew it was just pure speed if the trail behind was any indication. The jonin leader knew his time had come. In the last seconds of his life, the only regret in his mind was coming here. He should have just gone back when there were cries sounding in the desert¡ªit was an obvious trap. But being overconfident in their numbers, he had taken an unnecessary risk, a risk that was totally worthless and would now be the reason for his death. But still, he kept looking into the eyes of the boy, showing that he was not afraid of death at all. "It''s a good thing you are stubbornly looking in my eyes. I can read your memories easily now," the boy said. Hearing that, the jonin cursed his stupidity and quickly tried to close his eyes, but suddenly the power which was stopping their movements somehow was now focused on him, making even closing his eyes impossible. The boy in front of him smirked, and then he felt chakra invading his brain, but there was nothing he could do now. Within seconds, the boy was finished and moved the blade in his hand in an upward arc, bisecting the jonin leader in two equal parts. "YOU FUCKER!" the second jonin of the team shouted, the only other person who had a chance of moving in the field. Even though before moving even a little was impossible, when the power was focused on the leader, he tried his best and took out explosion tags from his pocket. Even though he couldn''t throw them, there was no need for it¡ªsince he was sure he was going to die, there was only one intention left in his mind: ''Take the enemy with him.'' When others saw the explosion tags in the jonin''s hand, they were afraid. They knew what it would mean if he ignited those now¡ªsince they couldn''t use any jutsu nor move, they would be blown to smithereens. But that fear was soon overtaken by resolve. Seeing their leader dead, they knew they had no chance of surviving, but this way they would get their revenge with death along with removing a potential threat to the village. Seeing this, the other three special jonin also did their best and took out their explosion tags as well. All of this happened in mere 15 seconds, a time so insignificant in the life of a person, but it was the time 9 ninja had made up their minds to die for their village. All four of them exchanged glances, affirming each other''s actions before they ignited all of the explosion tags. "Wow, you guys really want to kill me, huh! Well, you''re just following orders, not like we''re enemies, but let me make it clear," the boy said, and in the next second, wind blades formed around the explosion tags, bisecting them along with the hands of the ninja holding them. And they couldn''t even scream because they couldn''t move even a muscle in their body inside the domain they were in. But the pain they felt was nothing in comparison to the helplessness they were feeling. They were ready to die, ready to sacrifice their lives for their village, but the enemy in front of them was way too strong for them to have even a chance against him. They were now just lambs in front of a slaughterer, waiting to be slaughtered. ... Kaida looked toward the nine remaining ninja inside his domain. When their last attack failed, they lost all hope, waiting to die. Seeing them like this, and giving a cursory glance to their recent memories, Kaida lost all will to torture them as even though it was them who had killed people, it was just because they were following orders¡ªall but one person who thoroughly enjoyed killing ninja, especially young ones, because they were more talented than him. Kaida raised his sword once again and appeared behind the ninja. Behind him, seven heads fell from their bodies. At that time, the domain had been active for more than 75 seconds. Kaida''s eyes spun once again, and the domain faded as color returned to the world for the two remaining ninja. Well, only one of them could see the color as the second was already in a genjutsu, suffering through what one could consider ''hell.'' "What do you want with me?" the only remaining ninja, a chunin who was Fumio''s student, asked while still alive. "You didn''t kill any ninja, even when you had a chance. Why?" Kaida asked. "..." "There is no need for you to answer," Kaida said, and in the next second his sword moved one more time. The chunin tried to block the sword with his kunai, but it was slashed along with his arm, which was not only slashed but also burned, which stopped the blood from flowing out¡ªthough it was the last of his worries as he now felt why they were hearing such loud screams when they came here. But then something unusual happened: Kaida''s hand glowed green, and within seconds, the pain that the boy was feeling vanished. "You will not be able to be a ninja anymore, but you will live. Go and find yourself something better to do," Kaida said. The chunin was dumbfounded at that, not knowing what he should do now. "Oh! Also, please pass a message of mine to your superiors. Tell them to inform their Kages they have just made their worst enemy. And they could count their days on hand. Soon there will be only three great ninja villages remaining in this world, and this is a promise of Kaida Uchiha." Kaida''s face was still expressionless when he said these words. Even though no emotion could be seen on his face, the chunin felt an immense amount of anger hidden behind each of those words. ****** ???? **Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon!** ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 360: Chase Even though Kaida said those words in the calmest way possible, the chunin felt an immense amount of anger hidden behind each of them. If someone had told him these words before seeing what he had just witnessed, he would have scoffed¡ªa ninja threatening two hidden villages with eradication, villages backed by thousands of ninjas and kages as strong as armies themselves. But now his confidence was not that high anymore. Still, he was relieved that he would not die today. Even though he had lost his hand and couldn''t continue being a ninja anymore, his loyalty toward his village was not reduced even a tad bit. Since for a ninja village there is only one thing worse than an S-rank ninja as a threat¡ªan S-rank ninja whose skills are unknown to you¡ªhe wanted to inform his village about whatever happened here, and for that he was grateful for the mercy he was provided with. Without hesitation, he ran back toward the outpost, while Kaida and the second chunin remained there. Kaida looked toward him; by now he had already suffered enough, so he ended his life as well, along with Arata''s, who had been constantly screaming until now. After everything was done, Kaida used wind instantaneous movement jutsu several times and arrived 20 kilometers away from his previous location, after which he simply lost consciousness. All of his chakra reserves, which were now ten to fifteen times more than any elite jonin of Konoha, were empty within just 2 minutes. This was also one of the reasons Kaida had not gone to the outpost directly and had waited here. In his current condition, it was impossible for him to handle the army of Kumo and Iwa combined alone. He was angry, very angry, but that anger was not volatile¡ªthe kind that burns intensely for a moment only to dissipate soon. No, Kaida''s anger was calm and collected. From the memories he had read, he knew that the enemy was low on time as well, so he went all out in dealing as much damage as he could while using the chance that they would not risk finding him. Though when he learned that Deidara was also on that team, he decided to take extra measures and retreat to a safe distance. Though chances were low, they weren''t zero that Deidara would abandon all logic for some twisted form of art. ... Kitsuchi was giving various orders to the army in front of him. Out of 115, 97 ninjas were present there, all of them ready to retreat and just waiting for the remaining ninjas to return. The mission was a big success according to them¡ªonly two jonin were able to escape, and that too after being injured. The rest of Konoha''s forces, around 38 ninjas, were completely annihilated by the army. The outpost was also crushed. Aside from the loss of life, it was also a huge economic blow, as a single outpost''s construction needed tens of millions of Ryo. There was no doubt in his mind that everyone among the higher-ups would be satisfied with the result. While he was going through the report one last time, he felt a chakra signature approaching them at high speed. After sensing it, he knew whose chakra signature it was. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He disappeared from his position and appeared near Ryoma. "Why are you alone?" Kitsuchi asked as soon as he appeared in front of Ryoma. Ryoma, who had just suffered something straight out of a nightmare, was already on edge when someone appeared in front of him suddenly. His brain didn''t register anything at that moment, not even the question, as he took out a kunai with his remaining hand and attacked the person. Obviously, the attack was stopped easily by Kitsuchi, during which he discovered Ryoma''s condition, and he was not having a good feeling about it. "Everyone else is dead. Everyone," Ryoma said as soon as he saw that he was safe and the person in front of him was an ally. Though his eyes were lifeless, he passed out in front of Kitsuchi after delivering the message. "Damn it," Kitsuchi mumbled as he brought Ryoma along with him to the army. "What happened?" C asked, seeing Ryoma in that state. He was from Kumogakure, and seeing a ninja from their village in this condition was deeply concerning for him, especially since he knew where he had been sent. "The team sent for reinforcement, along with the ninja before them, are dead. He is the only survivor. I don''t know the full story, but we can''t take any more losses," Kitsuchi said. "I was saying from the start that we should go and find out what the whole situation was about," Deidara said. "A force which was able to do this to a team of 10 ninja in such little time¡ªwe couldn''t have handled that in time either. It''s a good thing that we didn''t send any one of us, but now is not the time for discussing these things. Konoha has already sent reinforcements. We have to retreat now, otherwise our losses may increase further," Kitsuchi said. Even though C and Darui were not happy about the decision because it was Kumogakure who had lost 2 jonin and many special jonin, they couldn''t do anything about it. What Kitsuchi said was true as well¡ªif Konoha sent reinforcements on time along with any one of their S-ranks, they would suffer many losses far surpassing the current ones. With heavy hearts, they decided to follow Kitsuchi''s plan and retreat for now. ... The outpost at which Kaida was posted was busy with work. Many ninja were moving here and there, scouting their surroundings. Their leader, Tomohiro Sarutobi, was giving orders non-stop, analyzing the reports and waiting for Konoha to send a reply about whether he should increase the security of the area or send reinforcements for the outpost that was attacked. Suddenly, four ninja appeared at the outpost. Three of the four fell to the ground from chakra exhaustion. The technique that Minato alone could use hundreds of times in a battlefield was used by those three ninja only 9 times, but they were already exhausted beyond measure. But they had completed their objective. "Jiraiya-sama, what are you doing here?" Tomohiro Sarutobi, who was out on inspection, came near Jiraiya as soon as he appeared in the outpost. "I am here for Kaida Uchiha. He had been sent here recently as reinforcement around 4 days ago," Jiraiya said, not wasting any time. Hearing that, Tomohiro''s face became a little awkward. "Just tell me all you know. I don''t have time to waste." "Sir, Kaida Uchiha sent his shadow clones to the outpost 150 km east of us, the one at the Sunagakure border, just a few minutes before he came to my office saying that outpost was attacked and he was going to save his friend. I tried to stop him, but he didn''t follow my order, and I couldn''t send someone with him because he left too soon," Tomohiro said. Being the commander of the outpost, he knew who Kaida was and was also a little afraid to put him under any risk, but there was nothing that could be done now. "Sigh... the worst has happened, huh," Jiraiya mumbled to himself and then turned to Tomohiro. "Don''t worry about that. Increase the security to the max, and make the number of ninja in each scout team at least 8. We are really under attack." After which he left in the direction Kaida had gone, just 5 minutes after Kaida had left for the outpost. ****** ???? **Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon!** ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 361: Hunt Yomi was running toward the direction Kaida had come from. Even though all of her being wanted nothing more than to go and help Kaida, she knew that she would not be able to do anything in her chakra-depleted state other than becoming a liability in the fight, so she did the most logical thing and ran away. While she was running in the direction of the next outpost, she suddenly became alert. Someone appeared very near to her, which should have been impossible to do so. Even though she was just a chunin, in the department of sensing she was not even a tad bit weaker than any Jonin, and even though she was low on chakra, she had maintained her field. For someone to appear behind her even with all this, it was certain that person was not someone she could go against. "Don''t worry, I am from Konoha," Jiraiya said, sensing Yomi going tense and reaching for her kunai. "Jiraiya-sama?" Yomi asked, turning slowly. "Yes, you are Kaida''s friend, right? Did you meet him?" he asked. "Yes, Jiraiya-sama. He went in that direction to save our friend Ryota, who stayed behind to stop the enemies and let me run away." "Don''t worry, and keep going. You will reach the sea outpost soon. Ask them to send you back to Konoha¡ªtell them it is an order from me," Jiraiya said. "Sir, please save my friends," Yomi said as tears continued to flow from her eyes. Jiraiya nodded and then left in the direction Yomi had indicated. He went for just 10 minutes before a scene of carnage appeared in front of him¡ªbloody bits spread all around while bodies of lifeless ninja lay around. Jiraiya just gave it a glance before moving on, following the tracks he was sure belonged to a dog. When he reached the next location, he saw two lifeless bodies laying in front of him, their limbs and heads sliced away from their bodies, and expressions of pain still visible on their faces. Jiraiya stopped this time. Even though he was still not in sage mode, that didn''t mean he was oblivious to the nature energy around him. From the training he had undergone for Sage mode, he was one of the best sensors in the world, and due to that, he could easily sense the chakra in the surroundings. He was sure it belonged to Kaida, but there was something different about it, like it had become a little dark. Not paying any more attention to that, he decided to find Kaida first, only to come to the third location where nine bodies were waiting for him. This time, Jiraiya was very much stunned. All nine ninja were still standing, with their heads separated from their bodies and lying on the ground. Even Minato, the fastest ninja in the world, couldn''t do something like this, and there was no doubt in Jiraiya''s mind that it was Kaida who did this. With Ryota''s tracks stopping at a place with lots of blood around, it was not hard for him to guess his fate. And that meant Kaida must have seen his friend''s death or his dead body, and it was not unheard of for an Uchiha to evolve his dojutsu in the face of huge emotional stimulus. ''Did he awaken Mangekyo Sharingan as well?'' Jiraiya thought, but he couldn''t find Kaida''s traces after this fight. With time running low and having no other option, he made a series of hand signs and¡ª "What''s up, Jiraiya boy? Why did you summon me here? I was about to have dinner cooked by Ma, you know," Fukasaku asked, appearing on the desert ground all of a sudden. "We don''t have time for this, Pa. This is an emergency¡ªKaida is missing. Find him and bring him to Mount Myoboku even if you have to use force. I will handle some other business in the meantime," Jiraiya said, pointing toward the dead bodies. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, Fukasaku just nodded and focused on Kaida''s chakra, and within a second, he found Kaida''s location. It has to be noted that in the Pain arc, Pain was among the strongest people in the world and was actively trying to hide his location with the help of Konan, another S-rank ninja. Still, Naruto was able to find his location in sage mode. Now compared to him, Pa had multiple times more experience in Sage jutsu; for him, finding someone whose chakra signature he already knew was not difficult at all. After finding him, he swiftly went in his direction while Jiraiya now made his way toward the outpost... "Huh, they really want to start a war, huh?" Jiraiya mused out loud because there was no one present there to listen to his rambling¡ªalmost no one. Jiraiya swiftly made hand signs and went inside the ground. And then came up with an unconscious Nara in his hand. "Where am I?" Shinji woke up in shock from a splash of water on his face. "On the ruins of the outpost you were once commander of," Jiraiya said, still searching the surroundings. "Jiraiya-sama, thank you for saving me," Shinji said. "No problem. I guess you are the only one here who is alive?" Jiraiya asked. "I ordered everyone to retreat. If we are lucky, some of our Jonin may have survived, but I will not keep my hopes high about that. Those fuckers had us surrounded," Shinji said. "I don''t need a report. Here, there are these five trails going from this outpost, an obvious attempt to stop any pursuers. Can you guess which one they took?" Jiraiya asked, since he was the only one here and couldn''t check all five paths alone. "None. Aside from these, there must be some hidden trail, I guess," but Jiraiya just shook his head. "If not, then that means all of these routes are correct and they will join at the end. If we took any one of them, the forces there act as decoy to let the main force run away¡ªa classic tactic of the Third Ninja War. Sadly, there is no way to counter it if we don''t have sufficient numbers," Shinji analyzed in a heartbeat, showing why Nara ninja were considered the best strategists. "So that means they have divided their force in five parts, right?" Jiraiya asked. "Most likely." "Then let''s give some of them a chance to sacrifice themselves for their village," Jiraiya said and was about to make his way toward one of the paths when Shinji said: "The most you will be doing is killing a few, at most 4-5 ninjas, because if my guess is correct, they will divide once again, so there is not much benefit in doing all this, Lord Jiraiya, unless you are planning on following each trail." "Well, that will not be possible, I guess," Jiraiya said. "Yes, they will try to create as much distance between them as possible, so please don''t take it to heart if you couldn''t find many," Shinji said. "Fine, but since I am here, there is no way I''m not going to give them a return gift, so take some rest and then go to the outpost in the east. They will handle the rest," Jiraiya said and went toward the trail in the center. *** ****** ???? **Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon!** ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 362: Grief Jiraiya moved with practiced stealth along the central path, his eyes following trails which should be invisible to normal ninjas. Normally, a ninja is trained to hide their traces like everything else, but not all are masters of this technique. With hundreds of ninja running away in different directions, the work was not flawless, and being in an unfavorable location didn''t help in this case either, leaving many traces for Jiraiya to find. Out of all he could see, this route had seen the heaviest traffic. More importantly, the residual chakra signatures, though fading, were strongest here. The enemy had tried to be clever with their five-way split, but they couldn''t hide everything. As he reached the first divergence point from his current path, Jiraiya paused, his fingers brushing against the sand. This time the ninja had actively tried to hide their chakra, meaning tracking them through chakra would be difficult. Luckily, they were not fast enough and had just passed this area few minutes before. ''The northwest path,'' he decided, noting how the sand was a little more compressed in this path than others, suggesting recent passage of multiple bodies. The other paths showed signs of travel too, but this one had the marks of the larger group. Jiraiya patiently followed the path in front of him, finding traces every now and then. They had moved in a zigzag pattern with enough randomness to evade many pursuers¡ªmany, but not a Kage-level one. His patience was rewarded about ten minutes later when he caught sight of movement ahead. Six figures moved through the desert in tight formation, their chakra signatures matching those of the attackers. Jiraiya''s eyes narrowed as he assessed them from afar¡ªfive chunin-level signatures and one special j¨­nin, likely the unit leader. ''Not even a j¨­nin among them,'' Jiraiya thought, slightly disappointed. His hands moved through a series of seals with practiced efficiency. "Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!" he whispered, his chakra flowing into the ground beneath the fleeing ninja. The effect was immediate and devastating. The already sandy and flaky desert floor beneath the enemy ninja suddenly transformed into a deep, chakra-infused swamp. Their momentum carried them straight into the trap before they could react. The chunin, caught completely off guard, plunged into the deadly morass with barely a sound. The special j¨­nin showed why he held his rank, managing to leap upward at the last second, chakra flaring as he attempted to escape. But Jiraiya was already there, appearing behind him with the speed that had earned him his legendary status. "Too slow," Jiraiya said quietly, striking a precise point on the man''s neck. The special j¨­nin''s eyes widened in surprise before rolling back as unconsciousness took him. Normally he would have committed suicide if he was given a chance and knowledge that he would be facing Jiraiya¡ªit was better than getting captured and interrogated in Konoha¡ªbut Jiraiya didn''t give him any chance to do that. He caught his limp form before it could fall into the swamp below, from which many earth spears were now coming out, piercing the bodies of chunin in it. Working quickly, Jiraiya bound the unconscious ninja with specialized seals¡ªchakra-suppressing and paralysis-inducing markings that would prevent any attempt at escape or suicide. He hoisted the prisoner over his shoulder and surveyed the area, considering his options. The remaining trails would lead to more scattered groups, but the time investment wouldn''t be worth the potential results. "Two or three more kills aren''t worth the delay," he decided. Even though Jiraiya said that, he still made sure to look around the place to ensure they were not heading toward any other outpost. After confirming that they were really running away and eliminating one more team, he decided to return. By now both Yomi and Shinji had reached Tomohiro''s outpost and were getting treated. Well, both of them were mostly fine, just too exhausted. While they were resting, Jiraiya reached the outpost. "Jiraiya-sama, did you find Kaida and Ryota? Where are they?" Yomi, who was moving here and there waiting for Jiraiya to return or even get news about her friends, erupted with questions as soon as she saw Jiraiya coming to the outpost. "Kaida is safe. He is resting somewhere, and I will bring him to your house later. As for Ryota... I am sorry... I didn''t find him, but I will not increase your hope. With the amount of blood I have seen at his last position, he is most likely dead," Jiraiya replied. Yomi felt her world crashing down. The only friend she was able to make other than Kaida had died protecting her, and what did she do? She ran away. No matter how logical that decision was, it didn''t make the feeling of dread and pain inside her heart any less. Jiraiya gave her some time to come to terms with the situation before they started their journey back to Konoha. With the help of a carriage and three Jonin capable of teleporting them, they were able to reach Konoha in an hour. It was still late night time, but the higher-ups of Konoha were wide awake waiting for any further news. Shinji''s face bore the grim expression of a commander who had lost men under his command, while Yomi''s eyes remained red-rimmed from crying, though she now maintained her composure with admirable strength. They proceeded directly to the Hokage''s office, where Jiraiya handed over his unconscious prisoner to the ANBU guards. His report was brief but comprehensive¡ªthe attack, the casualties, the enemy''s retreat tactics, and his pursuit. "This is all I know about the attack. For now, I need to go somewhere," he said finally, his hands already forming the signs for the reverse summoning jutsu. "Where are you going?" Hiruzen asked. "There are matters at Mount Myoboku that require my attention." With a puff of smoke, he vanished, leaving Yomi and Shinji to provide their detailed reports to Hiruzen. The debriefing seemed to last forever to Yomi. Each word felt like it was being pulled from her throat, each detail of the attack and their escape another reminder of what she had lost. Hiruzen listened with his characteristic patience, his pipe remaining unlit out of respect for the gravity of the situation. By the time they were dismissed, the moon was still high in the night sky. Yomi''s feet felt leaden as she made her way through the empty streets toward the Uchiha compound. The normally bustling village was quiet at this hour, leaving her alone with her thoughts¡ªthoughts that inevitably turned to Ryota''s final moments. When she reached her home''s door, her hand trembled as she knocked. The sound seemed too loud in the night''s silence. Hae, who was sleeping, was first to wake up from the sound. She came out to check who was at this hour. She opened the door only to find Yomi standing in front of her. One look at Yomi''s face had her fully alert, maternal concern flooding her features. "Yomi? What''s wrong? What happ-" The question broke something in Yomi. She collapsed forward into Hae''s arms, her carefully maintained composure shattering completely. Sobs wracked her body as she clung to the woman who had become like a mother to her. Hae held her tightly, guiding her inside and closing the door behind them. They ended up sitting on the floor, Hae stroking Yomi''s hair as the young kunoichi''s tears soaked her nightgown. She didn''t push for answers, didn''t try to stem the flow of grief. She simply held on, providing the anchor Yomi so desperately needed. "Ryota," Yomi finally managed to choke out between sobs. "He''s gone. He stayed behind so I could escape. He fought them alone, and now he''s..." Her voice cracked, fresh tears flowing. Even though Hae didn''t know what had happened and why her daughter was in this state, from the tad bit Yomi was saying while crying, she could guess that she had lost her friend. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hae pulled her closer, her own eyes filling with tears. She had watched these children''s friendship with her own eyes. She remembered Ryota''s boisterous laugh, his loyal nature, the way he had always been with Kaida and Yomi, and even the respectful tone he used to change whenever he saw her. Now he was gone. "Let it out," she whispered, rocking Yomi gently. "Just let it all out, sweetheart. I''m here." Through the window, moonlight cast long shadows across the floor as Yomi''s grief echoed through the quiet house. Her sobs gradually softened to hiccups, then to quiet tears, but Hae never loosened her embrace. ****** ???? **Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon!** ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 363: Awakening of Power When Jiraiya materialized on Mount Myoboku, the familiar scent of moss and ancient stone filled his nostrils. The mountain was shrouded in its perpetual mist. Fukasaku was waiting for him, the elderly toad''s expression more serious than usual. "Jiraiya-boy, what took you so long? I have been waiting for you for so long." "Konoha was attacked, Fukasaku-san. I had to handle some stuff before I could come here," Jiraiya explained. "Fine, but your student is not in good shape as well." "What''s wrong with Kaida?" Jiraiya asked, immediately noting the concern in his master''s voice. They walked along the stone path, passing by the massive statues of legendary toads. "The boy is... evolving," Fukasaku said carefully, choosing his words. "When I brought him here, his chakra was already in chaos. The awakening of the Mangekyo Sharingan triggered something different. Normally when a Sharingan evolves, it has some effect on the chakra. Now that the evolution is so drastic, it has a very big effect on his body. A normal Uchiha body is not much responsive and will do bare minimum to adjust to the changes, but his is doing its best to mold itself according to the new power it was getting." Jiraiya''s steps faltered. "Mangekyo? So he did awaken it after witnessing his friend''s death." "Yes, but that''s not the concerning part." Fukasaku stopped at a junction in the path, turning to face his student. "His chakra reserves, which were already remarkable, have tripled since his arrival. And they''re still growing." "And his body is trying to mold itself for that change," Jiraiya said. "It should be impossible," Fukasaku agreed. "But it''s happening. His body was struggling to contain this explosive growth. Under normal circumstances, his chakra network would have been torn apart, his body too underdeveloped to handle such power." They resumed walking, heading toward a structure carved into the living rock of the mountain. "Since you had asked me to take care of the body, I did some things from my side to make sure that body will not become crippled for his life," Fukasaku continued. "Thank you, Fukasaku-san, but what did you do?" Jiraiya asked. "We''ve been using carefully controlled amounts of natural energy to help his body adapt to these changes." "Senjutsu chakra?" Jiraiya''s eyes widened. "That''s incredibly risky. The slightest imbalance could turn him to stone." "For you yes, but for us not that difficult. Are you forgetting that it is me and Ma who provide you with senjutsu chakra when you fight? Why do you think it will be difficult for us to do so for a body who is not moving that much?" Fukasaku asked. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You got a point there," Jiraiya said with an awkward laugh. While discussing, they reached a massive wooden door, ancient seals carved into its surface. "See for yourself." The door opened to reveal a chamber bathed in soft green light. At its center stood a crystalline tank filled with translucent liquid that seemed to pulse with its own inner light. Suspended within was Kaida, his body floating peacefully in the strange substance. Three elderly toads sat cross-legged around the tank, their webbed hands pressed against its surface as they channeled chakra into the liquid. Jiraiya approached the tank slowly, studying his student''s face. Despite the circumstances that had brought him here, Kaida looked serene, almost peaceful. And unlike what Fukasaku had said, he didn''t look to be in any danger at all¡ªquite the contrary, he looked much healthier than before. His physique had changed and was becoming more lean and muscular while his height had also increased by a few centimeters. "The healing waters of Mount Myoboku, along with various herbs from the mountains near us," Fukasaku explained, noting Jiraiya''s questioning look. "Combined with natural energy, they''re helping his body adapt to these changes. All these elders are seeing the process personally, so there is nothing for you to worry about." "When can I take him back to the village?" Jiraiya asked, placing a hand against the cool surface of the tank. Fukasaku shook his head. "Not yet. The natural energy we''ve used to stabilize him needs time to properly integrate with his system. Remove him too soon, and his body will either explode from chakra overload or turn to stone from unbalanced nature energy." Jiraiya nodded, already expecting something like this. "The village and his family can wait. Please take good care of him, Fukasaku-san." "There''s something else you should know," Fukasaku said, his voice lowering. "Before falling into his current sleep, the Great Sage spoke of your student. He said the boy could become crucial to the future¡ªif he doesn''t become hell-bent on destroying the world." Jiraiya''s expression hardened but then he remembered something and sighed. "That won''t happen. Unlike many Uchiha, Kaida, though he lost something precious, still has strong bonds tying him to the village. His girlfriend, Yomi, survived. He has family in Shisui, Naruto, and Hae. He won''t fall into darkness so easily." "Perhaps," Fukasaku conceded. "But expecting him to remain unchanged after this would be foolish. The power he''s gaining, the trauma he''s experienced¡ªthese things leave marks on the soul, Jiraiya-boy. Even if he doesn''t turn to darkness, the Kaida who leaves this mountain won''t be the same one who arrived with you few days prior." They stood in silence for a moment, watching the gentle swirl of the healing waters. The elderly toads maintaining the tank haven''t moved or spoken, their concentration absolute as they regulated the flow of natural energy. "How much has his chakra increased since you brought him here?" Jiraiya asked finally. "It''s still growing," Fukasaku replied. "We''re monitoring it carefully. The rate of increase has slowed but hasn''t stopped. His Mangekyo seems to be acting as a catalyst, pushing his body to evolve beyond normal limitations. We''ve never seen anything quite like it." Jiraiya ran a hand through his white hair, thinking. "The combination of Senju and Uchiha blood, plus the emotional trauma of awakening the Mangekyo... it''s creating something new. Something unseen," Jiraiya said. "Indeed. The Great Sage seemed particularly interested in this development. Before entering his sleep, he instructed us to take special care with the boy''s treatment if something like this happened. Whatever Kaida is becoming, it''s significant enough to catch his attention," Fukasaku said. Even though he didn''t know what the combination of these two bloodlines meant, it was different for the Great Sage who had seen what an Otsutsuki is. The toad sage had witnessed that power himself, the power of gods themselves, and what Kaida is¡ªan inferior version of the said person. But both Jiraiya and Fukasaku didn''t know about this, and for them, whatever was happening to Kaida was unknown. After some more time, "Keep him safe," Jiraiya said finally. "I need to return to Konoha and manage the fallout from this attack. But send word immediately if anything changes." Fukasaku nodded. "Of course. And Jiraiya-boy?" he called as his former student turned to leave. "Remember what I said. When he wakes, he''ll need guidance more than ever. Power like this... it changes people, whether they want it to or not." "I know," Jiraiya replied softly. "But I have faith in him. His heart is strong, and his bonds are stronger. He won''t walk the path of hatred that so many others have chosen." As Jiraiya prepared to return to Konoha, he cast one last look at his student floating in the healing waters. The boy''s face remained peaceful, giving no hint of the tremendous changes occurring within him. Whatever Kaida became when he finally awakened, Jiraiya silently vowed to be there to guide him¡ªaway from the darkness that had claimed so many powerful shinobi before him, and toward a future worthy of the sacrifices that had brought him to this point. *** ???? Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon! ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 364: Nothing else could be done "What do you mean we shouldn''t do anything? They literally blew up our outpost, killed 36 of our ninja, and you''re saying that we shouldn''t do anything? And do what¡ªhide like cowards?" one of the clan heads of a minor clan of Konoha, who had lost his brightest ninja in the outpost, shouted loudly. "He is not saying we''re not going to retaliate. It''s just that we''re not strong enough to go to war against two major villages at the same time. If we did so, regardless, the loss will be so high that all our progress from the last few years will go down the drain, and we will be nothing but sitting ducks for the next attack," Shikaku said. "But if we don''t do anything, it will make us appear weak. They may try something like this once again," Fugaku said. "Yes, and that''s why we are having this meeting. Recently, both Iwa and Kumo had released a new list of rogue ninja. Even though they''re saying that they had done it before the attack, it clearly contains 80 percent of ninja who either died or were captured in this attack. They''re saying that they did it because these ninja went rogue and wanted to harm the village one last time by destroying the trust between villages or hopefully starting a war. Kumo said it will make a division to hunt down those ninja themselves," Shikaku said. "They''re not even trying to come up with excuses. Are they really underestimating us this much?" Homura said. "They''re counting on the fact that we will not start a war anyway, which we really can''t, and this is also their way of telling us to stay in our place. The stunt of the chunin exam really had affected many," Shikaku said. "So are we really going to pretend like nothing happened for the time being?" Koharu was the one to ask this time. "Yes, but don''t we also have some wannabe rogue ninja? What can we do if they try something similar to the outpost of Kumogakure or Iwagakure?" Hiruzen said. "But¡ª" Hiashi was about to say when Shikaku interrupted him with the same smile as Hiruzen. "No, Hiashi-san, they will not be able to start the war either. Even though Konoha will not be able to get an overwhelming victory if the war started, we would still win, and they know that too. There is no way they will start the war at any cost either," Shikaku said, and his guess was so true that even when Hiruzen died, the other villages still didn''t attack Konoha, let alone now. "So we''re going to destroy two outposts and then they will retaliate by destroying four of ours? This will lead to war either today or tomorrow. Why go through this big process?" Inoichi asked. "I don''t think so. They will know about this as well, and also that we will try something similar in retaliation, so they have increased the security of each of their outposts. But if we destroy an outpost in such conditions, it will show them Konoha really has become strong enough to keep hiding in a shell," Shikaku said. "And how will we do¡ª" Fugaku was saying when the room of the office opened. "Fugaku, are you busy?" Jiraiya asked as he entered the room. The entire room became awkward, with the most uncomfortable being the ANBU ninja who failed to stop Jiraiya outside. "Yes, Jiraiya, he is in the meeting regarding the attack which you should be attending as well," Hiruzen said with annoyance at his student''s actions. "No need, sensei. I am sure you and Shikaku-san will be kind enough to tell us about the summary after the meeting ends. For now, I have something I want to ask Fugaku about something very important. Can I take him with me for a second?" Jiraiya asked, with his usual joyful tone. "No, whatever it is could wait for the meeting to end," Hiruzen said, with a frown on his forehead. "Trust me, sensei, it couldn''t. It will just take two minutes at max," Jiraiya said, now a little more serious. "..." "Come back in 2 minutes. You both are going to join the meeting after that," Hiruzen said. "Of course, Sensei," Jiraiya said and left with Fugaku while Hiruzen and Shikaku exchanged glances. This had to be really important for Jiraiya to agree to attend a meeting, but keeping that point aside, Shikaku took command of the meeting once again. ... "What is it, Jiraiya-sama?" Fugaku asked when they were in an office allocated to Jiraiya. Though he never used it, it was still a place where only the two of them were, and no third person could hear anything discussed in the room, thanks to FUINJUTSU. "I know what I am going to ask is a little... very personal, but it is something important," Jiraiya said, now completely serious, his usual joyful tone gone. "Please go ahead." "Kaida Uchiha, my student and your clan member, has awakened Mangekyo Sharingan as well." Fugaku''s eyes went wide at this. Until now, he didn''t know anything about this whole situation regarding Kaida at all, but being a clan head, he calmed himself down in a moment and asked the first question which came to his mind. "When and where?" It was a very important part since he himself knew the conditions such scenarios are possible. "During the attack, from what I know..." Jiraiya told Fugaku everything he knew about the incident and how Kaida''s friend must have died in front of him to awaken the Mangekyo. "That is the most likely scenario, but I don''t get why you wanted to tell me all this so suddenly and not wait for the meeting to end?" Fugaku asked. "Fugaku, is it normal for Uchiha to get a chakra increase after they get Mangekyo Sharingan?" Jiraiya asked. Fugaku sighed, now understanding what Jiraiya meant by personal question, but it''s not like he was sharing some weakness. "Please keep it between us, but yes, it is normal. Our body adapts to the evolution of Sharingan, and the most visible one is from Mangekyo. Our chakra almost gets doubled due to that," Fugaku said, understanding what Jiraiya wanted to ask. "And what if it increases three times and keeps on increasing further?" Jiraiya asked. "Is it happening to Kaida?" Fugaku asked, getting a nod from Jiraiya. Normally it would have been good news, but he knew how big Kaida''s chakra reserves were, and three times that amount is not something that could be taken lightly. It was like filling a balloon which has a capacity of 10L of water being filled by 30L. Normally the amount increases from 10 to 20, and that in itself would put significant strain on the chakra network, let alone 30 and still increasing. "Where is he?" Fugaku asked. "He is being treated by someone I know. Don''t worry, he is out of danger now. I just wanted to know if Uchiha had any special method to counter what was happening to him, but from your expression, I can say that you are listening about something like this for the first time as well?" Jiraiya asked. "Yes, and sadly we don''t have anything special other than some herbs to ease the pain and strain, but they wouldn''t help Kaida if the strain is so high. If whatever you or whoever you know is doing is keeping him stable, then please carry on with that. Otherwise, there is a high chance his chakra pathway will get damaged," Fugaku said. "Fine, now let''s go back; otherwise, my sensei will get really mad at us," Jiraiya said. Now that he had confirmed that Kaida was already getting the best treatment he could, and there was nothing more the Uchiha clan could do, he decided to leave Kaida to Mount Myoboku for now. *** ???? Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon! ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 365: Youth "So it is final, we are not going to pursue this any longer. The family of any ninja who gave their life for the village during this attack will be properly compensated. The details will be finalized later. As for our retaliation, we will start that project in one month." "And complete it in this one month as well," Hiruzen completed Shikaku''s report and looked toward everyone present in the room. After one hour of continuous meeting, they had reached this conclusion. His eyes scanned the room for any dissatisfaction, pausing at his student who was sleeping with his eyes open¡ªa technique he himself had taught him. Sighing in his heart, he continued. "The meeting is completed. You may leave, and I don''t think I have to mention that everything we discussed here is confidential," Hiruzen said. Everyone nodded, bowed to Hiruzen one last time before they left for their destination. "Not you Jiraiya, I have something I want to discuss with you," Hiruzen said, stopping Jiraiya who was trying to sneak out with the crowd. After everyone left, Hiruzen activated the seal of the room once again. "..." "When are you going to start?" Hiruzen asked, seeing his student just sit back after that order. "Kaida knew, I mean had an assumption about the attack because the toad sage had given him a warning about something. I didn''t know what at that time since he didn''t tell me full details. So when they were sent to different outposts, Kaida kept sending shadow clones to keep a close eye on his family and friends, to be sure they were safe. Due to that, he knew about the attack as soon as it happened, went to protect them, but the distance of 150+ kilometers couldn''t be crossed fast enough to save everyone. He was late and his friend died, and from what I can guess, not much before he reached there. The pain must have been too much," Jiraiya said. Hiruzen and Shikaku''s expressions were grim now, understanding what was happening and having an idea of what was about to happen. "As you guys have guessed, he awakened Mangekyo Sharingan, killed 11-12 ninjas, but for some reason let one run away. Now he is unconscious as he is a special case. His body is not behaving like a normal Uchiha''s would, and is at risk of being broken. Permanent damage for life will be the best option, and death being the worst, if Fukasaku-san hadn''t helped him in time. Now he is on Mount Myoboku getting treatment. I wanted to confirm that the Uchiha didn''t have something better for this scenario." "Wait a minute, why did he let one of them go?" Shikaku asked, now deep in thought about the whole thing as everything was much more complicated. "How sure are you that person was left by Kaida and didn''t actually come after to check the team before him?" "By the dead bodies still on ground, hundred percent," Jiraiya said. " Youth," Hiruzen sighed. Even though Shikaku was really intelligent, Hiruzen had decades of experience on his shoulders; it was not hard for him to figure out what had happened. "Surely not," Shikaku said with a face like it was the most absurd thing he would ever hear. "Yeah, it was mostly out of anger. He must have left him to deliver his threat to the main culprit behind his friend''s death," Hiruzen said. "But that would leak info about his power. Since he had just awakened it, it could have been a trump card we could use anytime," Shikaku said. "Yes, but in times of anger, it is difficult to make the right decision, especially for someone so young. But that is not important right now¡ªall this is just speculation. For now, let''s wait for Kaida to recover so that we will know the complete truth," Hiruzen said and then looked toward Jiraiya. "How long will he stay at Mount Myoboku?" "I don''t know. It could be few days, weeks, or maybe even months. All I know is that he will stay there till he is perfectly fine," Jiraiya said, at which Hiruzen and Shikaku nodded their heads. Next morning, Jiraiya also told Kaida''s family about his condition, about how he is in a difficult situation and is getting treated somewhere safe; he will come back when he is fine. ... (Kumogakure) Many elders and clan heads were sitting in the meeting hall of Kumogakure. There were two pieces of news in front of them¡ªone was very good which should have brought joy to their faces: their attack was successful. They eliminated all of Konoha''s forces on the outpost; the complete outpost was demolished. It was everything they wanted to achieve, but it was the second report that was a big problem for them. "We lost 2 Jonin, 4 Special Jonin, and 3 Chunin, while Iwa lost 5 Special Jonin and 4 Chunin, all to nothing because of one person," C said, explaining the scenario. "I can understand this; accidents happen. Even though we had some loss, Konoha had much worse, so those are not the worst factors. The worst thing is the second part of the report. C, are you really sure that Chunin is not under any genjutsu?" one of the elders asked. "No, he has been checked multiple times, and from what we know from other testimony, it matches completely. Kaida Uchiha''s clone was trying to protect three children, most likely his friends, and then when he really appeared on the battlefield, there should have been death of some of them, if not all. It may have been the reason for his Sharingan to evolve, since it is not a mystery that that happens¡ªwe all have seen that in wars," C said. "So an 11-year-old brat thinks that he can erase my village out of existence just because he had awakened some power? Looks like my reputation has grown weak¡ªnow even a child can think he can speak anything in front of me?" A said, anger evident in his voice. But others didn''t share the same anger because if the first part of the report was true, then that means the second part may be true as well. In the second part, there was the description of power the Chunin felt, and from what he had described, it was like he was in the presence of a god. Without his permission, they couldn''t even breathe there. When asked for details, the Chunin shuddered and fainted. After many medicines and rest was he able to give complete details which were now in front of the council, and unlike A, they couldn''t take it lightly. "Aside from his attitude, it is not a hidden fact that Konoha has now gained one more S-rank in their ever-increasing arsenal, and that too an Uchiha who are a pain in the ass even as Jonin," one of the most senior elders said. He was an elite Jonin even at the time of the Third Raikage and his trusted aide as well, so his words had weight in the council even now. "Yes, Masaki-sama, and now it looks like it was us who faced more loss than Konoha. They had lost 37 ninjas but got an S-rank way more valuable than the number. As for us, we only lost without gaining anything," another elder said. "For now, let''s focus on Konoha''s retaliation. This boy can wait since there is no way Hiruzen would let that boy leave the village for months, at least not until everything settles down. But the attack from Konoha will come back soon, and most likely in the same format," Masaki said. "We already planned for this and will go with the same plan. Both Iwa and us will increase the security at the border outpost and increase the number of spies in the Fire Country." "The same thing Konoha did and still lost an outpost." "No, they only strengthened their outpost near our borders, and if we had attacked them, a force at least twice the one we used would have been required. But we will not make the same mistake and will strengthen all borders even if we have to stop taking some missions for now. That will not matter much in the long run," A said. "If you think this is enough, then do it," Masaki said, and everyone agreed with him as well. *** ???? Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon! ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 366: Awake "What do you mean we had to run away? He was just a single boy, same age as me. You think he would have been a threat to 100 ninja along with you, me, and two others with the same power level as us? If you were so afraid, you could have just told me¡ªI would have handled him myself," Deidara shouted at Kitsuchi. "That was the reason he didn''t tell you, Deidara. You wouldn''t have listened to his commands otherwise. You''re still stuck on your loss in the Chunin exam; it''s about time you leave that behind. For a ninja, anger is the worst issue they could have, and not knowing your own power level along with your enemies'' is even worse," Onoki said, coming from behind. "So you want to say he is more powerful than me?" Deidara asked. "Yes, and I''m not saying, I''m telling you," Onoki said, like it was not an assumption but a fact. "What the hell did he do that I couldn''t do? Just killing 10 ninjas? I can kill 10 ninja in one attack as well¡ªjust give me a chance," Deidara said. "There is no doubt you can; even an elite Jonin can do that, and you are almost leaving that territory," Onoki said. "Then why do you think he is more powerful than me?" Deidara asked. "Because the enemy you will kill will only see you as a powerful shinobi, that''s it. But the one who came back from his attack didn''t say that¡ªhe presented him as a god. That... power difference means that there was not even a chance for someone weaker in the first place to go against that person. I have only seen two persons whom I felt the same feeling from. Considering I was already Kage level at that time, those two and he couldn''t be compared, but the estimation could be made. He is already in an area where an elite Jonin will not have any chance against him at all, alone that is. But for now, you are no match against him. Practice some more and maybe you will be in the future," Onoki said, remembering how a single man barged into Iwagakure, and all of Iwagakure with him and his sensei, the Second Tsuchikage of Iwa, couldn''t do anything rather than kneel. If that monster was not stopped by another monster of the same level, then the whole Ninja world would have been under Konoha for who knows how long. "Tch." Without any reply, Deidara left the room. "He is still young. Once he matures, he will understand how the world works," Onoki said. "Sir, what should we do now? Are we going to keep increasing the security of the border like planned earlier?" Kitsuchi was not part of the meeting that took place some time before, but he was important enough to know what was the decision of the higher-ups of Iwagakure. "Yes... as there is nothing else we can do. Konoha is going to guard their new S-rank thoroughly for now, and they will retaliate for sure. They already were close to recovering their strength; now that they have one more S-rank, there is no way they will take this attack lying down. Make sure that all of our borders are highly secured. I don''t want to lose a single outpost and give them satisfaction of revenge." Even though it may seem like a big thing, the number of ninja lost was not significant for any major village. To be practical, they lost more ninja during missions if they went wrong. What mattered was pride. Kumo and Iwa were not damaging Konoha with the attack¡ªthey were showing Konoha that it was not strongest anymore and there would be consequences if they still believed that. And they knew when it would be Konoha''s turn, it would show them that it is still the strongest village. If that happened, it would either be war or taking a blow to reputation and keeping silence. Since they couldn''t start a war for now, the only other option they had was to make sure Konoha would not be able to retaliate. Even though someone suggested attacking one more outpost, the idea was rejected without a second thought. If Konoha had one thing, it was numbers. The talent-rich Konoha didn''t have any shortage of ninja to increase the security of their borders. Even though they would have to reduce some missions for now, the security of each outpost was now almost double. There was no way to get the same result without a force twice the previous size, and that too would not be a surety since Konoha would now be alert. So only defense was the remaining option. Kitsuchi nodded and went to follow the order, while Onoki remained behind, his eyes focused outside while his mind focused on an old memory¡ªa memory in which he was kneeling in front of an enemy who could have easily killed the most powerful ninja of his village without breaking a sweat. And now someone of the same bloodline wanted to become like him; Onoki didn''t have a nice feeling about this. ... With all the ninja world moving, days passed¡ªone, two, three... but the boy in a cave on Mount Myoboku didn''t show a sign of awakening at all. He kept floating in green liquid, continued to be supplied with very, very little amounts of nature chakra which was not increasing his already large chakra reserves but was absorbed by his body to make a perfect vessel for the boy. As days passed, his chakra expansion slowly decreased in speed, finally stopping at the end of the third day, at the same time when Fukasaku called Jiraiya. "Is he going to regain consciousness?" Jiraiya asked, standing in front of Mount Myoboku. "I hope so. There is nothing wrong with his body now, so he should be awake soon, most likely when he will be out of this tank. That''s why I brought you here, so that he will not panic the moment he wakes up. I would not want to blow up a cave for a boy, you know," Fukasaku said as one toad opened the tank and brought Kaida out of it while removing the mask from his face. As soon as he was laid on the ground, Kaida slowly opened his eyes, which cautiously scanned the surroundings the moment he became conscious. "You are safe, Kaida," Jiraiya said. "Where is the storage scroll I was carrying?" The first question Kaida asked¡ªnot how he was there, what happened, but that. "It is safe and sound. We will provide it to you whenever you want," this time it was Fukasaku who said that. Kaida nodded and stood up, looking toward his own body in astonishment. It was like he was in someone else''s body; if he was correct, then he was a few centimeters taller, and his body was now filled with more muscles than even his previous body, which was the result of rigorous exercise. And all of those muscles were now full of power. The thing that would have made others happy failed to attract Kaida''s attention for more than a second before he looked for his clothes. "Here, how are you feeling?" Jiraiya asked, giving Kaida his clothes. "I am fine, sensei, but why am I here?" Kaida asked, finally registering that he was on Mount Myoboku from the presence of toads as well as Nature energy in the surroundings, which he could feel for some reason. "Due to your unique bloodline, when you awakened Mangekyo, your body was trying to adapt to it too much, and the chance of it destroying itself in the process was too high. So to save you, we had to bring you here. The toads did their best to save you," Jiraiya said, pointing toward a glass tube behind Kaida. "You have been in there for three days, cared for by toads all the time." "Thank you. I am in your debt," Kaida said, bowing toward Fukasaku. "No worry, boy. For now, focus on yourself," Fukasaku said, after which he and other toads left the cave, leaving Jiraiya and Kaida alone. "Why don''t we have a walk, Kaida?" Jiraiya asked. *** ???? Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon! ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 367: Promise (A.N: Due to your awesome support, tomorrow I will do a mass release ^~^) "Why don''t we have a walk, Kaida?" Jiraiya asked, his voice filled with genuine care. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Sure, Sensei," Kaida replied, as they slowly made their way to a peaceful walk around the lush green surroundings and rugged paths of Mount Myoboku. "How are you, Kaida?" Jiraiya asked after they had been walking for 5 minutes. "I am feeling better than ever, sensei, like I am an all-powerful deity. Maybe I could even defeat you now," Kaida said, giving away a cheerful smile. "I''m not talking about your body, boy. I''m talking about you¡ªhow are you feeling inside... there''s no need to suppress it, Kaida. No one is going to judge you; it''s okay to let out emotion, it''s okay to be vulnerable," Jiraiya said. "That is not why I am suppressing them, Sensei... from the moment I saw the dead body of Ryota in front of me, I have been feeling an immense amount of bloodlust. I don''t know how to control it other than suppressing it," Kaida said, his previous mask of joy broken with an expressionless face left behind. "There is no need to suppress your emotions, Kaida. If you do that, you will only hurt yourself," Jiraiya said, but then a thick red, almost tangible bloodlust filled the surroundings, like a demon was appearing behind Kaida. "But sensei, if I don''t suppress it, I will not be able to stop myself from going on a senseless killing in Kumo and Iwa," Kaida said with a mixture of pain and anger visible on his face. Jiraiya was not affected by the bloodlust, or he didn''t care if he was even affected. He placed his hand on Kaida''s hand and said, "I know how you are feeling, boy, trust me I know, but this is not how you or anyone can live their life. Giving in to anger is not good for anyone, especially for a ninja. Think about the family which is waiting for you in Konoha. Your mother Hae has been pestering me daily about your health for the last three days. Your girlfriend Yomi, though in bad condition herself, accompanies her to know about your health. A young brat is also waiting for his big brother to come back. And a big brother who almost performed treason by not following Hokage''s order to come and meet you when he was informed about your condition. Having such a family, how could you even think about putting yourself in danger and leaving them behind? So calm down and think about things clearly," Jiraiya said, seeing the bloodlust going down slowly. Kaida turned, seeing the far distance in the valley in front of them like thinking something. Jiraiya also went silent, letting Kaida come to terms with the situation. 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 15 minutes... time kept passing but both of them remained standing silently, watching the scenery in front of them. "I am fine, sensei," Kaida said, still looking ahead. "Good to know," Jiraiya replied as a small smile came on his face. Now that this was out of the way, he asked the second question that was bugging the mind of Hiruzen and Shikaku along with him as well. "Why did you let a single ninja run away that night?" Jiraiya asked. "Because... he didn''t kill anyone," Kaida replied. "What if he tells everyone about you? They will come after you with their full power," Jiraiya said, thinking it was because of softness of the heart. "I don''t have any problem with that, as I had already sent a message with that Chunin that there will be only three major villages in the future," Kaida said, his expression as calm as ever, but Jiraiya''s turned weird like he heard a joke he didn''t know how to respond to. But then he released a sigh. "It''s okay, Kaida, we all do dumb things in anger," he said. "I was completely serious about that then as I am now. I had promised my deceased friend and brother, there will be only three great villages in the future. I will do everything in my power to keep that promise, sensei," Kaida said. "Kaida, I already taught you that anger¡ª" "I am not angry, sensei, but that doesn''t mean I am going to break my promise, not until I die," Kaida said, his words leaving no place for any doubt. Jiraiya looked toward Kaida for quite some time, trying to see what value those words held in the heart of his student. He once again sighed after a few moments. "And how are you going to do it, kill every ninja in those two villages?" Jiraiya asked. "No, I promised my friend that those responsible for his death will pay the price. It has nothing to do with innocent people, whether they are ninja or not doesn''t matter. I don''t know how I will do it for now, but I will do it for sure, sensei," Kaida said. And this time Jiraiya was proud of his student. Even at such a time, he was still rational¡ªvery few people in their world could achieve something like this. "We will discuss about it after you rest some more. For now, let''s go back; your family is waiting for you," Jiraiya said, at which Kaida nodded his head, as he had something important to do as well. ... "Are you fine, Kaida? Were you injured? Where were you? Are you feeling pain anywhere?" A barrage of questions came toward Kaida as soon as he returned home. Hae was waiting for him in the house, while Yomi was behind her, her head low like she couldn''t meet his gaze. "I am fine, Aunt. I was just... exhausted, but now I am fine, fine and hungry. I have missed your food so much these past few days¡ªcan you please make something for me?" Kaida asked. "Sure, go and take a bath. Food will be ready soon," Hae said and went to the kitchen to prepare food. Kaida walked toward Yomi after only they were left in the hall. "I will go and help Aunt," Yomi said, still not looking Kaida in his eyes, but before she could run away, Kaida gently caught her hand. "It was not your fault," was the only thing he said, not because he was worried about Yomi, no¡ªhe said it because it was truth. "How was it not my fault? You said to not take the mission, you asked us to stay here, but I was a stubborn fool. I was the one who wanted to grow... and that stubbornness cost us our friend." "No, it was a perfectly logical decision to follow orders of Lord Third, and what would be the use of all that training if we stayed hidden in our house at every indication of threat? Also, Ryota didn''t give his life for no reason¡ªhe sacrificed his life for his friends. You shouldn''t demean it by saying it was a loss; rather be proud to have such a friend like I am. I will try to become as courageous as he was, and you do that too," Kaida said, hugging Yomi in the last part. He could feel his shirt becoming wet, but he didn''t pay any attention to that and kept in that position for long enough for Yomi to calm down. Hae heard this from the kitchen, a small smile formed on her face as she continued cooking. *** ???? Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon! ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 368: Promise (Part 2) After they ate, an ANBU ninja came to Kaida''s house. "Lord Third has sent a summons. Please report to the Hokage office at 10 AM," the ANBU ninja said, getting a nod in return before he disappeared again. "I will come back soon," Kaida said. Since it was already 9:30, he decided to go and check what the Hokage had to say to him before doing something which was very important for him, but at the same time was something he was dreading to do. ... "Sir, Kaida Uchiha is here," an ANBU ninja reported. Since the time given to him was 10 AM, and there were still 15 minutes remaining, Kaida decided to wait in the lobby. "Send him in," Hiruzen said, storing away the file from the table. After a minute, a knock came from the door. "Come in." "Good morning, Lord Third," Kaida said, entering the office. "Good morning, child. Come, take a seat," Hiruzen said like he was talking to his grandchild. "I came to know about the events you had been through recently. I know it is hard for you, but I am happy to find out that you are moving forward," Hiruzen said, at which Kaida nodded his head, not in a mood to continue the grandfather-grandchild play. Understanding the situation, Hiruzen sighed and said, "We are going to retaliate against Kumo and Iwa. Both of them will lose one of their outposts. We are going to take revenge for our ninja, so don''t worry about that." "That will not be true revenge. Those ninja at the outpost are not responsible for the death of my friend. Those responsible for it will be sitting in their offices, counting the wins and losses by the amount of lives they took or lost with a decision," Kaida said. Hiruzen was stunned by Kaida''s reply. He didn''t expect to be given such a blow to his face, but Kaida had no intention of doing that¡ªhe was speaking his mind, as his mind didn''t want to indulge in any formalities for now. After a moment, Hiruzen sighed. "But we can''t do anything against them, Kaida. Otherwise, a war will start and many more lives will be lost. For now, we can only retaliate so that no such event happens again," Hiruzen said, trying to present logic to the young boy who didn''t know that the world was not only black and white. This time it was Kaida who sighed, after which his eyes became extremely focused and sharp. Even though he had not activated Sharingan, the effect was similar as he started speaking. "I hope you know that I let a ninja run away when I killed his full group," Kaida asked. Hiruzen nodded his head, letting Kaida complete. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "He didn''t run away out of mercy¡ªhe ran away because he was carrying my message to the higher-ups of Kumo and Iwa, the message which I had promised my friend: There will be only three ninja villages in the future," Kaida said as he stopped suppressing and hiding his chakra, showing the true extent he had grown in just three days. Hiruzen''s eyes went wide for both reasons. The boy in front of him had more chakra than anyone in Konoha at the moment; even Jiraiya would not be able to stand against the boy in terms of chakra reserves unless he went into sage mode. With the chakra came the pressure. Even though it didn''t affect Hiruzen in the slightest, because he had faced two monsters who had much more chakra than the boy in front of him¡ªso much that it would be an insult to even compare¡ªbut the fact that shocked him was the age of the boy. He was just 10 years old. Not something that could even be considered teen and was still powerful enough that few individuals in Konoha would be able to stop him if he decided to move against them. And with this came the weight behind his words; no matter how ridiculous they sounded, for a moment Hiruzen couldn''t shake off a feeling that it may become true in the future. But being a Hokage, he quickly dismissed his shock and calmed down. "Kaida, it is easy to let strength get to your head when you get so much in such a short amount of time, but let me tell you¡ªthe strength you have, even though it must have felt like invincible, is not enough to go against a major village on your own," Hiruzen said. "I know, Lord Third. I know that I am not strong enough to do anything against those giants on my own. I know that I couldn''t even put up a fight against you if you decided to go all out¡ªI would lose in a minute. But this is not going to stop me from achieving my goals. If not now, then in the future, but I will achieve them for sure," Kaida said. Hiruzen could only sigh after hearing that. It was nice to know that the boy in front of him was not drunk on power and thinking himself on top of the world, as such people are the ones who die first. He also put the talk about destruction of two major villages as something resulting from anger. He couldn''t even remember how many times he had either thought or heard such bold words in his lifetime. Even though the boy in front of him had maximum conviction he had seen until now behind those words, at the end they were still words. Once he would find how big of a difference reality and dreams had, he would come back to reality. So he sighed and said, "Take some rest, Kaida. For now, there is no need to take any mission. We will have a funeral for every deceased ninja from the attack in two days," Hiruzen said and dismissed the boy. ... Kaida came out of the office, his eyes looking toward the sky. He had shared his goal with two people until now, and the result was something similar to pity in their eyes, like they were looking at a boy who was saying he would shatter the moon one day, not knowing reality. And even he himself knew how big of a claim he was making. He couldn''t even eradicate the attack force behind the attack even when he had the chance, and he was to do it for a village that is multiple times more powerful than them. But he had already made a promise. Now the question was no longer whether, but when. After a long time, he removed his eyes from the sky and looked toward a direction he was dreading to go. ... In a dark cave, a figure emerged from a room that was too out of place in the environment, covered in so many seals that even if many fuinjutsu grandmasters along with Byakugan users were told of its location, they would still not be able to find it. "I was waiting for you to come out for so long. I have something very interesting to tell you," Zetsu said, his face still having a wide smirk even though he was going to give bad news. "Did something happen in such a short time?" Tobi asked. He had been training for the past month by himself. Even after being trained by THE Uchiha Madara himself, he was still not at a level where he could put all of his plans in motion at all. That''s why he was training to reach that level as soon as he could. "Yes, something very interesting. Kumo and Iwa joined forces to attack Konoha. They destroyed one of their border outposts completely," Zetsu said and then looked toward Tobi for his expression, which was covered with a mask as always, but he could still see an eye which was looking toward him emotionlessly. "I am sure this is not the interesting thing you wanted to talk about," Tobi asked, not wanting to follow up with Zetsu''s play. Hearing that, Zetsu''s face grew wider as he said... *** ???? Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon! ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 369: Grief "I am sure this is not the interesting thing you wanted to talk about," Tobi said, not wanting to follow up with Zetsu''s play. Hearing that, Zetsu''s face grew wider as he said, "Konoha had gained one more S-rank, and he is from the Uchiha clan." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tobi kept on looking toward Zetsu, wanting more information, but Zetsu could see slight annoyance in Tobi''s eyes. "Remember the boy I told you about, brother of Shisui Uchiha who went to Kumogakure for the Chunin Exam, well he awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan after seeing his friend die in that attack." "I remember telling you to keep a close eye on him. If he had awakened the Mangekyo, he should have been very weak at that time. Why is he not captured or killed till now?" Tobi asked, his eyes showing annoyance, but that was only visible for someone at Black Zetsu''s level, a being who had lived for thousands of years. For a normal person, there was no emotion in Tobi''s eyes at all, though there was no one else there other than these two. "I tried. The moment I got to know about this, I went there, but by then an elder of Mount Myoboku had appeared near that boy. I didn''t want to test my stealth skills in front of such a being, so I didn''t participate further, especially considering he could have run away as soon as he felt any danger, leaking my abilities to the world." Tobi just gave a slight nod to Zetsu before he began pondering the future. Kumo and Iwa seemed hell-bent on starting the next ninja war. Even though there were low chances, it showed how little this world truly valued life. This cemented his already presented belief. ''I have to complete the final plan, so that everyone can find true peace and I can finally meet¡­'' "I am going to keep surveillance, but the chances of finding anything about the boy are low. He will be in Mount Myoboku for some time, followed by his arrival in the Uchiha district. Both of these areas are out of reach for me, so for now, we have to continue with the assumption that Konoha had gained a new S-rank whose abilities are unknown for now," Zetsu interrupted Tobi''s chain of thoughts, only getting a nod before he was eaten by a plant eerily similar to a Venus flytrap and was submerged in the ground once again, the same way he came to the cave. Leaving behind a man in an orange, spiraled mask, thinking about the future alone, he still didn''t have many pieces to start the process. So, for now, he had to wait and build his and his organization''s strength until he could confidently move in the world without worrying about those major villages at all. At the thought of major villages, he remembered a major village he had actively involved himself with, a village which was still paying the price for the death of his... friend. The mood of the Inuzuka clan was somber. They had lost two of their promising ninja in the recent attack, one of them being a special Jonin while the other was a recently promoted Chunin at a young age of 10. He had a very high chance to achieve Jonin, even Elite Jonin rank in the future. In a clan where even the clan head was just a stronger Elite Jonin, such an achievement mattered very much, so the whole clan was sad about the loss they faced. But their sadness didn''t even come close to that of two people, those who had lost their only son in the attack. The son who was just celebrating his promotion to Chunin rank and was boasting about soon achieving Jonin rank to catch up with his friend. They both were really happy for their son. He was getting the success every parent dreamed of for their children, and the next second, the news of his death reached their ears. The amount of anger they were feeling was only second to their sadness. When both of these people were sitting in their home, not willing to move at all, their two dogs laying on the ground with them as well. All four of them had not eaten in two days, but not one of them even thought of hunger as their mind was plagued by sadness. Suddenly their doorbell rang. Yasuhiro Inuzuka, Ryota''s father, stood up to go and check who was at the door, already prepared to return the person if he was someone who came to give them advice to move on. "¡­" "Who are you?" Yasuhiro asked in a gentle tone, as instead of a person of his clan, there was a boy the same age as his son, most likely his classmate who came to pay his condolences. "¡­ ¡­ Hello sir, I am Kaida Uchiha. I am¡­ was Ryota''s friend," Kaida, who couldn''t find words to speak in front of a father whose son died mostly because of him, or so he thought. But the person who heard that became even more emotional. The friend his son used to talk about was in front of him. From what he knew, Kaida was injured and was in medical care. "Come inside, son," Yasuhiro said as he opened the gate more. Kaida, who didn''t want to hold the next conversation on the door, nodded and followed Yasuhiro inside the house. "Honey, Kaida, Ryota''s friend is here," Yasuhiro shouted, and in a minute his wife also came down from her room. Since Ryota''s room was on the ground floor, they were not coming down to revisit all of those painful memories once again. "Kaida Uchiha, right? Ryota always used to talk about you, about how you are his true rival and one day he will beat you by becoming an Elite Jonin before you," a smile formed on Ryota''s mother''s face when she remembered her son. But Kaida''s eyes were focused on the two people in front of him. Being a medical ninja with more than enough experience, it was not hard for Kaida to see the condition of the two people in front of him. He sighed. The topic he was going to discuss would only worsen their condition further. "Aunt, I was also injured during the attack and recently came back from the hospital. I am really hungry. Can I please use your kitchen to make something for myself?" Kaida asked. "No, no. Why would you make something? Just tell me what you want to eat¡­" "Please let me do it," Kaida said with genuine worry in his eyes, at which both of them could only sigh and let him cook. And in just 15 minutes, the table was filled with light food. Since he could see they had not eaten for quite a long time, he had only cooked light food like porridge, mixed with a lighter dose of calming medicine he once developed when his family was in shambles after the information about Shisui''s father was given to them. "I have cooked a little too much. Can you guys please join me? It is rather lonely to eat alone," Kaida said. Even though both of them could see what Kaida was trying to do, they couldn''t bring themselves to say no to a boy who was reminding them of their own son. Chapter 370: Impossible Goals "I have cooked a little too much. Can you guys please join me? It is rather lonely to eat alone," Kaida said. Even though both of them could see what Kaida was trying to do, they couldn''t bring themselves to say no to a boy who was reminding them of their own son. All three of them sat at the table to begin eating. Kaida had also not forgotten about the two bear-sized dogs in the room, presenting something specially made for them too. Seeing Ryota''s parents eating, those two also started eating as well. For the next minute, the dining table was silent, with only a few sobs escaping the unfortunate parents. Kaida also didn''t say anything for the time being, just focusing on the food. After 1 hour of slow lunch, they finally finished eating. Yasuhiro turned to his wife, who finally got some peace though she still had a somber expression on her face. At least she was not looking like she had lost all reason to live. He was about to thank Kaida for this when the boy in front of them went to the ground with his forehead touching the floor. "I am sorry¡­ I don''t know how I should say this, but if I don''t, I will not be able to live. When we were about to go to the outpost, I had an inkling feeling something bad was about to happen. I was worried about Yomi who was going to be alone in an outpost, but then I found out that Ryota will be going with her as well. "When I shared my problem with him, he told me he will take care of her. He promised me that¡­ and at the end, he died protecting her. He stayed behind to stop the enemy so that Yomi could run away. I know it was his decision to be a hero, to sacrifice himself for a friend, but I can''t shake off the feeling that I am also a reason behind your son''s death. Please give me any punishment you see fit," an earnest plea came from the boy kneeling in front of them, reopening the wounds which were slowly closing. "Kaida¡­ You know I am sad about my son''s death. I am so sad that I want to lose my life, to go and meet him in the pure lands. But aside from that sadness, there is also a pride I have for my son. "We all have to die in the end, but he chose to not succumb to fear or any other malice and chose to sacrifice himself for a friend. He died the death of a hero. I will not allow you to have a share of that, so I will not allow you to take any blame as well. You have nothing to do with my son''s death, understand?" Yasuhiro asked. "¡­Yes sir," Kaida said. Then he stood up, passed a scroll to the family, and silently left the house. As soon as he left, loud wails started coming from inside, but he didn''t go inside. He just sat on the ground there, looking toward the sky, letting the last reunion between parent and son alone. After a very long time, the wailing finally stopped and the process of the burial of the dead started. Inuzuka had their own customs for the dead, where the ninja was buried with their companion. If they died at different times, their graves would be adjacent to each other. But since the loyalty of these dogs was too much, they normally followed their master to death on the battlefield. Just like Kiba, who followed Ryota to death even though he could have easily run away and saved his life, Kaida was joined by Yomi and many other classmates he had, showing how well-liked Ryota was, a friend to each and every student of the class. All of them remained in the background as the clan completed the ritual. The faces of both of Ryota''s parents were something Kaida was not able to see after he left the house, always keeping his eyes on the ground. After the ceremony was completed, people started leaving while Kaida and Yomi remained there, along with Ryota''s parents, sitting in front of Ryota''s grave. When the sun was about to go down, Yasuhiro stood up and came to Yomi. "Child, can you take Ryota''s mom to the house? It is getting late," Yasuhiro said. Yomi looked toward him and then toward Kaida, understanding that he must want to talk to Kaida about something. She nodded and took Ryota''s mom to their house. While Yasuhiro took a seat next to Kaida, he asked, "Do you know about the ninja who killed my son?" "Both of them are dead. He fought a squad alone, containing two special Jonin and two Chunin. By the time I reached there, he had already killed two already, and the remaining two were injured as well. I am sorry I couldn''t control myself at that time and killed the remaining two as well," Kaida said. " I can''t even take revenge for my son. It''s all his fault, though. Who asked him to find such good friends?" Yasuhiro said, a small smile forming on his face, which looked a mixture of sadness and pride. "The revenge is still not completed, sir. It will be completed when those who were actually behind the death of my friend pay for it. But there is still a long way before we could do anything about them," Kaida said. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After which Kaida stood in silence for a long time, his gaze fixed on Ryota''s grave as the last rays of sunlight dipped below the horizon. The evening breeze rustled the leaves, carrying with it a quiet solemnity. Yasuhiro remained seated, his expression unreadable. Finally, Kaida turned and took a deep breath. His heart was heavy, but the weight only strengthened his resolve. He knew that lingering here would not bring Ryota back or fulfill the promise he had just made. With a respectful bow to Yasuhiro, Kaida spoke softly, "I will take my leave. Please take some rest as well." Yasuhiro nodded, though his eyes remained on the grave. "Don''t let this change you, son. This is just a part of life," though he himself didn''t know how much he could follow these words. As Kaida walked away from the burial site, the crisp night air seemed to sharpen his thoughts. He needed clarity¡ªnot just for his emotions but for the path ahead. Without hesitation, he made his way to the Uchiha compound, where he requested the most secluded meditation room available. Once inside, Kaida closed the door behind him, shutting out the world and its noise. The room was dimly lit, with a faint glow from a single candle illuminating the polished wooden floor filled with various seals, whose main function was to just increase the concentration of the user. He moved to the center of the room and sat down cross-legged, his back straight, his hands resting on his knees. For a moment, he let himself feel everything¡ªthe grief, the anger, the guilt, and the burning determination that simmered beneath it all. Then, slowly, he began to breathe, focusing on the rise and fall of his chest. Each breath became a rhythm, steady and deliberate, as he pushed the swirling chaos within him into stillness. His mind went through various scenarios. In one of them, he was even planning on increasing his strength so much that he himself would be enough to destroy a ninja village by himself. But he quickly shook that thought. He was not dumb enough to not know his power level himself. With this Mangekyo, he was already in the league of S-rank, but he was left completely chakra-exhausted in a minute, even considering the fact that he deliberately overused his chakra. But it showed a clear picture to him about his strength. At most, he would be able to go against a force five times that, and now that his chakra reserves have more than doubled from that time, 10 times. But the point still stood: going against 100 ninja alone is a feat in itself, which will make a great name but was nowhere near strong enough to go against a whole ninja village alone. If he wanted to really do something, he had to think something different like¡­ Chapter 371: Deep Haterade If he wanted to really do something, he had to think differently¡ªlike MONEY. Yes, this is the thing that actually controlled the whole world. The reason behind all of the wars in history was this: money. The reason Konoha was the strongest village, aside from its overabundance of talent, was because the First Hokage, with the help of the Second Hokage, was able to sell tailed beasts to other villages at the starting of the village settlement, giving Konoha a huge boost. The reason Sunagakure would place their lives on the line to attack Konoha in the future was because they lacked money. So if power alone was not enough, Kaida would have to shift his goal to something completely different. ''But money alone will not be enough,'' Kaida thought. From his knowledge about the world till now, he knew there is no one in the world who holds more money than Daimyo and nobles. But whenever a ninja needs money, a noble will inexplicably find himself robbed out of the blue, and even if he somehow finds out who was behind that, he would keep his mouth shut. Money could be earned back, but life couldn''t. ''So just money will not be enough. I will need power as well¡­ but even someone as powerful as Minato and Third Raikage died alone. Just the power of a single person is not enough as well. I need to have a strong backing, a backing that everyone will fear what would happen if they moved against me or my family.'' With this thought spanning in multiple directions, thinking of various possibilities in the world, it has to be known that even a three-tomoe Sharingan increases the mental capacity of its user when they evolve, let alone the Mangekyo Sharingan. Just the level of detail they could provide when utilized correctly for a few seconds is enough to fully destroy a normal mind completely. That''s why when Kaida was on Mount Myoboku, not only his body became strengthened but also his mind. With the help of new changes, he was able to think of multiple scenarios in detail like never before. If we have to compare: if some normal person plays chess, they will think of 2-3 or max 5 moves ahead with 2 or three combinations. A Uchiha with three tomoe may think 10 moves ahead with more than 5 to 10 variables and combinations, while a person with Mangekyo Sharingan will think of 20-30 moves ahead easily while keeping in mind 30-plus combinations and variables simultaneously¡ªsomething even a computer would find hard to do. Kaida was utilizing this mental capacity to its full extent, thinking of all possible scenarios in his mind about what may happen in the future if he actually decided to go with the plan he was making. Changing the events in the timeline had mostly made the information he had from his previous life very unreliable, but even that was used to predict possible scenarios. ''For now, I need to focus on getting initial funds to start something big and work on bringing back an important player back in the game,'' Kaida thought as he opened his eyes, now completely clear and focused. Many plans and their sequences were forming in his mind, out of which he had chosen the first he had to do now. Since it was already nighttime, he went to his home to take some sleep, because things were about to get chaotic very soon for him. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... "These are the only two options we have," Shikaku said in the meeting that was taking place late at night because it took him so long to find out two perfect plans for the attack. "Either send 150 ninja each to both bases and destroy them completely, with two grandmasters deployed, or deploy a team of 30 ninja along with S-rank ninja, like Shisui and Jiraiya. Both of them are borderline madness, but I assume you have a good explanation for it?" Hiruzen asked, his hand holding a smoke pipe filled with something much stronger than his usual dose. The amount of work he was doing was really just keeping on increasing day by day, now that he was also handling the dark side of Konoha¡ªwhich was the role of his friend¡ªhe found himself not even having time to breathe. "It is pretty simple. Both Kumo and Iwa know we are going to attack them and have planned for it. All of their outposts are filled to the brim with ninja, with an average of 60 ninja in each, some with strategic locations even having more. To target those, we have to do something that is absurd enough to catch them off guard. And I could even think of these two methods: one will have enough quantity to destroy the base easily, and the other we have quality to achieve the same even more easily." "But what if we lose a grandmaster in this mission?" Hiruzen asked. The value of a fuinjutsu grandmaster was equivalent, if not a little higher, than an S-rank ninja. With the multitude of tasks they could do and their low fighting power, sending them on such a mission was a decision that couldn''t be taken lightly. This was the reason Kumo only sent a seal master and fell for the trap twice, as it was a careful trap laid by many fuinjutsu grandmasters combined¡ªa seal master had no chance of identifying that. Shikaku, who knew this, understood the value of a fuinjutsu grandmaster in such a mission. That''s why he had placed them on the list. "Our forces got a chance to run away and even kill some of the enemy because they didn''t have any fuinjutsu grandmaster. If we make the same mistake, it will be the epitome of foolishness. And something happening to a grandmaster in the presence of 5 elite jonin and 10 jonin, with multiple special jonin and chunin, is almost impossible. And in the worst-case scenarios where the Raikage or Onoki himself moves and appears, we will not be in too bad a situation. Our village has recently got an Uzumaki¡ªnone of our grandmasters will be able to match her." It was an extremely cold calculation, thinking of life as just numbers, which every leader in the world had to do. "And what about the second option?" Hiruzen asked. "It is actually something even I think a little too absurd. True, they will be able to place blame on us about our S-rank ninja''s chakra traces on the outpost," Shikaku said, a similar reason why four ninja in the Kumo attack didn''t move by themselves and left the work to others. But then a cold smile appeared on Shikaku''s face. "But we could simply deny that and say it was a completely baseless rumor. Just like we can''t start a war, they can''t either, since we have to retaliate and show that Konoha is not someone they could attack without a price. This is the best option," Shikaku said. He even remembered the time when Kumogakure had tried to steal Konoha''s Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan, and when stopped, threatened to start a war. It was completely absurd, and every ninja in Konoha wanted to retaliate at that time. But since that happened just two years after the Nine-Tails attack, and Konoha was in no condition to attack at that time, the Hyuga clan had to lose an elite jonin while Konoha had to bring its head down to keep itself out of war. But that sowed a seed of deep hatred in the hearts of many. Even now, it was the Hyuga clan which came forward to give the most resources¡ªwhether money or ninja¡ªfor the attack on Kumogakure''s outpost. Now that Konoha was no longer in the same situation as before, it was time to show the world the same. Hiruzen, who understood the feelings behind Shikaku''s words, shook his head as he looked toward the Hokage monument. With his eyes still there, he said, "Send order to Kakashi, Shisui, and Jiraiya to come back." Shikaku nodded his head and left, ready to prepare for the event that is about to come next. *** ???? Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon! ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 372: Back to Hospital The mood in Kaida''s house was still somber. Hae and Yomi had gone to Ryota''s house¡ªHae to offer some help, and Yomi to spend time with Ryota''s family in their grief. Meanwhile, Naruto was preparing to leave for the academy after making sure his brother was fine. When Naruto first found out that Kaida was injured, he wanted to be there for him and help. But Kaida had been away from the village, receiving treatment. By the time Kaida returned, the situation was so tense that he couldn''t find a way to fit himself into it. Instead, he sat quietly, relieved to know his brother was okay now. Yet, the house remained heavy with sadness¡ªa sadness that stemmed from the loss of big brother Ryota, who had died saving his big sister. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Naruto couldn''t stop thinking about how weak he felt. If even someone as strong as big brother Ryota couldn''t survive, how could he? Would he ever be strong enough to protect the people he cared about if the need arose? These thoughts weighed heavily on the small boy, not much older than four years. Despite Hae and Yomi''s best efforts to hide their grief in front of him, it didn''t change the atmosphere much. Naruto was young, not dumb. He could see through their forced smiles and kind words. He was starting to think for himself now. Kaida, on the other hand, hadn''t given much thought to hiding the truth from Naruto. At first, he had been too occupied to think clearly, and now it was too late. When Kaida noticed Naruto sitting with a serious expression, lost in his thoughts, he sighed and walked over to him. Placing a hand on his brother''s head, he ruffled his hair gently. "You don''t have to worry about such things right now," Kaida said, his voice soft but firm. "Just focus on your studies and your friends. Leave the complex stuff to us adults, okay?" Naruto gave a small nod, though his eyes still reflected the weight of his thoughts. Kaida watched as Naruto left for the academy. ''He''s too young to carry such burdens,'' Kaida thought, shaking his head. ''But this world doesn''t give anyone the luxury of staying innocent forever.'' Turning back to the house, Kaida noticed Kenta exercising on his own. Kiba and Kenta had become friends when they were introduced to each other, but the death of a close friend had been a significant turning point for Kenta as well. Now, he wanted to be strong enough to protect those he held dear. Watching him train so diligently, Kaida couldn''t help but smile. ''Everyone is moving on,'' he thought. ''We''re all trying to make sure we don''t lose anyone else.'' With these thoughts in his mind, he also went out to make sure he would never lose someone important to him ever, EVER again. ... "What are you doing here? I know what happened to your friend. You can take some more rest if you want; we can manage on our own for now," Mitsuru said to the boy standing in front of her. He was gone for just 2-3 weeks, but for some reason, he looked different than the disciple she remembered. With height increased and body becoming much more fit, gaining more muscles while still looking lean, his facial features becoming more sharp as well, like he had gone through some body modification. But the thing that worried her more was the news she got about Kaida. Losing a friend in front of oneself is never, never easy. Being a medical ninja, she had taken part in many missions herself and was part of the Third Great Ninja War too. She couldn''t even begin to describe the feeling of losing a friend in front of you when you knew you could have saved him if the timing was just a little right, if he was brought to you a little earlier, if¡­ "Don''t worry, sensei. I am fine now. If I remain idle, I will just think about that time only, so I wanted to busy myself with work," Kaida said, releasing a soft smile. "Fine, do as you wish," Mitsuru sighed and gave her permission. "Thank you, sensei," Kaida said and left the office, creating a shadow clone which went to the library to study about a particularly tricky disease while he went to look for any particular case that needed a hand, making his way toward the administrative department. "Hello, are there any pending cases or vacant ones? I am free for now and could take one or two myself if there are any," Kaida said to a nurse sitting at the reception desk. He didn''t specify his name and rank because he was already quite famous in the hospital for handling a massive workload alone for two months straight. The nurse looked toward Kaida and then toward the file in front of her. With her hands moving fast, she compiled a list of cases that were either still vacant or the medical ninja who would take those cases already had more than he could handle. In a minute, Kaida had a list with more than 40 patients. "If you complete them, come back. I will arrange more for you," the nurse, who was almost the same age as Hae, said with a smile. The hospital had long stopped underestimating the boy who was not even a teen yet, with many thinking of the possibilities of him taking Tsunade''s place when he grows up. The idea of an Uchiha taking the place of the Senju princess was as absurd as it could get, but seeing the boy''s performance, many couldn''t help but think about the possibility. Kaida nodded his head. With the list in his hand, he sent a shadow clone to his office after giving a copy to the receptionist to send those patients to him while he went to the patients who needed immediate attention or surgery. For the next few hours, Kaida was busy, with his clone going through all records present about a particular disease or anything similar to it, while searching for the files of patients with similar cases and how they were treated. Multiple clones went through many files multiple times, taking notes and finding other doctors who were taking some rest as Kaida took their cases for pointers. This process continued for three whole days, with Kaida having talked with each and every doctor who was ever part of any such case related to the disease, finding out everything that could go wrong and what could be done to protect against it. After three days, Kaida''s clone went to the Hokage building to check for any missions related to rogue ninja, which was very easy to find since most of them were like that. The clone took a mission from the board. "Do I have to capture him alive?" "No, if we can find out the info required from just his body, so you can take any action on the mission and don''t have to take any unnecessary risk," the ninja in charge of distributing missions replied, completely misunderstanding why Kaida was asking that. The clone nodded, though, and disappeared from his position in the next second. Within two hours, a ninja was lying in front of Kaida in the hospital, while his clone continued to take care of the patients. He started the task he had been preparing so hard for in the past three days: operating on the chakra network, one of the most crucial and delicate operations possible. If it had to be compared, it was three to four times more difficult than neurosurgery. The worst thing about it was that it couldn''t be practiced on dead people, as they lose their chakra network. So the only other option was a person who was going to die anyway. At least this way, he could use his life for something good one last time, though it didn''t make using a live person for practice any better. Kaida had long since lost such strict moral values; now he had morals, but they were much more practical than the superficial ones he had when he came to this world. *** ???? Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon! ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 373: Half Success The rogue ninja lying in front of Kaida was feeling terror, as would any being who thought they wouldn''t be tortured for secrets in Konoha, but later found themselves on the table of an unknown doctor who was, for some reason, preparing for operation. He was shuddering, shivering at the thought of what was about to happen next, but then his attention was drawn to the doctor in front of him. "Those merchants you ordered your bandits to loot and kill also felt the same fear when, even after giving all their belongings to you, they were still killed. Those villagers you terrorized for food and shelter also felt fear like that. Now, how are you feeling to be on the receiving end of that fear?" The bandit wanted to speak, wanted to plead that he would never do it again, but his mouth was sealed with tape and he couldn''t make even the slightest sound. "Don''t worry, I am not some messiah of justice. I also want to use you like you used them, just not for my pleasure but for something important. But in a sense, we both are the same," the doctor turned to face the bandit, who was now cursing his luck for ever leaving his village to live like a king among normal people. But those thoughts halted when he looked toward the doctor in front of him¡ªhis red eyes glowing with a beautiful pattern in them, a pattern of spiraling flower which, on closer look, appeared like spiraling circular blades. Before he could fully appreciate the beauty of those eyes, he found himself in an unknown location, where fire surrounded him, ready to burn him to ash. He quickly used his chakra to save himself from the burn, which actually worked and stopped the burning sensation, but the moment he lowered his chakra even by a little amount, the sensation returned. While the bandit was working hard to save his life, Kaida''s eyes stopped spinning. "Even though we both are the same, I am not going to kill anyone senselessly unless required, so don''t worry. I will try my best to make sure you survive this, though I can''t say whether that''s good for you or not," Kaida said, but the bandit couldn''t hear it since he was busy saving his life in some hell-like place. Kaida, seemingly unperturbed by this, removed the shirt of the bandit. With precision that would put machines to shame, he wiped off the body, leaving no dust or hair behind. Now the body in front of him was ready for the operation. Kaida took out a pen, and his Mangekyo Sharingan worked a little harder, showing the exact pathway of the chakra in the body¡ªsomething that only Byakugan could do. Even three-tomoe Sharingan could just see the outline of chakra in the body when a technique or jutsu was used, but Mangekyo was different, almost achieving the perfect form of Dojutsu of Gods. With precision, Kaida drew the pathway on the surface of the body using medical ink for reference. Then he followed his notes to mark out the areas where the pathway had to be operated on for the patients. . Normally when the ninja is at fourth stage, the most damage is done to the area near the heart and solar plexus, both being the most delicate areas. That''s why someone at Tsunade''s level was best to operate for a 99 percent chance of success. Kaida marked those locations on the ninja''s body, his mind becoming completely clear. For the next step, the chakra pathway had to be targeted last; first, the area near the infected joints had to be operated on and cleared of any infection. Kaida cut open the ninja''s body, which didn''t even make him flinch because of the anesthetics that reduced pain, and the rest was handled by the genjutsu he was under, reducing the brain''s pain-sensing capacity. In the next few minutes, Kaida operated on the area near the marked locations, removing small portions of flesh from around the chakra pathway, which was healthy for bandits but would be infected and slightly dark in ninja suffering from Chakritis. After operating on the areas, Kaida closed the ninja''s body and used an advanced version of the healing palm jutsu to close the wounds. Normally, it''s recommended to let the body heal itself with minimal treatment to avoid strain, but in this case, it had to be healed quickly before the infection spread again. After just a few minutes, the ninja was as good as new, with no signs of the operation remaining. Now came the main part of the operation. The chakra in Kaida''s body started moving in specific pathways, and his hands began forming one hand sign after another. In the next second, his hand was covered in blue chakra, with only his fingers pointing out, a blade as small as a needle''s point formed¡ªan advanced application of the chakra scalpel jutsu. With his hand moving slowly and precisely, he methodically cut a single chakra vein at two points and removed it using chakra while using his own chakra as a medium for chakra to travel¡ªan absurdly insane task that was the epitome of chakra control testing. Even with the help of Mangekyo Sharingan, which normally provided a huge boost to his already high chakra control, Kaida was struggling with the task. That''s why this operation was normally performed with the help of many chief medical ninja. After removing one vein, he brought the two ends together, stretching them slightly before joining them. He repeated this task multiple times until all the veins near the heart''s tenketsu point were completely new. The only remaining task was to completely purify the tenketsu point, which was relatively easy as he just had to revolve his yang chakra in that point multiple times, and then the operation was complete. It could be considered a success since the ninja could still use chakra, even though he would feel some strain for a while. Was it perfect? Not by any chance. The amount and level of stretching the chakra veins had undergone was more than necessary, and his speed wasn''t fast enough, causing small bumps to be visible on the veins. Normally there would be no problem, but when using advanced jutsu, the ninja would feel the effects, facing delays of a few milliseconds, which could be detrimental in large-scale battles. Still, for a first operation, it was a success. Since Kaida was done with him, he turned to the clone who had been taking notes and reading from start to end. The clone understood what to do and quickly took the ninja to the Hokage building while Kaida went through the notes, adding points on how to improve further. While the ninja was being transported to the Hokage building where captured ninja had to be transferred, the clone said, "Please don''t make him use any chakra for a few days. He just went through surgery and will face irreversible damage if he uses any chakra." By now the captured ninja was out of the genjutsu and thanking god to be still alive with all his limbs and organs intact, only to feel dread once again when he found himself in Konoha''s T&I department. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For the first time, that department received such an absurd request from a ninja delivering a captive¡ªalso a captive so cooperative they had to bring in a Yamanaka to read his memories to ensure he wasn''t planning something bigger. They didn''t know that the bandit was now thinking of leaving everything behind and becoming a normal farmer, if he could survive this whole scenario. Chapter 374: Human Experimentation? Even though the situation was absurd, the T&I department chalked it up to a unique case and moved forward. They didn''t know what was about to happen next. Kaida''s clone, who had submitted the paperwork for completion of the mission, went to take another assignment. Within the next hour, another ninja was lying in front of Kaida in the hospital, going through the same thought process as the previous ninja, praying to all the gods to save him. But Kaida was oblivious to all this, as the tape on the ninja''s face prevented them from uttering a single sound, let alone a plea. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This operation was better than the previous one. Kaida once again noted the findings, and the process repeated. He completed all other operations while the clone went to take and complete missions, sending ninjas to the T&I department before bringing another. More of his clones were constantly treating other patients. Days passed like this, and at the end of the week, Ibiki finally had enough. Kaida''s clone had brought almost 20 ninjas to the department, all having a memory of a doctor preparing for surgery before they went to some place similar to hell, which he knew was genjutsu ¨C and a particularly powerful one at that. After this experience, all those ninjas became the most noble people possible. Ibiki knew the reason behind it, as the time before torture was the real torture for a person. Being the head of the department, he knew this fairly well. But what was bugging his mind was the news about the doctor. Since Kaida was fairly well known as a doctor due to his recent two-plus months of work at the hospital, he could guess who the doctor was in those memories. Konoha had a history of losing talented ninjas who went astray in their experiments, finally using Konoha ninja as subjects. Not wanting to take any risks, even though he had checked the ninja himself for any changes, he decided to report it to the Hokage who could handle things from then on. ... "Human experimentation?" Hiruzen asked, his brow rising. "It is just speculation, Lord Third, but there is a chance. That''s why I decided to report it, though I don''t think it is anything significant as he himself brought those ninja to our department even though he could have easily killed them without any suspicion, as it was allowed in the mission," Ibiki said, trying to clearly explain that he wasn''t accusing an Uchiha of anything and it was just speculation. "I understand. I will handle this from now on. Don''t share anything about this with others," Hiruzen said, though he didn''t emphasize keeping it secret, especially since the person in front of him was the last person in the world who would indulge in mindless gossip. Ibiki nodded his head, bowed one last time before leaving the office. ''Human experimentation, huh?'' Hiruzen thought, his eyes looking in the direction of the Konoha hospital. Without a word or movement, a shadow clone appeared near him and went toward the hospital. After his earlier experience, he himself was a little sensitive toward all this and didn''t want to take any risks, even though he knew there was very little chance of this being true. ... The Hospital in Konoha was as busy as it could get, now with an unexpected visitor. The receptionist at the front nearly jumped up to greet him. "Good morning, Lord Third." "Good morning, please continue your task. I have some work here, so I will intrude a little," Hiruzen''s clone said with a grandfatherly smile. "Then let me accompany you, sir. I will try my best to help you," the receptionist said, trying to impress the almost-king of Konoha. "No need. I don''t want to increase your already huge workload. Please continue your work," Hiruzen said as he made his way toward Mitsuru''s office. The receptionist was left behind, unable to go against the Hokage''s order, no matter how politely it was phrased. While the receptionist was brooding, Hiruzen''s shadow clone made his way toward Mitsuru''s office. "Come in," Mitsuru said, keeping her eyes on the papers as she thought it was some nurse there to get her signature for an operation. "As hardworking as always. That''s why I want to appoint you as the temporary head of the hospital in Tsunade''s absence," Hiruzen''s clone said. "Good morning, Lord Third, and I have to politely decline once again, as I don''t think I am worthy enough to take Lady Tsunade''s seat even if it is for a temporary time period." Mitsuru, who already had her hands full with the workload of chief medical ninja, declined Hiruzen''s offer for the nth time ¨C the same offer others would jump to get but weren''t worthy enough to receive. Hiruzen''s clone could only shake his head at that. "I assume you have something else, other than trying to forcefully promote me, Lord Third?" Mitsuru asked, closing the files in front of her and standing up. "Yes, I have gotten some interesting news about your disciple and wanted to meet him myself. Do you know what he is doing nowadays?" Hiruzen''s clone asked. "He said he wanted to keep his mind away from all of the things that happened to him recently, so I allowed him to take back his role here, and he has been doing really well. Though not at the same level as before, he is still doing the work of ten medical ninja all by himself. Though I don''t know full details about him for now, as you can see I am busy as well, since the hospital is not getting enough funds to hire or train more medical ninjas," Mitsuru replied with a slightly accusatory tone, which just slipped through the thick skin of Hiruzen, not even paying attention to that. "Since you also don''t know about what your student is doing, let''s go and check it out," Hiruzen said. Mitsuru could only sigh at that, as she knew she would not get anywhere pursuing this matter further, and Hiruzen was not going to increase the funding no matter what. So she simply followed his command and went toward her disciple''s office, which was just next to hers. As she and Hiruzen went near the door, they both felt a concentration of seals inside the room, which were working to conceal themselves as well as whatever was happening inside. Hiruzen felt his body tense up, with a feeling of sadness trying to rise as he thought something he didn''t want was really happening inside. With a heavy heart, he nodded his head and Mitsuru opened the door, and the scene inside the room really surprised them to their core. All of the office from ground floor, walls to roof was covered with loads and loads of notes, while a ninja was lying unconscious on the table. Being a jonin rank, he was the hardest to catch alive and had to be rendered unconscious before he was brought here, which happened just a few minutes before. Kaida was focused on the enormous number of books in front of him, looking like a college student studying for days without sleep for finals. "What the hell are you doing?" Mitsuru was the first one to ask the question going through the minds of both of them Chapter 376: Possible Future Masaru was a normal Jonin from Kumogakure, leader of a border patrol squad. Still in the prime of his life, he could consider his life a success. Even the area he patrolled was relatively safe, so he was a little lax and went a little away from his squad to complete his morning routine, which soon became the worst mistake of his life. Just when he was about to pull his pants up after doing the deed, someone attacked him from behind, targeting his neck, most likely to make him unconscious, because there were better ways to kill him than using simple hands. Using his experience, he was able to dodge the attack at the cost of his dignity and pants which were now unusable. "Who are you?" Masaru asked. Even though his tone was threatening, his half-naked form didn''t help maintain the threat at all, but Masaru was not affected by it. What would he do with dignity if he didn''t have his life? But no reply came from the enemy who was wearing a complete black dress, almost looking like a shadow. Before he could say anything more, he fell under a genjutsu. How did he know he fell under a genjutsu? Well, if fish climbing trees was a good enough reason for him to believe so. But before he could disperse his chakra, an impact on the back of his neck made him unconscious for good. The next thing he knew, he was in some kind of hospital with his hands and legs tied and mouth closed. He looked around, only to find a ninja who was pretty famous in Kumo after his latest performance in the chunin exam. This in itself would have been trouble if he was not wearing doctor''s clothes, with a blade in his hand. Masaru turned to see a chance to run, only to find the Hokage of Konoha himself sitting in the room, looking toward him like he was some exotic animal, accompanied by a beautiful-looking lady who had the same look in her eyes. Seeing this, he felt his whole life flash through his eyes, with numerous possibilities coming to his mind, each more absurd than the other. In one, Konoha was doing some business of ninja organ trafficking; in another, he was being transformed into a human bomb who would do extensive damage to his village. If any of the three people could hear his thoughts, they might even consider some of them with how good they were. But before he could reach any conclusion, the doctor coughed. He looked toward him only to find two red glowing eyes with beautiful patterns in them, but just like those before him, he couldn''t enjoy the look for too long either, transported to a fiery hell himself. It had to be considered that even a normal 3-tomoe wielding Uchiha was to be considered a foe not to fight alone even for a Jonin because they would fall for Uchiha''s genjutsu. So if a Jonin who could even fall in genjutsu with 3-tomoe sharingan falls under genjutsu with the help of full power of sharingan, then there is utterly no chance for him to come out of it on his own. In front of the shocked eyes of Hiruzen and Mitsuru, Kaida easily operated on the Jonin. With the effect of numerous anesthetics, there was no pain in the process at all, with Kaida moving precisely and skillfully, easily operating the area around heart and solar plexus in a matter of minutes. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hiruzen and Mitsuru left their eyes open because the ninja in front of them was doing the work of 3 specialist medical ninja alone, without the help of a single Shadow clone, all by himself. Normally such surgery would be led by a specialist with the help of a team of other medical ninja for support. But Kaida was doing all that alone, and that was not the surprising part yet, as the effect of surgery disappeared at a shocking pace. Kaida was now ready for the second part of the surgery, once again his eyes shining red, as he marked the chakra network of the ninja on their body, with the possible infected parts being drawn by red pen. Even though he didn''t need such thing in real cases as he could see the chakra flow himself, for a ninja who is perfectly fine he had to point out which parts he had to operate. After completing the preparation, he made a series of hand signs and once again the same glow which appeared in previous 20 operations appeared on his hand but this time even more thin and sharp. "Is that?..." "Yes, it is chakra scalpel, but somehow he is maintaining it at extreme thinness. Even I can''t do that for now, and doubt even Tsunade would be able to," Hiruzen answered, but he was also equally shocked at the scene. And the jutsu which would need immense concentration just to maintain was used in front of them like it was the normal scalpel used in hospitals. With precision that would put machines to shame, Kaida slowly dissected the chakra veins and then used his own chakra to maintain the passage all by himself. If his earlier work was hard, now it was insane which he was doing without any problem at all, well not anything they could tell, but he was using his sharingan to maintain the extreme fineness and control required, even forgetting about the two people in the room. All of his concentration was on the operation; the amount of chakra he used on the single operation was enough to put five Jonins in chakra-depleted state easily, but for his chakra reserve it was not even 5 percent though the strain was real. As soon as the operation was completed, he sat down panting while making a shadow clone to make the final notes for his experimentation, and to his delight everything was perfect in the last operation. Even though there was a little stretch in the chakra network of the Jonin, it was nothing a few weeks of medicine and rest couldn''t fix. Mitsuru and Hiruzen came out of their shock after Kaida created his shadow clone, and went to check the results themselves too, delighted to see that there was no problem with the procedure at all. Their faces gained a deep smile, not because of a particularly successful and new procedure to treat an ultra-rare disease, but at the emergence of a new S-rank medical ninja of Konoha. It was different from gaining another S-rank physical fighter, because with good medical ninja an injured ninja could be healed and fight again multiple times, as shown by Tsunade. With her and another S-rank medical ninja, Konoha would become an immortal enemy to its enemies. Just thinking about it was increasing the smile on Hiruzen''s face, while Mitsuru was just genuinely happy about her student''s progress, who may have even left her behind in some parts. "Good job Kaida. With this, we can treat Itachi in no time," Mitsuru said, her hand glowing green as she scanned the body of the jonin laying in front of her, her eyes twinkling. "About that sensei, I will need your help with... *** (A.N: Next chapter in few hours...) Chapter 377: Full Responsibility "About that sensei, I will need your help with something," Kaida said with an awkward smile on his face. "What is it?" Mitsuru asked. Seeing Kaida doing everything alone, she felt like she had neglected her student because of extra work, so she was happy when Kaida asked for help. "You really want my help for this?" Mitsuru asked, standing in front of the Uchiha headquarters. Since it was almost afternoon, this was the only place they would find the clan leader of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku Uchiha. "Unfortunately, I am still a child, sensei. No sensible person will put their child''s life at risk on the words of a child, but you are the chief medical ninja of Konoha, almost head. Your words will have much more weight and credibility than mine," Kaida said. " Maybe this is the loss of having a genius disciple; there is not much to teach them at all," Mitsuru said. "Thanks for the compliment, sensei," Kaida replied with a smile. After finishing their talks, they finally entered the headquarters. Hiruzen had taken his leave since he had no role here. "Sir, Mitsuru-sama and Kaida Uchiha are here. They want to have a meeting with you regarding Itachi..." "Send them in," Fugaku closed the file while his secretary was speaking. Without even letting him complete his sentence, he gave his order. As a father whose child''s life was in danger, 50 percent of his thoughts in the day were filled with concerns about his son. So even though he was going to have a meeting with the merchants responsible for all of the sales related to the Uchiha clan, he didn''t think twice before canceling that and letting the two figures sitting in front of him take his time. "Did something happen?" Fugaku asked, getting straight to the point. "Fugaku-sama, I will let Kaida explain about the treatment we are going to follow with Itachi before we proceed further," Mitsuru said, sitting relaxingly on her chair while holding a cup of tea in her hands. Fugaku turned to Kaida for further explanation. "Uncle, as you know, the main problem with Itachi is his infected chakra pathway. At his stage, they will only affect these two areas, so what we initially planned to do was..." Kaida started explaining everything from the beginning to Fugaku about how they would normally treat Chakritis disease, how it would affect the potential of the ninja, and all. "I assume you are not just telling me this to scare me and have some alternative as well?" Fugaku, being the sharp-minded person, was able to guess this much. "That''s why we are here, Fugaku-sama. I was just planning on going with this method because even if Itachi may not be able to achieve his full potential because of this, he will be alive and from his talent still above elite jonin level. But this boy was not satisfied with that and had done something surprising," Mitsuru said, giving Kaida a look to continue. "So rather than waiting for six months and damaging his chakra pathway structure as well, we can just operate now," Kaida said, presenting a file to Fugaku about his recent operations. "I have performed them on perfectly fine ninja who had not taken those medicines at all, and the results were more than satisfactory, without a single failure." "How sure are you about the success of the operation if we follow this way?" Fugaku asked, not to Kaida but to Mitsuru. "First of all, this boy here did all those operations alone, so even if he did all of the procedures of your son''s operation by himself, the chance will still be above 90%. If we get a team to help him, 99%," Mitsuru said, still maintaining her relaxed posture while sipping her tea leisurely. A long sigh came out of Fugaku''s mouth. After a long pause, his eyes became serious. "I will hold you accountable if anything happens during the operation," once again his target was Mitsuru rather than Kaida. But there was no change in Mitsuru''s expression because of that. She placed her tea on the table, sat straight, looking directly into Fugaku''s eyes. "I am taking full responsibility for this," she said, at which Fugaku finally relaxed. "So when do we have to start the procedure?" "As soon as possible," Kaida said. "That is tomorrow. We need time to prepare for the operation. We can''t operate on him like you were doing, and the team will also need some time to prepare for the operation mentally," Mitsuru chimed in, because Kaida''s tone was like he wanted to start in one hour only. "Fine, I will tell Itachi about this. We will come to the hospital tomorrow," Fugaku said. "Then we will take our leave; we have much to prepare," Mitsuru said and stood up from her chair, followed by Kaida. "Kaida, stay for a minute. I have something I want to discuss with you," Fugaku said. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, Uncle," Kaida said while Mitsuru looked back, then left, having no interest in the following conversation. "Thank you for doing so much for my son," Fugaku said. He could easily see that all of the reports were prepared by Kaida alone, and to compile this concise report, an enormous amount of research had to be done. "No problem, Uncle. I did it because I am his friend and brother as well; there is no need to thank me," Kaida said with a big smile. "No, there is, and I don''t know how I can repay you for saving my son, but if you have anything you want, just tell me," Fugaku said, this time really wanting to do something for Kaida. "Uncle, I don''t want anything... for now, but in the future, there will be a time when I will need your help. Please listen to my request at that time," Kaida said with a soft smile on his face. These types of requests are most critical for a person, especially if they have the role of clan head and S-rank strength, but Fugaku knew Kaida would not ask anything absurd from him. "Unless it is something very absurd, I will agree to any of your requests." "Thank you, Uncle," Kaida said, bowing a little. Then he remembered something. "Uncle, I forgot to tell you this, but I have awakened Mangekyo Sharingan recently too." "I know, Kaida. I would have congratulated you for it if not for the absurd condition you awakened it," Fugaku said in a somber tone. "I am fine now, Uncle, so please don''t worry," Kaida said, once again giving a soft smile, but this was the reason Fugaku had said those lines. He could see through the smile of Kaida; the pain he was trying to suppress was peeking out a little from his smile. "Then I will take my leave too, Uncle. I should be in peak condition for tomorrow," Kaida also took his leave, leaving behind Fugaku alone in his office. ''Maybe my clan is truly cursed, to gain power after losing someone so close to us. '' "Naruto, I think this much is enough for us. I can''t run anymore! If I keep going, all my hard work of eating and getting bigger will be wasted!" Choji huffed and puffed, struggling after just one lap around the training ground. "Come on, Choji! If you can''t even run, how will you get strong? We have to train, or how else will we protect the people we care about?" Naruto pouted, his enthusiasm dimming a little. "Ugh... I get that you wanna train, but why do we have to do it too?" Shikamaru grumbled, already sitting down after barely running half a lap. "I''m just gonna stay in the village my whole life with my family anyway." Naruto crossed his arms and frowned. "Because you''re gonna be a ninja! I need you to be strong enough to at least hold on until I come save you! I''m not losing any more friends, ever!" He struck a heroic pose, full of determination. Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag..." But he still got up, stretching lazily before starting to jog again. "Well, what are you waiting for, Choji? Start running, or I''ll have to come save you too!" he called over his shoulder. Naruto grinned wide, his energy coming back in full force. "Yeah! Let''s go!" He dashed forward at full speed, already on his third lap. While someone else looked toward him only shaking his head, and than continuing training alone Chapter 378: Friends "Welcome back Kaida, you are early today?" Hae said, opening the door for Kaida. "Yes aunt, tomorrow we are going to have an important operation... of Itachi, so I want to be in perfect shape for tomorrow," Kaida said, entering the house. "Where is Naruto?" he asked, because Naruto would usually come to greet him as soon as he came back, and since today was a holiday from the academy, he should be at home. "He went out to ''train'' with his friends, maybe he is learning too much from his brothers," Hae said with a chuckle. It was too cute to see the resolute expression of a 5-year-old boy. "Haha, I will go and check out what type of training he is doing," Kaida said. "At least have some water first," Hae said. "It is already lunch time aunt, I will bring him back for lunch," Kaida said, already leaving the house. "But he took his lunch box with him," Hae could only say to herself as Kaida was already gone. He didn''t have to search for Naruto because he knew Naruto would be in the Academy grounds only. ... A group of middle-aged men were making their way toward their house, still in their Genin vests, as they had just returned from their mission. Being civilian ninja, becoming Chunin was not easy for them, so they accepted their fate as Genin, taking small missions every week to pay for their bills while being part of Konoha Genin Corps. Since they had just earned quite an amount escorting a wealthy merchant with their Chunin leader, they had celebrated a little and were a little... disoriented. Coincidentally, they had to pass through the academy. "Come on, I can still run 10 more rounds and you guys are already tired!" A voice came from the ground next to the academy. "Hey, isn''t that the voice of that Kyubi brat?" "Genta, don''t do anything funny. I heard that he now lives with some Uchiha family." "Heh, why would those arrogant asses care about him? I will just go and say hi to him, after all, it has been so long," Genta, a burly-looking Genin with a scar on his face, said. Because of that scar, he had an inferiority complex and always took it out on people who were weaker than him, and in a ninja village, it mostly came down to orphan children, Naruto being his prime target. His other teammates could only shake their heads at that. Even though they didn''t care much about it, now that the Uchiha clan was behind the boy, they didn''t want to involve themselves with this, so they maintained their distance while Genta made his way toward the ground. ... "Hey brat!" Genta said as he entered the ground. Naruto froze in his tracks, looking toward him. "Hey, where are your manners? Didn''t I tell you to greet your elders with respect every time you meet them? Looks like I have to teach you all of that again." "I..." "Did I ask you to speak? Never interrupt your elders!" "Hey, leave him!" Shikamaru said, coming toward them, followed by Choji. "Keep your bratty nose out of this, brats!" Genta said, but then he saw their eyes going toward his side. Before he could turn to see, he felt someone grabbing his hand. The hand he was using to grab Naruto''s collar broke, after which his brain couldn''t focus on anything other than the pain coming from his hand. "AAAHHHHH!" A shout reverberated through the whole academy ground. "Big brother!" Naruto looked up, directly into the eyes of Kaida. "Why were you scared? Didn''t I tell you when we met, we are family from now on, and family protects each other? So don''t fear anyone from now on, you have two brothers to protect you," he said, ruffling Naruto''s hair with his other hand, which was not making bones of a person''s hand into powder. Naruto nodded his head, hugging Kaida''s legs tightly, which for some reason increased the sound of shouts coming from Genta''s mouth. Genta''s teammates who were outside rushed there to see what happened. Even though they didn''t want to take part in the bullying, they still couldn''t leave their friend behind. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Come close, and you guys will not be able to walk ever again," Kaida turned toward them, his eyes glowing red with three tomoe rotating in them. Seeing the scene on the ground, Genta''s teammates froze in their place, but they were not the only ones. Shikamaru and Choji were also standing in their place, looking toward Kaida in shock. Naruto, after a second, tugged Kaida''s pants. "Brother, please let him go." "As you wish. Your friends are a little shocked there, go and talk to them. I will take him to the hospital," Kaida said. Naruto nodded and went to Shikamaru and Choji. After he left, Kaida picked Genta up, looked directly in his eyes, and at that moment, Genta fell into multiple genjutsu, each one ending with his death, every one more painful and brutal than before. By the time it ended, he was barely hanging onto his mentality. Kaida had specially made sure that he didn''t become mental. "Listen, you piece of shit, if I ever see you near my brother ever again, I will directly kill you, without a second thought. Now take this and go to the hospital. Don''t make a single sound on the whole path, okay?" There was a constant smile maintained on Kaida''s face, which seemed peaceful to anyone else but Genta, who thought the devil himself was looking into his eyes. He could only nod his head meekly and run away from there. His friends waited at the entrance the whole time, not even putting a foot inside, then taking him to the hospital from the outside. "Thank you for helping my brother," Kaida said, going toward the trio. "We didn''t do anything though," Choji said. "Nope, you tried to help him even though he was stronger than you. You guys could have easily run away, but you stayed and even tried to help him. I am happy that my brother has such good friends," Kaida said. Knowing from anime and seeing it in real life were two different things. Getting the compliment, two of them became shy while Naruto nodded his head, affirming that he really had good friends. "So have you guys eaten anything?" Kaida asked. "No, we brought our lunch. We were going to have a picnic. Will you join us, brother?" Naruto asked. "I would love to, but I should also bring something, right? Wait a minute," Kaida said and made a shadow clone, which went to a nearby restaurant to buy all of the special snacks available, while he remained in the ground. "You can also join us if you want... Sasuke," Kaida said. When Genta came to the ground and slapped Naruto, there were three people who ran to save him: two of his friends, Shikamaru and Choji, and the third person was none other than Sasuke, who for some reason was also training in the academy ground while looking toward the three of them from time to time. "I was just going home," he said, coming out. "You were also practicing, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, shocked to see him there. "Great! You can also bring lunch," Choji added with a smile. "I don''t want to have a picnic with you. I will have one with my brother," Sasuke said, and he ran back to the Uchiha compound. "What''s his deal?" Choji said. "Who knows?" Shikamaru said, shrugging his shoulders, while Kaida just smiled. ... When Genta and team reached the hospital, they had to report what happened to them, as the village normally took note of every skirmish between ninja which resulted in hospitalization as it could lead to big problems during war. After Genta''s teammates told the nurse about what Genta did, and what Kaida did to him, the nurse nodded, and after some time, some doctors entered the room. For some reason, the shrieks of Genta were louder than when Kaida had broken his arm. ''They are healing him... right?'' a thought which went through his teammates'' minds. *** (A.N: Double release tomorrow as well...) Chapter 379: Beyond regret While Naruto and Kaida were having their picnic, Yomi sat on the balcony of her house, her gaze distant as she watched the leaves sway in the gentle breeze. In front of everyone, she was trying to move on, but it was not easy to do so when there was a burden of not being able to do anything when your friend died for you. She was so spaced out in her thoughts that she had barely noticed when Karin walked up beside her, hesitating for a moment before taking a seat. "You''ve been quiet lately," Karin finally spoke, her voice soft but laced with concern. Since they were both of nearly the same age, they had become acquainted soon after Karin moved next to their house. Yomi let out a small sigh, tilting her head slightly but keeping her eyes on the horizon. "Just thinking," she murmured. Karin fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve before mustering the courage to press further. "About Ryota?" Yomi stiffened at the name. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if bracing herself. "Yeah," she admitted. "It''s just¡­ I should have done more. I should have been stronger." Her fists clenched on her lap. "He didn''t have to die for me. If I had been even a little bit stronger, maybe¡ª" "Stop," Karin interrupted, her voice firmer than before. Yomi turned to look at her, slightly surprised. Karin was usually timid, but right now, her red eyes were resolute. "You can''t keep blaming yourself like this. He protected you because he cared about you. And if he were here, he wouldn''t want to see you like this, drowning in guilt." Yomi looked toward her for a few seconds before looking back towards the sky once again. "I know," she admitted. "But knowing doesn''t change how I feel. I can''t stand this¡­ this weakness. I never want to feel this powerless again." Karin was silent for a moment, her own thoughts swirling. She had seen death up close¡ªhad nearly lost the only person she had left in this world. The memory of those days in the Land of Grass still haunted her, the fear of losing her family... her mother. It was a nightmare she never wanted to live through again. Yomi looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need to get stronger. No one else is going to die for me. I won''t let it happen." Karin took a deep breath, the words forming in her mind before she even realized she had decided. "Then let''s do it together." Yomi blinked, caught off guard. "What?" "I don''t want to be weak either," Karin said, gripping the fabric over her heart. "I already almost lost my mother once¡­ back in the Land of Grass¡­" Her hands tightened into fists. "I don''t want to stand there helpless ever again. So let''s grow stronger together, strong enough to never depend on anyone to save us, strong enough to save those who we love." Yomi looked toward her for some time once again, a small smile coming on her face. It wasn''t much, but it was the first genuine one she had in a while. "You''re stronger than you think, you know." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Karin looked away, embarrassed. "Not strong enough," she muttered. "Then we''ll change that," Yomi said, the smile becoming a little more apparent on her face. ... (Next day...) Shisui was commanding his troops to maintain constant watch in the region, even though there was no movement from Kumo and Iwa''s side anymore. But they had already surprised Konoha once, and the elders didn''t want to take any more risks, so they asked the ninjas to remain at their posts to maintain the watch. They even sent more reinforcements. Shisui, who came to know about the attack later, asked for complete details, especially about his family. When he found out about the whole scenario, he wanted to rush back to the village to see his brother, but he didn''t get permission for it. He could understand the reason, but that didn''t mean his heart could. It took all his willpower to not ignore the Hokage''s order and rush back to the village. Finally, after a week, he was given permission to come back to the village. So as soon as he transferred his command to other elite Jonin, he rushed back to Konoha at full speed. While he was coming back to the village, Kaida was preparing for a very important operation. All of the things were double-checked. The chief medical ninja had gone through the procedure multiple times, with Mitsuru taking all of the preparations regarding the operation theatre and all medical equipment in hand. Finally, the time of the operation arrived. "You are really not going to let me enjoy my rest, right?" Itachi asked, sitting in the operation room with Kaida. Fugaku and Mitsuru were waiting outside. "Well, if you want, I can come up with an excuse to postpone this operation by a few months later," Kaida said, giving Itachi his change of clothes for the operation. "I can''t waste the hard work of my subordinate, so I will graciously allow you to complete the operation today," Itachi said while changing clothes. "It is not a problem at all, ''MY LORD''. I will just inform uncle that you are not ready for the operation," Kaida said with a smile and was about to make his way toward the door when Itachi grabbed his shoulder. "There is no need for that. I don''t want any rest," Itachi said. "Aren''t you forgetting about adding something in your sentence?" Kaida asked. "Sorry " Itachi said. "That''s more like it," Kaida said, his smile increasing further. After Itachi changed into a hospital gown, he laid on the bed. "How are you doing now?" Itachi finally started the conversation, not knowing how he should begin. "Fine, there is no use crying over the past," Kaida said and then started arranging the medical equipment. "You are not just going to focus on medical jutsu now, right?" Itachi asked, half joke, half serious. "Nope, I have made a promise which will not let me do it." "What promise?" "There will be only three great ninja villages in the future. Kumo and Iwa will not be in the list anymore," Kaida turned towards Itachi, his eyes resolute and sharp. For a second, Itachi wanted to think it was a joke. He himself knew what a major village represented in their world, the epitome of power, the hegemony of the world, and Kaida was planning on removing two of them. It had to be a joke, but... he couldn''t shake off the feeling that it was not. " Since you have saved my life twice already, I already owe you. So if you need my help in the future regarding this promise of yours, don''t shy away. I will help my subordinates to the best of my capabilities," Itachi said, joking at the end to remove the heavy atmosphere in the room. "I hope you will not chicken out in the future," Kaida said. "Not a chance." "End of the discussion, boys. It''s time to start the operation. Kaida, you will be in charge of the operation as planned, and we will be here to assist you. There is no room for any mistake. Are you ready?" Mitsuru asked, wearing her gloves, followed by two other chief medical ninjas. "Yes, Sensei," Kaida said. Itachi was a little tense seeing all this, but he calmed down. Till now, he at least knew Kaida enough that he wouldn''t have even proposed this if he was not sure of success, so he left the worry and the operation started in earnest. Chapter 380: Not Alone "Thank you, thank you so much," Mikoto was hugging Kaida like he was her own son. Kaida was just smiling at that, knowing full well how big of a burden it is for a parent whose child is suffering through some chronic disease. In his past life, his mother was also on the verge of collapse because of his condition, handling the responsibilities of his siblings as well as always coming to the hospital to take care of him. In Mikoto''s embrace, he suddenly remembered his own mom, and a little tear fell from his eyes. After thanking him, both Fugaku and Mikoto went inside the room. Since the operation of chakra pathway didn''t require the patient to be unconscious but rather fully conscious and actively using them, Itachi was wide awake now. "How are you feeling, son?" Fugaku asked. "As good as I can be, father. I can''t even tell I have gone through any operation," Itachi replied, trying to sit up. "No need to sit. Just take some rest. The doctors have advised you to take some rest for a few days here, and that is what you are going to do," Mikoto said, pushing him back to the bed. "Aunt, in his condition, it is really good for him to drink spinach and coriander''s juice. It will help him recover faster," Kaida said in a fully serious tone. "Okay, then let''s bring him some. Till then you are just going to rest here, okay," Fugaku said, and he and Mikoto left to bring the juice. But Itachi''s face was, for the first time, showing disgust. If there was one thing he hated eating in the world, it was spinach, even in cooked form. Now he had to drink its juice. He looked toward Kaida to ask for any alternative, only to find him smirking. "You..." "Take care, ''Lord''," Kaida said with a wink as he left the room in haste. "You will pay for this!" Itachi shouted, alone in the room. ... Kaida went toward his home. Since this was a major surgery, there was nothing else planned for him today, so he decided to go back and take some rest before doing something else. Kaida rang the bell of his home, expecting Yomi to open it since only she would be there at this hour, but he was surprised when the doors opened. "You are back, brother," Kaida said. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "This is not how you meet your brother after so long," Shisui said, giving Kaida a big hug. "Look like you really missed me, huh?" Kaida said jokingly, but Shisui kept on hugging him. Kaida, who had been maintaining a strong front for so long, could feel that crumbling, with his feelings coming up. "It''s all right. You are not alone. Your brother is always with you," Shisui said, rubbing Kaida''s head while still hugging him. Tears started flowing from Kaida''s eyes. "I couldn''t save him, brother. I couldn''t save him. If I was just a few seconds earlier, I could have saved him. I could have..." "It''s all right. You did your best. You really did..." Shisui said, rubbing his head while taking him inside the house. Yomi was watching him, remembering how it was Kaida who was always consoling everyone till now¡ªher, Ryota''s parents, even himself. She knew Kaida was also suffering, but what could she say when she couldn''t move on herself? Now, seeing Shisui finally back and Kaida slowly letting out his feelings, she sighed in relief. After crying for so long, Kaida finally stopped. The emotions he had bottled inside him finally came out. "How are you feeling now?" "I am fine now, brother." "Good. Now go and take some rest. I will have something I want to discuss with you, but first take some sleep," Shisui said. Even though his tone was gentle, it didn''t leave any room for discussion. Kaida just nodded and went to his room and took a brief sleep, without waking every 10 minutes like the previous week. ... "So what did you want to discuss, brother?" Kaida asked. "I went to Lord Third when I came back. Aside from telling me about my new missions, he also told me about an interesting promise my brother had made. I just want to know how he is going to fulfill it," Shisui said. Both of them were sitting in the garden, Kenta peacefully sleeping in his small cave-like room which he had made himself over time as his own room. Both of them were looking toward him as Kenta slept peacefully. "Don''t worry, brother. I am not going to mindlessly kill everyone from those villages. I am not that twisted," Kaida said with a small chuckle. "I know that much, Kaida. There is no need for you to state the obvious. What I want to know is what you are planning. I know you, Kaida. You are not the type of person who will make empty promises. So..." Shisui asked. "I... I don''t know, brother. Even though my end goal is clear in my mind, the path is not. But I am slowly forging it, with my first goal being money¡ªthe resource for which all major villages started war multiple times. So I am planning on using that resource. After that, I have to do many things, but that is for the future." "Do whatever you want. I am not going to tell you to forget everything and live peacefully. But let me make one thing clear: in your plan, change every ''I'' with ''We,'' as I have already said. Your brother is always with you. Am I clear?" Shisui asked. "Yes, brother," Kaida replied with a smile. He knew his brother loved peace and strived for it, but more than that, he loved his family. ... While the two brothers were having a heartfelt conversation, Hiruzen and Shikaku were having their own conversation as well. "We should really attack a day after tomorrow, Lord Third. We will not get such a great chance once again," Shikaku said. "Sending a shadow clone in place of a real S-rank ninja for Daimyo''s security¡ªdo you know how big of a risk you want to take, Shikaku?" "Only two shadow clones. Kakashi and Guy will be present there personally, along with eight elite ninja. There is not even a need to send half of them." "He is going to the Land of Mist, which is currently in civil war¡ªa time period when they could easily eliminate him and blame the other party for it," Hiruzen said, massaging his forehead. "And Jiraiya-sama could easily come back and join the caravan after the attack. It''s not like they could move faster than him anyway," Shikaku said. "Now I am really thinking I am going senile for even approving this idea. But if we pull this off, this will really be the perfect answer to those who are thinking Konoha is still an injured beast," Hiruzen said, taking out his smoke pipe. "Okay, proceed with this plan," giving his approval after taking a strong puff from his pipe. Chapter 381: Playing with Fire In the office of Konoha''s leader, two of its most powerful ninja were sitting, both having S-rank strength capable of changing the direction of the war on their own. Shisui and Jiraiya were called to Hiruzen''s office regarding an important matter, which was not disclosed to them till now in the slightest. Yesterday, they were informed that they would be going with the Fire Daimyo to the Land of Mist for a business deal. But suddenly they were informed of another mission they had to take and had to visit the Hokage''s office¡ªthe second one which is not in the Hokage building¡ªdiscretely. "Since Shikaku is here as well, I assume you guys are planning something again," Jiraiya asked. After Hiruzen, he was the strongest ninja in Konoha. Well, it was debatable who was stronger between Hiruzen and Jiraiya, but considering all of the experience and techniques Hiruzen knew, as well as all of the information he had about Jiraiya and his fighting style, there was quite a high chance that Hiruzen would win in a one-to-one fight. So Jiraiya, who could be considered the strongest ninja in Konoha, usually didn''t care about formalities at all, especially since Hiruzen was his sensei and almost like his father. That''s why he was questioning the meeting easily. "Yes, Lord Jiraiya, as you know, we were going to return the favor to Kumo and Iwa. This is regarding that," Shikaku said. "You''re not actually sending me and him on that mission, right? Are we really going to go to war with Kumo and Iwa?" Jiraiya asked, his demeanor becoming serious. "Not you two, Lord Jiraiya, but someone with almost the same chakra signature as you guys, since you will be going with the Fire Daimyo to the Land of Mist," Shikaku said, barely holding back his smirk. "We will be playing with fire if we do that," Shisui said, as the meaning behind Shikaku''s words became clear in his mind. "Yes, but that fire will not be able to burn us at all. What are they going to do, tell that the Fire Daimyo is lying? They brazenly declared their ninja as rogues when they were killed during the attack. If we agreed to that because we are not ready for a war, so will they. Because no matter how unprepared we are for a war, we can handle those two for now. With Suna being an ally and Kiri in civil war, we will only have to focus on two villages, which is doable, and it is known by them as well, so they will not start a war either," Shikaku said. "But won''t it just lead to them attacking more of our outposts in retaliation?" Shisui asked. Being away from the village, he didn''t know about the meetings that took place here, while Jiraiya was present so he knew about it from before, and also why these two brains of Konoha agreed to this plan. "No, if that happens, we WILL be forced to start a war, even if we want to or not. We, as the strongest village and the one with most fertile land and resources, can''t take these attacks lying down. Otherwise, we will become a target to exploit for other villages. Neither Kumo nor Iwa is dumb enough to do that," Shikaku said with absolute confidence in his voice. "So what do you think they will do when we destroy their outpost? It''s not like they will just say, ''Okay, our balance is settled, now let''s move on,'' right?" This time it was Jiraiya who asked the question. "Out of all possible outcomes, I assume two to be most possible. First, they might not act immediately, but Kumo and Iwa have long memories. Instead of direct retaliation now, they might bide their time and strike when we least expect it. Or they might retaliate in a limited, controlled manner¡ªperhaps sabotaging supply lines or ambushing our shinobi¡ªbut they won''t escalate to full-scale war unless they''re prepared for it. In both cases, there will be no war since we can''t pin the blame on them, and we will have two time bombs on our back to always be on the lookout for," Shikaku said. "Since you guys have already thought this through, there is nothing for us to care about anyway. Just tell us what we are going to do," Jiraiya said, his expression going back to a lazy one. "Jiraiya-sama, you will be going to..." Shikaku started the briefing of the plan in detail, with the capabilities of the ninja who were going to follow them on the mission, as well as what they were expected to do there. Both Jiraiya and Shisui had different roles, and both were more than qualified for it. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "If you have any doubts, you can ask now," Shikaku said at the end of the briefing. "Only one: how much can I show?" Jiraiya asked. "All of your capabilities. That is the whole point of sending you on the mission." "To show that it''s not only them who are the shameless ones?" Jiraiya asked in a mocking tone. "For my village, I can be the most shameless person in the world," Hiruzen said without even an ounce of hesitation. "So can we. Since everything is clear, I will take my leave. I have to complete my latest chapter of Icha Icha Paradise Season 4 before leaving," Jiraiya said, bowed to Hiruzen, and left the room. After this, Shisui could only smile awkwardly. "You can also leave, Shisui. Since you have to go on two missions tomorrow, take some rest," Hiruzen said. "Thank you, Lord Third," Shisui said, then bowed and left. After both of them left, Hiruzen turned to Shikaku. "Others are prepared for this, right?" "Yes, Lord Third. They have been briefed about the mission. Since most of them are ANBU or Elite Jonin who have already worked with them, there is no need for any extra training at all. Also, since our attack force is not big, the route for smaller squads to reach there without being noticed has been easily planned. With this, all of the preparation is complete," Shikaku said. "Good. I don''t want any mishaps during this mission. Our top elite force is going on this mission¡ªif anything happens to them, we will go back a year in our growth," Hiruzen said. "Rest assured, Lord Third. The mishap you''re talking about will only happen when both Raikage and Tsuchikage move to attack our forces, which is next to impossible. But I still gave signals to our spies to keep on the lookout for any movement of these two or their jinchuriki." Hiruzen nodded his head. It was not that he didn''t know this, but the risk was just that high that he couldn''t keep his worry in check. In one corner, this was happening, while in another part of Konoha, a celebration was going on. Fugaku had made three restaurants in the Uchiha compound free for a week straight, and all of Konoha was invited to eat. He was even planning on throwing a celebration party, which Itachi stopped after many requests. With three restaurants of the Uchiha compound, and that too with the highest rating, which could be considered 5-star on Earth, being free, the crowd of people that went to the Uchiha compound was no joke. In a sense, this big movement also helped Konoha to hide the preparation of the attack from spies in the village. Chapter 382: BIG Brother (At evening¡­) Shisui returned from the Hokage''s office and told his family about the mission he was going to take, about the Daimyo''s safety. "But you just came back, and now you have to go on another mission. Are they going to work you till you are bones and skin? If it is so hard to be an Anbu, just quit it," Hae said, as Shisui had just come back yesterday and now had to go on another mission, and that too for 3 weeks. "Mom, this mission is the easiest mission one could get. Protecting the caravan of Fire Daimyo with Jiraya-sama and a ton of other elite Ninja, there is no need for you to worry about anything," Shisui tried to calm his mother down, who was on the verge of going to the Hokage building to question Hiruzen himself. But unlike Hae, Kaida was more experienced in these missions, at least more than her, so he had a hunch that Hiruzen wouldn''t have called Shisui back for a mission like protecting the Fire Daimyo when he had more than enough ninja for it, along with Jiraya, who could easily handle such a mission alone as he had always done. ''There is something other than this mission. Considering how brother is not telling us anything, it must be something confidential,'' Kaida thought, but didn''t say anything. He already had a guess which mission Shisui may have gotten, but he kept it to himself. "Then tell Lord Third that you will not take any mission after this one for a month. I don''t care how important it is. Even your father used to say how important it is to take a break in between missions, as they are more mentally taxing than physically," Hae said, her stance clear: either rest or she will have a talk with Hiruzen himself. "As you wish, Mom. I will ask for a month''s leave from Lord Third after this mission," Shisui said with a big smile on his face. She nodded her head, after which dinner was served. After a very long time, all five members of the family were dining together, so Hae had prepared a feast once again, which left all of them bloated. "I will have a stroll to digest this. Will anyone join me?" Shisui said, patting his bulging belly. "I have to do the dishes," Hae said. "Mom, I can..." "No need, I can do this," Hae cut off Shisui''s suggestion, because every mother likes to do things for their children more than leisure time, the same was true for Hae. "I will help, Aunt," Yomi said, at which Hae nodded her head. "I will come " "No, you are going to bed," Hae said. "Then only we are left, brother," Kaida said with a small chuckle. "Looks like it." "Guah" came a roar from the background. "With your size, you will give those innocent people a scare of their life. I will take you to the jungle tomorrow," Kaida said. "Guah" - almost a child-like roar came, and after this much time, the family was able to understand the meaning behind some of its roars, like this time. "Yeah, I promise." ... "So, you are going on a single S-rank mission?" Kaida asked Shisui. They had chosen a rather remote alley as the village was still very active this hour, especially the Uchiha compound - the safest location in the village. The shops rarely close in this clan; one can see some movement at all hours. But it made peaceful night walks impossible, so they chose the area near the training area and border of the village. "As you can guess, no. But I can''t tell you where I am going," Shisui said. "There is no need, brother. I already have a guess about that... best of luck and be safe. It will not be easy," Kaida said, looking toward him. It would be a complete lie to say that he was not worried at all; no, he was worried. He was worried about the mission Shisui was about to take. There was no way Kumo and Iwa had not prepared for the attack, considering Shisui was being sent on a mission where there were N number of possibilities that something may go wrong. Kaida wanted to stop Shisui from going on the mission, but he knew that it was actually the peaceful time compared to what would happen in the future. "Hahaha, are you actually worrying about me? Don''t you know who your brother is?" Shisui laughed and ruffled Kaida''s hair. "I know, but I am worried. Even a 10-year-old is now more stronger than you. Now I doubt whether your reputation is authentic or not," Kaida said with a smile. "Hahaha! Just because you got Mangekyo, you think you are now stronger than me, huh? Well, now I have to earn back my pride as the big brother. Why don''t we have a spar?" Shisui asked. "Umm, I don''t want to injure you before your mission, brother. I am still new to this and may not be able to control myself," Kaida said with a smirk. "Well, you are a doctor. I am sure you will be able to heal me just fine," Shisui said, a vein bulging on his forehead. ... "What happened to you, Kaida? I thought you guys just went for a walk. Why does it look like you were hit by a carriage?" Hae asked worriedly. "Umm, I slipped?" Kaida said, turning his head away. Hae then turned to Shisui for an explanation, only to find an annoying smirk on his face. "How many times do I have to say it to Kaida: don''t become careless. Now go and take some rest, and tell your ''BIG brother'' if you have any problem, okay?" Shisui asked. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, brother " Kaida clicked his tongue and went into his room, but there was a smile on his face. In the spar, he had tried his very best to fight Shisui, used every trick possible aside from his Mangekyo ability, and he still lost to Shisui. If it had to be compared, both of them had a gun, but Shisui had more experience and better aim and dexterity, which gave him an edge. Even though Kaida lost the spar, and since his earlier provocations were a little too much, he had to pay the price. The end result, which was the end of his worries about Shisui''s safety, was definitely worth it. So Kaida went to his room with a broken body but a calm mind and a smile on his face. ****** ???? **Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon!** ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ?????? Chapter 383: Preparations and New Faces (Next day¡­) The morning sun cast a golden hue over Konoha as Shisui and Jiraiya made their way to the designated meeting place in the Hokage building. The basement of the building was a place where not even the elders of Konoha were allowed to visit without the Hokage''s permission, and in that basement, 60 ninja were waiting for their commanders. The air was thick with anticipation, as all of them knew the gravity of the mission ahead. They were tasked with infiltrating and destroying key outposts of Kumo and Iwa. The success of this mission would not only avenge Konoha''s losses but also send a clear message to the other villages: Konoha was not to be trifled with. Both Jiraiya and Shisui entered the basement at the same time, their eyes scanning the team present in front of them. The shinobi were a mix of ANBU operatives, elite jonin, and specialized ninja with unique skills. Each one had been handpicked for their expertise and strength, with special care taken to ensure not even a chance of any of them being a spy. After scanning the ninjas, they made their way in front of the formation, the ninja waiting for them to give orders. Aside from the anxiety, there was a sense of excitement in their eyes as well. Being led by someone like Jiraiya was not something that happened every day. His role in previous wars and the number of missions he had completed was legendary among Konoha ninja. Jiraiya, ever the experienced leader, stepped forward first. His booming voice echoed across the basement as he addressed his team. "Alright, listen up! You all know why we''re here. This isn''t just another mission¡ªit''s a statement. We''re going to show Kumo and Iwa that Konoha doesn''t back down. But remember, this isn''t about recklessness. We move as one, we strike as one, and we come back as one. Understood?" "Yes, sir!" the team responded in unison, their voices filled with determination. Jiraiya''s team was a well-rounded group, consisting of close-combat specialists, long-range fighters, and infiltration experts. Since Jiraiya himself was a fuinjutsu grandmaster, there was no need for a dedicated sealing expert in his team. Instead, he had a few shinobi proficient in barrier techniques and trap-setting to complement his own skills. Meanwhile, Shisui observed his team with a calm yet calculating gaze. His group was equally impressive, but with a slightly different focus. Among them was a fuinjutsu grandmaster, a rare and invaluable asset for any mission of this scale. Shisui had been briefed about the man''s importance and knew that ensuring his safety would be a top priority. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After the initial statement, Jiraiya and Shisui made way to their respective teams. "Good morning, sir. I am Shisui Uchiha. I am tasked to lead this team for this mission. Please help me on this mission," Shisui introduced himself first and with great humility, because he knew the man in front of him was no joke. Even though he was the leader of the group, in a sense, this person was more important than even himself, which became increasingly clear when he introduced himself. The fuinjutsu master stepped forward, introducing himself. "My name is Renjiro Hyuga. I specialize in large-scale sealing techniques and barrier creation. Please use my expertise as you see fit," the aged ninja said. A Jonin-level ninja from the Hyuga clan, that in itself would make him a valuable asset for the village, but his other expertise makes him invaluable. A Hyuga fuinjutsu grandmaster is better than a normal one since he could see the changes in chakra easily and find hidden seals with more ease. With him being from the main family, his importance increased even further, making his security much more critical. This just shows how much importance Konoha is putting on this mission. Shisui nodded, acknowledging Renjiro''s role. "Your expertise will be crucial, Renjiro-san. Though no mission is more important than you, as your advice is invaluable for us youngsters, so please stay close to me during the mission. I will do my best to ensure your safety," Shisui said, giving the best respect to the person. Renjiro gave a small smile. "I''ll hold you to that, Shisui-san." The rest of Shisui''s team included tracking specialists, medical ninja, and a few shinobi with unique kekkei genkai. One of them, a young woman with sharp white eyes, stepped forward. "I''m Ayane Hyuga. I will take the duty of Renjiro-san''s safety," she said. Even though it would have been Shisui''s decision, her being from the branch family actually made it her duty to protect Renjiro. Having an elite Jonin-level ninja as a guard for Renjiro was important, so Shisui agreed without any problem at all. As the teams finalized their introductions, Shisui and Jiraiya took a moment to discuss the mission details. They reviewed the routes their teams would take, the outposts they were targeting, and the contingency plans in case things went south. "Remember," Jiraiya said, his tone serious, "this isn''t just about destroying their outposts. It''s about sending a message. We hit hard, we hit fast, and we disappear before they even know what hit them. There should be no witness of you being there, I mean no one." "Don''t worry, Jiraiya-sama. I am quite confident in my speed, but I will still try my best to follow your advice," Shisui said with a smile. "I know. The advice was for your teammates," Jiraiya said, looking toward the ninjas behind Shisui. With the plans finalized, the teams began their preparations. Even though they were experienced ninja, it was still better to have some practice for coordination before such a big attack. Shisui''s group focused on coordinating their movements and practicing their formations with various secret signs discussed for different situations, while Jiraiya''s team worked on perfecting their ambush tactics. Renjiro then told them the best way to destroy any seal, which jutsu would work best, whether to attack the seal or the area near it when different signals were given. As the sun began to set, Shisui gathered his team for a final briefing. "We move out at dawn. Get some rest tonight¡ªtomorrow, we move out to show the might of Konoha." The shinobi dispersed, each one mentally preparing for the challenges ahead. Shisui stayed behind, his thoughts lingering on the mission. He knew the risks, but he also knew the importance of what they were about to do. "You will do fine, boy. Don''t worry too much," Jiraiya said, patting Shisui''s shoulder, having just completed the training of his team and sent them back for rest. "I know, Jiraiya-sama. I was thinking about how many lives will be lost just because of some power play," Shisui said. "Hahaha, you two really are brothers. Your brother also said the same things, you know. And I am glad Konoha has such ninjas who know that life, whether of friends or foes, is equally important. And that''s why we are doing this mission." ****** ???? **Enjoying the story? Get ahead on Patreon!** ???? Support me on Patreon and gain early access to up to 25 extra chapters! ????? Plus, enjoy exclusive character images and even have a say in story development! Join now:[Patreon ¨C FirstHokage](https://www.pat reon.com/c/FirstHokage) (no space after pat) Your support keeps the story going! ??????